<“False Prophets” II Peter 2:1-3a
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A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
This world is full of wicked, cruel people. When you think of cruelty, you probably think of terrorists on 9/11, evil parents abusing a little child, governments bombing or using poison gas on their own nation. The physical abuse in this world is legion; some faces like Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Osama Bin Laden, Mao, Kim Jong Un, Saddam Hussein, or Idi Amin are almost etched in our nightmares as demonic.
But few consider the ultimate cruelty – heresy. It destroys lives both in this life AND for all eternity. John MacArthur said “There is nothing more offensive to God than the distortion of His Word. Nothing is more wicked than for someone to claim to speak for God to the salvation of souls when in reality he speaks for Satan to the damnation of souls.”
Yet such atrocious arrogance is exactly what religion leaders are doing – they promote heresy, teach a false gospel/religion that is NOT good news of God’s grace who are the ultimate terrorists. Name them – Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis, Roman Catholic). Tenzin Gyatso (Dali Lama). Justin Welby (Archbishop of Canterbury). Dimitrios Arhondonis (Bartholomew I, Orthodox Patriarch). Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei (Muslim Cleric). They deceive people to follow a path that leads to the eternal terrors of hell, not salvation by God’s grace alone.
I. PERSISTENT PRESENCE OF FALSE TEACHERS
A. DEEP DILEMMA
II Pet 2:1a But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you,
1. REJECTION OF THE WORD (II Pet 1:21)
2. CONTINUOUS THREAT (Deut 13:6-10; Acts 20:29-30)
B. DECEPTIVE METHODS
II Pet 2:1b who will privately introduce
1. SECRET (Jude 4; Mt 22:37-40)
2. SUBTLE (II Cor 11:13-15)
C. DOCTRINAL HERESY
II Pet 2:1c pernicious heresies, even denying the Master who purchased them,
1. HERESY ISN’T HARMLESS (Gal 5:20; I Cor 11:18; Titus 3:10)
2. ROOT OF THE PROBLEM (Deut 13:5; 32:5-6; I Pet. 2:9-10)
D. DAMNABLE JUDGMENT
II Pet 2:1d prompting on themselves impending ruin.
1. BROUGHT ON SELF
2. SWIFTLY COMING
II. PERPETUAL POPULARITY OF FALSE TEACHERS
A. DISTURBING TREND
II Pet 2:2a And many will follow their way to ruin;
1. POPULAR PREACHERS (Mt 7:13)
2. DISTRESSING ASPECT (II Tim 4:10, 14; 2:15-17; I Tim 1:19-20)
B. DISHONORING TRUTH
II Pet 2:2b because of them the way of truth will be maligned.
1. WAY OF TRUTH (Jn 14:6)
2. SLANDERED (Phil 2:15-16a)
C. DUPLICITOUS ABUSE
II Pet 2:3a And in their greed they will exploit you with false words.
1. COVETOUS SPIRIT (II Pet 2:14)
2. IMPURE MOTIVES