Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are










bookstore1.jpg (7975 bytes)

Audio Preaching.jpg (1894 bytes)

music3.jpg (8290 bytes)


"Preach The Word"

A Closer Look


TEXT: Jude 8-13

INTRODUCTION:

In verses 1-7, Jude clearly identified himself as a servant (slave) of Jesus Christ and those to who he was writing as fellow Christians. He gives the purpose of his epistle as a need to "earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints." (v3) He speaks of certain apostate teachers who have slipped
into the ranks of the believers and stresses the very dangerous situation this has created for the people of God. In verses 5-8, he gives them a reminder through three Old Testament examples of what happens when people fall away into a state of apostasy and rebellion against God.
As we look at the next few verses, Jude begins to give a close up word picture of these apostate teachers. Let's look at his very vivid description of them.

I. NOTICE HIS COMPARISON OF THEM. V-8-10
The word "likewise" points back to what has just been said in the previous verses about those who rebelled against God and faced the judgment of God. Here is verses 8-10, he makes a comparison between them and these "filthy dreamers," these apostate teachers who were living in a fantasy world, a dream world.

A. They defiled the flesh. V-8
They, as did the sodomites, had corrupted their own bodies. Peter described them (II Peter 2:10) as "They that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness." We read this, and yet we wonder today how some can go through the motions of ministering the Word of God while living in and practicing all sorts of immorality. It was happening even in Jude's day.

B. The despised dominion. V-8
As with the three examples (V5-7), these filthy dreamers also
reject divine authority. Authority of God is rejected by apostates. They live and thrive under a selfish compulsion to do what's right in their own eyes. No one else's opinion matters, even God's!

C. The speak evil of dignities. V-8-10
Jude mentions the fact that even as Michael the archangel
disputed with the devil over Moses' body, he did not try to take on the devil. He just left him to the Lord as he said, "the Lord rebuke thee." Yet, these false teachers would even dare to speak evil and blaspheme the things of God. The spiritual things about which they knew nothing!

II. NOTICE HIS CHARGE AGAINST THEM. V-11
Here, Jude intensified the whole tone of his message. He makes a three-fold accusation against them. In verse 8-10, He was speaking of their attitude, but here he refers to their actions.

A. They denied the atonement. V-11
Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground and not a
blood offering. He denied the need for the blood. His sacrifice was inadequate. These apostates were apparently denying the blood atonement. Some today do the same.

B. They were greedy for reward. V-11
The "error of Balaam for reward" is found in Numbers 22. Balak hired Balaam to curse the people of God. He was willing to sell his own people out for money. Many people today try to use the spiritual to gain the material. Some spend their lives prostituting the things of God for personal gain.

C. They were rejectiomg God's leaders. V-11
"gainsaying of Core" (or Korah) was his rejection the authority
of Moses as God's chosen spokesman. He led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron and God opened the ground and swallowed them up. This same attitude prevailed in these apostates and in many people's mind today.

III. HIS COMPLAINT AGAINST THEM. V-12-13
Jude seems to be saying, "in my opinion, this is the way I see these people."

A. Notice the problem with them. V-12
They were spots (hidden reefs) in their love feasts, only taking
care of themselves without regard to the needs of others. They were like clouds that produced no rain. (empty promises) Trees with no fruit. (appeared to be ok, but produced no spiritual fruit)

B. Notice his prediction about them. V-13
He said they are dangerous (like a foaming sea). They are
disoriented (like wandering stars). They are doomed, in the end forever.

CONCLUSION:
Jude, in verses 8-13 gives us a close-up view of who the apostates really are.

Sermon #4 in Jude Series--Cecil Lovelace

 

The Fundamental Top 500

E-Mail
E-Mail Tom Walker
Site created by Tom Walker