1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Well, I appreciate the birthday greetings. How kind of you. 2 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:18,400 It's been a nice birthday. I always enjoy birthdays considering the alternative. 3 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:26,080 Although I'm not afraid either of what that would bring, I nonetheless enjoy having birthdays. 4 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:30,520 I think you understand the mixed emotions there. 5 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:36,200 And it's good to have my parents here this weekend, my stepfather and mother, Mr. and 6 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,960 Mrs. John Duffield. I'm not sure where they are, but they're here somewhere. Where are 7 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:46,960 you? Thank you. It's good to have them here. And of course, I'm especially grateful for 8 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:52,240 my mother because without her part, this day would be impossible. 9 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:59,240 It's good to have the Hexhams back from California, too, and maybe some others of you who have 10 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,800 been traveling. Tonight we're going to turn again to the book 11 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:09,800 of Jude for our study in the Word of God and possibly finish the book tonight. I hate to 12 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:16,800 commit myself ahead of time, but my intentions are good. We intend to finish it beginning 13 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:26,840 with verse 17 of Jude. He has these words, but you, beloved, ought 14 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:33,840 to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:47,880 that they were saying to you, in the last time there shall be mockers following after 16 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:54,880 their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid 17 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:04,320 of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying 18 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:13,640 in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy 19 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:20,640 of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are doubting. Save 20 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:28,840 others, snatching them out of the fire. And on some, have mercy with fear, hating even 21 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:35,640 the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling 22 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:42,640 and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, blameless, with great joy, to the only 23 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:49,640 God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority 24 00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:58,920 before all time and now and forever. Amen. After the harsh words describing the false 25 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:09,360 teachers and their damnation coming from the hand of God, Jude now turns to speak to those 26 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:16,360 of us who know Christ. You notice that twice in our text he says, but you, beloved. In 27 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:23,960 other words, what we anticipate, what we enjoy now from God is the opposite of that which 28 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:31,440 false teachers know and shall know. He turns from the denunciation of those people to an 29 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:38,440 exhortation to believers whom he calls beloved of God. That is the special objects of God's 30 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:47,640 tender love and mercies. Jude addresses believers who are facing what he calls the last time. 31 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:54,640 You notice that in verse 18? We are living in those days. There is one sense in which 32 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:03,840 we have been living in them in this whole age, but I believe there is a special sense 33 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:10,840 in which we now in this generation are living in the last days. And I believe that we are 34 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:17,840 living in the last days. I never cease to be amazed how things are falling together 35 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:31,560 toward the program prophesied by God thousands of years ago. Just this morning after one 36 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:38,560 of the services, one of our young men handed me a letter that he received this last week 37 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:47,280 unsolicited. It was one of those bulk mailing letters. It was sent to him from the World 38 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:55,920 Federalists Association. In the letter was a brochure, nicely printed, and on that they 39 00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:02,920 have placed their logo including these words, world peace through world law with justice. 40 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:18,200 And so I was quite curious as to what they were advocating. Basically this particular 41 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:25,200 plea is for disarmament of the United States and of other nations as well. And among some 42 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:32,560 of the other statements they say, will the world go on drifting until some spark ignites 43 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:39,000 the powder keg? Can the U.S. with 6% of the world's population continue to consume over 44 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:46,000 30% of its resources? The World Federalists Association says no. We agree with Pope John 45 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:53,000 Paul II that it is necessary to make a continuing and energetic effort to do away with the very 46 00:05:53,000 --> 00:06:00,000 possibility of war. A nuclear freeze is only the first though vital step. We need a structure 47 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:06,320 which will guarantee there will never be a thaw. We need a system capable of ensuring 48 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:13,320 not only peace and observance of international law, but also a just world and equitable use 49 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:20,320 of its resources. Interesting thought. How will this be done? Well they say the Constitution 50 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:28,700 of the United States is one model. Another model is what they call the seabed authority 51 00:06:28,700 --> 00:06:34,560 under the law of the sea. Now I'm not familiar with that. I probably should be and I intend 52 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:41,560 to be. But here are some of the things that they suggest are principal points under their 53 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:48,560 seabed authority. Compulsory, dispute solving machinery. Two nations get in a fight, somebody 54 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:56,520 steps in and orders them, this is the way it's going to be. A tiered voting structure 55 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:02,840 reflecting global economic and population realities. Now I'm not sure all that that 56 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:09,840 means but I've got an idea of what it means. Enforcement procedures applicable to nations, 57 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:16,840 corporations and individuals. They say the priority need is this. The most difficult 58 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:27,200 international authority to attain is probably one for security through disarmament. It is 59 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:32,160 a prerequisite for an orderly, equitable, prosperous and peaceful world. Establishment of a true 60 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:37,320 world security system is essential for humanity's survival. Equally important it would free 61 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:44,320 the billions now spent worldwide on armaments to help meet rising expectations in the developing 62 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:51,360 world. Their program includes search for world security and they are pushing for disarmament 63 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:59,280 as I've said. They also are pushing for global education. They are assisting teachers and 64 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:06,280 students with materials and counseling regarding inclusion of global content in current curriculum. 65 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:13,160 In other words what they're pushing for is one world government and they want to see 66 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:20,160 that put into the textbooks. Their association was a participant in the caravan for human 67 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:28,840 survival which culminated at the United Nations on UN day. Some 35,000 signatures endorsing 68 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:34,840 the humanist manifesto were collected from 80 campuses for presentation to the secretary 69 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:41,840 general. Then they give some of their like minded associations in organizations such 70 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:51,560 as Campaign for UN Reform, Institute for World Order, Planetary Citizens, Global Education 71 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:57,960 Associates, UNA-USA and Parliamentarians for World Order. Now you remember a few weeks 72 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:04,960 ago I brought to our attention the New Age Movement. These are the very same organizations 73 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:11,520 that are part of that. So this is all tied in together except this one is called the 74 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:18,040 World Federalist Associations. Now here's what can be done. If you believe that the 75 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:25,040 human race is one large family as major religions of the world hold, if you believe that ever 76 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:32,040 increasing military expenditures are no guarantee of peace, if you believe that the ingenuity 77 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:39,040 of the human race, that's an interesting word, ingenuity of the human race which has 78 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:43,800 created threats to our planet survival can also create the means of coping with those 79 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:49,760 threats and ensure its own survival, if you believe war is obsolete as a means of settling 80 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:56,760 disputes and it is time to create a cooperative world security system, if you believe the 81 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:02,400 world is already technologically and commercially interdependent and it is time for the political 82 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:09,400 structures to keep pace, then join us and help to advance our common beliefs. Among 83 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:17,160 those who are on the advisory board are Steve Allen, John Denver, John B. Anderson who ran 84 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:24,160 for president a couple of years ago and Theodore Hesburgh, president of Notre Dame University 85 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:30,720 and there are some other names there as well and they quote Bertrand Russell and Pope John 86 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:37,720 Paul II as assisting them in their goal. Now if I didn't know better I would say that 87 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:44,720 that was published by Antichrist himself, on the other hand maybe it was. You see this 88 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:52,720 is part and parcel of the direction we are heading in our world and that's why I especially 89 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:58,920 appreciated the songs tonight which the Holy Spirit let's get to lead us in because they 90 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:05,640 were songs talking about our response in this kind of a world in which we live. Dear folks 91 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:12,640 the hour is later than most of us think. The end times are upon us. We are living in times 92 00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:26,680 hard to deal with as Christians. Now with that kind of a background what does Jude say 93 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:33,680 to us? Well he tells us in the first place what we are to expect verses 17 through 19, 94 00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:44,680 then how we are to respond verses 20 through 23 and finally what we are to know verses 95 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:51,320 24 and 25. Let's take a look at that. What are we to expect? Well he says beloved remember 96 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:57,320 the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. All of 97 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:04,320 us need to remember what the word of God teaches. In Peter, Peter says the same thing. He says 98 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:13,120 brothers I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. So often we forget the things 99 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:17,920 we ought to remember, isn't that right? And the things that we ought not to worry about 100 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:24,920 dominate us. Those things cause our minds to be caught up. Rather we ought to remember 101 00:12:25,660 --> 00:12:31,400 the word of God. Now he says that they were saying to you in the last time there should 102 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:37,040 be mockers following their own ungodly lusts. In other words in the last days what are we 103 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:44,040 to expect? The answer is scoffers. And that is an interesting word. This word mockers 104 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:51,040 is mockers. It refers to those who jest to play the game. Those who make sport. And the 105 00:12:55,160 --> 00:13:02,160 idea is that we should expect those who will think the faith that you and I hold dear to 106 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:09,160 be comical. They will mock us and say things like we are funny mentalists. Instead of fundamentalists, 107 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:24,000 you've heard that. And there are scads of other comments that are used to try to degrade 108 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:31,000 and put down our convictions and the teachings of the word of God. Scoffers will come in 109 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:40,040 the last days. Another word for them would be apostates. Those who in the name of religion 110 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:47,320 yet fall away from the truth and persecute those who believe in the truth. He says they 111 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,920 follow after their own ungodly lusts. And do you remember that the word ungodly was 112 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:58,920 one he used commonly in verses 14 and 15 when quoting from Enoch, the man of old. Now the 113 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:07,600 apostles had predicted that this would come to pass in numerous places. One of them is 114 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:13,440 in 1 Timothy chapter 4. I invite you just to compare that. And here we see the apostle 115 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:20,440 Paul and what he says. At the end of chapter 3 he gives to us a great doctrinal statement. 116 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:29,560 But he says, chapter 4 verse 1, the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will 117 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:38,440 fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons 118 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:45,440 by means of the hypocrisy of liars, seared in their own conscience as with a branding 119 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:52,240 iron. So he says in the latter days there will be apostates, that's literally what 120 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:58,640 the word is there, from the faith who will pay attention to strange doctrines that will 121 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:05,080 be rooted in the spirit world. And that's exactly where this kind of thing comes from. 122 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:12,080 What this is, is Babylon revived. A one world system. Men tried that in Genesis chapters 123 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:21,760 10 and 11. And it is the coming thing in the last days. Revelation predicts it, uses the 124 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:27,960 term Babylon to describe the kind of a system that the world federalist association and 125 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:34,960 others are trying to see brought to pass. 2 Timothy chapter 3, but realize this, says 126 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:45,880 the apostle, that in the last days difficult times will come, for men will be lovers of 127 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:53,440 self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, 128 00:15:53,440 --> 00:16:00,440 unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters 129 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:09,400 of God, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 130 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:16,400 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. He says avoid such 131 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:22,320 men as these, for among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women 132 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:27,920 weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to 133 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:34,920 come to the knowledge of the truth. And just as Jannees and Jambrees opposed Moses, so 134 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:41,600 these men also opposed the truth. Men of depraved mind rejected as regards the faith, but they 135 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:47,320 will not make further progress, for their folly will be obvious to all as also that 136 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:54,320 of those two came to be, speaking of the ultimate exposure and the judgment upon the false teachers. 137 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:02,680 Let's look at 2 Peter chapter 3 for a moment. Another of the apostles of our Lord Jesus 138 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:09,680 Christ whom we are to remember and what He says to us. I feel 2 Peter was in my Bible 139 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:16,680 the last time I looked. Yes, here it is. 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 3, He says, Know this 140 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:22,680 first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their own mocking, following 141 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,680 after their own lusts. It sounds exactly like Jude, doesn't it? And saying, Where is the 142 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:33,680 promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as 143 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:39,680 it was from the beginning of creation. In other words, they say there is a uniformity 144 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:45,680 about things. Things don't change. I mean, God has never intervened before. He's not 145 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:52,680 going to intervene now. That's a lot of fairy tales, so they say. One more place. Let's 146 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:59,680 look at John this time. We've looked at Paul and Peter and John in 2 Timothy, excuse me, 147 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:06,680 1 John chapter 2 verse 18 says, Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard 148 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:17,680 that Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have arisen. From this we know that it is 149 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:24,680 the last hour. Well, we're living in the last few minutes of the last hour, I believe. 150 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:29,680 And the spirit of Antichrist is the spirit of this kind of an organization that we've 151 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:36,680 talked about tonight. Now, back in Jude, Jude says, Remembering that these days have been 152 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:43,680 prophesied, we should also recognize that these are the people who cause divisions. 153 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:50,680 That's an unusual word found only here in the New Testament. It's those who divide you. 154 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:57,680 He says they are those who are worldly minded. That is, their whole realm of thinking is 155 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:04,680 the here and now. It's this world. They follow natural instincts. They are humanistic. There's 156 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:14,680 no appreciation for spiritual things. They are earthly minded, self-centered. The Greek 157 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:21,680 word really is psychic. And then thirdly, he says, they are devoid of the spirit. And 158 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:28,680 Paul said, If any man have not the spirit of God, he is what? None of his. These people 159 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:36,680 do not have the Holy Spirit. So we are to expect these kinds of people to arise even 160 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:43,680 within the sphere of Christendom, even under the umbrella of our faith in a broader sense. 161 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:54,680 We are to look for people who are like this and be alert to them. And as Paul said, avoid 162 00:19:54,680 --> 00:20:01,680 them. We've said before that there are some false teachers on the air these days who are 163 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:08,680 sincere Christian people who would stop sending the money. They would be off the air. Be careful 164 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:15,680 who you support. Be alert to the spiritual dangers that are present in our day. We are 165 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:21,680 to expect these days. How are we to respond then? Are we to become like ostriches and 166 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:26,680 stick our heads in the sand and forget about it? Are we to be like ostriches and stick 167 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:33,680 our heads in the sand and forget about it? Are we to be idle? Are we to be resigned? 168 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:40,680 K-sirah-sirah, as they say, whatever we'll be, we'll be. How are we to respond when 169 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:47,680 we see things coming to pass that God has told us will happen? Well, Jude explicitly 170 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:54,680 tells us, he says in verse 20 and 21, You, beloved, building up yourselves on your most 171 00:20:54,680 --> 00:21:00,680 holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously 172 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:05,680 for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Now if you look at that statement, 173 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:11,680 there is one statement that is obviously the key exhortation, and that is in verse 21 where 174 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:18,680 he says, keep yourselves in the love of God. And the three other statements are subordinate 175 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:25,680 to that. What does he mean by keep yourselves in the love of God? Well, I believe he means 176 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:33,680 stay in fellowship with him. It's what Jesus said back in John chapter 15 in verse 9, Just 177 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:39,680 as the Father has loved me, I have loved you, abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, 178 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:46,680 you will abide in my love. So what Jude is telling us is this, when you see these days 179 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:56,680 coming to pass, when what you have been told to expect is upon you, respond this way, remain 180 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:06,680 obedient to the word of God. And in being obedient, you will abide in the love of God. 181 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:13,680 His blessing can be poured out upon you. He's telling us here to guard our communion with 182 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:20,680 God, how easy it is to get caught up in rabbit chases these days. And to run after this thing 183 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:26,680 or chase after that and to get off the main course, we must be careful of that. We must 184 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:33,680 be careful of that. When I see things like this, it makes me angry. It makes me really 185 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:42,680 mad. And I'm tempted to go out and start some organization, maybe some vigilante group 186 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:50,680 to bomb their headquarters. I don't know. Do something, you know. It infuriates me to 187 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:55,680 see things like this happen. It would be easy for me to chase rabbits on that. But I want 188 00:22:55,680 --> 00:23:01,680 to be careful not to do it. I want to be careful to obey the word of God, to keep my focus 189 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:10,680 where it ought to be, to be balanced, to preach the word as we've been told to do. That's 190 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:15,680 how we respond. Keep yourselves in the love of God. But then he gives three important 191 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:21,680 subordinate thoughts. How do we do that? Well, he says, building yourselves up on your most 192 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:27,000 holy faith. He's not talking about faith there as our response to God, but faith as 193 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:31,280 a body of truth that's been delivered to us. The same thought is back early on the 194 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:36,040 chapter when he says we are to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered 195 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:42,280 to the saints, verse 3. He says build yourself up on that foundation. What he's talking 196 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:48,680 about here is spiritual growth. And notice he says build yourselves up. In other words, 197 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:59,320 I have a responsibility here. Spiritual growth comes with discipline, with exercise spiritually. 198 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:05,400 If I'm going to keep myself in decent physical condition, it takes exercise, doesn't it? 199 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,760 It just doesn't happen naturally. The body tends to do otherwise when you don't exercise 200 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:18,080 it. And likewise, spiritually we get flabby and soft unless we exercise ourselves in the 201 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:25,400 study of God's word, in memorizing it, in meditating upon it, in learning of the grace 202 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:32,040 of God and growing in that grace, and spending time daily with the Lord. He says build up 203 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:42,640 yourselves and in so doing you will keep yourself in the love of God. Secondly, he says pray 204 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:51,200 in the Holy Spirit. See that in verse 20? Now he is not saying there pray in tongues. 205 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:55,720 He is not saying that. In fact, that word is not even used there. What does it mean 206 00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:02,000 to pray in the Holy Spirit? It means to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in your practice. 207 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:10,120 It's the same thing as Ephesians 6.18 where he tells us, praying always with all supplication 208 00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:19,960 and prayer in the Spirit. It is that our prayers are not just to come forth from our flesh, 209 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:28,720 but as we pray we are to recognize the indwelling Holy Spirit and allow Him to energize our 210 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:36,400 praying. Praying in the Spirit, it may be that that kind of praying doesn't even involve 211 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:44,280 verbalizing our thoughts. Praying in the Spirit can be something that is so intense it's 212 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:50,360 inward and without words. John Bunyan said in prayer it is better to have a heart without 213 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:56,480 words than to have words without heart. That's what he is talking about here, is having words 214 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:02,880 and heart. You know really for prayer the Holy Spirit's control is a prerequisite. That's 215 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:08,200 when real praying is done. Prayer that is energized by the Holy Spirit, prayer that 216 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:16,320 is from the heart. And then he says we are to wait anxiously for the mercy of our Lord 217 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:24,240 Jesus Christ to eternal life. What is he talking about? He is talking about our eagerly anticipating 218 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:30,840 the coming of Christ. That's what he is saying. We are to eagerly await that which 219 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:37,520 has begun, that completion that we long for when Christ will come as we talked about this 220 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:44,380 morning in the rapture and our glorification will take place. He says look for that mercy 221 00:26:44,380 --> 00:26:49,880 of Christ that will be revealed in that day. You know it would be so easy to get caught 222 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:58,640 up looking at organizations like this and the world scene and to get your focus off 223 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:05,920 the fact that Jesus is coming again. You know the Lord rebuked me just a couple of weeks 224 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:11,800 ago I guess that for a period of time that had not really been a serious focus in my 225 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:19,440 own life. That it wasn't that I denied it, it's just that it wasn't on the front burner 226 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:25,240 as it should be. He is saying to us here as we see all of these things beginning to take 227 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:33,160 place we are to keep our eyes heavenward looking for his coming lest we become discouraged, 228 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:40,600 lest our faith give way, remember Jesus is coming. Right now I feel like I am sitting 229 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:46,600 in the audience watching the preparations on the stage. I remember back in our high school 230 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:55,440 in Kansas, big high school, let's see I think there was 180 students in the high school 231 00:27:55,440 --> 00:28:00,840 that was big compared to the grade school I went to. I went to a little country school 232 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:05,520 for the first six years of my life and I would not trade that experience for anything in 233 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:12,220 the world. Some of you have been there, it's a rare thing these days. I think there were 234 00:28:12,220 --> 00:28:16,640 something like six of us when I was in the sixth grade. Got a lot of personal attention 235 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:24,360 that way. Then I went to the big school in town, it was town school. I remember sitting 236 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:29,280 in the auditorium on certain occasions and there would be a play that was going to be 237 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:34,440 presented and it was fun to watch the people under the curtain because the curtain missed 238 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:39,780 the floor about that far. You could see their feet behind there running around getting things 239 00:28:39,780 --> 00:28:44,880 set up and then they would open the curtains and it was all revealed. Well I sort of feel 240 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:49,960 like we are sitting in the audience these days and God hasn't allowed the curtain to 241 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,640 open yet on the tribulation period. He can't because we are the curtain, we are going up 242 00:28:53,640 --> 00:29:02,160 with the curtain. That's the rapture. The curtain is still there and underneath we are 243 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:07,840 seeing all the things getting ready for the tribulation period. Satan is starting to put 244 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:13,520 in place all the things that he thinks will bring to pass what he is looking for. It's 245 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:20,600 just getting set. Now as we see all that taking place, let's keep our eyes where they ought 246 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:27,400 to be and realize that our Lord is in control and that Jesus is coming and he is going to 247 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:33,880 reveal to us his great mercy in that day. He doesn't tell us just to sit back and yawn 248 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:40,680 and wait that way but he says wait eagerly with anticipation. It's as though you sit 249 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:46,240 on the edge of your chair waiting for something. That's the way we ought to be about our Lord's 250 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:55,240 return. Eager to see him, to be with him. That tests our hearts devotion doesn't it? 251 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,640 So how are we to respond to this? We are to keep ourselves in the love of God but there's 252 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:05,560 a second thing we are to do. We are to be alert to the peril of others. In verses 22 253 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:13,880 and 23 there seem to be three groups in view. Now there are variants in the manuscripts 254 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:19,000 here in the Greek manuscripts and there are some minor textual problems, nothing serious, 255 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:24,720 but that's why some translations take a little different approach in verses 22 and 23. One 256 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:29,800 of the reasons I think he has three groups in view here is because Jude seems to follow 257 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:36,720 a triadic thought in his epistle. He puts things in threes. He seems to point out three 258 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:41,400 groups and I'm not sure exactly who's in each group but he talks first about some who 259 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:48,880 are doubting, those who are not convinced. Literally the word says those who are at odds 260 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:55,920 with themselves. He may be talking about those who are under the hearing of the truth but 261 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:01,800 also hear false teachers and they're at odds about it. They don't know which way to go. 262 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:07,840 What he says here is show mercy on people like that and one rendering is convince those 263 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:14,720 people. Maybe that's the thought here, the verb. Convince those that are doubting. But 264 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:19,200 we are to have mercy, to convince those who are uncertain, who are at odds about the truth, 265 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:25,760 to show them the truth. Then he says secondly we are to save others, snatching them out 266 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:34,720 of the fire. Here is vigorous action in view. Snatching them. It's as though they are falling 267 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:40,400 into the eternal fires already and we are to have such concern that we are out there 268 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:45,840 snatching them away from the fires. It could be he's talking here about the fire again 269 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:51,360 a false teaching of the apostasy of the last day. But he says that we are to be out there 270 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:57,800 vigorously seeking to aid people. And thirdly he says something similar to verse 22 when 271 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:06,280 he says and on some have mercy with fear hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. It 272 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:12,600 may be that he has in mind here particularly those people who are involved in immorality 273 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:21,920 that comes with false teaching. He talks about the garment that's polluted, stained, made 274 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:27,680 filthy by the flesh. It's really not a very pretty picture. He's talking about people 275 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:38,000 whose character, whose conduct is perverted and unclean and impure. I tell you it's easy 276 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:46,800 to hate people like that and to look at them with disdain and disgust. Some of us who have 277 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:52,120 been down at the Capitol the last couple of weeks have seen examples of people that would 278 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:59,720 fall into the category of what we're talking about right here. And sometimes the response 279 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:05,360 you have to those kinds of people is in the flesh frankly. And what he's warning us about 280 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:11,520 here is that we're to have mercy on them, recognizing that they too are candidates for 281 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:20,040 the grace of God. In one sense but by the grace of God there we would be going. We must 282 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:30,000 never forget that. But he does say something interesting. He says have mercy with fear. 283 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:37,180 In other words we are to be careful especially with people like that, lest somehow we ourselves 284 00:33:37,180 --> 00:33:45,760 should be infected by them. That's the thought. So have mercy on those people. We hate the 285 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:51,160 activity, we hate even the garment polluted by the flesh, but have mercy on them. They 286 00:33:51,160 --> 00:34:00,240 are valuable in God's sight. He sent His Son for their sins too. But have mercy on them 287 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:07,440 with fear, with caution, lest somehow you should be taken by that that they have fallen 288 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:15,920 into. So to be alert to others' peril. Not just building up our own selves and being 289 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:22,600 concerned about us, but looking out there and seeing people who are in peril, who are 290 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:29,000 in danger of eternal damnation in hell folks, and being alert and concerned enough that 291 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:36,280 we are having mercy and being compassionate with them and snatching them from the fires. 292 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:44,680 And finally He tells us what we are to know. Sometimes your response to things like this 293 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:53,360 that we've read about and to the world's situation in general is one of anxiety and 294 00:34:53,360 --> 00:35:02,120 even fear. And you see the terrible days coming and even though I am personally convinced 295 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:09,880 the Bible teaches a rapture of the church before the tribulation period. Amen. F.M. 296 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:15,760 Pardon me. Amen. I believe that. Even though I believe that, I do believe this, that there 297 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:24,240 will be tribulation very likely before we are taken out. Tribulation in the general 298 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:32,240 sense, real testing. And as we anticipate that, I mean as I anticipate that, I look at myself 299 00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:39,540 and I say, wow, I don't know if I can take that. I hear about what some of our brothers 300 00:35:39,540 --> 00:35:48,040 and sisters have gone through in Romania, in Poland, in Soviet Russia. What some of 301 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:54,200 them went through along with the Jews and others in World War II and in Germany when 302 00:35:54,200 --> 00:36:02,360 they were exterminated. And I say, I'm not sure I'm up to this. Well there's something 303 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:08,880 that we can know, folks, as we anticipate these things. And the answer is found in the 304 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:17,200 doxology that concludes the book. He says, to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, 305 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:23,960 isn't that great? How can you be sure you're going to make it through the last days and 306 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:30,720 that you're not going to cave in and give up the faith, as it were, under the pressure 307 00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:40,640 of persecution? How can you know that you will be able to stand before a firing squad 308 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:47,680 or face some other horrible things? You can know that you will be able to face it, not 309 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:53,520 because you're strong, not because you're powerful, but because he's able to keep you 310 00:36:53,520 --> 00:37:02,560 or to make you stand so that you don't stumble into sin, so that you don't fall. He's able 311 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:08,720 to give you the grace that you will need. When that hour or any hour of testing comes 312 00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:17,440 upon you, he is able, to him who is able to keep you and to make you stand in the presence 313 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:26,200 of his glory, blameless, isn't that a great thought? Not only is he able to keep us here 314 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:32,720 in this world, but he is able to take us to heaven and present us there in his presence 315 00:37:32,720 --> 00:37:40,200 someday. There are some people who worry. I mean, they really worry that they are going 316 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:49,760 to fall away from the faith. They believe that you can lose your salvation, and so they 317 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:56,720 keep running back and calling out for salvation again and going back to the cross and begging 318 00:37:56,720 --> 00:38:07,360 for salvation. We don't need to do that. We are kept saved once we come to the cross, 319 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:15,760 kept saved not by our faithfulness, our good things, but kept saved by the power of God. 320 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:25,120 He's able to make us stand in the presence of his glory. That's heaven. Heaven is glory, 321 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:32,120 and as the songwriter said in the glory song, it used to be the great song and the Chapman 322 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:41,280 and Alexander Crusades of old, oh, that will be glory for me, glory for me, when by his 323 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:49,000 grace I look on his face, that will be glory for me. God is able, dear Christian brother 324 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:56,160 and sister, not only to keep you from falling in the midst of the last days, but he's able 325 00:38:56,160 --> 00:39:03,640 to assure you that someday you're going to be in heaven. He is going to present you to 326 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:14,720 Jesus Christ blameless and with great joy. Now, that joy could be our joy in being there, 327 00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:21,920 but I really think the reading here means that he's going to do it with joy. You see, 328 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:32,120 there is great joy to the Father in being able to present you to his Son, Jesus Christ. 329 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:42,040 That's a tremendous thought. He says, to the only God, our Savior, be these four attributes, 330 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:50,280 glory, majesty, dominion, and authority. Glory is his moral perfection, his radiance. His 331 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:57,200 majesty is his greatness, his awesome power. His dominion is his might. His authority is 332 00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:05,000 his sovereign freedom in all of his actions. What Jude is saying here in this benediction, 333 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:13,840 in this doxology, is that God is able to carry out every purpose of his. We are secure in 334 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:20,960 him. But in the meantime, as he writes at the beginning of the book, let's just turn 335 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:26,160 back there for a moment in verse 3 and look at it. Here's what we're to be doing as 336 00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:31,360 well as keeping ourselves in the love of God and all that that means and being alert to 337 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:37,320 those who are in need. In verse 3 he says, Beloved, while I was making every effort to 338 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:43,680 write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing 339 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:50,840 that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 340 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:58,800 There are those about us today who would seek to dilute the faith. They would seek to mix 341 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:06,160 it with foreign doctrines so that it's no longer the faith that was delivered by God 342 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:12,240 to us once and for all. He says that you and I are to guard that deposit. We are to contend 343 00:41:12,240 --> 00:41:21,880 earnestly for that faith. So God help us to be faithful as we respond to these last days 344 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:29,880 in which we live. I want to close with a poem by Martha Snell Nicholson which speaks about 345 00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:34,960 that day when Christ is going to come and get us and it's his joy that's pictured 346 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:42,800 here. She says, Sickened with slaughter and weary of war, torn by bereavement and pain, 347 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:50,240 daily our eyes are searching the skies for signs of his coming again. Longing we pray 348 00:41:50,240 --> 00:42:00,280 at dawning of day, Lord, wilt thou come before noon? Imploring him yet in the evening sunset, 349 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:11,360 O blessed Lord Jesus, come soon. Precious the word the ear of faith heard, Lo, I come 350 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:22,800 quickly my bride. This longing of thine is not greater than mine, to have thee at last 351 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:35,080 by my side. Lord, what a tremendous thought that is. You're our bridegroom and just as 352 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:42,000 surely as a bridegroom here on earth longs for the coming of his bride to be with him 353 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:48,440 in the wedding ceremony. So you are looking to that day eagerly when we shall be with 354 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:57,800 you in glory. To be presented there blameless, with great joy on our part and great joy on 355 00:42:57,800 --> 00:43:09,000 your part. O, we long for that day. And eagerly do we anticipate your mercy to be revealed. 356 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:15,520 We want to be faithful, Lord, in these last days to live for you, to guard the faith, 357 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:22,960 to be jealous for it, to defend it, to proclaim the word of God, to build up ourselves on 358 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:32,040 this faith, to pray in the Holy Spirit, to keep ourselves in the love of God, to be alert 359 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:39,560 to the dangers of those around us. God, make us the people that we ought to be in these 360 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:46,400 critical days until Jesus comes. And we pray this in his name. Amen. 361 00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:57,360 I'd like for us to close tonight by singing together number 327. You Swedes will especially 362 00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:10,200 appreciate this. Children of the Heavenly Father, safely in his bosom gather. We are 363 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:18,320 secure in him. But my friend, if tonight your spiritual walk is uncertain and you really 364 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:22,800 don't know where you are with God, on the other hand maybe you do and you're not very 365 00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:29,400 pleased about it, could we help you and pray with you? As we close singing this hymn, I 366 00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:33,560 invite you to come. I'm going to stand here at the front. If we can pray with you and 367 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:37,760 help you tonight, help you to know the Lord, to understand his word, God's will for your 368 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:44,320 life, would you come? And let's sing this, dear brethren, and rejoice in the words. Let's 369 00:44:44,320 --> 00:45:08,680 stand together. Children of the Heavenly Father.