Sunday Sermons

Sunday Sermons

Calling His Bluff

Derek Long
10/18/09 - Sunday Morning

 

Jude 1-25
Contending Earnestly for the Faith: 
The Answer to False Doctrine

 

Introduction – Jude 1-2

  1. The Author
  2. The Audience – Romans 1:7
  3. The Author’s desire for the Audience – 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2


The Theme: Contend Earnestly for the Faith – Jude 3

  1. What is the faith?
    1. Much like their being a common salvation there is a common faith we all ought to share – Titus 1:4
    2. The faith is the word of God – Ephesians 6:17
    3. The faith is a very powerful thing – Hebrews 4:12
  2. When (How many times) was the faith delivered?
    1. How many times will we die? How many times was Christ offered? – Hebrews 9:27-28
    2. How many times did Christ suffer? – 1 Peter 3:18
  3. How was the faith delivered?
    1. Not through men – Galatians 1:11
    2. But through the Holy Spirit – 2 Peter 1:21
  4. What should we do with the faith? – Philippians 1:27


The need to Contend Earnestly for the Faith – Jude 4-16

  1. False Teachers have arisen – Jude 4
    1. “For certain men have crept in unnoticed”
      1. We must be on the watch for such men – Acts 20:28-31
      2. Jesus said at first they may look good but are not – Matthew 7:15
    2. “Who long ago were marked out for this condemnation”
    3. “Ungodly men”
      1. It cannot be argued that false teachers are godly men who just went wrong on a point or two
      2. False teachers are ungodly men because they teach a doctrine that leads to sin – 1 Timothy 1:3
    4. “Who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ”
      1. They may be saying “Sin more so you receive more grace” – Romans 6:1-2
      2. They may be saying “God is too kind to punish people”
  2. God will punish the sinner – Jude 5-7
    1. The Israelites in the wilderness (God will punish sinners even if they are His chosen people) – 1 Corinthians 10:5-10
    2. The angels cast into chains (God will punish sinners even if they are very powerful)
    3. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (God will punish sinners eternally) – Genesis 19:24
      1. Eternal punishment – Daniel 12:2; Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17; 18:8; Mark 9:43, 48; Revelation 14:9-11; 20:10
  3. The results of false doctrine – Jude 8-13
    1. Proof of their ungodliness – Jude 8; 2 Peter 2:10
      1. Defiling the flesh – leads to more sin – 1 Corinthians 15:33
      2. Rejecting authority – God’s authority
      3. Speaking evil of dignitaries – Exodus 22:28
    2. Michael and the devil – Jude 9-10; 2 Peter 2:12
      1. We need to simply let God’s word judge the false teachers – 2 Timothy 4:2
      2. We must not go down to their level: - 1 Peter 1:23
        1. Name calling (e.g. You are a cult)
        2. Personal attacks
    3. Three Old Testament examples – Jude 11
      1. Cain – Genesis 4:3-8
        1. Offer the sacrifice of my choice (Go to the Church of my choice)
        2. Think God will accept anything (Any kind of worship is all right)
        3. Become upset when God is not pleased
      2. Balaam – 2 Peter 2:15
        1. God may not authorize it but I am going to do it anyway
        2. Found a way to do what he wanted to do – 2 Peter 3:16
      3. Korah – Numbers 16:1-3, 31-35
        1. God is not as restrictive as you think
        2. Everyone should have the same role
          1. Women preachers – 1 Timothy 2:12
          2. Women advocating lack of submission – Ephesians 5:22
    4. Description of what a false teacher really is like – Jude 12-13
      1. Only concern is themselves – vs. 12
      2. Deceptive – promise great things but never deliver (clouds without water; late autumn trees without fruit) – vs. 12; 2 Peter 2:19
      3. Always changing (carried about by the wind) – vs. 12; Ephesians 4:14
      4. Shameful – their conduct and teaching leaves a mess (raging waves of the sea foaming up their own shame) – vs. 13; Philippians 3:19
      5. Unreliable – not solid in their beliefs (wandering stars) – vs. 13; Matthew 15:14
      6. The blackness of darkness is reserved for such people – 2 Peter 2:17
  4. The judgment of the false teachers – Jude 14-15
    1. Christ will return with His saints (angels) to judge – Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:38; 25:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Matthew 13:41-42, 49-50
  5. The false teachers’ tactics – Jude 16
    1. Will use great swelling words – 2 Peter 2:18
    2. Will use flattery – Proverbs 28:21


The way to Contend Earnestly for the Faith – Jude 17-23

  1. “Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” – Jude 17-19
    1. The apostles warning about false teachers – Jude 17-19; 2 Peter 3:2-4; 1 Timothy 4:1
    2. The apostles instructions in their letters – 2 Peter 1:15
      1. The word of God is what will keep us from error – Acts 20:32
      2. We simply need to be like the Bereans and test everything by God’s word – Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1
  2. “Building yourselves up on your most holy faith” – Jude 20-25
    1. In dealing with your own life – Jude 20-21
      1. Grow spiritually – Colossians 2:7
      2. Pray – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
      3. Stay in God’s favor – 1 Timothy 1:19
      4. Look for Christ, His mercy, and His return – Titus 2:13
    2. In dealing with false teachers – Jude 22-23
      1. Have compassion – 2 Timothy 2:24-26
      2. Save with fear – Hebrews 12:29
      3. Pull them out of the fire – 1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 13:2
    3. God’s aid in contending for the faith – Jude 24-25
      1. God is able to provide the help we need (especially through His word) – Ephesians 3:20
      2. God is able to have us stand before Him faultless – Colossians 1:22


Conclusion

  1. To contend earnestly for the faith one must first obey the faith:
    1. Hear – Romans 10:17
    2. Believe – Mark 16:16
    3. Repent – Acts 2:38
    4. Confess – Romans 10:10
    5. Be baptized – Acts 22:16
  2. After obeying the faith then we must continue to follow it and contend for it – Jude 3

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