July 14, 2013
Evening Service

Jude 5-25

 

Review:

This morning we only got through 4 verses of this letter.  So much to talk about, and it is relevant for today, as yesterday. 

Such admonishments as;  contend for the faith.  Meaning, be able to explain what we believe.  Do so in a manner of love, and concern. 

A common salvation;  One way to eternal life, salvation, and that is through Jesus of Nazareth.  Almighty God has determined that this is the plan, and the gospel that is described as simple. 

1.       Hear the message concerning Jesus of Nazareth.

2.      Believe it.

3.      Confess Him.

4.      Be baptized for the remission of sins in His name.

5.      You shall receive the gift of eternal life, which is the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

6.      Live for Him to the best of your ability, putting Him first in all things pertaining to your life.

 

We want to finish Jude this evening.  Jude uses things that happened to Israel in the past to show us how important it is not to let this salvation slip by us.

 

Jud 1:1-25  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:  (2)  Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.  (3)  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.  (4)  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 

·         Now for the examples;

(5)  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

·         You know the story;  Moses marched the people right over to the mouth of the promised land, sent in 10 spies.  When they came back only two gave promising reports, Caleb, and Joshua.   The others spoke words of fear, and doubt.  So the people believed the bad reports, and were afraid.  They were in unbelief that God was able to give them this land.  God therefore caused them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, a generation.  Only Caleb, and Joshua, of the men of fighting age were allowed to enter the promised land.  The rest were destroyed in the wilderness.

·         The destruction of the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness, shows that none ought to presume on their privileges. They had miracles as their daily bread; yet even they perished in unbelief.

 

(6)  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

·         We know little from the Scriptures what all was involved in the angels fall.  We only know that their punishment will be severe: 

·         Peter mentions this also;  2Pe 2:4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

·         Could John be referring to them as satan’s angels?  Is this Scripture in Revelations an explanation of what happened?  Just wondering.

·         Rev 12:7-17  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,  (8)  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  (9)  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

 

Then Jude says;

(7)  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 

·         Homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.  Those that are not willing to admit it will suffer the same judgment that Sodom and Gomorrha did.  Destruction by fire.

·         Paul said;  Rom 1:21-32  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  (22)  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  (23)  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  (24)  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  (25)  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  (26)  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  (27)  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  (28)  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  (29)  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  (30)  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  (31)  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  (32)  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

And again;

·         2Ti 4:3-4  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  (4)  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

And this is exactly what is happening in a lot of churches today.

 

(8)  Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.  (9)  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.  (10)  But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 

·         We know little concerning this, except for what is right here.

(11)  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain,

·         Jealousy, and murder.

and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward,

·         Balaam tried to curse Israel, but each time he blessed them.  God wouldn’t let him curse them.  All for filthy lucre sake.

and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 

·         Korah, Num. 16:1-30. The word “gainsaying” here means properly contradiction, or speaking against; then controversy, question, strife; then contumely, reproach, or rebellion. The idea here seems to be, that they were guilty of insubordination; of possessing a restless and dissatisfied spirit; of a desire to rule.  The earth opened and swallowed them up.

 

(12)  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;  (13)  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. 

·         A pretty sad description of these people that are trying to corrupt the church.

(14)  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,  (15)  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 

·         We have no record of this prophecy from Enoch.  It is supposed that it was handed down from tradition. 

(16)  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.  (17)  But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;  (18)  How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 

·         2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

(19)  These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 

·         Php 3:18-19  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  (19)  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

 

(20)  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  (21)  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  (22)  And of some have compassion, making a difference:  (23)  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 

·         Each of us have friends or loved ones that need to be delivered from the garments of flesh.  What are we going to do about it?  Time is drawing short, and we must be about our Father’s business.

(24)  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  (25)  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 

Let us not be satisfied with making heaven our home.  But let’s take our loved ones with us.