Jude Part 3

Study of Jude

Contending for the Faith in a Contentious World Pt. 3

Surviving in a World filled with Apostasy

Intro: Over the past two weeks we have been looking at this short but very powerful epistle, written by the Lords half brother, Jude. This epistle is powerful because it is very relevant for the day in which we live. Jude has been instructing his readers that the things that Paul and peter both warned them about has now come true. The church at this point, as we have seen, is inundated with false teachers. They are preaching doctrines that deny the deity and sovereignty of Christ. They are preaching multiple ways to receive salvation and sin is prevalent. It has been, for the past 19 verses, a gloomy outlook on the church. But in these last five verses Jude makes a 180 and instructs his readers on how they are to survive in this awful condition of the churches. So that is what I want to concluded the series with today; I would like to take Jude’s Benediction and give us some encouragement and some survival skills, so that we are able to survive in a world that is filled with apostasy.

Main:

I) Survival is not just enduring until the rescue

The word survive when defined as a verb has three definitions; the one that I believes attests to us as believers would have to be :to get along or remain healthy, happy, and unaffected in spite of some occurrence:

A) To survive we must remember v17

Remember what you have been taught. A person new to an area will want to know what is there that could harm them.

B) To survive we must rise up v20a

We have something that no one else has. We have a perfect faith preached from a perfect book given by a perfect God telling about a perfect Savior bringing a perfect salvation.

C) To survive we must rely v20b

We must rely upon markers that have been laid, we must rely upon someone else. If we going hiking and have a map, we are going to rely upon the person that drew the map. Prayer is our map and the Bible is our compass.

D) To survive we must remain v21a

We must remain grounded. Remain solid and unwavering in the faith.

E) To survive we must retain v21b

Retain the hope

II) Survival is about helping others

Many people when in a dire situation, seem to resort to natural instinct. Save self. There is a show that has many fans which bears the name survivor. The ultimate goal of the show is to be the lone survivor on the island. Similar to modern day Christianity, it starts out a team effort but by the time you get to the end of a tuff situation it seems it has become a lone survivor mentality. Jude instructs his readers that survival not only involves yourself, it also involves all other believers, despite their current condition.

A) Helping others involves compassion v22

There are many different personalities inside of a church. Each person responds differently depending upon how he or a she is treated. Jude is instructing his readers that there are some that will need to be approach with compassionate love. Paul, in writing to the church at Corinth, instructs his readers in a similar fashion. (2Corth. 2:4-8)

B) Helping others involves concernment (of upmost importance) v23a

A commentator wrote about this verse, “The lesson for the Church to learn is to approach men according to their condition. Somebody in a hurry gave a tract on the sin of dancing to a man with two wooden legs. We fear that worse mistakes, if possible, are committed frequently. When the Savior preached to publicans and sinners, His method was simple, and His message loving; but when He preached to the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees His manner was more dignified, and His message more authoritative.”

C) Helping others involves using caution v23b

‘The garment’ that Jude is referring to is the inner piece that is next to the person, and is itself soiled. This is a fitting symbol of whatever, by means of external conduct, may make others sharers in the moral destruction we are seeking to avert. Our saving love for sinners must not cause our hatred for sin to lessen and further, we must beware that a lack of caution to the deceitfulness and virulence of sin we ourselves, unconsciously, catch the contagion. The mere contact of garment against garment can spread many diseases. So using caution will prevent any well-meant actions turning into an epidemic. A preacher of old is quoted saying, “The well-meant attempts of one man to save another, sometimes ends in the ruin of both.

III) Survival becomes easier when you are aware of who the rescuers are v24-25

These final two verses, Jude is giving his doxology or in other words Jude is instructing his readers of who it will be that will rescue them. He is informing them that regardless of what you have been thinking while reading this letter, there is reason to rejoice, because the rescuer is not only going to come with a trump and a shout, but he is also able to keep you from falling

A) Aware that the rescuers will arrive right on time

He is coming, just hold on he will arrive in time to get you out alive

B) Aware that the rescuers will arrange the perfect rescue

Like we said in the beginning, we serve a perfect God who will do no less then absolute perfection. He has arranged our rescue perfectly.

C) Aware that the rescuers have the authority to do what it takes.

If you were the President’s son and had gotten lost, wouldn’t it be nice to know that your daddy has all the power needed to call in who ever it takes to find you. Well Jude is telling his readers not to worry because the one sending the rescuer has all the authority needed to make the rescue a success.