Heeding The Warnings Series

Warning #3 - Be Careful in your Associations because as the Proverbs writer says, “Iron sharpens iron.” The people we spend time with inevitably influence us, for good or for ill. That’s why it’s so important to have people in our lives who lovingly push us in the right direction and lead us to contend for the faith. Those who had crept into the church were leading people into all kinds of immorality so Jude says, be careful who you associate with. “Remember, dear friends, that the apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ, told us this would happen: ‘In the last days, there will be people who don’t take these things seriously anymore. They’ll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts.’” Be careful who you associate with because it won’t end well.

Warning #4 - Be Intentional in Your Growth. v. 20-25. Few good things in life happen by accident, especially spiritual growth. Instead, it’s only when we’re intentional that what we want to see happen happens. Jude gives us four keys for intentional spiritual growth. First, have a spiritual, growth plan where you not only have goals but strategies of how you get there. Verse 20 says, “Carefully build yourselves up” Paul puts it this way: “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8-9) Have a plan and pursue it. Second, pray. “Praying in the Holy spirit,” in other words praying for the things of God as God guides you. Third is surround yourself by, live by and share the love of Christ in all you say and do. Fourth, live and prepare as if Jesus is coming back to tomorrow. When I was on my internship at Boston Avenue UMC in Tulsa, OK, I realized that one of the leading scholars in the world on the parables of Jesus taught at Philips Seminary in town. I got special permission from my seminary to audit one of his classes as we weren’t supposed to take any courses while on internship. I went to the seminary to sign up only to discover that Dr. Brandon Scott wasn’t teaching on the parables of Jesus but rather the Book of Romans. By mid November we weren’t even half way through the book and I was thinking I wasn’t going to get my monies worth. And then just before Thanksgiving, Dr. Scott made a statement which shocked all of us. “I don't think Jesus is going to return. It’s been 2000 years since he died. If he was going to return, he would have done that already by now.” And all of us in the classroom just remained silent. If we don’t believe that Jesus is coming back and we discount his promise and the establishing of the Kingdom of God here on earth when he returns, then Jude says we lose a major catalyst for growth and change in our lives.

This week is Thanksgiving. I’d made it a point in most of my conversations to ask the question, “So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?” I’ve heard the gamut of responses from “We’re going to the beach” to “We going to see family” to “We’re having people over to our house.” I then ask, “So how many people are you cooking for?” The numbers have ranged from 15 to 30 people. That’s a lot of people. Now, if you’re having family and friends over for Thanksgiving, what are the days leading up to Thanksgiving going to be about? Cooking, cleaning, straightening up and making sure your home is ready for your guests. Now if we’re willing to put all effort into preparing for our family and friends for Thanksgivjng, shouldn’t we be doing all the more in preparation for the return of Jesus? Amen and Amen.