False Teachers: The Antidote (June 6th, 2021)

Today.

We end our 4 week, visit with Jude. He's told us a lot of things. But he still hasn't told us the main thing. Jude has told us that we need to contend for the face, but he hasn't told us how He's told us that. Teachers are always a danger. He's told us that they will be destroyed and judged. And punished, he has told us that the moral insubordinate irreverent that they present a unseen danger and unrealized promise, and they are on anchored. So helpful information But in verse 3, he said content for your face and he has not said how to do that yet. Today, he's going to circle back and finish that message. Hey, you know what's so important? We, I believe I can't prove this but I believe that the church in North America is entering a phase of significant was teaching uniquely plentiful teaching. But first teaching has always been a danger for the church. If you follow the life of the Apostle Paul, he spent time in many churches. But none. No. More time than an ethicist. You know, he spent three years in Ephesus. Got to know the people Sunday, after Sunday, 3 years. And then the holy spirit, let him away and said, you need to go to Jerusalem. And he knew that the curtain was closing that this would be the beginning of the final chapter in his ministry, as he was leaving the expression church. After three years of ministry, he said in Acts 20 and now behold, I know that none of you among whom we were proclaiming. The kingdom of God will see my face again. He is leaving the church of Ephesus for the last time, and here's the last thing he says to the church before he leaves, I know that after my departure Fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

False teaching was a problem in 98. It is a problem in 2021, a tell us what we must do.

We hear you that we need to contend to the face. You need to tell us how we contend for the faith. And you just going to give us a four-point bottle plan. In the first point, is in the very first verse that Greg read to us. But you must remember Beloved the predictions of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. When were battling teaching the first thing we need to do is remember the scriptures. Remember the scriptures? That's where we'll find the prediction of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a daily process where we, as individuals, remember the scriptures, you know, I was having dinner with a good friend in the church on Friday night. And we were talking about this very point and I said, you know, I have been studying the Bible for almost 40 years I have earned my Master's in Theology, and, you know what I know about myself.

After all that time and all that study and all right in all those papers to, here's what I know about myself. If I don't descriptors daily, I forgot them.

Do you find that?

We need to remember the scriptures that the scriptures Oriental us so that we are always moment-by-moment watching life, participating in life, from God to view in Jude's church, could have been the alarms with the increase in false teaching. Oh my goodness has got out of control. All my goodness, the rising to prominence. Oh my goodness. Everyone thinks that they're super cool. What do we do? It's only when reading the scriptures that we realize that they have predicted this. Don't worry the scriptures have said to us in the last time there will be scoffers. There's something very comforting knowing That history is playing out. Exactly the way God has ordained at the play out. It's not good. That the false teachers are here, but that's not cut off on a where's the key predicted? This? Notice that phrase they say to you, the scriptures speak to us like a man like a woman. Directly to us and help us to interpret help us to understand what's going on in our world. When the rise of false teachers is coming. We just know we're in the last time. Senator has to be scoffers it Reverend mockers. By the way, why does a scarf? Why does scoffers mock our face? Because our face makes no sense because there's big intellectual holes in it because it's not logical to know none of that's true. That's what they say.

But the motivation for scoffing is right here in the text so that they can follow their own ungodly Passions. People mock the Lord not because believing in him. Isn't logical. Not. Because there isn't a sufficient factual basis for our face. People mock, Jesus shows that they can follow their own ungodly fashions. They already have it in their mind what they want to do and somehow they need to discredit God to be able to do it, that's the motivation for markers. So when you hear this big intellectual talk, and when you hear this enormous political machine, scoffing and mocking know that their motivation is not factual. It's so that they can give themselves more freely more fully to ungodly Passions. And by the way, just the word on that phrase ungodly passions, the adjectives. Ungodly is required. You know why? Because passions are bad. There's nothing wrong with passions, we should have passions. The problem is not that we're passionate. The problem is that? Because we're falling, we are passionate about ungodly things.

But I want to remind you dear brothers and sisters as we give ourselves over to Christ. The Holy Spirit Works within our hearts and he kills those ungodly passions and replaces them with passions meaningful, passions. Oh, how we need to walk in communion with the Lord so that he can mold our hearts? I want to give you an example of a man who had passions, but they were Godly Passions. I want to tell you a little bit about the founder of the Presbyterian Church. John Knox, who is born in 1514? That's a long time ago, 15, 14th. He was converted in 1543 so about 30 years old and he was converted at a time when it was very dangerous to be a Christian, because there was a sea of government-funded trolls teaching. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

And yet, he took his stand for the gospel. One of the main power Brokers in the government. And one of the main sources of this false teaching. Once said, I fear the prayers of John Knox, more than all the assembled armies of Europe. She knew she knew that she had the power, but he had the upper hand because he had the gospel.

Let's just dip into the prayer life of John Knox. You know what he prayed to the Lord. He praised the Lord. Give me Scotland or I die.

Paws passion. That's there's a desire for Souls. Give me Scotland or just text me now. That's all I'm interested. In is the Salvation of others friends. We can have Godly passions but not. So for these folks teachers they have ungodly passions and because I want to love those on The Godly passions even more. They have to stop at the name of Jesus.

It's these teachers that cause divisions. Why do they cause divisions? Because their worldly people. Delta Spirit.

1 or 4 point bottle plans. We need to remember the scriptures brothers and sisters. I love you. But are you remembering the scriptures?

Do you take time everyday? You may have been studying the scriptures for 40 years like me. Dr. Carter doesn't have his master's, he has his Ph.D. Yeah, but he's a human. If he stops reading the scriptures, he will grow forgetful and honest with him. Remember the scriptures, the second Point. Remember the scriptures. The second Point, remain connected. Remain connected both to the Lord into his church. 20 + 21 is a long sentence, but when you look at the grammar of the sentence, the main subject of the sentence is not the first phrase, but you beloved building, yourselves up. That is not the main subject of the sentence. The main subject of the sentence is in, verse 21, keep yourselves in love, with in the love of God. That's the main subject of this sentence in versus 20 and 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God. That's battle plan. Number one, keep ourselves in the love of God or for alliteration. In sake. Number two, has remained connected remain connected to the Lord. Keep yourselves in the love of God, is the main subject of the sentence and there are three modifying phrases that help us. Explain how we keep ourselves in the love of God, 1 building yourselves up. Do you notice the phrase building yourself up implies intentional effort? Not just hanging around, not just marking time. What's the plan to build ourselves up? Notice that is intentional effort. Notice that the verb is present tense, it's not built and it's not we'll build it is present and we are always doing this. To keep ourselves in the love of God. We are always building ourselves up. And by the way, one way you can do that and stay connected to the church. I am so grateful for you being here today. You know, the staff had to make a decision about Drive in church and it cost some money to buy a transmitter and 10th and it's as a ton of work, and you could have left us high and dry. You could have just said, you know what, can't even get out of our cars. I'd rather be at home. At least, I'll be air-conditioned, but you didn't you're here. And I thank you for that. This is important to remain connected, not only to the Lord, but to his church in Ephesians 4, God says, I gave the church, pastor teachers in advance with y. Ephesians 4:12, put the building up for the body of Christ. Part of the plan to build ourselves up is to not let go of the bond that is between us.

Remain connected. Keep yourselves in the love of God. How do I do that by build ourselves up? II descriptive phrases. Praying in the Holy Spirit. Notice praying is an intentional effort. It's not just hanging around, it's just not seeing if it happens, it's intentionally. Setting aside to pray. Noticed, it has present tense. Not Frayed Knot will pray, but praying constantly is something that we do all the time.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is not referring to tongues or other rinses, it is praying for mode print. Speaking about motivation, praying in the Holy Spirit is praying according to his desires.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is praying on his agenda.

How often we pray on our agenda, and I have my plan, you come and get with the program and start blessing this plan, that's not praying in the Holy Spirit, praying in the Holy Spirit is Lord. What is your plan? And how can I get on in that plan? How do I get into?

Heavenly father, I'm on a certain page, get on this page, that's not praying in the Holy Spirit, praying in the Holy Spirit as Heavenly Father. What page are you on? How do I get on to that page as quickly as possible?

Isn't this is what our Lord himself Did In The Garden of Gethsemane. What did he pray? Not my will. But your will be done praying in the Holy Spirit and the third descriptive phrase. Remember we're on the second Point, not only remember the scriptures but remained connected. Where is the scripture? Say keep yourselves in the love of God. How do I do that? You build yourself up. You pray in the Holy Spirit in the third phrase. Is waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life friends. This is referring to the second coming of Christ. We need to do battle right here, right now. We need to encourage each other right here, right now.

We have a job to do right here, right now. But we're going to do all that while we're waiting for the second coming of Christ. Notice this requires intentional effort. This is something that we need to decide to do is not just hanging around. It's just not marking time. It's intentionally focusing, our minds on the day that Jesus Christ will come for us.

By the way. Did you notice how the second coming of Christ as described for us? It's an act of Mercy.

Is merciful when the Lord comes again, it will be an act of Mercy to us. He will relieve us from the battle that we have with the world. Danger of false teaching. He will remove us from the battle we have within our own Hearts. Don't, you find yourself battling your own heart, the Lord will come and take us home and he will. Relieve Second Coming is an act of Mercy.

For us. But let me just say a word to those of you that may be listening that have not come to Christ.

They have not accepted him as your personal, Lord and Savior friends. There is no other way. And your lack of belief will not delay his coming, but it will change the nature. It will not be an act of Mercy for you. It will be an act of judgment. There is still time.

There is still time.

Understand and accept the gospel of Christ. I don't know what that means, go to our website, click on gospel, you'll watch a short video, read a short pamphlet, at the end of be an opportunity for you to ask a question. If you ask a question, it will go to me and I will get back to you. Join us. So that wait until the second coming of Christ will be seen as Mercy. A four-point plan. Remember the scriptures?

Remain connected. and now, the third Point rescue the wavering, Rescue the wavering. Even as we battle. Eating, there will be those that come under their sway, we don't cut lines, we don't get them to the curb, we rescue them. And Jude here gives three levels of wavering. And where do you want the best for each of them? Bruce 22 and have mercy on those who doubt there will be those who hear the Bible teaching on sexuality and hear the world's teaching.

And no doubt. We will hear they'll come to church, still here, the biblical view of gender and then the other words teaching and then no doubt. They will hear what the Bible says about, man and his unique place in the world. And they'll go to school and learn that man is an animal. And they'll do.

Oldest first proof that confused. They're not rejecting the Bible, they're just confused. I hear one thing that hear another, I don't know what type of these what do we do? If we don't cut our line with them, we don't kick them to the curb. We maintain the relationship, we show Mercy. We are kind and gentle, we stay close. We stay in contact. We made sure that the road back to Orthodoxy is never very long and they always know the doors open.

Rescue the wavering, the first group of wavering is the confused, but verse 23. There's another group and they're more than confused. They're convinced.

Save others by snatching them out of the fire. These people are not dabbling with false teaching there in it. They've gone through that confuse. They are now convinced, that this falsehood is true. We still don't cut the line. We still don't give up. We go get them. You can't go snap. Someone out of the fire, unless you're close to them were close to these people. There are people, we love them. We want the best for them.

Rescue the wavering, whether they're confused or convince but there's another group. Two others show Mercy with fear hating. Even the Garment stained by the flesh. These people are not confused or not even convinced they're committed. They have pulled up stakes and they have moved camps.

The first group, The confused is looking at the hook and scan, see the worm

The convinced have swallowed, the hook. The committed are fishing. Not only are they caught their try to catch others. We love these people. We don't give up on these people, but we do it from a distance, Mercy, with fear, fear that we will get tangled up in this immorality. We pray for them. We want the best for them, but we keep our distance. We keep our distance.

Jude has given us a three-point plan to contend for the face and he's got one more first. He says, remember the scriptures You're all forgetful like your posture. If you don't have a plan to get into the scriptures, everyday, you're already failing. You're already in your setting yourself up on on a t to be whacked by the next wind of doctrine that blows through 10th. Remember the scriptures, they will speak to us. They will Oriental Us in the way we understand what's happening in the world. Oh my goodness. They haven't offered pursuing their own ungodly lost. That's what's in the scriptures.

Remember the scriptures remains? Connected keep ourselves in the love of God, by building ourselves up by praying in the Holy Spirit by patiently. Waiting to the act of Mercy that we call the second coming of Christ.

Rescue the wavering. We have different plans for different kinds of wavering. If there are confused, we do one thing. If they're convinced that we do, another thing. If there are committed, we do another thing.

There's one more thing that Jude has to say for us before we close our study of his little book.

And that is to rely on God. Remember, the scriptures remains connected rescue the wavering rely on God. No to him. Who is Keith? He was able to keep you from stumbling. and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory, with great joy,

Friends, he will keep us. He will keep us, he can and he will keep us individually and keep us as a church from stumbling. I do want to point out the contrast between First 24, verse 21. There's something very deep here. Verse 21. Keep yourselves. Keep yourselves you in the gray car. Keep yourselves you in the red. Ford keep yourselves. This is a command to us. We need to keep ourselves. First 24, we find out the time that keeps us. He's the one that keeps us from stumbling. And here we see this beautiful partnership, we just don't get to take a pass and say, let go and let God, he'll do everything know there's things that we need to do. But when we do them, he will bless those efforts and do what we cannot do and keep us from stumbling. Paul writes in Romans 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 Jesus Christ. Our Lord

They can separate us. Cheapest, we can be presented blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, friends, that is our destiny. That's where I'm headed that. I wanted to remind you of, to Sherman's ago. When we were earlier in the book of Jude, he wasn't talking about our destiny. Which it be presented blameless. In Great Joy, he was talking about the destiny of the false teachers and you remember the three words they will be destroyed. They will be punished, that is their Destiny. We have put the wrong, the apps and they're in the majority and they seem to have all the power scoffers that we knew would come. They will be destroyed.

They will be judged.

They will be. Punished. We're on this whole total different repay. Faithfulness of the Gospel is worth it friends because we're not on the destroyed. Judge punish Road, we're on the present, you blameless before the presence of his glory with braids Joy Road,

and there we will join forever and worshipping God.

One of the five pillars of our church is authentic Worship in here. It's defined in Jude worship, is a scribing to God, glory above all. Majesty acknowledging that he is greater than all. Dominion acknowledging that he is, King Over All.

And Authority acknowledging that he has power over all. one day, we will be meeting not in a parking lot, but in heaven and together you and I Will be filled with joy as we together ascribed to Glory Majesty, dominion and Authority. I don't know about you but I don't want to wait that long. So happy to announce today that at some time during the summer, probably twice. Probably once in July, probably once in August, we will be having outdoor worship. Where we will not be in our cars. We will sing for all we're worth. We're calling it an evening of Praise. It'll be a Sunday evening. Probably one in. Probably in July. Look for the details. Look for the day, when we establish them and come not just to show support, not just to connect. Put two as a community. Give God, glory Majesty, dominion and Authority.

We're friends, that's it. Jude says, content for the face. Here's what Natalie of a false teacher ears. Here's what they do and not only that, why they do it, not let me turn my attention to what you need to do. You need to remember the scriptures. You mean need to remain connected by building yourself up, praying in the Holy Spirit, waiting for his return, you need to rescue the wavering. Whether they are confused or convinced or committed and we need to rely on God, friends. This is the way we is a church. Create a multi-generational heritage

We are going to be faithful. That is not up for debate. We are going to be faithful, not only for me, but for you. Not only for you but for the children that are in your car and their children that aren't even on boring, they exist. Only in the mind of God, we will be faithful.

Because when the roll is Called Up Yonder, we want to hear those blessed words. Well done, good and faithful servant. What we need to do right now is urgently seek, the will of God. Teach me thy will Allure.