Apostates Are...

These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Intro. “The temple of truth has never suffered so much from woodpeckers on the outside as from termites within.”-Vance Havner

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

“There is no room for rosy eyed acceptance of the cultural decay around us. Highly suspect will be any Christian literary and cultural critic who makes too much room for Lady Gaga, Harry Potter, Hester Prynne, Huckleberry Finn, James Bond, Katniss Everdeen, Joe Brooks, Leroy Van Dyke, and Star Trek: Into Darkness. Those who enthusiastically embrace these cultural icons appear to be happy with the macro-cultural trends of the Christian apostate world. That being the case, what does this say about their faith, their worldview, and their own cultural trajectories? Could it be that they have embraced the tattooed Jesus---the false Christs of culture? Indeed, many have been wooed by a false prophet, a false priest, a false redeemer, and a false king. They have been rescued from the wrong sins and have taken on the wrong view of reality, truth, and. ethics. They have embraced the wrong religion, and they have joined the apostasy.”Apostates are… Vs 12

“There is no room for rosy eyed acceptance of the cultural decay around us. Highly suspect will be any Christian literary and cultural critic who makes too much room for Lady Gaga, Harry Potter, Hester Prynne, Huckleberry Finn, James Bond, Katniss Everdeen, Joe Brooks, Leroy Van Dyke, and Star Trek: Into Darkness. Those who enthusiastically embrace these cultural icons appear to be happy with the macro-cultural trends of the Christian apostate world. That being the case, what does this say about their faith, their worldview, and their own cultural trajectories? Could it be that they have embraced the tattooed Jesus---the false Christs of culture? Indeed, many have been wooed by a false prophet, a false priest, a false redeemer, and a false king. They have been rescued from the wrong sins and have taken on the wrong view of reality, truth, and. ethics. They have embraced the wrong religion, and they have joined the apostasy.”-Kevin Swanson, Tattooed Jesus

Apostates are… Vs 12

No one sets out to become an apostate - it's never the result of one abrupt, drastic turn away from the Lord. Instead, apostasy is most often the product of a pattern of sinful compromises that harden and gradually steer a professing believer away from the truth.-John MacArthur

Thousands today change what they believe to accommodate their moral behavior. On the other hand, thousands more take up false doctrine, then apostatize in their actions.-Kent Hughes

Apostates are… Vs 12

Fearless

These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear:

They are rocks hidden just below the waves. They are never exposed long enough to be identified, so they go on fearlessly concerned with no bu themselves.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

Useless

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

Who do you know would associate with this description? Is it you?

Useless

clouds they are without water, carried about of winds;

They talk it up, but are a disappointment in the end.

clouds that are carried with a tempest

They may look good, and appear to be be full, bu they are empty useless, pious gas bags who care nothing for others, and are only concerned with how others perceive them.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

They are carried about easily because their only concern is not outcome, but perception.

Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, Is like clouds and wind without rain.

14 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift

They boast about their spirituality and holiness, but it isn’t born out by biblical evidence.

Is like clouds and wind without rain.

Who do you know that is more concerned with how they are perceived than how they are actually living? Is it you?

Continued ...Vs 13

Fruitless

trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,

That bringeth forth his fruit in his season;

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

His leaf also shall not wither;

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Good does not produce bad. Evil doesn’t produce good. An individual who denies Biblical doctrine or practices is not denying from a place of good. At some point you must just let the tree go, you can only do so much.

Do you know anyone that denies biblical doctrine, but says it is for a good reason? Is it you?

Shameless

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Shameless

raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame;

But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea,

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

In Darkness

The idea of the foam here is that they are casting more and more filth on to the beach with each wave. They are lawless waves, they have no consistency or stability. They change from one moment to the next. They cannot be tamed, you cannot instruct or guide them, they know what is best for themselves no matter how it affects their life, their family or their friends. . They have no shame for their denial biblical doctrine and practice, they loudly proclaim their own opinions, thoughts and preferences over God’s Word.

19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; For I wait on thee.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;

For I wait on thee.

Do you know anyone who denies biblical guidance and direction and then states they aren’t ashamed of themselves? Is it you?

When it cannot rest,

Pathless

Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. In Darkness

wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

And it shall come to pass in that day, That the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, And the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, And shall be shut up in the prison, And after many days shall they be visited.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day,

That the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high,

How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

And I will give him the morning star. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

And the kings of the earth upon the earth.

22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit,

28 And I will give him the morning star.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

And shall be shut up in the prison,

And after many days shall they be visited.

They are inconsistent, and are unstable. You cannot count on them. They are flashes in the night sky. They are never consistent on biblical matters they jump from stance to another. They will be stable in eternity in darkness.

Enoch's prophesy…Vs 14

The Lord Cometh

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh

With Ten Thousand Of His Angels

Vs 15-Judgement Of The Ungodly

Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Judgement Of The Ungodly…Vs 15

Judgment Of All

to execute judgment upon all,

Conviction Of All

Ungodly deeds

and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed,

Hard Speeches

and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.