Friday, March 29, 2013

Friday, March 29 ~ tammi

Today's Bible In a Year reading: Deuteronomy 21-22; Psalm 64; Luke 20
Today's scripture focus passage: Jude 1:14 - Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones...

Accompanying MacArthur sermonThe Coming Judgment on Apostates, Part 1
Accompanying Legge sermon: The Apostates' Final Fall

Happy Good Friday!  Seems kinda weird to say, since usually Good Friday is seen as a solemn remembrance, but it sure does mean good news for us, so I think it fitting to be joyful about it at the same time!!  (it also happens to be the other Friday poster's birthday ~ who happens to be my sister-in-law ~ so it's an especially good Good Friday!  Happy birthday, Roxie! :)

Okay, so today's passage is a little tricky because it isn't even a complete sentence!  But since it isn't and because Jude is beginning to quote someone we're familiar with, I'm going to focus on WHOM he's quoting.

Now, we don't know Enoch was necessarily a prophet, but the account of him in the Old Testament clearly indicates he was a very godly man, and while not generally recognized as a prophet, it's clear he did prophesy at least once.  Jude's tone throughout his little letter is one that presumes previous knowledge of his subject matter by his audience, so it seems safe to assume here that his readers must be familiar with this prophecy from Enoch.  And like MacArthur says in his sermon, "If Jude under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said that Enoch said that, then guess what? Enoch said that. He said it. Even though it's not recorded in the Old Testament, he said it. And the Holy Spirit inspires Jude to say he said it because he said it...Enoch prophesied." So?  Anyone wanna argue with him??  ;)

Legge points out the parallels between Enoch's day, Jude's day, and our day.  Certainly, we can see the need for Jude's reminder in our day.  And obviously, the environment and/or circumstances that necessitated Jude's letter (when he'd been planning to write something else ~ see v. 3) were very similar to the environment and/or circumstances that necessitated Enoch's prophesy.  Which, as you recall, preceded the flood in Noah's day by only one generation.  Enoch named his son Methuselah to bear testimony to the prophecy which would be fulfilled right after the end of Methuselah's life.  All this to say, nothing much has changed in human nature since God saw fit to wipe out virtually the entire human race back in Old Testament times.  They desperately needed warnings then and got them through prophecies; we desperately need them now and get them from God's Word.

One thing Legge mentions that I find kind of disturbing (but that makes perfect sense) is that the apostates, false teachers, etc. come from the Church.  I mean, it makes sense ~ how else could you preach and live a false Gospel if you didn't know the real one enough to be able to alter it?  But still, it's a little unsettling to be faced with the reality that when we're in our churches is when we're most likely to be surrounded by apostates.

Jude's letter, I believe, is not only a plea to greater discernment and a guide to recognizing apostasy, but also a reminder that if false teachers come from within the Church, we need to CONSTANTLY make sure what WE say and how WE live lines up with Scripture.  We may not be pastors or authors or Sunday school teachers or conference speakers or Bible study leaders, but our lives speak to our beliefs and interpretations of the Word nonetheless.

It is SO CRITICAL to KNOW God's Word!!

Not just so we can recognize apostasy in our churches, but so we can recognize the beginnings of apostasy in ourselves and make the necessary course corrections.








Tomorrow's Bible In a Year reading: Deuteronomy 23-24
Monday's scripture focus passage: Jude 1:15-16

2 comments:

Tammy said...

So true.

They say the best way to identify a counterfeit is to know the real thing so well that you can immediately spot the fake.

And it's exactly the fact that they're in the church that makes them so dangerous. We're not fooled by those who openly mock Christ. We're fooled by those who claim His name but teach lies that masquerade as truth. We have to know the Word in order to spot the counterfeit!!

Tammy said...

I just read Legge's sermon on Enoch (The Deathless Man with the Deathless mMessage) and it was really good. It focused on how, if we want God to use us, we first have to walk with Him. And that the Genesis text seems to indicate that Enoch began to walk with God at the birth of his son, Methusaleh. Because his name means - at his death, it will end. A prediction of the flood. If that doesn't make you wake up and take stock of your life, and begin to walk with God, nothing will!

But Enoch did! And we need to walk with God too - walk with Him, talk with Him, seek His presence, eat His Word, be in continual fellowship with Him, pursue holiness.

Enoch and Noah were the only 2 godly men on the planet and they could do it. We are without excuse.