Transcript
Periodically, it's important that you and your spouse and your children be in the same room with a world missionary to catch their commitment and their passion and to see what God can do in your life. And so, Greg, Michelle, thank you. How we love you. Can't believe we get to be a part of your ministry. I want you guys to know that of all the years that Greg and Michelle been coming to our missions conferences and being here in our church, not one time have they ever asked us for any financial support for their ministry.
Not once. So when we found that out, we couldn't wait to just send financial dollars and people to Mexico and wherever else to support the work that they're doing raising up leaders, starting churches, and evangelizing the lost. It is a worldwide mission organization. Thank God for it. How we love you.
The Great Commission says we're supposed to make disciples of the nations. Isn't that true? Couldn't hear you.
There's a disciple in those nations that you have the most responsibility to make. You know who it is. It's yourself. You need some mature Christians that can show you what it's like to walk on the narrow road, but they can't make you present yourself before God. Every day you got to get a plan and you've got to do it.
And so I want to ask you this question. Spiritually, only you know the answer. Only you can answer it. And you don't do it out loud, you do it in your heart. What do the next 90 days look like for you and how are you gonna feed your spirit?
What I do every day is I journal through a book of the Bible. Angie bought me some tools one time of books of the Bible with journal pages in them for my daily quiet time. And I do it in a different translation of the Bible than I preach from. I just wanna stay fresh on that. So I'm reading the Bible every day and I'm journaling.
I read a puritan devotional book every day, whatever day of the week that is. And I hear the old dead guys, how they walk with God, and I get their insight. I also have a book of scriptures, just daily readings in the Bible, and I read that every day, and that is the first thing. And then I meet with Christians and I go out and I spend time with unbelievers and I listen to Christ, Christian books and praise songs. Because if I'm not feeding my spirit, the world will be very pleased to feed my flesh.
So you can either feed your spirit or feed your flesh. You can't do both. At the same time, God will not allow compromise. What do the next 90 days look like in your walk with God? Take ownership of your spiritual walk.
Now, let me ask you, do me a favor today, after this sermon's over, we'll have our prayer ministry teams up here. And I'm asking for long prayer lines today. And the only way we'll have long prayer lines is if you agree to help fill them. And I'm gonna ask you at the very least to come forward at the end of our service after we adjourn to the prayer team and pray for at least two things. Number one, pray for the nations and pray for Harvest Evangelistic Association.
Just come say, look, apparently it's Harvest Evangelistic Association Day, Great Commission Church, and I belong to the church here, and I'm gonna pray for our missionaries and their work. So you just come up here and pray for them. And number two, pray for your daily walk, your spiritual disciplines. Let the prayer team pray a prayer of blessing over you. Hey, for the next 90 days, I'm gonna walk with God like never before.
I'm gonna build spiritual graces in my life and make that a commitment to prayer. Pray for the nations, pray for yourself, and then anything else. Long prayer lines today. Okay? USA.
We good? My name is Trevor Davis. I'm GCC's pastor. Today is the second of five installments in the Book of Jude, the next to the last book of the Bible, right before the book of revelation. It's only 25 verses long.
It may only fit on one page of your Bible or split in two, but it's easy to miss the Letter of Jude. And we call this series the Acts of the Apostates. It's to be contrasted with the Acts of the Apostles in the Book of Acts. And today, just three verses. Three verses is all I'm preaching.
Jude five, six, seven. And I call this message apostasy. From unbelief to judgment. Here are Jude 5, 6, and 7. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe and the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, he has reserved an everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day, as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, in a similar manner to these having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Happy verses. Amen. Let's Pray together, Father, I pray that our personal attention spans will give these verses the gravity and the respect and the honor they're due. God, we give this time to you. Sow the truth into our hearts and minds and don't let the enemy steal what was sown there.
In Jesus name and a faith filled church said, Amen. How do you guard your faith in a world that seems intent on abandoning it? See, the letter to Jude is all about this idea of apostasy. And the term apostasy may sound distant to you, that's for over there. And for someone else, it may sound harsh.
Why is the preacher preaching this message today? But I want you to know that the reality of apostasy is tragically close. It's in this room. I also want you to know that apostasy is not a sudden leap. It's often a slow drift.
You don't go apostate on Monday after church on Sunday, but you can start. It brings up questions like this. How does a person who once seems so close to God end up far away from him? How does a person who once seems so close to God end up under his judgment? A.W.
tozer wrote, the unattended garden will soon be overrun with weeds. The heart that fails to cultivate truth and purity will by default become a wilderness. All apostates have wildernesses as their hearts. Apostasy, my brothers and my sisters, is a gradual journey away from God that begins with unbelief. It digresses into rebellion, and it ends in judgment.
That's the process. If I want to give you a simple definition for apostasy, it's falling away from the Christian faith. Well, Pastor, are you getting ready to tell us, as you teach through Jude, that you can lose your salvation? Good night. No.
I'm going to tell you that if it looks like somebody did, it just proves they had a false conversion. Because if you could lose your salvation, you'd throw it away. You'd lose it. And so when we talk about apostates, we're talking about masquerading as someone who's seen the light, but really is cultivating darkness in their hearts. Judas Iscariot was an apostate, a false convert.
And it is something that we need to be aware of today. Jude warns us in Jude 5, 6 and 7 by pointing to three sobering examples here. Number one, the Israelites in the wilderness, number two, the rebellious angels. And number three, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. So far, so good.
See the outline here. The Puritan John Owen once said, the seed of every sin is in every heart.
That means that apostasy is not a distant danger. It's a threat that we in this body of Christ must diligently guard against. And so, three verses, three truths for you. Truth number one. Jude teaches us that apostasy begins with unbelief.
Apostasy begins with unbelief. Jude 5. The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
In simple terms here, brothers and sisters, Jude is warning his readers not to take the grace of God for granted, not to presume on it, because Israel went from faith to fallout like that after seeing the wonders of God. I have a question for you. It's a rhetorical question. You ready? Do you think God ever changes his mind about people?
It's a heavy question. We love to talk about God's mercy, but what about his judgment? Jude 5 reminds us of a sobering truth. And that is, yes, God saves, but he also judges those who refuse to trust in Him.
Take Israel's story, for example. I'll just summarize some of these high points for us. They had just watched God turn the Nile river into into blood.
They had experienced the ten plagues that God sent on Israel that ruined the world. And they had seen him split the Red Sea in two. And they walked across the dusty ground that God made from the splitting. They saw and experienced signs and wonders. And you'd think that ought to be enough for them forever.
But that tells you about the lasting power of signs and wonders. If signs and wonders don't point you to trust in Jesus, they haven't done anything for you.
Exodus 12:51 says, the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. You know what that means? He saved them. They were slaves. He brought them out, set them free.
That's salvation. And at the Red Sea, those same people who were rescued by God saw their enemies, the Egyptians, crushed under the waves. You'd think that'd be enough. Exodus 14:31. 30 and 31.
Give us a comment about that. So the Lord saved Israel that day, and they believed.
Remember, apostasy begins with unbelief. Listen to me, friends. Faith is more than a moment.
It's a life of trust. And what about the Israelites? Their trust shattered the moment things got tough. Let me give you some examples. The first time that things got tough, they complained about food.
We're out in the desert. There aren't any restaurants. You can't grow crops. How are we going to eat? How could the God who did all those wondrous things ever take care of us?
Isn't that foolish when you look back on it in the hindsight? They complained about food. Exodus 16, verse 8 makes it clear. Moses says, you, complaints are not against us, but against the Lord.
And then after they complained about food, they complained about thirst when they were thirsty. In Exodus 17, when they got thirsty, they demanded proof that God was even still with them. Exodus 17:7 says, they tempted the Lord, saying, is the Lord among us or not? But what about what they saw? What a commentary this is that it doesn't matter what you see.
Faith is still believing in what you don't see. Isn't that true?
They didn't believe anymore. God provided for them, but their doubt never stopped. The great 20th century theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer wrote, the beginning of men's rebellion against God was and is the lack of a thankful heart.
When the Israelites reached the promised land, Canaan, they sent spies into the land. Do you remember? 12 of them, 10 of them came back and said, we can't go into there. There are giants in the land. Two of them came back, Joshua and Caleb, and says, not only are they not too big for us to go into the land, they're too big for us to miss.
We'll kill them. Easy, right? There's giants in the land. We can't do it with God.
They even longed to return to slavery under Pharaoh after this. Do you remember this? My favorite Christian Singer died in 1983. His name is Keith Green. He's a white guy with an Afro who played piano.
Died in a plane crash after being a Christian for five years. He named one of his albums Vinyl Records. Remember those? He named one of his albums after one of his songs called so youo Want to Go Back to Egypt.
Numbers 14, 3. Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? Those are the words of Unbelief. And this is how apostasy starts.
One commentator says, they left Egypt, but Egypt never left them.
They want to go back to Egypt. Imagine you're drowning, you can't swim. Somebody threw you off the pier into the lake. And it's deep and you're flailing around and you're choking on the water, and you see somebody and they come and they throw you the life preserver and they throw it right to you. You don't have to swim to it.
You grab it. They pull you in, they get you up, back onto the dock, and all of a sudden you go, well, that was fun. And so you go and you jump right back in the water, ignoring all the warnings. Well, that's stupid. That's mindless.
That's what the Israelites did. We want to go back to slavery rather than have to trust God. They were freed and they didn't trust God's plan. And as a result, they faced judgment. Numbers 14:11 reveals God's frustration with them.
He says, how long will these people reject me? How long will they not believe in me with all the signs which I have performed among them? So the people turned back in fear and God responded with judgment. Here's later on numbers 1429. Here's the sentence that he pronounced on the Israelites.
The carcasses of you who have complained against me shall fall in this wilderness.
Do you understand that they started with God but ended in ruin? And do you understand that's a warning for us? Jesus said, whoever puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for service in my kingdom.
Have you started with God, but are you drifting away?
Hear the warning from God about the Israelites. Jude 5 reminds us of this history because the pattern repeats. What's that pattern? The pattern is people receive God's grace, but some abandon trust and they fall away.
This won't be on your screen, but I encourage you to write this in your Bible next to Jude 5. 7. A moment of faith does not guarantee a lifetime of faithfulness. A moment of faith does not guarantee a lifetime of faithfulness. If all you have as evidence that you know God is a childhood or a teenage or a young adult conversion, and then after that conversion and baptism and time with the Lord, you walked away from all of it.
And you look now very much like you looked before you met Him.
That moment of faith didn't guarantee a lifetime of faithfulness. It's time to make your calling and election sure. Peter writes, or it was Paul, I think. Here's the question. Are we any different?
We see God's work. We've experienced his mercy. But when life gets hard for us, do we still believe? Or do we test God? Do we complain?
Do we turn back?
Before I leave this idea, let Charles Spurgeon speak to you. Unbelief is not a misfortune to be pitied. It is a sin to be deplored. It is the sin of the world. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believed in him will not perish, but have eternal life.
So, number one, apostasy begins with unbelief. Number two, apostasy grows with rebellion.
This is Jude 6. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain but left their own abode. He is reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Not all the angels remained holy, did they? Did you know that even angels, majestic, powerful beings, were not exempt from judgment when they chose rebellion over obedience?
My brothers and my sisters, Jude is specific to say, they abandoned their rightful place.
And when they did that, they rejected God's authority. And now they await judgment. And they know it. You know, the only thing I can find in the Bible that fallen angels fear is being cast into the abyss too early. They beg Jesus, throw us into those swine.
Don't send us to the abyss. They know their fate. They just want it to linger before they have to deal with it. Because rebellion always has consequences. I want you to think of Lucifer.
What's another name for Lucifer? Say it out loud. Satan. What's another name for that devil? Okay, we know what we're talking about.
Lucifer was an angel in glory before he was once radiant in beauty and wisdom. Ezekiel 28:12 12. And following, God writes about him. You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God.
You are the anointed cherub who covers. I established you. You were on the holy mountain of God. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created till iniquity was found in you.
That's a far cry from a red jumpsuit and a pitchfork, isn't it?
But pride crept in to this one that was perfect in beauty, and he craved God's throne. In Isaiah 14:14, he whispered, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high.
Well, heaven is no place for rebellion. So God cast him down. And we read in Revelation 12:4 and Revelation 12:9, his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil. And Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Well, there are the milestones of history for the fall of the wicked one. Pride. Then in your Bible early on comes another act of defiance. Highly debated text. Genesis chapter 6, verses 1 to 4 speaks of the fallen angels who abandoned their place.
They corrupted humanity and it deepened the world's sickness and wickedness to A point where that's when God says, I'm sending the reins. Their sin was so grievous that God bound them in chains, waiting for the final reckoning. So, friends, listen. Jude warns us, if angels who once beheld God's glory were judged for their rebellion, what makes us think we are exempt if we turn?
Let me ask you a question. What ruined the fallen angels? Two things. Pride and lust. And they will ruin you too.
You see, the fallen angels and fallen men share the same fate.
Apostasy starts with unbelief. But when unbelief extends into rebellion, choosing to reject God's rule, choosing to exalt self instead of God, it always leads to destruction. Jude said that they didn't keep their proper domain. I wonder if we're doing the same thing. God has designed us with a purpose.
Is that true? He's placed us where we belong. Whether it's in your faith, family, or in your calling or in your marriage, in your relationships. That's where God has put you. He set the boundaries for our lives.
He gets to do that. And yet, like the fallen angels, we can be tempted to leave that place, to be dissatisfied. We can choose to get out of our own lanes.
Listen carefully. When we reject his authority, when we try to redefine right and wrong, when we put ourselves on the throne instead of him, that's when we leave our proper domain. So the real question is, are we staying where God has placed us? Or are we stepping outside his will and chasing something he never intended for us?
Everybody, look at me. The angels had a choice. And so do we. Judah's warning. If angels were not spared when they turned from God, why would we be?
Rebellion locks the door to grace, and it opens the gate to judgment.
So number two, apostasy grows with rebellion. And number three, apostasy culminates in judgment.
That's where it ends. That's where it's heading. Jude 7. As Sodom and Gomorrah, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Do you really want me to preach about Sodom and Gomorrah today?
Can you be gay and Christian? Jude seven points to Sodom and Gomorrah as a terrifying example of divine judgment. These cities were not destroyed arbitrarily. God wasn't bored and thought, I wonder if my zapping powers still work. I wonder if my supply of brimstone and sulfur will still ignite.
It wasn't arbitrary. Their sin was Deep. Their sin was pervasive. It was all encompassing and it was unrepentant. Genesis 19:5.
Part of the story reveals the depravity of their hearts. They come to Lot's door. There are two men visiting. We learn later the men are angels of the Lord. They're visitors from heaven.
But they look like us. They look like men. And the men of the city of Sodom come to the door and they bang on it and they declare this. Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.
How many details do you want me to give to you today to define know them carnally? Do you understand what that means?
Carnal knowledge. This is rated X. NC17. The people of Sodom had abandoned all restraint. They're chasing after unnatural desires and they are rejecting God's design for marriage and for sexuality.
Jude describes this rebellion in the text in verse seven with two key phrases. Key phrase number one. Having given themselves over to sexual immorality. The New Testament Greek term for that is fornication. We get our word pornography from it.
Having given themselves over to sexual sin, these men in Sodom spent their time stalking the next sexual conquest. Who can we violate in the next hour? They given themselves over to it. They descend into the dead end perversion that's detestable to God of homosexuality. And who in our culture is even saying that today?
Your culture is trying to get you to celebrate something detestable that destroys humanity and casts people into mental illness and ruins their bodies and their reputations.
By God's grace and for the love of sinners who need Jesus, we will always say what the Bible says about the sin of homosexuality. It needs to be repented of and you can be saved from it.
This is more than just sin in Sodom. It's intentional, reckless pursuit of corruption. And listen, the people of Sodom were not merely tempted. The verse says they gave themselves over. And the Apostle Paul borrowed that phrase to describe this in Romans 1.
God will give them over to the sins that they want. They gave themselves over to debauchery without remorse, sinning without a conscience, giving themselves over to sexual immorality. And here's the second phrase that describes their rebellion. And that is gone after strange flesh. You want me to talk about this?
I think I can do it in an appropriate way. Gone after strange flesh means. Well, what did God call Adam and Eve when their marriage was consummated? One what? One flesh, one flesh is God's design for the marriage, relationships that for the marriage relationship that includes sexual activity.
Do you believe that? Do you believe that marriage is for husbands and wives? Okay, well, good. That goes back to the Garden of Eden. You're on the right side of history, to borrow a stupid phrase.
One flesh is the goal in our culture though. And in this room, secretly. One flesh doesn't describe you, much flesh does. The teenagers, they call it body count. How many partners can you have sex with before you're married and sadly after?
And so God said, you know, I had my plan for you was find a spouse in your young adult years, marry them. All of your sexual prowess, all of your memories, all of your experiences with that one person, one flesh. That's God's goal. Now in our culture, that's been broken so much, people don't even talk about it anymore. And so you're not one flesh, you're much flesh.
And let me say to you that when you get married, that's not repentance from your much flesh. If you want to repent of the much flesh track record you have, then repent of it. Saying I do was not repentance. It didn't erase it. A broken heart before God and a confession of that sin to your spouse and maybe to your pastor, your small group, something that says man, I'm just not going to pretend like that didn't happen.
But one flesh descends into much flesh when people rebel against God in much flesh if it isn't worked on. And our culture can bottom out into strange flesh, which is not man and woman. It's man and man and woman and woman. So let Jude be very clear so that you don't listen to so called theologians who say the conservative church got it wrong and God never condemned homosexuality in Sodom. He condemned their lack of hospitality.
Jude says it was strange flesh, clear as can be. Strange flesh, by the way, brought unusual fire.
Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. What began in lust ended in ashes.
But I'm happy to tell you that your God's different than you might think. Judgment didn't come without warning. God sent two angels to rescue Lot and his family, who urged them to flee before the destruction fell, before the fire fell. Genesis 19:17. Escape for your life, those angels warned.
Do not look behind you, nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains lest you be destroyed. God's last word is never judgment, it's always salvation. There's always a way of escape. And yet, despite that clear warning, Lot's wife couldn't let go.
Her heart was still in Sodom. That's where she had raised her family. That's where she had put down roots. That's what she had come to love. She loved Sodom.
She stopped loving God. That Genesis 19:26. But his wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt.
Are you looking back to the old life that just felt so good, where you took care of all your pleasures, you didn't have a care in the world to live for the next weekend, the next high, the next buzz, the next party, the next good time. Are you looking back? Lot's wife did. One glance, just one, cost her everything.
Can I tell you something? Those who look back want to go back.
Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction was sudden, but its lesson is eternal. You want to know what the lesson is? The lesson is God's patience has a limit. His judgment does not.
Apostasy is not merely about rejecting God's truth. It's a heart condition that begins with small steps away from him.
Do you know who C.S. lewis was? Clive Staples. Lewis wrote about this. He said, safest road to hell is the gradual one.
The gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.
Jude's warnings in verses 5 to 7 are not meant to paralyze us with fear. They're meant to propel us toward faithfulness. So how do I apply this to my life, Pastor? Three ways. I've had three verses and three points.
Might as well have three applications. Number one, examine your faith. Are there seeds of unbelief in your heart? Where are you struggling to trust God's word?
Number two, guard against rebellion. The only antidote to rebellion in the Bible is submitting to God's authority.
In what areas are you resisting his rule in your life?
Finally, number three, fear the consequences. Jesus said, remember Lot's wife. Let the examples of judgment awaken holy fear and drive you to Jesus Christ. Because Hebrews 10:31 reminds everybody, Christian and non Christian alike, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Let's bow for prayer today.
Lord, we have heard your word and we know that it is serious, it is true and it is loving. These three verses we confess to you, God, you were loving us when you wrote those to us. So, God, I pray that you begin to draw out the footsteps of apostasy that have been creeping in on our church. I don't know who it is. I don't know who they are.
I don't know how deep it is. But God, I ask you for deliverance God rescue us for Jesus sake. Amen.
The Acts of the Apostates (verse-by-verse through Jude)
APOSTASY: FROM UNBELIEF TO JUDGMENT
Jude 5-7
Intro: How do we guard our faith in a world that seems intent on abandoning it? The term "apostasy" may sound distant or harsh, but its reality is tragically close. Apostasy isn't a sudden leap; it's often a slow drift. How does a person who once seemed close to God end up far from Him, even under His judgment?
A.W. Tozer –“The unattended garden will soon be overrun with weeds; the heart that fails to cultivate truth and purity will, by default, become a wilderness.”
Apostasy is a gradual journey away from God that begins with unbelief, progresses into rebellion, and ends in judgment. Defined simply, apostasy is a "falling away from the Christian faith." Jude warns us by pointing to three sobering examples: the Israelites in the wilderness, the rebellious angels, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
John Owen once said, “The seed of every sin is in every heart.” Apostasy is not a distant danger; it’s a threat we must vigilantly guard against.
- Apostasy Begins with Unbelief
Jude 5 "The Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe."
In simple terms, Jude is warning his readers not to take God’s grace for granted. Israel went from faith to fallout.
“Do you think God ever changes His mind about people?”
It’s a heavy question. We love to talk about God’s mercy, but what about His judgment?
Jude 5 reminds us of a sobering truth: Yes, God saves—but He also judges those who refuse to trust Him.
Take Israel’s story. They had just watched God turn the Nile to blood, send plagues on Egypt, and split the Red Sea in two.
Exodus 12:51 says, “The Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.” They were saved.
And at the Red Sea, they saw the Egyptians crushed under the waves.
Exodus 14:30-31 tells us, “So the Lord saved Israel that day… and they believed.”
But faith is more than a moment. It’s a life of trust. And Israel? Their trust shattered the moment things got tough.
First, they complained about food.
Exodus 16:8 makes it clear: “Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”
Then, when thirsty, they demanded proof that God was even still with them.
Exodus 17:7 says, “They tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’”
God provided. But their doubt never stopped.
Francis Shaeffer – “The beginning of men’s rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful heart.”
When they reached Canaan, spies returned with reports of giants. They even longed to return to slavery under Pharaoh.
Num 14:3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”
They left Egypt, but Egypt never left them.
illus: Imagine a lifeguard rescuing someone from drowning, but then that person recklessly jumps back into dangerous waters, ignoring the warnings. That’s what the Israelites did. They were freed but didn’t trust God’s plan, and as a result, they faced judgment.
Num 14:11 reveals God’s frustration: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?”
The people turned back in fear. And God responded with judgment:
Num 14:29 “The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness.”
They started with God but ended in ruin.
Jude 5 reminds us of this history because the pattern repeats. People receive God’s grace, but some abandon trust and fall away.
A moment of faith does not guarantee a lifetime of faithfulness.
So here’s the real question: Are we any different?
We see God work. We’ve experienced His mercy. But when life gets hard—do we still believe? Or do we test God, complain, and turn back?
Charles Spurgeon – "Unbelief is not a misfortune to be pitied; it is a sin to be deplored. It is the sin of the world."
- Apostasy Grows with Rebellion
Jude 6 "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day."
Did you know that even angels—majestic, powerful beings—weren’t exempt from judgment when they chose rebellion over obedience?
They abandoned their rightful place. They rejected God’s authority. And now, they await judgment.
Rebellion always has consequences.
Think of Lucifer—once radiant in beauty and wisdom:
Ezekiel 28:12-15 "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God... You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God... You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you."
But pride crept in. He craved God’s throne, whispering,
Isaiah 14:14 "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."
Heaven is no place for rebellion. So, God cast him down.
Rev 12:4, 9 "His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth... So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
Then came another act of defiance. Genesis 6:1-4 speaks of the fallen angels who abandoned their place and corrupted humanity, deepening the world’s wickedness. Their sin was so grievous that God bound them in chains—waiting for the final reckoning.
Jude warns us: If angels, who once beheld God's glory, were judged for their rebellion, what makes us think we are exempt if we turn away?
What ruined the fallen angels? Pride and lust. They will ruin you too. Fallen angels and fallen men share the same fate.
Apostasy starts with unbelief. But when unbelief extends into rebellion—choosing to reject God’s rule and choosing to exalt self instead—it leads to destruction.
They did not keep their proper domain. Are we in danger of doing the same?
God designed us with a purpose. He has placed us where we belong—whether in our faith, our calling, our relationships. He has set the boundaries for our lives.
Yet, like the fallen angels, we can be tempted to leave that place. We can choose to get out of our own lanes.
When we reject His authority, when we try to redefine right and wrong, when we put ourselves on the throne instead of Him—we leave our proper domain.
So, the real question is, are we staying where God has placed us, or are we stepping outside His will, chasing something He never intended for us?
The angels had a choice. So do
Jude is warning: If angels weren’t spared when they turned from God, why would we be?
Rebellion locks the door to grace and opens the gate to judgment.
- Apostasy Culminates in Judgment
Jude 7 "As Sodom and Gomorrah... having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
Jude 7 points to Sodom and Gomorrah as a terrifying example of divine judgment.
These cities weren’t destroyed arbitrarily. Their sin was deep, pervasive, and unrepentant.
Gen 19:5 reveals the depravity of their hearts: “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
The people of Sodom had abandoned all restraint, chasing after unnatural desires and rejecting God’s design.
Jude describes this rebellion with two key phrases:
“Having given themselves over to sexual immorality” – They spend their time stalking the next sexual conquest. They descend into the dead-end perversion of homosexuality. This is more than just sin; it’s an intentional, reckless pursuit of corruption.
The people of Sodom were not merely tempted—they gave themselves over to debauchery without remorse.
“Gone after strange flesh” – strange flesh brought unusual fire. What began in lust ended in ashes.
But judgment didn’t come without warning.
God sent two angels to rescue Lot and his family, urging them to flee before destruction fell.
Gen 19:17 “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
Yet, despite the clear warning, Lot’s wife couldn’t let go. Her heart was still in Sodom.
Gen 19:26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Are You Looking Back? Lot’s wife did. One glance—just one—cost her everything. Those who look back want to go back.
Sodom & Gomorrah’s destruction was sudden, but its lesson is eternal: God’s patience has a limit; His judgment does not.
Apostasy is not merely about rejecting God’s truth; it’s a heart condition that begins with small steps away from Him.
C.S. Lewis – “The safest road to hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
Jude’s warnings in verses 5-7 are not meant to paralyze us with fear but to propel us toward faithfulness.
Application:
- Examine Your Faith: Are there seeds of unbelief in your heart? Where are you struggling to trust God’s Word?
- Guard Against Rebellion: Submission to God’s authority is the antidote to rebellion. In what areas are you resisting His rule?
- Fear the Consequences: Let the examples of judgment awaken holy fear and drive you to Christ. As Hebrews 10:31 reminds us, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Come and join us this Sunday at the Great Commission Church for a truly remarkable and uplifting experience. Great Commission Church is not just any ordinary place of worship; it's a vibrant community where faith comes alive, hearts are filled with love, and lives are transformed. Our doors are wide open, ready to welcome you into the warm embrace of our congregation, where you'll discover the true essence of fellowship and spirituality. At Great Commission Church, we are more than just a congregation; we are a family united by a common mission – to follow the teachings of Christ and spread His love to the world. As you step inside Great Commission Church, you'll find a sanctuary that nurtures your faith and encourages you to be part of something greater than yourself.
We believe in the power of coming together as a community to worship, learn, and serve. Whether you're a long-time believer or just starting your spiritual journey, Great Commission Church welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vibrant services are filled with inspiring messages, beautiful music, and heartfelt prayers that will uplift your soul. Every Sunday at Great Commission Church is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and connect with others who share your faith and values.
At Great Commission Church, we believe that faith is not just a solitary endeavor but a shared experience that strengthens and enriches us all. Our church is a place where you can find purpose, belonging, and the encouragement to live a life in accordance with Christ's teachings. Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church and experience the transformative power of faith in action. Be part of a loving and supportive community that is committed to making a positive impact in our world. Together, we strive to fulfill the great commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We look forward to having you with us at Great Commission Church this Sunday, where faith, love, and community intersect in a truly amazing way.
Great Commission Church is a non-denominational Christian church located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We are a short drive from Germantown, Southaven, Collierville, Horn Lake, Memphis, Fairhaven, Mineral Wells, Pleasant Hill, Handy Corner, Lewisburg and Byhalia.
See you Sunday at Great Commission Church!
