1 John #1 – What is Your Redirected Life Story?

At The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Pastor Mark Driscoll recently taught a Bible study series to the core launch team entitled “1 John: The Father Heart of God.” Recorded in black and white as the church plant was in its infancy.

Are You A Real Christian?: Jude 1-2

1.    Bible does not tell us what happened, but what always happens 2. Look thru 

SERIES: Cross vs Rainbow – 2 most famous icons = rep kingdoms & worldviewsCross Cross (need a pic): Gal 6:14 Bfar be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 

  • Tertullian (155-230 AD)

Rainbow – Gen 9:13 Genesis I have set my bow in the cloud…a sign of the covenant…

Rev 4:3 “around…[Jesus’] throne was a rainbow…” 

=Satan – seen & stolen = I need a photo of a pride flag with these colors: 

1978 gay drag queen artist: red=life; hot pink=sex; yellow=sun; green=environment; turquoise=art; violet=spirit world/demonic; orange/healing; indigo=harmony (syncretism),

VISUAL: 2 clean glasses water & these 7 colors food die = not progress, darkness 

= unity, reconciliation, tolerance, diversity, inclusion, pride 

  1. Christianity Dualism: Black/White (binary thinking) vs 
  2. Culture Monism: Rainbow (spectrum thinking) 

Black and White in Jude 

  • God vs Devil (1,8)
  • Angels vs demons (6,14)
  • Church vs world (19-20)
  • People with Spirit vs without Spirit (19-20)
  • Saints vs ungodly (3-4)
  • Love God vs blaspheme God (10, 21)
  • Salvation vs condemnation (3-4)

Fighting for the Faith 

Jude 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.

THEME: Bible commentary, “In the Greek language, this word was used to describe a general giving orders to the army; hence the atmosphere of this letter is “military.” 

  1. People don’t change the gospel. The gospel changes people. 
  2. Come into church = worship                      Go out of church = war 
  3. You fight not because you hate the people, but you hate their Captor & love Lord. 

?????Where is your war????? -Home? -School? -Work? -Church? 

Jude and Jesus

Jude 1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, 

  1. Does not take a formal title, “servant”.
  2. Calls brother Jesus “Christ” – God’s HS anointed Savior 
  3. Mentions James, not Jesus as brother 
  4. Humbly accepts role as #3 son (Jesus, James, Jude) 

Matthew 13:55–56 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? 

  • Jesus large family. Pre-resurrection family did not believe Jesus 

Acts 1:14 devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

  • Post resurrection family believed in Jesus as the Christ 

= STRONG argument deity of Christ 

JUDE MINISATRY FAMILY (Spirit-Filled Jesus summary)

1.    Elizabeth & Zechariah – relative e.g. aunt/uncle 

2.    John Baptist – relative/cousin 

3.    Joseph – adoptive father

4.    Mary – mother 

5.    James – “pillar church”; invited Gentiles, book Bible, thrown off temple lived stoned 

6.    Simon – other brother takes over for James 

7.    Jude 

Believers are Beloved

Jude 1-2 To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

  1. Called by God into a saving relationship through Jesus Christ [Lazarus]
  2. BE = loved by God as His adoptive child like Jesus!
  3. Kept by God. Salvation cannot be lost because God does not lose a Christian 
  4. Recipients of ever multiplying 1. mercy from God, 2. peace with God, and 3. love to share with others, starting with fellow believers = HOLY SPIRIT 

Sitting in church hearing letter read by leader 

1.    Wise (SPIRIT)– mature XNs = shepherd: 4x “beloved”; “kept for Jesus Christ”, 4x “mercy”“peace & love from God”, have “Holy Spirit”, & “eternal life”

2.    Foolish (FLESH) – immature/new XN’s = sheep, “have mercy on those who doubt”, “save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy without fear…”

3.    Evil (DEMONIC)– apostates    1. Deceptive 2. Dangerous 3. Divisive = wolves 

= Discernment vs Critical Spirit 

= Apostates – not lost, Claim Christ but anti-Christ = treason in battle 

I NEED AN IMAGE OF A RAINBOW CROSS PLEASE

6 Marks of Apostasy in Jude 

  1. Ungodly: in belief and/or behavior (4, 15, 18)
  2. Proud: boast about their superiority and attack godly leaders (4, 8, 16)
  3. Immoral: celebrate bad behavior, especially sexuality (4, 8, 16, 18, 19)
  4. Greedy: profiting off their evil and false witness (11, 12, 16)
  5. Rebellious: despise authority in Heaven and on earth (8, 10, 11)
  6. Divisive: create conflicts and factions (15, 16, 19)

= Satan – first apostate demons first apostate movement (JUDAS) 

Wokeism – a spirit of apostasy (war on earth) 

1.Hard Apostasy – Overt       

Please get these: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/united-methodists-lose-one-fifth-of-u-s-churches-in-schism-over-lgbtq-rights (6000 Churches – mainline tough to leave) 

https://www.ucc.org/abortion-is-healthcare-general-synod-says/embed/#?secret=zhYa9kdRqo#?secret=7sDnDucibX

Flamy Grant https://themessenger.com/entertainment/drag-queen-flamy-grant-topping-itunes-christian-chart collab w/Derek Webb formerly of Caedmon’s Call 10 Dove Award Nominations (22 yr worship leader)

2.Soft Apostasy – Covert (FOR not against)

SUMMARY OF APOSTATES JUDE (3rd shortest NT 2-3 John; Read 5-10 minutes)

1.    Senior Leader is speaking about a local church they have authority over 

2.    Ideas are named & not individuals 

3.    11 Warnings study guide 

“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.” They will be “destroyed” because “they “did not believe”. Their hellish fate is, “eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day – just as Sodom and Gomorrah.” Because of their “sexual immorality”, having “pursued unnatural desire”, their fate is “a punishment of eternal fire.” In demonic delusion, “these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” Because, “these people blaspheme”, they will be “destroyed” for acting like, “unreasoning animals.” With a curse, Jude says, “Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain…These are blemishes…as they feast with you without fear, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” Facing “judgment”, these “ungodly” people have “deeds of ungodliness” acting in an “ungodly way” as “ungodly sinners” having said and done “harsh things.” Pulling no punches Jude adds, “These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters showing favoritism to gain advantage.” These “scoffers, following their ungodly passions….cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the Spirit.” 

-Apostate? -Church hurt? -Deconstructionist? -Progressive XN? 

Gospel Offensive: “fight the good fight”; “destroy arguments &…take every thought captive to obey Christ; “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword”; “we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil”; “He…sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives”

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Mark Driscoll

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