A Legacy of Fighting

Introduction - The Judgement of False Teachers

Recap from last night

we talked about Jude, the 1/2 brother of Jesus begging us to get into the fight of standing up for the gospel

why? because false teachers had come into the church by stealth

if you are like me… your first thought it alright, GET THEM!

I have always been bigger than everyone else…

I did not know it

One size fits most… I am not most

I never had a lot of people trying to pick fights with me

We have a lot of people who like to pick fights… but now we do it online where I do not have to look at you in the eye and say the things I am saying

Today - A Legacy of Fighting

this battle that we are called to join in is not new, it has been going on forever

Jude 5–11 (CSB)

5 Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;

6 and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.

7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

8 In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones.

9 Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

10 But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct—like irrational animals—by these things they are destroyed.

11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have plunged into Balaam’s error for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Jude is showing us how destructive false teachers are. We see it by the OT references how serious this is

“The greatest threat we face is not the churches existence but its faithfulness” Albert Mohler

We Know Sin is Punished

I love reading the comments on social media

if you are one that comments on things on social media, I hate to tell you, I have probably cringed, or laughed and possibly made fun of you in the past

I told this to my church… you could feel a slight cringe in the congregation

the pastor makes fun of us… YES! people get stupid in the comments on social media

I am constantly amazed how people who now have a platform to speak, believe that our opinions are now so important that we must add them into every conversation

Jude 5–7 (CSB)

5 Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;

Ex 23:20 says that God sent an angel (messenger) to lead the people out of slavery

to protect and lead them

yet when it was time to go to the promise land they did not believe God,

Imagine all that they saw…

the plagues in Egypt, passover, and the Egyptians paying them to leave their country

they saw the red sea

but they did not believe… so they walked around a little more in the desert and their kids and grandkids got to go in…

6 and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.

People will argue if this is the sons of gods and the daughters of men in Genesis 6, or if this is the angels that rebelled against God with Satan

I say, it does not matter in the long run it doesn’t matter

people will argue for both ways

what we know, there were angels who left the place and job they were created for to do what they wanted instead of what God created them for… they sinned!

speak about the angels seeing him in his glory

so those of you that say I will believe and obey when I see him, then angels could not even do that

now they are kept in deep darkness waiting for judgment

darkness = deep gloom

7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

speak of what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah

People of Sodom wanted to gang rape angels that came to get Lot out of town before the destruction came

men of the town said send out the men that came to visit you we want to have sex with them

What does this reminder show

There have always been people in the world that do not obey God and his ways and want nothing more than to satisfy themselves

this is nothing new…

just as there is a legacy of the gospel, a passing down of the faith to the saints, there has been those that oppose it

and there have always been those who want to come against it for their own gratification and glorification

That sin has always been punished

It does not matter who it is, that sin must be punished of God is not a just God, a fair God

if some rules and laws are punished and some are not which are you going to follow

my History teacher in HS was always consistent… If I would not pay attention and talk in his class, he would tell me to get out.

he would not say where to go, so I would just go walk around

It does not matter if it is angels

when there is sin, it is punished

Why do we need this reminder

we are more concerned about false teachers in the lost world than we are false teachers in the church

We are more like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day than we would ever like to admit

too often when we think of contending for the faith, we are thinking of the world

Because we want to be the ones who punish and judge

but we do not judge fairly, but from our sinful point of view

That God has always been in control

That God does not need your help punishing sin

God is the righteous judge

we stop ungodly teaching, not cast judgment on the teachers themselves

We Know Their Motive

Knowing the motivation explains a lot

Marcus asking about the snack shack… his motivation was to consume as much food as possible

Jude 8–9 (CSB)

8 In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones.

9 Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

These teachers put their own visions above everything else

The Lord told me…

they would use this in attempt to and any dispute over what they are teaching

Cleo and moving AWANA

Their reason is self gratification and power

it really is a pride issue like so many other things

We must constantly check ourselves and motives

when we teach

you might be thinking that you won’t be teaching or pastoring…

first, I trust that many of you will!

understanding helps when looking at the people in your life that are leading you

There are too many people who have been given a platform in the church throughout the years that are in it for their own gratification

they are seeking the blessings of God and the attention of man

Jude 4 (CSB)

4 For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

We Know Their Future

When you know what is coming, you can be prepared

for coaches, you can watch film, scout the other team figure out what they are going to do and then put a plan together

it is fun to say things in front of the other team about what they are going to do…

We know what false teachers are doing, we also know what is coming

we need to not only have a plan to stand for the truth, but also for the one that is teaching

Jude 10–11 (CSB)

10 But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct—like irrational animals—by these things they are destroyed.

11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have plunged into Balaam’s error for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

to blaspheme = speak irreverently

the greek = to speak disparagingly and abusively against God

this is exactly what they were doing

There is a terrible judgment coming

the story of Cain - Murder, when his sacrifice was not accepted

killed his brother Abel because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but not his own

Abel offered the first of his flock, an animal sacrifice

Cain offered the first of his crops, the work of his hands

Balaam-willing to curse the people of God for profit

Numbers 22, where the Donkey speaks to Balaam…

that is an impressive part of the story, because I am proof that if God can speak through a donkey, he can use me

but what we see in the story over all, is a prophet who was willing to go and curse the people of God for money

Korah - challenged that Moses and Aaron were really appointed by God, the ground swallowed them up

We talked about Korah this morning

he thought that he could come to God any way that he wanted, that he was good enough to come on his own

that he did not need a mediator

what was his judgment, the ground swallowed him up!

We know their punishment that the false teachers will receive

Revelation 20:15 (CSB)

15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The Bible says that people who teach are held to a higher standard

we are teaching people about Jesus and we can lead them closer to him or farther away

but all sin is punished

is your name written in the book of life, have your sins been put on Christ and his righteousness put on you

Invitation - I want to invite you to come into that relationship tonight…

not to a prayer… if you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.

Lord = master, means that we are submitting to him as slaves

we believe = entrust, believe something in a way that it causes us to act