The Vagabond Spirit

They wander from church home to church home

And if they do have a place they call "home" they seldom attend with any measure of frequency, they are wanderers in the fellowship. God can't depend on them to build his church.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOMEONE WITH A VAGABOND SPIRIT:

They are IRREGULAR:

-Contrary to rule - Always finding fault or coming up against church leadership.

-Contrary to accepted order - Always coming up against the way things are done (with no spirit of meekness or humility)

-Departing from the usual pattern - always wanting to do things their own way. When they are instructed to do something they still do things how they see fit.

-They don't take correction well or at all.

THE DEVIL KNOWS THAT A WANDERING PEOPLE WILL NEVER BECOME STRONG.

GOD DID NOT TAKE THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT TO HAVE THEM WANDERING IN THE DESSERT LIKE VAGABONDS. HIS PLAN WAS TO GIVE THEM A HOME.

However, the Devil knew quite well what expelled him from his own permanent residence was rebellion in the heart and murmuring - therefore if he could affect the people's heart and cause the people to engage in similar behavior it would keep them from being planted in their own land.

When a person begins to murmur they will slowly begin to uproot.

The reason God caused the people of Israel to wander In the desert was because they were wandering in their hearts. so he gave them over to their wanderings.

GOD HATES A WANDERING / VAGABOND SPIRIT - Notice what he says in the book of Jeremiah

O Lord, act for Your name’s sake!

Truly our apostasies have been many,

We have sinned against You.

Its Savior in time of distress,

Why are You like a stranger in the land

Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night?

Like a mighty man who cannot save?

Yet You are in our midst, O Lord,

And we are called by Your name;

Do not forsake us!”

10 Thus says the Lord to this people, “Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check.

Therefore the Lord does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account.” 11 So the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the welfare of this people.

The people were asking God, Why is it that you are in our midst but do not deliver? Why is it that you are like a traveler that only pitches a tent for a night?

And notice what God answers:

"You have loved to wander and have not kept your feet in check"

In other words God was saying I am treating you the way you are treating me.

JUDE WARNS US ABOUT THE VAGABOND SPIRIT

As we read Jude's stern warning please recall the verses we have already read thus far in our study.

JUDE 1:11-13

11 Woe to them! For they have run riotously in the way of Cain (a vagabond), and have abandoned themselves for the sake of gain following the error of Balaam, and have perished in rebellion [like that] of Korah!

12 These are hidden reefs (elements of danger) in your love feasts, where they boldly feast sumptuously [carousing together in your midst], without scruples providing for themselves [alone]. They are clouds without water, swept along by the winds; trees, without fruit at the late autumn gathering time—twice (doubly) dead, [lifeless and] plucked up by the roots;