A Case for Revival

 

A Case for Revival

Malachi 1:6-8

SUBJECT: NEGLECT OF WORSHIP

THEME: As We Serve God with Respect and Sincerity, Our Ministries Will Honor Him. This Must Be our Number One Priority in a Life of Worship.

RELEVANCE:  Have we succumbed to problems of neglect, expediency-convenience, and outright disobedience? Do we have a proper perspective of God, or do we doubt His faithfulness to His promises? Such opinions lead to widespread unfaithfulness, and it affects the worship of others. We need to renew our perspective, reestablish our hope, and promote a proper faithfulness to God.

INTRODUCTION:

1.  What sins were the priests committing as they carried on their duties in the restored temple? This showed in the way they kept up superficial religious behavior which insulted God.

2. Beloved, have we “despised” God by offering unacceptable worship in direct violation of the word? Are we treating God in a way that we would not dare treat our human or spiritual leaders, family members, or fellow church members (1:8). Perhaps it’s time for us to repent also (1:9)!  By our “polluted” worship, and meaningless church exercises we demonstrate our disrespect for God (1:12-14). Aren’t we making this same mistakes?

MESSAGE:

I.  Give God the Honor Worthy of His Name.   (Mal. 1:6-9)

God focuses on the priests, who should have been the spiritual leaders of the land. The priests were not giving honor to God’s name; they were taking the best for themselves.

A.  THE ALLEGATION (Mal. 1:6)

B.  THE VERIFICATION (Mal. 1:7-8)

They offered polluted bread and imperfect sacrifices and kept the best for themselves. We have in these words a case for genuine revival detailed that we would be wise to heed.

True revival is indicated by discovering again Bible truth, a returning to a sense that God Almighty is to be respected, reverenced, and the feared, and a recommitment to God through honest confession and complete repentance. There is a revived spiritual faithfulness on behalf of God’s people, and a commensurate restoration of authentic personal virtue and zeal for witnessing. Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Haggai, Josiah, and Nehemiah all experienced something quite similar connected with Bible revivals. Every revival in the Old Testament rested solidly on a new and powerful proclamation of the Word of God. The most obvious example is the revival under King Josiah (2 Chron. 34).

    1.  They Offered God Polluted Bread.  (Mal. 1:7)

       A.  The Offerings Were Supposed to be Holy.

            1.  Because They Belonged to God.

                  — What was consumed upon the altar was regarded as God's portion, and regarded as "the bread of God."

                  — Leviticus 21:6, They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. 

                  — The "polluted bread" was maimed and blemished sacrifices.

            2.  But the priests did not Value the Worship of God.

They show how little they valued worship by the contemptuous way it was performed.

            3.  The Prophet Malachi deals with the unfaithfulness, and the disregard of the priests.

                  — This signified the sad spiritual conditions, morals, and religion when the priests failed in their duty.         

                  — The way to national repentance could not be realized, until the spiritual leaders realized and sensed their obligations.

APPLICATION: What causes real spiritual revival then? True revival rests on rediscovery of the word of God, a restored sense of the fear of God, a return to God through confession and repentance, a renewed spiritual commitment as God's people, and certainly a reformation of distinctively Christian devotion. A desire to reach the lost is one outcome of real revival. Preachers should lead the way in this regard. Those who are exposed to the Word and God regularly through prayer should be the first to repent, get right with God, and lead the way to real revival, worship, witnessing, and devotion to God!

       B.  The Priest Were Supposed to be Holy.

            1.  Often the condition of our culture reveals the unfaithfulness of God’s “priests.”          

            2.  It is generally true that our culture is reflected in the moral standard of the believers and spiritual leaders. This is embodied in the saying, "Like priest, like people;" and it is a broader and more unsettling truth than is usually recognized.

            3.  The Christians and pastors are the moral barometers by which the atmosphere of their time can be known. The priests of Malachi's time revealed the moral and spiritual decline of the people.

            4.  The saddest sign of all was the degeneracy of the priesthood which Malachi, though perhaps himself a priest, was specially commissioned to denounce.

            5.  It may be shown that priestly indifference and unfaithfulness are products and results of neglected personal devotional life. So long as priestly duties are associated with heart-felt spiritual devotion they will be correctly performed.

            6.  When personal godliness fails, these duties become perfunctory, and then if they are kept up, the service begins to deteriorate. It is in maintaining the personal spiritual life that priests lead the nations and influence others.

APPLICATION: Revival is needed when believers have strayed from God. 2 Chronicles 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. It is vital that revivals take place periodically because they stir us and even cajole us to have an awakening and renewal to the Lord. Revival awakens us to the same joy that we had when we first trusted Jesus as our Savior and Lord. It helps us to desire to know God better and to grow in our relationship with Him. Such renewal should start with preachers…us who are exposed to the Most High often should live in the reality of revival! Historically, revivals share a common origin with anxious believers desperately seeking God in prayer.

          C.  The People Were Supposed to be Holy.

The culture is recovered by the recovery of the “priests.” Therefore, Malachi appeals to them.

            1.  It may be that the priests are the last to yield to the society evils; but they must always be the first recovered.

            2.  They must become forces on the side of Christ in the restoration of moral health to a nation.                               

            3.  Revivals are always hopeless things unless their first effect is the spiritual revival of the preachers.

APPLICATION:  God is worthy of great respect (Ex 3:5). Exodus 3:5, And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. At God's command, Moses removed his sandals and covered his face. Taking off his shoes was an act of reverence, conveying his own unworthiness before God. God is our friend, but he is also our sovereign Lord. To approach him frivolously shows a lack of respect and sincerity. When you come to God in worship, do you approach him casually, or do you come as though you were an invited guest before a king? I know we are wanted at the “throne of Grace” and the Lord Jesus our great high priest gives us the right to be there (Heb. 4:14-16), but none of these facts encourages us to be casual…relaxed…and everyday-ish with Almighty God! If necessary, adjust your attitude so it is suitable for approaching a holy God.

APPLICATION: One of the first hindrances to true revival is a misunderstanding of the very nature of true revival. They are first for believers and not the lost unconverted. The goal is to reach believers through which the unsaved will be addressed with the Word. Additionally, we can have a scheduled meeting, but God must revive! Even when people think they can conjure up revival with fanaticism, or by diminishing the truth of the Bible, it hinders the Spirit of God and the work of true revival. Thirdly, worldliness, secularism, externalism, and materialism embraced by church members is a tremendous obstacle to revival! God can indeed revive a carnal believer, but a carnal believer will not sustain revival encouragements, appetites, and reinforcements without serious changes. Are we willing to change that God can sustain revival in our lives? Remember we were dead in trespasses and sins! Colossians 2:13-14, And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; (See also Eph. 2:1, 5)

APPLICATION: Without life sustaining sound doctrine, the revival meeting excitement will be nothing but noise. Acts 2:42, And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Sustaining a revival requires wholesome and healthy teaching, pinned, and focused on the word of God. After hearing Peter speak and being moved by his account, the people in Acts 2 continued with Peter's doctrine before anything else. Also to sustain revival, we need to identify what sparks it in the first place. While we cannot predict when the next great revival will happen in America or the world, we can take faithful steps to sustain it with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Again, the purpose of revival is to restore the presence of God in our lives and bring us back into right relationship with the Father. It awakens the hearts of God’s people. Remember revival is needed when believers have strayed from God.

    2.  They Ignored God’s Laws of Sacrifices.  (Mal. 1:8)

The Levitical system very rigorously demanded that only sound and clean animals be presented in sacrifices.

        A.  The Law of Acceptable Sacrifices. (Lev. 22:17-25; Deut. 15:21)

Such rejectable offerings signaled just how low the priesthood had fallen in that day! When people are not careful, thoughtful, biblical, or respectful of their offerings to God, they have lost great respect for who he is really!

The priests; however, dismissed Almighty God! They did not value him greatly at all (see Lev 22:22, etc.). This sin of offering the imperfect to God can be seen in the following two ways.

        B.  Offer an Imperfect Gift to Your Friend.

Is it even good enough for your friends? Such gifts dishonor a friend, and morally degrades you as the giver. Is God in Christ our Friend? Think about an outdoor barbeque or grill…. Is this good enough for friends?  

        C.  Offer an Imperfect Gift to Your Governor. (Mal. 1:8)

If a man wants to show his respect to a governor, or to indicate his gratitude he would ensure that no flaw is in it; he selects the best possible options for the governor; he is most anxious about its being the very best! Isn’t God our supreme Governor? Then how can we fail to offer the very best possible to him?

        D.  Offer an Imperfect Gift to Your God.

Doesn’t God have more claim than either friend or governor to the perfect offering? How should we respond to (1) his authority; (2) his holiness; (3) his redemption?

APPLICATION: Though it happens without our purview, God searchingly scrutinizes all our worship, praises, testimonies, gifts, offerings, and sacrifices…he even searches our motives (1Cor. 3:1-15). God will one day examine and inspect our services to and through the body of Christ! The all-seeing God can detect when we offer less than our best, the errors, flaws, and mistakes in (1) our conduct of worship; (2) our deeds of kindness; (3) our actions of ministry and service. He can also observe our sincerity, carefulness, responsibility, and attitudes! It behooves us then to be purposeful, biblical, dutiful, transparent, faithful, and honest with Him always.

CONCLUSION:

The priests had “despised” God by offering unacceptable sacrifices in direct violation of the law (Mal. 1:6-8; see Deut 15:21). They were treating God in a way that they would not dare treat a human leader (1:8). Malachi called on them to repent (Mal. 1:9)!  By their “polluted” sacrifices and empty formalism they demonstrated their “contempt” for God (1:12-14). The priests were listlessly going through the motions….

Faithful Ministers

1THESS. 1:1-4

Subject: A Strong Church

Theme: The Church of the Thessalonians is a positive example because of its leadership, members, teaching, service, and God’s work among them. The Thessalonians provide us with a wonderful model to imitate.

Introduction: 

So what makes for an ideal church or a good model ministry? Though the answer is incomplete, God still uses faithful ministers to build solid churches. There are myriads of ideas surrounding what makes for a good church home, but the Scriptures afford us clear teaching on this matter. The wonderful part is these truths are not culture bound or limited to a certain century or hemisphere of the globe. God has used men and congregations who were truly and deeply faithful to Him in many positive ways. In our brand of Christianity it appears that talent, education, notoriety, connections, and personality are the primary contributing factors to a minister's success or a church’s growth and progress. While these natural factors are good in their place, ministers who strive first to be faithful to God will build strong congregations.

How important is faithfulness? Is this something that is critical in the life of a church, ministry, or Christian organization? While many places in the Word of God could easily be consulted for an answer, my favorite is found in the writings of Paul. The great apostle says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1Cor 4:2, KJV). Certainly God regards faithfulness as a significant characteristic in His ministers implying they must be men who habitually and actually believe and trust Him.

The church in Thessalonica, established on Paul’s second missionary journey, was a model church. Paul mentions this in the first chapter; “So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thess. 1:7). This church was a testimony to the whole area that we would call Greece today. Paul also speaks of this church as being an example to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 8:1–5.—McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary

Are we a part of a model church or do we need to be remodeled?

Message:

A Strong Church Has Faithful Ministers.  Vs 1& 2

1Thes 1:1, Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus…  

A. Consider the Caliber of these Servants of God.

      1.  Apostle Paul.

a) Apostle. Paul’s commission was to take the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Eph. 3:1–12), but he always started his ministry among the Jews.

b) Missionary/Evangelist (Act 17:1-10, 16; 18:5). It is interesting to study the words Luke used to describe Paul’s public ministry in the synagogue (Acts 17:2–3).

i)                    Reasoned means “to discourse using questions and answers.” Perhaps “dialogue” would be a good synonym.

ii)                   Opening simply means “explaining.” Paul would read a portion of the Old Testament Scriptures and explain their meaning with reference to Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

iii)                 Alleging literally means “to lay beside.” Paul put the Scriptures before them in an orderly manner, showing them how they harmonized.

iv)                 Preach means “to proclaim, to announce.” Paul did not simply teach the Scriptures; he proclaimed Christ and urged his listeners to receive Him by faith.

We can learn much from Paul’s approach to evangelism. He used the Word of God, and he declared the Son of God. He started where the people were and led them into the truth of the Gospel. (When Paul preached to Gentiles, he started with the God of Creation, since they had no knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures. See Acts 14:8–18; 17:16ff.) –Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Com.

c) New Testament Writer.

The Holy Spirit led Paul to pen this inspired letter to meet several needs.

i)                    He encouraged his converts in the faith to persevere despite their persecution (1Thess 2:14-16).

ii)                   He refuted false charges made by the local enemies of the gospel: that the missionaries had preached in order to fatten their wallets and gain other personal benefits (2:1-6); that Paul had left Thessalonica hurriedly and had not returned because he was a coward and a hypocrite (2:17-19).

iii)                 Paul also wrote to correct some errors that had cropped up in the church: an inclination to moral laxity and laziness (4:1-7; 5:4-11), and a tendency not to respect the church’s spiritual leaders (5:12-20).

iv)                 Paul gave instruction too on the subject of what would happen to Christians who would die before the Lord’s return (4:13-18). —Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Com.

       2.   Missionary Silas (vs. 1, “Silvanus”)

            a) Paul’s Missionary Partner

Acts 15:37-41, And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. 38, But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39, And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; 40, And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41, And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

            b) Silas’ Ministry Position

i)                           Paul joins Silas and Timothy with himself in his greeting. Remember that Silas and Timothy had just returned to Paul with their report from Thessalonica (3:1-3). By joining their names with his, the Thessalonians would know they are all in agreement concerning this letter.

ii)                         Also, Paul reveals his humility when he joins these men with himself Silas and Timothy would have been unknown had not Paul associated himself with them. This is a very noble gesture on the part of Paul. He is always identifying himself with the brethren. He was not aloof, separated, and segregated above all the others who were working for the Lord Jesus.

iii)                        This is something we need to remember today in regard to the ministry. Don’t put your preacher on a pedestal; let him be right down among you. Those of us who are ministers are largely responsible for trying to make a difference between the clergy and laity. –McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary

       3.  Missionary Timothy

            a) Paul’s Missionary Protégé.

Acts 16:1-5, Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2, Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3, Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. 4, And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5, And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

            b) Timothy’s Ministry Position.

Even though Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica was not a long one, it was solid enough to leave behind a thriving church. When he left for Athens, Paul told Timothy and Silas to remain there and help the new church and then to join him later. When they did meet again, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to encourage the Christians and assure them of his love and concern. (He had tried to go back twice, but was hindered; 1 Thes. 2:17–18.) It was when Timothy rejoined Paul at Corinth and gave him the report on the new church that Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians. He wrote 2 Thessalonians just a short time later.

            c) Lessons from this Ministry Team.

All of this background teaches us several helpful lessons.

i)                    Obviously, God uses people. God did not send angels to evangelize Thessalonica; He sent a converted Jewish rabbi and his friends, including a young man who was part Jew, part Gentile. God still uses people—dedicated people who will obey His leading and share His message.

ii)                   Here is a second lesson: the Gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). It did not require years to set up a church in Thessalonica. God’s power was effective in changing lives, and a church was founded in less than a month. Paul reminded them that the Gospel came to them not “in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost” (1 Thes. 1:5).

iii)                 Finally, Satan still opposes the Gospel and persecutes God’s people; but persecution can be a means of growth. As we study this letter, we will see that God’s Spirit strengthens and encourages suffering saints as they go through the difficulties of Christian life. –Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary

B. Consider the Concentration of these Servants of God.                                                            

1. They Faithfully Prayed For The Church.

1Thes 1: 2, We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

a)      They Were Thankful to God for Each and Every Member    Vs 2

i.       Only In Dictionary

A businessman said, “People are ingrates. It took me 61 years to find it out. I have 175 employees, men and women. At Thanksgiving, I sent them 175 choice turkeys. Only four thanked me. Two thanked me by notes and two said, “Thank you” when they chanced to meet me in the hall. Because of their thanklessness, I’ve decided never to go out of my way to be nice again.”

Someone has said, “If you want to find gratitude, look for it in the dictionary.”

—Selected, Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations

ii.      Whenever Paul prayed he mentioned the Thessalonians. (Are we as faithful in remembering our Christian brothers and sisters?) And it was always with thanks that he prayed for them, remembering their work of faith, their labor of love, and their patience of hope. –MacDonald, William: Believer's Bible Commentary
iii.    Paul, Silas, and Timothy rejoiced together in what God had done in their converts’ lives. They continually and frequently gave thanks; the Thessalonians were a constant source of joy to them. Whenever these missionaries prayed for the Thessalonians, they gave thanks to God for them. Rather than being a source of grief these Christians evoked gratitude. In this they served as models for all Christians. –Walvoord, John F.: The Bible Knowledge Commentary

b)      They Counted Each Member as a Gift From God to The Fellowship Vs 2

c)      They prayed faithfully and fervently for this church (3:9-10). They were not only faithful to communicate God’s eternal Word, but they faithfully prayed for the saints.  This is why personal prayer time, prayer meetings, and prayer breakfast meetings are so important!  Do we pray daily for our fellow members? In every strong Church there must be faithful prayer and teamwork among those that minister in the church!

2. They Faithfully Planted the Church.

It was during Paul’s Second Missionary Journey that the light of the gospel first broke in on the darkness of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1–10).

Thessalonica at that time was a strategic city, both commercially and politically. True to form, Paul went to the Jewish synagogue and showed from the OT that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. He then went on to declare that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah. That lasted for three Saturdays. Some of the Jews were convinced, and took their place with Paul and Silas as Christian believers. Also, many of the Greek proselytes and quite a few of the leading women of the city were converted. Then the backlash started. Those Jews who did not believe rounded up some of the hoodlums from the marketplace, incited a riot, and besieged the house of Jason, where Paul and Silas had been staying. The Christian brethren in Thessalonica decided that it would be wise for the preachers to leave town, so they sent them by night to Berea.

The remarkable thing is that when Paul and Silas departed, they left behind a congregation of believers who were instructed in the doctrines of the faith and who were unmoved by the persecution they endured.   Paul and his team may have spent as long as three months in the city. The apostle’s Letters to them show that the Thessalonians had a broad acquaintance with Christian doctrine... –Adapted, MacDonald, William: Believer's Bible Commentary

So what makes for an ideal church or a good model ministry? Though the answer is incomplete, God uses faithful ministers to build solid churches. There are myriads of ideas surrounding what makes for a good church home, but the Scriptures afford us clear teaching on this matter. The wonderful part is these truths are not culture bound or limited to a certain century or hemisphere of the globe. God has used men and congregations who were truly and deeply faithful to Him. In our brand of Christianity it appears that talent, education, notoriety, and personality are the primary contributing factors to a church’s growth and progress. While these are good in their place, ministers who strive first to be faithful to God will build spiritually strong congregations. 

Dr. MacDonald writes, “A major requirement in stewards is to be found faithful. Man values cleverness, wisdom, wealth, and success; but God is looking for those who will be faithful to Jesus in all things.” (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary)

The sad reality is so many are committed to themselves, their welfare, popularity, material wealth, and future options that the things or Christ are lost somewhere in the scramble. It is as Paul says in Philppians 2:21, “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” God uses men who genuinely care about His interests and deeply value the things of Jesus Christ. Certainly this includes Christ’s churches that He died for and is constantly making intercession on behalf of!

Furthermore, when “faithful” (1Cor 4:2) refers to believers it connotes being full of faith and trustful towards God. Obviously, this is more than being worthy of trust or confidence; it does include this element, but it is richly more. Faithful describes the person who trusts God so entirely that they are worthy of the trust of others as a by product (Acts 10:45; 16:1; 2 Cor. 6:15; Col. 1:2; 1 Tim. 4:3, 12; 5:16; 6:2; Titus 1:6; Eph. 1:1; 1 Cor. 4:17). In turn such servants are truly faithful to God, His Word, and the ministry committed to their charge. God uses their confidence in Him and depth of commitment to His plan and ways to bless whatever He gives them. Also bear in mind the blessing is consistent with God’s plan and not our ideas. The principle is God works through trustful servants because their confidence honors Him. 

In light of this article, there are some questions we should all ask ourselves as servants of the Most High God. Consider these for starters:

1. Am I really trusting God as a habit of life and ministry?

2. Has ministry become a routine of strategies and tactics that I have become versed in using or manipulating?

3. Does my confidence in God lead me to embrace strategies that are new to me, but are not new to God?

4. Do I want my outcomes and “fruit” more than God’s outcomes?

5. Am I using man-made metrics to define fruitfulness?

6. Am I trusting traditions because they are familiar and comfortable?

7. Is my faithfulness to a label causing me to reject faithfulness to God?

8. Have I substituted trusting God for popular programs?

9. Am I merely trustworthy when God desires that I be trustful?

10. Am I relying more on naturalistic factors (talent, education, personality, and connections) than supernatural factors (trusting God, the Word, and faithfulness) for effectiveness?

Remember Paul, Silas, and Timothy were men who were full of faith towards God, trustful as a standard, and clearly worthy of being trusted by others. Like God, The Bible, and God’s covenants (Ps. 119:86, 138; Isa. 25:1; 1 Tim. 1:15; Rev. 21:5; 22:6), they were deeply “faithful.”

Beware of Religious Charlatans!

A Profile of Religious Charlatans

2 Peter 2:1-3

Subject: False Teachers and Preachers

Theme: be on guard against the attack of false teachers and preachers because their message will hinder growth in grace. Acquaint yourself with their motives and methods in order to detect them, and be assured God will execute full judgment upon these rebel deceivers (Matt. 7:13-29).

Relevance:  we Believers protect ourselves and our love ones when we heed Peter’s warnings about false preachers and teachers. It is incumbent upon each of us to learn how to discern truth for ourselves, and teach it to others correctly and accurately. God reveals in this passage that false preachers and teachers will themselves meet destruction, and others will be destroyed by them. But as Christians we can wage spiritual warfare more effectively if we know our spiritual enemies, the techniques heretics use, and the end result of their deception. Be assured God's desire for us to be discerning and armed against religious lies is well founded and gravely needed in a time when specific truths are being watered down or outright denied. 

Introduction:

As long as we live in a fallen world, counterfeiting will exist. There will always be someone who, for personal gain, will use an imitation of the real to lure others to something of no value. Banks deal with this problem every day and train their tellers to be alert to the possibility that some of the paper currency they are handed may not be authentic. Their first line of defense is to know the real. They work with and handle the real every day until the feel and appearance of the authentic is deeply ingrained in their minds. When a counterfeit bill passes through their hands, an alarm goes off in their minds. Then they examine specific areas of the bill which will prove the true identity of a counterfeit (Source Unknown).

Since the inception of the Christian Age, spiritual counterfeits have appeared—false teachers who pass their teachings or lifestyle off as the real thing. In chapter 1, Peter urges us to abound in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, remembering the apostles’ teaching and staying true to the sure Word of Scripture. Now, he challenges us to be alert, and unwavering in this day of deceptions. We must be alert to the presence of false teachers.  First, let us consider the Description of False Teachers.

Message:

I.                   The False Teachers Motives and Methods Were Exposed by Peter ( 2 Peter 2:1-3). Peter opens this section by declaring that false teachers are bound to appear but will ultimately be condemned by God.

A.     They Were Anticipated (2:1).

                                                1.      False Teachers Were Predicted (2:1—“there shall be false teachers”).  At the close of chapter 1 Peter referred to the prophets of the OT as men who spoke, not by their own will, but as moved by the Holy Spirit. Now he mentions that in addition to the true prophets in the OT period, there were also false prophets. And just as there will be bona fide teachers in the Christian era, there will be false teachers as well.

                                                2.      These False Teachers Take a Place Inside The Churches (2:1)-“false teachers among you.”

i.        They pose as ministers of the gospel. This is what makes the peril so great. If they came right out and said they were atheists or agnostics, people would be on guard. But they are masters of deception.

ii.      They carry the Bible and use orthodox expressions —though using them to mean something entirely different. The president of a liberal theological seminary acknowledged the strategy as follows: Churches often change convictions without formally renouncing views to which they were previously committed, and their theologians usually find ways of preserving continuity with the past through re-interpretations (MacDonald & Farstad).

                                                3.      They Have Brought Worldly Ideas and Values into the Churches.  When the Edict of Milan was passed in a. d. 313 the church was then free to move into the world, legally and openly propagating its doctrines. But at the same time, the world also began to move into the church, diluting its message for the next 1,200 years until the Reformation broke forth on the scene. But it is obvious from 2 Peter 2 that the world was already in the church well before the time of Constantine. Believers in all ages must be constantly on guard against its attack. –Walvoord: The Bible Knowledge Commentary

                                                4.      Where Are These False Teachers Found Today? They reside in every Christian and so-called Christian denomination! The offense of some is greater than others, the deviations from the Scriptures differ in degrees, and the level of deception is not identical for each group. Still errors and misconceptions have infected every Christian movement or organization to some degree. While some movements are purer than others, Christians must cling to the Word of God as the standard of truth and measure everything else by it.

                                                5.      Stay Alert and Arm yourself with the Truth! Since false teachers were anticipated and active in the Christian world, we must be on guard against their attacks and faithfully wage a spiritual warfare against them (Eph. 4:11-16; 6:10-20). We must arm ourselves with the Word of God and become so familiar with the truth, that lies and false teaching are immediately obvious.  We should also be in a Bible-Believing and Bible-Preaching church as much as possible to further learn, grow, and protect ourselves and family from false teachers and their messages.  Lastly, we must learn and live the Word so effectively that we can fight the lies by teaching and arming others against the attacks of false teachers.

B.     They Are Deceptive (2:1).

                                                1.      Verse 1 Summarizes The Methods Of The False Teachers: (1) they appear among the people as members of the church; (2) they work secretly, under cover of hypocrisy, pretending to be what they are not; (3) they bring in their false teachings alongside the true doctrine, and then replace the truth with their lies; (4) their lives deny what their lips teach. In other words, “heresy” is not simply false doctrine; it is false living based on false doctrine. “Wolves in sheep’s clothing” is the way our Lord pictured them (Matt. 7:15; and see 2 Cor. 4:1–2; 11:13). –Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament

i.        W. A. Criswell describes the false teacher as follows: ... a suave, affable, personable, scholarly man who claims to be the friend of Christ. He preaches in the pulpit, he writes learned books, he publishes articles in the religious magazines. He attacks Christianity from within. He makes the church and the school a lodging place for every unclean and hateful bird. He leavens the meal with the doctrine of the Sadducees.

ii.      Jesus warned that deceivers would increase as the end of the age approached. Peter predicted and Jude declared their presence in the early churches. Even more now than then, false teachers mingle themselves within true Christianity. Like Satan, the false teachers come as angels of light. Peter and Jude help us spot these apostates by unveiling their: (1) destructive heresies, (2) depraved, immoral character, and (3) dangerous deceptions.

                                                2.      While Professing To Be Ministers Of Righteousness, They Secretly Bring In Soul-Destroying Heresies Alongside True Bible Doctrine (2:1). It is a deliberately deceptive mixture of the false and the true. Primarily, they peddle a system of denials. Here are some of the denials which can be found among certain modern groups:

i.         They deny the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, and His death as a Substitute for sinners. They are especially vehement in their denial of the value of His shed blood. They deny His bodily resurrection, eternal punishment, salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the reality of miracles in the Bible.

ii.       Other false teachings common today are:

a.       The Kenosis theory—the heresy that Christ emptied Himself of the attributes of deity. This means that He could sin, make mistakes, etc.

b.       The “God is dead” fantasy, evolution, universal salvation, purgatory, prayers for the dead, etc (MacDonald & Farstad).

iii.      The ultimate sin of false teachers is that they even deny the Master who bought them (2Pet. 2:1). While they may say nice things about Jesus, refer to His “divinity,” His lofty ethics, His superb example, they fail to confess Him as God and as unique Savior.

a.       Nels Ferré wrote, “Jesus never was or became God. ... To call Jesus God is to substitute an idol for Incarnation.”

b.       Methodist Bishop Gerald Kennedy agreed: I am frank to confess that the statement (that Christ is God) does not please me and it seems far from satisfactory. I would much prefer to have it say that God was in Christ, for I believe that the testimony of the New Testament taken as a whole is against the doctrine of the deity of Jesus, although I think it bears overwhelming witness to the divinity of Jesus (MacDonald & Farstad).

                                                3.      Their Greatest Offense is their Denial of the Lord Jesus Christ (2:1)—“even denying the Lord that bought them.”  In this and in many other ways, false teachers deny the Lord who bought them. Here we should pause to remind ourselves that while these false teachers to whom Peter refers had been bought by the Lord, they had never been redeemed. The NT distinguishes between purchase and redemption. All are purchased but not all are redeemed. Redemption applies only to those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, availing themselves of the value of His shed blood (1 Pet. 1:18, 19).

i.         In Matthew 13:44 the Lord Jesus is pictured as a man who sold all He had to buy a field. In verse 38 of that same chapter, the field is distinctly said to be the world. So by His death on the cross, the Lord bought the world and all who are in it. But He did not redeem the whole world. While His work was sufficient for the redemption of all mankind, it is only effective for those who repent, believe, and accept Him (MacDonald & Farstad).

ii.       The fact that these false teachers were never truly born again is indicated by their destiny. They bring upon themselves swift destruction. Their doom is eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

C.     They Are Quite Effective (2:2).

                                                1.      Peter Predicts That They Will Attract A Large Following (2:2). They do this by scuttling the biblical standards of morality and encouraging the indulgence of the flesh. Here are two examples:

i.         Anglican Bishop John A. T. Robinson wrote: ... nothing can of itself always be labeled as “wrong.” One cannot, for instance, start from the position “sex relations before marriage” or “divorce” are wrong or sinful in themselves. They may be in 99 cases or even 100 cases out of 100, but they are not intrinsically so, for the only intrinsic evil is lack of love.

ii.       In the book Called to Responsible Freedom, published by the National Council of Churches, young people are counseled: In the personal, individual sense, then, what justifies and sanctifies sexuality is not the external marital status of the people before the law but rather what they feel toward each other in their hearts. Measured in such a way, holding hands can be very wrong indeed while intimate sex-play can be right and good (Believers' Bible Commentary).

iii.      Remember large crowds and huge membership does not automatically equal God’s approval or activity upon a movement.

                                                2.      As A Result Of This Type Of Behavior, Taught And Practiced By False Teachers, The Way Of Truth Is Maligned (2:2)—“the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”  

i.         Unbelievers develop a deep contempt for real Christianity because of the teachings, influence of these false teachers and their followers.

ii.       These false teachers claimed that knowledge was superior to practice, so they argued that it did not matter how Christians behaved, as grace could forgive every sin, no matter how great. The Bible consistently denounces this idea (Rom. 6:1-4; 1Jn. 3:3-10). Peter sorrows that the immorality of so-called-Christian groups will bring the true faith into disrepute.

iii.      But, God's justice for anyone leading another astray will be swiftly meted out.

D.     They Are Greedy Manipulators (3: 3).

                                                1.      Their Motives. These false teachers are covetous and greedy, both in the sexual and financial realms (2:3). They have chosen the ministry as a lucrative profession. Their great aim is to build up a large following and thus to increase their income.

                                                2.      Their Manipulations (3:3). They exploit people with false words—“feigned words.”

i.        Darby said, “The devil is never more satanic than when he carries a Bible.” So these men, with Bible in hand, pose as ministers of righteousness, give out well-known evangelical hymns, and use scriptural expressions. But all this is camouflage for heretical teachings and corrupt morals (Believers' Bible Commentary).

ii.      They make false plastic or fabricated statements, literally making up whatever suits the ears of the hearer (1Thes. 2:5) to manipulate them for gain. They make merchandise of believers; that is they exploit you for commercial or money-making schemes for themselves.  If they cannot beg the money out of your purse or pocket they will try to manipulate it out!  They will use charity pleas, and place impoverished children from distant lands on the TV screen and plead with you to give to their cause. The problem with too many of these is that they use most of the donations for something else, and the needy and hungry little children remain hungry and unclothed!

                                                3.      Their Judgment (3:3).  An awful condemnation awaits these religious fifth-columnists. Their judgment has not been idle; it has been arming itself for the slaughter. Their destruction has not been nodding its head in sleep; it has been wide awake, ready to pounce like a panther. –MacDonald: Believer's Bible Commentary

E.     They are Nothing Like the Lord Jesus Christ!  Jesus was warning the people of His day to be on the lookout for gifted leaders who would take advantage of them and lead them astray. They would be men who looked good on the outside but were corrupt on the inside. They would perform well (Matt. 7:13-27).

                                                1.      To put it bluntly, too great preachers and teachers are not necessarily great Christians. The same goes for famous gospel singers and best-selling Christian writers.… Praise the Lord for all those who are true to Jesus Christ and the Word of God, but such Believers are among the few. 

                                                2.      The best picture of what a Spirit-filled man looks like is Christ. His life was characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, and so on in the midst of a world characterized by just the opposite of those things. He was certainly no wimp. He stood up to His detractors when it was appropriate. But He knew when to be silent as well. He had the courage and wit to take on the intellectuals of His day on their turf according to their terms. He spoke with authority. People, especially children, were attracted to Him. Even sinners loved to be with Him. He was a very secure man. There was nothing pretentious or intimidating about Him. He didn’t need those props. And at the end of His life He tackled the toughest account of all—death. And He won! – C. Stanley: The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life

Please consider carefully and prayerfully what I have recorded, restated, adapted, quoted, incorporated, recited, and included in this lesson/article. I have quoted many other works in this article on purpose to demonstrate that this is not merely my opinion on these matters. Most importantly I have slavishly held to the text of God’s holy Word. The concern is real and the spiritual danger is serious. Please consider what is stated here with a sincere heart. I pray that Christ Jesus will give tremendous light by His Spirit of grace.