BIG IDEA:
DETECTING THEIR DECEPTION — SNIFFING OUT FALSE TEACHERS
INTRODUCTION:
What does a Pigpen smell like?
Matt. 7:15-23 important to examine the fruit
Matt. 13:24-30,36-43 the enemy is busy sowing tares among the Christian churches
Why does Peter feel that it is necessary to warn his readers about false teachers? (cf. similar message in Jude)
Historical Context: time of the apostles is fading; it has been over 30 years since the ascension of Christ; false teachers have crept into the church and are gaining momentum; Peter wants to go on record on these issues before he is gone
cf. Battle for the Bible by Harold Lindsell — deals mainly with issues of inerrancy and with the trend toward apostasy in major mainline denominations and seminaries; no wonder that the people are being taught error when you look at what the seminary professors no longer believe
cf. the battle back in the 1920s with Modernism; a series of books called the
The Fundamentals was published
cf. illustration regarding roommate of R.C.Sproul who went before the examining board on his oral exam and did not tell them where he was waffling so that he could get his diploma; he ended up on the board that was asking the questions of R.C. Sproul!
I. FALSE TEACHERS DON’T TELL UNTIL THEY COME OUT OF THEIR SHELL
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.” (2 Peter 2:1)
they come in secretly with a hidden agenda; they smile and sign your doctrinal statement and profess to agree with you; then they have opportunity to teach; then they start to sneak in their false doctrine in subtle ways
A. They Duplicate the False Prophets of the Old Testament
study the passage on false prophets in Jeremiah 23
B. They Disseminate Destructive, Damnable Heresies
“damnable” — the kind of teachings that destroy the gospel and keep people
from coming to Christ;
scattering seeds
C. They Deny the Lord (“despot” or “absolute Ruler”) Who Bought Them
cf. other NT reference to “deny” = Matt. 10:33 those that “deny” Christ, He will
utterly and totally deny… (uses more emphatic form of same word)
cf. peer pressure — leads you to compromise God’s revealed standard of
Holiness
D. They Destroy Themselves By Calling Out for God’s Righteous Judgment
cf. Rev. 2-3 — record of Christ’s judgment against apostasy in the churches
II. FALSE TEACHERS EXCEL AT ACCUMULATING A LARGE CLIENTELE
“and many will follow their sensuality” (2 Peter 2:2a)
A. They are Sensational
B. They are Sensual — lasciviousness (opposite of self-control — cf. other references in 1 and 2 Peter)
especially in the area of immorality
John Cobb Maxim:
“If he looks like a rose, but smells like a pig;
don’t be impressed if his church is real big!”
III. FALSE TEACHERS REPEL WITH A TERRIBLE SMELL
“and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned” (2 Peter 2:2b)
examine the way they live
A. They are the Tares that are Planted in with the Wheat in an Attempt to Ruin the Harvest
B. They are the Rotten Apple that Sits in the Bag with all the other Apples and will Corrupt All
C. They are the Leaven that Seeks to Permeate the Whole Loaf
D. They are the Manure on the Doormat of the Church that Turns the Unbelievers Away
people say: ‘I know so and so who goes to that church and he does such and such; I could never go there because they are such hypocrites”
cf. notable examples of well-know TV preachers who have been exposed for immoral living and hurt the testimony of Christ
Don’t lower the standard of what God calls Holiness; don’t judge according to externals:
Who gives the best polished message;
Who looks good on the platform under the lights; etc.
IV. FALSE TEACHERS COMPEL TO MAKE THEIR POCKETS SWELL
“and in their greed they will exploit you with false words” (2 Peter 2:3a)
A. Lenski: “they have no concern for the sheep, but only for shearing the wool”
they are in it for the money
B. “Exploit” = to make merchandise of
you are a valuable member of their congregation…but only because you make significant contributions that fill the offering plate
C. “false words” = made up words
cf. made up doctrines of Joseph Smith and the Mormons
Wiersbe: “Plastic words! Words that can be twisted to mean anything you want them to mean! The false teachers use our vocabulary, but they do not use our dictionary. They talk about ‘salvation,’ ‘inspiration,’ and the great words of the Christian faith, but they do not mean what we mean.”
V. FALSE TEACHERS REBEL AND WILL LAND IN HELL
“their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3b)
Their judgment was determined a long time ago and just because it has not yet come about does not mean that they are going to escape
CONCLUSION:
SO HOW WELL CAN YOU SMELL?