Threats to Legacy

Introduction

Recap of the week

Night one - Jude has called us into a battle for the gospel

Last night - All sin is punished, but it is God who does that

Tonight - Threats to Legacy

I love white water rafting…

Wyoming supposed to be a calm river and a few class two and class three rapids

there might be a spot where the rapids are up a little more

we get there and there is a class five rapid that about through our leader out of the raft

interestingly, several of us did not even know that we were ever in danger, that our leader was not in control

Jude warns us that these people who have come into the church by stealth are a danger to our fellowship

Jude 12–19 (CSB)

12 These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted.

13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.

14 It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones

15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.”

16 These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.

17 But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

18 They told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.”

19 These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.

Satan has a lot of tricks that he likes to use in attempt to steer us away from the truth

twisting God’s word, giving you your deepest sinful desires

one of the things he like to twist is the happenings around us

all of this can make us feel like God has lost control over all things, when the truth is God is in control from eternity past to the present and into eternity future.

They are a Danger to our Fellowship

Again white water rafting - in NM, we get to a part of the river, and our guide, the one who is supposed to protect us, tells us we can float down the river out of the boat, because it is calm, no rapids

put your feet out, just incase there is a rock, if your feet hit it, you will roll off

I hit a rock… broke my tailbone and had to drive the 10 hours home the next day in our youth van with a broken tailbone

When people hear fellowship, they think pot luck dinner!

We like to eat at our church… it does not matter the event, somebody is asking if we are having a meal, desserts

almost like our church family is starving and if we do not have a meal everyone will die

This is not quite what we mean though by fellowship

the is a church worshipping together, serving together, growing closer to the Lord together

that is the picture of christian fellowship

I hope that you are involved in your church

a challenge for each teen, be involved in serving in your church, every believer is called to do so and there is not an age requirement or limit

youth leaders, get your youth serving in the church, somewhere besides the nursery and sound booth, as believers, they are to learn to serve

I believe this is why so many leave in college, they do not join other churches because all they know is the fun youth group, and a worship service that they sit in and go home.

Jude 12–13 CSB

12 These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.

Jude is talking about communion

this should be a very personal and intimate thing among believers

this is the body broken for you…

this is the blood spilled for you…

a remembrance of the price paid on the cross and sacrifice of Jesus

but look what happens…

the false teachers, false pastors have come in and they are making a mockery of the communion and worship of the Lord

they are a dangerous reef - jagged ridge of rock or coral just under the water that will destroy your ship

like a rock under the water that hits you right in the tail bone and causes a lot of pain

people sin…

many people have been hurt by people that are supposed to be christians

if you have hurt somebody, seek reconciliation

if you have been hurt, seek to forgive them

too often it hasn’t been somebody else in the church, but the pastor, or leadership of the church that has done the hurting

this is the danger that Jude is talking about

leaders in the church that have hurt people physically, emotionally, and spiritually

There are pastors all over the world that will teach a false gospel

it will sound good, it is please to the ears, as Paul told Timothy it would in 2 Timothy

for some it is do these three steps, the four habits or adopt these five principles

for some, there are no works at all and that is where these people were

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.

they turned God’s grace into sensuality… meaning giving you a license to sin

this teaching is still around today

This type of ministry may be attractive to some, but it is a loud but fruitless ministry

I love Jude’s word illustration, they are waterless clouds, fruitless trees

no power for your life

as if it is a self help program or a diet

this diet just isn’t working out for me, I do not seem to be losing any weight

what is the diet you ask, it is a very strict green diet, no meat, no sugar, nothing but water

of course that is just for lunch, the other 23 hours a day I can eat whatever i want

but I just do not seem to be losing weight

This is the life that false teachers lead you to, and it leaves you feeling hopeless and lost. It leads people to Hell

They Do Not Represent God

It is easy to se these people in this passage and believe that this is how God is

these are his representatives, the people that are supposed to lead us to him

why would he allow this

but he is showing us that their punishment is certain and they are not like him

Jude 14–15 CSB

14 It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.”

Jude quotes another place outside of scripture

last week it was the “assumption of Moses”, in verses 14-15, it is the Book of 1 Enoch

As to why it is not in our canon, I cannot answer

I will say that it was something once again trusted in the Jewish culture

the prophecy made its way into scripture here, so we take it as truth, but you will not find in the OT where Enoch has said this

why would God allow somebody to quote something that does not end up in our Bible in a letter about false teaching

His way are higher, and thoughts are higher

but, because it is in his word, we can trust that it is true and learn the point that Jude is making with it

ungodly people doing and saying ungodly things

you cannot help but notice how many time the word ungodly is written in the one verse

the ungodly - the people that are doing these things

their acts - what they are doing in the church

their way - how they live, it is not just some things they are doing, it is their nature

their words - what they speak

ungodly = in a way not like God

everything about them is ungodly, it is not just some point they got wrong

I say this because I want you to be able to see the difference, I think that is why Jude put it in here as well

we are not talking about people who simply just do not know all the deeper things of theology

as to say that if you do not know all the things of God you cannot share the gospel or lead a Bible study

We do not quit on the church

that is why he warning us of this

they are dangerous to our fellowship as believers

they are dangerous to our faith leading us astray with things that sound good to our worldly ears

Because of their ungodly ways, judgment is coming

but if you read the text carefully (v15) you will notice that this coming judgment is not just on these false teachers, but all the ungodly

the question is will we be deceived into following them there? Our legacy is much different!

Our Hope is Secure

I do not like surprises

Church Pastor appreciation month

dressed like me… my pet peeve!

The Lord has warned us, not only of their coming, but their actions, their condition and their judgment

so that we will not be surprised by this

Jude 16–19 CSB

16 These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. 17 But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.

We have been warned so we do not lose hope in God’s sovereignty

when the world seems chaotic to us, we see these promises or reminders in scripture and remember that God is still in control

this is one of the favorite strageties of satan

to get us to doubt God because of the people who claim to be Christian

because of the ungodly things that have been done

but we have been warned so that we will trust God even more

God has warned us of these people

so that we might recognize them

I am an EMT

we do not have a full time EMS department in our county because it is so small

when you are in an ambulance with a patient, a lot of time it is their worst day

a couple of patients did not recognize me

so that we will not allow them a position to lead people astray

we are warned so that we do not follow them and their position can be taken away

so that we will know that God is still in control

so that we do not lose hope or doubt that God is in control.