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

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 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

Not 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 second

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 partway 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 Are 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 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 at 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 Whoa Not really having a great day, and he just can't you know you watch 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 it 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 defile 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 Don't understand my place in the universe. I think I'm far 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 a 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 and 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 in cheap 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

Thoughts 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 through to the next

They're like little kids out of Christmas morning when he had him 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 off 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. It's 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 idea is 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're arrogant.

They're absurd. They are audacious Forth 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

It's 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 it 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 an

Overseer an 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 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 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 He sends this delegation to recruit

Balaam and then Balaam is commanded by the Lord to send them away Now Balak being a king

Having a little bit of powers not used to getting no for an answer and to make matters worse. Of course, he is

Desperate so he says another delegation and he offered more money The Lord allowed

Balaam to go so Balaam accepts Balaak's offer But he told them he said listen,

I'll do it. But just understand this that I can only say What the Lord God what

Yahweh Allows me to say that's all I'm gonna do and then as this

Contingent with Balaam begin going back to meet with Balaak. The Lord tells

Balaam got some news for you You're not gonna pronounce a curse on Israel like Balaak wants you to do you're gonna pronounce a blessing

Balaam's got a problem on the one hand. He's got this king who is hiring him to pronounce a curse on Israel And on the other hand

He's got God who's saying you're not gonna pronounce a curse on Israel. That's not gonna happen Now it's not exactly clear why

But the Lord becomes upset with Balaam and so he has this issue

This problem. He's in a lose -lose Situation. Let me just let's turn to Numbers 22 22

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers fourth book of the Bible Numbers 22 And I'm gonna read verses 20 to 34

And then kind of summarize this situation And while you're turning there,

I'm going to get a drink Numbers 22 verses 20 to 34

God came to Balaam at night and said to him if the men have come to call you

Rise up and go with them But only the word which I speak to you shall you do so Balaam arose in the morning and settled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab But God was angry because he was going and the angel of the

Lord took his stand the angel of the Lord being the pre -incarnate Christ Took his stand in the way as an adversary against him

Now he was riding on his donkey and His two servants Balaam's two servants were with him

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with this drawn sword in his hand the donkey turned off the way and Went into the field

But Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way why because Balaam didn't see the angel of the

Lord He's like, what are you doing? You stupid donkey get back on get back on the road verse 24 Then the angel of the

Lord stood in a narrow path of the vineyards with a wall on this side and a wall on that side

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall

So he struck her again The angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord she laid down under Balaam So Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick

I've never treated my car like this Okay, maybe once or twice

Verse 28 and the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Balaam What have

I done to you that you have struck me these three times? Then Balaam said to the donkey now just imagine

I mean the first part would be pretty shocking but then Balaam responds back Balaam said to the donkey because you have made a mockery of me

I mean after all we went into the field you slam my foot into the wall and now you're laying down you won't go anywhere If there had been a sword in my hand, listen, it could have been worse.

I could have had a sword in my hand I would have killed you by now The donkey said to Balaam Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day?

Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you in other words, is this what I normally do Balaam says no verse 31

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in His hand and he bowed all the way to the ground.

Oh, I bet he did Verse 32 the angel of the Lord said to him Why have you struck your donkey these three times?

Behold I have come out as an adversary Because your way was contrary to me what you did.

I didn't like But the donkey saw me and turned aside for me these three times if she had not turned aside for me

I would surely have killed you just now and let her live this donkey saved your life

Balaam Balaam said to the angel of the Lord I have sinned

For I did not know you were standing in the way against me now then if it is displeasing to you

I will turn back But he doesn't Now back to 2nd Peter. I Just kind of wanted to let us know what?

Balaam's donkey did and why? back to 2nd Peter Balaam wasn't crazy

It says the madness that he restrained the madness of the Prophet wasn't crazy

This word madness displays a moral failing Because he deliberately violated the

Lord wasn't happy with him. That's why he was there He deliberately violated the command of God And this is the practice of false teachers.

This is what they do They understand they are teaching falsehoods. At least they know they're not true.

They know they're making them up as they go along They know that they're hurting people They don't care

They followed the way of Balaam because Balaam sought money

They seek money Balaam did his own thing. He was not a prophet of God.

He was a prophet of the gods He spoke for any God or any king or anyone who would hire him

These false teachers similarly pursue Money they pursue power they pursue pursue pleasure

They're not after the things of God in summary.

Who would Satan like to hear preach who would be his favorite preachers? I Think it's someone like him

Someone who from Monday through Saturday and on Sunday afternoon Sunday night acts just like he would if he had a body

They reflect his character they are arrogant they are unreasoning illogical they're absurd they're audacious they're bold They're adulterous

They delight in that they delight in Entrapping others into their sexual escapades and dragging them down They're astray from the truth

They just do whatever they want So what should we do?

with these false teachers I think it's good to pray for their salvation Remember a few years ago someone suggested that we go there was a false teacher gonna be here in Boston that we go and Hand out tracts of the people in line.

I thought it was kind of funny You know not a really a bad thing to do at least these people are going to be somewhat interested in spiritual things

Although I think for many of them they put their faith into a man and not into God But we need to keep in mind that these are not people that are just a little bit off It's not like if they just tweak this or that or the other thing that they'll be okay

Because it's not just a matter of their teaching. It is a matter of their character. It's a matter of how they live

It's a matter of what they pursue the direction of their life We need to warn people away from these

There are sheep that we know People that we know who are being attacked by these

Wolves by these false teachers We need to help those people we need to show concern for the sheep and we need to know

Ultimately that God will deal with these but I think it also just points out the importance of sound doctrine

I Think I'll forget the exact numbers But I think it's something around 20 times in the pastoral epistles that Paul writes about the importance of sound doctrine sound words

These are important concepts I mean Paul is writing in those pastoral epistles to pastors to leaders of a church how to set up a church

Sound doctrine matters. Why because you can't tell the false I mean if we could follow them around all the time, trust me, we would know the false teachers by what they did

But it's by knowing the Bible by understanding the proper doctrine by understanding what

Christ taught What his disciples taught? That we then compare what these

False teachers saying we go. That's not right And the one thing then you can know is if their doctrine is off their lives are wrecks

Absolute wrecks and they don't care about anyone but themselves Let's pray a father.

This is a sobering passage a

Stark reminder that there are those who call themselves Christians Who infiltrate the church

Who lead people astray Who want nothing more? Than to please themselves

Lord, would you use us? To reach out to those that we know that are somehow caught up in these sorts of systems

Father, would you even bring?

Your judgment now upon many of these false teachers who are

Fleecing the flock as it were who prey on widows who

Live only to serve themselves and who are who please?

The only other person they please is Satan father. Would you just bring? Judgment upon them father.

Would you also keep each of us mindful that? It is by the grace of the

God grace of God that we know you that we are not False teachers that we do not follow false teachers

That we are not used by false teachers Father, would you just give us a greater?

Awareness of the grace that you have bestowed upon us daily How you preserve us?

Would you drive us again and again to your word that we might be focused on Christ and the richness of All that you have provided for us in him in Christ's name.