God Is Able To Keep You From Falling

GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING

JUDE 24-25

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: “SENIOR MOMENT” SHOES

1. Billy had just turned 50 years old and decided to take up jogging. He went to a specialty athletic footwear store to buy a pair of running shoes.

2. When he entered the shop, he was astounded by the wide selection of jogging shoes available.

3. The assistant showed him one particular pair of shoes and said, "These might be the ideal shoes for someone of your age, sir. They’re called Nike Senior Moment shoes."

4. As Billy was trying them on, he noticed that the left shoe contained an unusual pocket next to the heel, so he asked the assistant, "What's this little pocket thing for?"

5. "So You can carry spare change, sir," replies the assistant, "so you can call your wife to pick you up when you've jogged enough."

B. TEXT

24 Now to Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen

C. THESIS

1. Jude tells us the wonderful news that God is working to keep us from falling from grace (Gal. 5:4 NASB).

2. Now, some of you may not be able to fall because you’re never taken your place on the solid rock of Christ yet. God's grace has never been accepted by you.

3. Others may say, “I’m once saved always saved, so it’s impossible for me to fall.”

4. The truth is, the N.T. has more than 80 verses which teach the doctrine of conditional security.

5. Yes, we’re only saved by the work of Christ, but we must “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phip. 2:12) and Jesus Himself said, “But they that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mt. 24:13).

6. Only as we stay “in Christ” do we have eternal life; if we abandon Christ, we abandon that life as well (1 Jn. 5:11-12; John 15:6). So we have the obligation to persevere in Christ to the end.

7. So the weakest and most fallible Christian will be kept if they only cling to Christ. They may fall a thousand times, but if they only keep repenting and trusting in Christ to save them from their sins, they’re safe.

8. So we’re going to look at the 6 ways we’re liable to sin, the 4 ways God will keep us, and how God will present us faultless.

9. The title of this sermon is “God is Able to Keep You from Falling.”

I. SIX WAYS WE’RE LIABLE TO FALL

What are some of the dangers we’re warned can make Christians fall?

A. FALLING INTO ERRORS OF DOCTRINE

1. The best-taught Christian, apart from Divine Guidance, is still capable of being deceived! There’s a strange weakness which makes us infatuated with always having to have something new that no one has ever heard of.

2. People are often decoyed from the plain old truths of the Word and led into error! Only if God preserves our discernment will we not fall into some sort of error. The Bible says that in the last days, if it were possible, even the very elect might be deceived.

B. DANGER OF DECEIVERS

1. “…many deceivers…have gone out into the world” 2 Jn. 1:7. “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce…even the elect” Mk. 13:22.

2. There are men and women in Christian circles with smooth tongues and honeyed words. Many of them are really wolves in sheep’s clothing! May God preserve us from them.

C. DANGER OF SEPARATION FROM BODY

1. Evil spirits in the Bible always seek lonely, forlorn places (Mt. 12:43). The enemy always tries to get Christians away from the Body of Christ and off by themselves.

2. He uses many excuses and stumbling blocks to do this. Wolves always try to separate one sheep or cow from the herd, because then they can be easily overwhelmed.

3. That’s why attending church is so vital. In the Body of Christ there’s people who care about you, pastors who care and look out for you, there’s worship, prayer, the ministry of the Word, and opportunity for involvement, etc.

4. There’s strength in numbers! We need each other!

D. OUTWARD SIN

1. Another type of fall can happen to the brightest Christian; outward sin.

2. There’s many traps and temptations and sometimes Christians succumb and fall.

3. HUMOR

a. Perhaps you heard the old story about the preacher who said, "I wonder how many of you would be willing to admit that you love sin?"