Sermon 3 of 11
Jude: A Call to Defend
The Call Up
Jude 3
Introduction
We are working our way through the book of Jude
Jude identifies himself as a bond-servant of Jesus, and brother of James in verse 1. That makes him Jesus’ half-brother.
Last week we talked about being Secured for Battle by being
Called into the Gospel
Beloved into sanctification, or made like Jesus.
Kept for Jesus and His Kingdom work.
Blessed beyond measure
Today we talk about the call up for battle.
Jude 3 states
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
In Light of Father’s Day, I find it interesting that we are talking about battling, fighting.
It just will not be today, but throughout the summer.
There are three things that I want to share with you about this call up to battle.
1. Those who are called to battle are those who are a part of the common Salvation.
Notice that Jude intended to write about the common Salvation of him and the readers of this letter.
His desire was to talk about Jesus and His saving grace.
Folks, should that not be our desire as well?
Yesterday I posted this on Facebook. It was written by a friend in Childress who always makes me think.
I have known some "closet" musicians in my life....they were and still are very good....but refuse to play for the public.....they just don't care for it.....but most folks don't even know they can play and play well.....as also since I have become a Christian I find that there are many who know their Bible well....even go to Church....but no one outside the Church knows this for they never share Jesus with anyone....I knew a Man before I was a Christian....extremely nice....but had no idea he even went to Church.....until after I became a Christian...he was a "closet" Christian....instead of him being hidden in Christ....Christ was hidden in him....it's not supposed to be that way....
Gary Bob Scott, www.ordinaryfaith.com
Way too often, we want to play the role of a closet Christian, when our desire should be like Jude’s to talk about our common Salvation.
Matthew 10:32
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
Psalm 40:9-10
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. 10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
Don’t be a closet Christian. If you have responded to the Gospel Call it is your responsibility to share it, especially with those who are also called.
2. The call up is a call to fight, and fight hard!
I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend
Jude finds it necessary to write not want he wants to write about, but instead to write about something else.
The word “appealing” is a strong word in the Greek.
You could almost say beg here. The situation is a dire situation.
Jude is begging his readers to answer the call to contend for the faith.
The word “contend” literally means to agonize for.
In a military connotation, it meant to take on an opponent in hand to hand combat.
It is the same word that Paul uses when describing the Christian life.
1 Timothy 6:12
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
This fight will be a hard fight. A fight that will take effort and energy. A fight that will be heartbreaking. But it is a noble, good fight.
It is a fight for the Gospel.
3. The call up is a call to fight for the Gospel!
for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
This fight is for the Gospel, the true Gospel.
It is a fight for the true principles of the Gospel.
Within the Universal Church, we might fight over doctrine, but the thing we can’t fight over is the Doctrine of Salvation.
Man is a sinner, in need of salvation, or he will enter into a
literal Hell after death.
Jesus, born of a Virgin, lived a sinless life, and willingly died
on the cross for mankind’s sin.
3 Days later, Jesus literally, and bodily came back to life and
spent 40 Days with His disciples, thus defeating the penalty
for sin.
For one to have eternal life and forgiveness of sin they must put
their full faith and trust in Jesus and Him alone.
Any other doctrine of Salvation should be fought, because it is a lie.
You see this Gospel was nailed down by Jesus some 30 to 40 years earlier, and it was taught by the saints to that point.
Nothing else needed to be added, nothing else needed to be taken away.
It was nailed down, once and for all.
If we can’t fight for the truth of the Gospel, we can’t fight for anything.
Jesus warned His disciples to watch out for false teachers many times in the Gospels.
Paul gives the warnings many times in his letters.
The storm clouds were coming, and now the church is experiencing them, and Jude is calling the troops to contend, fight, for the faith.
Conclusion
Folks, the Gospel is being attacked on a consistent basis day in and day out.
The scary thing it is not just being attacked from the outside, it is being attacked from the inside.
Do you know enough of your Bible, to recognize the signs of the attack?
Are you willing to stand up and fight for the faith?
To take a stand and say this is wrong teaching. To fight for what is the truth of Scripture?
We are kept for Jesus. We are His warriors in this battle for truth. Are you a good warrior? Or are you a warrior a sleep at the post?
