Title: Denying Words and Deeds

Text: II Peter 2:1-3

FCF: We often struggle identifying and avoiding false teaching and teachers.

Prop: Because false teachers infiltrate and destroy the name of Christ, we must be vigilant to hold fast to what we have been taught.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 2.

Last week, Peter explained why his audience should continue to listen to and heed his instruction. He stated that because He and the other apostles were eyewitnesses of Christ’s coming in glory, his teaching that Christ will return in power and judge the world should be received and remembered. But not only because he was an eyewitness, but because the Scriptures testify to the truth of Christ’s coming in power, the new kingdom, and the judgment.

These scriptures as he says, even though they have always been God-breathed, without error, clear, sufficient and authoritative, are even more reliable now because they have been fulfilled.

Therefore, Peter can say – contrary to what the false teachers were saying – what we teach is not cleverly concocted fables or prophesies with made up meanings. Instead, they are the fulfilled words of God.

Peter will now fix his attention on a threat he has perceived from afar. A threat to the doctrinal health and well-being of the church. He has been teaching that a saving faith is a working faith. But because of false teachers, that teaching is being threatened.

We will only see Peter’s introduction to this rogue group of heretics. But even in this introduction we can learn much of the subtlety of destructive heresy. I hope it combats some of the misconceptions we tend to form today.

I am in II Peter 2, and I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the NET which you can follow on page 1370 or in whatever version you have.

Transition:

Much to see and several tangents to ignore.