Avoiding Apostasy

ILLUST:

Leading causes of death and disability in the world are diseases fueled by sugar, salt and fat - but they taste soooooo good!

People get hungry, and consume unhealthy foods, even ones that promise health, incorrectly (Australia, NZ food labels, controlled by the food makers)

People are hungry spiritually - Eccles 3:11 - consume a spiritual diet that feels and sounds good, or substitute other “foods” to satisfy them, feeling spiritual

Published: Nestle - “Good Food - Good Life” and they admit that >60% of their produced food is unhealthy.

READ: 2 Peter 2:17-22

Word of the day: apostasy - total desertion of or departure from; refusing to continue to follow

Apostasy is dangerous - Peter takes it head on in this passage - people tend to not just quit, but they will lead others astray as well

Empty Promises of False Teachers

1) Promise “water” (satisfaction) - leave you thirsty

“Springs without water” - In ANE, a spring without water was a disastrous disappointment - and if you had a well with water, you were blessed

Walking through dry, barren land, and come upon a dry spring. Initially excited, then empty

Mists driven by storm - appears to be refreshing moisture, but it is gone, unsatisfying

2) Promise clarity, enlightenment, “awakening” - leave you confused

The mists, also point to fog, unclear vision- this is the false teacher

Targets of the false teachers

Potential new converts - those hearing the Gospel and nearing trusting the truth, close to a relationship with Jesus

The enemy knows you came to church. The enemy knows you picked up that Bible out of curiosity; the enemy knows that families bring their kids to Awana

These new potential converts, people just beginning to follow the truth - are unstable in their faith

POINT: We need stable believers

Satan works on these people in two ways

Boastful speech - arrogance

Invitations to indulge the flesh (gambling, sex, money, alcohol/drugs, shopping, excessive internet usage, eating, over-working…)

Remember - there is no judgment, so live how you want - people living by indulging the flesh ignore Jesus talking about being busy for Him until He returns

Problem with the truth - the people living outside it are the ones who don’t like it

3) Promise of Freedom

But the teachers themselves were (and are) mired in sin, behavior counter to Bible, especially sexual sin - Peter leans in on this one, as this is so fitting today

Their lifestyles contradicted their message - even Jesus told disciples to do what the leaders said, not what they did.

People hate hypocrites, even though we all are...

POINT - stick to the Biblical message, and goodness, have a little patience with us disciples; because when we mess up, we repent

Freedom? You are actually a slave to to whatever masters you! (Rom. 6) And you willingly follow, with amazing effort, that which you call your master.

Teaching points here on apostasy

People committing apostasy are unlikely to return to the truth - cites Prov 26:11

Dog - vomit

Pig/sow - mud

They seemingly escape the pollution of the world, but then get even more entangled by returning to it

V.20 reminds us - if you know God, you have everything you need - 2 Peter 1:3

Believer sees Jesus as Savior AND Lord

“The latter state has become worse for them than the first”

NOT - one-tie believers getting worse judgment by leaving faith

BUT - people hearing exploring Jesus and the truth, and then deciding against it

Psalm 14:1 NASB95

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.

Fool = someone who has examined and decided against

V. 21 - it would have been “better” for them

Explanation - it is easier to reach people with the truth when they have no/little knowledge, as opposed to trying to reach someone who has knowingly chosen against Christ

People know the way - and reject it - that’s a “worse” situation than someone who is open to hear the truth

Those truly not believers - will return to their ways (dog, pig)

Those truly believers - the transformed life is what characterizes them

Dogs - return to what is disgusting, finding the disgusting world more attractive than the “way of righteousness”

Pigs - spy the mud, and then decide to waller in it

Confessing faith in Christ but then deciding against it, returning to their original filth, or worse

And it is the false teachers who entice this activity

This passage is not about someone losing salvation

1 Peter 1:5 and 1 John 5:13

When God saves you, He will see to it that you get to your destination

What About Us?

Peter refers to people who say they know God, or believe in God and are lured away from true faith by false teachers

No different than “believers” who have never been discipled, or refuse to be discipled - very susceptible to false teaching - EASY PREY

What does a false teacher look like?

False - promise happiness today

Jesus - proclaim and promise joy eternal

False - tell you there is no way to know you will go to heaven when you die

Jesus - plainly teaches you can KNOW - 1 John 5:13

False - rely on sources outside Scripture to determine truth - “special” Bible version/distortion - separate book of truth

New World Translation, Book or Mormon, Book of Doctrine, numerous other books

People refuse to rely solely on Scripture for foundational truth

Jesus - we have everything we need sufficient for life in Scriptures - 2 Pet 1:3

PROBLEM - people can actually become their own false teachers, relying on self and own wisdom and strength

Christians can live any way they want

Christians don’t have to go to church (disappointing to pastors that people get stressed and do not see coming to church as refreshing, but rather relying on the world to satisfy)

As long as you believe something sincerely, and are sincere about that, God will be OK with you

False - you can have your best life here and now

Jesus - live for Him, in spite of hardships and trials, serve Him, even when it’s not easy, and it will often NOT be easy when you do it HIS way- the world will not allow for that ease

POINT - there are no shortcuts to the spiritual growth demanded by the Lord, as echoed by Peter

Takes work - false advertising is everywhere

“New body in two weeks”

Buy an elliptical (they never tell you to use it, just buy it

Feel good and buy a Bible - the spiritual aspect will not jump of the shelf and force you

Best Bible to get (translation) is one you will read

Batteries - lasts even longer (but they don’t)

Pain medication - nothing works faster (but maybe 10 other products work the same)

We want quick solutions, answers NOW, and ease from pain NOW - and we will quickly turn to solutions promising just that - and those solutions pull us away from the Lord

BEST preparation - build up your spiritual immunity - spiritually-healthy lifestyle

BEST preparation against COVID and FLU - build up your natural immunity - physically-healthy lifestyle

The attacks will come virus, false teaching - prepare your body, prepare your self

But that takes work. Yeah, it takes work, and you might have to leave some bad stuff behind as you move forward

One or two quick shots of spirituality won’t do it - Oh…you’ll feel good for a little bit

CLOSE

Jesus in John 4 - drink of this world, expecting it to satisfy you, will always be thirsty

Surrender to Him, “drink from springs of Living Water” - never thirst again