BRENTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH

Transcription

1 BRENTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH 2 PETER 2:17-22 JUNE 8, 2014 TEACHING PLAN PREPARATION > Spend the week reading through and studying 2 Peter 2: Consult the commentary provided and any additional study tools (such as a concordance or Bible dictionary) to enhance your preparation. > Determine which discussion points and questions will work best with your group. > Pray for the upcoming group meeting, your teaching, your group members, and their receptivity to the lesson. HIGHLIGHTS BIBLICAL EMPHASIS: In an environment where new revelation and wisdom were highly valued, the church stood in a vulnerable position. Unorthodox but appealing teachers enticed them into beliefs and behaviors contradictory to the Scriptures and to the life of Jesus Christ. Peter boldly exposed the errors of the false teachers and spelled out clearly their doom apart from Christ. TEACHING AIM: Wrong thinking leads to shallow living. We live like we re defeated (v. 19) because we ve allowed ourselves to be enslaved by false teaching, by our possessions, by technology, and so on. Like dogs who return to their vomit, we keep trying to find the answers by looking down the same dead-end streets. We need the gospel to set us free. As a result of today s study, you will be challenged to 1) know the truth (see 2 Pet. 2:1-14); 2) know freedom (see 2 Pet. 2:15-22); and 3) focus on eternity (see Phil. 3:17-21). 1 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

2 INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves. 1 As empowering as it sounds, Scripture contradicts the validity of that statement. True spiritual freedom replaces responsibility to sin and self with responsibility to Christ and the gospel. Your desires become God s desires; your life becomes His. Sound contradictory? As we ll learn this week, nothing is more freeing than becoming a servant of Christ. We re coming up on the time of year when Americans focus on their country s freedom and liberty. While it s appropriate to celebrate freedom, focusing on freedom can easily turn into a self-indulgent focus on my rights. In this week s session, we ll look at what Peter and Paul wrote about the difference between self-indulgence and the personal rights of people truly free in Christ. 1 What are some of the elements of culture that enslave us, often without us even realizing it? Spend a few minutes brainstorming an extensive list. 2 Why are we so easily enslaved to those things? What lies do we believe about them? UNDERSTANDING Unpack the biblical text to discover what Scripture says or means about a particular topic. > Have a volunteer read 2 Peter 2:1-14. In his second letter to the church, Peter spoke out emphatically against a popular false teaching that denied God s judgment. These teachers, whom Peter described as arrogant and presumptive, taught that freedom in Christ was a license to sin and satisfy selfish desires. 2 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

3 They were using God as a means to justify their behavior. Peter said their lives were offensive to the angels. How would you describe Peter s tone in verses 10-14? What does Peter find offensive? Is his anger warranted? Explain. Why does Peter use the example of the angels? How do they contrast with the bold, arrogant false teachers? Self-centered people often come across as bold and arrogant. They feel entitled to comfort, wealth, promotions you name it. When this attitude underlies their relationship with God, they grow demanding of Him and treat God like the one who must satisfy their wants and desires. Do you ever find yourself making demands of God? If yes, what situations usually lead you to do this? What is freedom in Christ? What is it not? What does freedom in Christ entail? Peter described the freedom-abuser in this passage as looking for sin (v. 14). Happening upon temptation is one thing. The Bible teaches that Satan hopes to bring temptation and destruction to our lives. But seeking out sin and justifying it under freedom in Christ is entirely different. This line of teaching encourages a flippant attitude toward sin and ignores its high cost and consequences. Peter proclaimed that people who put themselves above all else have 3 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

4 chosen a cursed life, not Christ. Instead of being free, they re in bondage to their desires. Abusing their freedom from sin has made them more like irrational animals than God s people (v. 12). Discuss verse 12. Why did Peter use the imagery of an irrational animal for a person who chooses sin over Christ? Do you think Peter s rebuke was too harsh? Why or why not? How would people respond if Peter s rebuke was preached from the pulpit today? Choosing self-indulgence seems wonderful at the time, but it s never without consequences. Our society is filled with sinful activities. What are some of the consequences of our self-indulgent behaviors? > Have a volunteer read 2 Peter 2: In verses 15-19, Peter continued his passionate rebuke against the false teachers by comparing them to Balaam, an Old Testament prophet who tried to profit from serving God (see Num ). To convince Balaam to change his ways, God spoke to him through the mouth of a donkey. Balaam was stubborn, set on his own plan for personal gain. He needed a dramatic intervention to appreciate fully his misplaced priorities. Like Balaam, the false teachers of Peter s day were so blinded by their selfish pursuits and their lies of freedom, they failed to see how enslaved they were. We don t want to think it would take a talking donkey for God to get our attention. But self-indulgence often blinds us to the cost of our sin. Peter described Balaam s interaction with the donkey as the tool 4 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

5 that restrained the prophet s irrationality (v. 16). We like to think we re level-headed, self-controlled people who are able to make fairly wise decisions, but Balaam s selfish behavior, his spiritual actions paired with selfish motives, isn t too far out of the ordinary for us. We often struggle to live selfless, genuine lives and keep our motives in check. In what ways has God made you aware of your sins? Discuss the typical ways we re rebuked for our sins (revelation from Scripture, the Holy Spirit s conviction, accountability, etc.) and the more unusual ways (circumstances beyond our control, natural consequences, dreams, etc.). It s so easy for us to make freedom in Christ about living for ourselves because we have a hard time grasping the destructive nature of sin. What words or phrases did Peter use in verses to describe the lives of people who look for sinful ways to please themselves? What do these descriptions tell you about sin and its effect on people? Are Peter s descriptions of sin accurate? Are they too graphic? Not graphic enough? Explain. Sin brings about a slavery that always costs more than we re able to bear. So how can we move away from such lives, when the temptations to sin seem so defeating? We can start by making our wants about Christ and His mission, rather than the comforts and pleasures of the world. But this is easier said than done, and it s definitely not a one-time fix. We must begin each day by reminding ourselves of our desire to change. 5 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

6 What aspects of the Christian life are more amazing than what the world offers? Why do we get stuck in a pattern of enjoying sin rather than enjoying Christ and obedience to Him? How can we help one another move from self-indulgence toward obedience? What type of relationships are necessary for this to happen? Ultimately, the catalyst for change comes from God s conviction and work in our lives. He may use the church and our family/friends to encourage us, but He ll be the one doing the correcting. This is one reason why Scripture reading is so critical. We should be interested in the Bible because we should be interested in what God has to say. In it, He speaks clearly about Himself and us. When we invest time in the Word, we learn to recognize true freedom and how it contrasts to the false pleasures we often choose. > Have a volunteer read Philippians 3: The apostle Paul also wrote about freedom in Christ, a topic prominent in his letter to the Philippians, which, ironically, was written from a prison cell in Rome. Although it could be argued that Paul was anything but free, he encouraged the Philippians to follow his example, focusing on the promises of heaven rather than things that bring temporary enjoyment. Paul, like Peter, wanted to reinforce the idea that abusing freedom brings devastation. He warned his readers not to believe the false teachers who encouraged lawless, selfish living, the antithesis of living for Christ. The strong language Paul used to describe that lifestyle makes it clear how passionately he disagreed with it (v. 19). 6 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

7 Compare Paul s language with Peter s. What similarities do you see? What differences? Instead of focusing on earthly things (v. 19), freedom in Christ means focusing on serving God and living with His kingdom in view. Spiritual freedom allows us to focus on spiritual things. Without new life in Christ, we have nothing but the temporary things of the world. In Christ, we have all we ll ever need to be satisfied. Do you agree that in Christ we can experience complete satisfaction? How is that possible? What is that satisfaction based on? How have your desires changed since you placed faith in Jesus for salvation? Paul described those who live for themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ (v. 18). Is that a fair judgment? Why or why not? Why do you think Paul made such a bold claim? As Paul and Peter reiterated, the alternative to living for self is living for Christ. Verses give some insight as to what that looks like. While others focus on earthly things, we should focus on our heavenly citizenship. What does heavenly citizenship mean? Why is it worth focusing on? What s the connection between our heavenly citizenship and freedom in Christ? 7 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

8 APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. Life is a series of choices. From childhood we re faced with them, and as we grow, we learn their consequences go beyond our own lives. As new creations in Christ, we need to choose things that further God s kingdom and mission over things that hold us back. Choosing the kingdom is at odds with our nature. It means allowing someone else to rule and lead our lives. It requires abandoning our will and control. But we do it because we know there s a better way, and we know we can make a difference. Following Christ gives us a desire to change our ways and for the gospel to be known. And a life lived with that goal in mind is a life lived freely in Christ. 1 What are the priorities of living like Christ? 2 What are the greatest obstacles keeping you from living with an eternal perspective in your relationships? At work? Of your faith? 3 What can you do this week to recalibrate your priorities? 4 Who do you know who exemplifies spiritual freedom in their journeys with Jesus? 8 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

9 PRAY Pray against the various things of the world that are vying for your group members time, loyalty, service, and attention. Pray that, throughout the course of this study, God would reveal to your group members the areas of their lives where they re failing to surrender control to God, and pray that God would show them how that prohibits them from living truly free lives. FOLLOW UP Midway through this week, send a follow-up to your group with some or all of the following information: > Questions to consider as they continue to reflect on what they learned this week: As you ve gone about life this week, what has stuck with you from last week s discussion? In what area of your life do you feel the most enslaved to the world? What is one step you can take toward freedom from that bondage this week? > A note of encouragement, following up on any specific prayer requests mentioned during your group gathering. > The challenge to memorize Philippians 3: > The text for next week s study, so group members can read it in anticipation of next weekend: Deuteronomy 5: Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

10 COMMENTARY JUNE 8, KNOW THE TRUTH (2 PET. 2:1-14) In the context of warning readers about false teachers, Peter identified self-indulgence as a false way to genuine freedom. With only three chapters in his second book, he devoted a third of it (all of 2 Peter 2) to this matter. Obviously it greatly concerned him, primarily because of the self-indulgent lifestyle these teachers followed and taught. Notes: As the first part of verse 10 reveals, the self-indulgent are slaves to desires of the flesh and despise authority, which means they reject genuine freedom. They take selfishness to its highest degree, living only for themselves. They are so corrupt that they eagerly seek opportunities to sin. The next part of this chapter (vv. 10b-14) describes the self-indulgent, their activities, and what will happen to them. Peter used four sets of terms to characterize the self-indulgence of the false teachers. They were bold, arrogant people. These false teachers displayed a brash personality. In their opinion, they were always right and could never be wrong in what they did or taught. Such teachers will eventually be exposed, as Peter did here, and will be rejected, as Peter urged his readers to do. The self-indulgent act out of their sinful human nature, not out of a redeemed nature. Peter compared these false teachers to irrational animals, who behave according to instinct. These people acted out of ignorance, not out of learning informed by God s Spirit. The most important material anyone can teach comes from the Spirit. If He doesn t guide us, whatever information we have is useless and not worthy of exploring, to say nothing of being passed along. In calling these teachers spots and blemishes, Peter employed figurative language to describe the impact of self-indulgence on a person. It s like having a marring spot on one s face or a blemish that renders one unfit for God s service. And to be sure, God still sees self-indulgence as a spot and blemish on people today. Used without a verb, children under a curse describes those under God s curse. Because of their deeds and lifestyles, these 10 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

11 COMMENTARY JUNE 8, 2014 leaders were doomed to punishment. The term literally means children of a curse, which reflects Peter s knowledge of Hebrew expressions and conveys a harsh condemnation. Why did Peter denounce these teachers so strongly? Considering what they did, we may be surprised that he didn t use stronger terms. These false teachers paraded their self-indulgence so openly that they defined depraved living. They loved to carouse in the daytime in contrast to the usual practice of hiding bad behavior by waiting for darkness and they delighted in deceiving others truth and honesty were unimportant in their view. They were always looking for sin, specifically for opportunities to engage in adultery seemingly looking at every woman as a candidate for their evil. In the process they seduced unstable people succeeded in having illicit affairs. They also trained their hearts in greed; like people exercising in a gymnasium, they practiced being greedy. They had an unrestrained desire for everything, things they could have and things they had no business with. Notes: These teachers must have thought they could do or say anything they wanted. We know they fearlessly blasphemed the glorious ones, which likely points to fallen angels, but could refer to good angels or church leaders. Regardless, such behavior contrasted to that of good angels who refused to criticize others. Peter said these people also spoke out of ignorance; they didn t understand what they talked about. The apostle piled up terms in describing what would happen to those practicing self-indulgence. They face destruction being destroyed as the payment for [their] unrighteousness. They ll be judged and found guilty unless they repent. This judgment still remains in effect today. Those who engage in self-indulgent behavior to express their freedom will find just how enslaved and doomed they are. 2. KNOW FREEDOM (2 PET. 2:15-22) As Peter continued his description of self-indulgent sinners, he made three unfavorable comparisons regarding them and their ways. In so doing, he issued a strong rebuke against 11 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

12 COMMENTARY JUNE 8, 2014 self-indulgence. He first compared the false teachers to Balaam, the son of Bosor, who received an offer of a bribe from the king of Moab. He feared Israel would annihilate his people and asked the prophet Balaam to curse God s people. After a time, Balaam agreed to see the king. Notes: In the course of the journey to Moab, an angel appeared in his path, but Balaam didn t see him. The prophet s donkey, however, did see the angel. The animal then spoke, rebuking its master and revealing its spiritual perception. Comparing false teachers to Balaam was no compliment. It meant they understood less about God than a dumb animal (Numbers 22 24). Balaam had consulted God about this task; but he, like these people, paid little attention to what God said. To be like Balaam is to leave the straight path and go astray. These sinners hiked crooked paths of wickedness, not paths of righteousness. They rejected the way of truth (2 Peter 2: 2) because they loved the wages of unrighteousness. This phrase also appears in verse 13 (translated payment for unrighteousness ), where the context clearly shows it refers to judgment. Here it indicates something these sinners want and enjoy. The idea may be profit from wrong doing or wrongful reward. 1 These teachers used their position for personal gain rather than to serve God or help His people. The second comparison, being like springs without water, projects another unflattering image. What good is a well without water? It is useless; so is a life of self-indulgence. How disappointing it must have been for first-century travelers to find a spring that was dry. How disappointing to have teachers who don t deliver the truth. No less disappointing is practicing self-indulgence and finding only empty living. The third comparison, being like mists driven by a whirlwind, is equally unfavorable. The mist could be fog, by which people know moisture is in the air. Instead of delivering rain, the mist leaves on the wind, another empty promise. Like a thick fog that limits one s vision, what these teachers did and taught only obscured the genuine gospel message. 12 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

13 COMMENTARY JUNE 8, 2014 In verses 13-14, Peter had mentioned the seductive and deceptive ways of these teachers. In verse 18 he specified what their ways were. They deceived others by using an impressive vocabulary, and by appealing to their sinful human nature. They overwhelmed others with their big words and spoke with arrogance and great confidence. They promoted indulging in fleshly desires (evil or lustful desires) and engaging in debauchery (sexual sins; the Greek word is also used in vv. 2,7). The false teachers also deceived others by promising them freedom that really was enslavement. They said believers are free to do whatever they want. However, the teachers lives proved how wrong they were. They were enslaved to this corrupt life, and that s exactly what they offered to others: a life of being slaves of corruption. That leaders seduce others reflects a word that fishermen, such as Peter, would understand. In this case, the hook was the freedom being promised and the seducing bait was the sinful behavior being promoted. Thus Peter declared the gloom of darkness would engulf these false teachers, an allusion to their future judgment. A pastor once told me about the darkness in an oil fire. It burns, but not brightly. It burns darkly, with smoke so black that one in its midst cannot see anything. Assuming he was correct, he accurately described the picture here. 3. FOCUS ON ETERNITY (PHIL. 3:17-21) Paul also knew something about genuine freedom and the dangers associated with self-indulgence. He took a different approach than Peter. In so doing, he added to both the description of this lifestyle and to steps we can take to avoid it. Using a series of contrasts, Paul warned Philippian readers about such behavior. He contrasted the focus of the self-indulgent with his own, their behavior with his, and the differing results of such behavior. The self-indulgent, Paul exclaimed, live as enemies of the cross, a phrase that serves as the overall description of their lifestyle. This serious charge can t be taken lightly. Knowing Paul saw his calling as preaching so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect 13 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

14 COMMENTARY JUNE 8, 2014 (1 Corinthians 1:17) helps us understand what he meant here. People can misrepresent the cross s meaning by what they say and do. To do so, however, is to identify themselves as enemies of the cross. People declare whether they have a relationship with Christ and what they think of His cross by the focus of their lives. The self-indulgent show they think little of Christ and His cross by focusing on earthly things. This term pictures more than concern for the routine matters of life food, housing, job, and so on. Instead, it points to life apart from God, to carnal living, and to pursuing that which satisfies fleshly appetites. Paul, however, focused on citizenship in heaven and urged his readers to do the same. Living in the Roman colony of Philippi meant its people lived under Rome s laws. It also meant many had Roman citizenship, and Paul alluded to that. The Christians there also had a higher, more important citizenship, however, and they needed to focus on it and the freedom associated with it. The behavior of self-indulgent people also shows what they think of the cross. Verse 19 mentions two examples of how they live. They, in essence, worship their stomach. This term paints a word picture of a person s appetite in all areas of living. It certainly refers to what people put in their mouths, but it has sexual overtones as well. By this statement Paul warned readers against making self-satisfaction the goal of all they do in their lives. The second example, Their glory is in their shame, means such people enjoy things and activities that should shame them. They have upside-down value systems. They value whatever makes them happy and have no sense of right and wrong, of moral and immoral. As a result, they brag about their freedom to do whatever they want and about the fact they do no less. Sadly, they view their way of life as appropriate for Christians. To counter such behavior, Paul offered two strategies. The first might seem a bit arrogant, to join in imitating him, to follow his example. But look back at verse 12. There the apostle acknowledged he wasn t fully mature. So he wasn t setting himself up as perfect or anything close. Also, he called on his readers to follow 14 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church

15 COMMENTARY JUNE 8, 2014 others who set good examples. In addition, these Christians didn t possess a New Testament to study (those books that had been written by this time weren t necessarily recognized as Scripture yet). They may have had only Paul s letter and the examples he mentioned. He was telling them to follow the best examples they could find. The second strategy had no less significance: believers were to be like him in eagerly waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ. Roman citizens often longed for the emperor to visit them. As Christians, they were to long for the second coming of the Savior. When believers focus on their heavenly citizenship and anticipate the Lord s return, they ll have less inclination and time to indulge themselves. For those who practiced self-indulgence, Paul had a stern admonition: Their end is destruction. Their behavior showed they weren t Christians, and they faced this inevitable, dire result. Of course, they could escape destruction, but they would have to change their way of thinking. Even more importantly, they would have to place their faith in Jesus and make Him their Lord instead of their self-indulgent ways. 15 Insanity Brentwood Baptist Church