Hold onto your FAITH, GOD’S NOT WRONG!

A message from Jude

Arrogant thinkers, believing they are the enlightened ones, dismiss God as an expired product from the superstition aisle of the supermarket of ideas.

What Christ followers call “wisdom”, this enemy calls “archaic”.

Power hungry tyrants, believing God to be a threat to their power, do everything they can to discredit His reputation and eliminate His influence in order to absorb for themselves the power that belongs only to God.

What Christ followers call “holy fear”, this enemy calls “hocus pocus”.

Free spirits, believing God to be a man-made agent designed to manipulate and control, cast Him off their back as a threat to their happiness, and work hard to erase Him altogether.

What Christ followers call “morality”, this enemy calls “toxic”.

Pain & suffering can lead to doubt and discouragement, and it can pull us away from God.

What Christ followers call “the refiners fire”, this enemy calls “meaningless”.

JUDE

THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF JUDE IS TO RIP THE TEETH OUT OF THE ENEMIES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

Destructive teachings found inside God’s Church today:

1. Hell isn’t actually a LITERAL PLACE.

2. The gospel is too EXCLUSIVE.

3. God’s standards on sexuality are OUTDATED AND IRRELEVANT.

4. Your right to BE HAPPY is more important than your responsibility to DO WHAT GOD SAYS IS RIGHT.

“Godless leaders” are undermining the faith in 2 ways:

1.They are encouraging God’s people to follow their SEXUAL INSTINCTS rather than God’s more restrictive instructions on SEXUAL MORALITY.

And their argument is “grace”.

“Godless leaders” are undermining the faith in 2 ways:

2.They are rejecting the AUTHORITY of Jesus.

Does Jesus really have the right to tell us what we can and cannot do with our own bodies?

Sex is designed by God to be a unique,

private, exclusive expression of intimacy

between a man and a woman

who have committed themselves to one another

in the sacred bond of marriage.

(Genesis 2:24-25; Mark 10:2-12)

WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?

1. UTTERLY REJECT leaders & teachings that contradict God’s Word. God’s not wrong. V17-19

2. INVEST in your relationship with God and ESTABLISH HABITS that will enrich your faith. V20-21

3. UNDO the work of these ungodly leaders & teachings by HELPING OTHERS discover the truth. V22-23

CONTEND FOR THE FAITH, GOD’S NOT WRONG.

GOD IS JUDGE. He’s done it before; He’ll do it again.

3 examples:

1. Ancient Israel

2. Angels who rebelled

3. Ancient cities

“NEXT STEPS”

- Which of the enemies mentioned today has the greatest influence in my life right now?

- Is there an area of belief or practice where I’ve begun to doubt God?

- When I consider things God has told me to do or not do, am I believing God is for me or do I think He's holding back on me?