Be on Your Guard 2 Peter 2 9

Be on Your Guard 2 Peter 2: 9 -22 1

2 Peter 1: 4 He (God/Jesus) has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. The phrase “to participate in the divine nature” means to grow in godliness ( see 2 Peter 1: 3). 2

This divine nature is the “new self” that God has re-created in us, Ephesians 4: 24 Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. This “new self” is the Restored Image of God that we bear Colossians 3: 10 put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 3

Overview of 2 Peter 2: 9 b-22 I. Peter Censured The Moral Character of the False Teachers (2: 9 -16) A. The False Teachers Despised Authority (2: 10 b-12 a) B. The False Teachers Followed the Corrupt Desire of their sinful nature (12 b-16) II. Peter Exposed The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers (17 -22) A. The False Teachers Enticed People with Promises (2: 19) B. The False Teachers Themselves Had Great Difficulties in Repenting (2: 20 -22) 4

2 Peter 2: 9 -12 9 … the Lord knows how to hold the unrighteous for punishment until the day of judgment 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. 5

I. The Moral Character of the False Teachers A. The False Teachers Despised Divine Authority Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings 6

A. The False Teachers Despised Divine Authority 1. Influence of pagan magic in the first century Magic was used for Health, Protection, Love-Spell, Enhance Study-Abilities, Prosperity, Cursing & Blessing, and Exorcism 7

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A. The False Teachers Despised Divine Authority 1. Influence of pagan magic in the first century • Prevalence of Magic Practices at Ephesus Acts 19: 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. Acts 19: 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to 50, 000 drachmas (several million dollars). 9

A. The False Teachers Despised Divine Authority 2. Cursing ritual of ascetic Jews at the Qumran community • Location of the Qumran Community 10

A. The False Teachers Despised Divine Authority 2. Cursing ritual of ascetic Jews at the Qumran community • Cursing of Angel Rituals Cursed be Satan for his sinful purpose and may he be execrated for his wicked rule! Cursed be all the spirits of his company for their ungodly purpose and may they be execrated for all their service of uncleanness! (1 QM xiii) Be cursed, Angel of Perdition and Spirit of Destruction, in all the thoughts of your guilty inclination and all your abominable plots and your wicked design, and may you be damned … Amen, amen. (4 Q 28687; 4 Q 280 -82). 11

A. The False Teachers Despised Divine Authority 3. Cursing ritual of ascetic Jews at the Qumran community • Jude’s admonishment of the cursing ritual 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you. ” 12

Only the LORD is worthy to rebuke Satan Zechariah 3: 1 -3 1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the angel said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! When we tell a demon, “In Jesus’ Name, Come out of this person” We are actually telling the demon, “The Lord Jesus commands you to come out!” The phrase “In the Jesus’ name” is not a magic formula 13

A. The False Teachers Despised Divine Authority 4. False teachers’ defying of divine authority • They cursed even the holy angels of God • Jesus shall return with the holy angels Matthew 25: 31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. Mark 13: 27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen people from all over the world-- from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 14

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B. The False Teachers Followed the Corrupt Desire of Their Sinful Nature 1. They are lured by Sins, as Beasts lured by baits. 12 b They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. 13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. 16

B. The False Teachers Followed the Corrupt Desire of Their Sinful Nature Q: Who is the one who catches and destroys those “brute beast”? 1 Peter 5: 8 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5: 8 portrays the Devil as a predator of those who are proud & greedy 2 Peter 2: 12 portrays Sin as a predator of the false teachers who are arrogant & greedy 17

B. The False Teachers Followed the Corrupt Desire of Their Sinful Nature 2. They indulge in sensual pleasure & immorality Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; 18

B. The False Teachers Followed the Corrupt Desire of Their Sinful Nature 3. They lure the unstable to licentious living they seduce the unstable; Q: Who are the unstable? The double-minded person is unstable in all his ways (James 1: 8) 19

The Cross before me; the world behind me. I Have Decided to Follow Jesus No turning back… ays sw able nst ll hi in a The Cross on my right; the world on my left. is u n rso pe ded min ble-I want them both… T Dou he 20

B. The False Teachers Followed the Corrupt Desire of Their Sinful Nature 4. They were greed motivated 1 Peter 5: 2 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care … they are experts in greed not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; -- an accursed brood not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey-- a beast without speech-- who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness 21

They wandered off to follow the way off Balaam attempted to curse Israel for the sake of money (Numbers 22) Balaam lured Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality for the sake of money (Numbers 25: 1 -8) 22

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers Q: Now, if these teachers were living obvious lives of sins, why did many people still follow them? 23

What Those Teachers did was Acceptable in the Greco-Roman Culture Past Lifestyle of Asia Minor Believers Lifestyle of False Teachers 2 Peter 2: 13 -14 1 Peter 4: 3 Their idea of pleasure is For you have spent enough time to carouse in broad daylight. in the past doing what They are blots and blemishes, pagans choose to do— reveling in their pleasures living in debauchery, lust, while they feast with you. drunkenness, orgies, carousing With eyes full of adultery, and detestable idolatry they never stop sinning; 24

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers Believers were urged to swim against the tide Do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived … (1 Peter 1: 14) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12: 2 25

Believers were urged to swim against the tide Just as He who called you is Holy, So be holy in all you do … (1 Peter 1: 15) 26

Wrong Understanding of Holiness Everyday… Read the Bible in the morning Read the Bible in the afternoon Read the Bible in the evening No thanks! Pray Pray Sing Hallelujah to the Lord! I think Holiness is more suitable for my Ah Gong & Ah Ma 27

The Simpsons The Flanders’ Christian Family An Inaccurate Portrayal of “Holy Living” 28

Concept of Holiness John 17: 15 -17 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. “In the World but Not of the World” 29

Concept of Holiness Q: Set apart from what? Set apart from the world Set apart for God Q: Set apart for whom/ Set apart for God’s Redemptive what purpose? Purpose God is Holy Whatever God sets apart for Himself will become Holy 30

Does the icon of the Cross change the nature of such performance to become evangelistic? 31

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers Q: Now, if these teachers were living obvious lives of sins, why did many people still follow them? 1. What those teachers did was wholly acceptable in the Greco-Roman culture Believers who do not have a renewed mind cannot sense what is wrong. 2. Those teachers were good at making promises 32

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers 2. Those teachers were good at making promises The Promise of Freedom 33

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers Jesus Christ died for you God has forgiven all your sins When you sin, God no longer condemns you You are living under Grace Full-Stop? 34

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers Jesus Christ died for you God has forgiven all your sins When you sin, God no longer condemns you Take up the Cross & Follow Jesus Grow in Christ-likeness Stop sinning habitually You are living under Grace 35

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers Jesus Christ died for you God has forgiven all your sins When you sin, God no longer condemns you Become sickness-free Become more successful Grow richer, richer & richer You are living under Grace 36

World’s Top 10 Poorest Countries Source: IMF, October 2013 Why is Prosperity Gospel just making the Rich, Richer? World’s Top 10 Richest Countries Source: IMF, October 2013 Why isn’t Prosperity Gospel Preached to the Poor to alleviate their poverty ? 37

Misunderstanding of Apostle Paul’s Teaching “His (Paul’s) letters contain some things that are hard to understand which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. ” 38

Proper Application of Apostle Paul’s Teaching 1 Peter 2: 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 39

Proper Application of Apostle Paul’s Teaching Romans 6: 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Romans 6: 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin… but rather offer yourselves to God, … the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 40

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers A. The False Teachers Enticed People with the Promises (2: 19) 1. Their promises were empty Springs without water – Mists driven by storms 41

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers A. The False Teachers Enticed People with the Promise of Freedom (2: 19) 2. They themselves were entrapped in sins 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity— for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him 42

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers There are “pastors” who endorse sins today • One publicly declared, "God is not that petty" to care if Christians, or anyone else, smokes marijuana. • Genesis 1: 29 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. • Another confessed, "I'm a youth pastor at a large church, and I smoke marijuana every day that I'm not at service (Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday). " "My Lord still loves me. " 43

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers • Yes, God will always love you but He will discipline those whom He loves as a Heavenly Father. Hebrews 12: 6 -7 6 the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. " 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 44

II. The Alluring Ways of the False Teachers B. The False Teachers Themselves Had Great Difficulties in Repenting 2 Peter 2: 20 -22 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 45

Jim Bakker’s Story 1 46

The PTL Club Jim Bakker the Tele-Evangelist (1974 -1989) God Wants You to be RICH! Tammy Bakker, Gospel Singer (Recorded over 25 Music albums) 47

PTL & the Heritage, USA 24 -hrs PTL TV Network 12 millions viewers per month Viewers’ Contributions: US$1 million per week Revenue: US$10 million per month (at its peak) US$ 126 million per year (1986) The Heritage USA (9 sq km) Sentosa Island (only 5 sq km) 48

The Heritage USA (Fort Mill, South Carolina) 49

Heritage Island Water Park Heritage, USA 400 Unit Camp Ground & Conference Rooms Heritage Grand Hotel. Main Street USA Indoor Shopping Mall 50

Indoor Shopping Mall Heritage, USA 6 million visitors per year The Bakkers’ Enterprises valued at US$126 millions 51

Heritage USA, Grand Hotel • “Time-Shares Ownership” • US$1, 000 contribution • 4 D/3 N Stay per year • Life-Time Partnership 500 -room Hotel that was never completed 52

• 165, 000 buyer of Time. Shares Heritage USA, Grand Hotel • PTL Organization earned: US$165 million • Jim Bakker kept US$3. 4 million for himself as bonus, in addition to his annual salary of US$200, 000 (1984 -87). 53

Demands Over-Exceeded Supplies 165, 000 buyers; 500 rooms Jim Bakker under investigation for: • Making all financial decisions for the PTL organization • Keeping 2 sets of account-books 54

16 -Month Trial (1987 -1988) • Jim Bakker convicted for: 8 Counts of Mail Fraud 15 Counts of Wire Fraud 1 Count of Conspiracy • Sentenced by Judge Robert Daniel Potter (Federal Court) 45 Years imprisonment US$500, 000 Fine 55

16 -Month Trials (1987 -1988) • Jim Bakker convicted for: 8 Counts of Mail Fraud 15 Counts of Wire Fraud 1 Count of Conspiracy • Sentenced by Judge Robert Daniel Potter (Federal Court) 45 Years imprisonment US$500, 000 Fine GUILTY 56

PTL = Praise the Lord PTL = Pass The Loots Preachers Take Loots Provides Tammy Lipsticks Perver. Ts for Licentiousness 57

Licentiousness Jim Bakker’s Affair (started in 1980) • with Church Secretary Jessica Hahn (Age 21) • Paid US$279, 000 to Jessica Hahn to keep quiet (1987) Tammy Faye divorced Jim Bakker in 1992 • Re-married in 1993 to Roe Messner (PTL Resort Developer) 58

“God Wants You to be Rich!” “I Was Wrong” Published, 1996 59

“The more I studied the Bible, however, I had to admit that the prosperity message did not line up with the tenor of Scripture. My heart was crushed to think that I led so many people astray. I was appalled that I could have been so wrong, and I was deeply grateful that God had not struck me dead as a false prophet. ” 60

I was Wrong – over 100, 000 copies sold Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse (US$20 per copy) Published, 1998 61

The Coming Apocalypse • There will be Worldwide Catastrophes; • Global Economy will Crash What will you do when a can of beans is worth more than a Rolls Royce? Don’t Worry! Be prepared! Buy… 62

Be Prepared for the Coming Apocalypse Over-priced Products 1. US$500 for “Jim’s All American 4 Star Vegetable buckets 2. US$1, 700 for a fuel-less generator, plus packages of long-lasting food supplies. 3. US$2, 000 for 37 buckets of corn, green beans, tomato flakes and raspberries and enough fuel to cook 480 meals 4. US$100 for the ‘Silver Solution’ enema kit (for Immune System Support) Emergency Food USD 2000 Enema Kit Fuel-less Generator (480 Meals) 63

The Daily Jim Bakker Show 2 ? 64

2 Peter 2: 22 What the true proverb says happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire. " 65

Heritage USA Badly Hit by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989 66

CONCLUSION 2 Peter 2: 1 -2 … there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute 67

CONCLUSION 2 Peter 3: 17 Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position Q: What is that secured position? 68

CONCLUSION 1 Peter 2: 9 You are a Chosen People, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a People Belonging to God… 69

REFLECTION 1 Peter 2: 11 -12 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 70