Wolves: Book of Jude
False Teachers: Jude • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Why did he say that? What does that mean? He was saying be careful for those who look like innocent sheep, but really they are dangerous wolves, dressed up like sheep.
When Jesus said these words, it was at the end of his Sermon on the Mount. And he was pointing to those people who were fake. They said they were one thing, but really they were the other. They said they were righteous, but yet they had nothing to show for it. Look how he started what he said.... BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS.
Ever since the day that Jesus went back to heaven, and the apostles began to spread the good news of his salvation, there has been false prophets. There has been people who look like sheep speaking with authority a false gospel, but really they are wolves that look like sheep. But no matter how they dress…they are false, and speak a false gospel.Matthew 23:27
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
You are surrounded by false prophets. You are surrounded by false teachers, false pastors. Two weeks ago, one of our graduates messaged us about things he heard that were preached in the church he attended.
ABIOLA’S QUESTIONS>>>>>EXPLAINED
You can lose your salvation.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
For the person who truly repents of sin and calls upon the name of the Lord, they will be saved.
Also, salvation is a free gift from God, and the Bible says in Romans 11:29
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
2. The Pastor said that he sins are less than everyone else’s. No where is the Bible is this found.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
I wasn’t there, I don’t know wether he was trying to confuse people. But either way, it was false teaching.
So How do we know when we hear from a false prophet, teacher, or pastor? How do we guard ourself and stand up for truth? Because we have been grounded in the Word of God. You have taken the time to explore the truth of Scripture, and when you hear something that goes against what it says here…you will know it.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
When you hear the false teaching, you will know it. When you hear a pastor preach something that is false, you will know it.
The same is true for me. If you hear me say something that does not line up with Scripture, then you should come to me and let me know. I am accountable to God for every word I preach. I know that I speak of false teacher and prophets here in Nigeria all the time, but I am not pointing them out because I don’t like them, I am pointing them out because they are misrepresenting the Bible, Jesus, and our Lord God. And it is my duty as your Pastor to warn you, to encourage you to see the lies they speak. Because many of them are wolves who look like sheep.
Today, that is what we are going to see in the book of Jude. But first, let’s declare what we believe about the Bible.
++++The Bible is the Word of God
The truth of the Bible will change my life
Lord open my heart, and awaken my mind
And give me grace to respond
Change me, for your glory and my joy, Amen.
Open your Bibles to the Book of Jude. (the book before the last book Revelation)
Jude was the brother of James, who wrote the book of James. So if Jude was the brother of James, he was also the brother of......Jesus.
I want to remind you that both James and Jude had a change in their thinking at some point. Before Jesus went to the cross, before his resurrection, they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah.
5 For not even his brothers believed in him.
They didn’t believe he was the promised Messiah, but at some point, something happened. It wasn’t until they knew he was killed and buried, then rose again back to life, that they understood he was the Son of God who came to save the lost and redeem the world. At that point their lives turned around. At that point they began to follow Jesus and point others to him.
At the time Jude wrote this book or letter, it was about 30 or 40 years after Jesus had ascended into heaven. The church that began at the day of Pentecost with 3000 people had now began to spread. The Apostles had gone out to spread the Good News and as they did, churches and communities of believers were being formed.
****But this is important… anytime someone who does not understand the Word of God, OR, wants to take advantage of people, they will begin to twist the word of God, or turn people to do things that will benefit them. When that happens, THAT IS FALSE TEACHING.
So even back in the early days of the church, there were people who were teaching false things for their own benefit or misunderstanding.
Jude, sends out a warning to be aware of these false teachers.
This morning, we are going to look at the first four verses of Jude.
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 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.
Faithful Preachers are Humble
As Jude begins to write this letter, I want you to see his humility. He doesn’t introduce himself as Jude, the brother of Jesus. He doesn’t say “Listen to me because I am the brother of the Messiah.” He isn’t proud, he is humble. Look how he introduces himself.
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
False teachers like to draw attention to themselves. WHY? Because if they tell the truth of the Scriptures, they take the spotlight off of themselves to put it on Jesus. Why would that Pastor preach that his sins are less than everyone elses? Because he wants other people to see him higher. A pastor that teaches the truth of the gospel makes Jesus high. He places the focus on Jesus and not himself.
The Apostle Paul was humble. He talked about persecution:
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
The only thing Paul boasted of was his persecution he recieved for being a servant of God.
5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—
Paul was humble, even in his persecution he pointed to Jesus, not himself. A false teacher changes the Scripture to benefit himself, but a faithful preacher is humble.
2. Faithful Preachers proclaim the gospel.
Look at Jude’s words:
Jude 3 (ESV)
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation...
Jude’s first thought was to speak to them about their “common salvation.” It was salvation that brought them together. When people gather together in a church, it is because of the salvation that Jesus Christ provides through his death and resurrection. And because of that, we gather together to celebrate and worship, and hear the proclamation of the gospel.
Many false teachers focus on other things. They focus on achieving your destiny. This is your year of favour. God wants to bless you this year. Church is not about getting....church is about giving. Giving God the honor he deserves with our worship. The only getting we should expect in a church service is receiving the Word of God as it is preached, and life change in us because of the proclamation of the gospel.
Paul spoke of it this way:
2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Paul was a faithful preacher of the gospel, and his main goal was to proclaim salvation through Jesus Christ.
3. Faithful Preachers focus on the truth.
Jude 3 (ESV)
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Contend for the faith: This faith is what we know as salvation. The Good news that God in the form of man, came to this earth to shed his blood so that we could be brought back into relationship with him. We were no longer separated because of our sin, now by faith, we have been restored. We have the entire understanding and meaning of faith in our Bible. It is complete.
that was once for all delivered: We have the entire understanding and meaning of faith in our Bible. It is complete. God gave his Inspired Scripture. It is complete. No one can add or take away. But that is what a false preacher does. He adds or takes away, and even changes the meaning of what has been delivered.
to the saints: us. As believers, we are a holy people, set apart for his service.
A faithful preacher focuses on the truth of the gospel.
4. Faithful Preachers stand firm on what they preach.
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.
Certain people have crept in: these were false teachers, false preachers whose only purpose was to make the gospel and the preaching about themselves. Preaching a false gospel for them. Prophesying for them. Asking for money for them.
How are they described? UNGODLY.…without God. Their teaching was not from God. That means what they are doing does not contian God. They may say they are a Pastor, they may look like a Pastor, but they are not telling the truth of the gospel.
Look at how Jude describes these false preachers:
ungodly
they perverted grace
they denied grace
One day, most of you will go out from this place, and you will find yourself, like the graduate spoke of, having to look for a church. and there is a chance that the church you go to will be lead by a Pastor like Jude warns us about. And if you stay in one of these churches….you will be led away from the truth Of Scripture. And the more you sit underneath false teaching, the more you will believe it and be drawn away from the truth.
How do you keep yourself pure and not pulled in by a false teacher or preacher?
Listen. Listen to the preaching that you receive. Most of you have faithful teachers and preachers who stand before you weekly. Myself, Darlington, Pastor Emma, Chukwudi, Charles, Gloria and others. I promise you, and I would stake my life on it…the truth is spoken here. Even through we are human, and we fail, we preach, teach, and display the Word of God in front of you. Not for our gain, only that all the glory would go to our Lord!
Read. It’s all here. The truth is all here. Does it ever say, a preacher sins less than everyone else. No. Does it ever say, you can loose yoru salvation? No. Does it ever say, it’s ok to prophesy and get it wrong. No. But you will not know these things, unless you discover them by taking teh time to see for yourself.
Turn. Before you can listen and understand and before you can read and understand, you have to turn. Turn from what? Turn from your sin. Turn from your own will to God’s will. Turn from what you want, to what God desires for you. And his desire is that you would come to him.
How do you come to him? You come to him, because he came to you first.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God came into this world because he loved you. His name was Jesus. He lived a sinless live and said that he came into the world not to condemn, but save the world. We are all bound by sin. We want our own way, we desire our own things. Our natural heart is to stay away from God. So he sent his Son, and we can see what Jesus did for us. He died, so that our sin would no longer separate us from the God. It is only through Jesus that we have a hope of salvation, nothing or no one else. And if you have never made a public decision for him he is waiting for you.
There is a verse in Revelation that shows that he is standing at the door, waiting for you to invite him into your life. You may not know what all of that means, but if you have never given your life to Christ, it is my prayer this morning that you will do that.