The Fate of False Teachers (Part C)

To convict, to rebuke, and to encourage, to convict them of their sin before a holy God, to rebuke them and say their behavior if it is this way or any other sin, it is wrong and there's no excuse for it, and then to encourage them to get right with God, because the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of death. Righteousness and of judgment to come. That's what preachers of righteousness do. That's what Noah did, that's what you're supposed to do, that's what I'm supposed to do.

This is a message to hear more information about Cross Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. 2 Peter chapter 2 is where we'll be studying with Pastor Rick today, and his message called, The Fate of False Teachers. Moving back to what Jesus had to say, he says, But on that day that lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. He's very clear about this.

Very thorough in a very few words. He goes on to warn his audience about the end time and he says, And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. It's significant because he ends it with, Remember Lot's wife. He's saying, She got out, by the grace of God. Because someone was praying for that city, incidentally. As infested with filth that it was, Abraham spent a lot of time talking to God about saving that city. And finally came down to, that God would not destroy the righteous, they understood this, God always knew what he was going to do.

God would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. And so he sends an extract team in of angels, you know the story, the angels were almost made victim to the sin that was in that culture. And God's angels, of course, took Lot and his two daughters out and his wife, and his wife looked back. And so when Jesus says, Let him not turn back, he says, You better be careful.

You better not go back to rejecting Christ, to that lifestyle. Well that would be another sermon to dig that open anymore, but I think the point is made that Christ couples the words, Let him not turn back with, Remember Lot's wife. And she turned into a pillar of salt when she dared to look back in disobedience to what she was very plainly commanded not to do. God didn't ask her to carry out, you know, a chest of gold or something weighted, just don't look back, that's all he said.

It was his angels, his messengers, and that was too much for her and she paid the price. Both in the days of Noah and the days of Lot, those behaviors were spawned and supported by a permissive society, by a society that gave everything sinful a pass, in fact honored it, inflated it. They came to view perversity as a normal thing and don't you dare object.

We're seeing that today. We're seeing this being revived by Satan because the end is near. And in the latter days, there will be this increase in apostasy and demonic activity. This brazen behavior is demonic activity.

It is so off the chart when you have a human being saying that I'm really not this gender, I am that gender. These things are not normal. They are not sane. They are not healthy or good or honorable.

There's something wrong. They know it too. This is why so many of them are seeking mental care. Because they know and they try to blame it on the church for condemning their behavior. I don't want to, I'm not trying to go into a tirade on this. I'm dealing with it as we have it before us. It would be too easy to go on a tirade, like shooting ducks in a bathtub from God's perspective. It is clearly condemned in scripture and there's no way to put a bow on it and say no, it's actually a present.

It is not. Remember Lot's wife. She made it out safely but perished nonetheless because she turned back. We'll get back to this in a moment. He says making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly. Oh, that's why God, he made the example. He was not going to make it every day. He did it once. That's all he needed to do.

With Sapphira and Ananias, they lied to the church and God made an example out of them. We're very grateful he doesn't continue to do it that way. But that's serious. It doesn't mean, well, because he doesn't still do it, he's not that passionate about it.

He's very passionate about these things. Imagine if you say, I want to give the church a car, donate a car to the church and the church says, well, we have a family that could use the car but not this type of car. So why don't you sell it and then bring us the money and we'll give it to the family and they can buy a car that would suit them.

And you say okay and you sell the car but you don't give all the money to the church. That is what Sapphira and Ananias did and Peter called them on it and the Holy Spirit slew them in the spirit. I was slain in the spirit. Your name, Sapphira and Ananias? Because that's the only group that we know about being slain in the spirit or those who came to arrest Christ.

I guess you could add them when they all fell back. But anyway, coming back to this, it is a warning. And these warnings, remember, I haven't said this in a while, God has this thing for understatement. If he says, don't do that, he means really don't do that. And don't think that, well, he didn't emphasize it so it must not be that bad.

That would not be wise. Verse 7 now, and delivered righteous lot who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. And we all know what that is. Peter doesn't have to say it. Everybody knows the story who's ever been in touch with Genesis. We would never know that Lot was a righteous man except for the scripture telling us. Why would we think a man like Lot is righteous when you look at his life? The last time we see him in the Old Testament, he is drunk and dishonorable and the story for him ends just like that. But Abraham prayed that God would rescue the righteous. And that's one reason why we know Lot was such a person. This should give great hope to that Christian struggling in homosexuality or impure thoughts of any other type. That God still is interested in you, that God still cares for you, that God still wants you.

If you want him and are not playing games, trying to rewrite his word, that would be forgery, spiritual forgery. So the announcement about Noah being a righteous man was pronounced immediately. Lot had to wait over 2,000 years to have the official statement put on his name that he was righteous.

And I think it's because of his shallow ways. And so on one hand, you know God is reaching out for the Christian that is shallow and Lot was. And on the other hand, God is saying there can be some heavy consequences to that lifestyle in Christ.

And it can become so bad, Lot's wife. So the Bible never gives us a comfort zone concerning any kind of sin. Those who talk about white lies don't know what they're talking about.

A lie is a lie. And God is merciful though. And that gives us courage and hope and strength because we need that.

None of us, none of us would be able to function without the mercy of God on our personal sins and failures. He says that Lot was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. That's, conduct is lifestyle, it's behavior. That Greek word means behavior, lifestyle.

That's how they live. Look, straight out, Leviticus 20 verse 13 condemns homosexuality right out. It was a capital crime in Israel. In Romans chapter 1 verses 26 to 28, Paul just lays it right out. So I say that because there are those, they are either fools or they are fools who think they can come to the scripture and say the Bible does not condemn this behavior. It thoroughly condemns it. It condemns murder too. But this one gets an asterisk by it. God is God.

He is not applying for the job. And if you do not receive that, you're going to have some very difficult things to face. Your fate is already drawn out for you. He says the filthy conduct of the wicked as I have read. And again, outside the walls of good churches and outside the walls of good families, there are those who don't agree with these things. And they are very passionate about how they want you to shut up and honor this lifestyle. That's where we are today. And you are either going to be afraid of them or more afraid of God.

It is up to you. You may be persecuted for this. I may be persecuted for this.

If we lost that last general election, there would probably be laws flying into the books that would prohibit as hate speech to say anything contrary to such behavior. Now I said to myself, Lord, when I talk on this matter, I don't want to become animated and emotional about this. I want to stay focused on what you say because my goal is not to bash the guilty, but to convict, to rebuke, and to encourage. To convict them of their sin before a holy God. To rebuke them and say their behavior, if it is this way or any other sin, it is wrong and there's no excuse for it. And then to encourage them to get right with God because the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come. That's what preachers of righteousness do. That's what Noah did. That's what you're supposed to do.

That's what I'm supposed to do. This group today, they preach Satan. We preach Christ, they preach Satan. This militant group I'm talking about, and I believe they know it. That just fuels them on further. And people are being taught that there's no such thing as filthy conduct. And they will have buyer's remorse at the judgment seat, the great white throne of God, but by then it will be too late.

Well, we're trying to stop that. Verse 8, for that righteous man. I like how Peter says that.

I never heard Peter speak, but I know something about his character. And I believe that when he spoke, he spoke with passion, and he spoke with conviction. And when he said that righteous man, he meant it.

And again, it is a delight to us to know that Lot made it in. He was not cast off as a loser, even though he failed in many ways. That righteous man dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds. That righteous man I've commented on, dwelling among them, those who were very aggressive and extremely perverted when it came to sexuality. These are the ones that Lot found himself living with.

And you say, well, you know, he had it pretty good with Abraham. He sold everything, he moved into the city of Sodom, and there married and had children. Why didn't he get out of there? You know, you can relocate somewhere and not be able to get out. You spent your investment and you're stuck now. Where was he going to go?

You've got to eat. He didn't have the money or the means. Who knows, he may have had some health issues. Whatever it was, he was trapped there in that city. And while he was trapped, because of his poor judgment, because he cast his eyes towards Sodom and Gomorrah, whereas Abraham did not, his soul was tormented. It says he had tormented his righteous soul.

Peter's laying on that righteousness about this man, because he was watching the madness of his neighborhood. We're watching it with Western civilization, completely insane with this very thing, catering to the insanity. It's gone beyond just homosexuality, with this gender masking stuff. It's a wretched madness. And we are hated for not agreeing with this next twist of satanic influences. Some of you may be frightened to even hear your pastor speak about or say that Muhammad was a false prophet or that we believe homosexuality is a sin. You may be afraid to hear that because you're being bombarded. You shouldn't be afraid.

You should own it. This is what we believe. We are not ashamed of what we believe. Do you want your children that way when you preach the gospel to them? Do you want to say, now here's what we believe, but don't go telling anyone.

It's the other way around. Here's what we believe. Preach it.

And we're not looking to inflame anything, but we're not going to let them burn us out either. Weapons of our warfare are not carnal. They're spiritual. And one thing about spiritual weapons is preaching the truth.

Otherwise, it's all just a philosophy. He says from day to day, that is surround sin, being bombarded with by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds. You couldn't get away from it. They were flaunting their perversity and it wore a lot out or a war on him, I should say. And we can match it by today's look out at what's going on today. They gloried in what they should have been ashamed of. They wanted more than toleration. And that's how it is today. They're not just tolerated. They demand honor, special rights, and protection and satisfaction. In Lot's case, they demanded satisfaction. We're coming to your house.

We see you've got strangers there. We want them and you better give them up. There's no end to lust. This kind of lust is just, it morphs into violence. It shows up again in the book of Judges and there again is violence associated with it. They marched down Main Street with bands playing and banners waving and signs and chants and slogans demanding that they receive attention. They've crept into our schools, our government, our courts, our media, our pulpit. That's where we are today.

That's where they were in Lot's day. They are vocal, they are organized, they are powerful, and they are dangerous. And so are we.

We are supposed to be all of those things too. Danger is not in the physical sense, but in the spiritual sense. And hell knows that and so hell works to shut us up, jam a gag down our mouth. Those who oppose them are targeted, threatened, and harassed. We understand that and we have to accept it as Christians. They are fanatical about making it a crime to oppose them in any way and we need to be, not fanatical in the sense of loss of control, but we need to be focused on what our mission is.

They and their advocates publicly expressed disdain for natural law, just the natural laws of male and female in all species. And they might pass laws to protect these actions, but God does not. Verse 9. And again, if you are struggling, if you are struggling with any sin, struggling the operative word, we're here. We'll work with you as best we can, so long as that is genuinely the case.

But if you are not struggling with it, you are brazen about it, you have succumbed to it, do not expect support. And it should not be any other way, I don't think. Verse 9. Then the Lord knows how to deliver the ungodly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment. Well, he delivered Noah and he delivered Lot. Peter himself was delivered by an angel from jail twice. Ultimately, all three of them died. Where are they right now? Those three are in heaven.

A lot better there than it will ever be here. He says then to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment. Now let me pause here a minute. Maybe you have a co-worker who has succumbed to this wickedness. What is your role in that? Well, you certainly ought to hate them. And I don't think nowadays that homosexual world, they know the church's response. They know it very well. They know we're going to say we love you, we hate the sin. They're ready for that. You just live the Christian life in front of them. That's all. Just be a Christian.

And if they want to, if they ask you about Christ, give them the answers. But don't allow your soul that is vexed as it was with Lot. Your soul will be vexed. Okay, we understand. Don't let that get out of control and morph into hatred or disdain or contempt. It's not helpful.

That's the reason I want to highlight. That's not going to change anything except you. What can change is you remain focused and God will bring your way, those who you can help. Well, he says in verse 9, and reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

Those in Lot's neighborhood, where are they now? Mark's gospel, chapter 9, Jesus tells us, where their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched. No relief. That's hell. There's no part of hell that you can endure, that you'll say I'll make the best of it.

You know that dumb, dumb bumper sticker. Heaven doesn't want me and hell is afraid I'll take over. You know a demon wrote that? It is the stupidest thing because heaven does want you and the blood of Christ is proof positive of that. The cross of Christ is an emblem of I died for you, sinner.

I do want you. And hell, you're not taking anything over in hell. You're not even going to have the right outfit for it. It is just something that no one is ready for. And to trivialize it, to try to envision Satan running around with a pitchfork and horns, that won't help you.

It's going to be worse. Verse 10, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority, they are presumptuous self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries. Paul said it this way in Philippians, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their name, who set their mind on earthly things. They're not about God or his righteousness or his likeness. Matthew 16 23, not mindful of the things of God but of the things of men as they are under the influence of the devil.

This word for lust here in the Greek, epithumia, it means literally to pant upon, to have a drooling desire for satisfaction. They despise authority. They don't want restraints. Oh, they want to restrain opposition, but they themselves do not want to be restrained.

We see this today. He says they are presumptuous. Christians, we also watch out from being presumptuous to undertake without permission or clear justification or fact or truth just to do it because we felt we should or could.

The psalmist prayed that God would keep him from presumption. He says they are self-willed, not God-willed, self-centered, not Christ-centered. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries. They are irreverent people. The word dignitaries in the Greek is the glorious, the glorious ones.

Some believe maybe they're not afraid to mock the spiritual angels and things like that. It really doesn't matter. Well, it doesn't matter as far as trying to boil it down. The meaning is simply this. They are irreverent. They do not respect those who are worthy of respect. In verse 11, whereas angels who are greater in power and might do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord, as powerful and as closely related to the throne of God as angels are, they know how to behave. They do not act as fools. And the word here for power is a different word from the word for might.

Might is dunamis. It's that explosive power. The other power here is a physical strength, and Peter is saying these angels have got all kinds of strength and muscle. They're in the throne and room of God, and they know how to control themselves. If anybody had a right to go and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and mock the people as they were destroying, you would think it would be the angels. But they didn't do that because they don't have that right, because God didn't give that right. Those angels, they stand ready to obey and to do whatever God has them to do. They, with all that power, restrained themselves.

And so his connection with this verse 11 to the previous verses is that the angels did not behave irreverently even when they were being used as instruments of God against the wicked. We can learn from that, myself included, because for me anger comes very easily when, you know, once all of the codes have been punched in by somebody. Many of you are the same way. Maybe some of you are different.

I don't know how you do it, but I'm sorry. Let me close this up. I'm trying to relate to those of you who may be angry at sin and saying, I'm with you, but that doesn't give us the right. Thank you, Lord, help me out there. Angels know how to carry themselves, and we're close with a quote from Jude in one comment. Jude 9, yet Michael, the archangel, in contending with the devil when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke you. You see, I would have said, the Lord rebuke you, you punk.

I would have got something in there to let him know how I felt because my opinion is so important. But Michael doesn't do that. Michael says, and Lord, deal with you. So will be the fate of false teachers at the judgment. The Lord will rebuke you, and that means he's not going to just say, you did a bad thing.

He's going to deal with it, and it will be final and eternal and ain't worth it. That's all we have time for on today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. You've been listening to Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia as he teaches through the book of Second Peter. If you'd like to listen to more messages from this series, or if you'd like more information about this program, please visit our website, crossreferenceradio.com. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast so you'll never have to miss a program. Just search for Cross Reference Radio in iTunes, Google Play Music, or your favorite podcast app. What a great way to keep God's word with you wherever you go. We hope you'll tune in again next time as Pastor Rick continues studying through the scriptures right here on Cross Reference Radio.