Beware of False Teachers! Part 2

Confident in Chaos - 2 Peter: Beware of False Teachers, Part 2! 2 Peter 2:17-22 | September 29, 2024 If you were here last week, we spoke about Peter's warning against these false teachers. We looked at 2 Peter 2:1-16 and I closed with the following admonition: * Avoid false teachers * Know the real thing, and to * Remember, [that] God is in control I named a couple of "movements" in modern Christianity, and even named some people and ministries that fell into these movements. Well, I have news for you. Peter is not done. Frankly, this entire chapter is dedicated to warning Christians about false teachers. Let me remind you why Peter spends so much time on this topic. Let's turn back a page or two to 2 Peter 1:12-15. Here, Peter is reminding these Christians of their saving faith, and he is urging them to continue to follow what they have learned from him and the other Apostles. Here is what he says to them in verses 12-15: 12 THEREFORE I INTEND ALWAYS TO REMIND YOU OF THESE QUALITIES, THOUGH YOU KNOW THEM AND ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE TRUTH THAT YOU HAVE. 13 I THINK IT RIGHT, AS LONG AS I AM IN THIS BODY, TO STIR YOU UP BY WAY OF REMINDER, 14 SINCE I KNOW THAT THE PUTTING OFF OF MY BODY WILL BE SOON, AS OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST MADE CLEAR TO ME. 15 AND I WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT SO THAT AFTER MY DEPARTURE YOU MAY BE ABLE AT ANY TIME TO RECALL THESE THINGS. Verse 14 gives the reader the understanding and impression that Peter knows that his life is coming to a close, so he has a sense of urgency when it comes his warning. He is concerned for the spiritual health of these believers. What we saw last week, and we'll see again this week, is that Peter had every reason to be concerned, and frankly, so do we. So, we'll be faithful to the text this week, and we'll take a look at another aspect of these false teachers, in fact, we'll see the impact that these false teachers have on the unsuspecting Christian. Let's pick up in 2 Peter 2:17-22: 17 THESE ARE WATERLESS SPRINGS AND MISTS DRIVEN BY A STORM. FOR THEM THE GLOOM OF UTTER DARKNESS HAS BEEN RESERVED. 18 FOR, SPEAKING LOUD BOASTS OF FOLLY, THEY ENTICE BY SENSUAL PASSIONS OF THE FLESH THOSE WHO ARE BARELY ESCAPING FROM THOSE WHO LIVE IN ERROR. 19 THEY PROMISE THEM FREEDOM, BUT THEY THEMSELVES ARE SLAVES OF CORRUPTION. FOR WHATEVER OVERCOMES A PERSON, TO THAT HE IS ENSLAVED. 20 FOR IF, AFTER THEY HAVE ESCAPED THE DEFILEMENTS OF THE WORLD THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, THEY ARE AGAIN ENTANGLED IN THEM AND OVERCOME, THE LAST STATE HAS BECOME WORSE FOR THEM THAN THE FIRST. 21 FOR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR THEM NEVER TO HAVE KNOWN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN AFTER KNOWING IT TO TURN BACK FROM THE HOLY COMMANDMENT DELIVERED TO THEM. 22 WHAT THE TRUE PROVERB SAYS HAS HAPPENED TO THEM: "THE DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT, AND THE SOW, AFTER WASHING HERSELF, RETURNS TO WALLOW IN THE MIRE." What's the main idea of our passage this morning? Following false teachers is bad for my spiritual health. I know, deep, right? I am oversimplifying this. But frankly, that's what Peter is warning his readers about. So, I'm going to give you ... FIVE REASONS FALSE TEACHERS ARE BAD FOR MY HEALTH * False teachers speak empty words (v.17) o You have to love Peter's poetic language here. o He says that these false teachers are as useless as wells without water and clouds without rain. o In other words, they are pointless, meaningless, worthless ... for your Spiritual health. o That's why we said last week that we need to avoid them at all costs. o We'll actually expand on that application a bit later. o Another aspect of these metaphors is confusion. o Imagine a farmer looking up to the skies and seeing rain clouds, but it does not rain. o Imagine someone going to the well to fetch water, and it is bone dry. o There's confusion that eventually leads to disappointment. o You have to wonder why people follow them if they are empty and without any substance. We'll answer this shortly. o There's actually a third picture in verse 17 from Peter. o He states that "UTTER DARKNESS HAS BEEN RESERVED" o There's no question what Peter is saying here. * These false teachers are destined for judgment o What can we learn from this? o We must listen for the truth. o Next, verse 18 tells us that ... * False teachers are arrogant (v.18) o A moment ago I asked why people follow them. o We see part of the answer here. * They speak loudly and they entice the desires of their listeners. * In other words, they are giving the people what they want to hear. * They are charismatic and entertaining * They demand attention. o I don't think that there is any coincidence that these false teachers resemble what is referred to as "the Antichrist" in the last days. o Bible Commentator John Phillips described him like this... "The Antichrist will be an attractive and charismatic figure, a genius, a demon-controlled, devil-taught charmer of men. He will have answers to the horrendous problems of mankind. He will be all things to all men: a political statesman, a social lion, a financial wizard, an intellectual giant, a religious deceiver, a masterful orator, a gifted organizer. He will be Satan's masterpiece of deception, the world's false messiah. With boundless enthusiasm, the masses will follow him and readily enthrone him in their hearts as the world's savior and god." o This is why Jesus warned, even before the Cross in Matthew 24:24: FOR FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS WILL ARISE AND PERFORM GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS, SO AS TO LEAD ASTRAY, IF POSSIBLE, EVEN THE ELECT. o Jesus is - of course - speaking directly of the end times, but we cannot ignore the similarities of the antichrists and the false teachers that Peter warns us about now. o We talked about it last week, these false teachers are predators. o They prey on the new believers. That phrase at the end of v.18 indicates that very thing. Those who have barely escaped the previous life full of sin. o They are anti-shepherds. o Pastor means shepherd. A shepherd cares for his flock. Protects his flock. A shepherd does not deceive his flock. Does not lead them to destruction, as we see from these false teachers. o The next thing that these false teachers do is found in verse 19, where Peter warns that the ... * False teachers promise false freedom (v.19) o Peter doesn't tell us exactly what these false promises were, but most commentators agree (based on the context of chapter 2) that they are teaching freedom to sin, rather than freedom from sin. o Again, we must recognize that they are using Christian language from a Christian's platform, yet twisting the application of the message, therefore leading them into destruction. o This is what Paul warned about in Romans 6, where he teaches about God's grace and warns against taking advantage of God's grace by sinning, knowing God will forgive. o Verse 14 reminded us that the false teachers prey on the vulnerable, so when they are promised freedom, it sounds good to them, not realizing that they are being led astray. o But Peter - sarcastically - states that it is impossible to promise freedom when you are enslaved. o In other words, the false teachers were enslaved to their sin, yet somehow promising freedom. o These are the type who twist the Scriptures and the principles found within to fit "their truth" o Some examples: * Homosexuality. They will tell you that "Jesus never said anything about homosexuality!" FALSE! Matthew 19:8 - Jesus said marriage is between a man and a woman. * Abortion. They will say things like "women's reproductive rights" instead of the term abortion. Which literally means TERMINATE. They do this to target those who may be on the fence or are possibly undecided. The vulnerable. They change the language to make it more attractive. * At the end of the day, Psalm 139:13-16 clearly tells us that we were formed in the womb. Jeremiah 1:5 reveals that he was called from the womb. Jesus Himself was called from the womb, seen in Isaiah 49:1 when the prophet speaks of the "Suffering Servant" * The Bible defends life. Even in 2 Peter 3:9, we see that it is not God's will that anyone perish. o They try to distort and shape their own agendas "spiritually," leading people to slavery to their sin, not freedom as they falsely promise. o Next, verses 20-21 tell us that ... * False teachers deny the truth (vv.20-21) o These verses are frightening. o Peter tells us here that these people have been given knowledge of the truth. o They even gave the impression that they were transformed by the truth. o But, they eventually deny the truth, turn their backs on God, and take others with them. o What did Peter say about this? He says it would have been better if they did not know the truth to begin with. o Their judgement will be more harsh than if they never knew the truth. o Remember who else that was said about? o When Jesus announced that He would be betrayed in Matthew 26:24. Here is what He said: THE SON OF MAN GOES AS IT IS WRITTEN OF HIM, BUT WOE TO THAT MAN BY WHOM THE SON OF MAN IS BETRAYED! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR THAT MAN IF HE HAD NOT BEEN BORN." o James, the Lord's brother, warned that teacher will be held to a higher standard. That includes these false teachers, as well as those pastors we read about in the news when they are removed from ministry for being unqualified. o These teachers have turned their backs on God, denying Him in the process. o Finally, verse 22 tells us that these ... * False teachers cannot help but return to their evil ways (v.22) o What a lovely picture Peter gives us here, isn't it? o The New Living Translation renders verse 22 this way: They prove the truth of this proverb: "A dog returns to its vomit." And another says, "A washed pig returns to the mud." o One of my study bibles put it this way: "the actions of the dog and the pig illustrate the folly of those who return to the entanglements of the world after being made aware of the delivering power of Jesus" o The two animals that Peter uses are both considered unclean. They represent a sinner who continues to return to their natural selves, even after they have been washed. o To be clear, this last section in 2 Peter 2 is not teaching that one can lose their salvation. There's a difference between knowing information about Jesus, and knowing Jesus. You see why I said earlier: Following false teachers is bad for my spiritual health. Last week, I left you with three actions. I want to build on those. So, as your bulletin's state, we're going to be ... TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER: * Flee from false teachers o Last week, I advised that you avoid false teachers, this morning, we must also flee from them. o This is the same principle as repentance. o We must completely turn from this, a complete 180 o James tells us to flee from the devil o In the story of Joseph, when faced with Potipher's wife, he flees from her when she tried to seduce him o Peter understood this intimately. In Matthew 16, Jesus foretold of His death, and here's what we read about Peter beginning in verse 22: 22 AND PETER TOOK HIM ASIDE AND BEGAN TO REBUKE HIM, SAYING, "FAR BE IT FROM YOU, LORD! THIS SHALL NEVER HAPPEN TO YOU." 23 BUT HE TURNED AND SAID TO PETER, "GET BEHIND ME, SATAN! YOU ARE A HINDRANCE TO ME. FOR YOU ARE NOT SETTING YOUR MIND ON THE THINGS OF GOD, BUT ON THE THINGS OF MAN." o This might mean, like I did recently, I need to delete music that comes from false teachers from your playlist. o It might mean throwing out books and study guides that these false teachers have put out there and that are on your shelves or electronic libraries. o We have to get rid of it ... we cannot simply put it aside. o This is exactly what King Josiah did in 2 Kings 23. He took all of the idols and had them destroyed. Like we saw in verse 22, we all have the natural tendency to return to damaging and unhealthy practices. o How do we do that? Surrender to Christ. o Next, building on "knowing the real thing" from last week ... * If I know the real thing, I cannot be fooled o I won't spend a lot of time here, as we've talked about this a lot this year. o But, I will put back on record the importance of three Christian disciplines that will help us not be fooled because we know the truth: * Systematic and meaningful reading of God's Word, daily * Intentional and bold prayer, and * Fellowship with God's people o It's a formula that works. Jot down Acts 2:42-47 and read that later. o And finally, building on our recollection that God is in control, we can conclude that ... * Because God is in control, we do not have to fear o It's easy to read a passage like this and be afraid. o Because is in control ... because God has already been victorious, we can have joy ... we can have peace ... and we can have confidence. o We must be alert, but we cannot be afraid. o I've heard that the command of "fear not" or "be not afraid" appears in the Bible about 365 times. * The implication is, every day of the calendar year, we can read a verse about not being afraid. A few weeks ago, Pat challenged us to face those concerns, those worries, those doubts. Last week, I challenged all of us to recognize that in spite of the evil and corrupt world and the works of false teachers, God is still in control and He is the One whom we trust. I repeat that this morning. We must be alert, but we must not be afraid. Knowing Jesus is the antidote to being fooled by false teachers. Will you make a commitment to draw nearer and nearer to Christ as the day He returns comes nearer and nearer? Let's pray. 2