Islington Baptist Church November 19, 2000
Jude 5-16 Scriptures: Gal. 1:1-9; 5:1-12; II Pe. 2-3; II Cor. 11:1-15, etc
Last week I proposed to you that the church is susceptible to being infiltrated by people who have another “Gospel” to preach. I proposed to you that the church is susceptible to being infiltrated by people who water down the Gospel and the teachings of the Scriptures.
Sadly, throughout the whole history of the church there have been ones, inside the walls of the church, who have subjected Jesus to ridicule, attack, and revision. Jesus’ teachings and claims have been subject to criticism i.e regarding our sinfulness and the urgent need to repent of our sins, some explain away his miracles, his claim to being God in the flesh has often been attacked as has his resurrection. The exclusive way of salvation and peace with God which he proclaimed and died for has also come under heavy attack and revision., etc, etc
The key call of the book of Jude is found in v.3 “Contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints”
With all of our might we are to fight/ defend/ stand up for the Jesus who has been revealed to us in the Scriptures. His person and deity, his claims, his resurrection, his miracles, his teachings, the exclusive way of salvation he has revealed to us.
Jude’s call to contend for the faith is directly linked with this problem: the church had been infiltrated by those who were denying Christ and teaching that because of God’s grace one could sin as they pleased.
It appears from this text that these ones were denying that you even needed Jesus. Who knows how they taught that you came to be under God’s grace—perhaps they were teaching a kind of universalism (all under grace and saved)?
The Bible teaches us that our salvation is by grace (free gift of God—not obligated or earned). Our forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is totally by the grace of God.
Just because we are under grace, and have had all our sins forgiven, and not under the law does not give us a license to sin.
As I mentioned last week, we at times abuse the grace of God and in effect treat it as a license to sin. When we determine to sin, counting on the fact that in Christ we have the forgiveness of all our sins, then we are in effect abusing God’s grace. When in our minds we say to ourselves “I’m going to sin and have no fear because I’m no longer under the law, I’m forgiven of all my sins” we are treating grace as a license to sin.
Such an attitude indicates we have lost our fear of God. A persistent attitude like this is cause to ask the question: are you really saved, are you really a child of God.
As beneficiaries of God’s grace we need to pay close attention to Romans 6:15-16 where it says “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey –whether slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness”
Today we are going to consider v.5-16. In Jude 5-16 the godless men of v.4 who have denied Christ and changed the grace of God into a license for immorality are described. I think you will find Jude’s description of them searing in its intensity. READ TEXT
Q HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THIS PHRASE “WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THE PAST”?
Of course you have, and the truth of this saying is more than obvious. The past is a great teacher and the one who doesn’t learn from the past is a fool.
For example: past experience has taught men everywhere to be enthusiastic in respect to the women in their lives new hairstyles. The man who does not learn this will face judgment, not from God, but from the lady in question.
The past is a great teacher and if we don’t learn from the past we are in trouble
In v.5-16 Jude references us to a number of past events. His goal is that we learn from the past.
Note how Jude begins his history lesson “I want to remind you, though you once knew this…” v.5
Between v.5-16 Jude refers to 8 historical events
1. The destruction of the Israelites in the wilderness who had been rescued from the land of Egypt
2. The rebellion of angels of Heaven
3. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
4. The dispute between Michael the archangel and the Devil regarding Moses body
5. The account of Cain
6. The error of Balaam
7. The rebellion and destruction of Korah and his followers
8. The prophecy of Enoch regarding the coming judgment of God.
We could spend weeks exploring the account behind each of these references. We can’t, but let me encourage you to this: Jude has in mind that we have a familiarity with the stories behind these references. As you read them all sorts of lessons can be learned.
As Jude takes us down memory lane he does so in a very intentional fashion. Each of these 8 references succeeds in portraying the ungodly men of v.4 in a very negative light.
When people speak of you and I, its nice to be mentioned in the same breath as someone who is well respected and honorable---because it makes us look good. Now imagine this: Imagine that people are speaking of you and in the same breath speak of the Devil, Balaam, Cain, Korah, Sodom and Gomorrah, the fallen angels, the judged Israelites in the wilderness.
IT’S NOT GOOD TO BE MENTIONED IN THE SAME BREATH AS THOSE JUST LISTED!
As Jude goes down memory lane he does just that. In v.5-16 he connects the men of v.4, who are called ungodly men and who have been charged with denying Christ and changing the grace of God into a license for sin, with the Devil, Balaam, Cain, Sodom, the fallen angels, Korah, the judged Israelites in the wilderness.
No doubt is left as to their wickedness and the end that awaits them
Application:
You and I ought to be doing everything we can to ourselves avoid being connected with the individuals just mentioned. Each of these individuals mentioned committed certain sins that we must do all we can to stay out of.
We need to make sure that the wicked qualities the ungodly men of v.4 cannot be found to be descriptive of us.***
The unfortunate part is this: at times the wicked qualities of the ungodly men of v.4 can indeed be connected to us.
-sexual immorality
-grumbling
-murmuring
-slander
-speaking against authority
-money grubbing and seeking
-flattery
-taking advantage of others for gain.
If these sorts of things are part of your life then their some work and repentance to be done…..
As just mentioned: In this passage Jude leaves no shadow of doubt in our minds regarding the utter evilness of these false teachers who had infiltrated their midst.
Let’s note further how Jude describes these men
For one: They are portrayed as: dreamers, ignorant and brute beasts.
Jude uses 6 word pictures to portray their wickedness
1. Clouds without water
2. Shepherds who feed only themselves
3. Late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead
4. Raging waves of the sea that foam up their own shame
5. Wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever
6. Spots at their love feasts (the celebration of communion)
In picturing these infiltrators Jude demonstrates that their sin, promoted on the basis of the grace of God, seems to know no bounds.
As just mentioned: they are here pictured as being guilty of the following:
Committing the same sorts of sins as did the Israelites in the wilderness
Committing the same sort of sin as did the angels who rebelled against God
Committing the same sorts of sins as did the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah
They were in the same league as Cain who murdered his brother. They were motivated for money like Balaam was. They were rebellious against godly and ordained leadership as was Korah.
In addition to this they are murmurers, complainers, given to all sorts of lusts, flatterers, ones seeking to take advantage of others for gain.
Now here’s a question: HOW COULD SUCH ONES, PORTRAYED IS SUCH A VIVID AND DISGUSTING WAY, INFILTRATE THE CHURCH?
How could anyone fall for people like that?
1. We are dealing with an enemy who is smart. In II Corinthians 11:13-15 it says “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ, and no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
2. We suffer from the sin of not being in God’s Word as we ought. Our ignorance of the Word of God makes us ripe for false teaching.
3. Our toleration of sin. Personally and in the lives of each other.
When it comes to the church, what the church needs is tested and proven leaders.
When you read I Timothy 3 you’ll note that it spells out what the men who hold the office of elder or deacon ought to look and be like. If we had I Timothy 3 and Jude side by side, comparing the leaders in question we would notice that it would be as night from day.
Note what I Timothy 3:9-10 says of Deacons “They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons”
Etc, etc
THERE’S LOTS MORE FOR US TO LEARN FROM THIS TEXT.
1. Those who are steeped in these sins are on there way to Hell
In I Corinthians 6:9-11 it says “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
A life that is lived with the sins of Jude 5-16 being committed routinely is not the life of a saved person; rather it’s the life of one who is on their way to Hell. (At times you and I who are Christians are going to commit some of these sins—but as genuine followers of Christ these sorts of behaviors are going to grieve our hearts and we will be led to repentance---and as we grow in Christian maturity these behaviors will be less and less noticeable in our lives, etc, etc)
Hell is a real place that over and over again is referred to in the scriptures.
Judgment day is a real day too. Here in our text Sodom and Gomorrah is exampled for us as a type for what will happen to sinners on the day of Judgment. If you want more see II Peter 3 **
One of the key things of this text is this: It’s a warning regarding the judgment and wrath of God that will be levied against all those who are outside of Jesus Christ.
Repentance of these sins is required. Turning in faith to Jesus Christ for salvation is what is called for.*****
And again: Don’t think that God’s grace is a license to sin
An attitude like that will have this result if indeed it truly is your modus of operation: you will end up the same way the Israelites did in the wilderness: they thought they were going to the promised land but they never made it.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, the sins listed in this passage will be ones you want out of your life
2. Make sure what you and I teach about Jesus and following God is correct.
In Matthew 18:6 it says “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea”
As your Pastor I will one day have to give an account for what I have taught you. For those of you who are teachers, one day you will have to give an account..
One thing I’m taking away from this text is this: don’t mess it up when it comes to talking about Jesus, salvation, and the life God expects.
CONCLUSION
1. History has a lot teach you and I. In particular, Bible history has a lot to teach you and I. I would encourage you, where you can, to go back and read the historical accounts that Jude references.
By way of concern: you will not find Jude’s reference to Michael contending with the Devil over Moses body or Enoch’s prophecy regarding the coming judgment in any other part of the Bible than here. You can go back and read about Moses death and why he wasn’t allowed to enter into the Promised land. You also can go back and read in Genesis about Enoch. You can also find many references in other places to the coming day of Judgment. You will not find these 2 references of Jude’s anywhere else in the Bible because the Holy Spirit led him to quote from 2 extra biblical sources (non Biblical books/material that, while not true in their entirety, were true in these cases)
2. While Jude spells out how evil the infiltrators of v.4 are it ought to have this result: “I don’t want to exhibit any of the characteristics those guys did.”
The sins the false teachers had, are not to be our sins. These changers of the meaning of God’s grace were mentioned in the same breath as some of the most wicked people of the OT scriptures. You and I ought say to ourselves “I don’t want my name to be connected to their names”
3 Hell is a real place. Judgment day is a real day. Those who are steeped in these are on there way to Hell
If you are not right with God then I implore you: turn to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life now.
4. Remember that what I teach and you teach is under scrutiny by God and that I and you who teach are liable for what we teach
5. Get into God’s word, increase in your knowledge of it--- so that you might not be led astray, nor deceived by such ones who infiltrated the church that Jude was writing to.
