And we're back to
Books of the Book.
00:00:01.40\00:00:02.77
Dr. Tom Shepherd is with us.
Dr. Tom, what is the circle of
00:00:02.80\00:00:07.77
damnation that you
were talking about?
00:00:07.80\00:00:09.21
Well we talked about the
implicit circle of damnation
00:00:09.25\00:00:12.69
that is in 1 Peter where he
warns them about the pull of
00:00:12.72\00:00:15.41
passion and the push of
persecution that could draw them
00:00:15.45\00:00:18.07
back out of the church. But in
2 Peter he talks directly about
00:00:18.11\00:00:22.02
the wrong path of the false
teachers and that's what we call
00:00:22.06\00:00:25.94
the explicit circle of
damnation. How did this happen,
00:00:25.97\00:00:29.34
what's involved in this. It's
rather interesting looking at
00:00:29.38\00:00:34.62
this passage through the book
of 2 Peter to notice the kinds
00:00:34.65\00:00:39.86
of words that Peter uses
to describe the actions of the
00:00:39.90\00:00:44.08
false teachers. He says in
chapter 2, verse 1 that they
00:00:44.11\00:00:48.22
bring in destructive heresies.
Just like they're importing them
00:00:48.26\00:00:53.70
they bring in... In chapter 2,
verse 3 that they exploit with
00:00:53.74\00:00:59.13
false words. He says in verse
10 that they indulge in lust and
00:00:59.16\00:01:05.01
despise authority and blaspheme
angels. Then he says in verse 14
00:01:05.05\00:01:10.44
and 18 of chapter 2, they entice
unsteady people. He says in
00:01:10.48\00:01:16.24
verse 19 they promise freedom.
In verse 21 he says they turn
00:01:16.28\00:01:21.63
back from the holy commandment
and in chapter 3, verses 3 and 4
00:01:21.66\00:01:26.80
he says they scoff at the second
coming and in verse 5 that they
00:01:26.84\00:01:31.95
deliberately forget
what creation was all about.
00:01:31.98\00:01:35.71
The order of this list in
2 Peter isn't chronological
00:01:35.75\00:01:39.73
because certainly somebody
had to turn back from the holy
00:01:39.76\00:01:43.36
commandment, which was the
seventh item we mentioned before
00:01:43.40\00:01:46.96
they would bring in destructive
heresies which is the first
00:01:46.99\00:01:51.05
thing that he mentioned. So
we can argue about the logic and
00:01:51.09\00:01:54.43
the order of how this all
occurred but it seems like there
00:01:54.46\00:01:58.37
are kind of three steps that
these people followed. First was
00:01:58.40\00:02:02.27
deliberately forgetting,
deliberately forgetting the
00:02:02.31\00:02:05.46
truths that were inconvenient
for them to remember. Then they
00:02:05.50\00:02:10.82
continue in this path, they turn
back, they scoff, they despise
00:02:10.86\00:02:16.15
authority and they start
blaspheming. They start to take
00:02:16.19\00:02:19.70
the holy and misuse it; they
don't take it seriously anymore.
00:02:19.73\00:02:24.58
Then this leads them into more
boldness where they indulge lust
00:02:24.61\00:02:29.43
they bring in heresies, they
exploit people and they start
00:02:29.46\00:02:33.06
enticing people and promising
them freedom and the freedom
00:02:33.09\00:02:36.83
turns out to be the very lusts
that they are entrapped by.
00:02:36.87\00:02:41.60
So this three-step pattern
that begins with this deliberate
00:02:41.63\00:02:47.85
diminishing of the truth has
its outcome in terrible downfall
00:02:47.89\00:02:54.04
They begin on an intellectual
level it seems but they end in
00:02:54.08\00:03:00.65
debasing immorality. So it's
a pretty sad picture of the way
00:03:00.68\00:03:08.51
things progress in their lives.
Now if you think back to 1 Peter
00:03:08.55\00:03:16.34
and the way it described
ministry; we talked about this
00:03:16.38\00:03:23.01
before that there were three
sets of antitheses and that if
00:03:23.05\00:03:28.74
somebody was under compulsion
to become a leader that there
00:03:28.78\00:03:34.44
could be a step where
they would them move from under
00:03:34.47\00:03:39.43
compulsion they might then
think well I gave everything so
00:03:39.47\00:03:43.77
they should give back to me.
So they seek gain, they think
00:03:43.81\00:03:48.56
the money and then they start to
use their power to rule people
00:03:48.60\00:03:53.13
that this could be the very
beginning steps of these false
00:03:53.17\00:03:58.01
teachers coming into the wrong
path, the path of destruction.
00:03:58.04\00:04:02.68
So let me just kind of lay this
out as to how this could develop
00:04:02.72\00:04:07.32
So if the step before the
deliberate forgetting was people
00:04:07.36\00:04:10.98
being pushed into leadership, we
start to see where the seeds of
00:04:11.01\00:04:15.56
the problem reside. Power can
easily go to your head if you're
00:04:15.60\00:04:20.11
not mature and recognize
it's seductiveness. All right.
00:04:20.15\00:04:25.33
So that can lead you to see
yourself as the person of wisdom
00:04:25.36\00:04:28.67
and authority. After all, they
put you in that position, they
00:04:28.71\00:04:31.54
put you in the position of
authority so what you say must
00:04:31.57\00:04:35.76
be good. All right. Then instead
of relying on the council of
00:04:35.79\00:04:40.19
God's word you start relying
on yourself and you start to
00:04:40.23\00:04:44.55
conveniently "forget" teachings
of the scripture that go against
00:04:44.59\00:04:49.28
your point of view. You don't
like to hear those anymore and
00:04:49.32\00:04:53.81
you resent those who oppose you
and you start to scoff at their
00:04:53.85\00:04:58.95
warnings and indulge yourself
in self-pity and worse than that
00:04:58.98\00:05:04.18
when things don't go as you want
you go into further trouble.
00:05:04.22\00:05:08.96
You become convinced of your own
views and persuasively induce
00:05:08.99\00:05:14.54
other people to do the same. You
put your prospective in the best
00:05:14.57\00:05:19.79
light and you scoff at the views
of others. Soon it seems all
00:05:19.83\00:05:23.92
right to do the things you used
to do that you used to consider
00:05:23.96\00:05:27.70
terrible and reprehensible and
when someone confronts you on
00:05:27.74\00:05:30.82
that matter you accuse them of
being in the wrong rather than
00:05:30.86\00:05:36.20
yourself. It's a rather sad
downward spiral, the circle of
00:05:36.24\00:05:40.47
damnation. Now we're putting
together the two scenarios here,
00:05:40.51\00:05:44.71
one from 1 Peter and 2
Peter where ministry went in the
00:05:44.75\00:05:49.31
wrong direction because people
were pushed into leadership too
00:05:49.35\00:05:55.22
early. To me this whole picture
illustrates how any of us can go
00:05:55.25\00:06:01.09
wrong and how we should be
really humble about who we are
00:06:01.12\00:06:06.69
that we don't think that nothing
wrong could happen to us.
00:06:06.73\00:06:12.42
We also must take really good
care of those who are new in the
00:06:12.46\00:06:17.77
faith. We must take time to
establish them in the faith and
00:06:17.81\00:06:23.05
not require of them or push them
forward into things too early in
00:06:23.09\00:06:27.23
the faith. There are many
people who leave the church.
00:06:27.27\00:06:32.58
You probably have examples in
your own experience of someone
00:06:32.61\00:06:36.01
that you remember
that went away from Christ.
00:06:36.04\00:06:40.07
Certainly. I think we've all
had experience like that and you
00:06:40.10\00:06:43.27
know in my Christian walk
I've learned that faith is not
00:06:43.30\00:06:48.77
permanent. So every day
it's a constant renewal of that
00:06:48.80\00:06:54.20
relationship with the Lord. With
technology these days such as
00:06:54.24\00:06:59.28
social media networks, you're
able to somehow find old friends
00:06:59.31\00:07:04.98
you haven't seen in years. It's
very easy to do. I think most of
00:07:05.01\00:07:11.17
us have an account and recently
I remember there was a friend
00:07:11.20\00:07:16.53
who posted a picture and in
this picture was a group of us.
00:07:16.56\00:07:21.55
It was a group members from the
church, Pathfinders actually,
00:07:21.59\00:07:26.54
and in that group, that
must have been 15 years ago, I
00:07:26.58\00:07:30.33
remember each and every one
of my little friends and I was
00:07:30.36\00:07:35.60
still a boy there. And I recall
that we are tagged. You know
00:07:35.64\00:07:39.78
when we are tagged that means
that each person can get that
00:07:39.81\00:07:43.89
same picture. So looking at this
picture, I'm looking at myself,
00:07:43.92\00:07:48.31
I'm looking at my other friends
and here they are and I'm
00:07:48.35\00:07:52.15
wondering, wow, where are
they now? So as I recall each of
00:07:52.18\00:07:56.86
their names I know them now,
where their lifestyle has gone
00:07:56.90\00:08:01.51
and what it used to be before as
we were together going to church
00:08:01.55\00:08:05.25
going to these Pathfinder
meetings and how they've drifted
00:08:05.28\00:08:09.09
from that walk in their life.
00:08:09.13\00:08:11.67
So what is it that's
helped to keep you in the faith?
00:08:11.70\00:08:15.11
Well that's a good question.
I think it's really like I said
00:08:15.15\00:08:20.06
that daily communion with the
Lord, that daily manna, if you
00:08:20.09\00:08:25.25
will, to continue growing
in Christ. That's probably one,
00:08:25.28\00:08:30.40
not a secret, but I
think that's helped me a lot.
00:08:30.44\00:08:35.17
I talk to people sometimes about
helping to keep their children
00:08:35.20\00:08:37.96
from leaving the faith and
I present four principles that
00:08:37.99\00:08:42.91
I believe can, it's not
foolproof but it is very
00:08:42.94\00:08:47.63
helpful. The first think is
to love your children, but you
00:08:47.66\00:08:51.67
have to love them dearly. They
have to be able to see that that
00:08:51.70\00:08:54.95
you care about them and you love
them. And of course, they talk
00:08:54.99\00:08:58.20
about love languages. There
are different kinds of love
00:08:58.24\00:09:00.16
languages. For some people it's
time together, for some it's
00:09:00.19\00:09:03.33
just a little present, for
some it's words of affirmation.
00:09:03.36\00:09:06.46
There's these different kinds
of love languages, but the thing
00:09:06.50\00:09:10.48
they know, they are clear, that
you love them. Okay. Second is
00:09:10.51\00:09:14.10
that your rules that you have
in the household are reasonable
00:09:14.14\00:09:19.24
rules. They aren't just on a
whim and they don't come and go.
00:09:19.27\00:09:24.34
They're simple, they're
reasonable. In my family it was
00:09:24.37\00:09:28.57
anything that would harm your
life; that was a rule that you
00:09:28.60\00:09:33.46
didn't do that or if it
was direct disobedience to a
00:09:33.49\00:09:36.09
parent's statement. Third is,
and this is very important, that
00:09:36.12\00:09:40.21
is to live your faith in front
of your children. To live your
00:09:40.25\00:09:44.12
faith in front of your children.
Your children should see that
00:09:44.16\00:09:48.75
your faith makes a difference.
So when I put the tithe envelope
00:09:48.79\00:09:52.67
into the offering plate, I
am saying to my children that my
00:09:52.71\00:09:57.60
faith is important. When
they do something or if I make a
00:09:57.64\00:10:01.92
mistake and I have to go
apologize for that maybe to them
00:10:01.95\00:10:06.16
maybe to somebody else and they
see me take a role of humility
00:10:06.20\00:10:10.38
they see that those principles
of my faith are important to me.
00:10:10.42\00:10:14.96
When they know if I'm honest;
I didn't get something, I got
00:10:14.99\00:10:19.25
too much money back that I
go back and return it. They are
00:10:19.29\00:10:24.20
seeing me live my faith. If
I'm involved in the life of the
00:10:24.23\00:10:27.70
church, I'm a Sabbath School
teacher or leader, when they're
00:10:27.73\00:10:31.16
in Pathfinders I'm the
Pathfinder leader, when they're
00:10:31.20\00:10:34.48
in the cradle roll I'm in the
cradle roll, when they're doing
00:10:34.52\00:10:37.38
youth I'm in the youth. I'm
with them and helping them and
00:10:37.41\00:10:40.20
I'm helping to encourage them,
then they see that I'm living my
00:10:40.24\00:10:43.48
faith, that my faith is
important to me, that helps them
00:10:43.51\00:10:46.76
for that faith to be important
to them. And the last thing is
00:10:46.80\00:10:49.98
to answer their questions when
they have questions and if you
00:10:50.01\00:10:53.00
don't know the answers it's
better to say you don't know the
00:10:53.04\00:10:56.14
answers and go find somebody
that does. And of course, there
00:10:56.17\00:10:59.24
are just some things in
life where you just don't have
00:10:59.28\00:11:01.17
answers. But if they see again
that you have the faith that you
00:11:01.20\00:11:05.54
can have certain answers that
you've put into a little box
00:11:05.57\00:11:09.25
called "I'll ask Jesus. " You
don't' have all the answers in
00:11:09.28\00:11:13.07
life but you're still a person
of faith. These four principles,
00:11:13.11\00:11:16.87
love, reasonable rules, living
your faith in front of your
00:11:16.90\00:11:19.93
children and answering
their questions are almost
00:11:19.97\00:11:24.72
irresistible to stay in the
faith. Not totally but it really
00:11:24.75\00:11:29.73
helps. Dr.
Shepherd, perhaps someone is
00:11:29.76\00:11:31.15
watching who has gone astray or
knows someone, a family member
00:11:31.19\00:11:34.40
or friend who no longer is in
church, maybe one of my friends
00:11:34.43\00:11:38.27
is watching. What would you
say to them. Is there hope for
00:11:38.31\00:11:42.11
someone who has gone astray?
00:11:42.15\00:11:43.52
Where there's life there's hope.
You can come back. I know that
00:11:43.55\00:11:48.12
coming back to church can be
a great struggle. Most people
00:11:48.15\00:11:51.77
in church don't realize just how
hard it is to come back. Please
00:11:51.80\00:11:55.17
come back. Don't stay away. The
Lord wants you back. He wants
00:11:55.20\00:11:59.43
to bless you. We're going to
study 2 Peter 3 and find a very
00:11:59.47\00:12:04.00
interesting concept about those
who have gone away; what could
00:12:04.03\00:12:08.10
happen for them in the future.
I hope that you'll join us as we
00:12:08.13\00:12:11.96
continue to study this wonderful
book of 2 Peter. Our next study
00:12:11.99\00:12:15.79
will be in the book
of 2 Peter chapter 3.
00:12:15.82\00:12:18.46