God's Faithful Patriots

                                                        Cory Landolt

SUBJECT: False Doctrine

TITLE: God’s Faithful Patriots

TEXT: Jude 1-3

 

INTRODUCTION:

A.) The word “patriot” awakens memories of great heroes from America’s military history

            1. “Give me liberty, or give me death” (Patrick Henry)

            2. “I only regret that I have only one life to lose for my country” (Nathan Hale)

B.) The same kind of devotion can be seen in the lives of the first century Christians

            1. Peter and John were beaten for preaching Jesus — but never shied away from their        responsibilities

            2. Paul was persecuted at every turn — yet never ceased to proclaim the Gospel

C.) God’s patriots are faithful saints who love and defend the church.

D.) The book of Jude is God’s field manual for spiritual engagement and His call to arms.

            1. The book of Jude reminds us that our adversary is real and determined.

            2. As a soldier/patriot of Christ there is no room for pacifism — for eternity is at stake.

 

DISCUSSION:

I. GOD'S FAITHFUL PATRIOTS ARE SPIRITUAL SENTRIES

A.) Definition: “military sentry was a soldier stationed at a place to stand guard and prevent the passage of any unauthorized individuals.”

B.) Jude 1-2, “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.”

C.) The book of Jude was intended to serve a twofold purpose:

            1. A heavenly call to arms, and

            2. A strategy for spiritual victory

D.) Jude gave the wake-up call — the warning that false teachers had breached the walls.

            1. When trouble arises, it is not enough to sit idly by and wish things were different.

            2. The problem cannot be corrected by ignoring it and hoping it will go away.

E.) In addition to alerting them to the present danger, this book serves as a field manual for battling the false teachers

            1. A field manual is concise, proven and practical

            2. This manual is of great importance for us today

F.) The recipients of this letter are:

            1. “Called” — 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:14

            2. “Beloved” [ ASV, NAS, ESV] “sanctified” [KJV, NKJ] — if you are the beloved of     God you are sanctified.

 

II. GOD'S FAITHFUL PATRIOTS MUST HEED THE PATRIOTIC PLEA

A.) Jude 3, “Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.”

B.) In the heat of battle, the best laid plans may have to be changed at a moment’s notice

            1. Jude had intended to write about their common salvation.

            2. But Jude wrote to them what they needed to hear:

 C.) They needed to defend the Gospel

            1. They were to “contend earnestly for the faith”

                        a.) “Contend” — to fight or struggle for

                        b.) The situation required action — strong action

            2. The need to “contend” implied that there was opposition to the truth

                        a.) The church has enemies

                        b.) Christians must be prepared to respond – 1 Peter 3:15

            3. Immediate action is required

D.) The power of exhortation

            1. Christians are under orders to encourage one another

                        a.) Hebrews 3:13, “but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-                              day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”

                        b.) Hebrews 10:24,  and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and                                  good works;

                        c.) 2 Timothy 4:2, preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove,                               rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

            2. The focus of Jude’s exhortation was to alert his readers to the danger before them

E.) The call to contend

            1. They were to put up a real fight against false teaching, giving it their all.

            2. God’s patriots should be concerned about soundness in the faith (Tit. 1:13), personally stand for the faith (1 Cor. 16:13), and be prepared to defend it (Jude 3).

            3. Jude clearly emphasizes that doctrine does matter:

                        a.) 1 Timothy 1:3, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different                               doctrine,

                        b.) Romans 16:17, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of                                   stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.

 

CONCLUSION: There is a trust to keep…

            A.) Faith is like a baton being handed from one runner to the next in a relay race

            B.) Truth must be passed on from one generation to the next, and it is our duty to protect and preserve it.