Sneak: 1 Peter-Jude
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Transcript
Intro
Intro
Opening Video: Self Defense Tutorial from 1933.
Well that woman was converted to islam.
Main point: Not everything that looks Christian is Christian. Rather, the enemy has infiltrated.
This matters so much to me that D-Lab is going through this book “A Field Guide to False Teaching.”
Context: The threat of Gnosticism.
It claimed certain Christian things.
Church history has had a bunch of these. Arianism, Roman Catholicism at the time of the Reformation, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness.
It’s not just false religions like Islam and Buddhism. It’s things in Christianity.
Satan wants you to bite into a bit of Christianity that is like this one, but false.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
How Christ has equipped you to defend against false teaching:
How Christ has equipped you to defend against false teaching:
1 Peter equips you to know the mission
1 Peter equips you to know the mission
1 Peter is written to Jewish Christians who were scattered in places outside of Jerusalem.
Why you should read 1 Peter:
To get a solid theology of the church
To learn about how to live on earth as an exile.
To learn how to practically bridge God to man through our actions.
To understand why God asks Christians to suffer for him.
To know what Satan is trying to do on the church on earth.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Some mission details:
You are useful (living stone).
You will face opposition (rejected by men).
You will be important (chosen and precious).
You are a bridge (royal priesthood).
You are pleasing God (spiritual sacrifices).
You are not the team leader (through Christ Jesus).
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
You have a real spiritual enemy on earth.
A couple of points about Satan:
He is not omnipresent.
He is not the ruler of hell.
He can’t do anything to you unless God let’s him.
But he is real, and takes every opportunity to attack.
You know when you feel super spiritual and you do something really great? Have you noticed that it is after those times that you fall back into sin?
It’s because you let your guard down. The enemy sees it and takes it.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Summary of 1 Peter: Fight, not because the battle depends on you, but because of who you get to follow into battle. Christ himself.
2 Peter equips you to know the weaponry
2 Peter equips you to know the weaponry
2 Peter is written years later. It is Peter’s 2 Timothy.
He warns that false teachers are coming. He is telling people what they need to use to defend themselves. He was worried they were getting lazy and not growing in knowledge. False ideas: “I don’t theology, I just need Jesus.”
That’s like saying
Why you should read 2 Peter:
To be motivated to grow in knowledge of God.
To know how the Bible came to be.
To help us understand the threat of false teachers to the church.
To give us hope that God’s word will do what it promises.
To know why Christ said he is coming soon yet hasn’t come yet.
Peter wants you to know you never make it. There is always new things you should be learning.
Illust: Challenged by James New to know what God is teaching me each moment.
3 Takeaways on our Weapons:
Scripture is trustworthy, not your experiences.
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
Peter after describing the transfiguration states that God’s word is more fully confirmed, more trustworthy. Why? Because my heart is darkened.
I heard a student say “I don’t want a lecture. I want testimonies and powerful experiences.”
False teachers will try to exploit your experiences for their gain.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Notice that they are not just prophets, but teachers. A prophet is given new revelation, and teacher communicates old revelation.
The teachers will take old revelation and twist it with false words to get what they want.
I have seen this happen all the time! It’s not just from people that want your money, it’s from people that want glory.
God will deal with false teachers and reward you for knowing him.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells
Summary: Can you go in the Bible to explain and defend the living God? It is not a burden to know the Scriptures. It’s not a chore. I get to behold Jesus and enjoy him.
William Penn
The undisciplined man is a headache to himself and a heartache to others and is unprepared to face the stern realities of life.
Anonymous
1, 2, & 3 John equips you to know the enemies and allies.
1, 2, & 3 John equips you to know the enemies and allies.
These three letters are written by John the Apostle likely from when he was in the city of Ephesus.
1 John is beautiful because it gives you the essence of the theology of John’s gospel in a short book.
Why you should read 1-3 John:
To gain confidence that Jesus was a real man and was truly the Son of God.
To know what it looks like to practically love Jesus.
To know what are the essential things to believe in Christ.
To gain assurance that you are actually God’s child.
To navigate relationships with unbelievers.
1 John gives you 3 tests of an Ally of Christ:
The Doctrinal Test: Who is Christ?
Right beliefs lead to right practice.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
People that like Jesus but deny either his deity or humanity or any other part of him are not born again.
The Moral Test: Who are Christ’s children?
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Summary: The Christian wants to obey God. He does not just believe in Jesus but Jesus is mission commander for his life. He actively He actually is somewhat successful at it and is cleaned for his sin when he is forgiven.
The Love Test: What do they do?
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
My affections pour out to other people but they also stay away from the things of this world. I am not allowed to love the pride of life.
Illustrations: Counterfeit ID at SAT test
2&3 John give you two responses:
Love all
Do not let God’s enemies influence you.
Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
You cannot have an influential best friend who is not a Christian.
Summary: Christ wants you to know him for who he is, live for him how he wants you to live, and love like he loved you. You must follow him for the God he is, not the God you want him to be.
Jude equips you to know the victory
Jude equips you to know the victory
Jude is written by the brother of James, and Jesus himself.
He writes this letter wanting to rejoice, but he is honest that it is not a letter of rejoicing. It is a letter of wartime. It is similar to 2 Peter, but while 2 Peter focused on “here is how you should prepare for false teachers” Jude is written after they arrived and is about how we should deal with them.
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Key word: contend. We need to battle.
Why you should read Jude:
To be encouraged that God will deal with all wicked men.
To be encouraged when you feel weary in following Christ.
To know how to deal with different levels of spiritual maturity amongst believers.
To see God’s pattern of dealing with wickedness throughout the Old Testament all tied together.
Key verse:
Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Main takeaway: Jesus is going to defeat these guys. Not you.
Maybe you have felt righteously angry about ways people have been led astray. Jesus is more angry than you.
What was encouraging for me? Seeing that we had been through all this before.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Final application points from Jude:
Have mercy on those who doubt - It’s not wrong to wrestle. Be gracious to one another.
Save others by snatching them out of the fire - Some doctrine is twisted and wrong. Pluck one another up from false thinking.
Hate their sin, but love them.
Guys, it’s not wrong for me to want these wicked false teachers to be judged. As long as I stay humble that I could have been one of them. David prayed all the time for God to defeat his enemies but was humble in that he remembered he was once an enemy of God himself.
Summary: Jude wants me to trust Jesus with the victory, but fight nonetheless.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Being saved to Jesus means learning to love what he loves and hate what he hates. Be alert (1 Peter), be equipped (2 Peter), be discerning (1-3 John), be hopeful (Jude).3
