Contend for the Faith

April 23, 2023 Speaker: Tara Detiveaux Series: Jude

Topic: Faith Scripture: Jude 1:3– :16

Contend for the Faith

Jude 3:3-16

We write letters for all types of things, at least we used to. Young lovers would write concerning their love to one another, we write for change to our government officials, I write letter asking principals to excuse people for school…

But Jude the brother of James and servant of Christ writes for a matter…

He is compelled to write for a certain matter…

You ever felt compelled? A spiritual compelling? (example here at Momentum with Sam)

James writes with an urging in his heart from the Holy Spirit

So much so that’s he writes a letter

“I felt compelled to write and urge you to “Contend for the Faith”

Greeting

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for[a] Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[d] 10 Yet these people

slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

11 Woe to them!

They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

This is not a time to shrink back

quit coming

walk away

give up

throw in the towel

be consumed by culture

listen to the lies of the enemy

not be involved

become like the world

give up your position

don’t do what you said you were going to do

listen to your feelings

be lukewarm

half-hearted

become like the stories of those of old

Jude reminds them of what would be familiar to them to grab their attention.

This needs to be said today, because it is so much of what we are seeing!!

And Jude says let me just say it!!

Jude goes back to the stories of old to prove His point of writing the letter in the first place. It’s as if the main topic is you need to fight for your faith but let me prove it to you by some examples. Inside of a convicting spiritual work, it a brilliant literary strategy.

Philippians 2:12-13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’

What they Did Then

1. Walk Away from the Freedom in Christ

People in Egypt (Exodus 1:8-14)

People were Free

But Later Destroyed Those Who Didn’t Believe

 

God delivered Israel from Egypt in a miraculous and mighty act. Many (really thousands) of some of the same people who were save from Egypt were destroyed in the wilderness.

 

2. Rejecting Authority

Angels who rejected God

Are now kept in Chains and future Judgement

 

3. Sexual Immorality

Unnatural Desires that were acted on as of Sodom and Gomorrah

 

Both the rebellious angels and the men of Sodom and Gomorrah sinned against God. Both have and will receive God’s judgement.

 

4. Ignorant Instincts

These people relying on their dreams were using their supposed revelations from God as the reason why they were defiling the flesh, rejecting authority, and blaspheming angels.

Woe to Them!

Woe was used often by Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and Habakkuk. Jesus used the word the most, however, pronouncing judgement on individuals and groups. This word would’ve been incredibly familiar.

Who they Were Then

The Way of Cain.

Hatred and Murder. Disobedience. Self- Centered Worship.

The Way of Balaam

It’s interesting because 2 Peter also writes about this at about the same time as Jude, urging for the same things, and writing the same example.

2 Peter 2:15-16 “They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey – an animal without speech – who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

The Way of Korah

Preferred to be their own masters. And it says In Numbers 16:1-35 31 And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. 32 And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35 And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

Who they are Now

Continuing in his descriptions of the ungodly men hiding among God’s people Jude used nature to help his recipients further understand how these men behaved, finally concluding this portion of his letter by explaining what will become of these men once they stand before God. Jude was not afraid to speak about the immoral behavior of these men nor did he mince words when writing about the judgment awaiting them. We might be in a culture that prefers a “love” that doesn’t address sin, hell, and holiness. But Jude, just like his master and Lord, Jesus, must tell the truth, even if it was hard to hear.

-blemishes at your love feast (reefs which was spilas, rocks hidden below the surface)

-shepherds who feed themselves (Ezekiel 34 says the same, exact same words)

-clouds without rain

-autumn trees without fruit

-wild waves of the sea

-wandering stars (deceptive leadership, fallen star satan)

What Will Happen in the Future

Jude continued in the theme of using narratives and people from the past to make a point for those who he was writing to presently, so that they’d be aware of what was going to happen in the future.

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

So that we all stand/ before him Judgement

So what do you do?

What does Jude prescribe in His Letter…

Well it’s the main point,

Check yourself and CONTEND FOR THE FAITH!

Instead of shrinking back, march forward!

Instead of quit coming, show up even more!

Instead of walking away from the faith, embrace it again.

Don’t give up, fight to continue

Don’t throw in the towel

Don’t be consumed by culture

Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy, immerse yourself in the Word of God

Be involved

Don’t become like the world

Don’t give up your position

Do what you said you were going to do

Don’t listen to your feelings

Don’t be lukewarm

Don’t be half-hearted CONTEND FOR THE FAITH!!