SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). A Corrupt Doctrine.
(2). A Corrupt Character.
(3). A Corrupt Experience
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• A grandmother was looking after her two little grandchildren;
• A 7-year-old girl, and a 5-year-old boy.
• Both of them had been really naughty.
• But as the time approached for their mother to pick them up,
• The little girl said to her grandmother, "Are you going to tell Mummy?"
• The grandmother replied, "No, I'm not. But if she asks me, I can't tell a lie."
• The little boy looked up to her and said,
• "Why not? I'm only five, and I can lie great."
In the early Church it did not take very long for false teachers to arise:
• Wherever God sows the truth;
• The enemy will quickly show up and start sow lies.
Note:
• 2 Peter chapter 2 is almost word for word the same as the letter of Jude;
• Now this is not a ‘one off’ other parts of the Bible share the same text.
• i.e. Isaiah chapter 2 and Micah chapter 4 also include identical text.
• i.e. Psalm 15 and Psalm 14 are almost identical.
When we come across this occurrence in the Bible:
• There are a number of possibilities as to why!
• You probably have a choice of five explanations.
• (1). Peter borrowed it from Jude.
• (2). Jude borrowed it from Peter.
• (3). Peter & Jude borrowed it from somewhere else.
• (4). Peter & Jude got together and discussed the problem;
• and agreed on the solution, and sent it in different letters.
• (5). The Holy Spirit gave both of them exactly the same words.
• All of those suggestions could have happened, although I would rule out the last option;
• Because the Holy Spirit does not use people as word processors.
• The writings of the Bible are inspired truth through the personalities of people.
• I would go with the suggestion that there was collaboration;
• Peter was a key disciple, the unofficial leader.
• Jude was one of Jesus’ own half-brothers, it is highly likely that they knew each other.
• The overlapping material is short, the whole letter of Jude is very short;
• About the same length as chapter 2 of 2 Peter.
• When you read the letter/postcard of Jude;
• And 2 Peter chapter 2,
• Then you will see that there are four corruptions that were in the early Church.
(1). A Corrupt Doctrine.
“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. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.”
Ill:
• Last year we had a family in Turkey, in the town called Kalkan.
• If you go into the town centre and along the sea front shops,
• You will come across a Jewellers shop,
• In the window of that shop is a great big sign that says; ‘Genuine Fakes’.
• TRANSITION: The apostle Peter warned his readers about religious leaders;
• Who like many a watch that looked like a Rolex or a Versace on the outside;
• But on the inside of you removed the cover;
• You would find cheap parts and probably the words made in China.
Peter warns his readers then and now about false teachers:
• In fact in verses 1-3a:
• There are four telling characteristics of counterfeit communicators.
FIRST: false teachers deceitfully present heresy (vs 1):
Ill:
• There was a story in the papers not long ago which read:
• In China, parents of twin boys tried to save money on their sons' education,
• So they sent one twin to school on odd days and the other on evens.
• It took the school six months before they figured out what was going on!
• TRANSITION: The trouble with deception is it often appears to be the real thing!
• ill: Counterfeit money – most people get duped because it looks so real!
Note: The effect of these deceptive false teachers:
• Their teaching is called ‘destructive’.
• It is like a malignant cancer,
• They will either destroy or be destroyed.
• Because lies, falsehood cannot co-exist with truth
• It will either destroy or be destroyed.
SECOND: They openly deny the truth (vs 1):
• “…even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them”
• False teachers are better known for what they deny than for what they embrace.
• They are often negative in their beliefs;
• Because their real founder the devil comes only to “steal, to kill and destroy”
Ill:
• When I lived in Coventry, if you went into the town centre on a Saturday;
• In one part of the city centre you would find a table.
• The table was full of leaflets and books and looked after by the Christadelphians.
• Christadelphians are a sect, a religious group;
• Certainly not orthodox Christians.
• Next to their table of literature and books they used to have a big sign that read;
• We do not believe in…the trinity, hell, immortality of the soul;
• There was a long list filling the poster with words.
• One day a friend of mine called Bob, said to them;
• “You might as well go home because looking at your list
• you don’t really believe in anything!”
• False teachers are better known for what they deny than for what they embrace.
• They are often negative in their beliefs;
• Because their real founder the devil comes only to “steal, to kill and destroy”
THIRD: They unashamedly model sensuality (vs 2):
• N.I.V.:
• “Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute”
• J.B. Philips translates verse 2:
• “Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin.
• If you look up many of the cults and sects;
• i.e. The Mormons, The Jehovah Witnesses etc.
• You might be surprised to discover many of them had their origins in good Christian Churches;
• But their founders Joseph Smith (Mormons) & Charles Taze Russell(J.W.’s);
• Were people who at one time were part of good Churches and movements.
• But they went astray;
• And sadly they have led many others astray.
Now:
• Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses may seek to practice good morals;
• But other cults that came out of Christian Churches are not;
Ill:
• Classic examples are ‘The Children of God’ movement.
• You might remember the newspaper headlines; ‘Hookers Fro Jesus!’
• David Koresh and the Branch Davidians.
• Jim Jones and the peoples temple.
• And the sexual abuse that took place among these groups.
• These movements totally corrupted the truth and swapped it for a lie;
• They took the wholesome word ‘love’ and twisted it;
• Turning it into a misuse of the physical act of ‘ sex’.
• And the followers of these movements and their families paid a very high price indeed;
• For their leaders unashamed blatant immorality.
FOURTH: They selfishly represent greed (vs 3):
• N.I.V.:
• “ In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories”
• J.B. Philips:
• “These teachers in their greed will tell you anything to get hold of your money”.
• False teachers were around in New Testament times and they around today;
• Just switch on the God TV channel and you will find;
• Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Hagin, Joel Osteen,
• And many more who proudly teach the ‘health & wealth’ gospel.
• The cardinal fault with the prosperity gospel is one central tenet:
• ‘God wills the financial prosperity of every Christian’,
• Therefore, for a believer to live in poverty is living outside God's intended will.
• And if you listen to them preach, they are good communicators;
• But they will twist scriptures to fit their doctrines.
• They will quote Bible verses out of context;
• Remember “When you take a ‘text’ out of its ‘context’, you are left with a ‘con’”
• They will claim promises given to specific people or families in the Old Testament;
• And assume that they apply to them as well.
One of the lies of Prosperity Preaching is that ABUNDANCE means monetary wealth.
• The favour of God is not measured by the size of one’s bank account.
• But that is so wrong.
• I am not saying that a Christian cannot attain wealth,
• What I am saying is wealth is NOT the indicator of an abundant or blessed life.
Ill:
• Read the prayers of the apostle Paul in the New Testament letters:
• And you will soon notice;
• That they are never for financial blessing or even for peoples physical health.
• They are to do with our character and spiritual welfare.
• i.e. For Godly living, for success in ministry.
• i.e. For the strengthening of the Church.
• i.e. For increased knowledge of God, of his will and of his love.
• i.e. For a greater filling of his power, grace and peace.
• The abundance he talks about are for spiritual blessing and growth;
• And for the development of a person’s (and a Churches) character.
Note: A corrupt creed conclusion.
• Doctrine is important;
• That is why we have a New Testament, to keep us on the right path,
• To keep us spiritually healthy.
Ill:
• 100 years ago as a beauty therapy;
• Women would rub a lead based potion into their faces;
• They believed it was causing them to be healthy;
• But all the time it was slowly poising them.
• The same is true for all Christians;
• If we do not recognize false teachers and false teaching.
• We may think it is making us beautiful;
• But in reality all it will do is slowly poison us.
(2). A Corrupt Character.
Ill:
• There were two doctors with the same name who lived a few doors apart.
• One was a Christian and a lay preacher, the other made no profession of faith.
• One night a rather sick person, who was also a Christian,
• And wanting help from a fellow believer,
• Knocked mistakenly at the door of the non-Christian doctor.
• “Are you the doctor who preaches?” he asked.
• “No”, the medic replied, “I am the doctor who practices”.
• “Oh”, said the sick person, “I’ve always understood the two things were inseparable”.
• Good doctrine should lead to good practice;
• Because what you believe affects how you behave;
• Behaviour is an extension of theology,
• And there is a direct correlation between what we think and how we act.
Ill:
• Imagine two people stand on top of a bridge;
• One believes he can fly, and the other believes he cannot fly.
• Their next actions will be quite dissimilar.
• TRANSITION:
• In the same way, a man who believes that there is no such thing as right and wrong;
• Will behave differently from a man who believes in well-defined moral standards.
• What you believe affects how you behave;
• Quote: A famous philosopher once wrote, "I believe, therefore I am."
• The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, paraphrases it into,
• "Right believing will lead to right living."
Note:
• Because these false teachers were corrupt in their doctrine;
• That then evidenced corruption in their lives!
• In verses the apostle Peter describes their corrupt speech and their corrupt behaviour.
(a). Corrupt speech:
• Verse 3: N.I.V.: “fabricated stories” K.J.B.: “feigned words”
• Verse 11: “Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings”
• Verse 18: “For they mouth empty, boastful words”
Ill:
• The tongue is a small 2 ounce slab of muscle, mucous membrane, and nerves;
• That enables us to chew, taste, swallow food and articulate words.
• Question: Is it our literal tongues (piece of protein) the real problem ?
• Answer: No.
• The tongue is neither friend nor foe:
• It is merely a messenger that delivers the dictates of a desperately sick heart.
• That controls the direction of our lives.
In these verses the apostle Peter describes the sins of speech that characterises their lives;
• First example: Verse 3: N.I.V.: “fabricated stories” K.J.B.: “feigned words”
• The Greek word is ‘plastos’, if it sounds familiar, then it should;
• From it we get our English word ‘plastic’
• Plastic words can be twisted to mean anything you want them to mean;
• These false teachers may use our vocabulary, but they do not use our dictionary!
• When they use words like ‘Salvation’ and other great words of the Christian faith;
• So often they do not mean what we mean when we use them!
• These false teachers may use our vocabulary, but they do not use our dictionary!
• Second example: Verse 18: “For they mouth empty, boastful words”
• They are full of hot air! They sound great but they have no content.
Ill:
• Men’s public toilets are hand basins and hand dryers.
• You push the button and out comes the hot air.
• Someone had cheekily written just above the button;
• Press here to hear a speech from a politician!
• These false teachers were full of hot air!
• Third example: Verse 19: They are liars:
• “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity”
• They are spiritual con-men;
• Making promises for others that they cannot even experience themselves.
(b). Corrupt behaviour:
First example: They are covetous (greedy/materialistic)
• Verse 3: “In their greed”
• Verse 14: “they are experts in greed “
Second example: They are self-willed:
• Verse 10: N.I.V.: “those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh”.
• Verse 10: J.B. Philips: “follow their own evil, lustful thoughts”
Third example: They are immoral:
• Verse 10: N.I.V.: “those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh”.
• Verse 14: “With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed”
Fourth example: They are wicked:
Verse 12:
“But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.”
Verse 14:
“With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed – an accursed brood!”
Fifth example: They are crooked:
“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.”
Corrupt character flows from corrupt conduct:
• These words dramatically illustrate that truth for us:
• These false teachers are more animal than human;
• That is they operate by base instincts rather than the Spirit of God.
• They have become greedy and lustful and unreliable;
• They are driven and motivated by things, by mood and not by principles.
• They are like ‘clouds driven by the wind; ‘Like waves of the sea’,
• Very vivid depictions of weak character!
(3). A Corrupt Experience
• You may have noticed that Peter uses some Old Testament incidents;
• To illustrate the practice and the outcome of these false prophets.
• He talks about fallen angels, Sodom and Gomorrah;
• He talks about Lot and Balaam,
• Well, sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping to get these stories explained!
• I would need another two sessions to do them justice!
I suppose verses 21-22 need to be explained:
• Because it appears at first reading these false teachers were once true teachers;
• It appears these once saved Christians are now lost Christians.
• Remember a good fake looks just like the genuine article;
• Sometimes it takes an expert to spot the difference.
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
Peter does not mince his words in this chapter:
• In verse 12 he calls them animals.
• And in verse 22 he calls them pigs and dogs!
Ill:
• Today in our culture dogs are kept as beloved pets;
• They are bathed, groomed and pampered.
• In Peter’s day they were regarded with contempt.
• They were seen as worthless creatures anything but pets.
Ill:
• There is probably no animal as disgusting to Jewish sensitivities as the pig.
• It’s not just because it may not be eaten:
• There are plenty of other animals that aren’t kosher either,
• But none of them arouse as much disgust as the pig.
• It’s not the only animal on the unkosher list,
• But the pig gets the worst treatment of any of them.
• i.e. Avoiding its name: Many Jews call the animal ‘davar acher’, “another thing,”;
• Rather than by its proper name.
• This practice goes back to the Talmud.5
• i.e. Many Jewish sages taught a prohibition against raising pigs:
• “The sages forbade raising pigs anywhere [whether in the Land of Israel or elsewhere];
• The sages pronounced a curse on one who raises dogs or pigs,
• Because they cause frequent and serious damage.”
So Peter does not mince his words in this chapter:
• In verse 12 he calls them animals.
• And in verse 22 he gives them the ultimate insult by calling them pigs and dogs!
Notice:
• The pronoun ‘they’ in this paragraph;
• It refers to false prophets and not to genuine converts.
• At the start of my sermon I mentioned that;
• 2 Peter chapter 2 is almost word for word the same as the letter of Jude;
• One difference, one expansion Jude makes his in his letter;
• Concerns these false prophets (Jude verse 19) he writes:
“These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”
• Jude makes it clear that they may have professed Christ;
• But they do not possess Christ, for they do not have the Holy Spirit.
• The apostle Paul also makes it very clear in Romans chapter 8 verse 9:
• “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
These false teachers:
• Had a religious spiritual experience but were not converted;
• They may well know their Bibles,
• They may well be able to explain to someone the gospel,
• They may well have been part of a Church fellowship for many years.
• But..their experiences like their promises were false:
• They had never experienced genuine conversion; the new birth;
• Which Peter wrote about in 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 & 22-25
• They had not with the Christians become a; ‘partaker of the new nature’
• Which Peter wrote about in 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 4.
• Even though they had received the Word of God (2 Peter chapter 2 verses 21);
• They then turned away from it!
Question: What kind of experience had these false teachers had?
Answer: We are given a clue in Peter’s illustrations.
‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.’
• They are like animals that you wash on the outside to make them clean;
• But because they have not changed their nature on the inside;
• It is only a matter of time before they show their true character!
• No matter how well you wash them, clip their nails, blow dry their hair;
• Even dress them up in fancy clothes;
• Now they may look better and feel better.
• But a dog will always be a dog and a pig will always be a pig!
• It is only a matter of time before they show their true character!
Ill:
• C.S Lewis: tells the story of a wasp;
• The wasp is enjoying himself sucking the goodness on the jam;
• Whilst the rest of its body has been decapitated.
• The wasp continues sucking unknowing to its condition.
• He says it’s a picture of human nature today;
• We enjoy the sweet pleasures of life;
• Yet we fail to see the consequences of ignoring God;
• Our sin is deadly, our relationship with God has been lost.
• TRANSITION:
• These false teachers were like the wasp sucking on the fruit of this world;
• Not realising the decapitated condition it is in.
• And soon their deadly condition will cause for them deadly consequences!
In Conclusion:
• This chapter in 2 Peter was not written to make the Christian question their salvation;
• It was not written to make you doubt your eternal security.
• It was written to warn believers;
• That sometimes the dangers we face are from within as well as without!
iLL:
• The Great Wall of China;
• Is 3,460 kilometres long and was built over a period of 2,000 years.
• It was built so high that nobody could climb over it,
• And so thick that nobody could break it down.
• Yet during the first 100 years of the walls existence,
• China was invaded three times.
• Not once did the enemy break down the wall or climb over it,
• Each time their enemies bribed the gatekeeper and they just marched on through.
• 2 Peter chapter 2 and the book of Jude are very powerful reminders;
• That the biggest danger to the Church is often from within!
• The Purpose of this chapter in 2nd peter;
• The purpose of the letter of Jude was and is to remind the Church to be Watchful;
• We are warned of false teachers who have infiltrated the Church.
• Both Peter & Jude use a variety of vivid metaphors to describe these false teachers;
• And they both clearly tells us about their ultimate doom.
• Woven in these chapters is information on how to remain faithful;
• And I love the way Jude finishes his letter.
• He adds this beautiful benediction.
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – 25 to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and for evermore! Amen.”
Quote: Ruth Bell Graham has put this benediction into a beautiful poem.
Now unto Him who is able
spotless to keep His own,
presenting each ransomed sinner
blameless before the throne,
to the only wise God, our Father,
to Him we all adore,
be glory, dominion, and power
both now and forevermore.
sermon audio:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=r6TEndtnyP0EScpsEd1cu1BXp8f9PqM3&forceSave=Beware_False_Teachers_-_2_Peter_2v1-22_-_sermon_by_Gordon_Curley.mp3
