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JUDE 1:12-19
LESSON #3
DEFINITIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTASY
MEMORY VERSE: JUDE 1:17
READ JUDE 1:12-19
WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTASY DO YOU FIND IN THIS SECTION OF JUDE?
THE 6 PICTURES OF APOSTASY (12-13)
1. HIDDEN SPOTS IN YOUR LOVE FEASTS=
THE PRACTICE IN THE EARLY CHURCH WAS TO HAVE “LOVE FEASTS” ALONG WITHCOMMUNION SERVICE. IT WAS A HOLY EVENT.
THE APOSTATES DETRACTED FROM THE HOLINESS OF THE EVENT. THEY FED THEMSELVES INSTEAD OFSERVING AND FEEDING THE PEOPLE.
THE GREEK WORD FOR “SPOTS” CAN ALSO BE TRANSLATED “ROCKS”.
THE IDEA IS LIKE A SHIP THAT IS WRECKED BY ROCKS HIDDEN UNDER THE WATER. (1TIM 1:19-20)
2. CLOUDS WITHOUT WATER= THEY PROMISE SOMETHING THAT THEY CANNOT DELIVER.
THE IDEA IS LIKE A FARMER DESPERATELY WAITING FOR RAIN THAT NEVER COMES WHICH WILL FEEDHIS CROPS. (PRO 25:14)
WATER IS ONE SYMBOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
WATER IS ALSO A SYMBOL OF THE WORD OF GOD
(DEU 32:2 ISA 55:10)
THESE APOSTATES PROMISE THE PRESENCE AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT THEY CANNOTPRODUCE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THEY MAY USE THE BIBLE, BUT THERE IS NO POWER OF THE TRUTH THAT PRODUCES ETERNAL LIFE.
3. TREES WHOSE FRUIT WITHERS= THEIR LIVES DO NOT DEMONSTRATE THE
FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (GAL 5:22-23 MAT 7:16)
IT IS LIKE A FARMER WHO LOOKS FOR FRUIT ON HIS FRUIT TREES DURING THE APPROPRIATESEASON, BUT THERE IS NONE.
THERE IS NO LIFE THAT COMES FROM THE MINISTRY OF THE APOSTATES.
A CHARACTERISTIC OF GOOD FRUIT IS THAT IT HAS A SEED THAT PRODUCES MORE FRUIT.
THE APOSTATES DO NOT PRODUCE LIFE THAT IN TURN PRODUCES MORE LIFE.
4. THEY ARE TWICE DEAD= NOT ONLY IS THE FRUIT DEAD BUT THE ROOT OR FOUNDATION IS DEADAS WELL.
THE BELIEVER HAS ROOT IN THE ETERNAL LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST. THE APOSTATE HAS NO ETERNALLIFE AS A ROOT. THEIR LEADERS ARE HUMAN BEINGS WHO WILL ONE DAY DIE LIKE EVERY OTHER HUMANBEING.
5. THEY ARE LIKE RAGING WAVES OF THE SEA= THEY PRODUCE DESTRUCTION IN THE LIVES OFOTHER PEOPLE. (ISA 57:20)
BY THEIR ARROGANT SPEECH, THEY CAUSE DESTRUCTION. IT IS LIKE THE REFUSE THAT IS LEFTAFTER A STORM.
6. THEY ARE LIKE WANDERING STARS= THEY LEAD TRAVELERS ASTRAY AND THEY EVENTUALLY BURNOUT.
THE PLANETS AND STAR CONSTELLATIONS ARE FIXED IN THEIR ORBITS. THE TRAVELER USED TODEPEND ON THEM TO DETERMINE LOCATION AND TO GUIDE THEM ACROSS THE OCEANS.
HOWEVER, THE IDEA HERE IS LIKE THE FALLING STARS
THAT HAVE NO FIXED ORBIT AND THAT EVENTUALLY BURN OUT LEAVING ONLY DARKNESS.
THE TRUE BELIEVER HAS JESUS CHRIST AS HIS GUIDING MORNING STAR. (REV 2:28 REV 22:16).CHRIST HAS A FIXED POSITION AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER, AND HE WILL NEVER FAILTO GUIDE US TO ETERNAL LIFE.
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTASY (16)
7. THEY ARE MURMURERS AND COMPLAINERS
THEY CAUSE CHRISTIANS TO BECOME DISSATISFIED AND TO COMPLAIN AGAINST THE PASTOR, THECHURCH, AND OTHER CHRISTIANS.
8. THEY WALK AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN DESIRES AT HEART. THE PURPOSE OF THEIR MINISTRY IS TO GET MONEY,POWER, OR CONTROL.
9. THEY SPEAK FLATTERIES
THEY APPEAL TO PEOPLE BY USING FLATTERY.
10. EVERYTHING THEY SAY AND DO IS TO DECEIVE FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT.
11. THEY ARE SENSUAL (19)
THIS WORD IN GREEK IS WHERE WE GET THE WORD “PSYCHOLOGY”. (Psuchikos). ITIS BASED ON THE WORD FOR PSYCHE OR SELF.
THE BASIS OF THEIR MINISTRY IS THE “SOUL NATURE”. THEIR MINISTRY APPEALS TOTHE SOUL OF MAN, NOT TO THE SPIRIT OF MAN..
READ 2PETER 2:1-3, 10-22
MORE CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTASY:
1. THEY BRING DAMNABLE HERESIES.
“HERESY” MEANS = THE ACT OF ADDING OTHER DOCTRINES TO THE GOSPEL OF THEAPOSTLES AND ADDING OTHER WRITINGS TO SCRIPTURE.
2. THEY DENY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
3. THEY SPEAK AGAINST CHRISTIANS AND THE TRUE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE.
4. THEY PERVERT HUMAN SEXUALITY AND OFTEN GET INVOLVED IN
IMMORAL LIVING AND TEACH IT TO JUSTIFY THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR.
5. THEY DISLIKE AUTHORITY.
6. THEY SPEAK EVIL OF GOOD THINGS IN LIFE SUCH AS FAMILY, MARRIAGE, THE TRUE CHURCH,JESUS CHRIST, ETC.
7. THEY DECEIVE THEMSELVES.
8. THEY PRETEND TO BE TRUE CHRISTIANS.
9. THEY PERSUADE BY APPEALING TO THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH.
10 THEY PROMISE LIBERTY BUT PRODUCE BONDAGE AND CONTROL.
THE REWARDS OF APOSTASY (JUDE 1:14-15)
ENOCH PROPHESIED ABOUT THESE UNGODLY PEOPLE.
ENOCH WAS AN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS WHO LIVED JUST BEFORE THEFLOOD OF NOAH. WE DO NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT HIM AND HIS MINISTRY. GENESIS TELLS US HE WAS ARIGHTEOUS MAN AND GOD TOOK HIM.
(GEN 5:24)
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN KNOW ABOUT HIS MESSAGE. (GEN 5:6-32)
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MEANINGS OF THE NAMES IN THE GENEALOGY FROM ADAM, IT PROVIDES THEMESSAGE THAT ENOCH PROBABLY PREACHED.
1. ADAM (GEN 5:3) = “MAN”
2. SETH (GEN 5:4) = “IS APPOINTED”
3. ENOSH (GEN 5:6) = “A MORTAL”
4. KENAN (GEN 5:9) = “HABITATION”
5. MAHALALEL (GEN 5:12) = “THE BLESSED GOD”
6. JARED (GEN 5:15) = “SHALL DESCEND”
7. ENOCH (GEN 5:18) = “DEDICATED TO TEACH”
8. METHUSALEH (GEN 5:21) = “THE YEAR THAT I DIE DESTRUCTION WILL COME”(NOAHS FLOOD CAME THE YEAR HE DIED.)
9. LEMECH (GEN 5:25) = “THE CAPTIVE”
10. NOAH (GEN 5:28-29) = “TO HAVE REST”
THE MESSAGE: “MAN…IS APPOINTED…A MORTAL…HABITATION…(BUT) THEBLESSED GOD…SHALL DESCEND…DEDICATED TO TEACH…(THAT) THE YEAR HE DIES…THECAPTIVE…HAS REST.”
ENOCH NAMED HIS SON METHUSALEH TO POINT TO THE FLOOD AND TO POINT TO THE FIRST ANDSECOND COMING OF CHRIST WHEN ALL THE UNGODLY WOULD BE DESTROYED AS THEY WERE IN THE FLOOD.THEN THE BELIEVERS WHO HAD BEEN HELD CAPTIVE IN A MORTAL BODY WOULD FINALLY HAVE REST INTHE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST ON EARTH.
JUDE 1:14 TELLS US THAT THIS MESSAGE NOT ONLY REFERRED TO THE FLOOD OF NOAHS DAY,BUT ALSO POINTED TO THE FIRST AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
LIKE THE FLOOD OF NOAHS DAY, THE UNGODLY AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WILLRECEIVE AN ETERNAL JUDGMENT IN HELL.
THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF BELIEVERS AND THE CONTRAST (JUDE 1:17-19)
REMEMBER WHAT THE APOSTLES TAUGHT…THE APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE FOUND IN THE BIBLECONCERNING:
1. THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST COME AS GOD IN THE FLESH. (HIS PERFECTION WITHOUTSIN)
2. THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
3. THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST AS A PAYMENT TO GOD FOR THE SINS OF MAN.
4. JESUS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
5. JESUS APPEARANCE TO MANY AS PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION.
6. THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO INDWELL AND SEAL TRUE BELIEVERS FOR ETERNAL LIFE.
TRUE BELIEVERS ARE THOSE WHO PERSONALLY RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR.
AGAIN WE SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH TO KEEP US FROM FALLING INTO APOSTASY, AND TO KEEPUS FROM BECOMING DIVISIVE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.
“THESE ARE THEY WHO SEPARATE THEMSELVES” (19)
RELIGIOUS “LIBERALISM” SPLIT THE GREAT DENOMINATIONS OF THE PROTESTANTCHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND CONTINUES TO DO THAT TODAY SO THAT THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS OFCHURCHES LIKE THE METHODISTS, THE PRESBYTERIANS, AND THE BAPTISTS WOULD HARDLY RECOGNIZETHEIR DENOMINATIONS TODAY. “FUNDAMENTALISTS” HELD TO THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS OFTHE BIBLE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART HAVE LOST THE GREAT DENOMINATIONS OF THE PAST.
REMEMBER WHAT JESUS AND THE APOSTLES TAUGHT ABOUT THE APOSTASY IN THE LAST DAYS.
HOMEWORK FOR “THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTS”
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF JUDE 1:12-19
REVIEW THE CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTATES IN THE LAST LESSON.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT APOSTASY THAT IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR PERSONALLIFE?
PREPARATION FOR OUR STUDY OF “THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTS”:
WHAT CULT PRACTICES HAVE YOU OBSERVED IN THE LIVES OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS?
WHAT DOES JESUS CHRIST OFFER THAT IS SUPERIOR TO THESE PRACTICES?
MEMORY VERSE: JUDE 1:24
