The Devil's Favorite Preachers-[2 Peter 2:10-16]

You know hypothetical situations are dangerous. You create a scenario. Well, maybe it's not so biblical especially when you're trying to preach through the Bible. You can exaggerate things you can stretch a point and wind up diminishing your point.

Satan’s Favorite Preachers and the Character of False Teachers

But this week I've been thinking what if Satan Had a favorite preacher. What if he had a top 10 list? These are my top 10 guys. What would they look like. We know that when they get into the pulpit, they're not going to tell the truth if they use a pulpit.

But what would make them his? Favorites. Well, I think he does have favorites. I Believe that they are his agents. The human means through which he spreads Disinformation error lies leads people astray.

They point people away from the narrow way of the cross and Toward the gaping maw of hell. They are his favorites because they preach his words live his way and bear the unmistakable mark of their father.

The ideal church from Satan's perspective. I was just thinking about one that I drive by that's not. I don't really have one particular in. The ideal church from Satan's perspective would be packed. It would be filled completely and Every person would leave Feeling good about themselves.

They would receive some very practical advice. They would come away with a good self-image. They would have some hands-on Self-help advice that they could implement. But what would make them his favorite preachers is their character and their conduct?

Why? Because Satan ultimately doesn't care as long as error is spewed forth. I Think he delights in those who? Behind closed doors or even out in daylight as we're going to see do what he would do. Act like he would act if he had a body.

And you might think well such a thing would never be condoned in evangelicalism. We would never Approve of such men and women. One of the leaders in what is being Touted is this revival and Calvinism recently said this.

Who's the happiest Christian preacher out there? I'll give you an example. His name is Joel Osteen. He is my Christian brother. I do believe that. And I'll tell you what doesn't bother me about the guy.

It doesn't bother me that he's got a big church. It doesn't bother me that he is on the radio. It doesn't bother me that he is on the TV. It doesn't bother me that he publishes books. It doesn't even bother me that he is happy all the time because maybe his spiritual gift is Encouragement.

I think what ought to bother you is the fact that he doesn't believe in the exclusive claims of Christ. He doesn't believe that Christ is the only way Larry King throws him a softball question and says you have to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to get to heaven and he says I don't know that should concern you another man and I Withhold his name as well.

Said this I found this and I I decided this is shocking. I know a lot of people who really like this guy and he said quote Jesus did not come to earth to be the Messiah. Really Are you the long-awaited one?

I just don't know how that squares up with Scripture now. Here's one that a guy that maybe you don't even know his name. His name is Paul young each. Oh Used to be Paul Cho now. He's David Cho. He is the pastor of the world's largest church in Seoul, South Korea.

And he claims to have received his call to preach from Jesus Christ himself. Now like this part that Jesus appeared to him dressed as a fireman, I don't know where that comes from. But Cho has packaged his faith formulas, he's a faith preacher under the label of fourth dimensional power.

Now this is something that Buddhists and other Occult groups use he says that doesn't bother them because this is how they work through the fourth dimension. Then Christians should be able to do the same thing using the same means.

He recently made the news by changing his name from Paul to David as Cho tells a story God showed him that Paul Cho had to die and David Cho was to be resurrected in his place. According to Cho God himself came up with his new name.

Mean these are outrageous statements. But that's really not the worst of it the worst of it is what they do and this is what Peter Describes here in 2nd Peter their character the nature of how they live.

Well, what are we as Christians to do with false teachers, how are we to view them? And one thing is I as I study this and as I Contemplated this one thing that really struck me is as I go through this as we study this description of false teachers think about the opposites.

The hundred and eighty degrees. I mean it's as far removed from these guys as possible. And I'm going to give you some illustrations tonight what God calls elders teachers pastors to be. These men are and women because we know that there are Female false teachers as well are just as far removed from the truth as they could be.

Both in what they teach and in the character of the content of their lives. Please open your Bibles to 2nd Peter chapter 2 and I'm going to start Part way through Verse 10 and the reason is because I ended amazingly enough the reason I'm doing that is because I ended part way through verse 10 last time because as we know the book of the Bible is inspired or maybe you don't know this the book of the Bible is inspired, but the chapter separations and even the verse separations.

Were not in the original text they were put by Scholars later, but sometimes I don't think they have things quite right now we've been talking about Our going through a second Peter for a while now and at the end of chapter 1 Peter pointed out the supremacy of Scripture the superiority of Scripture as the best source of information the most reliable Source of information even better than the best experience he ever had.

The Supremacy of Scripture and the First Three Marks of False Teachers

And then starting in chapter 2 Verses 1 to 3 we looked at 10 characteristics of false teachers. 10 characteristics of them that they are stealthy destructive deniers of Christ destroyers of souls. Lacking self-control that they bring reproach upon Christ that they're greedy exploitative deceivers oblivious and headed for oblivion and The last time we looked at God the judge.

The judge who judged fallen angels the pre-flood world Sodom and Gomorrah and who one day will judge these false teachers, but Peter isn't done painting the picture. He's given us the broad kind of outline.

But now he goes into great detail to really bring outrage after outrage after outrage in describing these False teachers starting in verse 10 daring Self-willed. They do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties.

Whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. But these talking about the false teachers like unreasoning animals. Born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed.

Reviling where they have no knowledge. Will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed. Suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They counted a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes.

Revealing in their deceptions as they carouse with you. Having eyes full of adultery. They never that never cease from sin. Enticing unstable souls having a heart trained in greed. Accursed children. Forsaking the right way they have gone astray.

Having followed the way of Balaam the son of Baal who loved the wages of unrighteousness. But he received a rebuke for his own transgression for a mute donkey speaking with a voice of a man restrained the madness of the prophets.

Now this evening as we walk through this passage. I want to draw your attention to five demonic descriptors from this passage so that you will understand who false teachers are. What they do and how God views them how he looks at these false teachers.

Let there be no doubt Xander comes up here. Let there be no doubt that we live in an age where false teachers have proliferated. I mean think about all the ways they have now to get their message out in Peter's day.

You would have to go from town to town from synagogue to synagogue or you know do something extraordinary to get a following. But today, what do you have to do you can be on the Internet? Plenty of them on TV on the radio and these are five shocking.

Amazing descriptions, and I'm being amplified five. Yes, I am five shocking descriptions of how these wolves in sheep clothing operates and I believe we ought to View them as the hazards that they are they are not to be pitied but rebuked scorned shunned.

Now would it be wrong to evangelize them? No. But I think once you see this description as we walk through this I don't know how far you'd get before they just shut you down. Kind of goes back to pastors Mike's sermon about hogs and dogs dogs and hogs whichever one it was.

Our first demonic descriptor right out of the text in and I and I managed to get all these in a so they are. Arrogant they are arrogant. That's what that word daring means. It literally means daredevils.

They're daredevils. They're so confident in what they do. They have no reservation no hesitation in doing what they know is wrong. They know it's not right what they're doing, but it doesn't stop them all doesn't hold them back at all.

They plunge full-on into it. It's like if somebody just knew that by throwing themselves off a cliff. They would die at the bottom and they just said I'm gonna do it anyway, because I don't really care and that's how they are.

They just are absolutely daring bold. Now there may be a certain amount of ignorance with these false teachers these men and women who teach what is false. They may not know everything, but they know enough to know what they're doing is not right.

Kind of reminds me when Paul is writing about elders about leaders about teachers and what they should be he says don't be a. As an elder you should not be a new convert. Why lest you fall into the snare of the devil.

What's the snare? It's arrogance. It's being asked questions that you're not ready to ask or answer it's being asked to teach things that you don't know and It is a snare. It is a problem and these people don't have any problem with that.

They run head-on into it. They're like bank robbers. Who boldly walk in? Knowing that people are going to be terrified. Who know that people might get hurt who know there might be violence. But they don't care because all they're concerned about is themselves.

They're utterly lacking in compassion. They have hyperinflated inflated views of their own self-importance. They're spiritual thugs. Who do not? Care about the souls. They are destroying but as the King James Version says in Chapter 2 verse 3.

I think this is a great phrase. They make merchandise of Those that they say they are helping they are arrogant prideful and They are daredevils daring. Goes on and there's no connector. There's no little adjective.

There's no conjunction there it just says daring and then self-willed and It means or it speaks of someone who strictly pleases himself again. Daring their arrogance. They do what they want without care for anyone else and this one says basically the same thing.

But they are only out to please themselves. Focuses always on them. Hebert says this they will allow listen to this nothing to stand in the way of their own self-gratification. Now, what would you think of a shepherd a pastor an Elder a teacher who says, you know what?

I'm just in it for number one. It's all about me. In his first letter Peter wrote this. I'm gonna condense it a little bit from chapter 5. Therefore I exhort the elders among you in verse 2. He says shepherd the flock of God among you.

Exercising oversight not under a compulsion but voluntarily according to the will of God and not for sordid gain but with eagerness. Nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples of the flock.

It's about character. It's about conduct. It's about leading by example. Not concerned for themselves but about others. In fact in giving the qualifications of an elder to Titus Paul wrote that a man who aspires to the office of an elder an overseer a presbyter.

Cannot be this exact same word that Peter uses here self-willed. They cannot be that way if shepherds if elders are to emulate the Great Shepherd and I think we're called to do that and he Jesus came to do not his own will but the will of the Father.

How can any under shepherds serving under the Lord Jesus himself be self-willed. Can't do it. This is the very antithesis of spiritual leadership. It is to cast aside everything that the Bible says about spiritual leadership and to strike out on your own.

And that's exactly what they do. There's an old movie has a great line in it a Man's got to know his limitations. But these false teachers don't. Look at verse 10 again. They do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties.

Verse 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. Now it's an it's an amazing thing to have a steady hand under pressure, I mean certainly if you go in for surgery.

Do you want a guy? You know you you meet the doctor and he's like Whoo-hoo. Not really having a great day, and he just can't you know you're watching his hands. He's just like this all the time. You're gonna.

You know I'm not really feeling that great me. I'll just come back next week. You know do you have an associate who could do this maybe a nurse? It's great to be cool under pressure. You know when there's a shooting when the police Responding to two shootings and Intense situations, it's nice to not be on the radio going oh.

You know but to be able in a calm clear voice say exactly what is going on and to let everybody know. But what if a situation clearly calls for trembling? What if it calls for being nervous? I? Mean it's one thing if you're facing Mere mortals, but what about immortals?

What about angels angelic miss majesties and? Our text tells us That they are as calm as they can be they're not trembling. They're not shaking. They're not shaken. They're not stirred. They're not upset.

They're fine while they revile or blaspheme slander malign. Attack these angelic majesties Who are one dictionary would tell us a transcendent being? Deserving of honor. They don't even have the right view obviously they're arrogant.

They're full of themselves. And they don't have that they don't understand their place in the universe. They think they're a lot more important than they are. Now Peter wrote this letter looking forward to a time where the false Teachers had not yet appeared on the scene, but later on Jude would write.

They're here in Jude 8 and 9. He writes yet in the same way these men talking about false teachers again also by dreaming defiled the flesh and reject authority and listen same wording and revile angelic majesties.

But here comes a little clarification verse 9 but Michael the Archangel When he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said the Lord rebuke you an Archangel is a chief angel an angel of some rank someone of some serious importance.

Not only is he immortal, but he's got a position and yet Michael the Archangel Didn't argue with Satan. But these men speak ill of angelic majesties. They don't tremble. They don't worry. They're not concerned.

They would say to Satan I bind you Satan what gives them the authority to do that if Michael the Archangel has no authority. It is arrogance writ large big block letters. I am arrogance. That's what they're saying.

I Bigger than I am and this is consistent with the picture presented earlier in verse 10. Again, Peter writes of the false teachers this those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and Despise authority we talked about it last time.

They heap scorn upon the concept of lordship. Upon this idea of an ultimate authority, which of course is the Lord Jesus Christ. Their pride and their arrogance no no bounds these are men and women who do not Know their limitations and will not accept any limitations.

They are arrogant second demonic descriptor they are absurd absurd ridiculous or Irrational unreasoning look at verse 12. But these like unreasoning animals born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed reviling where they have no knowledge.

Will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed verse 13. Suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. That's interesting. Sometimes you just look at a word and you go. That's that's pretty cool well the Greek word For unreasoning or that's translated here unreasoning irrational absurd crazy is Ah logos.

Logos from which we get of course word, but it's also the root word of Logic logical and ah being the alpha privative negating that so Beyond the dictionary Understanding of just being a lack of reasoning capacity.

It's really kind of we could almost see the root of illogic. Irrational it's what it means. It means they are run by their passions. They do exactly what they want without regard to the consequences. There is nothing more foolish Than trifling with God.

Then trifling with the Word of God. And they don't just do it they revel in it they threw it they're thrilled to do it they think it's a great time. Again contrast that hold that up on one hand and on the other hand look at the calling of elders Titus 1 9 they are to be able to Both exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Let's just kind of compare and contrast this illogical unreasoning. Certainly not thoughtful versus Able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict. Every believer is capable of logic knowledge of the Lord is the beginning of Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom right.

So everyone who fears the Lord has Wisdom has the capacity to have logical thoughts. The Fool has said in his heart. There is no God so we know that someone who says that cannot it's not quite Right and they're thinking.

But elders are called to be those who grasp sound doctrine and they are to grasp it So thoroughly that they can speak out against it against those who Speak against sound doctrine and the word there again interesting.

It's anti Lego Lego meaning to speak anti meaning against and so they speak against sound doctrine. That's what they do. These false teachers speak against sound doctrine and elders. Leaders in the church are to so thoroughly understand the doctrines of the Bible has to be able to refute these false teachers.

And false teachers are not Unreasoning by chance. It's not somehow Happenstance, it's their natural state. MacArthur writes this their responses to stimuli are pre-programmed. Having been built into their genetic makeup by God himself.

The perfect tense of this verb would indicate that there is no opportunity to escape this condition. They were born for one purpose and one purpose only. Eventually to be destroyed. The picture is that of a predatory animal.

Which men deliberately catch or snare in order to destroy? Think about it if wolves if we were all shepherds and we had a big flock of sheep and A group of wolves were coming off and you know night after night just picking off a few of our sheep.

What would be our response do you think? You think we just kind of go oh Man, it was two more last night. How many we lose the night before three? Things are getting pretty bad. What are you gonna do those wolves?

Know. Any kind of genuine Shepherd would set out to trap those wolves to kill them to eliminate the problem. That's exactly what God is going to do. They revile or blaspheme about topics concerning which they are absolutely ignorant.

And what are those Subjects that they know nothing about. I've already talked about Angelic measures majesties. Well, they don't know anything about God in his word. They may be able to say the name of God.

They may quote the name of Jesus over and over again. They may say Jesus is Lord. It might be the banner of their ministry. That's not the issue. That's not the issue. James 2 19 says the demons. Believe that God is one.

They have some right thinking and they tremble they shudder. What if you could. What if you know someone who knows a lot of Bible verses that they can spout them off at you? Does that mean that they're saved?

What happens when somebody knocks at your door? Saturday morning. Good morning. Like to talk to you about the Bible. And like to give you a little copy of the Watchtower. Maybe you'd like to read the Book of Mormon.

Maybe you go to the Visitor Center. They can quote scripture at you and if reciting verses from Scripture alone could save you. Then Satan himself would have nothing to fear. You think he knows the Bible?

I? Think he knows it very well. He quotes it often. And we have no No record of him having a printed copy. He knows the Bible. But these false teachers do not have the Holy Spirit. So no matter how much they profess to love him.

No matter how much they know about or know different scriptures. They don't know the God of Scripture. But that doesn't stop them from distorting scripture. Just as you or I or anyone if we were trying to protect a flock as Sinful as we are we would eliminate those wolves.

The Good Shepherd will eliminate those spiritual wolves again in verse 12, but these will in. The destruction of those creatures also be destroyed suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. Their destruction is inevitable.

They will receive as one man says a destruction similar in its finality to that which befalls wild beasts in other words. Just as those wolves are destroyed. Certainly, these wolves will be destroyed Just as a wild animal and the heat of the moment plunges into a trap or a net.

You know, I I mean you watch these jungle shows where they just dig a hole and they you know. Put things over and you go. Well, how can anybody fall fall for that? It's because they charge into these situations and they fall into the hole.

They're not they don't go. Oh, that looks like a trap. I think I better walk around that. That's not what animals do and in the same way these unreasoning animals will get their just due. They will receive their reward.

Which is to be mistreated they will suffer wrong as a just wage they're going to get what they have earned. And that's exactly what that word wages means. It's the same word that was applied to the silver that Judas received in When it was talked about in Acts 118 after he had died.

They are Traitors and they will get what they deserve. They cannot change course. It's built into their spiritual DNA as it were. And they would not choose to do so even if they could they are unreasoning.

Irrational. Their thinking is absurd. They live by instinct and that will lead to their doom. So first they are arrogant. Second. They are absurd. Third. They are audacious. They're bold. They're audacious.

Look at verse 13. They counted a pleasure a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes reveling in their deceptions as they carouse with you. False teachers as it were they sin in broad daylight.

They don't skulk about at night. They are absolutely shameless. They're not concerned that someone might see what they're doing. These wolves and sheep clothing are pleasure seekers in fact. That's exactly the word there.

Where it says they counted a pleasure that word is The one from which we draw our word hedonist a pleasure seeker someone whose primary thought Primary pursuit in life is pleasure and that's what they do full-on after pleasure.

And to revel means that they are living fast and loose. Not a moment to spare for reflection for thoughts there. They move from one thrill to the next. They're like little kids on Christmas morning when you hand them a present they tear it open.

They don't even look at the present before they go. What to the next one to tear that open to by the time they get done if you ask them name three or four toys. They probably couldn't do it and it's that same kind of passion for the next thrill the next excitement.

They go from one high to another. Never satisfied but constantly looking for something more something new something better. Again compare that With what God calls men who would lead his church to be. Titus 1 8 says That those who would lead the church should love what is good.

That they should be sensible. Just devout and listen to this last one. Self-controlled they are exactly the opposite of these false teachers. It's a matter of character. Elders love what is good. Deacons love what is good.

Leaders in the church love what is good not what brings about. Sensual pleasure not what brings a thrill, but what is inherently good. What God says is good. They're sensible. They're not led about by their own desires for excitement.

Peter uses some additional harsh language to describe them. They are stains and blemishes. Stain again interesting words. I mean you could just if I say this you'll just go up. I know that what that word means.

How about this stain is spilloffs? Spill right when you spill something it leaves a mark and it means That in using it about a person it means an immoral people attached to a godly community. Those who bring shame or cause disgrace.

They are like a humongous Blemish a stain on the church and. Again, interesting these word studies because tonight some sometimes word studies aren't that great? But listen to this this exact same word in Ephesians 5 25 to 27 talking about husbands.

Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her Verse 26 so that he might sanctify her having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word Verse 27 that he might present to himself the church in all her glory having no spot no spilloffs.

Or wrinkle or any such thing but that she would be holy and blameless. These spills these spots these stains are a mark on the church. I mean what happens over and over again as the sins of these false teachers are revealed.

It's all of Christianity. That is. Oh, yeah, it's those Christians. It's how they are also described as blemishes. Which is a defect or flaw? Used of teachers who mar the fellowship of believers the picture here is.

Fellowship is supposed to be a believer is supposed to be a beautiful thing a representation an illustration of what? Heaven will be like and these blemishes introduced defects. They're kind of like the guy remember years ago.

There was a story I don't remember if it was a Ford or Chevy plants. But these guys were kind of messing up the cars putting little wrenches in the doors and stuff as they went out. That's what these guys do.

They intentionally these false teachers intentionally Mar the fellowship they work hard at unbuilding what Christ is building. They are spiritual graffiti artists. The church is the Lord's masterpiece and essentially they spray-paint it.

And what precisely are they doing it says our text tells us they're reveling in their deceptions as they carouse with you. They delight in deceiving people. They delight in spiritual trickery and this picture here is of as the church gathering together.

When it says carouse with you the ideas of a spiritual feast so the idea would be maybe of gathering around the Lord's table. And if we think about the Lord's table, it's a time of reflection and of joy.

But a time where maybe we would spend some time thinking about our own Sinfulness and thinking about what Christ has done on our behalf and what Christ has done on behalf of the body and just rejoicing in that.

That's not what they do. They're sitting there thinking about how they have fooled people how they have deceived people. That's what they're thinking about. False teachers are audacious. They are bold.

Moments that should result in reflection and thoughtfulness. It's just another thrill for them. They are arrogant. They're absurd. They are audacious. Fourth they are adulterous. Look at verse 14. Having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin.

Enticing unstable souls. I said they pursue hedonism. They are hedonists. They pursue their pleasure 24 -7 and in every way imaginable a Literal translation of this would be having eyes full of an adulteress one one person.

But notice it also says that they never cease from sin. They don't stop moving from potential sexual target to the next. They cannot and do not wish to control any of their appetites 24 -7 they have a restlessness and unsettledness a constant roving eye the saying would go He's got a roving eye.

That's what they have. Lust consumes them. So is it any surprises we read this description? That there would be from time to time these dramatic revelations these dramatic, you know, these big-time ministries crashing down because of sexual sin and how often do we see that I Remember one guy famously got on TV and cried and then they announced that you know in six to twelve months.

He would be back in the pulpit. And then I think it was maybe three months and he was back in the pulpit. That's what these guys do. I mean, how can they get away from the spotlight people need them? You know, we would say that a man is disqualified from teaching but you know what if you're a false teacher.

You're never disqualified. You can always go back to lying for a living. They weren't qualified to teach the truth in the first place. These deceivers are not. Only always on the prowl. Always looking for the next thrill.

Always looking for some sexual escapade, but they're looking to take others down with them. Again in verse 14 enticing unstable souls and the picture there is of a fisherman who throws out a lure. Something that is really enticing.

It's a it's a bit of bait that maybe someone a fish could not resist. So the picture really is that of someone? Promising pleasure to someone else. Their goal what they're really trying to do is they're trying to use these people and People are inherently disposable in their eyes souls are unimportant.

The goal for them is pleasure. The goal for them is power. The goal for them is Happiness personal happiness. They are spiritual sociopaths. Incapable of empathy compassion or really loving anyone, but themselves as with their father Satan.

False teachers get their greatest joys at the expense of others and they are never ever Satisfied. Look at verse 14. Having a heart trained in greed a cursed children. Now certainly this applies to money when we think about greed, that's what we think about but in this context I think it also shows their insatiable nature period.

They're not only dream driven by their greed for riches. They certainly like that but for their greed over souls to be able to control others particularly sexually and financially. They cannot accumulate enough pleasures or earthly treasures to satisfy them.

There's no such thing as enough they can consume at all. They have trained their hearts as it were to covet everything. Thou shalt not cover thy neighbor's wife. They covered everybody's wife. They covered covet everybody's possessions.

Lenski says that sexual vice sexual sin and Covetousness that is greed go together in the New Testament. Kind of like, you know, what other things go together just naturally, you know peanut butter and jelly.

Okay, but those things aren't sinful, but I mean they covetousness greed and lust all blend together. False teachers like their spiritual father Satan are worthy of the eternal wrath of God because they use people and They will experience that wrath one day now again contrast that with elders.

Faithful elders called by the Lord first Timothy 3 to listen to this an overseer Then must be above reproach. Have a good and have reputation. The husband of one wife and Overseer and elder. A pastor must be a one-woman man.

Literally someone whose affections are devoted to his wife alone not with a roving eye not moving from conquest to conquest and Instead of using souls for his own pleasure elders are responsible for these souls.

Listen to Hebrews 13 17. Obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls. They diligently care for your souls. True shepherds pray rejoice grieve. Encourage rebuke exhort. They don't exploit they don't use people are not disposable.

Care about each and every one of you instead of being covetous. Elders are called to be free from the love of money in first Timothy 3 3 again the complete opposite. False teachers are arrogant. They're absurd.

They're unreasoning illogical like animals. Third they're audacious. Fourth. They're adulterous. And fifth they go astray. They are astray look at verse 15 forsaking the right way. They have gone astray now.

Some of you might think well certainly that means that they were saved. No, that's not what it means. False teachers might well have some intellectual knowledge of the truth. They certainly use the Word of God as a springboard for what they want to accomplish.

For the money that they want to raise. Maybe for the spiritual hankies or whatever the offering of the month is. But instead of being convicted by the truthfulness of Scripture They suppress what they know so that they are free to follow the desires of their twisted hearts.

They forsake the right way. They push it aside and they go astray. They go off The beaten path as it were. They are followers of Balaam again. Look at verse 15 having followed the way of Balaam the son of Baor Who loved the wages of unrighteousness.

But he talking about Balaam Received a rebuke for his own transgression for a mute donkey. Speaking with a voice of a man restrained the madness of the Prophet. I'm gonna briefly kind of unpack this here.

The king of Moab at this time was Balak and He was concerned with the Israelites. They'd been marching around for 40 years in the wilderness and there were a lot of them. They had already destroyed the Amorites and they were getting a little bit of a reputation as a potential problem.

He didn't want to fight them. The king of Moab did not want to and King Balak Believed that Balaam was a man with some connections to the other world. He was You know a diviner Someone who spoke for a myriad of gods in the region so he sent a Group of his representatives to go try to hire Balaam to speak for him.

It was cheaper in effect to hire Balaam to come and pronounce a curse on The Israelite army than it would be to build up his own army and frankly, he didn't have the troops. He was worried about losing to the Israelites.

And the point of Peter's illustration as we will kind of walk through this a little bit. Is that the false teachers are just like Balaam. They are willing to do or say whatever will accrue to their own benefit.

I Mean it's amazing if you go through numbers and you read this. Balaam actually had a visitation from the pre-incarnate Christ. And yet he pursued riches over the truth. The Lord caused Balaam's donkey to rebuke him.