Keep Your Eyes Open Series

ME

Open your bibles to the book of JUDE…if you don’t have a bible with you, the ushers will gladly hand you one.

[Ushers hand out bibles to any who need them]

We’re going to be looking at verses 5-11 today…

Let me start by saying that I like things that feel good…

• Roller coasters

• Warm pecan pie

• Driving too fast

• Telling someone off when they deserve it

• Sleeping

• Dr. Pepper

Let me also say that not everything that feels good is good for me.

Warm pecan pie feels good…but too much of it is unhealthy

Driving fast feels good…but it’s dangerous

Dr. Pepper feels good…but it has a negative impact on your health

Telling someone off may feel good…but it can damage or destroy relationships

Sleeping feels good…but too much of it and you lose your job

But, in spite of the negatives, we naturally tend to do just those things that feel good. We take the path of least resistance. We must MAKE ourselves do those things that are better, nobler, more healthy. And we have to stay alert against those things that just feel good but are damaging.

We have to guard against our natural tendency to do only what feels good. That’s where we’re going today. We’re going talk about staying alert against our tendency to slip into “feel good sin.”

Here’s the deal…there is sin – a lot of sin – that just plain feels good. I’m not going to lie to you…it’s easier to just follow your desires and do what feels good and forget that there are consequences. SIN FEELS GOOD – OTHERWISE IT WOULDN’T BE SO TEMPTING.

SIN FEELS GOOD BECAUSE IT IS OUR NATURAL STATE!!!!!

And so we have a tendency to drift into “feel good sin.” Jude calls us to stay alert against that tendency.

And that’s the one thing…that’s the point I want you to get today… We need to stay alert against our tendency to slip into “feel good sin.”

WE

Last Sunday we examined the first 4 verses of Jude. In the beginning of this letter he gives a wake up call to the church…urging them to be alert and to become defenders of the faith.

The faith…the basic belief system…of those who are followers of Jesus was under attack and in need of defense. It wasn’t under attack from the government. It wasn’t under attack from another religious group. It wasn’t even being directly attacked by the culture in which they lived. Rather, the faith of the church was under attack from THOSE WITHIN THE CHURCH.

There were those who had “slipped in” and were perverting and undermining the faith. They were saying that there was no law to follow. They were saying that the more we sin the more God can show grace. They were saying that we don’t have to submit to any authority. They were abusing the grace of Jesus and denying his sovereignty and his lordship. In other words – they were denying that Jesus was God or that he would do anything about sin except clean it up for us.

Much like what we deal with today. A no consequences, no accountability mindset.

This week, as we look at verses 5 – 11 we’re going to see Jude use some historical examples as well as identify the current reality of the church as he calls them to stay alert because we need to stay alert against our tendency to slip into “feel good sin.”

Our natural tendency is to drift into “feel good sin.” Our natural tendency is to fall asleep. Our natural tendency is to let our guard down. That’ is why we must be diligent. We need to stay alert against our tendency to slip into “feel good sin.”

GOD

Today, I’m going to read through the whole passage in one shot and then come back and pull back the layers that are here so we can gain some meaningful insight for where we are today.

5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them.