Dakota Community Church
August 31, 2008
Jude 1
Read Jude
WHO:
Jude is written by the brother of Jesus and James but he claims only the title of “servant of Jesus Christ.”
Mark 6:3
Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
WHY:
The book is written to warn against apostates within the church, who though they have denied the faith still retain membership.
Apostasy
1. The state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes)
2. The act of abandoning a party for cause
WHEN:
Most agree it was written between 70-80 AD
Jude begins with the standard greeting and then launches into the reason for his writing. He would like to be writing a happy letter about the salvation they share but instead he has to urge them to make a defense of the gospel.
4For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
These men are changing grace into an excuse for sin, they are denying the Lordship of Christ, they are committing fleshly and spiritual sin and they are rebelling against authority and Jude wants us to understand the seriousness of this error.
There has always been a battle between the gospel and the law.
The gospel states that salvation is by faith though grace and not by works lest any man should boast!
The law states that salvation is by good works and obedience.
This is hugely important!
Every time we take communion you hear me teach on this but I want to reiterate it here again.
You are saved by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus – END OF STORY!
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him."
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Romans 1:16-17
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.
Did Jesus come to establish a way of life or a set of beliefs that must be adhered to? Dichotomy
Both, we must adhere to the saving message of the gospel and then out of that live our lives in Christ to the glory of God.
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
This letter is a warning against departing from this truth – from the gospel.
Then he backs the warning with examples from scripture.
5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
What happened to those who were delivered from Egypt and later did not believe?
What happened to angels who rebelled?
What happened to the townspeople of Sodom and Gomorrah?
The wrath of God, eternal judgement.
Jude then goes back into railing on the arrogance of these men who speak abusively against thing they do not understand.
Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
1. The way of Cain.
Genesis 4:3-5
In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
What did Cain do wrong?
He brought the sacrifice he defined as worthy.
He didn’t think the shedding of blood was necessary.
He was angry that God would not accept his human efforts.
“Well I could not serve a God who would reject someone who tried to come to Him and just did it wrong”, you may say.
I would answer you that you have been swayed by the spirit of this age that says everyone is good and you have lost sight of the truth of man’s condition.
“Because of sin, a promise is not enough, we must have contracts, doors are not enough we must lock and bolt them, the payment of fairs is not enough we must be issued tickets which must then be punched, inspected and collected. Law and order are not enough we must have police to enforce them, we cannot trust each other, we need protection from one another, it is a sorry state of affairs.” – Dr. John R.W. Stott
Until you understand the condition of the heart of man you will never understand the need for justification by faith.
To be continued next week.
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
