"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."
Advertisement that contain a false, misleading, or deceptive statements, whether made intentionally or recklessly to promote the sale of property, goods, or services to the public. False advertising is considered to be a crime, state and federal laws are in place to protect consumers against such
businesses.
I recall the Federal Trade Commission fined one company $8 million because they led customers to believe they
would be getting two products for $19.95, however, they actually ended up paying
$35.85 once processing and handling fees were added. Other tricks used include putting people on "subscription and payment plans" that
make the product seem cheaper than it actually is. Somehow it’s easier to
swallow four easy payments of $39.95 than to shell out $160 for
something you don’t really need in the first place.
Just as consumers need to beware of false advertising, Christians need to be aware of false teachers. A basic understanding of the holiness of God is essential if we are to fulfill our holy calling. To spread one’s views, whether factual or fictional, is a freedom guaranteed to all by the Constitution. The problem is the way in which those views are expressed, weaving in "just enough truth" to make their claims believable, when the reality is, there is actually very little truth. And, they are convincing, raising thought provoking questions targeted at the claims of Christianity, especially to those who do not know the doctrines and history of Christianity. A convincing as they may sound, their intention is often to undermine your faith and the faith of others, for personal gain. Unfortunately, it already has!
They choose to ignore the many biblical passages warning against the detrimental effects of false teaching. You don’t hear prosperity preachers mention passages in which Jesus taught about the detrimental effects of wealth, ironically, it's as if their Bibles are missing them.
In Luke 12, Jesus said "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
They choose to avoid the passages such as Proverbs 30, which teach "Two things I asked of You,
Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God."
Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God."
And, then there Matthew 19, where Jesus taught "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Instead, they make bold statements claiming "Surely God doesn’t want us to be poor, does he?" Implying that material wealth is indicative of God's blessing on a person's life. They peddle their deceptive statements by conveying the idea that those who give money to God will be blessed with money themselves.
That theology flies in the face of Jesus' teaching, which
promotes giving to the poor, being a good steward of one's resources,
and sharing one's wealth with others in need. One of the most recent such preachers of prosperity gospel to come under fire, is Joel Osteen, whose net worth is estimated at more than $50million, after evidence of his luxurious lifestyle after it was revealed that he owns a Ferrari that costs more than $300,000 dollars was made public on social media.
What is even more disturbing, is that he doesn't appear to be terribly concerned about the salvation of souls, even his own. Making such statement as "Apologizing for how God has blessed him is almost an insult to our God" And, when asked why he doesn't preach about sin and repentance, he replied "You know, it's not hellfire and brimstone. But I say most people are
beaten down enough by life. They already feel guilty enough."
Wealth can easily be accumulated when ignoring Jesus' teachings to use opportunities to invest in God’s kingdom. However, such wealth is really spiritual poverty. People who are depraved in mind are unequivocally deprived of the truth. Osteen, like many others, have forgotten the message of the true gospel. Judging from their silence, on such important passages, these prosperity preacher aren't the least bit concerned with faithfully handling God’s Word. I can think of no more serious crime than falsifying the truth of the Word of God
In I Timothy 6, the Apostle Paul addresses such teaching, when he says "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness."
I believe that Jesus Himself best summed it up, when in Mark 8, He said "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"
Jesus said in Matthew 6, "You cannot serve God and wealth."
I do not believe that anything can be clearer than that!
Let us pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we are so thankful for Your Word for us today. We are grateful for such clear and profound truth.
We pray for those who choose to forget Your Words. Lord, we pray for those who are more concerned with acquiring material possessions and wealth, that You would convict them and grant them wisdom to use their wealth for his glory. Let us not envy them, especially when we struggle, for with much riches come many sorrows. We pray that You will give us neither poverty nor riches.
Lord, create in us a passion in our hearts for Your Word, an insatiable hunger for Your truth. We pray that the Holy Spirit would speak to us through Your Word, and bind it to our hearts, refresh our spirits and cause us to be faithful and committed, true to the Word.
In Jesus name we pray
Amen
Today's Message: Christians Beware!
If the world ever needed a warning, it would be today. It needs to be warned against false teachers. It never ceases to amaze me, how much of our society are to quick to believe a lie. There is one major problem with believing lies, they're lies! False teachers have always existed. False teaching is a lie. A lie that damns peoples souls to eternal hell if they follow it's teaching.
So, why do Christians believe the lies of false teaching? Because it enables them to go ahead and live like they want. They're looking any excuse to get away from the restraints and demands that being a true follower of Jesus Christ places upon them. My point is this, any teaching that is contradictory to God’s Word is a
heresy. It destroys God’s purpose for the church, and it
destroys the lives of people within the church. Teaching that is contradictory to God’s Word is blasphemy and there is just no escaping that
fact. No matter how personable a preacher may be, no matter how much we may personally like
him, if he is teaching heresy, he is indeed destroying the
church and damning the lives of the people who follow it.
Jesus Himself warned against such things in Matthew 7:15-16, when He said "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?"
This is clearly what Peter was talking about in II Peter 1:19 and 21, "So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention .." But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
False teachers do not set them selves up as opponents to Christianity. In fact, far from it. Rather they set themselves up as teachers of God's Word, just from a different perspective. A more reasonable, crowd pleasing view. They look and sound like they belong but all they do deceive
The Apostle Paul warned young Timothy of such a time, in II Timothy 4:1-5, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
The problem is, that it is done so gradually and so subtly that people do not even notice it. They throw around the name of Jesus every now and then, yet, to do not follow any of His teaching. Christians today want their ears tickled. They don't want to hear sound, healthy, wholesome doctrine that can build them up. They now amass themselves to preachers who will make them feel good about their sin, who never confront the reality of their spiritual condition.
Satanic doctrine damns those in the church who desperately need salvation, by giving them a false sense of security. It grieves my heart that so many people in our society have fallen prey to the diseases of our culture. They don't want their sin confronted, they only want to be reassured that they will enter through the gates of heaven, while holding onto their sin.
Open your Bibles with me to the book of II Peter, verses 1 through 3. In our continuing study of this great epistle, we come to a very critical passage, which poses some very important questions. Is there anything worse than lying about God's Word? Is there anything worse than teaching the devil's doctrine, damning souls to hell, while claiming to speak for God? Can anything be more frustrating to God?
I invite you to follow along with me as I read today's text, to set it our minds, as we prepare our hearts for a Word from our Lord. Listen for the voice of our Lord. Now, let's get right to it. II Peter 2:1-3.
"But false
prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false
teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon
themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."
I'd like you to remember the overall view of the book I've been giving you. I previously shared with you that chapter 2, is really the heart of it as Peter describes false teachers. If you will remember, in chapter 1, he pointed out that you must know your salvation and you must know your Scripture. Now, as we come to chapter 2, Peter's concern is that we might recognize these false teachers and their lies.
He begins verse 1, "But," this may sound innocent enough, but its actually an important transition. In fact, there really shouldn't even be a chapter break here, because it immediately follows on the preceding verse. In verse 21, he said "for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
God's true word was written by eyewitnesses inspired by the Holy Spirit. God has had His men.
But, Satan has always had his men, his false apostles, his false prophets and false teachers. So, in addition to the men moved by the Spirit of God, there are men moved by Satan, Peter is speaking of this contrast. There's a certain danger in false prophets outside, however, the greater danger is when they get inside the church and claim to belong to God.
Jesus Christ has bought us and He has paid the supreme price to buy us.
He gave all that He is and all that He has, even His life, in order to
buy us out of sin and death. The most tragic heresy is the heresy that denies the Lord who bought us.
So, Peter says "False prophets also arose among the people." God warned in the first set of books ever penned, way back in the Pentateuch, that the false teachers would come.
In the Old Testament, Jeremiah 23:14 says "Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah."
In the days of Jeremiah, Hananiah prophesied the swift destruction of Babylon as it if was the word of God. But the true prophet, Jeremiah, prophesied the servitude of Israel to the Babylonians. And, although he lied, Hananiah was popular, so the people believed him and they hated Jeremiah. The people were so deceived, in chapter 30, it says that they asked the prophets "not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words and prophesy illusions."
That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it is today. Jude verses 3 and 4, says "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
We must take note of this, though this is prophecy, it is reality. They're in the church, and Jude even see them at the Communion table. Beloved, they're close and they're subtle. I want you to understand that Peter is not writing about a false teacher who operates in a pagan environment. These are prominent people in Christianity. They have gained positions of power, prominence and prestige. They are in your fellowship, your schools, your seminaries and they are in your pulpits! Because they are naming the name of Christ, it opens the doors of the church for satanic doctrine and damning people.
While the people who stand for truth are condemn, these false teachers are doing it all over the place, all in the name of Christ. This is why I believe it's a tragedy when the church makes a virtue of tolerance to the point that it is intolerant of truth. That we tolerate false teachers who deny the fundamental doctrines of the faith. I do not believe that we can waver on the essentials of the gospel. Just because someone claims to be a teacher of the Word, just because he claims to be a pastor, does not mean that he is sound in the faith. They often use Scripture, and then pervert its true meaning by bringing in teaching from outside, world philosophy.
One thing I'd like to point out, is that they tend to populate the church with false Christians who come to be entertained, seeking self-affirming messages.
Peter says "who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves." The word basically means damnation. It's used twice right here in the first verse. It's used five times in this letter and it always means eternal damnation. They are denying the Master who bought them.
The word "Master" here is the word in the Greek "despotēs," someone having "unrestricted power and absolute domination, confessing no limitations or restraints." It means sovereign, lord, ruler. It appears ten times in the New Testament and it always refers to one who has supreme authority. Peter adds the word "even," because it is unthinkable, unimaginable. That is the violation, the depth of their crime. He's talking about supreme sacrilege. It is not their theology that unmasks them, but their unwillingness to submit their lives to His sovereign rule. No matter what they claim, they refuse to submit to Christ's sovereign Lordship. True Christians gladly affirm that we are bought with a price, that we are under His sovereign Lordship, that we obey His Word.
Christ died to pay the penalty for sin for all people, but the benefits of His death only apply to those who trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Its a precious gift that has been paid for by His death and resurrection and is being offered, but in order to accept its benefits, a person must receive the gift. Peter is making a comparison between Israel and the church.
We don't have time today to deal with the verses that seem to indicate that Christ died even for those who are eventually lost. The Old testament refers to Exodus, the redemption language was applied to the entire nation, even though only a remnant among them were truly saved. Peter is applying this analogy to the church, to illustrate the heinous nature of the false teachers’ sin.
At the end of verse 1, Peter says "Bringing swift destruction upon themselves." This is self-inflicted damnation by a process of persistent rebellion. You cannot tell by their theology, you cannot tell by the fact they claim to follow Christ, you have to look past all of the, and look to their morality. In other words, do their lives demonstrate their submission to the sovereign Lord? Because those who are not truly redeemed, they're not interested in that. They want to hold onto to their sin. They name Christ with their lips, but their lives deny His Lordship.
You know, there are many who claim to follow Christ today, but there aren't many who go on the narrow way. They talk about Christ, they talk about belonging to Christ, but they refuse to submit to His sovereign Lordship. They want freedom to live the way they want to live. They want to continue to live in sin. And, they certainly do not want anyone confronting their immoral conduct. False teaching has mislead so many in the church today, we have a kind of Christianity that knows nothing about submission to the sovereign Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter says in verse 2, "Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned."
Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:11-12, "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold." It isn't the ones who claim Christ, but the ones who obey His commands.
In verse 2, Peter is using a very strong term, "aselgeia." It means licentiousness, sexually immoral, depraved, debauched conduct without restraint, sexual immorality. He's talking about those who claim a Savior, but they don't want a Lord. They want to feed their lust, conducting their lives as they choose, not as God commands.
This is why Jesus says in Matthew 7:21, "Not
everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."
Peter is saying they don't want to accept any restraint in their fleshly desires and their sexual indulgences. Notice the word is plural, he's emphasizing all the more that their sexual lewdness was habitual and came in many forms and extremes. They may claim Christ as Savior, but they don't want Him getting in the way of their lifestyle.
Jude 4 says "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
And, in Jude 7, he says "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." If you want to know your spiritual condition, look behind your theology, look at your morality.
So many Christians today want grace and salvation without obedience. Many appear to say all the right things, but when their life is exposed, there is the unveiling of a sensual, corrupt, lustful, immoral person. Underneath all of their claims, is the habitual denial of Christ's Lordship in their lives.
Satan's goal is to defame Christianity in the world, to ruin the testimony of Christians, and take as many as he can to hell with him. You know, people scoff at the integrity of the church. Because of the terrible immorality of many claiming to be Christians with their lips, yet their conduct says they belong to Satan. This is tragic. As Christians, we have to live a certain kind of life to make our gospel believable. And if we don't live life that way, they're going to mock God. The church has to be pure. We must live above reproach, otherwise, we destroy the work of Christ. God has called for a pure people to bring honor to His name. We're to be like Jesus Christ.
In verse 3, Peter adds to his description of false teachers " And in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."
Here, he's talking about what drives these false teachers on the inside to do what they do. They're not drive by immorality, you don't need to be a false teacher to be immoral. People choose to do that for themselves. He's talking about greed, greed drives the false teacher, their love of power and money. The driving force behind them is not the love of the truth, it's not submission to the Lord, its not sexual immorality, it's greed. They want money. They want to get rich from their enterprise. They get rich off you with their false words. At the root of their motivation is self-centeredness and pride. They exploit their followers to gratify themselves.
Interestingly, the word Peter uses for "false," is plastoi, from which we get the word plastic. Plastic is always made to look like something other than it is. It's an imitation of the real thing. Just look at the cars today, they're mostly plastic, not metal. Again, Peter is not talking about minor doctrinal differences, but rather about false teachings that lead people to eternal damnation.In other words, their theology is made too look like what the Bible says, but it isn't. It's not God's truth. It's molded to appear to be God's Word, to deceive you.
Then, Peter says "Their judgment from long ago is not idle." The fact that God is going to damn false teachers was set in place long ago. He's talking about the "kríma," it means verdict. The sentence that was set long ago against false prophets is not idle. It is still valid.
He goes on to say "And their destruction is not asleep." The word is "apṓleia," it means eternal ruin, perishing. He personifies destruction, as if it were an executioner. Their executioner hasn't fallen asleep, He is fully awake. Peter paints quite a picture here. By the time we're done with this chapter, once the color is all filled in, we're going to see much more.
In Closing...
There are some things in life that are supposed to make us feel uncomfortable. One of those may surprise you. It's the Word of God. Another, is the church. We have done everything to make the church as comfortable a place as
possible. We have padded pews, coffee and donuts, family rec centers, daycare
and easy to swallow sermons, that make us feel good about ourselves, and our sin.
Allow me to boldly tell you this, the church ought to be uncomfortable, the Word of God is not intended to make us feel better about our sin, it's to expose the areas of our life that is not Christ-like. When is the last time you went to church and heard a sermon that made you feel as though you needed to clean up the sin in your life? That didn't tell you that it's ok, God knows you're not perfect and He loves you anyway.
When is the sermon you heard that said you need to rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind or your doomed for hell? Go ahead and think, I'll wait.
Let me ask you this, have you ever heard this Scripture? I've recently spoken a pastor who assured me that it wouldn't be taught in his church!
We must be honest with ourselves, about our spiritual condition, about our family life and our dealings with others. Instead of putting up a facade, pretending to be something we're not. Because if we fail to preach against those negative qualities in our lives, then
we fail to preach what it takes for you and me to move closer to God, and to enter into His kingdom.
If the pastor is standing in the pulpit, talking honestly about what you must remove from your life, you are going to feel uncomfortable. If I stood here telling you only about the good things God wants to add to your life, without telling you what He wants you to remove, we'd all be comfortable, wouldn't we?
But, if we are going to be holy, just as our God is holy, then we need to be honest with one another. I need to tell you to remove some things from your lives and add other things to your life. It is not either /or, it's both!
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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