Sermon Tone Analysis

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Introduction

In the shortest book of the New Testament, Jude, one of Jesus’s brothers, writes a short letter to an unnamed church.

He tells them (the church) and us (the reader) in verse three that he was already very eager to write to them.

He wanted to write to them about their mutual salvation in Jesus, but instead, as we read in verse three:

Jude 3 (ESV)

...I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith...

When I hear this word Contend or Contender, I’m immediately transported back to my childhood living room where contenders like George Forman, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Oscar De La Hoya duked it out in the ring on our tiny, early 90s CRT television.

We get the word “contend” here from the Greek “epagonizomai” (eh-pawg-oh-knees-oh-may).

This word isn’t found anywhere else in scripture, but the boxer imagery is fitting.

It means to struggle for or fight for.

So you’re probably asking, why exactly was Jude telling this unnamed church to fight for the faith?

He gives us two reasons, one internal, and one external.

Internally:

In verse four Jude tells them that false teachers have crept into the church unnoticed.

Externally:

In verses 18-19, Jude says that there are scoffers, mockers—folks who are keen to make a mockery out of the church and cause divisions.

As we look at the church today, there are just as many internal and external attacks.

Ope, there’s another church scandal.

There’s another church split.

Here’s this outside group with their agenda.

Here’s this inside group with their poor witness.

These attacks from all sides are nothing new.

Jesus’s own brother—not long at all after Christ walked the earth—saw the very kind of thing that we see today.

As we’ve been praying and preaching around this idea of Build Your Church—and not just Broad River Church, not just the global church, but the church that you and I are both individually and collectively called to be—I’m reminded of this passage of scripture:

Church, God is taking us somewhere today, and I don’t want you to miss it.

No matter how many directions the arrows seem to fly, no matter how many false teachers come to roost, no matter what the scoffers and the mockers say:

The church is built upon the cornerstone of Jesus and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!

Don’t hear this word today and think that this is “Us” versus “Them.”

It ain’t like that, church family.

Jesus said it like this:

This is a year of overflow.

As we’ve seen already this week, God is building his church through:

The Cornerstone that is Jesus

The Hope that is Jesus

The Joy that is Jesus

After reminding us of the external attacks, Jude points to just one thing as the antidote: The Love that is Jesus

How do we keep ourselves in the love of Jesus, as Jude instructed?

The answers are right here in verses 20-21

1) We Build up our faith (v20)

The bible tells us very simply in Romans 10:17 that:

To build up our faith we must spend time in God’s words and hearing God’s word preached.

2) We pray in the Holy Spirit (v20)

When we pray in the Holy Sprit we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire our prayers.

3) We Wait for Christ’s return (v21)

Jon Courson says, “How it affects my priorities, how it changes my perspective, how it alters my emotions when I say, ‘Lord, today I’m going to look for Your coming.’

Today might be the day, dear saints.

What a difference it makes when we remember this.”

Conclusion

God is building his church through:

The Cornerstone that is Jesus

The Hope that is Jesus

The Joy that is Jesus

The Love that is Jesus

As Courson put it, “Happy is the man or woman who understands that the gospel message is profoundly simple and simply profound.

It’s Jesus—nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.”