Chapter 2
But there are also false prophets amongst the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.
There will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction on them.
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
In their greed, these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.
Their condemnation has been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment,
if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,
but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others,
if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,
and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly,
And if he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men,
for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.
If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials,
to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings.
Yet even angels, although they are stronger, more powerful,
do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
But these men blaspheme in matters that they do not understand.
They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed.
And like beasts, they too will perish.
Thank you, Maria, for reading.
Thank you, Nick, for leading so well this morning.
As we come to God's word, I'd just like to pray,
and again just ask for his help as we look to understand it.
Our Father, we thank you for the words of Scripture,
which are your clear light to us as we seek to follow you.
Lord, we thank you as well for the Holy Spirit who takes the word of God
and makes it real to us, convicting us of sin and showing us righteousness.
So I ask, Father, that your spirit would be at work among us this morning.
In Jesus' name, amen.
This morning we're starting into chapter 2 of 2 Peter.
Chapter 2 of 2 Peter.
And as we've already read, and as we'll see next week,
Alex is going to be preaching from the second half of the chapter.
It's a difficult chapter.
As you can see, it fits right into the middle of the book.
Second Peter is just three chapters long.
And chapter 2 is this difficult chapter right in the middle
that deals with the whole topic of false teachers.
We might not get a direct sense of it,
but I feel that in a way chapter 1 has been building up to chapter 2.
In a way, chapter 1 has laid groundwork for what we now see in chapter 2.
Because in chapter 1, Peter has been reminding us of what it means to follow Jesus.
To follow Jesus.
To be called by Jesus.
And to live a life of faith and obedience.
That, I believe, is essentially what chapter 1 is about.
So Peter shows them then how to follow Jesus,
how to grow in faith and love and all the things we read from verses 5 to 11
that we are to express through faith, all the characteristics.
And then Peter goes on to show the trustworthiness, his trustworthiness,
that we can trust him by telling his readers of his first-hand experience
on the mountain of seeing Jesus glorified.
And then Peter points them at the end of chapter 1
to the more sure word of scripture,
which is to be their ongoing, continuing light to guide them in their lives.
And as I said, in a sense, chapter 1 has been preparing us
for what we now read in chapter 2.
So Peter, in a sense, I think he's laid a good path, hasn't he?
He's laid the good path for us to follow so that we may reach eternal life.
Let's just read some verses from chapter 1 again, just to remind us.
Verse 10 and 11.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.
For if you do these things, you will never fall,
and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So Peter has told us about the good path,
but now in chapter 2, he's telling us about another path.
And this is the false path, the crooked path, the path of destruction.
And in a sense, if the good path, the path that we take to eternal life,
is lit by the light of scripture,
then this false path is lit by the light of false teaching.
It's sad, isn't it, that not everyone who calls themselves a teacher is a teacher of truth.
That is clear from the label in verse 1.
They're called false teachers, those who teach lies.
Now, we may be shocked because that's very strong language, isn't it?
False teachers.
You may be shocked to think that there are Christian teachers,
people within the church who teach lies.
But Peter says, Peter says in verse 1,
don't be surprised.
You shouldn't be surprised at this.
For as long as there have been true prophets of God,
there have also been false prophets of God,
side by side with the true prophets of God in the Old Testament,
or false prophets.
There are many, many examples.
And as long as there has been the genuine article,
there has been the counterfeit.
But there were also false prophets, verse 1,
among the people,
just as there will be false teachers among you.
Do not be surprised.
This morning, I'm going to just try and focus in on a few things
to help us understand characteristics of these false teachers.
Four things from the first two verses.
I just have one slide.
They're up there so you know where I'm going.
Keep me straight as well.
And then we're going to look at the rest of the verses
that we've read down to roughly to about verse 10,
and just take them together and see what we are to learn.
Once we see the characteristics, just to understand these two paths.
So I'm just going to go through four things.
It's not going to be very long.
You'll be glad to know it will balance out my overshot last week
of going over 30 minutes.
So you can take the average of the two weeks
and then probably under 30 minutes for both, hopefully.
So the first thing we see from verse 1 is,
they are among you.
They are among you.
We can think of false teachers, can't we,
as being outside of the church.
We can think of many examples.
We can think of paganism.
We can think of atheism.
We can think of secularism.
We can think of all those other religions
and all the other outside religions as being false
or not teaching the truth of Jesus Christ.
But the emphasis here is on the false teachers that are among you.
They are part of the Christian church.
They call themselves Christians.
They use that title.
Jesus had warned, hadn't he previously?
Jesus had told us in Matthew 7, 15,
he said these words,
Watch out, be on the lookout for false prophets.
They come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Imagine a wolf going around with a sheepskin.
And that's what it's like, deceptive.
You see, we are the sheep of Jesus' flock,
and he is the chief shepherd.
But among us, among the church,
are false teachers,
ferocious wolves in sheep's clothing.
There is no language mincing there.
There is no making that easier to hear.
And we need to be aware, yes,
of false teaching from outside the church,
but I believe more so,
we need to see the threats from within the Christian community.
So number one, they are among you.
Number two, they have a different message, don't they?
The second part of verse one,
they will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them,
bringing swift destruction on themselves.
You see, the message,
the message that they bring is a different message.
And this is really the central part
to what makes them false teachers, isn't it?
The message is different.
They're bringing a different message,
but it says they're doing it secretly, aren't they?
They're secretly doing it.
They're not open about what those differences are.
They're not being clear what those differences are.
Now, they teach openly, of course.
They're speaking openly.
They're wanting to attract the crowd and the followers.
They don't teach in secret because, well, they're greedy
and they want many followers.
So they're going to teach openly,
but they do not openly tell people
that what they say is a destructive heresy.
That's a big word, heresy.
It's one we don't maybe mention very much now,
and it's one I think we have to tread carefully
because it's a very serious accusation within the church.
So what is heresy?
Well, I think it's any teaching or belief
that denies basic Christian teaching.
It denies the foundation of the gospel.
In this church, and I hope this reassures or helps,
and please come and chat afterwards if it's not clear or you have questions,
but in this church we sometimes have different teachers or preachers
come and speak from the front or minister within the church,
and there are different things that we encourage people to attend
in other churches or activities or books.
We'd recommend all of that.
So we've had people here speaking on a Sunday morning
who come from a different church denomination.
We've had people here that believe different things about baptism
and would even baptize infants.
We've had people here who, speaking here,
who believe and would practice sign gifts,
such as speaking in tongues.
Now, I believe these are differences within the family of God,
but all these people, I believe, are part of God's universal church.
They hold to the true teachings of Jesus, of the gospel message.
The one church, they're part of that,
all those who are saved and rescued by Jesus.
So these differences, I believe, that we have in the church community
between gospel believers are not heresies.
Heresies deny the plain message of Jesus Christ.
A heretic, a heresy, might deny that Jesus is God.
You can't get more fundamental than that in Christian understanding.
They might deny that God is a trinity,
that God is three persons in one.
Heretics will deny that the judgment is coming.
They deny the commands of our Lord to live a godly and upright life.
You know, heresy is that we deny that we are saved
only by the grace of God through faith in Jesus.
A heretic will, that's one of the things a heretic might deny.
These things, these things are heresies.
To deny the Lord as God,
to deny God in three persons,
to deny how we are saved by faith
through grace in Christ alone.
And we would never knowingly allow people
who hold to heresy to speak
or to teach within this church.
Their message is different, isn't it?
What we've read and it's sprinkled
throughout these verses.
It is one of shameful ways in verse 2.
Their message is one of greed.
You see that in verse 3?
Verse 3 says that they speak with stories they have made up.
Verse 10.
Start of verse 10.
They follow corrupt desires
and they despise authority.
Now we don't have time to go into it in detail,
but if you look back at chapter 1,
there's a contrast there, isn't it?
From the gospel way and the gospel message.
The gospel message in chapter 1
doesn't speak of shameful ways.
It speaks of godly ways.
Instead of greed,
we're encouraged to develop brotherly kindness,
to love and care for one another as brothers,
not to be greedy.
Peter in verse 16 in chapter 1
says that, you know,
I'm coming to you with true stories
instead of these made up stories.
In chapter 1,
we escape.
We escape from evil desires
while these false teachers
are full of corrupt desires.
Verse 19 in chapter 1.
We follow the authority of scripture
instead of the false teachers
in chapter 2, verse 10,
who despise authority.
Do you see the kind of contrasts?
Because I think chapter 2 is hard
to just stand on its own.
We have to look back at chapter 1,
the groundwork,
the path that's been laid for us
under the light of scripture
of how we should live.
And then we see the false teachers
so clearly, don't we?
Because it's a contrast.
It's a contrast.
They are complete opposites.
Number 3.
These false teachers
have many followers.
Verse 2.
Just the first part of it.
Many will follow
their shameful ways.
This saddens me
to read these words.
Instead of
instead of these false teachers
being on the fringe,
instead of these false teachers
being the minority,
these false teachers
seem to attract
many followers.
Their message promises
quick gain.
Quick gains.
Greed.
And many are led astray.
Whole churches
and congregations,
denominations,
will follow after
these men and women.
They plant,
they plant in the hearts
of people
false teachings
about Jesus.
And the result
is that many,
verse 2,
will follow
their shameful ways.
Do you know
that Christianity
is still the world's
largest religion
by followers?
The largest religion
by followers.
So if you look
at the statistics,
one in every
three people
in the world
carry the label
Christian.
One in every three.
That's 2.1 billion people
carry the label Christian.
In Ireland,
we have an even
higher ratio.
Nine out of every
ten people
in Ireland
have the label
Christian.
They say that they
follow Jesus Christ.
Think about that
for a minute.
One out of every
three people in the world
and nine out of
every ten in Ireland.
Now ask the question,
are one in every
three people
in the world
following
the path
of chapter 1?
Are they living
the words
of chapter 1?
Now I'm not talking
about struggling
in your Christian
life or struggling
with sin,
but is that their
heart's desire?
Are nine out of ten
people in Ireland
following the words
of chapter 1?
No,
they are not.
For many of that
2.1 billion people
in the world
are following
the shameful
ways
of false
teachers.
And that's
sad.
That is sad.
Teaching that
says things like,
you know,
you just need to
live as you like.
Try your best.
Do good
as far as you can.
In the end,
Jesus will forgive you.
No talk about
faith
or grace
or what it
cost the Father
to send the Son
to die for our sin.
Just
a false message.
There's teaching
that says that,
well,
Jesus just died
to give you
a victorious life
now.
You just need
to claim His
promise
for health
and wealth.
And they say
your best life
is now
and don't
understand
what it is
we are called
to and a reward
in heaven.
A false
message of hope
now.
You know,
when you put it
like that,
you can see
the appeal
of false
teaching.
It always
has been,
back in the Old
Testament,
in the New
Testament,
it always has
been,
always will be
just very,
very popular.
Many will
follow.
It's always
going to be
more popular
than saying,
take up
your cross
and follow
me.
It's always
going to be
more popular
than saying,
instead of
storing up
things on
earth,
Jesus says,
but store
up for
yourself
treasures
in heaven
where moths
and vermin
do not
destroy and
where thieves
do not
break in
and steal.
That's always
going to be
a harder
message.
It's always
going to be
a harder
message.
Number four,
false
teachers,
they bring
the way
of Jesus
into
disrepute.
Do you
see that
at the
end of
verse two?
Start of
verse two.
Many will
follow their
shameful ways
and will
bring the
way of
truth
into
disrepute.
Into
disrepute.
If you're
not a
follower of
Jesus
this morning,
then I am
sorry and
saddened for
this mess.
as you
look on
at churches
and as you
look on
at denominations
and even
as you
see individual
Christians as
they're featured
on the news
sometimes,
you're turned
off.
For Christians
appear to be
nothing more
than hypocritical
liars feasting
on the weak
and the
vulnerable.
Given what
we've read,
given what we
know and
given what we
see in the
news and
media,
you would
be right
to believe
that about
Christians
based on
what you
see.
For the
false
teachers
and those
that follow
them bring
the way of
truth into
disrepute.
They bring
it into
disrepute.
Because of
false teachers,
people,
others,
outsiders,
those that
know they
aren't
Christians,
they laugh
at and they
mock God.
They laugh
at him and
they mock
him.
They ridicule
us,
they ridicule
people that
are looking
to follow
Jesus.
What?
You're a
Christian?
You really
take that
seriously?
The news
and the
media are
always going
to highlight
the false
teachers,
the charlatans,
those that
make a
mockery of
the gospel
of Jesus.
So the
way of
Jesus is
going to
be mocked,
it's going
to be
maligned,
it's going
to be
brought into
disrepute.
But if
you're not
a follower
of Jesus,
do not
give up
because of
this.
Do not
give up.
Scottish
pastor
Colin
Smith put
it like
this,
commenting on
these verses.
He says,
one of the
strangest
reasons for
not following
Christ goes
like this,
and maybe
you've heard
this from
people.
You know,
I've seen
people in
church that
are hypocrites.
I'm not
going to
follow that.
So you
will not
follow
Christ
because
some
people
who
claim
to
do
so
are
hypocrites.
The existence
of the
counterfeit
is never
a good
reason for
rejecting the
genuine.
Let me say
that again.
The existence
of a
counterfeit is
never a good
reason for
rejecting the
genuine.
And Peter
essentially tells
us, of course
there are
counterfeit
Christians.
Of course
there are
teachers who
do the
church more
harm than
good.
What else
would you
expect in a
fallen world?
He says,
grow up.
Don't be
naive.
Don't miss
what's
real.
Simply
because you've
seen the
counterfeit.
And there's a
challenge there
isn't there?
For us if
we're put
off by the
hypocrisy,
if we're put
off by what
we see from
other Christians,
yes there is
the counterfeit,
but don't be
put off from
the genuine
because of
that.
There are
four things
I think that
come out
in the first
couple of
verses.
Let's just
recap them.
False
teachers are
among us.
They're not
just from
outside,
but they
are among
us as
Christians.
They come
with a
different
message.
They speak
heresy.
They're going
to have many
followers,
and they
bring,
as a result,
the way of
Jesus into
disrepute.
Verses
3 to
10,
the latter
part of
verse 3 to
10,
there's a lot
in there,
and are
difficult
verses.
We're just
going to go
through a
brief overview.
If you have
any questions,
because I
realize there
is a lot
in there,
please do
come and
ask.
I'm very
happy to
explore it
a bit more
and to
understand it
a bit more.
But as we
read from
verse 3,
the second
half of it,
it says,
their
condemnation
has been
hanging over
them,
and their
destruction
has not
been
sleeping.
And Peter
takes that
little bit
at the end
of verse 3
and begins
to unpack it
through the
rest of
chapter 2.
So after
characterizing
what false
teachers are
like,
Peter is
moving to
their destiny.
He's moving
to what their
destiny is.
In chapter 1,
remember those
verses that we
looked at in
verse 10 and
11,
and to me
it's the
pinnacle of
chapter 1 in
a sense.
It's the pinnacle
of the gospel
message.
It's Peter saying,
live in faith
and keep growing
in your faith
and add these
characteristics of
godliness and
self-control and
brotherly kindness
and all these
wonderful things
and you're
going to get
there.
You will get
there.
Jesus is going
to call you
and he's
elected you
and you're
going to get
there.
Just stay
on the path.
That's our
destiny.
The destiny
of those that
are called on
the path of
the gospel is
eternal life
and a reward
in heaven.
Now in
chapter 2,
Peter turns to
what lies at
the end of
the path for
the false
teachers.
It's a
different path,
remember,
and it has a
different destination.
And he says
in verse 3,
it's condemnation
and destruction.
You know,
we're saddened,
I think,
when we read
through the
characteristics of
the false
teachers and
see the
destruction that
they wage on
people's lives
and on the
gospel.
And we're
saddened to
think that
people are
led astray
and people are
exploited by a
message of
greed.
And we ask,
where is God?
Why is God
allowing this
to happen?
Couldn't he
even protect
his own
message?
But Peter
tells us that
God is just.
He is not
sitting by
while false
teachers are
running amok.
In chapter 1,
God shows us
his love
in electing
and rescuing
his people
and bringing
them to their
eternal reward.
Now in
chapter 2,
I believe God
is showing us
his great
justice in
dealing with
false teachers
who ruin
the faith
of many.
Verse 4
to 8,
very dense,
there's a lot
in there,
but it gives
us three
examples from
the past,
from the Old
Testament,
showing how
God is able
to sift out
and to judge
the ungodly.
And the
first example
is how he
dealt with
rebellious angels.
And I think
we always get
a little bit
excited when
we're talking
about the
heavenly realms
because it's
something that's
unseen,
it's supernatural.
Now we don't
know everything
there is to
know about
the heavenly
realms and
angels.
God has
given us
what he has
given us
and we know
certain things.
So it's
hard to know
when this
rebellion took
place exactly
or what was
all involved.
But what we
do know from
these verses
is that in
the past,
that the
angels,
the heavenly
beings created
by God,
rebelled in
sin against
their creator.
And many
of those angels
are being
held,
it says,
in hell
awaiting their
final judgment.
God did
God did not
spare his
own angels
when it
came to
judgment.
When it
came to
judgment,
God did
not spare
his own
angels.
The second
example is
how he dealt
with the
ancient world.
I was just
looking actually
yesterday,
there's,
it'll be
interesting to
see how
they do it,
but in
2014,
there's a
Russell Crowe
film that's
coming out
called Noah.
Noah.
It'll be
very exciting,
especially for
our youngest,
because that's
his name,
but it'll be
interesting to
see how they
deal with it,
because in
the early days
of human
history,
God flooded
the whole
earth,
and only
eight people
survived.
God did
not spare
the ancient
world.
Judgment
came swiftly,
but it says
God knew
how to
rescue
Noah.
You see
that?
God knew
how to
rescue
Noah.
God gave
instructions,
didn't he,
to Noah to
build a
boat,
an ark,
to ensure
that when
judgment came
that they
would be
protected.
So even
in the
midst of
a flood,
even in
the midst
of worldwide
destruction,
God knew.
God knew
how to
rescue Noah.
The third
example,
the cities
of Sodom
and Gomorrah,
they were
cities that
were literally
thriving and
full of sin
and rebellion
and all
the chains
were off,
all the
restrictions
were off.
These were
people that
lived with
no reference
to God.
Everyone doing
what was right
in their own
eyes.
People turned
away from
God and
they involved
themselves in
whatever sin
they desired.
God knew
how to destroy
those cities
and at the
same time
he knew
how to
rescue
Lot.
Remember
God sent
his angels
to instruct
Lot and
his family
to flee
and they
had to
work really
hard to
get Lot
to flee.
He didn't
want to
flee.
He didn't
understand what
was happening.
But there
were very
specific,
very clear
instructions.
Keep going.
Don't look
back.
Go to the
hills.
Bit of
negotiation.
No, we'll
go to this
town instead.
Okay, but
don't look
back.
Keep going.
God knew
how to
save them
in the midst
of destruction.
And these
verses, these
are all the
past judgments
showing that
God takes
sin and
rebellion
seriously.
We think
that God
doesn't at
times, don't
we?
We don't
see his
judgments
being meted
out like
this all
the time.
But they
show as
well, don't
they, that
God knows
how to
keep his
people safe
in the
midst of
judgment.
God
showed his
people the
path to
safety, the
path to
eternal
life.
And then
we come
to verse
nine.
And verses
four to
eight are
giving examples
from the
past and
they're almost
the lesser
example.
Peter here is
arguing from
the less
these things
in the past
to the more.
Verse nine.
And this is
what he says.
If this is
so, these
three examples,
then the
Lord knows
how to
rescue godly
men from
trials and
to hold
the unrighteous
for the day
of judgment
while continuing
their punishment.
False
teachers
look like
they're
working in
the world
with impunity.
It looks
like they're
doing as
they wish
without any
fear.
But the
Lord tells
us,
doesn't he,
in verse
three,
and he
unpacks it
in those
other verses,
that their
condemnation is
hanging over
them.
It says it's
going to be
swift.
What does
that mean?
Because it's
not.
They carry
on destructive
teachings and
people are
led astray and
we think of
swift as
immediate,
but it's
not immediate,
is it?
Why is
that?
Well, I
believe it is
delayed now
so that they
would turn
even now
and repent.
Let's look,
just turn over
the page,
chapter three
and verse
nine.
And this is
Peter writing
in response
to the
scoffers,
the people
that say,
where is
God's
coming?
Where is
his judgment?
Everything's
going on as
it always
has.
God isn't
coming back.
He doesn't
care.
Why the
delay?
And Peter
says in
verse nine,
the Lord
is not
slow in
keeping his
promise,
as some
understand
slowness.
He is
patient with
you.
Read these
words.
Not wanting
anyone to
perish,
but everyone
to come
to repentance.
You see
that?
Everyone?
Including
those in
chapter two
that have
done so
much damage?
Yes,
everyone.
The Lord
in his
will of
desire,
desires that
all people
would repent
and come
to him.
His swift
judgment in
terms of the
immediacy of
it is being
held off.
It's being
held off.
But when it
comes,
it will be
swift.
When judgment
finally comes,
it's going to
be like the
flood.
When judgment
finally comes,
it's going to
be like that
hailstone storm
that fell from
heaven and
destroyed those
cities.
Judgment is
swift when it
comes, but
God in his
mercy, he's
holding it
back.
He's holding
it back until
that day.
And that's not
slowness.
That's not slowness.
That's God's
love.
That's God's
patience.
God knows
even with
people who
teach false
things.
So these
verses in
chapter 2,
even though
they're hard
and about the
false teachers,
I think they
help us to
know what
the path,
the gospel of
Jesus Christ
is like.
That that
path is the
safe path to
be on.
You see, it
says God
knows how to
rescue us.
Stay on this
path.
Stay on this
path.
God knows.
God knows how
to rescue
you.
Keep on that
path.
But these
verses also
serve as a
warning, don't
they?
They serve as
a warning.
And especially
to those of
us who teach
God's word.
And there are
many within
the life of
the church that
teach and
encourage and
pass on God's
word.
More so,
Johnny as our
pastor and as
our main
teacher and
others who
are up here
and preaching
from the
front.
He serve as
a warning.
And the
words of
James puts
it quite
simply.
He says,
not many of
you should
presume to
be teachers,
my brothers,
because you
know that we
who teach will
be judged
more strictly.
Now, I
don't think
that's intended
to put people
off from
pursuing the
ability to
teach and
the gifting
and to
explore that.
It's not to
put you off,
but it's
just a word
of warning.
Keep on
this path if
you're going
to teach.
Keep on
this path.
You see,
words of
teaching,
what we
say can
lead people
towards
righteousness
and it
can lead
people towards
eternal life
or they
can lead
people towards
rebellion and
it can lead
people towards
destruction.
There are two
paths.
There are two
paths to
follow.
we need
to recognize
the characteristics
that's why we
have chapter
two, isn't
it?
We need to
recognize the
characteristics of
false teachers
so that we
can make sure
that we're on
the right
path.
What's
interesting about
the paths
as they
meander,
one of them
is maybe a
little bit
narrower,
another one
is broader,
but they're
going to
intersect at
a point in
future history,
aren't they?
Those two
paths are
going to come
to the
judgment
seat of
Jesus.
And as we
reach that
point and
we're before
Jesus and
he is on
his judgment
seat to
just judge,
we'll await
a verdict.
We'll await
a verdict.
We've come
on our paths
to this point.
And for
some, for
some, there
will be the
simple words
like those of
Matthew 25
verse 23
and Jesus
says,
well done,
good and
faithful servant.
Come,
come and
share in
your master's
happiness.
Simple words,
a word of
welcome.
Oh, what a
joy it will
be to receive
a reward that
day, the
things that we've
stored up in
heaven, the
treasures,
and to
see Jesus,
our reward,
to enjoy
him, to
see his
face, to
know that
everything that's
wrong has
been undone
and everything
has been
made right.
Oh, to
see your
reward, to
hear those
words, well
done, from
the creator of
the universe,
well done,
good and
faithful servant.
But for
others, for
others there
will be no
welcome.
Instead, the
conversation at
the judgment
seat will be
more like that
of Matthew
chapter 7.
And Jesus
speaking and
warning and
letting us
know, he
says, not
everyone that
says to me on
that day,
Lord, Lord,
will enter the
kingdom of
heaven, but
only those who
does the will
of my Father
who is in
heaven.
Many, many
will say to
me on that
day, Lord,
Lord, didn't
we, didn't
we prophesy
in your
name?
Didn't we
say things
in your
name?
Didn't we
speak things
in your
name?
And in
your name,
didn't we
drive out
demons?
Didn't we
do that in
your name?
And in
your name,
did we
not perform
many
miracles?
Then Jesus
will say,
then Jesus
will tell
them plainly,
I never
knew you.
I never
knew you.
Away from
me, you
evildoers.
Well done,
away from
me.
Well done,
away from
me.
There can
be no
greater
contrast
between the
way and
the path
of the
gospel and
the way
of the
false
teachers.
So let
us take
up our
cross and
continue to
follow Jesus
to safety.
Amen.