Sermon Tone Analysis

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)

(1 Sam.

15:23)

1. Rebellion against God’s will.

2. Rebellion against God’s Word.

C. Defilement (Jude 7, 8 a).

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).

a. κυριότητα δὲ ἀθετοῦσιν= to demonstrate no value for authority.

2. Because they speak evil of what they don’t understand (Jude 10).

a. βλασφημοῦσιν, ὅσα δὲ φυσικῶς ὡς τὰ ἄλογα

II- APOSTASY DESCRIBED (Jude 12,13,16,19).

A. Stains the fabric of fellowship (Jude 12a).

1. Soiling the testimony of the church (1 Cor.

5:1-6).

B. Serves only self (Jude 12 b).

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)

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)

1. Grumbling and complaining.

2. Flattering people to gain advantage.

3. Mocking those who follow Christ.

E. Splits fellowship in the church (Jude 19).

1.

It creates division (1 Cor.

1:10-12)

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).

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)

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).

3. Spiritual

a) Estrangement from the Lord.

b) Sin produces its natural separation (1 Jn. 1:7).

B. Judgment (Jude 6,7, 14-15)

(Jeremiah 28:16)

(Jeremiah 29:32).

1. Judgment from God. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

(Rev.

20:11-15)

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).

2. Judgment because of ungodliness (Jude 15)

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.