Great Joy Before The Father

Summer of 1994, my dad got some really awesome news. He had received a grant to go back to school and get his doctorate fully funded. Such a huge blessing to go back to Asbury Seminary in central Kentucky. And I was very excited for him. But at 14 years old, I was not so excited for myself because my family had just moved to the town we lived in in Alabama two years previous.

I started middle school as the new guy. Not knowing anybody, I'd made a few friends. And now two years later, that means we're gonna move again and now go to Kentucky, where I also didn't know anybody. I'd been born there, but I left there when I was 4 years old. And so I wasn't excited about starting over again.

What made things worse is that we knew that going into that he would have a one year study on campus and then the next two years would be him writing his dissertation off campus, meaning we would only live there for one year and then we would move again. So I knew in eighth grade I knew going into it, I'm about to leave everything I know and go to Kentucky and try to start over and then we're going to move again and try to start over again in 10th grade. And I just wasn't excited about that, just to be honest with you. Maybe you think higher of me than you should. I was actually not very happy.

And if I'm very honest, I kind of got in my feelings. And that first few weeks there in Kentucky, I just kind of sulked and sat in my room. I was discouraged. I felt like nobody cared about how things affected me. I felt discouraged.

I felt like, what's the use of trying? Because any effort I make is only gonna be undone Just a few matter just a few months later when I have to leave again. And this is before the Internet, this is before free long distance. Does anybody remember this? Like, this is like you are on an island.

You know, when you leave, you're, it's like you're all dead. Goodbye, everybody. You know, it's all over him. At 14, I just was having a hard time metabolizing all of that. And my parents, now that I'm 45, thinking back, I have so much more compassion for them.

What were they trying to figure out with, you know, a 14 year old trying to sort through all of that? And they would gently encourage me. Well, son, you know, the local youth group is doing X, Y and Z and I'm like, that's the last thing I wanted to hear. You know, I, I don't Wanna go there. They already have their friends.

And if I make a friend, I'm just gonna have to leave again. So I say all that to say I was extremely discouraged. I couldn't decide if it was worth it. And maybe you've been there. Can't quite decide if it's worth it.

And so my parents were patient. They listened to me vent a little bit. They tried to empathize, and I would try to do a few things that summer, and, you know, just had a horrible attitude. Until one day I did decide to go to a barbecue, an outdoor hangout thing with some of the youth group kids. And I had seen some of them hanging around, and I saw a group of guys that they just looked cool.

You understand that? Does that make sense to you, where you're like, they're cool. I don't know what that is, but you just know it when you see it, you know, and you know when you don't see it. And when they saw me, they did not think that, you know? And so I saw them.

And, you know, the one guy there, he kind of had long hair. And I thought, listen, I'm from South Alabama, good Methodist boy. I wasn't sure if he was going to heaven, but I thought, I'd really like to know him, you know? And so I just took a chance and I picked up a stick off the ground. We were in the backyard of a leader's house.

I didn't know these people. And I run up to this guy and I just say, go, as you do when you're trying to meet new people.

You don't do that. And because the Lord loves me, this guy did not say a single word. He ended his conversation, snatched the stick out of my hand and took off. And when I say took off, I mean, he is running through people, having conversations. They're dropping their food.

He jumps over the hammock. He goes all the way around the yard. Dr. Comes back to me and hands the stick back to me and instantly became my best friend. You know, this is the actual stick.

How crazy is that? Who does this? Y' all know how to pray for my wife now? Can you imagine living with this?

I know it's stupid, but I had lost hope, and I wasn't sure it was worth trying anymore. And I wanted to sit in my room and just play my guitar and forget about it. And when John Mark Niswander, who now is a real estate agent in Atlanta so if you need some help, he could help you out, became my best friend in the ninth grade, And I ended up living one of my favorite years of my entire life, my ninth grade year, because he then opened doors to meet other friends. And I had so much fun. I kept this stick.

This is literally the stick. I keep it in my little curio cabinet behind my desk in my office as a reminder. Sometimes you have to contend for things, even when you're discouraged. Sometimes you have to decide the risk of relationship is worth it.

I could have sat in my room and lost an entire year of my life. Instead, God gave me one of the best friends I ever had. And I made so many friends and went on so many adventures that to this day still mark me. But I know what it is to be discouraged. I know what it is to not be sure if it's worth it anymore.

And this little dumb stick is a reminder to me that it's worth contending for the things that are important. And today I want to talk to us about contending for our faith. You know, Pastor Andrew referenced it. There's a lot of shaking going on in the world. There's a lot of shaking.

And I don't mean just like wars and rumors of wars. All that's been happening for quite a while, but we see it all the time. But there's a lot of shaking in the church. There's a lot of things. And I think a lot of people are battling discouragement.

And if we're very honest, a lot of people are not quite sure if it's worth it anymore. A lot of people aren't sure. What can you believe in? Who is real? What is real in the age of AI?

My wife and I were having this conversation last night. She feels like she's a bit of an AI expert. So if you'd like to ask her what is AI generated and what isn't, Just. Just swing it by her. She'll let you know.

What's the point? There is an erosion of trust. What can you believe in? What is solid? What is real?

Who is real? Anybody live where we're living? I mean, I feel like this is where we're living. Two months ago, the Lord drew me to a little book in the Bible. If it's not the shortest, it's one of.

I think it is the shortest. The Book of Jude. It's the second to last book in the New Testament. It's 25 verses long. And I tell you that to say this, I've probably read it or listened to it over a hundred times in the last couple of months.

Now, don't let that impress you. It's only one chapter. Okay. So before you think, man, that guy, like, no, it didn't take that much effort, but in the Book of Jude, I just felt like the Lord was saying, nathan, this is where things are, and the next opportunity you get to speak, I want you to talk about this. It was only a few weeks later that Pastor Jay reached out and said, hey, would you be willing to preach on July 20?

So for better or worse, we're gonna talk about what Jude has to say about contending for the faith. If you got your Bibles, would you open them to the Book of Jude again? It's right at the end of your Bible. It's right before the book of Revelation, and I just want to invite you to turn to that. If I haven't met you, my name's Nathan.

I get the privilege of serving on our pastoral team here and really just so grateful to bring the word of God to you today. And as you find the Book of Jude, I want to encourage you. Would you stand? We're just gonna read a portion. I'm gonna kind of skip around a little bit.

I really debated on reading the entire chapter. So we could say we read the whole Book of Jude in service today. I'm not gonna make you do that, but I'm probably gonna use all the verses at some point. So just trust me. We're gonna get there at some point.

I'm gonna start reading in verse three. Jude, verse three. Beloved. Although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you, to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation.

Ungodly people who pervert the grace of God into sensuality and deny our only master and Lord Jesus Christ. Skip down to verse 17. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you in the last times, they'll be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the Spirit.

But you, beloved, building yourself up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourself in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

That's good. Can we make a declaration? We make every week, And I want to challenge you to make it from your heart, even if you have to read it on the screen. Right, let's. Ready?

It's ready. Go. I will hide this word in my heart that I might not sin against God. This word is life to my body and health to my bones. I will be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.

And I am confident of this. He who has begun a good work in me will complete it. And in Jesus name, amen. Give somebody a high five, hug them up, and you can have a seat. We've got to contend for the faith.

This faith that we're contending for is not just about us. Yes, we want to build ourselves up, we want to strengthen our faith, but we got to have something to pass to the next generation. And if we fumble the baton in our generation, who's going to hand it to the next generation? So this is bigger than just how we're doing. This is about how the kingdom is doing.

And we need a reminder that we have a responsibility to pass on what God's given to us. And Jude is carrying this burden. Now. Lots of things you need about the book of Jude, and I'm just going to say this. There is so much that's fascinating and even difficult in this short letter of Judea.

I actually did again, don't be impressed with this. It's only one chapter. I did an entire outline and a summary of each of these things. I'm not gonna share with you this morning, but if you want that, I will email it to you. My email is my name.

So just first Name, Last Name TheReefuge.net if you want that outline that explains some of these more interesting pieces. Jude quotes more extra biblical material than almost any other person. And he has the shortest letter in the New Testament. So there are some fascinating and interesting things. Here's the point.

Jude would rather talk about something else. That's how he starts the letter. I'd like to talk about salvation and how wonderful it is being saved. I just can't because crazy things are happening in the church. And I'm telling you, when I read that, I felt so much empathy for Jude.

I'm like, I would like to talk about how beautiful salvation is and how wonderful things are, except there's crazy things going on and we've got to address it because we've got to contend for our faith. And that's the message that Jude is trumpeting. He's burdened by all of it now. Just set it up for you. Jude is the brother of Jesus now.

That just blew some of your minds. And you're not sure if you can stay here anymore because you're like, hold on, wait a minute. I thought Virgin Birth, yes, But Joseph and Mary still had kids. Jude's name is Yehuda in Hebrew, so it's Judah. But Jude is one of the brothers.

He doesn't even claim that. In the opening to his letter, he says, I'm the brother of James. Well, guess who James is. He's the brother of Jesus. Right?

So in his humility, he calls himself a slave of Jesus. You see, both James and Jude, neither of them believed that Jesus was the Messiah while he walked the earth. It was after his crucifixion and resurrection that they believed. Then they became leaders in the church. So he knows what it is to not be sure about what's going on.

And that really colors his letter. And I love that. I love it so much. So these are some of the contexts of what's going on. And Jude is reminding the church.

So remember this. Jude is speaking to believers. This letter is written to believers. He's not talking about people outside the church. He's talking about people inside the church.

And I figured since we are in the church and it'd be good to talk about what's going on inside the church. Here we are, and here's what Jesus said. And Jude talks about. This I'll just reference in Matthew, chapter 24, I'm coming back to Jude, but I want to reference what Jesus said in Matthew 24:4. Jesus answered them, see that no one leads you astray.

For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. This is Jesus talking about what we should expect in the last days. And Jude is telling them, remember what the Lord said about what to expect. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ. Verse 6.

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. We've been hearing about that for quite a while. See that you are not alarmed. I don't see many Christians getting this part right, if I'm very honest. People say, we're in the last days.

We just got. I'm like, yeah, see that you're not alarmed. That's the words of Jesus, for this must take place. So are we going to change it? Jesus is speaking, but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There'll be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are but the beginning of birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death. Aren't you encouraged this morning?

And you'll be hated by all nations for my namesake and. And then many will Fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. I know this is not super encouraging. It's going to get good, but we got to take our medicine and we've got to pay attention to what's happening around us.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come. Jude is writing a letter saying there's some crazy stuff happening in the church and it's not right. I'm gonna call it out.

And you better remember, we're to expect these things because Jesus said we would expect it. Well, Nathan, when Jude wrote this book, this is the first century. I mean, are we in the last days? Typically, essentially, we have been in the last days from the moment Jesus ascended into heaven. So that is, if you want to define it, those are the last days.

If that feels too broad for you, I understand. But because we are mathematical and linear, we can appreciate we're closer to the end than we've ever been. I mean, I'm not like a geometry guy, but the line is going this way. So the longer we go, the closer we are getting. And here's what we need to know.

He told us what to expect, so shame on us if we don't pay attention and know how to respond. And there's a lot of hope in how we're to respond. So we are going up today. I want you to know this, but it's going to get worse before it gets better, so prepare your hearts.

Jesus said, in those days, people will come in my name and say, I am the Christ. Have any of you heard of the Jesus that just got arrested? Anybody heard about this? I'm not making this up. So in Siberia, I think we have a picture of.

That's not him.

That is not. I'll talk about him, but that's not him. There's a guy that calls himself Vissarion. And there he is.

Now, listen, I'm not here to make fun of people today, but I am not exaggerating. Look it up in the news. He was arrested last week. He says he is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ himself. He has a following in Siberia.

People from many nations have made their way there, and they are following his teaching. Now, his name is Sergei Torop, and he was a former traffic cop. But then he had a revelation that he is Jesus Christ reincarnated. And he started leading a movement in Siberia. And Hundreds of people have been following him to the point that they just arrested him.

That's messed up. Now, I want to be clear. I'm not saying he's part of the church, but Jesus said, you'll see this kind of stuff, so you can't make this up. I mean. And again, I'm not trying to belittle or make fun.

He literally wears the black sandals with the white socks. And it blesses me so much when I looked at the pictures. Cause when I was in middle school, we had the little Nike sandals. We called them Air Jesuses. I'm not joking.

And so when I saw that, I was like, now that is a little too close to home.

I'm not making fun. I'm trying to make light of something that's very serious. This kind of stuff is happening. It is. What are we supposed to do?

I'm getting to that. We've also got to talk about leaders in the church where many have fallen, many have been exposed, many that have blessed my life and their teaching and ministry, only to be heartbroken. You know, Mike Bickle is one whose ministry I've gleaned from for a long time. And then to hear the wicked things that were going on. I don't share these things to shame anybody.

All the people I'm talking about chose to put themselves in a public light, knowing what they were doing, and yet still felt comfortable being very public about where they were. This should concern us. This should shake us.

Because I guarantee you, none of the ministers that have fallen, that have been on the news in the last 3, 612 months ever set out to live that way. Nobody said, you know what I want when I grow up? I want to be part of a scandal. Nobody says that. Michael Tate of the Newsboys.

It's heart wrenching. If you don't know some of these stories, I don't really want to take the time to tell you about it. I just want to say, people that I've gleaned from personally and been blessed by being exposed for living a double life, God help us, because this is in the church. We're not talking about out there. I did have a picture of Sean Combs up there, known as Puff Daddy or P. Diddy.

Why do I say that? Some of you, and I really hope you haven't followed the case that's been going on in the news concerning him. It is atrocious. But here's the only reason I highlight him. I don't consider him part of the church, but I read an interview.

Where diddy says this, and this was with the BBC in 2016. First of all, I just want to make clear God is my best friend.

I want to do a gospel album to give thanks. Over the years, Bad Boy, which is his company, has made a lot of things cool. From the way we dress and dance, the sunglasses we wear, the designers we endorse. Now God is something we want to endorse. We want to make God cool.

All of this while degrading people so heinously, I can't even talk about it. I'm not here to put shame against. I'm not here to expose. I'm saying, how is it we got to the point where we can say God is our best friend and we can have people molested in front of us for our own pleasure? Those two things do not go together.

And I am not trying to holler. These people chose to live in the public eye with these things going on in their lives. Why do I say these things? There's a shaking that's going on. But I want to remind you of something.

When I put a ladder on the side of my house because I'm going to clean my gutters out or something, one of the things I do is I shake that thing before I get on it. Do you know why I don't shake it so that it will fall? I shake it to make sure it can hold my weight. And unfortunately, that's more than I really was hoping it would be.

I believe God wants to set his glory on his church. So he's shaking some things and he's saying, it's not enough for you to say you love me. Is your life matching up with what you say? Because if it's not, I'm gonna shake you loose. Can I just tell you something that should make your heart beat a little bit?

Not because we are scared of boogeyman God, but because we have a healthy fear of the Lord.

Is my life lining up with what I say? I believe and God is shaking it. And he's shaking it because he wants to put his weight on it. And I believe that part is actually encouraging. So Judah's cry.

Excuse me? Jude's cry. If I say Judah, his name is Yehudah, it's Judah, but just deal with it. Jude's cry for us today is, don't lose heart. Contend for the faith so quickly.

I want to give you four quick ideas. Why do we need to contend for our faith? That's our idea today. Why do we need to contend for our faith? Because things are shaking and we must finish well.

We must finish well. We must finish well. Here's what Jude said, verse 4. Certain people have crept in unnoticed. Crept into what?

Into the church. Crept in unnoticed. Who long ago were designated for this condemnation. Ungodly people who pervert the grace of God into sensuality. Some of your translations will say into sexual immorality.

In other words, it's not just what's being taught, it's the way they're living their lives. Saying one thing and doing something else as if it's condoned. You can live for God and live in sexual immorality at the same time. It's not that big a deal. Can.

Can I tell you something? The King of Glory says it's a huge deal and it's not okay. And he wants to set us free so that we won't be shaken loose. So we drawn close to Him. Now, I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, Jesus, who saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he's kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Isn't that heavy? Here's what he's saying. The same people that were Israelites that came out of the Exodus in Egypt.

The. Some were the same ones that didn't make it into the promised land.

Just because you're part of Israel and you're coming on the journey doesn't mean you'll finish the journey.

And some of us have grown up in church and somehow feel like that rubber stamps our passport to something. And can I tell you something? We must remain in relationship with Jesus.

And I'm not super comfortable with what I'm saying, but I'm very comfortable. What I know what God wants to produce in us. And it's a fear of the Lord that says, it's not okay that I live a double life. It doesn't work in the kingdom. And it's not up to you to get better.

It's up to you to allow the Lord to come in further. Only he can do it. This is not some works message where you got to work it up, but you do have to allow him to penetrate your heart. Just because we start well doesn't mean we will end well. We cannot Cling to false hope and cultural Christian sentiments.

We must cling to Jesus and his word, full stop. My dad's a pastor. He prayed over me this morning before I came out on this platform. And I thank God for that love, my dad, grateful for his ministry and my life. I will not stand before Jesus because my dad was a pastor.

I won't. He won't even ask me. Just because your granddaddy started a church and you've been going to church all your life and you eat chicken every Sunday afternoon doesn't mean you're going to heaven.

We have to put our faith Jesus and be in relationship with him. When Tams and I walked down the aisle 25 years ago, 25 years we've been married. How can you believe this? I love you. You're so pretty.

25 years ago, I didn't say I love you. I'm committed. And then live my own life and never speak to her again. Imagine the quality of our relationship if that's the way I treated it. Too many people listen.

I love you. My name is Nathan. I'm your friend. Too many people treat God this way. I prayed a prayer.

I shook the clown's hand at vbs, and I'm good now. I love vbs. I'm not hating on clowns. Maybe a little. But here's the thing.

We have to live in relationship. If you listen, I love you. I love you. If you haven't talked to him this week, you're not much in relationship. And I'm not talking about bless the food.

I'm not mad. You're not in trouble. I mean, you might be, but like, I want you to come close. You're not in trouble with me.

Do you hear my heart? Things are going to continue to shake. It's going to, because Jesus said it would. Ah, but at the same time, he said some other things. So let's keep going.

What did Jesus say in Luke 22? Jesus is speaking to Simon Peter. Simon Simon. Behold, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat. Anybody feel like you've been sifted like wheat by the devil?

I felt that way many times. Well, you're like, good God, what is going on in my life? What does Jesus say? But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. But we have to contend for that faith, my friends.

And you know, and when you've turned again, strengthen your brothers, he says, and you know what, Peter? You might not make it through that very well. But I'm praying for you. And when you turn back, I want you to go all. So if you feel like you've been wandering today, Jesus himself says, hey, if that happens, I just want you to turn back and get all in.

Today's a good day. But watch how Peter responds. And if we respond this way, we're in big trouble. Here's what Peter says. Peter said to him, lord, I'm ready to go with you both to prison and to death.

Jesus said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day until you deny me three times that you know me. Jesus said, I will keep you. I'm praying for you. And what did Peter say? I got this, Lord.

I got me and you ride or die. And Jesus said, is that the case? I'm telling you, you'll deny me three times before this day is even over. Because Jesus wasn't saying, peter, I need you to be stronger. He was saying, I need you to trust me more.

You trying to flex and say, I got this, I'm super Christian is probably bad news. Cause that's what Peter was doing. I got this, Lord, I'm with you no matter what happens. And Jesus said, I'm not asking you to be tougher. I'm asking you to trust me more.

And that's what he's calling us to. Second thing. So how do we contend for our faith? We've got to contend for it, because things are shaking. But how do we do it?

Remember Jesus words and keep yourself in the Father's love. Here's what Jude says in verse 17. But you must remember, beloved. Who is the beloved? The church, beloved.

You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. They said in the last time, there'll be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions. So divisions are going to be caused. And God's not happy about it.

And he's like, I'm not the one doing it. It's ungodly people who are in the church. Then he says this, devoid of the spirit, but you, beloved, back to the church. Building yourself up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourself in the love of God.

Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. Jude isn't telling us here to love God. We should love God. Jude is reminding us to keep ourselves in his love for us. There's a difference.

Am I saying you're not supposed to love God? Of course not. We all need to love God. Here's what Jude says. Here's how you Contend for your faith.

Here's how you stand firm to the end. Keep yourself in the Father's love. I believe all the people that have fallen and that are going through so many difficult things. I genuinely believe many of them love God. That's not hard for me to believe at all.

I really can believe that. But that's not what will keep you. Just like Jesus said to Peter, you thinking you got this because you love me, you will not last. Talking about how awesome you are in loving me. You've got to keep yourself in my love.

Because here's the difference, friends. My love, my love for God. I can compartmentalize all the things in my life that I really don't want to deal with. And I can just say, oh, God, but I love you. The Father's love, he comes and takes over and the river runs to the lowest places.

And he's knocking on doors now. What's this closet over here? You're like, oh, I don't really want to deal with that. He's like, yeah, I only deal with that. You know, what's this insecurity?

What's this feeling that you're bad? What is this false belief that it works for other people, but it doesn't work for you? While you say, I love God, he's like, yeah, but I want you to keep yourself in my love. Because you know what will cause us to fall into sexual immorality or greed or divisions? It's those broken things inside of us that we've not let the love of God touch.

I don't parade people on a screen to make fun of them. By God's grace, any of us, without his grace, we'd all could be in trouble. Here's what I am saying. They didn't set out to be that way. There's broken things inside of them they didn't let the love of the Father touch.

And what did Jude say? You know what will keep you? Not your love for me, it'll be you keeping yourself in the love of God. We have to allow the Father to love us. Your love will not keep you.

God's love is a force. He'll deal with every broken thing and he'll come in and he'll say, I don't want you to believe that about you, because that's not true. I formed you in your mother's womb. Oh. Oh, you're not sure why you have these urges, temptations, frustrations.

I don't think you're bad. I think you're broken. And I want to heal You, I want to heal you. Stay in my love. Stay in my love.

Can I tell you something? For some of us, that's very uncomfortable because it takes us out of control. I like being able to dictate, well, Lord, we're dealing with this today. So I can keep all these other things that are jacked up in my life away from you. Jesus doesn't play that way.

He says, I want. I died for all of it. I want all of it. You guys okay out there? We can still be friends.

I promise.

Number three.

And this is where a lot of us are struggling. We know we need to contend for our faith because things are shaking around us. We got to know how. How do we do it? We got to remember Jesus told us to expect these things.

So we're not surprised, but it is sobering. And how do we respond? Got to keep ourself in the Father's love because he will renew us. But some of us are asking this question, how do we contend for the faith of others? Some of us are struggling because our kids are watching this stuff and they're like, I'm out.

Bunch of crazy people that think they love God and they're doing all kinds of crazy stuff. They're no different. Some of us are seeing neighbors, friends. I have so many friends that it breaks my heart. They went to Christian schools and all their friends, they grew up in Christian, and they're the only one left that still has relationships with Jesus.

Why? Because of the shaking. Because people do all kinds of crazy stuff and they blame God for it. And then we don't know what to do. How do we contend for the faith of others in the midst of the shaking?

Here's what Jude says when. I'll just give you my point. Care for your own heart. First, we have to remain in God's love. We just talked about that.

Then be merciful to those who are struggling.

Here's what Jude says in verse 22 and 23. Have mercy on those who doubt. That's the first thing he says after, keep yourself in the Father's love. Then he says, and you know what? Have mercy on those who are struggling.

He understands. Jude himself didn't even believe his own brother was the Messiah. He struggled with it. And he. If you read Matthew 13, he.

He and all of his brothers go and say, that man's crazy.

Jesus own brothers, think about that. Jude is one of those that was there that day. And Jude's like, you know what? He was patient with me. Let's be patient with him.

But that's not the only tool he gives us. Some of us, out of fear, want to make sure we snatch people up. But the first thing we got to do is be patient, be merciful. Because when someone's faith is damaged, the last thing they need is all the things they already know. Well, you were raised in the church, and you better do all that God's done for you.

They know all of that. They need someone that'll love them, that'll keep themselves in the Father's love, be patient with them. But that's not all Jude says. Second thing he says is, save others by snatching them out of the fire. He gives us three tools in these two verses.

Have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire. To others, show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by flesh. What are those? Be merciful, Snatch some out of the fire.

Be compassionate without falling into the same trap. And I see this happen all the time, not knowing how to divide out. When are we patient? When do we take action and say, I gotta pull you out of this because you're my brother. There's a place for that.

Jude says it. The other, though, is I can't just have compassion for you and then fall into the same pit that you're in. And it happens all the time. We got to contend for our faith. We got to keep ourselves built up in the Father's love.

And we have to have compassion for those who are struggling. And here's our last point. So what hope do we have in contending for our faith? A lot of shaking. A lot of hard news today.

A lot of difficult things. A lot of stuff that's going on in the world and going on in the church. What are we supposed to do? Is there any hope? Let me just tell you something.

As we reach to Jesus, he is able to keep us and present us blameless to God. I'm going to read the book of Jude 24 before I go to the John Scripture. So I'm going to inverse those. Here's what Jude said now to him. Here's how he finishes his letter.

Now to him who is able to keep you. Now, we could stop right there and I just want to thank the Lord right there in all of the shaking as I'm reaching for him 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. To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, authority before all time, now and forever. Amen. Jude says, in the midst of all of this, you keep yourself in the Father's love.

You keep showing up, spending time in my presence, drawing close to me. And know this, I'm going to keep you. I'll leave you with Jesus. Words John 10 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

That's the words of Jesus. My Father, who has given them to me is greater than all. And he emphasizes it again. And no one able to snatch them out of the Father's hands. I and the Father are one.

Jesus reinforces it three times. He's serious about this. You draw close to me. I have the power to keep you. My Father has the power to keep you.

And ain't nobody snatching you out of our hands. There's a lot of hope in that. Now, to him who is able to keep us in the midst of shaking, it's upsetting. I've cried a lot of tears. I've hurt.

I have felt. I've had more people ask questions. I've watched friends and family members struggle with their faith. Contend for your faith. Build yourself up in your most holy faith.

It's not the pastor's job. It's not the church's job. It's not the conference's job. It's not the podcast's job. Build yourself up in your most holy faith.

We need all those other tools, but we are the ones that have to contend. We have to demonstrate there's hope, and we have a lot of hope to offer and we need to hand it to the next generation. But it's not going to happen with Christian platitudes and pretending and living one way and saying something and else. Let me just tell you something. Your kids will respond better to you in tears, repenting at your kitchen table than you talking about how awesome you should be and how you just being able to say, guys, I haven't been living it, but I want to because I've let myself wander.

But I'm cut to the core and I'm wrong for this and I'm struggling with this, and I just want you to know I'm going after him. I'm telling you. People respond. The Lord responds to that. If you find yourself in the shaking and you feel like your heart's wavering a little bit, there's a lot of patience and a lot of mercy for you today.

A lot. So much. You're not a bad person because things are hard. You're not a bad person because you're not sure about a few things. The arms of the father are wide open today.

Would you dare to trust him?