How to Avoid Spiritual Shipwreck: Standing Firm Against Deception (Jude 5-16)

How can we avoid spiritual shipwreck in a world full of deception? In this episode, Pastor Chris continues the Steadfast series, exploring Jude 5-13, which warns against false teachers, pride, and rebellion. Like a lighthouse guiding ships away from destruction, God’s truth protects us from drifting into danger. Jude highlights examples from history—including Israel’s unbelief, fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah—to remind us of the consequences of rejecting truth. We must stand firm in faith, reject deception, and stay anchored in God’s Word.

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2285086/episodes/16797528

Key Points:

1. Learn from the Past (Jude 5-7, 1 Tim 1:18-19)
   • Jude reminds us that Israel, fallen angels, and Sodom were all judged for turning away from God.
   • Application: Strengthen your faith by remembering God’s past faithfulness and trusting His promises.
2. Recognize False Teachers (Jude 8-10, 2 Peter 2:10-12)
   • False teachers rely on dreams instead of Scripture, reject authority, and twist the truth.
   • Even Michael the Archangel relied on God’s authority, not his own, when resisting Satan.
   • Application: Stay anchored in Scripture and test all teachings against God’s Word.
3. Beware of Pride, Greed, and Rebellion (Jude 11, Genesis 4, Numbers 22, 16)
   • Cain’s jealousy, Balaam’s greed, and Korah’s rebellion all led to destruction.
   • Application: Guard your heart against arrogance, self-interest, and rejecting godly authority.
4. Discern Spiritual Deception That Looks Good but Destroys (Jude 12-13)
   • False teachers are compared to hidden reefs, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves, and wandering stars—dangerous, unreliable, and leading others astray.
   • Application: Seek godly leaders who are rooted in truth and bear fruit in their lives.

Personal Stories:

• Pastor Chris recalls navigating without GPS, relying on a radio tower’s red light—just as God’s truth keeps us on course.
• He shares the loneliness of a lighthouse keeper, emphasizing faithfulness in standing for truth.

Quotes:

• “A lighthouse is built to withstand the storm—so must we stand firm in truth.”
• “False teachers promise much but deliver nothing—stay grounded in Scripture.”
• “Faith based on culture or experience can drift. Faith anchored in Scripture stands the test of time.”

Takeaways:

• Evaluate your faith—are you holding firm or drifting?
• Be discerning—test everything against Scripture before accepting it.
• Resist spiritual complacency—like a lighthouse, always shine God’s truth.
• Encourage others—help those struggling in faith avoid shipwreck.

Scripture:

• Jude 5-13 – Warnings against deception.
• 1 Tim 1:18-19 – Faithfulness prevents shipwreck.
• Gen 4, Numbers 22, 16 – Pride, greed, and rebellion lead to ruin.
• 2 Peter 2:10-12 – False teachers twist truth for their own gain.

The WELL Faith Podcast offers encouraging, Bible-based messages from Pastor Chris Teien and guests. New sermons are released every Sunday. Replay episodes are marked with an asterisk. Find us online at ChrisTeien.com and Rockwell.Church in Virginia, MN. Email comments to wellfaith24@gmail.com

Transcript

Chris T 0:16

In the steadfast series, How to Stand Firm in the Faith. So on March 2nd, it was How to Live with Confidence in Christ. And if you remember, point one was God has called you, your life has a purpose. God loves you deeply, his love is your confidence. And God will keep you safe. Your future is secure. And then last week, on how to stand firm for biblical truth, number one, defend the faith with conviction. Two, discern false teachings, and three, demonstrate love while standing firm. So I guess I actually made screens for that. But today is to avoid spiritual shipwreck, stand firm against deception. And Jude lays out all of these examples, all of these case studies, all of these cautionary tales to help us to really think about how to stay true to the faith and to avoid false teachers and to know the false teachers' motivations. And so when we really think about the book of Jude and why God has given us the scriptures, I mean, Jude is really just like one page in most people's Bibles, maybe two pages, if you've got a large print Bible. It's not the biggest book, but it's got a lot to say. It's got a lot to say in our lives to help us to avoid spiritual shipwrecks. Lighthouses keep ships from wrecking. So Paul also pointed out to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1 18 to avoid spiritual shipwrecks. So Paul warns Timothy that abandoning genuine faith and a good conscience results in a spiritual shipwreck, personal ruin, and loss of effectiveness. And Jude is going to point this out. Jude is going to talk about all of the different people and even angels that made the wrong choice and basically shipwrecked their lives, shipwrecked their faith, and that we need to stand firm in the truth. Paul tells Timothy, Paul tells Timothy to fight the battle. Jude emphasizes vigilance against false teachers. So today we're going to see that we need to hold firmly to the truth while we maintain a good conscience, to actively resist deception, learning from the history that's written here. So when you think about lighthouses, they are usually on a point. They're obviously near water, and they are a light that usually lets ships know that there's rocks, that there is a hazard there. That is the shoreline, the coastline, the rocks, it's danger. It is a beacon of warning and guidance placed in dangerous waters to prevent shipwrecks. Without it, ships can drift off course, crash into unseen rocks, or be lost at sea. So I do not have a big boat where I've ever had to rely on a lighthouse before. When I was a youth pastor in Forest City, Iowa, before cell phones were popular, before GPS was even a thing, there was a big radio tower behind the church in Iowa, basically. Pretty flat. Where we were in Forest City, that's next to Pilot Knob State Park, which is actually near one of the highest spots in the state of Iowa. But I would go visit the people that lived out in the farm areas. And sometimes I would wonder which way is home. And if I could see that radio tower, if I could see that red light in the sky, I would know that was the direction that I needed to go. That home was that way because of the big radio tower. But the lighthouse has a guiding light. Its beam cuts through the darkest nights, offering direction and hope for lost sailors. So similarly, the unwavering truth of the gospel provides guidance and hope to those navigating the tumultuous seas of life. The lighthouse stands through all the storms. It is built to withstand storm and wave and difficulty and wind and all of that. So the lighthouse keeper is committed. Can you imagine being the lighthouse keeper? It could be pretty lonely. So what is your job? My job is to keep the lighthouse going. Now, nowadays, through remotes and electricity and solar and batteries and everything like that, I'm pretty sure there's like some dude in Pennsylvania that could probably push some buttons and get the lighthouse going into Luth. You know, that's possible now. But back then, a long time ago, you have to go light the torch that made the light and spend time in the lighthouse. And if that was your life, it could be lonely. At least in the picture, the lighthouse looks pretty lonely. I've seen some other lighthouses that are around some pretty nice houses and properties, and maybe your whole family's there having a good time. And it's, oh, look, kids, a storm, let's go light the lighthouse. And you all climb the stairs together, and it could be good. But nonetheless, the lighthouse keeper was committed. The lighthouse keeper was committed. And we need to be committed to stand for truth. We need to be committed to proclaim truth in a society that has a lot of information but often chooses to go the wrong way. Among people who some days seem committed, and other days in the storms of life are much more likely to get off course and to do the wrong thing. So Paul tells Timothy, Timothy, my son, I'm giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected, and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. We don't want to be that cautionary tale. We don't want to be those people who have shipwrecked our faith. Sometimes people will evaluate their faith, and sometimes they'll think, well, I'm just going to reject everything that I've ever been taught about the Lord and about faith because my parent let me down, or my grandparent let me down, or that church pastor, those people in the church let me down, so I'm just going to throw it all out. That is not a wise thing to do at all. Our scripture shouldn't be based upon, you know, someone, a person in our life, though it'd be great if we had a model to follow. It shouldn't be based upon Christian music or Christian culture. There's a lot of people that base their faith on what they hear without actually reading scripture. Our faith should be based upon rightly dividing the root of the word of truth and the scriptures. Now, if Paul tells you that you want to avoid a shipwreck, if anybody should know about shipwreck, it's Paul. It's Paul who was actually in a shipwreck. You'll remember in Acts chapter 27 and 28, and I'm not sure, it was like two summers ago, I think I had two messages on the shipwreck. But it's a great story of how God used Paul, who was being held as a captive on a ship with a bunch of other prisoners that got into the storm in Acts 27, verse 21. He talks the storm continued raging, and finally we gave up all hope of being saved. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up between before them and said, Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep your courage, because not one of you will be lost. Only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the Lord, the angel of the God to whom I belong and to whom I serve, stood beside me and said, Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. And you can read about the drama that took place. And then verse 37, Paul says, altogether, maybe it was Luke, altogether there were 276 of us on board. And then in verse 44 it said, Everyone reached the land safely. Shipwreck. You don't want to be in that situation. Paul is like, I told you, but you didn't listen, but it's okay, because God says it's gonna be okay, and he's gonna get us through. Unfortunately, they listened to Paul, and the guards that were on the ship thought about throwing all the prisoners overboard so they wouldn't escape. You won't escape because you're gonna drown. But instead, everybody on that ship was saved. And I'm not sure in your life, who around you needs some care, needs some hand holding, needs some encouragement. Maybe you can help them from shipwrecking their faith. Maybe you can encourage them to keep pushing on when it seems so hopeless on this ship that Paul was on. People had given up hope. They're like, yeah, we're all gonna die. Paul's like, no, God told me it's gonna be all right. You're not, it's gonna be all right. Have courage and maybe eat something. So we should learn from the past. God judges those who rebel to learn from the past. You know, sometimes it's hard to look in the past and apply it to our lives because when we make a choice, when we make a decision, when we're in the heat of battle, when there's this desire we really want, when we're all excited for something, we often don't want to listen and we just want to push forward. And sometimes we say, you know, the Bible is so old-fashioned. Oh, the Bible, it was written so long ago, it can't really apply to us today. Oh, God has certain standards that He set before us, but obviously, you know, people change, times change. Yeah, we should just do whatever we want to do. But that's not what God wants us to do, and that's not a good way to live because we may become a cautionary tale. We may become very discouraged with the results. So let's look at Jude verse five. Jude writes, though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. So, cautionary tale number one. God provided manna for them to eat. God did all of these things. They were led by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. They had all these things. And when God brought them to the gates of the promised land and they sent in the spies to take a look, only two of the spies came back with courage and hope. So if God says it's ours, we can take it. That was Joshua and Caleb. And the other spies were like, Man, those people are like super tall. They're like really strong. They're too mighty of a force. We can never do it. We should we should have just stayed in Egypt. And God was angry at their faithless rebellion. So he let them wander around in the wilderness until they all died out. Except for Joshua and Caleb. They were able to prop pass into the promised land. Numbers 14 22. Not one of those who saw my glory in the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times, not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. So they didn't have faith. They were disobedient. And God dealt with them. God didn't say, I understand, it's okay. God's like, you're faithless. And since you're faithless, you can die out here in the wilderness and not see what I had promised you. So in our lives, our salvation isn't based upon us doing the right thing. It's based on us placing our faith in Jesus and his works, his salvation saves us. So I don't think God's gonna keep us from heaven because we lacked, if we're truly born again, if we're truly in faith, if we've truly received Christ, then we're truly adopted as children of God and we're truly in. But I think that if we're gonna be faithless, I think if we're not gonna follow the Lord after his word and his promises and his spirit leads and stuff, I think that we will be sad, we'll miss out, we'll be disappointed, especially when it comes to rewards time, when Jesus evaluates our life and rewards us for those things that we did that were good. I think we'll be disappointed when we look back at our poor choices and think about what could have been if we would have done the right thing. There's an old movie with Kevin Sorbro in it, I think, called What If. And it's kind of like that Christmas tale where someone gets to go back in time and see what their life would be like if they lived differently. And so this guy is like a big money-making executive, and he gets to see what his life would have been like if he truly would have followed Christ. It's a pretty good movie. You might want to watch it. But what if you made better choices? What if you followed the Lord? What if you trusted him? So we need to take God seriously. These people, they witness God's miracles, they witness God's power, but it still wasn't enough. Sometimes when a group of people say we can't do something, a group of people hinder our faith. It can cause a mob mentality, and then pretty soon everybody's saying, Oh, it's so hopeless, it can't be done. But Joshua and Caleb had faith to stand up and do what's right. So be like Joshua and Caleb. Beware of unbelief. Guard your heart against hardening, a hardening attitude of disbelief even after seeing God's faithfulness in your life. And remember God's justice and mercy. God judges persistent rebellion seriously, yet he's merciful toward those who repent and trust him. So I try to remember all of the great things that God has done in my life, all of the answers to prayer, all the miraculous provision, all the things that God has done in the past. Because it seems like there's so many times you come up to the future and you're like, I don't know how I'm gonna get through this. I don't know how God's gonna provide through that. I don't know how this is gonna work out. I don't know. But you trust and you look back and see how God has been faithful in the past, so you're gonna be faithful and keep moving forward and say, All right, God, moving forward, and I'm trusting you to guide and provide. Jude 6. Now he calls Jude points out the angels, the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling, these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting change for judgment on the great day. So the angels that rebelled against God, who are headed for hell, the rebellious angels that rejected God's authority, though powerful and created by God for high purposes, faced severe punishment for their rebellion, which you can find in Genesis 6, 1 through 4. And these angels had a position of authority. These angels were given their place, their role, and they rebelled against God. And God didn't say, Well, you know, you're angels, it's okay. I can see how you'd make a mistake. No, God held them accountable for it. Matter of fact, 2 Peter writes, For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment. So God is just. You know, sometimes when we look at how wicked people are, sometimes that gives us confidence that says, you know what, God is going to hold these people accountable for their wickedness, for their sin, for their persecution, for the things that they've done to destroy people's lives or kill Christians. There's still persecution going on all around the world to know that God is just, that God will judge, and that God will work and do what's right. Justice is on our side. Okay. So, Jude verse 7, another case that Jude brings up. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. What does it say in Genesis? Genesis 19. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities in the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities and also the vegetation in the land. So if you'll remember, a couple angels showed up in town. They were looking for some hospitality, and instead there were angels that were appearing as men, and instead of getting hospitality, they got a whole town of homosexuality and all sorts of wickedness and rebellion and wrong. So some people who think that lifestyle is okay will point to Ezekiel chapter 16, verses 49 and 50, and say scripture says it wasn't homosexuality, it was hospitality that God destroyed those people. They weren't hospitable. But no, if you continue to read in Ezekiel, it does talk about a lack of hospitality, then it also talks about utter wickedness. And so Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of a wicked people that God judged. God judged severely. So in the early 1900s, the passenger ship navigating dangerous waters saw a lighthouse warning them of rocky shores ahead. However, the ship's captain arrogantly decided to rely on his own experience rather than heeding the lighthouse warning. He dismissed the lighthouse as unnecessary and continued his course. Tragically, the ship struck rocks hidden beneath the waves and was lost, resulting in a great loss of life. So here Jude reminds us of Israel's unbelief in the angels' rebellion as clear as historical warnings. As clear historical warnings. If we ignore God's clear spiritual warnings, thinking we know better, we too risk shipwrecking our spiritual lives. God's word is our lighthouse, clearly guiding us away from the deception towards safety in Christ. All right, number two, recognize the characteristics of false teachers. Recognize the characteristics of false teachers. Some people want to be false teachers because they like to be called the teacher. They like to be seen as an expert. They like the feeling of people looking to them as the expert in the room, as the highly educated, as the PhD, as the doctor of whatever. Sometimes false teachers want to get you to give them money and they want to get rich off of false teaching. So false teachers sometimes are just evil and they want to destroy your life. I recently heard something on the radio about the nuns. So the nuns are those who have no faith. Those who say they're not Christians, they're just, what faith are they? They are nun. That some of them are really going out of their way to try to destroy Christians' faith. So instead of just saying, I don't have a faith and you do, that's all good. They're saying, I don't have a faith, and I don't want you to have one either. My life is miserable. Yours should be too. In this thing that I heard on the radio, they said that you shouldn't really be angry at the nuns as much as you should reach out to them, because sometimes in their push to try to get Christians to give away or put aside their faith, they're actually asking questions, and you might have a great opportunity to show them the hope that you have in Christ if you push back and stand up to them and give them reasons for why you believe. Okay, so Jude, verse 8. In the same, in the very same way, on the strength of their dreams, these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority, and heap abuse on celestial beings. Okay, so dreams. God used dreams in Joseph's life. He used dreams in Nebuchadnezzar's life. And Paul in Acts, Paul had a dream of a guy that says, Come on over to Macedonia and help us so God can use dreams. But I don't know if you have dreams, if you wonder what they're about, maybe if you have a recurring dream over and over again, maybe you might want to talk to somebody about that. Sometimes people have dreams that show them what would happen if they gave in to a certain sin and they're like, Thank you for that dream. That was great. Helped me to stay on the right course. Sometimes people have dreams of what could be and they move forward and do something that's successful. I've heard that in Muslim countries where the Bible isn't accessible, that many are reporting dreams of a dude in white that is Jesus that draws these Muslims to faith. So I'm not going to discount dreams, but if dreams lead you to sin, if dreams lead you to do things against God's word, if dreams leave you, lead you to do things that aren't right. Like I heard of a woman who wasn't happy in her marriage, and she knew that she didn't have a biblical grounds for a divorce. She said, Well, I had a dream that God said it was good for me to get divorced. So I'm going to do it. I don't think that you necessarily want to put stock in your dreams. I dream all sorts of crazy things. So I dreamed I got cricked out of, let's see, the other day I dreamed I got kicked out of a strict Christian college because I was wearing sweatpants instead of a suit. I have no idea what that means. It's just a dream. I probably shouldn't have had that spicy barbecue sauce before I went to sleep. But 2 Peter 2 10. He is especially hard on those who follow. Their own twisted sexual desire, who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, even daring to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. So we don't res revolve, we don't trust in our dreams, and we want to make sure that we honor heavenly beings, honor the spiritual realm, honor what God is doing. It's interesting in the verses that come next to it. And some of the Bible commentaries, they don't even really apply this one. It's like you're supposed to skip it in a sermon, but it is interesting, and one that makes you question. But verse 9, Jude verse 9, even the Archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to condemn him for slander, but said, The Lord rebuke you. Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct, as irrational animals do, will destroy them. So when you think about spiritual beings, when you think of dark spiritual beings, you do not have the strength or power, but Jesus does. And in Jesus' name, we can work and move forward in the in a spiritual battle, but it's all Jesus. It's not us. All we do is we call out. In Jesus' name, we get things done in Jesus' name. And so when we think about the spiritual realm and we think about all that God is doing and will do, we just trust it's a mystery. We can't see even the full visual spectrum. So we don't even really know what's going on all around in the world. All we can do is see what we can see. For all we know, there's all sorts of other things going on around us that might be in a different part of the spectrum. But the Bible tells us about angels and demons and all of the things that go on. A good book for that a long time ago that I read when I was younger was Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and the books that followed that. But it talked a lot about the spiritual realm, gets you thinking. But it's a mystery. We don't know all, but we should be respectful. We should trust God. We should praise God. We should know that God and his holy ones are working for our good and want the best for us. Jude called out so many different examples. Let's move on to the next one. Number three, don't let pride, greed, or rebellion lead you astray. Pride, greed, or rebellion. So then he calls out Cain. Woe to them, they have taken the way of Cain. So they have also they've rushed for profit into Balaam's heir. They have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. So you remember that Cain was the first murderer. Genesis 4, verse 3. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift, the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock, and the Lord accepted Abel and his gift. But he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. Why are you so angry? The Lord asked Cain. Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out. Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you, but you must subdue it and be its master. One day Cain suggested to his brother, let's go out into the fields. And while they were there in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. When God when people reject God's authority, they often create their own versions of truth and they do the wrong thing. And in their anger, they can even kill or want to kill other people. Sometimes you don't actually kill the person, you kill their relationship, or you kill the opportunity, or things like that. Alright. So Balaam rushed for prophet, rushed for prophet into Balaam's heir. So in Numbers 22, Balach, the king of Moab, feared Israel and hired Balaam to curse them. But as you remember, Balaam's like, yeah, I can't do that. I'm not going to do that. But God allowed Balaam to go talk to the king, and Balaam's like, I can only tell you what the Lord tells me. And you'll remember this is the part where Balaam's donkey spoke. And it's a pretty cool thing to read if you want to read about it. But Balaam was a pagan prophet who was known for divination. And so while Balaam spoke only what God allowed, his heart longed for the reward from Balaak, which was money. The angel of the Lord opposed Balaam on the road, and Balaam's donkey miraculously spoke to him, warning him of God's judgments. So instead of cursing the people the way that Balaak wanted him to, instead, Balaam suggested that maybe he could lead the people away. When Balaam saw he couldn't curse Israel directly, he advised Balak to seduce Israel into idolatry and sexual sin with Moabite women. So this led to God's judgment on Israel, resulting in the death of 24,000 people in Numbers 25, 9. So Balaam was ultimately killed by the Israelites when they defeated the Midianites. But you find more about Balaam and his error in 2 Peter 2.15. Balaam is condemned for loving the wages of wickedness and leading others astray. And in Revelation 2.14, Jesus rebuked the church of Pergamum for tolerating the teaching of Balaam, which promoted compromise with sin. Number four. Oh, let's see here. Korah's rebellion. One day Korah incited a rebellion against Moses along with 250 other leaders. Korah's rebellion. Number four, beware of spiritual deception that looks good but destroys. Spiritual deception that looks good but destroys. Verse 12. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear. Shepherds feeding themselves, waterless clouds swept along by the winds, fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted, wild waves of the sea casting up the foam of their own shame, wandering stars for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. So it's interesting, depending on which Bible you have, that the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible talk about hidden reefs at your love feasts. And the NIV says blemishes at your love feasts. But basically the context is you people are together as the body of Christ, and these false teachers are causing all sorts of trouble. So I think the New Living Translation says it well. When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals, commemorating the Lord's love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. To me, that makes a lot of sense. If you are in a ship and you come across a big reef that you didn't know it was there, it can crash your ship, it can destroy your ship, it can wreck your ship. And so we want to uh discern carefully against those people who lurk beneath the surface, destroying people's faith without warning. Sometimes they just twist the truth just a little bit to get you off course. And that isn't a good thing. Waterless clouds. Waterless clouds, they are signaling the promise of refreshing rain, especially crucial in arid climates. So false teachers promote great spiritual refreshment, new revelations, deeper truths or prosperity, but deliver nothing substantial. I remember during the droughts, I'd be praying for rain, and they'd say rain is coming, and you'd see the clouds on the radar, and then it would just pass over. No rain for you. Quite a disappointment. So, what else is on the list for the shipwreck theme? Wild waves of the sea churning up foam, symbolizing chaotic, uncontrolled lives marked by immorality and scandal, like foam and debris washing ashore. These teachers reveal shameful lifestyles or scandals that ultimately damage the credibility of the church. And wandering stars. If you are counting on the stars to guide your ship, and you've got stars that are unreliable, that could lead you off course, leading others into darkness. They shine briefly but ultimately mislead people. Wandering stars, shooting stars, meteors, comets appear briefly and then vanish into darkness, offering no lasting direction. False teachers like these wandering stars mislead others, causing confusion and spiritual disorientation, destined ultimately for eternal judgment. A lighthouse keeper keeper who was responsible for maintaining a bright light to guide ships safely past rocky shores. One night he grew tired, neglected his duties, and fell asleep. Without the guiding light, a passing ship became disoriented, struck hidden rocks, and tragically sank, resulting in a devastating shipwreck. And like the lighthouse keeper, Jude warns believers never to grow spiritually careless or indifferent. False teachers and deceptive teachings lurk around us like hidden rocks, waiting to cause spiritual disease. So we must stay awake, alert, and faithfully maintain the light of God's truth to prevent our faith from being shipwrecked. What else we got on the list? Wandering stars, gloom and utter darkness has been reserved forever. All right, and I'm not even going to finish this point. I'm going to finish it next week, but I'm going to read the verse, and then I'll talk more about it next week. So I'll read the two verses. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them. See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone and convict all of them about the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness and of the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These people are grumblers and fault finders. They follow their own evil desires, they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. So I'm going to pick up that point next week, but I'll pray in a second here. But in the 19th century, a lighthouse was constructed on Cape St. George in Australia. Due to its poor placement, it inadvertently led ships to disaster rather than safety. This misplacement underscores the critical need for accurate guidance, paralleling how flawed doctrine can lead believers astray. So next week, when we get together, I want to talk about grumblers and fault finders and those people that follow their own evil desires, the boastful and the flatterers, the ones that seek their own advantage. So when we have an opportunity to look into God's Word, so many times there's words and verses of encouragement, there's verses that motivate us, there's promises of answered prayer, there's all of these great things in there. And then there's also big warnings. Don't do this, don't be this way, don't act like this. And this list of things that we shouldn't do can actually be transformational and part of our sanctification as we've been set apart to the Lord. As we grow in practical and personal holiness, many times it's good to know exactly why. It's good to know why we shouldn't live our lives in certain ways and the destruction that can happen when we choose to go the wrong way or we choose not to pay attention, even to scripture that says, beware, danger, false teachers, rocks ahead. So next week, when we talk about steadfast, how to stay strong when the world is falling apart, I'll pick up where we left off today. But let me pray. Lord Jesus, I thank you so much for everybody that is here today and those who are listening and watching. Lord, your word makes it so clear that every one of us is a sinner, and sinners are eternally separated from you, Lord, eternally separated from God. But Jesus is the bridge to eternal life, that he came and he lived among us to show us how to live. And then he purposely went to the cross to take on our sins, and he suffered and died on the cross, the payment and penalty for our sins. But then he rose again. He rose again and showed that he had power over death and that he can give eternal life. And those people that have not received you as their Lord and Savior will be eternally separated from God forever if they don't receive Jesus as the cure for their sin, their Lord and Savior. They need to turn and maybe pray something like, Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I acknowledge that you lived among us, that you died on the cross, that you rose again, and by placing my faith in you that I can be saved. Lord, let those people cry out to you and pray something like that. Lord, we know that when we come to Christ, we're born again, we're adopted as children of God, we're assured heaven, we receive the Holy Spirit to help us live the Christian life. We get at least one Christian or one spiritual gift to serve and to serve you here and to be part of the body of Christ in the church. Lord, we thank you for all of that. We thank you for this message. We thank you for these people. We thank you for the missions conference we can go to this afternoon. We commit it all to you in Jesus' name. Amen.