Woe To Them
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Jude 11-16
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.
These people are blemishes at your love feasts, 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 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 all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
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This Sunday, Pastor Lonnye continued our series on the letter of Jude. This letter was written by Jude (the youngest brother of Jesus) to people who have recently made the decision to follow Christ. False teachers have infiltrated the church and were influencing others to follow a false gospel. This week we read a vivid description of these false teachers…
Vs. 11 begins with the phrase ‘woe to them’, Jude compares the false teachers to three groups of false influencers from Israel’s past: Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Jude is saying that these people are betraying their family by teaching sin, and they are selfishly using their influence to gain money and power.
Pastor Lonnye spoke about the different metaphors used in Jude, ‘clouds without rain’ & ‘trees without fruit’. Offering the illusion of loving their fellow believers while in reality producing only shame and eternal wrath.
“What the heart desires, the will chooses, and the mind justifies.” - Thomas Cranmer
What is influencing your heart?
Lonnye challenged us to guard against false teaching, and sin creeping into our lives, by studying the Scriptures with other believers.Get into the Word of God so that your heart is influenced by the only truth that can transform you into a fully surrendered disciple of Jesus Christ.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Read Scripture.
Read: 2 Peter 2:13-19
Compare and contrast this with Jude 11-16.
Have a daily time with God.
Here’s a quick guide about how to develop this habit.
Memorize Scripture.
We’re memorizing Jude 20-21.
Here’s a quick guide to help you get started.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Questions:
1) What did the Holy Spirit highlight for you during this teaching? Why?
Journal your thoughts and/or share this with someone else.
2) How will you prioritize spending more time in God’s Word this week?
3) Do you have a group of believers that you can read Scripture with?
If not, find this group here… it’s the most important thing you can do to further your discipleship with Jesus.
Prayer:
God, help me to not be influenced by people that would seek to lead me away from you. Help me to find a group of believers so that we can establish each other’s faith and encourage one another to your son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
