Sermon #11 of 11
Jude: A Call to Defend
Secured in Battle
Jude 24-25
Introduction
As a soldier the most frightening thing would to be captured in battle.
Worst yet, to be captured by the bad guys and then you become one on of them.
Maybe you are begging for your life, you choose to do things that you would not normally do in order to save your life, and when you do them, they kill you and put you on display.
To me it would be much easier to take a bullet and die than to be captured, tortured, turn my back on my loyalties to my country, commit treason, and then when I come back to the bad guys, they toss me out like yesterday’s garbage.
In Jude, we have seen a lot of judgment fallen angels, fallen people, fallen cities, false teachers, people living false lives. It could make a believer just want to crawl into a hole and wait for Jesus to come back.
That is not what we are called to do; we are called to defend the gospel and the truth of scripture.
How can we do that when there is fear that we may turn to the other side. That we ourselves might be tricked as we defend God’s way.
It is risky business on the surface, but we need to remember the words of Jude here as he concludes his letter.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
4 things I want to you bring to you to raise your confidence to fight this fight we are all called to be in.
1. If you, or Satan, could lose your salvation, you would have already lost it.
I know there are some sister denominations that teach this, there are even some Baptist churches that teach this.
I could teach this, and have salvations each and every Sunday, because I could convince you that because you sinned this week you were going to hell and you needed to come up here and get saved for the 1,000th time.
Satan wants you to be scared that if you do battle, you could mess up and God would reject you.
Our Christian culture has helped us get into the hole as well. We could do anything, get anything, find work, be entertained, and never engage the culture around us who needs Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
2 Timothy 1:7-9
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
Don’t live in fear. Your eternal security does not rest in you!
2. Your eternal security does rest with God!
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
Who is that statement about? Is it you? Or is it Him?
What is He able to do? God is able keep you from stumbling!
The word literally means to keep us from falling away; i.e. from falling into apostasy.
Notice also the word keep. It literally means to guard.
As you battle for the truth, your reward is guarded.
Not your life, but your reward.
What does that mean?
It means that I might get beat up, bloodied, maimed, or even killed in my calling to defend, but my eternal reward is secure and I know that whatever I face, I’m not alone! My God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is always with me.
We are not promised an easy road as a believer, but we are promised that we will not be snatched away by the enemy.
John 10:28
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Perish = eternal punishment
Snatch = lose salvation
Philippians 1:6
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
God’s good work = your salvation
It is a continual work (sanctification) and will be finished when you meet Jesus face to face.
Folks always remember your eternal security rests with the one who has saved you. That is Jesus Christ.
3. God will present you to himself.
to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
How will he present you? Blameless!
He will present you as justified (Just as If I Never Sinned) Not guilty, clean, and whole!!!
You may have gone through the most severe battles during your faith journey, but when your fight is over, you will be presented as blameless, as a good soldier, and you will receive your eternal reward.
Remember what Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-21
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Don’t be so concerned about how life is going here on earth that you fail to live your life for an eternal purpose.
We get so down on ourselves, so down on the church, so down on God when things on earth do not go our way. Stop thinking that way!
Keep your eyes on the prize!
Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
May we all be able to say with Paul, when we end our journey of faith and get ready to go into our eternal home.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
4. We do this for the glory of God.
25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
This is a final praise to God! Our life should be a praise to God not just with our words but through our actions as well.
For our life to be a praise to Him, for our life to give glory to Him, we must respond to the call to defend.
We have to get into the game.
You were created and saved for an eternal purpose.
You were bought with a price. Our response to what God has done for us is to submit our life to Him. Jesus should be our Lord, our Boss.
Philippians 2:12-18
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
Conclusion
So believer are you in the battle?
Are you too scared to get in the fight?
Remember, Satan cannot defeat you! He can beat you up, but He can’t destroy you!
We are eternally secure, because it is God who secures.
Remember the chorus to a song we sing
You Never Let Go by Matt Redman
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back, I know you are near
I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear
*WHOM THEN SHALL I FEAR*
CHORUS:
OH no You never let go through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go in every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me
(Verse 2)
And I can see the light that is comin' for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be *AN* end to the struggles
But until that day comes, we'll live to know You here on *THE* Earth
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear
*WHOM THEN SHALL I FEAR*
(Chorus)
*You keep on loving and you never let go*
(Chorus)
And i can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
and there will be and end to the struggles
but until that day comes
*STILL I WILL PRAISE YOU
STILL I WILL PRAISE YOU*
(REPEAT 1)
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Believer it is time to get into the battle, it is time to snatch those from a firey hell. It is time be Jesus’ hands and feet.
Let us pray.
