2 Peter 2, verse 12
But these men blaspheme in matters 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.
They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.
Their idea of pleasure is to crouse in broad daylight.
Their blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.
But eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning.
They seduce the unstable.
They are experts in greed and a cursed brood.
They have left the straightway and wandered off to follow Balaam, son of Beor,
who loved the wages of wickedness.
But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey,
a beast without speech, who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm,
blackest darkness is reserved for them.
For they mouth empty, boastful words,
and by appealing to the lustful desires of a sinful human nature,
they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.
They promised them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity.
For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
and are again entangled in it and overcome,
they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
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 which was passed on to them.
Of them the Proverbs are true,
a dog returns to its vomit,
and the sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.
Okay, just ask Alex to come up now,
and he'll be speaking to us from the other day.
Just pray for him before he speaks.
Alex?
Okay, let's pray.
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word,
and thank you for its availability to us in our own language.
Lord, we just pray that you would teach us from it.
We pray that you would help Alex this morning as he opens up this passage, Lord,
and explains it to us,
and explains to us what you have been teaching him from it, Lord,
and pray that we would learn from it.
Help us, Lord, as I said already,
not to be just hearers of the word,
to be doers of it,
and to be mindful and guardful against false teachers.
And just pray that you would just bless Alex as he speaks to us,
and bless us as we listen.
We ask these things, Lord Jesus, in your name.
Amen.
Thanks, Ian.
So before I start,
if you'd like to just keep your Bibles open,
because we're going to be really spending a lot of time
looking at exactly what that passage says.
So keep your Bibles open,
and if you have your notice sheet,
there's a blank sheet at the back of it, I think,
so you can take notes,
and there are pencils and pens at the back.
If you'd like to put your hand up,
Shane might give you one.
So you can take notes.
Thank you.
So it's been great,
these last few weeks,
preparing this,
because this is a passage that,
when I first looked at weeks ago,
I was scratching my head,
and I had no idea what it was on about.
So it was a great opportunity to really spend time
looking at this passage,
praying through it,
speaking with people about it,
and just have the Spirit,
through the Word,
and through other people,
explain it to me.
So that's what I'm going to try and do this morning,
is to pass that message on to you,
with the grace of God.
So,
my parents are keen gardeners,
maybe that's where I get it from,
but as a child,
they would ask me,
all that they would ask me to do in the garden,
was to pull weeds.
I hated pulling weeds.
It was boring and slow,
and no matter what I did,
no matter how good a job I did,
I'd come back a week later,
and they'd all be back again.
But living on a farm,
my parents are fairly clued in
to what is a wanted plant,
and what is not wanted.
So they know the difference,
for example,
between a rose and a buttercup,
a hogweed,
and a hollyhock.
However,
a while ago,
they asked me to identify a flower.
It's up there on the screen,
and it's there on top of the elephant.
They were admiring the beauty
of its colour,
of its shape,
of its texture,
of its symmetry,
but they weren't sure what it was.
They didn't know what it was called,
and they couldn't remember planting it anywhere.
I took one look at them,
and I warned them,
get rid of it straight away,
dispose of it,
root it out,
dig it out,
kill it.
Any roots that might still exist,
rip them out as well.
In fact,
once they had done that,
I advised them to keep watch,
and at the very first sign of it re-emerging,
to spray it with weed killer,
so they would kill it down to the roots,
and destroy it completely.
You see,
the false teachers in today's passage,
are very much like this nuisance weed,
called bindweed.
They took,
they look the part,
they fit comfortably into our gardens,
even leaving a lovely floral display,
so we don't think they're harmful.
The weeds are there in the ground,
waiting for the right conditions,
or the right plants,
to latch onto.
They wind their way onto,
or into,
a host plant,
and they start taking it over,
stopping its growth,
as it robs the plant of daylight,
air,
and often,
its very life.
Today,
this passage,
also comes with a stark warning,
to us all.
We,
the church,
or the family of Jesus Christ,
are in danger,
of being taken over,
having our growth stunted,
or worse,
stopped,
by false teachers.
Parading is harmless,
if not beautiful,
and very often,
plausible,
they let us believe,
that there is no danger,
and they might even improve us,
or add something,
to our church.
False teachers,
are as prevalent today,
as they were,
at the time of Peter,
writing this letter.
This warning,
is not just for teachers,
in churches,
or Sunday schools.
We all play a teaching role,
in some ways.
Be it on a Sunday morning,
or at home with our kids.
How we live out our daily lives,
in work,
or at home,
will be seen,
and noticed,
as what our teaching is,
and what our message is.
So we need to be very careful,
that our lifestyle,
speaks well of Jesus,
and reflects our message,
and that our message,
about Jesus,
is backed up,
by our lifestyle,
or our actions.
So how do we recognize,
a false teacher?
Who will they be?
Let's look at the word.
Chapter 2,
verse 1.
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 brought,
who bought them,
bringing swift destruction,
on themselves.
Who will they be?
They will be among us.
They will be,
teachers of the word,
church leaders,
youth club leaders,
Sunday school teachers,
parents.
They are people,
who claim to know Christ,
but whose lifestyle,
and message,
show that they are not,
living as Christians.
Those who live,
in such a way,
that they have surrendered,
to God's word,
his authority,
and those,
whose very nature,
has been transformed,
by the grace,
of Jesus.
Their lifestyle,
and their behavior,
will give them away.
Let's read verse 12.
But these men,
blaspheme in matters,
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.
This means,
that they are insolent.
They are guilty,
of arrogant conduct,
or insulting,
bold behavior,
or attitude.
To blaspheme,
is to simply,
speak evil of.
A brute beast,
is translated,
literally as,
irrational.
Verse 13.
They will be paid back,
with harm,
for the harm,
they have done.
Their idea of pleasure,
is to carouse,
in broad daylight.
They are blots,
and blemishes,
reveling in their pleasures,
while they feast with you.
Well,
that means simply,
that they are licentious.
They are lacking restraint,
or ignoring societal standards.
Disregarding,
accepted rules,
particularly,
with regard to,
sexual conduct.
They do,
during the daytime,
what others would,
shamefully do,
during the night.
Such is their disregard,
for societal standards.
Verse 14.
With eyes full of adultery,
they never stop sinning.
They seduce the unstable,
they are experts in greed,
and a cursed brood.
They're immoral.
Their eyes are full of adultery,
means that they are always,
looking for a woman,
with which to commit adultery.
Always.
They are completely immoral.
Every time they see a woman,
there's only one thing on their mind.
And these people,
are in our churches,
and they think it's okay.
Verse 14b,
to 16,
says,
they are experts in greed,
and a cursed brood.
They have left a straight way,
and wandered off,
to follow the way,
of Balaam,
son of Beor,
who loved the wages,
of wickedness.
But he was rebuked,
for his wrongdoing,
by a donkey.
A beast without speech,
who spoke with a man's voice,
and restrained,
the prophet's madness.
They are greedy,
looking for ways,
to feather their own nest.
They are ruled,
by money and personal gain.
So that very quickly,
is a snapshot,
of a false teacher's,
lifestyle,
or their behaviour.
But what does all this,
actually look like?
Well,
very simply put,
they're sleazy.
They're men,
checking out women,
all the time,
and lusting after them.
They are women,
who romanticise,
about either,
how they wish,
men would behave,
or how they,
themselves,
could look.
Obsessing about,
physical appearance,
and self-gratification,
and doing so blatantly,
during daytime hours,
shamelessly,
not even hiding it,
until the privacy of darkness,
or night time.
Jesus isn't their God,
they worship themselves.
They are also,
obsessed with money.
Now I don't mean,
for example,
those who meet,
along the street,
and say,
oh,
I love that top you're wearing,
oh,
thanks,
pennies,
fiver.
No,
these people,
are more the Balaam type.
Seriously greedy.
I didn't know much,
about Balaam either,
until I started reading,
but it's a story,
found in the book of Numbers,
chapters 22 to 24,
we don't have time,
to read it now,
but I tried to pick out,
the main points.
So here we go,
as a quick summary.
King Balak,
is intimidated,
by the Israelites,
so he sends word,
to the prophet Balaam,
to come to him.
He asked Balaam,
to curse the Israelites,
and offered him,
great wealth,
and great status.
God made it,
very clear to Balaam,
that he was not to go,
or to curse the Israelites.
But Balaam went anyway,
lured by the promise,
of riches,
and status.
Such was his insistence,
on doing things,
his own way.
He didn't even seem,
to be aware,
that eventually,
he was arguing,
with a donkey.
God had to speak to him,
through a donkey,
to get his attention.
It's a great story,
and I do encourage you,
to read it,
in Numbers 22 to 24,
when you get the chance.
But,
who's the donkey now?
Thankfully,
Balaam realised,
he had sinned,
and had been driven,
by greed,
for the wealth,
and status,
that had been promised.
These false teachers,
that we're talking about today,
they too are experts,
in greed.
They're an accursed brood,
who love the wages,
or the pleasure,
of wickedness.
Do we,
let the pursuit of money,
drive us blindly,
into compromising situations?
Do we,
perk up our ears,
and smile,
when we hear things like,
if you follow Jesus,
he will bless you,
and make you happy,
and rich?
This is how,
false teachers operate.
They lure us in,
by appealing,
to our innermost desires,
and making them,
seem good.
So,
having looked at,
some of the ways,
to identify,
a false teacher,
by their lifestyle,
or their behaviour,
let's now take a look,
at their message,
or their boasting.
What do they say,
about what they believe?
What is their message?
Verse 17,
if you,
if you would follow.
These men,
are springs without water,
and mists,
driven by a storm.
Blackest darkness,
is reserved for them.
They promise,
lots of attractive,
and satisfying things,
like lovely,
cool springs of water,
which really is a treat,
when you're travelling,
in the hot,
Turkey area,
as the readers,
of this letter were.
Verse 18,
for they mouth,
empty,
boastful words,
and,
by appealing,
to the lustful desires,
of sinful human nature,
they entice people,
who are just escaping,
from those,
who live in error.
They promise them,
freedom,
from moral restraint,
telling them,
that because,
they have been saved,
they can now,
do whatever they want,
because they're saved,
by grace.
God is a loving,
and a forgiving God,
so all you need to do,
is say sorry,
after a slip up,
and then just,
carry on as before,
doing what you want.
They speak,
impressive words,
enticing new believers,
away from their,
unbelieving friends,
appealing to their,
lustful desires,
as they do this.
You're going to have,
to use your imagination,
we're going to take,
a walk down,
at main street,
and I do apologise,
in advance,
for my,
very poor attempt,
at street talk.
So imagine this,
you're walking down the street,
as a new believer,
a guy comes up to you,
and says,
hey dude,
you're looking,
particularly,
smiley,
and slick today,
what has you,
grooving like that?
You innocently say,
what's not to be happy about?
Last week,
at a camp,
I heard the good news,
about Jesus,
opened up for me,
and explained clearly,
in response,
logically,
I submitted my life,
hopes and plans,
to him,
as my Lord,
and my saviour,
trusting in what he did,
on the cross,
to make me right,
with God.
Not by anything,
I have done,
or might do in the future,
but what Jesus,
has done on the cross,
for me.
Now,
because of that,
I'm confident,
that I have life,
in its fullness,
now and forever,
because he has forgiven me,
and he loves me.
Oh cool,
I'm a Christian too dude.
Hey,
you should come to my church,
it's so cool and trendy.
All the young people go there,
I'm the worship leader.
Hey,
I see you've got calluses,
on your digits,
so you obviously,
play the guitar.
So I'm sure,
there'll be space,
for you in the band.
We is hip to the hop.
And a person like you,
could definitely,
find a lady there.
That sounds interesting,
but what's the teaching like?
Do you,
do people,
look out for each other,
like a family?
Is the life of the church,
based on Jesus' teaching?
His life,
his death,
his resurrection?
Is the Bible central,
to all that you do,
and say?
Are you excited,
about reaching out,
in the community,
to see those who are lost,
reached by the good news?
Oh dude,
the teaching is awesome.
We just sit around,
and like,
love Jesus.
Jesus.
Our church,
our church,
spins,
on spiritual freedom.
It's what the Bible's,
all about.
We just want to be happy,
and make each other happy,
chillaxed,
in our spirituality.
We don't have any,
stodgy rules,
or structure.
The Christian life,
is so liberating,
and all because,
our BFF,
our best friend forever,
JC,
died,
so we can be forgiven,
and go to heaven.
It's what grace is all about.
We are confident,
of forgiveness,
so live in freedom,
and do what we want,
with whoever we want.
It's an awesome church.
Okay,
that sounds,
pretty good,
I think.
I'm just going to go away,
and think about that,
and maybe come along,
next Sunday.
The speaker at camp,
last week,
was actually talking,
about something,
in 2nd Peter,
and I just want,
to check something out,
first,
that doesn't,
quite sit right,
with me.
Being in a church family,
is kind of important,
to me,
so I want to make sure,
that what you have,
is what I need,
and what is good,
and what is right.
Totally mate,
and don't forget,
if you come along,
look out for me,
you can't miss me,
I'll be up the front,
plucking the strings,
and I'll get you hooked up,
with some of our singles.
Ooh, ooh, ooh,
before you go,
have you heard of a writer,
called Christopher Ash?
He says in his book,
Bible Delight,
that the prosperity gospel,
claims,
if you become a Christian,
God wants to bless you,
and therefore,
your bank statement,
will become fatter,
your house,
will get better,
bigger,
your car,
will get faster,
your wife,
if you have one,
will get prettier,
your husband,
if you have one,
will get more handsome,
your children,
if you have them,
will get cleverer,
and your health,
will get better.
End of quote.
So,
come along,
and all will be well with you.
You'll prosper.
Come to us.
End of street talk.
Well,
maybe that's the kind of church
you're looking for.
Maybe it's worth a shot.
Maybe that's why you're here this morning,
checking us out.
I hope not.
It stinks.
of two of the main issues
in our churches today
in Ireland.
Liberal theology,
where everything or anything goes,
and the prosperity gospel,
which claims that the Christian life
is meant to be easy,
plain sailing,
and full of blessings.
Yes, there are blessings,
but that's not
what the Christian life is about.
Let's go back
to God's word.
Verse 17.
These men are springs
without water
and mists
driven by a storm.
Blackest darkness
is reserved for them.
The promises
that this
dude
was on about
are just like
the springs.
Dry.
These men
are like springs
without water
and mists
driven by a storm.
they promise
satisfaction
and success
and completely
disappoint.
They are flitting
here and there
like a little pocket
of mist
caught in a storm
blown all over the place.
They have no grounding.
They have nothing
to offer
other than
empty words
which sound attractive
but crumble
when tested.
They have no authority
to promise us
anything,
let alone guarantee
us wealth,
success,
or satisfaction.
They are dry.
Verse 19.
They promise
freedom
while they
themselves
are slaves
of depravity
for a man
is a slave
to whatever
has mastered him.
They promise
freedom
but their promises
are baseless
because they
themselves
are slaves
of depravity.
Other translations
say that they
are slaves
to sin
and to corruption.
They are slaves
to whatever
has mastered them.
And we've already
learned
what does
master them.
Insolence
speaking evil
of what they
don't understand.
Licentiousness
lacking any
personal restraint
and ignoring
societal standards.
Immorality
eyes full of lust
and greed
ruled by money
and personal gain.
They have nothing
to offer us.
Compare that
with the precious
promises
we were reminded
of in chapter 1
verse 3
when Simon
was speaking.
It says
his divine power
has given us
everything
we need
for life
and godliness.
How?
Is it through
this bogus
hipster church
we've been offered?
No.
Read on.
What does it say?
Through our knowledge
of him
who called us
by his own
glory
and goodness.
That's a promise
which is well
grounded in
biblical truth.
Not in the
baseless lies
which can be
offered by the
latest fad.
We have
everything we
need
for life
and for
godliness.
He alone
is sufficient
for us.
Not
God
plus something
else
but God
alone
is sufficient.
How?
By our
knowing him
who called
us
by his
own glory
and goodness.
If the
lifestyle
and the
message
of these
teachers
is false
then they
are living
and talking
contrary to
the bible
and its
truth
about that
same
sufficiency
of Christ.
Therefore
the consequences
are clear
and dire.
Judgment
will come
on them
and separation
from God
is guaranteed.
It is one
thing to turn
your back
on Christ
but it's
another one
altogether
to lead
others
astray.
To lead
others
away from
him.
Look at
verse 12
again
they too
will perish
they will
be paid
back
with harm
for the
harm
they have
done.
Verse 17
warns us
further
blackest
darkness
is reserved
for them.
The second
half of
verse 20
again
they are
worse off
at the
end
than they
were at
the
beginning.
Last week
we looked
at the
first part
of this
chapter.
The
warning
was that
the path
of the
false
teachers
leads
to
destruction.
There is
no sugar
coating
this
truth
I'm
afraid.
False
teachers
will be
destroyed.
Has
anyone
noticed
the
elephant
in the
room?
Well let's
read verses
20 to
22.
If they
have
escaped
the
corruption
of the
world
by knowing
our
Lord
and our
Saviour
Jesus
Christ
and are
again
entangled
in it
and overcome
they are
worse off
at the
end
than they
were at
the
beginning.
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.
Of
them
the
proverbs
are
true.
A
dog
returns
to
its
vomit
and
a
sow
that
is
washed
goes
back
to
her
wallowing
in
the
mud.
It
is a
reasonable
question
to ask
if these
false
teachers
were
in fact
saved
before
they
started
to
entice
others
away
from
the
truth.
It
says
that
they
would
have
been
better
not
to
have
known
the
way
of
righteousness
than
to
have
known
it
and
then
turn
their
backs
on
it.
This
is a
big
question.
Is it
possible
to
lose
your
salvation?
It's a
question that
has had
many books
and probably
libraries
written
about it.
So to
throw it
in just
towards the
end of
this talk
is a
little bit
unfair but
I can't
ignore it
completely.
The elephant
needs to be
dealt with.
So I'll
try and
shed a
small bit
of light
on that
question
by referring
to a
pastor
and an
author
named
John
Piper
who says
very well
that Peter
explains to
us in a
proverb
that we
shouldn't be
surprised at
dogs
characteristically
return to
their vomit
and no
matter how
clean you
make a
pig on
the outside
if it
is still
a pig
it will
return to
the muck
or the
mire.
In other
words those
who leave
the way
of righteousness
never to
return
simply show
that their
inner nature
had never
been changed.
That's the
end of the
quote.
So it
seems to
me that
what Mr.
Piper,
John,
is saying
is that
true faith
in Jesus
changes us
inwardly.
Our very
nature
has been
altered
so that
we cannot
return to
our old
way of
life.
Yes,
we may
slip up
but we
return to
the cross
in confession
with gratitude
as we'll be
doing later
as we meet
around the
Lord's
table.
How do I
know that
I'm not a
false teacher?
How do you
know that
you're not?
Because it
all sounds
scary when we
start looking
at ourselves
especially
when I
look at
my lifestyle
and my
message.
If I look
deep enough
into my
own life
I can
easily find
things that
just don't
add up.
Sometimes
I feel like
I'm doing
okay.
That my
lifestyle
speaks clearly
of my faith
and my
dependence on
Jesus.
I get
good times
with him.
I'm putting
him first
in my
decisions.
I'm having
good times
of prayer
and chat
with him.
I'm getting
to church
home group.
I'm wanting
to see
Jesus made
famous by
how I
live and
how I
act.
But then
one little
slip up.
I go
away for
the weekend.
I break
my routine
and before
I know
it I've
ignored God
for two
weeks,
a month,
half a
year.
I feel
like I
had been
a nice
clean pig
but now I've
just returned
to the muck
and I'm back
to square one
again.
Dirty
and very
piggy.
it.
So maybe
I'm not
saved after
all.
And all
that punishment,
destruction and
harm is
waiting for
me too.
And maybe
this is the
same for
some of you
today and
you think
that you
have no
hope.
And now
we're all
feeling slightly
vulnerable and
squirmish in
our seats,
aren't we?
Our lifestyle
just doesn't
add up
sometimes to
what we say
our message
is.
So how
can we be
sure that we
are not false
teachers?
Well what is
it we are
teaching?
What is our
message?
Let's look
back at
chapter 1
verse 3.
His divine
power has
given us
everything we
need for
life and
godliness
through our
knowledge of
him who
called us
by his
own glory
and goodness.
So if
that's not
our message
we're off
the mark.
If we are
not saying
that Jesus
is enough
that he
has given
us all
we need
that he
is sufficient
if we are
saying that
we are
saved by
grace but
then we
continue to
live lacking
any personal
restraint or
humility
we have both
our lifestyle
and our
message out
of kilter
with the
message that
God has
given us
all we
need.
What are we
to do
with false
teachers or
false
teaching?
We cut
out and
remove the
problem.
Like the
bindweed in
our garden
we need to
constantly be
rooting it
out at the
first sign.
Now I'm
not suggesting
we go around
with a
knapsack
sprayer and
we start
dousing all
these false
teachers with
weed killer or
we start attacking
them with a
hoe but what
we do is not
let them get
a grip in
our church or
in our
thinking.
We need to
be looking
out for it
in our
teachers, in
our homes and
in our own
lives.
We need to
hold them to
account,
questioning them
and what they
say.
We measure
every fine
sounding argument
against the
truth of
scripture.
We check
what the
teacher teaches
and how he
or she
lives.
In our own
lives we need
to be immersing
ourselves in
the truths of
scripture so
we will
recognize false
teaching.
Chapter 1
verses 5 to
8 say
make every
effort to add
to your faith
goodness and
to goodness
knowledge,
to knowledge
self-control,
to self-control
perseverance and
to perseverance
godliness and
to godliness
brotherly
kindness and
to brotherly
kindness and
love.
For if you
possess these
qualities in
increasing measure
they will keep
you from being
ineffective and
unproductive in
your knowledge of
our Lord Jesus
Christ.
And if we skip
ahead to verse
10 it says
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
Saviour Jesus
Christ.
We need our
lifestyle and our
message to be
mastered by the
Lord Jesus
putting to death
sin and
untruth,
living with an
attitude of
gratitude and
confession.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father
thank you for
your word.
Thank you for the
scriptures.
Thank you for the
teachers that we
have here in this
church.
Thank you for the
truths that we have
heard over the
years and have
brought us to a
point of
repentance,
confession and
thanksgiving.
thank you that
your scripture,
your word is
true.
It's been tested
and it's
trustworthy.
And Lord
please after what
we've read this
morning help us
in our lives to
be discerning,
to discern the
truth from the
lies that we
hear around us.
Please help us
in this church
to rise up
good teachers
of the word.
That we will
bring the
truth of
scripture into
the places that
we go in our
work, in our
home, as we
meet together
here, as our
kids are taught
upstairs in
Sunday school.
Help us to be
raising up people
who can use
your word well,
that can discern
the truth from
the lies.
God's
grace.
And thank you
for Jesus,
that he has
made all this
possible, that he
has given us all
that we need for
life and godliness,
all because of
what he did for us
on the cross,
coming so that we
can have forgiveness,
that we can be
raised to life
anew by trusting
in him and what
he has done on
the cross.
And we pray
this all in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thanks, Ian.