Personal Love (Part C)

We pray we pray is always standing right in front of the throne of God and nobody else is really there will pray to teach anybody. We don't pray to, you know, impress them at how spiritual I am, we pray as though were talking to God or greater teaching prayer to be told. Let me get my pen and pad. I'm going to have to take notes.

That's not the way to do it and what if God is not giving you anything to break be quiet this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher guest Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Jude. Please stay with us after today's message to hear you can get more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today.

Pastor Rick will continue in the book of Jude chapter 1 in his message called personal love last days that both Peter and Jude refer to our bid began with the coming of Christ, and it will end with the second coming of Christ. In that sense we believe what I believe we are in the last of the last days. It's winding down too much evidence to fulfill Scripture and it appears to not be sustainable as a Tower of Babel has been rebuilt. Humanity is getting on the same page against God and I think we getting" of course way time works. You have to be getting closer all the time but what we may even see it happen in our day. Anyway, he says who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. Again, they don't want God to tell them how to live. That's why they walk according to their own way.

You remember that foolish song I did it my way. It's a nice song may perhaps but it's wrong and I give it an F. You should to. That doesn't mean you can listen to what you say to yourself as you hear it's wrong. Verse 19.

These essential persons because the visions not having the spirit is the ones that are, but they warned the apostles to listen these people that go will naturally go going to that gut feeling their instinct. Whatever emotions they have.

That's how those boys roll that's not us. Yes, we can use our emotions. We worship the Lord in adoration is a place where our emotions with the dictate policy for us there is the fifth of these in verse 19 releases. These are sensual that were sensual in the Greek is translated elsewhere in most Bibles, natural could say carnal or when James Rice he says this wisdom is not sent from above, but it is sensual demonic. That's work sensual that he uses their same ideas and natural feeling of means not spiritual and not born again is not touch from God or by God led again by emotions, not the spirit, and therefore divisive. When Paul says the carnal mind of the natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him.

That's the same same word, and so did Judith. Saying these unnatural people that are not born again. And because their natural date and not led by the Holy Spirit.

They go with their instincts to go there. Feelings they go with what they see.

There they have a lower faculty when it comes to going through life. We are supposed to have a higher one. It is spiritual man. He says these cause divisions not having the spirit which is a natural outcome of remaining natural after hearing spiritual truth is sin. If you hear the gospel and you reject it you you you eventually turned over to your own loss that powerful first chapter of the Roman letter where it reads as though Paul is looking out his window at Corinth and he's telling the Romans. This is what I see about natural people about people who don't have the spirit. Paul then goes on later and says is a matter of fact I was so natural. I was out trying to persecute Christians and the spiritual man of course comes out of that these troublemakers because they do they feel like.

Again, Absalom was one of those people in verse 20 says there's a second but you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. I wonder is I'm is I'm talking about this love of Christ is a congregation more interested in a pastor attacking the wrongs as we been doing through Jude or are is a congregation just as interested in being reminded of the great love of Christ.

In spite of your unworthiness, your sin, your failures, your shortcomings, your blunders, the love of God's speech that stuff right away the judgment that would come upon you is not going to come upon you, because the blood of Christ is washed away. So the big news is that you know that the newspapers don't report all the airplane landed safely.

Why not, why not give us more positive statistics because it's better to vent. Anyway, not going to go there not so this but you, beloved singles me out. He is talking to me and it is more emphatic here because in verse 17, two Greek words, but, but, beloved is how it would read here it is that the pronoun but you, beloved it. Both are accurately translated because did the tensing context of the first one is directed to you, beloved, but here it is written in print by Jude and it is that emphasis that interests me is personal. Do you see it.

That's what is see it's saying to me, God's great love never fails is possible to failing us. First Corinthians 13. Eight love never fails. If it fails in a love for something else is liking of butter gets mold limiting butter its monitoring get a leak in the ship or radiator, plug it with margarine and stuff is anyway maybe I'm sorry because you know their food fighters and in churches, and if you don't like their food they can get nasty so I better go on building yourselves up. We have a major role in developing us Christians is not all Christ working on Christ doing all the dying I do all of the rejoicing that that's not right, nor is the building part. We have to be involved in construction involves many materials and people and plans and hard work in danger want to build something that you want to construct something.

Those are ingredients we are responsible to keeping the altar lit largely, it is our responsibility to the Lord ignites our hearts we have work to do to keep the fire burning sometimes you don't feel like doing it, but we must Leviticus 6 verse 12 and the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not be put out in the preshow burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offerings in order on it. Moses lays out this requirement of the priest. The role of the priest and keeping the altar alters fires going later on in chapter 9. He then says that it tells us that the altar was first kindled by God he ignited the altar, but he already gave instructions after that alters lit you have to keep going and gobble work with us. Of course, on that he will provide the resources, both internally and externally, and I think that once we accept that if you walk if you're Christian perspective is to do anything but just be saved. You not going to be if you not going to develop as a Christian and if you understand that I have my responsibilities to know the Scripture to understand God's love for me to stand up against those who trying to corrupt the things of Christ and also I have a role in my own personal construction.

Then we get to work.

We get busy, but if we stand there waiting for something that's not going to come doesn't happen.

He says on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit praying with in the Holy Spirit as opposed to praying without him.

A lot of people think it's it's fine to dramatize their prayers.

They are a nuisance. Stop doing that why you talking that way. God does not need us to soup up our prayers. He just needs us to pray in the spirit and to know how to do that you have to have familiarity with his word.

Ephesians 6 rate verse 18, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, because the alternative is you praying your own strength to pray according to your own understanding your own instincts you're natural in your prayer I when I pray, if I'm in a group, especially in I feel that okay these are now my words.

I just abruptly stopped praying, but I sense the Lord is giving me something to pray. I pray and I remember being at a funeral rule at a place to be dramatic right and the person wanted to read this 23rd Psalm and what they must've thought it was you know the play theatrical event.

The Lord invoices trembling when I would be a good time have a cream pie.

I have yet to find a disrespectful life that you know it it's just teaching people that God's word has to be dramatize those prayers have we don't pray to impress people. We pray we pray is over standing right in front of the throne of God and nobody else is really there. We don't pray to teach anybody. We don't pray to, you know, impress them how spiritual I am, we pray is over talking to God. No greater teaching prayer to be told. Let me get my pen and pad. I'm going to have to take notes. That's not the way to do it and what if God is not giving you anything to pray to keep me quiet, it's a good system works very nicely. A lot of prayers would be a lot shorter and we would all get home a lot earlier, will not really because we don't, but that also some rules for corporate prayer. Now, if I've offended you, I got the Scripture on my side right. Verse 21 just getting ready because I have not accused anyone here of long preaching prayers, but I sort of feel like 30 years of ministry is surging up in me and I really gotta talk about this, but to verse 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into eternal life you love Judy just to keep yourselves in the love you let responsibilities keep in the word build up in the prayer.

Keep yourselves in a that's not is not exhausting is not an exhaustive statement is a shared responsibility. Look back at verse one of Jude and there he says I just read while takeovers Jude, a bondservant, a willing slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called and then he says, sanctified, those are separated by God the father and preserved in Christ or In Christ. God preserves all who want to be preserved, and those who want to be preserved will be working on being preserved. It is a system is a rhythm that belongs to it.

It's a good rhythm in verse six he talks about those who did not keep their first the stately unfallen angels. They did not keep here he says keep yourselves in verse one.

He says that we are preserved were kept by Christ. It is a good system again. It is a good rhythm that goes along with our walk in Christ, and I think once we sober up if we've not been sober in this area we get more strength if we are always praying for God to do the things that were supposed to be involved with two nothing much gets done. John's Gospel 17.

I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world they were yours. You gave them to me and they have kept your word. So again what he says keep yourselves in the love of God keep the word would any Christian have any find any fault with that those who damage or destroy their faith in Christ do so by making room for things outside of what Scripture teaches is so contrary to what the teacher Scripture teaches us it is the first giant step away from Christ. That's how you are no longer kept by going to things that are going against Scripture because Christianity declares that other gods are not God at all, but the product of hell's story. That is to be told to men does not come from heaven. It comes from beneath and we do not share other gods.

We condemn them and we are condemned for doing so well you can understand someone condemning us if that's all they know. But if we begin to lay out the truth. That's where converts are made. Some will still condemn that's on them, but others, others will begin to understand saving souls. Why should God use me to save souls and I won't pray and I won't spend time in the word. Why would God send anybody to me to hear about Jesus Christ go together. Hard work. It means we have to do less of other things and more of these things looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, that's that undeserved forgiveness that word mercy that is being received by God and not deserving to be received by God greatest expression of mercy that we know is the cross of Christ. First John 316 by this we know love because he lay down his life for us. Why did he do that love love that shows mercy because if there was no mercy that we would've gotten what we deserved and that would be judgment. Romans 916 so then it is not in him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy, love, these things, how can you not hear of your nonbeliever and you come in touch with this, then it is not up to him who wills nor him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. How can you not that I want that mercy unto eternal life that is forever. Psalm 18 the psalmist says this is the Psalm you know the law of the Lord is perfect, converting sold. It is very you know anyway but I have kept the ways of Yahweh and have not wickedly departed from my God kept looking for the mercy of the Lord. John Tannen II Jesus speaking and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.

How can you not be attracted to that. What is the alternative to this world says well is not always as he was out on the listen. You have a fax line that we got fax you don't weave God facts you don't have them. We've got prophecy you don't have it is sometimes childishness works anyway. Driving home you be singing that jingle a better agreement. Verse 22 in on some have compassion, making a distinction well. He has shown little to no compassion in this letter towards those troubling the house of God.

But then he hits the brake like a little bit.

But before we talk about the brake light the fact that he hasn't shown a compassion. This is on behalf of those who would listen. And so it is a form of passion with Cora when he talked about Kane Cora Safire and Ananias the judgments of very serious and the Scripture.

And here he comes and taps the brake licenses but there are exceptions to all of this is as if he is saying if you discern that the person in front of you is misguided yet you have an opportunity to be part of the solution in their eternal state than take the softer approach. That's what he is telling them he is saying there are victims and there are villains and we don't always know who is who.

Sometimes we may think a person is just a full-blown villain, but then we all of a sudden gain some discernment in spiritual insight in the matter.

We realize this person is more of a victim and maybe they are reachable. James puts it this way since brethren of anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, one that stopped to turn him back, discern instead of saying you know what your apostate get away from me instead of doing that and in James verse in his section. Here, he did the anyone of you wanders from the truth which means a Christian was moving from the truth. And if someone didn't get in there they would continue to move from the truth. But James says turns him back and he continues. James does let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins whose whose sins minds are his.

Both because love is in operation, and love covers a multitude of sins and the start of the love of Christ which was a sinless sinless son of God dying for sinners. Galatians Paul says it this way to the churches is brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Preaching cannot always have time to slow down and start you know putting a disclaimer and everything it says in turn turn, changing its voice.

That's not preaching.

Preaching has specific focus on the facts as best it can, and let it out, but you take the preacher and you put them in front of a human being and all of a sudden things change the demeanor changes the approach to the content does not. This is, I don't know of a way around this. You can you can preach, you can preach hard words and people come to Christ. You can preach soft words and they come to Christ the workers is of God, and I'm not talking about intention.

I think when the preacher preaches he wants to stick with the truth when he feels led to hammer something he hammers it in all the Ecclesiastes speaks about the well driven nails of the skull you drive your points.

All and you let the Lord sorted out, but always there is this desire for compassion and I don't think any pastor true pastor stepped into the pulpit, wanting to hammer anybody.

You may want to hammer points and era doesn't want to hammer a person unless it gets them into the kingdom Jesus you know he preach the heart.

Sometimes woe to you Pharisees.

Woe to you scribes. When is that you and subtleties is what it went right at them. Do because they were guilty and they knew it and he exposes exposed them and so here Judy's dealt with these false teachers is not taking a word of it back but then he taps the brake lights to the believer, he says, but you, beloved of God in dealing with people don't go without discern. And that's twice, is making a distinction there in verse 22 Christ made a distinction on the cross between the two outlaws were running out of time so after speed up to this. Leviticus 1147 the Jews were told to distinguish between the clean and the unclean Exodus 823 I will make a difference between my people and your people. We have to make distinctions we have to slow down and not become stereo typical Christians when it comes to sinners. Verse 23 what others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment defiled in the flesh so you are subject again is been the deliberate corrupters in the church and Jews says that when encountering the victims of era. Be careful in reaching out to them make this distinction, but be careful because you know you don't want to be the lifeguard that gets pulled down with the person you went to rescue and so watch your back. Jack, when you are sharing the faith.

When you are ministering understanding that the enemy is there an active and don't think that you are invincible. Also, be very careful more than once someone has come to me and there felt beaten up by someone who they were ready for to engage with the faith so but others save with fear. That fear is that sobriety when you make the distinction you stay sober pulling them out of the fire because that's what they are in probably a reference to Amos and Zechariah who use such analogies in their preaching the word for pulling is her puzzle to snatch the reason for the rapture. The Latin word is wrapped us for the translating the Greek word hard puzzles when the Jehovah witnesses the word rapture is not in the Bible you you're wrong you don't know your language when the when Jerome translated the Bible from the Greek into the Latin and came across that word her puzzle to snatch away. He chose the word wrapped us when we get our English word rapture.

So yes the word rapture is in the Bible. We are not to be passive about rebuking falsehood when the Lord has engaged us, allowed us to engage in the saving of souls is entire letter has not been passive, he says, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh of those without Christ recovered with sin. Their garments are defiled or contaminated with era and is warning them that we are not to salvage that which is wrong not to hold onto those filthy garments were to take them off again. Zechariah chapter 3 is an illustration take the filthy garments on off of him.

When Satan was accusing the high priest so I want to disclose this verse goes with the book of Leviticus chapter 1. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ is a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things become. That is fresh.

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. You'll find more of pastor Rick's teachings available.

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