The way of the wicked 2

Text:

Jude 12–13 KJV 1900

These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

The Dead Religion of Cain.

The Greed of Balaam

The Rebellion of Korah

Jude warns of three attitudes that can work in a believer to their destruction. His counsel is to contend for the faith. We could go so far to say that these attributes work against the faith.

The wicked need not have more of a place than Godly people give them.

The fruit of these attributes is important. So often we can get the idea that God just doesn’t like stuff. Let me remind you that the only reason that God hates sin. He is holy and in his holiness he knows that Sin will always bring destruction on the one who performs it.

It is the grace of God that he would take the time to point out the undesirable landing pad of the this most unacceptable behavior in the Church house. I will submit to you this morning that these attributes are the opposite of one that is living by faith. Therefore their greed, rebellion, or dead religion delivers them to this most ungodly form of lifestyle.

Wicked attitudes will lead to a Feed me Attitude

At the Agape Feast, or feast of charity everybody brought what they could – some a little, some a lot; but they all shared it together. For some slaves who were Christians it might have been the only decent meal they regularly ate. The selfishness of these certain men spoiled the fellowship. 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 describes a similar problem in the Corinthian church.Jude characterized their behavior...feeding themselves.

By the way that is what a Religious person does they approach church for “what can I get out of this place.” It always spoils fellowship when we come to church with a selfish attitude. Some who would never eat selfishly at a church meal still come to church concerned with serving only themselves.

When we live with a greedy attitude it is hard to imagine that everyone doesn’t live to make you happy. Can you imagine what a church would be like if every member failed to ask how can God use me and instead said what do you have for me.

Ministries become about self promotion

People become trophies of our accomplishment (biggest bus route)

We start looking for different church as soon as something doesn’t go our way.

Wicked attitudes will lead to potential with nothing to offer.

Clouds without water are good for nothing. They bring no life-giving rain and they only block out the sun. They exist just for themselves. The certain men were like these clouds.These certain men were like those empty clouds – good for nothing, carried by the winds, floating on the breeze from one fad to another. These men are great at critique, and complaining, but haven’t cooled a hot spirit in a long time. They are looking for others to notice them and all their potential but they haven’t watered a soul. Beware when someone looks the part but hasn’t contributed to anyone else’s care.

They don’t nurture

They don’t sooth

They don’t refresh

They don’t cool

They simply sit

Wicked attitudes will lead to Fruitless Examples.

It needs to be mentioned that Christianity is not a chronological issue. I have seen plenty of young men and women that are more spiritually trust worthy than some who have sat for years. Let me remind you that the last time Jesus saw a fruitless tree he cursed it. When their is not growth they have pulled up their roots from the healthy soil of God’s Word. Just know this is true of any believer.

We have mentioned that the reference to “twice dead” has to do with the fact that they are in their sins and under the wrath of God, and will therefore experience the second death of eternal damnation (Revelation 20:14). They are under the awful judgment of God for their transgressions against the law of God. They have never become saved or been delivered from their sinful condition, so they are twice dead.

Then the verse says, “plucked up by the roots.” What does God mean by this—to be plucked up by the roots?

God is not going to simply cut them off from the top and allow them to continue growing since the root remains, but He is going to dig into the soil and get at the root of the problem and pluck them up by the very root, indicating that they will never grow again.

Wicked attitudes will lead to business with not impact.

These certain men were busy and active like the raging waves of the sea, but all it brought was foaming up their own shame.Busyness is no mark of correctness. The fruit of these men was like the foam or scum at the seashore. Jude has in mind the ugly shoreline after a storm has washed up all sorts of driftwood, seaweed and debris.

Wicked attitudes will lead to Showiness.

Like comets streaking through the sky, these certain men astonished the world for a time, and then vanished into darkness. An unpredictable star was no good for guidance and navigation. Even so these deceivers were useless and untrustworthy.Blackness of darkness forever: This described their destiny. Unless they repent, they would end up in hell – and be there forever. The punishment of hell is forever because a mere man is paying for his own sins, offering an imperfect sacrifice which must be repeated over and over again for eternity. A perfect man can offer a single sacrifice; but an imperfect man must continually offer a sacrifice.ii. Our obligations to God are infinite and can therefore only be satisfied in Jesus, an infinite person.