A Deeper Look: Verses 3-4 Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: July 08, 2014

Date Preached: July 09, 2014

Where Preached: OPBC (Wed - PM)

Sermon Details:

Series Title: A Deeper Look: Key Verses

Sermon Title: Verse 3-4

Sermon Text: Jude 1:3-4 [ESV]

Introduction:

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

The ‘audience’ Jude is addressing was a gathering of believers as we learned in v1 as Jude addressed them as “…those who are called…”

His letter had a specific purpose and that purpose becomes clear in v3-4 so let’s dive in and see just what Jude is writing about to these believers:

v3: lays out the issue… contending for the faith

v4: lays out the reason behind the issue… certain people have crept in

ungodly

peverting the Gospel

denying Jesus as Lord and Savior

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

In v3 we once again read Jude leading with the term “beloved”… this is the Greek word: A-gop-ay-toss which is a term of endearment and reveals that the target audience is one of his favorites! This is an adjective that describes Jude’s affection for this group of believers!

In other words, he is saying that they were very special and dear to his h heart and that was the reason he was having to write this letter. He admits that he had wanted to write for a different reason BUT that this situation had taken precedence because of its importance…

He has wanted to write these believers about:

I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation…

‘…our common salvation…’ just what was he speaking about here? Well on the surface it is a reference to what Paul had taught and what ALL the church held dear and that was “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism”… we are all united under the banner of Christ as Lord and Savior!

The term Jude uses here is: koin-oss-soh-tay-ree-ah which translated is common salvation, but the meaning is FAR deeper than just what it reveals on the surface.

The root word for koin-oss is the same root word as koin-nah-niah which is translated as fellowship… in other words a people with a common bond or faith… a gathering that has Christ in common! Here Jude speaks to the a like or ‘common’ thread that we enjoy and that is the SALVATION we have in Christ.

The word he uses for salvation here is the Greek word: soh-tay-ree-ah which represents BOTH being delivered FROM something (sin and death) and being delivered TO something… the forgiveness of Chrsit and the eternal life He has promised!

So we can see that in the 1st part of v3 that Jude is most definitely speaking about the salvation we know of as ‘spiritual salvation’ in Christ! In looking at what Jude was teaching I am sure that those in the church were thinking about what Paul had written… that through ONE Lord, One faith and One baptism … ALL wrapped up in our Savior, Jesus Christ!

But WHAT is it exactly that we have in common in this salvation Jude speaks about? Well when we accept Christ…

He brings forgiveness of sin (from WHEREVER we have come in life); no matter the sin, how great or how ‘small’…we have forgiveness because of what Christ has done on the Cross…

He brings redemption of our soul, we are spiritually dead and he breathes the gift of eternal life into our soul…

He brings the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit into the lives of all who receive Him; bringing wisdom, discernment, revelation and knowledge of God

He brings a communion with God the Father through our relationship with Jesus our Savior… In Jesus we stand blameless before a holy and just Creator and we are welcomed into His family!

This is what Jude WANTED to write about but his implied message here is that he could NOT write about that subject because there was a much more pressing matter that needed his attention. His words in v3 reveal there was something that needed his attention RIGHT at that moment:

3…I found it necessary to write appealing to you…

I found it ‘necessary’ is the term he uses. He uses the Greek word ah-non-kay which means a necessity that has resulted because of certain circumstances… usually this term is used in accordance with something dire or causes great distress!