Dangers to Avoid
Jude, March 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Mathiston FBC
March 2025, Evening Services
Study of Jude
Message 2, 03/09/2025
Jude 5-11.
Central Idea: We must rely on, teach/preach, and live Jesus. Else, we are in danger of judgment.
Objectives: I want the hearers to know (cognitive) that life is hopeless apart from Christ, to experience assurance (affective) as they recognize there is hope in Jesus, and to cling tightly (psycho motor) to Jesus alone.
Guiding Question: What ought we avoid?
Read the passage:
Jude 5–11 “Now I want to remind you, // although you came to know all these things once and for all, / that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe; // and the angels who did not keep their own position / but abandoned their proper dwelling, / he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day. // Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, / and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. // In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones. // Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, / he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” // But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. / And what they do understand by instinct—like irrational animals—by these things they are destroyed. / Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, / have plunged into Balaam’s error for profit, / and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.” ///
“That will never happen to me” (pride) versus “Wow! That could be me!” (humility)
1. Self-reliance/pride
1. Self-reliance/pride
The Israelites [v. 5b]— Numbers 13-14 detail their lack of trust in God and going about their own way.
The Israelites [v. 5b]— Numbers 13-14 detail their lack of trust in God and going about their own way.
The danger? Those who did not trust God were destroyed in the wilderness.
The danger? Those who did not trust God were destroyed in the wilderness.
Angels [v. 6] — Genesis 6:1-4 record their pride and lust.
Angels [v. 6] — Genesis 6:1-4 record their pride and lust.
Genesis 6:1–4 “When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves. And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men.”
The danger? Those who abandon their proper dwelling due to pride and lust are subject to eternal chains, deep darkness, and judgment.
The danger? Those who abandon their proper dwelling due to pride and lust are subject to eternal chains, deep darkness, and judgment.
These people [v. 8]: False teachers among them.
These people [v. 8]: False teachers among them.
They defiled their flesh, rejected authority, and slandered glorious ones (higher ranking angels).
Deuteronomy 13:1–5 ““If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul. You must follow the Lord your God and fear him. You must keep his commands and listen to him; you must worship him and remain faithful to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.”
The danger? When we rely upon instinct, selfish motivation, sensuality, or anything other than Scripture and the Holy Spirit, then our works will be from the flesh, and they will corrupt us leading to destruction.
The danger? When we rely upon instinct, selfish motivation, sensuality, or anything other than Scripture and the Holy Spirit, then our works will be from the flesh, and they will corrupt us leading to destruction.
Balaam [v. 11b]— Numbers 25 and 22-24 record the error of Balaam— He was greedy and envious, and he was willing to do anything to obtain personal gain.
Balaam [v. 11b]— Numbers 25 and 22-24 record the error of Balaam— He was greedy and envious, and he was willing to do anything to obtain personal gain.
Korah [v. 11c]— Number 16:1-35 record the rebellion of Korah— He defied authority and sought after his own way.
Korah [v. 11c]— Number 16:1-35 record the rebellion of Korah— He defied authority and sought after his own way.
The danger? For both, they have deliberately perished in their selfishness and pride.
The danger? For both, they have deliberately perished in their selfishness and pride.
2. Immorality [v. 7]
2. Immorality [v. 7]
Sodom and Gomorrah— their sins (and those around them) included sexual immorality and other perversions.
Sodom and Gomorrah— their sins (and those around them) included sexual immorality and other perversions.
Genesis 18-19.
The danger? They underwent punishment by eternal fire.
The danger? They underwent punishment by eternal fire.
3. Lack of value for life [v. 11a]
3. Lack of value for life [v. 11a]
The way of Cain— Gen. 4 —a murderer who killed his brother because of jealousy and envy.
The way of Cain— Gen. 4 —a murderer who killed his brother because of jealousy and envy.
The context of Jude suggests that the issue is not just valuing physical life, but more importantly, valuing spiritual life. False teachers had no value for spiritual life.
