The Acts of the Apostates - Part A

Jude gives us an x-ray of the heart by telling us verbal activity of these apostate people because the member 16 grumbling words. Listen to the Greek word start rambling, to say the word right.

Teachers can be hard to detect that it's possible to spot them when you really pay attention today on connect with Skip Heitzigs or Skip shares about some warning signs you can watch for it involves teachers delivering a vital lesson on how we use our words, we want to tell you about a recent that will help you grow stronger in your faith cares what Norm Geisler said about the book tactics, there is no better block to include Christians to think clearly. I think we need to engage in active spiritual warfare. You'll never fight God's battles for myself, you'll never contend for what really matters.

Just cruise and interlacing boiled. You have to decide to get out as part of the house and join the fight become a contender for biblical truth with the house. Message theories through the computer skip.

I think teaching theories on the ring to defend the gospel and guard against the teaching are thanks get to connect more people to the truth of God's part and $35 or more today will also send you the book tactics by Gregory couple you speak the truth about Christianity with confidence and grace call hundred 92 to get report connectwithskip.com okay Skip Heitzigs extorts today's June said while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend or put up a fight contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. That's why we call it fight for the house. We are here in church. We are gathered as the church. I've had an interesting journey in my lifetime and my relationship to the church may briefly explain what I grew up I had to go to church for me to have a meal and my parents house and live in a room and breathe air air. I had to go to church. In fact it was even called by our church Sunday obligation anybody ever have that term grown up, so Sunday so obligation means you have to do when I was 18 years of age. I had an encounter with Jesus Christ was real.

It was deep was profound and everything changed in my relationship with church changed now.

I wanted to go to church.

You couldn't keep me away from church I went like as whenever they had it. I go and then by God's grace five moved from the West Coast to Albuquerque New Mexico to plant a church. We be doing about 40 years now, so I've seen. Thank you. I've seen lots of people come to church over the years. I've also seen lots of people leave church.

I don't disbelieve archers go to another church. I mean, leave church and I discovered that not everyone who goes to church attends church comes the church hangs out a church is actually part of the church you might be part of the visible church, but not everybody in the visible church is part of the true invisible church with the real rooted authentic relationship with Christ as an example in the book of acts chapter 16 Paul goes to Philippi writing goes there to bring the gospel a church is planted very humble beginnings goes to Riverside.

There's a few women who are gathered a woman named Lydia believes is baptized and a few people make that sincere deep authentic commitment to Christ, but there was one girl unnamed in the text who hangs out at every church service and she has something to say that when you listen to what she says you think, Mama, I want this gal in my church.

I dislike the best PR person you could ever ask for. Because this what she said these men are servants of the most high God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. Nothing wrong with that.

Maybe Paul's going yeah bring her with us wherever we go, that that didn't happen because it says that she did this for many days and I kind of think she just sort of like interrupted what was going on with a little message because were told this.

Then Paul greatly annoyed. This picture Paul the apostle greatly annoyed that that's fun right there. Then Paul greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit as the demon spirit living inside of her. In the name of Jesus Christ come out of her know what's going on there. Here's was going on.

Paul had what is called discernment. You could tell the difference between somebody in this case who professed to know God versus a genuine, authentic worship, I know I I remember hearing the story that years ago at the Chinese wanted a sense of security that they didn't feel because they were being invaded so much. So they decided that they would build a wall that would be too tall for people to easily climb over too thick for people to break down into long for them to go around so they built the Great Wall of China and when it was done they felt really good really secure but I read somewhere that within the first 100 years of the Great Wall of China's existence. The China was barraged invaded three times and it's not the people got over the wall or broke through the wall or walk around the wall. They simply bribed the gatekeepers so they got in so we need to be open to all and we we we must be open to all. We want people to come. We want people to feel welcome here, but we need to build character into the gatekeepers to be able to tell the difference in just to have a heads up because we love God sheep and want to protect. And that's because the ministry of the churches is a ministry of people. So if the church is alive, it's because it's people are alive. If the church withers and dies is because the people in it are dead and outnumber the living people.

There was a young pastor who decided to take a little church over in Oklahoma. I he knew the reputation of this churches or the trustee, they were not open to change of highly resistant to new ideas, new things and this young pastor knew what he was getting into, but you know he just had the ambition and the drive and he felt full of the Holy Spirit.

So he went there loved on him and smiled and tried new things and they wouldn't budge. They wouldn't do anything they didn't want to change so he finally took an ad in the local newspaper and announced that he was going up there read the church. The church is dead. He said I wouldn't have a public funeral service for this church that is pronounced dead. Would you know that at that funeral service which was three in the afternoon on a Sunday, the church was packed like for the first time in upper packed. Everybody in the community wanted to find out what is this stunt so there sitting in church standing in church packed in church at the front of the church was a casket with flowers on top pastors in the suit got up, gave the eulogy talked about the history of this church, but now it is dead and it's time to bury it. Move on and then he invited everybody what attended the funeral to get up single file down the front and he open the casket, and pay your respects to the dearly departed. So as people walked forward and looked in the casket they understood because the pastor had cleverly put a mirror in the casket so as they were there to see the church that had died. They saw themselves and I told you Jew didn't want to write this letter that was in his heart. He sat down to write a sweet soft light little note of encouragement, but felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to safe flight, for the faith. Why, he explained that certain people have crept in to the church unnoticed and still hanging around, whose deadly ways and beliefs were influencing live living, vibrant believers, so Jew goes back into the Old Testament. I mean it's a short book, but he in the economy of words is able to go back in the Old Testament, starting with unique siding. Several examples of falling away apostasy defecting from the faith in the past and how God judged we come now to verse 16 and verse 16 to 19 is sort of like a summary statement.

Let's read it.

He says these are grumblings, complainers, walking according to their own loss they mouth great swelling words flattering people to gain advantage.

But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how they told you that there would be markers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

These are sensual persons who cause divisions not having the spirit. I divided this into three categories of activity. Three categories of these apostates activity these detractors these false professors and and they are words walk and warning the words they verbalize the walk, they personalize and the warnings they characterize so let's jump back into verse 16 and by now you know you know the style you know it's gonna happen, but this is a Bible teaching church. We can go through every verse, every nuance of rephrase what an addict down working to find out what it says and what it means so in verse 16 he says these are gamblers, complainers, walking according to their own loss they mouth great swelling words flattering people to gain advantage springs up a good question. How can you tell an apostate nobody wears the sign of an apostate nobody believes necessarily that they are.

Nobody says he excuse me dear 20 minutes of your valuable time. I'd like to try and deceive you, if at all possible. No of course not. It's not always easy to tell her to come in the name of God, or to quote the Bible versus the gonna ride your house on their bicycles to do a lot of things to make you think it's legit but there are some signs there are some indicators that they are problematic and it has to do with what they say. What leaks from their lips member what Jesus said in a remind you of it in Matthew 15 he said a sober, goes into the mouth that defiles a man it's those things which proceed out of the mouth to come from the heart and defile a man so I remember when I was a kid I go to the doctor and the doctor would take me in his office and he would say skipper that's with. He called me skipper stick your tongue out and I was thought that was weird. In fact, I don't have a problem with my tongue.

My problems right here in my gut, but a doctor is able to tell what's going on in the inside. But what's sometimes on your tongue. What color is of the bacteria if it looking gnarly or whatever they do they can tell something is wrong in the alimentary canal based on what I see in the tongue. Jesus said much the same thing. He said, out of the abundance or overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

So I also remember as a kid. My mother was fond of a ritual that she would perform with her for boys, especially her youngest whenever we would say words that were inappropriate. She took us into the bathroom and the ritual was washing ritual was a bar of soap stuck in the mouth and she wash my mouth out with soap more than once and she never figured this out, but it did no good, and it did no good because the problem wasn't with my mouth. The problem was with my heart and so Jude gives us an x-ray of the heart by telling us the verbal activity of these apostate people he calls them in verse 16 grumble learners to good word. Listen to the Greek word boom boom start sound like I'm grumbling to say in the word right, it really is an auto mono poetic word, that is, the word describes what it means and it's the only time it is used in the entire New Testament grumble or boom goose.but it is the same word in the Septuagint version that's the Greek version of the Old Testament to describe the children of Israel who were grumbling for 40 years in the desert and for which God judge them.

We saw back in verse five of the book of Jude. He delivered them out of Egypt and he destroyed them because they didn't believe in one of the indicators they didn't believe is what they said they grumble. Children of Israel became experts at grumbling meeting. They grumbled against God's law against God's ways against God's love against God's leaders. They grumbled notice what's next on the list complainers that I know you're thinking well that's sounds redundant. Like he says grumblings and complainers what it means the same thing will actually it doesn't because this word complainer means to blame the place blame on somebody. And the idea is that describes somebody who is always discontent always dissatisfied but blames somebody else for complainers. By the way, did you know that God takes complaining pretty seriously, it's like oh well, I know you have the bed to go ahead describe in no gripe in the name of the Lord gripe in Jesus name know he takes he takes his release seriously. So seriously that the children of Israel there complaining was immortalized forever so that every time the story would be told to subsequent generations about God delivering them from Egypt this point would be made. Artist give you two examples so fast forward from the children of Israel in the desert to the book of Psalms written by David largely some hundred and six says they despise the pleasant land.

That's the promised land. They did not believe his word, but complained in their tents and did not heed the voice of the Lord.

Five minutes but spent hundreds of years and you're still bringing that up that they complained now fast-forward to the New Testament.

Paul the apostle first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 10 says about these people, the Israelites in the desert. These things became our examples that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted and do not become idolaters as some of them nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did, nor complain as some of them also complained and were destroyed and God takes it seriously. I do that and you want to know why I think it is. I think complaining insults God because it attacks God's sovereignty. See if you're up you claim to be a follower of God, and you're always grumbling and always complaining what you and effect are saying is God does a lousy job taking care of me.

God's love. God's care is not all that great when it comes to me. Just remember that when you complain half the people who hear you complain.

Don't care, and the other half are probably glad you're finally getting what's coming to you at so that works so their approach these apostate these false teachers, false professors would murmur, complain and cause other people to become dissatisfied with the church that is writing to hear and plant those thoughts of discontentment because once those thoughts are planted, you can manipulate people like that note, let me just throw this out.

You want to end complaining the solution I think is worshiping. It's like the opposite of I tape phrase, a worship somebody who's thankful and grateful. And that's the overflow of the heart unit which is inconsistent to have great writing grumbling and worship and praise come out of the same mouth I was James whole point in his little New Testament book a cow can you have sour and freshwater come out of the same fountain so I love what the psalmist said. He said your praise shall can continually be in my mouth. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

But these are grumble or spare complainers, and then he says walking according to their own lusts. I'm in a get to that in a bit, but their speech continues in verse 16 and a mouth great swelling words, the amplified Bible renders it. They are boastful and arrogant. The NSV that's the new Skip version. Let that sink in and see if you are listening.

I really don't have my own version but I I'm translating that is this what these people are full of hot air. The full header. So this morning this happened to me this morning I get up in the morning, take my dogs out beautiful. Chris Bazemore of the things I love about this place called hot air balloons and I couldn't see any yet, but I'm out there with the dogs and I hear this noise and what is noise what you guys are so good if own this place with hot air. That's what I heard and then I hear it again and I know there's a hot air balloon somewhere and I just waited way four-way for about 20 hot air balloons in all were up in the sky but one in particular was close to the house and my dogs look up and what's first thing a dog doesn't that happen. Start barking really loud but that noise right that Darth Vader noise. There's some people that's how they live their lives to come in the room popping up Potter look at me the mouth great swelling words, they turn on the flame. One commentator says they pompously puffed themselves up with an elaborate sophisticated religious vocabulary that has an external spiritual tone but is void of truth. Proverbs 10 in the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. Consider this the Lord's prayer has only 56 words. That's the model prayer.

Jesus said pray this what you want to pray do this. 56 words. The Gettysburg address has 266 words, the 10 Commandments, 297 words, the Declaration of Independence has 300 words. But a recent US government order setting the price of cabbage has 26,911 words, just saying it's not how long we talk. It's what we say.

The accounts not notice what else they do what they say in verse 16.

It's all about the speech flattering people to gain an advantage. That is, they tell people what they want to hear in order to influence them so they get the impression they want to help you, but really it's all about them. They want to gratify themselves. You know, you do know I'm sure if you've ever read the book of Proverbs, you know that flattery is never a good thing right.

The Bible has a lot to say about that one particular verses.

Proverbs 29 whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading and that for his feet and that the Hebrew word for flattery means literally smooth their smooth talker and the oil you the butter you up and by the way, the English word flattery comes from the French word that means to stroke or caress with the flat of one's hand flattery stroke with the flat of the hand is a Puritan preacher, Thomas Brooks said while donkey though. He used a different word in old English while a donkey is stroked under the belly you may lay on his back. What burden you please that's that's the whole intent of these apostate they want to manipulate so they can lay their trip on you that Skip the message from the series like for the house you Skip to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way as you help connect others to God's truth. Jesus Christ is truth incarnate. He said I am the way, the truth and the life and through him we find the meaning of life. Individual purpose as well as eternal hope. That's why we share these teachings everywhere. We can to connect you with the real solid truth of Jesus, and if you'd like to keep these messages coming to you and help others encounter the truth of Christ. I want to invite you to give a gift today.

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