Construction 101
Jude 17-23
Jude is one of those books of the Bible that is easy to miss. At children’s camp this year one of the campers was reciting the Book of the Bible to me and missed Jude. It is one chapter and most have never heard sermons from Jude, but here goes.
Today’s passage is found in Jude verses 17-23
17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
The book of Jude was written in response to a growing situation in the early Christian church. There was a rise of men whose motives towards the church were not the purest. They were causing divisions and problems in the church. Verse 17-23 is a Christian-response to the troubles at hand. Also, this passage, at the end of Jude, opens by drawing our attention to the apostles that were with Jesus Christ. These apostles have come before us and have built the Christian foundation that we have today.
When I think of foundation I think of the construction industry. Today we are going to look at three different types of trades today that are involved in this industry.
First, there is the demolition. In this trade, they specialize in tearing existing structures down. next, there are the contractors – this trade specializes in building and remodelling. Finally, there are the sub-contractors. They come along side the contractors and fulfill parts of the contract.
Let’s look at the three types of work crews.
I. Beware of the demolition Crew
Who is the demolition Crew?
Well in verse 18 of Jude it says: “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
A. Who is the demolition crew?
- Most-likely, Jude is speaking of educated men that appear to have knowledge of the gospel, but are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
- Sadly, these people can even be involved in ministries
- They may be those out for financial gain that see the body of believers as nothing more than a cash cow, a way to exploit funds. Sadly we have seen examples of this in the past and even now. There are religious leaders that form these large organizations that prey on the emotions of individuals. Individuals that are in need of healing are prompted to give to these men in order for them to intervene in their time of need.
- I have a friend whose father passed away last year. He truly believed he was going to be healed of his physical troubles. He was sending money to a few television evangelists. They kept writing him back, saying, the reason he was not healed was because he did not have enough faith that God would do so and that he needed to send more money and have more faith. He died a few years ago and left his elderly wife in a position that she had to continue to work to meet obligations. I venture to guess we have all seen these shows on television, especially those of you with cable or a satellite dish.
- On the other hand, there are people that are enraged by the spreading of the gospel. They know that we preach one way to God and they feel we are intolerant and narrow-minded. Some individuals make “rail-roading the church” their life long career and goal.
- Sadly, this is playing out more and more in our schools and universities. Sadly many Christian kids that go to a secular university or colleges walk away from their faith and their Christian up-bringing, the statistics are alarming. Often, this is due to teaching that is contrary to the gospel and even attacks the gospel.
- Furthermore, there are those that we may work with or go to school with that even, out of ignorance or misunderstanding, scoff or jeer us because of our foundation in the gospel.
B. These men will try to divide you
Jude warns us about such people
- Verse 18 goes on to say that: these men will try to divide you because they do not have the spirit.
- The Bible warns us about this and we are seeing this more and all the time.
- The devil would like nothing better than to split churches and the fellowship of believers.
- When I was in Brazil in 2005, I was working in a town of 14,000 people. The missionary told me their was one church in town that had split 8 times and each split strayed further and further from the gospel. In place of the gospel, man is superposing their own gospel – with it there is more and more corruption in the church.
- We are warned about this in Jude.
What Can we Do?
II. Be the contractors of your own faith
- Jude gives us four types of building materials in order to accomplish this. We are to build ourselves up in our spiritual lives, prayer lives, we are to remain in God’s will and we are to look to our eternal reward.
- Let’s look at each of these building blocks individually.
A. First in your spiritual lives
- Jude 20 states: But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
- Is it essential for us to build ourselves up in the faith?
- It is essential that we build ourselves up in the truth of the gospel.
- This means having an active devotional life and actively seeking to know God better.
- The more we read the Word of God and apply it to our lives, the closer we will grow to God and the foundation that we are building will grow stronger and stronger.
- If we skimp on our time with God the foundation will weaken
- Much like if a contractor uses poor building materials, then the structure will not be as strong and not hold up.
- Acts 20:32 states: Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
- The Word of God will build us up.
- 2 Timothy 2:15 states: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
- Are we handling the Word of God in a manner that is pleasing to God?
- I have been realizing more and more in my life the collation between my spiritual journey and life.
- When I find myself too busy and do not take the time I need to build myself up with God’s truth, I find my spiritual life suffering and struggles arise in my life.
- It all comes down to spiritual laziness on my part.
- In Matthew 7:24 Jesus states: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
- Wise are the contractors who take the Word of God and construct their spiritual lives around it.
B. Secondly, we are to build ourselves up in our prayer lives
- The end of Jude verse 20 states: But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
- The final part of this verse alludes that we are to pray, and pray in the spirit.
- Our prayer lives is another essential area that we as believers must cultivate if our foundations are going to remain strong.
- Jude tells us that we are to pray in the Spirit, What does that mean.
- Romans 8:26-27 states: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
- What does it mean to “pray in the Spirit”? It means to pray according to the leading of the Spirit.
- Are we taking time to hear that small voice?
- We may not always know what to pray for, but if we do not take the time to call on God and listen for the Spirit’s prompting we may never truly realize the power of Prayer.
- William Barclay says: “Prayer is love in need appealing to love in power.”
- The Bible Exposition Commentary puts it this way: “Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven—it is getting God’s will done on earth.”
- Are we taking the time to pray?
- Are we taking the time to hear the Spirit’s prompting in our pray lives.
C. The third building block we as contractors need to remember is keeping ourselves in God’s love
- Jude 21 reads like this: Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
- Jesus makes a similar statement in John 15:9 when He says: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
- To love God means much more than to enjoy a special kind of feeling.
- Of course, as we grow in grace, we do experience deeper fellowship with the Father and we do have times when He seems very near.
- But it takes more than fuzzy feelings to have a successful Christian life! There must also be obedience and mutual concern.
- How do we keep ourselves in God’s love?
- 1 John 2:5 in the New Living translation says: But those who obey God’s word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him.
- We remain in God’s love by obeying God’s Word
- In John 15:10 Jesus says: if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
- If we keep the commandments we will remain in God’s love
- The Psalmist also addresses this issue in Psalm 97:10, it reads: Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
- We remain in God’s love when we hate evil and are faithful to Him
- We grow in our love for God as we listen to His Word, obey it, keeping His commandments, hating evil and delight in doing what pleases Him. That is how we keep ourselves in God’s love.
D. The fourth building block is to look to the here after
- Verse 21 say in the NASB: Keep yourselves in God’s love. Then it goes on to say: as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
- Ultimately we are waiting for the hope that we have in Christ. That hope is that we will spend eternity with the triune God.
- Titus 2:13 says in the NASB: looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus
- The word “looking” in the Greek is better translated as earnestly expecting.
- We have a hope of eternal life and we are to be earnestly expecting that Day when we will enter that heavenly realm.
- However, we are not to sit ideally by and wait.
- Philippians 1:21-26 reads like this: 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
- Paul desired to die and be in the presence of Christ, however, he knew that it was not his time and that God had a role for Him here on earth.
- We are to look forward to our eternal reward
- However, we as believer have a crucial role here on earth.
- We are to be Sub-contractors for Christ in the lives of others.
III. Be the sub-contractors in the lives of others.
- There are three things to note if you want to be an effective sub-contractor.
- Verses 22 & 23 state: Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
A. First, love those that doubt
- The ones that doubt, are most-likely those that are in the church, but are new believers and do not always understand everything.
- Because of this they may doubt.
- Jude tells us as believers that we should come along side these people
- We need to gently instruct them
- And be merciful and patient
B. Second, reach out to those that have no hope
- As believers we been given the commission to tell others about Jesus.
- Jesus said in Matthew 28:16-20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- That is the Call of the church today is to evangelize to the lost
- Also we need to come along side and mentor those younger in the faith than us. The mission statement of the Church of the Nazarene is this: Go and make Christ-Like disciples in the nations. This is everyone’s role.
C. Third, guard against falling into their evil lifestyle
- When we are ministering to individuals that are lost and are sinners. We need to guard against falling into the same lifestyle as they are in.
- James 1:27 states this: Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.
- So in order to minister to others that are living in sin, we must be spiritually prepared
- The Bible Exposition Commentary puts it this way: Not every Christian is equipped to deal with false teachers or with those they have influenced and captured. It takes a good knowledge of the Word, a faithful walk with God, an understanding of Satan’s devices, and certainly the fullness of the Spirit of God. It also demands spiritual discernment. It is much easier to instruct new Christians and keep them away from the false teachers than it is to snatch them out of the fire.
- So in order for us to snatch people from the grips of the fire we need to be constantly growing in our faith
- We also need to be on guard for Satan’s traps
Conclusion
This passage in Jude is loaded with instruction for the believer.
1. We are to beware of the demolition crews that strive to cause problems and divisions in the church.
- They can be very crafty and deceiving
- And sometimes they can be a like a lion in sheep’s clothing
- We need to be strong spiritually in order to recognize these individuals.
2. Secondly, we are to become contractors in our spiritual lives.
- Striving to grow in our faith through the reading, studying of God’s Word
- Striving to grow in or faith through our prayer lives
3. Thirdly, we are to be sub-contractors in the lives of others.
- We need to come alongside and be patient those who doubt and question us
- We need to earnestly bring Christ to those that are lost and do not share in the same hope as we do
- Also, we must guard from falling into the same sin that those we are ministering too are practicing.
4. And ultimately, we are to look to the hope that we have in Christ Jesus and the hope we have of eternally living with God.
5. There was a poem written by an unknown author that asked what kind of builders we will be.
A Builder Or a Wrecker
As I watched them tear a building down
A gang of men in a busy town
With a ho-heave-ho, and a lusty yell
They swung a beam and the side wall fell
I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled,
And the men you'd hire if you wanted to build?"
He gave a laugh and said, "No, indeed,
Just common labour is all I need."
"I can easily wreck in a day or two,
What builders have taken years to do."
And I thought to myself, as I went my way
Which of these roles have I tried to play?
Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by rule and square?
Am I shaping my work to a well-made plan
Patiently doing the best I can?
Or am I a wrecker who walks to town
Content with the labour of tearing down?
"O Lord let my life and my labours be
That which will build for eternity!"
Author unknown
