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Review: Last week Peter encouraged the believers to have confidence in their Bibles because of fulfilled prophecy, and he exhorted them to not allow false teachers to get into their heads.
Title: Be Alert
Text: 2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-19; Jude 17-23
Memory Verse: Jude 3, “3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Theme: Believers should be on guard against false teachers and the division they sow.
Introduction: There’s a place I love to go fishing, called Briery creek. It was a forest flooded by the army core of engineers, and a lot of the trees come shooting up out of the water, but a lot of the treetops are just beneath the surface of the water, and if you’re not careful you’ll run aground on one of them. So, to get from one point to another, you have to move very carefully, very slowly, and look right beneath the surface to make sure you don’t run up on one of those stumps and get stuck. To keep from getting stuck, you’ve got to be alert.
Context:
There were false teachers who wanted the Asia Minor believers’ faith to run aground on their false teaching! And they needed to be alert!
How do we combat error? We are steeped in the truth.
2 Timothy 2:15, “15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
Anything that runs counter to my Bible brings emptiness and division between myself and other believers.
Have you ever known a brother or sister in Christ that was led in a downward spiral?
It starts with our thinking and then impacts our behaviors, and the next thing you know there’s disunity and division. Jude warned against this.
Why would we follow a false teacher/an unbiblical ideology when it’s end is destruction, anyway?
We don’t have to be alert by hyper-focusing on the wrong, but by steeping ourselves in the goodness of Jesus and the gospel in His Word.
Main Points:
I. False influencers will try to drag us down in our faith with empty promises; this causes division.
A. It starts with false influencers (2 Peter 2:1-3)
*Who we allow to influence us is who we will become like.*
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
- Who we allow to influence us is who we will become like.
- Notice they come up from among the people, they’re stealthy and sneaky. They don’t announce their intentions, “Hey, false teacher coming through!” They’re much more covert in their approach. They do it secretively.
- Verse 2 shows that false teaching and sexual impropriety go hand-in hand, and it can seduce and leads others down a destructive path.
- What motivates these false influencers? Greed, money.
- False teachers don’t like to talk about the final judgement, but verse 3 makes it clear, that the impending judgement will not evade them.
- B. They give empty promises (2 Peter 2:17-19)
“17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”
- They talk a good game, but their promises are empty, vain lies that hold no weight.
- False influence in our lives will result in deep emptiness.
- C. It results in division (Jude 17-19)
“17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They[a] said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”
- The apostles of Jesus warned the early church of these false teachers and their dangerous influences.
- For the third time in this study a connection between false teaching and sexual impropriety is made in verse 18.
- There isn’t a leaning into the truth and a desire to obey it, but they scoff at/laugh at/treat lightly the truth of God’s Word.
- The result in verse 19 is divisions, they’re enslaved to the world’s system and avoid the life filled with the Holy Spirit.
- Do you see the implied contrast here? Holy Spirit dependence brings unity, engaging false influences breeds disunity.
- II. The best way to be alert is to proactively build ourselves up in our faith. (Jude 20-23)
“20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[b] stained by the flesh.”
- I love the opening contrast here when he says, “But you,” meaning this is not you, this does not have to be you, there’s a different way for you!
- He calls them beloved, and encourages them to build themselves up in their faith, take ownership for their faith’s growth; it’s distinct and holy, because it’s rooted in their relational connection with God.
- It requires prayerful dependence in the Holy Spirit, waiting, not rushing ahead, waiting for Jesus’ return and with it the realization of the eternal life we have received, show mercy to the doubters, be passionate and fervent in reaching the lost like we’re pulling them from the flames of hell as this verse says, rooted in a right fear of God not man.
- Verse 23 reminds us that in reaching the lost, we must be careful and discerning to not be influenced by them while trying to reach them.
Gospel: 3 Circles how Jesus sets us free from the dividing and empty influences of false teachings.
Discussion:
- What are some everyday warning systems in our cars, homes, and elsewhere that alert us when there is a problem?
- How can you tell if someone is a false influencer?
- Was there ever a time when you experienced someone trying to influence you falsely, and God helped you escape it? Maybe it was. TV show that you had to change, a false preacher, or a bad friend…
- How do we cultivate unity with other brothers and sisters in Christ?
- How can we show mercy to others, without compromising our beliefs?
Big Takeaway (s):
- Be alert for the slippery slope of false influencers. They’ll be sneaky and try and drag us down, make our lives empty, and create division.
- Be proactive to build up your faith by getting into your Bible.
Resources:
- www.drcalebwalker.com
- Lesson Teaching Manuscript
- Free Download of this PowerPoint
- Devotional
- Discipleship and church revitalization consulting: cwalker@franklinheights.org
Devotional:
Title: “How to Avoid False Influences ”
Passage: “2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-19; Jude 17-23”
False influences won’t ask permission to get into our hearts and minds. They are ruthless and relentless. But God’s Word is more powerful than them. The Scriptures explain to us the dangers of false teachers. Usually, they are charismatic in some degree. Usually, they try to tout worldly wisdom or say they have heard from God in a way that is counter to or in additional to Scripture. They make big promises that come up empty and leave their listener’s empty. Not only that, but their influence in the lives of those they pull down with them, creates division in the Body of Christ.
The answer is to proactively remove thee influences from our lives and be people of the Word of God, spending time in God’s Word every day to win this spiritual battle. We don’t have to fight in our own strength! We have the Word of God and the power of God and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We have all we need to overcome wrong influencers.
How to pray:
- Help me spend time daily in Your Word and discern quickly false influences.
- Thank You for giving me the truth of Your Word.
Caleb Walker 
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