Sermon Series: Jude

 

Sermon title:  A Call to Persevere

 

Last week we talked about contending for the faith.  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

 

¹⁷ But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 

 

Jude makes a reference to the prophecy of the apostle Peter, which ultimately came from Jesus Christ.  A prophecy is something that has not yet happened but describes an event that will take place sometime in the future. 

 

Also, this prophecy is intended to describe people living in the “last time.”   

This speaks of the time nearest the return of Christ from heaven and the consummation (establishment) of the divine kingdom.

 

To see Peter’s account of what Jude has referenced:

 

2 Peter 3:2-7

 

² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 

 

Because people have not yet seen his coming that has been foretold, they lose hope in the pure authentic, wholesome promises of God and have thus turned to satisfy the desires of their flesh with false counterfeits.   Thus, they stop believing not only in His promises but also in His existence.  

 

⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, ⁶ and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 

 

What is important to remember is that by the mouth of God He formed the planets and spoke those things which we see into existence.  If He has spoken and the earth came about it had no choice but to, then surely His promise to return will also come about so don’t lose hope.

 

⁷ But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

 

Peter goes a bit further into it than Jude as he describes the consequence for not believing in God, in His redemptive plan for mankind through Jesus, the consequence for not persevering to the end is destruction. Just as the earth will be consumed with fire so will the ungodly. 

So as Jude references Peter and Peter references the prophets of old.  This prophecy has been both preservedthrough the ages and reserved for the “last time” or as Peter says “the day of judgement.”

 

We know we must be getting close to the Lord’s return as we see the increase of the scoffers.  Atheist who do not believe in God and mock the idea that we are created by Him.  Scoffers of our day.

 

Angelina Jolie - strictly considers herself an atheist.  She even once said, “There doesn’t need to be a God for me.”

 

Amber Heard -  I know Christianity, especially Catholicism, like the back of my hand. And my education has given me the freedom to know that it is completely absurd for me to believe it."

 

Morgan Freeman – (has played God in at least two movies)

“My belief system doesn't support a creator as such, as we can call God, who created us in His/Her/Its image. So if I believe in God, and I do, it's because I think I'm God.” 

He coined the phrase “We Invented God.”

 

Sam Smith - "I have never believed in you, no," "You won't find me in church (no) reading the Bible (no)," and "I'm not a saint, I'm more of a sinner."

 

The Grammy’s featured Sam Smith’s demonic performance and was sponsored by Pfizer.

 

The carnival in Brazil this year mocking Jesus

 

And let’s not forget America’s beloved Disney.

           

Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham the great evangelist)

 

“Today, Disney is indoctrinating children w/the LGBTQ agenda—& they don’t try to hide it. I hope parents wake up to what Disney is trying to do & protect their children & grandchildren from the lies this once-great company is now so willing to promote.”

 

            In doing so they scoff at the idea that

 

            Genesis 1:27

 

So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

 

Imagine that; the creation mocks their creator.  (example, cross)

 

Jude Continues

 

• It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 

 

Spirit – (pneuma) The character or influence which fills and governs the soul of anyone. The efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.

 

We can determine that worldly people and divisions (even in the church he is addressing) exist as the result of those who are scoffers, who do not have the Spirit of God influencing their affections, emotions, or desires.  Rather they are of their father the devil and are influenced by demons. 

They will be judged accordingly.

 

But we who are called, do have the Spirit of God to keep us from such worldliness.  By His Spirit He powerfully affects our emotions, affections, and our desires.  So, the power of His Spirt is the key to overcoming worldlinessaround us.  By His Spirit we persevere to the end.

 

• But you, beloved, (agapētos) esteemed, dear, favorite, worthy of love) building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt;²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

 

Again, Jude puts the responsibility on the believers, “But You, beloved.”

 

You have a responsibility to persevere when encompassed by evil.  What is your responsibility?

 

• Build Yourselves Up in Faith – On the foundation laid by the apostles,

 

There is this idea of constantly building or growing in the faith.  Your foundation must be established on Christ,

• that is upon His death, burial and resurrection,
• His deity, He is God
• and the fact that He is one person of the triune God,

Jude would imply that it is necessary to continue to build your faith upon that foundation.  Note, the responsibility falls upon us to build ourselves up. 

 

The message bible puts it a little differently:

 

^20-21 But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit,

 

From this we see the way that we build ourselves up is by praying in the Holy Spirit.  We need to be vigilantin our prayers as it is vital to our spiritual life, and we must be praying in the Holy Spirit.

 

Yes, God is the one who keeps us.  He keeps us both physically and spiritually.   But we are never to say “because God keeps us, we can just stay underwater without coming up for air.”  Breathing is how God sustains our physical life and praying in the Spirit is how God keeps us spiritually.

 

If God doesn't keep us, we will not persevere in faith; we will perish. How then do we keep ourselves, if God is the decisive keeper? Answer: we ask God to keep us. That is, we pray.

 

            Luke 21:36

           

³⁶ But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”    

What is praying in the Holy spirit?

 

When you pray in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God is "moving" you to pray. That is, he is the one who motivates and enables and directs your prayer.  When you pray in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God is "guiding" how you pray and what you pray for.

 

Ephesians 6:18

 

¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. 

Praying in the Holy Spirit is the way that all prayer is to be offered.

 

Romans 8:26

 

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

 

We can be sure that when we pray according to the Spirit, that our prayers are in alignment with the will of God and in alignment with the character of God.

 

How do we pray in the Holy Spirit?

 

Without the Holy Spirit we do not know how to pray as we ought to, we are dependent upon Him.  We must then by faith believe that God gives us the Holy Spirit who helps us to pray.  When we pray from a place of dependency then we are praying in the Spirit. 

 

• When we realize that we do not have the answers, but He does,
• When we realize our resources are limited but His are not,
• When we realize that we are weak but He is strong.

 

Philippians 3:3

³ For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

 

We are to put no confidence in the flesh but place our full confidence in Him.  When you feel like you are too weak, discouraged, fearful, anxious to pray, look away from yourself and look to Christ.  When you do so He will help you to pray as you ought to pray.

• When we realize that He answers our prayers not because of our goodness but simply because He is good and merciful,

 

Then we are properly aligned to pray according to the Spirit.

 

The other major thing to consider when praying in the Spirit, is to pray according to the Word of God which is breathed out by God’s Spirit.  To do so we must be in the Word of God and the Word of God in us.  If His Word is on the inside of you, that is what will come out when you pray.

 

By praying in the Spirit, we are keeping ourselves in the love of God.

 

• Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

 

It is so easy to allow the world around you to quench the love that God has placed there. 

How many of you can honestly say that it is hard to love some people? 

 

• I find it hard to love people who do stupid
• I find it hard to love people who are unappreciative.
• I find it hard to love people who are lazy.
• I find it hard to love people who are disrespectful.
• I find it hard to love people who push ungodly agendas on our children.

 

            How is it even possible to love such people?

 

Yet the thing that we are commanded to do not just by Jude by Christ, is to love one another. 

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

 

¹ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.  ⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  ⁵ It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

The thing that defines us as Christians is our love for one another.  If the love is gone, then what do you have?

 

If the love is gone from your ministry, then what do you have? Religious rituals which have no effect on the soul

 

If the love is gone from your relationships, then what do have? 

 

If the love that you once had towards other people is gone, then any benevolence that you do is simply dead works. Love ties it all together and gives meaning to what we do.  For whatever you do, do it in love, as love is the character of God.  For God is love.

 

1 John 4:11-13

 

¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 

 

• Jude writes to the church encouraging them to keep themselves in the love of God.
• Paul says love is bearing, believing, hoping and enduring all things
• John says that when we love one another it proves that God’s Spirit is living inside of us

 

 As Christians we must advance or backslide; we must build higher and higher, our love must become more and more supreme in your souls, or we will decline.

 

 If you desire to keep yourself in the love of God, avoid everything that would damp your love. Avoid sin especially, for sin is the poison of love to God. Love of sin is the death of love to God.

 

Charles Spurgeon –

 

Love is the evidence of faith, and the grace by which faith operates. The faith which saves the soul is always attended by love. It is written, “Faith worketh by love.” “Faith without works is dead,” but faith without love is faith without works, therefore faith without love is a dead thing and cannot possibly save a soul.

 

That which is worth getting is worth keeping. If divine love was worth seeking, even if you had been called to lay down your lives in the search, it must be equally worth retaining, cost what it may.

 

Doxology

 

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

 

Jude ends his letter in a similar way in which he started it. 

 

Vs ^1b beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

 

He repeats the idea that we are being kept by God through Jesus who gives us the strength we need persevere to the end.  For no other is able or willing keep us from stumbling and no other can present us blameless (faultless) as He can.

 

Not that we are perfect, but we are perfectly forgiven through Jesus Christ.

 

Because we serve a God can

• cleanse us from our sins and remove our guilt,
• keep us from stumbling from evil desires and evil scoffers in this world,
• build our faith as we pray according to His spirit
• keep us in his love by lavishing his love on us
• bring about his promises

 

He is worthy of eternal praise both now and forever.  With Jude we can say amen.