Friday, April 1, 2011

Praise Builds Us Up aka Remember the Warnings, Jude 17-25; The Adult Sunday School Lesson for 4-10-11

ATTENTION:  Please note that this is The Adult Sunday School Lesson, Praise Builds Us Up aka Remember the Warnings, on Jude 17-25 for the 4-10-11 International Sunday School Lesson.  You will find the 4-3-11 lesson, Remember Jesus Christ, directly beneath this message and on the right side.


Jed




Praise Builds Us Up
Or
Remember the Warnings
Jude 17-25
International Sunday School Lesson
April 10, 2011



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough






Context is everything, so if you haven’t done it already, when you get done here, go back and read the entire small but powerful book of Jude.  Who was Jude?  The scholars of the NIV Bible, as an example, make a strong case that he was in fact the brother of Jesus as opposed to Judas the Apostle and the way his words begin in verse 17 of today’s scripture they may well be correct.

I bring out this issue because though Jude was obviously of no small importance to the early church he says to remember what the Apostles said.  Similarly, we to need to “remember the warnings,” to use what I think is the more fitting of the two titles for today’s lesson.  Remember the warnings that we have been given in the scripture so that we will not be deceived.

It wasn’t just the Apostles that warned us about this deception that would occur in the latter days though was it?  If you participated in the Sunday school lesson on February 27th and visited this site you will remember how I stressed the great focus that Christ put upon this issue.  (If you do not recall, the lesson is available in the archives on the right.)  We can read the warning here in Jude and in Acts 20:29, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:1, 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Peter 3:3 and 2 Thessalonians 2.  If we put forth the effort to see the big picture we must consider how truly frightful the problem will be or rather is. 

Why is it that there are the scoffers, the mockers, those that divide us?  It seems hard for many in certain stages of their faith to believe it, but Paul, if you will recall from our lesson on March 20th in 1 Timothy 4, said that one source will be that “some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”  Today’s verse 19 tells us that some do not have the Spirit.  And 1 Corinthians 2:14 says this about those:

14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

It is troubling isn’t it that there are people without the Spirit who are here among us, dividing us?  Many are in positions of authority as teachers but have not been given the gift of the Spirit to teach but because they are willing while others are not, they are in place.
Jude sought to remind and encourage his readers of this type of danger.  He sought to remind us of the necessity for the Spirit’s role if the church and those in it were to succeed.  It wouldn’t be through human efforts but through the aid of the Spirit that they and we can be kept in God’s love.
Often though we don’t seem to receive or understand the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives.  We seem to fall into camps of two extremes.  The first is the over emphasis of the Holy Spirit and the other is the neglect of the Holy Spirit.  In which camp do you find yourself?

God being a God, not of disorder but order has perfect balance.  If we can achieve a measure of this balance, we can find ourselves doing the work that we are to be about, the gospel.  Jude phrases in a rather interesting way this work beginning with verse 22, what follows is my take:


1.      Be merciful to those that doubt.
2.      Save those who don’t doubt, but come to faith, snatching them from the fire.
3.      To those that are not in this process either one way or the other, have mercy with fear, being cautious.  But just as with those of the first group, do not discount them as they may come to faith, even those who are the subject of this letter, the false, and the scoffers.  This is the faith we are to persevere in and to contend for.


“Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.” Jude 2



For Discussion:

1.      Examine the scriptures concerning teaching then examine your teachers.  Just because someone will teach, doesn’t mean they should teach. 
2.      If you haven’t grasped the importance of this, look at how important God considers the issue.  The scriptures show that eventually God will give those who choose to not follow the truth a strong delusion.  2 Thessalonians 2 is required reading today!
3.      Devote yourselves to the practice of the early church and what Jude reminds us here today, the teachings of the Apostles.  Save your money and study not the latest and greatest popular teachings of men in your groups but rather God’s word.
4.      How do you pray “in the Holy Spirit”?  If you can’t answer that in your mind, you need to find out.
5.      Do you have a Jude in your midst that you should be listening to?
6.      Verse 21, mentions waiting for the mercy of the Lord.  The Greek word used gives one the idea of looking forward.  Discuss with the class whether they are truly looking forward to the Day of the Lord.
7.      Gather interpretations from amongst the class of verses 22 and 23.

4-17-11:  Hosanna! (Praise the Lord) Mark 11:1-11
4-24-11:  Christ is Risen! (Go and Tell) Matthew 28
5-1-11:    Be Like Jesus (The Christ Hymn) Philippians 2:1-11
5-8-11:    Heavenly Worship (Perpetual Praise) Revelation 4:1-2, 6b-11 or Rev 4 respectively.














Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

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