A Call to Persevere!

Key Scripture: Jude 1:3-8(KJV) Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

SUMMARY

The most blessed hope written and dispatched in the Holy-Writ to humanity is that our Lord Jesus is coming back very soon! We as His church have a responsibility, accountability and work to do. Without being responsible and fighting a good fight of faith we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, let us experience the joy of salvation and perceive unto our faith until the second coming of Christ!

SERMON POINTS

The Joy of Salvation:

There is joy in the presence of the Lord. Many of us today don’t give weight-age to the day that we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior; the first joy that needs to come out from the heart of every Christian. If only we acknowledge the importance of being saved we will forever be joyful in the Lord. The joy of salvation should be daily because we are being washed by the blood of the Lamb every day. Therefore, let us stir ourselves with the joy of the Lord and He will take care of us!

One important aspect of being a child of God is to underlie our problem, trails and difficulties and still be able to testify the goodness of God. However, the bitter truth these days is we forget Him as our priority and expect the coming of the Lord to be delayed. Let us understand that the second coming of the Lord will not only be a spiritual experience but also a physical experience; He will sit on the throne and judge the whole world. Until then the church has been called and given some tasks. Therefore, let us assimilate His calling in our lives and abide by it!

How Do We Persevere to Our Calling?

1) Fight for the Faith.

Jude 1:3-4Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

As St. Paul says that he has fought a good fight of faith and the crown of glory awaits him in heaven in a similar manner we are called by God to fight a good fight of faith. Saying we don’t have opportunities or responsibilities in the church would be wrong because we are commissioned to pray and be prayer warriors. Prayer is a high calling and nobody is unemployed in the kingdom of God, but if we become like the one talent man in the bible who was lazy and buried his talent we will also be considered worthless and will be casted into the outer darkness like the servant man.

Therefore, let’s us take a share of our responsibility in the church, seek the Lord and ask how we can be usable vessels for the kingdom of the Lord. St. Paul asked his calling the moment when he received the light of the Lord and he was used mightily by Him. Like the old phrase says, “It never too late to right a wrong.” Hence, if we have the zeal and passion for Him its never too late. So what is our ask today?

2) Believe the Lord

Jude 1:5 (KJV) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

In Jude we read that the Egyptians were destroyed because they didn’t believe. Though it is a wonderful feeling to be saved yet if we don’t continue in faith to believe and trust in the Lord, we greatly displease Him. The Israelite’s wavered in their faith. One day they worshiped the idols and the other day they came back repenting to God. Finally, a day came when they didn’t believe the Lord wholeheartedly, though the Lord had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey yet they erred and chose to believe the lie of the enemy. Similarly, today as Christians we pray to God halfheartedly, believe in the lies of the enemy and make our hearts troubled with fear and anxiety nonetheless committing a great sin against the Lord.

Remember God is a faithful God and He will give us things at the right appointed time. The world may receive it a natural way but we will get in a super natural way by a super natural power. Believe today that God has a definite work through the Pastors into our lives!

3) Protect our Calling

 Are Jude 1:6-8 (KJV) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

God has given as an estate a high calling. We read in the bible that the angels were given very high place in heaven to keep safe the great estate and possession. However, the angels defiled the flesh with the filth of sin. Therefore, God destroyed the whole earth except Noah and His family. Also in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah they did the same thing, they sinned against God. Hence, the angels failed in the great calling of God and they will be judged. God has placed us with a high calling, greater compared to the calling of angels but if we don’t protect our calling in purity, mix with the world and do the unwanted things of the world we might as well fall into the judgement of God.

If the Angels who were given high estates were judged how much more are we prone to the judgement of God? Therefore, let us be careful with our estate and if God has blessed us let us keep it pure and holy. Let’s us be vessels of honor to the Lord for we share the inheritance of Jesus, introspect our lives and impatiently await the Lord’s Coming.

John 1:12 (KJV) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

We share the same inheritance of Jesus of calling God, “Abba Father” which is the highest inheritance we can have on earth. Therefore, as we have become His sons, let us protect our highest estate that God has entrusted upon us.

CONCLUSION.

The biggest possession we have in our Christian life is faith.  We are all employers in the Kingdom of Heaven to fulfill His calling in our life. We fight the faith, we believe in the Lord and we also protect our calling. Remember Jesus is coming very soon and we have a lot of work in hand; let every seed that we sow fall on the fertile soil, so that it will yield and produce double fold the good work of God’s that He has assigned us. Believe in Him and He shall direct our paths!