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[0:00] You know, it's said that good things come in small packages.

[0:20] ! And this evening we come to the second chapter of 2 Peter.! We're moving at breakneck speed. And we've been talking now for some time about the possibility of false teachers entering a church for the purpose of spreading heresy and false doctrine.

[0:45] And tonight we're going to come face to face with some of them. Peter and the Holy Spirit will do so in an economy of words in our lesson tonight.

[0:59] About 24 words in the English language to be precise. So obviously good things do come in small packages. This is the one passage we're going to cover tonight.

[1:14] 1 Peter chapter 2, the first part of verse 1. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies.

[1:34] Now I'm going to stick my neck out a little bit and make a prediction. There must be a special compartment in hell that houses those who have distorted the Word of God.

[1:50] Particularly for their own purpose or their own advantage or monetary gain. Two passages come to mind concerning this terrible sin.

[2:08] And the first of these is found in the last chapter of the Bible. I will quote from the 22nd chapter in the book of Revelation. If you're one of these that prefers to count the chapters, if we begin in Genesis chapter 1, and then follow along, the chapter that I'm going to quote out of tonight is chapter 1189 in the Bible.

[2:37] This is in Revelation, last chapter. I bear witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book.

[2:49] If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book.

[3:01] And if anyone takes away from the words of the book, of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city which are written in this book.

[3:17] That's Revelation 22 verses 18 and 19. I'm not sure how to define this book. I once heard a wise man say taking away or adding to Scripture is not just a reference to Revelation but encompasses the totality of Scripture.

[3:40] Don't know if that's what the author had in mind. John, of course. Apostle John wrote that. Brings to mind, though, another inspired passage found in the book of James.

[3:53] Do not many of you become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment. James 3.1 We live in a time when men and, of course, women abound who are very adept at misquoting and distorting and even masking God's Word for their own sordid gain.

[4:26] And by doing so, they place themselves suddenly in the camp of the very worst hypocrites. Now, you know me, I'm not going to mention any names, but when you have people like Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar,!

[4:47] Frederick Price, Jesse Duplantis, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, Stephen Furtick, Bill Johnson, Rodney Howard Brown, and the list could go on and on.

[5:01] You have an array of people that Satan uses to deceive people and create havoc in the church, or in their church, at least.

[5:15] I want to make a couple of comments, though, because we're going to be talking about Satan off and on next week or so. So allow me to make a couple of comments concerning Satan.

[5:29] We, of course, know that he is a fallen angel, that his name used to be Lucifer. We know that. At one time, he was the most exalted, created being in heaven.

[5:46] You've got to be careful with my wording there, because people say, wait a minute, wait a minute, what are you talking about? Jesus is that. No. Jesus is not a created being.

[5:58] He's infinite. He's always been. He's always existed as the second person of the Trinity. So, this evening, as we start out, I want you to review with me not so much what Satan is, but what Satan is not.

[6:19] And, of course, Satan is not omnipresent. He cannot be everywhere at one and the same time.

[6:31] He can only be in one place at a time. You know, I hear people all the time prickling to me, oh, Satan, he came to my home. He's horrible. I like what E.V. Hill, the great black preacher, he said, you ain't done anything to scare Satan.

[6:49] What do you think he's coming to your home for? Satan is not omniscient, meaning he doesn't know everything. Now, he's smart, and we should not underestimate him, but neither should we overestimate him.

[7:05] And Satan is not omnipotent. Only the triune God is omnipotent, meaning he has all power.

[7:18] Satan doesn't have all power. He's powerful, but he doesn't have all power. That's reserved for the triune God alone. The first point is that Satan can only be at one place at one time.

[7:32] But we should remember something about that. He does have at His disposal millions, and maybe even a billion, we don't know, fallen angels.

[7:47] Remember when Satan got kicked out of heaven and a bunch of fallen angels went with him? He may have a billion of those, we don't know, but he's also got a gaggle, and if you're young, that's an old word, but it's a bunch.

[8:02] He's got a gaggle of human followers to do his bidding. Another important point is that in the Bible, Satan is described as the father of lies.

[8:20] He's the daddy of them all. This is what John wrote in the gospel that bears his name, chapter 8, verse 44. You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.

[8:39] He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there's no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

[9:02] I think because Satan is the father of lies, he very craftily uses lies and deception to launch attacks on the church.

[9:18] What is his primary way of doing so? He uses false teachers to infiltrate the flock of God.

[9:30] They are employed to spread false doctrine and satanic error to the flock. How can they get away with this? Well, Paul has something to say about that in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, a very famous portion of Scripture, verses 12 to 15.

[9:50] And I kind of got it in mid-passage, so it may not make sense at first. But what I'm doing I will continue to do so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be found just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

[10:06] For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

[10:20] And no wonder, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. therefore, it is not surprising if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness whose end will be according to their deeds.

[10:43] He takes upon the appearance of an angel of light. Now, throughout redemptive history, God has issued warnings concerning false teachers.

[10:56] one of the first and most eloquent in Scripture is found in the book of Deuteronomy. Chapter 13, verses 1 to 5. If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, let us walk after other gods whom you have not known and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.

[11:37] For Yahweh, the sacred name of God, for Yahweh, your God, is testing you to find out if you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

[11:51] You shall walk after Yahweh your God and fear Him and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him and cling to Him.

[12:08] But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has canceled rebellion against Yahweh your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery to drive you from the way in which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk.

[12:34] So you shall purge the evil from among you. Well, Peter understood the grave danger posed by false doctrine being taught by false teachers in the church.

[12:53] And he warned us about such in the book of 1 Peter which we studied last fall and spring. As we examine these tactics we need to be ever mindful that Peter's message is as relevant in our day as it was in his day.

[13:12] Okay, that pretty much summarizes the introduction so I'm going to jump into the lesson now. Where do false prophets come from?

[13:23] Basic question. And here's Peter's answer to this question on the origin of false teachers. But false prophets also arose among the people just as there will also be false teachers among you.

[13:41] the verse that I first read. The answer is found in the first part of 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 1. Interestingly this word begins with the word but B-U-T.

[13:56] That signifies a transition. Last week we studied the words of truth found in 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 19 to 21.

[14:10] Those words came from genuine prophets. They were the real deal. Well now Peter's going to talk about false prophets so he says but so he transitions to false teachers or prophets.

[14:24] false prophets arose from among the people. In our day false teachers are among us.

[14:40] False teachers can and I dare say usually come from the church role. Some church role somewhere. Now there is an unimaginable long history of false prophets and false teachers starting all the way back in the Old Testament.

[15:03] Some of these were demons but most were humans energized by demons or by Satan himself.

[15:19] And I got to imagining and thinking to myself well when can we say definitely well that was a false prophet or that was a false teacher. And I tell you what I came up with. I actually came up with Genesis chapter 3.

[15:37] All the way back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3 we saw Eve in a discussion with a serpent.

[15:49] Now that should have been a clue. I mean how many serpents are there hanging out in trees that will talk to you? She should have figured out something is not right here.

[16:02] Who carries on a conversation with a serpent? Now don't think of this serpent at this point as a snake. by the way I hate snakes.

[16:16] I hate them. But he wasn't a snake yet. I think the serpent was an appearance of Satan.

[16:30] He energized that serpent or he was the serpent. Later we read about him as a serpent in the closing chapters of the book of Revelation chapter 20 and he laid hold of the dragon the serpent of old who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years.

[16:54] That's entering into the millennial reign which we're going to be part of. what did Satan appearing as a serpent do? Well sadly he convinced Eve that God's word could not be trusted.

[17:14] He told her as God said and he convinced her. Satan in fact as the serpent convinced Eve that God had lied to her husband.

[17:33] I want to suggest that all satanic lies flow from this one in Genesis chapter 3 verses 1 to 5.

[17:45] Now the serpent was craftier than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman indeed has God said you shall not eat from any tree of the garden.

[18:03] And the woman said to the serpent from the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. But from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God said this is Eve talking you shall not eat from it and you shall not touch it lest you die.

[18:21] By the way no evidence God ever said that. So she's even misquoting what God said. And the serpent said to the woman I can just hear him you surely will not die for God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be open and you will be like God knowing good and evil.

[18:49] Well we know the story don't we? Eve ate the forbidden fruit which Yahweh had commanded don't eat that. But she ate.

[19:02] Now her husband was tilling ground ten miles away. That's the story I tell when Diane's in the audience. Actually the scriptures say and Adam who was with her guys this is not a triumphant day for the males in the human race.

[19:22] Adam was with her during this entire confrontation that Eve had with Satan. And he was listening to all of it.

[19:34] I used to teach on this and then on the way home I tell Diane I said you know I wish I was there instead of Adam we would be a lot better off she said we would be worse than we have ever been. Are you crazy? She knows how to do that.

[19:51] I think this is why the fact Adam was with her. I think that is why this episode is referred in scripture as Adam's sin. I don't think it ever said Eve's sin.

[20:06] I think it's called Adam's sin. Why would God do that? Because Adam should have stopped her. He should have stepped in.

[20:19] My gosh he should have protected her. He should have gotten between that serpent and his wife even if it had cost him his life.

[20:30] God could raise him from the dead. That's no big deal with God. God listen to the apostle Paul. I love it when he instructs his son in the faith.

[20:42] Timothy 1st Timothy 5 8 but if anyone does not provide for his own take care of his own and especially for those of his own household he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

[21:03] I think that word used there actually is worse than an infidel if you don't take care of your own family in your own house. Now throughout the Old Testament we see false prophets and we see false teachers arising and spreading damnable lies.

[21:29] And that didn't end when the New Testament era began. That didn't end when the Old Testament ended and the New Testament started. One of the most stinging indictments of purveyors of lies was issued by the incarnate Christ and Luke's gospel.

[21:49] This quote is lengthy. Jesus is going to really put some people in their place here and this quote is lengthy but it's worthy of our attention.

[22:02] Now as I read this bear in mind he's going to be talking about Pharisees. They were considered the religious elite of the most religious nation on earth at that time.

[22:17] These guys were at the zenith and I think we will all discover that the Lord Jesus had a different opinion of them. but the Lord spoke and he said now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but inside of you you are full of robbery and wickedness you foolish ones did not he who made the outside make the inside also but give that which is within us as charity and then all things are clean for you but woe to you Pharisees for you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb they were given a tenth of every seed had ten seeds they'd give one to the temple and yet you disregard justice and the love of

[23:22] God but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the other woe to you Pharisees he pronounced a curse on them for you love the best seat in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the marketplaces woe to you you are like concealed tombs and the people who walk over them are unaware of it now one of the scholars of the law these are not lawyers these are biblical scholars one of the scholars of the law answered and said to him teacher when you say these things you insult us too so Jesus said well I'll take care of that woe to you scholars of the law as well for you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear and you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers woe to you for you build the tombs of the prophets which your father killed your fathers killed them and you found their bodies and made a big tomb for them so you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers because it was they who killed them and you build their tombs for this reason also the wisdom of God said I will send to them the prophets and the apostles and some of them they will kill and some of them they will persecute that still goes on so that the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world may be charged against this generation from the blood of

[25:24] Abel remember he was Adam's second son his brother Cain killed him to the blood of Zechariah who was killed between the altar and the house of God yes I tell you it shall be charged against this generation woe to you scholars of the law for you've taken away the key of knowledge you yourselves did not enter and you hindered those who were entering by the way that's Luke chapter 11 verse 39 to 52 well this passage is indicative of the problem that false prophets caused during the earthly ministry of our Lord the reputation of Israel during the sojourn of Christ on earth was that of the greatest religious activity on the planet but this is far from the truth

[26:31] Matthew summed up the problem this way in Matthew chapter 7 verses 15 to 20 beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing by the way Matthew is quoting Christ these are the words of Christ beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves you will know them by their fruits are grapes gather from thorn bushes or figs from thistles even so every good tree bears good fruit but the bad tree bears bad fruit a good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a bad tree bear good fruit every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire so then you will know them by their fruits

[27:35] Peter understood the plague of false prophets Peter knew about false teachers and he learned all this during the incarnation of Christ he was with him Peter had walked with Christ and experienced first hand the charlatans that were abounding on earth in those days again our passage tonight says false prophets arose from among the people and there will be false teachers among you Peter was speaking generations ahead I think down to our generation and Peter says here false teacher will be among you who does he mean when he speaks among you he's speaking of the time when Christ was on earth until this generation and beyond should the

[28:41] Lord tarry before his return so we are among those who will and are experiencing false teachers they abound in churches they've taken over entire denominations and a lot of churches are destroyed by them far from our generation being exempt or protected from such demonic activity and that's what it is in our lifetime today might well be the most active time for false teachers in the history of the world and the Lord Jesus gave us this warning in Matthew 24 see to it that no one deceives you for many will come in my name saying

[29:42] I am the Christ and when they do that they will deceive many I'll close with this some of you in here are too young to remember this time but there used to be a man by the name of Jim Jones he was filled with Satan he had become convinced that he was Jesus Christ he was committing crimes and sins against his own people sexual sins against the women in his flock law enforcement including the FBI was closing in on him I was an FBI agent at that time we were closing in and he fled to

[30:47] South America as the authorities were getting closer and Jones knew it they're coming after me he convinced his flock the only way we're going to get out of this if we've got to commit mass suicide to escape this world so he and his lieutenants I'll call them brewed up a bunch of toxic chemicals and they mixed it with Kool-Aid now why did they choose Kool-Aid because it was bunches of little children and they wanted some Kool-Aid and they all got some and all 900 drank it with exception of about four people and they died and those four people Jim Jones left word said anyone who doesn't drink this shoot them execute them

[31:50] I was an FBI agent at the time and I had experience before I was in the Bureau of Working Homicides I thought I might get called dinner a bunch of agents went I've never been disappointed that I didn't go though I mean I would have gone but the FBI issued a report I read it there were some 1200 individuals in America at that time who believed they were Jesus and had people following them maybe two or three or maybe two or three hundred but these guys thought they were Jesus they had a following now tonight our passage was comprised of a portion of a verse in 2nd Peter chapter 2 and those verses contain a number of major points and we covered the first one there's about six more to go and my goal we'll see if I pull it off is to cover the remaining points next

[33:06]  Monday night so I hope you all can be back and we'll cover those and then we'll move from there see where we go well with that let's close with a word of prayer thank you father for your grace and mercy and especially the love you have for your people and the protective care you envelop us with the Holy Spirit the very spirit of Christ you know who the false teachers are Lord protect us from them and Lord may we honor you and serve you and do all that in the power of the Spirit in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and it's in his name that we pray tonight amen