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2 Peter 2:1-22 12/6/09 Jesus Matthew 7:15 "Beware of the False Prophets

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2 Peter 2:1-22 12/6/09 Jesus Matthew 7:15 THEY ARE HERE!! 2 Peter 2:1-22 12/6/09 Jesus Matthew 7:15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 24:11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Paul Acts 20:30 from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Jesus and the apostles constantly warn us to expect false teachers and they are here. They have been around in every generation. Gnostic hermits emerged in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries. (Sometimes called the Desert Fathers) Groups like the self-mutilating Flagellates plagued the Middle Ages The four major cults were founded in the early 1800’s Religious liberalism dominated the early 1900’s. The Prosperity gospel came out of the late 20th century. Today we are facing false teachers from the Emergent and Contemplative church movements. “The New Spirituality” Today’s false teachers are telling us that God: Is unconditionally loving, non-condemning and non-punishing Does not require that you believe in him Talks to everyone all the time Is ever changing Is not a singular being, but the “process called Life” 1. Peter Describes False Teachers. 2:1-3a a. They undermine the scriptures. 1a 2:1 But- In 1:19-21 Peter assured us of the reliability of the Scriptures. Now in chapter 2 he contrasts the sure word of God with the deceptive words of false teachers. b. They secretly introduce destructive heresies. 1b Secretly They are masters of deception They preach in pulpits, write books, publish articles, make cool videos, and subtley attack Christianity from within. They tell us that we can’t really know what the Bible means. “We all have our own interpretations and nobody’s interpretation is any better than anyone else’s.” “Besides, we don’t even know what books actually belong in the Bible.” Some give the impression that what they are teaching comes from the Bible. But they take it out of context and twist it to say what they want it to say. Destructive heresies Heresies- Teaching that is contrary to what God tells us in the Bible. Destructive- Their teachings leads to spiritual ruin rather than eternal life. c. They even deny the Master who bought them. 1c 2 Many in the emergent church are teaching that Jesus was a Good man, Insightful teacher, and Moral example, but they don’t think that it is important to believe that Jesus is God. Jesus said: John 8:23-24 . "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." cf John 1; Colossians1; Hebrews 1 Many today are denying that Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. McLaren- On Christ’s death- “That sounds like one more injustice in the cosmic equation. It sounds like divine child abuse.” Many Emergent church leaders are saying: “Jesus didn’t die to pay the penalty for our sins. He died to show us how much God loves us.” “He didn’t die for our sins. He died rid us of our feelings of guilt” The Bible teaches: Romans 4:25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions . Colossians 1:21-22 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many . 3 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God . 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, Many today teach a universal salvation. They are saying: “Everyone is saved, some just don’t know it yet.” “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.” “All roads lead to heaven.” The Bible says that only those who receive Christ as Lord and Savior will go to heaven. John 14:6; Acts 4:12 Prominent Emergent leaders admit that they are teaching a different gospel. Brian McLaren states in his book Everything Must Change that he is not teaching the same old gospel. Emergent leader Rob Bell (Nooma, Velvet Elvis, The God’s Aren’t Angry) acknowledges the changes he is making are “. more than methodology.” They involve changing “theology, beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, and the future.” Galatians 1:8-9 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to 4 what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. d. Many will follow their sensuality. 2 Many- False teachers are popular and attract large followings. Follow their sensuality- False teachers often encourage people to, “Follow your feelings/desires.” In the book Called to Responsible Freedom, published by the National Council of Churches, young people are counseled: “. what justifies and sanctifies sexuality is not the external marital status of the people before the law but rather what they feel toward each other in their hearts. Measured in such a way, holding hands can be very wrong, indeed while intimate sex-play can be right and good.” Anglican Bishop John A. T. Robinson wrote: “. nothing can of itself always be labeled as ‘wrong.’ One cannot, for instance, start from the position ‘sex relations before marriage’ . are wrong or sinful in themselves. they are not intrinsically (wrong), . the intrinsic evil is lack of love.” Alcohol is a big deal today in Emergent Church circles. Because of them the way of the truth will be maligned. 2b Many non-Christians develop a deep contempt for Christianity because of these false teachers. 5 The way of the truth can be highlighted or maligned by how you and I live our lives. e. They will exploit you with false words out of greed. 3 They are motivated by money. They find it profitable to build a large following by telling people what they want to hear. 2. God Will Judge False Teachers And Rescue The Godly. 2:3b-10a a. God’s judgment is certain. 1b, 3b-6, 9-10a 4-6 Three examples of God’s previous judgments 4 Fallen angels cf Genesis 6:1-4; Jude 1:6-7 If God eternally condemned sinful angels, He will certainly condemn false teachers and their followers. 5 Noah’s world cf Genesis 6-8 If God did not spare the ancient world but destroyed it with a flood, He will most definitely judge false teachers 6 Sodom and Gomorrah cf Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of the fiery judgment that awaits false teachers and their followers who reject the gospel. 9b-10a God knows how to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment. God’s judgment of the false teachers is certain!!! b. So is God’s protection of the righteous. 5, 7-9a 5 Noah with his seven family members 7-8 Lot How could Lot be righteous in light of the seriousness of his sins? 6 God saw that Lot had genuine faith. One indication that he was a man of faith was that his soul was vexed by the sin going on all around him. 3. Peter Gives Us Some Characteristics Of These False Teachers. 2:10b-22 a. Some revile angelic majesties. 10b-13a 10-11 They are daring and self-willed Foolishly reviling (fallen) angels- (demons) cf Jude 1:9 12a They follow their instincts rather than God’s revelation and reason. 12b-13a They will ultimately suffer for it. b. They revel in their deceptions. 13b c. Many are sexually immoral. 14a They preach sermons, serve communion, and counsel church members, while at the same time constantly looking for women with whom they might have an affair. Enticing unstable souls d. Most are motivated by greed. 14b-16 They are compared to Balaam. Cf Numbers 22-24 e. They promise spiritual refreshment, but in reality do no good. 17 f. They speak out arrogant words of vanity. 18a They speak articulately and often sound scholarly. They treat the historic Bible based teachings of the church with contempt while promoting their own new self-styled novelties, methods, and doctrines Vanity- that which they teach is empty, foolish, and futile g.
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