Spots

Jude 1:12-16

When we first got married, we lived in a tiny(by today’s standards) one bedroom house. A friend lent us their camp trailer, a tent on a trailer when my folks came to visit. Since they had no place to park it at their house they asked if we could store it for them when we finished using it. After we were finished, we folded it up and put the cover back on it. A few days later, I noticed black spots on the cover, apparently from sap dripping from a nearby oak tree, so I moved it to a place where it wouldn’t be under the tree. When they came to get their trailer, we were horrified to find that the spots were now holes. The sap was acidic enough to eat through the canvas. We had to have a new cover made,

In a healthy church, new people visit regularly, and some want to become part of the church when they see what God does for the Christians. Some actually want to be Christians, but many just want the physical benefits, with no real interest in God. These are normal and are not much of a problem unless they become entrenched and considered church members. Because they have no commitment to the Lord, they follow whoever seems to offer what best suits them at the moment. James is especially concerned with the third group who want to manipulate and use the church to accomplish their own goals.

While a great many things would have made spots on the canvas cover, making it not look good, the oak sap did actual damage, and made it unusable. Jude compares those unbelieving church members to those spots. Some are just unsightly, making the church look bad while others do serious damage.

“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” (Jude 1:12-13)

Our society seems to have a fixation on the idea that bigger is better, and it has slopped over into churches. As a result, some churches will do almost anything to get people to come. Speaking of one of the largest churches in Farmington, one lady said anyone can feel at home in our church, no matter what they believe. Since the church was originally a Baptist church, people can still join as Baptists, by a statement of faith and evidence of scriptural baptism, but if they want to join as something else, the church will accept that group’s standards instead.

James says these are like stains on a piece of fabric, taking part in every thing the fabric does as if they belonged. They come and fellowship, taking part with no concern over the doctrine or respect toward God, as Romans 3:18 says. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Their only constraint is their own imagination.

Last summer, I planted some cucumber plants. They came up and spread vigorously, blooming all over the place, even smothering some of my other plants, but never produced a single cucumber, despite my work. I even tried manually pollinating the female flowers, thinking perhaps the bees were not doing it. I wasted a lot of time and energy, because they appeared to offer so much.

These unbelieving church members produce nothing of real value, but sap the church of spiritual vigor, depriving real Christians of essential nourishment, sometimes choking them out and killing them, while trying to pass themselves off as better than others.

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15)

Acts 5:1-14 tells of Ananias and Sapphira, who tried use the church to promote themselves, and God’s judgment for their actions. As a result, unbelievers were afraid to join the church. The church was strengthened and grew, because those who joined were committed to God. The others looked for a place where God’s power was not a threat.

Like the mixed multitude who came out of Egypt, complaining about the food God provided, Unbelievers in the church complain about the teaching of the word, finding it unpalatable and desiting solemnizing more exciting. They gripe about how the church works, constantly demanding change, seeking what appeals to them.

“These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.” (James 1:16)

These unbelievers have huge public appeal, drawing huge crowds and attracting lots of followers. They put a lot of stress on famous and popular leaders, using the associations and cooperation to further their own aims. How many times have people skipped their own church, driving sometimes hundreds of miles to hear a famous speaker such as Billy Graham, because of their admiration for the man. This attitude is seriously hurting the church today.