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JUDE 1:1-6
LESSON #1
INTRODUCTION – CONTENDING FOR THE TRUTH
THIS LITTLE BOOK GIVES US GOLDEN NUGGETS OF INFORMATION ON SEVERAL TOPICS THAT ARE NOTIN ANY OTHER BOOK IN THE BIBLE.
FOR EXAMPLE:
-IT TELLS US ABOUT THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN SATAN AND MICHAEL OVER THE BONES OF MOSES.
-IT TELLS US ABOUT ENOCHS PROPHECY.
-WE SEE CHRIST COMING WITH TEN THOUSANDS OF HIS SAINTS.
WHEN JUDE BEGAN TO WRITE THIS LETTER, HE HAD THOUGHT TO WRITE ABOUT OUR”COMMON” SALVATION (3)
THE WORD “COMMON” MEANS IN A LANGUAGE THAT EVERYONE, EVEN THE COMMON MAN,UNDERSTOOD.
HOWEVER, THE HOLY SPIRIT CHANGED HIS MIND, AND HE DID NOT WRITE ABOUT SALVATION.
WRITTEN BY:
JUDAS, THE HALF BROTHER OF JESUS. BECAUSE OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, WHO BETRAYED JESUS, HISHALF BROTHERS NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO JUDE WHICH IS THE ENGLISH FORM FOR JUDAS.
WE HAVE TWO NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS WRITTEN BY JESUS HALF BROTHERS. THEY ARE JAMESAND JUDE. OTHER HALF BROTHERS OF JESUS WERE JOSEPH AND SIMON.
NEITHER JAMES NOR JUDE IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS JESUS HALF BROTHER. INSTEAD, THEYIDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS SERVANTS OF CHRIST (JAM 1:1 AND JUDE 1:1). WHY?
TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS JESUS HALF BROTHERS IS TO PRESUME AN IMPORTANCE THEYDID NOT WANT TO ASSUME. IN THE FIRST CENTURY THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO ELEVATE THE FAMILY OFJESUS TO SUPER HUMAN STATUS.
TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS JESUS HALF BROTHERS WOULD BE TO LOWER JESUS TO THEIRHUMAN LEVEL.
THESE TWO BROTHERS WERE NO DIFFERENT THAN EVERY OTHER HUMAN BEING WHO NEEDS JESUS ASTHEIR SAVIOR AND LORD, NOT SIMPLY THEIR BROTHER IN THE FLESH.
THE EMPHASIS IS, THEREFORE, THAT THE SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS MOREIMPORTANT THAN THE FAMILY RELATIONSHIP. (LUK 11:27-28)
NONE OF JESUS HALF BROTHERS CAME TO KNOW HIM AS THE MESSIAH BEFORE THECRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION. BUT AFTER THE RESURRECTION, THEY BECAME BELIEVERS AND ASTRONG INFLUENCE FOR THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
WRITTEN TO:
THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO THE CHURCH IN GENERAL; ESPECIALLY TO THE TRUE BELIEVERS INJESUS CHRIST WHO WOULD OBSERVE MANY PEOPLE LEAVING THE FAITH.
DATE:
THE BOOK WAS PROBABLY WRITTEN BETWEEN 66 AND 69 AD. THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN BEFORE 1, 2,AND 3 JOHN.
THEME:
ASSURANCE IN THE DAYS OF APOSTASY.
THE BOOK OF JUDE IS PHYSICALLY LOCATED JUST BEFORE THE BOOK OF REVELATION. HOWEVER, ITIS ALSO LOCATED PROPHETICALLY BEFORE THE BOOK OF REVELATION, AND IS A PERFECT INTRODUCTIONTO THE BOOK OF REVELATION..
IN OTHER WORDS, THE MAIN CHARACTERISTIC OF THE LAST DAYS JUST BEFORE CHRIST COMES BACKAGAIN, IS THE CONDITION OF APOSTASY.
THE WORD “APOSTASY” MEANS = TO FALL AWAY FROM, TO FORSAKE. IN THE LAST DAYSMANY CHURCH PEOPLE WILL FALL AWAY FROM CHRIST AND FORSAKE HIM.
JUDE WILL TELL BELIEVERS TO WALK AND WORK (SERVE) DURING THE DARK DAYS OF APOSTASY.
FREQUENT WORDS:
PRESERVED (USED 4 TIMES)
UNGODLY
CONTEND
OUTLINE:
I. THE OCCASION OF THIS LETTER (1-3)
A. ASSURANCE FOR BELIEVERS (1-2)
B. APOSTASY FOR SOME (3)
II. OCCURRENCES OF APOSTASY (4-16)
A. BEGINNING OF APOSTASY (4)
B. ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS IS THE EXAMPLE (5)
C. REBELLIOUS ANGELS ARE THE EXAMPLE (6)
D. SODOM AND GOMORRAH IS THE EXAMPLE (7)
E. MODERN APOSTATE TEACHERS IDENTIFIED (8-10)
F. CAIN, BALAAM, AND KORAH ARE EXAMPLES OF APOSTATE TEACHERS. (11)
G. MODERN APOSTATE TEACHERS DEFINED AND DESCRIBED
(12-16)
III. OCCUPATION OF BELIEVERS IN DAYS OF APOSTASY (17-25)
A. TRUE BELIEVERS ARE WARNED (17-19)
B. WHAT BELIEVERS MUST DO IN DAYS OF APOSTASY (20-25)
1. BUILD UP
2. PRAY
3. KEEP THEMSELVES
4. LOOK FOR
5. HAVE COMPASSION
6. SAVE OTHERS
7. HATE EVIL
JUDE 1:1-6
READ JUDE 1:1-6
JUDE, A “SERVANT” OF JESUS CHRIST. (1)
THE WORD “SERVANT” MEANS A BOND SLAVE OR LOVE SLAVE. IT IS A TERM THAT REFERSBACK TO A PRACTICE IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS.
READ EXO 21:1-6
AS NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST, WE SHOULD HAVE JUDES SAME ATTITUDETOWARD OUR RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS CHRIST. BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM, WE WILL DESIRE TO BE HISSERVANT, HIS LOVE SLAVE, DOING HIS WILL.
THE BELIEVER (1)
1. SANCTIFIED
MADE HOLY IN GODS LOVE
2. PRESERVED (KEEP, KEPT)
GUARDED AND KEPT IN JESUS CHRIST THROUGH ALL TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AND APOSTASY.
3. CALLED
IT IS GOD WHO SEEKS AND CALLS PEOPLE TO COME TO HIM AND BE SAVED.
JUDE WISHES THE BELIEVER TO HAVE GODS MERCY, PEACE, AND LOVE.
MERCY RECALLS MANS SINS IN NEED OF GODS GRACE AND FORGIVENESS.
PEACE RECALLS MANS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD MADE PEACEFUL THROUGH GODSFORGIVENESS.
LOVE IS THE ATTRIBUTE OF GOD THAT PROVIDED JESUS CHRIST, THE WAY BY WHICH MERCY ANDPEACE CAME TO US.
DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM THAT JUDE CONFRONTS:
APOSTASY, OR A DEPARTURE FROM THE FAITH, IS THE PROBLEM ABOUT WHICH THE HOLY SPIRITPROMPTED JUDE TO WRITE.
PETER HAD PROPHESIED THAT APOSTASY WOULD COME. JUDE SAYS THAT APOSTASY IS HERE ANDWOULD CONTINUE TO GET WORSE UNTIL CHRIST COMES.
NO LONGER CAN THE CHURCH SAY THAT APOSTASY “WILL COME”BECAUSE WE ARE IN ANAGE OF APOSTASY NOW. MORE AND MORE CHURCHES ARE FALLING AWAY FROM THEIR SOUND FOUNDATIONOF PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD. MORE AND MORE CHURCHES HAVE BECOME SOCIAL CLUBS AND NOTLIGHTHOUSES OF SALVATION. MORE AND MORE CHURCHES HAVE BECOME “USER FRIENDLY”WHERE THEY FORBID TALKING ABOUT THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, THE SIN OF MAN, AN ETERNAL HELL, ANDTHE NEED FOR REPENTANCE AND SALVATION SO AS NOT TO OFFEND THE NON-BELIEVER.
THE ANSWER TO APOSTASY (3)
“CONTEND” FOR THE FAITH.
“CONTEND” IS AN ATHLETIC TERM WHICH MEANS “TO AGONIZE”. THEATTITUDE IS ONE OF PERSISTENT DETERMINATION TO FIGHT FOR THE FAITH AS ONE WHO EXERCISES TOACHIEVE A GOAL, AGONIZING AND STRUGGLING AGAINST HIS FLESH, COMPETING FOR THE PRIZE.
IT IS ALSO A BATTLE CALL! HOWEVER, TO CONTEND OR “FIGHT” IS NOT WITH VIOLENCEOR VERBAL QUARRELING. PAUL GIVES US THE RIGHT FLAVOR FOR “CONTENDING” FOR THEFAITH.
READ 2TIM 2:24-26 AND ACT 20:29-31
IN OTHER WORDS, “CONTENDING” FOR THE FAITH IS AGONIZING IN PRAYER, DEFENDINGIN SPEECH AND PREACHING THE FAITH, AND LIVING IT.
“THE FAITH” IS THAT DOCTRINE WHICH THE APOSTLES AND JESUS TAUGHT.
IN THE BOOK OF ACTS IT IS CALLED THE “APOSTLES DOCTRINE” (ACT 2:42)
THE ALARM (4)
“WHO WERE BEFORE OF OLD ORDAINED TO THIS CONDEMNATION” = WRITTEN AND WARNEDABOUT PREVIOUSLY BY OTHERS.
OTHER APOSTLES, INCLUDING JESUS, HAD WARNED ABOUT THE COMING APOSTASY.
“CREPT IN UNAWARES” = TO ENTER INTO BESIDE
THEY HAVE SLIPPED IN THE SIDE DOOR OF THE CHURCH TO APPEAR ALONGSIDE TRUE BELIEVERS.THEY PROFESS ONE THING AND BELIEVE ANOTHER. IN OTHER WORDS, A APOSTATE IS NOT A BELIEVERWHO HAS LOST HIS SALVATION. INSTEAD IT IS SOMEONE WHO SAYS HE IS SAVED WHEN HE IS NOT ANDNEVER HAS BEEN SAVED. JUDE CALLS THEM “UNGODLY” OR WITHOUT GOD.
THE RESULT (4)
“TURNING GRACE INTO LASCIVIOUSNESS” =
THEY TURN GODS GRACE INTO LAWLESS ARROGANCE AND IMMORALITY. THEY HAVE NO MORALRESTRAINT BECAUSE THEY PREACH ONE THING AND LIVE ANOTHER.
“DENYING THE ONLY LORD GOD, AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST” = THEY DENY THEAUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST.
WHAT TWO SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLES DOES HE GIVE TO SUPPORT HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM.
1. ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS IS AN EXAMPLE OF APOSTASY.(5)
2. THE ANGELS WHO FOLLOWED SATAN IS AN EXAMPLE OF APOSTASY. (6)
WE WILL DISCUSS THESE TWO EXAMPLES IN OUR NEXT CLASS.
HOMEWORK
JUDE 1:5-11
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF JUDE 1:1-6
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU “CONTEND” FOR THE FAITH?
PREPARATION FOR JUDE 1:5-11
READ JUDE 1:6-12
READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES AND IDENTIFY THE STORIES WITH THOSE MENTIONED IN JUDE.
GEN 18-19
DEU 34:5-8
MAT 17:1-9
GEN 4:1-13
NUM 22
NUM 16
WHAT ONE THING DO ALL THESE STORIES HAVE IN COMMON?
MEMORY VERSE: JUDE 1:21
