Answering God’s Call: Living Set Apart in Faith

We live in a world full of distractions, false promises, and voices that try to pull us away from the truth. Just like those spam calls that try to get our attention with lies, there are spiritual voices and influences that seek to deceive and distract us from God’s call. But God is calling each of us today—not through a phone, but through His Word and the Holy Spirit. The question is: will we answer, or will we keep sending Him to voicemail?

The book of Jude, though short, is a passionate plea for believers to stay faithful, to fight for the truth, and to live lives set apart for God. Jude reminds us that our primary identity is not in our jobs, our families, or our achievements, but as beloved, blood-bought children of God. Everything else flows from that. We are called to be sanctified—to be set apart from the world, from ungodliness, and from the pull of sin.

Jude warns us about the reality of false teachers and ungodly influences. These are people who twist God’s grace, live for themselves, and lead others astray. He uses vivid Old Testament examples—Cain, Balaam, and Korah—to show that rebellion, greed, and pride are not new, and that God’s judgment is real and just. These false teachers promise much but deliver nothing; their lives are like clouds without rain, trees without fruit, and waves that leave only chaos and filth behind.

But Jude doesn’t leave us in warning—he calls us to action. We are to build ourselves up in faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, remain in God’s love, and show mercy to those who doubt or are trapped in sin. We are to hate sin, but love the sinner, always remembering that God alone can keep us from stumbling and present us faultless before His glory. Each of us must examine which group we belong to: those who are truly set apart, those who claim Christ but bear no fruit, or those still searching for answers. God is calling—will you answer?

Key Takeaways

• 1. Sanctification is Our Primary Calling God calls us first and foremost to be set apart for Him. Our identity as His children should shape every other aspect of our lives, not the other way around. When we see ourselves through the lens of being loved, called, and kept by God, we are empowered to live differently in a world that constantly tries to define us by lesser things. [07:15]
• 2. Contending for the Faith Requires Vigilance and Courage We are in a spiritual battle for the truth of the gospel. The world resists God’s authority and often seeks to distort or dismiss His message. To contend for the faith means to actively fight for what is true, not just for ourselves but for the sake of others, even when it is unpopular or difficult. [09:17]
• 3. God’s Judgment is Real, Just, and Unavoidable Jude reminds us through the examples of Israel, fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah that God’s judgment is not a distant threat but a present reality. We cannot live as if there are no consequences for our choices; what we sow, we will reap. God’s justice is perfect, and He sees beyond our actions to the motives of our hearts. [13:21]
• 4. Fruitless Faith is a Warning Sign A life that claims Christ but bears no fruit is like a cloud without rain or a tree without roots. True faith produces evidence—love, mercy, holiness, and a desire to build others up. If our lives are marked by selfishness, instability, or spiritual emptiness, it is a call to repentance and renewal. [19:39]
• 5. Mercy and Truth Go Hand in Hand While we are called to stand against sin and falsehood, we are also called to show mercy to those who doubt or are caught in sin. This balance—hating sin but loving the sinner—reflects the heart of Christ. We must be people who build up, pray, and reach out, trusting that God alone can keep us and others from stumbling. [25:47]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:20] - The Spam Call Story: Recognizing False Voices
• [02:11] - God’s Call: How He Speaks Today
• [03:24] - Introduction to Jude: A Call to Faithfulness
• [04:37] - Warnings Against False Teachers
• [05:33] - The Call to Sanctification
• [06:39] - Identity in Christ: Bondservants and Beloved
• [08:55] - Contending for the Faith
• [09:47] - The Danger of False Grace
• [11:22] - Remembering God’s Judgment: Old Testament Examples
• [14:34] - Descriptions and Metaphors of the Ungodly
• [16:07] - Lessons from Cain, Balaam, and Korah
• [19:39] - Fruitless Faith and Spiritual Emptiness
• [21:53] - Enoch’s Prophecy and the Reality of Judgment
• [24:24] - Encouragement for Believers: Building Up in Faith
• [26:29] - God’s Power to Keep Us
• [28:11] - Responding to God’s Call: Three Groups
• [32:47] - Prayer and Invitation

Bible Reading

Jude 1:1-25 (NKJV) — 1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
...
(Continue reading through verse 25)

Observation Questions

1. According to Jude, what is the primary identity of a believer, and how does he describe himself in the opening verses? [[06:39]]
2. What are some of the Old Testament examples Jude uses to warn about the dangers of rebellion, greed, and pride? [[16:07]]
3. How does Jude describe the lives of false teachers using metaphors? What do these images communicate? [[19:39]]
4. What specific actions does Jude call believers to take in response to the presence of false teachers and ungodly influences? [[25:20]]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jude emphasize being “set apart” (sanctified) as the foundation for a believer’s life? How might this shape someone’s daily decisions? [[06:03]]
2. What does it mean to “contend for the faith” in practical terms? Why is this described as a fight or battle? [[09:17]]
3. Jude warns that a fruitless faith is like a cloud without rain or a tree without roots. What does this say about the relationship between faith and visible evidence in a believer’s life? [[19:39]]
4. How does Jude balance the call to stand against sin and falsehood with the command to show mercy to those who doubt or are trapped in sin? [[25:47]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon compared spiritual distractions to spam calls that try to get our attention with lies. What are some “spam calls” (distractions, false promises, or voices) in your life that pull you away from God’s truth? How can you better recognize and reject them this week? [[02:11]]
2. Jude says our primary identity is as beloved, blood-bought children of God. In what ways do you let other identities (job, family, achievements) define you more than your identity in Christ? What is one step you can take to remind yourself of your true identity each day? [[07:15]]
3. The sermon challenged us to examine which group we belong to: those set apart, those who claim Christ but bear no fruit, or those still searching. Which group do you honestly see yourself in right now, and what would it look like to move closer to being truly set apart? [[28:11]]
4. Jude calls us to “build ourselves up in faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, remain in God’s love, and show mercy.” Which of these do you find most challenging, and why? What is one practical way you can grow in that area this week? [[25:20]]
5. The sermon described fruitless faith as a warning sign. Are there areas in your life where you see spiritual emptiness or a lack of fruit? What is one specific change you can make to pursue renewal and fruitfulness? [[19:39]]
6. Jude warns that God’s judgment is real and unavoidable. How does remembering this truth affect your choices, especially when facing temptation or pressure to compromise? [[13:21]]
7. The sermon said we are to “hate sin, but love the sinner.” Is there someone in your life who is struggling with sin or doubt? How can you show them mercy and truth this week in a way that reflects the heart of Christ? [[25:47]]