Marching Orders For the Militant Church

Good morning and welcome to Dishman Baptist Church. It is our joy and privilege to worship together this morning. Please take your Bibles and open them to the little epistle of Jude.

We began our journey through this pivotal book last week, recognizing our status as believers being that we are chosen, that we are beloved in God and that we are eternally kept for Christ Jesus. It is an important distinction for us to understand as we encounter the descriptions that Jude gives in much of the rest of this book of apostates - to see that we are everything they are not. This morning Jude is going to remind us of one other role that we are called upon to fill.

Many of you will probably remember this song we used to sing in Sunday school

I may never march in the infantry

Ride in the calvary

Shoot the artillery

I may never zoom o’er the enemy

Cuz I’m in the Lord’s Army, Yes sir!

I’m in the Lord’s Army, Yes sir!

I’m in the Lord’s Army, Yes sir!

I may never march in the infantry

Ride in the calvary

Shoot the artillery

I may never fly o’er the enemy

Cuz I’m in the Lord’s Army

Yes there are many who remember that song - but here’s a question. What does that song mean? What exactly does it mean to be in the Lord’s Army? Admittedly, looking at the record of Scripture being in the Lord’s army can mean many different things. One of the best pictures we have of serving in the Lord’s army is given in the book of Joshua as the nation of Israel is sweeping into the promised land. There are instances leading up to the conquest where the Israelites are simply told to stand silently as God routes their enemies. There are times in Canaan where there are massive hail stones falling and hornets attacking the Canaanite armies. The people are told to fight too. Many of you will remember Jericho - when the people shouted as one and the walls fell.

If the church today were asked to encircle a walled city and shout until the walls fell we would probably never get in. There would be one camp that would be arguing over the correct terminology to be shouted. Another group would refuse to shout because the decibel level would be offensive to the residents of Jericho and it would be unloving to shout in such a way. Still another group would not shout because they believed that if they just sat and waited that God would do the work for them. The voices that would be raised, energetic and well meaning as they might be, would be more of a whimper that could not shake the walls let alone cause them to fall.

The militant church has become more like the army of the United States just before World War 2. Years of peace and other pursuits had dwindled the force which had concluded World War 1 with four million men to a force of less than two hundred thousand. The United States was ill prepared to fight the war that would be thrust upon them and the modern day church is in much the same situation. Instead of a militant church we have a church in reserve. Rather than one ready to serve on the front lines we have become somewhat lackadaisical and distracted by other pursuits. Instead of vigilance, we have practiced tolerance and in so doing have allowed or enabled many false doctrines and teachings to permeate and poison our body. Jude’s call today is a wake up call to all the church and it is a reminder that we are soldiers in the Lord’s Army and there are two requirements for us as soldiers - which I will touch on in a little bit.

First, let’s read our passage for this morning. Look with me at Jude 3.

Jude 3 CSB

Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.

Jude begins this passage, picking right up with the sentiment that he had expressed in the opening to the letter. Dear friends. Some translations render this as beloved. He is expressing his deep affection for these readers. Whether this is because Jude had a particular affiliation with the recipients of his letter or not is unclear from the text but look at the way that he refers to them. Dear friends.

Friendship has always been a challenge for me. I grew up in a bit of a transient lifestyle - it was no one’s fault really, that’s just the way that God ordained it - so much so that I went to four different high schools in three different states. In fact I went to a different school every year from fifth to eleventh grade and only because of a transfer in the middle of eleventh grade did I attend the same school in twelfth grade. I don’t have many friends - in fact I really only have one that I’ve had for more than twenty years. I don’t have close relationships from high school or early in life. But through the grace of God I can refer to each of you as dear friends. As beloved.

There is a deep kinship, a deep affinity that is developed when you become a part of the body of Christ that transcends normal relational boundaries and conventions. It is this that enables Jude to write dear friends. That is not to excuse us from attempting to develop genuine relationships. Instead, it recognizes that in Christ we have a pre-placed foundation for our relationships that enables a deeper connection over something more than normal relationships have available to them.

Jude mentions it here saying I was eager to write you about the salvation we share. He was eager - he earnestly desired - to talk about the glorious tenets of their mutual salvation. This is more than merely sharing a testimony with one another. It is delving deeply into the beauty of spiritual growth and the continued development of Christ in the lives of those to whom he is writing. Eagerness is a classic idiom meaning that he wanted to very much or he was making every effort to write them a letter concerning the salvation that they shared. There is a lot of varying opinions to what exactly Jude means by this statement but I think what it means is that while he was sitting down to write this letter his intentions were changed by the Holy Spirit to address something else, something more urgent.

But notice again what he writes because it is important for us - he is eager, he earnestly desires, to discuss the salvation that they all share. How often are we eager to discuss the salvation that we share? Last night I sat down with someone and asked them how they were doing. Overall that is not a bad question because there are challenges in each of our lives that often require that someone check in on us and ask how we’re doing. But, much like those investment commercials that were running not long ago, while that was a good question, there was a better question to be asked. What is God teaching you right now? How is God using your current situations to deepen your relationship with Him? How is Christ being formed in your life right now?

Oh the depth of relationship we could have with one another is we earnestly desired to speak of the salvation we all share rather than the commonplace subjects of the Seahawks, or our jobs or other temporal issues. Now hear me - those are not trivial issues, well the Seahawks might be, but our jobs, our lives, our families are not trivial issues. But when we simply talk about them from a temporal point of view we cheapen the value of them and the way in which the salvation we share is being worked out in those arenas of our lives.

Jude earnestly desired to have that conversation with them and we should desire to have those conversations with one another. But Jude is diverted and so now must those who read his letter, including us, be. In an instant Jude transports his readers from the comfortable setting of a study or a window seat reading a letter from a dear friend to the battlefield. We are transported from Rivendell where all is peaceful and we can read this letter to the crashing sounds of a waterfall as soft sunlight plays through the window to the Black Gates of Mordor where the crashing sounds of weapons, the harsh noises of gates opening and closing and the smell of decay permeates the air. In short, Jude is about to make very clear to us that our time in the reserves of God’s army are drawing to a close and that there are threats we must face.

As he does so he reveals three key actions that detail this touchstone verse for this letter - two that were impressed upon him and one that he impresses upon us.

Jude is Compelled

Jude earnestly desired to write one thing and yet finds himself compelled to write something else. Have you ever found yourself in this condition. There is something that you desire to do but instead, whether by necessity or the Spirit’s leading (or both), you find yourself doing something completely different. Jude finds himself in this position now as he sits down to write this letter. Whether it is because he has received news of a threat making its way into the churches, of some false and aberrant teaching that is misleading the saints or whether it is the leading of the Holy Spirit as he writes, Jude’s purpose for writing shifts.

Our translation says that I found it necessary. The New Living Translation says But now I find that I must write about something else. The New American Standard says I found it necessary. The New International Version says I felt compelled. This is a strong verb ananke meaning to be under constraint, compulsion, to have an obligation of duty. It is the compulsion that Paul is under in 1 Corinthians 9 when he writes

1 Corinthians 9:16 CSB

For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach—and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

It is the fire that burned in Jeremiah’s bones

Jeremiah 20:8–9 CSB

For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!” so the word of the Lord has become my constant disgrace and derision. I say, “I won’t mention him or speak any longer in his name.” But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

The urgency of this must have shocked his readers. It is the urgency that strikes a parent when their child does something or is about to do something that they need to be kept away from. These words should hit our ears like a thunderclap - I wanted to write to you about the salvation that we share…yet I felt compelled, constrained to write to you instead about something else. What could be so serious as to compel this man to break from his intended topic and instead address another.

I am reminded of a bit by a comedian named Louis CK. I don’t know much about him so I wouldn’t recommend all of his stuff but this particular clip he and his daughters were getting on a subway and he was going over the rules for riding the subway as a family. “If I get on the train and you’re left on the platform stay put and I’ll come back and get you. If you get on the train and I get left on the platform get off at the next station and I’ll find you there.” So he and his two daughters get on the train and just before the doors close his youngest daughter steps off. The doors shut and the train takes off. He is in a panic. At the next station he grabs his other daughters hand, runs up and over and catches the next train back to the station. When he gets back he takes his daughter and gets down asking her why she did that, what was she thinking, doesn’t she know how dangerous that was. So much so that his daughter starts to cry. His other daughter says dad that’s enough. And he responds that no, its never enough. That was so dangerous. He is compelled to drive home to her how dangerous and foolish her actions were.

Here, Jude is compelled to appeal to his readers. The depth of his affection for them in the opening and the admission that his original purpose had been supplanted by the letter they hold in their hands is significant and the gravity of what he is saying cannot be missed.

Jude is Compelled to Appeal

This is another strong verb used throughout the New Testament with varying meanings. It can mean to urge, to plead with, to appeal, to exhort. The verb is parakaleo. It is used in Acts 27 as Paul urges the men on the doomed ship to take some food after having not eaten for fourteen days. It is used by Paul as he pleads with the Lord concerning the thorn in his flesh in 2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:7–8 CSB

especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me.

It is used of the leper who approaches Jesus and begs Him to make him clean

Mark 1:40 CSB

Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

There is a depth of meaning here that goes further than merely asking someone for an action. Leprosy was a deadly disease that caused men and women to lose their homes, their families and eventually their lives. Many of us can empathize with Paul as he sought to have the thorn in his flesh removed as we have earnestly plead with the Lord to fix some situation we are going through. When I was stationed in Japan and life wasn’t going well I earnestly plead with God to get me out of there.

Here, Jude is appealing to his readers - almost the way we would plead with someone who is unresponsive. The language here is meant to shock them into an action that is being thrust upon them. They are to contend for the faith.

Jude is Compelled to Appeal…We are to Contend

Now before we get into what Jude is driving at here there is an important distinction that we must understand. There is a difference between contending for the faith and being contentious. One is a legitimate action that all Christians are called to engage in. The other is a dangerous heart condition the belies more than simply asking questions of the church or seeking clarity on issues. It is a desire for the fight. It is a desire for the strife. As I was preparing for this sermon I came across an article from The Gospel Coalition about a confrontation that Martyn Lloyd-Jones had with a Canadian pastor named T.T. Shields. It seems that pastor Shields was a vigorous denouncer of all denominational apostasy. Now that might sound like a positive attribute.

Lloyd-Jones confronts him about his propensity for picking a fight and this is his response “Do you know, every time I indulge in what you call one of these dog fights the sales of the Gospel Witness go right up. What about that?” The Gospel Witness was Shield’s newspaper. “Well,” Lloyd-Jones replies “I have always observed that if there is a dog-fight a crowd gathers; I’m not at all surprised. People like that sort of thing.” The issue here is one of the heart that just seeks contention for the spectacle of it. Shields was seeking fights without caring about the spiritual ramifications. Unfortunately the outcome of the meeting, and a meeting with Shields and his board later, led to no change in his ministry. And unfortunately that spirit, that wrong spirit, still abounds in the church today. Today we call some of these people discernment bloggers. They sit ready to pick a nit with anything that one might say or to call a well meaning person down for one misstep. That is not contending for the faith, that is harboring a contentious spirit which is sin

Proverbs 26:21 CSB

As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.

Instead the Christian is called to a higher standard

2 Timothy 2:22–25 CSB

Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.

We must also recognize that there is an active sense to this appeal. There is also a difference between contending for something and defending from something. Jude is not content merely to disseminate information about the dangers of the heretics but is calling the church to decisive action. That we are not to sit back and defend only the core tenets of the faith while secondary issues or tertiary issues are slowly perverted and changed - especially not with those issues that the modern church is calling tertiary or secondary.

If you trace the threads back they all impact one of two things - the inerrancy or the sufficiency of Scripture. If you trace back the arguments that say a woman should be allowed to preach you’ll find at their core the inerrancy of Scripture - does it mean what it says in plain language or not.

If you trace back the idea that if you have a problem such as depression or narcissism or an unruly kid or you fill in the blank that you should see a psychologist and maybe they will throw a Bible verse on it and call it Christian counseling - you’ll find at it’s core there is an attack on the sufficiency of Scripture.

If you trace back the idea that our skin color determines certain things about us and how we are treated you’ll find an attack on the inerrancy of Scripture that says that all men are sinners and have fallen short of God’s standards of holiness and are worthy only of Hell.

At its heart this idea of contending for the faith is the purest form of fellowship. It means to struggle for, to struggle in behalf of. The root of this word (epagonizomai) is the word agonizomai from which we get our word agony. It is a word that has great connection to the games that would take place during this time period as athletes would strenuously contend to win their events. It is a word that will have a vivid playing out here in a few months in Japan as the Olympics take place yet again.

The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. It means to strive together for a common purpose or goal. The word was used in the business sense of striving together for financial gain. Paul uses it in Philippians 1 to commend the church for their efforts for the Gospel alongside him

Philippians 1:4–5 CSB

always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

It carries the sense of a tug-of-war team. Everyone striving together. This is what Jude is calling his readers to here - to contend earnestly for the faith. To stand side by side, as Paul also writes in Philippians 1

Philippians 1:27–28 CSB

Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.

It is something that cannot be done alone - as Paul writes - but must be done together. There is no truer band of brothers. I can remember a day when I was in college when there was snowfall on the ground. College kids, snow and two facing dorms became fantastic ingredients for a massive snow ball fight. One thing I remember vividly is that our dorm wasn’t all that interested so at some point I think there were maybe five of us out there facing the other dorm. As valiant, and looking back stupid, as that was there was no way we were going to win. In some ways that is the way the church is operating now. There are a few contending for the faith while most just can’t be bothered. And those happy few are being pummeled.

And what we are contending for is of such great importance how could we not stand up for it?

Contend for the Faith

This has been necessary ever since Christ first started His ministry, since He ascended to Heaven and the Apostles started to carry out the mission that was left to the church to complete. Paul warned repeatedly that attacks would arise from within the church

Acts 20:28–30 CSB

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.

He would warn Timothy repeatedly

1 Timothy 6:20 CSB

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent and empty speech and contradictions from what is falsely called knowledge.

2 Timothy 1:14 CSB

Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Writing about the faith, Jude is not speaking of a nebulous body of religious doctrines but the faith of the Gospel, God’s objective truth. It is the complete truth of a literal six day creation that was spoiled by the fall of man through Adam’s sin. It is exemplified by the continued failures of men throughout the centuries until the One promised in the Garden arrives in the person of Jesus Christ. He lives a perfect, sinless life and dies a sacrificial death so that God’s wrath may be appeased and averted from those who place their faith in Christ and repent of their sins. They receive His righteousness in exchange for their sinful nature that was placed on Him on the cross. The beautiful promise of this is that they are now kept by Him, despite their continued sinful failing here on earth, and promised a life in eternity with Christ. The entire Bible constitutes this faith and the corpus that details all of the nuances of this faith.

That is why Jude writes that it has been delivered to the saints once and for all. The Greek word here, hapax, denotes the perfection and completion as well as the finality of the faith that they received. There is no secret code. There is nothing left to be delivered or revealed. The mystery has been revealed for all time. It doesn’t matter what your skin color is - there is no white Gospel, no black Gospel. There is only God’s Gospel. It doesn’t matter what gender you are because salvation is open to all. It doesn’t matter what your education level is, your income level is or your political party affiliation. There is no republican Gospel, there is no democrat Gospel. There is only God’s Gospel.

This is the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints - to us. This is the Gospel that the Reformers paid for with their lives. This is the faith that the Puritans left England in search of a new world to protect. But there is no where left to run. There is no where left for us to go. And the attacks are arising right within our very own churches and denomination. If we wont fight for it - if we wont contend for the truth who will. There is no better tool in Satan’s toolbox than our inaction. Listen to these words “I can’t do everything. God didn’t call me to do everything. But I can do something. Right now, I am doing nothing and Satan loves nothing. So I must do something. Christ has already done everything so I can and must do something.” And that something is to contend for the faith - that beautiful, perfect, amazing faith that we claim to believe.