Sermon Cloud

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: ² Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

• Jude begins with a basic introduction.

• He is writing to Christians, those whom God has called and sanctified. That is who know that Lord and are in the process of dealing with sin in their lives.

• Are you dealing with sin in your life? If you are you will also be preserved in Jesus Christ.

• Sanctification is a position. If you are saved, your position is that you are property of God.

• If you are really property of God it will be evident in your life. Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. God will lead you to purity if you are truly His.

Jude 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

• Now he tells us that if we know we are saved we will have to fight for the faith to remain pure because there are those out there who would like to see it corrupted.

• You say, “What?” Like a fresh paint job somebody has to touch just to see. Man, you see with your eyes!

• Its different with truth, men think they are smarter than others and have to prove themselves superior.

Jude 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Some men don't like the real truth and set out to create their own version of it.

• Charles Darwin didn't like the fact that there were things in nature that seemed unfair to him. His theology didn't allow for man's corrupt nature from the fall so he decided that he didn't need God and devised a way for creation to be without a Creator. We call it the Theory of Evolution.

• Lewdness is a big key. Darwin was backed by men who didn't like the idea of God because He called their lusts sin.

• The idea here is out of control, They think Christ died to allow them to be selfish.

• You might confess Him with your mouth, but in works you deny Him!

• You have to be real, its not just saying, its doing.

Jude 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; ⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

• Jude is saying that everyone who is playing the game isn't on the team. 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ² all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. ⁵ But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

• These people saw the benefit of getting out of Egypt, but they weren't ready for the responsibility.

• Jude called himself a Bond servant of Jesus Christ. He is still a slave, just not to sin. WE are all willing slaves to someone or something.

• Even the angels who didn't play by the rules get put in the penalty box.

• Sodom and Gomorrah are the example of the penalty.... The vengeance of Eternal Fire!

HERE IS A DISCRIPTION OF THESE PEOPLE:

Jude 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

• No respect for authority.

• Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Jude 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

• They always have something negative to say, even if they don't know what they are talking about.

• They corrupt or defile themselves in what they do know about. Again, out of control!

Jude 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

• Woe to them, that means they are in big trouble!

• The way of Cain: He killed his brother out of jealousy. He was bitter because God showed greater favor to his brother..

• The error of Balaam: He sold his prophetic ability to curse God's people. Money was worth more to him that God's best.

• The Rebellion of Korah: Rebelled against Moses and want to take his place, God opened the ground ans swallowed him up.

• All of these people had a problem with the way God did things, Do you?

Jude 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; ¹³ raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

• Dangerous Like a rock under the water that will destroy your boat, it just looks like a little dark spot until you hit it.

• Dumb There is no fear of God before their eyes!

• Selfish They may appear to be in fellowship, but they are their for their own benefit.

• Useless Like clouds without rain or trees without fruit (the result of clouds without rain) They don't ever really accomplish anything.

• Proud They glory in their shame. They are proud of their sinful lives.

• Doomed! Jude 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, ¹⁵ to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Jude 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. ¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

• If you meet people in here or in the church or anywhere who say they are Christians and act this way,

• Don't be alarmed! The Apostles said it would happen 2,000 years ago.

• And don't base your faith on someone who says he is a Christian and isn't living it!

• I remember Kenny (signco)

Jude 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

• Jude says they are not really believers!~

• So the big question is, are you one of these?

²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

• Pay attention to how you live your Christian life, other people are looking at you!

• Matthew 7:21~ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

• We are not saved by good works!

• Good works are evidence that we are saved!

• Notice the attitude of those who stand before Christ here Lord, Didn't we.....

• The attitude should be thank you Lord for what you have done for me! GOSPEL!!!!

• My righteousness is a filthy rag! Look what I did for you shows that their hearts are not right. NOTHING I can do is even a little bit meritorious. It is all by God's grace!

• Being “Rev. Kev” I have a responsibility to be a godly example. Teachers receive a stricter judgment. That is still not meritorious, it s just the right thing to do!

Jude 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

• Don't look at them like their some lost cause, remember where you came from!

• Give them the Gospel, what do you think it means to treat some one like an unbeliever??

• You guys are here today, chances are you haven't been living the truth you know.

• Maybe without actually saying it you aren't so happy with how God is running the show.

²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

²⁵ To God our Savior,

Who alone is wise,

Be glory and majesty,

Dominion and power,

Both now and forever.

Amen.

• Not, “Lord, look what I did for you!”

IN the end its all about Him at work in me anyway!

Let's live a grace filled life, aware of our sin and His goodness. That will keep us in the Love of God and build us up in our faith!

²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

²⁵ To God our Savior,

Who alone is wise,

Be glory and majesty,

Dominion and power,

Both now and forever.

Amen.