Jude 11-13
Notes
Transcript
Jude continues to intensify his argument against those who have crept into the body unaware.
He has shred three examples — Israel in the wilderness, Angelic Rebellion, and Sodom and Gomorrah.
Last week we considered the evidence presented against these false teachers:
They pollute their bodies, reject authority, and heap abuse on celestial beings (angels).
He gave a quote from Jewish writings to teach that even Michael the Archangel would not rebuke the Devil instead left to the Lord to rebuke the Devil.
Jude also taught that anything the false teachers don’t understand they slander, speaking of those things in an irreverent manner!
That brings us to our text Jude 11-13
11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
Three More Charges
Three More Charges
Jude says “Woe to them” — horror, and injection of grief or of denunciation
Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana quote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Jude recalls from the Old Testament three examples of bad decisions that characterize these false teachers.
“The have taken the way of Cain” — They have followed the moral example of Cain Genesis 4:6
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
The jealousy of Cain toward his brother Abel becomes the example of jealousy and envy of the false teachers.
2. “They have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error — The example of Greed
15 “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them.
16 “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people.
It is the error of moral entrapment for a profit
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
3. “They have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion” — Numbers 16:2-3
1 Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent
2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.
3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”
Korah becomes the example of ambition that challenges authority.
Jude is comparing his opponents to people of the Old Testament who God openly rebuked.
The Effect on The Church
The Effect on The Church
Jude now turns to the effect these individuals are having on the local church.
He encourages the church to have nothing to with the false teachers.
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
These individuals literally shipwreck the faith of believes at the gatherings of the church.
They stain Christians with their impurity!
They have no qualms, they do these detestable things with no fear, no reverence for God and are no concerned with what it does to the church!
Arrogantly seeing themselves as right with God when the reality is they are a disgrace!
“Shepherds who feed themselves” — Some of these individuals are leaders in the church!
Sound familiar?
Jude is saying that these leaders are self-centered
Examples from Nature
Examples from Nature
Jude now reminds his readers of things they know from Nature.
Jude says they are trees who shed leaves and bear no fruit.
Jesus stated — Matthew 7:16
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Imagine, they are so bad, so evil, they bare no fruit at all!
They are waterless clouds? Ever hear of such a thing?
14 Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given.
Jude is saying they are utterly useless and good for nothing.
In Walla Walla the winds would come and trees that were dying at the root were uprooted, if they weren’t totally dead already the were now — Develop
Useless wandering stars, with no purpose who head eternal destruction or darkness
He is warning those who follow them will also experience eternal darkness.
Conclusion
Christ came to redeem a people for himself, false teachers who shepherd and lead people away from Jesus will be condemned, period!
Jude sees the teaching of these individuals as promising a lot and delivering nothing!
Jude used the way of Cain, the greed of Balaam, and Korah’s rebellion to demonstrate where these certain individuals are spiritually.
Jude used examples from nature to expose the empty meaning and empty promises of the false teachers!
Brethren are we listening?
