Hey Jude - (W. 4 - Jude 12-23)

“Hey Jude: Following Truth in an age of False Teachers”

Title: “A Word of Caution”

Hey everyone, welcome back to Mt. Pisgah.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the last few Sunday nights… and i appreciate you walking through Jude together, and Pastor Chad, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to preach.

Tonight we are going to jump back into the book of Jude, as we continue our sermon series, “Hey Jude: Following Truth in an Age of False Teachers.” So if you have your copy of God’s Word, please join me as we pick up in Jude 12.

As you turn there, I want to do a brief recap about what Jude, the bond servant, has been writing.

Recap of the last few weeks:

Week 1 - Jude 1-4

Jude was a bondservant

He wished he could write about the salvation we have all received but couldn’t because of a threat.

Week 2 - Jude 4-11

Jude Profiled the Apostates as:

Ungodly beliefs

Ungodly Behavior

Jude shows the Pattern of Apostates from past historical apostates:

Pattern of: Disbelief, debauchery, defiance, and denial.

Unfortunately, we can trace that pattern from Genesis, to Jude’s day, to today.

That’s where we pick up tonight, in Jude 12.

Jude 12–23 KJV 1900

12 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; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Over the last few weeks, I know this has been heavy stuff hearing about apostates.

I love spending time with my in-laws, and Hailey’s family.

I also love hearing stories of Hailey’s family dynamic growing up.

Many of the dynamics of how her house was growing up, I’ve been able to experience.

Like many families, the Pittmans would have movie night. When they watched some sort of thriller or crime show, after the bad guy was caught and the credits rolled through, Mr. Buddy, Hailey’s dad would always say, “Girls, what did you learn?”

And in unison, they would respond, “Don’t trust anybody.”

What was Mr. Buddy teaching? - Always proceed with caution with strangers.

I know as you’ve listened to this sermon series, I don’t want you to be fearful of apostates… because remember, we are not victims… we are victors.

So what are we to do? knowing there is a threat inside the church of God?

Always proceed with caution… and let the Word give us discernment to point out who IS an apostate.

apostates are defectors from the truth of God

We are going to continue that thought of, who are these people involved in espionague.

1. The Portrayal of Apostates

a portrayal is a depiction of someone.

an instance of an actor playing a part in a movie or play; a performance.

Like in movies that say, “based on a true story, or based on true events.” The actor is portraying the real person on the screen.

Now Jude is about to use some strong language to portray what these false teachers really look like...

To call someone an apostate or a heretic has become very easy today. We do this through twitter left and right...

actually, let me say something to that end. If you (1) texting someone during a conflict never works. Do the Biblical thing Matthew 18, and go to them if they are wrong and in sin.

Jude, as he writes, uses strong language here to show us what these men and women are like:

Jude uses three kinds of terms to clearly to describe them:

a. Environmental Terms

Nature… something we see often. I think that’s why he used these things...

He said, they are like:

Spots - this is a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of water… a hidden danger.

you don’t see the danger

It can sink a boat. It can sink a church.

Matthew 7:15 KJV 1900

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Listen to what Paul said:

Acts 20:29–30 KJV 1900

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

What are those things?

Neil Shenvi defines critical race theory (CRT) as “an ideology that divides the world into oppressed groups and their oppressors and aims to liberate the oppressed.” Sometimes called “Cultural Marxism,” CRT borrows concepts from classical Marxism dividing the world into the “haves” and the “have nots” and attempts to right the wrongs of previous generations through a redistribution of wealth and power.

Racism is real and it is a sin. No one is denying that.

Here it is...

A provost from an SBC seminary said in a video last year, ““I am a racist. If you think the worst thing someone can call you is a racist, then you aren’t thinking biblically. I’m going to struggle with racism and white supremacy until the day I die and get a glorified body and a sanctified mind, because I am immersed in a culture where I benefit from racism all the time.”

This is a social gospel that is a danger because:

1. It’s not based on the word of God

2. Because it’s not based on God’s Word, it will not reveal your sin condition.

3. It’s as Voddie Baucham states, “Ethic Gnosticism.” You can’t understand it unti

True restoration is not when you repent of a skin color, it’s by repenting of a sin condition.

Clouds - lacking sufficient hydration

Looks good, looks promising but it does not perform.

This is deceit!

All clouds are made up of water droplets and ice…

So what is Jude saying? THEY ARE CAPABLE but DON’T DELIVER.

Some of y’all are going to go outside one night and see the clouds hoping your grass will get rain, and then yell up at the cloud - LIAR!

prosperity gospel

Repentance free message.

Listen, there is a temptation with preachers to build a crowd. God didn’t call us to build a crowd, he called

No Results

Trees - in the autumn

we shouldn’t celebrate the fall of people, but eventually the fruit

Sky top illustration.

spiritual death with the uprooting.

No Life

Raging waves - not tamed. (raging)

foaming up their own shame.

Results in shame

Star -

Wandering star - someone unsettled.

Appearing for a moment and then are lost.

The gospel is enough!!!

Guys like Andy stanley trying to come up with something cutting edge.

Rob Bell - universalism. not content with the truth!

These environmental terms depicts an apostate as someone that is a spot - can sink a church. a cloud - not delivering.

b. Evangelical Terms

look back at verse 12.

“Feeding themselves...”

That phrase is the word we get our word for Shepherd.

Read it again, at your feast of love - something before the Lord’s Supper.

These shepherds come and feed themselves physically instead of feeding their flocks.

Shepherds are appointed to lead, guide, and tend to God’s flock.

Apostates are those selfish shepherds that are more interested in buying a private plane than preaching and caring for people.

Ezekiel 34:10 KJV 1900

10 Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

c. Experiential Terms

Jude 16 KJV 1900

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

these people are:

Murmurers - pictures someone murmuring under their breath

Complainers - given to excessive complaints about their own lot

Finding fault in others but never in themselves.

walking in their own lust - Evil craving, and self-indulging craving that displaces proper affections for God.

Swelling speech - over inflated

Some of the worst drama takes place among God’s people. Could it be that it’s because of apostates?

People that have defected from truth?

Defecting from truth doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to lead a church congregation.

It’s understanding that TRUTH is a Person, and when you defect or leave truth, you’re leaving the Person of Jesus.

2. The Preaching about Apostates

Enoch.

Way before I preached a message about apostates, another man did. Notice the sermon about these apostates:

Some people think it’s unloving but it shepherd the flock, corrects the wrong.

Some people think it’s unloving to preach against false teachers.

You don’t think it’s unloving when the doctor gives you a diagnosis.

You don’t think it’s unloving when

a. The Speaker of the Sermon

Enoch

Who is this man?

Genesis 5:24 KJV 1900

24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

He walked with God.

He talked to God.

He is the example for us to expect the second coming.

b. The Subject of the Sermon

Jesus was going to come and judgement.

What was Jesus going to do?

“execute judgment upon all, and to convince...”

He’s going to come with 10,000 of His saints or holy ones...

What does “convince” mean?

Think about what these apostates have done?

ungodly beliefs

ungodly behavior

no Lordship

disbelieved

debauchery

ect.

What does convince mean?

convict, convince, rebuke, refute.

This words is in the aorist sense… what does that mean when a word is in the aorist sense?

It means that it’s a “snapshot” event.

the verb’s action is portrayed simply and in summary fashion.

Enoch didn’t know exactly what the process would be, but he knew it was coming.

The beginning of the Bible gave a little bit of an image.

But the end of the Bible gives more.

Philippians 2:8–11 KJV 1900

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 20:11–15 KJV 1900

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

so what are we to do?

3. Persevere in the age of Apostasy

how?

Know the Word

Pray

Build up - to make nearer to fulness or complettion of moral strength