Sermon Tone Analysis

Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Saying in team sports- that the best offense is a good defence.

These people would spend all their time studying there opponent and readying themselves with countermeasures.

But just as many people would say that the best defense is a good offense, and these people would worry much less or not at all about what other teams do.

Well so far what has Jude done for us - remember the amber alert, the two threefold descriptions of the false teachers.

He wants us to understand the dynamics of that root sin of presumption.

He wants us to connect the dot between unbelief, rebellion and what?

Judgment.

First half of the letter is decidedly about they, and he has shown a universal time spanning in the past.

A little bit negative, and not only that heavy and indeed scary.

As one person put it this keeps me up at night - thinking of all the error and the false teaching in Christ’s church today.

Well this should wake us up.

A little bit like Greta Thunberg from Sweden, but might get stuck there just point out the problem, overwhelmed angry depressed.

And boy when you re-read the effect of their teaching on God’s people from those nature metaphors - hidden reefs, waterless clouds, fruitless trees -twice dead with no seed, wild waves of the sea scummy foam stirred up , wandering stars whose spark of light going to burn out and lead others into the same darkness and judgment - ought to be alarmed.

Who wants to be in a church of grumblers, malcontents, where sinful desire reigns, loudmouthed boasters twist true way of Christ, and show favoritism selfish gain?

But Jude the brother of Jesus, once didn’t believe Messiah on earht, once didn’t believe in a God who would send his Son as a sin sacrafice and riase HIm pu and a new humanitya new church with him, this Jude isn’t surprised nor daunted by the presence of false teachers.

And under the inspiriation of thehOly SPirit he has words from his brother and Lord the King Jesus atthe righthand of the gloryin heaven, so you won’t be either.

Why not?

He finishes this letter with the three-prong offensive and positive strategy for dealing with the the false teachers and contending for the faith, the gospel of Jesus within the church!

Tonight we’ll look at the first of those two strategies.

The thrid is how you can play a part in rescuing others influenced by false teaching, plagued withdoubts, toying with unbelief, stuck in rebellion - how though hatingthe false teaching you can exercise not justice but mercy inhelping these.

But justlike when you board a plane and they run through the safety check, if the cabin should ose pressure - only a few minutes and pass out with out oxygen so get yours on and then help others.

So too tonight focus on two strategies toconented for the faith and persevere in it, combatting unbelief.

You can have protection and vicotry over falseteaching, when you

Key Truth: Keep the content of holy faith at the forefront of your mind, and the experience of the love of God at the core of your being!

Having laid out he problem and described the enemy actually 18 descriptions here - pretty full apb: Profile of an Apostate Jude now switches from speaking from they .. .to

you, you beloved.

Changes from warning to exhortation and to encouragement.

He is returning to the purpose and coming to the climax of the letter.

Remember the point Jude 3b

And the first command he gives the first strategy is designed to calm all that anxiety true believers have about false teaching.

Here it is:

A. Remember the Apostles’ Teaching & Warnings

And maybe you say well how does remembering the predictions of the Lord Jesus Christ’s official s delegates change how we face false teaching?

Well the key word there is REMEMBER and the idea is not that you forgot these predictions I hope you remember these: starting with Jesus himself warning of wolves in sheep clothing,false prophets deceiving if possible even the elect in the church.

But then when he was gone, appointed spokespersons - to teach everything he commanded and gave the Holy Spirit in fuller measure to not only bring into remembrance but to have God teach the meaning of the cross the resurrection the ascension, the kingdom of God among us, the fruits of our salvation, way to walk in the Spirit, Do you remember what Peter and Paul said in warning not so long ago to you:

Well the first strategy is less about not forgetting those words, as it is about expecting these predictions to come true in your life tie, even in your denomination, even in your congregation.

And this is actually good and positive and encouraging for us.

Can you imagine if you lived in a world were nothing bad ever happened, all of a sudden you lost your voice one morning, then your hearing the next, then movement in your toes, next morning your hands.

Everyone else’ life is going swimmingly, - but would you not dread waking up the next morning.

Well, after reading Jude’ letter so far, after surveying false teachers around us - can feel paralyzed like that.

And the first strategy is for you to say: look this is normal, when God sends his word of truth and grace it is sporadically against human pride and sinful nature - that it is normal and to be expected that there will be opposition, even Satanic opposition.

And your first step to getting to a positive strategy is not to panic.

Nor to ignore it and say couldn’t happen here, no real false teachers in our day.

Well the first strategy is less about not forgetting those words, as it is about expecting these predictions to come true in your life tie, even in your deomoination even in your congregation.

And this is actually good and posotive and encouraging for us.

Can you imagine if you lived in a world were nothing bad ever happened, all of a sudden you lost your voice one morning, then your hearing the next, then movement in your toes, next monring yor hands.

Everyone elses’life is oging swimingly, - but would you not dread waking up the next morning.

Well, after reading Jude’ letter so far, after surveying false teachers around us - can feel paralyzed like that.

And the first strategy is for you to say: ook thisis normal, when God sends his word of truth and grace it is soradically against human pride and sinful nature - that it is normal and tobe expected that there willl be opposition, even Satantic opposition.

And your first step to getting to a postive strategy is not to panic.

NOr to ignore it and say couldn’t happen here, no real false teachers in our day.

No, Peter in his warning even says:

In fact Jesus said you are blessed.

Listen to Paul

If you are alarmed you may not only stumble with the false teachers of our day but fall.

But Jude is saying what His Lord said, expect distortion and false teachers within, but remember Jesus words:

Do you remember the promises of Jesus that you can face down the enemy in his strength, that though they bicker and fight and malign you even in front of church assemblies, even when you suffer publically for standing up for Christ and his truth, make you look like a wet blanket and stuck in the mud, dinosaur , and narrow minded for believing the gospel, sin and hell, and Cross, and Holy Spirit transformation, and truth, and coming Kingdom.

That Jesus said this is part of the plan for you to be purified, for the world to receive authentic witness to counterculture faith and Kingdom of God!

But to do so you need these predictions f whom on the forefront of your mind?

The apostles, Jewish word for power of attorney.

Let me expain what these wrodsof the apostles are.

REmeber what Jesus said in before the worod changing events of the Cross, the Resurrection fromtheDea,d the Ascnsion to receive all authroityin his ascensionand enthronement into heaven.

No one noteven Peter James or John could really get what - salvation, what Christian life, what the kingdomwas all about - until after that.

AndJesus delegates them to be the ones who expalin the biggest God eventsthat everyone needs to know about with these words:

That’s the rest of the apostles HOly Spirit inspired perfect teaching, inscripturated inthe teachingof the NT Jesus said

says you whatthe church is - itsnot the big deal, it a pillar whose job is to hold up the big deal, and what is the big deal - its thegospel of Jesus, the wll of Gjeuss - church isentrustedwith it

And Jude wants you to know when you face down false teachers, you don’t need to be surprised or afraid.

Now is the time that we really test whether the truth of the gospel of Jesus words which stands against the distortion of truth of the world, , whether they are confirmed in us.

Our faith is not merely someone’s personal opinion; it is a revelation which came from Jesus Christ and was preserved and transmitted within his church, always under the care and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, from generation to generation… Our faith is a) not opinion but revelation, not guessing but certainty.

(b) It is different in that it has the power to make those who believe it different.

It is not only a mind-changer but also a life-changer; not only an intellectual belief but also a moral dynamic.

Barclay

Understand the contrast, Jude has painted here - the falseteachers words are pompous words, grumbling words baosting words, but they are not lastin words - replace God’s Word with mere opinoin vaily for their own ends.

And that is why the first strategy is to REMEMBER THE WORD of the Apostles.

William Barclay, ed., The Letters of John and Jude, Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), 202–203.

William Barclay, ed., The Letters of John and Jude, Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), 203.

HOw did Jude describe it at the begining of the letter, we are not so much efending our faith in the sense of how well you and I bleieve and trust, we are defending the faiht of whatwe believe.

About these wrods of what God has done, what he warnds and proises, what he will do - these words are life .

So itsnotjust thatyou must not forget these important wors, but that they must be on the forefront of your mind.

It’s like your smart phone, it has REM memory - doesn’t change stored away in hard drive sd card.

Has to be pulled up.

And then there is RAM that is what is pulled to the front to start working, like apps , and pictures, and you keep all those up - very quickly bogs your phone down, can’t pull anything up any more.

Jude is saying, keep these prediction,s keep this faith in you RAM don’t have other stuff in life overload your system so no room to pull it up.

These are RHEMA words, words of power that authority and declarative power.

TO use an another example, do you know your brain stores all the events and words of the day in short term memory, and then when you enter REM sleep , your brain subconsciously goes to work - in scattered random way sorts through all those memories, and consolidates what’s important into long term memory and throws out short terms not important, and that were dreams come from.

Well for many Christians God’s Word, these Words Jesus inspired as the NT covenant , are just short term memory scattered, and Jude is saying get them consolidated and sorted out and in your long term memory.

Now why is that so impornt?

We find that in

Someone who denies the authority of these God Words and God truths, is acting like Cain - rejecting God who showed up and personally spoke to Him, called him to repentance, no I want what I want, your words are not true, won’t really punish, don’t really mean what you say.

Well Jude cites this warning to say that we are living in the last times, says in last days and we are in them God spoken through His son, says in the last days Holy Spirit poured out.

says no in the last times the gospel is manifest.

From Jesus death and resurrection until the day of Judgment is the last days for the NT.

And in these times false teachers in the church will be mockers of others.

OT word from Proverbs:

The mocker’s goal is to shame someone by deceiving them, whether they realize it or not their false teaching about God, about life - tricking people and the end result of the mockers work is that deceived people will stand along, following the lust of their own desire - not governed by God’s word and Spirit - but greed, fame, money, success

Look at the result in

You accept their false opinions about God and life and your self, you follow ungodly desires, instead of the Spirit - end up divided in one of three ways: 1 Schism break the unity of brothers and sisters here.

2. Others while not attacking the fellowship, will attack the bond of faith,the truth - heresy; and still others will deny Christ altogether and give up on religion apostasy.

All rooted in false teaching, that divides.