Notice: Technical Difficulties & Title List
Dear Friends,
There were technical difficulties in recording sermons 2, 3, and 4 of the Jude Series.
We hope their titles, passages, and written summaries will be a blessing to you.
May 3, 2014
Study of Jude #2 - What is a Christian?
Jude 1-2
Last week, Pastor Mike laid the foundation for our study that will give us the opportunity to study the whole book of Jude. The book is distinct in several ways. Jude was written by a man who was a half- brother of Jesus of Nazareth. It contains the only greeting in the New Testament that doesn't mention grace, and the only one that includes love. It was believed to be originally written to Jewish-Christians, but it is God's Word for His whole church, and so directly applicable to us. At the very outset it asks us to ask ourselves some important questions: Who are we in Christ? What are we as a true believer? What should we desire as a true believer? So, let’s prepare our hearts as we search the riches of God’s word today.
-Pastor Terry
May 11, 2014
Study of Jude #3 - Defending the Truth
Jude 3-4
Jude lived during a time when Christianity was under severe political attack from Rome much like today. There were aggressive spiritual attacks that came from Gnostic-like apostates. They professed to be Christians but claimed to have additional knowledge superior to what the Apostles taught. This knowledge included the denial that Jesus Christ was God. Other attacks came from the Libertines, who rejected the Scriptures and lived as freethinkers, one without moral principles or a sense of responsibility in sexual matters. These apostates had infiltrated the church with false doctrine.
Jude is the only book in the Bible that is totally dedicated to confronting this “apostasy” that denies the true biblical faith. Jude wrote to condemn these apostates and urged the believers to contend for the faith. He vividly describes the apostates in terms of their character and immoral activities.
Today, I want you to see Jude's exhortation that you must care about the truth. Then we’ll look at Jude's appeal that we would be aware of the continuing threat against the truth that comes...not only from the outside, but from within the Church. So, lets open God’s Word to begin our study.
-Pastor Terry
May 18, 2014
Study of Jude #4 - Dealing, Identifying, and the Destiny of the Ungodly
Jude 3-4
Last week, we began our study with an introduction of Jude's main contention and concern in Jude 3 – 4. Then we saw that Jude emphasized that truth matters and what a Christian believes matters immensely. Jude is greatly concerned over the fact that the false teaching was leading some astray in the church. He wanted these Christians to hold fast to the truth of God’s Word. He wanted them to have a sound theology based upon the teaching of Jesus, based upon the teaching of the apostles and based upon biblical truth. The point that Jude is making is that Truth and Doctrine matter.
In verse 5 thru 16, Jude is describing to us the main characteristics of the false teachers who are troubling this local congregation that he is writing to. Today, I want you to see the fact that apostates are teaching a grace that does not lead to a changed life and that they are belittling Jesus, our Master and Lord. This tells us how incredibly timely this letter is for us today. So, lets open God’s Word to begin our study.
-Pastor Terry