Woe to them! For
they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of
gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.
THE STUDY:
This morning
we want to look at Jude’s three OT examples of individuals who disobeyed God
and were severely punished: Cain, Balaam,
and Korah. We will start by looking
at Cain. The immoral intruders walked in
the way of Cain. Cain is well-known as the first murderer, who killed his
brother Abel out of envy (Gen 4:1–16). In Jewish tradition, Cain served as the
classic example of an ungodly skeptic. Jewish rabbis taught that Cain corrupted
humanity and became a great leader of men into wicked ways. By accusing the
intruders of following the way of Cain,
Jude insinuates that they led other people into sinful immorality.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that human nature has this bent toward sin and those who are not true believers of Christ can, and will, lead believers away from Christ. Just as Satan was putting doubt into the minds of Adam and Eve, we face the same adversary who will try to cause doubt in the minds of believers today.
CONCLUSION:
As a youth pastor, I would tell the
parents of our teen group, “You need to embrace the idea that your teen may not
talk to you about certain things. Don’t get upset with this fact! Pray and
allow God to guide your kids to someone who they will talk too who is a true
believer.” Parents, you want that person to be an individual such as a youth
pastor or a godly leader of the church.
The reason I tell parents this is because
their teens, just like adults, are being preyed upon. Satan is out to lead God’s
people astray. How does he lead them astray? By the oldest trick in the book,
LIES! We are all being lied to by Satan. Most teens won’t ask their parents if
it’s a lie or not. If they are not careful, after a while, they start to
believe those lies.
There is always someone whispering in
our ear. The important thing for us to do is recognize who is whispering and
act accordingly. If it is Satan, “Rebuke him, in the name of Jesus!” If it is
God, “Embrace Him! For what he is saying is good!”
You will come across someone today
that will want to lead you away from the truth. They will present to you
questions that may cause you to start questioning what you have been taught
concerning Christ. Recognize this “Cain” in your life and act accordingly: Rebuke
Satan or trust in the Lord! Have that faith that will move you to action!
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2
Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible
Commentary (279). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
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