Just the Way “I AM!” (Jude 10)

But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.

               

THE STUDY:

Unlike Michael, these people blaspheme all that they do not understand. Verses 9–10 are closely connected to the last phrase of v 8, where the intruders are accused of “slandering celestial beings.” In each verse Jude uses a derivative of blasphēmia (blaspheme, slander, insult).

In v 8 the opponents are accused of “slandering” (blasphēmousin) angels. In v 9 they are contrasted with Michael who refused to bring “a slanderous accusation” (blasphēmias) against the devil. And in v 10 Jude asserts that they speak abusively against (blasphēmousin) whatever they do not understand. These “dreamers” claim prophetic insight and wisdom. But their behavior demonstrates complete ignorance of spiritual matters in general, and in particular the role of angels in the divine scheme of things.

Instead of following God’s reasonable moral laws, they behave on a level of instinct, like unreasoning animals. They have no moral sense of right or wrong. The intruders are said to act like ‘animals without reason’ (aloga zōa) because they allow themselves to be led by instinct or nature (physikōs) alone.^[1]

         

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning understanding that as followers of Christ, the insights and wisdom that will lead us should be found in the scripture and not necessarily from dreams or dreamers.  

• We will find God communicating with us in four ways: Devotions, Meditation, Prayer, and life circumstances. One thing is for sure, one will not contradict the other. All four will line up with the others!

CONCLUSION:

Have you ever heard someone (a believer) use this phrase, “That’s just the way I am!” I find that 90% of the time when this phrase is used it is to justify their behavior, which is usually not nice or even sinful! From the point of my salvation I have found this phrase unsettling. It has always been my view that once Christ came into my heart He is “just the way I should be.”

The natural instincts (eating, drinking, sexual) we have as humans are not sinful. It is how we react to these instincts that may cause us to sin. With that said, let today be a day that we remember it is not “just the way I am” but just the way “I AM!”               

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (278). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Humbling Session! (Jude 9)

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

               

THE STUDY:

          The archangel Michael provides a brief contrast to the arrogant behavior of the slanderous false teachers. The archangel Michael is mentioned in the Bible (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; Rev 12:7). But there is no biblical record of a confrontation between Michael and the devil over the body of Moses.

Apparently, Jude drew this illustration from an apocryphal writing titled The Assumption of Moses or Testament of Moses, as the early Christian writers Clement, Origen, and Didymus claimed. Jewish tradition reports that the archangel Michael was sent by God to bury the body of Moses. But the devil disputed Michael’s right to provide him an honorable burial. Satan argued that Moses’ body belonged to him because he was the lord of “matter” and because Moses was a murderer (Exod 2:12).

Despite the devil’s provocation, Michael was not disrespectful to the devil. Jude writes that he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgement. Instead, he left the matter in God’s hands, rebuking him with the words of Zechariah, The Lord rebuke you!

Two conclusions can be drawn from this illustration of the conflict between Michael and the devil. First, Jude assumed his readers were familiar with this apocryphal tradition.

Second, Jude uses this analogy to condemn the slanderous behavior of the false teachers. Michael refrained from uttering disrespectful words against Satan, despite his own status and Satan’s provocation. By contrast, the human intruders arrogantly slander, revile, and blaspheme angelic beings. If the greatest of the good angels refused to speak evil of the worst of the evil angels, surely no human being may speak evil of any angel.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that as believers of Christ we should not speak evil of anyone! Let us remember who has the authority in this world: God! We are told in scripture how to deal with our enemies, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ..” (Matt. 5:43-44)

CONCLUSION:

           I remember playing tennis with my pastor who at the time was pushing 60 years of age and he was running me around the court like a puppet on a string. My wife would calls these matches with my pastor the “humbling sessions.”

In one of our sessions (matches) I remember coming to the net and we stood and talked a few minutes. For me, this was a time of rest, but for him it was a time for mentoring! I asked him, how do I deal with someone in my life that I consider an enemy? He pointed me to Luke 6:27-28, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Each one of us has someone who doesn’t like us! This is just human nature. We may not be able to control how they feel about us but we can control how we feel and react toward them. It is not for us to hate but to love. Let us take this day and love, do good, bless, and pray for those who we find as enemies.  

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (278). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Bring it on? No, No, No! (Jude 8 – Part 3)

Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.

               

THE STUDY:

           Over the last couple of days we have looked at the word “dreams” and how it relates to the action of the three following phrase: defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. Yesterday we talked about rejecting authority! Today we are going to look at how these people, through their so called dreams, would blaspheme the glorious ones.

          Just like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who, in some scholar’s opinions, lusted after the heavenly messengers, the false teachers blaspheme the glorious ones. The glorious ones refer to angels (see 2 Pet 2:10).

          This passage is admittedly unclear, but the slander of glorious ones probably means that the false teachers were belittling the angelic powers of evil. Not even the archangel Michael was so arrogantly disrespectful (v 9).

The intruders in the church of Jude’s dear friends perpetrated the same kinds of sins as the rebellious Israelites, the fallen angels, and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Disregarding God’s punishment of wickedness, these dreamers exhibit the same sinfulness God has consistently punished in the past.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that even though we have the power of the Holy Spirit living through us as believers, does not mean we should disregard or even entice an encounter with the evil one. Christ never demonstrated this nor should we.

CONCLUSION:

           Back in my home town in West Virginia I was filling in for my pastor one Sunday night. I preached a sermon were I got a little excited and said something I wish I could have taken back. I enticed Satan, or better yet, I challenged him by saiying, “Bring it on!” After stepping down from the platform I had one of our dear friends inform me, in a loving way, that you should NEVER, NEVER, NEVER challenge Satan. I wish I could tell you my friend was wrong but they were right! The next couple of days were challenging to say the least.

          Let us remember that it is through Christ that we are able to overcome the evil one. If you are like me, in my younger days, you thrive on challenges. There will be challenges today! Let Christ and his power, love, and strength be your resource to which the battle is fought. Through Christ you will have VICTORY!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (277). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Denying His Lordship! (Jude 8 – Part 2)

Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.

               

THE STUDY:

           Yesterday we looked at the word “dreams” and how it relates to the action of the three following verbs. Relating to “these people” it is on the basis of their delusional dreaming that they defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. Jude compares the sinful behavior of his three negative examples (vv 5–7) with the behavior of these dreamers.

Yesterday we talked about defiling the flesh (Sexual impurity)! Today we are going to look at how these people, through their so called dreams, would reject authority.

          These false teachers reject authority (kyriotēta: lordship). Kyriotēta can refer to the rule of human authorities, the authority of a certain class of angels (Col 1:16; Eph 1:21), or the lordship of God or Christ. Jude uses the related term kyrios (“Lord”) in vv 4 and 5.

          The rejection of lordship here probably parallels the accusation that the false teachers “deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (v 4). Since these people masqueraded as believers, their rejection of authority was probably not doctrinal. They probably did not overtly teach some christological heresy. Their method of rejecting authority was undoubtedly practical. Their immoral behavior implicitly rejected the divine authority of the Lord who judges and punishes sin.^[1] They denied the lordship of God or Christ by the way they lived.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that the way we live signifies who’s Lord of our life. Living an immoral life, meaning a life contrary to God’s word, implies a rejection to Christ lordship. Whereas, living a life that holds true to God’s word implies a submissive life to the Lordship of Christ.

CONCLUSION:

           Many people may not know that Harvard University’s main purpose for becoming an educational institution was to train ministers for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Harvard’s “Rules and Precepts” (adopted in 1646), read: (1) Every one shall consider the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. (2) Seeing the Lord giveth wisdom, every one shall seriously by prayer in secret seek wisdom of him. (3) Every one shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that they be ready to give an account of their proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of languages and logic, and in practical and spiritual truths … ” And thus, 52% of the 17th century Harvard graduates became ministers!

          Today, may we realize who is Lord in our lives and let that resonate from us so that others may see Jesus. Let us not allow false teachers, with their underlying motive, cause us to move toward immorality but through God’s word let us live a life that reveals the character of Christ!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (276–277). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Schreiner, T. R. (2007). Vol. 37: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (456). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.