← ArchiveJudeJude 1DateOctober 12, 2025SpeakerDanny CoursonTextJude 1TranscriptMachine transcribed · click any line to jump0:00*music* *music*0:15*music* *music*0:33*music* Well, good morning. It's good to be with you this morning. I appreciate Josh inviting me to come and share the word with you this morning. And as you saw from the slide, we are going into the book of Jude today.1:02And as you saw from the slide, we are going into the book of Jude today. If you have your Bible, if you will turn to the book of Jude. This is a two-week sermon series. And Josh gave me the first 19 verses and he's going to finish it up next week when he's here. So if you look at the book of Jude, we will get into the word this morning. It's only one chapter, so it should be easy to follow along. Turn to the book of Jude beginning with verse 1. It says "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who are the called, loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ, may mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you."1:30It says "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who are the called, loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ, may mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you." It's a typical greeting that you have in one of the letters that was written in the New Testament. As Jude identifies who he is, he identifies himself as the brother of James. And he would only identify himself as the brother of James if James was well known. And as you know from the book of James, James was well known to the early church.1:58And as you know from the book of James, James was well known to the early church. Jude was the half-brother of Jesus. And if you look at the history, you'll see that when Jesus first began his earthly ministry, his family thought he was out of his mind. Jude and James did not follow Jesus' teaching. They didn't believe he was the Son of God. They thought he had lost his mind. But later on, James became a believer and then Jude became a believer.2:23But later on, James became a believer and then Jude became a believer. And it's important that we see that this book was written because of the transformation that took place in Jude's life. And so he says, "I'm a servant of Jesus Christ." The one that he had rejected at first, he is now a servant of. And he said, "A brother of James." You know James as he's written to the church and he became the leader of the church at Jerusalem. And he says, "This letter is addressed to those who are the called, loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ."2:51And he says, "This letter is addressed to those who are the called, loved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ." If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, if you're a part of his church, then this message is for you. And then he says, "May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you." Well then he gets into the purpose of the letter. And that's in verses 3 and 4. And this is where we're going to hang out for just a minute. It says, "Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share,3:20It says, "Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. For some people who were designated for this judgment long ago have come in by stealth. They are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord." So what Jude says is, "The purpose of my writing, I wanted to write a letter about the wonderful salvation that we have in Jesus Christ."3:49So what Jude says is, "The purpose of my writing, I wanted to write a letter about the wonderful salvation that we have in Jesus Christ." Now, is there anybody here that would just openly say, "I think salvation is a good thing." Salvation excites me. I like to talk about salvation. It's encouraging. And so that's what Jude said. In my heart, what my desire is, is to write something encouraging and inspiring about the salvation that we share in Jesus Christ.4:13In my heart, what my desire is, is to write something encouraging and inspiring about the salvation that we share in Jesus Christ. But I can't do that. He said, "I can't do that because I find it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all." In other words, my desire is to write something inspiring and exciting about our salvation, but instead, God has laid it on my heart that I have to write a letter exhorting you to contend for the faith.4:37In other words, my desire is to write something inspiring and exciting about our salvation, but instead, God has laid it on my heart that I have to write a letter exhorting you to contend for the faith. Well, contend, first of all, means to strive, to struggle, to wrestle with. It means when it comes to matters of our faith, we've got to put effort into it. Our minds and our hearts have to be in it.5:05Our minds and our hearts have to be in it. Following Jesus is not something we can do casually. Following Jesus is something that we have to dedicate our entire lives to. All of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul, all of our strength. And what Jude is saying is, "I have to inspire you because we don't realize what has happened within the church." As a matter of fact, he says, "Some people who were designated for this judgment long ago have come in by stealth."5:30As a matter of fact, he says, "Some people who were designated for this judgment long ago have come in by stealth." What does stealth mean? U.S. military has stealth bombers, don't we? What's the key to those stealth bombers? They're hidden from the radar, they're undetected. And so, he's saying, by stealth, people have come into the church that aren't true followers of Jesus Christ.5:55And so, he's saying, by stealth, people have come into the church that aren't true followers of Jesus Christ. And they're creating problems, they're creating divisions, and whether you realize it or not, you've got to recognize what's going on within the church, because the church has been infiltrated by unbelievers. I know a lot of you are probably well aware of Charlie Kirk. On September 10th, Charlie Kirk was speaking at a university in Utah,6:22On September 10th, Charlie Kirk was speaking at a university in Utah, with Turning Point Ministries, doing what he had been doing, going all over the United States, meeting on college campuses, and basically trying to share the gospel. He was willing to listen to anyone about what their opinions were, what their beliefs were, what their feelings were, but then, after listening to them, he tried to convince them why they needed to turn to the truth of God's word, and they needed to follow Jesus Christ. Now, some people say he was divisive, some people say he was sarcastic, some people say he was mean and he was rude,6:49Now, some people say he was divisive, some people say he was sarcastic, some people say he was mean and he was rude, but the reality is, while he wasn't perfect, overall, he was seeking to contend for the faith. Because he wanted to see faith come back to our college campuses. He wanted to see people making decisions based on God's guidelines, and not the world's guidelines. I find it interesting that this morning, my understanding is Josh is with one of the partners in New Hampshire.7:16I find it interesting that this morning, my understanding is Josh is with one of the partners in New Hampshire. And if you're familiar with New Hampshire, if you go up there and go on a tour of the area, they're going to take you to some of the universities up there, and explain to you, when this university was founded, it was founded as a theological school. The entire reason this university, or this college exists, is a group of believers wanted to train pastors. They wanted to train believers to be effective as missionaries, and pastors, and teachers of the word.7:42They wanted to train believers to be effective as missionaries, and pastors, and teachers of the word. But over the years, a liberal mindset started to shift in. And over the years, the Christian beliefs started to be pushed aside. And now, these colleges and these universities are stronghold for worldly, liberal viewpoints. And on a lot of those campuses, Christianity is not welcome at all. There's one of those schools up there that they took us on when we toured the area.8:11There's one of those schools up there that they took us on when we toured the area. That they said, interestingly, there's a chapel on campus. The only group that's not welcome to use the chapel are the Christians. Every other group can use it, but the Christians aren't welcome to use the chapels. This didn't happen overnight. This happened over a long period of time as people came in with different viewpoints and different values. And what was established as a Christian school or Christian university now has nothing to do with Christ.8:36And what was established as a Christian school or Christian university now has nothing to do with Christ. It's simply a worldly institution that pushes the ways of the world. And what Jude is warning the church here is, if you're not careful, that's exactly what's going to happen to the church. Because whether you realize it or not, there are people who have already come in who are already in the church. Now, don't start looking at your neighbor and going, are you one of them? Don't do that.9:05Don't do that. But think about Christianity overall. Do you hear preachers or teachers on TV or the radio and you hear them say things that you go, wait a minute, that doesn't sound right. That doesn't line up with what I've been taught. That doesn't line up with scripture. And that's exactly the point. Ungodly people have come in claiming to follow Christ. And they're causing problems.9:32And they're causing problems. They're causing division. They are destroying the church that Christ established. And so what Jude warns the people is, you've got to be awake and you've got to be alert to the people who are coming in. And to contend for the faith means there's got to be some confrontation. You're going to have to wrestle with your belief. You can't just sit back in comfort and go, I'm saved. I'm just going to sit here and wait for Jesus to come back.10:01I'm just going to sit here and wait for Jesus to come back. Let me ask you, did the disciples, knowing that Jesus was going to come back, did you see them sit in a rocking chair and go, we're just going to sit here and wait until Jesus comes back? Or were they out there preaching and teaching? Were they going from house to house witnessing and sharing the gospel? Were they seeking to grow and expand the kingdom? We have come to a point in the church today that a lot of Christians and a lot of congregations have gotten really lazy.10:25We have come to a point in the church today that a lot of Christians and a lot of congregations have gotten really lazy. And we're not wrestling for the faith. We're not contending for the faith. And so Jude goes on to give some examples from history. In verses 5 through 7, he talks about apostasy in the past. Now let me go ahead and tell you about apostasy. Apostasy is the one thing that I've preached that got me in trouble.10:53Apostasy is the one thing that I've preached that got me in trouble. I served a church for 15 years and when I left, they said, we had no problem with anything you preached except that one message on apostasy. Because you see, we believe once saved, always saved. And if you believe in once saved, always saved, then there's no such thing as apostasy. Let me explain something to you. The Bible talks about apostasy. The Bible defines apostasy. The Bible says apostasy was there in the beginning. The Bible says apostasy continues.11:22The Bible says apostasy continues. And the Bible says there's going to be a great falling away of apostasy. Apostasy is not about salvation. Apostasy is about people who are appearing to follow Christ. If you look at their lives, it looks like they're devoted. It looks like they're following. They know the word. They can say the words. They can give all the right answers. But in their heart and in their mind, they have not truly committed themselves to serving and obeying Jesus Christ as Lord.11:45But in their heart and in their mind, they have not truly committed themselves to serving and obeying Jesus Christ as Lord. And our churches today are filled with apostates. Now that's not a popular saying. And I'm not telling you to go get shirts printed up so that the apostates can wear them so that you can label them and they can stand out. That's not what I'm saying at all. But what I'm saying is we've got to understand apostasy is a very real thing. Apostates are not people who have their salvation taken away from them because they were never truly saved.12:15Apostates are not people who have their salvation taken away from them because they were never truly saved. Apostates are those who look like they're following, but actually they are rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord. They are rejecting his authority. They are rejecting his word. And as long as they come into his church, they are causing problems within God's church. And so Jude gives examples of apostate in verses 5 through 7.12:41And so Jude gives examples of apostate in verses 5 through 7. He gives three examples from history. He says, "Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved the people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe, and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, He has kept in eternal chains and deep darkness for the judgment on the great day. Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions13:07Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." So he says, "Let me give you three examples from history of those who committed apostasy. First of all, the children of Israel. They were God's chosen ones. They were his chosen people. They had been enslaved in Egypt and yet God came in and rescued them. He set them free." But once they got out of Egypt, what did they do?13:35But once they got out of Egypt, what did they do? They whined. They moaned. They complained. They said it was better in Egypt. Let us go back. And as soon as Moses goes up on the mountaintop to meet with God, what's the first thing they do? They build a golden calf as an idol and worship it. That one still blows my mind. Of all the things you could worship, why a golden calf? It makes no sense whatsoever, but that's the mind that is controlled by sin.14:04It makes no sense whatsoever, but that's the mind that is controlled by sin. And so he said, "God set them free. He had a plan to take them into the land of promise. Everything was worked out for them, but they chose to reject him." And so as a result of their rejection, he had them wander around the wilderness for 40 years. An entire generation died before the next generation got to enter the promised land.14:29An entire generation died before the next generation got to enter the promised land. So yes, he saved them for a period of time from that enslavement. But ultimately they were punished for their rejection of him and their disbelief. Then he refers to angels. If you're familiar with the story, there's a war in heaven. Satan and some of the angels rebelled against God and they were cast out.14:55Satan and some of the angels rebelled against God and they were cast out. And those angels who were cast out, it says they did not keep their own position, but abandoned their proper dwelling. In other words, God had a place for those angels. He had a role for those angels. He created them and he put them in that role. And they said, "We know better than God. We're going to go our own way." And they rebelled against God. And so he said, "They have been cast into darkness and they are being held in eternal chains and deep darkness for the great judgment day that is to come."15:22And so he said, "They have been cast into darkness and they are being held in eternal chains and deep darkness for the great judgment day that is to come." And then they point to Sodom and Gomorrah. The two cities we don't like to talk about a lot. But we probably should talk about them more and more. Because they definitely have a relevance for us in the world that we live in today. Sodom and Gomorrah was a people who knew God's requirements.15:48Sodom and Gomorrah was a people who knew God's requirements. And yet they chose to follow the lust of the flesh rather than to obey God. It was all about hedonism. What makes me happy? What my body tells me? What my flesh tells me? I am free to choose. And in doing that, I rebel against God. And Sodom and Gomorrah were punished. The cities were destroyed in fire and brimstone as were the surrounding cities by God.16:16The cities were destroyed in fire and brimstone as were the surrounding cities by God. So his examples are, look at these people who knew God, who served God. They were faithful to God for a period of time, but then they rebelled against God. And they were all punished for it. So recognize, if you commit apostasy, if you rebel against God, if you reject God, there is punishment to come. But then in verses 8-11, he goes to apostasy among you now.16:44But then in verses 8-11, he goes to apostasy among you now. And in verses 8-11, here's what he says. In the same way, these people, the same as the children of Israel, the same as the angels, the same as Sodom and Gomorrah. These people, relying on their dreams, defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones. Now, before I go any further, does that describe the generation we live in today?17:10Now, before I go any further, does that describe the generation we live in today? People who defile the flesh? I don't care what God's word says. I'm going to live my life the way I want to live my life. God can't put restrictions on me. He can't tell me how to live. He can't tell me what my gender is. He can't tell me what my sexuality is. He can't put any rules or requirements on me. And so they defile their flesh. They reject authority. That's the underlying sin.17:39That's the underlying sin. No one has authority to tell me anything about my life. I am my own God. That's the attitude of this generation. And they slander glorious ones. If you've ever watched Charlie Kirk, or if you've ever seen other people who are interviewing those who don't believe in Jesus Christ, and even some Christians who have kind of gone way off the deep end,18:03and even some Christians who have kind of gone way off the deep end, what you will see is people essentially saying, there is no authority but me. I decide what's right. I decide what's wrong. And so he says, "Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses' body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him,18:31he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'" This is not something that's in Scripture. This is something that came from some extra-biblical literature, but something that the Jews were well aware of, and the Jews still talk about to this day. There are some additional writings that are not considered part of the canon of Scripture, but in Jewish history, they say that there was a dispute over Moses' body. If you look at the Scripture, Moses' body was taken to a place and buried by God out in secret,18:59Moses' body was taken to a place and buried by God out in secret, so nobody knows where it is. And you know why that happened? Because if they knew where his body was, they would have made a great shrine out of it, and everybody would have come to worship Moses. And God didn't want them to worship Moses. He wanted them to worship him. But it says there was a dispute, as Satan said, "Because Moses committed murder, because Moses sinned, I have charges against Moses, and I want Moses' body."19:23I have charges against Moses, and I want Moses' body." And Michael the archangel, rather than have anything negative or smart-alecky to say to Satan, simply said, "The Lord rebuke you." Interesting teaching here, because some people today want to talk about the power we have over Satan, and how when we speak in Jesus' name, we can prophesy whatever we want, we can claim whatever we want, and you've got to understand, that's not true.19:52and you've got to understand, that's not true. Jesus can do whatever he wants. He can command Satan. He can declare things. He can decree things. We can't. And even Michael the archangel, with his prominent position in heaven, he didn't dare to challenge Satan. He simply said, "The Lord rebuke you." We need to remember, it's not our job to rebuke anybody. It's our job to let God do that work. We're to love people.20:21We're to love people. We are to try to share the Gospel with people. We're trying to show them the truth of God's Word, and what it means to follow Jesus and let Him transform your life. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. Our battle is not against anybody. No matter how much their lifestyle, their beliefs, or the way they choose to think goes against Scripture and what we believe, we are called to love them. Because that's what Jesus did. When Jesus sacrificed His life on that cross,20:50When Jesus sacrificed His life on that cross, it wasn't just for the people who were sitting in church on Sunday mornings today, it was for every person in the world. The Scripture says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." If Jesus loves sinners, we're supposed to love sinners too, aren't we? And lest we forget, are we sinners?21:19And lest we forget, are we sinners? Yes, we most certainly are. So, Jude goes on to say, verse 10, "But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct, like irrational animals, by these things they are destroyed." These people, these people who have come into the church today,21:47These people, these people who have come into the church today, these people who are living in the world today, who reject the authority of God. They blaspheme anything they do not understand. Welcome to social media. People blaspheme anything they do not understand. Welcome to politics. People blaspheme anything they do not understand. Welcome to the church. People blaspheme anything they do not understand.22:18People blaspheme anything they do not understand. So he said, to close this section out, he says, "Woe to them, for they have gone the way of Cain, they've plunged into Balaam's error for profit, and have perished in Korah's rebellion." So he gives three examples. Just like he gave three examples in the previous, about Israel rejecting God, the angels rejecting God, and Sodom and Gomorrah rejecting God. Now he gives three examples of these people, saying, number one, they went the way of Cain.22:46saying, number one, they went the way of Cain. Well, what was the way of Cain? Rather than following God and completely submitting to God and recognizing that a blood sacrifice was necessary, Cain simply came and made an offering. It wasn't what God asked for. It wasn't what God intended. And his offering was rejected. The way of Cain is people who think, "I don't have to follow God's system. I can just come up with my own system of works, and I can earn God's favor by doing something different than what he calls me to do."23:16and I can earn God's favor by doing something different than what he calls me to do." Then they talked about Balaam's error. Balaam was a prophet. God had enabled him to see things and prophesy things, but Balaam decided he was going to use those abilities God gave him for profit. Are there people today who wear the mantle of Christianity, but they do so not for the kingdom of God, but for profit?23:43but they do so not for the kingdom of God, but for profit? You better believe there are. And then Korah's rebellion. Korah's rebellion is found in Numbers chapter 16. And Korah's rebellion was even though God had set Moses aside and a group of priests aside to handle the sacrifices for the people, Korah and a group of friends plus 250 followers Korah came and confronted Moses and said,24:11Korah came and confronted Moses and said, "God loves us all. God set us all aside and we can all serve as priests." And Moses said, "That's not what God said." And Korah said, "Well, that's what we're declaring." And let me give you the quick and easy version. You remember how Jonah was swallowed by a whale or a giant fish? Korah and his followers were swallowed by the earth. They confronted God and the earth opened up and swallowed them.24:39They confronted God and the earth opened up and swallowed them. Hundreds of them and literally thousands of others who followed after them ended up dying in what's called Korah's rebellion in Numbers chapter 16. That's some good Sunday afternoon reading for you. You can go look that up. But in verses 12 and 13, he moves on. He says, "Okay, you've got apostates among you now. This is what apostasy looks like. These people are dangerous reefs at your love feast as they eat with you without reverence.25:08These people are dangerous reefs at your love feast as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds. Trees in late autumn fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. They are wild waves of the sea foaming up their shameful deeds. Wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved." So Jude says there's been apostasy in the past. There's apostasy among us now.25:37There's apostasy among us now. And here's what apostasy looks like. Number one, dangerous reefs. Also translated as hidden rocks. Do we have any boaters here? Any of you go out on the river, go out on the lake in your boats? When the water's low, do you kind of get a survey to see where the rocks and the stumps are? Because what happens if there is a stump or a rock that's hidden under the water,26:02Because what happens if there is a stump or a rock that's hidden under the water, and you don't know that it's there, and you just go flying along at your cruising speed? And he's saying you've got to be aware that there are people who come in to our fellowship who are like hidden reefs or hidden rocks. And if you don't know that they're there, they're going to cause damage to you as you're simply going about your routine. They're self-serving shepherds.26:32They're self-serving shepherds. The church has shepherds that are just looking out for themselves. They're not really in it for the people. They're in it for themselves. And if you look at Christianity around the world, you can see people who are more focused on themselves and building a kingdom of their turf rather than building the kingdom of God. They're waterless clouds. In times like this when we're in a drought season, especially those who are in farming, are praying for rain.26:54In times like this when we're in a drought season, especially those who are in farming, are praying for rain. And they're looking at those clouds hoping that there's going to be rain coming. And it can be so frustrating to see the clouds build up and the clouds are coming in. And you think rain's going to come, but it never does. The clouds are there, but the rain doesn't fall. And Jude said that's exactly the case with some of those who are in the church today. They act like they're going to bring you water that's going to bring life.27:20They act like they're going to bring you water that's going to bring life. But they're waterless clouds and they're just blown away by the wind. Fruitless trees, especially in the autumn. When the leaves are falling off and the seasons are changing and the master of the orchard goes out to get the last remaining fruit off the tree and he finds that the tree is completely fruitless. Twice dead, and he uproots it.27:49Twice dead, and he uproots it. And then he calls it wild foaming waves. You ever been to the beach when the water is just really rough and the waves are just coming in and out and they're crashing and they've got lots of foam? You can't really go out and enjoy it, can you? You can stand there and watch it, but it's not something you can enjoy because the waves are just creating a constant state of torment. And here's the one that I really like. He said, wandering stars.28:18He said, wandering stars. Wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever. When he uses this example, what he's saying is it's like a meteor or a shooting star. You ever go watch shooting stars? They're really bright and they streak across the sky and then they're gone. That's it. They fizzle out in a very short period of time. And he said, that's the problem of apostasy in the church today. These people aren't doing anything constructive.28:48These people aren't doing anything constructive. It's all negative. These are all problems. These are all problems. And that means you've got to be aware of them. Don't be fooled by what they're doing. He then goes on in verses 14 through 16 and says this. It was about these that Enoch and the seventh generation from Adam prophesied. Look, the Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way29:13and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him. These people are discontented grumblers living according to their desires. Their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. A couple of things to point out in these verses. Number one, this is the good Enoch. In Genesis, you've got two Enochs. You have one who is in the line of Cain.29:42You have one who is in the line of Cain. Then you have the other Enoch. This is the other Enoch. The seventh generation who came along. This is Enoch who walked with God. For 300 years he walked with God. And then he was no more because God took him. Now talk about a good relationship with God. When you're walking with God and in such fellowship that God just takes you to be with him. That's a beautiful thing. But it says this Enoch, before he left, prophesied these words. Look, the Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on all.30:12Look, the Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on all. And that's what we've got to focus on. All apostates need to understand. And all those in the church need to understand. There's a day of judgment that's coming. And that day of judgment is not when we stand before a council. It's not where we stand before a commission. It's where Jesus himself comes. And the saints of all the ages come with him. And we stand in judgment before the king of kings and the lord of lords.30:42And we stand in judgment before the king of kings and the lord of lords. He doesn't send an angel. He doesn't send a messenger. He comes himself. And that day of judgment is coming. So what Jesus is saying to all those who pretend you're following, you need to understand there's an end that's coming and it's not going to be pleasant for you. And all of you who are in the church, but you are there without making a commitment to Jesus Christ, without fully serving him as Lord and master. There's a day of judgment that's coming.31:11There's a day of judgment that's coming. And it's not when your pastor calls you in or deacons call you in or committee calls you in. It's when Jesus comes and you stand before him face to face. You need to be ready for that day. And it says he will execute judgment on all. Now, I'm not real big on definitions here, but I think all includes everybody, doesn't it? Yeah, that's all of us. And to convict, he loves the word ungodly here.31:38And to convict, he loves the word ungodly here. Make sure you get this. To convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way and concerning the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him. We live in a world today that is very much ungodly. And Jude said, I wanted to write to you about salvation.32:07And Jude said, I wanted to write to you about salvation. I wanted this to be an encouraging message, but instead, I've got to exhort you. Ungodliness has come in among the people of God. And we've got to stand up and we've got to cut it out. We've got to do something about it now. And that means we've got to contend. We've got to wrestle with it. We can't just ignore it. It's not going to go away. It calls for action on your part and my part. It means the church has got to be diligent in everything we do.32:34It means the church has got to be diligent in everything we do. If we're going to put somebody in a position of leadership on a committee, we need to make sure that person is firmly committed to the kingdom of God and make sure that we have examined them and vetted them to make sure that they're truly committed. And that means if we're going to appoint someone to be a Sunday school teacher, we've got to talk to them about what they believe and make sure they have a true understanding of the word and they're teaching accurately and truthfully and rightly. And that means if we're going to put someone in a position to serve as a deacon, we've got to make sure that they meet the scriptural definition for that role.33:03And that means if we're going to put someone in a position to serve as a deacon, we've got to make sure that they meet the scriptural definition for that role. And if we're going to call someone or affirm someone's call to ministry, there's got to be a time of examination where we make sure we know what that person believes and why they believe it and that they can explain it to others. You know, I've been involved over the years in a lot of ordination councils. And I'll tell you, the hardest one I was ever involved in was mine.33:30And I'll tell you, the hardest one I was ever involved in was mine. Been a long time ago, but my ordination council, it wasn't just a group of guys from the local church who said, "Well, we know you've been called of God, we're excited you've been called of God, and we're just going to put a stamp of approval on this." There were former pastors that I had known my entire life. I had college professors who came, and they asked me some very deep theological questions. They wanted to make sure I had an understanding of Scripture.33:58They wanted to make sure I had an understanding of Scripture. They wanted to make sure I could articulate what my beliefs were. They wanted to make sure I could examine questions and give answers. And that's what we've got to get back to today. In a lot of churches, we come to the point of easy believism. If somebody volunteers and wants to serve, we'll plug them into a role. Whether we know or not, if they're committed to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they've lived a life above reproach if they're truly committed to what they're doing.34:25they've lived a life above reproach if they're truly committed to what they're doing. And that's important. Why is that important? You know, when I was growing up, I'm sure it happened, but I don't remember seeing school teachers and coaches, faces in the paper on a weekly basis where they were abusing students or having inappropriate sexual relationships with students. It may have happened, but I don't recall it. I don't remember playing little league sports or things like that where we worried about coaches coming in who were there to groom kids.34:54I don't remember playing little league sports or things like that where we worried about coaches coming in who were there to groom kids. But you know that happens all over the place today. As an AMS, you know what I recommend to every church? I don't care how big your church, I don't care how small your church is. If anybody's going to be serving with children or youth, you need to do a background check on them. Because, you know, the easiest place to get in is the church.35:23Because, you know, the easiest place to get in is the church. For a long time, it was the Boy Scouts. And the Boy Scouts, because of legal problems, started tightening things up. And so then people went to ball, soccer teams and basketball teams and baseball teams, where they could get access to children. But the number one point of access for people who want to come in and commit abuse today is the church. Because a lot of churches don't do their background checks and they don't do their homework. And if somebody goes, hey, I want to work with kids.35:53And if somebody goes, hey, I want to work with kids. Well, we've been praying for volunteer. You just go right ahead. Jude said, you better be careful because people are coming in by stealth and they're not there to grow the church. They're not there to build the kingdom. They're there to cause harm. So make sure you set a standard of godliness and you hold to the standard of godliness. And then he says this in verse 16. These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires. Their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.36:22Their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. I don't know about you, but I see our society written all in that verse. Discontented grumblers, living according to their own desires. Their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. In other words, church, you've got to wake up.36:52In other words, church, you've got to wake up. You've got to be alert. You've got to be paying attention. Because God has given us an assignment to build his kingdom. And we can't do that if we don't know the word, understand the word, live the word, and share the word. I was reading a message last night on Facebook where some people were arguing with school teachers about homework.37:23I was reading a message last night on Facebook where some people were arguing with school teachers about homework. And they're like, our kids should be able to learn everything that they need to learn when they're in school. You should never, ever give them homework. Now I'm sure some of you are sitting there going, I agree with that. I don't think my kids should have homework. Let me explain this to you. If you're going to be a follower of Christ, you're always going to have homework.37:53If you're going to be a follower of Christ, you're always going to have homework. Because Jesus didn't ever say, you come to church on Sunday, and you sit there, and you listen to the sermon, and you've got everything you need, spiritually, to prepare you and equip you and guide you through the week. It's not the way it works. If you're going to commit yourself to Jesus Christ, you're committing yourself to a life of discipleship where you're going to study his word, whether you have a teacher to guide you or not.38:13If you're going to commit yourself to Jesus Christ, you're committing yourself to a life of discipleship where you're going to study his word, whether you have a teacher to guide you or not. You're going to study his word. You're going to meditate on his word. You're going to pray over his word on a daily basis. Not because you have to, but because you want to. His word draws you in. It strengthens you. It encourages you. It gives you hope. It gives you peace. And you find that the more you spend time in God's word, the more you desire God's word.38:39And you find that the more you spend time in God's word, the more you desire God's word. And you also find the more time you spend in the world, the more you're drawn back to God's word. We've got to be committed to God's word. And that means you're not going to learn everything you need in Sunday school and church service on Sunday. You're not going to learn it in a small group discipleship group. You've got to be committed to study God's word on your own on a daily basis.39:03You've got to be committed to study God's word on your own on a daily basis. And your prayer life's got to be deep and growing. You know, some people say, well, I can just pray for a few minutes in the morning and everything's taken care of. We're told in the New Testament to pray without ceasing. Pray continually. We're always to be in an attitude of prayer where we're always communicating with God all throughout the day. And even in the evening.39:32And even in the evening. So there's got to be some effort put through on our part. And that's where we come to these last verses. In these last verses, it says, "But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They told you in the end times there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires. These people create divisions and are worldly not having the spirit."39:58These people create divisions and are worldly not having the spirit." So in other words, sum this whole thing up. Jude says, I wanted to give you a real happy message about salvation. Instead, I had to give you an exhortation. It's time to get up and fight. It's time to wrestle and agonize with what's going on in the church and what's going on with the world. It's going to take effort on our part.40:26It's going to take effort on our part. He gave historical examples. He gave modern day examples. And then he reminded them of the judgment that's coming that should keep us all focused. Because again, when is that judgment coming? Y'all help me with this. No man knows the day. Jesus could come at any time, couldn't he? Now, some people would say, I'm excited about that. Are you excited that Jesus could come at any moment? I'm excited about it.40:55I'm excited about it. I'm more excited about Jesus coming than I am about Alabama football. And that's saying something. But at the same time, I'm excited about Jesus coming. I have some anxiety about Jesus coming. Because there's still work for me to do. There's still work for me to do. I know I haven't done everything he's called me to do. There's work for me to do. And I know I haven't shared the gospel with everyone he's called me to share the gospel with. And I know there's still people in this community who don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.41:24And I know there's still people in this community who don't know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And I know that there's work to be done. And so I've got to stay focused on that work. Old hymn says we'll work till Jesus comes. It doesn't say we'll work and then we'll take a break. And maybe Jesus will come while we're at the picnic. That's not what it says. We'll work till Jesus comes. And so in this final reminder, he says, you've got to remember, this was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They told you that in the end time, there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.41:53They told you that in the end time, there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires. We're in the end times. We are in it now. And Jesus could come at any time. So the warning is, church, we've got to be awake. We've got to be alert. Because living for Jesus is not easy. We've got to put forth the effort. We've got to train. We've got to learn. We've got to live it. And we've got to endure. So that's the challenge of Jude to all of us.42:23So that's the challenge of Jude to all of us. Contend for the faith. Would you pray with me?More from Jude →
