Making a Difference

I. THE CALL TO CONTEND (Jude 1:3)

A. The Intended Subject

1. He intended to write about the common salvation
2. But it was needful that he wrote of another subject

B. The Exhortation Delivered

1. They should earnestly contend for the faith
2. Once delivered unto the saints

II. THE WARNINGS OF OPPOSITION (Jude 1:4-19)

A. The Character of the Opposition

1. Ungodly men (Jude 1:4)
a. Turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness
b. Denying the only Lord God
2. Filthy dreamers (Jude 1:8)
a. Defile the flesh
b. Despise dominion
c. Speak evil of dignities
3. As brute beasts (Jude 1:10)
a. Speak evil of those things they know not
b. They corrupt themselves
4. Recipients of a woe (Jude 1:11)
a. Gone in the way of Cain
b. Ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward
c. Perished in the gainsaying of Core
5. Spots in the feasts of charity (Jude 1:12)
6. Clouds without water (Jude 1:12)
7. Trees whose fruit withereth (Jude 1:12)
8. Raging waves of the sea (Jude 1:13)
9. Wandering stars (Jude 1:13)
10. Murmerers, complainers (Jude 1:16)
11. Mockers (Jude 1:18)
12. Separate, sensual, having not the spirit (Jude 1:19)

B. The Position of the Opposition (Jude 1:4)

1. Crept in
2. Unawares

III. THE CALL TO AFFECT (Jude 1:22-23)

A. With Compassion (Jude 1:22)

1. Of some
a. This does not insinuate that we are to only have compassion for a select few.
b. The point of the passage is that there will be some that will need to be reached with compassion.
c. There is no simple package deal on how to reach men, women, boys, and girls. Different people will be reached in different ways.
d. The Lord Jesus dealt with the woman in John 8 with compassion, but dealt with the Pharisees in Matthew 23 with fear.
e. This brings about the rightful need of the leadership of the Holy Ghost in your personal outreach.
2. Have compassion—the word compassion comes from two Latin words that mean together + to suffer. That is, to have compassion is to suffer together with someone.
3. Making a difference

B. With Fear (Jude 1:23)

1. Others
a. This reminds us again that different people will be reached in different manners (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
b. Some will be reached with compassion, others with fear.
2. Save with fear
a. This could mean that we reach others by preaching a message of wrath or judgment.
b. This could mean that we reach others out of fear for our own judgment.
c. This could mean that we reach others with fear of defiling ourselves with their sins.
d. Any of the three and all of the three probably apply.
1.) We certainly will reach some with a message of fear.
2.) We ought to reach others with our own judgment in mind.
3.) We ought to fear the risks associated with reaching sinners.
3. Pulling them out of the fire
a. Rescuing a sinner is likened to pulling someone out of a burning fire.
b. This is shown in Joshua the high priest (Zechariah 3:1-5).
c. It is confirmed in the Book of Amos (Amos 4:11).
d. This is explained by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:36, 18).
e. Just as the believer is already seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6), the lost are already under the wrath of God.
4. Hating the garment spotted by the flesh
a. Various interpretations have been provided for this phrase, but no matter how you interpret it, believers are to hate the effects of sin.
b. Likely this is connected to the defilement of sin seen in the Old Testament.
1.) Garments would be defiled by various things including leprosy.
2.) The people of God could be defiled by touching the garments of the defiled.
3.) This would fit the third possible interpretation of the phrase “save with fear”.