As a teenage Christian, God really kept me going through a Christian camp I went to each summer in Seaton. One of the regular afternoon activities was to wind your way along the cliff path to Beer where you walked a plank into an open fishing boat to fish for mackerel. The first time you do it you notice something very strange. When you drop the line over board each of the hooks has a bit of mackerel on it already. Of course it is just a very small flap of skin that is particularly white and silvery. This tragically acts as the bait. As it streams in the water behind the moving boat it flashes as it catches the sunlight. This attracts the mackerel onto the sharp barbed hook. Mackerel on toast for breakfast: mmmm. You see the fish are so taken in by the flash and sparkle of their compatriots skin they do not see the danger behind it. Our passage today in 2 Peter 2 exposes the flash and sparkle of a particular bait and the danger lurking behind it. Please have your Bibles open to check that what I am saying is faithful to the passage. 2 Peter Chapter 2 can be found on page 1225.

1-3: A REAL AND PRESENT DANGER

What sort of danger signs do you pay attention to I wonder? I would suggest the ones that threaten something very valuable to you. Whether it be your own health or the health of a loved one or your property perhaps. Maybe you are crawling along Exeter's congested streets on a hot May day and the vehicle in front has steam puffing out from it's bonnet. Well that's an obvious danger sign that the car is about to do irreparable damage to itself. You see you recognise a REAL DANGER. In particular a danger to the life of your material possessions.

Or maybe at home you have a bottle of bleach that says on it do not leave in the reach of children. You recognise this could be a REAL DANGER. In particular to your young child or a child visiting you.

But what happens if you read of a warning in the Bible. You see the warning signs in the Bible are not so much concerned with material or physical health but SPIRITUAL health.

In our passage this morning we read of such a warning about our spiritual health. My challenge to you is will your recognise the danger? Will you see the danger talked of here as a real danger today - to you and to those you are responsible for?

Well let's look at how REAL AND PRESENT THIS DANGER IS. So in verses 1- to 3 then we see a very real and present danger.

Verse 1 says

<v1> there will be false teachers among you. So the wrapping on the danger is beginning to be torn off here. Our first tear exposes the term False teaching. This we see is very dangerous because it is both teaching that DENIES AND DESTROYS. It denies the Master, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. And to deny the Master, Jesus Christ, is to bring swift destruction. What a horrible thought to cut yourself off from your only Saviour. To deny him is to destroy your means of escape and therefore destroy yourself. Feel the reality of the danger now. But as we expose this false teaching further notice that it will be both secret and within us. We could translate secretly bring as PUT ALONGSIDE. So the true will be layered with the false. Now that is a shock! I would suggest that is a massive blow! I expect false teaching to be completely separate from true gospel teaching. I expect anti-gospel ideas to be the preserve of the liberal Churches. We expect that as a solid, conservative evangelical, church plant with a godly minister of the gospel to be impenetrable. No false teaching will get through our walls. We will never have secret destroyers among us like time bombs just waiting to go off we boast! But no! says Peter. There WILL be deniers of Christ in the Christian Church! So watch out! We must pray with great conviction for those who do any amount of teaching in Trinity. Let's resolve to struggle in prayer for Jonny, those who lead the services and preach, those who teach our youngsters and also all of us as we seek to encourage each other. Let us pray as Paul urged Timothy -that we guard the good deposit entrusted to us.

So the danger is very present but is also very real. See in verses 2 and 3. Many will follow their sensuality - that is, many will follow the false teacher's sensuality. So what is their sensuality? Firstly, it looks and sounds very attractive. Many are following it after all. Secondly it brings down the Christian's reputation. And lastly it seems their cause is an expensive one in verse 2. So their sensuality is attractive, brings slander and could be expensive. Later on in the chapter we see that these false teachers entice the unsteady. The word entice in the original translation of Peter's letter gives us the idea of a fishing bait or lure. The promise of sensual freedom glints and sparkles before us - just within our reach - we are attracted by its bright colours. Listen how the proverb warns us - do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. The heady rush of pleasurable parties with tantalizing sights, tastes, and feelings. The clink of crystal and glint of buffed chrome, the flashing lights of the fruit machines, and the addiction of the dangerously private Internet connection. The tempting voices of companions saying won't you have another drink, we can share a taxi together, come let us take our fill of love till morning.

But then the superficiality of the sensuousness merely masks the sharpened steel hook. There lies the real danger. Now do you see the reality of the danger? As we turn towards this brand of false teaching we turn away from Christ. Our own sensual desires become our highest authority. We conveniently remember the false words and conveniently forget Christ the true Saviour.

4 -10a THE LORD KNOWS

Well does Peter mean to be so serious and so dark? Let us read on to find out. Our middle section proves to us one thing. THE LORD KNOWS (see v 9). He knows what we are like and how to deal with us. He is the Lord who has been acting in history for centuries past. Peter helpfully reminds of the single, unified plot line of History - God's history. We see 3 examples in this next section which prove something both of immense comfort and discomfort. Peter reminds those of us who have Goldfish memories of his past judgments. In the first example we hear of God throwing angels into hell. This stings us with the fact that not even the angels are spared. The following 2 examples hold out much hope for the struggling Christian though. We have Noah and seven others being set aside from the judgment of the whole of mankind. And then Lot being rescued from Sodom and Gomorrah. These two accounts remind us that the LORD KNOWS VERY WELL how to rescue the righteous before they are included in the judgment of the unrighteous. The Lord knows both how to rescue and reserve. Rescue the tiny minority yet reserve the majority for his judgment. What a great comfort for us if we are a Christian in a thoroughly godless environment. Whether it be our workplace, family life or just being a resident of the City of Exeter. Though you may feel you are the only Christian standing up for the truth God will rescue us from our trials and temptations.

But what if we know deep in our hearts we are heading for judgment ? Perhaps you admit you continually swim with the flow of today's sensual society. Well you must turn to Jesus Christ for your rescue. He is your one and only rescuer. He alone knows how to pull you from the rapids heading down to judgment. If you feel hopelessly outside of God's rescue plan or have never heard of it or maybe even are in two minds about it - please merely ask the Lord to rescue you before it is too late. HE KNOWS HOW TO RESCUES YOU.