Wolf in the Fold
Notes
Transcript
There is perhaps no more important part of Peter's writings, than the one we are entering now.
Throughout 1st and 2nd Peter, he had been instructing in doctrine and Godly living, because the Gospel was being perverted.
Peter had just finished a defense of the true Gospel, and had just finished talking about the prophets who were "moved by the Holy Spirit," as they penned the Scriptures.
Peter now changes his focus to false teachers.
These are those who speak visions from their own minds instead of from God.
They were a huge problem in Peter's time, and even more so today.
We have a biblically illiterate society that has allowed these people to gain authority in the church
And with the advent of radio and television, the false teachers can reach farther than ever!
V.1
Peter references the past, and speaks to the future. There will be (and are) false teachers among us.
Each of these false teachers is an antichrist ( 1 John 2:18 ) and Peter gives us a good description of them.
In fact, he paints them in 3D.
They are characterized by deception, destruction, and denial.
1) Deception:
They are deceptive. Instead of openly declaring what they believe, they come into the church under false pretenses.
They give the impression that they are of the true Christian faith, then they start bringing in their own doctrines.
They never disclose their true teachings immediately.
They simply lay their false teachings alongside of the truth, and give the impression that they believe the fundamentals of the faith.
They smuggle it in, and wrap it up in Biblical talk.
Before long, they remove the true doctrine, leaving only the lie, and people don't even realize it's happening!
False teachers are wolves, dressed as harmless sheep!
False teachers are wolves, dressed as harmless sheep!
Matthew 7:15-16
Matthew 7:15-16
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
They come only to destroy, and there is nothing good to be gained from them.
They are charismatic and smooth talkers.
They make you feel good by telling you only what you want to hear.
They make you feel good by telling you only what you want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
This brings us to the second "D"
2) destruction:
Their message only brings destruction.
This word "destructive" literally means "damnable."
So, the destruction is in an eternal sense, it is referring to hell.
This is serious business!
The false teachers are divisive, and force members to choose sides, it is divide and conquer.
There are many false teachings that have crept into the church:
Evolution: theistic evolution places death before sin, which means Jesus died in vain. It destroys the whole doctrine of salvation.
The lie of evolution places death before sin, and undermines the Gospel of salvation.
The lie of evolution places death before sin, and undermines the Gospel of salvation.
Romans 5:12
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Rejection of hell and eternal damnation: Many teach that hell either isn't real, or that it isn't eternal.
Many teach that hell either isn’t real or that it isn’t eternal. Jesus teaches the opposite.
Many teach that hell either isn’t real or that it isn’t eternal. Jesus teaches the opposite.
Mark 9:44-48
Mark 9:44-48
where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’
Revelation 20:10
Revelation 20:10
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Robert Schuller of Crystal Cathedral Ministries has one of the most creative (and wrong) definitions of hell that I've ever heard.
and what is hell? It is the loss of pride that naturally follows separation from God -- the ultimate and unfailing source of our soul's sense of self-respect. 'my God my God why hast thou forsaken me?' was Christ's encounter with hell. In that hellish death our Lord experienced the ultimate horror -- humiliation, shame, and loss of pride as a human being. A person is in hell when he has lost his self-esteem.
So, let's get this straight, pride IS a sin, and the loss of that sin is hell?!?!
Rejection of the virgin birth
If Christ wasn't immaculately conceived, than He would be entirely human.
If He is not God, then He doesn't have the authority to forgive our sins.
Denying the bodily resurrection.
Many deny the bodily resurrection, but the Bible teaches it as real.
Many deny the bodily resurrection, but the Bible teaches it as real.
Luke 24:39
Luke 24:39
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
1 Corinthians 15:17
1 Corinthians 15:17
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
Rejection of the deity of Christ and/or the Holy Spirit: If you don't believe that the Holy Spirit is God, then you are denying part of who God is.
Rejection of grace:
Many teach that you have to mix works with grace to be saved, i.e. Be baptized.
In fact, they often use the law as a means to control the congregation.
Peter warns the elders not to be lords over the flock.
Peter warns the elders not to be lords over the flock.
1 Peter 5:3
1 Peter 5:3
nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
Rejection of eternal security:
If you believe that you can lose your salvation, then you are demonstrating a lack of faith in both the person and the work of Jesus Christ, and the testimony of the Word of God.
Belief that you can lose your salvation is a lack of faith in Christ and His work.
Belief that you can lose your salvation is a lack of faith in Christ and His work.
John 10:28-29
John 10:28-29
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Ephesians 2:8
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
You have to wonder if anybody with such a lack of faith is saved at all.
Rejection of sin:
Robert Schuller developed his own, unbiblical definition of sin.
Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem.
The Bible tells us to esteem others better than himself. We need is a Biblical self-image.
The Bible tells us to esteem others better than himself. We need is a Biblical self-image.
Philippians 2:3
Philippians 2:3
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
He went on to redefine being born again as:
being changed from a negative to a positive self-image
What?!?!
Is our salvation based on our self image?
I guess that would be good news for some, because I know people who think very highly of themselves!
Romans 12:3
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Joel Osteen has publicly stated that he does not address sin because :
that's not what people need to hear.
What he really means is "that's not what people WANT to hear." There is a big difference.
Not everyone automatically knows that they are sinners, they need to be told.
If you get pulled over for speeding, yet you never saw the speed limit sign, then you didn't know that you were breaking the law until the cop told you.
However, you are still guilty.
Some people have never seen the Word of God, therefore, they don't know that they are sinning.
They are still guilty, and they need to hear it.
People need to be made aware of sin.
People need to be made aware of sin.
Ezekiel 33:8-9
Ezekiel 33:8-9
When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
In fact, Osteen says that God wants to bless us where we are.
In reality, God wants to MOVE us from where we are, and bring us closer to Him.
God wants to, and will, bless obedience. He will not bless disobedience.
God blesses obedience, not disobedience.
God blesses obedience, not disobedience.
James 1:25
James 1:25
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Osteen sounds like the false prophets of the old testament, who kept telling Israel that everything was going to be okay.
They just needed to keep going the way they were going.
However, God's message was and still is REPENT!
Oh how we should be more like John the Baptist "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
But the false teacher won't preach that message because it's not what people want to hear, it makes them uncomfortable.
This attitude has crept into many of our churches.
They are leading people on a feel good joy ride to hell!
3) Denial:
What it all boils down to, is the 3rd "D" they are denying Christ, Who has bought them.
You are bought and paid for by Christ.
You are bought and paid for by Christ.
1 Corinthians 7:23
1 Corinthians 7:23
You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
1 Corinthians 6:20
1 Corinthians 6:20
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The buyer has the right of possession.
Jesus, having paid the price, binds us to Himself.
Without being bound to Christ, there is no escape from judgment and hell, which is the only thing the false teacher has to offer.
V.2
Sadly, many people follow the false teachers, and hell is where they are leading.
A gravestone in an old British graveyard near Windsor Castle reads:
"Pause my friend as you walk by;
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be.
Prepare, my friend, to follow me."
Reportedly, a visitor who read the epitaph, added these lines:
"To follow you is not my intent,
Until I know which way you went."
Be careful who you follow!
V.3
False teachers in the church were exploiting Christians, and still are.
Without exception, these people always work for selfish gain.
They preach prosperity and wealth because that's what they care about, they don't care about people.
They use and exploit in order to get more money, and the ultimate cost is your soul!
We can rest assured that God is not sitting idly by.
In due time, they will face judgment.
In the meantime, we have an obligation to see to it that the truth is revealed.
In order to do that we need to know the scripture.
To reveal the truth and expose the lie requires knowledge of Scripture.
To reveal the truth and expose the lie requires knowledge of Scripture.
2 Timothy 2:15-17
2 Timothy 2:15-17
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
False teachings are a deadly cancer, and People's souls are at stake.
We need to stand up to the false teachers, and whoever else may be hindering or perverting the truth!
We need to stand up in the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit, and become rooted in the foundation of the rock that is Jesus Christ!
We need to pray every day for the boldness to speak when necessary, and not let opportunities pass us by.
Be sold out to the one who bought you, and commit to being a living, breathing, and talking testimony for the true Gospel, actively refuting the false teachings around you, by knowledgeably sharing the truth.
