Jude 11-25, What is our purpose; what are we truly living for?

Jude 11 (ESV) — 11 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.


• Three specific examples are listed here. What are they and what do they mean?
• Way of Cain
Genesis 4:3–7 (ESV) — 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
• We are not told why the offering was not accepted, but Cain is warned to do the right thing. And he is apparently struggling with sin of comparison (pride)
• Possibly he did not give the first fruit (which was greed) or he did not give a blood sacrifice (rebellion to a command)
• He refused to listen to God's warning
• Balaam's error (Num 22-24)
• Balaam stands for two things. (a) He stands for the covetous man, who was prepared to sin in order to gain reward. (b) He stands for the evil man, who was guilty of the greatest of all sins—the sin of teaching others to sin. So Jude is declaring of the wicked men of his own day that they are ready to leave the way of righteousness to make gain; and that they are teaching others to sin.”(Barclay)
• "Balaam was the prototype of all greedy religionists who lead God’s people into false religion and immorality . . ." (Blum)
• Korah's rebellion (Num 16)
• Korah stands against God's appointed leaders after the debacle with the spies
• They, as Levites, felt that they would be better spiritual leaders than Moses and Aaron
Numbers 16:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. 2 And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. 3 They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
• APPLICATION: In each case, men rebelled or wanted to rebelled against specific instruction from God, because they thought they knew better or had a better plan


Jude 12–13 (ESV) — 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.


• Why would they be blemishes at the love feast, and what is a love feast?
• A love feast would be a pot luck where they also would celebrate communion
• They are blemishes because they don't care for (love) others but only for themselves. How would this be seen?
• Not bringing a fair share
• First in line
• Largest portions
• Five images of false teachers:
1. Shepherds (suggest leaders) who only feed themselves. Their priority is on their own stomach (which also goes back to the illustration of Israel and the Exodus, and the desire to feed their own stomachs)
2. Why "clouds without rain, blown along the wind" or "waterless clouds swept along by winds?"
• They look good but don't really provide any nourishment
• They are influenced by the current breeze and not founded on the word of God
3. Why "autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted -- twice dead?"
• Autumn trees are beautiful
• Autumn trees are past the harvest time
• These trees produced nothing of value, no fruit
• These trees are uprooted, meaning they have nothing to tap into for true nourishment
• These trees are twice dead, meaning they produce no fruit (dead) and they have no root system (doubly dead)
• APPLICATION: What fruit do we produce? What are we doing to develop are root systems?
4. Why "wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame?"
• Have you ever watch the waves bring in the garbage of the sea
• These men just bring garbage
5. Why "wandering stars?"
• Technically these were the planets. They were called wandering because they did not follow the order of the other "stars" but did their own thing
• It is one thing to do your own thing when you have solid scriptural guidance, but it is quite another to revolt against established truths just because you don't like it


Jude 14–16 (ESV) — 14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.


• Here, Jude quotes a book familiar to a Jew but apocryphal, i.e., not scripture
• In this context, Jude's using it would mean that it is a true statement
• Four times the word "ungodly" is used. Again that is the irreverent, the scoffer, the one who mocks truth
• The message to the ungodly: there is a judgment coming
• Some other characteristics of this group is described …
• Grumblers -- negative attitude about things whenever life does not go the way they want
• Faultfinders -- they see others faults but not their own. These people use the term hypocrite more often than anyone else
• Follow own evil desires -- appetite directs their lives, not the word of God
• They boast about themselves -- very prideful
• They flatter others for their own advantage -- we have all met they weasel-ly, oily creatures


Jude 17–19 (ESV) — 17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.


• Characteristics of the last days
• A lot of these type of scoffers following their own ways (describes today)
• They divide churches
• They follow business models, not spiritual guidance
• They do not have the Spirit (therefore some are not believers)


Jude 20–25 (ESV) — 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.


• For ourselves, Jude says
• Build yourselves up -- that is done through the word of God
• Pray -- grow in your relationship with God
• For others
• Deal mercifully and gently with those who have doubts
• Stand up and defend the truth of the gospel -- there are people all around you who are falling into the devil's trap because all they do is listen to scoffers -- you can save them, but you can't if you haven't studied the questions yourself
• For some, be fearful. Sin is very dangerous. You may think you are helping but if you get too close to the fire you will be burned
• Set limits
• Flee sin