Fighting The Battle Series

Sermon #10 of 11

Jude: A Call to Defend

Fighting the Battle

Jude 22-23

Introduction

Illus:

In warfare, there is always an objective. In many wars, the objective is land. For example, in the Middle East, Israel and the Palestinians are fighting because they both want to have the same land. In Afghanistan we’re fighting because we want to destroy the power base of terrorism. Hitler fought because he wanted to create a “superior” race. The Southern states fought the Civil War because they wanted to be free from the oppression of the Northern States. The Gulf War was fought because the U.S. wanted to end the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, so they could have access to oil. I mention all of these wars, not because I want to say who was right or wrong, but to show that in every war, there is an objective. There is a reason we are fighting the war. And the same is true with spiritual warfare. If we are going to wage war on Satan’s kingdom, we have to know what our objective is. Our objective, our mission is to rescue people from Satan’s grip. To free them from his control. Just as Jesus said at the start of his ministry.

The faith will not be preserved simply by attacking false teaching and false living and revealing their errors.

It is preserved by doing it God’s way. It is done by love, not by hate. It is done by the Spirit, not by brute force.

Passage

22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

How do we fight the battle?

1. Convince those who doubt.

It is tempting to give up on those who doubt, to lose patience with them and leave them behind for “bigger and better things.” We must resist that temptation and continue to walk with people on their spiritual journey with Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:24-26

24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

You see then enemy does not attack the strongholds, but instead he attacks the weak points.

2 Timothy 3:6

6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,

For someone who is confused, someone who is young in the faith, the enemy will attack that person and it is up to us, their brothers and sisters in Christ to be merciful to them and walk with them on their spiritual journey.

2. Save people from God’s judgment.

Through Jude we have learned that not only does Satan work outside the church to prevent people from coming to the Gospel, He works inside the church as well.

There are “Bible teachers” inside Christianity that teach a false gospel.

There are “Christians” who live false lives and teach people through their actions a false gospel.

It is up to us to snatch those who are teaching false truths as well as those who have been taught these false truths from God’s judgment.

How? 4x4 Plan

Identify

Identify at least four people who you are unsure of their

salvation.

Intercede

Pray for these people at least 4 times a week

Pray for their salvation..

Pray that they will respond to Jesus in faith.

Pray for opportunities for you to share your faith with them.

Invest

Invest your life into these people.

Build bridges of trust with them by spending time with them.

Let them see Jesus in you through your actions and your

speech.

Win an opportunity to do the last thing.

Invite

At the very least, invite them to church so that they can hear

the Gospel.

Better yet share the Gospel with them yourself. The best

change of them coming to Jesus is when they are invited to

do so by a friend.

3. Work under the umbrella of merciful fear.

Show mercy to everyone.

We have heard the phrase “Hate the sin, love the sinner.”

That justly applies here.

We must remember that God has shown us mercy, we need to show mercy to others as well.

Way too often in our convention we treat the sinner with hatred instead of mercy.

We fan the flames of anger instead of offering the love of Jesus Christ.

The attitude of change your ways and then you will be accepted is a falsehood.

The truth we need to communicate is come to Jesus and allow Him to change you.