Introduction:
The last time that I was in this podium, I spoke about how deception does not just stay static; it develops a life of its own and that life cycle takes it from bad to worse. For example, deception may lead a person to sin, but the usual response is that a person experiences remorse and then confesses it as sin to God. But as deception takes on a life of its own, it not only leads you to sin, but that deception will also begin telling you that you did nothing wrong. The Bible may say that sin is wrong, but you say it is right. And we looked at the most obvious example of deception moving from bad to worse. And that is today's homosexuality.
Well, as that deception life cycle deteriorates from bad to worse, there will be people who the Bible tells us that will come along our path and try to push us to that far end of the deception cycle. Today, we want to take up our time looking at one such person: the scoffer. The word "scoffer" is not a word that we use in our everyday language, so let me tell you what it means. It refers to a person who will mock you; make fun of you or what you believe.
Let's begin our study of the scoffer and how to deal with him or her so that we do not fall victim of their attempt to push our deception from bad to worse. So, if you have your Bibles, or our bulletin or if you prefer to look at our monitors, please stand for the reading of 2 Peter 3:1-8.
Scripture:
2 Peter 3:1-8 (NKJV) 1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Point #1
Scoffers don't preach or teach you a false doctrine and tell you that you need to believe it. Instead, scoffers plant seeds and let you come to your own conclusion.
The seed in our Scriptures today is found in verse four (4). "Where is the promise of His coming?" The seed planters make you call into question something about God's Word. Jesus says that He was coming back soon and here we are, and He still has not returned. Draw your own conclusion.
In the Garden of Eden, the devil acted as a scoffer. In fact, he was the first scoffer. Listen to what he says. Genesis 3:1 (NKJV) 1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
The devil didn't try to teach her a false doctrine, instead, the devil just planted the seed that God is holding back on you. He let her work through it and make the wrong conclusion. And that is exactly what Eve does. She says God even told us that we cannot touch it. Genesis 3:3 (NKJV ...God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' God didn't tell her that; the devil did not tell her that instead she concluded on her own that she could not touch it. The devil planted the seed and now the deception is growing.
Those are just two examples during Biblical times of scoffers. I could have given you more examples if I brought you to Jeremiah or to Isaiah or even the words of Jesus Himself. They were all attacked by scoffers.
But are there modern-day scoffers? The Bible says so? Jude 1:18 (NIV) 18 They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers...
But here is the problem: the Apostle John tells us that there will be more scoffers in the end times than in previous times. 2 John 1:7 (NKJV) 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
So, there are not only scoffers, in these last days, but there are more of them planting seeds questioning God, His Word, His Laws, His Return, and even His Existence. They are going about just planting seeds wherever they go.The question must be how do I as a Christian protect myself from all these seed planter? I believe that there are three that we must know and do.
Point #2
If we are going to protect ourselves from the scoffers, we need to have a good working understand as to what the Bible is telling us.
2 Peter 3:1-4 (NKJV) 1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
There are people who believe that if I am save; that is all I need. All I need to be concerned about in where I am going to go when I die. And if I know I am going to heaven why sweat the other stuff. Just go about life!
And they see no need to get up every morning and study their Bible. They see no need to pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit in their life. They are choosing to ignore that the Bible makes it crystal clear to us that those who do not study their Bibles on a regular basis or seek God's guidance, those are the ones likely to get blown off course in this life.
Peter when he addresses the people in this Epistle and tells them to be mindful of the words of the prophets of old and be mindful of the words of the Apostles of Jesus Christ, Peter was not assigning them busy work.
Timothy tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Timothy, just like Peter, is not assigning you and me busy work. They are assigning us survival work so that in this life we do not get blown away from our faith by those who plant those seeds of doubt.
Point #3
Understanding what the Bible is telling us will build within us convictions that will protect us from the seeds of the scoffer. And convictions are those unshakeables in our life.
2 Peter 3:4-5 (NKJV) 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
Verse 5 tell us that scoffers scoff because they "willingly forget". What that tells me is that they have no convictions. They can be swayed to easily change from one minute to the next what they believe. You and me as Christians, we study the Bible, understand what it means to us, build convictions, and stand on those convictions.
Let's say, I have this personal conviction that I have built in my life from reading God's Word, that I will not stand there and listen to anyone who is using God's name in a profane way. It would not matter if it were the President of the United States or my boss, or my momma, I am not going to listen to people use God's name in vain. I am either going to walk away or I am going to tell them something. That's my strong belief.
But let's say I did not build a conviction about that in my heart because I did not take the time to read it in the Bible. I am with the President of the United States, and he starts using God's name in a profane way, without that conviction, I would say nothing because, he is the President. I would be concerned about offending the President. The same would be true for my boss and my mother.
The point is: you and I need to let the Bible build convictions in us to fight off the seeds of the scoffers.
Point #4
Here is the real test to determine if you are ready for the scoffers. Can you answer their scoff?
2 Peter 3:8 (NKJV) 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Peter did not run and hide from the scoffers. He came right out and confronted the scoffer. He tells him that you are all wrong. God's time schedule and man's time schedule are not the same. You cannot compare them.
Job's wife was acting as a scoffer when she tells Job, "Why don't you just curse God and die?" Job had an answer to her scoff based upon his convictions. Job 2:10 (NKJV) 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Because Peter and Job had convictions, they stood up to their scoffers.
Conclusion
Have you been studying your Bible, building up convictions, so that you stand up against the many scoffers of the end time?
