Pay Attention

2 Peter 1:19-2:3

1. Four truths about false teachers
False teachers are a reality
False teachers are self-led
False teachers are destructive
False teachers are doomed

2. Four truths about true teachers
True teachers are a reality
True teachers are Spirit-led
True teachers are edifying and bring light
True teachers point toward glory

Once upon a time, long long ago, on a faraway planet, there lived a good God. This God was very much like you and me – a Being who stands about 6’2” to 6’3”, weighs a couple of hundred pounds, and has a handspan of about 9 inches.
One day God had a cosmic brainstorm and decided to create a new world. On day six (of this creation), God came up with a great idea. He began to focus on creating an exact duplicate of Himself. And suddenly, there before His eyes, stood another god – with a body just like His own. God called this colleague Adam. God also made a companion for Adam named Eve.
Now Adam and Eve were truly super-beings! They could fly like the birds and swim underwater like fish. And that’s not all. Even without a space suit, they could fly through the universe. In fact, with a single thought they could transport themselves to the moon!
But behind the scenes was Satan, a fallen angel who had landed on earth. One day Satan saw Adam and Eve and tricked them into making a really bad deal. He got them to trade their godhood for an apple. At the moment of this transaction Satan became the god of the Earth while Adam and Eve were born again with the nature of Satan. This nature made the young couple susceptible to sin, sickness, suffering, and spiritual death. Satan now had rights to the earth and all its inhabitants while God was left on the outside looking for a way back in.
But God was not ready to throw in the towel. He made a deal with a man named Abraham that, if He was lucky, would let him win back what He had lost. The deal was that Abraham got health and wealth while God got a foothold back into the world He had created. God used this foothold well. After hundreds of years of speaking faith-filled words, God created a redeemer inside the womb of a young virgin.
This baby was called Jesus and became very wealthy just like Abraham. At Gethsemane, Jesus began the final stages of a process that would transform him from an immortal man into a satanic being and would recreate men as little gods. Jesus was tortured on the cross and physically died. He then went to hell and died spiritually at the hands of Satan and his minions.
Little did Satan know, however, that God would have the last laugh. You see, Satan had blown it on a technicality. Since Jesus had not sinned Himself, it was not legal for Satan to have him in hell. Therefore God was able to reclaim Jesus as His own and bring him out of hell therefore defeating death and sin.
But that’s not all, since Jesus was recreated into the incarnation of God, you too can become an incarnation of God. Just as much the incarnation as Jesus was. You can be a little god running around on the earth. You can harness the same force of faith as God used when he created the world. And you can live happily ever after. THE END

What you’ve just heard was a story involving some of the major false teachings that are present among us today. Some of the most popular teachers in the church today deny essential Christian doctrine. We need to be on guard. We need to pay attention. Not all false teaching is as blatant as you heard in that story or see in those quotes. We need to be on guard so that false teaching doesn’t enter into our beliefs anywhere. It is important for us to pay attention to what we are being taught in our classes, in chapel, in books that we read, and anything else that influences our beliefs. We must pay attention because the truth is worth it.

Turn with me to 2nd Peter 1:19. My passage today is 2nd Peter 1:19 through chapter 2 verse 3. Let me read it for you out of the NIV:

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

And Chapter 2 verses 1-3

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

I am going to go somewhat backwards today in that I’ll be focusing on Chapter 2 verses 1-3 first. This portion of the passage deals with false teachers. I want to point out four truths about false teachers.

First of all, we must recognize that false teachers are a reality. False teaching is present throughout the church today and throughout church history. Peter states here that there will be false teachers among you. He later states that many will follow them. It is important for us to recognize that there is false teaching in the world today. My opening story introduced many of these false teachings. Peter calls them destructive heresies. They vary in what doctrine they are distorting ranging from creation to the judgment. Most importantly, some false teachers will even deny the sovereign Lord who bought them.

False teachers are a reality. I don’t think anyone here would deny that. But sometimes we have a difficult time balancing our ecumenical mindset with our demand for truth. We would rather have unity with all while sacrificing the essentials. We must the great words, "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity." What is your mindset? Do you prefer to avoid controversy at the cost of important and essential doctrine? We must pay attention to the reality of false teachers.

A second point to consider about false teachers is that they are in it for themselves. Peter says that in their greed these teachers will exploit you. The false teachers do what they do because they are selfish. Many of them are hungry for money. Others are hungry for fame.

In 1987, popular Television Evangelist Oral Roberts told his followers that he needed to raise 8 million dollars or God would take his life. After over 3 million dollars were raised, Robert’s son Richard wrote a letter to his father’s supporters: “Partner, we cannot let this man of God die. There is no reason for him to die…When Oral says God speaks to him, he’s not bluffing.” Oral Roberts himself said, “I feel totally called by God to do this…I’m writing to you as an anointed servant of God – doing what God has called me to do.”

We need to pay attention to the emphasis of teachers. Are they in it to share the Gospel or to make some money. At home I sometimes turn on the Christian television station and consistently they are asking for money. Now, asking for support from the church is not a bad thing. But it shouldn’t be the focus of one’s ministry. False teachers are often money hungry or in it for popularity. Do those you are learning from seem to be Spirit-led, or do you sense selfish motivation in them. Are they always asking for money? False teachers will attempt to exploit you in there greed. Pay attention!

The third point is that false teachers bring heresies that are destructive. Playing with doctrine is not playing games. Doctrine is important, but the false teachers don’t think so.
Paul Crouch, founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, declares, “I think heresy hunters are damned and on their way to hell; and I don’t think there’s any redemption for them. False teachers seem to feel that it is wrong to question what they’re teaching, but the Bible says otherwise. 1 John 4:1 says, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Why does the Bible say this? It’s because heresy is destructive.

In 1998, a parent lost his young child. The man was devastated. Looking for help in all the wrong places, he put the child on ice and drove 350 miles to the Brownsville Assembly of God church. Why would this man do this? The reason he did this was because the church their claimed to have raised more than 200 people from the dead. Instead of helping this man mourn, they led him to believe that they were raising the dead left and right. Their teachings were false and caused this man to be even further devestated when the pastors of the church failed to raise his child.

The fourth point is that false teachers are doomed. The text says that, Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. False teachers make it their practice to deny essential aspects of the nature of God. Unfortunately for them, God’s true nature remains the reality. It is God’s nature to judge sin. Teaching something contrary to God’s Word is a sin. Therefore, false teachers must and will be judged. Any false teacher who rejects Christ’s incarnation, perfect life, death, and resurrection is not from God.

1 John 4:3 says, “but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” A teacher must not change who Jesus was and is, or else he is doomed for judgment from the living God.


But this whole topic of false teachers is not fun to talk about. Thankfully, false teachers aren’t the only teachers out there. There are also true prophets of God. There are those who are bringing God’s truth to light. We can go through these points a little quicker because they are pretty much contrasts to true prophets.

The first point to remember about true prophets is that they are a reality, just like true prophecy is a reality. The text says “We have the word of the prophets made more certain”. We have true prophecy provided for us in the Scriptures and expounded by faithful preachers and teachers every day. Never forget that true teaching is available.

And we need to take advantage of good teachers. If you find an author that really illuminates the Scripture for you read everything that have written. If there is a staff member that helps you understand Biblical principles talk to them as much as you can. Pay attention to the true prophets. They are out there and they can help you grow in Christ.

The second point about true prophets is that they are Spirit-led, not self-led. Verses 20 and 21 tell us that Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. True prophets are Spirit led. This is evident because they never act outside of what Scripture teaches. They produce lasting fruit. Pay attention to Spirit-led teachers.

The third point about true prophets is that their message brings light and edification to world. None of you are in the 1:30 class obviously so you didn’t hear my sermon on prayer. In that sermon I talked about how learning and being taught the true nature of prayer affected my prayer life in the most positive way. Once I was reminded of what prayer really was…not only a time for intercessory prayer and asking for help, but a wonderful time of basking in the presence of God and being in an intimate relationship with the creator of the universe.

The fourth and final point about true prophets is that their message points to glory. True prophets look forward to the glorious day of Christ’s return. True prophets and those who follow them are characterized because they cling to the truth. They pay attention to true doctrine. True doctrine is like a lamp in this dark world. True believers focus on this lamp knowing that the full light is coming. This passage declares beautifully, “you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” True prophets teach true doctrine, a lamp until the light returns.

So pay attention! There are false prophets and there are true prophets. The false prophets are out for their own good. True prophets are out for your good, bringing God’s message of hope. False prophets teach heresies that can destroy your life. True prophets teach doctrine that can change your life for the good and help you relate to God and man in a more meaningful way. And in the end, false prophets are doomed for judgment while true prophets are awaiting the glorious return of their savior.

What is the best way to pay attention? I would recommend we do what the Bereans did in Acts chapter 17. They did not assume anything. They checked Paul’s message to see if it aligned with Scripture. Acts 17:11 says that the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. We should pay attention like the Bereans did. We should, with eagerness to find truth, examine the Scriptures daily to see if what we are learning is true. Pay attention. Grade what’s being taught to Scripture. Perhaps the teacher sheds new light on Scripture. When that happens we can and should rejoice that the Spirit has used His servants to teach us a new and life changing truth. But maybe, just maybe, the teacher is not from God and is promoting false teachings. In order to prevent these teachings from destroying our lives, we need to pay attention. Keep our eyes on the light of Christ. We will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.