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November 15, 2021 2:00 am
Jude was a fighter for the faith, and he told his audience they needed to fight, too. In the message "Victory in the Ring!" Skip shares assurance from Jude that God our coach and trainer anticipated this fight—and He has us covered.
This teaching is from the series Fight for the House.
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Also, you can be sure that the key to victory is realizing who is in your corner as your coach who is realized with David when he wrote Psalm 144 is the one train my hands. It's true that the Christian life is about to know and guaranteed a victory connect with stiff heights of today to learn more about victorious life you have in Christ.
Life-changing journey. Lenny and I are taking a group to Israel in 2022 and we want to invite you to join us will visit places like Nazareth, Jordan River Dead Sea and Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount in the garden and assess the flyby look at the itinerary. Find out more about the trip@inspirationcruises.com/C8 the Thanksgiving is a resource that will nourish your soul with God's amazing truths. Here's what Norm Geisler said about the tactics, there is no better block to include Christians to think clearly. Dear Skip, I think we need to engage in spiritual warfare shall never fight God's battles for myself, you'll never contend what really matters.
Just cruise and interlacing boiled have to decide to get as part of the house and join the fight become a contender for biblical truth message series the computer. Skip I think these teaching theories on the ring and guard against the teaching banks get to connect more people to the truth of God's word and $35 or more today will also send you the book tactics by Gregory couple speak the truth about Christianity with confidence and grace, hundred 92 to get support connectwithskip.com okay, let's get into today. Steve, our study with Skip all heard the name, Dolly, the greatest fighters of all time. In fact, the Associated Press said that he was the greatest heavyweight champion of the 20th.
Not only was Mohammed Ali great fighter. He was pretty skilled at self-promotion. I do know what I mean. He was very confident let's put it that way, you could probably use other words to describe the confident would certainly fit there and he liked clever axioms that he would come up with for his audience. For example, in 1965 when he fought that classic match between he and Sonny Liston. He said that he was gonna float like a butterfly sting like a bee and he said that Liston's hands Hit what his eyes can't see it was just good at that kind of stuff Corsi stepped into the ring against Sonny Liston and he won the fight. But not everybody who steps into the boxers ring wins the fight, there's always the other guy. The guy that gets knocked out or the guy that loses by points and we call that person the loser one boxer boasted this way. He said during my boxing career. I was the second best boxer in the country. I fought over 100 fights, and I came in second. Every time now that's that's called spin that's a nice way of saying I'm a loser. I lost every fight that I engaged in what I want you to know is you do not have to come in second. You do not have to be the loser. In fact, you can be the champion you should be able to look back in your life without regret. Too many people live their lives fight the good fight, but they look back over their lives with deep regret.
Wish I could have done things differently.
Wish I could have done things better nominee movie from 1965 back a little, but in 1954 before I was born there was a movie. A classic film see if any of you have heard of this called on the waterfront member that film on the waterfront, black and white movie starring Marlon Brando, who played the role of a fighter, a boxer and there's a famous line is in the backseat of the car is talking to his brother Charlie and he says to him, I could have class. I could have been a contender. What he meant is I could have been somebody in my fighting career, but I gave it away. I sold out and is looking back with regret, you can be more than a contender you can be a victor you can be a conqueror. In fact, Paul said, you can be more than a conqueror, and the key to that victory is realizing who is in your corner.
Who is your coach. Who is your trainer. Do you realize that David when he wrote Psalm hundred and 44 spoke about the Lord is the one who trains my hands for war, God is your trainer trained you to fight.
By the way, did you know the term throwing in the towel is actually a boxing term, what it means is if the trainer in the corner. Feels like his man in the ring is going to get pummeled or something bad is going to happen if you must send the fight will throw in the towel when he throws in the towel.
The fight is ended, your God will never throw in the towel. He will enable you he will help you to go another round. Now I'm in a take you back even further.
The 1965 or 1954 back to the mid-1800s, and I'm confident nobody nobody here can remember that but not in the mid-1900 1800s there was a boxer American boxer named Jim Corbett he went by the name gentleman Jim great name for a boxer right gentleman Jim Corbett and gentleman Jim Corbett in the mid-1800s was the heavyweight boxing champion for five straight years somebody interviewed him and asked him his secret and these were his words. He said fight one more round when your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring fight one more round when your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard fight one more round when your nose is bleeding in your eyes are black, fight one more round when you're so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you on the job and put you to sleep, fight one more round, always remembering that the man who fights one more round is never whipped.
He's always battling one more round. I want to show you today how to go one more round that will take us to the last two verses in this little book of Jude where we have three promises three promises that God gives to us.
He'll protect us. He will preserve us. He will present us.
Let's look at our text 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 to God our Savior, who alone is wise to be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen now, but I would like to do is take you back to verse 25 him in a sort of begin backwards, to begin with God as our Savior or protector or deliver because that's where salvation begins. Everything begins in our walk with the Lord.
The day we are saved and so I just want you to look at verse 25 to God our Savior, who alone is wise. Now let me give you a few words about these last two verses the last two verses of the book of Jude are what we call a doxology and you could maybe have heard the term doxology in reference to a song that we sing the doxology. The word doxology comes from two Greek words stokes which means praise her glory and log on us, which means word doxology is a word of praise or a word of giving God glory. It's a short little him of praise and that's what we have in verse 24 and 25 to 2 verse utterance or word of praise. One author said this, the one in Jude is universally recognized as one of the fullest and most beautiful doxologies in all of Scripture you you get some of these little doxology smatter throughout the Bible. For example, the book of Psalms there are five doxologies. The whole 150 Psalm book is filled with praise, but Psalms is divided up into five distinct sections 5 books of Psalms in 150 and those five books all and with the doxology in the New Testament. We also have several doxologies. In fact, you can find 21 of them to be exact. Just a little short hymn of praise usually followed by that word. Amen.Jude's purpose in including this doxology isn't just to give you a nice ending is not just to give you a liturgical form adopts a logical procedure. Rather, I believe he wants to assure his readers that God is going to help you go one more round. It's Jude's way of saying it's always too soon to quit and he does that by moving the battle to a higher level. The battle that we go through on earth, the battle in this case the book of Jude. All the things he talked about with the apostates those who fall away from the faith that battle, he moves the battle on earth to the heavenly realm and I want you to see that these closing verses all about God are not about them. They're not about the apostates are not about you and I thereabout got now most of this letter has been about them is the purpose of his writing a letter to write to you about our common salvation, but I thought it necessary to tell you to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. That's verse three. Then he launches into talking all about those guys them. These grumblings, etc. what you to see how this letter flows go back to verse four.
He says for certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation verse eight likewise also. These dreamers defile the flesh reject authority speak evil of dignitaries verse 10 but these speak evil of whatever they do not know verse 11 woe to them, for they have gone out God in the way of Cain verse 12 these are spots in your love feasts while they feast with you without fear serving only themselves. They are clouds without water. Verse 14. Now he Nick the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men.
Verse 16.
These are gamblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, and they mouth great swelling words flattering people to gain advantage. The whole book is about them.
The short little letters about them. The apostates the defectors the detractors. Those who fall away, and some that are still among the congregation but then Jude Tibbets slightly and he goes from them to you his audience.
Look at verse 17, but you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Look at verse 20 but you, beloved, building your selves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Now in verse 24. There's another.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory, majesty, dominion power, both now and forever.
Amen. You see the flow. First, he points out word to them that he points inward to us how we points upward to God and he's saying he's ending with our trainer, the one who is going to see us through.
Make us get through this knowledge you notice something to verse 25.
Notice he puts the word God.
Next to Savior. We know that Jesus is our Savior.
He saves us from sin. He is regularly called Savior in the Bible. Here, Jude puts God. Next to Savior, to show us that Jesus is God.
In fact, some translations even add the phrase through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is Jude's way of equating Savior with God, Jesus, the Savior is God in human flesh now hold that thought we learned in our very first study of this little book of Jude that shoot himself was related to Jesus physically. He was the half-brother of Jesus that Jude was one of the children of Joseph and Mary and we also learned that Jude did not believe that Jesus was the Savior. At first, but later on he became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world and we we looked at that at the resurrection.
After the resurrection of Jesus. Jude became a believer now. I think that this adds weight to Jude's testimony and here's what Jude watched Jesus up close little Jude was at the dinner table with Jesus for years. Little Jude was out playing whatever they played in those days in the streets of Nasser. He watched the whole life of Jesus unfold and then when Jesus Christ grew up and started his ministry. Jude heard about it, maybe even heard a sermon or two. We know that you try to rescue Jesus.
He thought he was crazy because he wasn't eating properly. Remember that little story in our first study of this book, but maybe he even saw miracle Jesus said, but he did not believe until after the resurrection.
Now I say this adds weight to his testimony. Here's why. How many of us would ever say of our brother.
He's God I've had three older brothers. I wouldn't even say their godly, let alone God.
So for Jude to equate Jesus his half-brother as being God our Savior is monumental, but that's where it all begins for us. When Jesus becomes our Savior, when he saves us, delivers us is why say he protects us is that salvation that protects Melanie color this and a little bit, to fill in the blanks. Did you know that the Bible speaks of salvation three ways past, present and future. We call these the three tenses of salvation. I just want to briefly explain that we are saved, past tense. We have been saved from the penalty of sin, the moment you believe in Christ, the penalty, the internal pennant penalty is lifted from off your life. We have been saved from the penalty of sin. Paul said if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart we will be saved. So that's past tense done deal. If you trust in him, you are say but there is a second aspect in which you are saved you are being saved present tense, not from the penalty of sin, but now from the power of sin. The grip of sin. Hopefully, the more you follow Jesus you send less and less you're not perfect, but you send less and less. The reason you're not perfect and we know that because it says in John 19 if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He's writing to believers who still blow it still sin and still need confession, but he is saving us from the grip of the power of sin. So, past tense from the penalty present tense from the power there's 1/3 chance one day we will be saved from the very presence of sin. We won't be able to commit a sample being glorified bodies in the presence of God will get to that in a minute here in this last little couple of verses that is when our salvation is complete. Now I'm maybe belaboring this point because I want you to remember that you are saved, if you are remember that when you step into the ring to fight. Remember when you're in a battle I'm saved I'm saying when you're being attacked by outsiders when you are the subject of dissenters and bloggers and counts cancel culture warriors and tweeters and Insta grammars who want to make you think like you're a loser you're not a loser you're the winner you're saved. That battle has been one there the losers if they're not say not you. You are the winner in Romans 830 to 1 of my favorite verses in the New Testament.
He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things. If you was willing to die for you to save you to bring you eternal protection. Then there's more coming. He's knocking to stop with that is a freely give you whatever you need, which takes us to the second after he protects us. Now he preserves us now I take you back to verse 24 the beginning of this doxology now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling or stumbling means apostatized trees been talking about this whole book right he's been talking about those who have fallen away, those who had walked away, though, as those who had defected from the faith, and Jude is saying that does not have to happen to you. You don't have to be a casualty. He who saved you will be he who sustains you he keeps you. This happens to be one of the great promises in Scripture and the reason he is so adamant that he will keep you is because he was the one who saved you. You had nothing to do with salvation.
All you did is accepted, receive and believe. So if you have nothing to do with that, then you'll really have nothing to do with this. He who saved you is the one who keeps you. Now let's let's get a look at it from two different angles. The road to heaven has always been dangerous from a human perspective. Our journey from earth to heaven has always been a dangerous journey.
There are potholes in the road. There are there's litter and there's roadblocks are also the things that happen to the Christian we have trials we have temptations we have accusations we can be subject to false teaching. So it seems to be a very perilous journey because we are special targets of Satan, even Paul when he spoke to the people of Lysistrata I Coni him and Antioch in the book of acts we are told to strengthen the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, saying we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God about all the potholes in the room from a human perspective. This is a dangerous journey, but from God's perspective is a very safe and secure journey – message from the series play for the house right now to tell you about a special opportunity you have taken knowledge of the Bible to a deeper level. If you're ready to study God's word beyond going to church is personal Bible study ready for company college take you and your life's purpose to the next level with an education is biblical studies registration for the 2022.
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God is made about you may be filled with all God says I am declaring pronouncing US thought. That's justification. He makes the declaration because Jesus took our sin and God's creative geniuses like you and I deserve it. That God can treat us like a castle, Skip visitation of connection communication changing truth