1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,700 I’d like you to open your Bibles, please, at Jude 23, a short letter just before the 2 00:00:05,700 –> 00:00:11,040 book of Revelation at the end of the New Testament—Jude 23. 3 00:00:11,040 –> 00:00:20,379 I’m going to speak about what I’m deeply convinced will prove to be one of the most 4 00:00:20,700 –> 00:00:30,639 significant issues for a Christian church when it’s viewed from history and our time 5 00:00:30,639 –> 00:00:33,259 is looked back on. 6 00:00:33,259 –> 00:00:42,779 The letter of Jude, and beginning at verse 23. 7 00:00:42,779 –> 00:00:54,720 To others, show mercy mixed with fear, hating even the clothing that is stained by corrupted 8 00:00:54,720 –> 00:00:56,599 flesh. 9 00:00:56,599 –> 00:01:02,099 Now, this little letter, that has been our focus over these weeks, is actually not the 10 00:01:02,099 –> 00:01:05,059 one that Jude wanted to write. 11 00:01:05,059 –> 00:01:10,459 But it is the one that God knows the church needed to have in the New Testament scriptures. 12 00:01:10,459 –> 00:01:14,199 If you look at verse 3 at the beginning of this little letter, you’ll see that Jude 13 00:01:14,199 –> 00:01:19,099 tells us that he wanted to write a letter about the salvation we share. 14 00:01:19,099 –> 00:01:22,620 I think he wanted to write something like the book of Romans. 15 00:01:22,620 –> 00:01:28,540 He would have liked to have written that kind of a letter that just expands on the magnificence 16 00:01:28,540 –> 00:01:30,900 of our salvation. 17 00:01:30,900 –> 00:01:37,519 But God had other plans, because towards the end of the 1st century, some of the churches 18 00:01:37,519 –> 00:01:40,260 were losing their way. 19 00:01:40,300 –> 00:01:45,900 The problem began when the wrong people got into positions of leadership. 20 00:01:45,900 –> 00:01:47,339 Jude writes about it in verse 4. 21 00:01:47,339 –> 00:01:49,360 Do you see it there? 22 00:01:49,360 –> 00:01:53,779 There were certain men who had slipped into the church. 23 00:01:53,779 –> 00:01:59,639 And then in verse 4, he gives us a very important profile of a dangerous leader. 24 00:01:59,639 –> 00:02:02,879 It’s important to bear this in mind. 25 00:02:02,879 –> 00:02:07,180 Here’s a profile from Jude of a dangerous leader. 26 00:02:07,180 –> 00:02:08,820 Number 1, this person is godless. 27 00:02:09,179 –> 00:02:10,460 Do you see that in verse 4? 28 00:02:10,460 –> 00:02:14,440 In other words, here are folks who talk a great deal about God, as all religious leaders 29 00:02:14,440 –> 00:02:19,059 do, but God does not carry any real weight in their lives. 30 00:02:19,059 –> 00:02:20,720 That’s what he’s saying. 31 00:02:20,720 –> 00:02:24,440 Second, this kind of dangerous leader is immoral. 32 00:02:24,440 –> 00:02:30,699 They speak always about the grace of God, but they turn God’s grace into a license, 33 00:02:30,699 –> 00:02:33,240 Jude says, for immorality. 34 00:02:33,279 –> 00:02:39,559 In other words, they place no emphasis at all on God’s calling to take up the cross 35 00:02:39,559 –> 00:02:43,919 and to live a holy life that is patterned after Jesus. 36 00:02:43,919 –> 00:02:46,720 Thirdly, they are unaccountable. 37 00:02:46,720 –> 00:02:52,600 Notice still verse 4, they deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 38 00:02:52,600 –> 00:02:57,339 Notice, it does not say that they deny Jesus Christ, obviously if someone denied Jesus 39 00:02:57,339 –> 00:03:02,059 Christ would be very difficult for them to find a church in which they could lead, but 40 00:03:02,080 –> 00:03:06,699 it does say that they deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 41 00:03:06,699 –> 00:03:13,740 In other words, the way that these leaders accommodate an ungodly lifestyle is that simply 42 00:03:13,740 –> 00:03:19,380 they push to the margins any emphasis on the Lordship of Jesus. 43 00:03:19,380 –> 00:03:28,300 In other words, they talk about Jesus who’s savior but they neglect Jesus who is Lord. 44 00:03:28,699 –> 00:03:32,779 The constant diet, therefore, of this kind of ministry is that Jesus loves you, 45 00:03:32,779 –> 00:03:35,820 Jesus forgives you, Jesus accepts you as you are. 46 00:03:35,820 –> 00:03:44,020 There is no emphasis on He calls you to live a holy life and to follow Him. 47 00:03:44,020 –> 00:03:50,259 Now, Jude uses three pictures to describe the long-term effects of this kind of ministry 48 00:03:50,259 –> 00:03:54,100 because he says this sort of thing is creeping into the church and when it does creep 49 00:03:54,100 –> 00:03:57,419 into the church, here’s what you can expect to find. 50 00:03:57,500 –> 00:03:58,880 Verse 12. 51 00:03:58,880 –> 00:04:02,919 He pictures these leaders as first clouds without rain. 52 00:04:02,919 –> 00:04:07,820 In other words, they seem to promise a great deal in what they’re saying, but actual, they 53 00:04:07,820 –> 00:04:09,820 deliver very little. 54 00:04:09,820 –> 00:04:12,380 Secondly, they’re like trees without root. 55 00:04:12,380 –> 00:04:13,380 Verse 12. 56 00:04:13,380 –> 00:04:19,299 In other words, they look incredibly strong but actually they do not have spiritual life. 57 00:04:19,299 –> 00:04:23,200 And thirdly, they are stars without light. 58 00:04:23,200 –> 00:04:24,200 Notice that same verse. 59 00:04:24,260 –> 00:04:29,359 They are like wandering stars from whom blackest darkness is reserved forever. 60 00:04:29,359 –> 00:04:32,920 The picture here is of a shooting star. 61 00:04:32,920 –> 00:04:39,399 It goes up in a great blaze of glory and then it disappears into outer darkness forever. 62 00:04:39,399 –> 00:04:43,839 Now it says, Jude, there are some ministry leaders who are just like that. 63 00:04:43,839 –> 00:04:48,920 They go up in a blaze of glory but actually their ministry ends up counting for nothing 64 00:04:48,920 –> 00:04:49,920 in eternity. 65 00:04:49,920 –> 00:04:51,239 It’s just lost in utter darkness. 66 00:04:51,899 –> 00:04:53,720 Very dramatic picture. 67 00:04:53,720 –> 00:05:00,959 Now this kind of thing was becoming a crisis in the early church, and that is why the Holy 68 00:05:00,959 –> 00:05:04,839 Spirit moved Jude to write this letter. 69 00:05:04,839 –> 00:05:10,920 And I thank God for this letter because it is one that we desperately need in the Christian 70 00:05:10,920 –> 00:05:13,359 church today. 71 00:05:13,359 –> 00:05:22,440 You only need to read your newspaper to know that the church in our country is desperately 72 00:05:22,440 –> 00:05:26,839 troubled today by immoral leaders. 73 00:05:26,839 –> 00:05:34,799 By leaders who accommodate an immoral lifestyle by denying the sovereignty of our Lord Jesus 74 00:05:34,799 –> 00:05:35,799 Christ. 75 00:05:35,799 –> 00:05:40,920 In other words, the big thing for them is individual freedom, and because individual 76 00:05:41,859 –> 00:05:48,339 central, the Lordship of Jesus Christ must necessarily be pushed to the margins. 77 00:05:48,339 –> 00:05:54,700 That is why a large part of the Church of Jesus Christ is in our country today. 78 00:05:54,700 –> 00:05:59,040 Therefore, we desperately need this Letter of Jude, don’t we? 79 00:05:59,040 –> 00:06:02,440 If we’re reading our newspaper at all. 80 00:06:02,440 –> 00:06:05,000 I have a great love for the northeast of England. 81 00:06:05,640 –> 00:06:11,380 I used to spend a couple of weeks each year visiting churches, and encouraging pastors 82 00:06:11,399 –> 00:06:14,839 as part of the role that I had in the Free Church in Britain. 83 00:06:14,839 –> 00:06:21,839 At one time there were thousands, thousands of people, who came to Jesus Christ in the 84 00:06:21,839 –> 00:06:24,700 northeast of England. 85 00:06:24,700 –> 00:06:30,720 And Methodist churches, bursting with spiritual life, were planted all over the northeast 86 00:06:30,720 –> 00:06:33,720 of England. 87 00:06:33,720 –> 00:06:41,359 Today there are scores and scores of these churches that are like empty shells, lifeless 88 00:06:41,359 –> 00:06:42,359 monuments. 89 00:06:42,359 –> 00:06:43,899 There’s no spiritual life in them. 90 00:06:43,899 –> 00:06:47,200 There’s no people in them. 91 00:06:47,200 –> 00:06:53,799 What killed them was precisely what Judah’s warning us about here. 92 00:06:53,799 –> 00:07:01,760 Godless leaders who changed the grace of God into a license for immorality and denied Jesus 93 00:07:01,760 –> 00:07:04,820 Christ, our only sovereign Lord. 94 00:07:04,820 –> 00:07:10,459 Now, we see these dangers in our culture if our eyes are open to what’s going on around 95 00:07:10,459 –> 00:07:11,640 us at all. 96 00:07:11,640 –> 00:07:15,420 And the question is, well, what can we do about it? 97 00:07:15,420 –> 00:07:18,279 We would change this whole nation if we could, wouldn’t we? 98 00:07:18,279 –> 00:07:22,000 But you and I can’t do that. 99 00:07:22,000 –> 00:07:27,239 So the question is, if we can’t change the whole nation, what are we to do? 100 00:07:27,260 –> 00:07:33,040 And that’s why Jude gives us these seven exhortations, which we’re calling the seven workouts for 101 00:07:33,040 –> 00:07:35,720 a healthy Christian life. 102 00:07:35,720 –> 00:07:40,420 Notice how he comes into it in verse 20, he’s described all that’s going on and the pressure 103 00:07:40,420 –> 00:07:44,380 that’s on the church and the kind of thing that we’re reading in the newspaper in this 104 00:07:44,380 –> 00:07:45,880 culture in which we live. 105 00:07:45,880 –> 00:07:50,760 And it sometimes breaks our heart because it brings such discredit on the name of Jesus 106 00:07:50,760 –> 00:07:51,760 Christ. 107 00:07:51,760 –> 00:07:54,559 What are we to do? 108 00:07:54,559 –> 00:08:02,859 Verse 20, but you dear friends, he says, here’s what you’re to do. 109 00:08:02,859 –> 00:08:05,459 And we’ve been following these exhortations, these workouts. 110 00:08:05,459 –> 00:08:09,000 He said, here’s what you’re to do when you see these kinds of things happening around 111 00:08:09,000 –> 00:08:15,160 you, build yourself up in your faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s 112 00:08:15,160 –> 00:08:20,000 love, wait for the mercy of Jesus Christ to bring you to everlasting life. 113 00:08:20,000 –> 00:08:23,980 And then you remember last time we saw that while we’re waiting, we’re to engage in ministry, 114 00:08:23,980 –> 00:08:28,739 you’re to reach out to others, you’re to be merciful to those who doubt, you’re to snatch 115 00:08:28,739 –> 00:08:30,799 others from the fire and to save them. 116 00:08:30,799 –> 00:08:34,719 You’re not to detach yourself from ministry in this culture, you’re to engage in it and 117 00:08:34,719 –> 00:08:39,500 you’re to seek to do good and you’re to be merciful and you’re to be urgent about it. 118 00:08:39,500 –> 00:08:45,320 Now that’s where we’ve got to and that therefore is our starting point as we come to the sixth 119 00:08:45,320 –> 00:08:47,820 of the seven workouts today. 120 00:08:47,820 –> 00:08:52,940 And Jude has two more very important things to say. 121 00:08:53,020 –> 00:08:57,239 And we look at one of them today and it’s this. 122 00:08:57,239 –> 00:09:04,119 As you do all these things, watch yourself, watch yourself. 123 00:09:04,119 –> 00:09:13,880 To others show mercy mixed with fear, hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 124 00:09:13,880 –> 00:09:20,700 In other words, he’s saying, as Paul said in Galatians chapter 6, as you reach out to 125 00:09:20,799 –> 00:09:28,179 others in ministry, in this culture, be very, very careful that you do not end up falling 126 00:09:28,179 –> 00:09:30,859 into sin yourself. 127 00:09:30,859 –> 00:09:36,340 Now, notice that Jude uses the word fear here, and it’s very important. 128 00:09:36,340 –> 00:09:42,479 You need to have a healthy kind of a fear that you do not fall into the same sins as 129 00:09:42,479 –> 00:09:45,619 someone else that you are reaching out to. 130 00:09:45,619 –> 00:09:47,739 The Bible speaks of fear in two kinds of ways. 131 00:09:47,739 –> 00:09:49,219 There’s an unhealthy kind of fear. 132 00:09:49,419 –> 00:09:53,760 I mean, we should not fear danger, we should not fear our enemies—Jesus says you should 133 00:09:53,760 –> 00:09:58,419 not fear even those who kill the body—don’t fear them. 134 00:09:58,419 –> 00:10:02,299 But there is also a healthy kind of fear that we need. 135 00:10:02,299 –> 00:10:11,539 You should fear God and you should fear being stained by the corruption of this world. 136 00:10:11,539 –> 00:10:17,780 And this fear arises from a healthy skepticism about ourselves. 137 00:10:18,539 –> 00:10:24,419 You see, if you have understood the Bible’s teaching correctly, you will have a full confidence 138 00:10:24,419 –> 00:10:27,140 in Jesus Christ. 139 00:10:27,140 –> 00:10:32,440 But you will also, if you’ve understood the Bible correctly, have a healthy skepticism 140 00:10:32,440 –> 00:10:33,619 about yourself. 141 00:10:33,619 –> 00:10:39,299 It’s interesting, isn’t it, that our culture gets these things entirely the other way around, 142 00:10:39,299 –> 00:10:43,419 that we live in a culture of people who are full of confidence in ourselves and full of 143 00:10:43,419 –> 00:10:45,280 doubts about Jesus Christ. 144 00:10:45,960 –> 00:10:48,960 The Bible says that’s completely seeing it the wrong way around. 145 00:10:48,960 –> 00:10:53,239 There is every reason for you to have full confidence in Jesus Christ, and if you know 146 00:10:53,239 –> 00:10:57,239 your own flesh, there is every reason for you to have a healthy skepticism with regards 147 00:10:57,239 –> 00:10:59,020 to yourself. 148 00:11:02,400 –> 00:11:09,000 If we do not have that, we will not be watching against sin, and if we’re not watching against 149 00:11:09,000 –> 00:11:13,059 sin, we may very well find ourselves in a situation like the one that is around us, 150 00:11:13,059 –> 00:11:19,280 where the church is burdened with so much moral failure, especially among leaders. 151 00:11:19,280 –> 00:11:24,619 Now, I want you to notice the beautiful balance of Scripture here in verse 24. 152 00:11:24,619 –> 00:11:29,900 We’ll come to this next week, and really, these messages appear together. 153 00:11:29,900 –> 00:11:35,739 But just a glance ahead, verse 24, Jude says, Christ is able to keep you from falling. 154 00:11:35,739 –> 00:11:38,799 It’s wonderful, and it will be our focus next time. 155 00:11:38,799 –> 00:11:43,340 You have a savior who is able to keep you from falling. 156 00:11:43,340 –> 00:11:46,679 He can protect you from the devil. 157 00:11:46,679 –> 00:11:50,119 You do not need to fall into his snares. 158 00:11:50,119 –> 00:11:52,200 Christ can keep you from falling. 159 00:11:52,200 –> 00:11:55,880 You have a savior you can trust. 160 00:11:55,880 –> 00:12:00,520 But at the same time, he’s telling us here that we must also watch ourselves. 161 00:12:00,520 –> 00:12:01,799 You need to be on your guard. 162 00:12:01,799 –> 00:12:07,940 You live in a world where there is much corruption, and you must watch out, 163 00:12:07,979 –> 00:12:11,260 lest it contaminate you. 164 00:12:11,260 –> 00:12:15,820 So I like to think of these as being like a bicycle with two wheels. 165 00:12:15,820 –> 00:12:23,659 God has built these two truths, of confidence in Jesus Christ and skepticism about myself, 166 00:12:23,659 –> 00:12:26,099 into the framework of his truth. 167 00:12:26,099 –> 00:12:29,280 And if you take either of the wheels off the bicycle, you’re not going to get anywhere 168 00:12:29,280 –> 00:12:32,380 very far, obviously. 169 00:12:32,380 –> 00:12:34,159 You will not make much progress. 170 00:12:34,780 –> 00:12:41,640 There is real protection in the Christian life, and there is real danger in the Christian 171 00:12:41,640 –> 00:12:42,640 life. 172 00:12:42,640 –> 00:12:48,059 Emphasize one without the other, and you’re out of balance, and you’re headed for disaster. 173 00:12:48,059 –> 00:12:52,919 God has built both of these truths into the framework of his revelation. 174 00:12:52,919 –> 00:12:55,619 Now, that’s why we’re going to take two weeks on this subject. 175 00:12:55,619 –> 00:12:58,859 We’re going to talk about the real danger today. 176 00:12:58,859 –> 00:13:02,820 We’re going to talk about the real protection next Sunday. 177 00:13:02,820 –> 00:13:04,039 And let’s take them together. 178 00:13:04,340 –> 00:13:09,559 I want to remind you of the importance of this theme of watching in Scripture. 179 00:13:09,559 –> 00:13:14,500 So, just a number of references, very simply, to remind you that this is an important theme 180 00:13:14,500 –> 00:13:15,679 in the Bible. 181 00:13:15,679 –> 00:13:21,919 The Bible is full of warnings to Christians about the danger of us falling into serious 182 00:13:21,919 –> 00:13:23,140 sin. 183 00:13:23,140 –> 00:13:27,460 For example, as we read, Galatians 6 and verse 1, 184 00:13:27,460 –> 00:13:33,099 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual, should restore him gently. 185 00:13:33,320 –> 00:13:37,380 But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 186 00:13:37,380 –> 00:13:42,219 Now, this is talking about mature Christians, Christian leaders, and so it’s reminding 187 00:13:42,219 –> 00:13:47,599 those who are most mature in the faith that you are never beyond the need 188 00:13:47,599 –> 00:13:51,739 to carefully watch yourself. 189 00:13:51,739 –> 00:13:55,380 Remember in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to His disciples, 190 00:13:55,479 –> 00:14:00,260 Watch and pray, so that you will not enter into temptation. 191 00:14:00,260 –> 00:14:03,400 And not just pray, but also watch. 192 00:14:03,400 –> 00:14:04,400 Watch. 193 00:14:04,400 –> 00:14:08,219 We’re gonna talk about what that means today. 194 00:14:08,219 –> 00:14:14,859 Acts 20, 28, again to Christian leaders, keep watch over yourselves and all the flock over 195 00:14:14,859 –> 00:14:18,640 which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. 196 00:14:18,640 –> 00:14:25,479 Colossians 4, and verse 2, devote yourselves to prayer and watching, 197 00:14:25,479 –> 00:14:27,940 being watchful and thankful. 198 00:14:27,979 –> 00:14:30,780 And so you’re to devote yourself to being watchful. 199 00:14:30,780 –> 00:14:32,940 That’s a very strong phrase, isn’t it? 200 00:14:32,940 –> 00:14:34,659 Give yourself to being watchful. 201 00:14:34,659 –> 00:14:38,840 How are you doing that? 202 00:14:38,840 –> 00:14:40,719 And then 1 Timothy 4, 16. 203 00:14:40,719 –> 00:14:42,640 Watch your life and your doctrine closely. 204 00:14:42,640 –> 00:14:47,659 Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save yourself and your hearers. 205 00:14:47,659 –> 00:14:50,380 Now do you see the pattern? 206 00:14:50,380 –> 00:14:57,919 God has given to us a clear responsibility to watch our lives, 207 00:14:58,460 –> 00:15:02,140 And nothing could be more dangerous than for you to drift through the Christian life looking 208 00:15:02,140 –> 00:15:08,299 at certain sins and saying, oh, that could never happen to me. 209 00:15:08,299 –> 00:15:10,440 That is the sin of presumption. 210 00:15:10,440 –> 00:15:13,340 It is asking for trouble. 211 00:15:13,340 –> 00:15:17,059 Remember that when Satan tried to tempt our Lord Jesus, he took him to the pinnacle of 212 00:15:17,059 –> 00:15:20,739 the temple, and he said, why don’t you just throw yourself down? 213 00:15:20,739 –> 00:15:24,679 Because the angels will hold their hands up and you won’t even hit your foot against a 214 00:15:24,679 –> 00:15:27,099 stone. 215 00:15:27,200 –> 00:15:33,119 Jesus said, that’s right, Satan, you can always trust God to protect you. 216 00:15:33,119 –> 00:15:35,580 No, he did not say that. 217 00:15:35,580 –> 00:15:40,659 But, you see, you and I sometimes say that. 218 00:15:40,659 –> 00:15:42,679 What did Jesus say? 219 00:15:42,679 –> 00:15:50,340 Satan, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. 220 00:15:50,340 –> 00:15:55,919 Now, having established our responsibility to be watchful, that we dare not be those 221 00:15:55,940 –> 00:16:02,080 who are presumptuous in the way that we live, I want to ask three very simple questions 222 00:16:02,080 –> 00:16:04,599 to try and open this theme up together. 223 00:16:04,599 –> 00:16:08,000 First, why do you need to watch yourself? 224 00:16:08,000 –> 00:16:11,500 Second, what is it that we need to watch particularly? 225 00:16:11,500 –> 00:16:17,559 And then thirdly, very practically, how is it that we go about this business of watching. 226 00:16:17,559 –> 00:16:19,640 Why do you need to watch? 227 00:16:19,640 –> 00:16:21,679 Three reasons. 228 00:16:21,859 –> 00:16:28,280 First, watch because other people have fallen. 229 00:16:28,280 –> 00:16:36,239 Now, we all know stories about good Christian people who have fallen into serious sin. 230 00:16:36,239 –> 00:16:44,820 Let the sins of others be a warning to you. 231 00:16:44,820 –> 00:16:50,919 What sins do you think you’re not capable of committing? 232 00:16:50,919 –> 00:16:56,559 That may just be your point of danger. 233 00:16:56,559 –> 00:17:01,419 Do you know other young folks who’ve ended up sleeping with their girlfriend? 234 00:17:01,419 –> 00:17:04,300 Let the sins of others be a warning to you. 235 00:17:04,300 –> 00:17:07,959 Go around and say, oh, that would never happen to me. 236 00:17:07,959 –> 00:17:12,199 That’s naive, foolish for you to say that. 237 00:17:12,199 –> 00:17:15,739 Happened to someone else? 238 00:17:16,660 –> 00:17:19,900 Let the sins of other people, wherever you see them, 239 00:17:19,900 –> 00:17:23,160 and you will always see them with tears, 240 00:17:23,160 –> 00:17:28,900 but let them be to you an alarm clock from God 241 00:17:28,900 –> 00:17:36,199 to waken you up and say, boy, I need to live carefully. 242 00:17:36,199 –> 00:17:39,780 The Bible says if you think you are standing firm, 243 00:17:39,780 –> 00:17:42,560 be very careful that you don’t fall. 244 00:17:42,699 –> 00:17:44,800 Others have fallen into sin. 245 00:17:44,800 –> 00:17:50,119 It’s naive for you to say it can’t happen to you. 246 00:17:50,119 –> 00:17:56,680 Second, watch, because your flesh is weak. 247 00:17:56,680 –> 00:17:59,180 Now, remember Jesus’ words to the disciples 248 00:17:59,180 –> 00:18:00,599 in the Garden of Gethsemane. 249 00:18:00,599 –> 00:18:04,420 Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation, 250 00:18:04,420 –> 00:18:06,479 and you remember what he said after that. 251 00:18:06,500 –> 00:18:12,800 The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. 252 00:18:12,800 –> 00:18:17,579 The flesh is weak. 253 00:18:17,579 –> 00:18:18,560 Do you believe that? 254 00:18:23,040 –> 00:18:29,520 When you are born again, you become a new person in Christ. 255 00:18:29,520 –> 00:18:33,839 When you are born again, the Spirit fills you. 256 00:18:33,839 –> 00:18:39,000 When you are born again, you have a new life 257 00:18:39,000 –> 00:18:43,739 that puts you in the position to have victory over sin. 258 00:18:43,739 –> 00:18:46,119 That’s why there’s that hope and victory, 259 00:18:46,119 –> 00:18:48,020 that strength of God that is with us, 260 00:18:48,020 –> 00:18:51,819 which is such a wonderful thing. 261 00:18:51,819 –> 00:18:58,619 But this new life that you live is lived in the body. 262 00:18:58,619 –> 00:19:00,319 Remember Galatians 2 20. 263 00:19:00,319 –> 00:19:03,560 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, 264 00:19:03,560 –> 00:19:05,380 but Christ lives in me. 265 00:19:05,380 –> 00:19:09,119 And the life I live in the body, I 266 00:19:09,119 –> 00:19:11,699 live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself 267 00:19:11,699 –> 00:19:12,239 for me.” 268 00:19:12,239 –> 00:19:14,760 So there are two realities about this Christian life. 269 00:19:14,760 –> 00:19:18,040 One it is a life of faith in the Son of God. 270 00:19:18,040 –> 00:19:21,180 Two, it is a life lived in the body. 271 00:19:21,180 –> 00:19:23,680 And that’s why the Christian life is such a struggle, 272 00:19:23,680 –> 00:19:25,939 isn’t it? 273 00:19:25,939 –> 00:19:28,800 For as long as you are in the body, 274 00:19:28,839 –> 00:19:33,800 you will experience the pool of all kinds of temptations 275 00:19:33,800 –> 00:19:37,959 to pride, to laziness. 276 00:19:37,959 –> 00:19:40,640 One of the sins of the body. 277 00:19:40,640 –> 00:19:42,959 Greed. 278 00:19:42,959 –> 00:19:44,839 Now there is no avoiding this battle, 279 00:19:44,839 –> 00:19:46,979 as long as you are in the body, as long as you 280 00:19:46,979 –> 00:19:48,680 are in this world, you will be living 281 00:19:48,680 –> 00:19:51,219 a life of faith in the Son of God on the one hand, 282 00:19:51,219 –> 00:19:53,000 but you’ll be living it in the body, 283 00:19:53,000 –> 00:19:54,959 and that is why it will always be a struggle. 284 00:19:54,959 –> 00:19:57,920 And if you know your own flesh, then you 285 00:19:57,979 –> 00:20:02,760 will understand why you need to be watchful. 286 00:20:02,760 –> 00:20:07,780 Third, watch because you have an enemy. 287 00:20:07,780 –> 00:20:11,739 1 Peter 5 and verse 8, be self-controlled and alert, 288 00:20:11,739 –> 00:20:14,180 because your enemy the devil prowls around 289 00:20:14,180 –> 00:20:19,400 like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 290 00:20:19,400 –> 00:20:23,439 And remember that Satan is the master of deception. 291 00:20:23,439 –> 00:20:28,979 He does not attack at the obvious place. 292 00:20:28,979 –> 00:20:32,599 He’ll look for where you’re not watching. 293 00:20:35,819 –> 00:20:41,239 You know, before the invasion, the Second World War of the beaches in Normandy that 294 00:20:41,239 –> 00:20:48,920 was, of course, so costly and yet so critical to the outcome of that extraordinary conflict, 295 00:20:48,920 –> 00:20:54,339 the Allies went to great lengths in the art of deception. 296 00:20:54,339 –> 00:20:55,839 Absolutely fascinating what they did. 297 00:20:55,839 –> 00:21:01,359 They sent all kinds of information suggesting that an army was gathering in Scotland ready 298 00:21:01,359 –> 00:21:06,359 to go across to the East and to invade the coast of Norway. 299 00:21:06,359 –> 00:21:12,599 And they even had inflatable rubber tanks just so that when enemy planes came across 300 00:21:12,599 –> 00:21:16,400 to have a look, they could see that something was actually going on. 301 00:21:16,400 –> 00:21:18,000 They were looking at inflatable rubber. 302 00:21:18,040 –> 00:21:19,680 There was nobody there. 303 00:21:20,800 –> 00:21:27,020 But, you see, the net result of that was that defenses were left, deployed on the coast 304 00:21:27,020 –> 00:21:28,959 of Norway, heavily defended. 305 00:21:31,500 –> 00:21:36,300 And though the cost of life in the invasion of Normandy was absolutely astronomical, it 306 00:21:36,300 –> 00:21:42,339 was as nothing compared to what it would have been if that area had been fully defended. 307 00:21:42,459 –> 00:21:48,979 Now, you see, why do we need to be watchful? 308 00:21:48,979 –> 00:21:54,459 Because we’ve got an enemy who’s practiced in the art of deception, who is going to try 309 00:21:54,459 –> 00:21:58,859 and get in on us at any area that we choose to neglect. 310 00:22:01,140 –> 00:22:05,760 So the things that I’m blind to in myself are, of course, my greatest vulnerabilities. 311 00:22:05,760 –> 00:22:08,859 I need to be watchful. 312 00:22:08,859 –> 00:22:20,140 Watch because others have fallen, watch because you know the nature of your own flesh, watch 313 00:22:20,140 –> 00:22:24,020 because you have an enemy, and he’s looking for someone to devour. 314 00:22:24,020 –> 00:22:28,719 I mean, he’s not going to devour all of us here, but he’s looking for someone. 315 00:22:28,719 –> 00:22:31,579 Someone who’s not watching. 316 00:22:31,579 –> 00:22:34,300 Is that you? 317 00:22:34,979 –> 00:22:39,219 Well, I think these are very strong reasons why we desperately need to watch. 318 00:22:39,219 –> 00:22:42,339 Now, secondly, what is it that we need to watch? 319 00:22:42,339 –> 00:22:47,819 And I want to be very clear here that the issue that Jude is addressing is not the issue 320 00:22:47,819 –> 00:22:50,459 about falling from salvation. 321 00:22:50,459 –> 00:22:52,739 He’s not suggesting that that is possible. 322 00:22:52,739 –> 00:22:56,300 It is the issue of falling into sin. 323 00:22:56,300 –> 00:23:02,540 The issue that, as a Christian believer, you have to watch is not that you might be lost, 324 00:23:02,540 –> 00:23:05,119 but it is that you might become useless. 325 00:23:05,119 –> 00:23:08,239 It is that your testimony may be compromised. 326 00:23:08,239 –> 00:23:14,300 It is that your ministry, your life, what you offer into the hand of Jesus Christ, may 327 00:23:14,300 –> 00:23:16,900 be undercut. 328 00:23:16,900 –> 00:23:20,640 And the apostle Paul in the New Testament uses three pictures, just to make this clear, 329 00:23:20,640 –> 00:23:23,459 they’re three very dramatic pictures. 330 00:23:23,459 –> 00:23:28,339 The first in 1 Corinthians and chapter 3 is the picture of a fire. 331 00:23:28,339 –> 00:23:32,680 You can think of your life’s work as being like putting up a building. 332 00:23:32,680 –> 00:23:36,680 But says the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians and chapter 3, after that enormous amount 333 00:23:36,680 –> 00:23:44,560 of work and that huge investment of your life of ministry, you need to know before you start 334 00:23:44,560 –> 00:23:49,439 putting up this building of your ministry life, that what you build is going to be tested 335 00:23:49,439 –> 00:23:50,459 by fire. 336 00:23:50,459 –> 00:23:53,040 This is 1 Corinthians in chapter 3. 337 00:23:53,040 –> 00:23:57,560 And if you know that what you’re putting up is going to be tested by fire, then that will 338 00:23:57,640 –> 00:24:02,880 help you to choose the materials with which you build, so that they will withstand the 339 00:24:02,880 –> 00:24:03,880 fire. 340 00:24:03,880 –> 00:24:08,939 So he says, for example, extending this picture, don’t build with wood or hay or straw because 341 00:24:08,939 –> 00:24:13,319 anything made of these materials obviously won’t last. 342 00:24:13,319 –> 00:24:14,380 Now that’s the picture. 343 00:24:14,380 –> 00:24:15,719 And what he’s saying is this. 344 00:24:15,719 –> 00:24:24,859 Wouldn’t it be a terrible thing if all that you have put into serving Jesus Christ ended 345 00:24:25,599 –> 00:24:34,079 up not counting for anything in eternity, because though you were saved your life’s 346 00:24:34,079 –> 00:24:37,420 work was wasted? 347 00:24:37,420 –> 00:24:46,479 I want to offer a life into the hands of Jesus Christ, so I want to do it in a way that will 348 00:24:46,479 –> 00:24:51,640 survive that judgment of the last day, in which my work is tested by fire. 349 00:24:52,160 –> 00:24:55,859 Secondly, there’s the picture of the gymnasium. 350 00:24:55,880 –> 00:24:59,939 This is in 1 Corinthians and chapter 9, the end of the chapter, where Paul says, 351 00:24:59,939 –> 00:25:05,079 I do not run like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air, 352 00:25:05,079 –> 00:25:09,760 but I beat my body and I make it my slave so that after preaching to others I may not 353 00:25:09,760 –> 00:25:11,920 myself be disqualified for the prize. 354 00:25:11,920 –> 00:25:16,020 Do you see that healthy fear that even the Apostle Paul has? 355 00:25:16,020 –> 00:25:21,040 The great Apostle, and he says, I’ve been preaching to others, I’ve been on all 356 00:25:21,040 –> 00:25:29,199 these great missionary journeys, but I’m focusing on disciplining my own self 357 00:25:29,199 –> 00:25:33,459 because I don’t want to get up into heaven and find out after all this ministry that 358 00:25:33,459 –> 00:25:36,199 I was actually disqualified from the prize. 359 00:25:36,199 –> 00:25:44,859 Imagine putting yourself into the effort of a boxing contest, throwing everything at it 360 00:25:44,859 –> 00:25:52,719 only to be disqualified running a marathon and coming in first only to be told that your 361 00:25:52,719 –> 00:25:58,260 run didn’t count. 362 00:25:58,260 –> 00:26:00,180 Third picture is the picture of the desert. 363 00:26:00,180 –> 00:26:04,180 It’s from 1 Corinthians in chapter 10. 364 00:26:04,180 –> 00:26:08,420 Paul reminds us of how God brought his people out of Egypt. 365 00:26:08,859 –> 00:26:13,060 And his purpose was that they would enter into the land of Canaan. 366 00:26:13,060 –> 00:26:18,979 But of course they disobeyed God and they were not ready to pursue His command and so 367 00:26:18,979 –> 00:26:24,079 a whole generation, because they were disobedient to the Lord spent their entire lives just 368 00:26:24,079 –> 00:26:27,000 wandering around in the desert. 369 00:26:27,000 –> 00:26:30,859 And in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 11, we’re told, these things happened as examples. 370 00:26:30,859 –> 00:26:33,660 They were written down as warnings for us. 371 00:26:33,660 –> 00:26:39,180 But him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 372 00:26:39,180 –> 00:26:43,219 So here is what we have to watch out for. 373 00:26:43,219 –> 00:26:53,199 Watch out that you don’t end up with a ministry that brings no reward. 374 00:26:53,199 –> 00:26:59,619 Watch out that you do not end up pouring yourself into a life that ends up disqualified for 375 00:26:59,619 –> 00:27:02,079 the prize. 376 00:27:02,219 –> 00:27:07,599 Watch out that you do not end up pouring all kinds of energy into a life that spiritually 377 00:27:07,599 –> 00:27:13,319 goes nowhere in advancing the purpose of God. 378 00:27:13,319 –> 00:27:17,479 For any of these things would surely be to someone who is sincere about following Jesus 379 00:27:17,479 –> 00:27:23,439 Christ an absolute disaster. 380 00:27:23,439 –> 00:27:28,339 And so then to what we most need to grasp. 381 00:27:28,339 –> 00:27:30,239 How do you watch? 382 00:27:30,300 –> 00:27:34,319 Three things very simply. 383 00:27:34,319 –> 00:27:38,160 The first, recognize the danger of infection. 384 00:27:38,160 –> 00:27:43,619 Hating even the clothing corrupted by sinful flesh. 385 00:27:43,619 –> 00:27:48,439 Now in order to understand precisely what Jude is saying here, it’s important to realize 386 00:27:48,439 –> 00:27:52,640 that there’s some background in the Old Testament where there were laws that were 387 00:27:52,640 –> 00:27:59,160 to protect the spread of disease among God’s people so that, for example, in Leviticus 388 00:27:59,160 –> 00:28:05,180 13 we’re told that if a person had leprosy they were essentially quarantined for obvious 389 00:28:05,180 –> 00:28:10,920 reasons so that the disease did not spread to the rest of the community. 390 00:28:10,920 –> 00:28:15,359 The leper we’re told in Leviticus 13 was to wear torn clothes, in other words that 391 00:28:15,359 –> 00:28:16,979 made them easily identifiable. 392 00:28:16,979 –> 00:28:22,319 They used to ring a bell and say, unclean, unclean, all of that is in the book of Leviticus. 393 00:28:22,319 –> 00:28:25,280 But then something else. 394 00:28:25,280 –> 00:28:31,880 The clothes that were taken from the leper after his condition was identified, were according 395 00:28:31,880 –> 00:28:40,359 to the Old Testament law to be burned, for obvious reasons, lest any infection be passed 396 00:28:40,359 –> 00:28:42,459 on through contact with them. 397 00:28:42,459 –> 00:28:45,000 Now, that is the background to Jude’s statement here. 398 00:28:45,000 –> 00:28:46,000 Notice what he says. 399 00:28:46,079 –> 00:28:51,280 The clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 400 00:28:51,280 –> 00:28:58,619 Just as there was a danger of infection by contact with the leper’s clothes, so you 401 00:28:58,619 –> 00:29:03,020 have to understand that as you go out into the world, of high school or the office or 402 00:29:03,020 –> 00:29:07,439 wherever it is, and we are to go out into the world, and we are to reach out to people 403 00:29:07,439 –> 00:29:11,520 and snatch them from the fire and we are to be merciful to others, we are giving ourselves 404 00:29:11,599 –> 00:29:13,880 to ministry, we talked about that last week. 405 00:29:13,880 –> 00:29:20,219 But at the same time, you must recognise the danger of infection. 406 00:29:20,219 –> 00:29:25,359 Be very careful as you live your life in the world that the spirit of the world does not 407 00:29:25,359 –> 00:29:28,599 infect you. 408 00:29:28,599 –> 00:29:34,800 I filled up some forms a few weeks ago to take out an insurance policy, and a few days 409 00:29:34,800 –> 00:29:40,060 later there was a telephone call saying that someone from company wanted to come and do 410 00:29:40,060 –> 00:29:41,699 a very quick medical. 411 00:29:41,699 –> 00:29:45,079 Could they send someone to take samples and some blood? 412 00:29:45,079 –> 00:29:47,719 They wanted to check me out. 413 00:29:47,719 –> 00:29:53,199 Well we made the appointment, and sure enough, Lew came to our home a few days ago. 414 00:29:53,199 –> 00:29:57,619 He told me that he had a series of questions to ask, hoped that I didn’t mind. 415 00:29:57,619 –> 00:30:01,760 And before we got started, he asked me, now, where are you from. 416 00:30:01,760 –> 00:30:03,219 Predictable question. 417 00:30:03,219 –> 00:30:04,579 Why are you here? 418 00:30:04,579 –> 00:30:07,160 And of course that led me to tell him that as a pastor. 419 00:30:07,180 –> 00:30:10,219 Well let’s go ahead with the questions, he said. 420 00:30:10,219 –> 00:30:12,560 Do you smoke? 421 00:30:12,560 –> 00:30:14,099 No. 422 00:30:14,099 –> 00:30:16,119 Do you drink alcohol? 423 00:30:16,119 –> 00:30:18,339 No. 424 00:30:18,339 –> 00:30:21,619 Do you use any illegal substance? 425 00:30:21,619 –> 00:30:23,339 No. 426 00:30:23,339 –> 00:30:31,160 He said, I would have been really shocked if you’d said yes. 427 00:30:31,939 –> 00:30:37,780 Well now, he said, the next thing is we need a blood sample. 428 00:30:37,780 –> 00:30:39,199 Now he said, I’ve got this syringe here. 429 00:30:39,199 –> 00:30:42,680 He said, I want you to notice that this is a clean needle that I’m using. 430 00:30:42,680 –> 00:30:47,319 He said, that’s very good. 431 00:30:47,319 –> 00:30:50,439 Then what was the next thing he did? 432 00:30:50,439 –> 00:30:53,939 He got out a little pair of rubber gloves. 433 00:30:53,939 –> 00:30:57,199 This guy was taking no chances whatsoever. 434 00:30:57,260 –> 00:31:01,859 I said to him, you must get through a few pairs of these in a day. 435 00:31:01,859 –> 00:31:06,219 Oh yes, he said, about 14 pairs every day. 436 00:31:06,219 –> 00:31:09,020 He does it without thinking. 437 00:31:09,020 –> 00:31:17,500 Every time he takes a sample of blood, he puts on a little pair of plastic gloves. 438 00:31:17,500 –> 00:31:18,859 Why? 439 00:31:18,859 –> 00:31:24,619 Because he lives every day knowing the danger and risk of infection. 440 00:31:24,699 –> 00:31:27,520 Do you recognize the danger of infection? 441 00:31:27,520 –> 00:31:31,439 Of your soul, in this world in which you live? 442 00:31:31,439 –>00:31:40,020 See, nothing is more naive, nothing is more calculated to lead you into failure than for 443 00:31:40,020 –> 00:31:43,780 you to walk through your life in this world, saying, oh this won’t affect me. 444 00:31:43,780 –> 00:31:48,380 What I watch doesn’t make any difference to me. 445 00:31:48,380 –> 00:31:53,239 Some of us are hopelessly naive about the infecting power of sin. 446 00:31:53,239 –> 00:31:57,420 Oh, I can handle this, we say. 447 00:31:57,420 –> 00:32:00,439 Stupid, stupid! 448 00:32:00,439 –> 00:32:06,920 Now, where we need to begin if we’re to change our whole mindset and therefore, change 449 00:32:06,920 –> 00:32:11,560 what’s going to be the ultimate outcome of our lives, is that instead of this bravado 450 00:32:11,560 –> 00:32:17,520 confidence in which we think it won’t affect us, we need to start thinking like the man 451 00:32:17,859 –> 00:32:20,959 and took that sample from me. 452 00:32:20,959 –> 00:32:26,239 I live in a world where I need to be protected against infection. 453 00:32:26,239 –> 00:32:30,479 Sin is a power that can attach itself to my soul. 454 00:32:30,479 –> 00:32:33,560 That’s why Jesus says watch. 455 00:32:33,560 –> 00:32:38,800 That’s a whole different mindset from what some of us have. 456 00:32:38,800 –> 00:32:44,400 Second, once we’ve understood the danger in that way, examine yourself. 457 00:32:44,780 –> 00:32:50,500 Here’s the second strategy for watching ourselves. 458 00:32:50,500 –> 00:32:51,500 Examine yourself. 459 00:32:51,500 –> 00:32:56,819 Let a man examine himself, the apostle Paul says. 460 00:32:56,819 –> 00:32:58,140 Examine yourselves. 461 00:32:58,140 –> 00:33:03,339 The very important theme in the Scripture, but it’s one that really has got out of 462 00:33:03,339 –> 00:33:09,680 vogue in terms of our current practice in evangelical circles. 463 00:33:09,680 –> 00:33:17,319 Make it your regular practice, a spiritual discipline, to do a thorough search of your 464 00:33:17,319 –> 00:33:26,800 soul, to give a clear examination on a regular basis of your interior life to see if there 465 00:33:26,800 –> 00:33:32,439 is anything displeasing to God that is hidden inside you. 466 00:33:32,439 –> 00:33:38,040 Now, in order to do this effectively, you need a checklist, and there are a number of 467 00:33:38,140 –> 00:33:39,319 ways of doing this. 468 00:33:39,319 –> 00:33:43,219 But if you simply say, you know, are there any sins inside of me, and you’re not likely 469 00:33:43,219 –> 00:33:47,500 to find very much because you don’t even know what you’re looking for. 470 00:33:47,500 –> 00:33:50,579 It’s just too vague, it’s just too general. 471 00:33:50,579 –> 00:33:55,180 So one way of doing this, for example, would be to take the 10 commandments, and just to 472 00:33:55,180 –> 00:34:00,180 go through them one by one, and then to explore your own interior life and to see if there 473 00:34:00,180 –> 00:34:05,239 are any seeds of any of these things beginning to grow in you. 474 00:34:05,239 –> 00:34:08,739 Another would be that just as you read the Scriptures every day, every time you identify 475 00:34:08,739 –> 00:34:12,939 in the Scriptures, line by line, something that God says is wrong and that we should 476 00:34:12,939 –> 00:34:15,399 turn away from or flee from. 477 00:34:15,399 –> 00:34:21,560 Use that as an immediate stimulus to ask yourself, honestly, is there any evidence of that in 478 00:34:21,560 –> 00:34:23,459 me at all? 479 00:34:23,459 –> 00:34:26,520 A third way that’s creative is you might like to work with a friend on this. 480 00:34:26,520 –> 00:34:30,159 You might like to say, and this is quite a good way, actually, of building some accountability. 481 00:34:30,439 –> 00:34:36,760 Give me a list of sins that you think would be worthwhile me looking for inside my own 482 00:34:36,780 –> 00:34:37,780 soul. 483 00:34:37,780 –> 00:34:38,780 And I’ll give you a list as well. 484 00:34:38,780 –> 00:34:40,840 And just come up with a couple of lists. 485 00:34:40,840 –> 00:34:44,879 Let me give you some suggestions. 486 00:34:44,879 –> 00:34:50,000 Taking the name of God in vain. 487 00:34:50,000 –> 00:34:53,719 Crude and vulgar conversation. 488 00:34:53,719 –> 00:34:57,179 Enjoying unclean jokes. 489 00:34:57,260 –> 00:35:02,000 Cruelty toward other people especially the weak and the vulnerable. 490 00:35:02,000 –> 00:35:03,060 Cynicism. 491 00:35:03,060 –> 00:35:04,199 Greed. 492 00:35:04,199 –> 00:35:11,399 Any trace of that at all? 493 00:35:11,399 –> 00:35:13,239 Bitterness. 494 00:35:13,239 –> 00:35:15,340 Pride. 495 00:35:15,340 –> 00:35:20,399 These things are much more dangerous to your soul than SARS might ever be to your body. 496 00:35:20,399 –> 00:35:26,860 I was asked this week to preach on the subject of the dangers of an inflated ego. 497 00:35:27,840 –> 00:35:29,100 At the Free Church Conference. 498 00:35:30,560 –> 00:35:33,879 So, I’ve been thinking throughout the week of that one verse in Peter, 499 00:35:34,760 –> 00:35:40,439 God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble. 500 00:35:40,439 –> 00:35:42,040 Now, think about that. 501 00:35:42,040 –> 00:35:44,639 God opposes the proud. 502 00:35:45,719 –> 00:35:49,199 He doesn’t even say that if I become proud God’ll bypass me. 503 00:35:49,199 –> 00:35:54,600 It says that if I become proud, God will raise his hand and I’ll continue all my activity. 504 00:35:54,760 –> 00:36:00,860 But his blessing is not going to be upon it because God’s blessing is not given to the proud. 505 00:36:02,120 –> 00:36:05,020 And eternity will reveal it, you see. 506 00:36:06,840 –> 00:36:10,439 His grace is given to the humble. 507 00:36:11,379 –> 00:36:15,040 A missionary leader came up to me afterwards and he had been moved. 508 00:36:15,040 –> 00:36:16,219 It had spoken to me. 509 00:36:16,219 –> 00:36:21,639 He said, If God were to oppose what I’m doing, I’m dead. 510 00:36:22,439 –> 00:36:24,280 I’ve no place to go. 511 00:36:26,080 –> 00:36:28,879 That’s how dangerous pride is to ministry. 512 00:36:31,120 –> 00:36:34,800 The humble receive the grace of God. 513 00:36:35,919 –> 00:36:42,879 See, the proud person thinks that he is achieving all kinds glorious things, but actually, he’s 514 00:36:42,879 –> 00:36:46,780 making much less progress than he thinks, and on the last day, there will be nothing 515 00:36:46,780 –> 00:36:50,340 of lasting value to show in the presence of God or he’ll go out and smoke. 516 00:36:52,120 –> 00:36:55,800 That is why, of course, there will be many surprises in Heaven. 517 00:36:55,800 –> 00:37:05,159 Jesus said the first will be last, and the last will be first. 518 00:37:05,159 –> 00:37:10,040 And we may well find ourselves wondering, on the last day, why so many people we have 519 00:37:10,040 –> 00:37:18,399 never heard of are receiving such rich rewards from the throne of Jesus. 520 00:37:18,399 –> 00:37:27,979 While others who we always thought were front-runners in the kingdom, seem to be far down the line 521 00:37:27,979 –> 00:37:31,080 and empty-handed. 522 00:37:31,080 –> 00:37:33,239 God opposes the proud. 523 00:37:33,239 –> 00:37:42,560 So, if I am wise, I will go hunting for pride or greed or lust or any of these sins. 524 00:37:43,560 –> 00:37:48,979 I’ll go hunting for them in my soul, like our troops are hunting for weapons of mass 525 00:37:48,979 –> 00:37:51,699 destruction in Iraq. 526 00:37:51,699 –> 00:37:56,179 Because their whole mentality is, if there are any of these things here, we’ve got 527 00:37:56,179 –> 00:38:01,479 to find them and destroy them. 528 00:38:01,479 –> 00:38:06,719 And if there are any of these things in your soul, you’ve got to find them, identify 529 00:38:07,679 –> 00:38:12,879 them, and destroy them. 530 00:38:12,879 –> 00:38:14,419 That’s how the New Testament speaks to us. 531 00:38:14,419 –> 00:38:17,000 Put to death the misdeeds of the body. 532 00:38:17,000 –> 00:38:18,000 Why? 533 00:38:18,000 –> 00:38:19,000 Because the Spirit of God lives within you. 534 00:38:19,000 –> 00:38:22,120 It’s how you live the Christian life. 535 00:38:22,120 –> 00:38:27,399 So, recognize the risk of infection. 536 00:38:27,399 –> 00:38:28,879 Examine yourself. 537 00:38:28,879 –> 00:38:32,800 Make this a regular part of your spiritual discipline, your walk with God. 538 00:38:32,800 –> 00:38:34,439 It’s so important. 539 00:38:34,439 –> 00:38:36,919 Examine yourself in a vague general way. 540 00:38:36,919 –> 00:38:37,979 Look for specifics. 541 00:38:37,979 –> 00:38:39,280 Hunt them. 542 00:38:39,280 –> 00:38:40,679 Hunt them. 543 00:38:40,679 –> 00:38:45,219 Lastly, and very briefly, reflect on the cross. 544 00:38:45,219 –> 00:38:48,679 Notice how Jude speaks so powerfully about hating. 545 00:38:48,679 –> 00:38:51,379 Hating sin. 546 00:38:51,379 –> 00:38:52,459 Not hating sinners. 547 00:38:52,459 –> 00:38:54,899 Not hating other people, but hating sin. 548 00:38:54,899 –> 00:39:04,199 Now, that’s such a hard thing to do, because there is an appeal that sin has to our flesh. 549 00:39:05,159 –> 00:39:13,439 And how do you hate what appeals to a part of you? 550 00:39:13,439 –> 00:39:20,159 And there’s only one way to do that, and it’s this, see what it did to Jesus. 551 00:39:20,159 –> 00:39:28,060 And as much as you really love Jesus, you begin to hate sin. 552 00:39:28,060 –> 00:39:30,719 The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins. 553 00:39:30,719 –> 00:39:32,879 He didn’t just die for sins in general. 554 00:39:32,879 –> 00:39:40,479 He died for your sins, the ones we’re talking about here in particular. 555 00:39:40,479 –> 00:39:54,899 That pride forced a thorn into His head, and if you can make that connection and understand 556 00:39:54,899 –> 00:40:01,439 it as the Bible explains it, you will cut that sin out of your life. 557 00:40:01,520 –> 00:40:05,919 And when I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory on which the Prince of 558 00:40:05,919 –> 00:40:12,040 Glory died, my riches gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my — what? 559 00:40:12,040 –> 00:40:13,040 Pride! 560 00:40:13,040 –> 00:40:22,360 And that’s the only way to do it, is to survey the cross, to bring it into the frame 561 00:40:22,360 –> 00:40:25,540 of what it did to Jesus. 562 00:40:25,540 –> 00:40:29,739 Then I’ll pour contempt on it. 563 00:40:30,540 –> 00:40:35,959 A healthy Christian has an appropriate fear of sinning, because he knows his own flesh. 564 00:40:35,959 –> 00:40:43,879 He also has an appropriate hatred of sin, because he sees what it did to Jesus. 565 00:40:43,879 –> 00:40:49,120 So to others, show mercy mixed with fear, hating even the clothing stained by corrupted 566 00:40:49,120 –> 00:40:51,159 flesh. 567 00:40:51,159 –> 00:40:59,159 And when you do that, you will be able to look up into the face of Jesus, and know that 568 00:40:59,159 –> 00:41:02,520 He will keep you from falling. 569 00:41:02,520 –> 00:41:05,560 Let’s pray together, shall we? 570 00:41:05,560 –> 00:41:13,120 Lord, this is a moment of confession in Your presence and some of us want to confess right 571 00:41:13,120 –> 00:41:19,919 now that we’ve become way too lax, we’ve been drifting and careless in our Christian 572 00:41:19,919 –> 00:41:30,379 lives and we therefore see the great danger because we have not been watchful. 573 00:41:30,379 –> 00:41:36,300 So we’re grateful for Your Word to our hearts today and ask for Your grace to respond to 574 00:41:36,300 –> 00:41:41,060 it in faith and in obedience, for Jesus’ sake. 575 00:41:41,060 –> 00:41:42,040 Amen.