1. We pick up where we left off last week… Peter is writing against the Hungry Wolves that have come against the church.
• Remember, wherever there are HEALTHY SHEEP, there are always HUNGRY WOLVES nearby.
Satan is NOT happy with Christian progress & spiritual growth.
• When you take to heart things we’ve learned in CH 1.
• You start adding to your faith… opposition will come.
• Sometimes our enemy uses discouragement…
• Other times it’s a series of distractions…
• But ultimately, he’s trying to wipe us out & take us down.
But let’s be careful not to get sidetracked…
• It’s important to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus FIRST.
• That’s the order that Paul gives us in Acts 20:28ff
QUESTION: Why does he mention this first?
#1 – GUARD AGAINST SPIRITUAL WEAKNESS
• It’s interesting how quickly we can become spiritually weak.
• A little time away from the Word… away from prayer.
• The early church was strong, and so will we be as we steadily continue on in those spiritual disciplines.
Acts 2.42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
#2 – GUARD AGAINST WANDERING
It can be easy to stray from the basics. To see a VIBRANT & GROWING walk disappear breaks my heart time and time again.
Hebrews 2.1 “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
#3 – GUARD AGAINST WEARINESS
• There is that tendency in the Christian work & ministry to become so busy serving and doing the work of the Lord that you leave your FIRST LOVE BEHIND. -- Flip over to Revelation 2:1ff
NOTE: Remember Joseph & Mary on way home from Jerusalem?
• They were so caught up in worshipping the Lord that they LOST JESUS for 3 days!
• Is it possible to lose Jesus in our worship and service? YES!!!!
• True ministry is an outflow of a deep, abiding, and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:20-21 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
WELL it’s exactly when you’re steadying on in Jesus that a false teacher comes our way…
I. (2:13-17) WHAT THEY ARE
1. (13-14) Stern & strong words!
a. The Holy Spirit has strong & stern words for these people who have no desire but to destroy the work of God.
b. Stern yes, but that’s what God thinks about those that would lead His people into false teaching!
RIGHT LIVING is always based on RIGHT THINKING.
• AND RIGHT THINKING is always based on RIGHT TEACHING.
• But FALSE TEACHING always leads to FALSE LIVING.
AND as we reread through vv12-15 it’s sad.
• So much is available to them. Life promised in Jesus.
• But they settle for their own ways, their own perverted teachings, and their own sinful lifestyles.
• They’re like unrestrained animals, living wild & reckless lives.
• But don’t even understand what they’re talking about.
(13) Will receive the wages of unrighteousness
• Philips Translation says, “Their wickedness has earned them an evil end and they will be paid in full.”
(13) They are spots & blemishes alongside of you.
Jude 1:12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
(14) Eyes full of adultery - Cannot cease from sin
• At the root of their lives is rebellion & sinful lusts.
Enticing unstable souls – This is totally the theme of every single cult that has ever existed.
• They don’t go out to the lost, and share good news because false teachers have no good news, just bad news!
2. (15-16) Forsaken the Right way. (NUMBERS 22)
a. Balaam was a Prophet for profit, a ancient day hireling!
b. Balak the king had heard about Balaam & asked him to come and curse the people of Israel for him.
c. Balaam was stopped in his tracks by an angel sent by God.
d. His donkey tries to warn him but they end up arguing.
e. Finally he sees the angel and stops… but his evil ways didn’t.
f. Rather than cursing the people he encourage Balak to throw a pagan party to entice the men of Israel into sexual sin.
g. His ways were evil & destructive & incredibly selfish!
3. (17-19) Wells without water.
a. Wells without water are a huge disappointment!
b. They have great swelling words… of emptiness.
c. They promise liberty! But only deliver bondage!
d. Slaves of corruption & if U follow them you will be like them!
e. They just want to take advantage of those who love God!
4. (20-22) Better if they didn’t know!
a. This section has brought up so much confusion that before we finish I’d like to walk you through.
b. The question is surrounds whether you & I can LOSE our salvation or not.
c. Let’s be clear, the Bible teaches us that eternal salvation is eternal! Amen? Isn’t that wonderful!
So here there are 2 types of people…
• TRUE BELIEVERS & FALSE TEACHERS.
FALSE TEACHERS… well they escaped the pollutions of the world.
• Does that mean they were saved? I don’t think so.
• They escaped the things of the world OUTWARDLY.
• If you’re polluted by smog, you just wash it off right?
• At times all of us as believers become defiled outwardly, tripped up by sin, entangled in some web of Satan.
• But when you came to Christ you weren’t just washed on the outside, you were changed on the inside!
• Jesus cleaned away corruption, not just defilement!
TRUE BELIEVERS are cleaned outside & INSIDE!
• (1:3-5, 1:22-23, 2 Peter 1:1, 1:4)
A FALSE TEACHER only escapes the pollutions of this world but not it’s sinful corruptions.
• While the TRUE BELIEVER receives a new nature, cleaned up from the inside out.
APP: That’s why Christians you don’t have to be in bondage to anything… any substance, any addiction, any overwhelming sin.
• We have freedom in Jesus Christ to say ‘NO’ now and live a life that is fully pleasing to him!
NOW these false teachers PROFESS to know Jesus, and have even cleaned up the outward act of their lives to a degree…
• But the inner corruption of the old life, their old nature is holding them back from eternal life.
• That’s why it’s so important to KNOW THE TRUTH.
John wrote about a group of false teachers:
1 John 2.19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
Jude 1.19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
They don’t have the Spirit of God and if you don’t have God’s Holy Spirit in you, sealing you, empowering you, saving you…
• Then you’re not saved no matter what you might say.
Romans 8.16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
For these guys it would have been better had they not known…
APP: That’s why it’s so dangerous for those who have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ over & over & over again without change.
• Judgment day will come and God will hold you accountable for what you know and heard.
In Jesus you are secure! You can walk through this life in strength, with purpose, and through His Spirit.
• But what about so and so? They are living like the devil!
• Well, they might still be loyal to the devil!
• I believe there is true change in the believers life.
• Don’t worry about the other guy, but what about you?!
• When you live in sin as A Christian you lose your assurance for sure… David lost his joy in the Lord over his sin.
• He lost his joy. His assurance. But not his salvation!
• So it’s important for us to know the truth, live in the truth, and reject false teachings and false teachers at every turn!
“WHEREVER the Lord is doing a wonderful & glorious work, the enemy isn’t too far behind trying to destroy it!”
• Let’s close with… Romans 8.31
