Text: Jude 3-4, Title: What was Jude thinking? Date/Place: LSCC, 9/3/06, AM
A. Opening illustration: Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, “Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong. You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.” Aaron didn’t say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, “I didn’t come up here to read.”
B. Background to passage: Usually in a 1st century letter following the initial greetings there was a prayer and some thanksgiving (which is why it is sometimes difficult to get out of the intro when you are preaching through a book). But not here! Jude passionately gets right to the point of his reason for writing. Jude not only is passionate about the truth, but about his readers as well. He uses the word “necessity” to describe his compulsion to write and warn them, instead of simply sitting passively back and allowing error to destroy others. How many of us are that concerned about others in our lives and churches? Today is a day and age for bravery for the truth, passion for Christ, and love of the lost to the point that we will lovingly confront them with the gospel, and minister to their needs. The biker Christian talking to me about not needing any more wimpy Christians…
C. Main thought: in our text, we will see four things that were on the mind of Jude as the central theme of Jude
A. Defend the truth earnestly (v. 3)
1. Jude was in the middle of or at least considering writing about their salvation, but got word of the invasion of these false teachers. Jude says that he felt compelled or burdened “to exhorting them to contend.” The word “exhort” means to come alongside and inspire. Jude wanted to infuse passion into their lives for truth. The word that Jude uses for “contend” is epagonizomai, which was used of athletes competing in the games. It is where we get our word “agonize.” It is present tense, meaning to continually contend. Jude doesn’t want them to simply resist or be orthodox, he wants them to rise up and fight for it! He wants them to boldly stand firm for truth.
2. Mark 3:17, Jer 20:9,
3. Illustration: MacArthur quote on p. 139 about truth, the neighbor kid that a family brought to church was asked if he believed what the preacher said, his reply was that he knew that the preacher did, “Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch (Henry VIII), the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest—upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully.”
4. Many of us are far less passionate about truth and the things of the kingdom than we ought to be. We have a very “ho-hum” attitude about it all. “If the church grows, it grows…if I witness I witness…if anyone gets saved…if the children have a SS teacher....” Sometimes we just need to act like we really care. We need a little “thunder” in our blood, and fire in our bones. We must constantly be about the business of defending and fighting for the faith with a blood-earnestness. Truth does matter, and eternities do hang in the balance. The eternal destiny of your family, your neighbors, your town may lie in your ability to stand firm and speak the truth against those who deny it. Has defending your faith ever cost you anything? Have you ever labored over a passage desiring to know what it means? Have you ever faced your boss, your spouse, your family, your neighbor taking an unpopular stand? Have you ever shed a tear or broke a sweat over an issue of truth?
B. Know the faith once handed down (v. 3)
1. Jude places the word “faith” at the end of the sentence for emphasis. And this is a unique verse in the bible regarding “the faith.” There are several statements like this one in the scripture that imply certain creeds or formulations of doctrine that were codified, at least orally, very early in the Christian tradition. Here Jude says that this body of truth was hapax: once and for all given to or handed down to the saints. Implication is that the apostles’ teaching was consistent, complete, and final.
2. 1 Tim 1:15, 1 Cor 15:3, 2 John 1:9-11, 2 Tim 1:14, Gal 1:9,
3. Illustration: We have gotten accustomed to the blurred puffs of gray fog that pass for doctrine in churches and expect nothing better. From some previously unimpeachable sources are now coming vague statements consisting of a milky admixture of Scripture, science, and human sentiment that is true to none of its ingredients because each one works to cancel the others out. Little by little Christians these days are being brainwashed. One evidence is that increasing numbers of them are becoming ashamed to be found unequivocally on the side of truth. They say they believe, but their beliefs have been so diluted as to be impossible of clear definition. Moral power has always accompanied definite beliefs. Great saints have always been dogmatic. We need a return to a gentle dogmatism that smiles while it stands stubborn and firm on the Word of God that lives and abides forever. --A. W. Tozer, I said, “A miracle! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
4. This is why we must teach doctrine. And it doesn’t have to be boring! Churches have gone soft on doctrine to keep from offending, out of laziness, and out of ignorance. And we are reaping our reward when people apostasize from the faith. We must give our children, or church members, and our society an accurate message that we have an accurate message. And that some things are right and some are wrong. We must realize that the revelation is completed, and we dare not add to or take away from God’s truth. We must line everything up with this book that is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. BUT, we must distinguish between the doctrines of God and those of men, and not be overly dogmatic about things which scripture is not overly dogmatic about.
C. Concerned about their covertness (v. 4)
1. Jude calls these false teachers “certain men” not naming names, but indicating behavior. The point is that all error is a clear and present danger to the church. He says that they have crept in unaware. These men seem to have all the right credentials, personality traits, people skills, and therefore are well accepted in the church. This terminology is used of lawyers who cunningly infiltrate the courtroom officials and jury with corrupt thinking. They may be malicious, and maybe simply deceived.
2. Matt 7:15, Gal 2:4, 2 Pet 2:1-3, 1 Cor 16:13,
3. Illustration: the story of the Egyptian Jewish spy Elle Cohen. Unfortunately this strategy has been adopted by certain theological factions among evangelicalism and used effectively in congregationally governed churches, i.e. Charismatics, liberals, and Calvinists, Shortly after the 1912 presidential election, Woodrow Wilson visited an aged aunt whom he hadn’t seen for a long time. “What are you doing these days, Woodrow?” she asked.” I’ve just been elected president,” replied Wilson.” Oh, yes? President of what?” inquired the aunt. “Of the United States.” “Don’t be silly!” she snorted impatiently.
4. The result of their covert operation is that the church wanes in genuine fellowship, worship, ministry, and evangelism slowly, almost unnoticeably. This is where many churches in the SBC are today. The drift has been so slow that they don’t even realize it until it’s gone, and they die. As a church we must be keenly aware of what’s going on inside our walls. Not only should we make sure that our teachers are orthodox and orthopractic, we must notice trends and tendencies in our church as a whole, and be willing to confront or change those trends when they are harmful. Liberalism has killed many churches and entire denominations, because unlike the SBC, they were not willing to turn around.
D. Knew their lifestyles (v. 4)
1. Jude also pointed to one more defining characteristic of these false teachers in his opening statement—their morality. Again it is not necessarily their theology that identifies them, or their schooling, or their association, but their lifestyles. These men were “ungodly” which means devoid of reverence or worship. They have no genuine fear of or love for God. They were hypocrites and phonies. And worse yet, they justified anything that was found out by chalking it up to grace. They were sinning presumptuously (unrestrained vice); saying that the blood would cover it all. They were in a sense antinomians. They were “denying” or saying no to Christ and His lordship over their lives. This kind of lifestyle is damning.
2. 2 Tim 3:5, Tit 1:16, Rom 6:1-2, Heb 10:26-29,
3. Illustration: “Denying the Lordship of Christ in your life is not akin to second-class or sub-standard Christianity, it is damning.” –MacArthur, “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” –Bonhoeffer, “We Lutherans have gathered like vultures around the carcase of cheap grace, and there we have drunk of the poison which has killed the life of following Christ.”
4. Outwardly many men and women may fit into our church, but inwardly is what counts. How many of you live lives that have no genuine fear of displeasing God? How many of your lives really show that you love God with all your heart? How many of you say “no” to Jesus as your Lord and Master? Remember that in biblical salvation, there is no separation. This teaching has slipped into our churches, disguised as a genuine carnal Christianity, and given many a false sense of security that will eventually damn them. Saving grace comes to those who come and die, denying themselves, taking up their cross, and submitting to and following their crucified Savior to victory. A cheap grace is no grace at all, and that is what it becomes when you sin presuming upon grace to forgive later. That should not be the attitude of a true believer. Yes, we sin, but we do not like it, but hate it.
A. Closing illustration: New Zealand and the Judas Sheep
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
