CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS - THE CRISIS

Jude is a letter regarding the steadfastness of Christians while addressing the false teachers that have infiltrated – calling believers to CONTEND for the faith

Let us pray!

Christian Steadfastness

Jude 1–4 – Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

I. THE CRISIS—vv. 1–4

1. Relational—v. 1 – Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

Greeting similar to Paul and Peter –

2 Peter 1:1-2 – Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

How does Jude view his relationships –

Servant – doulos – slave, bondman, devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interest

How do you view yourself – a servant of Jesus or deserving of blessing?

Brother – adelphos – brother whether born of the same two parents or only same parent either father or mother

Galatians 1:19-20 – But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

James was the ½ brother of Jesus

Jude is James brother

Jude then is the ½ brother of Jesus.

Jesus calls us to be servants as well – not serving our own desires or plans but His

Matthew 23:11-12 – The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Colossians 3:24 – Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

John 12:26 – If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Jude says – those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ

You are called – we are all called – do you hear His voice?

Galatians 5:13 – For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

2 Timothy 1:9 – Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

1 Corinthians 1:9 – God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 10:27-30 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Matthew 25:32-33 – Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

2. Peace—v. 2. Mercy, peace and love multiplied.

Eirene – i ray nay – peace eleos – mercy agape – God’s love

Plethyno – play thoo no – increased, multiplied

In the midst of trials and desert times of life – what do you pray for?

Mercy of God –

Deuteronomy 4:31 – For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

Psalm 145:9 – The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Joel 2:13 – and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Peace of God – Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:15 – And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Psalm 119:165 – Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.

Love of God – John 3:16-18 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

One of the themes’ that runs thru Jude is God does not send people to hell

People reject God and choose hell (John 3:18)

Atheist Commercial – Ron Reagan – Freedom from Religion Foundation

3. Persistence —v. 3 – Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Don’t give up

Galatians 6:9 – And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Proverbs 24:16 – For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

Jude writes, urging the people to defend the Christian faith.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Timothy 6:12 – Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 1:18 – This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

Philippians 1:27 – Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

Galatians 2:5 – to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

2 Peter 3:12 – This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,

Philippians 4:1 – Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Jude writes that while he was wanting to write about the salvation that they share – a more urgent manner has arisen for his writing – defend the faith

Epagonizomai – ep ag o nid zom ahee – earnestly contend for – contend is to struggle in opposition to strive in rivalry, dispute earnestlyto assert and maintain

What is he writing to urge to struggle in opposition – we see in verse 4

4. Trouble —v. 4 – For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Another translation - For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Godless men – change the word

Wrong teachers got into the church, denying Christ and encouraging sinful living.

As a believer you have the obligation to know the Word – to hold me accountable to teaching the Word, His Word – and if I stray – each of you are required to hold me accountable

When you do a Bible Study – it is your obligation to know the author, his or her beliefs and what else they are teaching – they cannot teach anything contrary to Scripture or they are a false teacher

2 John 10-11 – If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

2 Peter 2:1-3 – But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Titus 1:15-16 – To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

2 Timothy 3:6 – For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,

Jude informs the church – they have 4 serious charges against them

a. Scripture condemns

a. Revelation 20:12, 15 - And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

b. Godless – asebes – as eb ace – destitute – to act against the orders (God), rebellion against God

c. Convert grace to permissionable sinfulness

Romans 6:1-2 – What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Mark 7:21-23 – For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

d. Deny Christ as Lord and Savior – not an atheistic declaration – but living contrary to what they professed to believe

Arneomai – ar neh on ahee – to abnegate, to prove false

Galatians 5:13 – For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Ephesians 4:14 – so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.