Dreamers, Blasphemers, and Schemers

Jude 8-11
CIT – Jude describes the apostates that are infiltrating the church.
10-25-06am
First Swartz
INTRODUCTION:
Dreams can be good or bad –
Think about the sewing machine. Elias Howe had just about given up on the whole project. He just could not decide where to put the eye of the needle. He had a dream one night that he was being lead to execution for failing to design a sewing machine for the king of a strange country.
He was surrounded by guards who carried unusual spears, they were spears that were pierced through the head. He woke up, realizing instantly that this was the solution to his problem. By morning he had completed the design of the first sewing machine.

Another dream – this one was disturbing. Just a week before he was assassinated, Abraham Lincoln had a dream that he was walking through a silent white house toward the sound of someone sobbing. When he entered the east room he was confronted by the sight of a coffin covered in black. He asked the guard on duty there who was dead, and the soldier said, “The president of the United States.”

We read tonight about some dreamers – very dangerous dreamers. Apostates and false prophets who were infiltrating the church. Notice what Jude says about them.

I) THEY WERE DREAMERS – vs. 8
“likewise” In spite of the three examples of apostasy mentioned in vs. 5-7, they persist in their sin. In spite of the warnings and the destruction of those who turned from God, they persist.

These dreamers – KJV – filthy dreamers or dirty dreamers.
These false prophets claimed prophetic revelations. They claimed that God spoke to them in their dreams. They claimed that these dreams were reliable and trustworthy.

God has spoken at times through dreams –
OT – Joel 2:28 –
NT Matthew 1:20 – God spoke to Joseph in a dream.

Most often this refers to false prophets.
Jer. 23:25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in my name, saying “I had a dream, I had a dream.”

“a confused state of the soul or abnormal imagination, producing delusions and sensual confusion. These men’s minds were numb to the truth. . . they fantasized wicked perversions, being blind and deaf to reality and truth. Perhaps they falsely claimed these dreams were from God.”
J. McArthur

APOSTATES ARE DREAMERS WHO CONJURE UP THEIR OWN THEOLOGY. THEY JUST DREAM UP WHAT THEY BELIEVE. THEIR THEOLOGY IS JUST A FIGMENT OF THEIR IMAGINATION. THEY BASE WHAT THEY BELIEVE ON
SUBJECTIVE OPINION RATHER THAN OBJECTIVE REVELATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY BASE WHAT THEY BELIEVE ON WHAT
THEY THINK, RATHER THAN WHAT GOD SAYS.- James Merritt.

The end result of their apostasy is alarming. Jude lists three.
A) THEY DEFILE THEIR FLESH – Literally they pollute their own bodies. Perhaps in their dreams they believed that God was telling them it was okay to commit sexual sins. The word describes an infection or a contamination. They are unclean because of their sin. They claim to know God, yet they live ungodly and immoral lives.

The apostate kills his conscience. He sins so often that he no longer feels any guilt or conviction. ILLUS: David Berg the founder of the family or the Children of God – Many of his beliefs sound biblical. Until you get to this - . IL In a lengthy and sexually explicit series of missives claiming that God had now sanctified extra-marital sex and prostitution as long as they were "done in love" and "for the glory of God."

They become unfit for worship and for service.
They become dangerous to those around them. They become deviant and warped – sin leading to sin.

B) THEY REJECT SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY – This authority is the authority of Christ. They reject the inspiration and the inerrancy of Scripture. ILLUS: Baptist college president who stated that calling the Bible infallible is wrong.
LISTEN AGAIN TO WHAT THIS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT SAYS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST: "THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS MORE TRUTH THAN FACT. FACTS ARE HISTORICAL AND MUNDANE. TRUTH TRANSCENDS THE AGES...ITS STATUS AS AN ACTUAL HISTORICAL FACT IS
UNIMPORTANT.
LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE DEATH OF CHRIST: "JESUS DID NOT DIE TO SATISFY SOME
ABSTRACT PENALTY FOR SIN. GOD IS NOT A BOOKKEEPER. JESUS DIED BECAUSE PEOPLE CHOSE TO KILL HIM.
LISTEN TO WHAT THIS MAN SAID ABOUT THE SALVATION OF CHRIST: "JESUS DID NOT COME
TO TELL US HOW TO BE SAVED. JESUS CAME TO TELL US THAT WE ARE SAVED." – Quoted from James Merrit – originally from KIRBY GODSEY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOD, LET'S BE HONEST (MACON, GEORGIA: SMYTH & HELWYS PUBLISHING INC., 1996), PP. 50, 51, 53.
C) THEY REVILE HEAVENLY DIGNITARIES – They are irreverent of spiritual powers and speak evil of angels.
Vs. 9 is very difficult –it seems to have been taken from a Jewish writing called the Assumption of Moses. Moses died on Mt. Nebo and Deut. 34:5-6 says that God buried him and no one knows the place. The Assumption states that God sent the archangel Michael to bury Moses. Satan argued with him saying the body belonged to him. Apparently he wanted it for some diabolical purpose. Michael did not accuse him, but said –“let the Lord rebuke you.”
Michael, through powerful and authoritative did not dispute with Satan.
What about these documents? Jude was inspired by the Holy Spirit. What he quotes is inerrant and inspired.
However, these apostates have no respect for spiritual realities. Today’s apostates do not even believe in Satan. They scoff at the idea of angels and demons. ILLUS: Professor in class– Did not believe in a personal devil.
II) THEY ARE BLASPHEMERS – VS. 10
To speak evil is to blaspheme – to speak irreverently.
A) THEY CRITICIZE WHAT THEY DO NOT KNOW - What they do not know. These apostates claim to know God, claim to understand the Bible, but in reality they are ignorant. They are theological egg-heads. They arrogant, but ignorant.
Why? They are spiritually blind. They claim to be saved, but in reality they are lost.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. [1]
ILLUS: One of the reasons the Pharisees had so much trouble with Jesus was that they just did not get it. They could not understand his teaching or believe it. They were spiritually blind. They did not believe in Jesus, would not believe in Jesus. Although they claimed to be teachers and theologians – they lacked spiritual understanding.
B) THEY ARE CORRUPTED BY WHAT THEY DO KNOW – They operate in the natural, there is nothing spiritual about them. They claim to be spiritual, but they are not. They are like unreasoning animals.
They are like two legged idiots. They will destroy themselves. It might be by drinking poison Koolaid in the jungle, or in a hail of bullets and fire in Texas. But apostates will corrupt themselves.
III) THEY ARE SCHEMERS – vs. 11
Jude now describes the ways of an apostates – they are dreamers – false dreamers, they are blasphemers, but also they are schemers!
“Woe to them” Severe Judgment is on the way.
A) CAIN – FALSE RELIGION – He openly rebelled against God’s will. Gen. 4:1-15 – He added to his rebellion as air of religion.
Think about those two offerings – there was really only one difference – the blood. The Bible states that without blood there is no remission or forgiveness of sin. Cain rejected that. He had no altar, no blood. He brought what he had planted, what he had produced. He brought his own good works.
We are not saved by works, lest any man should boast. There are only two ways to approach God – the way of Cain – in your own good works – which leads to death and Hell. Or the way of the cross – relying on the death of Christ for our sins – this leads to eternal life. There is a movement today away from the cross of Christ. It is a demonic scheme – those who promote it are apostates!
B) BAALAM – DECIETFUL RICHES – The story is found in Numbers 22-25 . The King of Moab brings in Baalam, offers to pay him if He will curse the Israelites. He cannot, so he comes up with an even more diabolical scheme. He plans a feast and brings in all the prettiest of the Moabite women. He tells the King that if he can get the Israelites to commit fornication with the Moabite women – God will kill. It works and God kills 40,000 in a plague. All because of a bought and paid for prophet.
Apostates are driven by money and greed. Watch out for these TV preachers and their prayer cloths and books. They want your money to finance their millionaire lifestyles. Watch out for preachers who won’t preach the truth because they don’t want to offend or lose their jobs. The only preacher worth his salt is the man who will stand and preach the truth no matter what the cost. If a man won’t preach for free – he ought not to preach at all. I believe that a church ought to pay its staff well – Timothy states they are worthy of double honor. But that staff better not ever do or not do something just because they are paid!
C) KORAH – REBELLION – They rebelled against the God- give authority of Moses and Aaron. Apostates will always rebel against the truth and against authority.
CONCLUSION:
HE WAS OBSESSED WITH JESUS, SO MUCH SO THAT HE FINALLY CLAIMED THAT HE HIMSELF WAS THE MESSIAH. WHENEVER SOMEONE WOULD JOIN HIS GROUP THEY WERE RELIEVED OF THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS AND PERSONAL POSSESSIONS. WHILE THE MEN WERE FORCED INTO CELIBACY, HE TOOK THEIR WIVES AND DAUGHTERS AS HIS CONCUBINES. HE CLAIMED TO BE JESUS CHRIST IN SINFUL FORM. HE DEFIED AUTHORITY, DEFILED THE FLESH, SPOKE AGAINST SPIRITUAL GLORIES. HE EVEN SAID THAT HE WAS MORE VIRTUOUS THAN THE FIRST MESSIAH, AND ONE OF HIS FAVORITE SAYINGS WAS, "WHAT BETTER SINNER CAN KNOW A SINNER THAN A GODLY SINNER?" WHILE EVERY ONE ELSE HAD TO WALK, HE DROVE A BEAUTIFUL BLACK CAMARO. AT LENGTHY SESSIONS OF BIBLICAL PREACHING, THAT EMBERS WERE REQUIRED TO ATTEND TWICE A DAY, HE UNDERLINED HIS AUTHORITY BY IMPRESSING UPON THEM THAT HE ALONE UNDERSTOOD THE SCRIPTURES. HE BEDDED THE WIVES AND DAUGHTERS OF THE MEN, SOME AS YOUNG AS ELEVEN YEARS OF AGE, AND DIED IN AN EXPLOSIVE FIRE AND A HAIL OF BULLETS. HIS NAME: DAVID KORESH. HE WAS A DREAMER, BLASPHEMER AND A SCHEMER- IF YOU DENY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND REFUSE TO GIVE YOUR HEART AND LIFE TO HIM, YOUR DESTINIY WILL BE THE SAME.
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[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA

The past few months have left me with no time to sit down and blog. I’ve been in Russia for a mission trip, working hard at preaching and leading the church, and neck deep in family affairs. My goal is to blog at least once a week, but with eight kids and a busy church, that can be daunting task!

I’ve been reading an excellent book by Derek Prime and Alister Begg entitled On Being a Pastor. Over the years I’ve read quite a few good books on pastoral ministry, but few that equaled this one. On Being a Pastor is a wonderful mix of pastoral theology and practical application. Perhaps the best chapter is chapter three titled, the Goals and priorities of pastoral ministry. The thrust of the chapter is that the Church is first and foremost Christ’s church. He owns the church by right of creation and redemption. Therefore success must be measured by God’s standard, which of course, is Scripture. This is a much needed correction in our day of church growth conferences and strategies. Pastors must measure success by church health, not necessarily attendance. Don’t get wrong, numbers are meaningful. Each number represents a soul. But what we do with the number of people that God entrusts us with is the measure of success. The authors provide six goals or priorities for pastor who intends to be faithful to God’s calling on his life.

First he must feed the flock. Through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God every pastor is called by God to provide solid Biblical nourishment for the congregation. Second, he must preach the whole counsel of God by faithfully expounding Scripture in its fullness. Both the Old and New Testaments provide truth that our people need in order to be healthy. Third our goal is to present everyone perfect in Christ. What matters most is not the number of people sitting in our pews, but the character and maturity of those people. Fourth, preachers are to prepare God’s people for works of service. Good preaching equips folk for the work of the ministry. No member should be left behind as we help them find and utilize their giftedness. Fifth, we must equip people to be fishers of men. A church that is zealous for God’s glory is zealous for evangelism. Every church should provide its members with training in evangelism. Finally, pastors are to keep watch over themselves and their people. The pastor must guard his own life and keep careful watch for false teaching and unrepentant sin. God help all pastors to be faithful to his goals and priorities.