Video Transition: A Million Little Choices
Sermon: Jude
The following from https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Jude.html
• Timeline: The Book of Jude was written somewhere between A.D. 60 and 80. The Book of Jude is closely related to the book of 2 Peter. The date of authorship for Jude depends on whether Jude used content from 2 Peter, or Peter used content from Jude when writing 2 Peter.
• Purpose of Writing: The Book of Jude is an important book for us today because it is written for the end times, for the end of the church age. The church age began at the Day of Pentecost. Jude is the only book given entirely to the great apostasy. Jude writes that evil works are the evidence of apostasy. He admonishes us to contend for the faith, for there are tares among the wheat. False prophets are in the church and the saints are in danger. Jude is a small but important book worthy of study, written for the Christian of today.
• Connections: The Book of Jude is filled with references to the Old Testament, including the Exodus (v. 5); Satan’s rebellion (v. 6); Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7); Moses’ death (v. 9); Cain (v. 11); Balaam (v. 11); Korah (v. 11); Enoch (vv. 14,15); and Adam (v. 14). Jude’s use of the well-known historical illustrations of Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and Korah reminded the Jewish Christians of the necessity of true faith and obedience.
o It also warns that God does bring judgment for sin!
• Practical Application: We live in a unique time in history and this little book can help equip us for the untold challenges of living in the end times. Today’s Christian must be on guard for false doctrines which can so easily deceive us if we are not well-versed in the Word. We need to know the Gospel—to protect and defend it—and accept the Lordship of Christ, which is evidenced by a life-change. Authentic faith always reflects Christ-like behavior. Our life in Christ should reflect our very own heart-knowledge that rests on the authority of the Almighty Creator and Father who puts faith into practice. We need that personal relationship with Him; only then will we know His voice so well that we will follow no other.
Thesis: We need to contend for the faith because false teachers and non-Christians will try to wear us down so that we give up the faith fight! They will call us bigots, haters, prideful and say we have no tolerance! They will try to get us to become hateful and get us to throw love out the window. But our responsibility is to pray in the Holy Spirit and keep ourselves rooted in the Love of God.
Key Scripture Texts:
Jude 3-4: 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about a 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.
Jude 20-23: 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 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.
Introduction:
Got Question states, “Every New Testament book except Philemon contains warnings about false teaching. Why is this? Simply because ideas have consequences. Right thinking and its fruit produce goodness, whereas wrong thinking and its accompanying action result in undesired penalties… The great tragedy is that, knowingly or unknowingly, the apostate teacher dooms his unsuspecting followers. Speaking to His disciples about the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said, “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14, emphasis added). Alarmingly, it is not only false teachers who go to destruction, but their disciples follow them there. Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it this way: “For it has never yet been known to fail that one fool, when he goes astray, takes several others with him.”
What do we do in the culture we find ourselves immersed in today filled with deception and lies and false teachers?
Are we to just be tolerant? Are we to compromise God’s truth to make others happy and therefore give them a reason to stay immersed in their sins? Do we give them permission to stay immersed in their deceptions by remaining silent?
On the surface the word “Tolerance” seems like a good word – we need to get along with others right – especially within the Kingdom of Heaven – we have been taught that we need to be tolerant of other Christians who don’t believe just like we do – but yet we need to agree on the majors of doctrine and agree to disagree on the lesser teachings and doctrines in Scripture.
But today to be tolerant has gone to an unacceptable level with the liberal left because it attacks our children, our churches, and our faith. We need to be tolerant, but the liberal left is not tolerant of us – they hate us – look at us as evil not good. But we were warned in Scripture they hated Jesus; they will hate us also. Our kids hear this word every day in public schools and in the media. Yet people do not realize the sinister meaning behind the word “Tolerance” today.
Josh McDowell states this about – Truth and Tolerance
“This new tolerance has many alarming implications, and unless Christian churches, families, and educators recognize and respond to it, the new millennium is likely to be a dangerous time. When presented with Jesus Christ and the historical evidence of His life and resurrection, people who opposed Christianity used to say “Prove it!” and “I don’t believe you.” But there is a recent startling shift. Now, the opposition invariably says, “How dare you say that?” or “Who do you think you are?” or “You are intolerant!” The issue is no longer the truth of the message, but the right to proclaim it. In the new cultural climate, any unpopular message is labeled “intolerant” and therefore (needs to) be repressed…Society has shifted from a Judeo-Christian culture to an increasingly and aggressively anti-Judeo-Christian Culture.”
Today we have false teachers like they did in Jude’s day – by the way his brother is James and they were ½ brothers of Jesus – see Matthew 13:55.
False teachers had crept in the church telling people that because of God’s grace you can still live in sin and be right with God. The NKJV translation uses the word in verse 4 “Lewdness” and NIV states, “License for immorality”. So false teachers were convincing the Christians to keep living in sin, like it’s okay to get drunk and party hardy, it’s fine with God to have sex outside marriage, it’s okay to be LGBT and it’s okay to indulge in the porn, it’s also okay to disobey God – He is okay with all that – But Jude says “They are denying God and His truth!” So, they need to contend for the faith and not be like the people who followed Korah in rebellion in the desert against God, or like the fallen angels, or like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who were sexually immoral and went after strange flesh, or Balaam who tried to curse Israel and God stopped him and he still did not listen to God’s warning even after his donkey talked to him. But they also subtly denied who Jesus was!
I. How do you contend for the faith in an anti-Christian culture?
? You speak up for truth from God’s Word – show them in God’s Word what is right and wrong!
? You testify about Jesus and His story!
? You share testimonies of God’s faithfulness in your life!
? You participate in church and invite people to church!
? You train your children in the faith with Christian education!
? You live the example of a faithful Christian to your family and friends!
? You develop a Biblical Worldview!
i. What is a Biblical Worldview?
1. Worldviews – we all have one whether we know it or not – but we need to evaluate and discern what our worldview is.
2. Look around at society today – all the tension and propaganda, fights, arguments etc: This is what happens when worldviews collide – so the questions come charging at us - What do we do compromise? Be tolerant? Be silent? What happens to a society or a culture when conflicting worldviews fight for power and influence? What happens to a society where the Biblical worldview is dismissed as ancient or out of date and irrelevant? Just look around at our own society today – this is what happens. But we do have the Spirit of the Lord to even change the culture and worldviews around us with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit!
3. Charles Colson stated, “How do we redeem a culture? ...The answer is simple: from the inside out. From the Individual to the family to the community, and then outward in ever widening ripples. We must begin by understanding what it means to live by (Biblical) Christian worldview principles in our own behavior and choices. Unless we do, we will interpret the biblical commands according to the spirit of the age and will therefore be conformed to the world rather than to God’s Word (Colson, How Shall We Live page 307)
4. Charles Colson also goes on to add insight into what is wrong with our culture today – “…Polls consistently show that Americans worry most about social and moral decay-crime, family breakdown, drug abuse, sex and violence in the entertainment media -all results of moral choices made ultimately by individuals. Given these facts, one might expect the nation’s bully pulpits would be devoted to encouraging people to take responsibility for their lives, to exert the self-discipline needed to change behavior. Instead, for the past few decades, the dominant (non-biblical) cultural voices have argued that individuals have a right to live in any way they choose and that society has a responsibility to pick up the tab for any negative consequences that result…The attitude is not confined to the government. It’s amazing how many ordinary Americans have fallen into the trap of expecting someone else to pick up the costs of their own irresponsibility…Where did this idea of value-free lifestyles come from? What are its worldview roots? How do the categories of creation, fall and redemption help us to diagnose what’s wrong with the predominant secular view – and see how a (Biblical) Christian worldview leads to better, healthier, and more rational way of living? (Colson, page 308-309)
5. But first I want to challenge you to “Renew your minds!” In other word’s open your minds to doing your life differently: We do this by being willing to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, by praying differently, by learning to hear the voice of the Lord, by studying His Word – all for the purpose to minister to people in need and crisis in a fallen culture. Why do this? So, we can impact a fallen culture with the Kingdom of God and see lives changed! So, we can see society changed from the inside out one life at a time! One divine encounter at a time!
a. Romans 12: 1-2 (CEV) “Dear friends, God is good. So, I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.”
6. So, I want to dig deeper into your mindset and help you see other mindsets that are around you each day – so let’s discover what a worldview is.
ii. What is a worldview?
1. The truth is every one of us, whether we know it or not have a worldview. There are no exceptions here, everyone has one whether they admit it or not.
2. The authors of biblicalworldview.com state, “Our worldview is the set of presuppositions and beliefs that we use to interpret and form opinions and values concerning life, humanity, family, authority, justice, truth, duty, etc. Our worldview is the “big picture” and culmination of all our beliefs. It is the way we understand reality. It is the basis from which we make daily decisions.”
a. So, our worldview makes a huge difference in the way we approach and live our life! We see through politics and elections how different people’s worldviews are – and many of us say “They are so blind – how can they think that way!” The truth is that person has a different starting point than you do as a Christian. We always start with the foundation of the Bible but others do not and this is why they think differently than we do about serious societal and political issues.
b. But we need to understand that worldviews do matter in the entire scope of any society – it determines culture – it determines right and wrong - it determines policy – it determines belief systems – family systems – political systems and many more systems in society. It will also determine the health of a society. Opposing worldviews will always collide bringing turmoil, arguments, war, fights, tensions, political dissension and disunity.
c. Do you recall the holiday gatherings when family members with different worldviews clashed over mashed potatoes and Turkey dinner? Do you recall the tension and heated arguments – the family members who left early that night or day! They were most likely clashing over opposing worldviews.
iii. There are 5 key areas which determine our worldview according biblicalworldview.com:
1. God - Is there a personal, transcendent Supreme Being to whom we are all accountable? If so, what is this God like? If not, then what? etc.
2. Creation - Where did the world come from? What sustains it all? Is there a spiritual part of reality or is it all material? etc.
3. Humanity - Who are we? What gives us any unique value? etc.
4. Moral Order - Who makes the rules? Do some rules apply to everyone? etc.
5. Purpose - Why do we exist? Who determines this?
iv. Question to explore: What is a Biblical Worldview?
1. So, what is a Biblical Worldview? A Biblical Worldview is a comprehensive understanding of the world that is formulated by the authority of the Bible (The Word of God) and the person of Jesus Christ (The Word of God).
a. According to Ken Ham creator of the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter and from his book: Divided Nation - cultures in conflict and a conflicted church – He states emphatically that there are two main worldviews in conflict in our society today – He says the battle is between – “God’s Word and Man’s Word!” He believes that you either believe the whole Word of God or you buy into one of Man’s fallen worldviews which are influenced by Satan himself.
b. Focus on the Family defines it this way, “A biblical worldview is based on the infallible Word of God. When you believe the Bible is entirely true, then you allow it to be the foundation of everything you say and do.”
v. Question: Do you have a Biblical Worldview? Do you – to find out answer the following questions, based on claims found in the Bible and which George Barna used in a survey to discover how many Born Again Christians had a Biblical Worldview:
1. Do absolute moral truths exist?
2. Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?
3. Did Jesus Christ live a sinless life?
4. Is God the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and does He still rule it today?
5. Is salvation a gift from God that cannot be earned?
6. Is Satan real?
7. Does a Christian have a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people?
8. Is the Bible accurate in all of its teachings?
a. Did you answer “Yes” to all these questions? By the way back in 1984 when George Barna did this survey only 9 percent of “Born- again” believers answered “yes” to all the questions.
b. So, as you see we have a problem even in the Christian circles of today – many people who claim to be Cristian do not have a Biblical Worldview – let’s be clear they don’t have a worldview rooted in the Authority of the Bible and truth of the Bible.
vi. In the book of Jude – Jesus ½ brother says to contend for the faith – fight for the truth of God’s Word – implant it in your life and your family’s life! Don’t back down from sharing the truth with others.
1. Contend - engage in a competition or campaign in order to win or achieve (something) also defined as assert something as a position in an argument!
2. To contend for something is not passive but an aggressive action and Jude is saying – do not be tolerant speak the truth in love – snatch people from the fire of Hell!
II. How do you pray in the Holy Spirit – it is more important than most people think – we need to pray in the Holy Spirit!
? The Holy Spirit - Samuel Chadwick “Christianity is hopeless without the Holy Spirit!”
i. 1 Corinthians 14:
1. 1Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. 6Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?
8Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?
9So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.13For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.19But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21In the Law it is written: “Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me,” says the Lord. 22Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
ii. John 14:15-18:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
1. The Holy Spirit is our biggest need in the church today, not money, not more people, not larger crowds, not more programs, not more Bible translations, not more study aids to the Bible, not more Christian books, not more Bible seminaries or Bible colleges, not more Degrees, not more tech stuff like lights, projectors, video illustrations or even better websites. No, the biggest need of the church is the in filling of the Holy Spirit. This infilling brings empowerment to us as Christians and to the church. It transforms us into what God wants us to be and it points us to God’s agenda not ours.
a. Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
b. I want you to know that transformation will not happen in our country, state or city by the elephant or by the donkey but by the Lamb and His Holy Spirit. The White House nor Congress cannot bring transformation to this nation nor to your life, it can only come by the power of the Holy Spirit.
c. This power is the power which can bring our nation back to God and help us bring a renewal to our society back to God.
i. Paul contended for the faith of others listen to this from Colossians 1:9-14:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
ii. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit and He kept that promise in Acts 2 and that promise is still for today. His promise is to empower you and the church to do the work of the Kingdom! Jesus’ promise is still relevant for us today!
1. You want to see our society change – pray in the Holy Spirit – pray and intercede for others – for family members – for this church.
iii. It’s His Holy Spirit that fills us with spiritual wisdom and it’s His Holy Spirit that helps us live a life worthy of Jesus. It’s His Holy Spirit that helps us to bear fruit in this world for the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s His Holy Spirit which gives us great endurance and patience to live the joyful life. It’s His Holy Spirit which enables us to be thankful for all that God has done for us!
iii. Quote: The Holy Spirit is not a doctrine to be studied; He is a person to be experienced in power (Randy Clark).
1. Jude says pray in the Spirit – connect with the third person of the Godhead!
a. Quote: Understanding His power and work in our lives is of vital importance if we desire to live the Christian lives that Jesus has made available to us. The Holy Spirit does not exclusively belong to ivory-tower theologians; he is not a mere doctrine to be studied, but a divine person to be experienced and known. The more that believers continue to stumble over the power of the Spirit through debate and controversy, the longer we as the church become restricted from bringing true transformation to our world. We cannot afford to be arguing among ourselves while there is so great and so ripe a harvest set before us in this generation. Clark, Randy (2015-01-20). The Essential Guide to the Power of the Holy Spirit: God's Miraculous Gifts at Work Today (Kindle Locations 139-144). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
iv. Question: Why did Jesus send the Holy Spirit to us Christians?
1. Answer: So that we could “Be Christ Like” and “Do the work of the Kingdom of Heaven.” So we could contend for the faith and snatch people out of the fire!
2. Listen carefully the Holy Spirit was not just given to us to be Christ like but to also do the work of the Kingdom like Jesus did! Please hear this you cannot do the work of the Kingdom without the Holy Spirit’s empowerment!
3. Call to action: So it is time to get to work for the Kingdom of Heaven and be empowered to see our culture transformed.
v. Could you imagine experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit like this?
1. Charles Finney – the father of American Revival story from http://menwhosawrevival.blogspot.com/p/charles-finney.html
a. Early in his ministry he met a believer named Daniel Nash. This man was a great man of prayer and he joined Finney. As Finney would preach, Nash would go to nearby house and pray and the result was a work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those listening to Finney. Everywhere Finney went revival followed. Estimates of those saved through his preaching range from 100,000 to as many as 500,000. He was accused of letting down the dignity of the pulpit and criticized for not preaching like the other ministers did. He answered, "Show me the fruits of your ministry, and if they so far exceed mine as to give me evidence that you have found a more excellent way, I will adopt your views." It did not matter how wicked the place was for Finney he would go preach and revival would follow. He had heard about a wicked village and decided to go there and preach. He preached on the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and selected the text, "Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city." Finney says; "The people looked as if they were angry. They looked at each other and at me. Their anger rose higher and higher as I continued...The congregation began to fall from their seats and cried for mercy. If I had a sword in each hand, I could not have cut them off their seats as fast as they fell. Indeed nearly the whole congregation were either on their knees or prostrate...in less than two minutes...Everyone prayed for himself, who was able to speak at all." The son and grandson of the man named Lot both were converted at that meeting and both became preachers. The grandson enrolled in Finney's Bible School.
b. In another story about Finney and Nash - He went to DeKalb and had many Presbyterians and Methodists saved. Finney recalled later: "A Roman Catholic priest who came from Ogdensburg to be measured for a suit of clothes was converted on the spot and this spread the revival in all directions." After a few services Finney had no chance to preach, for everywhere people were seeking the Lord. A friend of Finney's said: "Finney could only sit still and see the salvation of the Lord, by the spontaneous movement of the Holy Ghost in converting sinners."
c. Finney says the most amazing display of God's power in his life came one day as he went to visit a cotton factory at New York Mills, a small town near Utica, New York. Prior to his visit to the factory, more than 500 converts were reported saved in the short time he had been in Utica. Unusual conversions were reported. A Proud, disbelieving school teacher came to make light of what was happening to her friends who had been saved, when she too was suddenly convicted of her lost condition. Not long afterwards, she married a Mr. Guilick, who became a missionary to the Sandwich Islands, where God used them both mightily. Everyone in the area had heard what was going on and the people were divided. A great number of those against the meeting were openly opposing it. As Finney walked into the Cotton Mill, one of the opponents of the meeting, a young lady employee, saw him. Looking at her co employee, she began to laugh. Some writers say she made a cynical remark about Finney and his meeting. In a spirit of prayer, Charles Finney simply looked at this young lady without saying a word. As he kept looking at her, being grieved by her criticism, the lady stopped working as she had broken her thread. She became so upset that she couldn't repair the thread and start again. The Spirit of God mightily convicted her of her sin to the point that she began to weep. Soon her companions were convicted and began to weep. A chain reaction occurred as hundreds began to be overcome by their lost condition. The factory owner, seeing this, was deeply moved himself and said. "Stop the mill, and let the people attend to religion, for it is far more important that our souls be saved than the factory run. "All the workers were assembled in a very large room and Finney said,"...a more powerful meeting I scarcely ever attended. "Within a few days nearly every employee was saved (some accounts say all were saved. Several authors say there were 3,000 employees in this factory.
d. In another story: Others say the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit's power was in the revival held in Rochester, New York. In 1830 over 10,000 people were converted into a livery stable, the circus into a soap and candle factory, and the rum shops (bars) were closed!
? Powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit occurred during the First and Second Great Awakenings under George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Finney and many other notable revivalists.
i. Many have ridiculed the manifestations which occurred in these meetings and mocked them as being unscriptural but this is not the case if you search through the Scriptures:
1. Randy Clark shares with us: Powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit, which are sometimes marked by some of the manifestations ridiculed and mocked by critics, result in the very things one considers to be “lasting fruit.” Though manifestations, such as falling “under the power” of the Holy Spirit, have been considered controversial, theologians confirm their presence throughout the halls of Scripture.
ii. Dr. Gary Greig catalogues the manifestations and phenomenon of the Bible as follows, and the presence of God’s Spirit in power and glory may be marked in Scripture by the following references:
1. Shaking or trembling—Exodus 19: 16; 1 Chronicles 16: 30; Ezra 9: 4; Psalm 2: 11; 96: 9; 114: 7; 119: 120; Isaiah 66: 5; Jeremiah 5: 22, 23: 9; Daniel 10: 10-11; Matthew 28: 4; Acts 7: 32; Hebrews 12: 21.
2. Falling over—Genesis 17: 3; 1 Kings 8: 11; Ezekiel 1: 28, 3: 23; Daniel 8: 17-18, 10: 9; John 18: 6; Acts 9: 4; 26: 14; 1 Corinthians 14: 25; Revelation 1: 17.
3. Intoxicated state of mind—Acts 2: 4, 13, 15; Ephesians 5: 18; cf. 1 Samuel 1: 12-17; 19: 23.
4. Bodily writhing and distortion under the influence of a demon—Mark 1: 21-26; 9: 26; Luke 8: 28.
5. Laughing, shouting, or weeping—Genesis 17: 17; 24 Ezra 3: 13 (“ rejoicing,” which certainly included laughter and shouting, is so loud that it is heard “far away” from Jerusalem—that must have been pretty loud!); Nehemiah 8: 6, 9 (weeping in the midst of worship and praise), 12: 43; Psalm 126: 2; Proverbs 14: 13; Acts 14: 10 (Greek literally “[ Paul] said with a loud voice”).
6. Prolonged exuberant praise—Luke 1: 41-42 (Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke out in a loud voice”), 46-55, 64, 68-79; 5: 25; 17: 15; Acts 3: 8-10.
7. Feeling energy, electricity, or heat—Mark 5: 29-30 (see also Matthew 9: 22; Luke 8: 44, 46-47); Luke 6: 19; cf. Colossians 1: 29 (where energeia, “working, energy” 25 is coupled in the text with dunamis “power”); Judges 14: 6, 19, 15: 14; 1 Samuel 10: 6, 10: 10. 26
8. Feeling deep peace—Romans 14: 17; 15: 13; 1 Corinthians 14: 33; Philippians 4: 5-7.
9. Visible radiance seen on the face or around the head— Acts 2: 3-4 (tongues of fire); 6: 15; 7: 55 (Stephen filled with the Spirit had a radiant face); 27 and compare that with 2 Corinthians 3: 7, 13, 17-18 and Exodus 34: 29 (the radiance of Moses face is from the “Lord who is the Spirit”).
10. Trance-like state—Acts 10: 10; 22: 17.
11. Groaning or inarticulate sounds—Romans 8: 26.
12. These phenomena, which may accompany the presence of God’s Spirit, are not only attested to in Scripture, but they are also attested to in early Judaism and early, post-biblical Christian tradition.
a. Clark, Randy (2015-01-20). The Essential Guide to the Power of the Holy Spirit: God's Miraculous Gifts at Work Today (Kindle Locations 570-590). Destiny Image, Inc. Kindle Edition.
13. Could you imagine being a part of something like this?
? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your prayer time! Now is the time – things are coming quickly to this world – everything happening in the world is not coincidence.
i. Ask for insight as you pray about the signs of the times – and the Holy Spirit – and He will open your eyes!
1. Be led by the Holy Spirit in your prayer – do intercession in critical times – example do you groan over the Israel – Hamas war – the USA’s involvement - the Ukraine war – are you praying in the spirit like Paul did – interceding for others – are you groaning and praying over our nation, and it’s fall from God?
2. How about the hot spots in the world are you laboring in prayer over these issues, human trafficking, drug addiction, economy?
3. Do you pray for someone when God lays them on your heart?
? We need to Pray in tongues like Paul did and I do! When you have “NO” idea what to pray for pray in tongues – the Spirit knows let him lead your prayer language.
i. See 1 Corinthians 14:2-19!
III. How do you keep yourselves rooted in the love of God!
? Love is the strength of the Word of God – God is love – keeping myself rooted in love means I keep myself rooted in the things of God.
i. Means I focus on God stuff – not on trivial stuff!
? It means I stay true to God’s Word and to Who Jesus is, was and will be!
i. Jude gives us examples of people who did not stay rooted in Love or in God and the judgement that fell on them for disconnecting from Him. Jude is saying learn from the mistake of others – so judgement does not fall on you!
ii. His warning is simple – “Do not be deceived by false teachers!”
iii. Stand up for Gods truth!
iv. Stay free of sin!
v. Don’t practice sin!
vi. Snatch people from the fire – let God use you to change the world!
Conclusion:
A letter from Jude, brother of James, who uses Old Testament examples to warn against false teaching and urges the church to remain godly and loving.
Summary: We must do the following in the last days!
Contend for the faith!
Don’t be deceived by false teachers – you do this by knowing your Bible!
We are to Pray in and with the Holy Spirit!
We are to be rooted in God’s love!
