Contend for the Faith Part 2

Week 2

Text: Jude 17–24

Topic: Hope, God’s Love, Perseverance

Big Idea of the Message: Jude shows how believers are to contend for the truth of God, and he assures them that Jesus will keep them from stumbling.

Application Point: We must build our lives on the solid foundation of the gospel, pray, keep ourselves in God’s love, and eagerly wait for the return of Jesus, while remaining confident that Jesus will keep and protect us.

Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1. In verses 17–19, Jude’s concern for his brothers and sisters in Christ is evident. He reminds them that the rise of false teachers should not be a surprise. The apostles, such as Paul, Peter, and John, had forewarned the church that corrupt teachers would come and distort the gospel and teachings of Jesus. Jesus himself shared the same warning (see Matthew 7:15–19). Despite the threat these ungodly, false teachers present, God foreknew their coming and is preparing his people to stand against them and overcome.

2. As Jude brings his short letter to a close, he returns to the theme of encouraging the believers to contend for the faith by putting forth an intense effort to fight for the truth. In verses 20–21, Jude now instructs the disciples how to contend for the faith by using a set of metaphors.

3. First, we are to build our lives on a solid foundation. Jude declares that the foundation we build our lives on is our “most holy faith” (v. 20). This refers to the core message of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. As followers of Jesus, we are to embrace the life and teaching of Jesus in every area of our lives. Our hope is found in the sacrificial death of Jesus for our sins and in God raising him bodily from the dead as a prelude to our future resurrection. We do not only need the gospel beforebecoming a believer; we need the good news of Jesus Christ every day of our lives.

4. The following news report demonstrates the problem of building on a bad foundation: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/these-homes-are-crumbling-from-their-foundation-790384707513?v=raila&. (Note: The clip can be edited down if desired).

5. Tim Keller explains the need to preach the gospel to ourselves every day: “The angels never get tired of looking into the gospel. This means there is no end to gospel exploration. There are depths in the gospel that are always there to be discovered and applied, not only to our ministry and daily Christian life, but above all, to the worship of the God of the gospel with renewed vision and humility. The underlying conviction in my preaching, pastoring, and writing is that the gospel—this eternally fascinating message craved by the angels—can change a heart, a community, and the world when it is recovered and applied. It is one thing to understand the gospel but is quite another to experience the gospel in such a way that it fundamentally changes us and becomes the source of our identity and security. It is one thing to grasp the essence of the gospel but it is quite another to think out its implications for all of life. We all struggle to explore the mysteries of the gospel on a regular basis, but we should strive to immerse ourselves in it and allow its message to influence our life daily” (Tim Keller, foreword to Gospel, by J. D. Greear [Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2011], 2).

6. On the foundation of the gospel, we build our lives up in three ways. First, Jude directs believers to give themselves to prayer. Jude tells them to be “praying in the Holy Spirit” (v. 20). We are to pray by God’s Spirit as he directs us, rather than by our own will.

7. Second, Jude urges followers to “keep yourselves in God’s love” (v. 21). The passionate, unconditional love of God is not just a message for those who are far from God. The Greek word for “keep” means to “continue in a state of” (James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek New Testament [Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997], 5498). As disciples of Jesus, we need to remain continually in God’s love.

8. The following video illustrates God’s unconditional love for us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdnxGx8fzOU

9. Third, we build our lives on the foundation of the gospel as we “wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 21). That is, we are to stay alert and to eagerly await the second coming of Jesus (see Titus 2:13), when he will fully bring his kingdom upon the earth.

10. Jude concludes his brief letter by praising Jesus and giving him glory for all that he is doing for his people (Jude 24–25). The Greek word for “stumbling” means “free from sinning, without falling in sin, without stumbling” (James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek New Testament [Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997], 720). Jesus alone can protect his people by keeping us from stumbling into sin. The phrase “with great joy” can be modifying both Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and believers (1 Peter 1:8). Jesus will also, with great joy, present us (who will be full of joy) blameless to the Father.