E-pistle for September 28, 2012
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E-pistle
FreeWay Foundation September 28, 2012
False prophets and false teachers
(II Peter 2:1-22)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
II. Concentration: on false prophets and teachers
1. They are part of the local church congregation, v. 1.
2. They secretly bring in destructive heresies, v. 1.
3. They deny the Lord and blaspheme the truth, vv. 1-2.
4. Out of covetousness, they exploit the believers, v. 3.
II. Meditation: on the future of these false prophets and teachers
1. They will be cast down into hell with the fallen angels, v. 4.
2. They will be delivered into chains of darkness, reserved for
judgment, v. .4.
3. They will be punished as the people who were drowned in the
flood of Noah's day, v. 5.
4. They will be punished as the people who were burned with fire
from heaven in Lot's day (Sodom and Gomorrah), vv. 6-8.
III. Revelation: on God's view of false prophets and teachers
1. God sees them as unclean, rebellious, presumptuous, self-willed,
arrogant fools, vv. 9-10.
2. God sees them as brute animals who will be caught and destroyed, v. 12.
3. God sees them as persons whose evil works will pay them the wages of
sin . . . death, v. 13.
4. God sees them as totally ignorant of spiritual things, on their way toward
utterly perishing in their own corruption, v. 12.
5. God sees them as pleasure-mad carousers, full of adulteries and covetousness . . .
"accursed children," vv. 13-14.
6. God sees them as Balaam, a prophet who prophesied for money, vv. 15-16.
7. God sees them as wells without water, as clouds without rain . . . promising
life and refreshing but giving neither, v. 17.
8. God sees them as speakers of emptiness (wind-bags) . . . promising spiritual liberty
but producing slavery to corruption, vv. 18-19.
9. God sees them as back-sliders whose end condition is worse than their original sinful
state, vv. 20-21.
10.God sees them as dogs returning to their own vomit (consuming again what made
them sick); as pigs wallowing in the mud after getting a bath, v. 22.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Be alert and on guard against false teachers/teachings in my church.
2. Courageously affirm that "Jesus is Lord!" . . . that He is the truth and that He speaks
the truth.
3. Get God's perspective on persons who are hypocrites and who teach false doctrines . . .
that they are doomed, and that they need to come to Christ in repentance and faith
to receive salvation.
4. Make sure my personal motivations and spiritual fruits are worthy . . . that all I am
(and all I do) will bring honor and glory to the Lord.
One day equals a thousand years
(II Peter 3:1-19)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on man's "time" compared to God's "eternity" (v. 8)
1. If "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years," then one hour equals
about 42 years.
2. If "a thousand years (is) as one day," then God's framework (of seven days
making a week) could foreshadow the chronology of God's dealing with mankind
on the planet earth:
· From creation to the close of the Old Testament - 4,000 years
· From the advent of Christ until His return - 2,000 years
· The "Millennium" (rule of Christ on earth) - 1,000 years
TOTAL 7,000 years
II. Meditation: on these spiritual ideas
1. Even is a person lives to be 84 years old, that's just a couple of hours in God's sight.
2. When a saved loved one dies, I'll see that person in about an hour . . . only the time
it takes to drive from my home to the office and back!
3. In eternity, God lives in the eternal "now" . . . time is not a factor, so a day and a
thousand years are just the same in His sight; man's past, present, and future all are
visible simultaneously with God.
4. Since God operates with a strict time-table, believers ought to take a posture of expectancy
for Christ's return and the "rapture" . . . for about 6,000 years have passed since God
placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. If the millennium represents God's Sabbath,
then, that 1,000 year period of "rest" could begin any time now.
III. Revelation: on God's timetable (v,. 9)
1. In due time, God indeed will fulfill all His promises.
2. During the time period between God's promises and their fulfillment, God is exhibiting
His patience and long-suffering toward sinful mankind.
3. God delays His judgment because it is His will that no person should perish . . . go to
hell with Satan and his angels.
4. God extends His mercy and grace, allowing mankind to have more than adequate time and
opportunity to repent.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Live each day in the light of eternity . . . realizing that my attitudes, my words, my actions,
and my influence can and may have an impact lasting a thousand years.
2. Not grieve too much over the death of a loved one . . . I'll be seeing that person in only an
hour or so.
3. Exercise patience when I ask God to fulfill His promises . . . He has good reasons for delaying:
for one thing, He is testing my faith and endurance.
4. Watch and be ready for Christ's return . . . He's coming soon!
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the
truth has a chance to get its pants on."
--Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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