This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Parables, Enlightment For Believers", Matthew 13: 7-19

 

PARABLES, ENLIGHTENMENT FOR BELIEVERS

Matthew 13:13-17

PARABLES FOR BELIEVERS

V:13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

According to Matthew, Jesus began speaking in parables to his followers

after the religious leaders rejected His teaching and miracles and labeled them as being

by the power of Satan. They committed the one unforgivable sin found in chapter 12.

Matthew 12:22-24

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

The unforgivable sin is this:

Matthew 12:32

32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons; the divine Trinity.

Anyone who claims the work of the Trinity is the work of the devil is on a

stairway to hell that cannot be reversed.

The word parable is made of two words, para and ballo, together it means to throw along

side. A parable makes a comparison between a truth and an untruth.

Jesus began to preach in parables for three reasons;

1. His preaching had been rejected by the religious leaders as satanic

2. Parables were designed to hide the truth from unbelievers

3. Parables were designed to reveal the truth to believers

4. Parables were designed to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah

OLD TESTAMENT FULFILLED IN NEW TESTAMENT

THE CURSE OF REJECTING CHRIST

V:14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

"'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15 For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise, they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.'

Those who reject Christ, have their understanding of the Word

blocked by Him.

In the book of Exodus, Moses took the commands of God to the

Pharaoh. In each of the ten plagues cast on Egypt, the Lord hardened

his heart so he would not obey. Lacking the guidance of the Lord

all the firstborn of Egypt were killed and his entire army was destroyed.

Those who reject Jesus also in the same breath reject the divine teacher

of the scriptures, the Holy Spirit.

Since faith come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, those who

reject Christ cannot hear the Word of God.

The just live by faith and not by sight. Those who reject Christ walk blindly

in this world. They make plans with no assurance of an increase.

The steps of a Good man are ordered by the Lord. Those who reject Christ

have no idea if they are going in the right direction

THE BLESSING OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

V:16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets, and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Those who accept Christ are blessed with all the spiritual capabilities to do the

work of God. We are blessed more than the prophets who waited patiently

for the coming of the Messiah but did not sit in His presence or bathed in

His glory.

Sermon: When God Is Silent, Matthew 15:21-29

 WHEN THE LORD IS SILENT

Matthew 15:21-29

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession."

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

This text is also presented in Mark 7:24-31 which gives more information

Mark 7:24-31

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

I take my subject from verse 23

“AND HE ANSWERED HER NOT A WORD”

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JESUS IS SILENT?

Let me give you some background for this text.

Jesus spent most of His time in the cities around the area of Galilee near His hometown.

His preaching and teaching drew large crowds because He healed their sick where

ever He was. In addition, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law from Jerusalem

came down to find fault with His teaching to condemn Him.

Have you ever wanted to get away from the problems of your life and just have

some quiet time alone? Just have some peace to get your mind together.

The text presents Jesus in this stressful situation. He just needed to get away from the

crowd. He traveled with His disciples uphill 50 miles to the Mediterranean coast in the area of Tyre and Sidon.

Galilee is 686 feet below sea level. The mountain is 1400 feet above sea level

To get to Tyre and Sidon Jesus traveled on a road up the mountain and then back down

the mountain to get the port cites of Tyre and Sidon. This is a 50-mile trip one way.

Jesus traveled to a place where the people were worshipers of Baal and Astarte

He traveled with His disciples to a place where He would not be known, to get away

from the crowd. He went to these Gentile cities for some quiet time.

Did I tell you that Jesus and His twelve disciple traveled up the mountain

then down the mountain to the sea?

Did I tell you it was 50 miles one way? Did I tell you it would have taken 3 days

to go from Galilee to Tyre and Sidon? Did I tell you that Jesus did no ministry

during the trip to Tyre? Did I tell you it was supposed to be a secret trip?

WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP? I AM GLAD YOU ASKED.

As soon as Jesus arrived, He went into a house to hide out. But the word got out that He was there. It would been obvious to the city folk that this group of 13

men were visiting from somewhere. You can’t just slip into a city all dusty from

a trip and nobody notices. They had to check into somebody's house or Inn.

PREPARING TO MEET YOU WHERE YOU ARE

A mother came out of the area with a prayer request.

Her daughter was demon-possessed. She had one of them

kids who was unruly and destructive. You know one of them kids that was constantly

having a temper tantrum. You know one of them kids throwing and breaking stuff.

You know one of them kids that was in trouble all the time. One of the kids that

gave you a headache all day long. You know one of them kids that a belt whipping

made no difference.

She had heard about Jesus. She may have even witnessed some of his miracles.

Since He cured other folks, she became convinced Jesus could cure her child.

She probably had tried all her idol gods to no avail. She heard Jesus was in town and

she came crying after Him.

Jesus and His disciples must have been walking around town because the text says

she came crying after them. It is in verse 23.

The woman had some background on this doctor. She knew all the right words.

I don't know whether she knew Jesus or just knew what He could do.

I don't know if she knew Jesus as Lord or just called Him that to get his attention.

The fact is she was convinced, Jesus could heal her daughter.

The evidence is Jesus made a 50-mile trip to get to her, a Gentile idol god worshiper.

That’s my first point in the text

JESUS IS PREPARING TO MEET YOU WHERE YOU ARE

She cried out, Lord Son of David have mercy on me. My daughter is demon-possessed.

She stated her case. You would think Jesus having made a 50-mile trip from Galilee up a mountain road and down the mountain, would have addressed her immediately.

She cried out to Jesus, but the text says:

He answered Her, not a Word.

THERE IS A REASON FOR GOD’S SILENCE

This was unlike Jesus. Jesus heard the prayer but said nothing. What was He up to?

Jesus is always up to something regarding you.

Jesus' disciples spoke up. Send her away, she is making too much noise.

I think Jesus' reason for not saying anything was twofold. He used the situation to teach His disciples a lesson and to teach the needy mother a lesson.

The disciples were quick to send the lady away. They dismissed her problem as unimportant.

They were too busy following the church, that they could not be the Church. They knew

Jesus wanted some quiet time, so they ignored, and diminished the worth of this suffering, crying mother. They showed no compassion for a mother and child in need.

She was a Gentile, not a Jew. She may have been Black. The Phoenician people

of the area had an African stock and a Syrian stock. The text says she was Greek.

The disciples may have been biased, prejudiced, or racist. We did not see Peter denying the service of Jesus in healing his mother. Peter brought Jesus to his house. They did not treat this mother with compassion. They didn't consider her as their neighbor.

Jesus allowed His disciples to show their bias and lack of compassion for the mother’s

daughter. Jesus led the disciples to the Gentile area to show them their mission.

They needed to understand that God is no respecter of a person.

Jesus will meet you where you are. Jesus will meet you in your

darkest hour. Jesus will meet you in the hospital. Jesus will meet

you on the job. Jesus will meet you deep in sin. Jesus will meet

you in the courtroom. Jesus will meet you when your bank account

is empty.

Jesus met this Phoenician woman in her city, 50 miles away from

area of ministry.

GETTING YOU TRAINED TO BE BLESSED

You may wonder why you have so many problems. God uses your

problems to train you. Train up a child in the way he should go.

God is the parent, and you are His children. We are all in a training

program.

God used the mother’s demon-possessed child to draw her to Jesus. Sometimes your

problems are a blessing in disguise. Your problem is your training program.

The text says she came out. The only way to get us out of a dark situation is to

present us with problems near and dear to us that we can't handle. A problem so

heavy that your heart breaks with sadness. You are hurting on the inside for

someone you love.

Allowing His disciples to speak first with a negative tone, may cause the mother

to question her confidence in Jesus. The disciples' negative response might have

sparked a fire that produced a flame for Jesus. The minimizing of the woman’s

need may have made her more determined to see Jesus.

The text says she followed after Jesus crying for help. Lord. Master, Son of David.

The more you say a word, the more it will be fixed in your mind

He was the Son of a King. The more you say it the more you will believe it.

Matthew 15:23

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

Why didn’t the disciples urge Jesus to help her? Why didn’t the disciples see the

woman's daughter as worthy of Jesus' help?

Maybe Jesus' silence was purposed to keep her calling His name.

If you want a relationship with Jesus, He is worth the trip. He came to her area

not to ignore her but to draw her from idol gods, Baal and Astarte.

She came out of her darkness toward the marvelous light.

She had a prayer of desperation. She had a prayer of hope

Baal couldn’t help. Astarte couldn’t help. Jesus was her help

She had a prayer of love. She had a prayer of faith

She had heard or witnessed the miracles of Jesus.

It was a prayer back with her knowledge of the power of Jesus

She was a Greek, not a Jew. It was a prayer from the wrong race at the right time.

Why did Jesus answer not a word on her request?

It allowed Satan to step in through the mouths of Jesus' disciples.

It planted seeds of doubt in the situation

Jesus' answer planted more doubt.

Matthew 15:24

24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

This appears to be another rejection. It appears to be a confirmation of His

disciples minimizing her daughter's illness.

If that was the case, why was Jesus in the region of Tyre and Sidon?

We find no sermons or miracles on this 50-mile journey.

There were not many Jews in Tyre and Sidon. They were Gentile cities.

Jesus' response didn't make any sense to me. But I am only seeing it through

my eyes.

It was an opportunity for her faith to be tested.

It was an opportunity for faith to prosper in her heart.

All things work together for our good. If she didn’t have a problem with her daughter,

She would not have gone to Jesus. The Lord presents Himself to us in our time of need.

She needed the Lord's help. But more importantly, she needs the salvation of the

Lord. How much do you want Jesus in your life? Do you want Him for a season or

do you want Him for all times? Do you want Him for your health or do you want Him

for your soul?

To know Jesus, you have to spend some time with Him to know his plan and His Will.

Jesus drew her with a conversation that required more explanation. He had a plan for

Israel but did He have a plan for the Gentiles? Specifically, does Jesus have a plan for

you?

Jesus had the teach this woman who He was; He was Lord

Jesus needed to teach this woman His Power and authority; He Was king

Jesus had to teach this woman to be blessed you got to have a relationship

with Him.

She knew He could heal. Why was He giving her a hard time?

LEADING YOU TO A CONFESSION OF FAITH

Matthew 15:25

The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

When your family member is sick, no is not an option.

Her desperation brought her to her knees to worship Him.

Before she cried out to him walking behind Him, but now her pride was gone.

She was on her knees in prayer. All thoughts of her idol gods are out of her mind

It's just the woman and Jesus. Lord help me was her prayer.

She passed the negative folk and went straight to Jesus.

It is good to develop a relationship with Jesus in prayer.

LEADING YOU TO CONFESSION OF SIN

Matthew 15:26

26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

What do you say, Jesus? You called this suffering Black woman a dog.

You can compare a man to a dog. We can take it. You can’t call a woman a dog

and not expect a fight. I don't know about you but if I ever call my wife a dog

I would be sleeping in the car on the street headed for a divorce.

Look like the conversation went from bad to worst. First Jesus ignores her.

Then He appears to say she is not the right race. Then He calls her a dog.

I don’t know what the woman was thinking, but I would expect an explosive

response from her.

Here is where I know this woman had let go of her idol worship and developed

a strong faith in God.

Matthew 15:26

"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

When you need something for Jesus you can’t get upset with Him. You have to see the

good in His Word. The truth is we are all dogs in need of God's crumbs of mercy.

This Gentile woman confessed her sins while seeking God’s mercy

His word says we don't need much mercy from Jesus. Just a little

mercy will do.

This Gentile mother knew that a dog was a family pet, loved by its owner. She knew that the family members ate before their pets. She also knew that a crumb from the master's table was all that was needed to heal her daughter. She knew it was a privilege to be under the Master's table.

It is a privilege to be under God's guidance and direction. It is a privilege to be

in the house of the Lord. It is a privilege to get crumbs of God’s mercy.

God knows you. He knows your sins. He got to clean you up so He can dress you

up in His righteousness. God has a way of cleaning you up to sit at His table.

It is the Word of God that does the convicting of

your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit.

LEADING YOU TO THE VICTORY IN JESUS CHRIST

Matthew 15:28

28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

It was not by accident that mercy met misery. It is not by accident that Jesus shows up at

your doorstep in times of need. Jesus uses your misery to get your attention.

He strings you along until you are ready to let go of your sins and let Him in.

He strings you along in your misery until you are ready to confess your faith.

It is faith in Jesus that brings a change in your life

It is faith in Jesus that brings healing

It is faith in Jesus that brings comfort

It is faith in Jesus that puts your finances in order.

That 50-mile trip was worth it to Jesus to win her soul.

The angels rejoice when one sinner repents.

You are worth it to Jesus. Are you willing to take the journey with Jesus?

We are all on a journey with Jesus. The journey got some mountains.

The journey got some rough roads. The journey is filled with trouble

The journey is filled with God’s grace and Mercy

The journey comes with God’s protection

The journey comes with God’s provisions

The journey ends with God's desired result, your faith in Jesus.

The journey ends in victory

The journey ends with Jesus as your Lord and Savior

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE JOURNEY WITH

 JESUS?

This Week's Sunday Scool Lesson : What Is Heaven Like; Matthew 25:31-46

 

WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?

Matthew 25:31-46

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

When we study scripture, we should not take it out of its context for interpretation,

Or see part of the message as the message.

If we look at the text starting at verse 31 we could get the impression that getting

into heaven has something to do with our generosity toward others. If you look

carefully you will find that it is only one of the characteristics of a Christian

After a discussion of the sins of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law

starting in chapter 23 and, His second coming in chapter 24,

Jesus begins to talk about the kingdom of heaven and the wisdom of His chosen who will

be there using parables in Chapter 25.

Starting in verse 1 of chapter 25 He compares heaven to 5 wise virgins and to 5

foolish virgins. The 5 wise virgins await the coming of the bridegroom with

their lamps lighted and the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. The five

foolish virgins fall asleep and have no anointing oil of the Holy Spirit.

When the bridegroom shows up the virgins with anointing of the Holy Spirit

enter into the bridal banquet hall. The 5 virgins without oil go looking but

when they come back, the door to the banquet hall is closed.

Jesus second parable illustrates heaven with stewardship of talents given to the

servants by the master. He gives 5 to one, 2 to another, and, one to another based

on their ability. The master goes away entrusting his talents to his servants.

He returns to see what has been done with his property.

The one with 5 invested and made 5 more. The one given 2, invested and made

2 more. The one given one did nothing and returned the one given him. The one

given one is punished for his do-nothing attitude.

In this third parable, Jesus describes the judgment of His second coming as the

separation of the sheep from the goats.

Sheep He describes as being generous to the poor. The goats He describes as

ignoring the needs of the poor.

In all three cases one could conclude that getting into heaven has to do with our

own efforts. This conclusion would be wrong. The parables only indicate Christian characteristics

The first parable describes the wisdom of a Christian. They study and are obedient to God’s Word.

The second describes a Christian as being a good steward of the gifts and talents given him.

The third parable describes the unselfish sacrificial work of a Christian.

Those prepared to enter into the kingdom of heaven when Jesus returns

are filled with the wisdom of the Lord and are obedient to God’s

commands. They were good Stewart of the Lord and unselfish in their

attitude toward others.

Bible Study Series: Waht is Life All About, Genesis 1

 WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?

Genesis 1

YOU CAN ONLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION BY STUDYING GOD’S WORD

How accurate is God’s word?

Scientific and archaeological data support God's Word.

In the beginning, God created the Heavens, the Earth, and the animals then man

The oldest known star is the Methuselah Star dated to be 14 billion years old

The earth is dated to be 4.5 billion years old

The Oldest Dinosaur fossil is the Euraptor dated 233 million years old

The youngest Dinosaur is dated to be 65 million years old

The oldest human fossil is the Omo One bones found in Ethiopia

dated 233,000 years old

The oldest caveman is Otzi dated 3350 BC

Chronological in terms of age, the heavens, earth, animals then man

came into existence which supports the creation story in Genesis.

The Bible is an accurate historical record. You can believe it

If a story starts right, there is good reason to believe that

rest of the story is correct.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

See attachment for trees in Garden

From the start in the middle of the Garden of Eden, God placed two trees ;

the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life

God's first command to Adam was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of

Good And Evil( Genesis 2:9-9) Somewhere near was the tree of life

From the beginning, the man had a choice. From that choice would develop two

classes of people.

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

"the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" symbolized the all-powerful nature of God, its fruit was forbidden to Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:17)

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Genesis 2:15-17

The tree of knowledge was to lead man to the knowledge of good and evil; and, according to the divine intention, this was to be attained through his not eating of its fruit.

(from Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament:

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

"the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" symbolized the all-powerful nature of God, its fruit was forbidden to Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:17)

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Genesis 2:8-15

Because there was an express positive revelation of the will of God concerning this tree so that by it he might know moral good and evil. What is good? It is good not to eat this tree. What is evil? It is evil to eat of this tree.

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

THE TREE OF LIFE

Life was to be sought by man, not in himself or his own power, but from without, from Him who is emphatically the Life (John 1:4; 14:6). Wisdom is compared to the tree of life (Proverbs 3:18). The "tree of life" spoken of in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14) is an emblem of the joys of the celestial paradise.

(from Easton's Bible Dictionary,

Genesis 2:8-15

It was chiefly intended to be a sign and seal to Adam, assuring him of the continuance of life and happiness, even to immortality and everlasting bliss, through the grace and favor of his Maker,

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

Genesis 2:15-17

It seems to have existed to confer the gift of immortality, perhaps to counteract sickness, repel bodily ills of every kind, and keep the springs of activity and enjoyment preserved in abounding fulness."

(from Christian Workers' Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.)

From the choice man would make, God developed a family of believers who

would love Him enough to trust in His plan of salvation.

In the past month, we have reviewed two Books

3 part series on the Purpose Driven Life By Rick Warren

The Epistle of Jude's Focus was Contend For The Faith

Here is what I concluded from the Purpose Driven Life

LIFE IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD

YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR GOD’S PLEASURE

YOU WERE CHOSEN TO BE GOD’S FAMILY

YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SERVE GOD

YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR A MISSION

Ephesians 1:3-10

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

In the Epistle of Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, the focus is to contend for the faith

The word contend means to strive for, to struggle for

Jude 1-4

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

During the Vacation Bible School, Pastor Lewis set the stage with a study on trust.

To Live out your purpose you have to contend for the faith. You have to struggle to

Trust God for victory.

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?

It is developing God’s People to love Him enough to trust His plan of salvation

What does trust look like in daily living? What does contending for the faith look

like?

1. You have to make God your first priority

In all your ways acknowledge Him.

2. Live by Faith

The just live by faith and not by sight

How do you live by faith? Jude Gives the recipe.

Jude 20-23

20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt;

Build yourself up in the faith

Pray in the spirit

Focus on God’s Love

Wait on the Lord

Show mercy to others

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?

DEVELOPING GOD’S FAMILY IN LOVE TO TRUST HIS PLAN

FOR ETERNITY

HEAVEN

DEVELOPING THE FAMILY

TRUST GOD’S PLAN

FOR SALVATION

LIFE

NONE BELIEVERS ________________ CHOSEN

FULL OF TROUBLE

ETERNITY

IN HELL

LIFE BEGINS AND ENDS WITH GOD

Genesis 2:6-7

7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Man has a body, soul, and spirit

LIFE IS EMBEDDED IN JESUS

John 6:35-36

35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

LIFE IS A JOURNEY TO BE LIKE JESUS

Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

LIFE IS DEVELOPED THROUGH FAITH

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

LIFE IS TEMPORARY

James 4:14

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life like? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes

IN SUMMARY

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT? RESTORING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER

AFTER THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE MAN WAS BORN IN SIN AND SHAPED

IN INIQUITY.

It is about restoring God's elect to obedience to His righteousness through

faith in Jesus Christ to live an eternal life with Him.

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHAT MAKES YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN TRUST GOD’S PLAN

OF REDEMPTION?

WHAT IS YOUR PART IN YOUR REDEMPTION?

Bible Study Series: Contend For The Faith, "The Epistle Of Jude"

 CONTEND FOR THE FAITH

Jude

IDENTIFYING YOURSELF

V:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

2 Mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.

Who is Jude? He identifies himself first as a servant of Jesus Christ. A servant is obedient to a higher authority. The higher authority is Jesus. There is none higher

than Jesus. In the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every heart shall confess.

The most important credential you and I have is a servant of Jesus. There are responsibilities and privileges that go along with being a servant. We are responsible for following the commands of Jesus. We are under His guidance and direction.

We are assured of the grace and mercy of Jesus. We have access to the wisdom of the Lord. We are under the protection of the Lord. We have access to all the riches of the Lord.

Second, Jude identified himself with his family, the brother of James. Which James? You have James the apostle who was killed by Herod years earlier. You have James the half-brother of Jesus who had become a leader in the Church. Some say Thaddaeus the Apostle chosen by Jesus was Jude. Jude identified himself

with those esteemed by the Lord Jesus.

Family is important but it takes a second to being a servant. The family name wants get

you into heaven, but a servant of Jesus will.

This short Epistle was written to those who were called. The entire Bible was written to

those who were called which includes YOU. We are blessed to have a book of instructions written to us. This book is for you. It has your name on it.

You are loved by God the Father.

The word Love is the Greek word agapao which is rich in meaning

To love finding one's joy, direction, and will

To love duty and respect

To Love favor and goodwill

To love to delight in

Which love is Jude referring to? All of them

Kept by Jesus

The reason we exist is because we are kept by Jesus. The benefit of an association with Jesus

is to be kept by Him.

The word kept is the Greek Word tero which means to guard, keep an eye on, maintain,

to hold fast.

We are called by Christ. Loved by Christ and kept by Christ. We have access to the love mercy and peace of Christ in abundance.

It is good to have those who know you pray for you. Jude encourages us

to pray for each other. Pray for an abundance of God’s love, God’s peace and

God’s mercy.

With Christ on our side, all is well. It may not be the way we want it but is the way Jesus

wants it.

CONTEND FOR THE FAITH

V:3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

We can talk about a lot of things, But there are some things more important than others.

It is good to be around those who care about us and are alerted to dangers in

our midst. When we add members to the Church, we add the good and the bad. People are who they show themselves to be.

We must always be on the alert that everyone that claims Christ may have no relationship with Him. It is not our business who God brings to the church.

It is our business to welcome them and teach the Word.

Satan is as busy in the Church as He is outside the Church. Wolves in sheep's clothing show up among us at all times.

Satan now has the influence of multimedia. We are instantly influenced by Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram, and others. Christian values are challenged daily. The biggest challenge we face is the decline in family values.

The structure of the family is being redefined from God’s design of man and woman

to man and man and woman and woman. The sexuality of our children

is being challenged. It is common for a child to redefine itself from boy to girl and from girl to boy. We have laws in the books that encourage our children to view themselves differently from the way God made them.

Homosexuality is nothing new. It was a problem in Genesis 13 in the city of Sodom and

Gomorrah. That was 2000 years before the birth of Christ.

God started with family, so Satan attacks the family. Satan now has a back door

into the family. We are influenced by multimedia.

Destroy the structure of family and you destroy faith in Jesus.

Trust in God has been replaced with trust in guns. The answer to violence is to be armed for violence. True love has been replaced with true what I like.

MAKE FAITH YOUR FIRST PRIORITY

We bring the evil influences of the world into the Church. We are the worst

enemy to the Gospel. Unless you struggle with these negative influences

you will end up condoning them.

The Word contend is the Greek word epagonizomai which means to struggle for,

a contest for victory, or to strive for. We are in a contest with Satan to control

our families

If we are going to contend for the Gospel we do have fine tune our knowledge and belief

in the Gospel.

To contend for the Gospel we have to make a decision to prioritize the Gospel as number one.

You have to be determined to know the Gospel truth

You have to be determined to speak the Gospel truth

You have to be determined to live the Gospel truth.

You have to take on the risk of speaking the truth in the face of opposition.

You have to be determined to believe every word of God is the only truth.

Like Jude, there must be an urgency to confirm the Faith.

God has given each of us a measure of Faith. He has trusted us with this

most valuable trait that changes the world. He has given us the means to please

Him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

To deny the commands of God is to deny Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

To ignore the sins of the world is to condom them before God and man.

We have to strive with our fears before we can be effective in striving

for God. We cannot face Satan and his demons if we cannot face our

ignorance of the scriptures.

While the World is bent on denying the righteousness of God and destroying

His design for the family. He is still in control.

KNOW THE HISTORY OF GOD AND THE UNGODLY

Starting in verse 5, Jude gives us a history lesson about how God dealt with the

ungodly and refocused man on His righteousness.

In Genesis 6, a second set of ungodly angels stepped out of their placed and

took wives. They were cast into abyss and locked up forever. In Genesis 13

the men of Sodom and Gomorrah became so ungodly that they desired sex

with Angels in male form who came down from heaven. The cities were

destroyed. In Genesis 7 God destroyed the families of the earth with the

great flood because of their ungodliness. He restarted mankind with Noah

and his family.

In Exodus, God took the nation of Israel out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt

then destroyed the unbelieving families among them.

No matter how bad the world gets and how terrible the circumstances are,

God’s plan for you will survive. All that is happening now has been foretold.

There is nothing new under the sun.

2 Peter 3:3-4

First of all, you must understand that in the last days, scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

LIVE FOR THE FAITH

Jude 20-24

20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

What must we do to contend for the faith?

Jude gives us the recipe.

1. Build yourself up in the Faith. It is a personal decision.

2. Pray in the Spirit

3. Focus on the Love of God

4. Build your trust in the Lord

5. Show mercy to the doubters

6. Teach others to hope in God.

These are beautiful words. What does it look like in your life?

What does contending for the faith look like in everyday living?

Since we know Satan is attacking the family, our objective is to take

charge of the family. The school can’t be in charge, multimedia

can't be in charge, and the government can’t be in charge,

you must be in charge. Take the family back from the hands of

Satan.

Starting with you, be the role model for family and God’s righteousness

Don’t assume your children are getting your role model

Remember that they have a wallpaper of ungodliness all around them.

At school age, they will spend more time in the world than they will

with you.

Take time and talk to your children about God.

Make a habit of letting your children tell you about their day when they

come into the house. It is your time to know what influences them.

Pray with them and for them

Don’t just recite the Lord’s prayer, show them the Lord’s prayer in action

Before family, friends, and coworkers talk to God, give Him the credit,

praise and worship

Let all your plans, actions, and words be God directed.

In conversation, listen first, then respond with a word from God.

CELEBRATE THE FAITH

GOD DOESN'T NEED YOU TO FIGHT THE BATTLE. IT WAS WON ON THE CROSS

GOD NEEDS YOU TO CELEBRATE THE VICTORY

Jude 24-25

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Praise God because He keeps us

Praise God because He chose us to be in His presence

Praise God because of His glory

Praise God for your salvation

Praise God For the Joy He Gives

Praise God for just being God

Praise God For His Power And Authority

Praise God For His Son

Praise God For Our Eternal Home

GOD NEEDS US TO BE EXCITED ABOUT OUR

FAITH

CLASS EXERCISE

How do you counsel a friend that is doing the

wrong thing? Read John 4:7-21

The Samaritan woman at the well

1. Met the woman at a commonplace

2. Talked with her in private

3. Asked for her help

4. Presented her with a solution

5. Mentioned her husbands (she had 5 and was on the 6^th)

Didn’t condemn her