Contending for the faith amidst false teachers

Good morning. Well, this is the final sermon in our Counter the Culture series. This has been a challenging series just in the preparation as well as in some of the topics that we have covered. I am looking forward to diving into I Timothy when I come back on the 17th after we do a pulpit swap next week.

As we think about what are the pressing issues in our culture, it comes to mind that there are many in our churches who believe false things because they have sat under false teaching for many years, whether in their own local churches or through the reach of our Christian media. There is a proliferation of false teaching out there. Some comes from those outside the church who claim to know what the Bible really says about various matters in life. But more dangerous is teaching that comes from those within the church, claiming to know what the Bible says, or making claims about things that are just a hairline off base and can be leaked in without unsuspecting or less studied congregants realizing. This type of stealthy false teaching has caused the division of many churches.

As your pastor, one of my jobs is to shepherd you and part of that is not just feeding you but also keeping the wolves away. Today we are going to focus on a passage from the book of Jude regarding false teachers in the church.

**Read Jude Passage**

Jude 1–4 ESV

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

**Pray**

This short book, written by Jude, is one of the most neglected books in the entire Bible. However, it is starting to get more attention now.

Jude names himself as the brother of James. This is the same James who was the brother of Jesus and ended up becoming one of the leaders in the early church. The fact that he doesn’t mention his physical relationship to Jesus has been interpreted as him exercising humility in identifying himself with the lesser of his brothers.

Let us not think that Jude was in anyway confused about who he was. He calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ. The language he uses there puts him in a category of people like Moses and David who were servants of God. It also makes a statement about the divinity of Jesus that His servant is identified in the same way as the Old Testament servants of God. He was not confused about who he was nor was he confused about to whom he was writing. Though we don’t have much information about them, he reminds them right off the bat of who and what they are in their relationship with Christ.

I. Remember your relationship to Christ (v. 1-2)

Jude writes this letter into what seems to be an emergency situation. He had wanted to write a letter to beloved friends about their shared salvation but the presence of false teachers meant he needed to instead write addressing that situation and urging them to contend for the faith. Scholars indicate a strong relationship between this letter and 2 Peter where Peter warns that there are false teachers coming. Jude, however, proclaims that they are already here and urges what to do about it. But before he gets into that he reminds them of what blessings they have in their relationship to Christ. He first reminds them who they are in Christ.

A. Who you are in Christ

First, he is writing to Christians. These are those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ on Calvary.

God created man and woman. He gave them many good things to eat but there was one tree they were never to eat from. But they gave into temptation and ate. And ever since that day, human beings have had a sin nature. It separates us from God and without someone paying a price, it will wind us up under the judgement and wrath of God for eternity in a very real place called Hell. But God made a way to forgive sin. He paid a price.

Jesus Christ, all God and all man, born of a virgin, lived a perfect life that you and I could not. He never sinned and was therefore, the perfect and acceptable sacrifice for our sin. He was killed on a Roman cross where He willingly gave His life in our place. He paid the debt that our sin had earned. He took the wrath of God that was due you and me. And in return He gives those who He has called, who have trusted in His grace, His righteousness. His right standing before God put onto you. This is indeed a great exchange. Jude wants to remind his friends, his audience of these truths.

1. Called.

God had called them to Himself.

This became a standard way to refer to Christians. (Romans, I Corinthians)

2. Loved.

They are the beloved of God.

3. Protected.

They would be kept by Christ and kept for Christ.

Elaborate on the meaning here…

B. What you have abundantly in Christ.

1. Mercy.

2. Peace.

3. Love.

He affirms that they already have mercy, peace, and love. He wants it multiplied to them. If something is to be multiplied, it must exist already. They have mercy, peace, and love in Christ Jesus. What was important for them to understand and I would say, for us to understand as well that in Christ we not only have mercy, peace, and love but we have these in abundance. As they were going to be facing the challenge of these false teachers and everything that confronting such people entails, it would be key for the believers to remember and be grounded in what was theirs in Jesus Christ.

As we confront false teaching we do so as a people who have been shown abundant mercy at the cross. Therefore we are merciful. We call people to repent.

We are people of abundant peace with God. We know that by the blood of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, we have peace with our maker.

We are people of abundant love. We love others and do not want to see them duped into believing false things. Love must also be the way that we approach those who have fallen for the deception of these false teachers.

We should not be a people out looking for a fight but we should readily step up and stand up when we encounter false teaching.

This brings us to verse 3.

II. Contend for the faith. (V. 3)

Jude 3 ESV

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Jude writes out of necessity. This is an emergency situation he is writing into and sounding the alarm.

He tells them to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

A. Contend

Like an athlete or runner going for the victory. A strong word.

Exertions of an athlete

B. The faith - the target of contending

Not simply the pisitis - the act of believing

But the content of what is believed… They are to contend for the message of faith that was passed down from the apostles…

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Church history and creeds here

Many people attend contemporary evangelical churches that are not rooted in any creed.

People think of creeds as stuffy. They think of musty church buildings and old books. The result is that for many modern Christians, their sense of Christianity only goes back as far as the history of their own church or possibly even their own pastor.

Jude is making the point that there is a set of beliefs, based in the work and teaching of Jesus Christ that was passed down by the apostles and is not open to negotiation. As Douglass Moo writes, “To be Christian is to agree with these beliefs; to reject them is to cease to be Christian. “ Throughout the years of the church there has been a wonderous oneness of what the basic beliefs of Christianity are. These are orthodox beliefs. Orthodox just means right belief. We must contend for these.

The essentials of what Christians believe and are not open to interpretation.

III. Beware of false teachers. (V. 4)

Jude 4 ESV

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

We must be prepared for them.

Jude warns they are already there so now, the people need to contend for the faith.

Jesus even warned about people who would be among us meaning harm.

Matthew 7:15 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Don’t become a brawler, out looking for a fight.

They sneak in. Even into the church... Even some who claim to be biblical...

They claim to believe the Bible but it isn't saying what they say it is saying.

Jude pronounces condemnation on them. He says it was written long ago. It’s already been established what is going to happen to these false teachers.

A. Godless men

- one who is without religion, fails to worship…

Scripture uses this idea in other places as well.

Here are a couple.

2 Peter 2:5–6 ESV

5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

2 Peter 3:7 ESV

7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

The phrase was used by the Hellenistic Jews especially of irreverence in an ethical sense according to Douglas Moo. This is not theoretical atheism at work but practical godlessness. Jude doesn’t give us the specifics of their wrong doctrine but instead points to their immoral lifestyles.

B. They change the grace of God into a license for immorality.

They twist God’s grace and freely offered forgiveness into a free pass for more and more sin.

The word immorality here points toward sins of the flesh inparticular. This would include sexual sin, drunkenness, gluttony, and others… These godless men would twist grace into a hall pass to do what they wanted.

C. They deny Jesus as Master and Lord.

Master and Lord - This phrase should make us understand that Jesus has the right to demand obedience from those who follow him. These men seemingly refused to bend the knee to the demands that Jesus places on His people.

I’ve told people in conversation about how strange our area is church wise. In Dixon there are around 40 churches. It feels as if at any point, any guy can just say, “I’m going to plant a church.” And they do this without the backing of any other organization or historical creed or confession but simply based on what this particular person wanted to do. The issue with this is that it gives opening for false teaching to creep in, when there is no godly oversight or a firm understanding of the faith passed down and entrusted to the church.

Current teachings infiltrating the church:

Prosperity Gospel

NAR

Universalism

Hebrew Roots

False teachings about the incarnation

False teachings about the Trinity

- People who claim to be prophets but they get stuff wrong… that’s a false prophet.

In addition popular people who teach things that are in contrary to sound doctrine

Names - Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Steven Furtick, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Mike Todd, Robert Morris, Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotten, Sarah Young, T.D. Jakes, Andy Stanley,

- All to be avoided. If you are following or listening or reading these people, stop.

Books and documentaries to watch to be informed…

Suggest to them…

Counterfeit Kingdoms

American Gospel films and new series

Conclusion and Call for Response

John Piper was asked how people should discern false teachers and he gave four tests for false teachers. It thought they were really good and fit with what we have talked about in Jude so I want to share them with you.

Tests for false teachers:

The test of fruit. Matthew 7:15-20

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

2. The test of doctrine..

Test the soundness of their central doctrines of the faith.

3. The test of submission to scripture.

1 Corinthians 14:37–38 ESV

37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

If they won’t submit themselves to the apostles (authorized teachers of Christ who wrote the NT) then they are not reliable teachers. Piper says that everyone says true things from time to time, even the devil. That doesn’t make them reliable teachers.

4. The test of the Gospel.

Galatians 1:8–9 ESV

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Remind them of what is true of them in the beginning of the book… In Christ we are KEPT…. Other truths said about them…

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