Skip to content 2 Peter 1-3: Beware of False Teachers Nov 26 · 13 min ...more
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Beware of False Teachers and Grow in Grace 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Today, we're gonna do an entire book. We're gonna look at second Peter, and this is what he writes. Beware. Beware of what? Well, that's what we're gonna look at this morning.0:21 Verse 17 of chapter 3. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness being led away with the error of the0:32 wicked, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ, to him be the glory both now and forevermore. So the second letter of Peter is0:44 again to a general audience of believers, not a specific church. Alright? The David letter is thought to be shortly before his death and and before the destruction of Jerusalem. Now, Jerusalem was destroyed0:56 in 70 AD. So the letter was probably written somewhere 68, 69 AD. He's warning the church about false teachers. And this is, you know, this is something we've been seeing over and over again. It's a1:07 reoccurring theme in the letters to the churches from both Peter and from Paul. Therefore, I think it's something that we should pay close attention to. Heresy and false prophets have been1:19 an issue, not just from the start of the church, which Peter writes about in this letter, but false prophets were prominent in the Old Testament. In fact, Peter here points back to Balam.1:32 Verse 15, chapter 2, they have forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. But he was1:44 rebuked for his iniquity, a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet. False prophets have been around for a while. Okay. Let's go to chapter 1, and this is where Peter lays out the1:55 foundation for his second letter here. Verse 2, grace and peace be multiplied you in the knowledge of god and of Jesus, our lord. As his divine power has given to us all things that pertain2:07 to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. That through these,2:19 you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue2:31 knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brother brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. Right? That's2:43 a building process that's gonna take us a while to get there. For if these things are yours and abound in you, you and abound, you will be neither barren nor2:55 unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, just think if we if we focused on those things, building those things, adding those things to our lives, being sanctified, being built up in3:07 the spirit. Look, you said we're gonna abound with fruit. You will not be unfruitful. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from3:18 his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. You know, a lot of people3:30 struggle with with with faith. It's because you're not exercising it. We have to exercise our faith by our obedience and by walking in the spirit as Paul talked about, not in the3:42 flesh. For so, an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into everlasting, the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Alright. Drop down to verse 16 as he explains the source of his3:53 message in contrast with the false teachers. Okay? He's competing with him. He say, look, don't listen to him. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and the coming of4:05 our lord Jesus Christ, but we're eyewitnesses of his majesty. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the4:17 day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this first that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy never came by the will of4:29 man, but holy men of god spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Doesn't come from individuals. It comes from the Holy Spirit. But what Peter writes after laying out4:41 in chapter 1, what he witnessed with his own eyes and ears in walking with the lord Jesus in the fulfillment of prophecy and the establishment of the church. Verse 1 chapter 2, now there were4:53 also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false prophets among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even deny the lord who brought them and bring on themselves5:05 swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness, they will exploit you with deceptive5:17 words. For a long time, their judgment has not been idle and their destruction does not slumber. For if god did not spare the angels who sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of of darkness to5:29 be reserved for judgement and did not spare the ancient world but save Noah, 1 of 8 people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of5:41 Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly and delivered righteous law who was oppressed by the5:53 filthy conduct of the world. For that righteous man dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds. What we see here is we see examples6:05 of god's judgment but deliverance, his mercy. We we we see that with Noah and the the destruction of the world but Noah was raptured out. He was preserved. We see lot6:17 in Sodom and Gomorrah. We see that pattern in the Old Testament. And also Sodom and Gomorrah, I think, is a good example of false teachers today. Alright? Those who justify homosexuality claim that6:29 the numerous references in scripture to the behavior of the men of Sodom was not about sexual immorality. It was about being inhospitable. That is just 1 of the many6:41 false teachings we see today, where people twist the word in order to affirm their unrighteous behavior. Alright? The the word of6:52 God does not normalize sin. It calls it out. And so men men feel compelled to twist scripture to affirm their sin. Verse 19, while they promised7:04 them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption for whom a person is overcome, for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if after they had escaped the pollutions of the world7:15 through the of the lord and savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome. The latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better7:27 for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But as it has happened to them according to the true proverb, a dog returns to7:39 his own vomit and a sow having washed to wallowing in the mire. Once we've tasted the truth, we cannot turn back. How do we do that? We must stay anchored in the truth and the7:51 word of God. In chapter 3, as we wrap this up, Peter moves not only at the end of his letter, but the end of the times. And what he says is more mockery of the things of God and the claim that8:03 we keep hearing that the day of the Lord is coming, but we've not seen it. Therefore, it must not be true. Well, he puts that challenge to rest, then provides a glimpse of what it will look like after the day of the8:14 Lord before 1 final word of encouragement that he provides. Verse 3, knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lust and saying, where is the promise of8:26 his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. He says the same word that created the world, judged the world is the same world8:38 that the same word that now sustains it. Alright? God hasn't slumbered. He's still there. He's still doing what he god's word created the world. God's word8:50 judges the world. God's word sustains the world. Verse 3, the lord is not slack concerning his promises. Some count slackness but his long suffering toward us. Not willing that any should perish,9:01 but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with great noise and the elements will melt with fervent9:13 heat, both the earth and the works that are in them will be burnt up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?9:25 Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being dissolved, being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat. So what9:36 should we do with this knowledge? Well, he tells us we are to live holy lives. Continually continually looking for, praying for, and working for the return of the9:48 lord. And he closes with this in verse 17. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, since we've been told this, we've been warned. Beware. Alright. He's telling us. Jesus told us the same thing. Do10:00 not be deceived. We see these warnings over and over and over in scripture. Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the air of the wicked.10:12 Right? We've got you must take you must be vigilant. Okay? You must take the steps necessary not to fall. And and don't take it for granted10:24 that yours that you won't fall from your steadfastness in your walk with the lord. You have to be intentional in continuing that walk, growing in your understanding of the lord, of his grace and of his mercy through his10:35 word and through the power and the indwelling power of the holy spirit. But grow in grace and knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.10:47 Alright. Again, how do we keep from being taken in by false teachers and and being led astray by the cultural winds that reject truth? 1, we need to know the word of God, and we need to test all things according to the10:59 word of God. That's why I stand on the word is so important. That's why I encourage you to to think now as we're coming to the end of this year, the end of this journey, and we're gonna begin a new journey, lord willing.11:10 Who could you invite? Who who do you know that needs to be strengthened and encouraged in their walk with the lord? Think right now because in just a couple of weeks, I'm gonna ask you to invite others to join us on this11:21 journey. Alright. Evaluate all things according to the word of god. When we do that, we will grow in the grace and the knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. To beware, to be on guard, we must be11:32 actively growing, praying, studying the word of God, and putting it into practice through our obedience. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this warning from from Peter.11:44 Beware. Beware of the false teaching. Beware, lest we fall from our steadfastness. Lord, we need to be anchored in your word. We need to be in your word. It's not a 1 time we read your word.11:56 We confess you with our mouth. It is a daily walking with you, growing in grace, growing in our knowledge and understanding. And so father, I pray that you would bless each 1 that is on12:07 this journey with a greater understanding of your presence, of your power through the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Lord, guide us, direct us, use us for12:19 your kingdom and glory, for we pray and ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Alright. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning, and until next time, keep standing on the word.12:31 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you12:43 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Beware of False Teachers and Grow in Grace93.9K followers
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