“Fight for the Gospel”

 

Text: Jude 1-25

 

Theme: Contend for the Faith

 

Thrust: Save yourself & all those who hear you (I Tim.4:16) by contending earnestly for the one & only gospel. (vs 3-4)

 

I.                   The Emergency (vs 3-4)

A.    There is only one Faith! (acts 6:7, Eph. 4:5)

1.      Notice the common (same) salvation. (Acts 4:12, I Cor. 3:11, Heb. 2:3  Jn. 20:30-31, Jn. 8:31)

2.      This Faith is not subjective. (Jer. 10:23, Prov. 14:12, Acts 26:9)

 

B.     Contend Earnestly

1.      The word here literally means to wrestle, to do strenuous battle.

2.      Since Xians are not commanded to have “Holy Wars” this must

Mean mental battle ( I Cor. 10:3-5, I Tim. 1:18, 6:12, Eph. 6:12, Prov. 25:9) We ought to do more debating!! (I Pet. 3:15, Phil.1:16, Rom. 1:16, Eph. 4:15)

 

II.                Examples of Apostacy 5-13

A.    The main idea in this section is found in verse 5.  If is possible for the child of God who been saved in the past to fall away & be lost.  The main application for the 1st century Christians & us is that if we allow false teachers to come in & teach false doctrine we will be lost. 

 

B.     Notice the Old Testament  examples Jude gives:

 

(vs 5) 1. The Exodus people (I Cor. 10:5-10)

(vs 6) 2.  Angels who sinned  (2 Pet. 2:4

(vs 7) 3.  Sodom & Gommorha (Gen. 11)

4.      Modern day dreamers  (vs 8-10)

 

C.     Their nature is also like those of the Old Testament

1.      The way of Cain – disobedience & lack of authority

2.      The error of greed like Baalam

3.      Rebellious like Korah (Num. 16:1ff)

4.      Rock in your feasts (vs 12a)

5.      Clouds without water ( vs 12b)

6.      Tree without fruit (vs 12c)

7.      Raging wave of the seas  (vs 13)

8.      Wandering star

 

 

 

D.         Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt, 7:15-16)

1.      These men have crept in (I Jn. 4:1) So many places start with a youth  minister or preacher who does not show himself until you test him!

2.      These people were even known for their false teaching at one

time. (Rom. 16:17,Eph. 5:11, 2 Thes. 3: 6, 14)

3.      They turn grace into a reason to sin ( Rom. 6:1 They would have

Answered yes to this).

1.      The beautiful teaching of grace (Eph. 2:8-10, 2 Cor. 8:9, 2 Tim. 1:9-10)

2.      Grace teaches us something (Titus 2:11-13, Rom. 6:17, 12, 6:4)

4.      Some perversions of grace today are:

1.      Once saved always saved (Gal. 5:4, 2 pet. 1:10, Acts 8:20)

2.      Grace is free to all (Jn.1:17, 2 Tim. 2:1, Eph. 1:3, 6, 13:27, Rom 6:3)

3.      Saved by grace only (Eph. 2:8-10, Mk. 16:16, Acts 2: 38, Acts 22:16)

 

III.             The execution on the Ungodly (vs 14-15)

A.    These people are destined for eternal destruction ( 2 Thes. 1:7-9,

Matt. 25:46, Rev. 20:14-15,. Rev. 21:8, Mk. 9:44)

                  B.   It’;s very interesting to note that the word ungodly is used 4 time in verse

                         15 to show that these people are without God ( 2 Jn. 9, Eph. 2:12)

    

         IV.     Exhortation to Endurance (vs 17-23)