Episode Transcript
- All right, well it's good to see Ken here this morning.
Good to see you, Ken. - Thank you. - Please read that.
That's why we passed him out, so you'll read one.
So we gave out another Bible today, so I'm praising God for that.
And all we ask is that you read them.
Anyway, we have been going verse by verse studying the book of Jude.
And last week we left off at the word fear in verse 12, where Jude says, "These are spots in your feast of charity "when they feast with you, "feeding themselves without fear."
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much, Lord, for your wonderful word, Lord.
And Lord, we know that your word is your word is your word, Father, and it's such a blessing, Lord, to be able to have your word and to read your word, Lord, and to hear your word taught, Father.
And Lord, I pray today, Lord, that this lesson that you've blessed me with, Lord, just points on to you, Father.
I pray that the saints are edified, Lord, and that the lost are pointed to you, Lord.
We thank you and love you so much, Lord, and thank you for Jesus, Father.
And in his name I pray, Lord, amen. - Amen. - So last week there was a lot of people out.
So what I'd like to do this week, I wanna go back and we're gonna revisit this word, fear, a little bit today.
Now, remember, Jude has been telling us, through the inspiration of God, about the ungodly men who have crept in unawares, and they have begun to sow false doctrine among them for monetary gain and cause disruption among the brethren, as we learned from verse 11, back when we studied verse 11.
We left off last week where Jude says, "Feeding themselves without fear."
The ungodly do not fear God.
They do not reverence God, they do not fear God.
The ungodly do not care who they hurt by their actions because they think that they are getting away with what they are doing.
They don't realize that God hears, God sees, and God knows everything that they have done, are doing, and will do.
Folks, once we realize that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and sees everything, and has the ability to end this life for us any time he wants, and we have to be judged for our actions by him, our attitude and our actions should change.
But for some people, that will never happen.
The fear of God will never, ever enter into them, and they will just keep on living in their sin, and will never care about fearing God.
My dad used to tell me, he'd say, "Boy, think about the consequences.
"Think about the consequences."
These ungodly men that Jude is telling us about did not think about the consequences of what they were doing, because they were feeding themselves without fear.
Now, from my estimation, there are only two ways to learn about consequences.
One way to learn about consequences is what I would like to call the easy way, and that is by seeing and understanding what has happened to others who have not feared the consequences of their actions, and had to pay the price themselves.
I believe that is one of the reasons why God blessed us with his word, to give us an easy way to learn about what the consequences are by teaching us what not to do, and what to do, and what happens to people when they follow what he says, and what happens to people when they don't follow what he says.
Now, the other way to learn about the consequences is what I call the hard way, and this is the way I used to learn, and that is to just not pay attention to the easy way, and just barrel on through, not caring about the consequences.
No fear.
I have changed my ways, and I now believe in the easy way, because the hard way is not only the wrong way, it's more expensive than I care to pay.
Someone said sin costs more than you can afford, and I have learned that is very true.
Last week, we left off talking about the two male factors hanging beside Jesus on their own crosses in Luke 23, verses 39 through 43, and I would like to revisit these verses before we move on in June.
So let's turn to Luke chapter 23, and I got you marked over here, no?
I have you marked Luke.
Luke chapter 23, and we're gonna start here in 39.
Luke 23, 39.
You got it, Kent? - I'm getting close. - Right on. - You need some help? - Luke 23. - Luke 23, go ahead and start there. - Little easier one to pass the marks, isn't it? - Yeah, I'd say. (laughing) - Miss Mary, you got it? - No. - Luke 23, 39, you heard me there.
Everybody there?
All right, we gotta rise on God's word. (pages rustling) Now, I'll set the stage here a little bit.
Jesus is hanging on the cross.
There are two other men hanging on the cross beside Jesus.
Luke 23, 39 says, "And one of the malefactors," a malefactor is a wrongdoer, a wrongdoer, keep that in mind, "and one of the malefactors which were hanged "railed on him, saying, 'If thou be Christ, "'save thyself and us.'"
Verse 40 says, "But the other answering rebuked him."
You have one man dying on the cross, Jesus dying on the cross, and another man dying on the cross.
The one man, he says, "If thou be the Christ, save us.
"Get us down off of this cross."
And the other man rebuked that man.
He told him, he says, "Dost not thou fear God?
"Seeing thou art in the same condemnation."
The other man did not fear God.
He did not fear God.
Just like these ungodly men that Jude is telling us about.
Verse 41 says, this is the same man talking that rebuked the other one, he says, "And we indeed justly."
He says, "Does not thou fear God?
"Seeing thou art in the same condemnation.
"And we indeed justly, for we receive "the due rewards of our deeds."
But this man talking about Jesus, "Hath done nothing amiss."
That other man, the one that rebuked the first one, he was thinking about the consequences.
He was thinking about the consequences of what was fixed to happen before he died.
The first man didn't think about the consequences.
And you know, folks, there's so many people walking around this world today not thinking about the consequences of not knowing Jesus Christ as their Savior.
When they die, they are going to be judged.
And they are not thinking about the consequences of going to hell.
Folks, each and every one of us are all malfactors.
We are all wrongdoers.
Think about that.
There's consequences to pay for being a wrongdoer.
The Bible says the wages of sin is death.
The one that says, "And we indeed justly, "for we receive the due reward of our deeds.
"But this man hath done nothing amiss."
Verse 42, "And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."
Now the word Lord here, it means supreme in authority, controller, controller.
And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, "today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
Now how could Jesus say to this man that today he would be in paradise?
Because Jesus is Lord, supreme in authority, and he is in control.
Matthew 28, 18 says, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, "saying, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.'"
Jesus is in control.
Jesus is the one that says you're forgiven.
The word power used here gives us the idea of ability.
This one malefactor turned to the only one who had the ability to save him after he understood the consequences of his actions.
He had to be hung on a cross facing death before he turned to the Lord and sought forgiveness.
The other malefactor never turned to the Lord because he never feared the consequences of what would happen to him after he died.
The atheist believes that there is no God, and so they don't fear God.
But the Bible says in Psalms 14, 1, the fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt.
They have done abominable works.
There is none of them that doeth good.
It is foolish, folks, not to fear God.
It is foolish, folks, not to fear where your spirit is going after your earthly body lays down for the last time and each and every one of our bodies are gonna lay down for the last time someday.
If you don't fear the consequences of being unforgiven by the Lord, then you will die in your sins, just like the malefactor on the cross who did not seek forgiveness before he died.
And your spirit will be sentenced to an eternity of misery in a lake of fire along with the devil and his angels.
I have had enough misery here living in this old sinful world, and I sure don't want to spend eternity, that means forever, living in more misery, living in more misery in a worse place.
I choose to be like the malefactor who turned to the one who had the ability to save me, and I choose to tell you that you should fear God just like he told the other malefactor because we are all in the same situation.
We are all going to die someday, folks.
Those men were hanging on a cross waiting to die.
The difference was that two of the men did not have a choice to get down, one of the men did.
But he stayed on that cross and died for us in order that we could turn to him and be saved.
One of the malefactors feared God and admitted he was a sinner and believed that Christ would save him from an eternity of misery.
Christ told that man that today thou shalt be with me in paradise, amen.
Christ did not tell the other man that.
Which malefactor are you?
The ungodly that Jude has been telling us about are the malefactors who never got to hear Christ tell them that.
They never heard God tell him that today you will be with me in paradise.
Why?
Because they did not turn to the one who had the ability to save them.
They chose not to believe God, therefore they chose to live eternity in a lake of fire in constant torment with the devil and his angels.
Now back in our verse, Jude says, "Clouds they are without water."
Now that's interesting to me because there is no water in hell.
Sin promised you so much, just like these clouds without water.
When July and August comes around, sometimes we will get clouds and the farmers get all excited because they are looking for the rain to fall to give their crops a good drink of water juice.
Water juice.
Them clouds come around promising rain.
They're all dark and rain looking.
You ever seen a cloud that looks rainy, like it's gonna put out some rain?
Water juice.
They're looking for these clouds to put out rain to help their crops.
The hayfields are usually looking for a good drink as well.
Around here we do a lot of hay farming.
Hay baler.
Some people like to put out fertilizer on their pasture so that the rain can melt it down into their land.
These farmers are guys that do the hay pastures.
They'll go out, they buy these big old trucks that got fertilizer in them.
And they spend a lot of money to do that.
And these fertilizer trucks go out in their pastures and they spread this fertilizer out there thinking it's gonna rain.
They see these clouds, well, we're gonna get some rain or the weatherman tells them we're gonna get rain tomorrow.
They wanna get this fertilizer down.
So when it rains, it melts that fertilizer down into the ground and it fertilizes their crops.
My dad counts on the rain as well to water his garden.
He counts on it to water his garden at times too because when you water it by the water hose, that water meter gets suspended pretty fast.
And the bill can get real high real fast.
Now when those clouds come by and no water comes from them, what happens?
People get disappointed.
Those dark looking rain clouds are promising something they don't have to share with the people.
All they're doing is making the day look gloomy and letting the people down.
Now my dad eventually stops watering his garden and guess what happens to his garden?
Without that precious water, all those plants die.
These ungodly men who were among them were like clouds without water.
They were telling them about everything but Christ.
Without Christ, folks, there is no salvation.
Isaiah 43, 11 says, "I, even I, am the Lord "and beside me there is no savior."
Without Christ, folks, you will be just like those plants.
You will wither and die without the water.
Those plants cannot live without water and we will not live without Christ.
Let's look at John chapter four, verses five.
We might start somewhere, but let's go to John chapter, John chapter four right now.
We'll look at that one.
We're running low on time.
John four, we got five, six, seven, eight.
Maybe I can go through this pretty quick.
John chapter four.
We're gonna start here in five right there.
We'll zoom on that.
Come here. - I got it, man. - You got it, all right.
Look at these glasses. (laughing) Now remember, we're talking about that precious water.
And in John chapter four, starts off verse five.
We'll go kind of quick here.
Then cometh he to a city of Samaria.
This is talking about Jesus now.
Jesus is going to Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his own Joseph, or to his son Joseph.
Now Jacob's well was there.
Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the wells, and it was about the sixth hour.
There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water.
Jesus said unto her, give me to drink.
Jesus was in his earthly body.
The earthly body without water, what happens?
Withers and dies, doesn't it?
We have to have water.
Jesus said, give me to drink.
For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy me.
And Jesus planned that.
Jesus planned all that, he knew.
Verse nine says, then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, how is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?
For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said unto her, if thou knewest the gift of God, now that's very important right there, folks.
If thou knewest the gift of God.
For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Grace, God's grace is Jesus Christ.
If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, it's Jesus right in front of her.
And who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst ask of him and he would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto him, sir, thou hast nothing to draw with.
Now you see how she changes the subject real quick?
A lot of people will do that.
I have been literally talking to people and they ask me what has changed my life and I start telling them about Jesus and they'll turn around and walk away.
They don't wanna hear about Jesus.
And this lady is wanting to change the subject right here.
She doesn't wanna talk about the living water.
The woman saith unto him, sir, thou has nothing to draw with and the well is deep.
From whence then hast thou that living water?
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again.
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Folks, Jesus is that living water.
Jesus is the living water.
We cannot live without Jesus, folks.
He is the living water for us.
So let's close today with Psalms chapter one, verses one through six.
And we'll get on out here and let y'all relax.
Psalms chapter one, got you right there.
Right here, you got it?
Psalm chapter one, verse one through six.
You got it, huh? - Yes. - Good.
Psalm chapter one, one through six.
So Jesus is the living water.
Psalm one, one says, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.
Now remember, Jude is telling us to get away from that, to get rid of the ungodly here.
Don't be hanging out with them.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
These ungodly men had come in here and they were starting, they were stirring up the brethren.
They were saying things that wasn't gonna lead them to Christ.
They were giving vain babblings.
We were just talking about that a while ago.
Ken and I were talking about vain babblings.
If it's not in God's word, folks, I don't trust it.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.
His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Now a tree planted by the river, or planted by the rivers of water, he never thirsts, does he?
He never thirsts.
That tree has plenty to drink.
The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous.
God knows all things.
These ungodly don't believe that God knows what to do with them.
If they do know, then God knows, and they don't care.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
The ungodly will perish, folks.
They will be separated from God for eternity.
Just like that man on that cross that didn't ask Jesus, didn't talk to Jesus, and put his faith in Jesus to save him.
The other malefactor, he perished.
These ungodly that Judas tells us about, they perished.
Why?
Because they didn't believe Jesus in Jesus Christ.
They didn't believe God.
That's why.
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much, Lord, for this time you've allowed us to have, Lord, to come together and share your word, Father.
I pray, Lord, that your word was taught here today, Lord, and that it were pointed to you, Father.
Lord, we'll just pray, Lord, for those that don't know Christ, your Savior, Lord, that you can draw them to the cross, Father.
Just thank you for the caregivers here, Lord, and help those that are here, Lord.
We wanna pray for those that are sick here, Father, and pray your will be done in their lives, Lord, and in their healing, Father.
And we pray your will be done in our lives as well, Lord.
Help us to stay the path that you want us to be on, Father.
And we just thank you so much for Jesus, Lord.
Thank you for this time to come together, Lord.
Thanks for those who come, Father.
Thank you for your word, Lord.
In Jesus name we pray, Lord, amen.
