JUDE
4 Outlines
Jude 1:20-21
A CHRISTIAN WORKOUT
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love
of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
BUILD UP - But
ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
PRAY UP - praying
in the Holy Ghost,
KEEP UP - Keep
yourselves in the love of God,
LOOK UP - looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
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Jude 1:20-25
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
I have entitled this message From
Here to Eternity. There was a movie by that name, but the movie had nothing
to do with Heaven.
Those of us who are Christians are looking forward to everlasting
life or eternity in Heaven.
The trouble is, when we were saved, Jesus just didn’t take us
there. In fact for some us it will
probably take us a long time to get from here to there. In the meantime, how do we, as Christians, go
about living, moving ahead until the day the Lord calls us home? How do we get from here to eternity?
The little book of Jude is a pretty fiery book. For most of the book, Jude, a half-brother to
Jesus takes on apostasy and tells his readers to earnestly “contend for the
faith”. Alexander MacLaren calls Jude’s outburst against apostasy “thunderings
and lightenings”. At the end of the
book, however, Jude tells his readers what to do with their lives while they
are moving from here towards eternity.
Alexander MacLaren - “The storm ends in gentle rain and he tells
the brethren who are yet faithful how they are to comport themselves in the
presence of prevalent corruption, and where is their security and their peace.”
Alexander
MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture,
Volume XVII, (Grand Rapids, Michigan, William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1944) p, 97 (This is a reprint.)
We are going let “Brother Jude” show us how to move From Here to Eternity.
PROGRESSING
Jude 1:20 - But ye, beloved,
building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
It wouldn’t take long with the right equipment to destroy a
house, but ask anyone who builds one, and they’ll tell you it takes much longer
to build one.
It wouldn’t take long to destroy your character or ruin your
testimony.
But character building as a Christian is never done. Building and maintaining your testimony are
an ongoing process.
A saint no less holy than the Apostle Paul said that he hadn’t
made it yet in Philippians 3:12-14.
So how do we progress in the Christian life?
…building up yourselves
on your most holy faith,
What is your most holy faith?
It is the same faith mentioned in Jude 1:3, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation,
it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should
earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
The “faith once delivered” is found in the Word of God.
In order for you to progress in your Christian walk, to increase
in personal faith, and to be sound in your beliefs you need to be daily in the
Word of God. Romans 10:17, 2 Peter 3:18,
Being grounded in the Word of God for the day will help you
progress in the things of God.
Psalm 119:11, Jeremiah 15:16
PRAYING
Jude 1:20 - But ye,
beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy
Ghost,
We all know that we should pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
We all know that God answers prayer. Matthew 7:7-8
But what about praying in the Holy Spirit? What do we know or understand about
that?
The power of the Holy Spirit is the secret to effective prayer.
Romans 8:26-27, Ephesians 6:18
In order to pray in the Spirit I must be controlled by or filled
with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18,
Galatians 5:16
How do I become filled with the Spirit?
First examine your life for all sin that would grieve or quench
the Spirit. Confess that sin to God.
Ephesians 4:32, 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Second, ask God to fill or control you with His Spirit. Luke
11:11-13
When we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit we will worship God
properly, for supernatural praise is a result of being filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18-20,
Not only will we worship properly, but we will ask properly. 1
John 5:14-15
And remember, a prayer in the Spirit is a prayer of faith. Mark
11:22-24
We miss so much when we do not pray in the Spirit.
PRESERVING
Jude 1:21 - Keep yourselves in the
love of God,
The best way to keep myself in the love of God is to abide in
Christ. I abide in Christ as I pray in
the Holy Spirit and as I am obedient to Him. John 15:9-10
PURSUING
Jude 1:21 - Keep yourselves in the
love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
We are to be actively looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ at his Coming.
·
When Jesus comes for His own, He will in His mercy take us out
of the World and all its woes.
·
When Jesus comes for His own, He will in His mercy take us to
Heaven.
·
When Jesus comes for His own, He will in His mercy judge and
reward us.
·
When Jesus comes for His own, He will in His mercy give us new
resurrection bodies.
So, how are we to look for the mercy of our Lord’s coming? 1
John 3:1-3, Titus 2:11-13
Mark 13:35-37
PARTICIPATING
Jude 1:22-23 - And of some have
compassion, making a difference: [23] And others save with fear, pulling them
out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
We are not to “sit, soak, and sour” until Jesus comes.
We have work to do!
There were those who were in danger of going to apostasy.
They needed to be helped. They needed to be reached.
There are some who just need compassion. Perhaps they are on the brink of turning
their backs on the Lord.
There are others who have gone farther and they need to be
yanked out of the fire.
Fear in this verse means caution. We need to be careful as we help others that
we not fall into sins ourselves.
We need to be concerned about those who have gone off into false
teaching and those who have not trusted Jesus as their Savior.
PRAISING
Jude 1:24-25 - Now unto him that is
able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence
of his glory with exceeding joy, [25] To the only wise God our Saviour, be
glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
We have reason to praise God from here to eternity.
It is God who will keep us from falling or stumbling.
It is God who will present us blameless before the presence of
His Glory with exceeding joy.
I don’t think any of us can really imagine what joy there will
be in Heaven when we are in the presence of His glory.
We praise the “only wise God”.
We praise our Savior.
He is to receive from us all glory, all majesty, all dominion,
and all power.
As we praise Him, we are to submit to Him as absolute sovereign.
From “Here to eternity” let us be:
PROGRESSING
PRAYING
PRESERVING
PURSUING
PARTICIPATING
PRAISING
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Jude 20-23
END-TIMES BEHAVIOR
BUILDING ON FAITH Vs.
20a
PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
Vs. 20b
KEEPING IN GOD'S LOVE
Vs. 21a
LOOKING FOR JESUS'
COMING Vs. 21b
RESCUING OTHERS Vss.
22-23
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Jude 24-25
BENEDICTION
At the end of services
in some churches the minister will give a benediction or a blessing.
Some Bible Books also end
with a benediction or a blessing. Much can be learned from these benedictions,
such as the one found here in Jude. This benediction is especially appropriate
for times of thanksgiving.
GOD'S ABILITY - Vs. 24 -
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,"
GOD'S ATTRIBUTES - Vs.
25a - "To the only wise God our Saviour,"
1. Only wise God
2. Our Savior
GOD'S ADORATION - Vs.
25b - "be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
Amen."
I should ascribe (give
credit) to God all the glory, majesty, dominion and power. I should do this
with my lips, but also in the way I conduct my life. I should let Him have all
the glory and majesty in my thoughts and actions. I should let Him have the
dominion and power over me.
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