WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.459 to the book of Jude. It's the second to last 00:00:03.459 --> 00:00:07.000 book of the Bible right before Revelation. It's 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:09.240 a short book, but a powerful book. One chapter, 00:00:09.339 --> 00:00:12.400 25 verses. We're going to look at Jude today. 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:33.759 Jude, let's look at verse three. Beloved, when 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:36.859 I gave all diligence to write unto you of the 00:00:36.859 --> 00:00:41.280 common salvation, it was needful for me to write 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:45.820 unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:50.539 contend for the faith which was once delivered 00:00:50.539 --> 00:00:54.619 unto the saints. This afternoon, I wanna preach 00:00:54.619 --> 00:00:58.679 about kingdom decision. by asking you a simple 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:02.659 but searching question. Are you a contender or 00:01:02.659 --> 00:01:08.120 are you a pretender? God's got a word for somebody 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:09.780 in this place today. I don't know about you, 00:01:09.819 --> 00:01:11.459 but I just want to receive all of that. I want 00:01:11.459 --> 00:01:14.420 to surrender to God. I don't want to rush past 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:16.159 this moment. Why don't you just lift your hands 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.019 in the air and just surrender to the Holy Ghost 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:22.120 right now. God is going to speak to you today. 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:25.810 God's going to challenge us today. The power 00:01:25.810 --> 00:01:30.010 of the Holy Ghost will move in this room. Let's 00:01:30.010 --> 00:01:33.650 prepare our hearts. Help us today, mighty God. 00:01:34.670 --> 00:01:39.290 Help us today, mighty God. We believe you today. 00:01:39.989 --> 00:01:45.250 We trust you today. Our ears are open. Our hearts 00:01:45.250 --> 00:01:47.849 are open. Our minds are open. We want to receive 00:01:47.849 --> 00:01:55.239 from you, God. Draw us closer to you, God. In 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:59.560 the name of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:04.739 Christ. The Lord bless you. You may be seated 00:02:04.739 --> 00:02:10.479 today. God's asking us a question today. Are 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:14.780 you a contender or a pretender? Do you contend 00:02:14.780 --> 00:02:17.580 for the faith or do you just pretend to fit in? 00:02:19.620 --> 00:02:23.020 I want to begin today by saying I'm very thankful 00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:26.490 for the word of God. God speaks very directly 00:02:26.490 --> 00:02:31.330 to our church family. And I make it a habit in 00:02:31.330 --> 00:02:33.789 my life, and I do my very best to never miss. 00:02:34.310 --> 00:02:37.469 I hear every message preached from behind this 00:02:37.469 --> 00:02:40.969 pulpit. If I'm in teaching the youth on Wednesday 00:02:40.969 --> 00:02:43.129 nights, that night, or maybe the next day at 00:02:43.129 --> 00:02:45.610 the latest, I'm hearing what God spoke to the 00:02:45.610 --> 00:02:48.550 adult Bible study class. If I'm out of town, 00:02:48.669 --> 00:02:50.789 I would encourage you, you gotta catch that service 00:02:50.789 --> 00:02:53.669 you miss. If you're here today in the noon service 00:02:53.669 --> 00:02:55.990 but you didn't hear the 930 message, it will 00:02:55.990 --> 00:02:59.930 bless you. It's available online. It's free to 00:02:59.930 --> 00:03:02.409 watch. It's something that will encourage you. 00:03:02.810 --> 00:03:06.330 Before you go and hear maybe another sermon that 00:03:06.330 --> 00:03:08.310 God shared to another church, why don't you make 00:03:08.310 --> 00:03:10.969 sure you receive everything that God spoke directly 00:03:10.969 --> 00:03:14.949 to your church through your pastor for your city. 00:03:18.370 --> 00:03:21.500 And so I've made that a habit. And I know I'm 00:03:21.500 --> 00:03:23.599 not the only one that can say they've heard every 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:26.020 sermon this year. But as someone who can say 00:03:26.020 --> 00:03:29.460 that, I want to tell you, and I've noticed through 00:03:29.460 --> 00:03:32.360 the years, that there are different seasons in 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:35.599 our church. And you can always know exactly where 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.539 we are based off the preached word of God that 00:03:38.539 --> 00:03:41.560 comes across this pulpit. And I would say that 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:43.780 this year, really it started at the very end 00:03:43.780 --> 00:03:45.580 of last year, the last Sunday of the year up 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:48.000 until this point. I would say that you could 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.599 weave a very common thread through all of the 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.280 messages. God is speaking very directly to his 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.879 church. And I believe this is what he is saying. 00:03:56.199 --> 00:04:01.099 God is drawing a line in the sand for us. God 00:04:01.099 --> 00:04:05.759 is making it obvious to us. He's making our choices 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:10.530 very clear. he's opening our eyes to an opportunity 00:04:10.530 --> 00:04:13.909 we have to choose one side or the other. But 00:04:13.909 --> 00:04:17.009 God is drawing a line in the sand and it's time 00:04:17.009 --> 00:04:20.110 for us to respond to what God is doing. It's 00:04:20.110 --> 00:04:23.029 time for us to decide if we're in this thing 00:04:23.029 --> 00:04:26.509 for real. It's time for us to decide if we will 00:04:26.509 --> 00:04:30.209 earnestly contend for the faith. You've heard 00:04:30.209 --> 00:04:32.990 many sermons this year talking about the kingdom 00:04:32.990 --> 00:04:36.250 of God. But it's always in the context of the 00:04:36.250 --> 00:04:39.250 kingdom of God versus the kingdom of the devil. 00:04:39.689 --> 00:04:43.050 The kingdom of heaven versus the kingdoms of 00:04:43.050 --> 00:04:46.699 this world. The kingdom of darkness versus the 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:50.600 kingdom of light. There are only two options. 00:04:50.819 --> 00:04:53.579 It's either the kingdom of God or it's the kingdoms 00:04:53.579 --> 00:04:56.540 of this world. In fact, it was just last week, 00:04:56.579 --> 00:04:59.720 Pastor Linder told us in the 930 service, he 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:03.319 told us that the kingdom of self is actually 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:07.199 just disguising itself. The kingdom of self is 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:10.300 not its own category. The kingdom of self is 00:05:10.300 --> 00:05:12.519 just a disguise for the kingdom of darkness. 00:05:12.819 --> 00:05:15.939 So please don't believe today that if I follow 00:05:15.939 --> 00:05:18.800 my own way and do what my flesh wants, that I'm 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:22.639 choosing choice letter C. That's not at all what's 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:25.220 happening. Each of our decisions, we are choosing 00:05:25.220 --> 00:05:28.199 the kingdom of God or we are choosing the kingdoms 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:31.000 of this world. Each of our decisions, we are 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:33.779 surrendering to the spirit of God or we are giving 00:05:33.779 --> 00:05:38.060 in to what our flesh. There are only two choices 00:05:38.060 --> 00:05:42.339 and you cannot be neutral. You have to pick a 00:05:42.339 --> 00:05:45.839 kingdom. You are either on king or team heaven 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:48.800 or you are on team hell. If I could just throw 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.160 it out there today. I heard another preacher 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:53.680 say once, he was more blunt than I said, so I'm 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:55.139 saying this, you don't think I'm that kind of 00:05:55.139 --> 00:05:57.899 guy. He said there's team heaven and there's 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:00.420 team hell and you have to be one. You can't be 00:06:00.420 --> 00:06:03.100 neutral. If you say you're neutral, you default 00:06:03.100 --> 00:06:06.189 to team hell. That's the kind of age that we're 00:06:06.189 --> 00:06:08.949 living in, if I could just preach it today. That's 00:06:08.949 --> 00:06:12.189 the kind of world, that's the kingdoms of this 00:06:12.189 --> 00:06:14.889 world and the kingdom of heaven. The spirit of 00:06:14.889 --> 00:06:17.970 God and our flesh are always fighting and God 00:06:17.970 --> 00:06:20.889 is telling his church, you have to choose what 00:06:20.889 --> 00:06:23.790 side you're on. You have to decide, am I in this 00:06:23.790 --> 00:06:26.470 thing for real? You have to decide, am I really 00:06:26.470 --> 00:06:30.610 sold out to the cause of Christ? This is a recurring 00:06:30.610 --> 00:06:34.189 theme in the Bible. Firstly, my mind goes to 00:06:34.189 --> 00:06:37.949 Joshua 24. We're all familiar with the verse 00:06:37.949 --> 00:06:40.730 where Joshua tells the people of Israel, as for 00:06:40.730 --> 00:06:43.670 me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And 00:06:43.670 --> 00:06:46.129 I love that verse. And I say, amen, brother Joshua. 00:06:46.290 --> 00:06:49.129 That's where I find myself too. But the beginning 00:06:49.129 --> 00:06:52.889 of that verse starts out this way. He says, choose 00:06:52.889 --> 00:06:58.019 you this day who you will serve. And if you read 00:06:58.019 --> 00:07:01.120 the verse in its entirety, he says, if you want 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.939 to serve the God of your fathers, the God that 00:07:04.939 --> 00:07:08.060 your great grandfather served, if you want to 00:07:08.060 --> 00:07:12.459 follow the traditions of your family, okay. And 00:07:12.459 --> 00:07:14.600 then he says, if you want to follow the God of 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:17.980 the Amalekites, if you want to follow the God 00:07:17.980 --> 00:07:20.500 of the people in the land that we dwell in right 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:24.259 now, he says, okay. And it's after all of that, 00:07:24.300 --> 00:07:26.639 laying out all the options, that Joshua says, 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:29.480 just so you know, as for me and my house, we 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:32.699 will serve the Lord. But at the premise of that, 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:36.120 it's not so much about serve God as it is Joshua 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:39.860 is saying, just decide. Stop straddling the fence. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:43.300 Stop pretending. Stop trying to have it both 00:07:43.300 --> 00:07:47.860 ways. He says, choose you this day, and God is 00:07:47.860 --> 00:07:50.399 speaking to heaven for you today. Choose you 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:54.750 today. What you're going to do. It's time to 00:07:54.750 --> 00:07:58.170 make a kingdom decision. It's time to make up 00:07:58.170 --> 00:08:01.949 your mind once and for all. My mind also goes 00:08:01.949 --> 00:08:05.790 to 1 Kings 18. This is Elijah on Mount Carmel. 00:08:05.850 --> 00:08:09.029 But before the fire comes down, the first part 00:08:09.029 --> 00:08:12.009 of that conversation is Elijah talking to the 00:08:12.009 --> 00:08:15.350 people of Israel. And he says, why do you halt 00:08:15.350 --> 00:08:18.269 between two opinions? In other words, why do 00:08:18.269 --> 00:08:21.509 you waver between two opinions? And again, he 00:08:21.509 --> 00:08:25.170 basically says, if God is God, serve him. If 00:08:25.170 --> 00:08:28.800 Bell is God, go ahead. Serve him. So the point 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:31.079 is not so much serve God, which of course is 00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:33.299 his intention, but that's not what he was saying. 00:08:33.419 --> 00:08:36.340 What he was saying was, whatever you do, decide. 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:39.460 I would rather you pick one side or the other 00:08:39.460 --> 00:08:42.440 than to pretend like you can have it both ways. 00:08:42.740 --> 00:08:45.860 Why are you wavering between two opinions? God 00:08:45.860 --> 00:08:48.820 is telling heaven view today as well. Today's 00:08:48.820 --> 00:08:52.440 the day to decide. Today's the day to decide 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:55.220 which way you're gonna go, who you're gonna follow, 00:08:55.379 --> 00:08:58.370 who you're gonna serve. God is asking us today 00:08:58.370 --> 00:09:02.730 to make a kingdom decision. In the book of Revelation, 00:09:03.110 --> 00:09:06.350 chapters two and three, Jesus, through John, 00:09:06.590 --> 00:09:09.769 writes a letter to each of the seven churches 00:09:09.769 --> 00:09:12.370 that were in, or seven of the churches, I should 00:09:12.370 --> 00:09:15.350 say, that were in modern day Turkey. And each 00:09:15.350 --> 00:09:18.009 of these churches, he had some good things to 00:09:18.009 --> 00:09:20.110 say about them. He had some bad things to say 00:09:20.110 --> 00:09:22.549 about them. But at the very end, the seventh 00:09:22.549 --> 00:09:26.490 letter, this is the letter to the church of Laodicea. 00:09:26.549 --> 00:09:29.409 In this particular case, Jesus actually has nothing 00:09:29.409 --> 00:09:31.730 good to say about them. They're the ones that 00:09:31.730 --> 00:09:34.409 quote unquote got on his nerves the most. And 00:09:34.409 --> 00:09:36.909 you know what his complaint was? He said, I would 00:09:36.909 --> 00:09:41.149 rather you be hot or be cold, but because you're 00:09:41.149 --> 00:09:44.120 lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. Can 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:46.899 you believe that Jesus literally said, I would 00:09:46.899 --> 00:09:49.360 rather you choose be on fire for the things of 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:53.899 God or just stop pretending like you care. I 00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:56.559 would rather that than you just be right in between. 00:09:56.820 --> 00:09:59.340 I would rather that than you just be completely 00:09:59.340 --> 00:10:03.360 inauthentic and pretend like you care. And we 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.360 see that in our lives as well. It's almost easier 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:08.759 in a sense if somebody were to leave the church 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:10.899 and were to do all these things they know they're 00:10:10.899 --> 00:10:13.799 not supposed to do. At that case, I would say 00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:15.320 that their heart knows that they're far from 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:18.080 God. And conviction can almost work on them and 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:21.139 God and his mercy can bring people back. But 00:10:21.139 --> 00:10:23.340 it's very dangerous where we find just a happy 00:10:23.340 --> 00:10:25.720 medium, where we're doing just enough to get 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:28.440 by, where we do just enough to ease our conscience. 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:31.100 Then almost we could lie to ourself and pretend 00:10:31.100 --> 00:10:35.740 like everything's okay. I'm sad for all the people 00:10:35.740 --> 00:10:37.779 that won't make heaven because they've never 00:10:37.779 --> 00:10:40.659 entered our church, but I'm even more sad for 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:42.399 the people that hear the preached word of God 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:45.320 every week, but never made a kingdom decision 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:48.879 to choose the kingdom of heaven over the kingdom 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:52.320 of darkness. God is telling his church today, 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:55.820 there are two options. This is not a multiple 00:10:55.820 --> 00:11:00.039 choice test. You're picking A or you're picking 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:03.889 B. That's it. There's no plan C. There's no other 00:11:03.889 --> 00:11:07.110 option. Choose you today who you will serve. 00:11:07.269 --> 00:11:12.169 It's time to make a kingdom decision. And that's 00:11:12.169 --> 00:11:14.490 what takes us to the question that God is asking 00:11:14.490 --> 00:11:17.570 us today. And I want you where you are to ask 00:11:17.570 --> 00:11:22.529 yourself honestly, am I a contender or a pretender? 00:11:23.289 --> 00:11:27.279 In the world of sports. analysts will talk about 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:31.100 contenders versus pretenders. Because every season, 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:34.519 there are teams that start strong. They win a 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:36.679 few games, they look impressive. They really 00:11:36.679 --> 00:11:39.700 seem to have it going on. Their statistics look 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:42.820 good. Their highlight reel looks great. And for 00:11:42.820 --> 00:11:45.299 a while, people begin to believe that they might 00:11:45.299 --> 00:11:48.799 win it all. But as the season goes on, the truth 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:52.279 begins to show. Sports commentators eventually 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:56.200 divide the teams into two categories, contenders 00:11:56.200 --> 00:12:00.399 and pretenders. A contender is a team that is 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:03.919 truly capable of winning the championship. They 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:07.159 have the depth and the discipline and the endurance 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:10.460 and the consistency to go the distance. But please 00:12:10.460 --> 00:12:15.690 notice, a pretender is not a terrible team. A 00:12:15.690 --> 00:12:18.690 pretender, in many cases, is a good team. To 00:12:18.690 --> 00:12:21.809 be in the conversation of, is this team a contender 00:12:21.809 --> 00:12:24.750 or a pretender, you have to be a good team to 00:12:24.750 --> 00:12:29.750 even be mentioned. Pretenders have talent. Pretenders 00:12:29.750 --> 00:12:33.129 win some games. Pretenders look impressive at 00:12:33.129 --> 00:12:36.889 times. But the problem is that they appear to 00:12:36.889 --> 00:12:40.000 be better than they really are. And so when the 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:43.019 pressure increases, when the competition gets 00:12:43.019 --> 00:12:46.519 stronger, when the season gets harder, the pretenders 00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:50.220 start to fade. I thought of this concept a few 00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:53.460 months ago, and I had thought, well, if I was 00:12:53.460 --> 00:12:55.440 preaching at the time, I said, well, I might 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:57.460 take an opportunity to pick on the Charlotte 00:12:57.460 --> 00:13:00.019 Hornets. I was going to say, you know, they're 00:13:00.019 --> 00:13:02.500 not contenders or pretenders. They're always 00:13:02.500 --> 00:13:05.840 the very last in the NBA. But wouldn't you know 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.740 it, three months later, over the past two or 00:13:07.740 --> 00:13:09.659 three weeks, they've been one of the best teams 00:13:09.659 --> 00:13:12.139 in the league. So I can't come up here today 00:13:12.139 --> 00:13:13.580 and say they're not even in the conversation. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.100 But I can tell you that the Charlotte Hornets 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:19.500 are pretenders. Because just because you won... 00:13:20.350 --> 00:13:23.389 15 of your last 20 games does not mean that you're 00:13:23.389 --> 00:13:25.889 gonna go very far in the playoffs. Just because 00:13:25.889 --> 00:13:31.450 you beat one of the best teams in one game on 00:13:31.450 --> 00:13:33.730 your own home court does not mean that you're 00:13:33.730 --> 00:13:36.070 gonna win in a best out of seven series. That's 00:13:36.070 --> 00:13:38.929 just not the case. So the Charlotte Hornets, 00:13:38.929 --> 00:13:41.409 while if you're a basketball fan in North Carolina, 00:13:41.610 --> 00:13:43.529 you have to be thrilled that they're doing so 00:13:43.529 --> 00:13:46.809 well, they're pretenders. They put a few games 00:13:46.809 --> 00:13:48.889 together well, but they don't have the talent 00:13:48.889 --> 00:13:52.330 and the experience to do this. And so on the 00:13:52.330 --> 00:13:54.409 talk shows, they're going to ask, are they contenders 00:13:54.409 --> 00:13:57.169 or are they pretenders? And while they're a good 00:13:57.169 --> 00:13:58.750 team and they have talent and they have potential, 00:13:59.049 --> 00:14:00.830 nobody thinks they're going to win the championship. 00:14:01.110 --> 00:14:03.669 So they're not a contender. They're a pretender. 00:14:04.629 --> 00:14:07.710 Today is Selection Sunday for March Madness. 00:14:07.750 --> 00:14:10.970 March Madness starts this week. And my Tar Heels, 00:14:10.990 --> 00:14:15.159 God bless. Poor guys. They're a really good team, 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:17.279 and they're going to be ranked, and I heard the 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:19.360 experts say they'll be like a six or seven seed. 00:14:19.820 --> 00:14:22.899 But they're going to be lucky if they're still 00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:24.480 playing basketball next week, if we're being 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:26.200 honest. They're not going to play basketball 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:29.419 in April. Their star player hurt his thumb. What 00:14:29.419 --> 00:14:33.799 are you going to do? They just lost in the quarterfinals 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:35.679 of their conference tournament. What are you 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:37.960 going to do? So I love the Tar Heels, and they're 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:40.820 a great team, but they're pretenders. Nobody's 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:43.559 picking them to win it all. So my point in all 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:47.220 of that is to say this. Contenders and pretenders 00:14:47.220 --> 00:14:49.879 are both really good teams. Please don't fall 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:52.340 for the lie that the contenders look like they 00:14:52.340 --> 00:14:54.179 have it going on and the pretenders, it's just 00:14:54.179 --> 00:14:57.500 so very obvious they don't stand a chance. That's 00:14:57.500 --> 00:15:00.779 a deception. Contenders and pretenders on the 00:15:00.779 --> 00:15:04.799 outside look the exact same. Contenders and pretenders 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:07.519 both seemingly have the potential to go all the 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.100 way. They seemingly have the potential to earn, 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:13.120 obtain that crown of life, but it's what's on 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:16.840 the inside that matters. Pretenders are good 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.159 teams. They fit in. They have potential, but 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:23.700 they do not have what it takes. And so the difference 00:15:23.700 --> 00:15:26.559 between contenders and pretenders is not talent. 00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:30.159 The difference is authenticity. The difference 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:34.590 is endurance. The difference is... The difference 00:15:34.590 --> 00:15:40.889 is having a made -up mind. And so let's use that 00:15:40.889 --> 00:15:44.129 example and go back to the imagery presented 00:15:44.129 --> 00:15:47.789 in the letter to the Laodicean church. People 00:15:47.789 --> 00:15:50.909 that are cold are not even in the conversation. 00:15:51.649 --> 00:15:55.070 That's not who this message is about today. It 00:15:55.070 --> 00:15:58.129 comes down to who is a contender, those that 00:15:58.129 --> 00:16:01.169 are hot, and who is a pretender, those that are 00:16:01.169 --> 00:16:04.879 lukewarm. And remember, please remember, Jesus 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.639 says he would rather you be cold than lukewarm. 00:16:09.259 --> 00:16:12.100 Jesus would rather you not even be in the conversation 00:16:12.100 --> 00:16:16.379 than to be a pretender. No matter what it looks 00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:19.679 like on the outside, Jesus would rather you just 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:22.820 be real to yourself and to those around you than 00:16:22.820 --> 00:16:25.519 do just enough to get by, just enough to keep 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:29.240 up appearances, just enough to get people off 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:32.200 your back, but not enough to be truly pleasing 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:35.679 and acceptable in the sight of God. That's why 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:39.240 God is asking us, are you a contender or a pretender? 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:42.840 But God is not asking us today because he's curious. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:46.909 He already knows. He sees your heart. He knows 00:16:46.909 --> 00:16:49.769 you better than you know. God is asking us this 00:16:49.769 --> 00:16:53.649 question today, so we will ask ourselves honestly, 00:16:54.009 --> 00:16:58.929 humbly, sincerely, ask yourself today, am I a 00:16:58.929 --> 00:17:03.789 contender or a pretender? Do I earnestly contend 00:17:03.789 --> 00:17:07.750 for the faith? Or do I just pretend to fit in? 00:17:07.910 --> 00:17:12.549 Because today is a perfect time to make a kingdom 00:17:12.549 --> 00:17:16.450 decision. Today is the perfect time to commend, 00:17:16.710 --> 00:17:21.250 to contend for the faith. Today's the time to 00:17:21.250 --> 00:17:24.450 commit. Today's the time to make up your mind. 00:17:24.650 --> 00:17:27.309 How long are you gonna waver between two opinions? 00:17:27.690 --> 00:17:31.069 God is drawing a line in the sand today and it's 00:17:31.069 --> 00:17:33.829 up to you to choose the right path. It's up to 00:17:33.829 --> 00:17:37.410 you to choose. choose to contend for the faith. 00:17:38.130 --> 00:17:41.430 And this is the exact issue that the book of 00:17:41.430 --> 00:17:44.869 Jude is about. Jude is writing to a church that 00:17:44.869 --> 00:17:48.230 had pretenders hiding among the contenders. And 00:17:48.230 --> 00:17:50.130 I want to read his letter today in the New Living 00:17:50.130 --> 00:17:53.460 Translation. While scholars believe that he sent 00:17:53.460 --> 00:17:56.539 his letters to Jewish Christians who are familiar 00:17:56.539 --> 00:18:00.180 with Hebrew teachings, he does not address an 00:18:00.180 --> 00:18:02.880 exact audience. In fact, it's likely scholars 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.819 say that this letter was circulated to numerous 00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:09.599 churches. But even beyond that, he identifies 00:18:09.599 --> 00:18:13.559 his audience in verse 1. He says that this letter 00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:19.099 is to all. who have been called by God, all who 00:18:19.099 --> 00:18:23.920 are loved by God, and all who are kept by God. 00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:27.079 A show of hands. Can anybody in here today say, 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:30.079 I have been called of God? Can anybody say, I 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:32.839 know that God loves me? Can anybody say, when 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:35.740 I look back over my life, God has kept me? Is 00:18:35.740 --> 00:18:45.420 that your testimony today? If that's your testimony, 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:48.059 then I want you to know that Jude has called 00:18:48.059 --> 00:18:50.619 you out directly. He's speaking to you today. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:54.359 In verse two, he prays that we will experience 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:58.460 God's three things, mercy, peace, and love. He 00:18:58.460 --> 00:19:01.640 prays that we have more and more mercy, peace, 00:19:01.980 --> 00:19:05.539 and love. And for Jude, this was a nice introduction, 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.220 but it is a short letter and he's not wasting 00:19:08.220 --> 00:19:11.500 any kind of time. Verse three, our main scripture 00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:14.279 for today is the main scripture of this book. 00:19:14.380 --> 00:19:16.940 And it completely turns the whole thing on its 00:19:16.940 --> 00:19:19.539 head. In the New Living Translation, he says, 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:22.680 I wanted to write to you about the salvation 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:25.980 that we all share. In other words, he's saying, 00:19:26.099 --> 00:19:29.180 I... really planned to write something that was 00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:32.480 encouraging or uplifting or causing you to focus 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:34.900 on the blessings of God and the favor of God. 00:19:35.609 --> 00:19:38.549 Can I say today that I relate? Probably every 00:19:38.549 --> 00:19:41.049 preacher in this room would say that Jude speaks 00:19:41.049 --> 00:19:44.670 for all of us. In my flesh, I would love nothing 00:19:44.670 --> 00:19:48.910 more than to preach a message that was very comfortable 00:19:48.910 --> 00:19:52.130 and convenient and a message that validates you. 00:19:52.230 --> 00:19:54.450 I think that would be very easy to preach. And 00:19:54.450 --> 00:19:56.329 in my flesh, that's what I would choose every 00:19:56.329 --> 00:19:59.980 given time. But just like Jude. We have to hear 00:19:59.980 --> 00:20:02.539 the word of God and we have to do what God says. 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:05.900 And sometimes we do need encouragement and uplifting. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:08.740 Sometimes we do need to be reminded of the love 00:20:08.740 --> 00:20:11.779 of God. But other times God is letting us know, 00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:15.200 I'm drawing a line in the sand. Sometimes God 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:18.680 sends the man of God behind the pulpit to tell 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:21.160 you, choose you this day who you will serve. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:23.859 And that's where Jude found himself. He planned 00:20:23.859 --> 00:20:26.519 to write an encouraging letter. You could frame 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:28.039 it and put it on your wall. It'd make you smile 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:30.740 every morning. But God wouldn't let him. Verse 00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:33.720 three, the entire thing changes. As he started 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:35.880 writing, he realized something that was happening 00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:39.160 in the church that he could not ignore. And so 00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:43.759 the NLT says that he urges us to defend the faith. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:47.559 In other words, the KJV, he urges us to contend 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:51.960 for the faith. To contend in the biblical context 00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:56.279 means to strive. It means to struggle. It even 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:59.980 means to argue. It means to argue earnestly in 00:20:59.980 --> 00:21:03.839 defense of the truth. Often this implies intense 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.799 spiritual or moral opposition. It means that 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.480 you refuse to let the truth be weakened or watered 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:15.460 down or compromised. To contend means to contest 00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:19.819 or to dispute or to fight. And so Jude is quite 00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:22.839 literally telling us some things are worth fighting 00:21:22.839 --> 00:21:26.920 for. It's not always a walk in the park following 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:30.480 God. This verse tells us to earnestly contend 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:34.559 for the faith. That word means to fight. Can 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:36.859 I tell you today that living for God, especially 00:21:36.859 --> 00:21:40.500 in the year 2026, is gonna take a fight each 00:21:40.500 --> 00:21:42.940 and every day. You are gonna have to decide. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:45.460 I don't care who else is doing it. I don't care 00:21:45.460 --> 00:21:47.779 what's popular. I don't care what's convenient. 00:21:47.980 --> 00:21:51.259 But every day, I'm gonna do what God is calling 00:21:51.259 --> 00:21:55.180 me to do. If I have to fight, I'm gonna fight. 00:21:55.400 --> 00:22:00.559 I'm gonna earnestly contend for the faith. Now 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:02.559 I would urge you, and the Bible does too, if 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:05.039 it's physical, if it's natural, if it's fleshly, 00:22:05.079 --> 00:22:08.519 yes, a mature Christian is gonna let it go. If 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:11.099 somebody cuts you off in traffic, it's not worth 00:22:11.099 --> 00:22:13.680 your time. If somebody says something to offend 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:16.640 you, the Bible says turn the other cheek. The 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:18.700 Bible says we're not fighting against flesh and 00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:22.539 blood. But please, do not use that approach for 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:25.839 spiritual things. Please do not use that approach 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:29.440 when truth is under attack. Can I preach to you 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:31.880 today that if somebody is questioning scripture, 00:22:32.220 --> 00:22:35.819 if it's compromising on holiness, if it's rebelling 00:22:35.819 --> 00:22:38.559 against spiritual authority, you've got to fight 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:41.579 with everything you've got. You've got to make 00:22:41.579 --> 00:22:44.819 up your mind to stand up for truth. You've got 00:22:44.819 --> 00:22:48.359 to make up your mind to contend for the faith 00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:51.480 that was once delivered to the saints. I'm trying 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:53.740 to preach some fight into somebody's spirit today. 00:22:54.519 --> 00:22:57.420 God is calling us today to contend for the faith. 00:22:57.700 --> 00:23:00.619 God is calling us today to make up our mind. 00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:05.299 Whose side are we on? Are we contenders or pretenders? 00:23:05.859 --> 00:23:09.319 Ephesians 6 and 12, like I said, maybe we don't 00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:12.299 fight against flesh and blood, but... We are 00:23:12.299 --> 00:23:14.940 still fighting. We're fighting against principalities. 00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:17.440 We're fighting against powers. We're fighting 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:19.640 against the rulers of the darkness of this world. 00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:22.319 We're fighting against spiritual wickedness in 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:25.539 high places. It is a fight. It is a struggle. 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:29.440 And God is calling you today to contend for the 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:32.819 faith. The truth is worth fighting for. Your 00:23:32.819 --> 00:23:36.160 family is worth fighting for. Your church is 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.700 worth fighting for. Your soul is worth fighting 00:23:39.700 --> 00:23:42.519 for. Don't roll over. and let the devil be in 00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:48.700 charge. You have the Holy Ghost. Don't let the 00:23:48.700 --> 00:23:51.359 devil decide his next move. No, no, no, you go 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:54.200 on the offense. You don't sit around and see 00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:56.200 what he's gonna do and I'll play defense and 00:23:56.200 --> 00:23:58.539 I'll react to what he does. No, no, no, God's 00:23:58.539 --> 00:24:01.220 calling somebody today to go on the offense and 00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:05.279 to take back territory and to fight and to earnestly 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:09.339 contend for the faith. It's gonna make a difference. 00:24:11.210 --> 00:24:13.829 It's gonna make a difference. You gotta fight 00:24:13.829 --> 00:24:17.329 for the faith. You can't be complacent. You can't 00:24:17.329 --> 00:24:19.910 be comfortable. You can't be convenient. Not 00:24:19.910 --> 00:24:22.509 in these last days. You gotta fight. You gotta 00:24:22.509 --> 00:24:32.230 earnestly contend for the faith. This verse says 00:24:32.230 --> 00:24:34.490 that it's the faith that was delivered to the 00:24:34.490 --> 00:24:37.920 saints. It is not something to be casually held 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:41.099 or loosely guarded. It is something that Jude 00:24:41.099 --> 00:24:44.779 says we must earnestly contend for. Jude tells 00:24:44.779 --> 00:24:47.460 us that it's time to make a kingdom decision. 00:24:47.740 --> 00:24:51.940 Jude tells us that it's time to contend. Why? 00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:55.799 Let's look at verse four. It's because Jude said 00:24:55.799 --> 00:25:00.619 that certain men had crept in unnoticed. They 00:25:00.619 --> 00:25:03.519 did not show up, by the way, announcing false 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:08.970 doctrine. These evil men blended in and they 00:25:08.970 --> 00:25:11.490 looked like everyone else. But what they were 00:25:11.490 --> 00:25:15.309 doing was dangerous. They were people that appeared 00:25:15.309 --> 00:25:18.410 spiritual, but were not truly committed to the 00:25:18.410 --> 00:25:21.910 faith. They were people who played the part perfectly, 00:25:22.109 --> 00:25:25.509 but they would compromise when truth was challenged. 00:25:25.750 --> 00:25:28.710 This verse says that they were turning the grace 00:25:28.710 --> 00:25:32.990 of God into an excuse for sinful living. They 00:25:32.990 --> 00:25:35.509 were basically saying that grace means you can 00:25:35.509 --> 00:25:38.769 live however you want. And Jude said that when 00:25:38.769 --> 00:25:41.829 people live like that, they are actually denying 00:25:41.829 --> 00:25:45.309 the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And so here's the 00:25:45.309 --> 00:25:49.069 difference. A pretender wants Jesus as Savior, 00:25:49.109 --> 00:25:52.990 but not as Lord. They want forgiveness, but they 00:25:52.990 --> 00:25:56.170 don't want authority. They want grace, but they 00:25:56.170 --> 00:25:58.930 don't want to change. But a contender understands 00:25:58.930 --> 00:26:03.170 something. The faith that saved me is the faith 00:26:03.170 --> 00:26:07.000 that leads me. The God that died on the cross 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:09.960 for me is the God that demands righteousness 00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:15.859 from me. So Jude's message is simple. Do not 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:19.400 just claim the faith. He says earnestly, contend, 00:26:19.400 --> 00:26:23.420 fight for the faith. Jude goes on to remind us 00:26:23.420 --> 00:26:25.980 that God has dealt with this pattern before. 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:29.240 People may start in the right place, but starting 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:32.019 right is not the same thing as staying faithful. 00:26:32.299 --> 00:26:35.599 He gives us three examples. First is verse five. 00:26:35.779 --> 00:26:39.539 He talks about Israel in the wilderness. God 00:26:39.539 --> 00:26:42.359 delivered them from Egypt, but many of them later 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:45.359 refused to believe in him. Deliverance did not 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:48.940 automatically produce faithfulness. The second 00:26:48.940 --> 00:26:51.759 example is verse six. He's talking. about the 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:54.960 rebellious angels who abandoned the place that 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:58.819 God gave them the third example is verse 7 Jude 00:26:58.819 --> 00:27:02.339 talks about Sodom and Gomorrah these cities that 00:27:02.339 --> 00:27:06.740 rejected God's design and pursued sinful desires 00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:11.259 and immoral pleasures in each case in each of 00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:13.680 these three examples the pattern is the exact 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:17.660 same Each of these three cases, they were exposed 00:27:17.660 --> 00:27:21.200 to God's truth, but they refused to submit to 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:24.400 it. They had the opportunity to stand, but they 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:28.920 chose, they willingly chose compromise. Pretenders, 00:27:29.019 --> 00:27:31.819 it's not a new thing. Pretenders have always 00:27:31.819 --> 00:27:35.500 existed. These are people that claim faith, but 00:27:35.500 --> 00:27:38.240 refuse obedience. People who want the blessings 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:42.339 of God without surrendering their lives. God 00:27:42.339 --> 00:27:46.319 is patient, but God does judge persistent rebellion. 00:27:46.660 --> 00:27:50.940 God does not take compromise lightly. And that's 00:27:50.940 --> 00:27:54.299 the danger of pretending. Because a pretender 00:27:54.299 --> 00:27:57.420 may look connected to God on the outside, but 00:27:57.420 --> 00:28:01.119 on the inside, they resist his authority. A contender, 00:28:01.180 --> 00:28:04.299 on the other hand, stays surrender. They don't 00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:07.180 just experience God, but they remain faithful 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:10.960 to him. And so Jude, still here in verse 7, clearly 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:16.339 warns us, you can be around truth and still rebel 00:28:16.339 --> 00:28:21.099 against it. You can sit on a pew beside a contender, 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:23.700 but it's still up to you if you're going to be 00:28:23.700 --> 00:28:26.680 a contender or a pretender. You can hear every 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:29.259 word preached from this pulpit, but if you don't 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:31.740 decide, I'm going to apply that to my life and 00:28:31.740 --> 00:28:34.900 earnestly contend for the faith you can miss 00:28:34.900 --> 00:28:38.940 out on the promises of God. Let's go down to 00:28:38.940 --> 00:28:41.960 verse 8. Jude describes the people causing trouble 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:45.180 in the church. Jude's a blunt guy, and I'm glad 00:28:45.180 --> 00:28:47.400 he said it so I don't have to. If you don't like 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:50.859 this, blame Jude. They follow their own sinful 00:28:50.859 --> 00:28:54.680 desires, he says in verse 8. Verse 10, they reject 00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:58.180 authority and speak arrogantly about things that 00:28:58.180 --> 00:29:01.759 they don't understand. In verse 11, he compares 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.680 pretenders in this case to several bad examples. 00:29:04.940 --> 00:29:08.690 The first is Cain. Cain was driven by jealousy 00:29:08.690 --> 00:29:13.230 and hatred. The second is Balaam. Balaam was 00:29:13.230 --> 00:29:15.809 motivated by greed. He didn't have any integrity. 00:29:15.930 --> 00:29:18.269 He just went to the highest bidder, which is 00:29:18.269 --> 00:29:21.190 so pathetic. But God, in this case, is comparing 00:29:21.190 --> 00:29:26.450 people that are messing up his church, people 00:29:26.450 --> 00:29:29.170 that are not contending, people that are trying 00:29:29.170 --> 00:29:31.390 to take advantage of people. He's comparing them 00:29:31.390 --> 00:29:34.799 to Balaam. The last example he used, perhaps 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:37.640 the most sobering example, is Korah, who was 00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:40.519 rebellious against God -appointed leadership. 00:29:41.259 --> 00:29:44.640 Each of these people, Cain, Balaam, Korah, all 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:47.380 of them looked significant in their moment, but 00:29:47.380 --> 00:29:50.859 they were not contenders for the faith. They 00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:54.779 were pretenders who ultimately opposed the purposes 00:29:54.779 --> 00:29:59.529 of God. And so Jude also gives us vivid metaphors 00:29:59.529 --> 00:30:02.069 for them. This is verse 12. He says that they 00:30:02.069 --> 00:30:04.950 are hidden dangers. He says that they are selfish 00:30:04.950 --> 00:30:07.569 shepherds. He says they don't produce fruit. 00:30:07.710 --> 00:30:09.950 They're clouds with no rain. They're trees with 00:30:09.950 --> 00:30:13.109 no fruit. Verse 13, he calls them wild waves. 00:30:13.349 --> 00:30:16.430 He calls them wandering stars. So here's his 00:30:16.430 --> 00:30:20.809 point. These people look impressive, but produce 00:30:20.809 --> 00:30:24.740 nothing good. They look useful, but these people 00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:27.519 are actually dangerous. These people you actually 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:30.680 have to watch out for. They are not fighting 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:33.700 the good fight of faith. Instead, they are leading 00:30:33.700 --> 00:30:37.039 others astray. And so now we go to verse 14, 00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:39.839 and Jude quotes a prophecy that's attributed 00:30:39.839 --> 00:30:43.559 back to Enoch in Genesis. And he says, the Lord 00:30:43.559 --> 00:30:48.380 will come for his holy ones, but, verse 15, he 00:30:48.380 --> 00:30:52.059 will judge the ungodly for the rebellion. In 00:30:52.059 --> 00:30:54.519 other words, God sees their behavior and they 00:30:54.519 --> 00:30:57.920 will not escape accountability. I'm trying to 00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:59.460 draw a line in the sand today. I hope this is 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:02.539 okay. I want to read verse 16 verbatim, exactly 00:31:02.539 --> 00:31:04.839 the way Jude wrote it in the New Living Translation. 00:31:05.079 --> 00:31:08.900 These people are grumblers and complainers, living 00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:12.799 only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:16.240 about themselves and they flatter others to get 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:21.259 what they want. But Jude does not leave us in 00:31:21.259 --> 00:31:24.000 discouragement. He tells us that we should expect 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:26.380 this kind of opposition. Let's look at verse 00:31:26.380 --> 00:31:29.599 17. Jude reminds us that the apostles already 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.680 warned us that this would happen. Verse 18, the 00:31:32.680 --> 00:31:35.740 Bible says that in the last days, mockers will 00:31:35.740 --> 00:31:38.619 appear. They will follow their ungodly desires. 00:31:39.059 --> 00:31:42.299 Verse 19, they will cause division in the church. 00:31:42.519 --> 00:31:46.039 They are not guided by the Spirit. But thankfully, 00:31:46.140 --> 00:31:49.619 Jude tells us how to respond. you to know today, 00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:54.240 the answer to pretenders is not panic. The answer 00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:58.359 to pretenders is strong contenders. The answer 00:31:58.359 --> 00:32:01.420 to things going the wrong way are people that 00:32:01.420 --> 00:32:03.619 will decide I'm going to do the right thing even 00:32:03.619 --> 00:32:06.549 more. I'm not gonna sit around and worry about 00:32:06.549 --> 00:32:08.390 what they're doing. I'm not gonna worry about 00:32:08.390 --> 00:32:10.710 all that mess I can't control anyway. I'm not 00:32:10.710 --> 00:32:13.329 fighting flesh or blood. I'm gonna be who God's 00:32:13.329 --> 00:32:15.930 calling me to be. If you're pretending, okay, 00:32:16.029 --> 00:32:19.490 I'm going to earnestly contend for the faith. 00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:23.400 And so instead of getting pulled into the chaos, 00:32:23.700 --> 00:32:27.420 Jude tells us to do this instead. Verse 20, build 00:32:27.420 --> 00:32:29.680 up your faith and stay rooted in God's truth. 00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:32.920 He tells us to pray in the Holy Ghost. Verse 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:36.240 21, he tells us to remain in God's love while 00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:39.920 waiting for eternal life. Verse 22, show mercy 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:42.720 to those that are struggling with doubt. But 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:45.319 then verse 23, and this is important, rescue 00:32:45.319 --> 00:32:48.980 others who are close to falling into sin, but... 00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:53.299 Help them carefully, staying spiritually alert 00:32:53.299 --> 00:32:56.640 so that you yourself are not pulled into the 00:32:56.640 --> 00:33:01.420 same sins. So Jude rather leaves us with the 00:33:01.420 --> 00:33:04.420 question, will we be pretenders who blend in 00:33:04.420 --> 00:33:08.619 or will we be contenders who stand up? Because 00:33:08.619 --> 00:33:12.180 this is my message today. Every believer. Maybe 00:33:12.180 --> 00:33:14.599 nothing in the book of Jude applies to you directly, 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:18.500 but every believer will face a moment when the 00:33:18.500 --> 00:33:21.740 pressure is on. Every person in this room today, 00:33:21.819 --> 00:33:24.720 every person joining online, you will face a 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:27.779 moment when compromise would be easier. You will 00:33:27.779 --> 00:33:31.519 face a moment when everyone else bows. Every 00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:34.660 believer will have to make a kingdom decision. 00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:37.740 And in that moment, it's going to matter if you're 00:33:37.740 --> 00:33:42.579 a contender or a pretender. And so up to this 00:33:42.579 --> 00:33:44.740 point in Jude, Jude has shown us that throughout 00:33:44.740 --> 00:33:47.440 history, there have been two kinds of people 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:50.759 around the people of God, and that's contenders 00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:53.640 and that's pretenders. That's people who truly 00:33:53.640 --> 00:33:57.420 stand up for truth versus people who only appear 00:33:57.420 --> 00:34:01.019 to. And so I would say that if you want to see 00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:04.519 a perfect picture of this principle in the Bible, 00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:06.599 you would have to look in the book of Daniel. 00:34:07.210 --> 00:34:09.889 When Babylon conquered Judah, this is in the 00:34:09.889 --> 00:34:12.170 very beginning of Daniel 1. This is what the 00:34:12.170 --> 00:34:15.510 book starts with. When Babylon conquered Judah, 00:34:15.630 --> 00:34:18.789 the Babylonians did not take everyone captive. 00:34:19.469 --> 00:34:22.690 They did not. The Bible says that they specifically 00:34:22.690 --> 00:34:26.369 selected the strongest, the brightest, and the 00:34:26.369 --> 00:34:31.130 most promising young men. The weak people stayed 00:34:31.130 --> 00:34:35.619 behind. The unremarkable stayed behind. The ones 00:34:35.619 --> 00:34:37.440 who were not even in the conversation to begin 00:34:37.440 --> 00:34:41.019 with, they stayed home in Judah. But the young 00:34:41.019 --> 00:34:44.059 men who were taken to Babylon really were the 00:34:44.059 --> 00:34:46.179 best of the best. They were intelligent. They 00:34:46.179 --> 00:34:47.960 were talented. They were disciplined. They were 00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:50.900 impressive. And if you had looked on the outside 00:34:50.900 --> 00:34:54.449 of that group of young men, When they first arrived 00:34:54.449 --> 00:34:56.670 in Babylon, you would have thought to yourself, 00:34:56.929 --> 00:35:00.050 these guys are all contenders. On the outside, 00:35:00.269 --> 00:35:02.949 they all had it together. Again, the people that 00:35:02.949 --> 00:35:04.750 were not in the conversation, the cold people, 00:35:04.969 --> 00:35:07.670 they were still home in Babylon. It was only 00:35:07.670 --> 00:35:12.289 the seemingly contenders that were taken to Babylon. 00:35:12.889 --> 00:35:15.389 But it did not take very long for separation 00:35:15.389 --> 00:35:18.929 to happen. It did not take very long for them 00:35:18.929 --> 00:35:21.269 to figure out who was willing to pretend, who 00:35:21.269 --> 00:35:24.750 was willing to just go along to get along versus 00:35:24.750 --> 00:35:27.449 who had already decided that they would contend. 00:35:27.650 --> 00:35:31.289 Because unknowingly, the king, he gave them a 00:35:31.289 --> 00:35:33.170 test as soon as they got there. As soon as they 00:35:33.170 --> 00:35:35.969 got to Babylon, the Bible says that they were 00:35:35.969 --> 00:35:38.409 offered the king's meat and the king's wine. 00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:41.800 Now, on the surface, I will admit with you, this 00:35:41.800 --> 00:35:45.340 may not seem like a big deal. This is not exactly 00:35:45.340 --> 00:35:48.260 a fiery furnace. This is not a lion's den. This 00:35:48.260 --> 00:35:51.780 is not a life or death situation. On the surface, 00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:54.659 this just appears to be lunch. This just appears 00:35:54.659 --> 00:35:58.400 to be a meal. But that small test exposed something 00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:03.539 important. Almost all of the young men that were... 00:36:03.900 --> 00:36:06.039 were there that were captured, that were taken 00:36:06.039 --> 00:36:08.539 to Babylon. Almost all of them just went along 00:36:08.539 --> 00:36:11.460 with the program. They ate the king's food. They 00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:14.260 drank the king's wine. They adjusted to Babylon. 00:36:14.539 --> 00:36:17.400 They did their best to fit in. They looked like 00:36:17.400 --> 00:36:19.920 contenders on the outside, but on the inside, 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:21.920 who they really were, they were actually just 00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:24.889 pretenders. But the Bible tells us in Daniel 00:36:24.889 --> 00:36:28.369 chapter 1 that Daniel purposed in his heart that 00:36:28.369 --> 00:36:32.150 he would not defile himself. And following his 00:36:32.150 --> 00:36:35.329 example were three Hebrew young men named Shadrach, 00:36:35.510 --> 00:36:38.789 Meshach, and Abednego. This was long before the 00:36:38.789 --> 00:36:41.409 fiery furnace. This was before their confrontation 00:36:41.409 --> 00:36:44.730 with the king. This was before their famous moment 00:36:44.730 --> 00:36:48.170 of trust in God. They were already contending 00:36:48.170 --> 00:36:52.230 for the faith. As soon as the book starts, even 00:36:52.230 --> 00:36:54.820 when it's... a seemingly small deal, these four 00:36:54.820 --> 00:36:58.619 young men were already contending for the faith. 00:36:59.000 --> 00:37:01.900 Because real contenders don't suddenly become 00:37:01.900 --> 00:37:05.619 strong when the big moment arrives. It's not 00:37:05.619 --> 00:37:07.460 a I'll fake it till I make it kind of situation. 00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:10.019 It's not a well I know the truth and I'll figure 00:37:10.019 --> 00:37:13.039 it out when I get there. Contenders don't just 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:15.239 figure it out in that big moment when everybody's 00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:18.019 eyes are on them. These four young men had already 00:37:18.019 --> 00:37:21.099 been faithful in the small moments. Can I put 00:37:21.099 --> 00:37:23.800 it to you like this way? Daniel would have never 00:37:23.800 --> 00:37:26.800 defied the king and prayed three times a day 00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:29.239 if he could not even stand up to the king's menu. 00:37:30.570 --> 00:37:33.869 The three young Hebrew men would never have faced 00:37:33.869 --> 00:37:36.210 the death of the fiery furnace and still did 00:37:36.210 --> 00:37:38.610 what God was called them to do if they could 00:37:38.610 --> 00:37:41.429 not even decide, I'm not going to eat that, I'm 00:37:41.429 --> 00:37:44.150 not going to drink that. There was a moment where 00:37:44.150 --> 00:37:46.289 they could have very easily gotten away with 00:37:46.289 --> 00:37:48.230 it, and nobody would have cared, and it would 00:37:48.230 --> 00:37:50.309 have been so comfortable and convenient that 00:37:50.309 --> 00:37:52.829 they actually in that moment proved themselves, 00:37:52.949 --> 00:37:55.489 and later when it was a big thing, they already 00:37:55.489 --> 00:37:58.170 knew who they were. But they had to take a stand 00:37:58.170 --> 00:38:00.599 before that. They had to decide that they were 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:03.739 earnestly going to contend for the faith. And 00:38:03.739 --> 00:38:05.840 so you could say that Daniel chapter one was 00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:08.980 the training ground. It was in this moment where 00:38:08.980 --> 00:38:11.860 the contenders separated themselves from the 00:38:11.860 --> 00:38:15.079 pretenders. And that separation becomes crystal 00:38:15.079 --> 00:38:18.880 clear in Daniel chapter three. King Nebuchadnezzar 00:38:18.880 --> 00:38:21.719 built a massive golden image and he commanded 00:38:21.719 --> 00:38:24.900 everyone in the kingdom to bow down to it. And 00:38:24.900 --> 00:38:28.300 so when the music played, everyone bowed. Government 00:38:28.300 --> 00:38:32.519 leaders bowed. Military leaders bowed. Educational 00:38:32.519 --> 00:38:35.690 leaders, they bowed. Thousands upon thousands 00:38:35.690 --> 00:38:38.590 of people bowed, but standing in the middle of 00:38:38.590 --> 00:38:41.590 that crowd were three young men who had already, 00:38:41.789 --> 00:38:44.929 before that point, they had already made their 00:38:44.929 --> 00:38:47.369 decision. They had already made up their mind. 00:38:47.489 --> 00:38:49.690 They had already decided that they were gonna 00:38:49.690 --> 00:38:53.230 contend for the faith. They had already proven 00:38:53.230 --> 00:38:56.389 themselves in the smaller test. And so when the 00:38:56.389 --> 00:38:59.530 music played, these three young men by themselves 00:38:59.530 --> 00:39:03.190 stayed standing, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 00:39:03.639 --> 00:39:05.340 And when you read the story, the king gave him 00:39:05.340 --> 00:39:07.159 another chance. He says, well, maybe you didn't 00:39:07.159 --> 00:39:09.440 understand or maybe you didn't hear. Maybe you 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:11.679 got bad knees. I don't know. But I want to give 00:39:11.679 --> 00:39:14.760 you one more chance. We're going to play the 00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:17.239 music again. And I want to be crystal clear. 00:39:17.380 --> 00:39:19.659 If you do not bow, you are going to be thrown 00:39:19.659 --> 00:39:22.139 into that fiery furnace to your death. In fact, 00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:25.719 for fun, let's make it seven times harder. Let's 00:39:25.719 --> 00:39:28.280 make your decision easier. If you do not bow 00:39:28.280 --> 00:39:31.420 when the music plays, you will be thrown to your 00:39:31.420 --> 00:39:34.289 death in that fiery furnace. That's exactly what 00:39:34.289 --> 00:39:37.389 he told them. But like I said, before this point, 00:39:37.449 --> 00:39:39.090 not here in this big moment with everybody's 00:39:39.090 --> 00:39:41.969 eyes on him, before this point, they had already 00:39:41.969 --> 00:39:44.150 dedicated themselves to the cause of Christ. 00:39:44.349 --> 00:39:47.010 Before this point, they had already decided that 00:39:47.010 --> 00:39:50.429 they were gonna contend for the faith. And these 00:39:50.429 --> 00:39:52.829 three young men responded with one of the most 00:39:52.829 --> 00:39:55.789 powerful statements of faith in the entire Bible. 00:39:55.909 --> 00:39:59.750 This is Daniel chapter 3, 17. Our God is able 00:39:59.750 --> 00:40:03.230 to deliver us from the fiery furnace. Verse 18, 00:40:03.469 --> 00:40:11.949 but if not, we still will not bow. God's able 00:40:11.949 --> 00:40:15.409 to do it, but if he doesn't do it, I didn't come 00:40:15.409 --> 00:40:18.030 this far to give up now. I didn't make all these 00:40:18.030 --> 00:40:20.929 sacrifices and disciplines to be who God's calling 00:40:20.929 --> 00:40:23.690 me to be, to throw it all away now. I'm going 00:40:23.690 --> 00:40:29.380 to earnestly contend for the faith. I'm not gonna 00:40:29.380 --> 00:40:31.300 pretend. I'm not just gonna go to get along. 00:40:31.619 --> 00:40:34.199 I have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:40:34.519 --> 00:40:36.500 It doesn't matter how hard it is. I wanna do 00:40:36.500 --> 00:40:39.659 the right thing. I wanna earnestly contend for 00:40:39.659 --> 00:40:43.119 the faith. That is the difference between a contender 00:40:43.119 --> 00:40:47.119 and a pretender. A pretender bows when the pressure 00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:50.920 rises, but a contender stands no matter the cost. 00:40:51.159 --> 00:40:54.659 A pretender blends in with the crowd, but a contender 00:40:54.659 --> 00:40:57.639 promotes the truth even if they are the only 00:40:57.639 --> 00:41:00.139 one. And the Bible tells us that these three 00:41:00.139 --> 00:41:02.980 men were thrown into the furnace. But when the 00:41:02.980 --> 00:41:05.960 king looked into the fire, he did not see three 00:41:05.960 --> 00:41:09.440 young men burning. He saw four men standing, 00:41:09.780 --> 00:41:13.860 rejoicing, victorious. Can I tell you today, 00:41:13.980 --> 00:41:16.960 if you will contend for the faith, God is not 00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:19.840 going to abandon you. If you get thrown into 00:41:19.840 --> 00:41:23.059 the fire, God will be there right with you. If 00:41:23.059 --> 00:41:25.800 you will stand for the things of God, God will 00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:29.269 stand for you. Let's stand all across this room 00:41:29.269 --> 00:41:35.690 and worship the Lord. God's got your back. Don't 00:41:35.690 --> 00:41:38.510 think you're doing this by yourself. Don't think 00:41:38.510 --> 00:41:41.309 you're the only one. No, no, no. God's got your 00:41:41.309 --> 00:41:44.829 back. If you will stand for what matters to God, 00:41:45.030 --> 00:41:48.530 he'll have your back. If you will earnestly contend 00:41:48.530 --> 00:41:51.269 for the faith, if you will earnestly stand for 00:41:51.269 --> 00:41:54.460 the truth, God is faithful. God will provide 00:41:54.460 --> 00:41:57.960 for you God will protect you God will go into 00:41:57.960 --> 00:42:06.869 the fire with you I believe today that that is 00:42:06.869 --> 00:42:10.050 exactly what God is asking from us in this room 00:42:10.050 --> 00:42:13.670 right now. Not just to say that we believe. Not 00:42:13.670 --> 00:42:17.269 just to look the part. Not just to blend into 00:42:17.269 --> 00:42:20.969 the culture. God is calling us to earnestly contend 00:42:20.969 --> 00:42:26.190 for the faith. Because sooner or later, everyone, 00:42:26.530 --> 00:42:30.190 every believer, every person in this room will 00:42:30.190 --> 00:42:32.909 face their moment. It will be a moment where 00:42:32.909 --> 00:42:35.900 compromise would be a lot easier. It would be 00:42:35.900 --> 00:42:38.599 in a moment where everyone else is bowing to 00:42:38.599 --> 00:42:41.139 an idol. It will be in a moment where the pressure 00:42:41.139 --> 00:42:44.880 is real. So I want to encourage you, go ahead 00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:47.960 and make up your mind today. Go ahead in this 00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:50.739 service right now and make a kingdom decision. 00:42:51.559 --> 00:42:54.619 Let me ask you again, are you contending for 00:42:54.619 --> 00:42:58.280 the faith or are you just pretending to fit in? 00:42:59.079 --> 00:43:02.219 Because one day, every one of us will come to 00:43:02.219 --> 00:43:05.219 the end of our life. None of us were not promised 00:43:05.219 --> 00:43:08.320 tomorrow or it could be at the very years and 00:43:08.320 --> 00:43:11.360 years from here. But whenever it happens, however 00:43:11.360 --> 00:43:13.599 it happens, each of us will come to the end of 00:43:13.599 --> 00:43:16.780 our life. And in that moment, the question will 00:43:16.780 --> 00:43:19.719 not be, what did you claim to be? The question 00:43:19.719 --> 00:43:22.280 would not be, what did you pretend to be? The 00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:24.340 question will be, did you do the right thing? 00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:27.920 Did you stand up for truth? Did you earnestly 00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:32.099 contend for the faith? My prayer is that everyone 00:43:32.099 --> 00:43:35.539 here today can say what the Apostle Paul said 00:43:35.539 --> 00:43:40.280 in 2 Timothy 4 and 7. He tells Timothy, I have 00:43:40.280 --> 00:43:43.360 fought a good fight. I have finished my course. 00:43:43.659 --> 00:43:47.780 I have kept the faith. I have earnestly contended 00:43:47.780 --> 00:43:52.650 for the faith. I believe that today God is looking 00:43:52.650 --> 00:43:56.010 for people who will say, I will not bow to the 00:43:56.010 --> 00:43:59.670 culture. I will not bow to compromise. I will 00:43:59.670 --> 00:44:03.590 not bow to sin. I will not bow to the spirit 00:44:03.590 --> 00:44:07.590 of this world. I'm not a pretender. I'm a contender. 00:44:07.650 --> 00:44:10.530 And I'm going to contend for the faith. If that's 00:44:10.530 --> 00:44:12.989 you, will you come to this altar right now? And 00:44:12.989 --> 00:44:15.070 would you lift your hands in the air? And would 00:44:15.070 --> 00:44:17.940 you surrender everything to God? Would you come 00:44:17.940 --> 00:44:20.039 right now and would you pray with your outside 00:44:20.039 --> 00:44:22.840 voice? And would you let God know I'm in this 00:44:22.840 --> 00:44:26.400 thing for real? I'm not in this because it's 00:44:26.400 --> 00:44:28.699 convenient or comfortable. I'm not in this for 00:44:28.699 --> 00:44:31.699 the blessings. I'm in this because right is right 00:44:31.699 --> 00:44:34.820 and wrong is wrong. I'm in this because it's 00:44:34.820 --> 00:44:37.360 the kingdom of heaven versus the kingdoms of 00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:40.260 this world. I'm in this because it's the spirit 00:44:40.260 --> 00:44:42.460 of God versus my flesh.