Introduction to Jude (Part A)

I'll stick with Scripture and those who truly love God's word and a necklace in Austin was Scripture. Thank you because I don't think that I was once lost to. I remember what it was like to feel so sure that the Bible was false, that these people just made things up as they went along that people who followed Christianity were just blind doing it, but I don't recall really engaging spirit filled Christian as a young man from this youth's cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Rick is currently teaching through a special series called truth, love testimony, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now please turn to the book of Jude. Let's join Pastor Rick for today's message.

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, mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you. I originally intended to.

This opening section, more paragraph is the quiet before the hand grenade. It is an intense letter and it would welcome the closes. The New Testament letters God does through this letter, Jude John, of course, is chronologically the last of the writers his three letters the gospel of John, the revelation of Jesus Christ. Those are all the last documents given to us, but in the arrangement of the Scripture, the last of the letters is Jude and he does does it with this necessary series of attacks against those invading Christianity. We got some of that in John's letters, but we going to get more of it in Jude's letters and attack is the right word is not waiting to be attacked. He is going at them and end is not calling at their beliefs. So much is going at them personally send the ones that are doing this in the church they they are going to suffer for this so you serving notice to those who have a determination to infiltrate the church is letting them know that the church does not welcome them, nor does heaven.

It's quite intense very very much relevant in every age. Earning this letter masterpiece status amongst the epistles.

Napoleon said the side that stays within its for fortifications is beaten beside that stays within its fortifications is beaten well as a military commander.

He was saying if you just have defense, you can't win.

Jude goes on offense he is attacking these who are sneaking into congregations and swaying them away from the teachings of the apostles and the prophets.

Of course they received from Jesus Christ in these types still creep into churches unnoticed. Okay, that's one problem. The second problem is is that once they are noticed there. There's no one to contest their presence and what they're doing and so you end up with the church doesn't believe in the inerrancy of Scripture does not believe in repentance and the value of it thinks that it's okay to be shallow in your faith does not believe in the creation of record thinks morality is optional thinks that the Bible really doesn't deal sufficiently with human behavior.

For that you have to go outside of the Bible you go to the world and bring the psychologist and he called them Christian psychologist to be going to administered anybody effectively and the list goes on and on and on. These of the neo-Gnostics that we have today. They have appointed themselves the overseers of what is to be trusted and not trusted in the Bible in their old denominations that go this way. I preach Christ by God's word as best I can, because I feel God's word is good enough. I'm not the only one doing in most churches that are doing it remain small. These days, a lot of people who name Christ to save you just don't want to hear it.

Paul said to the Corinthians. I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Also, I'm here about him. My business is that of the Lord, not the other things in the world, not the distractions. Jude is going to carpet bomb them with truths from both old and New Testament in just a short little letter alerting the believers holding the believers accountable to what they confess. You say you're a Christian okay will this is what it means to be a Christian or is it just talk, which would be God's word, all those who disagree with God's word. Those who think they have something to add to God's word, every man who enters into a pulpit should be familiar with this letter of Jude. This is a theological hand grenade. Some of the metaphors just going over this and prep time and say to myself here.

Some of the metaphors in reverse intensity. It's like a machete just chomping through all the things that are blocking the way to Christ. The chainsaw is not very forgiving. Jude is not about bring that out one moment.

Hopefully machine-gun a Haggerty you know that I do like the military metaphors I'm I'm I'm just not a farmer in Ramallah, flowers, pretty serious business of your soil.

In verse three he says seriously engage the enemy in verse four he says certain men have crept in ungodly man of snarky and sly and destructive versus five and 70, says the Lord judges.

Those who did not believe the unbelieving Jews in the wilderness that is the fallen angels. Those of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude is saying, the Lord deals with those who are against him and these were creeping in the church are against God can deal with them to calls them dreamers, rebels, agitators, in verse 10 he says they are obese. They are self corrupted in verse 11. He says woe to them, echoing the Lord their murderous, greedy and usurpers and he uses Kane Ballin and Cora to bring that point out verses 12 and 13. He says these are blotches on love, useless, fruitless, troublesome, double dead and damned.

He says in verse 15. They have a quadruple ungodliness about them in 16 he says there grumble as complainers, lustful, big mouse flatter is an opportunistic in verse 17 he says they are markers. They are sensual and they are divisive is that not intense, I'm not making it up. Agape universes is even more intense as we go through it.

I don't know why this little letter, it would be so passed over by seminaries after they teach and then proceed to not practice well, that's the introduction.

While some of it. The date of the letter I think is important I believe is after Peter's first two letters but as I mentioned before John's writings and I say this because Peter in his second letter dealing with those coming into the church and calling causing problems heretics. That is, Peter writes in anticipation of the increase of false teachers, and Jude announces the increases here. Of course there are similarities between the two, and they're not coincidental.

I believe very much Jude had Peter's writings was under Peter's authority when he put this together. I don't know that we got the time to go through the study of Jude and bring out all of the good of the parallels are trying to do it as best I can as we move through the other verses but the date in the audience while uncertain the social situation is obvious he is writing against the Gnostic blend and if you been following our instructions to first and second John I John third John would cover these Gnostics didn't have their own churches. They were inside the church there outside the church. Their preaching things of the world link their preaching things to Christians, they're trying to get everybody to come out of their ideas and we are the ones that have the knowledge rather than have their own lecture halls, they crept into churches and try to convert Christians away from what the Lord Jesus is has given to us and mix in what they were giving to people and again this is something that is still taking place.

It was this Gnosticism was coming from Jews and Gentiles alike, and they were gaining power in Christianity and what is this man who was raised in the house with Christ Jesus. What is he supposed to do when he gets word of this way does what all of them did they use their voice to preach against these things. Evidently you did have some success because his letter has survived.

Overall, these years, decades and centuries. The intensifying influence of mixing in their philosophies and the church is very mean stuff because it damns souls one generation may make it through the next one is going to be worse off and it will only fester and grow worse. These various systems that harassed and threatened Christianity did so under the title of Gnosticism for over 300 years and then Satan has come up with other ways to inject these things in to the church mingling ideas, striving to stencil coexist on the doors of the church and the church that coexists with false ideas about Christ is the church that has over the door.

Ichabod the glory of God has departed.

It does happen is very real and it it's up to not only the pastors but the people to stop these things at the door someone to come into a congregation start to plug in and tell you what I don't believe in that the Bible is all that that person needs to be dealt with in love, but in truth, but they must not be ignored.

Originally the Lord Jesus gave the outline for Christianity to the apostles and prophets. Paul writes about it in Ephesians is one place he says of Paul Jude will get to it. Also, letter verses, but in Ephesians chapter 3 pulses, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets he's talking about that out plan of salvation. That's earlier. Ephesians 220 says, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.

How many times that verse have to be read out loud before Christians understand when looking outside of the Scripture to understand how to go through life as believers of Christ were not looking for anyone to accredit us or to approve penal stamp of approval on us.

Each Christian stands individually on their own faith before the Lord goes all the way to the throne of God all the way through eternity. Jude's use of Old Testament sections refuted the Gnostics who wanted to do away with the miracles in the Old Testament. Many of the early church. The apostolic fathers had to deal with these guys head on who will coming along.

Think I'll take this book of the Bible. I won't take that book of the Bible because the books of the Bible that went against how their lifestyle, their system of thought was offensive to them so they tried to get rid of it and they gain much strength in doing will they provoke this follower of the Lord, this man, Jude.

I think they annoyed him to I think is a little fed up with this these cunning intruders and so he goes at them is intolerant of nonsense, but is loving and kind to the believers he saying to the believers as we just read grace and mercy to you easy. She's making that clear what he's saying but let me serve warning to those coming into our congregations. We are not going to take this.

These are the men who knew and walked with Jesus.

They were gentlemen they were strong and they were firm in the New Testament writers they cared nothing again for things that did not agree with Christ.

They chose him first and many of them went to their deaths over this, but there are many Christians that don't even want to go into conflict over these things just shut our mouths were afraid it will cause a firestorm go back to those metaphors.

I thinks when there are there are times that we Christians are afraid to be machetes and chainsaws and wrecking balls and hand grenades and firestorms. I think we we zip it, you know we we stop we don't we we we clam up. Instead of standing out grousing I do not believe you and I do not believe that I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. And I don't need you to approve my faith for me to have my faith but I want to share with you. Nonetheless, you can do that with truth and love. Otherwise, it's not much truth. It's not much love, if it is withheld. So before we sit and let people accuse us of being archaic and tell him look out the window and tell me if the barbarians are at the gate or not.Christians killing the unborn babies is not Christian saying to people you know what you look better as a woman than a man. Why don't you change or the other way around them is not the Christians rioting and hating and refusing anybody who doesn't side with us to be treated kindly. We are told that back to the opposite if someone does not agree with us were still supposed to be kind to them decent people not to their ideas, but to them personally, so I'll stick with Scripture and those who truly love God's word and I'm not going to say Gnostic with Scripture. Thank you because I don't think them. I was once lost to. I remember what it was like to feel so sure that the Bible is false that these people just made things up as they went along that people who follow Christianity were just blind doing it, but I don't recall really engaging spirit filled Christian as a young man. Where were they some of you may have different stride know you. Do you have different stories which you have them. Nonetheless, and so we preach Christ to those who will listen in our look at verse one and realize I may be done another 10 minutes, then what are we going to do. 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. Jude is a prince is of the lineage of David, the king is not treated like one. Judah is his name in the Hebrew Judas in the Greek by the time it makes it to English. It's Jude 7 men New Testament have this name.

It was a popular Jewish name even before the Maccabees, Judas, Maccabee, who led the revolt against the Syrians and just as a real champion or hero of the Jews, the that the name Judas and so the name was one that just held up in that society. But because of Judas Iscariot. The translators almost never named this the book of Judas.

They want to make that distinction. And so we have Jude as the title of the book with the man's name was Judah in the Hebrew that's closer to what they would've called me up to were Jewish and Judas from the Greeks and a bondservant. He says in the word therefore bondservant a slave translators make it bondservant. I wish they wouldn't.

Now there is a little bit more to it than just slave but that is the Greek word independent of it being an indentured slave or I will put it this way, a willful slave or unwilling slave. It doesn't make a distinction there. What makes the distinction is the context what's going on. So when the Christian said I am a slave of Jesus Christ. They were very much conscious that they were genuine slaves of of slave owners throughout the Roman Empire. Many of them, if not most of them unwilling to be slaves had no choice taken from their homeland. Roman armies came through and enslave them and took them back in Solomon they were slaves. So when a Christian said I am a slave of Jesus Christ slave can identify with that a true slave they would understand what I'm forced to be one. What you are willing to be one that's a bondservant, an indentured slave is another Greek word translated servant in our New Testament we get our word deacon from that diagonals that does not mean a slave that is really something to do with a hired servant or an L or an errand boy and through at the root of the word, and so my point is that when the New Testament writers who originally penned their letters in the Greek language.

They were very much aware of the words they were using.

And so when he says he instead of saying a servant of Jesus Christ which he was. He starts off by saying I am a slave of Christ, and I am a willing slave of Christ. This is voluntary because he is worthy.

In fact, is John the Baptist made it clear if anything I'm not worthy to be his slave when he takes me anyway. You know that you've tried to serve Jesus Christ and failed. You've said here, you've had some sense of I'm not worthy. He says yeah but I love you.

All you have to do is look at the cross to know how much I love you.

All you have to do is look at the cross and see what I did to hell. I died for you and there's nothing they can do about it.

Any man is in Christ is a new creation.

Jesus did Noah snatch you out of my hands. You are mine and so the New Testament writers no longer viewed their lives as their own. And that's why they choose chose this language, the translators want to make the distinction. What is a bondservant in that good elixir to the Old Testament and that he was a willing indentured servant, but I think it goes deeper than that. First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 19, or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own. You don't belong to yourself if you're a believer in Christ, you belong to Christ, and of course he is worthy, so he says Judah slave of Jesus Christ. That's how he introduces his letter. He's not the only one that does this when he says of Jesus Christ with Jesus is of course the name is a descriptive name name is nature.

He is the Savior and in that name that that it is there, the one that saves he is Lord. That is his title but being Christ. That is his distinction is distinct from everyone else. He is the only begotten son. There is no other that is coming directly from the father. He is a worthy master were afraid of these words in the society.

Some of us, but it's Bible language. I am a slave of Christ, and he is my master and I love it and I am grateful for it and I'm not ashamed of it and when everyone stands up and says well we think. I say no we don't we go by the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which runs from Genesis to the end of Revelation he says and brother of James, what is that mean I don't know, let's skip it for my process of elimination, we conclude that this is the half-brother of Jesus Christ of the men named Jude or Judas in the New Testament. Three of them are candidates to consider well the first when we consider is Judas Iscariot he's eliminated instantly. We know he didn't write this letter.

We know the letter comes after his death. We know that he was a traitor and son of perdition, and they didn't get to voice his opinions.

Judas, the apostles, son of Althea's was not the brother of James because we the James is not his brother and Amber.

We get the verse 17 Judah is going to make a distinction that he's not one of the apostles that they they listen we listen to the apostles that we should look at verse 17 briefly if you have your Bible open. If not, you can just hear me read it is a superduper 11 room. Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that seems to leave him outside of that group, though he is under the authority of the apostles and so that leaves Judas, the son of Joseph the husband of Mary, one of four brothers listed in the New Testament. Mark's gospel chapter 3 is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, of course you know they were going. This, he didn't get out stamp of approval. So what right does he have to teach it. He can't be homeschooled by God and father in heaven just come through us and if he doesn't come through us because get that accreditation from us.

He can preach that was their opinion reminded people that work just being healed and the miracles and the solid truths that were being fired from the lips of the Lord that didn't count. This is what these men replica Paul just he hounded Paul.

They hated Paul so much chasing them from city to city for having the audacity to say I do not follow you. I follow the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only begotten of the father. So this episode, Mark's gospel chapter 3 is is not the carpenter's son is a note of disdain. Isn't this him that because these are to say a prophet is not without honor except in his own home is is not the carpenter's son, the son of Mary, brother of James Josie's Judas there he is, and Simonton are not these his sisters with us. So this family.

Christ being the elders son according to the flesh, these being his step brothers and sisters. No attempt to deny that Mary had subsequent children are at least ignorant, and at most hellish thanks for listening to cross reference radio today cross reference is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, you can visit our website cross reference radio.com.

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