How to survive in a world of Apostasy
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Intro:
this is a short but very powerful epistle, written by the Lords half brother, Jude.
This epistle is powerful because it is very relevant for the day in which we live.
Jude has been instructing his readers that the things that Paul and peter both warned them about has now come true.
The church at this point, is inundated with false teachers.
They are preaching doctrines that deny the deity and sovereignty of Christ.
They are preaching multiple ways to receive salvation and sin is prevalent.
It has been, for the past 19 verses, a gloomy outlook on the church.
But in these last five verses Jude makes a 180 and instructs his readers on how they are to survive in this awful condition of the churches.
So that is what I want to preach on tonight; I would like to take Jude’s Benediction and give us some encouragement and some survival skills, so that we are able to survive in a world that is filled with apostasy.
I) Survival is more than just enduring
I) Survival is more than just enduring
The word survive when defined as a verb has three definitions; the one that I believes attests to us as believers would have to be :to get along or remain healthy, happy, and unaffected in spite of some occurrence:
A) To survive you must remember your training
A) To survive you must remember your training
v17
Remember what you have been taught.
If you are new to an area, wouldn’t you like to know what is around that might be a danger to you.
B) To survive you must reinforce your surroundings
B) To survive you must reinforce your surroundings
v20a
v20a
We have something that no one else has. We have a perfect faith preached from a perfect book given by a perfect God telling about a perfect Savior bringing a perfect salvation.
C) To survive you must request help
C) To survive you must request help
v20b
We must rely upon markers that have been laid, we must rely upon someone else.
If you were to go hiking, you would most likely have a map and when you need the map you are going to rely upon the person that drew the map. Well Prayer is our map and the Bible is our compass.
D) To survive you must remain where you are
D) To survive you must remain where you are
v21a
We must remain grounded. Remain solid and unwavering in the faith.
E) To survive you must realize help is coming
E) To survive you must realize help is coming
v21b
If we are going to survive in the apostate world, we are going to have to realize help is coming.
Jude says looking for the mercy, our rescuer will have mercy on us and we will
II) Survival is about helping others
II) Survival is about helping others
Many people when in a dire situation, seem to resort to natural instinct. Save self. There is a show that has many fans which bears the name survivor. The ultimate goal of the show is to be the lone survivor on the island. Similar to modern day Christianity, it starts out a team effort but by the time you get to the end of a tuff situation it seems it has become a lone survivor mentality. Jude instructs his readers that survival not only involves yourself, it also involves all other believers, despite their current condition.
A) Helping others involves compassion
A) Helping others involves compassion
v22
There are many different personalities inside of a church.
Each person responds differently depending upon how he or a she is treated.
Jude is instructing his readers that there are some that will need to be approach with compassionate love.
Paul, in writing to the church at Corinth, instructs his readers in a similar fashion. (2Corth. 2:4-8)
B) Helping others involves comprehension
B) Helping others involves comprehension
(have discernment about the situation) v23a
A commentator wrote about this verse, “The lesson for the Church to learn is to approach men according to their condition. Somebody in a hurry gave a tract on the sin of dancing to a man with two wooden legs. We fear that worse mistakes, if possible, are committed frequently. When the Savior preached to publicans and sinners, His method was simple, and His message loving; but when He preached to the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees His manner was more dignified, and His message more authoritative.”
C) Helping others involves using caution
C) Helping others involves using caution
v23b
‘The garment’ that Jude is referring to is the inner piece that is next to the person, and is itself soiled.
This is a fitting symbol of our closeness to the lost and or believers that are deep into sin.
Our saving love for sinners must not cause our hatred for sin to lessen and further, we must beware that a lack of caution to the deceitfulness and virulence of sin we ourselves, unconsciously, catch the contagion.
The mere contact of garment against garment can spread many diseases.
So using caution will prevent any well-meant actions turning into an epidemic.
A preacher of old is quoted saying, “The well-meant attempts of one man to save another, sometimes ends in the ruin of both.
III) Survival becomes easier when you are aware of who the rescuer is
III) Survival becomes easier when you are aware of who the rescuer is
v24-25
These final two verses, Jude is giving his doxology or in other words Jude is instructing his readers of who it will be that will rescue them.
He is informing them that regardless of what you have been thinking while reading this letter, there is reason to rejoice.
A) Aware that the rescuer will arrive right on time
A) Aware that the rescuer will arrive right on time
He is coming, just hold on He will arrive in time to get you out alive
B) Aware that the rescuer will arrange the perfect rescue
B) Aware that the rescuer will arrange the perfect rescue
Like we said in the beginning, we serve a perfect God who will do no less then absolute perfection.
He has arranged our rescue perfectly.
One day soon God will tell His Son to go get His bride and it will be the perfect rescue.
The trump will sound and we will be called up together and we will meet Him in the air and see Him as He is.
C) Aware that the rescuer has the authority to do what it takes.
C) Aware that the rescuer has the authority to do what it takes.
If you were the President’s son or daughter and had gotten lost, wouldn’t it be nice to know that your daddy has all the power needed to call in who ever it takes to find you.
Well Jude is telling his readers not to worry because the one sending the rescuer has all the authority needed to make the rescue a success.
God has all the power and authority to do what it takes to rescue His beloved children.
Dont worry dont fret, there is nothing that can overthrow Him or His plans.
He has already written out the rescue plan and has already put the Lead Rescuer in place.
He is in ready mode, waiting for that dispatch from the father.
Are you ready for his rescue?
Let us rejoice tonight that we can survive this apostate world because we serve the one that does the rescuing.