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We kicked off this series called “Faithful” a couple of weeks ago, written by the apostle Peter who is challenging Christians to be FAITHFUL to the One who has been FAITHFUL to them.

Today will demonstrate the difference between those who are FAITHFUL to Jesus and those who are not.

And today might be one of those days where you walk away either FREED or AFRAID.

If you’re a follower of Jesus who is trusting Him and pointing others to Him you will be encouraged,

but…if you’re not a follower of Jesus, OR…you’re just playing the church game - where you talk like a Christian at times but then act like a non-Christian at other times - what we read today should stir up some fear in your soul.

Hopefully, that will then lead you to TURN FROM your sin and TURN TO Jesus.

PRAY

Last week we were reminded that...

God uses the Scriptures and Eyewitnesses to SPEAK to People through People.

And while we can be confident that God has given us his trustworthy Word and trustworthy teachers to help understand and obey His Words, there are ALSO false teachers who should NOT be trusted, who attempt to dilute the truth of Scripture and preach a false gospel.

2 Peter 2:1 (NIV)

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.

They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

We must be aware of the reality that false teachers sometimes teach what is true, just as a broken clock is still right 2 times a day.

But that doesn’t mean we give them a pass when much of what they teach is false.

According to Simon Peter, who knew the heartbeat of Jesus, those who secretly introduce destructive heresies are bringing swift destruction on themselves.

Heresy is not a term to throw around when someone has a different view on a secondary issue in Scripture - like the timeline of Jesus’ return - we don’t know…we are all make educated - or not-so educated - guesses at that.

Heresies are referring to twisting and diluting the Scriptures to make God more like mankind and make mankind more like God - where we bring God down to our level and bring ourselves up to His level.

In our day Word-faith teachers misquote Rom 4:17 and say that WE are to speak things into existence - which we CANNOT do.

That, according to that Scripture in context - is GOD’S prerogative.

Heresy is denying that Jesus is God, the Son - or claiming that WE have all the authority that He has.

Heresy is claiming God made promises to people that God never made - like being healthy and wealthy the rest of your life.

We could go on, but will keep cruising to the part that will be hard for many of us to swallow - it’s not like these false teachers are people who have denied Jesus their whole lives.

Instead, Simon Peter notes that these false teachers are denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - that is, they recognized that Jesus died for their sins, but now they are denying His lordship and leading others to do the same.

Some say Jesus didn’t die for them.

Some say they never really trusted Jesus but only pretended to be followers of Jesus.

John MacArthur - a brilliant teacher, an example for many pastors, and one from whom I often quote - has to side-step this passage by saying, and I quote, “false teachers’ sins were not paid for in the atonement of Christ.”

* John F. MacArthur Jr., 2 Peter and Jude, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2005), 76.

To that I must disagree with Dr. MacArthur, as it seems that Simon Peter does too.

These false teachers, according to Peter, are denying the sovereign Lord who bought them.

Many of us who are thankful for God’s salvation have come to the confusing conclusion that true followers of Jesus will never walk away from Him.

Call it what you want - “Perseverance of the Saints” or “Once Saved - Always Saved”.

Those who do walk away - we say - never trusted Jesus fully in the first place.

But the more I read Scripture, the more I see the reality that while Jesus will never walk away from you, you may choose to walk away from Him.

And if you choose to deny the sovereign Lord who bought you…then you should be very, very, AFRAID.

Christians, may we stop short-circuiting the conviction of the Holy Spirit by comforting someone who has been living in sin - pointing to past ‘salvation’ experience, rather than call them to repentance and obedience to Jesus.

Further, may we stop being silent when someone we care about is following the teachings of those who introduce destructive heresies among God’s people.

2 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV)

Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute [NET truth will be slandered; ESV truth will be blasphemed].

In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.

Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

As we will see in a moment, Simon Peter gives an example of a false prophet from the past, but he is most concerned with false teachers that will show up in his ancient audience’s future.

These false teachers tell fabricated stories because of their greed.

I guess there are some false teachers who are poor…but there seem to be many who are super wealthy.

I just posted a 15 minute video on FB by Costi Hinn, the nephew of Benny Hinn who worked in his ministry for years.

You won’t believe the lavish lifestyle and the manipulation of people that has been going on for decades!

I could name many false-teachers from the word-faith movement in this way, but instead I want to ask you a question.

QUESTION: If you were the devil, and you were planning to introduce false teaching through undercover folks, what would they look like?

Would they constantly frown and warn of God’s impending judgment?

OR…would they smile a lot and say things that people WANT to hear?

Here’s what Paul wrote to Timothy about that.

2 Timothy 4:1–3 (NIV)

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Why is Paul so adamant that Timothy consistently teach what is true?

Why does he need to correct and rebuke?

Isn’t he just supposed to be sweet and encouraging?

Paul answers that with this...

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Do you get that?

People will WANT to listen to someone who tells them what the want to hear.

This is happening throughout our culture as unchurched folks are drawn to listen to unwise counsel that encourages them to change the RULES rather than change themselves.

But it’s happening with people that ARE churched too.

Rather than twisting their beliefs to the Bible, as people are drawn to twist the Bible to fit their beliefs…and encourage others to do the same.

Years ago we were going through a teaching called “Sola Scriptura” - a heavy teaching on how the Bible came to be and why it was trustworthy.

I likely dug too deep for a lot of folks, but they were gracious to stick it out.

A brother of mine who is no longer involved with our church, however, said these words to me: “Jackie, you need to teach a little more like Joel Osteen.”

I’m afraid that he wanted a lot of encouraging words without correction and rebuke.

On his heels and in his ear was another man who echoed his words with a warning that he knew of a lot of people that were about ready to leave Fellowship if we didn’t lighten up on our view of the Scriptures.

Rather than challenging me to tweak the teaching to help people digest it in smaller chunks, he challenged me to STOP teaching it.

And as I spent more time with him, it became crystal clear that this man did NOT believe the authority of the Scriptures…and that’s likely why he didn’t appreciate us taking so much time to study how the Bible came to be and why it was trustworthy.

All of us want and need to be encouraged, but we must also receive the discipline from our Heavenly Father.

The Scriptures weren’t written to PUMP US UP but to GROW US UP.

And we must NEVER FORGET that as He has judged in the past, He will judge in the future.

That’s exactly what Simon Peter reminds us of next.

2 Peter 2:4–5 (NIV)

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

These angels are likely referring to those angels/demons who possessed men who had intimate relationships with women resulting in children that resulted in an overwhelmingly ungodly culture.

The punishment for the angels was being sent to hell - actually the Greek term is the term Tartarus - a holding place in Greek mythology that was even lower than Hades (what will typically refer to as “hell”).

* John F. MacArthur Jr., 2 Peter and Jude, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2005), 85.

This place is a temporary holding place where they are held for a future judgment.

The people’s punishment resulted in God bringing the flood on its ungodly people.

God, however, protected Noah and his family while bringing judgment on everyone else.

WHY?

Because Noah was righteous - meaning that He honored and obeyed God while everyone else acted like God’s judgement would never come.

So too, Simon Peter reminds us of a different story with a similar outcome:

2 Peter 2:6–8 (NIV)

if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

God brought incredible judgment on the immoral people in these 2 cities.

But God rescued Lot and his family, because he was a righteous man who walked in purity even though he was sickened and surrounded by a culture that lived for lawless deeds.

If you feel like Noah and Lot, then you are in good company with a great hope, and here’s why.

2 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

The Lord knows your heart and mine.

He KNOWS if we are judging righteously or hypocritically.