Book of Jude with me. Book of Jude, I had hoped to
finish up this study tonight, but. But. Verse 11 is verse 11 is the first
verse. That we have to look at tonight
and it looms very large. before us and requires that we
look in depth into it and deal with it fully. Verse 11, there's
quite a bit here. Now, our ministry, our preaching
is not one of negatives. It is not one of constantly bombarding or blasting other
so-called ministries at all, but I hope, I believe, I strongly
believe that our ministry is more positive and speaks more
of Christ than the Antichrist. However, the word of God is very
clear and very plain and exposing and condemning false preaching.
It's everywhere. because they are everywhere.
And the Word of God calls men by name and describes them for
what they really are. And he warns our good and faithful
shepherd of his sheep, warns us continually of the wolves
and of that great lion who is roaring and walking about the
earth seeking whom he may devour. And it's, I've often said this,
that Satan's grand design is to keep God's people from hearing
the gospel, or to keep all men from hearing the gospel, which
is the power of God unto salvation. Satan knows that. Satan is wise,
not all wise, but he is, he's knowledgeable, he's crafty, he's
wise. And he knows what is the power
of God unto salvation. Therefore, his grand design,
is not necessarily to keep men in open sin, although that will
keep them away from the gospel. God brings sinners to Christ,
to the gospel. But Satan's grand design, his
ultimate goal, is to keep people from hearing the gospel. And
the best place to miss the gospel, to miss Christ, is in religion.
Because that's a false refuge, people get this false refuge
and they depend upon it till the day they die. They think
they see and there's no blindness as those that think they see.
It's double darkness, the scriptures say. At any rate, the scriptures
calls these false prophets and preachers by name. Names like
this. Now, these are just these are
just Names from the script snakes. Vipers. Hypocrites, brute beasts,
wolves, filthy dreamers, merchandisers of souls, spots, blemishes, adulterers,
evil men and seducers, men of corrupt minds, reprobates, Satan's
ministers. Those are just a few. And in
spite of. How clearly and plainly the scriptures
deals with these fellows yet many if not most in our day say
you shouldn't be too hard. You shouldn't be so judgmental.
On other preachers and denominations and so forth and they misappropriate
verses of scripture like Matthew seven one judge not. How often
have you heard that. Judge not. They misappropriate
that. Our Lord was talking about judging,
not a brother. Don't judge your brother, lest
you be judged with the same judgment. And they do not quote verses
like this, John 7, 24, judge righteous judgment. 1 John 4,
1, try the spirits, whether they be of God, because many false
prophets are gone out into the world. They don't mention those
scriptures, do they? Now, although the world believes
and follows after everything and anyone that goes under the
name of God and religion, I say with the Apostle, Beloved, I
would not have you ignorant concerning these things. I would not have
you ignorant, but I would have you to be wary To be suspicious,
to be skeptics when it comes to those who call themselves
preachers of the gospel. That's that's what I would have
you be first and foremost, whenever somebody comes, especially when
somebody comes and says they've come in the name of God. Be wary
of triumph. Go home, search the scriptures,
see if what they have said is so, because Our Lord said in
Matthew twenty four twenty four that many. Many false Christ
false prophets shall arrive and they shall deceive many and show
great signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible. It would deceive the very elect
and I have heard out of the mouths of some of our people. I've even
heard out of the mouths of some of our people. To say something
about a certain prophet on TV, false prophets say, well, he
said some good things. And we need to be a lot more
knowledgeable. Now, once again, in our text
here in Jude, the apostle Labius Thaddeus or Jude for short. Goes into detail. Describing
false prophets and their preaching. Now you remember in verse one
of this book how that it was such a clear. Summary of the
gospel and three things sanctified sanctification of God is the
work of the trying God sanctification of God the preservation of Christ
and the calling of the Holy Spirit. Verse one is a clear and concise
summary of the gospel. Well, verse eleven is a clear
and concise summary of all false religion and all error. Every
single error in religion has its beginnings and its principles
found in these three things in verse eleven of Jude. Now, look
at it with me. Now, if one of these things will
not expose some man in his preaching Yet the root of all three is
within him. If one of them is not clearly
seen, you could find the root of all three of them. And we'll
see that in a minute. And let me say this, too, before
we get right into the verse 11. Let's not completely apply or
apply this only to false prophets and preachers and this and that
and the other. Let's let's think about ourselves, too, in light
of these three things. Because all of these things are
within us by nature. Me included. All of these three
principles are within all of us by nature. Because we're all
self-righteous Arminians in this thing of religion for reward.
What we can get out of God by nature. By nature. And God prevented. But some of us may eventually
be revealed to be just like one of these three. I hope not. I hope not. But Paul named 10
names in his epistles of people that left him in the gospel.
And I hope that's none of us. So let's let's not just let's
not just examine the false prophets by these three things, but let's
examine ourselves as well. And look at it with me, verse
11, he says, woe unto them, speaking of like verse four, Certain men
crept in and where it creeps. Verse ten, brute beasts, false
preachers, he's talking about primarily. And he says, woe unto
them, for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily
after the error of Balaam for reward and perished. In the game, saying of Corey
or Cora. Three things the way of Cain,
the error of Balaam and the game saying of Cora. Now I'm going
to take each one of these one at a time, the way of Cain. I want you to turn back with
me to that story. Genesis chapter four, Genesis
four, the way of Cain. Now, these are things that most
of you, if not all of you, already know. But we don't know all there
is to know. And what we do all know this,
or should know this, that there are really only two religions
in the world. I know there's a hundred, three
hundred and some odd denominations in Christianity alone. Can you
believe that? But there's only two religions. Two religions. in all the world,
whether it be Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, or Christianity. There's only two religions. Two
religions. And all denominations and all beliefs can be found
under one of these two headings, the religion of Cain or the religion
of his brother Abel. And here's the story here. Let's
look at it. And more specifically, Cain and Abel represent the religion
of works And the religion of grace. Look at it. Genesis four, verse one, Adam
knew he knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bear Cain and
said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again, bear
his brother Abel and Abel was a keeper of sheep. But Cain was
a tiller of the ground. Now there's nothing noteworthy
about these occupations, nothing praiseworthy about one above
the other. They're both good occupation. They're both honorable professions.
We need farmers. We need shepherds. We need them
both alike, both honorable and needful. There's nothing to distinguish
these two men by their outward occupation, but Now, when it
comes time to worship, the truth comes out in these two fellows.
Now, look at it. Look at verse three. And in the
process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit
of the ground, that is, things that he had raised in his garden
or on his farm, he brought of the fruit of the ground an offering
unto the Lord. Cain brought what he had done. by his own works, by his own
hand. Verse four, and Abel, he also
brought something. What he brought was the firstling
of his flock, or his sheep, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord
had respect unto Abel and unto his offering. Now, the difference
in these two men is the difference between all religions. The difference
is in their offering, not the man, the difference in the way
on in one man's acceptance and one man's rejection is not in
the man. Although we find in their heart,
we find what came out of their heart, but the difference is
their offering. Their offering, what they brought
to the Lord to be accepted by and to worship God by an OK,
take Cain's offering first. He was a hard-working farmer,
and as I said, that's good, it's honorable, it's a decent profession.
I'm thankful for farmers, thankful for them. And Cain was a hard-working
farmer. He probably worked from sunup
to sundown by the sweat of his brow. But I recall a scripture
that says the plowing of the wicked is evil on the side of
the Lord, because his heart was not right.
But Cain was a religious man. No, he wasn't just a hardworking
man. He was a religious man. Later
on, he became a family man. But he was a religious man because
he went to church. He came to worship God, didn't
he? In the fullness of time, he came to go to church. And
what he brought was the best he had to offer. The best he
could do is what he brought to God. Best fruits, the best grains
he had raised. And he probably, old Cain probably
bedecked and adorned his altar with flowers and statues and
tried to make it just look as good as he could. And brought
the most beautiful fruits and grains and things that he had
raised out of the sweat of his brow and his hard work and labor
and blood, sweat and tears. The best he could do. And isn't
that good enough? Surely God would accept that.
Huh? He worked hard. He was sincere,
wasn't it? He was sincere. Doesn't sincerity
count for something? You must be sincerely right,
not just sincere. And Cain may have said this when
he brought his offering. He may have said this. Look,
Lord, here, look what I've brought you. Here, Lord, I've brought
you something from me to you. Look what I've done for you.
If he didn't say that, that wasn't in his heart, was it? And it
says, verse 5, that under Cain and his offering, God had not
respect. And Cain got mad. Who did he get mad at? Abel? Oh, he took it out on Abel. Yeah,
he wasn't mad at Abel. He was mad at God. He was mad
at God, and God has said this all the way from the beginning
to his preachers, to his people. He said, it's not you they hate.
These false religionists, these self-righteous religionists,
it's not you they hate. It's me. They don't like my way
of salvation. They don't want this man to reign
over them. And Cain was wroth at God, and
he finally took it out on Abel. But look at Abel. It says that
Abel brought the firstling of his flock. Now, Abel was a hardworking
man, too. hard-working shepherd, but that
wasn't good enough. He probably worked from sunup to sundown,
too, in his professions. Shepherding's a hard job. Had
a lot of sheep to take care of, but that wasn't good enough.
And he was a religious man, but that wouldn't suffice unless
it was the right one. And so there's no difference
in these two men. There's no difference, really,
in the characteristics or the outward show of these two men.
But the difference lies totally in their offering, doesn't it?
In their offering. And when it was time for Abel
to come worship God, Abel went out into the field and took,
it says, the firstling of his flock. I'm sure that he remembered
what God had said about the firstborn. And it must be without spot or
blemish. He didn't take one of these ring-streaked
ones or these speckled ones. He got the best one he could
find. without spot, without blemish. God said that. Without spot or
blemish. And he brought it to a plain,
unadorned rock altar. A makeshift altar. Just something set up there for
the sole purpose of butchering an animal on it. Nothing adorned,
nothing real beautiful, just a plain old rock altar. And he took that little lamb
and cut its throat and took the blood and the body and offered
it unto the Lord. And if Abel said anything to
God, it was probably this. Here, Lord, I bring to you what
you have offered. I bring to you what you brought
to me. Not by works of my own hands do I come unto you, but
by the works that you have done. Here, Lord, I bring to you the
blood Because you have said without the shedding of blood there's
no remission of sin, because you have said it's the blood
that makes atonement for the soul, because this is the way
you have commanded us to come to you, and I want to be obedient
to come to you. You said this is the only way
to come to God, by the blood. So here, Lord, not what I've
done, not by works of righteousness which I have done, but according
to the blood. And dear Lord, Let this blood,
let this lamb represent, represent that one, that one, your lamb
that you're going to send in the process of time to take away
sins forever. Your lamb, the one you provide,
let this blood represent the one I'm looking to. God's Lamb,
God's Savior, God's substitute for the sins of God's people.
And let this blood be propitiation on your altar for my sin. Let it represent that. And it
says, verse 4, that the Lord had respect under Abel. Why? Because of his offering. Because
of his offering. Works and grace. Works and growth
works are what we do for God. Grace is quite simply what God
does for us. There's a difference and only
one is an acceptable way to God. Only one. Only one. What say at the scripture which
which is by grace are you saying not by works of right but by
grace you say works the religion of Cain. the religion of can
what we do what we are what we know what we become our right
to our morality our good deed our sacrifices our creeds our
religious observances the scripture says rejected all of that rejected
because not by the works of the flesh not by the works of self-righteousness
not by the deeds of the law. No flesh will be justified. but
grace the religion of able or more specifically. The religion
of Christ whose blood speaks better things than that of a
what God must do the religion of grace the religion of Christ
is what God must do it is what God has done and what God is
doing it is what God has provided it is Christ's wisdom. Christ
righteousness what not what we know it's who Christ is it's
not what we have done is what Christ is done it's Christ sanctification
not are setting ourselves apart but Christ setting himself apart.
It's Christ's redemption, him redeeming us, not us purchasing
our own redemption. It's Christ's life, it's Christ's
death, it's Christ's sacrifice, it's Christ our creed, Christ
our substitute, Christ our mediator, Christ our intercessor, Christ
our savior, and the list goes on and on. Under this religion of grace,
it can be summed up, Christ, Christ, grace. And God said to
Cain, look at verse six through eight. And the Lord said unto
Cain, why are you angry? You were there when I told, when
I said the way to come to me. Surely he was. Have they not
all heard? Well, surely they heard. There
was only two of them. And Paul said later on, when
there was a billions of people all over the world, he said,
have they not all heard? Yeah, barely. The sound has gone throughout
the world. And Cain, John Cain surely heard the same thing Abel
did. Surely he did. He just refused to believe. It
wasn't a problem with understanding what God said. It's just a problem
in the heart in believing. And God said, Cain, why are you
angry? Why are you wroth? Why is your
countenance falling? You don't have to be falling.
You can be saved. If thou doest well, look at this. This is a key verse here. If
thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest
not well, sin lieth at the door, and unto thee shall be his desire,
and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his
brother, and it came to pass, when they were in the field,
that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. If thou doest well, Cain, won't
you be accepted? And if we do well, won't we be
accepted? Huh? Sure we will. Well, what must we do to do well?
That's what they asked Christ, wasn't it? What must we do? Do
the works of God. That's a good word, isn't it?
The works of God, the none good but God. What must we do, they
asked Christ, to do well? We want to do well and be accepted.
What must we do? This is the work. of God that
you believe. Believe on him whom he has seen
God's provided righteousness God's provided lamb God's provided
way of salvation God's only son if thou if you do well won't
you be accepted if you believe Christ won't you be accepted
you better believe it you reject Christ won't you be rejected
you better believe OK, now back to the text in Jude, so Jude
says these false prophets, this is the first way they're going.
These false preachers, they're preaching what man must do the
way of Cain. What man must do what man can
do for God. And that what they're preaching
today, what man can do for God, not what God must do for man.
They're preaching man's works, man's faith, man's power with
God. You know, you've got power with
God, John, according to these fellows. You get rights, you
just claim them, buddy. That's what they're preaching,
the way of Cain, the way of Cain. And hidden behind that first
error is the second, always the second. Hidden behind that is
an evil motive of this second error. Look at verse 11 again.
They've gone the way of Cain and they ran greedily after the
error of Balaam for reward. Always behind this first error
the way of Cain or works religion the only reason anybody would
want to work their way Instead of receiving a gift is what?
Earned salvation right to get a reward huh to get a little
crown deliver a war And this is what they promised
the people these false prophet tithe and God will bless you
that is reward you So therefore, people just believe on Jesus
and you'll go to heaven. Nobody wants to go to hell. So
I believe on Jesus, go to heaven. Heaven is what people are looking
for. And principally, these fellows,
they send me money and I'll go to God for you. And God will
reward you, right? God will reward you and I'll
get rewarded, too, for all these souls I've won. Not to mention
financial prosperity. And you know, I listened to a
fellow the other day, just briefly, just just heard him say this
one statement turned him off. He's all I can stand. But he
said. He said, send me your money,
we're needing money, that's what these fellows do, you know, they
get on TV and plead for money so they can get more air time
so they can ask for more money. It's an endless cycle. But he
was on there begging for Dwight Thompson's name. He was on there
begging for money, and he said in his most sincere voice, he
said, send me money. Send me money. Just came right
out and said, send me money. I can't go on without it. He
said, because I want to be able to tell God. When God asked me,
I want to be able to tell God. When he asked me, Dwight, what
have you done for me? What do you do down there? He
said, I want to be able to tell God I've done my best. I've done
my best, so you've got to send me money so I can do my best. Well, verse first 12, is there
any reason? Is there any doubts why Jude
calls them spots? You see that these are spots.
That's about the lowest thing he can take in a spot. That's what I wish they were,
don't you? A block on the pavement. Spot,
you know, I looked up that word spot, you know what that means?
The Greek word is spilos. It has reference to a rock or
a reef hidden under the sea. And that reminded me when Paul
said that some have made shipwreck of the faith. Their motives are
hidden under good pretenses, but they'll shipwreck you. And
most of them look good. Now turn with me to Numbers 22.
Let's look at old Balaam. Most of them look good and sound
good. Boy, do they look good. I could
never make it as a TV preacher. You've got to have a full head
of hair. And he's got to be speckled gray. And you've got to be able
to afford. I guess if I stayed on there
long enough I could afford their suits. But you've got to have
a 400 or 500 dollar Italian suit. Numbers 22. And most of them
look good. And they sound good. And they
are real religious. And like Balaam, sometimes they
even say some good things. Now, we're not going to read
all of this, but you can go back later on and read this story of Balaam.
Balaam said some truth. Balaam preached some solid gospel
truths. I mean, he preached concerning
the Messiah. He preached Christ. Yes, he did. And I've heard some of these
spots stumble across the gospel every now and then. But that
doesn't make them God's ministers. They're so close and it's so
sincere some of them I believe they're truly sincere and it's
so convincing. And like I said sometimes they
even say some good things they even occasionally stumble across
the truth but I believe God does it for his glory. He makes these
things like like Balaam's ass that's in this story. He makes
them tell the truth just like he did that donkey just to show
his power and the power of his word and for their condemnation
I believe God heaps condemnation upon their own heads. And possibly
for the good of one of his sheep may be out there in that audience.
One of his sheep somewhere may hear that false prophet. Preach
the truth. And here's the story of Balaam,
and I'll sum it all up real shortly, and we'll look at a few verses.
Balaam was a high and mighty religious man. He was a prophet,
a prophet of Baal. That's what his name even seems
to intimate. He was a prophet of Baal. And
this King Bailack who was king of the Moabites. The Moabites
were God's people's arch enemies. They were enemies of the truth,
enemies of God, and enemies of God's people. And this King Bailack
sent for Balaam his favorite preacher. And he sent for him
to come down to him and curse Israel, who was in his land and
given him fits. He wanted these people out of
here. And so he sent for Balaam to come down and curse these
people. And he did it with rewards. Look at verse 7. He sent and
hired Balaam, is what he did. Verse 7. And the elder, number
22, verse 7. And the elders of Moab and the
elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in
their hand, and they came unto Balaam and spake unto him the
words of Balak. They came to Balaam and said,
We need you up here. Here's some money. We need you
to do some preaching for us. Here's some money. Here's some
money. And look at verse 8. And Balaam said unto them, Well
lodge here this night and I will bring you word again as the Lord
shall speak unto me and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. What
Balaam said was give me your money. To my prayer altar and I'll lay
hands on your prayer requests on my altar. And let's see what
the Lord will say. Let's see what the Lord will
say. Well, you know, the Lord did speak to Balaam. He sure
did. And when I looked at that, that
troubled me a little bit. I mean, what's God doing dealing
with this fellow? But you know what? What made
me think of, you know, that every one of these prophets have the
word of the Lord. Every one of them. Everyone of them got a book,
don't they? Hadn't God spoken? Hasn't everybody heard? Doesn't
everybody at least have a copy of God's Word? Sure they do. Even these false prophets do.
They have a copy of God's Word, but like you'll see if you read
the story yourself, Balaam, he heard what God told him to do,
and he seemed sincere at the time, and he did. He was somewhat
obedient to what God said, but when they came and offered him
more money, he began to have second thoughts. He was in this
thing for gain. He was in this thing for money.
He was in this thing for reward. Not for the glory of God, not
for the good of the people. And when they kept offering him
fame and fortune, he kept having second thoughts. And he, and
even though God had plainly told him what he was to do or not
do and what he was to say, he went, he told the fellow, well,
let me, I better go ask God one more time. When they offered
him some more money, he said, well, maybe God's changed his
mind. And if you read the story, like
I said, God said, I believe in a sarcastic way to him, OK, do
what you want to. Do what you want, do what's in
your heart. Go and Balaam did, and that's when God confronted
him on that on that donkey and stopped his path and that dumb
ass told the one writing it. The truth, and he couldn't see
it, even though God had told him. And the Lord did speak to
him, but Balaam, like these false prophets today, even though he
drew near with his lips and with his outward personage and said
some good things, his heart was far from being in this thing
for the glory of God, far with their lips. But the heart was
far from it. But their hearts were exercised,
Peter said, after covetous practices. They have forsaken the right
way, Peter said, and gone astray following the way of Balaam.
But Peter spoke of it himself. And they loved the wages of unrighteousness. A man who's more concerned with
money than the ministry, and they all say it under the pretense
of the ministry. But a man who's more concerned
with money than the ministry is not God's minister. He's Baal's minister, because
the love of money is the root of all evil. And there's no evil,
quite like religious evil, and there's no place where there's
more money unaccounted for. If money that comes in, it doesn't
have to be accounted for. And while many of these these
these false prophets seem to be sincere and even say some
good thing, they're in it for the wages. for the way they're
hiring just what Christ called. And we can easily say some of
them but some of them we can't. All right look at first look
back here saying number twenty two again look at verse fifteen
through twenty one I'll read that for you real fast they look
sent yet again princess more and more honorable than they
and they came to Balaam and said unto him thus sayeth Balaam the
son of Zipporah let nothing I pray thee hinder thee from coming
in the And I'll promote thee unto very great honor, and I'll
do whatsoever thou sayest unto me. Come, therefore, I pray thee,
curse me, this people." And Balaam seemed to have a good answer
here. And he said, well, if Balaam could give me a house full of
silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of the Lord to do less
or more. Now, therefore, I pray you, Terry, wait a minute, let
me go back and see, just to make sure that God said what he really
said. Because he was being enticed
with that money and that fame and fortune and so forth. And
do you know that? This is the story. Turn back
to Jude now back to the tape. The story has its. Concerning
Billy Graham. Now he's about as close as any
of them. He's about as beyond reproach. I mean, he as far as
all the modern preachers go, Billy Graham is the only one
that nobody can really bring any charges against, right? He
seems to be beyond reproach, at least his. His moral character
and his his ministry they really haven't found any wrongdoings
and evil crooked ways and whatever in him. But the story has it
about Billy Graham that he at first when he began preaching
as a young man. That he began dabbling with Calvinism. With Calvinism. And in preaching
that in some of his meetings he was causing a stir. He was
stirring up a hornet's nest. And it was told that his father-in-law,
I believe it was his father-in-law, that came to Billy and said,
No, Billy. He was an older man. He was a preacher himself. And
he came to him and said, No, Billy. You're not going to have
any hearing. You're not going to get anywhere.
You're not going to go anywhere if you keep preaching that message.
And I advise you to stay away from that. And Billy did. And now where is Billy? Preaching
the gospel. By any means. Not at all he's
close. He's close but he's not preaching
the gospel. Now look at Jude 11. Again they've
gone the way of Cain they've ran greedily. Greedily after
error of Balaam for reward that is for money for wages. And they're
perishing, they perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Now turn back with me to number
16. Here's the story of Korah and the sons of Korah. Number
16. This word gainsaying means this. It means backtalkers. Very simple. Backtalkers. Or
somebody who's a know-it-all. Somebody who cannot be taught,
but somebody who would rather be teaching. Somebody who wants
to have the preeminence. Somebody who wants to be heard
rather than do any hearing and learning. And Jude 8 says they
despise dominion. It's the same same thing despising
dominion that is those who reject God's word. got those who reject
God's authority. Those who reject God's church
got those who reject God's order of things those who reject God's
officers in the church ultimately reject God himself. And here
we have the story of Korah here number sixteen look at verse
two with me verse one Korah the son of Ishar the son of Kohath
son of Levi and he was of good stock he was among the Levites.
Daddy was a preacher, and his granddaddy was a preacher, and
they built the church with their own two hands, you know, that
sort of thing. Raised a Baptist, son of a Baptist, of a Baptist
of a Baptist. Traces his line all the way back
to John the Baptist, you know. Sons of Korah, and they rose
up before Moses, verse 2, with certain of the children of Israel.
Now, the sons of Korah weren't the only ones. You know, everybody,
everybody rejected and rebelled against Moses. Everybody. And Moses, being the man of God
and a Christ-like man that he was, made an atonement for the
people, not the sons of Korah. That's a picture of Christ, isn't
it? Because we were all rebels against the truth, but Christ
made an atonement. And they rose up before Moses
with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the
assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. Now these Korah
and his sons, they were deacons. They were officers in the church.
They were they were somebody. They were they were men in the
town, men of renown, they were doctors, they were lawyers, they
were business people. Well, they had degrees. They
knew something. Moses didn't have any learning.
What's he know? They'd been to seminary, they'd
been to Bible college, they'd been to wherever. Moses hadn't
been anywhere. Moses had been tending sheep.
What's he know? And they got to thinking about it, and they
gathered themselves together, verse three, against Moses and
against Aaron and said unto them, this is what they said. You take
too much upon you. Terry, did Moses take this upon
himself? I seem like I remember God coming
to Moses. I was just didn't take most didn't
even want it did it God said I'm going to send you to don't
fit me I can't speak. Then it wasn't didn't want in
the pulpit. And they gathered himself he
said you take too much upon you see in all the Congress well
everybody here's got something to say let's have a share session.
That's what they were saying. Let's all get around and have
a document, what do you call it,
a dialogue. That's a popular word. Let's
have a dialogue. Dispense with this preaching,
this giving of orders, thus saith the Lord, stuff. Let's have a
dialogue. Everybody's got something to
offer. Everybody's holy and the Lord
is among them. They're all men of God. Wherefore
then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord."
And when Moses heard it, Scripture says Moses was more meek than
any man on the earth. What Moses did, he didn't raise
up to fight. He fell on his face. Moses fell
on his face. That's what Moses did when God
first came to him, fell on his face. That's what Moses did every
time he was approached with anything, fell on his face. Moses, if Paul
hadn't have said it later on, Moses thought it, who is sufficient
for these things? I'm less than the least, Moses
would have said. Ah, boy. And Moses, being the
meek man that he was, fell on his face. Because he didn't take
this thing on himself. He was only acting according
to all that God had given him to do. The call given him, the
authority vested in him. Moses didn't take this on himself.
Only a fool would want to do that. Only a fool would want
to lead two million people, six million people didn't want to
be led. Only a fool or a man who's in it for gain or glory,
right? Only a fool would want to get
up and stand up and have his voice be heard. Only a fool would
want to open his mouth, because every time you do, you have a
tendency to put your foot in it. Somebody here called attention
to a mistake I made. I said, I tell you what, you
open your mouth long enough, you're going to say something
wrong. And I just hope everybody remembers some of the right things.
You know there's enough wrong. But look at verse five, and he
spake unto Korah. He finally did say something
after he got up off his face. But he didn't defend himself.
He wasn't defending himself. He was defending the glory of
God and the call of the ministry. He spake unto Korah and all his
company, saying, well, tomorrow the Lord will show who he is. He didn't defend himself. He didn't have to vindicate himself.
I've heard my pastor assaulted so many times, on every hand,
every rumor you can think of when it started. Different innuendo,
you know. Everything you can think of.
And I've never once heard him answer any of those charges.
Never, ever heard him stand up in defense of himself and say,
I haven't done it. Because you don't have to. God said, vengeance
is mine, I'll repay. The battle's not yours, saith
the Lord. It's not yours. Moses knew this. He said the Lord will show who
are his. The Lord will show who are his
and who's holy and who's not. I know what y'all are saying.
Moses wouldn't even say that about himself, would he? He didn't
sound holy. But the Lord will show. And isn't that the most
important thing? Not they that commended themselves
is accepted, but whom the Lord commended. Now what does Scripture
say? And the Lord will cause him to
come near unto him, even him whom he hath chosen will he cause
to come near unto him. Now this do, he said, here's
the plan. Take you sisters, Cora and all his company, put fire
therein, put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and
it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall
be holy. I tell you what, sons of Levi,
you take too much on yourself. And Moses said in the Korah.
Here I pray you sons of Levi. Now listen to how he pleads with.
He doesn't necessarily get angry with him he pleads the mercy
and grace of God. Is it a small thing and do you
that the God of Israel separated you. From the congregation of
Israel to bring you near to himself do the service of the tabernacle
of the Lord isn't that enough didn't that a great thing you
say great things for yourself seek them not. Huh? Hidden like our men. I know how
our men feel. Just reading the scriptures and
praying is too much, and it's too big. There's not a man in
here I know of that really wants to do that. That's too big a
task as it is, isn't it, John? You don't come to me, do you?
Matter of fact, most everybody turns their head. I know how you feel. Is that
a small thing? Is that not enough? Do you want
to stand up before the congregation? Verse 10. And he hath brought
thee near to him, my soul, and God revealed himself to you.
Brethren, the sons of Levi with thee, and ye seek ye the priesthood
also. Don't you know the responsibilities
there? Don't you know that he whom much is required of has
greater responsibility and accountability? He's assaulted on every hand
more so than anybody else, don't you? You don't have any idea.
You take too much of yourself. For which cause both you and
all the company are gathered together. Now, here's the problem.
Verse 11, this gainsaying of Korah. This is it. This is the
word I want you to say. You and your company are gathered
together against the Lord. It wasn't Moses and Aaron. It
was against the Lord. In his prescribed authority and
ordained powers. And such is the way with all
men by nature. We do not like authority in any
shape, form or fashion, especially from our peers or most especially. From a younger man, but like
Paul said, the young Titus or Timothy, let no man despise you. And Moses said, God will prove
in due time who or he is. And Paul said it. He said there
must be heresies among you. That day which are approved might
be made manifest. There must be heresy. Let me
give you this illustration. And I'm about through. A couple
more minutes. All right. There's a man that called me.
I went to visit him, but he called me. We talked back and forth
and he was. He and the church where he attends
is there. Obviously, they're concerned
about their pastor. I'm concerned about him, too. That he may be leaving the gospel,
he's dabbling and he's going out on. And other areas and he's
his methods are changing this. Message is changing and. It's sad. And. Fear for it for them, what's
going on? And anyway, this man called me
and concerned about him and one not wanting to know what to do,
and I said this first thing I said to him, I said, I don't rebuke
him. Don't you dare. Scripture says don't rebuke an
elder. You know Paul when Paul was standing before the high
priest remember when somebody slapped him. And he called the
high priest a whited sepulcher. Paul didn't know who it was.
You remember that? And the man said, who do you think you are
calling a high priest a white sepulcher? And Paul apologized.
He was in the right. The guy was a whited sepulcher.
But Paul out of respect to God's ordained authority. Paul, knowing what he knew that
God would take care of the man later. He apologized, and I told
this man, don't rebuke an elder, except at the mouth of two or
three witnesses. If you may have enough problem,
if there's a problem, it must be a gospel problem. Gospel problem,
I say. If he's not preaching the gospel,
that's the key. And if several of you get together
in trouble about it, then approach him with prayer And weakness. And I said, if there's a problem,
though, in the church. God will either change him. If he's God's under shepherd,
he'll change him, he'll change you, you are the problem, he'll
change you or he'll remove him or you. But it's God's problem,
right? And I said, the best thing you
can do is just sit tight, just sit tight and wait and see. The Lord will prove, like he
said here, who are his and who's accepted and so forth. It's God's
church and he watches over it. But there are problems, there
must be heresies among you, like Paul said. That's the reason
I went on to read there in 2 Thessalonians 3. Brethren, pray for us. Pray
for me. So these three things, I think
all error can be summed up in one of these three, or if not
all three way of Cain, that is works religion, the greed of
Balaam in it for the money, in it for the fame, in it for the
prestige, in it for the position. Or the gains, say in a Cora desiring
to be a leader. And not wanting to be under a
pastor, but rather wanting to be a pastor himself. Woe unto them, Jude says, and
woe unto us if these things be in us too. All right, stand with me now.
Dismissed. Dear Lord, Earnestly ask you. For your glory for the sake of
Christ. And the sake of your gospel that you would. Put that you would apply these
words to our hearts. Not just to our heads. That you
would indelibly print them on our hearts. Our understanding. That we be not carried away with
the error of the wicked. So easy to do, Lord, we're so
prone to all these things ourselves, especially the man standing here.
Flesh is so proud. But God, you have ways of bringing
us down. And Lord, ever keep us humble
before you ever keep us realizing what we are and who you are. And who Christ is. Lord, I ask
for every person here that you would keep them by your grace,
by your power. Keep them. And we'll give you all the glory
and the honor. For all these things, salvation
is truly of the Lord from start to finish. We're depending totally
upon you, dear Lord, for our safety. In Christ we pray these
things and ask that you would gather us again around this table. In Christ's name, amen. Your
discipline.