Leading The Way

Irene: My name is Irene and I get to listen to Michael Youssef on the radio in my car and I want to tell him thank you so much Michael Youssef for your faithfulness in teaching God's uncompromising word. I want to pray for you and I want to continue to pray that God will bless your ministry immensely and that multitudes of souls will continue to be saved and reached through your radio program. God bless you, I love you, I pray for you and I'm blessed to hear you each day. Thank you.

Guest (Male): By the way, Dr. Youssef would like to hear your story as well. He's always so blessed to hear how God has used his voice to reach the hearts and the lives of people all around the world. So if you'd like to share a testimony that might be used on air sometime in the future, we encourage you to call us. The number is 877-941-7934. Just follow the prompts when you get there. Again, the phone number 877-941-7934.

And if you'd like to learn more about Leading the Way, order products or support Dr. Youssef with your gifts toward worldwide ministry, the easiest way is to visit us online, ltw.org. That's ltw.org. In verses 12 through 16 of Jude, 12 through 16, that's where Dr. Youssef takes you today on Leading the Way.

You're going to see that contending for the truth is a matter of life and death. Join me now in listening to a message of challenge for Christ-filled living in a culture that continues to turn its back on the gospel. Resuming his series, Contend for the Faith, here's Dr. Michael Youssef.

Dr. Michael Youssef: Turn to Jude please, we're going to look at verses 12 to 16. These men are blemishes in your love feasts. They eat with you without the slightest qualms, shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along with the wind, autumn trees without fruit and uprooted, twice dead.

They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame, wandering stars for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly acts that they have done in their ungodly way and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

These men are grumblers and fault finders. They follow their own evil desires. They boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. Here Jude leaves no room for imagination in describing those who have turned their backs on the truth of the word of God. No room for imagination.

Those who look like Christians, those who are only professing Christians, those who preach and teach falsehoods and those who are following them in their falsehoods. First description of these people, by the way the NIV is not quite accurate in the translation, verse 12. A more accurate translation: they are hidden rocks in the water or a sunken reef.

These rocks cannot be seen by the naked eye until the ship is damaged. They are below the surface. They confuse faithful believers, they follow their selfish ambitions, they would rather teach and preach lies thinking that that is how they're going to make people happy. Their participation in the Lord's table is only so that they may undermine the significance of the Lord's table.

They remain below the surface until they cause great damage in the body of Christ. They cause the fellowship around the word of God to run aground. The one thing I need to explain here is the love feast. You say, what is that? Well, it would be something equivalent to a potluck supper or a fellowship meal that a lot of churches do have.

But it is more than just a fellowship meal. It was designed to remind the believers of the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is basically, in other words, that's the original communion. They didn't do communion like we do here, our convenience and everything else. No, it was a full-blown meal and it's called the love feast, remembering the love of Christ who died on the cross where his body's been torn and his blood was poured and that is what's called the Lord's supper.

Secondly, Jude said there are clouds without rain. There's no water in them. Clouds without water. They get blown away by the wind, the cultural trends, the cultural fads. Now, growing up in the southern part of Egypt in the 15 years of my early life, I've seen something liquid coming from the sky twice in 15 years.

It was quite a day and it's not like the rain you get here, it's just little drops. Although there's lots of clouds, particularly around January and February, there are lots of clouds. In fact, there's thunder and lightning. We would look up and say, "Oh, look at this," but it's seldom translated into rain. Seldom. As I said, in 15 years, I saw it twice.

Or imagine the farmer who worked diligently and worked hard in the midst of a drought and think of his great hopes when he looks up at the sky and see the clouds are coming. He begins to build his hope that this would bring desperately needed rain for him, for his farm, only to discover that this cloud passes by without a drop of rain. Think of the disappointment.

This is how these people who sit in pews Sunday after Sunday under false teachers, believing, seeing lots of clouds but no rain. There's lots of thunder and lightning but there's no rain. They're not only hidden rocks, they're not only waterless clouds, but thirdly he said they are autumn trees without fruit.

Now, in the Middle East, farmers harvest twice a year: once in the spring, once in the autumn. But it is the autumn harvest that they really relied on for food supply for the rest of winter, for the winter months. If the crop fails in that autumn season, they're going to endure a bleak winter.

They will endure a winter of disappointments and difficulties and hardships. Some of them even go bankrupt. Now I want you to imagine the depths of the grief of those who are in a spiritual winter of depression. Imagine people going to one of these churches year in and year out, year after year after year and they are spiritually empty.

Why? Because the word of God is either watered down or twisted or undermined altogether and they end up spiritually fruitless. Jude said these people are dead twice. What does that mean? Well, they'll die physically like all of us. We're all going to die physically.

But they will also die a second death. The Bible talks about the second death. That's a spiritual death, that is the eternal judgment and torment for eternity. And that is why they're hidden rocks, they're waterless clouds, they're fruitless trees, but they're also foaming waves. In the Bible, the non-believers are described as raging sea.

For example, in the book of Isaiah 57:20 says: "The wicked are like the tossing sea. There is no peace for the wicked," says the Lord. Now, if you have seen the aftermath of a storm on the seashore, it is littered with debris. It is devastating. Now, these false teachers with their soothing words and empty words, they're foaming waves.

Their deception causes much of a spiritual wreckage. Others have to come in and pick up the pieces. They're hidden rocks, they're waterless clouds, they're fruitless trees, they're foaming wild waves, but they're also shooting stars. It's going to need some explanation. I need to explain to you what these shooting stars are all about.

Because when I was a boy, I remember in the heat of summer, sometimes we'd sleep on the roof garden in our building that my dad had and I would lie there at night and I'd see these shooting stars, what we call shooting stars. You know what I'm talking about? Now here you say, "make a wish." Where I was growing up, the culture says it means that somebody died.

I used to be petrified. "What if that's my star? Now I'm watching, I'm going to die." It used to terrify me. Of course we know now that they're not really stars at all. Because stars have orbits, they have direction and purpose. They're well organized. In fact, sea captains in the old days at least, they used to use the stars for navigating of their ship and rely on their steady direction.

But that's not what Jude is talking about. He's not talking about these stars in the orbit. These are what we consider today as asteroids. These so-called stars, they make a big splash, big flash and then they disappear. You could never trust them, navigators or nobody else for that matter, couldn't trust them.

And Jude is saying, listen carefully please I beg you, that these synthetic Christians are like the shooting asteroids. They are basically burnt space junk of rocks. They are hurled into that dark space like asteroids out of the orbit they shoot out. They don't know where they're going. They are aimless, they are purposeless, they have no structure or definition.

They're wild. They light up the sky, get the headline news and everybody pays attention to them then they disappear. They are constantly moving away from the light of the word of God. And they don't just stop, they keep moving, keep moving, keep moving away. And that is why Jude said the judgment of God is coming upon them.

It's coming upon them. Look at verses 14 and 15. He said Enoch, seventh generation from Adam, prophesied of these things and he said, "Behold, the Lord is coming with many thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on all of their ungodly deeds." Deeds which they have done in an ungodly way and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against the Lord.

Let me tell you about Enoch. The Bible tells us only about two individuals, two individuals who did not die the natural death and buried in the ground and so on. Two: Enoch and Elijah. They shed their physical body on the way as they're spinning up to the heavens and got into their heavenly body.

Now, for the believers, when we die, this tent falls and we don't need it anymore, it dies and is buried because 1st Corinthians 15 Paul said God has prepared a heavenly body, resurrected body, a body like Jesus's after the resurrection for us in heaven. And he said we get clothed as soon as we die, we go into that heavenly body.

The apostle Paul said absence from the body, presence with the Lord. Praise God, I can't wait for my day. Amen, yeah, give God praise. If you want to read more about Enoch when you go home, it's Genesis chapter five. You'll read about him. Enoch lived before the flood, seventh generation from Adam.

Enoch then prophesied of these last days, the days of judgment. Verse 16, Jude said that these apostates follow their own evil desires. They flatter each other for their own advantage. And that is why these wolves in sheep's clothing will be severely judged. And that is why James said, "Don't be anxious to be teachers, brothers."

Don't be anxious, because we are going to be judged much stricter than the average. So what is this prophecy of Enoch is all about? It's not talking about the judgment of the non-believers, that is different altogether. That's coming, it's coming. But he's talking about those who knew the truth and they turned their backs on the truth.

Look at verse 16 again. These are the people who want people to feel good about their sins in the church. They want the people to be comfortable in their sin in the church. If the mention of sin in the church is going to offend some people, we must not talk about sin. It's not about the non-believer's judgment, it's about those who knew the truth and they turned their backs on it.

If talking about the judgment of God is going to offend people, let's just not talk about judgment. Let's just not talk about it. I know even evangelical church issued a memo to all their staff: never talk about judgment, it makes people feel uncomfortable. Uncomfortable for what? They'd rather be uncomfortable here instead of being uncomfortable in hell.

They're hidden rocks, they're waterless clouds, they're fruitless trees, they're foaming waves, they're falling stars. They are subject to Enoch's prophecy, judgment. Enoch actually lived very close to the time of Noah. Remember Noah? How many of you remember Noah? Because I can tell you so many of megachurches in America says, "Don't even talk about it. Don't talk about the flood."

And look at the foolishness of the recent scientists are saying actually the flood had taken place. So they left looking like fools. For 120 years, he warned people, "The flood is coming, the flood is coming, the flood is coming." They mocked him, they jeered him, they made fun of him, they ridiculed him.

It is no wonder, my precious friends listen to me, it is no wonder that in Matthew 24:37 Jesus said—this is Jesus. If you say you don't believe the flood, you don't believe Jonah, you don't believe that, you are questioning the integrity of Jesus. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man."

Amen. Selfishness, self-worship, self-focus is going to be the norm and then he is going to show up. Today, faithful believers might be mocked by these apostates, but judgment is on its way. Judgment is on its way. The Bible tells us that when faithful believers see the signs of the return of Christ, far from fearing, far from worrying, they need to lift up their heads for the day of redemption is drawing nigh.

Hallelujah. Remember this: on the day of judgment, Jesus will be the presiding judge. He will be the presiding judge. And he said that on that day he's going to honor those who honored him. He's going to honor us, everyone who loved his appearing. Everyone who loved his appearing will be honored on that day.

And don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever forget that on that day there are no jury of your peers. No loopholes in the law. No defense attorneys to defend you. No appeals, no higher court to appeal to. This is it. In fact, Revelation 19:11 and following, we are told: "I saw heaven standing open and before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes wars. His eyes are like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven are following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which he will strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of fury of the wrath of God." Here it comes again, God Almighty. "On his robe and on his thigh his name is written: King of kings and Lord of lords." Glory to God.

Oh my beloved friends, my beloved friends, let everyone at the sound of my voice—the millions of people are watching us on Kingdom Sat and watching us around the world right now—everyone at the sound of my voice, please listen. Listen, especially those who may mistakenly think that we have a sissy Jesus.

Especially those who think that we have a milk-toast Jesus, we have a weak Jesus, that we still have a helpless babe in the manger. Please, please, please think again. Think again. Now, to be sure, that on his first coming, he came in humility. But in his second coming, he's going to come with power and great glory.

On his first coming, he came as a helpless babe born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judea. But in his second coming, he will come on a white horse. On his first coming, he had nowhere to lay his head, but in his second coming, he will rule the nations. On his first coming, they spat on him. But on his second coming, he will rule with an iron scepter.

In his first coming, they mocked him. But on his second coming, everyone will tremble before him. On his first coming, he hung helplessly on the cross to pay for the judgment of every repented sinner. But on his second coming, he will judge all who denied him and refused to receive him as the only Savior and Lord.

In his first coming, he suffered and died. But on his second coming, all who have rejected him as the only way to heaven, they will suffer for all of eternity. In his first coming, they ridiculed him and put a crown of thorns on his head. But on his second coming, he's going to have many crowns on his head.

In his first coming, Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate and everyone else who mocked him—even those who mock him today—and sat in judgment on him. But in his second coming, he will be the only judge on the bench. He will execute his judgment on all of those who are ashamed of him and ashamed of his word.

Those who are embarrassed by his name. Those who have denied the power of the cross. Those who have preached mumbo-jumbo and not the Christ, Jesus, the Messiah. Those who have refused to contend for the faith once delivered. Those who've accepted that all religions have truth in them.

Those who have preached that all the ways lead to God. Those who have deceived and misled some of God's people. The question is this: where will you be on that day? Where will you be on that day?

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining listeners across six continents for the solid Bible teaching of Dr. Michael Youssef and his series, Contend for the Faith on Leading the Way. If today's words of truth brought some questions to your mind, won't you consider speaking with a Leading the Way pastor or counselor about those questions? You can begin a conversation by filling out a contact form. Go to ltw.org/jesus.

Dr. Michael Youssef: My beloved friends in Christ, our world is lost, confused, and in desperate need of Jesus. Through Leading the Way's June gift challenge, you can share the only thing that matters eternally. I have never seen a more urgent time for the preaching of the gospel, the proclamation of the gospel in our nation. Together we can have an impact in these last days. God bless.

Guest (Male): If you would like to stand with Dr. Youssef and the passionate worldwide Leading the Way team so that the lost and hurting in your own neighborhood, the lost and hurting in the Middle East, the lost and hurting in remote villages worldwide can all experience the transformational power of the gospel, please prayerfully consider participating in this month's giving challenge.

Your generosity is so appreciated. You can get additional details when you call us and speak with a ministry representative. We're at 866-626-4356 or ltw.org. 866-626-4356 and ltw.org. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.