Espionage in the Kingdom
(2 Peter 2:1-3)
1. Every so often, I like to emphasize the basic Christian facts. I try to teach these to the kids at AWANA, but I have also learned the importance of teaching or review them with adults.
2. In a previous sermon, I mentioned how we need to know them, and I issued a paper in the bulletin about what these facts are. The next Body Builder article includes a detailed information about how to learn them.
3. But a great place to learn them is in a church meeting. So today, and over the next month or two, I would like for us to work together at getting these down.
4. Today I want us to properly learn two things: The Three Persons of the Trinity, and the basic division of the 10 Commandments….(explain)
5. Learning the truth is a great defense against error.
Main Idea: Since the time of Cain, there have always been false teachers in the spriritual realm; they are certainly the vast majority. But when false teaching creeps into the believing community, it is especially dastardly.
Peter will share two truths about false teachers to enlighten us, and then I will add my point of application as a third.
I. False Teachers Are Always In STYLE (1)
A. Past, present, FUTURE (1a)
• These teachers are the blind leading the blind; they think they are hot stuff; their ignorance endangers others…
With his request approved, the CNN News cameraman quickly used his cell phone to call the local airport to charter a flight. He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.
Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger. He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, "Let's go!" The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and took off.
Once in the air, the cameraman instructed the pilot, "Fly over the valley and make low passes so I can get shots of the fires on the hillsides."
"Why?" asked the pilot.
"Because I'm a cameraman for CNN," he responded, "and I need to get some close up shots."
The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, "So, what you're telling me, is ... you're NOT my flight instructor?!" [Mike's Funnies]
B. They introduce error SECRETLY and GRADUALLY (1b)
C. How they deny the LORD
1. They deny his SOVEREIGNTY
o New trend: Open Theism -- God the Son emptied Himself while incarnated on earth; but nowhere do the Scriptures imply that God the Father, Son, and Spirit have emptied themselves of foreknowledge.
2. They deny his ATONING work
o New trend: The New Perspective
Penalty for our sin. Often times these errors are bundled together.
3. Jesus even PURCHASED the false teachers
o Unsaved people are lost because they do not want to be right with the true God, it is not that they cannot. Christ died for everyone, and everyone who wants to can believe. The problem is that people will not believe. The problem is not that Christ's death is not large enough to accommodate all. God loves to be extravagant.
II. False Teachers Gain FOLLOWINGS With Their Techniques (2-3)
A. MANY will follow them
Mart DeHaan explains:
In an unethical selling technique called the bait-and-switch method, a retailer lures customers into his store by advertising a well-known product at a very low price. When the buyer asks to purchase it, however, he is told that it is out of stock. The salesperson then tries to sell him an inferior line of merchandise, hoping to pocket a bigger profit. The brand name was used just to get potential customers to step inside.
In a similar way, a false teacher uses biblical words to capture interest and gain a hearing. He may talk about Christ, redemption, the cross, and the resurrection, but these "trusted terms" amount to nothing more than a come-on. The "seller" uses them to advertise truths that, as far as he is concerned, are "out of stock." When an interested person responds, he is confronted by beliefs that are completely contrary to God's Word. [source: Our Daily Bread]
B. They make the faith look BAD
All religious scandals that include the claim of "Christian" make the entire Christian world look bad -- even if a cult is involved…
C. They EXPLOIT others and are GREEDY
I am convinced that some people like to be exploited -- it makes their lives more interesting. These false teachers often amass wealth for themselves -- even before channel 40 was invented!
D. Deceivers make great STORY-tellers
E. They are DESTINED for destruction
III. Application: The Best Way to Avoid False Teaching is to Be GROUNDED in the Truth!
It is impossible to be prepared for every error around. When I bought my dad's old car, it had been sitting idle for a year. He had hardly used it; even the tires were original -- nine years old. When I brought it in for a flat tire, the mechanic fixed it and all seemed well. The next day, it was flat. I took it back. When I went to retrieve it, the mechanic said it had to be replaced. The steel belt had broken. Whenever he patched one hole, another would appear. That's how false teaching is. It is relentless. Thus, the only way to be prepared is to be able to recognize true teaching.
A. Simplistic or Ignorant Christianity: ERROR-friendly environment
• Most of evangelicalism has aimed for breath over depth is beginning to haunt us
• If we eliminated pastors who could not recite the 10 commandments and who have not read through the entire Bible at least once, we might cut out half of our local clergy.
• We all -- not just leaders -- but all Christians -- need to take in Bible.
B. Some folks are VULNERABLE by nature (I Thessalonians 5:14)
"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."
C. Issue: MOTIVATION and good judgment, not IQ
• Having a joyful, vibrant walk with God
• Some people seem to regret that they are Christians
• If we are satisfied in our walk with God, we are less prone to look for some missing "piece" to the puzzle…
