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Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Jude 1:1-7

The Book of Jude warns us of something very sinister that will happen to the Church in the Last Days. Children of God cannot afford to be ignorant or neutral; Jude 1-19 sounds the alarm, calling us to the fight for the faith and do battle for the Bible.

These verses first reveal the danger of apostasy.

“For certain men have crept in unnoticed… ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

Apostasy, or turning back on the faith, is a very deceptive and destructive heresy. Jude warns of apostates, who have crept into the Church and deteriorated the integrity of God’s Word.

This passage also gives a description of the apostates.

Jude 17-19 claims that because they lack reverence for God, apostates freely mock holy things. They act without restraint, claiming the grace of God as a license to sin. And because they deny God as Lord of their lives, they exercise no rule or regulation.

Adrian Rogers says, “The basic ingredient missing in the life of an apostate is a fear of God.”

Third, this passage reveals the destruction of apostates.

Verse 5 reminds us of the children of Israel, who were delivered from Egypt, yet perished at the hand of God in the wilderness. Despite their experiences, they were never truly devoted to God.

There are people today who think they are saved, but they are not true believers. They have come to the borderline of truth but have never entered into that truth. Jude 6 says they will face destruction despite their profession, position, or possessions.

Finally, Jude reveals our defense against apostates.

If we want to contend for our faith, we must submit to the truth of the Gospel. We need to study what the Bible says. We must be familiar with its inerrancy, understand the deity of Christ, and know our salvation comes by grace through faith.

Our defense against apostasy is to live out our faith with boldness, together, in churches rooted in biblical doctrine. We must share our faith with others, giving it away freely.

Apply it to your life

We have been called to contend for our faith and fight for the integrity of Scripture. Study the Word of God and be ready to give an account for why you believe what you believe. Share your faith with others today.

With all the shopping and entertainment and get-togethers and everything else that can distract from what’s most important about Christmas, how can you keep your focus where it should be? John MacArthur will help you with that as he takes you back to the wonders of the very first Christmas. Don’t miss his series called The Real Meaning of Christmas.