October 7, 2007 - How to keep yourself in the love of God

Northwood Baptist Church, October 7, 2007, A.M. Message

Arm Yourself Against False Teaching:

Jude 17-25
17But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.  20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. 24Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Last week, we talked about “A Place Called Home” that God pursues his own sheep like a “Good Shepherd” and he calls us to dwell with him, that goodness and mercy pursue us every day of our lives and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Today, we want to look at a thing called truth and How we are to not only know the truth but build our live upon the truth.

How do we “Arm Ourselves Against False Teaching?”

Jude verses 20 and 21 reveal 4 Keys to How to arm yourselves against false teaching:

1. Build yourselves up in your most holy faith
2. Pray in the Holy Spirit
3. Keep yourself in the Love of God
4. Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

1. Build yourselves up in your most holy faith: 

                                                        Grow Spiritually

How do we build ourselves up?  Get into the Word!

Learn it, believe it and Live it by Obedience.

The most holy faith is that which

God’s word says that

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. “ – Heb. 11:6

Amongst a small group of people, there are as many opinions of truth as there are people.  In the minds of many people, truth is a matter of opinion:  what should

Thesis: Faith is built up in our lives as we learn to pray in the Holy Spirit, Keep ourselves in the love of God, learn to wait, reach out with the Gospel to the lost and by having a hatred of evil’s corruptions.

Without Faith it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:1
1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Keys to Staying True?

The 5 Keys to Staying True . . .

1.    Being Built Up In The Faith: not just any faith!

2.    Pray: Led by the Holy Spirit

3.    Keep yourself in the love of God: Obey God’s Word

4.    Show Mercy: For salvations sake don’t be afraid

5.    Have a hatred of Evil’s corruption:

Wiersbe’s List of Admonitions:

1. First, Remember the Word v. 17
2. Christian’s are to Grow Spiritually v. 20
3. How? 

A.   Build Up Your Faith

B.   Pray in The Holy Spirit

C.   Keep Yourself in the Love of God

D.   Eagerly Anticipate Mercy

Guard or Reserve yourselves: “keep yourselves from being dragged off into a life that is different from what God wants for you.” - King James Bible Commentary

This is supplemented by 3 secondary participles [a form of a verb that is used to form complex tenses, as are “loving” and “loved” in English, and may also be used as an adjective.] of means in the original; they answer the question, “How does one keep himself in the love of God.”

Loving God is an intentional act of the will, and ultimately amounts to worship.

Note Deut. 13:3, “the Lord your God is atesting you to find out if byou love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

      Why would God test the measure of our love for God?

     2 “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

5“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. - Deuteronomy 6:5

Matthew 22:34-38
34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And 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 foremost commandment.

Mark 12:28-30
28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

Luke 10:25-28
25And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

How to keep yourself in the love of God?

1. Build Up Your Faith
2. Pray Under the Influence of The Holy Spirit and According to the Word of God.
3. Eagerly Anticipate Mercy

Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”

Cultivate Our Love for Christ

It is interesting that Paul also used the word mercy in a reference to the Second Coming, “The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy … in that day” (II Tim 1:18).

Peter also closed his second epistle with a triple use of a synonym, asking his readers to look for the coming of the Day of God.

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a Ex 20:20; Deut 8:2, 16; 1 Cor 11:19

b Deut 6:5