Sermon Tone Analysis

God's Warning about Wicked Teachers - Part 1

2 Peter 2:1-9

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - April 7, 2013

BACKGROUND:

*The last time we met, Peter was stressing the great value of God's Word.

In 2 Peter 1:19-21, the Apostle wrote:

19.

We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed (or "take heed") as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

20.

knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21. for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

*Verse 19 told us that we would do well to "take heed" to God's Word.

The word picture is "taking hold of something," holding on to God's Word in our minds.

*God wants us to keep holding on to His Word.

And Peter showed us why.

In vs. 19, Peter told us that God's Word is both our surest source of truth, and a shining light for our lives.

Then in vs. 20&21, Peter told us that we should also hold on to the Word of God, because it came from God's Spirit.

*Now one reason why Peter stressed the great value of God's Word is because he wanted to warn us about false teachers.

And the Apostle gives us this warning in 2 Peter 2. This warning from Peter is our main focus tonight, so let's begin by reading 2 Peter 2:1-9.

Would you please stand in honor of God's Word.

INTRODUCTION:

*Let me start this study by saying that God is not a fuzzy, fluffy teddy bear.

Yes, God is compassionate, kind and merciful.

But at the same time He is the holy, sovereign, Almighty Lord God of the whole universe!

*God is not to be trifled with.

Hebrews 12:28-29 gives this caution to believers:

28.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

29.

For our God is a consuming fire.

*Our God is a consuming fire.

His warnings must be heeded.

And here in 2 Peter, God gives us a crucial warning about false teachers.

-There are some vital lessons we can take away from these verses.

1. First: Be warned about false teachers' deception.

*Peter closed out chapter 1 by affirming that the Bible is the Word of God, "For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).

*"But," Peter says in chapter 2:

1. . .

there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3.

By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

*There are many false teachers in the world today.

And in vs. 2, Peter said, "Many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed."

*Surely we have seen this happen in our lifetimes.

For example: There are liberal preachers who treat the Bible like a cafeteria line, picking and choosing some Scriptures to follow, and throwing others out as so-called "prejudices" of long ago.

*In vs. 1 Peter tells us that some of these false teachers even deny the Lord who bought them.

"You don't need to trust in Jesus Christ to be saved," they would say.

"All religions lead to Heaven."

*In 2006 & 2007, George Barna surveyed people who described themselves as born-again Christians.

26% didn't believe they "personally have a responsibility to tell other people their religious beliefs"

46% believed that Satan is "not a living being but is a symbol of evil."

37% of born-agains believed that "if a person is good enough they can earn a place in Heaven."

And 26% of (so-called) born-agains agreed that "while he lived on earth, Jesus committed sins, like other people."

(1)

*Obviously a whole lot of people have been influenced by false teachers.

But God is not mocked!

David Holwick wrote that some "years back the (English) archbishop of Kent publicly denied the Virgin Birth.

That week lightning struck and fire severely damaged Kent's ancient cathedral.

Religious leaders weren't the only ones to suggest a connection."

(2)

*We need to be warned about false teachers.

Always let your measuring stick be the Word of God.

Never put some man's teaching over the clear truth of God's Word.

*And when it comes to Jesus Christ, Charles Spurgeon gave this warning: "If you haven't looked at Christ on the cross, you'll have to look at Him on the throne -- with great trembling.

The sacrificial death of Christ will be brought before the eyes of all who refuse to accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

*In Bethlehem He came in mercy to forgive sin.

In the future He will come on the clouds in glory to establish justice.

What will we do without a Savior?

-- On the Day of Judgment there is nothing we can do if we have not trusted Christ."

(3)

*Be warned about the false teachers' deception.

2. And be wise about their destruction.

*God's judgment on the false teachers is both sure and severe.

Peter wanted us to know this, so in vs. 3 he said, "for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber."

The NIV says: "Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."

*Then in vs. 4-6, the Holy Spirit led Peter to give 3 examples of God's sure and severe judgment:

[1] Verse 4: "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment."

*That word for hell was "Tartarus," -- the lowest hell.

And some of the fallen angels are already chained down in the lowest hell.

Of course Satan and many of his evil, fallen angels are still wreaking havoc in our world.

*We know this because in 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Apostle Paul called Satan "the god of this world."

Then in Ephesians 2:2, Paul called Satan "the prince of the power of the air."

Paul also tells us that the fallen angels are working behind the scenes both to cause problems, and to make problems worse.

They are our primary enemies.

That's why in Ephesians 6:10-13 Paul wrote these words to believers:

10.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

*Satan and the fallen angels can attack and hurt us, but they can never defeat God.

And in the long run, they cannot defeat us, because 1 John 4:4 tells believers: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

*But again, some of the fallen angels are not "in the world." 2 Peter 2:4 tells us that God already cast some of them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.

Who were these fallen angels?

We cannot say for sure.

Some say that they were the "sons of God" in Genesis 6 who took wives from the daughters of men and produced children who were giants.

That may or may not be true.

But this is certainly true: God's judgment is sure and severe.

[2] Next in vs. 5 we see that God "did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly."

*So many people perished in that flood!

Remember that people were living 800 or 900 years in those days, -- so there was a population explosion.

I would guess millions, possibly billions went out into eternity, lost forever.

God's judgment is sure and severe.

[3] Next in vs. 6 we see that God turned "the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly."

*In Genesis 19:24-29, the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from out of the heavens.

Smoke went up like a furnace.

God destroyed the cities of the plain.

Every one of those people who were over the age of accountability, lost not only their lives.