Jude

I would like to start today with reading the whole epistle of Jude. Verse one.  

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:  

2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.  

Judgment on False Teachers 

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. 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.  

5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.    

  Let's pray, holy and gracious Father in heaven, we just give you the praise and the glory today ,everyday And Lord. Today is the day that you have made, a day that you've made so beautifully. For us. And Lord God. Help us. Guide us. Show us more of who you are, Teach us Lord God. Give us understanding and wisdom. That we may be able. To discern. The ungodly from the godly. To resist the devil. And seek first the Kingdom of God. Jesus, we thank you for everything you have done. Through your work on the cross. For giving your word? For the truth. Of who we are in you. That we are loved beyond Measurability. That your love jesus surpasses. All knowledge. I ask, Lord, that you protect all the families that are here. For all my brothers and sisters that are in the world. That they get filled with your Holy Spirit. And contend for the faith. Holy Spirit, guide my heart, my mind, and use my voice to give your message in the name above all, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

 When I was volunteering in Detroit's Life Challenge/adult teen challenge. The pastor there was asking everybody, what would be the one page, if you were to be lost somewhere. One page out of the Bible, what page would it be? Good question. I mean, there's so many pages and chapters, so many good words that bring life, spiritual healing, physical wellness to ALL of us. Any Psalm, any chapter of wisdom from Proverbs.  

Proverbs chapter 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid”. Although it is a very true statement, if I was by myself stranded on an empty island, I'm sure by day three, probably day one, I would be saying to myself I'm stupid, I'm stupid, I'm stupid. How did I get lost on an island stranded? Ohh, well then I'm stupid, I'm stupid, I'm stupid. Probably not the words I'd be wanting to feed myself every day. 

Matthew chapter 5 a great chapter, Jesus teaches the Be-attitudes, salt and light, the law, anger, lust, divorce, vows, revenge and loving your enemies. 

   When I sat and I thought about it. Hands down Jude is my favorite letter and it's so short that it all fits on one page and I chose this letter in particular because it is for us. For people alone and or ministers helping the lost, the hurting, and so on. 

 All of you here today are Living out Jesus's last words in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, verse 19, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son. And the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. 

Verse 3 Although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share. “We share”. That means we know Christ already. We know the Word, we know of The of Gospel of our salvation, Jesus Christ. The next part of that verse “I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people”. 

Contend -Merriam Webster. 1828 2. To strive; to use earnest efforts to obtain, or to defend and preserve. 

So how do we today contend for our faith in a world that is so aggressive and destroying itself through moral decay, The identity crisis, People with gender dysfunctions, Dysphoria. On people addicted to all the worldly things constantly against. God's Word. 

The first way. Is to know the truth. And we do that by studying the Bible. Pastors and seminary professors don't have monopoly on this task. It is actually up to us. The study of the word, meditating on the word, having small groups and discuss which you guys are awesome about. Every Sunday. Every Wednesday. That pleases God, and God loves you. And without studying his word. You can , I should say, good possiblity we will fall. To. False doctrines or perversions of wrong teachings. And what happens is you hurt others and ourselves. 

The second way. Of contending for our faith is to grow personally with Christ. Well, the knowledge of His word is important. It is more important to have a personal relationship with Christ, with Jesus, and in Jesus's last words in Matthew, as we read, I am with you always. Well, how is he with us? Always Well. We have the Helper, the Holy Spirit that is with us always. June 20. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. We must make our relationship personal with Jesus and receive. The Holy Spirit. Our helper in the Spiritual battle. 

 The third way. Is to stay focused on. The essentials of our faith Why do we have faith? Well. Jesus, who was no sin, was made sin. For us, he was crucified. He died, he went to Hades for three days and was resurrected with the keys in his hand and sits at the right hand of our Father in heaven.  

Jesus died for me personally, He died for you personally. repented / turn from sins, and looked to the cross. For all answers of understanding. Jesus is always the answer. And the Holy Spirit comforts us. And guides our hearts. our mind. And heals ALL of us, NOT some of us , Its ALL of us , seek first the kingdom of GOD, Because Jesus isn't on that cross, Jesus overcame the world, Jesus is the light,  Make it personal.

The non essentials. Examples are. Music and worship styles like guitars, drums, saxophones, it's all joyful noise to the Lord. It's not important. Another good example is denominations. Oh, you have to be Pentecostal, all you have to be Baptists. All you must be Catholic. Ohh, you must be Reformed. The list goes on and on. Not important. The thing that's the most important, the essential, is faith in Christ, that God's Word is truth. Jesus, is that truth? And we need the help of the Holy Spirit. Matthew, 28, had said. Jesus words baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have to turn from the life of sin. Repent and seek the Kingdom of God In all of our affairs. 

The work on the cross. Defeated death. Jesus's blood was shed for us. Now we have a way to right standing with God because of it, that our sins are forgiven. If we repent. Be reborn of the Spirit. Be all in for Jesus. I'm skipping over a lot. One day We can have a study over the whole letter because it is so good. And there's just no way you could. Ever. Be satisfied. With. A quick explanation. Because we are living this out as a growing body of Christ, this letter is for us. To keep it constant remembrance. However let's move on. To my favorite, most quoted Bible verse. Anybody that knows me would laugh. Because I bet they can recite this because of how many times I say it. Verse 10. 

10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively 

The NIV states it this way. Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct, as irrational animals do, will destroy them. 

Know anybody like that? I know I do. I work with many of them. They're in stores, gas stations, Freddy's. Everywhere. This verse plays out. We see it in the news. We see it in our families. These kinds of people do not know Jesus. Verse 11. Woe to them, for they walk in the way of Cain and abandon themselves for the sake of gain. 

The thief comes to steal. Kill and destroy. Wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord.  

Verse 16 says. These are the grumblers, the male contents, the complainers. They followed their own sinful desires. They're a loudmouth boasters, showing favoritism to show gain. 

We must know who we are in Christ, that we are loved. Yet the Holy Spirit is to here to help us, to comfort us. That grace was given to us. It was a gift from God. The work of the cross. Freed us from the wages of sin. The wages of sin is death. Jesus's blood was shed for it. People will try to lead us astray. And to forget that. They don't have the spirit. 

Verse 20. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselfs in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 

At the beginning. Vrs 2 

 To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 

The mercy of our Lord Jesus. The peace that comes from praying in the Holy Spirit. And love, that is God's love. Build your faith. Wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life. Contend for our faith. Remain in Jesus. Remain on the vine. Have patience. Vrs 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.  

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, 25 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.  

I would like to challenge everybody here. Today to at least read. This letter. Often I read it multiple times a week. It's right before Revelation. It's for people who know who Jesus is and are walking out faith. Doing what Jesus asked us to do in Matthew 28. To go and make disciples. As we see the struggles of others that are in overdrive to destroy themselves. The moral decay. People's gender issues. People coming off of drugs. Everybody needs Jesus. But we need to remember the stand and fight, contend for our faith. To help others. We must be strong in the word. We must Build ourselves up by praying in the Holy Spirit. And to snatch people from the fire, make disciples. 

Stand on the truth, which is the Word of God, and be witnesses of God's grace, which is a gift, and His unending love. Give people the gospel of Jesus Christ. The greatest love story. God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. Snatched some people. From the fire.

THE POINT IS CONTEND FOR THE FAITH!

Live an UPRIGHT LIFE

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Let's pray.