Sermon Central
-
Secured In Battle Series
Contributed by Terry Williams on Aug 26, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: Because we are secured in our faith we can get into the battle we are called to be in.
Sermon #11 of 11
Jude: A Call to Defend
Secured in Battle
Introduction
As a soldier the most frightening thing would to be captured in battle.
Worst yet, to be captured by the bad guys and then you become one on of them.
Maybe you are begging for your life, you choose to do things that you would not normally do in order to save your life, and when you do them, they kill you and put you on display.
To me it would be much easier to take a bullet and die than to be captured, tortured, turn my back on my loyalties to my country, commit treason, and then when I come back to the bad guys, they toss me out like yesterday’s garbage.
In Jude, we have seen a lot of judgment fallen angels, fallen people, fallen cities, false teachers, people living false lives. It could make a believer just want to crawl into a hole and wait for Jesus to come back.
That is not what we are called to do; we are called to defend the gospel and the truth of scripture.
How can we do that when there is fear that we may turn to the other side. That we ourselves might be tricked as we defend God’s way.
It is risky business on the surface, but we need to remember the words of Jude here as he concludes his letter.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
4 things I want to you bring to you to raise your confidence to fight this fight we are all called to be in.
1. If you, or Satan, could lose your salvation, you would have already lost it.
I know there are some sister denominations that teach this, there are even some Baptist churches that teach this.
I could teach this, and have salvations each and every Sunday, because I could convince you that because you sinned this week you were going to hell and you needed to come up here and get saved for the 1,000th time.
Satan wants you to be scared that if you do battle, you could mess up and God would reject you.
Our Christian culture has helped us get into the hole as well. We could do anything, get anything, find work, be entertained, and never engage the culture around us who needs Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
Don’t live in fear. Your eternal security does not rest in you!
2. Your eternal security does rest with God!
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
Who is that statement about? Is it you? Or is it Him?
What is He able to do? God is able keep you from stumbling!
The word literally means to keep us from falling away; i.e. from falling into apostasy.
Notice also the word keep. It literally means to guard.
As you battle for the truth, your reward is guarded.
Not your life, but your reward.
What does that mean?
It means that I might get beat up, bloodied, maimed, or even killed in my calling to defend, but my eternal reward is secure and I know that whatever I face, I’m not alone! My God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is always with me.
We are not promised an easy road as a believer, but we are promised that we will not be snatched away by the enemy.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Perish = eternal punishment
Snatch = lose salvation
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
God’s good work = your salvation
It is a continual work (sanctification) and will be finished when you meet Jesus face to face.
Folks always remember your eternal security rests with the one who has saved you. That is Jesus Christ.
