Protecting the Truth ~ God's Truth (Part 4)
Notes
Transcript
Part 9 TRUTH
February 28, 2021
Welcome Camille Mason – GP’s Newest Member
Love Month – favorite love song; pick up the phone and call someone ~ show some love
Praying for GP Members who are bereaving the passing of loved ones
GP Members and Friends to start a “Most Wanted” campaign to identify who and what you believe are
the enemies of truth.
The Answer to Every Test & Trial in 2021 ~ Know God’s Truth
Protecting the TRUTH ~ God’s Truth
Protecting God’s Truth Within
Enemies of Truth – God’s TRUTH
[SLIDE]
JUDE ~ NKJV
1
Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To
those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in
Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
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.
5
But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the
Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward
destroyed those who did not believe.
Apostates Predicted
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16
These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own
lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain
advantage.
17
But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before
by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you
that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk
according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons,
who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Maintain Your Life with God
20
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
22
And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others
save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment
defiled by the flesh.
Glory to God
24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to
present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding
joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
John 8:31-32 NKJV The Truth Shall Make You Free
Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My
disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
31 Then
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GM, GP
Today’s message:
Protecting the TRUTH ~ God’s Truth
Protecting God’s Truth Within
START
This morning we’ll push across the finish line of our series on TRUTH
as we engage in our ninth installment. We have been building on the
words of our Lord who said. . . “And you shall know the TRUTH and
the TRUTH shall make you free”.
The Truth of God’s Word is so precious, and so liberating -- until it is
under constant attack by Satan and his false teachers. Their goal, as we
have learned, is to discredit God’s message of Truth by sowing
deception and causing everyone they can reach to believe their lie.
So, over the weeks, we have turned to Jude’s letter to Saints to learn
what our responsibility is to the Truth once we have been set free [from
sin] by it. That responsibility is to PROTECT the TRUTH with every
fiber of our natural and spiritual being.
How are we instructed to protect it?
Jude spelled out three imperatives that we must adhere to in order to
guard the Truth and to protect it from the schemes and the deceptive
plots of Satan and his imps.
We have been well schooled in the first two we are urged to do in our
mandate to protect the Truth.
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[SLIDE]
First Imperative and Responsibility to Protect the Truth:
The first one is found in Jude verse 3 -- to “Contend earnestly” for the
faith that was once for all time delivered to the saints. In other
words, we are admonished to contend, that is, fight hard to Protect the
Truth of God’s Word that first opened our eyes to the need for salvation.
It was the Truth of the Gospel that showed us our sinfulness and urgent
need of Christ our lives. The Apostle Paul said of that Gospel Truth in
Romans 1:16 . . .
[SLIDE]
Romans 1:16
16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and
also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
[SLIDE]
Second Imperative and Responsibility to Protect the Truth:
The second responsibility Jude gave us for protecting the Truth came as
an all-out warning. He said we are called to protect the Truth because
The Truth is under attack by false teachers – aka: Apostates.
These false teachers were infiltrating, dishonest teachers pretending to
be true, who on the surface looked like the real thing, but whose
intentions were to lead God’s people astray. They were Satan’s
counterfeits, never been born again.
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According to Jude, verse 4, they have crept in the church unnoticed and
taken a seat among God’s people with the intent teaching an ungodly
message of convincing lies.
Jude minces no words and wastes no time calling them out starting at
verse 4 through verse 19.
In verse 4 he says of them:
[SLIDE]
Jude 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.
Then, as you move through the verses, look for the pronouns “THESE”
or “THEY” – verses 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19
8
Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority,
and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel,
in [f]contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of
Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but
said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever
they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute
beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For
they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of
Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
12
These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you
without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without
water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit,
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twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the
sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is
reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
14
Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men
also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His
saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed
in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly
sinners have spoken against Him.”
16
These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own
lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain
advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were
spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they
told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would
walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual
persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Third Imperative and Responsibility to Protect the Truth:
The third responsibility Jude gives us as Believers in our need to protect
the Truth is found in verse 21. It tells us HOW we can keep the Truth
protected and guarded in our lives. How do we do it and by what
practice we do it might surprise you.
Here it is, verse 21:
[SLIDE]
Jude, verse 21
21
keep yourselves in the love of God!
[Say it with me; keep yourselves in the love of God!]
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Now, most scholars and commentaries list four things from verses 20 &
21 that we must do to protect the Truth.
Those verses read:
[SLIDE]
Jude 20 & 21
20
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
[SLIDE]
Scholars say the four protections are:
1. building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
2. praying in the Holy Spirit,
3. 21 keep yourselves in the love of God,
4. looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
In actuality, close examination tells us that the command here is that we
“keep ourselves in the love of God”, by doing THREE things:
1. building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
2. praying in the Holy Spirit, and
3. looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
Let’s not miss Jude’s third imperative on “not only how to protect the
Truth, but also how to be protected by the Truth as well.”
It is that you and I: “keep ourselves in the love of God”
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[SLIDE]
Next, Jude exhorts us as Believers on how to go the next mile in
“contending earnestly for the faith”.
He says in verses 22 & 23:
22
And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others
save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment
defiled by the flesh.
In these verses, Jude is letting us know that a certain measure of spiritual
discernment is necessary in dealing with victims of false teaching.
In verses 22 & 23, he is explaining how the Scriptures make a
distinction between the way we should handle those who are victims of
the apostate teachers who are confused and doubtful, versus those are
near to becoming full blown converts in their false Christ-less religion.
Both stand a chance of being rescued, but there are two separate courses
to take in winning them.
In earnest, these verses are about showing compassion to people who
haven’t given their lives to the Lord, but by applying some godly
encouragement, Truth-teaching and Christ-centered witnessing – there is
a good chance even these can be won to Christ.
In verse 22 Jude says:
22
And on some have compassion, making a distinction;
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• “On some we should have compassion”, that is, we should show
a compassionate interest in them and try to guide them out of
doubts and conflicts into a firm conviction of divine truth. These
are sincere doubters who need someone to teach them the truth.
The New Century Version (NCV) says it like this:
Show mercy to some people who have doubts (they’re on the
fence in their belief).
22
In v. 23 Jude says:
23
but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating
even the garment defiled by the flesh.
These are those who are on the verge of falling into the abyss, or who
have one foot over in the flames of apostasy.
These, we are to witness to using sensitive, but strong, resolute warnings
and instruction; with these we take no chance of them controlling the
conversation – they’re too close to losing their souls -- , they smell of
doom so we hate even the stench in the garments the don defiled by the
deeds of the flesh.
The New Century Version (NCV) says it like this:
23
Take others out of the fire, and save them; Show mercy mixed
with fear to [them], hating even their clothes which are dirty from
sin.
(These are those who are salvageable and rescue-able from cults and
false teachers that are talking to them and are on the verge of winning
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them over. By us standing on the Truth, we can snatch them out of the
fire before they get totally consumed or swallowed up by the deceptive
message of the apostate).
In contemporary times, these are no doubt victims of the door to door,
bicycle, shopping center apostates.
Apostle John gives instructions on how to deal with them: he says in 2
John 10,11:
[SLIDE]
2 John 10,11
10
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not
receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him
shares in his evil deeds.
Finally, in verses, 24-25 Jude ends his letter with a doxology that
serves as a reminder of the divine power available to us as believers as
we contend against false teachers.
Benediction is blessing (some kind of divine or supernatural aid, or reward) while doxology is
an expression of praise to god, especially a short hymn sung as part of a christian worship
service.
He praises God because He alone is able to protect us from falling into
the sinful practices of the false teachers and grant us entrance into His
glorious presence.
24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to
present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
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25
To God our Savior, Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
Protecting the TRUTH ~ God’s Truth
Protecting God’s Truth Within
Three imperatives that we must adhere to in order to guard the Truth and
to protect it from the schemes and the deceptive plots of Satan and his
imps.
• Contend Earnestly v.3
• Be Ware of False Teachers (aka: Apostates) v. 4
• “Keep ourselves in the love of God” v.21
%%%%%%%%%%END%%%%%%%%%%
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EXTRA – Don’t Include
Apostates are gunning for at least these four categories of people:
• The Tossed – “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and
fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery
of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,” Ephesians
4:14
• The Doubters – Jude 22; Address those experiencing spiritual
doubt where they question what they believe about their religion or
God. Jude calls the believer to “have mercy on those who doubt.
• The Fence-sitters – those who are indecisive – usually clueless,
and oblivious to the importance of the need for God’s Truth in
their lives. So, because they never make up their minds, apostates
deal a convincing lie, a convincing blow, that snatches them away
and into a false cult. Matt 13:18 18 “Therefore hear the parable of the
sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then
the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who
received seed by the wayside.
• The Free Agents – usually socially conscious people who don’t
claim any religion; they don’t belong to any church, but they’ll
help out in any way. They will give of their time to godly deeds
just as easily as they would a deed that is in direct opposition the
Truth of God.
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