Defending the Faith in a Shifting World

In a world filled with conflict—whether on the global stage or within our own hearts—there is a deep and universal longing for peace. True peace, the kind that surpasses understanding, is rooted in the assurance that God is sovereign over all things, both great and small. This peace is not merely the absence of trouble, but the presence of God’s unchanging character and promises. As we look at the shifting sands of culture, morality, and even the church itself, it becomes clear that we must anchor ourselves in the unchanging truth of the gospel.

The Book of Jude, written by the brother of Jesus, speaks directly to this need. Jude calls believers to defend the faith in a time when truth and morality are constantly being redefined. He warns that ungodly people have infiltrated the church, twisting the grace of God into a license for immorality and denying the true lordship of Jesus. This is not just a first-century problem; it is a pressing issue today. The church is often tempted to trade vigilance for empathy, tolerance, and inclusiveness, sometimes to the point of losing its distinctiveness and saltiness.

Jude’s message is urgent: defending the faith is not a passive stance but an active, collective effort. Like soldiers in formation, every believer must raise their shield, discerning the dangers that threaten from within. The real threat is not always external opposition, but the subtle infiltration of false teaching and compromised living. Jude provides sobering examples from Israel’s history and even the supernatural rebellion of angels, showing that rebellion against God’s design—whether through unbelief, disobedience, or perversion—always leads to destruction.

God’s boundaries are not arbitrary; they are given for our holiness and flourishing. To pervert grace is to believe that God’s forgiveness gives us license to remain unchanged. But the gospel calls us not only to come as we are, but to be transformed into the image of Christ through obedience. Our inheritance as God’s people is not just a future promise, but a present calling to reflect His glory in a world desperate for truth and peace.

Key Takeaways

• 1. True peace is found not in the absence of conflict, but in the assurance that God is sovereign and good, even when circumstances are confusing or painful. This peace is available to all who trust in God’s character and promises, regardless of the turmoil around them. It is a peace that anchors the soul when the world feels unstable. [16:01]
• 2. The call to defend the faith is a call to active, collective vigilance. Like the Roman testudo formation, every believer must raise their shield—not just for themselves, but for the whole body. The greatest danger is not always open opposition, but the subtle infiltration of false teaching and compromised living within the church. [38:31]
• 3. Grace is not a license to remain unchanged. To pervert grace is to believe that forgiveness means freedom to continue in sin, but true grace always leads to transformation and obedience. The evidence of genuine faith is not just right doctrine, but a life that submits to the lordship of Jesus in every area. [44:13]
• 4. Rebellion against God’s design—whether through unbelief, disobedience, or the crossing of boundaries He has set—always leads to loss and destruction. The examples of Israel’s unbelief and the angels’ rebellion remind us that God’s boundaries are for our good, and to reject them is to forfeit our inheritance. [51:38]
• 5. Our identity as God’s people is rooted in obedience and transformation, not in self-expression or cultural trends. The world may preach that we are “born this way,” but Scripture teaches that we are created in God’s image and called to be conformed to Christ. Holiness is not automatic; it is a daily choice to walk in obedience and reflect God’s glory. [75:25]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:22] - Introduction: The Need for Peace
• [15:29] - The Source of True Peace
• [16:01] - Prayer for Assurance and Healing
• [30:23] - Quicksand and Shifting Sands of Truth
• [31:08] - Introducing the Book of Jude
• [32:10] - Who Was Jude?
• [33:27] - The Relevance of Jude’s Warning Today
• [34:57] - The Church’s Identity and Persecution
• [36:30] - Jude’s Urgent Call to Defend the Faith
• [38:31] - The Testudo: Defending Together
• [39:31] - The Trojan Horse: Dangers Within
• [42:33] - Perverting the Grace of God
• [45:18] - Case Study: Israel’s Rebellion
• [51:38] - The Consequences of Disobedience
• [52:53] - Jesus in the Old Testament
• [58:57] - Jude’s Identity: Slave of Jesus
• [60:52] - Case Study: The Rebellion of Angels
• [65:11] - Inheritance and Ownership
• [70:22] - God’s Boundaries and Holiness
• [73:29] - Modern Rebellion and Cultural Lies
• [75:25] - Created in God’s Image, Called to Obedience
• [76:54] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Bible Reading

Jude 1:1-7 (ESV) — > 1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (ESV) — > 8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
9 But the Lord’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted heritage.

Leviticus 18:24-25 (ESV) — > 24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean,
25 and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.”

Observation Questions

1. According to Jude, what is the main reason he writes his letter to the church? (Jude 1:3)
2. What are some ways that “ungodly people” have crept into the church, according to Jude? (Jude 1:4)
3. What examples from Israel’s history and the supernatural world does Jude use to warn the church? (Jude 1:5-6; [45:18])
4. What does Deuteronomy 32:8-9 say about God’s boundaries and inheritance for His people?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jude see it as urgent for believers to “contend for the faith”? What dangers does he see as most threatening to the church? ([37:00])
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between true grace and a perverted view of grace? Why is this distinction important for the church today? ([44:13])
3. What is the significance of the examples of Israel’s unbelief and the rebellion of angels? How do these stories serve as warnings for us? ([51:38])
4. According to the sermon, what does it mean to be “anchored” in the unchanging truth of the gospel, especially when culture and morality are shifting? ([31:08])

Application Questions

1. The sermon says true peace is not the absence of conflict, but the assurance that God is sovereign and good, even when life is confusing or painful. When have you experienced this kind of peace? What helped you anchor yourself in God’s promises during that time? ([16:01])
2. Jude calls us to defend the faith together, like soldiers raising their shields in formation. What are some practical ways you can help protect your church community from false teaching or compromised living? ([38:31])
3. The sermon warns that the greatest threat to the church is often not from outside, but from within—through subtle compromise or false teaching. Have you ever seen this happen in a church or Christian community? How did people respond? ([39:31])
4. Grace is not a license to remain unchanged. Is there an area in your life where you have been tempted to use God’s grace as an excuse to avoid change or obedience? What would it look like to submit that area to Jesus’ lordship? ([44:13])
5. The examples of Israel and the angels show that crossing God’s boundaries leads to loss and destruction. Are there any “boundaries” in your life that you are tempted to ignore or cross? What would it look like to trust that God’s boundaries are for your good? ([51:38])
6. The world says, “You were born this way,” but Scripture says we are created in God’s image and called to be transformed. In what ways do you feel pressure to conform to cultural trends or self-expression, rather than to Christ? How can you resist that pressure? ([01:15:25])
7. Holiness is a daily choice. What is one specific step you can take this week to walk in obedience and reflect God’s glory in your home, work, or relationships? ([01:16:54])