Defending the Christian Worldview: A priority For All Believers Jude 1-4

Intro:

Apologia - Defend - give a Biblical reason for your hope in Christ.

Apologetics: What you believe -Why you believe - Being able to communicate it to others.

Cornelious Van Til defined apologetics as “the vindication of Christian philosophy of life against the various forms of non-christian philosophy of life.” (21)

Three barriers to apologetics:

People are defensive

11th commandment - Be nice (Judge not!!)

We simply don't like to do it.

Three misconceptions

Apologetics only for the elite Christian

special forces -

Old guy: Chuck Norris & Rambo

Apologetics requires exhaustive knowledge of all religions cults and heresies

Apologetics requires an edge of confident arrogance

Apologetics is For All Believers because Apologetics is about the Gospel

Apologetics is for everyone

Jude 3 ESV

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.

Who is he talking to?

-All Called - Beloved - All Kept

Jude 1–2 ESV

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.

Triune God =triune benefit for all believers

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Who’s Peter talking to?

V.14 those who

suffer V.8 - Every believer

Apologetics is about Love

We contend for a triune God: A God who not only eternal loves and who is Love.

Love is a vertical and a horizontal reality

Barrier: Be nice?

Love for us horizontally -

never offending each other

Love must be understood vertically to apply it horizontally

Love desire peace 1st with God and so love contends

Love and the 10 commandments

Ignore or contend

How do you choose? Love God - Love Truth - Love People - Contend for the truth.

Love and the 10 commandments

#1 - Love God supremely enable us to contend with the faith in love

#2 - Love my neighbor by contend the faith

Love and the 10 commandments

The vertical love is ultimate/supreme

Matthew 22:34–40 ESV

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The greatest commandment: Love God: commandments 1-4 & love your neighbors -Commandment 5-10

#1 - Love God supremely enable us to contend with the faith in love

#2 - Love my neighbor by contend the faith

The horizontal love is how we express our love for God in loving our neighbors

V.4 - These False believers have crept in and their two option

Ignore or contend

How do you choose? Love God - Love Truth - Love People - Contend for the truth

Apologetics is a Gospel Issue

Jude 3–4 ESV

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.

The objection: Apologetics is not primary the gospel is V.3-4

Remember illumination is the priority not information (62)

Its about debating peripheral issues

Ex: Whack-a mole game - the game with no progress

Remember illumination is the priority not information (62)

Our goal is to get to the gospel

Claim: Apologetics is not about peripheral issues not about the gospel

What do I do when the gospel is misrepresented? - Lying about God

Lying about God

Neglect it /Nothing

When I love God supremely (vertically)

I must confront a False Truth horizontally/False gospel

My vertical relationship with God demands a horizontal response

They pervert the gospel

All apologetics come back to the person and work of Christ.

ou can believe in the world was created and go to hell

You can believe in the world was created and go to hell

Apologetics Requires all Believers to Make a Defense

Contend and defend

- Contend

-Defend

1 Peter 3:15–16 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Make a proper defense

Honor Christ as Holy

Be prepared

Be Humble

Be not Afraid

Expect suffering

So What?

Philippians 1:27 ESV

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

Are you willing to strive side by side each other for the faith?