Walter Rauschenbush is considered the theological father of the Social Justice movement in our country. He was so driven in solving social problems that he wrote a book, “A Theology for the Social Gospel.” In it he set out specifically to write a systematic theology that supported his social justice views. The problem with that is what we call eisegesis, when you go to the Bible with ideas in your head about what you want it to say, and then you force the Bible to support your preconceived ideas. We insist on exegesis, where we go to the Word, and force ourselves to let the Word inform us what is true. Rather than us reshaping the Bible to fit our desires, we approach the Bible in order that it would reshape us and our desires. We don’t want to conform the Bible to us; we want us to conform to the Bible.
Well in his book Rauschenbusch knew the Bible did not support his social justice ideas. So he said new prophets for a modern day were needed – prophets who would speak for God and be His appointed agents furthering his kingdom through Social Justice:
“The social gospel on the other hand feels the need of present inspiration and of living prophetic spirits in order to lead humanity toward the kingdom of God.”
“Genuine prophecy [today] springs up where fervent religious experience combines with a democratic spirit [socialism], strong social [justice] feelings and free utterance.” Walt is saying that contemporary social justice activists, all excited over socialistic ideas, speak for God today with the same divine authority and commission as Peter, Paul, John, Mark, Luke, Matthew, James, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses, Daniel, etc. Walt says those biblical authors all wrote to certain people at certain times, and he insists that we need new social justice prophets today to speak to us from God:
“We are under no obligation to accept the mythical ideas and cosmic speculations of the Hebrew people, their limited geography, their primitive astronomy.” Walt’s scoffing of the Word of God as literal shines through. Walt goes on in his book to say that all theology is constructed by men. Theology is a knowledge based on revelation, but rather a knowledge that is simply a reflection of people’s views in their social circumstances.
When your view is that the Bible is outdated, and it is not relevant to today, and therefore you need God to speak new and fresh and contemporary words for today, you are exposing your unbelief and probably even that you’re not a Christian. God is eternal, so His word is eternal. God is transcendent, and His word transcends time, location and circumstances. God is perfect in wisdom, and his Word is perfect in its relevance to all men, everywhere at every time because God in His perfect wisdom knows what all men, everywhere, at all times needs., written down for us, reflects that.
APPLICATION: Throw out any clown who tells you the Bible is outdated. I care about you, so I tell you, throw those clowns out who would talk like that.
APPLICATION to the APPLICATION: Do you believe the Bible is from God or do you believe it is just a book from men? Jude warns us of the latter.
Instead, he says to his readers – including us today – to pay attention to the words of the Apostles who learned directly from Jesus and who spoke in their writings by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Follow along in verses 14-19 with me.
Our sermon is titled very simply: The Words of the Apostles. We’re going to establish who the Apostles are and then the words of the Apostles.
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST
Jude does not consider himself an apostle. He speaks of the Apostles as a group of which he is not a part of.
The Apostles are the Apostles of Jesus Christ – called and chosen by Him, appointed by Him, taught by Him, witnesses of His life, death, resurrection and ascension, empowered by Him to do miracles and demonstrations of power, and preaching for Him the Gospel message. They are the foundation of the Church, which Christ is building Himself, and which cannot be overcome even by the gates of Hades.
And they no longer exist. The only Apostles today are the ones who live on in the Scriptures through their writings. So Peter, Paul, John are “alive” to us today through their writings even though they are dead. All these claims to Apostleship today are false. The Pope is not an Apostle. Benny Hinn is not an Apostle. Bill Johnson and his ilk are not Apostles. Greg Locke, although recently being appointed, is not truly an Apostle. The only Apostles you should be following are the ones here named in Scripture.
Here are seven descriptions and qualifications to be an Apostle::
- First, they had to be eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ: “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22)
- Second, an Apostle had to be an eyewitness of Jesus during His earthly ministry prior to his death. In the same passage, Peter says it wasn’t enough for a man to have seen Jesus resurrected. The man who would replace Judas as an Apostle must also have seen Jesus’ entire earthly ministry beginning with John the Baptist all the way to his death, burial, resurrection and ascension: “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us [ascension]. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22)
- Third, an Apostle had to be enlisted by Christ personally. No man can make himself or another man an Apostle:
- “You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go…” (John 15:16)
- “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name…” (Acts 9:15)
- “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” (Acts 22:14-15)
- Fourth, an Apostle was educated by Christ personally:
- “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Math. 28:20)
- “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.” (Acts 22:14)
- “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:12)
- “This salvation which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” (Heb 2:3)
- “….we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard….” (1 John 1:1-5)
- Fifth, an Apostle was given miraculous powers. Those divinely provided powers proved both his ministry and his message was from God:
- “The things that mark an apostle – signs, wonders and miracles…” (2 Corinthians 12:12)
- “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him [Apostles]. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” (Hebrews 2:3-4)
- Sixth, Apostles had ecumenical authority. Pastors have authority over their local church, but, Apostles had authority over every local church everywhere:
- “This is the rule I lay down in all the churches” (1 Corinthians 7:17)
- “…appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” (Titus 1:5)
- Seventh, the Apostles and their ministry formed the foundation of the Church that Jesus was building. The purpose and ministry of the Apostles was to launch the Church in the very beginning and provide the necessary foundation that it would be built upon.
- “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:20).
- “The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the lamb.” (Rev. 21:14)
The Apostles were gifts to the Church for the upbuilding of the saints. They existed in the early days of the Church in the first century. But there are no more apostles since then.
APPLICATION: If you want an Apostle to follow pick up your Bible and start reading the NT
APPLICATION to the APPLICATION: Don’t follow “Apostles” who aren’t in the NT
THE WORDS OF THE APOSTLES
The words of the Apostles matter because they are the words of those who heard Jesus and they are the words of the Holy Spirit through them to us.
First, the words of the Apostles are NOT flattery (v16b). This is me “looping in” my last point from last week’s sermon. But it totally fits. False teachers flatter people for their own advantage. Apostles don’t do that. False teachers tickle ears and tell people all the things that people want to hear.
Apostles don’t do that. Apostles tell you what their told by Jesus to tell you. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2, “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness.” Jude warned his beloved readers that false teachers secretly crept into their fellowships and they are motivated by greed and selfish ambitions so they cover up their evil motives by flattering you.
“But you!” Jude is contrasting verse 17 with verse 16. There are churches that will give those false teachers in verse 16 a platform. BUT Jude says in verse 17 to his readers NOT to give such teachers a platform. Instead his audience is to listen to the words of the Apostles.
APPLICATION: Don’t put up with flattery. Don’t seek someone who will affirm you in your flesh. Seek someone who will affirm you in righteousness. Don’t tolerate someone who justifies sinful behavior. Follow someone who promotes Christ’s righteousness.
Watch out that flattery doesn’t deceive you. Watch out that teachers who flatter you aren’t doing so because they’re working you over for their own advantage.
Second, The words of the Apostles are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Jesus intimated this in John 16 when He said, “The Holy Spirit will take what I give Him and make it known to you.” The Holy Spirit would reveal to the Apostles divine truth from Jesus, about Jesus. Turn to 2 Peter 1:20-21 with me….[READ]….
Third, The words of the Apostles are prophetic. They spoke prophecy, telling of the future. Notice Jude 17 “But dear friends, remember what the Apostles of our Lord Jesus foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times….’” They were telling what would happen in the future. Just like Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and in the NT just like in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 17 and 21, then Acts 3 and 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 1, 4 and 5; 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2; and Revelation and on and on. Their words are prophetic, telling the future.
One of the things they said was a warning that scoffers would come. We’ll get into that next week.
Fourth, their words are timeless. The fact that we are told to remember the words and not let go of the words of the prophets and apostles speaks of their timelessness. To talk about needing a new or fresh word today is to say there are no absolute truths that persist throughout all time, everywhere with all men. Its also to say God is ignorant of the future. Its to deny God’s omniscience as prophecy proves because telling the future ahead of time means later on down the road those prophecies have to come true for God to be God but if you say what was written long ago no longer applies you are denying biblical prophecy!
My point is this: the words of God are eternal because God is eternal. The words of Scripture apply to us because God knows man and He speaks to us as men – whether we are ancient or modern men. Therefore let us trust God will honor us for always honoring His word.
Fifth, the words of the Apostles are authoritative. Jude points us TO their words. Indicating their words are authoritative. Their words are to be submitted to. Our obedience to God is directly related to our obedience to the Apostles as we submit to the teachings they wrote down. To reject their words is to reject the words of God. Luke 10:16, “Whoever rejects you rejects Me” Jesus told the Apostles.
Sixth, their words are instructive. By their words we are formed into Christ-likeness. Turn to Ephesians 4:11-13
Seventh, the words of the Apostles are to be remembered. “Do not forget” Jude says. Turn with me to 2 Peter 3:1-2 and follow along….Turn to Hebrews 2:3-4
“Remember” is something we are always being encouraged to do. Continually dedicating ourselves. Keeping in the forefront of our minds. Allowing to be our guide, our rule, our compass, directing us along in life each day. Keeping our thoughts absorbed in. Not abandoning, not quitting, not giving up on, not letting go of, not forsaking, not renouncing or rejecting. But firmly clasping and not letting go for anything.
Also has the idea of studying. The Scriptures, written by the Apostles and Prophets, are the content of all preaching and teaching.
APPLICATION: Build your faith on the eternal words written long ago. Not “new” words written down today by so-called prophets and apostles, or by progressive theologians and pastors who want you to dismiss the Bible as an outdated book written by people who weren’t as scientifically advanced as we are today, or by social justice theologians who say modern Social Justice activists are the new prophets from God giving us a new word for today from God. Like Jude, I say to you reject all of that and like Jude I say to you: remember the words of the Apostles and Prophets of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look to their words, right here in Scripture, and build your life on their teachings. Why? Because THEY are the ones who heard all that Jesus taught, THEY are the ones who saw all that He did, THEY are the witnesses He chose and appointed to go out into the world and testify of all they saw and heard, and so we know what Jesus said and did because they told us – and wrote it down.