This is a part of a sermon series on the book of Jude. You can watch more here.
Sermon Manuscript
Jude is in the New Testament. Jude is only one chapter, so might be hard to find, but Jude is right before Revelation toward the end of the New Testament. Or you can turn to page 174 in our devotional.
Look here! We are really close to finalizing our new devotional, so be on the lookout for this at the end of August.
Last Sunday we looked at verses 1-4 to see “creepers are creeping into the church to create confusion.” This is the primary focus of Jude and still something we need to be on guard against in our day as well.
Sometimes people say that Jesus is just a good guy. Creep’n! The world will say that kind of stuff but sometimes it creeps into the local church. Things like the Bible isn’t reliable. Creep’n! There are many ways to God, it doesn’t matter what faith you have as long as you have faith in something. Creepers creeping into the local church, so that today it is difficult to know what to believe, what’s true, what’s not true?
There used to be a day when you could talk to a pastor as a person of authority but these days you can’t just trust someone with a title of pastor!
There are people on Instagram wearing robes, white collars around their neck, calling themselves pastors, so that you have to be careful.
In our passage this morning we see God’s Word inviting us to be on guard against false teaching and now more than ever, the follower of Jesus is invited to learn what we believe, why we believe what we believe and how to share what we believe with other people. This is the heart of our passage this morning. Let’s look at verses 5-6:
Jude 1:5-6, “5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”
In verses 1-4 we see Jude is written by Jude. Write that down! Jude’s life has been transformed through faith in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, so that Jude is writing a letter of encouragement to other followers of Jesus about false teachings that have crept into the local church.
It’s possible we could hear about false teachers in the local church and we could find that discouraging but in verses 5-6 Jude takes us back to the Old Testament to show false teachers have been around since the beginning of time! Right?
In Genesis 1-2 everything is created to be perfect. In Genesis 3 sin enters into the story, so that in Genesis 3 we see the first creeper creep’n, right? It’s in Genesis 3 the serpent whispers into the ears of Adam and Eve, “You don’t have to listen to God, you shouldn’t trust God, you should do what you want to do.” Therefore, we don’t need to be surprised about false teachers in our day. It’s been happening from the beginning of time.
This is why Jude gives us three examples of false teachers; Israel, angelic and cities. You with me? The reference to “people coming out of the land of Egypt” in verse 5 is a reference to Israel.
We are familiar with Israel coming out of Egypt because we just studied through the book of Joshua. Israel has been rescued from Egypt. Israel has passed through the parting of the Red Sea and yet there are men and women who begin to grumble and complain. False teachers leading people astray!
There are men and women who begin to doubt the character of God. There are men and women start to say, “It was better when we were in enslaved in Egypt. We should go back to Egypt!” Point #1: False teachers have been around!
In verse 6 we see the second example of false teachers; angelic beings. Angels used to be really popular in the 90’s. There were TV shows about angels, movies about angels, songs about angels, “She says she talks to angels, they call her out by her name” but not as much today.
In the first century, they were really excited about angels, therefore, Jude reminds them that even in the angelic realm, false teachers show up.
Verse 6 is probably describing a scene that comes out of Genesis 6 when angels were laying with the daughters of men and not “keeping their proper abode.” You can read that passage on your own, but the point is that false teachers are even in the angelic realm. Look at verse 7:
Jude 1:7, “7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
In verse 7 we see the third example of false teachers; cities. Sodom and Gomorrah is a city referenced in Genesis that describes sexual immorality that is both homosexual and heterosexual rape that was so common in the city that it has become the norm. Look at Genesis 19:4-5:
Genesis 19:4-5, “Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.”
Some of us might be familiar with Sodom and Gomorrah but Genesis 19 is describing a context where the men of the city are actively seeking sexual activity with angelic beings who appear as men.
Some will argue that Sodom and Gomorrah isn’t a violation of sexual immorality but a violation of hospitality but Jude isn’t concerned about false teachers and hospitality.
But that’s impossible. Back in verse 4 Jude described false teachers with the characteristics of licentiousness, which is giving yourself over to sexual immorality. The angels in verse 6 were involved in sexual immorality. And again, the angels in verse 7 are involved in sexual immorality. There’s no way Genesis 19 is about hospitality.
Therefore, Jude writes in verses 5-7, “Let’s not be surprised by false teachers in our day.” Let us not be surprised when we see sexual immorality of this world creeping into the local church. It doesn’t mean it’s okay. Jude makes it really clear in verses 5-7 it isn’t okay with God.
In verse 5 the false teachers are “subsequently destroyed.” In verse 6 the false teachers are “kept in eternal bonds until the day of judgment.” In verse 7 the false teachers “are an example undergoing punishment of eternal fire.”
Listen to me, I under conversations around sex on a Sunday morning are a lot to process. I am not assuming I am talking to a room of men and women who have fallen and are falling into sexual immorality. I understand there is layers of shame and misunderstanding around this subject but if we don’t talk about these things on Sunday morning we are just left with Google searches on our own and that’s frightening.
Therefore, you need to know there is only One who has demonstrated a life of perfection. His name is Jesus. Every other person has fallen to sexual immorality and every person is invited to walk through the doors of our church in Austin, receive His grace and receive His forgiveness and walk in newness of life over and over until we are face to face with Jesus. That’s the gospel!
But sometimes the sexual immorality of this world creeps into the church, creeps into our thinking, creeps into our hearts and we start thinking, “Maybe the world has better answers?”
Our world will teach us that there are no limitations to our sexual desires. It’s called sexual liberation that is indoctrinating us through songs, movies, books, and the air that we breathe, so that our culture will teach us as long as everyone is consensual then anything sexual is possible. Right?
Our culture will say things like, “marriage is an archaic tradition that isn’t necessary.” Our culture will say, “Sex is just physical. It doesn’t mean anything.” Our culture will say to us, “Do what feels right to us?”
But do you know how silly that sounds? Mental health professionals will tell us when we are full of anxiety we should go for a walk. Why? It’s because what we do with our bodies speaks to our souls emotionally, spiritually and mentally. We know this!
Biologically we know when people are involved sexual relationships it releases oxytocin in our brains, so that chemically we are creating connection, so that psychologist describe this connection as a “relational glue” that creates a bond with those people or those objects that we engage socially. We know this!
The sexual liberation movement in our culture is supposed to be a movement to empower women but all the research is showing that young women are actually the ones that are being hurt the most in this liberation, so maybe God’s Word isn’t the worst?
Maybe God’s Word isn’t outdated? Maybe when God’s Word talks about sex and says sex is good, sex is a gift, He just created sex to take place in marriage between husband and wife, because it’s in the commitment of marriage we have a lasting relationship.
It’s in the commitment of marriage you can go through the ups and downs of life and still be committed to one another. It’s in the commitment of marriage you can have the most vulnerable parts of your life exposed and you don’t feel vulnerable and insecure but you feel safe and protected.
I can tell you in my life I have made sexual decisions based on the wisdom of this world and I have made sexual decisions based on the wisdom of God’s Word and I can tell you, ““The wisdom of God’s Word is better.”
So, let us not be shocked when false teachings trickle into the church but let us be aware, let us be on guard, and let us hold fast to the wisdom of God’s Word. Let’s look at verses 8-9:
Jude 1:8-9, “8 Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
In verses 5-7 Jude takes us to the Old Testament to remind us of false teachers throughout history, so that in verse 8 Jude says, “In the same way.”
It is Jude bringing the reality of these false teachers into his present day and describes their characteristics as “dreamers defiling the flesh, rejecting authority, and reviling angelic majesties.”
This is important because most false teachers don’t typically show up and say, “Let me give you some false teaching.” Instead false teachers tend to borrow like 90% of God’s Word and then add in 10% of false teaching so that it isn’t always easy to see false teachings. Does that make sense? Therefore, we need to draw out these characteristics practically:
First, in verse 8 we see the warning against “defiling the flesh.” This is what we have been talking about in verses 5-7. This is what Jude was talking about with licentiousness in verse 4.
Genesis 1 teaches us that our bodies were made in His image for His glory. 1 Corinthians 6 teaches us through faith in Jesus we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit so that our bodies become a temple, therefore, glorify God’s Word with our bodies.
But false teachers are going to defile the flesh. False teachers are going to say it doesn’t matter what we do with our bodies. False teachers are going to say the Bible is outdated and we need to be ready.
I empathize with the follower of Jesus today because there are people throwing out Scriptures and references and it makes it really difficult to know who to trust.
You are trying to raise a family, build a career and then you have false teachers just making random claims that sound authoritative, so that there must be this temptation to check out of your faith but please don’t.
The false teacher wants you to check out, the false teachers want you to just trust them, but God’s Word invites us to check in, engage, study, read, listen, wrestle, and do our best to land in a place where we aren’t parroting what a pastor says, “But coming to our own convictions where we can stand firm and comfortable discussing with others what we believe.”
Second, in verse 8 it isn’t just sexual immorality but a warning against “rejecting authority” because false teachers are going to want to position themselves as the authority.
It’s why back in verse 3 Jude places the focus on “the faith handed down to the saints.” And verse 4 to “deny Jesus as Lord.” Does that make sense? It’s about authority.
They are going to want to come up with something new. They are going to use dogmatic language like “All faiths are basically the same.” Do you hear it? That is an authoritative statement wrapped in humility.
They are going to use words like, “God told me this was okay.” What does God’s Word say? They are going to say, “I have these degrees. I hold this title.” Listen for the authority.
It’s really common today for people to say, “But the people are hurting!” You better listen to me or the people will die! It’s a grab for authority!
This is the reference in verse 9 with Michael the archangel. This reference isn’t from Scripture but a piece of popular writing that would have been familiar to Jude’s audience, so that the point is that even in this made up story, Michael the archangel, knows not to place himself as the final authority, but the Lord, therefore, be careful when people make claims of authority.
In our church in Austin, I am not the authority. Just because someone stands on this stage doesn’t make them the authority.
We are all here to follow Jesus. We are here to study God’s Word, so that our lives are submitted to Him. Look at verses 10-11:
Jude 1:10-11, “10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.”
Verses 10-11 are so helpful because in this context we can see the foolishness of false teaching but throughout the week we are getting bombarded with false teachings and we are all vulnerable to those influences. Right?
Standing on a biblical view of sexuality in the workplace is intimidating. Pushing against the mentality that we captain of our ship and masters of our soul can be daunting, therefore, Jude writes in verses 10-11, “These false teachers aren’t saying anything important or significant.”
The examples of Cain, Balaam and the rebellion of Korah are all examples of people pushing against the glory of God, so that Jude writes, “They are like unreasoning animals.”
Anything a false teacher comes up with isn’t impressive. None of them are speaking creation into existence. None of them have a people who are made in their imagine.
The best a false teacher can do is distract. Its’ why Jude writes, “They are like unreasoning animals.” Food taste good. Sex feel good. Me in charge now! Really? What faith system or ideology are you going to follow that doesn’t begin and end with the Lord?
The God of Scripture is the creator of all things, seen and unseen. Jesus is Master and Lord over all things and for all time. Any false teacher is still playing with the resources that wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Him. Does that make sense?
It’s why all the examples in verse 11 are in the past tense; walked in the way of Cain, rushed into the error of Balaam, perished in the rebellion of Korah. Their false teachings have already come and gone.
None of it lasts, therefore, why would we listen to false teachings of our day? Why would we turn from the glory and wisdom of the Lord to follow anything besides the Lord? Why would we get flustered by what those false teachers stir up?
Sure, sometimes those false teachings will creep into the church but all we need to do is repent. All we need to do is turn from the deception of our day and put our trust in Jesus. Ask His forgiveness. Receive His grace. Glory in His truth! This is the invitation of God’s Word this morning!
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
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