A Call To Defend： A Study Through The Epistle Of Jude — Shane Idleman

Jude’s Call to Contend for the Faith

Switched that recently. So a call to defend the book of Jude you'll find in the New Testament obviously and it doesn't make for easy reading. I love the book but those who are carnal, those who are false prophets, false teachers well they won't even avoid it.

They'll get the scissors out on that one because it's it's it's just calling it out. And sometimes you know it's good to do that. We have this impression in the church that we're just supposed to be doormats you know just just love them in their sin never confront the sin.

No no no no no how dare we just just love them. And and we do have to have love is our underlying undergirding umbrella motive. Of course it all has to come from love. But there is a time to defend the truth and stand up for the truth and things that are right especially in the church in our country.

And what I'm gonna do when I'm talking about a lot of these things God's given us different callings so for me to defend the truth it's gonna look a lot different than you defending it. Sometimes you might just be witnessing to your neighbor to your friends.

And that is the same as what I'm doing. Sometimes we think oh what you're doing is so much bigger and better. No it's not it's just calling. It's gifting what God has called a single mom to do and her spear of influence is no different than what I'm doing this morning because we have different gifting different callings.

And you can defend the faith and stand up for the faith in your community and with your friends. And I've seen so many people they'll say this was that's your job saying well that's what you're supposed to do.

Well we're all supposed to defend the faith and to some degree. So keep that mind. As we look at the book of Jude chapter 1. Actually there's no there's no chapters. It's just verse 1 Jude who is a bondservant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James to those who are called meaning to those who are believers.

This is a specific letter to those who are called of God the believers sanctified by God the Father. Meaning they've been changed they've been transformed by God and preserved by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ holds us.

He holds our faith together. Mercy peace and love will be multiplied to you. So let me just stop there for a minute. Most scholars identify the writer as Jude the half brother of Jesus. So he might know a little bit about what he's talking about.

I'm thinking he came to know Christ as Redeemer and Savior later on his life. Obviously his family members at first didn't believe. And what he's doing. He is writing a plea a plea to defend the faith.

And many times when you plea you turn up the volume. If I'm pleading with you it's probably not going to be like this. Okay guys next week we're gonna you know try to be here try to defend the no pleading has some volume in it.

It's got some edge to it. That knife. It's it's a pleading. It's a slap in the face. And that's what Jude does. He slaps us in the face. It's a hard book but it's very good. And the irony is I learned this this week when he talks about mercy peace and love will be multiplied to you.

Do any of you want that this morning. Do you want mercy. Do you want peace in your life. Do you want the love of God in your life. It often follows those who contend for the faith. Because when we don't contend what's the opposite of contending coward closet Christianity.

Bold Witness and the Spirit-Filled Life

I'll never forget. I worked in construction some of you know many years ago as a water district here in town. I ran heavy equipment very stressful job crossing gas mains and water mains and and different things.

But I worked with two guys separately and I've talked to this guy about faith. He went forward at a Billy Graham crusade loved the Lord kind. I mean at least he said it and we talked all the time about then I had this other guy's name was Heath.

I won't mention other last names and I love this guy younger kid we talked about. I'm trying to get him back on track. He's going to church here locally and we're talking about the God a lot. And pretty much every one day we all work together.

Now these guys have been working together at that point about three months and so now we're all working together. I bring up the topic of some somehow God came up and they said to each other I didn't know you're a Christian.

Well I didn't know you were either like you guys been working together for three months closet Christianity. They'll talk about alcohol and the game pornography but not God. No they're either not saved or they're very carnal in their walk.

They're not filled with the Holy Spirit of God. So they will not experience mercy peace and love because that boldness of the Holy Spirit is out there. They're not contending they're not living like God has called us to live.

So be encouraged in this. When you when you step out in boldness and contend these things will follow you you will have love and peace. And maybe that's what some of you are missing this morning. If God feels distant you don't have the love of God that you used to.

There's not a lot of peace. There's a lot of turmoil and you're avoiding controversy. You're not talking about God much if at all there's there's not a lot of peace in that because that's not what you were called to do.

Just like when it comes in that healthy like up at the High Sierras. I've talked about this before that beautiful river out of the June Lake Loop and Rush Creek and runs beautiful runs right into Grant Lake and then out of Grant Lake into Mono Lake.

Oh it's dead. It smells nothing. I think brine shrimp is the only thing living there. But this beautiful waters coming in but nothing's going out. You have there has to be an outlet. So as we're getting fed we go out.

That's where the health comes from. Healthy heart mercy love. And that's one of the reasons why we promote the hospital homes. We have hospital homes every Sunday people leave here and they will go out and minister to people.

And often I hear this and I love it. I don't get upset. That was better than going to church and I get it. I'm happy when they say that Shane you wouldn't believe this person. I encourage them. I went to Walmart bought them socks.

I put them a connection with their family again. I prayed with them. See that's what we're supposed to do. And I've been there myself. We sit in the pew we get fed and that's about it. And that's why often there's not a lot of peace and love in our lives and we're not doing things for God.

If we were to take a survey I would think that many of you in this room would want to do a lot more for God than you are right now. I go through those seasons. I feel that way sometimes too and a lot of it is because when I'm not giving fortunately I get to give right now give of what God's put in my heart.

But there's that doesn't take the place of of giving outside of the church. Another big misconception is the church is just where we come like a pep rally. We worship God we get built up we equip the Saints to go out and do the work.

But what's happening a lot of times is we don't go out and do anything. We just come here locally and get fed. A coward has little fellowship with God. They miss out on his powerful presence and I'm not using that word coward to poke fun.

I have to go back and forth with this word too. Sometimes I cowered back from things and should be more bold. I should be more lovingly aggressive. What I mean is pursuing people and in their faith and not when they lack faith and go out and kind of talk to them.

And so this is a struggle we all have. But I think Jude it makes it clear that we need to defend the faith. He goes on here in verse three. Beloved while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation so he was very diligent.

He wanted to write about their common salvation he says. But I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once and all delivered to the Saints. So it's kind of this change here I'm writing to you about the common salvation.

However there's a call that needs to go out exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith now is anybody kind of curious about or upset about what's going on in our nation or is it just me. I better stay out of that for a little while.

But the problem is many people don't contend. We don't say a lot. We don't challenge in love but it has to be inspired motivated and and inspired motivated and ultimately driven by the Holy Spirit. Or it won't go anywhere because if all I'm doing is contending and the cheerleaders are being encouraged and I'm upsetting everybody else and nobody in the middle of being changed that doesn't accomplish a lot.

Politics won't save us but prayer will. Protesting won't save us even though it's a good idea sometimes. But prayer will and the power and the moving of the Holy Spirit. And often he changes things through bold contending for the faith.

Contending Against Injustice and Cultural Passivity

What are we celebrating Monday. What happened. It ruffled some feathers. The abolition of slavery even before that ruffled some feathers that what the big movement now trying to stop the murdering of innocent children in the womb it when you contend it gets interesting.

And I heard a video I think Ben Shapiro speaking at the right right to life. I was kind of bummed. I was asked to speak at one of their gatherings a couple years ago and I wasn't able to. I've always regretted that.

But anyway he was. He said something not along these lines but I thought you know I want to share that with you and I'm going to kind of paraphrase here but the position sometimes we take what I take especially from this church what you take that's why you're here is we're labeled sometimes as extreme and you have to get to the point you say you know what you're absolutely right.

We are living in extremely critical times. This is not time for passivity. This is a time to be extreme not violent extreme fasting prayer seeking God worshiping contending God pull down heaven change our churches change our nation.

So he's saying here don't wear out. Don't wear out. I'm exhorting you. I'm encouraging you to still contend earnestly for the faith. Contend for the things that are right. Contend for the things that are righteous.

I will tell you up front that anytime you contend for what is right and contend for what is righteous you will be mocked. You will be ridiculed. There is a battle there is a fight. You're not gonna stand up for the truth of God's Word.

And everybody's going to like you in your school district or in the governmental offices. I'm not talking about going out and getting fired. I think we should be the best example of an employee wherever we are at gracious and loving and understanding.

But there's a boldness there. So however you do that write speak blog pray contend somehow. And if you don't know what to do here's a good prayer. I prayed this prayer before oh boy 1819 years ago and I had no idea how God would answer it.

Answer it. God help me show me how you want me to contend. What have you called me to show Lord. Show me. That's what some of you should pray this morning. How should I contend. And contend doesn't mean fighting all the time.

It just means standing up for what is right. We're contending. We're holding the ground. You can be loving. You can be firm. You can be gentle. Some of you have it in your hands. If not it's on our website or at least shaneidleman .com and a lot of news organizations picked it up the last few days and a few more picking it up this week.

Interesting enough I got an email from the lady who did my last Fox News interview and she's interested in possibly me talking about this with a with somebody on the other side on a podcast. I don't know if that would go anywhere but the title is an open letter to the United States of America.

The atrocious demeanor of our elected officials must stop from f-bombs and death threats towards our president to the total lack of humility and governmental offices. Our arrogance has reached a new level.

We are calling good evil and evil good. We turn a blind eye to sexual sin and wink at pedophilia. Well there's where is the outrage. What I also included is there was recently a posted a photo to Instagram showing a ten-year-old transgender boy who is next to a naked man.

Where is the outrage. America your silence is deafening. Yet we have a mental breakdown when a border wall is being considered. And I don't mind different views on this but my Lord put things in perspective.

We protect LGBT rights and I love those people. But we murder the innocent children in the womb. We encourage children to switch genders but not turn to the one true and living God the only true source of hope and peace.

Our schools resemble battlegrounds and our families remain shattered. While churches stay silent. It appears that pastors would rather cave in and fight tickle the ear than challenge the heart. And our pride will be our downfall.

Are we striving to be pleasers of men or pleasers of God. And I went on to say what kind of a nation do we live in where a newly elected congresswoman can tweet impeach the explicit about our president any president Obama Clinton Bush our corporate where in God's green earth do we live where that is allowed to say that I am count to I and countless Americans are embarrassed is an understatement.

Many of our leaders need to look in the mirror and repent or resign. And that is a portion of contending for the faith. It's a platform God's given me not everyone. I don't like this platform. I wrote this whole article down in five minutes and then I had some editors work on it.

But it needs to be said what God gives us that burning fire. And Jude is also a call to passive believer. Silence is not always an option. When we are filled with the world we are not bold. I think that could be the problem.

Some of you listening this right now when you are filled with the world. When I'm filled with the world I'm not bold. What am I. What am I bold with. I'm bold with the things of the world. But the more you read God's Word just spend some time in Psalm the Psalms.

When you spend time in that word there's this boldness comes out of you. I like what Vance Havner said. The tragedy today is that the times are desperate but the Saints are not so content here means earnestly sincere.

There's an intense conviction. And if you say but Shane I just don't have that you will not have that without the empowerment and filling of the Holy Spirit. You won't I won't. Nobody's gonna contend for the faith without that.

So you have to ask for that filling that mighty empowerment of the Holy Spirit. And he says here once and for all there is a finality. There is one gospel one truth one God. There's a finality. There's not many different Gospels there he says once and for all delivered to the Saints what was delivered is it.

So here's the key we can take from this. Don't be a closet Christian. Step out in faith. Begin to witness. But Shane I don't know what to do. Do you have friends. Do you have family members. Just say hey have you ever thought about God.

Do you know where you'll spend eternity. And you can open some good dialogue and begin to contend for the faith. Or and this is a different call. Don't hide behind a judgmental attitude with the words I'm defending the faith.

See on the flip side of this it's really ugly because it's on one hand you guys can be the passive side on let me that doesn't look good. Let's do this side easier to remember. You're the passive side.

Okay. And that's that's. It's a call not to be passive. But this side is it's. It's equally dangerous. And this is the person who yells and screams and is mean and nasty. And they said but I'm defending the faith.

They put down everybody online. They're a modern-day Pharisee. They're not defending the faith. They're pulling down everybody and everything. And so we have to find that balance because most people will gravitate or tilt one side to the other.

Right. Type a type A's over here type a personality judgmental. Can just tell them like it is there's no black and there's no gray. It's black and white. And I'm gonna defend the faith. And you have these heresy hunters.

Or they're looking for sin in everybody's life. And and we get those emails too. Oh I can't believe you played some of those songs. I thought you were a solid church. What songs are you talking about.

Because they don't meet your criteria. You don't like emotional songs. So you're gonna put down things. You misquoted proverb. Yeah. And I might misquote a scripture today. We're imperfect people talking about a perfect God.

Pharisaical Judgment and the Work of the Holy Spirit

See modern-day Pharisees. That's dangerous. Because they love this verse. They use all capital letters and explanation points. Two or three of them. They don't know grammar rule. Say just one is fine capital letters.

This I'm contending for the faith. No you are an arrogant Pharisee. And often it's conservatives bashing charismatics. Or those who embrace the work of the Spirit is where a lot of this comes from. I don't know if I should go here but I will.

I saw a video. I'm not gonna name names of some people critiquing Beth Moore because she believed God spoke to her and told her to do something. I'm sitting there. Yeah. What's wrong with that. Long as it lines up with Scripture.

It's edifying others. It's building up others. It's encouraging others. God does lead sometimes through things we're not quite clear with. I think I think it was. She felt God told her to go and comb this guy's hair at the airport.

He looked like he just got out of the hospital or something. And they were mocking her going on. No. God would never tell you that. He's just gonna tell you to go preach the gospel. Well yeah. That's.

That's gonna happen. That's coming. That's coming. But you might have to step out in love first. Arrogant Pharisees. Arrogant Pharisees who think they're defending the truth and they are actually quenching the work of the Holy Spirit.

They'll bash anybody. Matt Chandler has a dream. They believe God gave to him all that must be heretical. No it's biblical. Joseph Mary. You might want to go a different direction. The wise men hair is gonna kill you.

You might want to go a different direction. Jacob. I mean I don't understand it. I don't embrace it. I'm not this guy caught up in dreams. But I know God can do whatever he wants. He can warn somebody through a dream if it lines up with Scripture and it edifies and it builds you up.

But what do they say. We're contending for the faith. We've got to pull these people down. No you're not. You are an arrogant Pharisee that needs to stop. You have sound doctrine but you don't have a right heart.

Oh no don't. I could stay there a while. The irony is here's the truth. We're just not well known enough yet to be on their hit list. I guarantee they would tear me apart. Just like they tear them apart.

If you embrace the work of the Holy Spirit conservative Christians will mock you. Because they've never experienced that move of God. I think many times they're prideful. They're jealous. They've never experienced that.

So it can't be true. I've got a master's degree in divinity. Yeah. But does a master have your heart. So be careful. In this area. Ask. And I'm not. I'm not in any way shape or form throwing bad doctrine.

You know underneath. Let's hide it. Let's just get crazy. Let's get odd. Let's get weird. No. Let's let's hold the sound doctrine contend for absolute truth. In a postmodern culture we love the truth.

We put everything through the filter of truth. But let's not put God in a box and then pull apart those who seem to meet God at a deep level. And these same churches would mock a church where there's people at the altar weeping.

Oh that's emotionalism. No that's people experiencing God straight up. I came to shoot you straight this morning because I'm tired of some of these Pharisees and heresy hunters. So here's a little patient that might help.

There we go. People say okay. Shane. I understand. And I saw this on Facebook. I told her I might use these but I don't know what to say. Amen. Can you relate to that one. I can't. Sometimes I got a little tongue-tied.

You might might find this funny. Me and my wife were out of town just for a few days and we're talking. This guy seemed he seemed so nice. You know he could tell he's you know just God's Word Scripture.

He was living it and come to find out. He's a Mormon. I'm sitting there. We're having kind of eating lunch. I'm like hmm. Do I listen for a little while. Do I say anything you know. And and he goes. He goes oh you're non-denominational church.

My friend is. And he tells me I'm going to hell because I'm I you know believe in all these. And oh that's that's interesting. You know what do you. You don't kind of listen. What are you trusting in.

And so it caught me off guard because I wasn't prepared for that. So what do you say. Fortunately I gave him a book and said here contact me if you have some questions. I want to talk to you about this a little bit more.

But it wasn't the right setting. Also how do you say it. How do I say it. Or they'll take it the wrong way. What about this one. But I'm not a good example. I'm not a perfect example. They see my life.

They see my life. Let's talk about these briefly. I don't know what to say. Well what. What I recommend is learn a few things. Learn. Learn a few things about your faith. Just bullet points that you can grow in and learn.

And do you know what Mormonism's. Mormonism believes. Or Jehovah Witness or different cults. Fortunately you don't have to have a whole list. You ask them what do you do with Jesus Christ. Because most of them will add to the work on the cross.

Well yeah. We believe in Jesus too but you have to be a member of our church. We believe in Jesus too but you have to worship on Saturday. We believe in Jesus too. But you have to go door-to-door and knock and do good things.

And see you can you can isolate it. Have some scriptures handy that not by works and by faith alone. And that he's the only way the only truth the only life. And. And just be prepared. Don't try to just wing it.

Do a little bit of studying contend for the faith. Study yourself to be approved rightly dividing the word of truth. And also watch Ray Comfort. Sometimes his videos are funny. Dave told me he spoke here right here 15 years ago or so said 16 years ago.

So that's what I do. I watch a lot of videos. I read books. I read the Bible of course. And you just. You just better have a better understanding of what your your friends believe. How do you say it. Well that's pretty easy.

Say it with love. Do you seek to listen. You see you never want to go into this. I'm gonna win this argument. No no no no. You enter with love and you listen to them. And with the person I was talking to you know I would listen to have you thought about this.

You know. Because either Jesus Christ is right or Joseph Smith is right. You can't have them both. What do you mean. Well did you know that Jesus said this that God is not. God is not human. He's spirit.

And those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. And God was from creation. God's always been in his state. Joseph Smith said that God was once like us. God was once like us me. And someday I'll be like God.

Did you know that Bible calls that blasphemy. What do you mean. Well we're not like God. And God's not gonna was not like us. And you just you you just. And you give them things to think about. Remember you're not trying to win an argument.

You're just planting seeds. They'll take it the wrong way. Yeah they might. They may take it the wrong way. But if it comes from love you planted seeds. I've had a lot of discussions which I'm sure some of you have with atheist or Mormon different groups.

And often I'd say nine times out of ten it ends fine. LGBT and those who struggle with homosexuality and I look at them as anyone struggles with any other sin. There's not way up here on the sin. Anybody struggling with sin we love them.

We'd point them to the cross. We point them to Jesus Christ the hope. And they can. Luke they can listen to you and hear you and hear. Your heart is if you're not arguing and your tones you know respectful.

And have you have you considered this. Well I appreciate your heart. Boy you really seem to have a sincere faith and what you're believing. But we can be sincerely wrong to want me show you. And it's it's.

It's often not what you say but how you say it. But ultimately yes you will ruffle some feathers. The gospel ruffles feathers. And we have to remember that. But I'm not a perfect example. Well for me not being a perfect example is a great opportunity to share why we need Jesus.

And you can even tell the person hey you've seen I've seen him me before you see me get angry and upset and I apologize for that. You've seen me do this and hold an unforgiveness. And I've apologized for that.

You've seen this in me and that's why I need Jesus. We're not perfect and see that's a big misconception out there friend of mine was struggling on Facebook and I was gonna respond but I didn't. Somebody I'm kind of helping with.

I've known for a long time struggling with alcohol and keeps falling into it and he's posting things like I'm a hypocrite I can't do this and and I want to remind him you're you're struggling you're struggling.

A hypocrite is someone who intentionally deceives you the word it's a Greek word that comes from putting on a mask. I'm this today on this tomorrow. So there's not a lot of hypocrites in the church there are coming in to intentionally deceive.

Oh praise you brother knowing they're gonna leave here and just be as mean as and nasty as ever. They're they're they're hypocrite. But somebody who's struggling in sin is not a hypocrite. If there's anybody in this room not struggling with sin I would love to meet you after the service.

Tell me how do you accomplish that. How do you keep that tongue in your mouth. And that anger you know lashing out at people yet anger. How do you keep that. How do you not stumble or fumble here and there.

So see we have to encourage people. And it's a perfect example. And I when I was in construction I was not a good example. Sometimes they knew I didn't drink. They knew I didn't do see anything. But boy I almost beat the tar out this one guy.

It wasn't good. I had to go back and I apologized. So it wasn't right of me. You know. And I apologized and said but if you open your mouth like that again I'm gonna pop you but joking with them you know.

And so I had to ask for forgiveness a few different times. But people see that see that's what see. People see when you do that they see it's genuine. Okay. It's real. I like this person because they they see it anyway.

We might as well admit it. But here's how many people get out of contending. We say I'm not their judge and I'm not their jury. I see these these mega pastors on like the today show and Oprah different things.

And the question often comes up. You know. Well what do you. What do you think about gay marriage. What do you tell gay. Well I'm not the judge. I'm not their jury. What do you think about Mormon. I'm not their judge.

I'm not their jury. I'm just called Oprah to love people. No you're a coward. You've just been given an opportunity to tell millions of people the truth that way. I love all these people. We struggle with sin.

But I would tell them that this is not right according to God's Word. The Bible is clear on this issue. That's that's contending for the faith. But they but they say I'm not their judge. I'm not their jury.

It's not up to me. But you're a proclaimer of truth. You're a defender of doctrine. You're a broadcaster of righteousness. How can you remain silent. And here's what I've learned. You're either turning toward God or turning away from him.

The Gospel Is Not to Be Altered

Galatians 1 6 through 9. I marvel we might actually have it up there Galatians 1. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Jesus Christ to a different gospel.

Which is not another. But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. Now this is important. You need to learn the scripture. You need to even show people. I believe the Mormons will even have this in their Bible.

Another Jehovah Witness might have in their Bible. I didn't check this week. I probably should have. But this famous verse though we or an angel from heaven preached to you any other gospel than what we have preached.

Let him be accursed. Let him be accursed if we preach any other gospel. So what is the gospel. The main gospel most of you know praise God. But not everybody knows the main thrust of the gospel. The gospel means good news.

I was dead in my sin and trespasses. I was under the wrath and condemnation of God. That's not very popular. That's not very popular. But it's the truth. But God rescued me. And you and those who believe through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.

That's the good news. So you can't add anything to that. I've told you before when I talked to that priest of a large Catholic Church I said why do you. Why do you promote purgatory. Well we have to be purged of our sins and guilt.

And no no no no no. That's the point of the cross. If that's not what the cross is for did Jesus go up and do an incomplete work a partial work. I almost got it for you guys. Now if you could just finish it see that's blasphemy.

That is heretical. That's an heretical teaching shame. Why do you use that word. Heresy just means a self-willed opinion that opposes the truth. To say we have to go somewhere and be punished for shame and guilt and sin after we've already acknowledged Christ and we are believers is not correct.

It's adding adding to the gospel. That's another gospel. That's another truth that is not taught in Scripture. So maybe you need the gospel this morning. You need the good news. Have you repented of your sin and believed.

Have you repented. It's that simple. Oh the simple gospel. We sing that song the simple gospel. Next week I'm going to talk about the trademarks of a false prophet. But here's what I want to. It's kind of going to be a long ending so I don't know when I'll leave here maybe five ten more minutes or 15.

Jesus Christ as the Test of Truth

So here's the here's the key. Is Jesus the central the main the chief the fundamental the core focus. That's how you that's how you you determine something is true or not. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.

And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come into the flesh is not of God. It's really that simple. What do you do with Jesus. See. So here's the definition of a cult. You hear the word cult.

Right. A cult is a group of people that deviate from the essential essential scriptural truth. They deviate from it. So that guy Dave Koresh in Waco the when you're drinking Kool-Aid. Right. Somebody just told me on Facebook hey you're drinking Kool-Aid.

I said I'm drinking the truth. You're drinking Kool-Aid because they remember the Kool-Aid guy meant these people they poison themselves. Jonestown. And you know cultish. A lot of a lot of other groups are cultish.

Meaning they deny deny. The main truth is that Jesus is the only way the only truth the only life. He is the Son of God. End of story. The essentials of the Christian faith. Now when they deviate from that they're called a cult.

Often the irony is for example the Roman Catholic Church. When I talked that priest he told me that one of the problems they have with like denominations is you have so many denominations. But see we are the one true church.

And I want to remind them that no when you look the same taste the same smell the same everywhere you go. That's a reflection of a cult a denomination. There's freedom in Christ. There's differences in their distinction.

But they all have the essentials of the Christian faith. They all agree to the essentials. But if you go somewhere and it's the same thing the same room the same building the same setup that is control and that is cult.