Sermon Tone Analysis

Recently our 2 year old has discovered the question asked most often by children.

Do you know what that is? Why? Get in your chair it’s time to eat.

Why?

Time to go to bed.

Why?

No don’t dump all the legos out on the floor.

Why? So, my wife has been training him, “don’t say why? say OK mommy.”

It is important for a number of reasons that he learn to accept and obey the authority of mom and dad.

Sometimes, that authority might just save his life.

Don’t play with the outlet, don’t hammer near your baby brother’s head, don’t go near the road.

If any one of those commands were called into question, and especially if they were rejected, if the authority of mom and dad was rejected in these areas what would be the consequences?

Calamity.

What are the consequences when we reject the authority of the Word of God?

βλασφημέω- what English word does that sound like?

Blasphemy!

This word means to speak in a disrespectful way that demeans, denigrates, maligns- slander, revile, defame, speak irreverently/impiously/disrespectfully of or about

So here the false teachers are doing what?

They are rejecting the authority of the Word of God- they are causing God’s truth to be blasphemed.

This is no light matter!

And Peter spends an entire chapter talking about exactly what happens to someone who rejects, who blasphemes the authority of the truth.

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 178.

How should a believer respond to the authority of the Word of God?

προσέχω- to pay close attention to someth., pay attention to, give heed to, follow

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 880.

How closely should we pay attention?

What is the illustration Peter gives?

as unto a light that shineth in a dark place

How long should we pay attention to it?

until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Why should we pay attention to it?

We have also a more sure word of prophecy

Because it came from God.

The authority of the Scripture is the very authority of God Himself.

But what happens when we reject God’s authority?

I.

We put ourselves under the authority of heretical thinking (v. 1)

Damnable heresies- Destructive heresies- thinking / teaching that only leads to destruction.

Privily- secretly introduce this kind of teaching

This teaching/thinking is so bad that is causes these false teachers to deny the Lord that bought them.

Teachers in the church that claim to be saved, they claim they under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, that He is their Master, but by means of their thinking, their teaching, their living, they actually reveal themselves to be those who deny the Lord that bought them.

Their denial of Jesus Christ reveals that they did not truly belong to God, even though they professed faith.

Peter said that they were bought by Jesus Christ, in the sense that they gave every indication initially of genuine faith.

In every church there are members who appear to be believers and who should be accepted as believers according to the judgment of charity.

As time elapses and difficulties arise, it becomes apparent that they are wolves in the flock (Acts 20:29–30),

Their denial of Jesus Christ reveals that they did not truly belong to God, even though they professed faith.

Peter said that they were bought by Jesus Christ, in the sense that they gave every indication initially of genuine faith.

In every church there are members who appear to be believers and who should be accepted as believers according to the judgment of charity.

As time elapses and difficulties arise, it becomes apparent that they are wolves in the flock (Acts 20:29–30), that though they called on Jesus as Lord their disobedience shows that he never knew them (Matt 7:21–23), that they are like the seed sown on rocky or thorny ground that initially bears fruit but dries up and dies when hard times come (Matt 13:20–22).

that though they called on Jesus as Lord their disobedience shows that he never knew them (Matt 7:21–23),

that they are like the seed sown on rocky or thorny ground that initially bears fruit but dries up and dies when hard times come (Matt 13:20–22).

So these false teachers bring into the church

Damnable heresies

And listen to what these heretical teachings cause them to do-

(v. 1) They deny the Lord that bought them

(v.

2) By reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of- or because of them the way of the truth is blasphemed

(v. 3) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you- or the will exploit you with false words

So the teach destructive damnable heresies and as a result- they end up denying the Lord, blaspheming the truth, and speaking false words.

Can believers do that?

Can we deny the Lord (Is the only way to deny the Lord through our words?

Can our actions end up denying the Lord somehow?)

What does it mean to deny something?

Repudiate, disown- refuse to accept of associate with the Lord.

Can believers do that?

Rom 6.12-

So, if we are not careful, if we reject the authority of the Word of God, we can end up denying the Lord (not in so many words, but in our actions)

(v. 2) By reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken.

Can believers do that?

Can we cause the way of the truth to be evil spoken of?

I Pet

All of this happens when we choose to reject the authority of the Word of God.

Contrast:

What do you want to submit to?

Or

2 Pet 1.19-

But what happens when we reject God’s authority?

II.

We quickly backslide into fleshly living (vv.

2-3)

When you reject God’s authority in your life, and instead you put yourself under heretical thinking- when your thinking becomes based on something other than the way of the truth, then quickly you will end up following after pernicious ways.

Pernicious- destructive, sinful abandon- indulgence in sensual pleasure unrestrained by convention or morality.

So you reject God’s truth, you reject His authority and you instead you follow the authority of false words- then your conduct quickly becomes that which is sensual.

If God’s authority is not holding back your sinful heart, then you give in to your own sinful abandon.

Unrestrained sensuality.

(v.

3)- through covetousness (greed) the state of desiring to have more than one’s due, greediness, insatiableness, avarice, covetousness

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 824.

(v. 3 b) through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you- or they will exploit you with false words.

to engage w. someone in a business transaction, buy and sell, trade in

in a neg.

sense of misrepresentation of merchandise

They seek power over you, to take advantage of you, to further their own agenda.

So you reject the authority of God’s word it quickly causes you to follow after sensuality, greed, and ill-begotten power.

Does that sound familiar to you?

Does that sound like our own culture?

Many in our culture have rejected the authority of God’s Word, they have instead lived their lives based on a false authority and as a result they have followed after

Sensuality, greed, and power- name a few.

Rom 1.18-

Listen, believer, if we reject the authority of the Word of God- can we end up doing some of the same kinds of thing?

Col 3.5-

Contrast: