Sermon on Judgment – Things Worth Remembering
Categories: Sermon Outlines, Textual Sermon OutlinesSermon on Judgment
*SPIRITUAL PATRIOTS #3
Things Worth Remembering
(Jude 5-7)
INTRODUCTION:
A. In our two previous lesson on Spiritual Patriots we learned:
1. Of the need for Spiritual Patriots
2. The need to contend/defend the Faith
3. That elders need to be alert
4. That false teachers do their damage from within — they come in unnoticed
B. Jude 5-7
1. Soldiers learn by repetition
2. Military men receive their initial instruction under supervision of a drill sergeant
3. During basic training, he will require them to repeat exercises designed to help them master the skills of warfare
4. The idea is to rehearse these abilities until they become second nature in the heat of battle
C. Well-trained troops do not panic when they come under fire
1. Their state of readiness is seen in their calmness under pressure
a. They dread the rigors of boot camp but the wisdom in it when the battle erupts
b. Soldiers of Christ are no different — if we are to keep our composure in the midst of crisis there are certain ideas that must be engrained in our minds
c. The certainty of judgment is one of these ideas
2. Although home life is different from military life, they are similar in at least one respect: both are critical training grounds
a. Parents must be preparing their children…
b. Elders/preachers must be preparing the brethren…
c. These instructions might get tiresome at times, but repetition is essential and truths must be reinforced
D. “Now I desire to put you in remembrance…” (v. 5a)
1. Jude wrote to his friends to remind them of things they once knew with certainty but had come to doubt
a. Most sermons are like this — nothing new taught, but are reminders…
b. We are prone to forget — we need to be reminded
2. Society is adept at rationalizing sin
a. Many pushing for more tolerance — the minimizing of sin
b. It is distressing when Christians spurn sound doctrine
E. Jude was not ready to concede the church to false teachers in disguise
1. He is encouraging his readers to fulfill their mission, and reminds them that those who trouble the church will be punished
2. Belief in the Day of Judgment has a powerful impact on human behavior
a. Colossians 3:25
b. At times it may seem that false teachers are succeeding, but God is not finished yet
F. Jude uses three examples from Israel’s history to prove this point — divine punishment is inevitable that God will demand an accounting of disobedience
DISCUSSION:
A. GOD JUDGES ISRAEL
1. Jude 5
2. Israel came to dwell in Egypt when Joseph was sold into slavery…
a. Exodus 1:7-11
b. Exodus 3:7
c. The Lord saved Israel by preparing a deliverer named Moses and empowered him to bring plagues upon Egypt that pressured Pharaoh to release the people
1) God parted the Red Sea…
2) The exodus was a remarkable demonstration of God’s love for His covenant people
3. But Jude suddenly shifts the attention of his readers to God’s wrath
a. The very people he had saved from Egypt, he later destroyed
b. How could this be?!
1) God’s goodness will not keep Him from punishing sin
2) God will gladly pardon the penitent, but He cannot and will not ignore sin
4. Jude said the reason for Israel’s destruction was unbelief
a. Israel’s immorality and idolatry were evidence that they did not believe God would do what He said He would
b. To lose faith is to lose life’s most important battle
c. 1 John 5:4
5. The Hebrews writer speaking of this incident says:
a. Hebrews 3:11-12; 3:19-4:2, 11
b. Paul addresses this as well
1) 1 Cor. 10:1-13
2) Note vs. 6-11
6. Just because a person embarks on a life of faith does not guarantee eternal security in heaven — 1 Corinthians 10:12
B. GOD JUDGES ANGELS
1. Jude second illustration of the certainty of judgment came from the shocking story of the fallen angels — Jude 6
a. Apparently these heavenly messengers were dissatisfied with their position as servants of God
b. Instead of humbly submitting to God they rebelled — their mutiny ended in disaster
c. Like dishonored angels, people who seem closest to Him may actually be farthest from Him in their hearts
2. Jude’s message is clear: If angels could not avoid punishment for their sins — what makes us think that we can?
a. It is terrifying to fall into the hands of a living God … Hebrews 10:26-31
b. What about Christians that turn their back on God? — 2 Peter 2:20-22
3. The day of Judgment is approaching — although false teachers choose to ignore it, they cannot escape it
4. 2 Corinthians 5:10
C. GOD JUDGES SODOM
1. The third example of the inevitable punishment for sin centered around the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah — Jude 7
2. Sexual sins are really symptoms of a far deeper problem: unbelief in God
a. The “fornication” (sexual immorality — NKJ) is a broad term that indicates any type of improper sexual relations
b. “Strange flesh” refers to physical intimacy with a member of the same sex
1) Paul denounces homosexuality as a violation of God’s will
2) Romans 1:26-27
3) The Bible attributes this behavior to spiritual rebellion rather than genetic makeup
4) When a person will not submit to God, he begins a downward spiral that results in a breakdown of his own standards
3. Sodomites were destroyed for the immoral behavior — fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed its inhabitants
a. Jude stated that Sodom and Gomorrah were “set forth” as an example — destruction come to the wicked
b. To “set forth” means to expose — God wants all humanity to witness the wrath in store for the wicked
4. Sodom unmistakably prefigures the suffering to be experienced by the disobedient in the eternal fires of hell.
a. Jesus used Gehenna as a depiction of hell’s unending agony
b. The fires that burned continuously at Jerusalem’s trash heaps graphically portrayed the eternal torment awaiting sinners
c. Revelation 20:15
5. On the day of Judgment, destruction will come upon the earth as suddenly and unexpectedly as it did for Sodom
CONCLUSION:
A. Jude used these biblical accounts from Israel’s history to remind his readers that God would demand an accounting from the false teachers who were troubling the church
1. They would not succeed in the end
2. It is easy to become disheartened when evil appears to be advancing and winning the day, but Christians must not become discouraged and give up their defense for the truth
B. Christians must never lose confidence that God will punish unrepentant sinners and vindicate the faithful in the end
1. the last word always belongs to the Lord.
2. Don’t you forget it!
*Outlined from Aubrey Johnson’s book “Spiritual Patriots”