August 17, 2008
Sun Oak Baptist Church

Introduction

        A. Jude’s purpose in writing this letter: to charge Christians to         earnestly contend (compete, fight, battle) for the faith. See verse 3.

        Compare this charge to what is required to be an Olympic athlete. How about the American swimming sensation Michael Phelps? 13 career gold medals, 8 in Beijing, and shattering numerous world records. One analyst described him this way: “Phelps can manipulate water like no human since Moses.”

        The NT describes and compares what it means to live the Christian life in some of the same terms that people use to describe Michael Phelps – and really, not only Phelps, but almost any Olympic athlete. See 1st Cor. 9:24-27; 1st Tim. 6:12; 2nd Tim. 4:7; and Heb. 12:1-4.

        B. God uses all kinds of imagery, metaphors, similes, parables, and         other illustrations to help man understand Him – to bring Himself         down to our level. And imagery of various kinds is used to help us         understand what it means to be a Christian.

        The pivot point of Jude’s whole letter is a charge to do battle royal or to contend earnestly, like Olympic athletes contend, only instead of competing for a perishable medal Christians are to earnestly contend for the imperishable.

        C. It’s difficult to communicate just how very important it is to         contend for the faith.

                1. Adam and Eve failed to stand for truth; so did Israel; and                 sadly, almost from the very day that the church was founded,                 Christians have followed suit. Revelation shows us that as early                 as 30 years after this very letter was written false doctrine,                 moral impurity, idolatry and other sins had already taken root in                 the church and were wreaking havoc.

                2. We cannot, we must not, underestimate the need to contend                 for the faith – the need to contend intensely for God’s truth –                 with the same kind of commitment and steadfastness that                 Olympic athletes have as they train and compete for their                 medals.

I. The author: Jude. See 1.

        A. Jude is a “bondservant of Jesus Christ.”

        Bondservant, slave, and deacon refer to service, obedience, and complete surrender to one’s master.

        Please note: Lord willing this message will be continued next Lord’s Day.

        B. Jude is the “brother of James.”

II. The recipients.

Conclusion

        A. See 2nd Tim. 2:1-3.

        B. Onward Christian Soldiers.

        Here’s what one writer did with this hymn to illustrate the consequences of ignoring Paul’s admonition to be a soldier of Christ that contends and fights earnestly for the faith.

Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight, With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight. Christ our rightful master, Stands against the foe; Onward into battle, we seem afraid to go.

        And then the chorus:

Backward Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight, With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.

Like a mighty tortoise, Moves the church of God. Brothers we are treading, Where we’ve often trod. We are much divided, Many bodies we, Having different doctrines, but not much charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane, But the cross of Jesus Hidden does remain. Gates of hell should never against the Church prevail, We have Christ’s own promise, but we think it might fail.

Sit here then ye people, Join our sleeping throng. Blend with ours, your voices in a feeble song. Blessings, ease and comfort ask from Christ the King, But with our modern thinking, we won’t do a thing.