Judgment (Part 1)

[0:00] . intensified in our day, probably because of the proliferation of mass communication.

[0:35] We've got television, internet, satellite, other means of mass communication. It seems there are plenty of men and women that want to mislead churches and Christians for their own sordid gain.

[0:53] Leads to a question, what's going to happen to these false teachers that wreak havoc on the church? In our day, some of these guys seem to be growing more powerful and more wealthy.

[1:07] Does God see this attack on His church and the mocking of His Son and the Holy Spirit? I came here when I was 30 years old. I'll be 78 January 5th.

[1:20] I learned a lot of things for a baby in Christ. These guys, they're going to stand before the Lord. But divine judgment delayed is never divine judgment denied.

[1:36] Let that soak in. So, tonight we're going to explore what the Apostle Peter, writing by inspiration, of course, of the Spirit of God, has to say on this topic.

[1:52] Remember, the author of Holy Scripture cannot err. He cannot lie. And remember the words of the Apostle Paul, who said to his son in the faith, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 3.16, All Scripture is God-breathed.

[2:12] And it's profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. And when it comes to divine judgment, that will assuredly fall on false prophets and false teachers, here are the inspired words of Peter.

[2:31] We're not going to get near all of this, but starting in 2 Peter, the second part of verse 3. See, their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

[2:50] For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment, and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly, and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men, for by what he saw and heard, this righteous man, Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds.

[4:04] Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, especially those who go after the flesh and its corrupt lust and who despise authority.

[4:24] Now we all know that the ultimate author of Scripture is the Spirit of God. We also know that every verse of Scripture has a human author.

[4:38] In the passage I just read, that would be Peter, a fisherman that probably never spent one day in a classroom, but this is the result when a man is called to be an apostle of God.

[4:57] When God speaks, it is absolute truth. When God impresses upon a man to write his words, it is absolute truth.

[5:09] But if a man or woman says to us, God, talk to me last night, that is not to be believed. The canon of Scripture is closed.

[5:23] Now he might talk to you through the Scriptures, but that's the only way. Sacred Scripture is closed.

[5:34] It's contained in Genesis 1-1 to the end of the book of Revelation just before you get to the maps. That's the inerrant Word of God.

[5:47] Nothing need be added and nothing can be added as far as divine writ. The following psalm is of great benefit as we reflect upon the Scriptures that have been given us.

[6:04] This is Psalm 89, verse 14. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before you.

[6:21] We should often reflect upon the words of the Lord Jesus Himself when He said this in John 14, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

[6:37] If we knew the Greek language, what He said there was, I'm the exclusive way. Search high and low, there's no other way. I am the truth. I'm absolute truth without any mixture of error and I am the specific life.

[6:53] in one of the great passages found in the book of Hebrews, 6.18, it is impossible for God to lie.

[7:05] It's not just difficult. Totally impossible for God to lie. Now what does this mean for us?

[7:17] It means that when God speaks, He speaks truth. The Word is infallible, without error, perfectly trustworthy.

[7:31] We're still studying false teachers and false prophets who pervert all that. In our day, many of these charlatans have claimed God has spoken verbally to them.

[7:47] I could still get mad at Jesse Duplantis who said, Jesus came and spoke to him crying because He said, I failed and I need help. And He said, I gave Him help.

[7:57] If I ever needed help, I'm not going to Jesse. I'm not going to Jesse. I love Justin Peters who has a ministry exposing these liars.

[8:11] I've heard him say this many times. If you want to hear from God, and these guys are claiming they're hearing, you know, he comes in their room and talks to them.

[8:22] If you really want to hear from God, read the Scriptures. If you want to hear from God with your ears, read the Scriptures out loud. Dr. Francis Schaeffer, I loved him and I used to read his books with a dictionary next to him because it wasn't easy.

[8:41] But a great man, died in 1984. Dr. Schaeffer said when speaking of Christ, he described Him as true truth. You always like that.

[8:53] He's true truth. What about Satan? He is the consummate liar of every age. In fact, Satan is described as the father of lies many times in the Bible.

[9:12] In speaking lies, what is Satan's ultimate purpose? Paul reveals that to us. He wrote about those that reject the Gospel of Christ and deny the truthfulness of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 4.4.

[9:29] The God of this age... By the way, that's a little g. He's talking about Satan there. The God of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they may not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.

[9:50] Satan wants to thwart God's saving message. And he does so by using false teachers to distort the truth.

[10:04] And in the end, it will be Satan who has thwarted it. And may I say this, God is very serious when it comes to truth. This is especially true when it comes to His truth as recorded in all 66 books of the Word of God.

[10:25] And that is why those who engage in the spreading of lies concerning God will be severely judged. In fact, they are adding, those that are alive today doing that, they're adding to their future punishment.

[10:42] And it is especially egregious that these false teachers lead others astray through deception, through making false claims about the Word of God.

[10:57] Again, God is very serious about His Word. Peter displays a great hostility toward those liars that distort God's truth.

[11:11] And in our day, they do so through the benefit, like I said, of mass communication. So, concerning the judgment of false teachers, Peter begins by proclaiming this in 2 Peter 2, the second part of verse 3, their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

[11:46] Eternal judgment of false teachers and false prophets is going to occur at the great white throne judgment of the unsaved in the book of Revelation, right toward the end.

[12:05] But the decree of their eternal judgment was handed down long ago. Long ago. the very first time this decree was issued by God on false prophets, it was issued in the Garden of Eden by God on Satan who masked himself as a serpent.

[12:34] He convinced Eve that God's Word was false. That's what Satan working through the serpent did. And therefore, since it's false, it could not be trusted.

[12:48] These four words spoken by Satan in the form of a question continue to reverberate through the quarters of time.

[13:01] Indeed, has God said? That's a lie from the chief demon, the chief fallen angel, Satan himself.

[13:17] I believe that every lie told to humans concerning the trustworthiness of God, His Word, and His dealings with mankind flow from that first lie that was told on earth in the garden.

[13:37] However, that was not the first lie that Satan never uttered. According to Scripture, that's recorded for us in the book of Isaiah.

[13:49] It happened when Satan was still the exalted angel, Lucifer. And listen to this, he said, I will ascend to heaven.

[14:05] I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.

[14:17] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High God. Isaiah 14.

[14:28] Verses 13 and 14. And actually the Bible marks this as the thoughts of Lucifer. Doesn't matter, he might as well have been shouting from the mountaintop, God heard him.

[14:43] Just like he hears our thoughts. That doesn't bring me any comfort sometimes. But he hears them. God can hear our thoughts down to the subconscious.

[14:57] And speaking of followers of Satan known as false prophets, Jude had this to say in the fourth verse. I would tell you chapter 1, but there's only one chapter.

[15:09] In the fourth verse, for certain persons have crept in unnoticed. Those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

[15:34] Well, in the passage that we're focusing on tonight in 2 Peter chapter 2, Peter makes reference to three events that should be well known to each of us.

[15:48] And these events really are startling reminders of how God mets out divine judgment on those who embrace false teaching and false teachers and therefore face the bar of God's divine justice.

[16:07] And the three events I'm speaking of are the case of fallen angels, the case of the ancient world, and the case of Sodom and Gomorrah.

[16:20] Now, we're not going to get through all three, but don't bet against me. It's not going to happen, not tonight. And the first of these we're going to look at is the case of fallen angels.

[16:38] For God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into pits of hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, reserve for judgment.

[16:53] 2 Peter 2. 4. There are several instances in the New Testament where the word if is better translated since. This is one of them.

[17:09] God did not spare angels. It says, if God did not spare angels, what about since God did not spare angels?

[17:25] Another is in Matthew chapter 4 when the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness where He was tempted by Satan. There Satan said at least twice, if you are the Son of God, it is better rendered since you are the Son of God.

[17:41] Satan knew he was. back to 2 Peter chapter 2. God did not spare angels when they sinned against Him.

[17:53] Neither did God provide forgiveness for fallen angels and the Almighty did not provide salvation for angels.

[18:05] Jesus did not go to the cross for angels, guys. He went for all who would believe. And I'm looking at several of you right now. But the angels were not spared.

[18:27] On the cross, Christ atoned for elect humans and not angels. It may be in eternity angels could approach you, and ask, what was it like for Jesus to save you by shed blood?

[18:46] There's passage, and I didn't take time to look it up, but it says they're amazed at the relationship we have with the Lord. They don't have that. And if they ever come up to you, don't take that nonchalant.

[19:01] They're going to want you to provide an answer. What was it like to be saved by Christ? Angels were created in heaven by the Lord.

[19:12] How many? We don't know. Perhaps millions. Perhaps billions. They were created to honor God.

[19:26] They were created to obey God. God. They were created to serve God. They were created to worship God.

[19:40] And the God of whom I'm speaking is the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three persons, one essence.

[19:51] The one true God in three persons. angels. But Lucifer led many of these angels in a rebellion against the true God and they were sentenced to eternal punishment.

[20:10] And I want to say to them, say, what were you guys thinking? My gosh. there's much about angels that's mysterious.

[20:23] angels are mysterious. We do know that many of them did not fare well when they chose to abandon God and threw in with Lucifer in his rebellion.

[20:40] This is the language of the book of Revelation chapter 12 verse 3 to 9. Then another sign appeared in heaven. And behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and on his heads were seven diadems.

[21:00] And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. That's not celestial stars, by the way. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth.

[21:15] So when she gave birth, he might devour the child. Talking about Mary and Jesus. she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.

[21:27] And her child was caught up to God and to his throne. And then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God so that she would be there and nourished for a thousand two hundred and sixty days.

[21:42] And then this just amazes me. This passage. And there was war in heaven. Can you contemplate that?

[21:56] There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war and they were not strong enough and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.

[22:12] And the great dragon was thrown down. The serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world.

[22:23] He was thrown down to earth and his angels were thrown down with him. I told you earlier there's much mystery concerning angels and their rebellion against the true God.

[22:39] But we do know that one third of the angels cast their lot with Lucifer in the heavenly revolt and they were expelled from heaven.

[22:53] They were booted out. Now some of these angels were locked in chains awaiting final judgment which hasn't occurred yet.

[23:04] but many of them are roaming the earth as demons serving Satan formerly called Lucifer engaging in his unholy purposes.

[23:18] Listen to the apostle Paul who wrote the book of Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the world forces of this darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

[23:41] And now for some good news. It's about time. When the Lord Jesus returns every demon including Satan will be bound and unable to rebel during the millennial reign of Christ.

[23:54] 1,000 years on the earth. That's what millennial means. 1,000 years on the earth. And Satan is going to be bound with his demons and eventually all will be cast into hell, the deepest hell, the fires of hell.

[24:19] Peter tells this in the verse I read earlier 2 Peter 2.4 the phrase cast him into hell is one word in the Greek language. It is the word teterosus.

[24:33] I probably got that wrong but that's a real famous word in Greek mythology. It's a verb and is only used here in the New Testament. That's the only time. Where did Peter come up with this word to describe being cast into hell?

[24:50] He drew it out of Greek mythology. And he's not the only writer to do that. Those guys read Greek literature. Didn't mean it was inerrant, but when God had him write that part down, it was.

[25:06] And it speaks about this demon or this angel that was a reference to a place that is below even what we call hell today.

[25:19] This is in the lower reaches. Tartarus was used to describe a place where the most extremely wicked spirits were confined.

[25:32] And this place was reserved for the worst possible rebels and criminals. One source that Peter may have reviewed concerning this place was found in the apocryphal book of first Enoch.

[25:50] And Jude also makes a reference to that book. Most Protestant churches, including this one, do not include the apocryphal books in the canon of scripture.

[26:03] The only denomination that does, even to this day, is the Roman Catholic church. And if you ever see a Catholic Bible, it will include the apocryphal, the different books in there.

[26:19] The particular fallen angels that Peter is speaking of were committed to the Lord in pits of darkness. What are they doing there?

[26:32] Awaiting final judgment. And again, I appeal to the original language of Greek, the word used here, and translated committed, means to turn someone over for imprisonment.

[26:49] In this case, they were turned over and are being held in pits of darkness. I don't like that. Have you ever been really in a dark place?

[27:01] Carlsbad cameras used to get to the bottom and turn out the lights. It's dark. Yeah. Yeah. Can't see your hand before your face.

[27:14] The King James version tells us they were chained. And when someone is chained, they lose their freedom of movement. These angels are kept in darkness, absolute darkness, in confinement.

[27:31] God. To stay there in that condition until the day arrives for final judgment and sentencing. That's still future for Satan and many demons, but it will happen.

[27:48] It is already recorded on the sacred page of Scripture. Here's what the Spirit of God tells us about this. Revelation chapter 20 verse 10, And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

[28:14] Now as we prepare to close for tonight, it leads us to two questions that we need to answer. the first question is who are the particular fallen angels that Peter is referring to in 2 Peter?

[28:29] And then the second question is what did these fallen angels do to deserve such extreme punishment? Whatever it was, it certainly angered the God of heaven.

[28:43] Peter doesn't answer those questions, but someone is going to come up to our rescue and provide the answer. And that person is Jude. And Jude and Peter really, they had to be exchanging notes or something.

[29:01] They just follow each other. But Jude is going to give us the answer in the book that bears his name in verses 6 to 7. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, he is kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

[29:25] Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having indulged in the same way as these in gross sexual immorality and having gone after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

[29:49] Let me quote Dr. MacArthur. He gives a great explanation of this passage. Those demons did not keep their own domain.

[30:02] That's inspired. Meaning, they moved out of their proper sphere of existence and behavior. their proper abode in Jude 6 is a reference, I think, and I threw in with Dr.

[30:20] MacArthur, he thought it before I did. It is, I think, a reference of Genesis 6, 1-4, in which certain fallen angels possess mortal men and in them cohabitated with women.

[30:36] The egregious transgression of those demons was a clear violation of the boundaries God had set for them. And Jude 7 compares their gross immorality with that of Sodom and Gomorrah, who went after strange flesh, and that's a reference to homosexuality, a perversion which God wholly condemns.

[31:02] You can read it in Leviticus, you can read it in Romans, you can read it in 1 Corinthians. And by the way, when Dr. Coleman was here, he didn't agree with MacArthur's conclusion, which is fine.

[31:17] They both have doctorates, they can talk on a different level than we can. I think John sort of cleans this up a little bit though, when he says Don's premise was angels can't cohabitate with humans.

[31:34] MacArthur kind of cleans it up, I think, a little bit, he says that these fallen angels went in and possessed mortal men. So maybe that would clean it up.

[31:50] But the egregious transgression of those demons is a clear violation of the boundaries God had set for them. Whatever happened, they were out of bounds. Jude 7 compares their actions with gross immorality of Sodom and Gomorrah.

[32:13] Now we spent this lesson on fallen angels. What is God teaching us through an understanding of the horrible fall and the eternal punishment of angels that fell with Lucifer, who is now Satan?

[32:34] This is a lesson being taught. God severely judges all those who oppose him and oppose his truth.

[32:48] That includes fallen angels. It includes false teachers who spread lies concerning Christ and the word of God given to us by the Holy Spirit.

[33:02] Angels, remember, have no repentance available to them. And let me add something that's not in your notes. We do have repentance available to us and we ought to be doing it daily.

[33:17] Even if it's nothing more than God, whatever I did and I don't even remember because I guarantee it was something, I can usually get a lot more specific than that in my prayer life. You know, many in the church believe you repent one time and to do so after that, it's like a sin.

[33:37] You shouldn't do that. Only if you do it once, I do it every day as long as my wife's not in the room. Yeah, she don't need to know certain things.

[33:48] Don't tell her. She knows everything. humans need to repent daily.

[34:00] Absent genuine repentance, false teachers face eternal divine wrath as well. You know, that's one reason I like Costi Hinn.

[34:11] Do you know what I'm talking about? That's the nephew of Benny Hinn. And Costi came out of all that, repented, and he's preaching, and he's a good preacher, and he doesn't mind naming names.

[34:24] He talks about, I know you all have heard of my lost uncle Benny. That's how he puts it. I got several of his messages that he's good. I threw that in for free.

[34:36] I'm not going to charge for that. So next time, having looked at fallen angels, we're going to look at the destruction of the ancient world.

[34:51] Now some of you might possibly be in here saying, when did that happen? So I'll add two words that will give it away, by water. That pretty much clears it up.

[35:03] And then destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire. We're going to look at those two. And you know, I'm going to do my very best to try to get both of them done next Monday.

[35:18] Let's close with prayer, brothers. Thank you, Father, again for your grace and mercy. Lord, if any of us have any sins hanging out there, may we confess those to you.

[35:29] He is faithful and just to forgive us that sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. 1 John 1-9 Father, I thank you for these men. I thank you, Lord, that we could come here, be with our brothers that couldn't be here tonight, be with those that were mentioned in prayer.

[35:47] Lord, we give you all praise and all honor and all glory in all things. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.