Book of Jude #3
Jude 3-4. Jesus has established His eternal kingdom. He offered
Himself as the one time for all time sacrifice for sin. Jesus
is the eternal Passover Lamb of God whose blood has been shed
for the remission of sins. And with that blood has established
the only means of reconciliation between God and man.
1. Satan knows that the end is near and his defeat and doom are
eminent. He unleashed the full force of Hells fury upon the Church,
which is the only means of salvation for mankind. Satan is doomed
and he is determined to take, with him, as many of Gods
most precious creation as possible. He has launched a full force
attack against Gods precious church and that attack continues
even to this day. These are the end times, these are the perilous
times in which you and I live. Believe it, because Its real.
Satan is alive and well in Spur, Texas today.
1. Paul reminds us, we are engaged in the most important battle
of our life, 2 Cor. 10:3?7. Warfare is raging in this universe
for the control of the hearts, minds and souls of the people in
this world.
(A) Thats what Peter is talking about in 1 Pet. 5:8?9.
(1) The only way you can defend your self, the only way you can
keep from being devoured is to stand steadfast in The Faith and
thats why Jude tells us to CONTEND for The Faith.
(2) You Loose your faith, Corrupt your faith, Abandon your faith
and you will loose your soul.
. (B) Paul (Like a Great General) gives a command to a Christian
Soldier in 1 Tim. 1:18?20. We are at war with the forces of evil.
How do we win? By contending for the faith. By studying and believing
Gods Word you have a good conscience by obeying, Living
that
Word in your life. Some people in the church had rejected THE
FAITH once and for all
delivered to the saints. And what was the result? They made shipwreck
of the faith and lost their souls to Satan.
(1) 1 John 3:8?9. The work of Satan is to divide and destroy the
Church. In Eph. 2:1-3
Paul describes people like Hymenaeus and Alexander as the sons
of disobedience
and children of the Devil.
(1) Do you know why the religious leaders opposed Jesus so strongly?
Because they were not what they presented themselves to be. They
were Living a lie.
(2) John 8:43?47. Gods people thought these men to be righteous
and trustworthy and so they followed after them. Guess what? They
were wrong and were led away from God instead of being led to
God.
(2) They appeared to be men of God but they were just the opposite.
In reality they
were Children of Satan. Wolves in Sheeps clothing.
(3) Jesus gave stern warnings about men like this. Matt. 7:15?23.
(4) 2 Pet. 2:12?17.
b. Remember, Jude writes at a time when all the apostles are gone
and Satan is using people
who are controlled and motivated by carnal, selfish desires to
trash the Church.
They are bringing false doctrines and division into the Church
in an attempt to destroy it.
(3) Jude sounds the alarm Contend earnestly for the Faith
which has once and for all time been delivered to the saints.
(4) Jude 1:3?4.
Thats our task. Thats our charge. We are to keep ourselves
and the faith pure in Jesus.
(5) A warning against false teachers and false doctrine.
(6) Know the difference between that which is from Satan and that
which is from God.
2. 1 John 4:1?6.
a. Today, Sunday, March 18, 2001, the church is under assault
from without and from within.
b. We are the pillar and Support of the Truth, Guardians of The
Faith, 1 Tim. 3:15.
(1) Our task is defined in Phil. 2:15?16.
(2) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 3/18/2001 am
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