Those Are Fighting Words (part 2)

All right, let's talk about the message tonight. I'm doing a few different things on Sunday night. Not pure verse-by-verse exposition exposition. But I've had some ideas in my mind and they're fleshing themselves out on Sunday night.

Contending for the Faith in Jude

And so this is part two of a sermon I've entitled fighting words words that we need to fight for and words that we need to fight against and Let's turn our Bibles again to Jude to just set the scene. Maybe you were here two weeks ago.

Maybe you were not but Jude found towards the end of your Bibles. Right before the book of Revelation. Gives us our marching orders. I believe there are some in the church that are too pugnacious. They fight too much.

They criticize too much and we wouldn't want to do that. But when the Bible tells us that we should stand up and guard the truth and to Contend earnestly for the faith then we ought to do that. We're not labeled sinfully pugnacious and and fighters if we obey the scriptures and as we talked about two weeks ago Fighting for the truth is not just something that elders should do not just something that the men should do not just for leaders.

But as everyone and I can prove that by this Wonderful letter the book of Jude and if you look down in verse 3, he says To all who would dare call themselves Christians. But there's a time to fight. Christianity is not for weaklings.

It's not for those who are emaciated and just want to get run over by everyone. Of course were to be gentle. Of course when offended were to turn the other cheek, but there's a time to fight and here's the time to fight.

One time at least to fight. Jude 3 beloved and you can hear the pastoral heart. His personal love as he's going to talk to these dear Christians in a time of trial in a time of fire Persecution and he comes alongside in a you know, you know, not just a watchman fashion, but a very pastoral fashion in the bond of Christian fellowship.

Beloved what a great one-word definition of a Christian loved by God and loved by the Saints and loved by this pastor. Beloved while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation I was compelled to write the Spirit of God was compelling me to write you a letter about Salvation like Romans or maybe like Galatians without all the Doctrinal Differences something that's just pure truth and I was spurred on like a horse is spurred on by its rider.

I was I was sitting there and it was like my spiritual funny bone was hit and I and I had to do something. I was compelled that was Necessary for me to write. And what was I to write? Was to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith again.

Not just pastors not just leaders, of course there to contend for the faith. But here the beloved to contend earnestly for the faith. Which was once for all delivered to the Saints and he says I'm appealing to you.

I'm coming alongside as a brother coming alongside as a friend. I'm putting my arm around you and saying we've got to do this. This is worth fighting for some things aren't worth fighting for but this is this is the faith once delivered.

It's been delivered to us and it's like a trust and you just don't take this trust and say whatever. Someone's entrusted this to you and you've got to guard it and protect it and pass it on and stand up for it.

And so I believe as Christians that we need to guard the faith and we need to contend for the faith. And I wanted to give you several things that we should stand up and contend for the first one from last Time was the inerrancy of scriptures inerrancy.

The Bible says in Psalm 19 the law of the Lord is perfect. Restoring the soul. And we want to stand up for the truth of scriptures without scriptures. We have nothing number two in review. Standing up for blood.

I'm willing to fight for the theological term blood. Who can tell me just quickly. What blood means as we talked about two weeks ago and even on the Sunday morning series blood? What would blood mean?

Theologically, yes, Brian. Okay, it contains not just bleeding but it has an aspect to a it has a it has a view toward Vicious sacrificial death, right? All the language that we see in Scripture Would not say it means death.

But the preponderance of evidence has its view not towards the the the liquidy substance in your veins. But it is death. I'll never forget when Al Mohler said he went to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

You want to go you've gone you you've gone you are going. Who else you are going you were going. Mohler first went to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville and one of his theological professors said this to the class.

This is when it was liberal. I will have no more bloody cross religion in this classroom. Southern seminary. That sounds like Doris Williams of Union Theological Seminary. I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood-dripping and weird stuff if you would turn with me to first Peter.

I know this is in review, but this verse isn't in review first Peter chapter 1 it may be crude. It may be obscene. But it is biblical and when you have been changed by grace alone you respond to the blood not as weird and dripping and somehow Halloween ish you start saying this is an amazing thing.

Oh purchase. Oh Perfect redemption the purchase of blood. And you sing and you say I understand this first Peter chapter 1 verse 19. In verse 18 it talks about redemption and how we're redeemed with something that's not perishable.

It's imperishable and what is the imperishable thing that redeems us, but with what kind of blood what's the word? Precious blood the same word that's actually used of Christ Jesus this precious Savior.

And I will stand up and defend the word blood because of the Atonement Number three we looked at the word substitution substitution the substitutionary Atonement. I shouldn't be shocked but When I read things Like this from Dominic Crossan.

The substitutionary Atonement is quote the most unfortunately successful idea in the history of Christian thought. Substitutionary Atonement. That is fascinating to me. Well, we had the passion movie come out years ago and Reverend Schaefer at Mary Atonement.

That is fascinating to me. Well, we had the passion movie come out years ago and Reverend Schaefer at rest of mercy and forgiveness that God offers to us sinners and second to model for us the perfection of love that God is and that those who accept God's forgiveness are Invited to become it is not Jesus's death that can save us but his life.

I'll stand up for substitution where Jesus the just dies for thee. What? Unjust that's exactly right word number four. If I had to pick another word that I would stand up for and defend to the my dying breath.

What word might that be? Well, there could be lots of words and I was gonna try to give about ten tonight. And I don't know how many probably gonna give about three extra. So we'll see how it goes. The next word is hell.

If you haven't read that book by John Blanchard, whatever happened to hell you ought to get that book. Short of the first couple chapters it reads like a novel in the sense that you want to keep reading.

He writes so well, you begin to understand how bad hell is. And it'll motivate you and I'll ask you right now because I know it's Sunday night. Why is it important for the church to understand Universal Church and our church that hell is real?

Is it is a big deal? What would it affect. I mean, come on, it's just a small doctrine, right. Or is it? Okay, there's only one hand up and you've already answered your question. Why is it important? Yes I had it.

Okay, we lose understanding who got we lose a thought of understanding who God is because he's not a just God. Okay good. Anyone else John? Okay, if there's no hell, we don't need a Savior. We can just go down to the Universal Unitarian Unit not United for for Whatever they're United for we drive by the one in Lancaster all the time and I always like to look on the side of the Sign to see what they say the church service will be and I'm sure the dog blessing service will be soon.

But if everybody's going at least it's a tax write-off for people that like to have fellowship. All right next.

Brian so could increase your gratitude.

But the one that I'm thinking about is what would happen to the evangelism of a local church if hell was gone. Hey, everybody goes there. Why waste your time? Why offend why confront who likes confronting?

But it is rare to find these days a church that will stand up and preach sermon about hell. I'm gonna give you a quote. You tell me who said these quotes. All right, this is gonna be fun. This is called pastoral fun.

You want to know what makes me happy things like this? All right. Who said this heaven and hell are states of thought not places people experience their own heaven or hell right here on earth? These are all going to be religious leaders from sex and heretical groups that deny hell.

What? Okay, Mary Baker Eddie good if I was gonna be technical Mary Baker Eddie Glover Patterson Frye, but who's counting the destiny of the soul as of all creation is to become one with the Creator and No soul is ever lost.

A little harder. Edgar Cayce. All right. How about this one? God will not desert any person eternally. All will be restored by some means. Sung young moon. The false doctrine that the punishment to be visited upon erring souls is endless is but a dogma of unauthorized and erring sectarians at once.

Scriptural unreasonable and revolting. Now it may be revolting, but who said that it's unreasonable unscriptural and revolting if you get bored. Tell me I don't have to have much more fun, but you're all just kind of looking at me.

Joseph Smith founder of Mormonism. The teaching about a fiery hell can rightly be designating a teaching of demons. It's not true. Demons made it up. Who said that? Jehovah's Witnesses founder Charles Taze Russell.

I've got a huge long list here. So I better not do too many more because I can tell where this is going. I'm I can see your faces, but I'm gonna just do a couple more. It seems safe to say that no Unitarian Universalist believes in a resurrection of the body a literal heaven.

Our hell are any kind of eternal punishment. Doesn't tell me it just says some Unitarian Universalist said that I knew you couldn't get that one, right? Okay, one last one. God has never judged you or anyone.

No, there's no hell and there's no devil. God punishes no man. Who said that any guesses that is JS Knight? As she is a medium for the spirit. Ramtha. But let's turn our Bibles to Matthew and I want to show you that Jesus Christ himself Discussed hell and we ought to discuss it as well.

And we ought to discuss it with sadness and with grief and we ought not to ever swear and say people. You know to say to people horrible things about it. I think it's right to talk about it, but it's not to be used as some kind of whipping stick.

But I think we need to follow JC Riles advice as you're turning to Matthew chapter 5. JC Riles said let others hold their peace about hell if they will. I dare not do so. I see it plainly in Scripture and I must speak of it.

I fear that thousands are on the broad road that leads to it and I would feign arouse them to a sense of peril before them. What would you say of the man who saw his neighbor's house in danger of being burned down and never raised the cry?

Fire and now listen to JC Riles. Amazing call it bad taste if you like to speak of hell. Call it charity to make things pleasant and speak smoothly and soothe men with a constant lullaby of peace. From such notions of taste and charity.

May I ever be delivered? My notion of charity is to warn men plainly of their danger. My notion of taste is to declare all the counsel of God. If I never spoke of hell I should think that I had kept back something that was profitable and should look on myself as an accomplice of the devil.

How about that? Look at Matthew chapter 5 and self as an accomplice of the devil. How about that? Look at Matthew chapter 5 and than any other person was Jesus our Savior. The teaching of Jesus the Redeemer who's the one who's talking about?

Hell. I can't imagine when people say well, you know Paul's too hard. So, let's see what Jesus has to say. They forget he talks about hell more than anyone else. Matthew 5 22. But I say to you that everyone who's angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court whoever says to his brother You good-for-nothing shall be guilty before the Supreme Court and whoever says you fool shall be guilty enough to go into a what? into the fiery hell verse 29 you'll see it again at The end of the verse to lose one part of your body then to lose your excuse me.

Then for your whole body to be thrown into what? Hell. Let's look at another verse verse 30 if your right hand makes you stumble cut it off and throw it from you for it is better for you to lose one Of the parts of your body then for your whole body to go into Hell it is everywhere chapter 8 if you go there with me.

For those of you that have concordances you look up the word hell and you will quickly say I Might not like it that it's in the Bible, but it's certainly in the Bible. Matthew chapter 8 verse 12. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Chapter 10 verse. Him who is able to destroy both body and soul. Where in hell. Jesus taught about hell in Matthew. Chapter 11 chapter 12 chapter 13 chapter 18 chapter 22 chapter 23 chapter 25.

John talks about it in Revelation. Paul talks about it in 2nd Thessalonians. Peter talks about it in 2nd Peter. 60 of Americans in a Gallup poll said they believe in hell. It could have been zero it could have been hundred.

But I believe in hell because the Bible teaches it and once you start understanding How bad hell is you should say to yourself like we just learned tonight? God, I'm grateful. I don't have to go there.

I deserve it. And I also don't want every anybody else go to go there. Listen what Calvin said as he was trying to describe hell for there can be no doubt. But that by such modes of expression the Holy Spirit intended to confound all our faculties with horror.

So when you start reading about destruction and the worm and the pit and endless fire Calvin is right when he says that is just to make us afraid. So we're supposed to do is to say that is something I don't want to be in eternal suffering.

Spurgeon said about hell. It is labor in the fire, but no ease no peace no sleep no calm no quiet everlasting storm eternal hurricane unceasing tempest in The worst diseases there are some respites. There is no peace in hell's torment.

You cannot compare the pains of this life with the agonies to be endured hereafter. Could all the misery that ever startled the keepers of our hospitals be conceived? It could not convey the least idea of the pains of the spirits that are doomed to dwell in eternal fire and everlasting burning the memory aghast hope and fear thoughts and imaginations.

Conscience and judgment all will be racked. Everyone will be stretched on a bed of fire. Every nerve strained to its utmost. Every vein made a road for the hot feet of pain to travel on and just give you an example.

Why don't you turn your Bibles to mark chapter 9 and all this is for me? I deserve to go and I'm not going and I want to have my friends and everyone I know every neighbor. Can you imagine every person that you meet in your life at the store at your home wherever you go?

They will all live eternally their souls are eternal and they'll either be in the presence of God in heaven or in the presence of God in hell. We'll talk about that in just a minute mark. What mark chapter 9?

Verse 48. Verse 48 9 48 if your eye causes you verse 47 to stumble throw it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell and Describing hell here where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

Horrible description should keep people up at night. And it is forever as heaven is eternal so to hell is eternal. Turn with me if you would to Revelation chapter 14. This was a thought when I first learned it.

I couldn't quite get my arms around but I think I get my arms around now. What makes hell hell? Sometimes people think because God isn't there and the absence of loving God and all those things and I think they're thinking kind of.

Rightly, but if you go to Revelation chapter 14 Verse 10, I believe what Edward said is right. What makes hell hell is that God is there? Now if you start thinking about it, what do you mean God is there?

First of all, is there anywhere God is not? If you think about God's omnipresence, he's everywhere. And so what about hell and certainly here? He's not going to be The God of love and mercy and common mercy and and all the things of patience.

Kindness but in his pure holiness in his pure wrath in his pure justice in his pure immutable holiness. We see Revelation chapter 14 verse 10. Talk about how God is there. Let's go to verse 9. It's tribulation then another angel a third one followed them saying with a loud voice.

If anyone worships the beast in his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand. I Think what's true for them? It would be true for anyone in hell. He will also drink of the wine of the wrath of God.

What a picture which is mixed. It's not diluted. It's in full strength in the cup of his anger and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb.

That is amazing. That is amazing over and over and over forever forever forever. Spurgeon said they are forever forever lost on every chain in hell that is written forever in the fires. There they blaze out the words forever.

That's why we have words like the worm does not die mark chapter 9 unquenchable fire. Mark chapter 9 day and night forever and ever. Revelation chapter 20. And it almost makes you laugh because you want to release because it's so much pressure thinking about hell.

Richard Baxter said. They were want to think sermons and prayers long how long will they think of these endless torments. And then you start to think. There's some hell that's bad and then there's other parts of hell that are worse.

Do you believe that? They're worse. Just quickly go there Hebrews 1029. We just weren't Hebrews, but I didn't talk about it much. We just talked to you for a moment that we need to wrap this section up.

But Hebrews chapter 10 verse 29 would indicate to us that there are different levels of hell. And I'm glad I'm not in any part of hell. I'm glad I'm never gonna go there by the promises of God and the same for you.

But there are other people who every day as they sin they are heaping up for themselves judgment. You might say to yourself. Well It might be better for people to die younger if they're not going to go to heaven and that might be true.

But we don't know if God will save them. So, of course, we want them to be alive. And if you look at Hebrews chapter 10 verse 29, there's punishment and there's more severe punishment. How much severe punishment do you think he will deserve who was trampled under the foot the Son of God and is regarded as?

Unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and has insulted the Spirit of grace. For we know him who said Vengeance is mine. I will repay and again. The Lord will judge his people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of A living God, I'm only wondering tonight.

I don't think it's true, but it certainly could be. I Wonder if you aren't a Christian tonight. Do you know you're gonna go to hell if you're not a Christian if you don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, I?

Believe it's correct when I hear theologians say if you aren't a Christian you are probably flattering yourself. That somehow you won't have to go to hell. But as Jonathan Edwards Influenced Spurgeon, he said many of you are hanging over the mouth of hell by a solitary plank and that plank is rotten.

So the only hope is Christ Jesus and for us I can't get rid of hell because then I get rid of Christ's words. I get rid of the justice of God. I get rid of my own gratitude and I get rid of evangelism.

I can't do that. All right. Next word number five took longer than I thought but that's all right. Number five lordship one of the words that I want to fight for is lordship. Let's go to Matthew excuse me Mark chapter 8 for those of you that want verse-by-verse exposition.

I'll give you some right now. This is the lordship of Christ Jesus Matthew excuse me Mark chapter 8. I've been in Matthew so long. I keep saying it every time I think of Mark here. We go to this go gospel.

It's fast. It's action if you ever meet an unbeliever and you say hey. You should read your Bible sometime. You should say to them Why don't you read the book of Mark? Because it just shows Christ in his glory and his fame and when you read it you just sit back and say that is the Most amazing person I've ever seen in the history of the world.

This God man is amazing and Mark chapter 8 we dive right in as God shows Peter who he is and Then we see what the response is when you know who God is then there's a response and it's all about lordship.

Jesus is Lord and that's who God made him and here's a wonderful passage Mark 8 verse 27 here God is going to show Peter about his son. Jesus went out Mark 8 27 along with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.

And on the way he questioned his disciples saying who do people say that I am and that is the eternal question. Isn't it that is the question that everybody must answer the question of the ages and Here we have close by Caesarea Philippi a place where they would worship the false God.

Fred. You've been there a couple times. Remember that false God that they worship right there by Caesarea Philippi. Do you remember the name of that false God? Pan. Remember pan is who they worshiped right there the Roman God of the fields and of nature.

Who do people say that I am. And they told him verse 28 saying John the Baptist Elijah one of the prophets. Ask modern scholars ask other people. I wonder what they would say. But back to point verse 29 and he continued by questioning them saying but who do you say that?

I am. Peter answered and said and here we go thou art the Christ Jesus. I want to know who you say he is very emphatic pronoun. You're the ones who have seen me who've been with me intimately. I've taught you you've walked behind me.

Peter the spokesperson for the twelve says you are the Christ. You are the son of the Living God. Then he does something I'd never do verse 30. And he warned them to tell no one about him. Warned is the word ordered.

I order you you can't tell anybody about who I am. They're gonna try to make me into some kind of political hero and right now is not the time for them for you on the Inside circle. Yes, but I'm ordering you not to tell anyone that I am the Messiah.

It was a stern order and now there's gonna be a prediction of the passion. Verse 31 and he began to teach them that the Son of God must suffer many things be Rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again.

He says the Messiah is not this political Messiah that everybody else believes and I don't want you to believe in him either. This Messiah I must suffer. I'm going to be rejected. I'm gonna be killed and I'm gonna be raised from the dead and.

Then we have the passage that every time you read it you think I can't believe this is happening. Verse 32. And he was stating the matter plainly. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Jesus wasn't speaking in a veiled allegory or some kind of parable or some kind of illusion.

Don't really kind of get your point. Here's the point. A plus B equals C. And Jesus you're gonna die. I can't take that and Peter does the unthinkable. When Jesus rebukes a demon that same word to rebuke the demon is used by Peter to rebuke Jesus.

But turning around and seeing his disciples here. He rebuked Peter and said There's a lot of things, you know, you want to hear God say to you, but this isn't one of them. Get behind me Satan. For you are not setting your mind your mental disposition.

Is not on God's interest but on man's. One man said he went from a straight-a student to put it on the dunce cap in just about a moment. Satan opposes Jesus's sacrificial death. Peter now is basically in the same campus.

Satan. Satan doesn't want Jesus to redeem people and to die a substitutionary death on Calvary and now Peter's saying the same thing. Glory no suffering. That's Satan's mo. God's mo is suffering turns in to glory and out of that here comes these demands for discipleship our lordship.

Linked together who he is and if you know who he is, you have to be willing to follow him. Costly difficult hard the stakes are high. Not like Churchill when he said blood sweat and tears. Not like Garibaldi when he said soldiers all our efforts against superiors forces have been unavailing.

I have nothing to offer you but a hunger thirst hardship and death. It's even worse than that. Three demands from Jesus. I call him three spiritual gut checks. Demand number one the person that wants to follow Christ must deny himself and these all.

Say Jesus is Lord. The person that wants to follow Christ must deny himself that goes for everybody in this room verse 34 and He summoned the multitude with his disciples and said to them if anyone Wishes to come after me.

Let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me. By the way, this is not self-denial like Lent. What do people do Bernal for Lent? I'll never forget it we're downstairs at our house and we have some neighbors who have come over once in a while and He came over this young man very innocently and and we offered him some food and some snacks and he said no.

I gave that up for Lent. Then he said would you give up for Lent? I? Said I decided to eat more stuff for Lent just because. Just because the Bible says if you receive things with Thanksgiving 1st Timothy chapter 4 says it's all good to eat.

And when people start telling you can't touch things and you can't taste things that doesn't have anything to do with Christianity. This is not giving something up. This is denying who you are all your plans all your dreams all your five-year plans ten-year plans.

This is an asceticism. This is no to self. This isn't an option. By the way, this is an imperative. No exceptions, this isn't a time this isn't a season. This is you say no to self denial of self renounce self.

And it's a decisive thing. It's it's an aorist imperative. It is to deny with decisiveness. At all costs. I'm going down with the ship for Jesus. By the way, this is exact opposite of what we talked about this morning instead of affirming self and esteeming self and Promoting self and having you at the agenda at the top of the agenda of self.

No, it's all gone not self-esteem. Not self-worth not self-interest. It's all gone and who could ever do this unless God was working in their hearts. Being a disciple. I'm sitting on the throne. I can't sit on the throne anymore and you say yeah.

But how far should I be willing to take the self-denial? There's got to be some kind of degree. I don't want to go too far. Oh, yeah number two demand number two. Not only must you deny yourself the man number two.

If you know Jesus is the Christ if you know, he's the only Savior if you know, he's the substitutionary Lamb for sinners then it's not just a one degree thing. This is second degree the person who wants to be a disciple of Christ.

Jesus must take up his cross. It might cost you death. It's not just deny self, but it's deny self all the way to death you see the text. Must deny himself and take up his cross by the way, that is not a nagging spouse.

That is you know, I got a cross to bear. I mean I read this all the time. I got a cross to bury. That's my it's my wife. It's my husband. I'm burying my cross or sometimes people will say it's some kind of irritation in your life or some kind of physical ailment.

Physical ailments are real, but that's not what Jesus is talking about here. Everybody knew back in these days cross equals what if you're an English major? This word is set in apposition to this word cross and what what would be the word our words?

When you thought of cross back in those days, you would think of one thing and one thing only and that is what? Capital. Punishment that's exactly what you would think of death. Up to the point of death if God sees fit show me someone says, you know, I'll follow Jesus for all the good stuff.

They don't understand what Jesus said when he said he was the Messiah and if you understand he's a Messiah. You're in it for good. You're in it to the end. It's gonna cost you everything or it might cost you anything.

One man translated like this. If anyone wishes to come after me let him be prepared to be led out to public execution following my example. Let them be willing to go to Jerusalem in a procession of condemned criminals with halters around their neck.

They knew what it was. Abandoned all earthly hopes when you knew you're gonna get crucified. What did you do? What did you say to your family? What did you try to plan? So after you were dead, maybe they could do X Y Z.

But one things for sure, you knew if you're gonna be crucified it was over all hope gone. They knew what was at the end of the road. The broad sense of cross-bearing for the Christian is whatever God gives us.

The narrow sense is up to death. Are you willing to follow Christ up to death? And demand number three the third demand Jesus is Messiah. Self up to death number three. Person who loves Jesus must be willing to follow him.

Are you willing to follow him? By the way, this is interesting word. This is in Mark chapter 8 present tense. Keep on Following. I ask people all the time when I want to know if they really believe God or not.

They really trust in Christ. Jesus believe can mean anything. Savingly not savingly. Demon faith. Non-demon faith saving faith. I just ask people this do you believe Jesus Christ enough to follow him because that's what a true disciple is.