2 Peter 2:10-22 Building & Battling

When Charles Spurgeon started his magazine, he named it The Sword and Trowel, alluding to the workers in the Book of Nehemiah,

A)who kept their swords in one hand and their tools in the other as they were repairing the walls of Jerusalem.

B) They were Building & Battling at the same time !!!

1) The picture of the workers in the book of Nehemiah is a good example for the Church today – Building & battling

C) That is what I have titled this study today – Building & battling

1) Hear from PASTOR PETER – who was faithful to the Flock – seeking to Build them up in Christ / and Battling False teachers

D) At the HEART OF 2 PETER is this battle –

1) Peter’s primary mission is to warn the Believers against Scoffers & false teachers –who would creep into the Church

Read v.1-3 – Now we have looked extensively in the last few weeks at v.1-9/The Characteristics of these false teachers / & Promised Judgment

A)Peter lays out the characteristics of these false teachers v.1-3

1) They subtly bring in destructive heresies

2) They deny the Lord who bought them

3) They are driven by sensual pleasures

4) They are motivated by greed

B) Peter was a true Pastor / He was disturbed by the inroads the false teachers were making into the churches.

1) He knew that their approach was subtle but their teachings were fatal, and he felt compelled to Expose them & warn the churches about them.

C) Today we are going to continue in vs 10-17 where we see the Practices of these teachers how they are a directly Connected to these Characteristics

1) Finally We will see the results of their Practices v.18-22

The Job of any true Pastor is to FEED & TO WARN

A)Fun to feed – enjoyable like you ladies watch people enjoy some meal that you threw together -

B) But Warning isn’t so fun – Like having to warn your kids of something

1) A teen age girl about that guy she is interested in – They get defensive

You are judging him by his appearance / Motorcycle/ Cigs/ Tattoos

C) I get the same reaction when I have to give a word of instruction or exhortation or warning about a particular ministry or minister

1) People will say – You are judging pastor Rob & you know what Jesus said –Do not to Judge / lest you be Judged / so why are you Judging ?

D) Well lets look at what Jesus said – turn to Matt. 7

¹“Judge not, that you be not judged. ²For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Now it is important to understand that the word Judge here in the grk is Kreeno – means do not judge condemningly

A)Do not Judge to CONDEMN – do not judge w/ bitterness & animosity in your heart / for we are all flawed & need grace & mercy

B) So when people throw this verse at me – Why are you judging them . judging that ministry – Jesus said we are not to Judge

1) I say you are right – We are not to judge condemningly – and I am not condemning them – I don’t know their hearts

C)But you need to read the rest of the Ch to see what else Jesus said v.15-20

¹⁵“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

So I am not to judge people condemningly but I am to inspect their fruit I am you are to be fruit inspectors

A)I need to see what kind of fruit that teaching & that person is producing

B) Jesus said BEWARE OF WOVLES …. Sheep’s clothing

1) Watch, Judge, inspect not to condemnation but for Identification

C) We are to IDENTIFY WHAT IS RIGHT AND TRUE & if we fail to do that we are not doing what Jesus told us to do !!!

1) Parents / Pastors / teachers/ those who care about people – we have an obligation not just to feed but also to warn

D) If we only FEED & DON’T WARN – we are only fattening up ..kill

1) We are doing them a great INJUSTICE – We need to Build / be committed to building up the body / also BATTLE

Back to 2 Peter –

V.10-17 PRACTICES In this section of his letter, Peter Identifies three specific sins of the false teachers: Reviling / Reveling / Revolting

A)1^st they Revile or despise authority / Which is Why they deny the Lord & the Word

B)Peter described These men as self-willed, Presumptuous / walking after the lust of the flesh

1) they “lived to please only themselves.” They were arrogant and would even defy God to get what they wanted!

C)Outwardly, they appeared to serve God and minister to the people, inwardly they fed their own egos and feathered their own nests.

1)Their attitude is completely opposite that of our Lord who willingly emptied Himself to become a servant, & then died as a sacrifice for our sins

D) They Despise Authority - Attack those who seek to correct them

( Christianity in Crisis )

Direct quotes from their tapes & Books showing very clearly how they make faith a force /

A)Demote God – at man’s control as he speaks the “word of faith”

They deify man / Lesson Christ atoning work

B)It was a very well written expose – Identifying where they were wrong

1) He was sued / he was maligned – ridiculed

In their arrogance, “they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities

A)Barclay Celestial Powers – The word is kuriotes which is the name of one of the ranks of angels. – speaking of Demonic forces

B)v.11 says that they do what the angels are even reluctant to do

1) JUDE Michael was reluctant to do – fighting w/ Satan over the Body of Moses He said the Lord rebuke you Satan

C) He wasn’t going to rebuke him himself –

1) But so often in these circles – I rebuke you Satan / I bind you

D) They rant & rave on the stage / we are going to cream the devil tonight

1) These are those who do not understand the Power & the Potency given

to Demons

E) They talk of Wrestling w/ the Devil – Wrestling w/ a Demon - / hand to hand combat -

Guy a few weeks ago came in and said that he wrestled the devil & won

A)Dominion over the world had been given to him & to Jesus –

1) I asked Why then is this world still in such a mess – Satan defeated /

I don’t know I am still trying to figure that out

B) Listen I think we need to do what Michael did & put the Lord between us and the enemy - That is wisdom

C) Peter goes on in v. 12 They are animalistic in their behavior – Natural brute beast – Idea is this

1)Animals have no sense of conscience, ethics or morals. They function by instinct and have no sense of moral accountability to a Righteous Judge.

D) So first they Revile or Despise Authority

2^nd V.12b-13 They Revel –-they carouse in the day time - this refers to a Party kind of spirit – in the sense that their life is marked by excess

A)Carousing in the daytime speaks of not having any shame for the way they live or the extravagance they project

B)they flaunt their false teachings they flaunt their Extravagant lifestyles all in the name of LIBERTY

1) At the expense of those who support them they enjoy luxurious living.

C) In our own society, there are those who plead for funds for their “ministries,” yet live in expensive houses, drive luxury cars,

1) and wear costly clothes.

D)When we remember that Jesus became poor in order to make us rich, their Extravagant lifestyle seems out of step with New Testament Christianity.

1) Peter says They are spots & blemishes they taint the body of Christ

E) They give the Church a Bad name / Jesus is made a Mockery of

3^rd They are revolting v.14-17

A) Eyes full of adultery speaking in a spiritual sense more than a physical sense

B) There are those who fall into an adulterous relationship because they weren’t being smart – allowed themselves to get close to someone /

1) But there are others who are looking for it –

C) This describes those who are looking – they are trying to see who they can seduce / who they can take advantage of !!!

Proverbs 6 Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,²⁴ To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress.

²⁵ Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. ²⁶ For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread;

And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

D) This is speaking in a Physical sense – but they prey upon people in the same way – to take advantage of them – get into their pocket books

They are ENTICERS V.14 goes on to say

A)Peter says They spend their time, "enticing unstable souls."= the weak in Christ

B)The word ENTICE means to lure with bait, a picture of fishermen around a lake, casting one lure after another, trying to entice a "fish" to bite.

1) Although the lures are fake, they look so much like the real thing hungry fish are apt to bite and get hooked.

C) Who are the people who “take the bait” that the apostates put into their subtle traps? Peter called them “unstable souls.”

1) Stability is an important factor in a successful Christian life.

D) Eph. 4 Purpose of teaching – Ground the Church – not tossed to & fro by different winds of Doctrine

v.14 They have hearts trained in Covetousness

A)They are experts at greed / Phillips They have perfected the technique of getting what they want

B) Gone the way of Balaam

Balaam – Mysterious Gentile Prophet talked about in Num. 22,23,24

A)Balak the King of Moab – hears that the Israelites were heading in His direction – this group numbering 3 million in total

B) Balak is concerned – he has heard what they did to Zion / and Og

1) So he sends some of his official men to go & see Balaam the prophet

King Balak wishes to see you – Balaam prays God says I can’t go

C) Go back to the king – Prayed says God said he cannot come w/ us

1) So Balak sends two other even more important officials - King Balak wants to see you immediately

D) Again Balaam prays – the Lord says no don’t go ! Balaam says – sorry the Lord says I can’t go w/ You

1) Then he adds even if you were to give me a houseful of Gold – hint hint hint / - I WOULD NOT GO

So those guys go back to Balak- he prayed said – God said no – even if we gave him a houseful of gold – hint hint hint

A)Well they get the hint – Balak sends guys out a third time – to go to Balaam - this time w/ a cart full of Gold

B) King Balak wants to see you & there is more gold where this came from !

1) Balaam prays a third time – Lord can I go –

C) The Lord says I told you twice that I didn’t want you to go but if you are going to be stubborn & press the issue go ahead & go

1) Just don’t say anything but what I tell you to say

You parents can understand this – Your kids come to you / Mom dad can I go here / can I do that – can I have this / You say No

A)But they keep at – well what if I do this / please please please

B) Finally you say – fine Aaron Fine Amy Fine Amanda – if you really want to go ahead

1) Hoping they catch the tone – ok forget it / but sometimes they say Thanks mom / thanks Dad & off they go

C) And You sit there shaking your head / well that is sort of the case there w/ God & Balaam – God finally says –fine go ahead

1) Balaam rides off on his DONKEY- and I’ m sure that God was shaking his head – when will he learn to listen

On the Journey – Angel of the Lord – Donkey veers into the field Balaam hits – Donkey goes back into the road around –

A)Then riding along thru a Vineyard – Walls on both sides – Angel again – Donkey presses Balaam’s Leg against the Wall – Crushing him

B) Balaam gets mad hits donkey – the donkey keeps on going

1) Finally 3^rd time – Angel sword drawn – Donkey sits down – Balaam starts smacking this donkey

C) The Lord opened the Donkeys mouth and the Donkey said to Balaam why are you hitting me I have been a faithful Donkey

1) And w/out missing a beat – Balaam yells because you keep stopping

D) Imagine – coming home – Dog Rover says – I’m sick of Alpo – would you stand there amazed or say – Well Rover what would you like

The Lord opens Balaam’s eyes says if wasn’t for this donkey I would have killed you

A)Now since you are this far – go ahead but remember don’t speak anything but what I tell you

B) So Balaam comes to Balak – Balak says I want you to Pronounce a curse on these people

1) Balaam says well I will try – but I can only say what God puts in my mouth

C) So they go up on a hill overlooking the camp of Israel – Balaam raises his hands – opens his mouth – out comes – Beautiful blessing

1) Balak bummed – NO No No !!! Curse not a Blessing

D) Try another spot – another Mt. Looking down – Curse – instead Blessing

E) 3^rd Time – Same result – Accept this time the Lord puts into Balaam’s mouth a Beautiful awesome Blessing of how the Messiah will come thru & to & for the People of Israel

Interesting when the Lord had his people camp in the wilderness – he had them camp according to tribes / in Blocks around the Tab

A)Read about this in Numbers 3 – Tab was the Center of Israel’s camp w/ the tribes on all sides in Blocks / Top was Ephraim – 108,000 West side

B) Bottom was Judah – 186,000 / East side and on both sides No. & So.

Dan & Rueben – numbering 150,000 each

1) Configured in Cross

C)So when Balaam – looked down upon the camp of Israel He would see a CROSS couldn’t curse –ONLY BLESS

1) Now I don’t think that Balaam understood the Significance of that –but it is an interesting Picture for us

D) Satan seeks to look down upon our lives & pronounce a Curse / but if we have allowed our lives to be covered by the cross / Faith in Cross

1) We are Blessed by the Lord instead of Cursed by the enemy because

Jesus became Curse for us – We are now Blessed in Him !!

E) So Balaam couldn’t curse Israel / only bless

So at this point Balaam says I can’t curse them but here is what you can do – You can get them to put a curse on themselves

A)Women to seduce them – worship their gods God will be Angry at them

B) This is called the Doctrine of Balaam in Rev. – Mixing the world w/ the Lord

1) Example God wants you healthy & wealthy

C) Godliness w/ great gain is contentment / that is not what the Lord says Godliness w/ contentment is great gain

1) It is all FUELED BY THE Way of Balaam which is GREED

RESULT : V.18-22

A)WELLS without water" They were posing as pastors offering living water to the spiritually dry,

1) but when the sheep came to drink they found only barren WELLS .

B) In other words The false teachers have nothing to offer to these people

contrast, What is said here w/ What Jesus said about Himself in Jn 7 & Jn. 4

C) Jesus said to the thirsty, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures said, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. This he spoke of the Holy Spirit

D)There is in mankind an inborn thirst for reality, for God.

1) Augustine, “Thou hast made us for Thyself,” “ our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

E)People attempt to satisfy this thirst in many ways, and they end up living on substitutes. Only Jesus Christ can give inner peace and satisfaction.

(John 4:13-14 “Whosoever drinketh [present tense, “keeps on drinking”] of this water shall thirst again,” “but whosoever drinketh [takes one drink once and for all] of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst”).

What a contrast! You may drink repeatedly at the broken cisterns of the world and never find satisfaction,

A)Or you may take one drink of the Living Water through faith in Jesus Christ, and you will be satisfied forever.

B)The false teachers could not make this kind of an offer, because they had nothing to offer. They could promise, but they could not produce.

1) They leave people thirsting for more experiences

C) They are Wells w/out water they are clouds carried by the wind or The "mists driven by the storm." Idea is still Little Substance

1) Misters in Palms springs – give me a pool

D) The picture is that of clouds of fog or mist being driven by the wind over a lake or sea.

1) Clouds ought to announce the possibility of rain, but these clouds only announce that a windstorm is coming.

E)Jude 12description is, “Clouds without water, carried by the winds”

1) there is noise, motion, and something to watch, but nothing profitable happens.

F) The farmer sees the clouds and prays they will empty rain on his parched fields. The false teachers have nothing to give; they are empty.

V.18 Great swelling words of Emptiness – Big noise no substance

V.19 They promise Freedom but they themselves are slaves of Corruption

" William Barclay comments: "If a man dedicates himself to those fleshly pleasures, in the end he so ruins himself in bodily health and in spiritual and mental character that he cannot even enjoy them. The glutton destroys his appetite, the drunkard his health, the sensualist his body, the self-indulgent his character and peace of mind and begins his experience of hell while still on earth."

Like the Judas tree in the middle east / in Israel

A)It is a tree that has a beautiful red flower – very attractive / It attracts Bees by the Millions

B) But the Nectar that is in the Flower has an Opit in it that is deadly

C) So if you go to Israel you see a Judas tree – underneath will be piles of dead bees

1) They were attracted to it / Looked so beautiful to them / but there was poison in it that Kills them before they can even fly a few feet away

D)That is like these guys they promise liberty but they themselves are enslaved to sin

There can be no freedom or fulfillment apart from submission to Jesus Christ.

A)“The purpose of life,” said P.T. Forsyth, “is not to find your freedom, but to find your master.”

B) Like a gifted musician finds freedom and fulfillment putting himself or herself under the discipline of a great TEACHER,

1) or an athlete under the discipline of a great coach, so the believer finds true freedom and fulfillment under the authority of Jesus Christ.

²⁰For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

C) Be better for them had they not even heard of the truth than to hear it / Know it and turn away from it – really sad thing

V.22 Dog goes back to that which he had once eaten / then barfed up –goes back & licks it up again –

A)The stuff that they teach keeps going round & round – every 5 to 10 yrs keep coming back – this is the NEW THING –

B) Just a re hashing of the old thing –

Listen – test for false teachers –

Not in gospels / taught & practiced by Jesus

Apostle in Acts /

Paul in epistles