CONTEND(vision Sunday)

Introduction:

there is an absolute danger that is facing the church today and its the danger of false teachings that have invaded and taken root and even become common practice in many of our churches and homes...

the term “Christian” has been highjacked by the false teachings of the modern world...

in America today, well lets narrow that down, in the greater Cincinnati area today there are literally 1,000’s of “churches” open today...

And with that there are literally 100’s of “baptist and like faith churches open today...

but very few bible preaching churches today in the greater cincinnati area...

most people in todays world will call themself a Christian, most will say they believe in god and believe jesus is the son of god

and if you look at the belief systems or doctrines of most of these same people you will find the overwhelming majority of them are lost dying and on their way to hell...

most have decided they are going to heaven but have decided that based on a false idea of what salvation is...

throughout church history there have always been very different false gospels and doctrines presented by very different false teachers

and in each of these false gospels and false doctrines are filled with a-lot of half truths and misguided people saying completely false things about god and the church based on feelings and based on social/cultural ideologies

so many supposed “christians” and “churches” have left the authority of scripture and instead followed after men or the teachings of a denominational committee or school...

we have let creep into our baptist churches false gospels of easy-belivism, non-repentance. and works based salvation...

we have let false bibles, traditions, rules, and a false history come into our churches and take us from a place of worshipping god to a place of worshipping ourselves and our traditions

and if we are honest today, which i hope we can be, we wonder why our churches are weak, we wonder why our so called christians are weak, and why most churches are not seeing much go on and in all honesty are getting smaller and smaller....

we have seen some great things over the past year… several salvations, several baptisms, a rededication of many people, and real church growth because we were not ashamed of the gospel...

we preached it, we live it, and we took it out of the church to the community...

but all of that goes away if we are not willing to contend for the faith which we have been given...

look at the text with me...

I. we must earnestly contend

Jude 3 KJV 1900

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

and before we just jump right to the contend part we need to look at what it means and what we are contending for....

what it means to contend

the words “EARNESTLY CONTEND” mean so much more than simply sitting here and saying we are right and the world is wrong

its about action and its about doing what we claim we believe....

“earnestly” means to do something through struggle or even at times to do something in a state of anguish

its the fight that comes with standing for the word of god.... the fight that comes with being the type of christian we claim we are on sundays

its the fight that doesn’t stop and we wont back down from...

then look at the word “contend” because it means a straight up fight

so put these words together and we see the bible is telling us to dig in, stand up, and get ready for the fight of our lives

its the fight that comes with standing for the word of god.... the fight that comes with being the type of christian we claim we are on sundays

its the fight that doesn’t stop and we wont back down from it...

to earnestly contend means that we are willing to stand and fight against anything that opposes our god

you cant earnestly contend for anything sitting on your couch watching tv

you cant do it setting someone else fight for you

you cant do it by hanging out and not looking at the world around you and the being ready for the fight

if you’re going to earnestly contend for anything it starts with getting up and getting ready and being willing to fight....

no matter the odds, no matter what anyone else says, not matter how many people stand opposed to you.... if you’re willing to fight you must be ready to fight

but what do we contend for?

obviously we contend for the faith… but what is the faith???

but what is the faith???

in order to understand what “the faith” thats being talked about here is we need to go back to the term “COMMON SALVATION”

Saved by grace through faith not of works is completely different than saved by grace through faith plus works… or plus tradition… or plus denominations

the common salvation being spoken about here isn’t that everyone is saved, its that everyone who is saved is saved the sane way

despite what the world teaches there isn’t a million and one ways to be saved

its not about being a good person, its not about going to a certain type of church, its not about being a certain type of follower of christ....

but what it is about is the blood of the savior jesus covering your sins

its about believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth in the sinless son of god as your only hope for the forgiveness of sins

its about being a follower of christ....

The gospel is Not up to us…

The author and finisher of our faith of Jesus…

Hebrews 12:2 KJV 1900

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We don’t have a right to change it we don’t have a right to prune it to make it fit or social construct…

yet so many churches and people have clipped a bit here and changed a bit there of the bible and the faith to meet a societal standard or a cultural concept

we’ve dumbed down and made lite of what certain parts of the bible say because it makes people uncomfortable to hear they are sinners and without hope

and heres a fact for you: we do have an absolute responsibility to stand and defend the faith and the gospel

It is easy to become thoughtless about it and just regurgitate what doctor so and so says,

it has started to be taken for granted that God would give us an unchangeable gospel and thats obviously seen in how we, the modern church has attempted to change the gospel...

weather it be works, prosperity, social, or legalism, or whatever other false gospel we have and do come up with the church has a responsibility to stand for the faith and the gospel...

our preachers have become weak because they don’t study instead they get internet sermons or re-preach doctor so and so’s sermons ,

our christians have become afraid of upsetting anyone to the point where we cant even turn our personal lives upside down much the world like to original church

and as a people we have failed over and over again to earnestly contend and if i’m honest i don’t even see much half way contending going on in many churches these days because again if i’m honest we have adopted this false way of thinking that if it doesn’t effect me then we don’t get involved...

we have become a people who not only take much of the bible out of context we take one verse in particular out of context and turn the other cheek on doctrinal issues...

i’m not talking about preferences i’m talking about doctrine and there is a big difference

there is no new doctrine and there is no agree to disagree on doctrine

there is no agree to disagree on doctrine

we’ve become weak and let “certain men” in...

II. what we contend against...

Jude 4 KJV 1900

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

in todays world we often get all upset and wonder why this or this is going on but the truth is the bible told us over and over again that this wasn’t going to be easy and that people were going to be againt us…

so suck it up, get ready, and just contend for the faith… but what are we contending against?

a predicted opposition

we know by reading our bible that over and over agin we are told that certain men would creep in...

they would teach lies that got them what they wanted

they would teach lies that got them where they wanted

they would flatter the people instead of glorifying god

they would be about their own business instead of about the fathers business

we knew that from the beginning the gospel would be attacked because it has always been attacked

they said jesus was a false teacher and a fake

they said jesus was committing crimes when he was keeping the law

they chased down and killed the people who followed the savior of man

they scattered the church with their attempts to destroy the church from the start

and because of our blindness we have allowed them in to attempt to lead us astray

the Joel Olsteens and Steven Furticks aren't the big problem we all know they are fake

the problem is the men who have crept in under the guise of fundamentalism

the wolves in sheeps clothing who have come to destroy the gospel in order to make their lives better

matthew 7:15-

Matthew 7:15–20 KJV 1900

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

and we have let them in and let them have churches and let them disseminate false information about our god and his doctrine

they know just enough to fool a foolish person into following them…

they have just enough knowledge to make someone without knowledge think they are smart...

they seek to have men like them and to have men follow them instead of the god they claim to serve

its a predictable opposition because we know its coming and we know its here

and its a godless/heretical opposition

sure they have christian catch phrases and the regular responses… but they are godless to their core

just because they say they are christian teachers doesn't mean they are

just because they claim they are helping you “live your best life now” doesn't mean they are

just because they pray, portray, and practice the christian way doesn't mean they are followers of the christ...

there is the people who think sinning continually is ok because we are under grace

but Paul already answered that question over and over again in romans and otherwhere

and in truth this generation of false teachers clings to this false narrative of 1,2,3 pray after men and then live however you want

its the people who live in filth and think they can do whatever and it isn’t your place to say otherwise....

its the judge not crowd when the bible is plain we shall now them by their fruits...

then on the other side there is the do it this way because its the way we always have done it...

its the teachers who don’t study and don’t follow the inspiration of the holy spirit instead they follow man and man made law

its the so called preachers who don’t belong behind the pulpit but rather belong in the Sunday school class learning

it the christians who don’t read and study their bible on their own but think doctor so and so was awesome and so right so whatever he said must be the truth… even when it contradicts the bible

but then their is a 3rd category here of people who refuse to grasp the truth of gods word even when it is spelled out fo them

you can show them and show them but instead of listening they hold to the equivalent of old wives tales about the bible

they have no desire to grow past where they are and anything else is just you trying to push them in a direction they don’t wanna go

its the older crowd who don’t wanna listen to the youth of the church and its the youth of the church who don’t wanna listen to the more mature in the church

its the divide that is so prevalent in the church today...

III. but how do we contend?

the bible goes on to talk about how these people will be judged in a lot of the rest of the chapter… but look at 5-8

Jude 6–7 KJV 1900

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Jude 5–8 KJV 1900

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Jude 5–7 KJV 1900

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

jude 5-7

Jude wanted them to remember those who had left god before and happened

there was the example of Israel right after they were delivered from slavery

out of all of them who left egypt only two kept true to god and follwed after him

the rest followed after the flesh and after what they wanted and because of that they scattered and perished in the wilderness

they lusted, followed idols, and were unrepentant....

just like so many in the churches today

then he brings up the rebellious angels who followed after Lucifer

they had it all and they had a front row seat to everything amazing in creation...

yet they wanted more… so they followed satan and we know what will happen to them

Christians we have it made and we have first class tickets to eternity in heaven, yet we want more and follow satan too often (we wont lose our salvation, but we will lose so many blessings)

then there was Sodom and Gomorrah

they were a great city and a major trading post of the time

yet they wanted to follow lust and deviancy as far as it would go

christians we have been blessed beyond belief yet we follow our lust and flesh as far as we can and everyone of us is guilty of this (maybe not as far as these people went but we all follow after or flesh)

and then we get to the dreamers… (v8)

they follow the flesh, tempt god, are rebellious, and chase after lust...

they pretend to have a “close fellowship” with god when in reality they follow them self and what they want

they reject real authority of the bible

they and speak evil of “dignities” which means giving glory, praise, worship, and honor to god (they seek t control a style of worship or disallow a style of worship that is god honoring just not honoring to them)

and we need to remember all of these things as well...

remember those who came before us, we need to remember those spiritual side of warfare, remember the downfall lust will bring us, and remember to look out for the “dreamers” who will lead us astray

we need to have a real hard look at whats going on in our life and see if we fit into one of these categories

and if we do we need to correct our lives in accordance to the bible and repent of our sins

we need to really dig down and make sure we are on the right side of things when it comes to worship

are we doing this or that because its whats always been done? what does the bible say? what doesn’t the bible say? all of these questions need answered if we are to contend

conclusion:

we need to get back to doctrine in our churches...

we need to get back to biblical authority in our churches...

we need to remember the churches who have left the faith and not go down those roads in our churches...

we need more bible preaching and bible living in our churches

but i’m the pastor of calvary not of all the churches

i am apart of calvary not every church around....

(only use at calvary).... so here is what we are doing at calvary to have these things.....

starting next week we will have multiple adult Sunday school classes

one regular taught by dad and one taught by me/Pastor Eric Armacost in the back discussing the bible and doctrine and questions (topical and exegetical studies)

going back to Thursday night studies

all are welcome as we start with apologetics of bible doctrines

praying for ladies/mens separate studies as the lord leads

we are going to start having a seniors breakfast/bible study every month

last Thursday of month at ihop (Greg Boyd leading)

starting Calvary Cares Ministries

its a local church driven ministry to meet certain needs of our community

starting with diapers for needy families (its a bigger deal then most think)

we are going to start praying about a church plant in 2021

we want to use what god has given us for his glory and right now we have several pastors, teachers, preachers in our church that we will use here… but churches should plant churches when able and when lead to do so by god...

but we need a return to biblical authority and a return to earnestly contending for the faith!!!