Contending for the Faith Part 2
Contending for the Faith • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsPart 2 of 2 of our series focuses on what will happen to those who deny Christ and how to not take matters into our own hands.
Notes
Transcript
What Will Happen to Those that Deny Christ and how can we respond the correct way?
Introduction:
Last week we started our series on Contending for the Faith. We talked about the author, Jude (Judas; half brother of Jesus); to whom he was writing; and the purpose of writing this letter. We briefly discussed what “common salvation/faith” is (Romans 10:9-13) and also why Jude changed the reason for writing this letter.
This week we will finish our series as we wil be in Jude 5-23. Our main focus will be talking about what will happen to the false teachers and those who deny Jesus Christ. Also, making sure we respond the correct way according to Scripture.
Let’s get started.
Body:
1. Remember How Christ Has Dealt with His Enemies throughout History (5-7) (Three Examples)
Jude 5–7 (CSB)
5 Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe; 6 and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day. 7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
Verse 5: he wasn’t telling them what they didn’t already know but they needed to hear it again (Friendly reminder)
They needed to hear it again and then apply it to their present situation. Kinda like getting back to the basics.
Illustrations: Lombardi/football; Army/hammer
Many times in our life we need to get back to basics and apply them to our life: worrying/anxious = get back into the Word, pray, and focus on who God is; wanting to get someone back for something they did to you = apply what the scriptures say about dealing with revenge and offense, etc.
So what are the “basics” Jude is referring to here?
First example: he refers back to Numbers 14 when God delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt. Everything went off without a snag until they came to Kadesh Barnea when the people refused to trust God and go into the promised land.
How did God handle that? Psalms 95 describes how the Lord reacted to those who doubted and rejected God:
Psalm 95:10–11 (CSB)
10 For forty years I was disgusted with that generation;
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray;
they do not know my ways.”
11 So I swore in my anger,
“They will not enter my rest.”
Jude is warning them that even though the people of Israel started out well and experienced many blessings along the way, they still did not endure until the end because they did not believe God’s promise of power and protection. They did not only miss out on the promised land, God destroyed them!
The two lessons from this example are:
First, it assures us that the certain men causing trouble will certainly be judged, even though they may have started out well in their walk with God. It’s like Jude is right here with us and is saying, “The certain men might have started out well. But so did the children of Israel, and God afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”
Secondly, it warns us that we also must follow Jesus to the end, and never be among those who did not believe. The final test of our Christianity is endurance. Some start the race but never finish it. We are in a marathon; not a sprint! Slow and consistent is better than fast and wavering!
Second example in Verse 6: the angels who sinned
Jude 6 (CSB)
and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.
Jude is referring to Gen 6:1-2
Genesis 6:1–2 (CSB)
When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves.
They didn’t stay where they were suppose to stay but left their place/domain and participated in some kind of sexual sin. We don’t know if the beings were actually angelic beings until Jude helps us answer this question here in verse 6.
We don’t know the specific details about this event and really we don’t need to speculate. What we do know is this was the event that led to God choosing Noah and his family before flooding the earth and starting over.
As far as the angels being kept in eternal chains, this tells us that some fallen angels are bound until the judgment while others are unbound and active among mankind helping Satan. Those who are bound pursued freedom which landed them in bondage. True freedom only comes by obedience.
This example gives two lessons.
First, it assures us that the certain men causing trouble will be judged, no matter what their spiritual status had been. These angels at one time stood in the immediate, glorious presence of God - and now they are in everlasting chains. If God judged the angels who sinned, He will judge these certain men.
Secondly, it warns us that we also must continue walking with Jesus. If the past spiritual experience of these angels didn’t guarantee their future spiritual state, then neither does ours. We must keep walking forward, being on guard and seek God on daily basis.
Third example in Verse 7: Sodom and Gomorrah
Jude 7 (CSB)
Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
They were blessed and privileged places
Genesis 13:10 (CSB)
10 Lot looked out and saw that the entire plainB of the Jordan as far as Zoar was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden and the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Despite their material blessings, they still fell away and didn’t rely on God who provided the blessings they were taking for granted.
Ezekiel 16:49 (CSB)
49 Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had pride, plenty of food, and comfortable security, but didn’t support the poor and needy.
Sexual sin was not their only sin as they didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
This example gives two lessons.
First, it assures us that the certain men causing trouble will be judged, no matter how much they had been blessed in the past. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah were once wonderfully blessed but eventually suffered the vengeance of eternal fire, so will it be with these certain men.
Secondly, it warns us that we also must continue walking with Jesus. If the blessings of the past didn’t guarantee their future spiritual state, then neither does ours. And we need to define our blessings from God and focus on who He is rather than what He can do for me!
Transition: So, after Jude reminds them how God has handled His enemies throughout history (friendly reminder), he continues to remind them what will happen to those who presently resist Christ.
2. Consider What Will Become of Those Who Presently Resist Christ (8; 10; 12-13; 16)
Jude then lists several characteristics of the bad character of certain men
Jude 8 (CSB)
8 In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones.
Defile their flesh = sensuality like Sodom and Gomorrah
Reject authority = reject the authority of God so they can be in authority
Slander the glorious ones = this was probably referring to the apostles and other leaders in the church (which is connected to rejecting authority)
Jude 10 (CSB)
10 But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct—like irrational animals—by these things they are destroyed.
Their speech is made worse because they speak about things they do not understand and people they do not know
The knowledge they do have is natural knowledge/instinct and not spiritual knowledge which also results in destroying themselves.
Jude 11 (CSB)
11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have plunged into Balaam’s error for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
The way of Cain in Gen 4 (works; not faith) is the way of unbelief and empty religion, which leads to jealousy, persecution of the truly godly, and eventually to murderous anger.
Balaam’s story is found in Numbers 22-25, 31. The greedy error of Balaam was that he was willing to compromise everything for money. The certain men Jude warned about had the same heart. They may not deny Jesus under persecution but they might deny Him if offered a large sum of money. “Having plunged into” gives us the strong picture of excessive indulgence.
Korah’s story is found in Numbers 16. Korah wanted the ministry and authority of Moses.
“These three men came from quite different backgrounds: Cain was a farmer, Balaam was a prophet, and Korah was a leader in Israel. Apostasy is never confined to one group of people. “There are apostates in the pulpit, in the palace, and in the poorhouse.” (Coder)
Jude 12–13 (CSB)
12 These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.
Love feasts = were also called agape feasts or what we would commonly call potluck dinners. These men came to these and only served themselves and ate greedily while others went hungry.
Clouds without water are good for nothing. They bring no life-giving rain and they only block out the sun. They exist just for themselves. The certain men were like these clouds.
By late autumn, trees should have fruit. But these certain men did not bear fruit even when they should. They were like trees that only take instead of give.
The sea to ancient man especially in Biblical times, was an unmanageable terror that didn’t rest and cast up mire and dirt. These men were known to just keep flinging dirt and causing a mess never to rest
Stars were used for guidance but a moving star/comet was useless for guidance and navigation. These men were also useless for guidance and direction.
Their destiny was the blackness of darkness = hell
Jude tells us of the men’s methods in verse 16:
Jude 16 (CSB)
16 These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.
Their methods all revolve around words.
Grumbling “is to insult the God who gives us all things; it is to forget that whatever befalls us, nothing can separate us from His love, nor deprive us of that most priceless of all treasures, the Lord’s presence in our lives.” (Green)
Flattering people: These certain men knew how to use smooth, flattering words to get an advantage over other people. They would say anything - good or bad - to get an advantage.
In the midst of all the bad characteristics of the certain men, their reward is the same: the blackness of darkness is reserved for them.
Transition: Now that Jude reminded his readers how God handled His enemies throughout history and what will happen to those who presently resist Christ, he also tells his audience how to properly respond to these individuals.
3. Resist the Urge to Take Matters into Your Own Hands and Respond Rightly (9; cf. 17-23)
Jude 9 (CSB)
9 Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
MIchael the archangel is mentioned four times in the Bible: Daniel 10, 12; Revelation 12 and here in Jude.
If the devil has an opposite (kinda like superheroes and villains) then it would be MIchael the archangel which is another high ranking angelic being; not God.
“Let it be observed that the word archangel is never found in the plural number in the sacred writings. There can be properly only one archangel, one chief or head of all the angelic host. Nor is the word devil, as applied to the great enemy of mankind, ever found in the plural; there can be but one monarch of all fallen spirits.” (Clarke)
MIchael could have rebuked the devil but he left it up to the Lord as he didn’t want to utter anything against anyone. That was not his place but only the Lord’s.
This is something we need to follow as well. It is not our place to go around and call out false teachers in front of everyone, etc. as it just causes division, dissension, and confusion. In doing so we would be doing exactly what they are doing (V19).
So how do we respond to false teachers, etc.?
Conclusion:
Jude 17–23 (CSB)
17 But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. 22 Have mercy on those who waver; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
First of all, we need to remember this was all predicted and it hasn’t caught God off guard. Remembering that will help us not be so discouraged and focused on what is wrong, etc.
Secondly, Jude tells us how we should respond:
1. Look inwardly:
Keep yourselves in the love of God by (v21):
-build yourself up in holy faith (v20): keep growing spiritually; that is our responsibility and it shouldn’t fall on any teacher/preacher and the holy faith is referring to verse 3 which we discussed last week (Romans 10:9-13)
-praying in the Holy Spirit (v20): He helps us to pray when we don’t have the words
-wait for the mercy of eternal life (v21): keep the blessed hope of Jesus’ return alive in our hearts and eagerly expecting it
2. Look outwardly:
-have mercy on those who waver (v22): helping them with accountability
-have mercy on others but with fear by snatching them by the fire (v23) (Gal 6:1)
3. Look upwardly:
Jude 24–25 (CSB)
24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
To protect you from stumbling: In mountain climbing, the beginning hiker attaches himself to the expert so that if he loses his footing he won’t stumble and fall to his death. In the same manner, if we keep connected with God, we cannot fall. He keeps us safe.
Only through Jesus Christ can we be presented to God and stand in His presence. It has nothing to do with what we can do or how good we think we have been or can be.
Let’s not cause division, dissention and confusion by calling out everyone we think are false teachers. We are to be on the look out for them and be able to recognize them because of the continual spiritual growth we are doing on our own.
Have mercy on others who are wavering and help them be accountable in their walk (Prov 27:17)
Pray in the Holy Spirit and allow Him to help you pray what you need to pray
Allow the Lord to rebuke, correct and judge. If Michael couldn’t do it against the devil, what makes us think we are better than he is! Let God handle it!
Illustration: students hearing opinions from others about certain preachers and believing what they are hearing. In doing so, they are missing out on what God may be speaking to them through a preacher. Don’t be the one who hinders another from hearing what God is speaking to them because of the vessel God chooses to use!