We've all been hurt. We all have scars. And through a relationship with Jesus Christ,
we can all overcome and we can all be healed. Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton.
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Sanctuary. This week, we're going to be taking a look
at something that is definitely a hot topic in the church. This is something that many
will touch on and then move away from just as quickly. And really, it's something that
needs to be deeply looked at because it has to do with defending Jesus and protecting
the church. In the military, in a law enforcement, we all raise our hand. We take a note to defend
against enemies, foreign and domestic. And if you spend enough time around veterans of
either of these services, you are definitely going to hear remarks about how those oaths
don't have an expiration date. Now, the veterans and law enforcement veterans were very much
promoted as the sheepdogs. This is something that every Christian should also take to heart
as well when it comes to protecting the church. It's no different than being at work. You
go to work, you work hard, you have coworkers and they work just as hard and they're just
as motivated as you are and you all come together as a great team. And then you have that percentage
of people who are just heinous. You wonder not only how did they get this job, how have
they kept it? And in case you haven't already realized it, it's no different in a house
of worship. If that's a shocker, sorry, it shouldn't be. Now, before we get into main
text of where we're going to be at today, there are a few things I need to go through
to lay the foundation for where we're going. So bear with me, we are getting there, I promise.
There are several places in the Bible where the word warns us of false teachers, those
wolves in sheep's clothing, people who call themselves pastors. And in reality, it is
entitled only. They're not truly called by the spirit. And the reasons vary. Some look
it as a showman's job, somewhat power, some have it handed down by a parent who was in
that pulpit and under that mistaken thought process that they'd be a good candidate because
they're, oh, this is my kid, and they've been brought up in this. Unfortunately, it's
not the case. There's several reasons for these things to happen, for people to get
into these positions. For time's sake, we're not going to go into it. We don't have that
kind of time. That could be a day in and of itself. So we're going to start with Jeremiah
chapter 5 verse 31. So Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 31, the Bible says, the prophet's prophecy
lies. The priest rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. See, this
is one of many places where his word is telling us that there are quote unquote, preachers
that are not led by God's authority. They tell half truths, lies, they're spinsters.
They put the spin on things to say what they want things to say as opposed to what they
mean. Not only that, but it warns us that the people will like it. Those people who
are listening, why? Why would people like this? Well, it's simple. And in today's day
and age, the answer's right in front of you because people are entertained, because they're
being led in that whole, if it feels good, do it type of belief system, that mentality.
People don't want to be convicted of their sins. They don't want to be told that they
don't repent and turn away, that they're going to hell and that they need to change.
They want to be told that they can have everything that they want, all their desires right now,
that they're good enough just the way they are. And the truth is, none of us are good
enough the way we are. None of us. And following these poor doctrines, to put it lightly, leads
straight to hell. It doesn't matter if what these people are preaching is mostly true
or not. And many of them do have enough truth in their messages to fool those who are not
truly paying attention. And they bend and they twist the truth to say their message.
But you know what? The bending and the twisting of the truth is still a lie. It doesn't matter
if it's a small percentage or a large percentage. A lie is a lie. And we see a lot of these
people on TV. We can hear a lot of them on the radio. And don't confuse this with those
people who make honest mistakes. We all make mistakes sometimes no matter what we do. We're
locked in on this one thing and we miss the mark. That is a mistake. That is not what
we're talking about. What I'm talking about here, what we're looking at are these con
men that make the rest of us look bad. And I'm here to tell you, the church is not a
business. It is not. And shame on those who make it one. As the old meme goes, once you
take a church and you try to turn it into a business, you've prostituted it. And that
sounds harsh, but it's the truth. Now, 2 Timothy 4 verses 3 through 5, the Bible says,
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine, instead to suit
their own desires. They will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to say. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn
aside to myths. But you keep your head and all situations endure hardship. Do the work
of an evangelist. Discharge all the duties of your ministry. So here, the Word is telling
us that it's all about the entertainment value. You know, that whole, the show must go on.
At least that's what these entertainers are really about. You know, that they have an
image. You have to dress a certain way. You have to talk a certain way. Use a certain
lingo to create this image. This character is really what they're doing. You know, they're
concerned about their ratings. How many people are tuning in? How many people are coming
in? They want to bring in those people. Why? Because they bring in those people, then they're
making more money. And of course, there's the power that goes with that. This, this
right here, these are the idols that these people truly hold dear. And people are happy
to give it an unearned and an improper respect or credit because they're entertained. But
it's all spectacle. Smoke and mirrors. See, there's a few things here that we should all
take notice of. One, these people, these con men, they don't care about the truth or any
judgment that comes from it. Right? It kind of falls into that whole thing of, you know,
there's, you know, trying to think of the old showbiz thing, like there's no, there's
no such thing as bad advertising, something along those lines. So, you know, they don't
care about the truth or the judgment from not following the truth to the line. Alright?
Secondly, the truth to them is whatever twisted truth that gets them noticed. They want to
be noticed. It's starting to sound a little bit like a terrorist here, right? And third,
they use viewpoints that support their own selfish desires and they will defend these
different views using their own experiences that just happen to align with their narrative.
Imagine that. Right? The Bible warns us here. It says, keep your head in all situations.
It's telling us to be mindful and not let us stray just because something sounds good.
Alright? You know, the, you know, people do get caught up if something sounds good, you
know, but there's something to be said for that, you know, if it's too good to be true.
So you know, this right here, this is why many pastors, myself included, tell people,
don't take our word for it, but actually read your Bible. The best way to know that what
you're hearing from someone is the truth is to know it for yourself. And the way you know
it is by reading it. We're hearing it, you know, if you listen to the Bible, there's
enough apps and stuff out there today that will read it to you. Alright? And this brings
us to our main reading for today, the Book of Jude. And we're going to be spending quite
a bit of time here. It's actually going to be broken into two parts. Alright? Now I'm
going to tell you, the Book of Jude, it's a bit of a tough read, kind of dry. Okay?
But we're going to get through this. Bear with me. This is good. It's important. It's
very, very important. And the first section here, the first of which, we're going to take
our most time going through. Alright? The second part, much faster, not as hard as the
first part. Now, Jude is one of the shortest books in the Bible. You'll notice I kind of
had a little theme here lately, going through the shortest books in the Bible. But you know
what? They're important. They're very important. And as I've said before, a lot of people tend
to skip over them or they'll pick little bits and pieces. But you know what? It's here for
a reason. It is the Word and we need to be aware of exactly what all of the Word is.
Alright? So again, the Book of Jude, one of the shortest books in the Bible. It comes
just before Revelation. So at the very end of your book, if you're looking for it, it
was written approximately 65 AD by Jude. Now Jude, along with his brother James, they're
the half brothers. So Jude is a half brother to Jesus. Now remember, God is the father
of Jesus. So that means Jude and James, they share the same mother, Mary. But they had
different fathers. Jesus had God and as we know, Mary was married to Joseph. So he wrote
this to remind the early church to remain vigilant because there had been false teaching
at that time in Heresies. So this isn't something new. This isn't a new problem that the church
has been facing in recent years. This is something that's been going on since the very beginning
and it's an issue that's been continuously growing as we've started to discuss here today.
And the Bible even tells us it's going to get worse. Alright? So as much as that doesn't
sound like it's very hopeful, that's okay because there is still hope to be had here.
Alright? So the first part of Jude we're going to be looking at covers verses 1 through 16
and it's a warning about the danger of false teachers which obviously that's what we're
looking at today. And we're going to be looking into this section before we go into the second
part. Okay? So we're going to go ahead and we're going to dive in here and we're going
to look at Jude verses 1 through 4. Alright? The Bible says, Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ
and a brother to James to those who have been called who are loved in God the Father and
kept for Jesus Christ. Mercy, peace, and love. Be yours in abundance. So there's our greeting.
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,
I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all
entrusted to God's holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written
about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people who pervert the
grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign Lord.
Okay. So we see some jargon here. So let's define that real quick. What is it to contend
for something? Well, per the dictionary, to contend for is to engage in a competition
or a campaign in order to win or achieve something. Alright? It also means to assert something
as a position in an argument. So it's taking a stance on something. Now, how do we do that?
Well, for one, we read and we learn our Bible. We learn the word. Alright? This isn't just
up to clergy members, but anyone who professes to be a Christian. See, you won't recognize
false doctrine or bad teaching unless you read the Bible for yourself. You have to know
it. Alright? Second, we work to grow in our relationship with the Lord. While we have
the ability to read, we need to have a relationship to further understand the meaning of what
is being said. Alright? And the best way to think of it, think of text messaging. Text
messaging is a wonderful example here. So you can get a text from somebody and it could
be, you know, and the words are right there. They're in black and white. But the way you
interpret that message may well be completely different of how the sender intended it for
various reasons. Okay? I mean, you're seeing it, you're seeing the words, but you're not
hearing the inflection, the tone, you know, of what's being said. So you misinterpret
it. That happens to all of us. We've all been there at some point. You know, it's one of
those things that I say, don't text angry. Okay? You know, also as Christians, we contend
for the faith by standing unified in the core values, the essentials, or in other words,
the basics of our faith as it's found in God's work. Okay? The Bible is our basis. While
we may not see eye to eye on everything, the underlying foundation is the same across the
board. Example here, as we talked about before, music and worship. Alright? We just spoke
about that, you know, last week. There's going to be different thoughts on how these things
should be carried out and what kind of music should be played. Alright? But the underlying
is still that it is there, that it belongs. The Bible tells us so, right? Okay. So moving
along here into verse four, the Bible talks about those who have slipped in that they
are ungodly. And this is specifically calling out those false teachers, those who are already
preaching a prosperity theology, something Paul spoke of in Romans 6. See, they twist
and they redirect things to fit their narrative, to fit their aspirations. And while they may
very well find riches and power here on earth, what these people fail to see is that those
things are all going to be gone in a moment. That they're going to be burned by the very
fire that they're playing with when God's judgment comes upon them. There's also a belief
that's held by many that how someone chooses to live has little to nothing to do with their
faith. I'm here to tell you, it's very much to the contrary. When you have faith and repent
from sin, you change. Repentance is change. And when you're truly faithful and a follower
of Jesus, your life is going to change. By following his principles, they're going to
change you. How you act, how you treat others, how you talk, your interests are going to
change. The things that you put value in are going to change. And people will be able to
see him in you. There's very much a reason why Jesus said that we are the light and the
salt. Now, back to Jude, we're going to look at verses five through seven. The Bible says,
though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered
his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe and the angels who
did not keep their positions of authority, but abandoned their proper dwelling. These
he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great day. In a
similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and their surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual
immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffered the punishment
of eternal fire. All right. Now, notice there are several references being made here, several.
First there's the mention of the Israelites, who even after being rescued from Egypt, they
still didn't trust in God. That's pretty shocking in and of itself. We can learn more
about that by looking at the book of Numbers chapter 14, verses 26 through 39. And then
we see a mention of the fallen angels. To see what happened to them, we only need to
look to 2 Peter chapter two versus four. The Bible says, for if God did not spare the angels
when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for
judgment, they were in heaven with God and they still fell. Why? Due to pride. And finally,
we see mention of Sodom and Gomorrah, these towns that were so sinful, so immoral, so
turned from God that the Lord didn't just punish them. He wiped them completely off
the earth as we see in Genesis 19. So what do all these references have in common? Rebellion.
Rebellion. I mean, obviously sin, but rebellion. These were all rebellions against God, sins
against God. And as the Bible tells us in Romans six, verse 23, the wages of sin, or
in other words, the cost of sin is death. And to be clear, condemned to hell. And we
see it in these rebellions. God's chosen people, angels who were in heaven, and true sin cities
were all punished. So when I say sin city, if you think in Vegas, guess what? It's not
alone. There are a lot. So there are many people that don't want to believe that God
will send them to eternal fire for rejecting him. Yet the Bible's made it clear and Jude
is warning all who rebel against God, ignore him or just outright reject him, that they
will be separated as well. They're going to be condemned to that eternal fire. And if
those who are supposed to be teachers and know better have turned as well, how much
worse is it going to be for them? And the Bible tells us in James three, verse one,
not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we
who teach will be judged more strictly. Teachers have a huge responsibility to their students.
It's not a small undertaking. You know, as much as the movements that are out there now
talk about, you know, changing things in the schools and how things are being taught and
what's being taught, teachers and teachers out there listening, you have a moral and
ethical responsibility to make sure that your students are being taught properly. All right.
And we see these things in the news regularly. We'll see grade schools popping up or a university,
you know, for the same reason. And because teachers or as we're talking about here, preachers,
whatever the title is that they have, they're to be educated themselves there because they're
held to a higher standard. All right. It's something it's like any other vocation. There's
always continuing education. There's always something more to learn. All right. Just because
you hold one book in your hand, doesn't mean you know it all. All right. There's still
plenty to learn. Picking back up in Jude eight through 10, the Bible says, in the very same
way on the strength of their dreams, these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject
authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. Even the Archangel Michael, when he was disputing
with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander,
but said, the Lord rebuke you. Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand and
the very things they do understand by instinct as irrational animals do will destroy them.
If you recall in Genesis 19, the men in Sodom, they insulted angels sent by God in the same
way false teachers mock God's messengers. This isn't something to be taken lightly.
They slander and put down the things that they don't understand just as they did in
Peter's day. So this isn't something new. If that wasn't bad enough, a lot of false
teachers, they claim to possess secret knowledge or some similar mystical wording as if they're
beyond basic human understanding. They've been lifted up like they're a gatekeeper or
some kind of a special prophet. On a side note, this is another reason to be very careful
if somebody claims the title of prophet. That itself is a very special term. Prophets were
specific people in the Bible. The Bible tells us all about them. It is a mockery that not
only belittles God but everyone else. It's fake in front of them. If you look back to
2 Peter chapter 2 verses 10 through 12, you'll find the Bible says something very similar
here as well. The Bible says, this is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire
of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse
on celestial beings. Yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not
heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. But these people, blasphemed
in matters they do not understand. They are like odd reasoning animals, creatures of instinct
born only to be caught and destroyed. Like animals, they too will perish. It's easier
for them to joke about and to undermine the things that they fear or just plain don't
understand. Like I say, people are going to get caught up in all these things. The end
of days is telling us, if it feels good, do it with mentality. Bear with me guys though.
We're getting there. We're already past the halfway mark. Like I said, this is a much
harder read than what we're used to. So hang in there with me. Picking up in Jude verse
11, the Bible says, woe to them. They have taken the way of Cain. They have rushed for
profit into Balaam's error. They have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. Now this is
another short verse that is packing a lot of punch. The old one, two here. Here we see
Cain who of course killed his brother out of jealousy. Balaam who prophesied out of
greed and Korah who rebelled against those who were put in leadership positions by God
and did so in an effort to get power for himself. He wanted the power. These are traps that
false teachers and not just them but a lot of people adopt as their attitudes in life.
These are the things that people want, the idols that people prize. Pride, selfishness,
jealousy, greed, power, trying to corrupt others as well. Be able to manipulate them
to get what they want. Not only that but they ignore God's will. They put themselves first.
They throw God in that back seat. Where do these things fit into your life? This is something
we all need to ask ourselves. What can we do to remove them? Because while we're talking
about false teachers, there are things that impact all of us at some point. Because at
some point we're all teachers of some sort. Jude verses 12 through 16, the Bible says,
these people are blemishes at your love feast, eating with you without the slightest qualm.
Shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind,
autumn trees without fruit, and uprooted twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming
up their shame, wandering stars for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them, see the Lord is coming with thousands
upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone and to convict them all of ungodly acts that
they have committed in their ungodliness. And of all the defiant words ungodly sinners
have spoken against him. These people are grumblers and fault finders. They follow their
own evil desires. They boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
Wow. So the early church, believers, they would have a full meal. They would sit down
for dinner. They'd have a full meal and then after that was done, they would share a communion
together. This was called a love feast. Basically it was a time of fellowship. They'd come together,
they'd have fellowship and they would prepare their hearts to have communion. You go to
communion, we talk about this and why we have communion. However, in several churches, this
feast, this turned into a time of drunkenness and gluttony. A prime example in Corinth showed
where there would be some gluttons just making absolute pigs of themselves while others went
hungry. You can find that in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. These people are contaminant. They
pollute and they damage everyone and everything around them. Very similar to places of worship
that call themselves churches today. Those places, for example, that stock up the pantry
but then when people who are in need come looking, they're turned away and they're
told, oh sorry, it's for members only. We don't have enough. Then they'll give to their
own church members when it's time for certain items to expire. They give to their own church
members and when it's time for certain things to expire, they'll take those things and they
put them out on the counter for the members to take before they're thrown out or certain
holidays come around and they'll give to their members and then people, they come in and
say, oh you want to let's go, okay cool and stock up, no problem, but only for select
groups. Not even everybody is necessarily allowed in for that. These churches will still
say that they're reaching out in love. Not exactly what we're supposed to do, is it?
Not a lot of love, not a lot of mercy, not a lot of grace. You'll notice in verses 12
and 13 that these teachers are compared to a number of useless things as well. Why? Because
they don't produce anything. In Christian jargon, in the Christian world, we would say
that they're not producing fruit. Then, not only that, so not only are they called useless
but then they're called twice dead. What's this mean? Well, it's a reference to the first
death which we will all meet because we all know that these bodies that we're living in
are only here for a limited time, but the second death is where only the believers are
brought into the Lord's presence in heaven and everyone else is separated from God and
sent to hell. This section here, it finishes out talking about the return of Jesus and
the judgment to come. That everyone will stand before him in answer for their misdeeds. That's
why it's so important to repent now and to lean on Jesus, to follow him, to lean on his
word and to point others towards him. None of us can take the word of another. We need
to know it for ourselves and to accept Jesus as our Lord and our Savior if we're going
to spend eternity with him. We already know he is the only way. He is the gateway to heaven.
The last part of Jude is a call to keep the faith, to remain vigilant. Now, this is much
easier. We're going to go through this much, much faster. The hard part is done, guys.
We're rounding third now. We'll see this in Jude verses 17 through 23. The Bible says,
but dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said
to you, in the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.
These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the
Spirit. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and
praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt. Save
others by snatching them from the fire. To others, show mercy. Mixed with fear, hating
even the clothing, stained by corrupt flesh. So in verses 17 through 19, much like we've
already seen, other apostles also warned about these false teachers. And we see this throughout
the Bible, several places. When the word speaks of the last times, it's referring to the time
that we live in now. This is that time between the first and the second coming of Christ.
So that's where we are today in history. Now, in verses 20 through 21, we're being told
to stay close to God and to fellow Christians. So don't let yourself get drawn in by wolves
and sheep's clothing. Can you learn anything from them? Yeah, potentially, but it's a very,
very slippery slope. You're essentially walking out into a spiritual minefield. Not the best
choice. All right. Now, in verses 22 through 23, we're told to be compassionate and to
introduce people to Jesus, to do our part, to answer the great commission. You know,
when the Bible says, hating even the clothing, stained by corrupted flesh, it's telling us
that while we should hate sin, we still need to love and to share the gospel with sinners
and unbelievers. You know, let's face it, sharing the gospel is very much a life or
death situation. And it can be really hard to find that common ground with someone to
start a dialogue with, but don't allow that to pull you into sin, that common ground.
Okay. That is our quicksand right there. And that's where we run into trouble. You know,
what we need to do is we need to point the way to Christ and stand firm right where we're
at. Remember, we don't get to decide what the Bible is about. We don't get to decide
what the Bible teaches. Rather, the Bible is what tells us, the church, what we need
to teach to others. How we point the way to Jesus. It's not about a production. It's
not about showmanship. It is about salvation. All right. Now, Jude uses a prayer, a praise
to close. So in Jude verses 24 and 25, the Bible says, to him who is able to keep you
from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great
joy, to only God, our savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ,
our Lord, before all ages now and forevermore. Amen. All right. So keep in mind, we're all
broken. We've all sinned. We've all fallen short of the goal, right? It's all the more
reason for each and every one of us to show compassion to our fellow man, even the non-believers.
I should actually say especially the non-believers. All right. Now, while we know there are a
lot of false teachers out there, when we keep his word as our base and we lean on God to
guide us instead of the words of men, we know we'll be directed down the right path. We
have to remain vigilant to ensure the word isn't tainted. And it's not only for ourselves,
but for others. All right. Remember, protect from enemies, foreign and domestic. We need
to watch out. So just as in the early days of the church, we are all subject to the same
errors, the same temptations, the same poor doctrines that are presented by false teachers.
But we don't need to be afraid. We haven't been given a spirit of fear. Second Timothy
chapter one, verse seven, the Bible says, for the spirit God gave us does not make us
timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. See, God will protect us. It is on us to keep
our guard up and to keep looking to Jesus, even in the storm. Keep looking to Jesus.
And remember, even though these people are blinded by their sin, we still need to pray
for them continually. We need to pray for them and pray for them to come around, that
their hearts were soft and that they will repent and follow the Lord. And not only that,
but we need to pray for all those that they influence. There are flocks out there who
don't even know where they're being herded. You've got this. Stay vigilant. God bless.
Thank you for tuning in to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. If you'd like to know more
about our ministry, you can find us on Facebook at Be the Light Sanctuary, or you can visit
our website at BeTheLightSanctuary.org. Thank you so much for listening. We'll catch you
next time. God bless.