Well, Shalom everyone. Today I'd like you to turn with me to a New Testament letter that was written by a man by the name of Judah. We know it in English as the book of Jude. His Hebrew name is actually Yehuda. And for one reason or another, the translators gave him the name Jude to distinguish him from Judas, who have betrayed our Messiah, the Lord Yeshua. And so the epistle, the letter is called the letter that had been written by Judah, by Jude. In Hebrew we call him Yehuda. And he had been writing a letter that is actually as far as we see it in our scriptures in the Bible is one chapter.

But this one chapter that he was giving, or one letter, short letter, is a tremendous letter that was written by him as a Hebrew believer in a Messiah, to his brethren, and we see it in a moment, to Jewish believers, to warn them of something that we all are in danger of today. And the danger that we are all in, just like those to whom he wrote, is the danger is not to hold earnestly, not to contend to the faith which was once given unto the saints. And look, I'm reading beginning in verse 1. It says, "Judah or Jude, the servant of Yeshua the Messiah, and the brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, and called, mercy unto you, and peace and shalom, and love be multiplied.

Beloved, 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 to the saints. For there are certain men who crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, denying the only Lord God, the only Master God, and our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 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 has 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 and vengeance of eternal fire. Now I'm not going to read all the letter today. I'm just going to read or I'm just read those first seven verses. And I think it will be sufficient for us to talk about those verses at this morning. I was amazed on my visit to Israel just recently, how much religion is existing even in the land of my forefathers, the land of our forefathers. It is amazing how much or how many things have crept in into what is known today as the things of God.

religion have replaced reality, whether it is among our own Jewish people, whether it is among the Christian profession, the Christian company, or whether it is among the Muslim religion, and various of other groups that are claiming to have something in connection with the truth, with the word of God. It is amazing, brothers and sisters, how much religiosity is existing today in the world in which we live in. And the danger of this, or the teaching concerning this that is going to come, that is going to appear in a certain time, was already written by the prophets of Israel, by the early apostles of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, by the early believers of first century.

This was already indicated that it is going to happen in the coming days. We read today, if you remember, in Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 4, that we just read, Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. Hear Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. And these words which I commended you this day shall be in your heart. God said to Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4, 5 and 6. God wanted his people Israel to stay close to him and not to follow things which are wrong doctrinally, which are wrong practically.

He even told them in verse 14, He shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are wrong about you. For the Lord your God is a jealous God among you, lest the anger of the Lord thy God will be candle against you, and he will destroy you from the face of this earth. God said this to Israel long time ago, before the church was formed. But then we find out that it is exactly the same thing was given warning by the early disciples, the early apostles, to the believers in first century, to the Jewish believers, and now he is telling this to us as well.

The book of Judah, the book of Jude, is a book that was given as a call to be alert to what was going to happen and what is already happened by the time Jude was writing this letter. Now before I'm going to go into this, into this letter, before we are going to speak about this, the warning that Jude is giving, that Judah is giving, let's ask ourselves the question, who is this man by the name of Jude? Who is he? We know very well that his Hebrew name is actually not Jude. His Hebrew name is Yehuda. Or, as we take it from the Hellenistic name that he had, Judas, his Hebrew name is actually Judah or Yehuda.

This man by the name of Jude or Yehuda or Judas, he was actually a half-brother of Yeshua, the Messiah. In fact, for a moment, if you turn with me to the book of Matthew, Matthew chapter 13, you will notice his name is mentioned there, already there in the time where people were puzzled about the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. It says in Matthew chapter 13 and verse 53, it says this: "And it came to pass, when Yeshua had finished these parables, he departed. And when he was coming to his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, inasmuch as they were astonished, and they said, "When does this man have this wisdom?

And when he have this mighty, from where he have these mighty deeds, mighty works?" And then they asked the question: "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Miriam? And his brethren are James, this is Yaakov, Joseph, this is Yosef, Simon, this is Shimon, and Judas, this is Judah." It says in verse 56, "And his sisters, are they not with us? Whence then has this man all these things?" You see, brothers and sisters, that we find out in Matthew chapter 13 that the people ask this question about the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Where does he do the miracles from? Where does he know so much?

Or from where does he know so much? Isn't he that ordinary man whose mother's name is Miriam, whose brothers are those four names, Yaakov, Yosef, Shimon, and Yehuda, and his sisters, are they not all among us?" They were puzzled at the greatness of the person of Yeshua the Messiah, at the ability to have the knowledge that he had, and the works that he does. And they were amazed that he had brothers, like Yaakov, Yosef, Shimon, and Yehuda, like James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas. Apparently, Judas was a half-brother of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. It says here in this chapter, Matthew chapter 13, that he had been one of the brothers of the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

That is Jude, Judas. He was one of the brothers. Now, to distinguish him from Judas, who betrayed the Lord, the English writer, or the English, those who were translated, called him Jude. But actually, his Hebrew name is Yehuda, just the same like the other men, by the name of Judah, who betrayed the Lord. The first time that we find in the Bible the word Yehuda, it had been already given to us in the book of Genesis. If you remember, in the book of Genesis, where Leah gave the name to her son by the name of Judah, and this meaning, the meaning of the name Judah, or Yehuda, means praise.

Praise. And his name, not only that he was a brother of the Lord, half-brother of Yeshua the Messiah, his name means praise. Praising God, Lehodot, to give thanks, and to give praise unto God. But you see, you notice, not only that he was half-brother of the Lord, but you know, when he grew up with the Lord Jesus, his half-brother, his older brother, in the life of the Lord, actually, his brethren did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. You know that they, once they, because they grew up with him, they have seen the distinction, that there was a uniqueness in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, but his brethren, in his life here, in the beginning, when he was growing among them, they actually did not believe that he was the Messiah.

In the Gospel of John, in chapter 7, we read, in verse 5, "For neither did his brethren believed on him." In fact, in his life, in his ministry, his brethren, at first, did not believe that he was the Messiah. They did not believe that he came to this world, in order to die for the sin of the nation of Israel, for the sin of this world, for the sin of mankind, and to bring a man back to a relationship with God. So, he was his brother, his half-brother, but he actually, at the beginning, did not believe that Yeshua was actually the Messiah. Do you know when Jude believed, like his other brethren believed, that he was the Messiah?

Only after his death, burial, and resurrection. It was later on, beloved brothers and sisters, that his brethren became believers in Yeshua as the Messiah, as the Redeemer, as the Savior. Now, you can just imagine, Jude, James, and Simon, and Joseph, the brethren, and his sisters, grew up with Yeshua, the Messiah, in the Messiah, in the very, in the very, in the very same home. And as, as brothers and sisters, though they saw something unique in him, and I'm sure they have, they did not recognize that he was the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of this world. And so later on, we find out that they have accepted him as the Messiah, and they recognize him as the Redeemer.

Turn with me for a moment to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, for another verse for a moment. 1 Corinthians, chapter 15. By the time that we read 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, the theme is resurrection. And look what we read, in chapter 15, and verse, verse 7. It says there, because it's speaking about the resurrection, and the writer saying, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, verse 3. He was buried, and he rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures. And look what it says in verse 5, 6, and 7. He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve, and after that he was seen above 500 men, brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this day, the greater part remain unto this present, but some have fallen asleep.

And in verse 7 it says, and then after that he was seen of James, and of all the apostles. James was the brother of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. And one more verse I want to read to see that, in the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 1, where we find the brethren together with the Lord, after his resurrection. In Acts chapter 1, in verse 14, look what we read. It says there, all these continue with one accord, in prayer and supplication with the women, and Miriam the mother of Jesus with his brethren. And you see, by the time that we find out that the Lord died, and he was buried, and he rose again from among the dead, then his brethren believed on him, and we find out that they were together with the Lord, together with the brethren, I should say, together with all the believers, gathering together in Jerusalem, waiting for the Spirit of God to come down, and to form the body of Messiah.

But what is interesting here, as we begin today to study a little bit the book of James, we find out that he, sorry, the book of Jude, that Jude was a half-brother of the Lord, and that he is now, is writing to believers, to early believers, to warn them against things that were already coming into the body of Christ, into the, into the, the church of the Lord Jesus, and the Messiah. And you notice how he began that letter. Very nice. He first of all, give them the greetings in verses one and two. Notice it says, Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ. Now if I would write a letter, and I am the half-brother of the Lord, I would write, Jude, the brother of Jesus.

But he doesn't do that. You know why? Because he have, he have learned something that was more important, than the natural tithes. What is more important than the natural tithes, is to be a servant, of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. By the time that he's writing this letter, after his own, after the Messiah, after his Lord was raised from among the dead, he recognized the fact that he's far more important to be called a servant of Jesus, of Yeshua, than the brother of Jesus. Because the natural tithes, have going to be severing, here in this world. But the relationship with the Lord, the spiritual relationship with the Lord, is far greater.

And notice, he began the letter, and he says, I am Jude. I am Judah. I am the servant of Jesus the Messiah. I am a servant. He called himself a servant, of Yeshua the Messiah. And as a servant, by the way, Jude was not an apostle, because he didn't see the Lord, after his, when he was, the Lord appeared after the resurrection, to a certain individual. He didn't see him. He was waiting, for the coming of the Spirit of God. But he was a disciple, who became a servant, of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. And he says, Jude, a servant of Jesus the Messiah. He called himself a servant, of Yeshua.

But then he continued, and he says, I am the brother of James. And you know, James was a pillar, in the church, in the assembly. James was in Jerusalem, a pillar, of the, of those, of the beginning of the church. He was there in Jerusalem, one of those, those people that was vocal. He was a leader. And Jude was willing, to call himself, a brother of James. Very nice to see. Very nice to see, that he didn't promote himself. He was a servant, and a brother of James. A servant of Yeshua, and a brother of James. You know, often time people, call, maybe, maybe somebody, they say, Oh, you are the brother, of so and so.

And you are the sister, of so and so. If you are known, always, as being a brother, or a sister, of a certain important person, it makes you secondary. It seems like, you are not as important, at all. But Jude, was willing, to take this place. He was willing, to be called, a servant, of Yeshua, the Messiah. And he was willing, to be called, a brother, of this, unique man, by the name of James. Who was a pillar, in the assembly, in Jerusalem. So, this is the, the, the first verse, he is called, a, calling himself, a servant, of Yeshua, a brother of James. Jesus.

But then, look what he is, he is saying here, to the, to whom he wrote. He says, to them, that are sanctified, by God the Father, and preserved, in Jesus, the Messiah, and are called. The people, to whom he wrote, are people, that are, have been sanctified, by God the Father. People, that have been preserved, in Messiah, Yeshua. And people, that are called. people, that have been called, by God, in time. Those three words, are very important. Sanctified, mean, that they were, set apart, by God, the Father. The Father, set them apart, the Father, set us, apart, for himself. He have, he have set us apart, sanctified us.

But not only that, he is also, a preserving God. preserving God. He preserved them. He preserved them. It says here, they are preserved, and they are also called. In our Bible class, just recently, we have, we have, we are studying in, in Romans chapter 11. And in Romans chapter 11, we see, that God, have called, and have chosen, the nation of Israel, for a purpose. for a purpose. He has called, the nation of Israel, to be a nation, that had been, separate nation, a nation that had been, set apart for him. And here we see, that the, believers, in Christ, in the Messiah, are also, sanctified, set apart, preserved, by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and called, in time, to come, to a relationship, with himself.

Every one of us, beloved brothers, and sisters, God had set us, apart, in eternity past. Every one of us, God had preserved, to the day, that we are going, to accept, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. And every one of us, in time, God called us, into a relationship, with himself, in time, he called us. He may have called you, in a certain, in a certain situation, where you have been, you may have been, at school, you may have been, at work, you may have been, at home. He have called us, to himself, in a certain period, of time. It might have been, a year ago, ten years ago, 15 years ago, he have called us, to a relationship, with himself.

He set us apart. He preserved, them. And he called them, in time. And Jude, is writing, to these believers, to these people. And you notice, what he tells them now, in verse 2, he tells them, those three things, mercy, unto you, and peace, this is shalom, in Hebrew, and love, be multiplied, unto you. He's writing, to those believers. He really cared, for them. and he says, listen, the mercy of God, will be unto you, the peace of God, will be upon you, and the love of God, be multiplied, unto you. He loved them, he cared for them, and he wanted, to write them, a letter of warning.

A call, to be alert. A call, to be alert. So this is the introduction. This is the greetings, that we have, in this letter, that was written, by Judah, to early believers, of first century. And now, brothers and sisters, in the next verses, look what he's telling them, here. In the next verses, verses 3, and 4, we see that call, to be alert. See, Jude in the beginning, had in mind, to write to them, about this wonderful, great salvation, that they have received. He's saying to them, in verse 3a, "Beloved, beloved, when I gave diligence, to write unto you, of the common salvation, it was necessary, or it was needful, for me to write unto you, and to exhort you, that ye should be, earnestly contending, for the faith, which was once, delivered unto the saints." You notice, what he does here?

He began to tell them, about the common salvation. He intended, first of all, to write to them, about this common salvation, that they all had. He, as well as them. He wanted to tell them, about this great salvation, that God have accomplished, and provided for them. He wanted to tell them, about this wonderful truth, of the great salvation, that Yeshua had accomplished. But he had to deviate. He had to shift his writing, if you will, and to give them a warning, and to alert them. You know, sometimes, we want to say to someone, something about the salvation, that we both have. And you have in mind, to tell this particular brother, or sister, something about this wonderful truth, that Yeshua had saved us, and that he died for our sins, and that he paid a price, and one day, we are gloriously, going to be with him, in heaven.

But somehow, the Spirit of God, prompt him, to shift, and to give a warning. He's kind of shifted, instead of, writing about, only about this great salvation, he shifted, and he gave them, a warning. He called them, to be alert, because things, have crept in, that were, that they were in danger, of falling into. And so, he's saying, you notice, he began this letter, by calling them, beloved. By the way, he mentioned the word, beloved, many times, or at least two, three, four times, in his letter. He mentioned it in verse three, beloved. He mentioned it in verse 15, beloved. He mentioned it in verse 20, beloved.

He mentioned this, beloved, beloved. I love you, so much, that I'm saying, what I'm saying, this to you, because I, care for your, spiritual welfare. I care, for your, for your, spiritual growth. I care, that you will not, be, caught up, with things, which are not, appropriate. And so, he's telling them, in verse three, three, he's intending to write to them about this common salvation, but he's shifting in verse three B. He said, it was needful, for me to write unto you, and to exhort you, that you should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints. beloved brothers, he's saying, and sisters, I wanted to talk about this great salvation that we have, this glorious salvation that we have, but he says, listen, it is needful for me, to write unto you, and to exhort you, to exhort you.

We sometimes need to be exhorted. We sometimes need to be exhorted and challenged. And what the exhortation was? That you should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints. Now you notice, by the way, that when he said these words to them, he tell them, not only that you should contend, but that you should do it earnestly. That you should do it zealously. That you will hold on with, with the strength that God is giving you, the truths that existing in the gospel message. earnestly contend, not as it says, not only for faith, but for the faith. The faith is this body of truth, that God had given to us in his word.

earnestly contend for the faith. The faith. And what is the faith? We have it very clearly taught us in the scriptures. In the Old Testament time, the faith that God had given to his people, Israel, is the faith that there is only one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And that's why, as we have read today the Deuteronomy chapter 4 here, O Israel, Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad. There is only one God, and you should love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and your soul, and your mind. And that you will not follow after other gods, and not after other teaching, that existing in this world.

That you should contend to the truth. You can earnestly contend for the faith, which God had given to our forefathers. For you and I today, when we know the truth of the Gospel, of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, we are the same thing to do. We are to contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints. I want to emphasize a verse, that we often read in the Bible. In Romans 1 and verse 16, the Apostle Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of the Messiah, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

For therein, in this body of truth, in this Gospel, the righteousness of God revealed from faith unto faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith." This is this body of truth that he is speaking about. It's the Gospel. It's that the Messiah Yeshua came from heaven to die for us on a tree. And that he paid the price for our sin and sins, in order that we will become the righteousness of God in him. That's this body of truth that he is talking about. And he wanted those early believers that they will contend, earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Not the word once here. It's once and for all. He doesn't need to add to it. He doesn't need to be subtracted from anything. It is once and for all delivered unto the saints. And that's what he's warning them here, and giving them a challenge, and he's exhorting them, "Beloved brothers and sisters, I gave diligence to write unto you about our common salvation, but," he says, "it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once and for all delivered unto the saints." You see, the saints have heard the truth concerning the person and the work of our Lord Yeshua and the Messiah.

And as he's writing this to them, he's appealing to them, notice what he tells them in verse 4. Why does he tell them this? Why does he give them this exhortation? It's because in verse 4, he was already seeing that something had happened already in the professing church. Already in the beginning, he was writing about 66, 67, 68 A.D. Already then, beloved brothers and sisters, almost 2,000 years ago from our point of time, already things have crept in. False teachers have come in. False teaching have been brought into the surface. And he's telling them in verse 4, "For there are," listen to this, "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of all ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only master Lord or Lord God, and our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ." Already then, it didn't take too long, where some individuals have already came in and began to teach false teaching.

Now that's, you remember what I said to you earlier, I was amazed to see in the, as we travel through the land of Israel, as we travel through the, gone to Jordan, went to Petra, went to Mount Nebo, went to the Bethany beyond the Jordan, did some baptism there, and it is amazing to see, how much religion is existing, in the land of Israel today. Not only religion by our own Jewish people, but religion by professing Christians, religion by Muslims, religiosity of men. Everybody has some sort of a proclamation to proclaim. Everybody has his ways that he believes that he should reach God. Everybody has a system whereby he or she believes that that's the way to please God.

That's the way to worship, to worship the Lord. Judah, Jude, have already noticed that, about 2,000 years ago, that he's already had existed in his time, when he was writing to early Jewish believers. And by the way, the reason that we say, that he was writing to early Jewish believers, is because you can see the connection, that Jude has with the book of Peter, with the letters that Peter wrote. When Peter was writing the letters to Hebrew believers of first century, Peter was giving the warning that in the latter time it will come to pass, that false teachers will come into your midst. By the time Jude or Judah was writing, those false teachers were already inside the church.

Now turn with me for a moment to 2nd Peter. I would like to read a verse there also. 2nd Peter, actually before I read 2nd Peter, I want to read 1st Peter 1, to see that Peter wrote to Hebrew believers. Peter wrote in verse 1 of 1st Peter, he said, Peter, an apostle of Yeshua the Messiah, to the strangers, they scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Act according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus the Messiah, grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Peter wrote to the sojourners, to the Jewish believers who were scattered throughout all these areas of Pontius, and Galatia, and Cappadocia, and Asia, and Bithynia.

Those were Jewish believers who were scattered. Then he said, Peter, in 2nd Peter, chapter 2, then he said to them in verse 1, but there were false prophets also among the peoples, speaking about the people of Israel historically, as there shall be false teachers among you. Notice, Peter writes, there shall be false teachers, false teachers among you, telling them about the future that will come. By the time Judah, Jude is writing his letter, those false teachers already crept in among the people, among the believers. They already have been crept in, they have come in already, they have already have situated themselves among the believers. And they began to sway and to lead the believers to go into a direction that is not for the believer to go.

And it says here, and I'm back now in the book of Jude, and in verse 4, it says, for there are, you notice, in Peter it says, there shall be, there will come to pass, and there shall be false teachers. But Jude does not write they shall be. Jude writes that there are. But there are certain men crept in unawares. Certain men that crept in unawares. Well, Jude is writing to these early believers because he already noticed that there were those that have crept in unawares among the people of God. And I thought, I was thinking to myself when I was in Israel, that how quickly those things have crept in, and that many things have developed beyond what, what the scripture have taught us, and taught the early disciples.

Things have developed in the religion, religiosity, and all, all kind of things that have crept in, false teaching, false teachers have taught the believers, and teaching people who may have become believers, to be led in one direction or another. Here, it says to us, some of the things that these teachers have been doing. By the way, you notice, it says there are certain men, men that have been creeping or crept in unawares. You know what that means? When unawares means that, that those early believers, they were not aware of how they have crept in. They were not aware. They were not guarding. They were not watching.

They were not, they needed to be, they were not alert. They needed to be alert. And that's why the book of Jude had been written. It is a call to be alert. It is to be alert to the fact that, that you will be confronted with all kind of teaching, and you will have to know how to answer. Always to be guarding against things that will creep in, and teaching that will creep in, and, and they will, you will be challenged, and you will have to know how to deal with this situation. And here we have, look, there are three things that he telling about those men, or these men.

In verse four, after he's saying that there are certain men that creep in unawares, then he tells them three things about these, what these men going to do. Number one, he says, who were before of old, ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men. Now, when you read that verse, you think that it says that they were ordained by God to do what they do. But that is not the truth. That is not what we have here. They were, they ordained themselves unto condemnation. In other words, they were really not believers. Those that would be condemned are people who rejected the word of God, rejected the gospel of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

And those men, we can see that they have, it says here, they were ungodly men. They, by rejecting the gospel, rejecting the truth of the word of God, they ordained themselves to be condemned. This is a, a truth that we all have to learn. That when a person rejecting the gospel of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, he's actually making a decision, to go to eternal separation from God. Ungodly men, are men, women, men and women, who reject God. That's what it is. These people have crept in, and they came among the believers, but they were people who were unbelievers, ordained themselves to be disciplined, to be judged by God, to be condemned by God.

They were of old known, of course, by God, but as unbelievers, they have condemned themselves. And they will be eventually condemned by God. Ungodly men. Secondly, look what he's telling about them, and what they are going to do. It says here, they were turning God's grace into immorality. It says here, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. In other words, they were, they were saying, that the grace of God, you know, if God showed grace, through his son, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, it gives us now license, to do as we please. And we can carry on, live an immoral life, and we can continue, because the grace of God has come upon us.

And it gives us license, they were saying, to carry on an immoral life. And apparently, they have been influencing, and they have been impacting, or at least trying to impact, the believers. You remember how he started? He says, beloved. They were the company, the saved company, beloved. In verse 3, I wanted to write to you, about this common salvation, that you and I have, but it's, I've been moved, it was needful for me, to exhort you, to contend, for the faith, which was once and for all, have been delivered to the saints, because, certain men, have crept in, when you were not aware of it. and these men, are unbelievers, are being ready to be condemned by God, because of the rejection of, of the Lord Jesus.

They were ungodly men, and these men, turning the grace of God, into lasciviousness. You know, I was, looking for the word, "lasciviousness," and, "lasciviousness," is mentioned, a few times, in the New Testament. I want you to mention, I want you to, I wanted to mention it to you. Turn with me, to the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 7. Jesus the Messiah said this, about the human heart. Matthew chapter, I'm sorry, Mark chapter 7. Forgive me. Mark chapter 7. Verse 21 and 22. Look what the Lord, it says. Mark chapter 7. And verse, I'll read from verse 20. And he said, "That which cometh out of the men, that defile the men. For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thirsts, covetousness, wickedness, lasciviousness.

Notice that? Immorality, comes of our own hearts. Here, Yeshua, is saying, to the disciples, that not what come into, the mouth defile a man, but what comes out. out of the mouth, out of the mouth, coming that which is existing in our hearts. And the hearts of a man, by nature, a sinful man, which we all are by nature, out of the heart, comes that which proceeds from the mouth, and defiles us all. And what comes out of it? It says, evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murderers, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, lasciviousness, immorality. That is the struggle, that we all have, because that comes out of our own hearts.

That comes out of our, what we say, and what we do, comes out of our hearts. And here, we see, that these were ungodly men, crept in among the believers, they turned the grace of God, into lasciviousness, immorality, license, to do immorality. Now thank God for his grace, because his grace, forgive us, and when we confess, his grace reach out towards us, but the grace of God, does not give us license, to do that, which is not pleasing to the Lord. His grace of God, helps us, to be, seeking to live a life, that is pleasing to him. But here is this, men, ungodly men, crept in, among, the believers.

Look at another verse please, in Galatians chapter 5. One of the fruits, or I should say, one of the works of the flesh, is lasciviousness. Galatians chapter 5. We read the difference between the works of the flesh, and the fruit of the spirit. And look what we read in verse 19. Now the works of the flesh, Galatians 5:19, are manifest, which are adultery, fornications, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murderers, and so on. But lasciviousness is one of the works of the flesh. And can you imagine, Jude is writing to his beloved brethren, and he is telling them the necessity of earnestly contending for the faith which was once delivered to the saints, he was giving them this wake-up call, an alert, a call of alert, he says to them, listen, there are certain men that crept in unaware, who were before of all ordained themselves to this condemnation, because they were ungodly men, they do not believe in God, and they have turned the grace of God unto lasciviousness.

And you remember what Paul said in Romans 6 and verse 1, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" In other words, if God has shown us so much grace, and if God has given us that which we do not deserve, and because God has been gracious to us, shall we continue with an ongoing willful sin that grace may abound?" He says, "God forbid." He says, "No." He says, "Don't you know," he said, "that we that have been baptized, have been baptized unto his death." You see, beloved brothers and sisters, these warnings that we need so much, this is a call to be alert, to be awakened, and to realize that this wonderful truth that we have come into, this great salvation, this common salvation, this the faith which was once and for all delivered unto the saints, we should cling to this truth and be awakened when we see that that type of influence is coming in the midst of God's people.

Now notice the third thing that he's telling them about these men. In verse 4, not only that there were ungodly, unbelievers, who are awaiting condemnation, not only that they have turned the grace of God into immorality, lasciviousness, thirdly, he says, that they are denying the person and the work of Yeshua HaMashiach. It says in verse 4, they are denying the only Lord or Master in our Lord Jesus the Messiah. You see what they were doing? They were denying the fact that the Lord Jesus, as the one that came from heaven and paid a penalty for sin, they denied his lordship, his mastership, and they denied the fact that he had finished the work on the cross.

By the very fact that they call him the Lord Jesus the Messiah, they are denying, and by denying his messiahship, they're denying his work. By denying his lordship, they are denying his person. And they were creeping in among the believers already when Jude was writing his letter. And so Judah, Judah, Yehuda, Jude, he's writing to his beloved brothers and sisters, early believers, and he was giving them the warning that already Peter wrote before him, telling that they shall come in coming days. Jude telling them they are already inside, in the midst of the company. And now, after saying that, in verses 5, 6, and 7, he's reminding them of what happened in the past.

And that is important. And that is important. Because, you see, God will judge. Though God is gracious and loving God, he's also a holy God that we'll have to judge. And so, in these verses, he's really, what he does in verses 5, 6, and 7, that's where I stopped in the reading today, he's showing them, in a sense, he's speaking about three groups. In verse 5, he's reminding them about Israel. In verse 6, in verse 6, he's reminding them about angels that fell. And in verse 7, he's reminding them about the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. In verse 5, he takes them back to the history of their own brethren, the nation of Israel, and how God had to deal with them because things like that have crept in.

In verse 6, he tells them about the fallen angels that did not keep their first estate, that did not remain in a position that they have been before, but fell and sinned against God. And in verse 7, he's reminding them about Sodom and Gomorrah. All these three groups were judged by God when sin came in and disobedience came in. First of all, notice about Israel and Israel's history. He says, "I will put you in remembrance." Notice that he tells them, "I want you to remember." See, it's very interesting because how do we know that they were Jewish believers? Because the history of Israel is very well engraved in the mind and heart of the Jewish people.

It's engraved, we have been taught from youth the history of our own nation. How we have been, how Father Abraham had been chosen by God and Isaac and Jacob and how Jacob and his children have been eventually gone to Egypt and the story of Egypt and the deliverance out of Egypt. And he tells them, "Listen, I want to put you in remembrance. Though ye once knew this, how that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt. But afterwards, he destroyed them that believed not." Now this is interesting because I believe that in this verse 5 he is talking about destruction or judgment that fell, physically judgment or physical judgment that fell upon those who did not continue to move on in obedience to the Lord among the people of Israel.

He said, "I put you in remembrance." And you notice, he takes them, he says, "You know this, how that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt. How they were saved out of Egypt. You remember when they came out of Egypt? We're going to get this very soon in April when we're going to be occupied with the Passover. How did the children of Israel have been saved out of Egypt? They could not come out of Egypt. unless they have the blood on the doorpost and the lintel of their homes. They couldn't be saved and come out of the land of Egypt because if they didn't have the blood on the doorpost and the lintel, they could not come out.

They could only come out because of the salvation that they received because of the blood of the lamb. They came out. And I believe that those who have come out of Egypt, they were saved. As it says here, they were saved. He saved the people out of the land of Egypt. But you see, God will even discipline and judge his very own people. Physically, he will discipline and he might remove somebody out of this scene because of unbelief. And it says here, afterward, he destroyed them that believe not. That those that did not believe him, he destroyed them and he judged them and he removed them from among the rest of the nation.

And so, to connect this and to show you how does that apply even to us, look at these verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 now and I want you to see the connection here. We are talking about the nation of Israel and how God had to destroy some of them that believe not after they already came out of Egypt. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 there is the same warning, the same warning that had been given by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian believers. Notice what he tells them in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Verse 1, I'm reading from verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I would note that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual food and did all drink of the same spiritual drink.

For they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was the Messiah. But, verse 5, with many of them God was not well pleased. for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now, these things were an example for our example to the intent that we this is Paul himself and the readers at Corinth that we should not lust after evil things as they did lust it. Neither did we be idolaters as some of them have been idolaters. as it is written the people sat down to eat and to drink and they rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Neither let us be attempt the Messiah as some of them also tempted were destroyed of the serpents. Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and they were destroyed of the destroyer. Now, all these things happen unto them for an example and they are written for our admonition upon whom the end of the age are come. Wherefore let him the thing that he stand take heed lest he fall. There is no temptation taking you but such as is common unto men but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tested above above that which you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it.

Wherefore my dearly beloved flee idolatry I speak to wise men judge ye what I say. Notice how 1 Corinthians chapter 10 the Apostle Paul take the example from the life of Israel and he is applying it to the believers at Corinth. He does not apply it to unbelievers but he is applying it to himself and to the Corinthians. He is telling the Corinthians that all the people who came out of Egypt all of them passed through the sea all of them were under the cloud all of them were baptized unto Moses all of them enjoyed the same spiritual food all of them drank of the same spiritual drink.

They were all came out of Egypt from Egypt redeemed company who came out of Egypt but God was not pleased with all of them because with some of them God had to deal with.

Some of them as we read they were they were lusting others have been idolaters others have practiced fornication and tempted the Messiah and they murmured and he's telling them listen God dealt with them God dealt with them and some of them God had to remove from this scene and you see the lesson that we learn from 1 Corinthians is that God is a judge he's going to deal with his own people just like he will deal with the unbelieving world he will also deal with his own people and sometimes he will deal severely and when Jude was writing he's reminding the believers of first century how that afterwards God had to deal with those that

did not believe God from among the people of Israel he had to deal with them and because they were listening to those that crept in unaware those that have come into the midst of the company of the redeemed people and they were beginning to influence them some have gone in this direction and in this direction and Jude wanted to warn them not to fall into this kind of lifestyle turning the grace of God into lasciviousness denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus the Messiah and he gives them the warning with respect to the nation of Israel look at the way Israel have been dealt with God will have to deal with you in

the same way but he doesn't stop only there because now he's telling them only about the angels also about about the angels not only that God dealt with Israel but God also will deal and have dealt with the angels they did not keep their first estate and now I'm back in Jude Jude verse 6 and he's shifting from Israel first he is moving now to the angels and notice what he's telling them about the angels and the angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he had reserved them into everlasting chain and under darkness unto the judgment of that great day day see now he's reminding them about what's going to

happen to those angels and you know those angels the ones that did not keep their first estate is angels that they were not satisfied in the place which God had given unto them they were not satisfied and they wanted you remember we can read it earlier in the book of Genesis chapter 6 for example remember when the when the sons of God the sons of God took themselves women from the human race and we know that they have fallen into they didn't they were not satisfied to be where God had placed them as angels as servants servants of God and what did they do they did not keep their first estate they left their own

habitation they left who who they were and they they left this habitation and they wanted to do something that God did not give them to do and we find out that they have been now reserved into everlasting chain under the darkness and unto the judgment of that great day these angels that we read here in Jude in Peter we read about them as well in 2nd Peter chapter 2 we read these verses I'm going to read those verses verse 4 if God not spared the angels that sinned but he cast them down into hell and deliver them into the chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment God is only God is also going to

deal with those angels they did not stay where they belong where God had placed them and he will judge them and so he he reminding them number 1 of Israel history number 2 of the fallen angels and number 3 in verse 7 of Sodom and Gomorrah and you know I just came from this area and there is literally no memory of Sodom and Gomorrah you can drive by the area of Sodom and Gomorrah and the area of the Dead Sea is the lowest place on this earth and there is no no if you will no sign of what have happened of what have been existing there many many years ago even as Sodom and Gomorrah

and Gomorrah verse 7 and the cities round about them in like manner giving themselves over into fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering and vengeance of eternal fire and you remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah we call it in Hebrew how that even when the two angels went there and they were coming into the city how the whole city the whole city was a city of a that have given themselves over to that which God have not given unto them they have given themselves over as it says here into fornication going after strange flesh flesh going after a direction that God have not given homosexuality have existed there

to such an extent that the angels had to pull out Lot to pull out his wife to pull out of the city their two daughters and to have them run as far as possible because chapter 19 of Genesis shows us the judgment that fell upon that city by the name of Sodom and destroyed the whole city but up till today there is no nothing to remind us anymore of that city and of course Lot's wife have turned back and her heart had been in the wrong place and she have turned into the pit of salt and you remember that story that we read in Genesis chapter 19 how God did come in judgment upon them

and beloved brothers and sisters what we have Jude here telling the early believers he's telling them listen what you have received this this what is called the the faith which was once and for all had delivered unto the saints he says listen contend earnestly hold on to what you have received from the Lord hold on to this truth recognize this truth hold on to the don't let others influence you to to to accept other teaching things that are that are not from the Lord because ultimately those who will reject those who will reject the Lord whether it was the people of Israel in the wilderness whether it was the angels that left their first estate

whether it is Sodom and Gomorrah and and this kind of lifestyle that they have lived God will have to judge sin God will have to judge those that reject him and he will even judge his own people because he love his own people too much to allow them to go in a wrong direction that's the the lesson that he is teaching as he's writing this letter to the early believers and so I'm going to stop right now with this verse seven we'll continue it Lord willing next time but the the theme that we see here in this in this in this chapter in this book is a call to be alert a call to be

awakened a call to appreciate the body of truth which we have received through this.

a call to be alert a call to appreciate the body of truth which we have received through the forefathers in the in the written book in the word of God to hold on to that and to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints may the Lord help us to appreciate that. We appreciate that. Can you say amen to that? Amen. Okay. Close your Bible please.