Cecil A. Fayard

Elliott Baptist Church

January 4, 2004

Word Pictures From Nature

Jude 12-13

INTRO: In these two verses, we have five word pictures that clearly point to the actions of the adversaries of the truth.  These folks are wolves in sheep's clothing.  These five word pictures describe what will be going on in Christendom just before the events of the Revelation are revealed.

In these verses, five characteristics of the apostate are illustrated:

1. Spots, hidden rocks that tell of the unseen danger of false doctrine.

2. Clouds without water speak of the false promises of false doctrine.

3. Autumn trees speak of the barren profession of false doctrine.

4. Raging waves of the sea speak of the wasted efforts of false doctrine.

5. Wandering stars speak of the aimless course of false teachers.

I. PICTURE ONE, SPOTS OR HIDDEN ROCKS

A. "Spots" is a word used to describe stains that cover an object.

1. Spots mar the appearance.

2. Peter says that false teachers mar the fellowship of the church (II Pet 2:13).

a) In II Pet 2:13, the Greek word for spots is spilos meaning spot or blemish.

b) In Jude 12, the Greek word for "spots" is spilas; a word originally used of hidden reefs, submerged or half submerged, a rock on which a ship can wreck.

c) There are folks who are dangerous to the church; they hide their true identity.

d) We must be alert, aware of the danger.

B. "Feast of charity."

1. Fellowship meals- in the early church it was a time to express brotherly love.

2. Some were perverting these love feasts.

3. "Feeding themselves without fear."

a) These adversaries of the truth come to the love feasts to feed themselves (I Cor 11:21, 33).

b) Faithful shepherds feed the flock (Acts 20:28).

 II. PICTURE TWO, CLOUDS WITHOUT WATER

A. These are clouds without any rain.

1. This is a picture of a dry time.  A time when the streams are dry; the ground is cracked; ponds are low.

2. Up comes dark clouds with the promise of rain.  The wind blows.  You can just feel rain; then it is over.  The clouds are gone, and there is no rain (Prov 25:14).

3. Jude is describing mouth professors who are not heart possessors.

a) They cannot share the water of life because they are dry (Jn 4:14).

b) True believers have the water of life (Jn 7:37-38).

B. It is sad to say, but there are churches who are clouds without water.

1. Some churches do not preach the Gospel.

2. There are churches who offer no hope, no help to the lost and needy.

3. Doctrinal churches bring rain to the needy (Deut 32:2; Isa 55:10-11).

III. PICTURE THREE, AUTUMN TREES

A. Jude now pictures dead fruit trees which had not produced a harvest of fruit during the autumn.

1. The farmer looked for fruit, but there was none.  The farmer plucks them up and makes room for those that will bear fruit.

2. The Bible says in Matthew 7:16: "Ye shall know them by their fruits."

a) The false teachers bear not fruit.

b) They are "twice dead": fruitless and rootless.

c) They are spiritually dead and will experience the second death (Rev 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8).

B. One of the evidences of the new birth is spiritual fruit (Gal 5:22-24).

IV. PICTURE FOUR, RAGING WAVES OF THE SEA

A. This points to those who have no peace.  They give an outward show; but deep within, they are troubled, always disturbed, tossed to and fro.

 B. "Foaming out their own shame."

1. These men are wicked, and they stir up dirt.

2. Isaiah 57:20-21.

3. "This picture of the sea depicts the wicked whose evil hearts impel them to engage in shameful acts that affect the people who surround them.  The evil they commit is forceful, untamed, unpredictable, and involves any unwary bystander" (Hendriksen 393).

V. PICTURE FIVE, WANDERING STARS

A. One of my favorite pass times is to look up into the heavens on a dark cloudless night and observe the stars.  Ever so often, across the sky goes a shooting star.

1. For a moment, all your attention is on the shooting star; but after a few seconds, it is gone and there is darkness.

2. Jude says that there are those who start good, but they soon fade.  They are involved in everything; then they are gone.  You can't get them back to church.  Why?  They are shooting stars.

B. The wandering star is a picture of unfaithfulness, but we need to thank God for the faithful stars.   Those who are in their place.  You can navigate by them because they are faithful.

1. They are in their place.

2. They let their light shine.

CONCLUSION: These lost, false teachers are headed to hell.  They have reservations there: "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."

In contrast to the false teachers, we see our Lord Jesus as:

1. The rock of our salvation.

2. Jesus brings clouds of refreshing for His people.

3. Jesus is the tree of life.

4. Jesus leads beside the still waters.

5. Jesus is the faithful bright and morning star, heralding the coming day.

For additional copies of the sermon CD's, please contact the church office:

Elliott Baptist Church
566 Nat G. Troutt Road
Elliott, Mississippi 38901
Phone: 662-226-4425
Pastors Email: cecilafayard@msn.com