Jude Overview

Introduction

General William Booth

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.”

Jude is one of if not the most important books for the hour we live in.

I am going to show you the two bookends with a bunch of warnings in the middle

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:12–14, ESV)

Jesus is holding the sword of the Spirit with the tip in the middle of your chest over your heart. And He is saying, “Come here”.

The sword that cuts, heals.

The Word that penetrates, restores

Jesus invites us into the portions of Scripture that help us re-calibrate values.

There’s something about eternity that puts time into perspective

One of the most important things you can teach your children and grandchildren is that one day they will stand before the Lord and give an account of their lives.

The Word of God keeps us focused on “due north”. It is the reference point that keeps everything in perspective.

In times of trial eternity keeps everything in focus

In times of prosperity and blessing eternity keeps everything in focus

I. The Two Book Ends

A. The book starts with a concern, followed by 19 verses of warning, and ends with one of the most incredible promises in the Bible

B. We’ll start with the concern, then jump to the promise, and then look at the warnings that will get us to the promise.

II. The concern

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.” (Jude 3, ESV)

Contend - get into military statue, military position, and fight for the faith that was one for all delivered to the saints.

That’s the concern

III. The Promise

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,” (Jude 24, ESV)

Anyone interested in never stumbling again?

Never being stupid again

Never want to mess up again

A. This is one of those promises that seems too good to be true but it is so good it has to be true.

Only God could come up with a promise like this.

Out of the red, into the black

IV. The Plumb Line

100 2x4s 6 ft long.

Each new board will be about 1/8 inch longer

The 100th board will be 7 ft or longer.

A. In Christianity, the achievement of the previous generation, if not plumb, will inevitably be further and further from the Gospel plumb line found in the scriptures 2,000 years ago.

We feel comfortable with the upgrade, seeing it as an improvement, when in fact it is not plumb.

. Jude sees this coming and warns, contend with extra effort to stay plumb, to stay with the Gospel that was delivered

Don’t add to it, don’t take away from it

America has made avoiding pain or inconvenience an art form