“Beware False Guides” – a message from 2 Peter 2, verses 1-10a

This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our preaching series entitled “Growing in Faith: Exploring 2 Peter.” I preached a message entitled “Beware False Guides” from verses 1-10a of the second chapter of the letter.

You can find the message outline and video below. You can access the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

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“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.” (2 Peter 2:1a)

The Rebuke of False Guides (2 Peter 2:1-3)

False guides deny the authority of Jesus as Lord (2:1, 10a)

False guides indulge in sexual desire at odds with Christ (2:2)

False guides bring the way of Christ into disrepute (2:2b)

False guides cloak their exploitive greed in religious trappings (2:3a)

False guides are setting themselves up for destruction (2:3)

Three Examples of Divine Judgment and Two of Divine Rescue (2 Peter 2:4-8)

3 Examples of Divine Judgment: 

• The angels (sons of God) and the daughters of men (2:4; Genesis 6:1-4)
• The flood on the ungodly (2:5a; Genesis 6:5-17)
• Sodom and Gomorrah burned (2:6; Genesis 19:1-29)

2 Examples of Divine Rescue:

• Noah and his 7 family members from the floodwaters (2:5b; Genesis 6:8-10, 13-18)
• Lot (2:7-8; Genesis 19:1-29)

Judgment and Rescue Now (2 Peter 2:9-10a)

God will rescue the godly

God will hold the unrighteous to account

God will especially deal with the false teachers

Making It Real

Upholding apostolic teaching

Avoid false guides

Live in light of the end

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Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:

• Memorize 2 Peter 2:9
• Our passage for this week focuses a lot on false teaching that may lead us astray. Take some time to reflect on what you think might be false teaching in our own day. Write some of your ideas down. Prayerfully ask God if there are any ways you have been led astray by this or other false teaching. If he brings something to mind, confess it to God and ask God to lead you in true ways.
• If you haven’t already, consider watching the Bible Project overview videos on 2 Peter: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/2-peter/
• You may also want to dig deeper into a commentary on this passage or the book as a whole. Consider exploring:
  • Richard Bauckham, Jude-2 Peter in the Word Biblical Commentary series
  • Douglas J. Moo, Jude, 2 Peter in the NIV Application Commentary series