The Gospel: How to Get Everything Wrong
Jude 1:4-23
Intro:
As we get into our text this evening, I would like for you to keep one question in mind: What is it that we, as a church, and as the Body of Christ, are doing wrong? This is not a popular question, in today’s society…people want to point to the positive, and ignore the negative. A destructive political correctness has invaded our society that frowns upon correction, and encourages pluralism. The insanity of our culture, can be clearly seen in our Universities and Colleges, even our public schools, where our children are encouraged to not only be accepting of those with alternate beliefs, but to regard their beliefs as equally true. This type of thinking obviously flies in the face of what Christ said when he said “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life, and no man comes to the father, but through Me”. Christ is clear that he is the only true way, yet we have been bullied by those around us, not only into a dangerous silence, but into a destructive agreement with there insane ideas.
That our children bow to such ideas, that is the idea that other beliefs such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam are equally true to the one True Faith, is an indication of the failing of the Church’s role in our society. We have dropped the ball, both on the inside of our churches, in our Sunday schools and Bible studies, as well as on the outside, in our nearly non-existent evangelism. We have lost the urgency conveyed in scripture; we have pushed the proclamation of the Gospel to the back burner, and turned our churches into little more than a programs based country club. We have failed, in nearly every point, to do what we have been called to do by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Has anyone LOOKED at the T.V. lately? Do you think there is anything Christian in the Garbage being spewed by these so called “Televangelists”? Have we got any Joel fans here today?
So, today what I would like to do is to set up a model of all the ways in which we can get the Gospel completely wrong. It is my desire that by looking at what we should not be doing, it will awaken us to what we should be doing. By looking at the ways in which we fail, we will see what it is we need to do, to succeed in those tasks that we have been called to perform.
The scripture that we will be looking at for this monumental task is contained in the single chapter of Jude. So if you would, please turn to Jude; we will begin in verse 4.
Jud 1:4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jud 1:5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Jud 1:6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
Jud 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
#1 Way to “get Everything Wrong” is to Emphasize Grace, but ignore God’s righteous nature {Repeat}
By completely ignoring God’s moral character, and emphasizing Grace in every situation, we will slowly develop a church full of hypocrisy, and leave the members of our Churches to be “blown about” with every wind of doctrine.
We will remove any emphasis on correct living and morality, and cause a compartmentalization of spiritual truths that will completely divorce it of any changing power. Take another look at verse 4: I like the way the New Living Translation puts it:
4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
See what it says there? These people are not denying Jesus’ existence. Nor are they even denying that he is God in the Flesh.
There denial is linked to their disobedience, and is summed up by Jesus’ statement in Luke 6:46, when he says “WHY DO YOU CALL ME LORD, LORD, AND YET YOU DO NOT DO WHAT I TELL YOU?”
It is God’s authority in our lives that this passage is referring to. It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation that not only allows us to live Godly lives, but will begin to CAUSE us to live Godly lives. Without it, we have a false, empty hope.
Repentance>Metanoia, walk.
Thus, by professing Christ with our mouths, but denying him with our actions, we will assure that the Church has a minimal effect on those around us.
#2 Way to “Get everything wrong” is to Leave false teachers unrecognized, and unchallenged {Repeat}
Look at verse 8. “ Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.”
It is interesting that the Greek word here for “dreamer”, (which I can’t pronounce, so please don’t ask), it reveals I think, the meaning conveyed here. The definitions is “metaphorically, to be beguiled with sensual images and carried away to an impious course of conduct”. Verse 16 continues this line of thought when it says that these men are “carried away by their sinful desires”.
In order to recognize and challenge false teachers, we must know what they look like.
What are some of the signs of a false teacher? In verse 4, as we already saw, they promote hypocrisy by denying God’s righteous nature. In verse 11 we see that Greed can be a sign of a false teacher. In verse 16, we see that they can be boastful, and political. The English standard version says they “show favoritism to get advantage”.
In short, they are focused on the Physical: both in terms of their own gain, and in terms of their teaching as well. They are not concerned with increasing in faith, winning souls for Christ, or in teaching his word: they are completely focused on the gratification of the flesh.
But lest we think these men are easy to see, take a look at verse 12. (Referring to these false teachers, it says:)
Jud 1:12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;
. What does he mean by “Hidden reefs”? Well as you know, reefs are unseen objects that can cause unbelievable damage to a ship in it’s voyage: all without ever being seen. They hide beneath the water, awaiting the ship that is unfortunate enough to happen upon them. Likewise when we are not watchful and prepared, these men can cause HORRIBLE destruction upon the Body of Christ.
It makes me think of the Titanic..
Reverend James O’May, a Methodist preacher in Chicago in 1912, said of the Titanic disaster, and it’s large group of affluent passengers “It was a huge joy ride: and it ended where joy rides generally stop.”
Placing ourselves under the authority of false teachers, then, is an easy way to “Get everything wrong”.
#3 Way to “Get everything wrong” is to Ignore the lost, and remain silent about Judgement and Hell {Repeat}
This will completely halt the growth of the church. We will be able to be completely inwardly focused (on ourselves): this will turn the Church into a weekly pep talk, where we are told we can “achieve” our dream, whatever it might be. Our Pastors will become motivational speakers, encouraging our physical pursuits, while ignoring our spiritual needs.
And perhaps worst of all, through our disobedience to God and his word, millions will plunge unknowingly into an eternal hell.
Now don’t get me wrong here…Everyone that God calls to him will be saved: scripture is clear about that. But God’s sovereignty does NOT relieve us of our culpability. We are still responsible for our inaction, even though God is ultimately in control. Pharaoh was not excused for his sin because God hardened his heart. Neither are we excused for our disobedience.
LOOK at verse 22 and 23! Have MERCY on those who doubt. How do we have mercy? By snatching them from the fire! What is this verse speaking of? It is speaking of Evangelism. It’s talking about warning people of an everlasting torment. It is about demonstrating the love and grace of God shown to us through the death of Jesus Christ.
It is absolutely amazing to me, that we can walk by person after person, day after day, KNOWING the fate of the ungodly taught in scripture, yet not saying ANYTHING!
Well, preacher I’m waiting for God to tell me to go.
HE Already did! “Go ye therefore into the world, making disciples of all nations..!”
I’m embarrassed to talk about Jesus> Well, you are in serious trouble: Jesus says if you confess him before men, he will confess you before the father. He who denies him before men, will also be denied before the father.
Well I want to talk to them, but I’m scared. What kind of excuse is that? Imagine for a moment that you were the parent of a child that just got ran over. And you went to one of the people who were standing on the side of the street, watching, and you ask them “why didn’t you warn my child about the car?” I cannot even picture the amount of anger I would feel, if the person replied “I didn’t feel it was MY place to tell them they were wrong. He had to make his own decision”.
What kind of stupidity have we bought into? Ya’ know, I think a lot of it is caused by a misunderstanding of what hell is. This is epitomized in television shows, and movies, where Hell is either being shown as non-existent, or a trivialized to the point where it is almost cute.
In a show my wife was watching recently, a man went to “hell”. He didn’t like children, so of course he was sentenced to changing diapers for all eternity. And he was also an alcoholic; so when he went to pick up a bottle of whiskey off the counter, it turned out to be one of those trick bottles, that wouldn’t pour. Then he asked for a cigarette, and he got one, and he thought there wouldn’t be a lighter; but there was a whole bowl of lighters. But, as it turned out, none of them worked. It was very cute.
Well let me tell you: there is nothing cute about hell. It is a place of immense and total suffering. Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, speaks of God’s wrath. He says:
"It is an everlasting wrath. It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God for one moment; but you must suffer it for all eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery. When you look ahead, you shall see a long forever, an unlimited amount of time before you: this will swallow up all your thoughts; it will amaze your soul and you will be in absolute despair of ever being delivered, of it ever coming to an end, or of receiving any reduction of torment or any rest at all.
You will know for sure that you must wear out many long ages, millions and millions of ages, in struggling and fighting against this merciless vengeance; and then when you have struggled and fought through all these long ages, you will realize that only a second has gone by, and eternity still remains. Your punishment will be infinite. Oh, who can express the horrible state of a soul in this condition! All that we can possibly say about it, gives but a very feeble, faint representation of what it will be like; it is inexpressible and inconceivable: For "who knows the power of God’s anger?"
Now that is not scripture. But it is a fair representation of the teachings of the Word of God.
Conclusion (Drawing this to a close)
I don’t know where anyone here stands today. I know that I don’t do everything that I should. I walk by people who are lost everyday. Oh, I do try to evangelize, but not like I should. My question to you is “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” Have you told someone about Jesus today? This week? This month?
(as you go, go out intentionally)
WE are what God uses to spread the gospel.
Turn to Romans 10 :14
Have you snatched someone from the fire? Or do you LACK A GODLY MERCY?
How beautiful are the feet of those, who proclaim the Good News…
