The Bible Series Jude

All the neighborhood stood still and quiet, my wife froze where she was at, I stood looking at my son… my heart beating powerfully in my chest with some of the deepest fear mixed with concern and panic that it had ever felt. Just seconds before… I watched as my young son rode his bike between our cars right towards the street as a car was driving down our street towards a collision with my son .

I consider myself a loving father much more eager to laugh with and have a good time with my children… but as I saw this event unfolding… with everything within me a the top of my lungs I yelled out from across the yard STOP!!! It was not out of anger but fear for what I saw coming… My son froze, the neighborhood stooped and looked, the car screeched to a halt… ALL there that day heard a father’s plea and responded.

Jude, deeply cares for his audience. He desires to encourage them in the many blessings of salvation and encourage them to share with all those who are lost. ( I would love this, Jude wanted to do this…BUT… )

As Peter wrote… scripture is not, “an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

The Heavenly Father saw what was and moved Jude to write this cry, this plea to the people

The cry of this letter is one of warning and one of a call to arms! This is a battle cry!

False teaching is prevalent and it had crept its way into the church body…

Timothy is encouraged, “fight the good fight of faith”

Paul shares his heart with the Philippians desiring to, “hear that they are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel!”

To the church in Ephesus we read about a battle that we are all engaged in… Ephesians 6:10-13

Ephesians 6:10–13 NASB95

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

There is a war and we are engaged in battles… the attacks still come today. Jude echos these charges in his brief postcard to the saints as he writes challenging them to CONTEND for the FAITH!!! He introduces this letter in an amazing fashion… Jude 1-2

Jude 1–2 NASB95

Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.

Letter Information

Jude is most likely the half brother of Jesus, full brother of James

States he is a bondslave ( a calculated choice of service with joy!)

What a powerful way to address his readers:

Beloved: not just by Jude but also and more so by “God the Father”

One’s loved, the object of affection, Dear to one’s heart uniquely loved

You get a deep compassion and care for the ones Jude is writing to

Jude references two of the books from the Apocrypha

Good resources, great history and information, BUT NOT SCRIPTURE

I reference many authors and writings… good but not scripture

He not only references these two resources, Jude references a great deal from the Old Testament!!!

False teachers are in the midst of these believers and Jude is calling upon individuals, believers, ones who are BELOVED to CONTEND! Jude 3-16

Jude 3–16 NASB95

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Overview of Jude

We are mandated here by Jude to CONTEND for the Faith: Verses 3-4 summarize this brief letter so well. As Jude writes he unpacks this PURPOSE for his readers.

Jude deals with and covers all heresy and apostates (those who have renounced their faith and gone a different direction)

Apostasy occurs when one steps away from the context of scripture and begins to look into small sections in a deeper way looking for “new revelation” or “new teaching” searching for a deeper meaning and setting aside the clear context of God’s Word and following cryptic messages.

When it comes to the faith… what we believe matters… (Belief creates behavior and behavior has consequences) there is a battle for the mind!!!

John would describe the Word made flesh as the Light among men… but the darkness did not comprehend Him.

Truth is slowly eroding away truth in so many of the teachings in this world and replacing it with deceptive counterfeits

False teachers have crept their way into our churches and the christian faith!

Jude is challenging his readers to DEFEND OR CONTEND for the faith for truth!

Defending Takes Effort

Defend it (CONTEND) stand firm Do NOT allow false teaching to deceive your mind

This means you and I are responsible to KNOW the truth

It order to guard the truth we need to know it so we can identify the counterfeit!!!

Jude realizes some may have taken this initial charge half hearted, Therefore, he illustrates in some powerful ways REASONS TO CONTEND...

Jude utilizes TRIADS… the strength of threes...

3’s create emphasis… create strength (a cord of three strands is not easily broken)

The 3’s we see in Jude create a STRONG Argument or emphasis on the danger and warnings being delivered here…

Remember… Verses 5-7 REMINDING them of 3 things they know… (Past Judgments)

1. Unbelieving Israel… unbelief brings destruction

2. Certain Angels… disobedience brings punishment and consequences

3. Sodom & Gomorrah… immorality and sin brings about an example to all of the fire of hell

HELL IS REAL & ETERNAL… sin holds eternal consequences

Yet false teaching allows for one to indulge in sin without consequences!!!

Jude is saying… CHURCH wake up… you know how God deals with these things. (GOD NEVER changes, He still deals with sin!)

Jude uses Past examples to show (Present Characteristics) of “These People”

Verses 8-16 Describes these individuals in some powerful ways… “These people” throughout these verses. (SAME GROUP)

Their authority comes from things of dreams/ their own minds Verses 8-13

1. Live immorally

2. Defy authority

3. Scoff at supernatural beings

In their arrogance they act foolishly… Not even those angels (who are powerful) denounce fallen angels

Yet in their ignorance and pride they place themselves higher than these beings “these people” false teachers

Like unreasoning animals

These actions are nothing new and will continue to the end of time… Verses 12-13

1. Cain… sinned because of jealousy and wanting his way over God’s

2. Balaam… deceiving for money

3. Korah… rebelled against God (Moses and Aaron) and the leadership… and perished because of it

“These People” claim fellowship & to shepherd... but they bring nothing to the table… they are empty, worthless, only care only for themselves

They were starving the sheep in their teaching apostacy… while feeding their own pride and lust

1. Clouds… bringing no rain or refreshment

2. Trees… in fall, uprooted, doubly dead… no fruit is found

3. Waves… tossing here and there, making noise, yet producing nothing solid just empty foam

Enoch warned of “Their” Type and “These People’s” (Future Judgement) Verses 14-16

Grumblers, Complainers, Satisfying self, Brag, Use flattery

Belief creates behavior and behavior has consequences

God will judge and convict evil and sin

After addressing REASONS TO CONTEND and considering “THESE PEOPLE” we are given some insight as to HOW TO CONTEND Jude 17-23

Jude 17–23 NASB95

But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

But You, Beloved...

Verses 17-23 Give us some very clear instruction and action items to implement into our lives… (NOTICE: panic and be fearful is not on this list!)

Jude here gives four imperatives:

REMEMBER… (think) sound teaching Jude seems to be pointing to things Peter has stated along with the other Apostles

Don’t think on the things that are divisive, worldly minded, or devoid of the Holy Spirit

Build up your faith… stretch those spiritual muscles

The FIRST TWO entail your BIBLE STUDY

The SECOND TWO are RELATIONAL

PRAY!!!! in the power of the Holy Spirit

LOVE GOD… not this world

Anticipate and look for the Lord’s return

Here’s how to engage with the lost souls with discretion...

Show mercy to the doubting

Be bold, willing to snatch out of the fire

Be cautious with mercy always hating the sin that entangles them

The battle rages today, the task can seem overwhelming, our minds are taxed with all that is thrown at us understanding the spiritual warfare we are engaging in… there are those who are lost, needing the truth… we may ask “WHO CAN HELP ME???”

And Jude closes with one of the richest doxology ever of the ONE WHO IS ABLE… Jude 24-25

Jude 24–25 NASB95

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Our Heavenly Father may be crying out to you and I in warning, and even a battle cry… but Jude is written and closes assuring us victory is sure! Oh what a God!