“A Sign of The Times ”
Week 4
2 Peter 2:10-22
Verse of the Week
“People are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”
2 Peter 2:19
Main Idea:
We should be aware of False Teachers.
VS 10-13
Peter is continuing to remind us that false teachers are among us. The reason he spent so much time warning us about false teachers is because he knew of the impact they were having on the church. Peter gives us many more ways that we can spot false teachers. The first 2 ways are by the way they desire the things of the flesh and the way they despise authority. So basically they want to do what they want and they want things their way. God has established authority in this world, and when we resist authority, we are ultimately resisting God. As believers we should pray for and honor those who are in authority such as our parents, our boss, our government and our pastors (Romans 13:1).
Discussion Questions:
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How have you seen churches damaged by false teaching?
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How often do you pray for those who are in authority?
VS 14-16
Another way we can identify a false teacher is by their lifestyle. They may look the part but what does their actions say? Do they continue to live in sin? Every believer struggles with sin and temptations. This is a battle we will all face until Jesus comes back or until we meet Him in heaven. Peter however tells us multiple times in this letter that we need to “make every effort.” This means there is work on our part. The writer of Hebrews in chapter 1 verses 1-4 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” For believers, Jesus is our example and our source of resisting sin and temptation. As we are tempted to sin, keep your eyes on Jesus and remember the shedding of blood that He did for you.
Discussion Questions:
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What sin do you struggle with the most?
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What "efforts" do you take to resist temptation?
VS 17-22
Lastly, Peter tells us we can identify a false teacher by what comes out of their mouth. Jesus has pretty harsh words about this in Matthew 12:34. He calls out the religious people saying “ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” It’s not a mouth issue, it’s ultimately a heart issue. Peter tells us that we are slaves to whatever has mastered us. In other words, what has your heart? Or better yet, who has your heart? Jesus also tells us that we can not serve 2 masters. We will follow what or who has our heart. The sad truth is most of these false teachers probably started off on the right path. They heard the good news of the Gospel and maybe even started to follow Jesus for sometime but Jesus never really had their heart. What really had their heart is the things of this world. Eventually they go right back to what really has mastered their lives. We see 2 illustrations of what this looks like: A dog returning to his vomit and a pig that has just been washed returning to wallow in the mud. The dog and the pig both enjoy the filth (sin) and there is no conviction about living in it. Many people want Jesus to be their savior but not everyone is willing to surrender to Him as Lord.
Discussion Questions:
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What or who has your heart? (give the group time to think on this question)
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Have you fully surrendered to Jesus as savior and Lord?
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What is your next step with Jesus?
Important Announcements:
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Next Heart and Soul Class will begin on February 19th at 4pm in the museum.
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First Annual Men's Breakfast. February 25th 7AM at the Icehouse.