Transcript Document

Presentation 04
Presentation 04
Introduction
Peter wants his Christian readership to enjoy the certainty of
their salvation and has reminded them of God's precious
and very great promises, which equip believers to "escape
the corruption that is in the world because of passion"
1v4, and to grow in grace 1v 6-7. This assurance does
not rest on inward, subjective feelings but the
objective work of Christ witnessed to by both the
apostles and the prophetic word of God.
In Ch. 2 Peter changes his approach to one of
warning! He now warns against the
destruction of both false teachers and
those who embrace their teaching.
Presentation 04
The Folly Of War Games
What would we think of the commanders of the coalition forces in
Afghanistan if they trivialised war? If it were no more than a game to
them, so that they failed to consider that their decisions could mean
the death or injury of sons, husbands and fathers? We would think
them heartless!
Is a minister of the gospel any less heartless if he
trivialises preaching and loses sight of
the eternal welfare of his hearers?
It is not heartless to give the
impression that in the matters of
doctrine, faith, and obedience
we are all playing some
kind of a game?
Presentation 04
The Folly Of War Games
It is heartless to give the impression that the purpose of Christian
preaching is no more than a form of psychotherapy, designed to make
people feel better [that is how many people view preaching!] It’s
heartless, to obscure the purpose of the gospel and so fail to hold up
before men ‘life and death’, ‘salvation and judgement’.
In preaching eternal issues are at stake!
Recognising this restrains the preacher from
engaging in a banal pre-match pep-talk on
the power of positive thinking. It further
rouses in him a holy indignation against
all false teaching! Life is not a game hence
in these verses we find some of the
grimmest warnings found in scripture.
Presentation 04
An Identikit Picture
But how are we supposed to recognise false teaching? Peter provides
an identikit picture for us. First, notice in v1 that their approach is
‘subtle’. They ‘secretly introduce’ their teaching. It is designed to
flatter and appeal to fallen nature. Think of the subtlety of Satan’s
approach to Eve in Eden. Do not expect false teachers to stand up and
shout out that he would like to introduce heresy, which has been
designed to undermine your confidence in God. Instead, it silently
glides in under the radar and before we know it biblical truths are
being turned on their heads.
Presentation 04
An Identikit Picture
Peter identifies the focus of this teaching as ‘denying the sovereign
Lord who bought them’ v1. As with most heresies, Jesus Christ is in
some way being diminished. Some aspect of his person or his work is
being denied. Now we might think that the error outlined in this
passage is one of morality and not doctrine but
the two are inseparable. How we live and how
we esteem Christ always rise and fall together.
It is possible to live such disobedient lives that
Christ is ridiculed by our very behaviour.
And so…
Presentation 04
An Identikit Picture
Secondly, Peter points out a clear relationship between false teaching
and loose living and speaks of those who ‘follow their shameful ways’
v2. False teaching makes it easier for prospective followers to live the
kind of life that appeals to one’s fallen nature. As a result they are able
to justify to themselves any deviation from a biblical morality.
The identikit picture in the text appears
to indicate that the false teachers were
propagating sexual immorality
in the name of Christian freedom.
Presentation 04
An Identikit Picture
People will flock to such teaching if they think it gives the immoral
desires in their hearts even tacit approval. Such false teaching
produces a community of followers whose hearts
have clearly not been transformed by God’s power
and whose minds and wills have refused to submit
to God’s rule. As a result, their witness to the world,
far from bringing glory to the God the profess
to worship, brings the cause of the gospel
into disrepute. In this way they belittle
Christ and "deny the Master who
bought” them.
Presentation 04
An Identikit Picture
These leaders did not merely seduce people with their
charismatic personalities - they taught! They provided
arguments and gave permission to their hearers to abandon
biblical morality. They say, "It's OK for teenagers to experiment
sexually. It's OK for couples to live together out of wedlock.
It's OK to have fun at a wife-swapping weekend."
What we call ‘today’s new morality’ isn’t really
new. In Peter’s day false teachers in church were
announcing that open sex was a legitimate
Christian lifestyle. Today, biblical morality is called
“old fashioned”! Well here’s a newsflash;
the enlightened new morality of the C21st is
over 2000 years old!
Presentation 04
An Identikit Picture
Thirdly, the false teacher’s life is marked by ‘arrogance and irreverence’.
This is pointed up in v10-11. While in 1 Cor.5:1 Paul writes, "It is
actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind
that is not found among pagans; for a man is living with his father's
wife. And you are arrogant."
Arrogance and immorality go hand in hand. cf v10: "they
follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise
authority. They are bold and arrogant."
They "despise authority" because they
can’t stand any restraint on their
passions and so ‘deny the Master who
bought them’. They don't want a
master. Why? A master means authority
and submission and they despise authority.
Presentation 04
An Identikit Picture
You may ask, “Why would anyone want to teach a false gospel - a
powerless gospel?” The answer is found in v3.
This is the fourth, thing to notice about the false
teachers, their goal is not to bring spiritual
enrichment to their followers but to use,
‘exploit’ and impoverish them.
They are driven, not by a caring compassion
but by a grasping ‘greed’. And that greed
need not be limited to material gain, but a
greed for recognition and fame, for control
and power.
Presentation 04
A Historical Reality
Peter isn’t surprised by this state of affairs
cf. v1 "But false prophets also arose among
the people, just as there will be false
teachers among you..."
Whenever important truth is at stake,
counterfeits appear. There were false
teachers in the days of the O.T. church, the
N.T. church and so should we be surprised to
find them around today? Jesus foretold their
appearance. Because a man holds office in
the church does not mean that we should
swallow uncritically all that he teaches.
Presentation 04
A Historical Reality
We need to test the claims of the teacher against
scripture, which is the touchstone of our
doctrinal belief. But is it not possible to make
scripture say anything? Is it not possible for a
person to twist its meaning and read into it their
own preferences and prejudices? Yes that is
entirely possible! One only has to read some of
the revisionist interpretations of scripture being
advanced in the homosexuality debate in the
church today.
For this reason it is amore important than ever
that we allow scripture to interpret scripture and
allow the biblical context to give shape to its
meaning.
Presentation 04
God's Judgment
Peter, whose aim is to show that if God punished unrighteousness in
the past, he will do so in the future, provides us with three case
studies, "If God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but sent
them to hell… to be held for judgment"v4. What is his point? Oh!
angels are glorious and mighty beings but all their power and dignity
was of no use when they rebelled. God was unsparing in his sentence.
They were cast out of his presence and have been reserved in
darkness, until the great day of judgment. What then could the false
teachers expect to face? Let Jesus answer in Matt. 25:41,
"Depart from me, you cursed,
into eternal fire prepared
for the devil and
his angels."
Presentation 04
God's Judgment
The second case study on judgment is taken from the days of Noah, v 5:
"If he [God]did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood
on its ungodly people but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness,
and seven others…” If the false teachers did not learn the lesson from
the fallen angels, they should learn it from the flood. God swept away
the ungodly in judgment. This group of people thought themselves to
be safe. Why? Year after year, God seemed indifferent to their
godlessness! What a shock when suddenly God’s warnings were
realised. They were no longer treated as a joke as these people found
themselves caught up in the inevitability of judgement.
Presentation 04
God's Judgment
The third case study features Sodom and Gomorrah cf v 6-8. These
cities were judged for their sexual immorality - a practice that the
false teachers were promoting. Peter’s points to God’s
consistency in judgement - his morality is not a fluid
thing, it is not influenced by public opinion or
human practice.
Attitudes of society may change, attitudes of
some teachers within the church may change
but God does not change! No wonder the writer
to the Hebrews warns that ‘it is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of a holy God.’ Heb.10.31
Presentation 04
Conclusion
Now against this dark backcloth of certain judgment a
comforting truth is seen to sparkle cf. v9 "So the Lord
knows how to rescue the godly from trial” [people like
Noah and Lot].
This comment provides the climax and conclusion of the
long sentence that started back in v4! It’s purpose is to
encourage those living in the midst of a godlessness
that has been produced by false teaching.
Peter does not tell believers that their situation would
improve or that their troubles would be temporary.
Scripture doesn’t offer a false optimism. But he points
believers to God’s throne - to the one who rules in the
affairs of men. Yes, God permits evil but he also
God sets boundaries for it.
Presentation 04
Conclusion
In the midst of this unrighteousness God rescues his own. He allows
no lasting harm to come to them. How does God rescue? By removing
believers from trial? No! In the interim he gives grace to endure so
that they can rejoice in the midst of trial 1Pet.1v6ff. But he also saves
from ultimate destruction and judgment of which both the flood, and
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, are but pale shadows. This is
what makes preaching such a serious matter. For God in the gospel
calls men from the city of destruction and encourages an abundant
entrance into the eternal kingdom of our great Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ!
Presentation 04