WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.800 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. It is wonderful 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:20.760 that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, either 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:24.920 by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:31.520 for us that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself? 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:37.939 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, we really, 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:42.579 I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the Bible, 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:48.760 they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will 00:00:48.760 --> 00:00:54.560 do what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:59.340 non-Christian checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:04.680 hesitate to send us questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:07.780 types of things that you're really struggling with. So God bless. 00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:21.480 If you're standing, please bow your heads in prayer. Father, we're about to look at a text which 00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:28.620 causes worry for people outside the faith when they hear it and causes some worry, different types 00:01:28.620 --> 00:01:34.340 of worries for those of us who are within the church, within, not within the church, Father. You 00:01:34.340 --> 00:01:38.920 know it's not about the institution. Father, for those outside of faith and trust in Jesus and for 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:44.780 those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus. So we ask, Father, that these words of you and 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:51.519 company with the work of your Holy Spirit will help us and inflame within us an enchantment and a 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:59.120 treasuring with who Jesus is and what he has done for us and what he is doing in us who are his and 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:05.140 what he will do for us who is his. Father, create within us a treasuring of that, an enchantment with 00:02:05.140 --> 00:02:11.840 that, and within that context, Father, help us to be willing, make us willing to fight for the faith, 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:18.439 the faith in Christ. And we ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen. Please be 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:29.860 seated. So I've been working on, you know, I have to set my timer. I've been part of teams, 00:02:30.580 --> 00:02:38.159 committees. I've been part of that for a long time. I was in, just shortly after I became a Christian in 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:42.939 grade 12. I started a Christian club in my high school. I've always had a bit of an entrepreneurial 00:02:42.939 --> 00:02:50.300 aspect to me. And you can't do things like that without working with other people. And I've 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:55.280 obviously have lots of things, which I'm sure if I went back to some of the things I did in grade 12, 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:01.240 if God was to show up and play a little video of it, some of it to me right now, I would be so red and 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:06.719 so embarrassed at some of the stupid things that I did and some of the things I should have done, 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:11.199 but I didn't. But over time, I've, you know, really, I've tried to learn a little bit about 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:16.579 how to work very well with others in a team, both where I'm the leader of the team and also when I'm 00:03:16.579 --> 00:03:21.259 just part of the team and have to support the leader and support the other people. And that's 00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:26.900 just always a learning curve for those of you who have to have to do that a lot. And one of the things 00:03:26.900 --> 00:03:34.599 which has developed in my life over the years is that I'm often one of the people in that team 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:40.840 that points out that there's an elephant in the room. Some of you who've had to work in churches 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:46.099 or whatever, people can spend a long time talking and never acknowledge that there's a huge, big 00:03:46.099 --> 00:03:52.099 elephant pooping and snorting in the room and banging things around, and we all try to talk around it as 00:03:52.099 --> 00:03:57.180 if it's not there. And I've just, I mean, I'm not always the only one who does it, but I'm often the guy 00:03:57.180 --> 00:04:02.780 who says, whoa, whoa, whoa, just time out. There's an elephant here, like, you know, messing things up, 00:04:02.819 --> 00:04:07.939 maybe we should talk about it. And, you know, we Canadians are often passive aggressive and don't 00:04:07.939 --> 00:04:12.920 like talking directly about things, and sometimes people find that very threatening and off-putting. 00:04:12.980 --> 00:04:16.819 But I think we all agree that if there's a huge elephant in the room, we've got to talk about it. 00:04:16.819 --> 00:04:26.180 It's hard for me to describe entirely how sobering the book of Jude is, which is what we're going to 00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:30.959 be studying over five weeks. We'll have a couple of weeks off. It'll take us more than five weeks to 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:35.579 go through it, but there's going to be five sermons on the book of Jude, and I encourage you to read it. 00:04:35.620 --> 00:04:41.759 It's only 25 verses. But, I mean, just amongst other things, it's going to talk about such pleasant 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:46.519 topics which Canadians are enthralled with, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:04:46.819 --> 00:04:52.180 And the reality of hell. All, like, really, really, really popular topics for the average 00:04:52.180 --> 00:04:56.379 Canadian. Something that says, oh, wow, Sodom and Gomorrah, that's your view? I want to become a 00:04:56.379 --> 00:05:02.040 Christian. And so sometimes, because we Christians know that these aren't things that, you know, 00:05:02.139 --> 00:05:07.079 Canadians tend to like, we want to downplay it. But that's for subsequent sermons. But what I'd like 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:10.839 to do is I'd like to look at the end of the text, which I'm going to preach on today, which is just the 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:16.779 first four verses of Jude. So if you could turn in your Bibles to Jude, and there's only one 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:20.939 chapter, it's just 25 verses. If you have a hard time finding it in your Bible, it's actually really 00:05:20.939 --> 00:05:26.339 easy. Go to the very end of your Bible for the book of Revelation, and then go to the tiny little book 00:05:26.339 --> 00:05:32.799 just before it. That's Jude. It's 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation. And we're going to be 00:05:32.799 --> 00:05:38.679 looking at the first four verses. But what we're going to do is we're going to start with sort of 00:05:38.679 --> 00:05:44.399 the elephant in the room. And then I'm going to go back, before we look more at the elephant in the 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:48.759 room, we need to go back to verses 1 and 2, and why they're so important to understand 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:55.199 what's going on. So if you could put up verses 3 and 4 first, Claire, that would be very helpful. 00:05:56.699 --> 00:06:00.579 And here's how verse 3 and 4 goes. And I'm not going to really talk about it very much, 00:06:00.620 --> 00:06:06.739 just point out why it's a bit of an uncomfortable and awkward text, a sobering text. 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:15.879 text. It's a sobering text, but important. And I, you know, before I go anything further, I 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:23.220 try to use language that will help people want to stay along and track along with it, 00:06:23.280 --> 00:06:29.800 and not just tune out or dismiss me. And I, as I've been reading this book of Jude and trying to 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:34.740 figure out how to break it up and how to preach on it, you know, I've said to my wife, on one hand, 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:40.379 it's very, very, very, it's a very, very, very sobering text, but I'm also so glad that I've 00:06:40.379 --> 00:06:47.980 been reading it and studying it. Like, I'm really, really glad that I've been reading it and studying 00:06:47.980 --> 00:06:52.420 it. Like, it's something I really needed. And I hope you'll come to understand how you really need 00:06:52.420 --> 00:06:59.740 to hear this part of God's Word as well. So, verses 3 and 4. Beloved, although I was very eager to write 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:06.939 to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend 00:07:06.939 --> 00:07:12.639 for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. And just sort of pause there. Contend 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:18.620 means compete or fight. It's a word that's both used if you were to be going for the Olympics and 00:07:18.620 --> 00:07:24.980 you want to win the gold medal. It's also a word that would be used if Russia has invaded Ukraine, 00:07:24.980 --> 00:07:31.640 and the Ukrainian people say we need to contend, fight for Ukraine. We need to rise up and fight. 00:07:32.280 --> 00:07:36.939 And that's the word which is there. And as you can see right off the bat, there's a couple of things 00:07:36.939 --> 00:07:41.500 that would make a few people raise their eyebrows, especially for some of our friends who might be 00:07:41.500 --> 00:07:46.960 watching or even here who haven't quite figured out what the Christian faith is. You're not maybe sure 00:07:46.960 --> 00:07:51.420 whether you'd like to become a Christian or maybe you're looking for reasons not to become a 00:07:51.420 --> 00:07:54.980 Christian. And now after I've read this verse in the next one, you go, oh, there's some good reasons 00:07:54.980 --> 00:08:00.819 not to become a Christian. I mean, I hope that's not what your conclusion is. But that sets off some 00:08:00.819 --> 00:08:06.140 alarm bells. First of all, that there's just this faith that's been once for all delivered. 00:08:07.819 --> 00:08:14.620 Like I was just talking with a young woman this week, and she was talking to me about how important 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:23.840 it is for her to ask questions. And she'd had a very bad experience with a different church that 00:08:23.840 --> 00:08:27.819 they didn't want her to ask questions. And I said, well, it's really too bad you had that experience, 00:08:27.939 --> 00:08:32.860 because actually asking questions is a Christian virtue. I said, I can't remember what the number 00:08:32.860 --> 00:08:39.840 is, but I think in the Gospels, Jesus asked like something like 286 questions. Like he's asking 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:44.800 questions all the time. He wants us to ask questions and think about good questions. So it's too bad. 00:08:45.259 --> 00:08:49.759 But so somebody, I could just imagine her if she was watching this, because I've given her my card, 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:53.820 and she says, George, I thought you said that you're allowed to ask questions, but here it says that 00:08:53.820 --> 00:08:59.620 there's a once for all. Like if there's once for all, how can you ask questions? And what is this about 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:08.220 fighting for the faith? And then verse four, for certain people have crept in unnoticed, and actually 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:16.500 another way to translate the word crept in is weaseled their way in. Weaseled their way in. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:24.460 And unnoticed, who long ago were designated for condemnation. Some of you go, what? What? 00:09:25.940 --> 00:09:33.740 And then it says ungodly people, and some of you go, what? Who pervert the grace of our God into 00:09:33.740 --> 00:09:43.220 sensuality and deny our only master and Lord Jesus Christ. So, you know, in some ways, 00:09:43.620 --> 00:09:49.539 I, you know, I have a title for this series, and I almost feel like I have to rename the series. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:54.940 I think what, you know, if there's going to be one big idea this week and every week, I think the one 00:09:54.940 --> 00:10:01.039 big idea is this, that Jude wants you to sow treasure and be enchanted with the person and work 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:08.360 of Christ, that you are willing to fight for the faith. So, why do I say that? Well, let's, let's 00:10:08.360 --> 00:10:13.339 look back at verses one and two. And it's in light of verse three and four that you can start to see a 00:10:13.339 --> 00:10:17.839 little bit about, maybe, hopefully, about why verses one and two are so important and why they're verses 00:10:17.839 --> 00:10:24.899 one and two in the beginning. Complete aside, sorry, just a random thing. I, this summer, I read a 00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:32.459 fantastic book on the book of Job. Just fantastic book. And, you know, if you've ever read the book 00:10:32.459 --> 00:10:36.639 of Job, it's really hard to figure out all these counselors and what they're saying and what they're 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:41.299 not saying. But one of the things which was so helpful in the book is just to, just to remember 00:10:41.299 --> 00:10:46.980 how the book begins and ends. The book of Job begins with God allowing Satan to do these things. 00:10:47.659 --> 00:10:52.019 And at the end of the book, God's going to commend Job. So, that means all the other arguments, 00:10:52.019 --> 00:10:56.879 all these, all these counselors who are talking about Jude and his, Job and his experience, 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:01.139 they've got it all wrong. Because that's actually, we all should remember as we're reading through 00:11:01.139 --> 00:11:04.559 the book, not get caught up with the arguments, but just to realize, no, no, when they're saying 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:08.799 all these things, they've got it all wrong. And at the end of the book, God condemns the, 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:12.340 these counselors in the book of Job. And it was a very, very good, you can ask me later about what the 00:11:12.340 --> 00:11:17.399 name of the book is. But, but here's the thing. All the way through this book, you need to remember how it 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:21.699 begins. Like every time, even though we're going to talk about very, very difficult 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:28.580 things in upcoming weeks, like Sodom and Gomorrah, and hell, and, and, and, and how demons became 00:11:28.580 --> 00:11:34.120 demons. Very, very uncomfortable topics. But you need to remember how, how the book begins. And here's 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:40.920 how it begins. Jude, oh, and I'm going to comment here. You know, literally what his name is, is Judas. 00:11:43.100 --> 00:11:49.000 But what seems to have happened very early on in Christians, Judas was a very, very common name 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:55.059 in the time of Jesus amongst Jewish men. And so it looks as if what happened very shortly after 00:11:55.059 --> 00:12:01.740 the Judas Iscariot is that Christian, Jewish men who become Christians go by their nickname, 00:12:02.139 --> 00:12:07.360 Jude, rather than their full name, Judas. Otherwise, we'd be reading a book called The Letter of Judas, 00:12:07.500 --> 00:12:12.080 and people would be saying, what? The Letter of Judas? Whereas if it's The Letter of Jude, we go, okay, 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:17.179 like that's interesting. Anyway, sorry. And I thought, sometimes I just want to share cool facts. I don't know. 00:12:17.179 --> 00:12:21.839 Like, it just makes it sort of interesting. Maybe if you go to a Christian trivia night, you'll, 00:12:21.899 --> 00:12:27.199 you'll win that question sometime down in the future, and you'll thank me. Anyway, Jude, a servant 00:12:27.199 --> 00:12:33.239 of Jesus Christ. Some of your Bible's translations will say a slave. I'm going to come back to that in 00:12:33.239 --> 00:12:40.879 a moment, because Jude, Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James. You know, once again, 00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:44.819 that's going to sell. Boy, if you want to make lots of people want to become Christians, just say, 00:12:44.820 --> 00:12:49.980 listen, you becoming a Christian means becoming a slave of Jesus. That sells in Canada. People love 00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:55.320 ideas like, I'm just joking, right? Hopefully you're smiling. And that's how it begins. Well, 00:12:55.379 --> 00:13:01.940 why is that a good thing? Well, I'm going to tell you why it's a good thing. Jude, a servant or a slave 00:13:01.940 --> 00:13:07.060 of Jesus Christ and brother of James. I'll explain in a moment what it means. To those who are called, 00:13:07.059 --> 00:13:15.759 beloved in God, the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:22.139 you, or another way to understand it is lavished to you, upon you, or be something multiplied. They're 00:13:22.139 --> 00:13:29.899 both really good images. So what's going on here? And why on earth would you want to actually be a 00:13:29.899 --> 00:13:33.839 servant of Jesus? Well, the first thing about this, by the way, which is very interesting, 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:42.160 is that when he says he's the brother of James, what he's indirectly saying is that he's Jesus's 00:13:42.160 --> 00:13:50.879 half-brother. Jesus would have been his older brother, but he would have seen Jesus throughout 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:56.899 his whole teenage years and his 20s and working with his dad. And, you know, it'd be really hard 00:13:56.899 --> 00:14:03.699 for one of us. We probably wouldn't want to say, you know, by the way, I'm Jesus's brother. 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:10.539 And, you know, that would get you a lot of beer bought. Tell me about what he was like as a 00:14:10.539 --> 00:14:15.679 teenager, you know, what was he like as a worker? And that's, but that's not how he leads. He doesn't 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:22.039 lead on that. He leads on the fact that he's the slave of Jesus. But he also is, in fact, 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:28.439 the half-brother, just as James is of Jude. And he's writing the letter to those who are called, 00:14:28.839 --> 00:14:32.299 those who are beloved in God the Father, and those who are kept for Jesus Christ. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:38.559 Now, these three very things with the word servant are unbelievably precious. They're things that we 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:44.939 should treasure. Because, you see, it's helping us to understand something about the gospel and 00:14:44.940 --> 00:14:51.060 something about who Jesus is and how salvation works. And it's helping us to understand, 00:14:51.940 --> 00:14:58.880 it's helping us to understand something about our fundamental identity. 00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:06.740 You see, what the gospel is, what the good news is, the good news is this profound message that Jesus 00:15:06.740 --> 00:15:12.620 came, that God, the Son of God, left heaven and all of its splendors and remaining fully God, 00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:17.019 but emptying himself of all of his appearance of God, he took into himself our human nature, 00:15:17.419 --> 00:15:24.080 and he came and entered human history. It would be a little bit, in some vague, vague, 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:29.679 vague way, as if an author writes himself into the book. He's both on one hand still the author of the 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:35.759 book, but he's now in the actual pages of the book. Or, you know, it's like Alfred Hitchcock showing up in 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:41.659 his own movie. It's like Lee Child showing up in the Jack Reacher movies. It's like Stan Lee showing up in the 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:47.199 Marvel movies. It's, he writes himself into the story. And he writes himself into the story, not just 00:15:47.199 --> 00:15:52.319 to show how clever he is, or not just so we can go, like, you know, with those old Marvel movies, you try to 00:15:52.319 --> 00:16:00.539 make sure you notice when Stan Lee appears, or something like that. It's, he comes to make us 00:16:00.539 --> 00:16:06.860 right with God, because we can't make ourselves right with God. He comes and teaches and performs 00:16:06.860 --> 00:16:12.580 miracles and, and gives indications that he's not just an ordinary person, that he does things that 00:16:12.580 --> 00:16:18.759 only God could do. But at the same time, he suffers temptations, like we saw in the wilderness, 00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:25.100 temptations to act like God, to deal with certain types of things, to show off, or just anything. He 00:16:25.100 --> 00:16:31.159 resists all of those temptations, not just the ones that are listed there in the book. Matthew, he resists 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:36.939 all of them. And, and he never sins. He never acts in rebellion against God. He never does something 00:16:36.939 --> 00:16:43.699 where he tries to put himself up so that, that, that he's the, he's the absolute center. And, and all, he, 00:16:44.419 --> 00:16:49.600 he, he suffers all of the temptations that we do, and all of the stresses and anxieties that we do, 00:16:49.639 --> 00:16:55.559 but he does it without sinning. And, and he, he, in a sense, not in a sense, in a very, very real sense, 00:16:55.559 --> 00:17:02.399 he lives the life that we should lead. If we want to not only just live our life in this, on this earth, 00:17:02.500 --> 00:17:06.539 but then when we die, just go right into the new heaven and the new earth, because we've lived a 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:11.539 perfect life. And none of us have done that. None of us can do that. We've already failed. And even if 00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:16.119 God said, okay, well, from this moment on, I'm just, I'm going to forget, George, everything, all the 00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:20.559 things that you've done in your life, and just from this moment on, I'll just count that, and I still 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:26.579 wouldn't be able to do it. I, I still mess up. I, I have, I, I get envious. I, I, I can have moments of, 00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:32.859 of, of greed, or of, of anger, or, you know, of pride, and, and I, and, and, and, and, and I can't, 00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:38.779 I can't do it. And so Jesus lives the life that we should live, but we can't. And then he dies on the cross, 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:47.079 bearing the punishment and the sins that, the punishment that I deserve for the sins that I have done. 00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:51.679 And if I was to do that, it would, it would just mean that I was completely and utterly unmade. 00:17:51.859 --> 00:17:56.839 And, and God, out of love for us, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, out of love for us, 00:17:56.919 --> 00:18:04.559 Jesus does that. And he does it for you and for me. And then the invitation is this, the invitation is 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:09.980 this, that George, just realize that you, you can't, you, you can't fit yourself for the new heaven and 00:18:09.980 --> 00:18:16.839 the new earth. Like, you can't do that, George. Like, like, stop trying to do that and pretending that 00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:23.759 you're doing that. And just like, George, just surrender and turn to Jesus and, and just say, 00:18:24.159 --> 00:18:31.519 I need you. And I, I can't really understand everything you've done for me and, but I, I need 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:36.559 you. I know that only you can make me right with God. Would you take me as your own? 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:49.139 And, and, and the, the Bible teaches that, um, like that really is for everybody. It's for the 00:18:49.139 --> 00:18:54.220 person who throughout all of their life, they've been overlooked. It's for a person, the person right 00:18:54.220 --> 00:18:59.299 now who is maybe struggling with a very, very profound betrayal of a loved one, maybe someone 00:18:59.299 --> 00:19:05.279 like a husband or a wife or your children or your boss or your best friend. And, and you feel 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:09.480 completely and utterly betrayed and you couldn't get you fit for people who have been canceled. 00:19:09.659 --> 00:19:14.339 It's also for people who are successful and to realize that your success means nothing to God. 00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:19.240 It's for people who feel full of themselves. It's for every single person. And if you call out to God, 00:19:19.819 --> 00:19:27.339 call out to Jesus, he will accept you. And this profound mystery happens whereby God comes in, 00:19:27.339 --> 00:19:33.279 God comes in. It's not just that you have a, you might not have any emotional experience whatsoever. 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:39.879 You really might not. Uh, and, and, and, and, but, but God comes in, the Holy Spirit comes in and, 00:19:39.980 --> 00:19:46.159 and he changes you so that you're, you're, you're, if you could have a spiritual x-ray, your spiritual soul 00:19:46.159 --> 00:19:52.480 has been changed. And, and Jesus begins to make his home in you and the Holy Spirit begins to make his 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:57.920 home in you. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and you've been, 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:05.620 you've been changed and it's all done because of God's surpassing grace. And grace means God's 00:20:05.620 --> 00:20:11.940 love, his mercy, his kindness, but not just his affections, but they, from God, they have a power 00:20:11.940 --> 00:20:18.059 to transform you. And you receive it purely and utterly by asking, by trusting him, not by trusting 00:20:18.059 --> 00:20:25.079 anything that you do or can do. Now, how does this fit in with this? Well, you see, this is 00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:31.220 describing the identity of a Christian. It's helping you to understand, if you look at verse 00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:36.039 one again, to those who are called, you see, what this is saying, it's so profound. 00:20:37.919 --> 00:20:43.500 What it's saying is that from the moment I was conceived in my mother's womb, 00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:49.619 there was a whisper, and the whisper was from God the Father, and it was, 00:20:50.700 --> 00:20:58.380 George, I want you to be mine. And when I was born, George, I want you to be mine. 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:07.039 When I was one and two and ten and fifteen and sixteen, George, I want you to be mine. I'm calling you. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:13.039 And then in grade 12, I heard the call. 00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:20.899 Not because I'm such a good listener, but because God finally made sure that I heard the call, 00:21:20.899 --> 00:21:24.779 and I responded and said, yes, I'd like to give my life to Christ. 00:21:26.899 --> 00:21:31.259 I mean, that's just a wonderful thing. If you were here as a Christian, God began calling you 00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:35.559 to himself when you were conceived in your mother's womb. 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:42.160 That's what this text is saying. 00:21:44.119 --> 00:21:47.519 Now, this isn't to make you proud. This is to profoundly humble you. 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:51.039 Oh, you mean it's not because I was such a profound seeker? 00:21:51.180 --> 00:21:53.200 It's not because I had such a profound imagination? 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:56.039 It's not? No, no, no. It had nothing to do with that. God was calling you. 00:21:56.039 --> 00:22:02.720 That's what it's reminding you of. I'm called by God to be his through Jesus. That's who I am. 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:05.859 Isn't that a wonderful thing to be reminded of? 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:09.099 Especially if you're going through a very hard time right now. 00:22:09.980 --> 00:22:13.379 Or if you're outside the Christian faith, and I can just tell you right now, 00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:16.039 maybe you're saying, well, George, God would never call me. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:20.500 Or, you know, do you know how bad I am? Do you know how indifferent I am? 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:24.240 Do you know how greedy I am? Do you know how filled with lust I am? 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:26.079 Do you know how power hungry I am? 00:22:26.420 --> 00:22:29.220 He could never be calling me. If you even ask me that question, 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:31.900 I'm going to tell you that shows you that God is calling you. 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:37.140 Like, that's what it means. And he will. 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:40.819 He knows, yeah, yeah, yeah, actually, he knows better than you how bad you are. 00:22:41.140 --> 00:22:43.120 He knows better than me how bad I am. 00:22:44.900 --> 00:22:47.640 But he doesn't weigh my merits. He pardons my offenses. 00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:52.480 And then the second thing is, after you understand that I'm called by God, 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:54.900 God. I'm beloved in God the Father. 00:22:55.539 --> 00:23:00.660 And another way to understand that is that I'm enwrapped in God's love. 00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:04.039 Now, this is a profound truth. 00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:08.319 I mean, and maybe if this is all you get from this this morning or any Sunday, 00:23:08.460 --> 00:23:10.079 that's a wonderful thing. 00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:13.460 Some of you might hear today might be feeling very anxious. 00:23:13.660 --> 00:23:15.640 Some of us might be feeling very depressed. 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:18.120 Some of us might be feeling very discouraged. 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:22.839 Some of us might be feeling very ashamed of some of the things that we've done this week. 00:23:22.959 --> 00:23:27.739 And some of us might be feeling very ashamed because we've been, we've had a, you know, 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:33.939 a child or a parent or a friend tell us of some horrible words that we did or said to them years 00:23:33.939 --> 00:23:37.019 ago. And it's still haunting them and making them upset. 00:23:37.219 --> 00:23:40.699 And there's nothing we can do to go back in time to undo that. 00:23:41.219 --> 00:23:43.419 And we might be thinking all of these things. 00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:47.740 But I want to tell you, brothers and sisters in Christ, that if you're in Christ right now, 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:50.400 you are enwrapped in the love of God the Father. 00:23:52.100 --> 00:23:53.539 And I have no authority. 00:23:53.660 --> 00:23:56.340 This isn't just happy, clappy humanism. 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:59.960 This isn't just, you know, you looking in the mirror and saying, you know, you're a god, 00:24:00.060 --> 00:24:00.680 you're a goddess. 00:24:00.820 --> 00:24:04.279 And you try to convince yourself, no, I am not talking about anything like that. 00:24:04.580 --> 00:24:08.620 This is, that's the truth of the gospel, that when you put your faith and trust in Christ, 00:24:08.619 --> 00:24:12.019 you live the rest of your life enwrapped in the love of the Father. 00:24:13.259 --> 00:24:14.939 That's you right now. 00:24:15.959 --> 00:24:20.699 And let me tell you, that doesn't mean you're going to instantly stop being depressed or stop 00:24:20.699 --> 00:24:23.719 being discouraged or stop feeling ashamed. 00:24:23.979 --> 00:24:29.799 But it's a way easier to walk towards those things and deal with them if you know that right 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:34.000 now, if you are in Christ, you are enwrapped in the love of the Father. 00:24:35.159 --> 00:24:37.500 That's what this text is saying, friends. 00:24:38.619 --> 00:24:41.199 And it's telling us something else in Christ. 00:24:41.899 --> 00:24:45.179 It's telling us that we are kept for Jesus Christ. 00:24:45.699 --> 00:24:49.939 And that just sounds, well, no, no, no, just, we need to camp on that image for a moment. 00:24:50.059 --> 00:24:52.579 We need to meditate upon that image for a moment. 00:24:52.679 --> 00:24:54.239 Because what it's telling us is this. 00:24:55.979 --> 00:24:59.399 I mean, I wasn't smart enough and clever enough to seek God. 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:01.059 No, God called me first. 00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:05.759 And I'm not, I don't have the ability to always feel up. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:09.099 And the fact of the matter is, if I always felt up, there's something wrong with me. 00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:13.420 Because, you know, my wife would say, George, sometimes you should feel guilty. 00:25:14.940 --> 00:25:17.240 That's a good thing to feel guilty sometimes. 00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:19.619 And yet, you should be ashamed of that. 00:25:20.619 --> 00:25:23.319 That's a, don't just say, oh, I'm, you know. 00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:27.740 No, but you approach these things understanding who Jesus is and what he did for you on the cross. 00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:29.359 And that you're enwrapped in the Father's love. 00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:30.480 And you're kept. 00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:33.819 And it says, some of your translations will say kept for Jesus. 00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:35.899 And some of them will say kept by Jesus. 00:25:36.339 --> 00:25:37.599 And they're both true. 00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:40.220 Jesus keeps me. 00:25:43.019 --> 00:25:45.319 My willpower is not very good. 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:51.339 Sometimes I turn my willpower to terrible things. 00:25:52.399 --> 00:25:55.960 Sometimes, you know, I start to have a sense of forgiveness about another person. 00:25:56.099 --> 00:25:56.980 And I say, no, no, no, no. 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:57.839 I don't want to forgive them. 00:25:58.259 --> 00:25:59.679 I want to keep resenting. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:03.679 I want to keep resenting. 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:05.119 I want to keep being bitter. 00:26:06.500 --> 00:26:09.599 You know, we push off that freedom. 00:26:10.059 --> 00:26:12.279 And say, no, no, I'd like to be enslaved to feeling bitter. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:12.700 You know. 00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:14.859 I love telling you this story. 00:26:14.859 --> 00:26:19.839 You know, when you don't, when you, one of the reasons we need to forgive is if we don't forgive, 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:21.759 then what happens is we're filled with bitterness. 00:26:22.459 --> 00:26:26.719 Being filled with bitterness is every day having a whole box of ex-lax, 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:29.179 hoping that the other person gets diarrhea. 00:26:29.740 --> 00:26:31.000 And it never works. 00:26:31.259 --> 00:26:32.779 They just go on in their life. 00:26:33.139 --> 00:26:34.500 You've got the runs, right? 00:26:34.879 --> 00:26:38.019 And so sometimes we feel like we're about to be able to forgive and we want to hold. 00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:38.519 No, no. 00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:39.939 But here's the truth. 00:26:40.059 --> 00:26:42.299 I'm kept by Jesus. 00:26:42.299 --> 00:26:44.960 You know, that old Irish blessing, 00:26:45.079 --> 00:26:47.079 and may God hold you in the hollow of his hand, 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:50.599 that's where this, that would be an exegesis of this text. 00:26:50.599 --> 00:26:53.539 I am kept in Jesus's hands. 00:26:54.339 --> 00:26:56.559 And I am kept in Jesus's hands. 00:26:56.939 --> 00:27:02.659 And I will be kept in Jesus's hands every day until Jesus's hands deliver me. 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:04.959 That would be my death unless Jesus comes first. 00:27:05.259 --> 00:27:08.240 Until I am delivered into the new heaven and the new earth. 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:10.819 And then when I am delivered into the new heaven and the new earth, 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:14.980 I will understand this profound mystery only then, 00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:20.640 that I'm not only been kept in the hands of Jesus and brought and just released the way, 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:23.620 you know, you might release like a wounded bird that's now gotten better, 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:26.539 and you let the bird go into the nest or something like that. 00:27:26.539 --> 00:27:31.220 But I've also been transformed by his hands and by his presence 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:35.559 and by being enwrapped in his love and by his grace. 00:27:35.740 --> 00:27:38.259 And I've been transformed so that I can be fit for heaven. 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:44.379 Brothers and sisters, if you're in Christ, that's the gospel. 00:27:44.539 --> 00:27:45.200 That's your identity. 00:27:45.960 --> 00:27:46.759 Now, here's the thing. 00:27:46.759 --> 00:27:56.559 If you have someone who so loves you that he left heaven's splendors and majesty 00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:03.039 to take on human nature and even spend time in the womb of Mary. 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:06.980 And he loved you so much to come and walk among this earth. 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:09.480 And he loved you so much to die for you. 00:28:09.579 --> 00:28:12.500 And he loved you so much that he rose from the dead. 00:28:12.599 --> 00:28:14.339 And he loved you so much that he said, 00:28:14.339 --> 00:28:17.699 if you put your faith and trust in me, I will always be with you. 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:20.099 But first of all, I will make you the Father's child. 00:28:20.459 --> 00:28:22.199 And he's been calling for you. 00:28:22.299 --> 00:28:24.399 And you will be wrapped in the Father's love. 00:28:24.399 --> 00:28:27.299 And you will be kept by me and for me into all of eternity. 00:28:27.639 --> 00:28:28.939 And that is who I am. 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:31.839 And who better to be a servant of than him? 00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:37.199 Who better to be a slave of than him? 00:28:39.819 --> 00:28:40.639 Who better? 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:45.360 You know, throughout the years, I've had people in churches and, you know, 00:28:45.360 --> 00:28:46.259 people of some means. 00:28:46.420 --> 00:28:49.980 And some of you know that some of the huge stock market crashes that have 00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:51.540 happened over the last 20 years. 00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:54.700 And people sitting here in the congregation, absolutely depressed, 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:58.100 because in a couple of weeks, they've lost hundreds and hundreds and 00:28:58.100 --> 00:28:59.520 hundreds of thousands of dollars. 00:29:01.020 --> 00:29:05.220 And let me tell you, friends, you serve money, you will be anxious, 00:29:05.420 --> 00:29:06.860 and it will let you down. 00:29:06.859 --> 00:29:13.779 If nothing else, the second after you die, you're just as rich as the poorest 00:29:13.779 --> 00:29:14.819 person on the planet. 00:29:17.379 --> 00:29:18.719 That's all you have left. 00:29:19.579 --> 00:29:21.119 You can't be poorer than dead. 00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:25.959 And you serve all sorts of other things. 00:29:26.699 --> 00:29:30.059 You make all sorts of other things your gods, and they'll only let you down. 00:29:31.500 --> 00:29:33.939 But why not belong to Jesus? 00:29:33.940 --> 00:29:38.080 Because, you see, the problem with servant and slave is servant is a bit, 00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:40.200 makes it too much like we're just an employee. 00:29:40.340 --> 00:29:42.960 And slave is the slave trade. 00:29:43.080 --> 00:29:45.960 And the ancient Roman world had this in-between term. 00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:50.759 But in the in-between term, neither what we think of as the horals of 00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:54.320 chattel slavery, and neither is it like just being an employee. 00:29:54.820 --> 00:29:55.980 It's this in-between thing. 00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:59.580 But the heart of this in-between thing is that you now belong to someone else. 00:29:59.579 --> 00:30:05.980 And God, by his grace, as you put your faith in Jesus, you belong now to Jesus. 00:30:09.379 --> 00:30:13.619 And he will keep you until you come face-to-face with the triune God. 00:30:14.039 --> 00:30:16.439 And you will always be wrapped in the love of the Father. 00:30:16.440 --> 00:30:25.480 So let's look at verse 3. 00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:31.039 Remember, maybe you don't remember, but what I tried to say, 00:30:31.059 --> 00:30:34.279 and we're going to see it if you look at the beginning and the end of the letter, 00:30:34.600 --> 00:30:36.700 and the other stuff is part of the sandwich. 00:30:38.680 --> 00:30:40.460 Like, if this is actually just true, 00:30:40.460 --> 00:30:43.960 if what I've said to you is true, 00:30:44.120 --> 00:30:45.019 like if it's real, 00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:48.940 if it's real the way that this water bottle is real, 00:30:49.059 --> 00:30:50.620 if it's not just ideas, 00:30:50.819 --> 00:30:52.539 it's not like Santa Claus stories, 00:30:53.620 --> 00:30:57.100 it's not like just watching something very moving 00:30:57.100 --> 00:30:59.480 in a movie, 00:30:59.620 --> 00:31:01.059 but if it's actually real, 00:31:01.140 --> 00:31:03.039 if there really is a God that does exist, 00:31:03.140 --> 00:31:04.860 if it really is the triune God, 00:31:05.460 --> 00:31:06.900 then that obviously means 00:31:06.900 --> 00:31:08.220 we're separate from that God. 00:31:08.299 --> 00:31:09.460 It can't mean anything else. 00:31:09.460 --> 00:31:12.980 And if there really is this triune God that does exist, 00:31:13.100 --> 00:31:14.960 that's made himself known through clues, 00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:15.860 and through revelation, 00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:17.380 and through promptings, 00:31:17.500 --> 00:31:19.940 and movings of the Holy Spirit in your lives, 00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:21.600 and you've come to know him through Jesus, 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:22.819 if that's true, 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:25.799 if that's absolutely true, 00:31:27.880 --> 00:31:30.039 well then listen to verse 3 and 4. 00:31:31.340 --> 00:31:35.000 Behold, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation. 00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:36.960 See, that's the wonderful thing about this. 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:38.299 What I've just described to you, 00:31:38.299 --> 00:31:43.879 it's the message that we bring to people in China, 00:31:43.880 --> 00:31:46.020 it's the message we bring to people in Iran, 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:49.440 it's the message we bring to people in Nigeria, 00:31:49.760 --> 00:31:53.200 it's the message we bring to the LGBTQ plus community, 00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:57.320 it's the message we bring to those who are high up in the liberal party, 00:31:57.400 --> 00:31:58.620 and the conservative party, 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:01.000 it's the message we bring to those who live in Rockcliffe, 00:32:01.320 --> 00:32:04.520 it's the message we bring to those who live in the poorest parts of the city, 00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:06.000 it's just one message, 00:32:06.260 --> 00:32:08.120 and when you put your faith and trust in Christ, 00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:13.119 It's a common salvation, equally given and offered to all. 00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:19.019 Beloved, verse 3, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, 00:32:19.139 --> 00:32:26.519 I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend, to fight for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 00:32:27.099 --> 00:32:31.859 And I'll talk about this more in some other weeks, but you want to know what that once for all delivered is. 00:32:31.859 --> 00:32:40.219 If you think about an acorn, and there's this biological continuity between an acorn and the full oak tree, 00:32:40.299 --> 00:32:41.099 and that's what's happened. 00:32:41.379 --> 00:32:47.619 It's like the oak tree's been given to the early church in the form of the first apostles and then the New Testament, 00:32:47.879 --> 00:32:50.679 and it grows over time, but it's the same oak tree. 00:32:51.139 --> 00:32:57.719 And over time, it becomes more luxurious and luscious, but it's always the exact same oak tree, so to speak, that was given. 00:32:58.259 --> 00:33:00.879 And so there's this once for all, there's a faith that's given. 00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:01.780 It's not invented. 00:33:02.040 --> 00:33:04.680 It's not created by us. 00:33:04.760 --> 00:33:13.280 It's discovered as we enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ and listen to his word in the context of things that are going on in the world. 00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:15.080 And it's just a once for all faith. 00:33:16.080 --> 00:33:16.860 And then verse 4, 00:33:17.280 --> 00:33:25.180 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation. 00:33:25.260 --> 00:33:26.580 It means they're going to be judged. 00:33:26.579 --> 00:33:34.659 Ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. 00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:36.759 Well, what's this talking about? 00:33:37.139 --> 00:33:41.879 Well, you see, the whole thing about it is if Jesus isn't Lord, nothing in our salvation could have happened. 00:33:41.880 --> 00:33:49.540 If Jesus isn't Lord, then he might not have been able to live a sinful life, sinless life. 00:33:49.600 --> 00:33:51.880 If Jesus isn't Lord, he wouldn't have risen from the dead. 00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:55.800 If Jesus isn't Lord, he couldn't have called you from the moment of your conception. 00:33:55.960 --> 00:33:59.560 If Jesus isn't Lord, he can't actually be your Savior. 00:33:59.559 --> 00:34:06.700 If Jesus isn't Lord and Master, he can't say to you that the love of the Father is always going to unwrap you. 00:34:06.940 --> 00:34:12.719 If Jesus isn't Master and Lord, then he can't say that he's going to keep you forever and bring you into heaven. 00:34:12.900 --> 00:34:14.579 He can't say those things. 00:34:15.500 --> 00:34:19.079 He has to be Master and Lord, or those other things all fall away. 00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:21.739 They all fall away. 00:34:21.880 --> 00:34:23.539 They can't continue to be. 00:34:23.539 --> 00:34:28.940 And so if you have people going around, and that's what the next weeks are going to look at, 00:34:29.259 --> 00:34:31.940 that there's these people who go around, and they might be a bishop. 00:34:32.099 --> 00:34:35.880 They might be a doctor of theology and have four PhDs. 00:34:35.940 --> 00:34:37.559 They might be a megachurch pastor. 00:34:37.900 --> 00:34:39.659 They might be somebody in your small group. 00:34:39.739 --> 00:34:41.179 It might be a whole denomination. 00:34:41.619 --> 00:34:44.300 But in their teaching, they're going to always have these two qualities. 00:34:44.779 --> 00:34:48.619 They're going to always try to turn grace into something other than grace 00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:53.139 that ends up just being an excuse for you to do whatever you bloody well want. 00:34:53.539 --> 00:34:55.500 Because that's what sensuality is. 00:34:55.579 --> 00:34:59.880 It's all about seeking your own pleasure first and foremost beyond all things. 00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:03.940 And if somebody gets captured into that, that's where cruelty comes from. 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.480 That's where abuse of others come from. 00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:09.179 It's exalting yourself in your own pleasure. 00:35:09.420 --> 00:35:12.920 And there's a way of talking about grace, and it might seem very subtle, 00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:14.519 but it will just lead to that. 00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:17.719 And when you come across it, this message of Jude isn't about 00:35:17.719 --> 00:35:20.759 how we have to confront the Trudeau liberals, 00:35:20.939 --> 00:35:25.480 or how we have to confront the Jordan Peterson conservatives, 00:35:25.919 --> 00:35:29.799 or how we have to confront the LGBTQ plus community, 00:35:29.799 --> 00:35:33.099 or how we have to confront those people who believe in scientism. 00:35:33.099 --> 00:35:35.659 It's not about confronting people outside the church. 00:35:35.759 --> 00:35:38.379 It's talking about people within the visible church 00:35:38.379 --> 00:35:42.739 who have these teachings which they look like sheep, 00:35:42.819 --> 00:35:43.679 but they're not sheep. 00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:44.879 They're actually wolves. 00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:48.159 And they're introducing things that are going to attack two things. 00:35:48.259 --> 00:35:50.739 They're either going to attack the gospel and grace, 00:35:51.179 --> 00:35:53.440 so that, you know, they might use these Christian words, 00:35:53.579 --> 00:35:55.639 but it's not actually going to lead you to... 00:35:55.639 --> 00:35:57.259 It's not going to lead you to Jesus. 00:35:59.299 --> 00:36:01.199 It's going to take you away from Him. 00:36:02.219 --> 00:36:05.359 It means you could never hear about Him as your Savior and Lord. 00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:10.660 And it's going to be subtle things that deny that Jesus is Master. 00:36:10.760 --> 00:36:13.539 It's going to have all that little aspect to it 00:36:13.539 --> 00:36:16.320 that's so subtle and captures so many people 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:17.860 and can even capture us at times, 00:36:18.180 --> 00:36:21.760 when behind it is this denying of Jesus is Master and Lord, 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:24.700 is the words of the serpent in Genesis 3. 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:27.140 Did God really say? 00:36:29.099 --> 00:36:30.599 Did God really say? 00:36:30.599 --> 00:36:33.940 Ha, ha, ha. 00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:34.920 Did He really say? 00:36:35.900 --> 00:36:39.380 Yeah, you know, don't get too much on Him as Lord or Him as Master 00:36:39.380 --> 00:36:41.480 and being able to make those things up, you know. 00:36:41.860 --> 00:36:43.039 You're a mature person. 00:36:44.219 --> 00:36:45.799 You need to look out for number one. 00:36:46.599 --> 00:36:47.599 Don't get carried away. 00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:51.799 Don't trust His teaching on sexuality. 00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:53.739 Don't trust His teaching on power. 00:36:53.940 --> 00:36:55.519 Don't trust His teaching on money. 00:36:56.860 --> 00:36:59.900 Don't trust His teaching on family and child raising. 00:36:59.900 --> 00:37:00.000 Don't trust His teaching. 00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:01.460 Did God really say? 00:37:01.599 --> 00:37:02.960 Does He really know what He's talking about? 00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:06.619 I think we need to add to His teaching with this other stuff. 00:37:06.700 --> 00:37:09.059 I think you need to pick up some Rogerian therapy. 00:37:09.220 --> 00:37:12.139 I think you need to pick up a little bit of Jordan Peterson. 00:37:12.300 --> 00:37:14.360 You need to pick up a little bit of woke ideology. 00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:16.280 You need to pick up these different things 00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:17.760 because, you know, did God really say? 00:37:17.820 --> 00:37:18.820 And is that going to really work? 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:19.960 And don't get carried away. 00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:23.119 That's the danger within the church. 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:27.260 That's the danger within the church. 00:37:27.260 --> 00:37:31.820 And if Jesus is Lord, He knows that we have these problems. 00:37:32.740 --> 00:37:34.520 And so the message of the Gospel is, 00:37:34.900 --> 00:37:36.560 the message of the book of Jude is, 00:37:37.520 --> 00:37:42.560 friends, I want you to be so enchanted 00:37:42.560 --> 00:37:47.320 and so treasure who Jesus is, 00:37:47.860 --> 00:37:49.460 what He did for you, 00:37:49.960 --> 00:37:51.620 how He walks for you, 00:37:51.820 --> 00:37:53.800 how the Holy Spirit is in your life, 00:37:53.800 --> 00:37:55.620 how you are wrapped in the love of God. 00:37:55.680 --> 00:38:00.280 I want you to be so enchanted and treasured with this 00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:03.180 that when you come upon teaching within the church, 00:38:03.200 --> 00:38:05.480 which undermines and takes that away, 00:38:05.900 --> 00:38:07.100 that you fight against it. 00:38:09.300 --> 00:38:10.580 You fight against it. 00:38:11.820 --> 00:38:13.280 And as the book unfolds, 00:38:13.600 --> 00:38:15.240 that will be made more clear 00:38:15.240 --> 00:38:16.760 about what it even is going to look like 00:38:16.760 --> 00:38:18.560 and why it's important. 00:38:19.660 --> 00:38:21.300 Now, just two things just in closing. 00:38:21.300 --> 00:38:25.519 One of the things which is so different about Christianity, 00:38:25.620 --> 00:38:27.660 and this is like an important thing to take away, 00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:29.600 and I got this, by the way, 00:38:29.700 --> 00:38:32.840 if you've never read G.K. Chesterton's 00:38:32.840 --> 00:38:33.880 The Everlasting Man, 00:38:35.160 --> 00:38:37.380 no, Orthodoxy, sorry, not The Ever, 00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:38.420 I mean, you should read both of them, 00:38:38.539 --> 00:38:40.039 but Orthodoxy, you should read it. 00:38:40.060 --> 00:38:41.620 It's a very, very fascinating book, 00:38:42.140 --> 00:38:43.000 very prophetic. 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:46.300 And one of the things that Chesterton says 00:38:46.300 --> 00:38:48.719 is that people don't understand about Christianity 00:38:48.719 --> 00:38:51.519 is that it doesn't try to moderate things often, 00:38:51.659 --> 00:38:54.199 but tries to have you do both to the fullest. 00:38:55.219 --> 00:38:58.659 So it's not that you sort of, like, 00:38:59.480 --> 00:39:01.579 you know, you do blessings on Christians 00:39:01.579 --> 00:39:03.320 and fight those who are false, 00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:05.619 ungodly influence in the church, 00:39:05.659 --> 00:39:06.980 but you have the two of them sort of 00:39:06.980 --> 00:39:09.000 balance each other off and moderate. 00:39:09.139 --> 00:39:09.980 No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:39:09.980 --> 00:39:11.980 There's two commands. 00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:14.500 The first command is 00:39:14.500 --> 00:39:16.139 there are ungodly influencers 00:39:16.139 --> 00:39:17.340 in the visible church, 00:39:17.400 --> 00:39:18.699 and you need to walk towards it, 00:39:18.740 --> 00:39:19.820 you need to deal with it. 00:39:20.840 --> 00:39:21.599 And the rest of it, 00:39:21.659 --> 00:39:22.559 we'll look at what that, 00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:24.159 it's going to have that big category 00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:25.940 of perverting the gospel 00:39:25.940 --> 00:39:27.760 and denying Jesus as Master and Lord, 00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:29.619 and it's going to give you a bit of a sense 00:39:29.619 --> 00:39:30.840 about what that's going to look like 00:39:30.840 --> 00:39:32.219 when you meet it and how you deal with it. 00:39:32.240 --> 00:39:33.559 That's going to be the rest of the book. 00:39:33.980 --> 00:39:34.900 But you need to do that. 00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:36.380 But you also have to do something else 00:39:36.380 --> 00:39:37.880 for brothers and sisters in Christ, 00:39:37.960 --> 00:39:39.000 which is just as important. 00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:40.119 You don't sort of just say, 00:39:40.219 --> 00:39:41.159 well, I'm going to weaken this, 00:39:41.599 --> 00:39:42.559 you know, I'm going to weaken this 00:39:42.559 --> 00:39:43.860 and not be so harsh on that, 00:39:43.960 --> 00:39:45.059 and then there's this other command, 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:45.960 and I'll sort of weaken that 00:39:45.960 --> 00:39:46.579 in light of this, 00:39:46.639 --> 00:39:47.619 and no, no, no, no, no. 00:39:47.940 --> 00:39:49.659 You put this doll up to the top, 00:39:49.699 --> 00:39:50.699 and you doll this up to the top, 00:39:50.739 --> 00:39:52.159 and what's the dolling up to the other top? 00:39:52.219 --> 00:39:53.860 The dolling up to the other top is this, 00:39:54.199 --> 00:39:55.420 that it's very easy for us 00:39:55.420 --> 00:39:56.860 to have friction with other Christians. 00:39:58.400 --> 00:39:59.539 It's very easy for us 00:39:59.539 --> 00:40:00.320 to have a Christian, 00:40:00.619 --> 00:40:01.739 a brother and sister in Christ, 00:40:01.800 --> 00:40:02.960 just rub us the wrong way. 00:40:03.760 --> 00:40:05.559 Now, maybe I'm the only bad Christian 00:40:05.559 --> 00:40:06.079 in the room, 00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:07.440 but if you're at all honest, 00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:08.039 there are people, 00:40:08.360 --> 00:40:09.099 even in this church, 00:40:09.159 --> 00:40:10.420 who irritate you a little bit. 00:40:12.940 --> 00:40:14.360 Maybe more than a little bit, 00:40:14.599 --> 00:40:15.940 or in another church. 00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:17.840 And verse 2 00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:20.299 is for us to pray over each other. 00:40:20.420 --> 00:40:21.679 In fact, if you'd like to stand now, 00:40:21.799 --> 00:40:22.920 just come to a close, 00:40:23.299 --> 00:40:24.279 look at verse 2. 00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:26.199 May mercy, peace, and love 00:40:26.199 --> 00:40:27.460 be multiplied to you. 00:40:29.059 --> 00:40:29.619 Now, you see, 00:40:29.759 --> 00:40:30.759 here's the thing 00:40:30.759 --> 00:40:32.159 which is really important for us. 00:40:32.920 --> 00:40:33.219 You know, 00:40:33.319 --> 00:40:34.059 when it comes down 00:40:34.059 --> 00:40:35.059 to the end of the book of Jude, 00:40:35.099 --> 00:40:35.579 we're going to see 00:40:35.579 --> 00:40:36.639 what it means to walk, 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:37.879 like, we're going to, 00:40:38.099 --> 00:40:38.480 you know, 00:40:38.519 --> 00:40:39.019 the book of Jude 00:40:39.019 --> 00:40:40.099 is going to sell the problem. 00:40:40.279 --> 00:40:41.039 This is a problem. 00:40:41.179 --> 00:40:42.039 You need to deal with it. 00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:43.339 Walk for it and deal with it. 00:40:43.679 --> 00:40:44.359 And these are some 00:40:44.359 --> 00:40:45.460 very important principles 00:40:45.460 --> 00:40:46.179 of dealing with it. 00:40:46.219 --> 00:40:47.000 That's going to come down 00:40:47.000 --> 00:40:47.759 later on in the book. 00:40:48.019 --> 00:40:49.159 But while you're dealing 00:40:49.159 --> 00:40:50.079 with these people 00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:50.779 who are, 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:54.679 that are giving ungodly influence, 00:40:54.779 --> 00:40:56.039 it's going to pervert the gospel 00:40:56.039 --> 00:40:57.960 and undermine Jesus' Savior and Lord. 00:40:58.440 --> 00:40:58.779 By the way, 00:40:58.819 --> 00:40:59.460 there's a whole pile 00:40:59.460 --> 00:41:00.099 of other people 00:41:00.099 --> 00:41:01.239 and they just struggle 00:41:01.239 --> 00:41:01.799 and sometimes 00:41:01.799 --> 00:41:02.480 they're a bit annoying. 00:41:02.639 --> 00:41:03.440 In fact, frankly, 00:41:03.659 --> 00:41:03.940 George, 00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:04.860 you're a little bit annoying 00:41:04.860 --> 00:41:05.239 at times, 00:41:05.319 --> 00:41:06.360 more than a little bit annoying. 00:41:06.779 --> 00:41:07.400 And sometimes 00:41:07.400 --> 00:41:08.159 there's going to be people 00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:09.019 who don't really walk 00:41:09.019 --> 00:41:09.860 with the Christian faith 00:41:09.860 --> 00:41:10.420 all of the time. 00:41:10.639 --> 00:41:11.440 And I'm not talking 00:41:11.440 --> 00:41:11.900 about people 00:41:11.900 --> 00:41:12.960 who just have a hard time 00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:13.940 being perfect Christians 00:41:13.940 --> 00:41:14.519 because you know what? 00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:15.360 Every single one of us 00:41:15.360 --> 00:41:16.119 should put up our hand 00:41:16.119 --> 00:41:17.639 that I'm not a perfect Christian. 00:41:18.199 --> 00:41:18.920 Well, how do we deal 00:41:18.920 --> 00:41:19.579 with each other 00:41:19.579 --> 00:41:21.420 who are trying to walk 00:41:21.420 --> 00:41:22.219 in all of these things? 00:41:22.299 --> 00:41:22.960 Well, we need to learn 00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:24.440 to pray this over each other. 00:41:25.839 --> 00:41:26.819 Like, the next time 00:41:26.819 --> 00:41:27.480 you're irritated 00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:28.699 with somebody in the church, 00:41:28.699 --> 00:41:30.119 maybe you should just say, 00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:31.019 okay, I should pray 00:41:31.019 --> 00:41:32.179 Jude 2 over them. 00:41:33.139 --> 00:41:34.000 What is Jude 2? 00:41:34.679 --> 00:41:35.500 If it's up on the screen, 00:41:35.599 --> 00:41:36.699 may mercy and peace 00:41:36.699 --> 00:41:37.799 and love be multiplied 00:41:37.799 --> 00:41:39.419 to you. 00:41:41.980 --> 00:41:42.759 Like, just imagine 00:41:42.759 --> 00:41:43.399 if that was, 00:41:43.899 --> 00:41:44.480 okay, yeah, yeah, 00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:45.059 I'm not saying 00:41:45.059 --> 00:41:45.839 you're all going to be perfect, 00:41:46.019 --> 00:41:47.039 but gosh, 00:41:47.099 --> 00:41:48.419 that person's so irritating. 00:41:49.079 --> 00:41:50.059 Okay, that's actually 00:41:50.059 --> 00:41:50.960 a message from God 00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:51.639 that I should say, 00:41:51.699 --> 00:41:52.059 you know what? 00:41:53.259 --> 00:41:53.899 Father, I know 00:41:53.899 --> 00:41:55.119 I can be really irritating. 00:41:55.119 --> 00:41:57.000 And Father, 00:41:57.099 --> 00:41:58.159 I pray that mercy, 00:41:58.380 --> 00:41:58.900 peace, and love 00:41:58.900 --> 00:41:59.500 be multiplied 00:41:59.500 --> 00:42:00.519 upon that person. 00:42:02.539 --> 00:42:02.739 I mean, 00:42:02.779 --> 00:42:03.299 that would be 00:42:03.299 --> 00:42:04.039 one of my prayers 00:42:04.039 --> 00:42:05.039 coming out of this week, 00:42:05.239 --> 00:42:06.579 that we be a congregation 00:42:06.579 --> 00:42:08.599 that's learning 00:42:08.599 --> 00:42:09.480 to pray that 00:42:09.480 --> 00:42:10.559 over each other 00:42:10.559 --> 00:42:11.199 all the time. 00:42:13.659 --> 00:42:14.440 We're learning 00:42:14.440 --> 00:42:15.039 to pray 00:42:15.039 --> 00:42:15.839 over our brothers 00:42:15.839 --> 00:42:16.960 and sisters in Christ. 00:42:18.219 --> 00:42:18.659 Father, 00:42:18.799 --> 00:42:20.039 may Jesus, 00:42:20.359 --> 00:42:21.440 may mercy, 00:42:21.799 --> 00:42:22.099 peace, 00:42:22.099 --> 00:42:22.619 and love 00:42:22.619 --> 00:42:23.420 be multiplied 00:42:23.420 --> 00:42:25.420 and lavished 00:42:25.420 --> 00:42:26.319 upon that person. 00:42:26.480 --> 00:42:27.000 Let's pray. 00:42:28.659 --> 00:42:29.079 Father, 00:42:29.139 --> 00:42:29.699 we ask that you 00:42:29.699 --> 00:42:30.940 help us to fall in love 00:42:30.940 --> 00:42:31.699 with the gospel, 00:42:31.839 --> 00:42:32.779 with the person of Jesus 00:42:32.779 --> 00:42:33.460 and his work. 00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:34.339 We ask, Father, 00:42:34.480 --> 00:42:36.199 that as we become 00:42:36.199 --> 00:42:36.920 more in love 00:42:36.920 --> 00:42:37.699 and enchanted 00:42:37.699 --> 00:42:38.500 and treasure it, 00:42:38.559 --> 00:42:39.339 that we would be willing 00:42:39.339 --> 00:42:40.500 to deal with 00:42:40.500 --> 00:42:42.139 serious errors, 00:42:42.219 --> 00:42:42.839 even if they don't 00:42:42.839 --> 00:42:44.000 look serious at first, 00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:45.119 but that they will 00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:46.199 pervert the gospel 00:42:46.199 --> 00:42:47.460 and pervert grace 00:42:47.460 --> 00:42:49.319 and deny the lordship 00:42:49.319 --> 00:42:50.799 and the saving work 00:42:50.799 --> 00:42:51.319 of Christ, 00:42:51.320 --> 00:42:52.240 and that we deal 00:42:52.240 --> 00:42:53.019 with that, Father, 00:42:53.519 --> 00:42:54.580 that we learn from Jude 00:42:54.580 --> 00:42:55.500 how to deal with that, 00:42:55.600 --> 00:42:56.600 walking towards it, 00:42:56.660 --> 00:42:57.680 not ignoring it, 00:42:57.740 --> 00:42:58.900 not saying it doesn't matter. 00:42:59.559 --> 00:43:00.400 But, Father, 00:43:00.539 --> 00:43:01.720 just as we ask for that, 00:43:01.780 --> 00:43:02.680 we also ask 00:43:02.680 --> 00:43:03.280 that you give us 00:43:03.280 --> 00:43:04.500 a very different spirit 00:43:04.500 --> 00:43:05.180 to our brothers 00:43:05.180 --> 00:43:06.360 and sisters in Christ. 00:43:07.500 --> 00:43:08.420 We ask, Father, 00:43:08.480 --> 00:43:09.740 that you build within us 00:43:09.740 --> 00:43:10.360 a habit 00:43:10.360 --> 00:43:11.420 when we are annoyed 00:43:11.420 --> 00:43:12.300 or irritated 00:43:12.300 --> 00:43:13.420 or bothered 00:43:13.420 --> 00:43:14.059 by our brother 00:43:14.059 --> 00:43:15.059 and sister in Christ, 00:43:15.160 --> 00:43:16.039 that we will pray, 00:43:16.260 --> 00:43:16.580 Father, 00:43:16.880 --> 00:43:17.940 help us to pray 00:43:17.940 --> 00:43:19.559 that your mercy, 00:43:19.800 --> 00:43:20.059 peace, 00:43:20.059 --> 00:43:20.480 and love 00:43:20.480 --> 00:43:21.159 be multiplied 00:43:21.159 --> 00:43:21.860 upon them. 00:43:21.940 --> 00:43:22.380 And I ask, 00:43:22.599 --> 00:43:22.659 Father, 00:43:22.739 --> 00:43:23.179 right now 00:43:23.179 --> 00:43:24.219 for this congregation, 00:43:24.420 --> 00:43:25.059 those present, 00:43:25.500 --> 00:43:26.139 those online, 00:43:26.259 --> 00:43:26.920 those downstream, 00:43:27.139 --> 00:43:27.380 Father, 00:43:27.460 --> 00:43:29.599 I ask in Jesus' name 00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:30.860 that your mercy 00:43:30.860 --> 00:43:32.059 and your peace 00:43:32.059 --> 00:43:32.619 and your love 00:43:32.619 --> 00:43:33.299 be multiplied 00:43:33.299 --> 00:43:34.420 upon each one 00:43:34.420 --> 00:43:35.519 and upon us 00:43:35.519 --> 00:43:36.039 as a whole. 00:43:36.340 --> 00:43:37.299 And I ask these things 00:43:37.299 --> 00:43:38.340 in Jesus' name. 00:43:38.340 --> 00:43:39.420 Amen. 00:43:50.059 --> 00:43:51.059 Amen.