Remembering, Building & Showing Mercy! Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

First Instruction: Remember the Training Manuel (vs 17).

(a). keep in mind the Faith (vs 20)

(b). keep in mind the Apostle’s Teaching (vs 17)

(b). keep in mind the Apostle’s (vs 17)

Second Instruction: Keep in shape (vs 20-21).

(a). Building (vs 20a).

(b). Praying (vs 20b)

(c). Keeping (vs 21)

Third Instruction: Rescue the war-torn. (vs 22-23).

(a). Show mercy (vs 23c).

(b). Show mercy Urgently (vs 23c).

(c). Show mercy Sensitively (vs 23c).

SERMON BODY

Ill:

• A man walks into a bar with a gun,

• He points it at the bar maid and says; “What’s your name?”

• The nervous woman replies; “Ruth”

• The gunman replies, “Oh, I can’t shoot you my mother was called Ruth”

• He turns to the man next to her and says; “What’s your name?”

• The man replies; “Simon, but all my friends call me Ruth”

• TRANSITION: In this short letter, the apostle Jude,

• Has taken the gun of truth and fired it against the false teachers/apostates,

• These false teachers, crept into the Churches;

• And at first, they looked like genuine believers,

• But after a while they started to distort, to change the message of ‘The Faith’

We noted in study two that the faith that Jude is talking about is…

• Is the body of Christian doctrine,

• Contained, or found in the scriptures.

• It involves content (what we believe) and practice (how it works out in our living).

• Not just belief, but also behaviour.

• Not just a creed, but also conduct.

In last week’s study (#3):

• We saw in last week’s study (#3);

• How Jude informed these Christians how to recognise these apostates.

• In todays, study Jude turns his attention to addressing the troops.

• He will in verses 17-25 give instructions to his own people.

Note: the words in verse 17: "But you dear friends".

• Jude changes the subject:

• From the grumbling, fault finding, arrogant, flattering words of the apostates.

• Jude changes it to the inspired, lasting words of the apostle:

First Instruction: Remember the Training Manuel (vs 17).

• "Remember the words of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold".

• Jude is encouraging these believers to stand firm and contended for the faith:

• He has already said that in verse 3 and now he will echo again in verse 20.

Verses 3:

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about THE SALVATION WE SHARE, I felt compelled to write and urge you to CONTEND FOR THE FAITH that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people”

Verses 20:

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your MOST HOLY FAITH and praying in the Holy Spirit,”

(a). Keep in Mind the Faith (vs 20)

• “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith. “

• As you read this short letter,

• It is obvious that Jude assumes that his readers know what the holy faith is!

Questions:

• Do you what the faith is!?

• Are you able to say what you believe as a Christian?

• Are you able to back that up with Biblical references?

Ill:

• I enjoy chatting to Jehovah’s Witnesses whenever I stumble across them;

• Or they knock on my door.

• If you ask them how they came to be J.W.’s

• You might be surprised to know that many had a religious background.

• Many of them come from a Church of England or Catholic background.

• Very few seem to have been atheists.

• J.W.’s seems to target or attract religious people,

• Those who have a belief but have very little Bible knowledge

• And when pressed to explain or prove from the Bible what they believe,

• They are unable.

• And for an experienced J.W. it is a no-contest;

• They will out argue them from the Bible every time!

• For them it is like taking candy from a baby!

• Notice Jude doesn't just stop at saying contend for the faith,

• He tells us how to pull it off, how to do that.

• Verse 17:

• "Remember the words of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold".

(b). Keep in Mind the Apostle’s Teaching (vs 17)

• “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. “

• The apostles teaching is what we would call the New Testament.

• Remember the Words that were spoken;

• Well we have them in our New Testament.

• That is why we need to be people of the book!

• If we are ignorant of this book, we will not be able to explain our faith,