Scoffer or Spirit-Filled?

INTRODUCTION:

The other day I listened to a “hot mic” comment between President Trump and Emanuel Macron.

(it was a meeting with European leaders to strategize over the conflict between Ukraine and Russia)

Trump was heard saying to Macon, “I think Putin wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds…”

This unguarded admission quickly made the rounds. It was spun up by the media and put to Sergey Lavrov on last week’s “Meet The Press.”

I didn’t hear President Trump afterward, but I imagine he would’ve preferred that private comment to remain private.

That wasn’t the only “hot mic” moment of the day.

Giorgia Meloni commented about Trump sparing with the press.

“He loves it. But He loves it. I never want to speak with my press!”

That brutal honesty created a political firestorm when she got home from the States.

We could go on… hot mic moments have made news throughout our human history.

Whether Harry Reid (a Democrat) or Mitt Romney, (a Republican) politicians show what they REALLY think when “no one else is listening.”

It’s not just politicians. It true of athletes and entertainers. Jesse Jackson (2008) and Tom Brady (2011) have had their headlines too.

Beyond politicians and entertainers, it’s intrinsic to being human.

Unfiltered speech will often show what hiding in our hearts.

Unfiltered speech doesn’t create our character it exposes what’s already there.

“The mouth speaks from the overflow of our hearts…” (Mat 12:34-37; Luke 6:45; Mat 15:18-19; Mark 7:20-23)

Our words expose the spirit animating our life.

If the spirit is bad you’ll know it by it’s fruit. If the spirit is good, then you’ll know it by the same.

Set The Table

This principle taught by Jesus is reaffirmed in the book of Jude.

Jude’s specific application was to expose “fake believers” in the congregation.

Not every profession of faith proves to be sincere. There are those who say they follow Jesus but do not demonstrate it with their life.

Jude has forced us to grapple with that reality in the local church. It has also forced us to examine whether that’s true of us.

There are those who use religious language to conceal what’s in their heart. They use religious community to hide their sinful ways.

Maybe it’s to give them “false assurance” that they safe sound. Maybe its to exploit others or lead them into sin.

Either way, it’s a dangerous threat and true Christians must “contend.”

In today’s text, Jude finally tells us how to go about it.

For weeks we’ve seen him expose these frauds for the phonies that they were.

65% of Jude’s letter has been devoted to this effort. He has not pulled any punches or been unclear in his language.

He shows us what “these people” look like, how they function and how to spot it. Jude drags them into the light through OT stories and metaphors.

Each image has been like a courtroom exhibit to convict them of their crime. They are hidden reefs, selfish shepherds, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, foaming waves and wandering stars.

Greatest Threat

Why does Jude spend SO MUCH time exposing this hidden threat?

It’s because the greatest threats are those you cannot see.

Notice who Jude does NOT point to as their greatest threat.

It’s not the evil Roman’s with their Christian persecution. It’s not the pagan skeptics with the sinful immorality.

He points to a group of people who had CREPT IN to the church unnoticed!

“They had crept in unnoticed…” (Jude 4) I take this to mean there was nothing on the surface that would’ve raised suspicion, at least not initially.

However, gradually. their motives became clearer. Their denial of Jesus became more explicit.

That’s why Jude took so much time to prove his case and show the pattern.

Finally, he concludes that case in verses 16-19. It’s a compelling summary statement of this entire section.

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.

REMEMBER THIS

Verse 17 officially marks a transition in the book of Jude. Jude stops “describing” the threat and tells them how to fight it.

His first round of advice was to the REMEMBER what the apostles had said.

As we said when we started this letter, to be a contender you’ve got to REMEMBER.

Out of the gate, Jude reminded these strugglers of who they were in Jesus.

They were “the called, those loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1)

In verse 3 he reminds them that the faith they had received. It was “delivered to the saints once for all.” (Jude 3)

In verse 5 he says again, “I want to remind you, although you came to know these things once and for all…” (Jude 5)

What are they to remember ? Jude says “something very specific from a specific group of people.”

The Source

First, let’s look at the source they should remember.

Jude 17 “…remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Contenders must remember the SOURCE of true authority.

For Christian people, the source of our authority for Jesus and his message is the apostolic witness he left behind to write it down.

Jude doesn’t identify “which” apostles they should remember. Nor does he consider himself as part of the group.

The apostles were known as a cohesive group but there would’ve been specific apostles known to the Judean believers.

The most likely candidates would’ve been Peter, James, John & Phillip. Perhaps even the apostle Paul after his conversion.

Jude is painting a contrast between the authority of the apostles and the actions of these apostates.

The message of the apostles was trustworthy where as the actions of the apostates brought division and destruction.

Why were the apostles so trustworthy? Because they were eyewitnesses to Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.

Moreover after his resurrection Jesus sent them into the world as a witness to the nations. Jesus validated his Gospel through miraculous signs and wonders.

Other people pushing other agendas whatever they may have been, couldn’t erase the history of this apostolic witness.

These men would’ve been known throughout Judea. They had “turned the world upside down” and made waves among the establishment. (Acts 17:6)

What They Said

But Jude doesn’t just point to the source of true authority. He also draws attention to what was said by the apostles.

They made a specific prediction about scoffers and the end of days.

A contender must remember what was SAID about the future.

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

What did the apostles say about the end? They said, “In the end time there will be scoffers…”

The phrase translated “end time” needs some definition.

When people hear that phrase today all manner of things come to mind. Your specific eschatology probably shapes your point of view.

But remember, words don’t get their meaning from the dictionary or our experience. Words get their meaning from their original CONTEXT.

End Times

For Jude’s original audience, the “end times” would include the days that they were in.

Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost is the perfect illustration. He explains the miracles on Pentecost as a fulfillment of Joel 2, an OT prophecy about the last days.(Acts 2:16-17)

For the apostles, the “end times” included everything between Jesus’ first and second coming. (Heb 1:1-2)

Some theologians call this the “already not yet” tension of the Kingdom of God. The end times are both now and yet to come.

That’s how the apostle Paul talked about them. The closer that last day got the more difficult things would become (2 Tim 3:1)

People would lose their love for Jesus and become greedy and self-absorbed. (2 Tim 3:2-5)

The Profile of a Scoffer

While Jude may not have a specific verse in mind, it likely would be similar to what we have in the New Testament.

One example would be Peter’s warning in 2 Peter 3:3

2 Peter 3:3–4 CSB

3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, 4 saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.”

As in may places 2 Peter is very similar to the exhortations found in Jude’s letter.

Contenders must remember the source of true authority.

Contenders must remember what was said about the future.

Contenders must remember what scoffers say and do.

A “scoffer” is someone who belittles and shames another expressing an attitude of arrogance and contempt.

If these were Judean Zealots, you can imagine the pressure they would’ve put on true believers.

“Oh you still think Jesus was the real Messiah? Isn’t James already dead? Isn’t Paul stuck in prison? Didn’t they ship John off the island of Patmos?”

“The only people who still think that Jesus is the Messiah are dead or stuck in prison or soon to be that way.”

With belittlement and scorn they made their boastful claims. All the while presenting a different path for how to make things better.

“Jesus was too restrictive with his ethics…he was weak and a political pacifist …. the real Messiah should be a warrior and his followers should bear the sword…” Can you imagine it? I certainly can.

THE SCOFFER

Not only does Jude remind them of what the apostles said. He also explains what motivates the soccer and his actions.

They are driven according to their “ungodly desire.”

How you interpret that phrase depends on who “these people” are.

If Zealots, they had a desire for political revolution. (We have evidence from Josephus this was going on during that time period)

If Gnostics, it was special knowledge and sexual sin.

Whoever the “opposition” they were driven by “ungodly desire.”

Regardless of Jude’s specific context, the scoffer spirit has not changed.

Scoffers are shaped by their self-interest.

Jude says their “lifestyle” is according to their ungodly desires.

If you weren’t here last week we said ungodliness is NOT just sinful or bad behavior.

Ungodliness is a mindset that “lives without reference to God.” The mindset of the ungodly lives as if “God IS NOT.” (God is not good.. is not present… does not know… does not care…will not do… cannot see… etc)

That’s why scoffers will increase before the Day of Judgment. Jesus said before that day the love of many would grow cold.

If you lose your love for Jesus it just transfers to something else. You become driven by love for money, love for pleasure or love for self.

Stained Witness

Which leads us to the next thing Jude says about these scoffers.

Not only should we remember what and why they are. We should also remember the damage they can cause.

Remember, these “scoffers” aren’t outside the local church. The scoffers Jude addresses have “crept in unnoticed.”

Since they’re pushing people away from God and what God wants, they will necessarily create problems within the church!

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

You cannot accuse Jude of not saying what he thinks. Not only does he call them “worldly” and question their salvation. He straight up says they are NOT SAVED and do not have the Holy Spirit.

Scoffers in the church will stain our Christian witness.

One of Jude’s favorite designations for these people he’s addressing is translated in English as “those people.”

If you’ve been keeping count this is the seventh time he’s done it. (Jude 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19)

In Jude 4 “these people” are appointed for God’s judgement.

In Jude 8 “these people” rely on dreams, defile their flesh, reject authority and blaspheme angels.

In Jude 10 “these people” blaspheme what they do not understand.

In Jude 12 “these people” are dangerous reefs and a litany of other images.

In Jude 14 “these people” were singled out in Enoch’s prophecy.

In Jude 16 “these people” grumble against God and flatter people for their own advantage.

Finally in Jude 19 “these people” create divisions and are worldly.

There’s a seven week sermon series if I ever preach Jude again!

It would be bad enough if “these people” were in the world. What makes it bad for Jude is such worldliness is in the church!

Why would they knowingly tolerate what damages their Christian witness. Either (1) because they couldn’t see it or (2) they saw it and didn’t care.

Either way, their witness was being damaged and something had to change.

Sour Fellowship

The specific damage to their witness was at the level of Christian unity. This is often how the enemy spoils our Christian witness.

The effect “these people” had through their actions and their words was the creation of divisions within the local church.

Scoffers stain our Christian witness.

Scoffers sour Christian fellowship.

These scoffers were pitting people against each other and having debates about who was right and who was wrong.

Anytime you have people taking sides within a church, it doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong - everybody is going to lose.

Jesus died so that we might be ONE. Jesus prayed we’d all agree. We all share the mind of Christ and therefore should not have division.

No Share in the Spirit

Sometimes divisions are created by true Christians. But in the case of these scoffers they were not even saved.

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

Scoffers spoil our Christian witness and they sour Christian fellowship. The reason that they do this is because they do not have the Spirit!

Scoffers have no share in the Holy Spirit.

When Jude says these people have no “share in the Holy Spirit” he’s saying they’re unregenerate and lost as they can can be.

Which means the Spirit of the Scoffer isn’t a laughing matter. Those who have this Spirit shut out the Holy Spirit.

So the question we need to answer is what Spirt do WE have? Do you have the Spirit of the Scoffer of the Spirit of the Lord?

THE SPIRIT OF THE SCOFFER

With the time the we have left I want to deal with that one question.

Do you you have the Spirit of the scoffer or the Spirit of the Lord?

Jude could not be clearer on what the scoffers look like. Thankfully, in our text he closes with a summary statement.

It’s right before his transition to dealing with this threat. He summarizes the scoffers with a four-fold description.

Jude 16 CSB

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

Jude uses four categories to describe these godless rebels. The first two describes their speech towards God. The second two describe their speech towards others. In either case they have a selfish motive.

We’ve already explored why Jude focuses on their speech. Unfiltered speech is a window to the heart.

As he concluded in verse 19 - these rebels cannot have Holy Spirit when they speak and live these ways.

Jude isn’t saying we lose our salvation when we say certain words. He saying, “certain patterns of speech indicate you never had the Spirit.”

As Jesus said, “a good person will bring good fruit from what is treasured in his heart…. and evil person will bring bad fruit from what’s stored up in his heart…”

How do we know what is IN the heart? What shows us whether are heart is healthy of sick? The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

Self-Pity

Let’s begin with Jude’s first description translated “Discontented Grumblers” by the CSB.

CSB puts together two separate words in the original Greek. To fully appreciate what Jude is saying we ought to take them apart.

The first Greek word (gongystai) could be translated “grumblers” and the second greek world (mempsimoiroi) could be translated “faultfinders” or “malcontent.”

The sound of the Greek words really capture the idea (gongystai mempsimoiroi.)

Imagine grumbling that underneath your breath because you’re exasperated and frustrated by the situation you’re in. (Linguist call these kind of words onomatopoetic)

The Holy Spirit does not abide a spirit of self-pity.

The original audience would’ve thought of Israel’s grumbling during the Exodus.

The same Greek words are used in the Septuagint. (Ps 106:25; Num 14:27, 29; 1 Cor 10:10) .

Jude used this story earlier in his description of the Godless. (Jude 5, 11) Just as the Jewish people grumbled against God and his plan, these godless rebels were doing much the same.

They unleashed a campaign of complaint and slander - not against Rome but against God himself.

Blaming God

Which leads us to the next Greek word (mempsimoiroi.) CSB translates it “Discontented.”

ESV “malcontents.” NASB “finding fault.” NIV “Faultfinders.”

While I like the NLT “grumblers and complainers” the idea includes more than just a bad attitude.

It’s a certain type of complaining that blames God for what’s wrong.

They’re not just “whining” about their difficult circumstances. They’re finding fault with God, his plans or appointed leaders.

The Holy Spirit will not abide this spirit of self-pity. Especially when that grumbling is directed against the Lord.

One of my favorite illustrations of this word comes from Lucian (ancient comedian.)

“You are satisfied by nothing that befalls you; you complain about everything. You don’t want what you have got. You long for what you haven’t got. In winter, you wish it was summer, and in summer that it was winter. You are like some sick people, hard to please and a mempsimoirio!”

Self-Indulgence

The third thing Jude uses to describe the spirit of scoffer is the phrase “living according to their desires.”

KJV/NKJ/NASB all use the word “lusts” and the NIV and ESV insert the words “evil” or “sinful.”

While Jude includes “ungodly” with this phrase in verse 18. Here it’s more generic and undefined.

The absence of ungodly makes their desires more centered on themselves.

They do not “delight in God” nor pursue things for God’s glory. Everything they do is to glory in themselves.

If I had to paraphrase it, I’d say these people “are driven a spirit of self-indulgence.” They feed their selfish appetites before and above all else.

The Holy Spirit will not abide a spirit of self-indulgence.

Jude has also described this dynamic in his appeal to Old Testament stories.

One might think of Israel, the fallen angels or even Sodom and Gomorrah. (Jude 5-7) You could apply it Cain, Balaam and Korah! (Jude 11)

In some cases their desires were evil or immoral in certain ways. In other cases their desires were just centered on over indulgence..

More important than what was wanted was the master it was meant to serve.

Why do they desire the things that they desire? Why do they pursue that which they pursue? It isn’t for God’s glory it’s to glory in themselves!

That’s what it means to “walk according to their desires.”

Self-Exaltation

Finally, Jude concludes with their arrogant and flattering speech.

Jude 16 “…their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.”

What does it mean that these people “speak arrogantly?” Also, why does Jude see flattering speech as something to condemn?

One person paraphrased it “they are loud-mouth boasters.” Another described it as “bombastic speech in an effort to impress.”

Except their speech isn’t just directed to themselves. It seems to be directed at those they seek to use.

This might mean they puffed up other people with inflated ideas of their own importance.

Maybe they puffed up their own outlandish claims and anyone who was willing to follow.

For Their Own Advantage

In this way, their arrogant speech is connected with their flattery. Their flattery is motivated by a selfish agenda.

You could call it “showing partiality for the sake of gain.”

Today, we might call it “brown-nosing.” It’s singing somebody’s praises as a form of manipulation. You want them to see you favorably so you publicly praise them and/or defend them.

They might’ve had financial considerations for this type of flattery. Maybe it was social. Or it could’ve even been spiritual. That was certainly the case of Korah’s flattery in his rebellion.

In either case the Holy Spirit will not abide self-exaltation.

The Holy Spirit makes much of Jesus, not other people like you and me.

Martin Luther said this was the mindset of the Judaizers who insisted on Gentile circumcision. (Gal 6:12)

Their insistence was NOT because they believed it right in God’s eyes. Their insistence was to boast about those they could persuade..

While we don’t know the objects of this supposed flattery, a parallel passage sheds a little light.

2 Peter 2:18 CSB

18 For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error.

The scoffers made easy prey of immature believers. They took advance of their insecurity and weakness around certain temptations.

They had just come to faith in Christ and just begun dealing with their brokenness. That’s who these rebels would target with their godless and wicked message.

CONCLUSION

So let me close with a final question about what your speech reveals. Do you have the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of the Scoffer?

Don’t tell me what you WANT to say. Tell me what your words reveal.

What do your words reveal about your heart?

If the Lord took inventory of every hot mic moment, what would they reveal?

If the spirit of the scoffer lives in you, then today is a chance to repent.

Instead of a spirit of self-pity, ask the Lord for a spirit of contentment.

Instead of a spirit of self-indulgence, ask the Lord for a spirit of generosity.

Instead of a spirt of self-exaltation, ask the Lord for a spirit of self-denial.

As you seek the Lord in all of these, let us fix our eyes of Jesus. Because the ultimate job of the Holy Spirit is to show us our need for him.

Jesus is the ultimate example of what the Spirit-filled life will bring.

And Jesus paid the ultimate price for what our scoffing deserves.

Because Jesus died for scoffers there’s hope for you and me.

But for the Spirit to fill us, we must empty our heart of self.

Repent of sin, humble yourself and fix your eyes of Jesus.

As the Spirit fills you, the person of Christ will shine. And hope of the apostles will keep you until the end.