Escape the Wrath to Come
Text: Jude 17 – 21
By: Ken McKinley
(Read Text)
As we’ve been going through the book of Jude we’ve looked at the false teachers that Jude mentions. We’ve seen how we can be aware of them, and that we as Christians need to stay alert. The title of my sermon this evening is “Escape the Wrath to Come!” In all the verses prior to our text this evening Jude has been telling us about false teachers who have crept into the church unaware. He has told us to stay alert and be watchful, and he has given us some insight into these people. Who they are, what they believe, what their goals are; what they preach and teach and how we can spot them. But in our text this evening Jude is now telling us how we can escape the wrath that is going to come to these false teachers.
Now up to this point Jude hasn’t pulled any punches; he’s been straight forward and told it like it is, but in verse 20 he softens up again. He says, “But you beloved…” What that tells us is that we who are Christ’s are different. Jude is making a distinction here. He’s saying “you’re different, so I want to help you where you need help.” And he does this by telling his readers four things that they need to give attention to.
1st Build up yourselves on your most holy faith
2nd Pray in the Holy Spirit
3rd Keep yourselves in the love of God
4th Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
Jude has just given us four steps to maintaining our fellowship with God. Let me explain this quickly; Jude isn’t saying that a Christian can be lost. God is our Father, we are His, and the relationship is there. However, the fellowship can be broken from time to time when we give into temptation and sin. The relationship isn’t broken, the fellowship is. Jude is saying if Christians will make a practice of these things then our fellowship with our heavenly Father will be all the more stronger.
Just the other day we had a missions meeting. All the pastors… well several of them, some couldn’t make it… so several of the pastors of the association met and we discussed how we could be more effective in missions. Numerically speaking, I would say that the western church is probably the least effective church when it comes to missions. We have lost our saltiness. Turn with me to Matthew 5:13 (read). Back in Roman times, salt was used as a seasoning, and a preserving agent, but if it lost it saltiness, then it was spread on the roads to keep the vegetation from growing, and everyone who travelled those roads walked upon it. Today in the United States of America, Christianity is on the verge of becoming an irrelevant religion. We are being trod under foot. And the reason for that is because soldiers of Christ are AWOL, absent without leave.
So Jude says, “But you beloved…” “You who are different because you belong to Christ; remember what I told you, and what you’ve heard. Remember that there are going to come those who are false teachers. Remember this! But you’re different, so build yourselves up on your most holy faith…”
So we as Christians are to build ourselves up. And we are supposed to build ourselves up ON OUR MOST HOLY FAITH.
In other words, the things that will strengthen our faith and our walk with the Lord. How often do you read your Bible? How often do you think on the things of God? How often do you mull it over and consider it, how it applies to your life, your circumstances and situations?
I want to read a little poem to you if I could.
“Too busy this morning,
I’ll say a prayer, quick.
Tonight I’ll have time,
To study and to think.
Tonight I’m too tired,
To study God’s Word.
I’ll wait until next week,
Then I’ll worship the Lord.
Next week came too fast,
But it seems that I may,
Have more time next month,
Lord, to read and to pray.
Next month, oh yes,
I just wonder why,
My love for the Lord,
Is about ready to die?”
Did you know that a few years ago, a man took a tape recorder and recorded himself reading the Bible. He was going to read it from cover to cover, and record it. He stopped to eat, to sleep, and to go to the rest room. Once he was done, he totalled up the hours of tape and it equalled 72 hours. In other words, he read the entire Bible in 72 hours. That’s 72 hours of actual reading time, at regular reading speed. Did you know that the average American watches 6 hours of TV every night? In two weeks they’ve watched 84 hours of TV.
It’s been said that Jonathan Edwards could recite the entire NT from memory and large portions of the OT. Charles Spurgeon was said to have read through the Bible 12 times a year. Faith of our fathers… wonderful faith!
Next Jude says we are to pray in the Holy Spirit. Some would say that is praying in tongues… it’s not. As you look through the Word of God, you find that to pray in the Spirit is, first of all, to pray the will of God upon the Word of God. Jesus said my words are Spirit and life. Secondly; to pray in the Holy Spirit is to pray in surrender to the Spirit of God. We sing, have thine own way Lord, have thine own way… when we sing it do we mean it?
The Bible tells us “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.” 1st John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” The Bible also says this, “you have not because you ask not, and what you do ask for, you ask for amiss.” Why do we ask for things amiss? Because we are asking for things to consume on our own selfish desires, we are walking in the flesh, we are not asking for things in accordance with God’s will, and so we are not surrendered to the Holy Spirit of God.
Thirdly Jude says, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”
Now that doesn’t mean that you or I have to do things to make God keep loving us. He loved us while we were yet sinners and gave Himself for us, a ransom for many. God loves us. So what was Jude talking about? He’s taking about fellowship. My daughters are my children, and I love them dearly; and I always will love them. But if one, or both of my daughters was to grow up and twist off into some ungodly lifestyle (God forbid), then chances are that the fellowship that MariJo and I have with them could be broken. For one thing, if they are out living lives of drunkenness, or immorality, they aren’t going to want to come around their daddy, because they know how much he would disapprove of those things. For another thing, they know that I would correct them. And so the fellowship would be broken. However; they are still my daughters; the relationship isn’t broken, just the fellowship.
The fourth thing that Jude says is, “Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” That’s talking about looking forward to the second coming in one sense, but also looking forward to the day we will finally meet the Lord, whether it’s by rapture or rupture. Whether He comes or we go to meet Him. Turn with me to 1st John 3:1-3 and lets read that, (read).
We should be looking forward to the day when we meet the Lord, not as a means of escapism, but as a means of reunion. It’s like the prodigal son who returned to his father. His father showed him mercy, even though he had strayed.
Earlier in this letter, Jude wrote about Enoch, remember that? If you know the Old Testament story then you know that Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him. Enoch looked forward to that day. I know that because of what Enoch named his son. Anyone know the name of Enoch’s son? It was Methuselah. Back in the ancient times, names had meanings… and maybe they do today we just don’t realize it (mention the meanings of some of the congregants names). Well before I get too far off track, Methuselah meant – “When he dies, it shall come!” One of the ways that Jude prophesied about the coming judgment of God was through the name of his son. When God let Enoch know that he was coming, he walked with God.
One of the early church fathers was a man named Chrysostom, and he was arrested by the Roman Emperor for his faith. He was tried and tortured and they tried to make him renounce Jesus Christ as he Lord, but he wouldn’t. So the Emperor said to the guards, “Throw him into prison.” One of the guards said, “That wouldn’t be punishment, for he delights in the presence of his God in quiet.” So the Emperor said, “Execute him then.” Another guard said, “That would not be punishment, he believes he will go to heaven upon death.” Another guard finally said, “The only thing you can do to give Chrysostom pain is to make him sin, if you can make him sin, you will cause him great pain and misery.”
Next Sunday evening we will be finishing up the book of Jude
Closing
