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Jude 1-4 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning, CFC. Go ahead and take your copy of God's Word and open up to the book of Jude.
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It's the second to last letter in the book of the Bible.
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We're going to be spending this week and the next four weeks walking through Jude together before Nathan gets back.
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And I just have to say it does my heart good when our confession of faith, or excuse me, our catechism quotes the Sermon on the Mount.
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I heard that there is a running bet as to how many times I will quote that in the next five weeks.
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And I'll just tell you, bet high.
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But I enjoy Matthew for those of you who are new and are known to go there.
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So I'm very excited to be spending the next few weeks preaching through this book.
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And like I said, I only have five weeks, so I want to get right to it.
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So looking at Jude, verses 1 through 4, there are no chapters.
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It's a short book.
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So looking at Jude, verses 1 through 4, Jude writes,
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Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
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to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ,
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may mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
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Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation,
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I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
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For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation.
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Ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
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So this author is Jude, and you may be surprised to learn that his name in Greek is no different from the name Judas or Judah.
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This was an extremely popular name in the first century Israel.
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So maybe your next son will be named Judas after all.
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Just don't, actually don't do that.
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That would be pretty bad.
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But to be clear, this is not Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ,
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but this is Jude or Judas the brother of James, which we see in verse 1.
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So this Jude is the child of Mary and Joseph and the half-brother of Jesus Christ.
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But more on that verse in a moment.
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So Jude or Judas is referenced in the Gospel of Matthew.
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We're already there.
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When the crowds are doubting Jesus' authority and identity.
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They ask in Matthew chapter 13, verse 55,
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Is this not the carpenter's son?
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Is this not his mother called Mary?
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And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
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So I guess Mary had a thing for J's and didn't like Simon.
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But the same comment can be found in Mark chapter 6, verse 3.
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So Judas is well established throughout Scripture.
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We know that this is the brother of Jesus,
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as we know him as the name Jude in the book of Jude.
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But it's the same guy.
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And we learn in the Gospel of John, chapter 7, verse 5,
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that Jesus' own brothers did not believe in him,
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meaning Jude was not a believer during Christ's first advent.
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But by the time Jesus is resurrected,
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we read in Acts chapter 1, verse 14,
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that all these believers, with one accord,
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were devoting themselves to prayer,
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together with the women and Mary,
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the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
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So Jude is among those who has placed faith in Christ
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after his resurrection appearances.
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At that point, he believed this is the Messiah,
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the one true Son of God.
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But who is Jude that he should write such a letter,
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that he should have such authority to do this,
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to be an author of one of our canonical books of the Bible?
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And so looking back at verse 1, we see his authority.
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Jude is a doulos, or a slave, or bondservant,
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of Jesus Christ and the brother of James.
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So on the one hand, this introduction gives you a sense of Jude's humility.
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And he doesn't introduce himself as the half-brother of Christ,
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but much like his brother James,
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he introduces himself merely as a servant or a slave of Christ.
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So the only relationship he expresses to Christ is that slave of servant.
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And sometimes that word is translated as servant,
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but really means slave.
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He is saying,
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I am no longer my own,
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but I am owned by and exist for Jesus Christ.
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So this captures Jude's humility in one sense.
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Primarily, though, this title captures his authority.
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So when we hear the word slave, right,
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we often think of people being mistreated,
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people being oppressed.
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We think of the sinful atrocities that happened in our history,
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in British history.
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But this is not necessarily the connotation in the ancient world.
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It was different.
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In fact, a slave's power, his financial standing,
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his stature in society often rose or fell with that of their masters.
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So, for instance, in the Greco-Roman world,
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if you were a slave, a personal slave to the Roman emperor,
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you were actually probably more powerful,
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more wealthy, and better off than most free men.
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Right?
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And men would fear you because you have the emperor's ear.
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So slaves often had the ability to spend the money of their masters,
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to speak on behalf of their masters,
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to make and create businesses on behalf of their masters.
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And so it is with Christians.
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This is why Jude, James, and others would refer to themselves as slaves of Christ.
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They're expressing that we serve him,
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we're committed to him wholly,
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but also we carry with us authority.
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We speak on behalf of our master,
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of our Lord, of Jesus Christ.
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So on the one sense, again, it is his humility,
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but primarily he's saying,
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I'm writing to you with authority.
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I write behalf of Jesus Christ.
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And the cherry on top,
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who establishes Jude's authority,
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is the fact that he's the brother of James,
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the leader of the Jerusalem church.
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So I just love Jude's opening statement,
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because he makes his authority so clear and so plain,
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yet does so cloaked in humility,
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with only a few words.
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I pray that we would all exercise our various authorities with such wisdom and humility.
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So we know who Jude is,
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but whom is he writing to?
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Well, again, verse 1,
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Jude is writing to those who, quote,
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are called,
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those who are beloved in God the Father,
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and those who are kept for Jesus Christ.
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In other words,
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he's writing to true Christians,
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and given the nature of the letter
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and how much he references Jewish writings,
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these are probably Jewish Christians.
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Beyond that,
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we're merely speculating as exactly to who they are,
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but it is important to realize
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that they are true Christians, nonetheless,
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and his prayer for them,
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in verse 2,
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is for mercy, peace, and love to multiply.
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Now, for various reasons not worth explaining,
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we're going to circle back
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to the first two verses at the end of our time together,
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because I don't think they make full sense
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without reading verses 3 through 4
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to understand why Jude is setting the letter up as he does.
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So looking at verses 3 through 4, then,
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we're going to get into the body of Jude's letter.
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Verse 3,
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Jude transitions to the body,
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indicated by his second address.
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He says,
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Beloved.
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And a very peculiar thing happens.
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He says he wanted to write about their,
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quote,
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common salvation.
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Now, this is pretty typical in Greco-Roman letters,
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to write about a general concern
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related to the state of the city or the nation, right?
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And they would use this phrase,
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common salvation or common well-being.
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You could also translate it.
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So this is a very typical Greco-Roman letter,
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in a sense.
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And they would write these kind of letters during times of war,
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during times of economic strife.
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But Christians developed their own usage of this phrase.
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And we see that right here in Jude's writing.
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For them, it was about salvation and life.
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This was inherently kingdom of God language.
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You might think or say,
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speak of this in terms of the welfare of the church,
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so to speak.
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But it is more than this as well.
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Common salvation refers to all of redemptive history,
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its past and its future.
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This includes events like the Exodus,
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the wilderness wanderings,
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up to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection,
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and to the future day when Christ will return to reign
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and gather his elect.
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In other words,
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Jude was desiring with all haste
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to write to them about the gospel in its fullness.
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He could not wait to write to them about this gospel.
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He seems to be expressing that
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he did everything he could
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to write about this gospel as quickly as possible.
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And yet, at the end of the day,
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he does not primarily write about the gospel in his letter.
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He does reference it at points, to be clear.
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He does reference it.
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But it's not the primary subject matter
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that he decides to write about at the end of the day.
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So I want you to think about this.
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What could be more important or more pressing
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than writing about the gospel?
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I think about that for a moment.
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What happened to Bible language like Paul
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in 1 Corinthians 9, 16?
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He says,
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For if I preach the gospel,
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that gives me no ground for boasting,
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for necessity is laid upon me.
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Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.
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So what would make Jude decide to hold off
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on such an important and central topic?
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In the second half of verse 3,
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we see his explanation.
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He says,
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I found it necessary.
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You could translate it as,
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I was compelled to write,
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appealing to you to contend for the faith
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that was once for all delivered to the saints.
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What a powerful statement.
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Clearly, Jude views the faith of the saints
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as being under attack,
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which becomes more explicit in verse 4.
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So the answer to our question then is,
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and listen to this carefully,
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the only thing more important
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than discussing the true gospel
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with fellow believers in the church
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is defending the true gospel
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from false believers in the church.
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Okay, and I'm going to repeat that.
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The only thing more important
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than discussing the true gospel
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with fellow believers in the church
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is defending the true gospel
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from false believers in the church.
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We cannot discuss our common salvation
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in the church
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when there are those in the church
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who claim a different salvation.
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And we'll see that false teachers
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that Jude is addressing
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are in fact teaching a different gospel.
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And I want to be clear on this too.
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This does not minimize the gospel,
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what Jude is doing here,
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by waiting to share
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all these glorious truths.
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It actually emphasizes or heightens
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the importance and centrality
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of the gospel by defending it,
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to contend for it,
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to protect the flock
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from a false gospel.
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This is why he finds it necessary.
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So this verse contains
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his main exhortation to the church
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in his letter,
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to contend for the faith.
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The Greek word for contend
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is an athletic term.
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And so in the Greco-Roman world,
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athletes and athletics
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were typically associated
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with wrestling or running,
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these kind of sports.
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You could translate this word as fight,
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as this term was often used
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in struggles of war.
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And this verb is in the infinitive form,
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which simply means this fight is ongoing.
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Some have translated this phrase
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to carry on the fight for the faith.
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So it has that indefinite aspect.
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We are constantly contending for the faith.
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So it's not merely this particular occasion
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of these false teachers infiltrating the church
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that Jude is writing to contend,
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but he's saying to contend indefinitely.
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This is our struggle in this life,
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to contend for the faith,
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because false teachers will come.
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And then you see him use this phrase,
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the faith, in verse 3.
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The faith that Jude refers to
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is the faith of true Christian thought and living.
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Jude is talking about the faith
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that is rooted in pure biblical doctrine,
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as opposed to false faith and heretical views.
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Jude uses this phrase the way Paul often does
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in his letters to Timothy.
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2 Timothy 1, verse 13, Paul writes,
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Retain the standard of sound words,
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which you have heard from me,
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in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
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1 Timothy 4, verse 6,
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this connection is more explicit.
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Paul writes,
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In pointing out these things to the brethren,
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you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus,
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constantly nourished on the words of the faith.
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And he's talking about facts, doctrines, teachings,
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the words of the faith,
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and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
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So this faith that is rooted in sound doctrine
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is the faith that was once for all
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delivered to the saints, in verse 3.
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The saints being not necessarily the apostles,
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but all the believers who received the word
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by faith at the teaching and evangelism of the apostles.
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This faith was delivered to them once and for all,
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meaning it does not change.
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It's final.
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There are no additions or redactions,
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no edits to be made of any kind.
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Rather, the gospel has been and is presented in full.
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So they need not go seeking new ideas or new doctrines
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or new beliefs or new scriptures.
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Simply put, don't go astray, but fight.
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So you might be wondering,
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well, how do we fight for the faith?
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What does that actually look like?
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And Jude's not going to answer that question for us
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until we get to verses 20 through 23.
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So we will not really address that in full today.
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I will offer some closing thoughts towards the end on that.
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But instead of explaining how to fight,
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Jude next moves to explain in more detail
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the people who are responsible
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for this new purpose in writing.
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He wanted to write about our common salvation.
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Now he's compelled to write contend for the faith
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because of these people that he references.
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So let's look at verse four.
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And verse four, by the way,
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is going to be unpacked in more detail
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in the next two weeks
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because that's what Jude does
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for the main part of his letter.
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He unpacks this statement.
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So what does he say?
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He says in verse four,
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for certain people have crept in unnoticed
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who long ago were designated for this condemnation.
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Ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God
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into sensuality,
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deny our only master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
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So these people, Jude describes them
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with the verb periseduson, okay?
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And this verb, I will tell you,
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is a verb that you would not want to be described with
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in the Greco-Roman world.
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This verb is always tainted with a negative connotation.
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It could be translated as
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these people who worm their way in.
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It connotes something or someone
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that is bad or evil,
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that has entered with bad or evil motives.
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And these people who wormed their way in
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did so, in verse four, unnoticed.
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So Jude implies that they had something going on
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that these believers should have noticed,
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that they should have caught or picked up on.
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And notice too that these people
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are not pagans outside the church
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teaching whatever Greco-Roman religion.
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They're claiming to be Christians.
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They are in the church, right?
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They've infiltrated or wormed their way in.
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Not salvifically.
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They're not truly saved,
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not truly believers,
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but they are wolves in sheep's clothing.
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Now this is something that's going to be
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a little hard to digest, but true.
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These people, Jude says,
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essentially they are reprobates.
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Jude says in verse four,
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long ago they were designated
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for this condemnation.
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Meaning, God has ordained
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that they would not repent
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and place faith in Christ,
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thus leaving them in their own sin.
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The Greek word for designated
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is a participle that more woodenly translates
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as those who were written down
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or those who were marked out.
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So Jude is referring to the doctrines
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of divine election and reprobation,
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which he assumes his readers
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are very familiar with,
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as they should be.
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So if you're here today and wondering,
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what is that?
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Is that that spooky predestination thing?
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I would say yes.
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And Jude is assuming it is familiar.
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So you should strive to understand
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these rich gospel truths.
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And I'd be happy to plan lunch sometime.
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If you'd like that,
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explain more fully.
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I won't have time to do so today.
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If you want to combatively argue about it,
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I'd be happy to give you
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Clay's phone number
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or Nathan's phone number.
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I'm sure that'd be restful
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for Nathan on his break.
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But just to quickly summarize
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so that you have a frame of reference
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for what Jude is assuming we know,
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these doctrines go something like this.
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All of mankind is guilty before God
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for their sin as a result
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of the fall in the garden
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because our covenant head, Adam,
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sinned with his wife Eve.
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That's Genesis chapter 3.
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Mankind is incapable of doing
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or desiring anything.
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Rather, Genesis 5, verse 6,
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God speaks and it says,
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The Lord saw that the wickedness
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of mankind was great in the earth
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and that every intention
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of the thoughts of his heart
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was only evil continually.
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Nothing more, nothing less,
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but evil continually.
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Paul reiterates this
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in Romans chapter 3.
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And I'll just read verses 10 through 12,
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which says,
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None is righteous, no, not one.
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No one seeks for God.
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All have turned aside.
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Together they have become worthless.
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No one does good, not even one.
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So left to ourselves,
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we cannot even seek God,
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much less repent and believe in him.
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But here's the good news.
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The gospel, right?
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Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 1,
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verses 4 through 5,
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that God chose us, right?
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God chose the believers.
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In Christ, he goes on,
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He chose us in Christ
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before the foundation of the world,
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that we should be holy
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and blameless before him.
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In love, he predestined us
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for adoption to himself
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as sons through Jesus Christ,
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according to the purpose of his will.
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Paul goes on to say
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in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8,
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For by grace you have been saved
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through faith.
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And this, this whole act,
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salvation, grace, and faith,
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it is not your own doing.
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It is the gift of God,
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not a result of works
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so that no one may boast.
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So Jesus himself combines this idea
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of our inability to save ourselves
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and God's ability and desire
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to save those he has chosen.
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Jesus says in John chapter 6, verse 44,
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No one can come to me
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unless the Father who sent me
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drags him,
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and I will raise him up
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on the last day.
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Jesus goes on to say
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in verse 63,
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It is the Spirit who gives life.
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The flesh is no help at all.
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And then he says in verse 65,
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This is why,
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he's talking to the disciples,
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he says,
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This is why I told you
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that no one can come to me
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unless it is granted him
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by the Father.
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Why?
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Because the flesh
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is no help at all.
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And man is entirely
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dependent on God
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to save us,
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which is very good news
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because he is a Savior.
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He is compassionate,
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gentle, and lowly,
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desiring to save
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a people for himself.
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So what about those
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who are not elect?
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What about those
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who are not chosen?
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And as the earlier references
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made clear,
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it is mankind
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who has sinned
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and earned eternal punishment
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and condemnation.
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God is not responsible
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for their sin.
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Reprobation is simply
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understanding that God
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has chosen
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not to elect everybody
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and that those
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he has not elected
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will be left to do
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what they wish to do,
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which is exclusively
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the works of sin
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and lawlessness.
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Remember Genesis chapter 6,
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verse 5,
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they sought evil
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continually and only.
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So God leaves them
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in that state,
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them desiring
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what they desire.
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They are responsible.
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And Jesus taught
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this idea of reprobation
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in John chapter 12,
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verses 37 through 40,
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which explains
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why some of the crowd
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did not respond
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to Christ
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in faith and repentance.
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John writes,
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though Jesus had done
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so many signs
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before them,
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referring to the crowds,
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though Jesus had done
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so many signs
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before the crowds,
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they still did not
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believe in him.
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And there's a purpose
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to it.
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He says,
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so that the word
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spoken by the prophet
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Isaiah might be fulfilled.
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Lord,
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who has believed
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what he heard from us?
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And to whom
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has the arm of the Lord
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been revealed?
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Therefore,
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they could not believe.
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For again,
23:40
Isaiah said,
23:41
God has blinded
23:42
their eyes
23:43
and hardened
23:44
their heart,
23:45
lest they see
23:46
with their eyes
23:47
and understand
23:48
with their hearts
23:48
and turn
23:49
and he would heal them.
23:52
God has decreed
23:53
that he will not
23:54
save these individuals.
23:56
And Paul picks up
23:57
this same idea
23:58
in Romans chapter 9
23:59
verses 13
24:00
through 14.
24:02
He writes,
24:03
as it is written,
24:04
Jacob have I loved,
24:06
but Esau I hated.
24:08
What shall we say then?
24:10
Is there injustice
24:11
on God's part?
24:14
By no means.
24:15
It's the most emphatic way
24:17
you can say no
24:18
in Greek.
24:19
By no means.
24:26
So looking back
24:29
at Jude 4,
24:31
we now understand
24:32
the weightiness
24:33
of Jude's comment.
24:35
It is a very packed
24:36
theological statement.
24:39
He's saying,
24:40
these people
24:41
who have crept in
24:42
unnoticed,
24:43
who long ago
24:44
were marked out
24:45
for this condemnation,
24:47
these are the people
24:48
he's talking about.
24:49
These are the people
24:50
we are up against
24:51
as true believers.
24:52
These false teachers
24:53
who would lead us astray.
24:58
Now,
24:59
Jude is pastoral.
25:00
He cares about
25:01
the flock of God
25:02
and he's telling
25:03
his true Christian audience
25:05
about these people
25:08
because he wants them
25:08
to consider
25:09
their way of life
25:11
and where it leads to,
25:12
to condemnation.
25:15
So verse 4
25:16
serves two purposes
25:17
for Jude.
25:19
Number one,
25:19
he's able to publicly
25:20
denounce these false teachers.
25:23
But number two,
25:25
and I think more primarily,
25:26
more central,
25:27
he works to protect
25:28
the flock,
25:30
the beloved.
25:33
So what are these people
25:34
teaching that is false?
25:38
Well, Jude hints at it
25:39
in the second half
25:40
of verse 4.
25:41
He says,
25:41
these ungodly people
25:42
who pervert the grace
25:44
of our God
25:45
into sensuality
25:46
and deny our only
25:48
Master and Lord,
25:50
Jesus Christ.
25:51
Christ.
25:52
So clearly,
25:53
these people
25:53
are what some would call
25:54
antinomians
25:55
of some kind.
25:57
Now,
25:57
antinomianism
25:58
is a compound word.
26:00
It comes from the Greek.
26:01
It's,
26:01
the Greek word for law
26:02
is nomos
26:03
and then we have anti,
26:04
so anti-law
26:06
is essentially
26:06
what this word means.
26:08
So these people
26:08
are anti-law.
26:11
And it's very important
26:13
that you note,
26:14
right,
26:14
these people do not
26:15
deny the grace of God.
26:17
They are clearly people
26:19
who would say
26:20
they are Christians,
26:21
people who claim
26:22
to be members
26:22
of the church
26:23
and they clearly believe
26:25
in some form
26:27
of the grace of God
26:28
but they do not teach
26:30
the biblical truths
26:31
concerning
26:32
the grace of God.
26:34
Rather,
26:34
what do they do?
26:35
Jude says,
26:36
they pervert
26:37
the grace of God.
26:39
So they make use of it,
26:40
they talk about it,
26:40
they claim it,
26:41
but they pervert it.
26:44
And how so?
26:44
They use the grace of God
26:46
as an excuse
26:47
to be sexually loose.
26:49
They are adulterers
26:51
of some kind.
26:53
And worse than being
26:54
guilty of that alone,
26:55
they are guilty
26:56
of using the grace of God
26:58
to teach
26:58
and promote adultery.
27:03
Right,
27:03
so they are saying
27:03
by doctrine,
27:05
by belief,
27:05
by faith,
27:06
we don't have to keep
27:07
the law.
27:08
They are antinomians.
27:09
They are anti-law.
27:13
And that sounds a lot
27:14
like an idea
27:15
floated around today
27:16
in some so-called churches.
27:19
The idea that I can live
27:20
how I want
27:21
and do what I want
27:22
because grace abounds.
27:25
False,
27:26
according to Jude.
27:28
And James,
27:28
if you recall,
27:29
our sermon series,
27:30
James chapter 2,
27:31
verse 17,
27:32
makes plain
27:32
that faith without works
27:34
or obedience
27:35
is dead.
27:38
So just three examples
27:40
of antinomian teaching
27:41
that you have probably heard
27:43
on the radio
27:44
or at some point
27:45
in your life.
27:47
They might say things like,
27:48
it's okay to get a divorce
27:50
if you're not feeling
27:51
happy anymore.
27:54
Grace abounds.
27:56
Or,
27:57
homosexuality was only forbidden
27:58
in the old covenant.
27:59
You can do what you want now.
28:01
Grace abounds.
28:03
You don't have to go to church,
28:05
read the Bible,
28:06
or pray
28:07
to be a Christian.
28:09
Grace abounds.
28:10
Now,
28:12
there are many more
28:12
I could have listed,
28:13
but these three
28:14
should serve as a guide
28:15
to the kinds of things
28:17
that antinomianism teaches.
28:21
So fundamentally,
28:22
it is a denial
28:23
of Christ's lordship,
28:25
and we see it in verse 4.
28:26
They deny our only
28:28
Master and Lord,
28:30
Jesus Christ.
28:32
There's no submission
28:33
to our Lord,
28:34
and not only that,
28:35
but they teach
28:35
that we shouldn't submit.
28:37
That's the great heresy
28:38
that they teach
28:39
that we shouldn't submit,
28:41
but live
28:42
how we want.
28:44
And contrast that
28:45
with Jude,
28:45
who introduces himself
28:47
as servant
28:47
or a slave
28:48
of Christ.
28:50
These are two different people,
28:51
two different groups,
28:52
two different faiths.
28:56
Now again,
28:57
I want to emphasize
28:58
that I know
28:59
some of the things
29:00
just said
29:00
are maybe hard
29:01
to swallow
29:02
or hard to fully
29:04
comprehend.
29:05
Whether you're new
29:06
to these ideas
29:07
or not.
29:09
But this is why
29:10
I said earlier
29:11
that I'd want
29:11
to circle back
29:12
to verses 1-2.
29:14
I think Jude,
29:15
being pastoral,
29:17
anticipated the thoughts
29:18
and concerns
29:19
his audience
29:20
might have had
29:21
after hearing
29:21
this heavy swinging
29:23
against false teachers.
29:26
And I suspect
29:27
some of you
29:28
would share
29:29
those anticipated thoughts.
29:32
Perhaps you've wondered,
29:33
how do I know
29:33
I'm not a false teacher?
29:36
Or,
29:37
how can I possibly
29:38
be safe
29:38
with all these
29:39
false teachings
29:40
and false teachers
29:41
in the churches?
29:42
How do I know
29:42
what's right or wrong?
29:44
How do I know
29:44
I'll remain faithful
29:46
and not be swept up
29:47
in these kinds of things?
29:50
How can I be confident
29:51
that I will not be led
29:53
astray?
29:55
And this is where
29:56
Jude's opening
29:57
is so assuring,
29:58
so comforting,
29:59
and so hopeful.
30:00
So let's turn back
30:01
to that.
30:03
He says in the second
30:04
half of verse 1,
30:06
to those who are called,
30:08
those who are beloved
30:09
in God the Father
30:10
and kept
30:11
for Jesus Christ,
30:14
may mercy,
30:15
peace,
30:15
and love
30:16
be multiplied
30:16
to you.
30:20
Now those three verbs,
30:21
called,
30:22
beloved,
30:22
and kept,
30:24
are what you would call
30:25
divine passives,
30:27
meaning
30:27
that we are
30:28
called by God,
30:31
right?
30:31
Divine election,
30:32
we are loved
30:33
by God,
30:34
and we are kept
30:35
by God.
30:37
God is the implied
30:38
subject.
30:40
Nothing
30:40
can sweep you
30:42
away from salvation
30:44
in Christ.
30:46
Philippians chapter 1,
30:47
verse 6,
30:48
Paul says,
30:49
and I am sure
30:51
of this,
30:52
that God
30:52
who began
30:53
a good work
30:54
in you
30:54
will bring it
30:56
to completion
30:56
at the day
30:57
of Jesus Christ.
30:59
The psalmist
31:00
writes in Psalm 16,
31:01
verse 8,
31:02
I have set the Lord
31:03
always before me
31:04
because he is
31:05
at my right hand.
31:06
I shall not
31:07
be shaken.
31:10
And Jesus says
31:11
in John chapter 10,
31:12
verses 28 through 30,
31:13
I give them
31:14
eternal life
31:15
and they will
31:16
never perish
31:17
and no one
31:19
will snatch them
31:20
out of my hand.
31:20
No false teachers,
31:22
no nobody.
31:23
No one
31:23
will snatch them
31:25
out of my hand.
31:26
And he goes on,
31:27
my Father
31:27
who has given
31:28
them to me
31:30
is greater
31:30
than all
31:31
and no one
31:32
is able to snatch
31:33
them out of
31:33
the Father's hand.
31:35
I and the Father
31:36
are one.
31:39
So if you have
31:39
repented
31:40
and placed faith
31:41
in Jesus Christ,
31:42
then know that
31:43
this God
31:43
has truly
31:45
called you,
31:45
has truly
31:46
loved you,
31:47
and is truly
31:48
keeping you
31:48
for that final
31:49
day.
31:51
Nothing can
31:51
change this,
31:52
nothing will
31:52
change this.
31:54
God himself
31:55
will not
31:55
change this.
31:56
He is
31:56
faithful
31:57
and steadfast.
32:00
And we see
32:00
in verse 2,
32:01
he wishes
32:01
for mercy,
32:03
peace,
32:04
and love
32:04
to multiply
32:05
all of our
32:07
days.
32:07
Praise
32:08
God.
32:11
So as advertised,
32:13
I'd like to offer
32:13
some application
32:14
and closing
32:15
related to
32:16
Jude's charge
32:17
to contend
32:18
for the faith
32:19
in verse 3.
32:20
our fight.
32:22
Our fight as
32:23
Christians is
32:23
fought on the
32:24
battlefields of
32:25
the heart
32:26
and the mind.
32:28
We are
32:29
constantly to
32:29
be seeking
32:30
to conform
32:32
our thoughts
32:32
so as to
32:33
both understand
32:34
true doctrine,
32:35
right?
32:35
There's the
32:35
mind,
32:36
to build our
32:37
intellect and
32:38
the faith,
32:39
and to grow
32:40
in obedient
32:40
living.
32:41
There's the
32:42
heart,
32:43
to love the
32:43
things of God
32:44
and to obey
32:45
God.
32:46
So understand
32:48
that the
32:49
heart and
32:49
the mind
32:50
are our
32:51
battlefields,
32:51
which means
32:52
our strategies,
32:53
our weapons,
32:54
our comrades,
32:55
and so forth
32:56
must be proper
32:57
for such
32:58
battlefields.
33:00
So with that
33:01
in mind,
33:01
I have three
33:02
applications,
33:03
and they're
33:03
very simple.
33:04
Application
33:05
number one,
33:06
be vigilant.
33:09
Recognizing
33:09
from Jude
33:10
that false
33:11
teachers exist
33:12
and they come
33:13
to true
33:13
churches,
33:14
right?
33:15
We need
33:16
to be on
33:16
guard.
33:18
Now this
33:18
does not
33:18
mean you
33:19
need to
33:19
assume the
33:20
worst about
33:21
anything anyone
33:22
says in
33:23
church,
33:24
right?
33:24
It does not
33:25
mean your
33:25
default about
33:26
people should
33:27
be skepticism
33:28
concerning their
33:29
faith or
33:30
practice.
33:32
On the
33:32
contrary,
33:33
the Bible
33:33
repeatedly
33:34
makes it
33:34
plain that
33:35
we are to
33:35
be unified
33:36
in Christ,
33:37
believing the
33:38
best in
33:39
one another
33:39
until proven
33:41
otherwise.
33:42
That's 1
33:43
Corinthians
33:43
chapter 13.
33:45
It does
33:46
mean,
33:47
however,
33:47
that there
33:47
are things
33:48
to look
33:48
for that
33:49
we should
33:49
be guarded
33:50
against,
33:51
namely false
33:52
doctrine and
33:53
false living,
33:54
right?
33:54
There's that
33:54
head and
33:55
heart again.
33:58
Jesus tells
33:59
us we will
33:59
know our
34:00
true brothers
34:00
and sisters
34:01
of the
34:01
faith,
34:02
quote,
34:02
by their
34:03
fruit.
34:05
And for
34:05
those of you
34:05
betting,
34:06
that's
34:06
Matthew 7
34:07
verse 20.
34:08
So what
34:09
they practice,
34:10
we will know
34:11
them by their
34:11
fruit.
34:12
In this
34:13
application we've
34:14
brought up
34:14
every week
34:15
in some
34:15
form or
34:16
another because
34:16
it's the
34:17
charge throughout
34:18
the letter,
34:19
it's the thing
34:19
Jude is
34:20
concerned about.
34:22
So I won't
34:23
say any more
34:23
for now.
34:25
But the
34:25
second application,
34:26
work on
34:26
your heart.
34:29
So the
34:29
antinomians that
34:30
Jude addressed
34:30
sought to
34:31
promote ungodly
34:33
living in the
34:33
church.
34:35
And I hear
34:36
that if we
34:36
are not
34:37
constantly
34:37
working on
34:39
our hearts
34:39
to be
34:40
conformed to
34:40
the law
34:41
of Christ,
34:42
then the
34:43
inevitable
34:43
day when
34:44
a false
34:44
teacher comes
34:45
along and
34:46
spiritualizes
34:47
sin so as
34:49
to make it
34:49
acceptable,
34:50
we will
34:51
cave in.
34:53
So a
34:53
great defense
34:54
and a great
34:54
offense against
34:55
this is to
34:56
be working
34:56
on personal
34:57
holiness,
34:58
personal
34:58
godliness,
34:59
now,
35:00
daily,
35:01
denying
35:01
yourselves.
35:03
So if you
35:04
truly love
35:04
the things
35:05
of God
35:05
and obey
35:06
him as
35:06
you ought,
35:07
the temptation
35:08
to condone
35:09
such sin
35:09
will be
35:10
abhorrent
35:11
to you,
35:11
much less
35:11
practice it.
35:14
We have to
35:15
work towards
35:15
that through
35:16
prayer and
35:17
Bible reading
35:17
and spiritual
35:18
disciplines and
35:19
the church,
35:21
asking God
35:22
to conform you
35:22
to his
35:23
standards,
35:23
not yours,
35:25
asking God
35:25
to make you
35:26
love what he
35:26
loves and
35:27
hate what
35:28
he hates.
35:29
And again,
35:30
he who loves
35:31
you has
35:32
called you
35:32
and keeps
35:33
you,
35:34
and he will
35:34
answer those
35:35
prayers,
35:35
no question
35:37
about it.
35:39
And then
35:40
finally,
35:41
our third
35:41
application,
35:42
work on
35:43
your mind.
35:45
Know well
35:46
the common
35:47
salvation
35:47
that we
35:49
share as
35:49
believers,
35:50
in which
35:50
Jude refers
35:52
to.
35:52
Know well
35:53
the faith
35:54
for which
35:55
we are
35:56
contending.
35:57
As Paul
35:57
says in
35:58
Romans 12,
35:59
verse 2,
36:00
do not be
36:01
conformed to
36:02
this world,
36:03
but be
36:03
transformed by
36:04
the renewal
36:05
of your
36:05
mind,
36:07
that by
36:07
testing you
36:08
may discern
36:09
what is
36:09
the will
36:10
of God,
36:10
what is
36:11
good and
36:11
acceptable
36:12
and perfect.
36:15
There is
36:16
and has
36:17
been a
36:18
growing movement
36:19
in the
36:19
church,
36:20
broadly
36:20
speaking,
36:21
I don't
36:21
necessarily
36:21
mean Christ
36:22
family,
36:22
I just
36:22
mean the
36:23
church
36:23
broadly,
36:25
that some
36:25
have labeled
36:26
the anti-intellectual
36:28
movement.
36:29
And just to be
36:30
clear,
36:30
I don't
36:30
consider myself
36:31
an intellectual
36:32
or most
36:34
people,
36:34
but that's
36:36
not necessarily
36:37
what they're
36:37
talking about.
36:37
They're not
36:38
necessarily
36:38
talking about
36:38
the ivory
36:39
tower,
36:40
you know,
36:41
professor
36:41
guy.
36:43
No,
36:44
but within
36:44
that movement
36:45
you will
36:45
hear things
36:46
like this.
36:48
When they
36:48
talk to
36:49
pastors and
36:50
so forth,
36:51
they'll say,
36:52
seminary is a
36:53
waste of time
36:53
for everybody
36:54
no matter
36:55
what.
36:57
Or they
36:57
might say,
36:58
why would
36:58
you study
36:58
Greek and
36:59
Hebrew when
37:00
we have
37:00
English
37:01
translations?
37:03
Or maybe
37:04
something that
37:04
they will say
37:05
to everybody
37:06
in the church,
37:06
right?
37:07
They'll say
37:07
things like,
37:08
God does
37:09
not care
37:10
about how
37:10
much you
37:11
know,
37:12
he cares
37:12
about your
37:13
relationship
37:13
with him.
37:16
And to
37:16
be clear,
37:17
I'm not
37:17
saying every
37:18
Christian needs
37:19
a seminary
37:20
education.
37:21
I'm not even
37:21
saying every
37:21
pastor needs
37:22
a seminary
37:23
education.
37:25
After all,
37:26
Nathan does
37:26
not have
37:27
one,
37:27
and yet I
37:28
sit under
37:29
him as my
37:29
pastor.
37:30
Why?
37:30
Because I
37:31
have so much
37:32
to learn from
37:33
him and have
37:33
learned so much
37:34
from him,
37:35
and he works
37:35
diligently to
37:37
study and
37:37
to know and
37:38
to sharpen his
37:39
mind and
37:40
heart,
37:40
and he is
37:40
such a
37:41
wonderful,
37:42
godly role
37:43
model for
37:43
me and all
37:44
of us,
37:46
and for
37:47
which I am
37:47
so thankful.
37:50
Just lost
37:51
my spot,
37:51
there we
37:51
go.
37:55
But the
37:55
anti-intellectual
37:56
movement,
37:56
they just
37:57
don't want
37:58
to study,
37:59
simply put.
37:59
They want
38:00
things to be
38:00
simple.
38:01
They don't
38:01
want to
38:02
question any
38:03
things,
38:03
which means
38:04
they will
38:04
never have
38:04
answers.
38:05
They do
38:05
not want
38:06
to be
38:06
challenged
38:07
to think
38:07
deeply
38:08
about the
38:08
scriptures
38:09
and the
38:09
truths
38:09
therein.
38:11
And this
38:11
means they
38:11
will never
38:12
develop a
38:12
biblical
38:13
worldview
38:13
to address
38:15
the issues
38:15
of our
38:16
day,
38:16
beyond
38:16
Jesus
38:17
loves me,
38:18
this I
38:18
know.
38:19
But make
38:19
sure you
38:20
don't ask
38:20
them how
38:20
they know
38:21
because they
38:21
don't like
38:22
asking
38:22
questions.
38:24
And don't
38:25
get me wrong,
38:25
there are
38:25
simple things
38:26
to know.
38:27
There is a
38:27
simplicity to
38:28
the gospel
38:29
that is
38:29
beautiful.
38:31
But understand
38:32
one danger
38:33
of this
38:33
movement,
38:34
and you've
38:34
probably never
38:34
heard the
38:35
title,
38:35
but I
38:35
guarantee
38:36
you've met
38:36
people in
38:37
this movement.
38:38
They want
38:39
everything to
38:39
be simple.
38:40
And honestly,
38:41
that is just
38:41
not good for
38:43
biblical doctrine.
38:44
That is not
38:44
good for
38:45
Christian living,
38:46
for life
38:47
and godliness.
38:51
C.S.
38:51
Lewis once
38:51
said,
38:52
God is no
38:52
fonder of
38:54
intellectual
38:54
slackers than
38:55
of any other
38:56
slackers.
38:57
God is no
38:58
So I
38:58
would implore
38:59
you all
38:59
to study,
39:00
study,
39:01
and study
39:02
so that your
39:03
blade is sharp
39:04
and effective
39:05
as you contend
39:06
for the faith
39:07
once for all
39:08
delivered to
39:09
the saints.
39:10
To know that,
39:11
to know its
39:11
lines,
39:12
to know when
39:12
those lines
39:13
have been
39:13
crossed,
39:14
and to
39:14
articulate why
39:16
and how
39:16
so you can
39:17
be effective
39:17
in evangelism
39:19
and discipleship.
39:20
I pray
39:22
that the
39:23
prayer
39:23
in Psalm 27
39:25
verse 4
39:26
is the
39:26
prayer
39:27
of all
39:28
of our
39:28
hearts.
39:28
And I
39:29
plead with
39:29
you,
39:29
let this
39:30
verse
39:31
saturate
39:32
your mind
39:33
and your
39:33
heart.
39:34
The psalmist
39:34
writes,
39:36
One thing,
39:38
one thing
39:38
have I asked
39:39
of the Lord,
39:40
one thing
39:41
that I will
39:41
seek after,
39:43
that I may
39:44
dwell in the
39:45
house of the
39:45
Lord all
39:46
the days of
39:47
my life.
39:48
And notice
39:48
this,
39:49
to gaze
39:49
upon the
39:50
beauty of
39:50
the Lord,
39:51
there's the
39:51
heart,
39:52
and to
39:53
inquire or
39:54
to learn
39:54
in his
39:56
temple,
39:56
there's the
39:57
mind.
39:59
To love
40:00
God and
40:01
to learn
40:02
about him,
40:02
our mind
40:03
and our
40:03
heart,
40:03
to love
40:04
the Lord
40:04
our God
40:04
with all
40:05
our heart,
40:06
mind,
40:06
and soul.
40:08
This is
40:09
Jesus'
40:09
commandment
40:10
to his
40:10
church.
40:11
So to
40:12
that end,
40:12
let's pray.