Good morning! Andy continues his series on 2 Peter this week…

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Message

Andy continues his preaching series on 2 Peter…

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Extra Thoughts on Today’s Sermon

Hallmarks of false teachers! Lust and greed!

V2. They deny truth of scripture, even Jesus with false teaching.  They are convincing and usually have many followers
V3. They exploit others financially by teaching lies. AV: make merchandise of you!
V10. They are lustful, sexually immoral. May not be known for a long time. They despise genuine authority. They love to rebel against that which is right. They make grandiose super-spiritual claims, unhealthy interest in demonic / angels.
V12. They unwittingly blaspheme God by their actions and words. 
V13. Peter warns them these people have already infiltrated their churches! They take part in your shared lunches whilst still living openly godless lives.

NB Peter is referring to those who profess Jesus as Lord yet live in ways that deny him.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. (2 Tim 3:1-9)

V14. eyes full of adultery, they seduce the unstable, those weak in the faith, new Christians. False teachers made a deliberate choice to reject truth and embrace lust, greed and lies.

As slaves to sin they promise freedom they do not have and cannot give!
Elders / shepherd’s heart is to protect the flock, especially the lambs from wolves. Acts 20:28-31 Paul warned Ephesians elders wolves from within will arise and attack their sheep. People who looked and sounded like Christians were anything but!

Judgement Day is coming! God will deal with the wicked. We must not live sinfully nor be unstable and caught off guard when he returns. We must feed on the word, know the truth and quickly reject lies. We cannot play with sin. We must be warned by Sodom and Gomora – destroyed for its grievous sexual sin. God will destroy this earth again in the same way – with fire and punish the wicked in flames.

False teachers seem to prosper now which seems like God is blessing them but it is just for a season of time! One day they will be exposed and their true nature and behaviour will be seen by all. Sometimes it happens in their lifetime, or after their death, but even if hidden, it is only for a while until Jesus returns and lays all bare.

We must guard our own lives.

• Are we distressed by the sin around us? Complacent? Unaffected? Accepting?
• We need to pray deliver us from evil and lead us not into temptation.

If we cling to God he will keep us through all trials and we won’t reject the Lord, but stay true.