Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Exposed”*

*Jude 12-19*

 

            We embark on another interesting text in Jude’s letter.

Jude seems to be quite intent on making sure that the false teachers are identified in the church.

As we will see in these few verses, he points back to their characteristics three different times!

As I outlined the text, I noted a particular structure.

Here’s a Bible Study tip.

It is extremely important that when you study, you consider the context.

An important part of this is to trace the flow of thought of an author.

You will usually note conjunctions like but, and, therefore, also.

For instance, there are times when Paul will write a lengthy theological section dealing with great truths about God and man and sin.

And then he begins the next chapter with a “therefore.”

This is important.

Based on all these theological truths, there is an appropriate response from the reader.

You may have noticed some unique characteristics in Jude’s letter and how he has structured it.

You remember that he began by introducing himself and who the letter is directed to.

He speaks of the initial letter he wanted to write and yet had to write a letter contending for the faith.

The reasons he provides are the “certain people” who have crept in unaware.

And then Jude launches into some of the characteristics of these false teachers.

From here he goes back and forth into other areas – referring to the warnings of unbelief, the sins of angels and Sodom and Gomorrah.

Then he connects them once again to the false teachers.

Well, in our text today, Jude will jump around a bit in just these few verses.

So, he will begin with characterizing false teachers, move to pointing out future judgment, back to descriptions of false teachers, exhorting his readers to remember the prophecies, and then revert back to characterizing the false teachers.

So, that’s what the breakdown of verses 12-19 looks like.

The sermon points will diverge from this somewhat.

What we will do is compile the characterizations into the first sermon point, which is *Dissecting False Teachers.

*

If you’re anything like me, when I mention the word “dissect,” you may have an image of a frog in your head.

If you’ve done this kind of project in the past, you recall identifying many of the parts of what makes up a frog.

And so when I think of false teachers, it seems as though Jude wants to look at them from a multitude of angles.

From the very outset of the letter, he seems to speak to their actions, their words, and in this text, several word pictures to help illustrate.

If you like word pictures, then this passage is for you!

In rapid-fire fashion, Jude rattles off a barrage of images to describe these false teachers.

These metaphors would have been readily understood by the readers in this culture.

So, as we dissect, these false teachers so to speak, allow these images to speak to the reality of what they are.

Verse 12 begins with a primary sentence which Jude elaborates on through the end of verse 13. “These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear.”

And the rest will flesh this out a bit.

So let’s deal with this first image.

What do we know about hidden reefs?

Well, they are hidden.

And this seems to fit well with verse 4 which mentioned that certain people had crept in /unnoticed/.

As you might expect, a hidden reef poses as an unrecognized source of danger.

It would call to mind the image of a ship run aground.

The churches had the practice of having these love feasts.

They were similar to a potluck or the fellowship lunches that we hold monthly.

Jude points out that things are not as they seem.

These false teachers were dangerous hypocrites.

They pretended to be full of love and yet underneath they possessed dangerous teaching and ungodly lifestyle that serves a great danger for the church.

These false teachers had no problem with deceiving those in the church.

They had no fear.

In this context it refers to an arrogant disregard of responsibility for their manner of life.

They were blatant and reckless.

And then Jude continues and throws these word pictures at us.

He likens them to shepherds who feed themselves.

As you might expect, the shepherd is to feed the sheep.

You might recall the Lord Jesus’ words to Peter to “feed my sheep” at the end of John’s Gospel.

In this case, the false teachers were intent on meeting their own needs.

The nation of Israel experienced this same situation and the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel to them.

Ezekiel 34:1–10 says “1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves!

Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.

4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.

5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts.

6 My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.

My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the */shepherds have fed themselves,/* and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep.

No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves.

I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.”

So it is quite clear what God thinks of these false teachers.

They are “waterless clouds” that are swept away by the winds.

Palestine is a dry climate.

And as such the people would be tremendously dependent on rains at critical times for their provision and their very life.

At times rain is desperately needed.

And so if you were to look to the skies and see approaching clouds, your spirits might be lifted as you anticipate the rains that would accompany the clouds.

And if there was no rain, bitter disappointment.

The Proverbs also speak of clouds and wind without rain.

2 Peter indicates that the false teachers are waterless springs.

The authors of Scripture incorporate this agricultural language to an agrarian context.

And it speaks volumes to them.

For us, we need to be more deliberate to understand the weight of the illustrations.

But they didn’t!

The false teachers promised much but had nothing to offer.

These are fruitless trees in late autumn.

Even if one was patient to wait until late autumn for a harvest, no fruit was forthcoming.

These teachers have not fulfilled the purposes for which they exist.

In fact, not only were they fruitless, they were “twice dead.”

The Lord Jesus said, in Matthew 15:13 “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.”

And in Matthew 3:10 “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.

Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

I think the idea is that the false teachers were dead because they bore no fruit /and /because Jesus has promised to uproot such as these, they are to be considered twice dead.

Perhaps for the readers and allusion to “wild waves of the sea” would have recalled the words of Isaiah 57.

It is here where God says that “the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.”

These are uncontrolled and dissident teachers.

Their foam reveals their shame.

In the same way that ocean foam often causes the dirt to surface, so also these false teachers.

And they are wandering stars.

John MacArthur adds, “Apostates often appear for a short time on the stage of Christianity.

They promise enduring spiritual light and direction but deliver nothing but an erratic, aimless, worthless, flash."

This is often the case.

Even as you consider current challenges to Christianity and the church, you notice that some books or ideas make headway in popular culture and church culture.

The church is often forced to respond to false teachings.

And before you know it, many of these fads pass as quickly as they came.