For certain people
have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation,
ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our
only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
THE STUDY:
We, as believers,
want to think that everyone in our church has the same thoughts, belief’s
and attitudes. But the truth is they don’t! Let me give you an example:
I think if you cuss in a ballgame you
should be kicked out! Some don’t! I believe
in capital punishment. Some don’t! My attitude
is that of optimism. Some are not! Not everyone shares these same perspectives.
The perspective we need to be in unity with is that of Christ.
In this verse Jude shares that believers
must contend for the faith because certain
people have crept in unnoticed. “Certain people” has a “contemptuous ring”
to it. Jude assumes his readers know who they are, so he does not bother to
name them.
Jude’s dislike
for these anonymous troublemakers was heightened by their method of operation.
They did not openly identify themselves and their errant teaching. Instead,
they secretly slipped in (means - infiltrated) among Jude’s friends. The verb (Crept), found only here in
the NT, “tends to carry the connotation of secrecy or stealth.” The word was used
of the clever pleading of a lawyer, gradually insinuating his version of the
evidence into the minds of judge and jury. It describes the action of a spy
stealthily getting into the country, or of someone sneaking in by a side door.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away this morning understanding that the church is made up of many different types of people: white, black, young, old, rich, poor, etc. The one thing we cannot be different on is Jesus Christ! The words, teachings, and character of Christ need be the central blood line that runs throughout the church.
CONCLUSION:
After preaching a sermon at a funeral Service for a person from the community I
stood beside the casket as people gave their last respects. Many extended a
hand and said kind words to me concerning the message. I had one young lady
express her disappointment with the message. She had a different belief when it
came to the teachings of Jesus.
Too many times we, as believers, try
to fit everyone in to the family of God and initially overlook those individuals who don't believe the same when it comes to Jesus. Later on is when we find the church in trouble.
Church, love is not being tolerable of everything when it comes to the
world. It is being intolerable of everything that’s not “truth” concerning
Jesus Christ! Let today be a day that we find unity in Christ: His truth! You
know what they say, “The truth will set you free.”
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2
Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible
Commentary (267–268). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
