The Doom of False Teachers: Part 1

The Doom of False Teachers in 2 Peter 2

So please turn with me this morning as we continue our study the second epistle Second Peter. Second Peter chapter 2. This would be part one. Speaking about the doom of false teachers. The doom of false teachers.

You don't hear a lot of messages on this. It's a judgment message. But I'll be honest we we need to hear this. It did my heart good when I was studying. This Judgment has a two-sided.

Sword.

And one side of it it pains us to see such judgment come. But on the other side we rejoice don't we. Because God's righteousness Is served God's justice and he has to punish sin because as I mentioned he's holy holy holy.

He's a holy God, right? And he will not negotiate his holiness with no one. And when it comes to false teachers that pervert the gospel as brother Keith mentioned earlier the purity of the gospel Has been tampered with and then you have false teachers deliberately Blaspheming God's name taking God's holy name in vain perverting the gospel.

God must judge. And was as we've seen in this there is destructive doctrines Doom of false teachers. We're gonna look at this depravity of false teachers deceptions of false teachers. So let me read verse beginning of verse 4 to 11.

Verse 4 to 11 and 2nd Peter chapter 2. Hear the word of the Living God.

But there were also.

I'm starting verse 1. Let me go to verse 1 false prophets among the people Even as there will be false teachers among you who was secretly bringing destructive heresies to even denied the Lord who bought them and bring on themselves swift destruction and Many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed by covetousness They would sport Exploit you with deceptive words for a long time.

Their judgment has not been idle Now introduces judgment right here and their destruction Does not slumber and pay close attention from verse 4 to 11 or what he has to say. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned But cast him down to hell and Delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment And did not spare the ancient world but saved Noah one of eight people a preacher of righteousness bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly and Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah Into ashes condemned them into destruction making them in an example To those who afterward would live ungodly and delivered righteous lot Who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked?

For that righteous man dwelling among them tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds Then the Lord knows How to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment Especially those who walk according to the flesh In the lust of the in the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.

They are presumptuous Self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries Whereas angels who are greater in power and might do not bring a reviling accusation Against them before the Lord. Let's stop there and let's pray.

Now let's ask the Lord This morning as we seek his face. And he will he will in a mighty way speak to us.

Through his word.

Let's pray father in heaven Holy is your name? Yes, Lord your Holy mercy reaches unto the heavens and your truth unto the clouds and we pray as David Cried out and sung be exalted. Oh God above the heavens and let your glory be above all the earth.

Lord we praise you this morning. We praise you and we pray that your holy name be honored and glorified this day In this land. Oh God, we need a revival of the majesty and the fear of God Revive your people once again.

Oh God through your words By your spirit Nothing man does but your power and your glory and Only your word can sanctify us by the truth Because your word is truth Sanctify us through and through this morning Lord purge us and cleanse us.

And.

May we leave here today or sanctified and more into the image and the likeness of your dear son And whom you're well pleased in. Father we'll be careful to give you all the praise and glory for this and we ask this in Jesus name.

Amen. As we've seen. Chapter 2 of 2nd Peter. And verses 1 through 3 as I read. You had the destructive doctrines of false teachers. They are destructive very destructive to the souls. Jesus said beware of false teachers.

They don't come to you saying hey, I'm a false teacher.

Right.

No, they wave a Bible. They quote the scriptures. Jesus said they come to you in sheep's clothing. Clothes like a sheep. They come Within the church like the Trojan horse that enters in. As we looked at first Peter the whole Book of first Peter dealt with persecution from the outside.

And that seems to be pretty severe doesn't but honestly it is more severe much more severe. When false teachers like the Trojan horse comes within to deceive and pervert the truth. It's very serious. So in verses 4 through 11, we see the doom of false teachers.

We'll go ahead in this direction. I get this outline right out of the Bible. Verses 12 through 17. We see the depravity of false teachers. And then in verses 18 through 22 We see the deceptions of the false teachers.

Chapter 2 is No doubt the very heart of this epistle. Peter writes this epistle to the believers in Asia minor as he did first Peter. But he gives us ample warning Of the destructive teaching and the doom the depravity the deceptions of these false teachers.

He breaks it down here and well, I'm not gonna get far today. That's why I'm broken it up in part one. We're gonna just look at the three examples he gives in verse 4 5 6 and we'll Lord willing see where we get go to the rest of the.

To verse 11 next Lord's Day, but I want us to look at these three examples. They're powerful examples and. The text today in verses 4 through 11 the Holy Spirit of God gives to us the destiny the doom and the damnation of where these false teachers are heading to.

Scriptures is very clear on this folks it may seem harsh and.

Hard.

But after this message I can assure you. You would see why and of course by the Spirit of God you see why? Because we know we if you have a correct and a proper view of God. That God is high and holy.

There's none like unto him. Scripture says that God will not be bought. He will not be bought and especially when it comes to false teachers that mock his name he would judge. Because God is God. Now the Apostle Peter warned the church about what is so true even in our day as well.

Maybe even more than ever. Because we've never seen Globally so many false teachers arise and Jesus said that's one of the signs of his second coming. Read Matthew 25. Great detail here but the very first sign.

Not talking about all the other signs people look said I like the hurricanes and the winds and wars and rumors of wars and so forth. There are a lot of sign. But the first sign take heed that no man deceive you and then he says many false Prophets will arise in my name saying here's Christ.

Lo don't go there. Don't listen to him. Jesus says so Jesus gave. He said much about false prophets and teachers. But these false teachers are spreading lies or liars. Because they follow their father the father of lies misleading people misleading God's people.

Satan being very successful in this strategy. He's never changed his strategy. He's been very successful in doing his mission and sending forth his ministers. Appearing as angels of light ministers of light preaching another Jesus another gospel as Paul says.

There's not another but they pervert it and say there is another. Apostle Paul warned the elders in chapter 20. The book of Acts in verse 29 and 30. Let me read it again. He exhorts the elders there he calls them to himself.

He says that after my departure savage wolves once again the same language Jesus used. Savage wolves will come in among you in among you. Not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse.

Meaning misleading things to draw away the disciples after themselves. You see they will as Peter says in verse 1 they will secretly bring in destructive heresies. Destructive teachings. Even denying the Lord who bought them and bring on themselves swift destruction.

It goes on the details. We looked at many will follow their destructive ways many that's sad. Look at today. Do you see this? We see it. Does it grieve us? Yeah, it grieves us. Does it grieve God? Far more does it make God angry.

Folks we don't know but when his.

Character.

Has been blasphemed and his name is being misused and.

The name and.

In his name and then all for pleasure and covetousness. And the way of truth is blasphemed and by covetousness that false teachers motive actually is the love of money and loving themselves and Not loving God.

They love pleasure and they do this in the name of Jesus.

God help us. Judgment is not only here.

But God will eventually judge.

Through and through.

He says they will exploit you with deceptive words. And Peter then by the Holy Spirit gives to us this awesome truth a long time. For a long time their judgment has not been idle and their destruction does not slumber.

Listen to that. That's a revelation of truth that basically judgment to come he now opens up and gives the ultimate doom of false teachers and the text in which we're looking at and This is actually one flow of sentence.

It's one Large sentence by the Spirit of God and we see the doom the destiny and the damnation of these false teachers in the text. And What we're going to focus on today is the three illustrations and believe me the three powerful illustrations of certain doom.

But two of these he lays great stress upon the fact that and this is encourages us That it should apply to us that in the midst of judgment there's hope for the few. And Who's that few when he speaks about Noah?

One of eight people a preacher of righteousness. When the great flood was coming think of a entire world was flooded and destroyed by water. God cleansed it because of such wickedness and we're going to look at that for the reasons why in a minute and They're a preacher of righteousness.

One preacher stood up Against the whole generation for a hundred years and warned that generation and his family got his family in the ark.

In it wonderful a.

Hundred and twenty years a preacher of righteousness and. Then he speaks about lot. Lot was there in a wicked twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah a.

Perversion an.

Immorality gross immorality to homosexuality. We're seeing this today folks. But there's hope Lot was brought out literally the angels that went there. The two angels literally had to take the man out.

He was so oppressed with the wickedness and you know the story Jesus told a powerful sermon in three words. Remember lots wife she turned back because her heart was still loving then what she was going to leave.

She couldn't leave it and she turned back and she was turned to a pillar of salt. Jesus said remember lots wife so the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of the temptation and to keep the Unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment.

Wow. No, let's look at these examples. The first one he gives that of fallen angels. That's the first example it gives now. This could go into a lot of detail. This could be a whole sermon. I'm gonna try to Go through this as fast as I can But as properly as I can because I must give you the right interpretation.

But there are different interpretations to this and I'm not saying that I have the right interpretation. I'm going to say that You do your study and homework on this because there's been a lot of different interpretations.

From Genesis chapter 6 on this The nature of the sin is not mentioned. Okay.

But.

It is elsewhere suggested as having been caused by pride. Now, how do we know that the angels are full of pride? Well, if you noticed right there in the text. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned.

Cast him down.

They will lift it up They will cast down.

Pride.

The awful sin of private. How do we know this? You know, like I said the text says it will cast down to hell Delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment. A better translation as It starts off there is not for if but it is better translated for sense for sense.

Because there is no doubt about the history of the judgment which Peter speaks of here more likely. This is a reference to the sons of God. Now what we're talking about the sons of God Here in that term in Genesis chapter 6 verse 2 we cannot be certain but there is a strong reason by the way to believe that these are the sons of God in The sense that it reads the sons of God Saw the daughters of men in Genesis 6 to That they were beautiful and they took wives for themselves and all whom they chose.

Angelic beings here.

Intermingled with a human race.

Now that's what I see there. You can might see something else. Like I said, the angels are called the sons of God in Job 1 6 Job 2 1. So we definitely know these angelic beings. Peter's speaking of this.

And there's a order. There's a there's an order of judgment here. The sons of God left their angelic position basically assigned to them. And what did they do? They exchanged their dwelling in heaven.

For one on earth, that's basically what happened. They intermixed they intermarried with human wives. Out from that Scripture speaks of the Nephilim. I hope I spoke that right. Basically it was spoken of as Giants.

It was an ungodly breed a race of.

Giants.

Wicked Giants fallen Mighty ones is spoken of on the earth in those days scripture says. And. Also afterward when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, that means they definitely had sexual relations.

Of.

Daughters of men and they bore children to them and scripture says those were mighty men. Who are of old of old were of old of renown. Now if you look in Genesis 6 3. Let me go. Turn with me there. I hope you're there and you're looking at this over and looking at your Bible study notes.

There may be in other interpretations to this but it seems like it's very clear what happened here. And even though we don't know a lot about this There is definitely the wickedness and judgment of man here and there's a whole generation of such wickedness That is intermingled because these angelic beings That did this.

God was so extremely displeased and angry with these Abnormal sexual unions that were taking place in Genesis 6 5. Notice what the Lord says then the Lord saw That the wickedness of man was great in the earth.

So it is spread and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart Was evil. Continually. Listen to that the Holy God saw such wickedness That the intent of the thoughts of his heart was evil. Constantly.

Continually verse 6 tells us a lot the Lord was sorry. The old King James says the Lord repented. I had someone once tell me said what God made a mistake. I said, oh, no. Oh, no. No, I said you need to repent what you just said out of your mouth.

God don't make mistakes. There's no sin with God. I Said this is this is Adam's sin. But this is even a deeper level of angelic beings intermingling and wickedness coming out from this and That that and then he says this and that he had made man on the earth.

He was so grieved and he was grieved in his heart. This is God grieved him. And here we see how this sin this terrible terrible sin grieved the heart of God.

Sin.

Beginning in the thought life every intent of his thoughts was in his heart was only evil continually. We see a lot of this today, don't we? The heart is desperately wicked and who can know it? It's full of rebellion and we don't know the wickedness of our own hearts.

But this.

Definitely spread like cancer and it was all over the earth. But in verse 7 God said the Lord said I will destroy man. And I have created from the face of the earth. And again, like I said, there's an order of judgment here as an order of judgment.

Aren't you glad that there was one man during that time that pleased the Lord that was Noah. If you look at verse 11 chapter 6 the earth was so corrupt was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence.

So God looked upon the earth. Indeed, it was corrupt and for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth all flesh. Back to verse 9. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man perfect in in his generations.

Noah walked with God verse 8 going back now. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was among the few folks and that's always the case. Jesus said few there be that's going to find the way. We need to take that serious.

Don't we only few is going to find it many is going to go in the path of destruction many. But that's that's always the way it's been. So the order of judgment here is that God as Peter said. He mentions that God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast him down to hell and delivered them Into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment keep that mind.

They're not judged yet. They're reserved. God could have destroyed them, but he did. There's a purpose for this judgment. They're reserved. God the Holy God was so outraged by this gross gross apostasy of angels from the established order.

Their doom was to be thrown down to hell and reserved. They're committed to the pits of utter gloom until the final judgment morning you know, I really believe that these examples are here right before our eyes to sober us of Judgment that God does not trifle with sin.

He must punish it. We don't hear enough of this folks. People said pastor. Give me the love of God. Give me the good news. Hey folks honest. We can't really Know the love of God and the mercy of God until we know the bad the good news until we know the bad news.

What do we say from? Some say from wrath. God will say from God himself. God saves us from himself through Jesus. Listen to this Jude 6 by the way, Jude if you read this Jude parallels Peter. It's almost word-for-word.

The only the only thing Jude does not bring out and Peter does. Peter brings out the the example of Noah. Jude doesn't bring that out. And he brings out the example of lot and there's a reason why Peter does that he has a different audience folks, but Jude it's the same Holy Spirit, isn't it?

And it's almost exact word for word. Listen to Jude 6. Jude says and the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode. Has read has reserved and he says the same word reserved and everlasting Chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day almost identical same words same thought of the Apostle Peter.

But the apostasy of fallen angels is described as we saw in Genesis 6 1 through 3 Possessing men who then cohabited and and intermingled and intermarried with the daughters of men. So Peter is given examples of judgment to the false teacher.

That's what he's doing. He's going to these examples. Now the second example the first example is the fallen angels and the sin that they committed. Even though we don't know much about it as a small window there, but we do have some revelation verse 5.

It says the world before the flood which is we're disobedient to God. Verse 5 says and did not spare. Notice what he says he sees the same language. Did not spare the ancient world. But saved Noah one eight.

One of eight people a preacher of righteousness bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly so Again, wise Peter given these examples because there's a historical. There's a biblical evidence of God's holy direct intervention in punishing sin.

It seems that. Unfortunately.

Not only a nation that we're living in today and nations don't even recall this and learn from the historical biblical account. But the church has forgotten and it's right here before us. That God will bring judgment and justice.

He has to. Because he's holy. He did not spare the ancient world. Noah was saved. The biblical account there, you know. Relates to the example of the fallen angels. Now in verse 5 he relates to the wicked ungodly people.

The entire race of ungodly people who perished in the flood. He did not spare the ancient world. John MacArthur says this on that specific verse in verse 5. He says this quote. The second illustration.

The second illustration. Serving as a precedent for God's future judgment on false teachers is the judgment on the wicked ancient world through the worldwide flood. Genesis 6 through 8. And he says this the human race was reduced to eight people by that judgment.

In quote as we already looked at first Peter 320 and we as we looked at the Introduction of 2nd Peter if you remember we looked at the critics that tried to say that the Apostle Peter was not the writer of 2nd Peter, but notice this what first Peter 320 Ties in in reference to the text of I just read he says this.

Who formerly were disobedient were once divine long. The divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah. While the ark was being prepared in which a few that is eight souls were being saved through water.

Same.

Holy Spirit same Apostle Oh Beloved. Only Noah and his fam were found found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Aren't you glad. And they sought and found refuge in that ark. And by the way as you will know that ark is a type of.

Jesus Christ.

From the judgment to come Salt found refuge in that ark and he rode that ark and safety Above the great storm that filled the whole entire earth. And God's wrath. Peter reminds us that Noah was at eight one of that one of eight people just a few once again, just that few a preacher of righteousness.

His life spoke of the few that God calls to love him and called him to build that ark. Think of it 120 years that people were mocking and blaspheming God and you could just picture it if you don't mind allow me to Kind of elaborate here.

And his sons Helping him build. Three sons helping and his wives or wives were doing preparing I'm sure meals and getting ready for this great preparation knowing that judgment was coming and God told Noah Judgment is coming.

It's going to pour forth rain. God's going to destroy the entire earth. And you could think of his sons and and Noah was Hammering down and you can hear those hammer blows to build the ark. For I think of a hundred twenty years While people were laughing and mocking God Said you crazy man, you think it's going to rain that much you build an ark that big Laughing and mocking God, but Then the great once the great flood came and you can see the clouds Started thundered in lightning and the flood came and the rain came the mocking stopped.

And once God by the way, if you read the scriptures God closed that door. God himself closed that door.

I.

Had to be a massive door the size of the ark. You can read the account they talks about the gives the lengths of the Heights and the width and everything of it and what I like about if you look in Genesis 7 11 God God silences those that will mock him.

He will silence the mockers, but it's on his timetable. It's his timetable how we know that Genesis 7 11 listen this in the 600th year of Noah's life and the second month. The 17th day of the month and on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven.

Were opened in verse 12 and the rain was on the earth 40 days and 40 nights. You know what that tells us? God has calendar day. He's got a day and when Jesus Christ comes back and power and glory. We don't know what day it is but I'm telling you what just as it says in Genesis 7 11 and it said here 600 year and Noah's life and the Second month on the 17th day of the month on that day all the fountains that was God's calendar day.

And God said that's the day of judgment. And when Jesus Christ comes back, it's gonna be on God's calendar. Aren't you glad you could count it's gonna happen. But it's God's timetable. God has a calendar.

Aren't you glad? And on that exact time and day, we don't know when but God does and he will judge the world in righteousness. Now Peter gives to us the third example. Look at verse 6 Turning to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes.

Listen to that turned in him into ashes a lot of people feel. Some theologians has looked into this and they thought is our volcano that might have done it. Folks I really believe fire came right down from heaven it came from God.

Cuz God we read brother villain read it this morning from Deuteronomy. God is a consuming fire. That was not The writer of Hebrews. He didn't think that up as the same Holy Spirit. He's spoken that he's actually quoted from Deuteronomy God's a consuming fire and this is what happened Sodom and Gomorrah.

God burned him up. Consumed him to ashes fire and brimstone. Actually, you could go to the place where they say that this happened and There's sulfur it's proof this sulfur there there's a destruction making them an example afterward who would live ungodly and.

Then you got today America by the droves people accepting homosexuality and actually the proper term is sodomy. They're sodomites. That's the biblical view. They're not gay. Gay means happy. They're not queer.

Queer means odd. There's sodomites that means perverted and to gross Immorality. Romans 1. We're gonna go there in a minute. God did not spare the angels who sinned. He cast him down to hell delivered him to chains of darkness.

Reserved them to judgment. Verse 5. God did not spare the ancient world. Verse 6 God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes. It's another example from God that he will punish all sin folks all Wickedness all are the ungodly for a future divine judgment on the wicked.

Any wonder why the wicked liberal theologians Are doing their very best to disprove everything from Genesis. Trying to disprove the account in Genesis, you know, why look at what's found in Genesis. It's all over the pages of Scripture the origins of in the beginning God.

It speaks of the origins of creation. It's that speaks of God created all things and how the earth came into being but it speaks about judgment. The judgment is against sin. Because God is a holy God.

God's a just God and he would judge all sin. Folks that's what the cross is all about. It is the signal warning to the world. There God spared not his son and laid the sin on him. God gives full proof of future judgment of all the wicked and false teachers.

I'll tell you that's why he's bringing that out. It's going to happen. This third example folks is a it's a powerful one because first it speaks against pride. I think there's a scripture I don't know exactly where in Ezekiel.

That it speaks about the pride of Sodom and Gomorrah. The second against disobedience. It speaks of disobedience. But the third here is really against the moral impurity. God will not tolerate Such impurity.

The Apostle Peter pictures a certain punishment of false teachers, but he also paints their character and. You see the pride you receive the rebellion. We see the sensuality we see the perversion. So let me ask the question.

Why did God turn the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes? Condemn them to destruction. Making them an example of those who afterwards would live ungodly. Well, let's go to chapter 19 of Genesis. Let's read some of it.

Now I don't have time to get into. And I'll read as much as I possibly can. But we need to see this account but if you look in chapter 18 of Genesis from verse 16 to 33 we see Abraham intercedes for Sodom and folks, I'm telling the only reason why a lot the righteous like God delivered him out because.

But Abraham his his his uncle Abraham Had a covenant with God. God does not break covenant and you see Abraham. Look at a little bit of this. He bargains with God. He's trying to plead with God and.

And.

He and in his pleading he Begins with a number. He said look at verse 23. Abraham came near and said Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked you think about having a conversation with God?

I.

Suppose we were 50 righteous within the city. Would you also destroy the place and not spare it for the 50 righteous that were in it? Abraham's basically saying look there's got to be some righteous people in there.

You're gonna burn burn up the righteous. And far be it from you to do such a thing as this. And he understood God and his holiness. And then he said but he's pleading for mercy here and he said to slay the righteous with the wicked.

So that the righteous should be as the wicked far be it from you. And then he says this in a wonderful quiet. I love this text. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Oh He can hang on to that one folks.

Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? God will judge fairly always always never injustice with God even those in hell. Everybody in hell would get justice. No one gets injustice. There's a lot of people struggle with that.

But that's really that these these these heretics today. That's talking about annihilation. That believes that there's no punishment in hellfire. They have a problem with the justice of God. It's not not that they know down deep there is the eternal hell they just want to deny it.

But the problem is they cannot see God just.

God's just in every way.

In verse 26 So the Lord said if I find and Sodom and 50 righteous within the city, then I would spare all the place for their sakes. And the plea goes on he get the the number goes down At 45 and then it goes to 40 and then it goes to 30 and eventually it goes down what to 10.

10.

First 32 and he said let not the Lord be angry with me. He said I will speak but only once more he's God keeps going down on the number. He's gracious folks, and he said I Will not destroy it for the sake of 10 and you know the story God didn't find 10 there that were righteous.

So the Lord went his way. As soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham what an incredible story that Abraham speaks with God in person. Abraham returned to his place and then in chapter 19, he goes right into the sodomies depravity.

Two angels. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. There was a you know, the story says it was three men that met Abraham. Two of those were the angels. Two of these was the angels one was God.

It's incredible in it.

And.

In human form. It's almost like God had a cloak himself in human form. It burned up Abraham. But two angels came to Sodom in the evening and a lot was sitting in the gate of the Sodom and When lot saw them He rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face toward the ground.

And he said it's almost like he knew. These are angels. He knew they were from the Lord. Oh. His uncle Abraham was pleading and praying for him. Here now my Lord's plea. Please turn into your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet.

He's giving us some hospitality and then may you rise early and go on your way. And they said no. We would spend the night Excuse me in the open square, but he insisted strong. So they turned into him to him and entered his house.