Filthy Dreamers

Temple Baptist Church - 4-20-2016

Jude 3-8

Introduction:

A.  I want us to stay with our context tonight because much unnecessary confusion has resulted by trying to tie a couple of these verses together and not keeping them within the context that they were written in.  The context is the exhortation to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered.

B.  The exhortation is necessary because it is imperative that we keep that which has been committed to us: the embodiment of the faith or the Word of God.  God delivered it once and will not do so again.  A price was paid to bring it to us and how can we do less than to maintain allegiance to it and defiance to those who would change it.

C.  With this in mind, I want to take a short look at the three examples that Jude mentions:

1.  The Old Testament saints who, because of unbelief, died in the wilderness.  They came out of Egypt under the leadership of God’s man then rebelled against God’s man when they came to Canaan.

2.  The angels who kept not their first estate, created in perfection and beauty as servants of God, followed the leadership of Lucifer and are now eternally damned. 

3.  The sodomites who went after strange flesh (the same sex), burning in their lust for that which God calls an abomination, and will one day suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

D.  Though all three of these have one thing in common, one of them brought about a temporal judgement—because they were God’s people—while the other two brought about an eternal judgement because they were not God’s people.

E.  What they all three had in common is that they kept not their first estate!

1.  The first estate of the Old Testament saints: they believed God to bring them out of Egypt with an high hand, saw His miracles and opening of the Red Sea, yet believed not when they came to Canaan.  The first estate of every believer is that they believe God for salvation and His watch care in this life.

2.  The first estate of angels was their creation as ministers to a thrice holy God.  Though free moral agents (they have the ability to choose), once they sinned by rebelling against the person and authority of God, cannot repent and be saved.

3.  The first estate of all sodomites is that they are born heterosexual but, because of their sexual perversion, become sodomites which is against nature or that which is natural. (Romans 1:26-27)

F.  The reason that I want to take a little time here is because of the “Angel Theory” that has been interjected into the equation by ignorant theologians.  In order to create their theory, they had to tie verses 6-7 together while ignoring the context.  The “Angel Theory” takes us back to Genesis chapter 6 where the “sons of God” cohabitated with the “daughters of men” and brought about the judgement of the flood upon the world.  Who were the sons of God?  If you once again ignore the context, you can come up with the pretext that they were angels but you do a great injustice to our command to study and rightly divide the word of truth.

1.  The theory states that the “sons of God” were fallen angels who lusted after and took the “daughters of men.”  Their theoretical reasoning is flawed in several places.  I do not want to do an in-depth study on Angelology so I will just bring forth a few points that disprove their theory.

2.  The Angel Theory advocates ignore the context set forth in Jude and also the context of Genesis chapters 4-6.  Anytime you take verses out of context, they become a pretext: a ploy or ruse. 

a)  Genesis 4:17-24 begins the context with the ungodly lineage of Cain and continues with the godly lineage of Seth found in Genesis 4:24-5:32. Genesis, chapter 6, begins with the word “And” which is a continuation of the context. 

b)  The Bible further elaborates on the context in Genesis 6:8-9 which begins with the word “But” which draws a contrast.  The contrast was not between Noah and angels.  It was a contrast between Noah and the rest of the Messianic line of Seth, the sons of God.  Genesis 6:9 says, “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”  Noah was saved—a just man—separated—perfect in his generations—and obedient—and Noah walked with God. 

c)  The context begins in Genesis 4 and continues through chapter 6.  The context is all about genealogy, not angels.  As a matter of fact, no angels are mentioned prior to or after the context!  Thus, the Context Mention of Bible Interpretation is completely ignored by the Angel Theory.

d)  Though angels often take on the form of man, the Bible is clear that they are created beings with no power to procreate. 

Matthew 22:30 says, “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”  (Angels in heaven are the same as those who walk on earth!  They are neither male nor female and their number remains constant because they do not bring forth after their kind through reproduction.)

e)  Their children would have had to be half angel and half man.  There is no such creature on this earth!

f)  Genesis, chapter 6, explicitly says that the judgment of the flood was because of the wickedness of man, not angels! 

Genesis 6:3-9  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.  (4)  There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.  (5)  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  (6)  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.  (7)  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.  (8)  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.  (9)  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

g)  In the study of the Bible, the first and last mentions of any subject are always consistent.  The last mention of “sons of God” is found in the Book of First John:

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  (This last use of the phrase is completely consistent with the context of the first mention.  The Bible is always consistent and any confusion lies in the misinterpretation of the subject.)

3.  The Angel Theory advocates ignore the continuity of the verses in both Genesis and Jude.

a)  The central theme of verses 3 and following is the exhortation of contending for the faith—and also sets forth the enemies of our faith along with their judgment.

b)  Verse 4 begins with “For,” verse 6 begins with “And,” verse 7 begins with “Even,” and verse 8 begins with “Likewise.”  This means that the central theme set forth in verse 3 has not changed.

c)  Jude began this discourse about these who have “crept in unawares” and gives their characteristics with these Biblical examples.

G.  Now, let us look at verse 8.  Here in lies both the characteristics and motivations for these heretical “creepers” called filthy dreamers.  Dreams are figments or fruits of imagination.  Dreams can be either conscious or sub-conscious.  Subconscious dreams are what we do when we sleep and are something that we are not able to control but conscious dreams are imaginations that we create.  We are commanded to capture or control such imaginations. 

2 Corinthians 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  (A right perspective or knowledge of God comes through divine revelation.  Though God is revealed through nature as the Creator, He is made visible through the Scriptures.  The enemies of Christ consciously twist the Scriptures in order to twist man’s perspective of who and what God is.)

H.  Now, what does all of this have to do with the church?  What does all of this have to do with you and me personally?  I believe that it is prophetic of the end times and the progressive encroachment of the ungodly upon the local church and the individual believer.

1.  We are seeing the horrific decline in spirituality in both individuals and churches!  Why?  Vs. 5!  “having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.”

a.   Both people and churches are dying in the wilderness because of their unwillingness to contend. Because no one seems interested in contending for the faith!  There is a cost that goes along with such contending.  You are labeled fanatical, narrow minded, ignorant and unlearned.  This is an age old problem for the church but it is becoming a greater point of separation in our days.

b.  Denominations that once stood for something, though they may have had some doctrinal problems, now stand for nothing.  Their people have “gotten used to the dark” and now sit complacently sleeping.  They refuse to awaken because to do so will cost them something.

c.  They are missing a blessing!

Luke 6:22-23  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shallreproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.  (23)  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.  (As persecution once drew the local churches together, in our day, there is a separating within the churches.  No one seemingly wants the Old Paths wherein lies the good way because it separates one from other churches; no one wants to be separate from worldliness because it separates one from family and friends; no one wants to be separate because there is a cost attached.)

2.  Our nation and the world is truly becoming Sodom and Gomorrah!  Why?  Vs. 7!  “giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh”

a.  These filthy dreamers defile the flesh.  These “creepers” appeal to the flesh through emotions, thus creating an atmosphere that is fleshly and worldly.  Everything today is about emotion and feeling good.  Churches now are more concerned with feeding flesh than they are feeding the spirit.  Feeding the flesh is a dangerous thing.  The Bible commands us to control the flesh, not “let it go.”

Galatians 5:16-21  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  (17)  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  (18)  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  (19)  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  (20)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  (21)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

b.  What is the end result of this turning away from God?  Sodomy!  The sodomite, when out of the closet, becomes fertile ground for a reprobate mind which cannot be saved.

Romans 1:26-28  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  (27)  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  (28)  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (The sodomite agenda, and it is an agenda, is growing progressively more powerful.  They do not want rights, they want compliance!  Now churches are becoming sodomy tolerant and the people in the churches are afraid to raise their voices against it.  Churches no longer preach on the subject because of fear of reprisal or loss of their Non-Profit Tax status.)

Romans 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

3.  Prophetically, we know where everything is heading.  Vs. 6! “kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation”

a.  What was the sin of these angels?  They were created beings for the service of God.  They were created in a perfect environment.  The stood before Almighty Jehovah and despised Him be following Lucifer in his rebellion! They despised dominion!    They hated a Theocracy! 

Isaiah 14:12-15  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!  (13)  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  (14)  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  (15)  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

b.  The world hates the thought of an impending Theocracy!  Total rule by God!  They despise dominions.  People today want to rule themselves but, in striving to do so, are submitting to Satan and his rebellion against the Lord.  You will either serve God or you will serve Satan, there is no middle ground. 

1 Samuel 15:22-23  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  (23)  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (Dominion means government or authority.  If these “creepers” can get men to think that the Bible is flawed—errant or fallible—then Biblical authority is gone.  With no standard of right and wrong, men then follow their own desires.)

c.  The Theocracy is coming!  It is coming and I long for that day when the wicked are no longer in authority.

4.  These filthy dreamers speak evil of dignities. 

a.  When self-respect wanes, respect for others dies with it.  As God’s people, we are commanded to pray for those in authority!  They may not be right with God or even right with man, but God can still make a difference through prayer.

b.  Whoever or whatever stands in the way of the wicked is despised and evil spoken of.

Conclusion: 

a.  When God is no longer King, things “go south” in a hurry.  Judges 21:25  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

b.  The Cause and Effect: when God’s people fail to keep their first estate, it opens the door for the enemies of God and the Bible to destroy the foundations of our faith.

c.  Let us be contenders of the faith once delivered.