Sermon Tone Analysis

*God’s judgment on the ungodly and his love*

 

Jude vs. 14-15

Preached in Southbridge on 5-27-07

 

Introduction:

            Jude uses the prophecy of Enoch to let these Christians know that God is coming in judgment on the wicked teachers among them.

Remember these Christians are being divided and abused by the same men who are supposed to be protecting them and who are supposed to be examples of Christ.

That’s what a Shepherd does.

Now even though Jude uses this prophecy and applies it to these Christians the prophecy goes a lot further than just to them.

This is a prophecy that applies to all people of all time.

I want us to focus today on the prophecy of Enoch as presented here by Jude.

Let’s read the prophecy in Jude vs. 14-15:

/Jud 1:14-15 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

/

 

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Extreme Judgment

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The first thing we need to see is that this is an extreme scene of judgment

/                                                              i.

/Isaiah 34:1-5 /Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples!

Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it.

For the LORD is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter.

Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood.

All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll.

All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.

For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction.

/

/                                                            ii.

/Here again is a prophecy of extreme judgment.

You may remember when we looked at this chapter a while back that this passage had application to the people living at that time but also has application for us today as this depicts the future judgment upon the wicked.

/                                                          iii.

/The picture we get from scripture is clear when God comes in judgment it’s complete and a fearful thing.

These images are not given to us to make us feel good but to make us fear a holy and righteous God.

/1.      /Proverbs 9:10 /The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight./

iv.

God is holy and righteous and just and we need a reverent fear and respect for God.

He is not our old uncle Joe or a Santa Claws in the sky, this is the holy and just judge, creator, and savior of the universe.

So the first thing we see is that our God is to be honored and respected with a holy fear.

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God judges all

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Notice that in the Prophecy of Enoch that judgment comes to all people.

Not just the wicked but all.

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In 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read: /For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil./

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Jesus said he would separate the sheep from the goats, that’s judgment.

Every person on earth will one day face the judgment of a just God.

Psalms 111:7 and Proverbs 16:11 tell us that God is just and righteous as well as many other passages.

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Do you know what all that means?

It means getting what we deserve.

You might think well I’m not that bad of a person so that doesn’t seem that bad.

Let’s keep going through Enoch’s prophecy.

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Convict all the ungodly

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It says that God will convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds and all that the ungodly have spoken against him.

i.

Deeds are actions.

Steeling is an action

                                                            ii.

Speech is what comes out of our mouths.

Using the Lords name as a cuss word.

iii.

I remember a guy I use to work with.

He didn’t believe in God and made that very clear.

We were talking one day and I asked “what if after you died you find out that you were wrong and there is a God?” he said “Well if he can’t take a joke then BLANK HIM!

I don’t want to go to heaven.”

That’s a blasphemous statement and one that God is going to judge.

iv.

God is going to judge the ungodly in all they have said and done.

In fact we know from other passages that the very things we think will be judged.

v.

But who are the ungodly?

That’s very important that we see who they are.

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Who the ungodly are

#. 1 Timothy 1:9-11 /understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted./

#. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11/ 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, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you.../

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Do you know what sin is? It’s not just murder it’s missing the mark of perfection.

It’s doing things that we know are wrong like stealing or lying but it’s also not doing what we know we should do like helping our neighbor.

God is holy and just as we have seen and guess what?

That’s what he requires of us.

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Matthew 5:48 /You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect./

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Are you perfect or sinless?

Who ever in this room is perfect and sinless please leave now because nothing I am going to say applies to you.

O.K. now that the sinless ones have gone let me talk to the sinners, and notice I’m still here, I am a sinner too.

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If God were to judge you based on the 10 commandments would you be innocent or guilty?

Guilty.

If God were to judge you based on the list that Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 would we be innocent or guilty?

Guilty.

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Good news for the ungodly

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Jude says that God is coming in judgment upon the ungodly, which we recognize is us, every single person in this room and in this world.

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But I am here to tell you that there is good news.

Do you know what the word Gospel means?

It means good news.

After all that we read and realized about ourselves and our sin there is good news.

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Jesus died on the cross for sinners, for the ungodly, because he loved us and still loves us but God is righteous and holy and just and there needed to be a payment for sin.

The sins we committed needed payment.

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Rom 5:6 /For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly./

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Rom 6:23 /For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord./

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There was a debt that needed to be paid, that we owed.

Jesus suffered and died in our place and the gift hat he gives is eternal life.

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Receiving the gift

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But how do we receive the gift?

Turn with me to Acts 2:37-39 /Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."/

#. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 /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, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

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.