This exposition of Jude 14-19 by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, January 20, 2019.
Intro:
I just feel so “out of step.” It is easy to think, “It must just be me” because everyone else seems to be fine with things. When I look around I see things that cause my blood to boil and makes me feel as if my head is going to explode while others seem content with the status quo.
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I was just talking about this last week at my club, “The Old Curmudgeon Society.” I really don’t want to be that way. I don’t want to be the cranky old man who complains about everything and yet I can’t just turn a deaf ear or a blind eye to error and distortion of the truth and do nothing. Biblical faithfulness demands that we guard the truth, that we, in the words of Jude, “Contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.” In the process of contending we must also be aware of our own tendency to drift into error. We must remain ever vigilant concerning our own weakness and failings. Put simply, biblical faithfulness has a dual focus. It is both inwardly and outwardly focused. Our text this evening begins with the 14th verse of Jude’s letter to that struggling congregation in hostile territory.
Text: Jude 14-19
Jude wanted to write this congregation about their mutual faith.
He wanted to celebrate with them the grace of God.
Instead he was compelled to plead with them to contend for the faith.
Some false teachers had crept in unnoticed.
These teachers, following their dreams and visions, were corrupting the truth.
Like unreasoning animals they pursued their own appetites.
As a result, they were destined for a terrifying judgment and taking their hearers with them.
Jude pleads with the sound members of the congregation to take matters into their own hands.
Having shown that these false teachers are following in the path of Cain, Balaam and Korah; that they are deserving of fierce judgment and demonstrating that they have nothing to offer the people other than empty promises and deceitful words, Jude tells the congregation this is no surprise as it had already been prophesied.
As we work our way through this text we are reminded that…
Thesis: Biblical faithfulness focuses on both the need to warn the ungodly of their sure and certain judgment and the need to guard against our own subtle drift into ungodliness.
This is like Paul’s admonition to the Galatian believers. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
We are not to be so arrogant that we believer such a thing could never happen to us. We are the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, frail children of dust like the rest. We are what we are by the grace of God not because of our fine character or spiritual insight.
Our assignment is two-fold.
- Biblical faithfulness consistently warns the ungodly of their sure and certain judgment. (Jude 14-16)
- It is the Lord Jesus who will judge - 14
- He will return with thousands of His holy ones - 14
- Everyone will be judged - 15
- He will convict all the ungodly - 15
- Biblical faithfulness vigilantly guards against its own subtle drift into ungodliness. (Jude 17-19)
Conclusion:
We, as the church, have a responsibility to guard our fellowship. We must look to ourselves lest we drift into error and tolerate or worse encourage ungodly teaching and or behavior. Biblical faithfulness begins here. “Scoping ourselves lest we too should fall.
By God’s grace, may we be found faithful.
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