The Insurrection of the Church

Insurrection: Organized opposition intended to change or overthrow existing authority

Yesterday, I finally found the movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, in a Redbox machine.  I have been checking and checking, but all the machines said it was "out of stock."  I loved this movie.  If you haven't seen this yet, I highly recommend it.  (Caution: spoiler alert)




The storyline explores the concept of an internal conspiracy that threatens the purpose of the parent organization.  In the story, the agency S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) is compromised by another organization, Hydra, seen in the first Captain America movie.  Hydra seeks to control the world, but is now doing so covertly within the very organization that would stop any outward threats.  Cleverly, using subversive steps, the enemy was able to get through the whole organization, even to the top.  The insurrection would be complete if Hydra had not been discovered by Captain America and the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

I found myself thinking about the very same threat within our churches.  Over time, there have been people within the church that quietly subvert the Word of God.  We can find warnings about this throughout the Bible.  Today, I want to point out the writings of Jude.  Jude felt strongly that he needed to warn the Church about the quiet insurrection of sinful people within the body.

"Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share.  But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.  I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives." vs. 3-4a (NLT)

"...These people - who claim authority from their dreams - live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings." vs. 8 (NLT)

"When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord's love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you." vs. 12a (NLT)

Jude saw how easily the body of Christ can be swayed, in their eagerness to accept and trust others, but he warned us that must remain faithful.  We must know the Word and obey.  We must be able to recognize others who are not grounded in the Word, and help them learn it.  We must be diligent to see the purpose behind the actions we see in others.  If we allow ourselves to be swept away by sin, we lose our purpose, and we are no longer in the business of saving souls.  Instead, we are leading them to death.

God has a special hatred for those who would lead his flock to death.  They are "doomed forever to blackest darkness." vs. 13b (NLT)

Get into the Word today, and see the Truth for yourself.  Challenge others who are not grounded to do the same.  Be a hero.