Play video from Joel Osteen from CNN Interview (youtube link)

Please turn with me in your Bibles to:

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

It’s not my intention today to make this sermon about Joel Osteen, but I do want to use Joel to make an introductory point. I believe Joel is sincere in what he believes. But I believe as you saw in this clip, Joel has a difficult problem answering the interviewers of CNN. Why? Because Joel is detached from the historic Gospel.

Joel preaches not the Gospel of Christ,
but the Gospel of “I”

Review what he said. His focus is to “lift people’s spirits”, not to direct them to God. He wants people to leave saying “I can do better. I can rise higher.” Instead of “I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST JESUS” (Philippians 4:13). Joel’s message focuses on our power instead of the God Who says:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) … “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Joel said, “In the old days, you went to Church to know what you’re doing wrong, and came away thinking ‘I’m so guilty I can’t do right’”. Joel said, “I want people to leave our Church saying ‘I can do better. God has planted seeds of greatness in me’”.

Joel does not focus on sin, yet the Bible does. The Gospel does. “All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “The wages of sin is DEATH, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus OUR LORD.”

Joel admits that homosexuality is a sin, but dances around the issue rather than be blunt, using straw man arguments. He says, “I’ve stayed in my lane, and my lane is lifting people’s spirits. Pride is a sin. There are other sins”. Yes Joel, there are other sins – and all sins are evil because they are against God’s loving design for us.

Joel’s Word says “I Can”. God’s Word says “I Can’t, But God Can If I Repent. I Can Through Christ.

What does the Bible say to the question, “Will people who are practicing sexual immorality go to Heaven?” Paul, what is your answer? When the Apostle was confronted with the Church at Corinth, where the members were suing one another in court, the Apostle did not categorize this loveless act as a “little” sin or a big sin. What he said was:

1 Corinthians 6:6-10 (ESV) … brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

The Apostle tells the Church that not only those holding up Christ and His Church to ridicule WILL NOT enter Heaven, but he goes on the address ALL SEXUALLY IMMORAL people, IDOLATORS, THIEVES, GREEDY, DRUNKARDS, REVILERS, SWINDLERS and HOMOSEXUALS. But what does Paul through the Spirit of God tell us next? Here’s the GOOD NEWS.

2 Corinthians 6:11 (ESV) And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Can a REPENTANT sinner go to Heaven? Yes, if you have repented, and called upon Jesus to save you. You “WERE WASHED”. You didn’t wash yourself. God washed you. You “WERE SANCTIFIED”, set apart for God’s use. God the Holy Spirit did that to you. You “WERE JUSTIFIED”. You didn’t get better on your own, but “calling upon the Name of the Lord, you were saved” (1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 2:21).

God saves those who REPENT and COME TO JESUS. When we recognize ourselves as sinners, and come to Him Who died for sinners, you shall be saved.

You cannot be saved unless you are CONVICTED of God that YOU ARE A SINNER. You cannot be saved unless you surrender to Jesus and let Him be your Lord and Savior.

The Gospel Of “I”, Though Increasingly Popular,
Is Horribly Dangerous, For It Is A Lie

The Gospel of “I” starts with the premise that we’re all okay, and that God loves everyone the way they are. The Gospel of “I” starts – not with Scripture – but with human viewpoint. Let’s look at our text again:

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you…

Word Study Let’s start with the “But”. The word “But”, the Greek δέ (de) is a coordinating conjunction used to connect ideas that contrast. It’s different from the coordinating conjunction AND, as AND connects two things that are similar. BUT connects two things that are opposites. The BUT in verse 1 connects us to what was discussed last week:

2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Word Study God gave us the Scripture NOT from 40 people’s opinions, not based on what THEY thought, but the Scripture was given to those men – these prophecies – “as they were moved by the Holy Ghost {spirit}”. The Holy Spirit “moved”, the Greek pherō, which means “to lift up, to bear, to carry”. The same verb was used of John the Baptist’s head CARRIED (pherō) on a platter (Matthew 14:11), or when four friends CARRIED (pherō) a crippled friend to see Jesus (Mark 2:3). The Bible tells us that God controlled the writings of Scripture, the Prophesies, so that what was produced was not flawed human byproducts, but the very Word of God. God has given us His Word, and clear instructions by His Word.

BUT where ever God speaks, it isn’t long before Satan and sinful humanity will rise up with a “what about this”. It happened in the Garden of Eden. God gave very clear directives to Adam on what he could, and could NOT eat. Satan entered in and said “has God really said?” When our foreparents didn’t run him out of the Garden, he went on to say “You will NOT die if you eat of the forbidden. God is trying to rob you of your joy!” Go ahead, do it.

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you…

Where there is the TRUE, there will always be the FALSE. Where there is the LIGHT, there will always be competing DARKNESS. Our Lord Jesus warned us of “false prophets”. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Wolves are dangerous. Disguised wolves are doubly dangerous. Disguised wolves in the Church are fatal!

How did Jesus characterize false prophets? First of all, they do not come to you with a sign above their head saying “FALSE PROPHET”. If they did that, you would know what they are. But what false prophets do – according to our Lord – is they “come to you in sheep’s clothing”. Now what is sheep’s clothing? Do sheep wear denim, or dresses? Do they wear patent leather or pretty suits? No, sheep wear WOOL. How does a wolf come to you in sheep’s clothing? The wolf must KILL THE SHEEP. It leads sheep to death. Those who preach a Gospel of “I” are leading people not to salvation, but death.

Word Study These wolves are, as Jesus said, “ravenous” (Greek arpax), which means “extortioners”. An “extortioner” is someone who kidnaps what is rightfully yours, then charges you money or services to get what is yours back. The false prophets (Greek pseudoprophētēs) rob people of the Gospel of salvation, and instead offer false promises and false hopes.

Jude, a stepbrother of Jesus wrote of this twisting of the Gospel. He wrote:

Jude 3-4 (ESV) Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

After the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and after the Apostles went out preaching “the FAITH ONCE DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS”, it wasn’t long before people “CREPT or SLITHERED IN” (Greek pareisdýnō) to the Churches. As false prophets they began to teach various falsehoods. Some taught that Jesus never died, but just swooned on the Cross. Others taught that the blood of Christ is insufficient to save, but you must be circumcised. Yet others taught that Jesus is but One of many ways to God. False writings cropped up called pseudepigrapha and apocryphal writings. If you can imagine it, it has been taught. The intent of the false prophets and false teachers is to “pervert the grace of our God into sensuality”. To make Grace all about “I”.

I have heard preachers say “God created man because He needed man to be complete”. That’s the Gospel of “I” talking. God doesn’t NEED us, though God MADE us and God LOVES us. But God is complete in Himself.

The Gospel of salvation brings a person to call upon Jesus as Lord and Savior. But the Gospel of “I” causes a person to “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ”. The Gospel of salvation brings a person into the Kingdom of God and, eventual Heaven. The Gospel of “I” makes a person thing that THEY are THEIR OWN KING, and are co-equal rulers with Christ in glory. Jesus said,

Matthew 24:11 … many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Continuing with our text, these FALSE PROPHETSand FALSE TEACHERS will…

2 Peter 2:1 … privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Word Study Again, these false prophets and teachers do what they do PRIVILY (pareisagō, SECRETLY, or CRAFTILY). They sneak about. They mask their real intent. They don’t do what they do in the LIGHT or in the OPEN, but conspire and sneak about. What are they doing? They are bringing about “DAMNABLE HERESIES”, the Greek apōleia airesis, “doctrines that bring utter destruction or ruin”.

The future Antichrist is called “The Son of apōleia, utter destruction” (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3). What the false prophets and false teachers bring is damnation with them – not blessing.

They “deny the Lord that BOUGHT them”. Jesus purchased our salvation by the shedding of His Blood on Calvary. Do you not know

1 Corinthians 6:20 … ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 7:23 … Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

Though A Best Seller, The Gospel Of “I”
Lies About The Nature Of God

2 Peter 2:2-3 And many shall follow their pernicious (Greek apōleia) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Word Study The word “PERNICIOUS” is the same word translated “DAMNABLE” in verse 1, the Greek apōleia. Again, this means “something that brings total destruction”. A lot of people will follow the words of the false prophets and false teachers, because their ways require no repentance. The Gospel of “I” ignores passages like:

Psalm 145:20 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

God despises what He has categorized as SIN, because SIN BRINGS DEATH. To those who will be saved, God will save. But in order to be saved you must REPENT. Our Lord Jesus preached:

Matthew 4:17 … REPENT: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

Matthew 9:13 … I am not come to call the righteous, but SINNERS TO REPENTANCE

The Gospel of the Scripture declares that we are all broken. But if we will come to God, turning away from being our own gods, then He will abundantly save whosoever will. Our Lord Jesus took the cup of suffering for us. He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane praying,

Luke 22:42 (AP) Father, if it be Thy will, let THIS CUP – THIS CROSS – pass from Me. NEVERTHELESS NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE.

Illustrate: One popular book of fiction called The Shack portrays God as saying, “I don’t need to punish people for sin…. It’s not My purpose to punish it..” Is that true? Then why did Jesus have to go to the Cross of Calvary. A false teacher called Rob Bell questioned the nature of God and hell, saying “Has God created millions of people over tens of thousands of years who are going to spend eternity in anguish? Can God do this, or even allow this, and still claim to be a loving God?” Yes, God can.

The false prophet and false teacher “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you”. They do not love those they are writing to, speaking to, teaching. It is not love to contradict God’s Word in order to gain a following. When my mother told me not to touch a hot stove, and then spanked me when I tried to do so, was not unloving. Love speaks the truth. You do not love someone when you see them doing something dangerous. You love them when you tell them what they are doing is foolish, against God’s Word.

Rather than make up a fictitious god of the Bible, why not refer to the Holy Scripture. We have previously been told that the Prophecy did not come by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved or carried along by the Holy Spirit. So what does the Bible tell us about God’s nature?

God Punished Catastrophically Before,
He Will Do So Again

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

There were angels that revolted from Heaven with Lucifer, also known as Satan. Some of these angels are mentioned in

Jude 6 … the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day

These angels did something so horrific that God cast them into a pit the Bible calls “chains of darkness”. These angels – powerful beings – are being imprisoned until the Day of Final Judgment, where they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. God punishes sin.

2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

As wickedness grew in our world, the Bible says that

Genesis 6:5-8 (ESV) The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

What made God want top destroy the world that He made? It was that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. People had departed from Who God is, and had turned their back on the Gospel of salvation. People began to adhere to the Gospel of “I”. They became so wicked that God said, “I regret making them. I’m going to blot it all out”. God did not spare the “OLD WORLD”, but because of sin God purged it by water, “bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly”. The Bible says that

1 Peter 3:20 … eight souls were saved by water

Those who heard the preaching of Noah and who GOT ON THE ARK were saved by the same water that killed the rest of the world. I am certain there were false prophets mocking Noah, and telling the lost that God loved them so much that He wouldn’t drown them. They were wrong.

2 Peter 2:6-8 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

When the world became so wicked that God had to destroy it, He did so by water. But the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed by God by FIRE. Why? The Bible says:

Genesis 13:13 (ESV) Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

God calls sinners to REPENT. But when they reject God, and refuse to repent and cast themselves upon the Lord Jesus Christ, then they open the door to utter destruction. God sent two angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, saying:

Genesis 18:20 Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? It was the Gospel of “I”. It was a taste for and tolerance for sin, for that which God has forbidden.

Jesus was preaching one day, telling the people to repent and come to Him. Word came to the disciples that some Galileans had been offering sacrifices at the Temple when Pilate’s solders killed them at the altar of God. People began to think, “What did those Galileans do to deserve that?” Jesus told the crowd:

Luke 13:2-5 (ESV) … “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (apollymi, be brought to utter ruin). 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (apollymi, be brought to utter ruin).”

I heard someone in our flock joking about Church. He said, “We come to Church, the Preacher tells us how bad we are, then we eat friend chicken”. That’s amusing! But Beloved, it’s my calling to tell you that “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”.

Do you know Jesus? Have you given your life to Him? You cannot be saved unless – turning from your sin and the Gospel of “I”, you run into the arms of Jesus. Oh, that God the Holy Spirit would lead you to Christ this very day. Amen and Amen.