A Modern-Day Warning About Apostasy
Dr. George Bannister
The Book of Jude • Sermon • Submitted
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A Modern-Day Warning About Apostasy
Text: Jude 5-15
INTRODUCTION:
I- APOSTASY DEFINED IS (Jude 5-11).
A. Unbelief (Jude 5).
So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus* first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.
1. Unbelief in the Word of God
(μὴ πιστεύσαντας ἀπώλεσεν= those who demonstrated unbelief)
a) Said a quaint New England preacher: "Beware of Bible commentators who are unwilling to take God's words just as they stand. The first commentator of that sort was the devil in the Garden of Eden. He proposed only a slight change--just the word "not" to be inserted--"Ye shall not surely die." The amendment was accepted, and the world was lost. Satan is repeating that sort of commentary with every generation of hearers. He insists that God couldn't have meant just what He said. To begin with, Satan induced one foolish woman to accept his exegesis; now he has theological professors who are of his opinion on these points; and there are multitudes of men and women who go on in the ways of sin because they believe Satan's word, and do not believe the Word of God.--Joseph Parker
2. Unbelief in the faithfulness of God.
B. Rebellion (Jude 6, 8b)
6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.
(1 Sam. 15:23)
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
1. Rebellion against God’s will.
2. Rebellion against God’s Word.
C. Defilement (Jude 7, 8 a).
7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
8 In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.
1. μιαίνουσιν, = to defile, to pollute
2. σάρκα μὲν μιαίνουσιν = defile (pollute) their bodies
(σάρξ,) flesh, the body
D. Foolish (Jude 8 c-10)
1. Because they despise authority (Jude 8).
8 In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.
a. κυριότητα δὲ ἀθετοῦσιν= to demonstrate no value for authority.
2. Because they speak evil of what they don’t understand (Jude 10).
10 But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.
a. βλασφημοῦσιν, ὅσα δὲ φυσικῶς ὡς τὰ ἄλογα
II- APOSTASY DESCRIBED (Jude 12,13,16,19).
A. Stains the fabric of fellowship (Jude 12a).
12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.
1. Soiling the testimony of the church (1 Cor. 5:1-6).
1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.
2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.
3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man
4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.
5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.
6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?
B. Serves only self (Jude 12 b).
12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.
1. Self will is the way of the apostate.
2. Seeking to amass a following to serve self.
C. Supplies nothing of value to the fellowship (Jude 12 c)
12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.
1. Giving the promise of encouragement without the refreshment taking place.
2. Bearing absolutely no fruit for Christ.
D. Shamefully foams out the uncleanness within (Jude 13 a, 17-18)
13 They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.
17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted.
18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires.
1. Grumbling and complaining.
2. Flattering people to gain advantage.
3. Mocking those who follow Christ.
E. Splits fellowship in the church (Jude 19).
19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.
1. It creates division (1 Cor. 1:10-12)
10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.
12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”
a) Party loyalties that should not exist.
b) Our only loyalty must be to Christ.
IV. APOSTASY’S DESTRUCTION (Jude 5, 6, 7, 14-15).
A. Destruction (Jude 5).
5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.
εἰδότας = “to know by perception”
ἀπόλλυμι= “to destroy utterly”; The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of wellbeing. This is clear from its use, as, e.g., of the marring of wine skins, Luke 5:37; of lost sheep, i.e., lost to the shepherd, metaphorical of spiritual destitution, Luke 15:4, 6, etc.; the lost son, 15:24; of the perishing of food, John 6:27; of gold, 1 Pet. 1:7. So of persons, Matt. 2:13, “destroy”; 8:25, “perish”; 22:7; 27:20; of the loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved hereafter, Matt. 10:28; Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:16 (v. 15 in some mss.); 10:28; 17:12; Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 15:18; 2 Cor. 2:15, “are perishing”; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10; Jas. 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:9.
1. Emotional (Note Jude 11)
11 What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.
a) Because of estrangement from the body.
2. Physical
a) Immorality that results from falling away from Christ brings its inevitable consequences (Rom. 6:23; James 1:15).
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
3. Spiritual
a) Estrangement from the Lord.
b) Sin produces its natural separation (1 Jn. 1:7).
7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
B. Judgment (Jude 6,7, 14-15)
6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.
7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
14 Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones
15 to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
(Jeremiah 28:16)
16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’ ”
(Jeremiah 29:32).
32 I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’ ”
1. Judgment from God. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
(Rev. 20:11-15)
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.
12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.
14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.
15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
a) The judgment seat of Christ for believers.
b) The Great White Throne Judgment for unbelievers.
c) Note what Scripture says (1 John 2:18-19).
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
2. Judgment because of ungodliness (Jude 15)
15 to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
a. A triad of judgments is cited:
Judgment of Israel (vs. 5) “ So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus* first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.”
(Note: Paul saw Christ as present with Israel in the wilderness (1 Cor 10:4, 9), and so it is possible to think Jude believed that Jesus Christ delivered Israel out of Egypt.)
Judgment of angels (vs. 6) “ And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.”
(see: Testament of Naphtali 3:4–5, Testament of Reuben 5:6–7, Book of Jubilees 4:22 and 5:1–11, and 1 Enoch 6:1-2; 7:1-2; 9:7-9; 106:14-17; 10:2-11)
Sodom and Gomorrah (vs. 7) “ And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.”
( The words “in the same manner as these” (τὸν ὅμοιον τρόπον τούτοις)—the NIV translates the comparison by placing it at the beginning of the verse, “In a similar way”—establish a parallel between the sexual immorality of the angels and the sexual immorality of Sodom. Sexual sin was not the only sin for which Sodom and Gomorrah were punished. Ezekiel said they were also punished for their pride and lack of concern for the poor (Ezek 16:49). Sirach and 3 Maccabees mention their arrogance, and the latter also mentions “injustice” (Sir 16:8; 3 Mac 2:5). Josephus criticized Sodom for its pride and hatred of foreigners (Ant. 1.194).
b. Forms of ungodliness:
Ungodly in Character (ἀσεβεῖς = destitute of reverential awe towards God)
Ungodly in deeds (ἔργων ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν = live ungodly, act impiously)
Ungodly in speech (περὶ πάντων τῶν σκληρῶν ὧν ἐλάλησαν κατʼ αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀσεβεῖς. = refers to the ungodly speech of ungodly men against God).
CONCLUSION: