Jude Pt 2
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Good Morning and welcome once again to Connection Pointe Church. Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us here today whether in person or online.
This morning we’re going to continue in our series on the Book of Jude.
Last week I shared how Jude was written as a warning against false teachings.
My intention was for this to be a two week series. Last week I had intended on getting through vs 16 originally and while we looked at the first several verses we spent the bulk of our time in verse one. This week I thought we can get through verse 7 but the more time i spent in Jude i came to the realization we’d only get through vs 4. So today we are going to go back and begin in vs 3.
If you’ve got your bibles turn with me there if you would.
As we kicked off the series I said if you’re going to stand against false teachings you’d have to first know who you are in Christ and so we focused in on vs. 1 of Jude.
We looked at 3 things he said about us - we are - called, sanctified and preserved.
It’s God who calls us - in other words we weren’t out there searching for God it was God drawing us to him. It’s God who gives us the gift of faith that enables us to be saved.
When we say yes to His call we are sanctified which means we are set apart. We are to no longer live the way we once lived. While it’s not a message often preached today Jude makes it clear we are to live our lives Holy unto God.
Finally in verse one we saw that it’s Jesus who preserves us meaning it’s not us who who keeps ourself but it’s Jesus who keeps us.
Today I want us to take a look at verses 3-4.
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again we must remember that Jude wrote this letter because of what was happening in the local church but it is also a prophetic message. It serves as a warning as to what would happen in the church as the time approached for the return of Christ.
As we read through this book over the next few weeks you’re going to see clearly that this letter was written for us today as much as it was written to the first century believer.
Jude says in verse number 4
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
certain men have crept in unnoticed -
In other words the enemy tries to use people to destroy the church from the inside.
There’s always attacks against the church from the outside and in many ways those attacks are so much easier to defend against. Those attacking the church from the outside are easy to spot. We see it happening all the time. It’s evident in the media as well as on social media.
And while social media attacks might be new, attacks against the church are not. The early church experienced persecution from all sides. The Jewish believer rejected Christ as the Messiah and the Romans felt threatened by this new Christianity and tried to stop it - but the fact is those outside attacks only made the church stronger and more resolute.
Persecution isn’t going to stop the church of Jesus. In response to Peter’s revelation that Jesus was the Messiah - Jesus said
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The church grows under persecution - we saw it in the first century and we still see it happening today in places where true persecution happens.
I’ve been to Cuba a few times - on my second visit there about 15 years ago I had the privilege of leading a team that helped build the Cuba Assembly of God national office building.
Building
At the time there were about 800 AG churches across the country. On my last visit there a couple of years ago -
I took this picture on the outside of that completed building.
and then I sat in the office of the General Supt of Cuba
And I heard him talk not about the 800 churches but about the thousands of AG churches across the country.
The church grew under persecution from the outside. The fact is the church has always grown under persecution.
But here Jude isn’t warning against persecution - he’s not saying stay strong against those who are attacking from the outside.
He says watch out for those who have slipped in.
We look at our colleges and universities today and with a few exceptions of private christian universities we see places that are far from God. We don’t see them as training grounds for Christian leadership.
We look at schools that attract students from around the world, schools that are considered some of the best like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Brown, and we see places that are not God honoring but in many ways are anti-God.
And you say yes but those are not the church those are schools.
To that I say do you know that each of those schools were founded to train ministers to preach the gospel?
Today, none of them stand for Christianity.
It didn’t happen overnight though. It happened as a small progression over time. The enemy crept in unnoticed and has now moved them so far from where they started most people wouldn’t even know today the reason for their founding was to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jude says watch out!
That’s why we have guidelines as to who can serve on our church board. While there are many opportunities for a person to serve within the church in numerous areas almost immediately when they start attending without even being required to be a member - a church board member is not one of them.
Serving on the board is not open to someone who just joins the church within the last few months. It’s not open to someone who is in and out of church, only attends when they feel like it, serves when it’s convenient, has a rebellious attitude, or gives only when they have an abundance.
Our board selects someone from within this body to present to this body, that has shown themself faithful, who has been a member of the church for more than a year, and who meets the qualifications of an elder according to the New Testament.
Today in our annual business meeting that has now been scheduled 3 times - we will be presenting a name that has been unanimously approved by our current church board for you as a body to ratify.
We don’t just draw a name out of a hat.
We must be very careful as to who sits in position of leadership.
It’s important to carefully select someone for the church board and it’s incredibly important as to who we allow to teach from behind this pulpit.
I get countless requests from people outside of our church looking for opportunities to share some revelation that God has given them.
Many times these are people who are not connected to any body of believers any where. They have no accountability, yet they want opportunity to stand in front of this body of believers.
As believers we are to always test everything that is taught against the word of God, I however, have an additional responsibility to guard against false teaching by others to this body.
That’s why I don’t allow just anyone to stand here. We don’t allow just any missionary or evangelist to to preach to this congregation - those that do are almost always personally known to me and if not they hold a ministerial credential with our fellowship the Assembly of God.
You see today in a matter of minutes anyone with an internet connection and a printer can have a credential that says they are a minister. There are people who call themselves, apostle, prophet, minister, pastor or reverend who are self-proclaimed and Jude is saying be careful of those who try and slip in.
In the AG you can’t just print off a piece of paper that says you’re a minister. That’s not the way it works in our fellowship. People don’t just start calling themselves pastor and we all of a sudden say ok here’s your certificate, your card come on in and share what God has revealed to you.
In our fellowship - we have different levels of credential. We have a local church credential.
It’s given when we see the call of God evident on the life of someone . We issue a local church credential that allows them to operate under my supervision and the authority of our local church board.
Then we have a General Council credential of which there are 3 levels, certified, licensed and ordained. With each one of these levels there’s an educational requirement.
After completing the educational requirement the candidate for credential meets with a sectional committee who interviews them.
Once they receive this committees approval then they move on to testing. There’s testing on Church Polity, Theology and Doctrine.
After they pass that test they then meet for another interview with the credentialing committee. Once this happens their name along with recommendation from the credentialing committee is then submitted to our TN Assembly of God board of presbyters for their approval.
Once they approve the candidate their name and application is then presented to the General Council for approval. Once approved a credential is issued.
This process is repeated at each level of credential.
Listen though this credential isn’t forever. It expires every year. Every year the minister has to renew and attest to where they stand doctrinally. They are also subject to continuing oversight.
If they begin teaching doctrine that would go against our tenants of faith they are subject to discipline and even removal from the fellowship.
I may not have a personal relationship with each and every missionary that stands before this congregation but I can know with confidence if they hold a credential with the assemblies of God there has been a pretty exhaustive vetting process that they have gone through -
now that doesn’t mean they are going to necessarily always connect with our church or even that they are some gifted and incredible speaker - it just means the call on their life has been recognized and they have been commissioned to proclaim the Gospel after a pretty exhaustive process.
Juan - can I get you to come up here and help me with something for a moment?
Juan you’ve been going through this process for some time - would you agree that it’s a pretty intense process?
award
Contend for the faith -
Jude gives us several instructions in this book.
1. Earnestly contend for the faith (v. 3).
2. Remember the teaching and warning of the apostles (v. 17).
3. Build yourselves up in the most holy faith (v. 20).
4. Pray in the Holy Spirit (v. 20).
5. Keep yourselves in the love of God (v. 21).
6. Look for the mercy of the Lord to bring you to eternal life (v. 21).
7. Show mercy to Christians who are doubting, snatch unbelievers from the fire, and cautiously show mercy to the corrupt (vv. 22-23).
And that’s what I’m going to charge you with right now.
Prayer
While there is a higher responsibility on those who stand behind the pulpit proclaiming the gospel that doesn’t mean that everyone else is exempt.
We are to each contend for the faith.
There is today a great need for each of us to hear the words of Jude and to live them out.
Church each or you are required to fight. Jesus said pick up your cross and follow me.
That means it’s not going to be easy.
The word we read as “contend” is the Greek word where we get our word agonize. The greek word translated contend earnestly means “to fight or struggle with intense effort.”
Jude is basically saying you’re going to have to fight for it. He’s saying you’re going to have some struggles. It’s not always going to be easy but you can’t give up. You’ve got to contend for the faith which was given once.
Jude said in verse 3
contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints
The message has come, and it has come once and for all.
It’s not coming slowly with new revelations as time goes on as Joseph Smith told people. He said he found these golden plates with new revelation.
Listen the message is not to be changed or distorted
Paul says in Eph
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
There is only one Lord - there is only one faith.
It has been “delivered” (NIV, “entrusted”) once for all to the saints. In saying “once for all,”
Jude is saying that it is complete.
We don’t need to be looking for corrections or additions.
Again I go back to Jesus response to Peter -
He said upon this rock i will build my church - what was the rock - it was what Peter had said in vs 16
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
That is the message - Jesus Christ is the Messiah - he is the Son of the living God.
There is no other way but by him.
In Galatians Paul says this
6 I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel.
7 Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not].
Pauls says there are those who would pervert the Gospel and Jude says beware of those who come in to deceive the church.
He’s telling us they might look and act like a friend but they are instruments of the enemy sent in to destroy.
We are warned over and over again throughout the NT to beware of those who pervert God’s grace.
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are those who have turned grace into lewdness and over these next weeks we will look at some examples that Jude gives.
He says there are those that take the grace and goodness of God in the free gift of salvation and use it as an occasion for sin.
We see it happening today - where people are being led to believe a little won’t hurt you.
We are seeing a perverted Gospel. A Christianity that does not line up with what God has called us into.
Teachings that say you can do whatever you want however you want as long as it feels right to you!
I told you last week that I believe one of the greatest issues within the church today is many people have replaced the gospel message with a message of patriotism and freedom - not the fighting for freedom for the oppressed but the fighting for freedom of the I can do what i want when I want mantra.
Man now decides what is right and what is wrong with no thought to what God’s moral law declares.
I’m here to tell you today there is no such thing as a little right or kinda right.
Right is right and wrong is wrong and if you want to know the difference all you need to do is simply look to the Word of God!
There is but One Gospel and anything that does not line up with it is a false teaching.
What are you allowing in your life?
Have you accepted the idea of do whatever makes you feel good as long as it feels right to you?
Jesus said there is only one way and that he was it! His way is narrow any other way is the wide road that will lead you straight to hell.
The Word of God is plain and it says Be Holy for I am Holy!
Are you allowing little things in your life that don’t line up with the word of God and saying Grace will cover it?
That’s the message of grace that Paul warned against, Peter warned against and Jude warned against.
If false teaching was a problem in the early church what makes you think it wouldn’t be a problem today?
If you’re going to contend for the faith you must open the Word of God in church and out of church. You should test those things you are hearing whether you hear it here taught by me or someone you might listen to on the radio, watch on tv or the internet.
Do those things being taught lineup scripturally with the Word of God?
If it doesn’t then you need to contend for the faith.
If it’s me ask me about it. Maybe you heard me wrong, maybe I spoke wrong, maybe I was wrong, but we can go to the scripture together and see what God says!
So many times we take what we’ve been taught as the Gospel truth without ever opening the word of God to see what the word actually says.
Finally Jude says
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Beware of Those Who Deny Our Lord
Jude is saying one of the very things being taught was going against the very foundation of what Jesus said his church would be built upon.
They were denying the Lordship and the deity of Jesus Christ.
And we would say to that - we would never let that happen.
And to that I’d say - have you made him Lord of your life.
I’m not asking if you’ve accepted salvation. I’m saying is he Lord. Is he lord of what you listen to, what you watch, what you say, how you spend -
Have you allowed things in your life that don’t belong in His kingdom and said things like I’m only human - grace will cover it -
To that I say that’s not the intention of grace - God’s grace is given so you don’t have to be bound by the chains of sin.
God’s grace is given to free you from it.
Don’t allow false teachings that say a little won’t hurt take hold in your life. If you give those teachings a little room you’ve moved the boundary stone in your life of what is right and what is wrong.
You’ve taken the rock of Jesus and replaced it with one of your own.
Jude is saying these people have separated his being Savior from his being Lord.
They are a law unto themselves, accountable to no one, including the Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude rightfully condemns those actions.
He’s saying if you deny Jesus as Lord, you forfeit him as Savior.
They go hand in hand - you can’t have one without the other.
As they play quietly behind me I close with asking you some questions:
Is he both saviour and Lord?
You can’t separate the two.
Have you allowed little things to slip in unnoticed. Are there things in your life that don’t belong?
Maybe the better question is this - what have you allowed in your life that doesn’t belong?
What are you devoting time to that is taking you farther from God?
I’d say if we were honest there’s things in all of our lives that need to go.
Are you actively contending for the faith?
Let’s Pray