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Don’t Be Deceived
(2 Peter 2:1-22)
Yearly Theme: “Faithfulness Is…”
Series Title: ““Respectable” Sins”
July 20th, 2025

Introduction:

Pastor and author, Jerry Lambert, tells a story of…

“A school teacher lost her life savings in a business scheme that a swindler had elaborately explained and convinced her to be a part of. When her investment disappeared and her dream was shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau.

“‘Why on earth didn't you come to us first?’ the official asked. ‘Didn't you know about the Better Business Bureau?’

“‘Oh, yes,’ said the lady sadly. ‘I've always known about you. But I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it.’

“The folly of human nature is that even though we know where the answers lie – God's Word – we don't turn there for fear of what it will say.”

The next passage in our series on 2 Peter is a challenging one today because it addresses the issue of deception and the necessity of discernment. Peter moves on in his letter in chapter two to address specifically the diabolical schemes of the false teachers within the church, wreaking havoc on those who either didn’t know better or who were looking for loopholes in living a holy life. “Peter’s ‘words are designed to comfort and encourage believers in the darkest days of heresy and false teaching and impending judgment,’3 as well as to warn against the false teachers.”[1] However, the words he speaks are stern, with warnings and condemnation aimed at the false teachers trying to lead people away from the truth of the Gospel of Christ. With that, let’s take a closer look at Peter’s warnings today:


38 Charles R. Erdman, The General Epistles, p. 99.
[1] Ball, Charles S. 1966. “First and Second Peter .” In Hebrews-Revelation, 6:294. The Wesleyan Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Key Point: “Discernment is crucial to avoid being led astray by false teaching.”

According to author Joseph Stowell, “Discernment in Scripture is the skill that enables us to differentiate. It is the ability to see issues clearly. We desperately need to cultivate this spiritual skill that will enable us to know right from wrong. We must be prepared to distinguish light from darkness, truth from error, best from better, righteousness from unrighteousness, purity from defilement, and principles from pragmatics.”[1]


[1]Joseph M. Stowell, Fan the Flame: Living Out Your First Love for Christ, (Moody Publishing: Chicago, Illinois; 1986), 44.

Conclusion:

In the 2022 TV series Under the Banner of Heaven (created by Dustin Lance Black), based on the book by Jon Krakauer, we see many extreme examples of what Morris describes: people giving in to the temptation to say, “God says this,” when they are only following their desires and trying to stamp divine sanction on them. The Lafferty brothers (in the series) embrace polygamy and even murder because they claim God has told them to do it.

Most people won’t be drawn to such extreme acts, but we should be aware that our hearts can deceive us and draw us into seeking our own sinful desires while we try to claim it’s what God wants. For this reason, we should be cautious about saying God has told us something.

We should also be cautious of those who try and sway us to their way of thinking when it clearly contradicts GOD’s Word and commands. Just as the early church had to contend with false teachers in their midst, so do we. The only way to combat this is through discernment and actually knowing what GOD’s Word says. We do not have the luxury of being ignorant and uneducated about the teachings in Scripture. We must study to show ourselves approved, and we must be diligent in seeking the truth in a world full of lies and deception.

Key Point: “Discernment is crucial to avoid being led astray by false teaching.”

Read 2 Peter 2:1-22.

The key point for this week’s message is:“Discernment is crucial to avoid being led astray by false teachings.”What is discernment, and how is it acquired?

In 2 Peter chapter one, Peter talked about the prophets of the Old Testament and their faithful testimony.However, there were false prophets who lived during those days as well.What does Peter say is the fate of false prophets and teachers?Do false prophets and teachers exist today?How can you tell the difference between a false prophet and a prophet of GOD?

Read verses 4-11 again.What is the fate of those who follow false prophets and teachers?What is the fate of the godly who resist false prophets and teachers and remain faithful to GOD?

Have you seen or experienced false prophets or teachers today like Peter describes in verses 12-19?Explain...

In the second part of verse 19, Peter says that “you are a slave to whatever controls you.”Unpack in detail what he means by this.

In verses 20-22, Peter talks about those who have come to know Jesus through faith, but get tangled up in sin again.What does he say about people who do this?

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