When I was in college, I went to a church with a dynamic college ministry led by a gifted guy. He was an effective communicator and creative, out-of-the-box thinker. He was married to a pretty wife and had the cutest little kid. He actually drove a classic Corvette that he’d restored. He was the kind of guy that, as a young man with the call of God on my life, I really looked up to.
I remember the disillusionment I felt when he suddenly lost his job and it came out he’d been a closet alcoholic and had cheated on his wife. For all the gifts that made him effective in building a vibrant ministry, there had been a shadow side us college kids knew nothing about. Maybe some of those that were closer to him saw signs and had suspicions, but I never did. I just knew he turned out not to be the real deal and, for a period of time, it challenged my faith. I didn’t make me want to renounce it, as I was more grounded than that. But for those who were part of the ministry whose faith wasn’t that established—who were newer Christians or maybe just exploring faith—it certainly raised questions, sowed seeds of doubt, and did great damage.
I believe one of the most utilized tools in Satan’s toolkit is counterfeit leaders—men and women who appear to be in step with God but, in time, prove to be insincere. So, one of the skills we need is the ability to sniff out people like that—people who, for all their declared allegiance and devotion to God, have a shadow side that makes them a danger to the church. Granted—we’re not to be nitpicky, or critical, or judgmental. But we need to be discerning. Just as tornado sirens sound when a storm is brewing that has the potential to become destructive, we need something that can serve as a warning system and alert us to leaders in the church that have the potential to cause great damage. That’s where I think one of the shortest and most overlooked books in the New Testament can be incredibly helpful and instructive—the book of Jude … a letter that appears to be the product of the writer changing his mind at the last minute.
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.” (Jude 3-4a)
Because we’re called to be hospitable, it’s easy for someone who’s a potential danger to become ingratiated into the Body of Christ. What Jude essentially says is, “I don’t want you to be inhospitable, but I don’t want you to be gullible or naïve either. You need to be perceptive and discerning. So here are some things to look out for.” And in his letter he gives us five warning signs.
But if Jude’s words turn us into people that are excessively fault-finding and judgmental, then we’ve misapplied what he has to say. We’re to be astute and shrewd, but not censorious and over-critical. He wants us to be alert and aware but not cantankerous or persnickety. If we become the latter—if it becomes more about delivering a blow to the person than it does about protecting the body—then we’ve made bad use of his guidance.
Jude’s letter has a very impassioned feel to it; he didn’t lay out his thoughts in an orderly manner. They just spilled out. But it appears as though his warnings fit into five groupings.
First—people to watch out for are immoral. Listen to some of the phrases he uses:
· (V. 4) They pervert the grace of God into a license for immorality.
· (V. 8) They do whatever their instincts tell them.
· (V. 12) They do shameful deeds.
· (V. 15) They follow their natural instincts and live to satisfy their desires.
Have you ever come across someone acted as if they were entitled or carried themselves as if they were better than others—that they were an exception and the rules didn’t apply to them? “When you come across someone like that,” Jude says, “be careful!” For depravity and immorality is sure to follow. The presence of God should always lead to a virtuous life—not an immoral one. It should express itself in a sacrificial life of service, not a self-serving one. So … warning sign #1—if you pick up in someone a carelessness about holiness or a casualness about righteousness … if they push the boundaries and joke about things they shouldn’t … if you notice in them a penchant for doing things that aren’t necessarily illegal or wrong but that are short-sighted and unwise, watch out! People who excuse their immorality and gloss over their shortcomings rather than trying to work on those things and become better are people that, in time, will likely prove to be dangerous and bring great harm to the body.
Second—people to watch out for are rebellious. Again, listen to Jude’s descriptions:
· They reject authority (v. 8)
· Like Korah they perish in their rebellion (v. 11). This is referencing an Old Testament story found in Numbers 16.
· They are grumblers and complainers (v. 16).
· They claim authority from their dreams (v. 8).
This last phrase sounds a bit strange, but it’s actually more common than we might believe. There are some people who claim a special sense of authority based upon a remarkable God-encounter … or some special gift God has placed in their life … or some unique experience or vision they had. It’s as if they believe that, because they’re the recipient of this divine faculty or endowment that they are superior and better than everyone else.
This is in contrast to the Apostle Paul who, in 2 Corinthians 12, talked about an unforgettable vision he had some years previously where he was “caught up to the third heaven”. He wasn’t bragging or boasting—in fact, the only reason he spoke about it was because his ministry was being attacked and his credibility was being questioned. So he said, “Look—I’ve had that kind of thing happen to me. But that’s not the basis of my spiritual authority. My authority is based on the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles I’ve suffered over the years for the cause of Christ.” He illustrates the fact that healthy leaders don’t believe they’re in a different class because of some exceptional gifting or experience. In fact, quite the opposite. Healthy leaders seek out individuals and structures that can provide accountability. They welcome it—even when they’re asked to do something they don’t want to do. We’ve all seen leaders who talk about the accountability structures they have in place, but when they’re asked by someone in such a position to slow down or change something they’re doing they bristle and paint them as troublemakers who are overstepping their bounds and need to get out of the way. Whenever you see a steady stream of people stepping away and this kind of narrative being repeated, you will typically find a leader who is unnecessarily rebellious.
Third—Jude says we should watch out for leaders who are arrogant—leaders who …
· “Slander what they don’t understand” (v. 10)
· “Shepherds who feed only themselves” (v. 12).
· People who “boast about themselves” (v. 16).
· “Scoffers” who follow their own ungodly desires (v. 18)
The picture here is of someone who thinks they know better and aren’t teachable because they’ve figured it all out and there’s nothing you or anyone can say to them that they haven’t considered and would be sufficient cause for them to re-evaluate their conclusions. I believe the most dangerous person in the church is the unteachable person—the man or woman who isn’t humble enough to recognize that they don’t have a corner on insight and, as a result, cut themselves off from learning, growing, and gaining insights from others. People like this, as Jude says in v. 19, will create unrest and division in the body because, with them, it’s not about harmony or unity or oneness. It’s about them being right and you bring wrong, and they don’t care how many people they hurt, or how much junk they stir up, in the process. When you sniff a leader who is arrogant, watch out!
That said—there’s a difference between an arrogant leader and a confident one. Arrogance is harmful, but confidence is necessary. We need leaders that are convictional … bold … who have the fortitude to press on in the face of resistance and opposition … who have a sense of resilience and backbone to where they don’t become discouraged or downcast when they encounter setbacks or adversity … who have what it takes to remain optimistic and not give up. But when confidence in God crosses over and becomes hubris or pretension or conceit, we need to sound the alarm and wave a red flag. Because that’s the kind of person that can destroy the work of God in that setting.
Closely related to this is a fourth quality Jude highlights—they are divisive. With dangerous leaders, you inevitably have an “in group” and an “out group”. You have those who are in their camp, and those who feel like they’re on the outside looking in. You have loyal followers and devoted adherents to whom the leader can do no wrong, and you have those who feel like they’ve been pushed aside, shunned, and don’t matter. Dangerous leaders typically have sycophants on the one hand and adversaries on the other, and very little in between. They are lightning rods when it comes to people’s allegiance and devotion. Some people they inspire, and some end up getting injured and feeling used. In v. 11, Jude references Cain taking the life of his brother. In the same way, dangerous leaders have a way of lashing out and injuring people who raise questions or challenge them, or who they perceive as not being “on their team”.
And then finally—Jude says that people to watch out for handle money irresponsibly. In v. 11 he talks about how “they rush for profit into Balaam’s error”—a reference to a story found in Numbers 22-24 where Balaam, a fortune-teller, essentially sold his services to the highest bidder. He sold out and exploited God’s people for personal financial gain. Jude also says in v. 16 they “flatter others for their own advantage”—the word for “advantage” in the original language is used most often to refer to a material benefit or financial reward of some sort. The implication here is that leaders to watch out for play fast and loose with money. Perhaps they have access to a bank account with no external oversight they can use to justify special expenses. Or maybe there’s a pattern of unnecessarily lavish expenditures. Or there’s a failure to maintain a paper trail for ministry-related expenses. When you follow the money trail of a leader and it leaves you with lingering questions, Jude says you need to watch out. This is someone to keep a close eye on.
When you read through this little letter, you can see why Jude is so insistent that we need to be on guard against people like this. If left unchecked, they will create tremendous chaos within the body. And whenever we spend vast amounts of energy on internal issues, it leaves us with that much less we have at our disposal to impact the world for Jesus and tackle the commission he has entrusted to us. People to watch out for will tarnish our witness, temper our effectiveness, damage our reputation, and negatively impact an untold number of folks in the process. But let me reiterate … we’re not to be nitpicky or hyper-critical or judgmental—a reputation the church of Jesus Christ has acquired. We are, out of devotion to God and a deep-seated belief that the local church is the hope of the world, to keep an observant and attentive eye on our leaders so that they serve to further and fulfill the purposes of God and not hinder or thwart them.