Contend For The Faith Series

And as we start, let me ask a couple of questions…questions about sleeping? Who in here feels like you need more sleep? Who has ever fallen asleep while trying to watch a movie? or watching a football game? Who in here has ever fallen asleep in church?...(no hands, I really don’t want to know!) remember that I can see you from up here…

Now a more serious question: Who has ever fallen asleep at the wheel? Seriously, have you ever fallen asleep while driving? I have been close…it scared me silly. No one got hurt but it put the fear of God in me and I didn’t have any trouble staying awake the rest of the trip…fear proved to be a pretty good motivator. Have you ever driven to work and not remembered the drive? You weren’t physically asleep but you were completely checked out mentally. You got in the car and started driving and the next memory was walking across the parking lot at work…you honestly have no appreciable memory of the trip because you weren’t alert, you were on autopilot and slept your way to work.

Falling asleep while watching TV or at church…probably won’t get anyone killed. Falling asleep behind the wheel of a car can have DISASTROUS consequences. There are certain times when being asleep, being complacent, being unprepared can make a lot more mess than we can clean up…that’s why, from time to time we need to get a BIG LOUD WAKE UP CALL!!!! And that’s exactly what Jude does in his letter to the church. It’s a call to wake up because, as the church has been complacent, those who would distort and twist the faith have slipped into the church and the risk of shipwrecking the faith of many while destroying the church is a very real possibility! (1)

And I think that this is exceptionally relevant for us today. I believe that, for far too long, the church in America has been asleep at the wheel…driving with our eyes closed…and we have begun to see and feel the impact of that carelessness… So let’s look at how JUDE dealt with the issue at hand and how we can follow his example in CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH. He calls the church to get UP AND AT ‘EM in a effort to defend the faith. And I want to add that, The best way to defend the faith, is to know what you believe and to live like you believe it! That’s the ONE THING I want you to walk out of here with today…that THE POINT. the best way to defend the faith, is to know what you believe and to live like you believe it! Starting in the first verse, Jude set the tone:

Jude 1–2 (NKJV) Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

This Jude, who is the half-brother of Jesus, doesn’t identify himself as being related to Jesus (a name dropper), but not just as servant, more so as a slave of Jesus. Jude identifies himself with James, also the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem and writer of the book that bears his name.

"Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you" Jude sends greeting to those in the church, not just anyone in the church, but those who are saved: "To those who are called"

This letter was clearly written to those in the church, to Christians, to those who were truly saved. The single word “called” is extremely important.

The word does not mean someone who was invited to Jesus, but like a summon to appear before a King, an official request where refusal is not an option. This word is used on 11 times in the NT. This important because we need to see that our salvation begins in the very will of God, not in the heart of man. We cannot even approach Jesus, unless God calls us.

John 6:44 (NKJV) No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Herein lies the problem:

Matthew 22:14 (NKJV) “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Not many answer the call. Many are along for the ride, but never answer the call. (Hang on, more on this later). We do not come to Jesus because we choose to.

"sanctified by God the Father" Most other translations have loved, or beloved, by the Father. To be loved by God makes us holy, set aside for the purposes of God.

"preserved in Jesus Christ" We are being kept in and for Jesus. We, who called and beloved and sanctified by God, are secure in His hands and no one, even ourselves, can remove us from Him: