Responding to Scoffers and Strugglers

Imagine that 10 years from now, we have an Ironbridge Students reunion. By then, some of you have completed college, started businesses, gotten married, and maybe even have kids!

You’re excited about the reunion because you want to reconnect with your old friends. As you think back to your memories in student ministry, there are two friends that rise to the surface of your mind.

You smile as you reflect on taco olympics, lake parties, and epic ping pong matches. you haven’t chatted with them in a while so you text them to see if they’re coming.

Their responses shock you. Neither of them want to come. Since college they have drifted from the church. One of them began to doubt in a classroom, as a teacher challenged the accuracy of the bible. The other began to doubt in a living room, as immoral parties dulled their previous passion for Jesus.

How should you respond to these friends? Were they never really Christians? Are they living in evil unbelief or sincere intellectual doubt?

Tonight is going to show us how to respond to friends in this situation. Jude will compare two types of people who are frequently in churches; scoffers and strugglers.

First let’s look at the scoffer. We should...

Combat the Scoffer

17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers,

The apostles were men chosen by God to lead the church. They represented Jesus as leaders in the church because they were personally discipled by him and were eye-witnesses of his resurrection.

These spiritual leaders warned the church that in the last days there will be scoffers.

When you hear the phrase, “the last days.” What comes to mind? People often think of the return of Jesus. But we need to remember that the authors of the new testament referred to their day as “the last days.” That was about 2000 years ago and Jesus has yet to return. So what are the last days. This is a reference to the temporary period after Jesus’ resurrection and before his return. This period will be uniquely challenging because of the divisive pull of scoffers.

A scoffer is a person who resists a movement or idea by belittling it through mockery. I wisely heard a pastor say that if satan cannot get you to deny the truth, he can at least get you to laugh at it.

These scoffers may seem smart, but they are fools. Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.” Their primary issue, it not ignorance in the head, but evil in the heart.

Here is how Jude describes them...

following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

When this passage says that they are wordly, it indicates that they are lead by their senses. Their mentality is that if it looks good, get it. If it feels good do it. If you can’t see it, don’t believe it. This is the opposite of being guided by the Holy Spirit. When we are led by the Spirit we walk by faith, not sight.

In contrast, scoffers are devoid of the Spirit. Notice what he did not say. He didn’t say, they resist the Spirit. He didn’t say, they grieve the Spirit. Rather, their is a void in their heart. They have no conviction. They have no peace. Left unchecked, that void will turn into a black hole that will suck the life out of their existence and everything their involved with. We see evidence of this reality in their effect of causing division. This occurs because the weak are swayed by scoffers while the strong resist.

So how do you resist?

If you need some good entertainment watch some of the funniest post-game interviews. One of my personal favorites is when Dennis Green, a previous coach for the cardinals said of the opposing team, “they are who we thought they were, and we let um off the hook.”

They are who you thought they were? If they are who you thought they were, then why did you let them win?! Scoffers can be identified because the apostles have told us their attributes. So here is how we can combat the influence of scoffers, the answer may surprise you...

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

The plan of the scoffer is to tear you down. So you must build yourself up.

This action plan is surprising, because we have been told to correct and rebuke false teachers. But when it comes to scoffers we aren’t told to address them at all. Why?

Jesus once taught, 6 “do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Not only do pigs not understand the value of pearls, but they view the trow as a threat. Scoffers have mock the value of truth and will view any gracious persuasion as a threat to their prideful presuppositions. So pray for the scoffer, but keep your distance. And as you do, build yourself up. How?

holy faith (scripture) and praying in the Holy Spirit, (prayer) 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, (relational closeness: dating example) waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (hope)

Faith, hope, and love.

Seems a lot more bright then the passage we discussed last week! That text mentioned the coming judgement. I do not want you to be confused. Christians will receive mercy! For us, the return of Jesus will be the best day we’ve ever experienced. We will see Jesus face to face. It will be worth the wait.

You can combat the scoffer by building up your faith.

Do you feel like you have a clearer picture of the scoffer good? Now lets look at another type of person who, on the surface, seems similar to the scoffer: the struggler.

Comfort the Struggler

Just like the scoffer the struggler may be stuck in sin. The struggler may question Christianity. The struggler may drift from church. But unlike the scoffer, the struggler may be saved.

Here is the description of the struggler...

22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

They’re doubting, they’re burning on the inside, and they feel dirty.

We are instructed to get away from the scoffer, but we are instructed to draw near to the struggler.

When someone is doubting, there are drastically different reasons. Some doubt because it is hard for them to believe. Others doubt because they do not want to believe. Some doubt because of confusion in their head. Others doubt because of rebellion in their heart.

If you are doubting because of confusion, weakness, or difficulty. God has compassion towards you and we should too.

23 save others by snatching them out of the fire;

Others are already in the fire. They feel convicted for their sin. They have been burned and hurt because of their decisions. We who are spiritual must help them!

Think about movie scenes when someone risks their life to safe someone in a house fire. They are celebrated and considered a hero. Imagine yourself standing before God and he calls you a hero. Surprised, you respond by saying, hero....? I wasn’t a missionary. I wasn’t a pastor. Why do you call me a hero? He responds… when you gave that call, when you invited them to church, when you shared that worship song, you snatched them from the fire, you’re a hero.

to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

This all sounds enticing, but like hero’s saving people after natural disasters, we need to wear protective gear. Sometimes the drowning are the most dangerous.

When you counsel others, be careful not to fall into the same temptations of those you are helping. Have respect towards the power of temptation. If you’re not careful, you’ll fall into the same issue.

During the summer I occasionally get poison ivy when I’m outside. When poison ivy gets onto clothes it remains active until it is washed. Imagine if I washed my leg and put on anti itch to remove the poison ivy. But because the socks I was wearing when I went outside were my favorite, I kept putting them on. I would keep getting poison ivy.

I do not suggest counseling people who are struggling with your top weaknesses. Get rid of the tangible things that consistently cause you to fall into sin.

So your friends agree to go out to lunch even though they do not want to go to the church reunion. They both resist church, but for completely different reasons. One wants to go back, but feels too far gone. The other laughs as they think back to how foolish they were to actually go to church during their teenage years. One is a struggler. One is a scoffer. How will you respond?