A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): Are you known as a complainer or a thankful Christian? Pastor John Randall has us think about that for a minute.

John Randall: Listen, the rest of the world is going to be complaining. But for us, we're to do all things without complaining. And by doing so, you know what happens when you're not getting on the complain train? You know what happens?

People are like, "Why aren't you on the complain train?" Because I'm on the thankful train, okay? I'm going to praise God. People take notice of you when you're not complaining. Because the fact is that people complain. When you can easily get in a conversation and join the crowd by complaining, like, "Yeah, you're right. Yeah, they are terrible. Oh, the government!" And suddenly it's like, "Wow, yeah! Hey!"

People just get like that. I've gotten like that. Why do you think I know so much about it? I'm getting off the train. Getting a transfer. What train are you on, friend?

Guest (Male): We are on the final lap in the book of Jude here on A Daily Walk. Glad you could join us. Throughout the series, we've been encouraged to contend for the faith.

As we wrap it all up today, Pastor John Randall explores how we are to contend for the faith. It involves staying in the Word, fellowship, prayer, staying in the love of God, and maintaining an eternal perspective too. Here to elaborate is Pastor John.

John Randall: God moved on the heart of human authors what to write. God breathed. We believe this doesn't just contain the Word of God, but that it is the Word of God. It is inerrant. It is inspired. God breathed is the Scriptures.

When you think about it, the Bible is fascinating. It's a collection of 66 writings that were penned by more than 40 authors on three different continents in three different languages over a period of 1500 years. And yet, when you look at the Scriptures because of fulfilled prophecy, archaeological evidence, and internal consistency from the very first book of the Bible in Genesis to the last book Revelation, the biblical writers are absolutely consistent in what they teach.

They don't contradict one another. Also, you have the manuscript evidence, which is overwhelming if you really want to study it and get into it. You'll be very confident that the Bible you have is the Bible that has always been the Word of God.

Which brings us back to Jude and his brief apocryphal quotation. Again, keep in mind that Jude's quote is the only quote, as it were, from this source. Again, the Apostle Paul, as I mentioned, quotes in Titus. But by quoting a truth from a secular source, it did not mean we should give additional authority to that source.

It's important to remember that. I bring that up because there are many times in ministry when someone says, "Hey, what do you think about the Gospel of Thomas?" I don't. "What do you think about the Book of Enoch?" I don't. I don't think about any of those things because I have the Scriptures.

You might find some things that are interesting in there, but again, it's not Scripture. Just be mindful of that. So, Jude quoting from this book, all it means is that that particular statement was true. Which is interesting because scholars collectively believe this: that Enoch was indeed prophesying that judgment was coming.

He was prophesying that. So, here's a man faithfully walking with the Lord, raising his son to know the Lord, prophesying about judgment that was coming, and was pleasing to the Lord. But did you know what the Bible says at the very end concerning Enoch's life?

This is the best part. Because in Genesis chapter 5 and verse 24, it says that Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. What happened to Enoch? God took him. God took him before judgment came upon the earth.

In one sense, Enoch serves as an Old Testament picture for us of what I believe points to the rapture of the church. Before judgment came, God said, "I'm taking Enoch home." It is a picture of the rapture of the church prior to judgment being poured out.

By the way, when it says that Enoch was taken by the Lord, it means he did not see death. Only two men in Scripture did not see death: Enoch and Elijah. The Lord took them home uniquely. As we walk with the Lord, I believe that we are assured that we will be taken by the Lord, whether he comes for us in death or he comes for us in life.

He's coming for us. So, friend, if I can encourage you to follow the example of Enoch and walk with God. Walk with God. So Enoch prophesies about these false teachers and the judgment that would eventually come, and how the Lord would come back with 10,000 of his saints in his second coming.

You can read about that in the book of Revelation and what happens there as he establishes justice upon the earth and judges mankind and rules over them with a rod of iron. But then in verse 16, Jude continues to catalog the vices that mark these false teachers in order that the church would be able to recognize them.

He says in verse 16, "These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage." Notice the description of these men. First of all, they are grumblers.

A grumbler is a person who is discontented and complains against God. A person who makes an audible expression of an unwarranted dissatisfaction. That's what these guys are all about. They just grumble about everything. They're dissatisfied with God and they're upset at God.

Jude says when you see that, watch out for that. I pray we're not grumblers here tonight. Don't be a grumbler. Not only were they grumblers, but he said they were also complainers. Grumblers and complainers, I thought they were the same thing. Well, they're a little different, but these guys were both and more.

The word "complainer" describes a person who finds fault with others and blames others. They are always the victim. Always the victim. It's always somebody else's fault. It's everybody else's issue. It's their problem. I'm not the problem. They're the problem.

Really? Because it seems like you're the problem. But that person, they're always the victim and everything is against me. We live in a society that caters to the victim. Now, granted, I'm not talking about actual victims. There are actual victims. I'm talking about those that want to be victims.

In order to gain sympathy, in order to gain attention, sometimes it's to have an excuse for the carnal life that they live. "I'm just a victim, you know. That's why I choose to live ungodly. That's why I choose to live in sexual immorality. I'm just a victim, you know."

All these excuses for living apart from the Word of God, and then you want people to cater to that. "You're right. Let me enable you to feel that way," when that's not really reality or biblical. No, don't enable someone to live that life. God didn't call us to be victims.

He called us to be victors. There's a big difference. Don't let this world bring you into that place and shove you into that mold that you're just the victim. There's a generation coming up that's being told that. It's being thrust upon them and some of them are unable to discern.

So it's important. These complainers, they're discontent with the condition of life which God has assigned to them. They're not only blaming him for this, but the moral restrictions which he's imposed upon them. All of mankind is all to blame. All of you. It's all your fault. Everybody. I'm not the problem.

I'm most concerned about people like that. They need to be prayed for and, moreover, repent. But here's what the Bible says to us tonight. Listen, Philippians chapter 2, Paul said it best. He said, "Do all things," notice, "without," the absence of, "complaining, disputing."

Why? "So that you can become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world." Listen, the rest of the world's going to be complaining. But for us, we're to do all things without complaining.

And by doing so, you know what happens when you're not getting on the complain train? You know what happens? People are like, "Why aren't you on the complain train?" Because I'm on the thankful train, okay? I'm going to praise God.

People take notice of you when you're not complaining. Because the fact is that people complain. When you can easily get in a conversation and join the crowd by complaining, like, "Yeah, you're right. Yeah, they are terrible. Oh, the government!" And suddenly it's like, "Wow, yeah! Hey!"

People just get like that. I've gotten like that. Why do you think I know so much about it? I'm getting off the train. Getting a transfer. What train are you on, friend? And I think that's what happens sometimes. So as believers, when you don't complain, when you don't grumble, when you do things without disputing—things that people don't normally do without disputing—people are like, "Whoa, something's different about you. What's different? Why are you shining like a light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation?" Because of Jesus.

So hey, if you're prone to complain, can I just encourage you tonight? Stop it. Moving on. The other thing you find about these individuals—they grumble, they complain—but you know what else they do? You know what they're known for? He says it here: "They walk according to their own lusts."

Sensual individuals. The idea of walking, again, implies a planned course of conduct that's governed by strong desires, sensual desires, and passionate cravings. Their entire ethical journey has one objective, and here it is: to gratify the flesh. That's it. That's the goal.

"What are you going to do this week?" They might tell you what they're going to do, but what they're really saying is, "I'm going to gratify my flesh." That's what I'm going to do. "Dude, you want to come with us? We're going to go do what?" Gratify our flesh. That's really what they're saying.

"Hey, you want to get on the ethical journey that leads to destruction?" No, I don't want to get on that journey. I was on that journey. That's not a good journey. You know where it ends. So that's really what people are doing. They might tell you they're partying, but they're gratifying their flesh.

That's really what it is. But listen, those that are in the flesh cannot please God, the Bible says. The flesh profits nothing. The flesh wars against the Spirit. If you live, if you plan your life to fulfill and gratify the sensual desires of your flesh, it will end badly for you.

Many of us could testify tonight and say, "Man, that's how we lived." We thought the flesh would bring fulfillment and it actually made us empty. We thought the flesh would satisfy but it left us feeling alone and guilty.

The flesh never produces what it promises, only destruction. Oh, but the life of the Spirit. The Bible says if you walk in the Spirit, oh, what a difference that makes. There's life there. So they walk according to their own lusts and they also speak great swelling words of flattery.

And why do they do that? It says here, to gain advantage over you. So they come around and they flatter you. They tell you what you want to hear. Why? Because they actually believe that about you? No, they want to take advantage of you. Flattery can be offsetting. It gets you off balance.

And I think that's part of that. "Man, you're so amazing." Really? Wow, no one thinks I'm amazing. Suddenly now it's like, "Wham! What can I get from you?" And that's what they were doing. They were coming into the church, they were flattering, but for the purpose of taking advantage of people.

Watch out for those people. Slick, golden-tongued people. Watch out, man. They want to flatter you to take advantage of you. Second Peter chapter 2, verse 18, Peter also mentions this about false teachers. This is what he says.

He said, "When they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure you," how? "through the lust of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who actually escape from those who live in error." That's the intention. So they're not complimenting you or flattering you because they think well of you, but they want to see you as a means to an end.

You're just a step in the path to get where I want to go or get what I want. Be careful of that. Now we come to the final lap of the book of Jude. As we turn the corner, we know that we've been called to contend for the faith. We have a clear description of false teachers—what to look out for, what to avoid, how to defend against it.

Jude gives us some final words of instruction here. He says in verse 17, "But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how they told you there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons who cause divisions, not having the Spirit."

How do we contend for the faith? What are we to do? I'm just going to mention several things here as we conclude this tonight. First of all, Jude alludes to the fact that we should keep ourselves in the Word. That is why he says, "Remember the words that were spoken to you by the apostles."

The apostles' doctrine. It says concerning the early church in Acts chapter 2, they kept themselves in the apostles' doctrine, consistently in the Word of God. How do you contend for the faith? How do you avoid false teachers? How do you avoid going down the wrong path?

You keep yourself in the Word. "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." That's the first thing. It'll keep you moving towards sound doctrine instead of false doctrine. Keep yourself in the Word. Second thing that Jude alludes to is this: stay in fellowship.

Stay in fellowship. Look at verse 20. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith." You build yourselves up on your most holy faith, in one sense, by coming together. That's what we're doing tonight. This isn't just a social gathering of a bunch of great folks.

This is coming together to build up our faith. I come into this place and I gather with you and open God's Word and study it with you myself because I need to be built up in my faith because I've got to go back out and confront this fallen world.

And so through fellowship, I want to say to you tonight and that camera right there, if you're not in fellowship, I want to encourage you to get back in fellowship. You need to come to church. It's open. You need to come to church.

And if you're struggling with that or you're still wrestling with that, you can come and sit outside on the patios. You can sit in the fellowship hall. You can do any of those things. But please, come to church. Come to church. Come to the outlets. Come to the church. We love you.

We want you to be here. We're here. We're waiting for you. So stay in fellowship, especially as you see the day approaching, the Bible says. And the day is approaching. The day is approaching. Don't neglect fellowship. And then he says this: to contend, you stay in the Word, you stay in fellowship, and what else?

You stay in prayer. Notice he says in verse 20, "Praying in the Holy Spirit." Now that's a sermon in and of itself, praying in the Holy Spirit and exactly what that means. But suffice it to say, it's powerful praying. When the Holy Spirit's involved in prayer, it's powerful.

When the Holy Spirit is absent, it's just words. But when the Holy Spirit is leading prayer, directing prayer, guiding the time of prayer, it's powerful. Things are happening. So he's saying if we're going to contend for the faith, we've got to stay in prayer.

Vigilant in prayer, consistent in prayer. Intercession. Prayer is so important. It's the engine, really, of the church. I can't express to you how important it is. It's life to the church. We have to pray. In fact, that brings me to an important point coming up in October.

Just a little announcement here: October 1 through 31, we have put together for you a guideline for prayer for the nation leading up to the election. And it's so great. We did this before when we first hit the lockdown.

We all had that month of prayer. I believe that what we are seeing right now in our church over the last 22 weeks is a direct result of God's people praying through that month. So I'm excited to pray and intercede on behalf of our nation.

Anyways, be in prayer. Two more things: stay in the love of God. It says in verse 21, I love this verse right here, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." Keep yourselves. You know when you're in prayer and you're in the Word and you're in fellowship, it helps keep you.

You're keeping yourself in the love of God. You're abiding in the love of God and you're so loved by the Lord. Keep yourself in that place, that love relationship with him. And also, I would add to this as Jude mentions here, maintain an eternal perspective.

Notice in verse 21 he says, "Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Guys, if we're going to fight this fight, if we're going to contend for the faith, we keep ourselves in the Word, we keep ourselves in fellowship and prayer and the love of God, and we must maintain an eternal perspective.

Everything you see right now, it's temporary. It's temporary. It's not going to last. It's temporary. We're going somewhere. We're going to heaven. Eternity is awaiting. It's a matter of time. So keep that eternal perspective and that'll help you in the temporal life.

Finally, he says this in verse 22: "On some have compassion, making a distinction; others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." That's an interesting passage there. On some people you have compassion, making a distinction, but there's other people that you've got to—I mean, they're on the edge, you've got to pull them out of the fire.

Because they're on their way. And some people you have to just be—depending on the situation. But here Jude is very clear on the importance of pulling. There's a lot of people on their way to the fire and they don't even know they're going into the fire, guys.

And we're to rescue them from the fire. If this building was on fire—and it isn't—but if it was, for the sake of an example, if it was, if I said, "Hey guys, building's on fire just so you know." Would you believe me? How earnest do I sound?

"Hey guys, just exit. Building's on fire. You'll be fine. That's not smoke, it's just—head out. You'll be fine. This exit's here, everywhere. Just get, building's on fire. You'll be fine. Fire department's going to come. They'll be here." But if it was real, what you think—and I'm not going to do it, but you could imagine—there'd be a lot more intensity, a lot more.

I'd be grabbing people and saying, "No, I'm not kidding." I mean, I would be serious and you'd be running out of the building. I would convince you that there was a fire because if there was, I'd be running out the building.

So what I'm saying is, guys, there are people that we come in contact with every day that are on their way to the fires of eternal hell. And I wonder if the Lord might stir our hearts to remind us of that. It was William Booth who was the founder of the Salvation Army.

You know what he said he wished he could do with every single soldier that he sent out in the Salvation Army? He said he wished that he could dangle every one of his soldiers briefly over the fires of hell so they could hear and see what was going on there, and then he would take them and send them out. Because he felt like that would be quite the incentive to go out and rescue people from the actual fire.

Lord help me. Help me to see people like you see them. Jude says some we've got to pull out, man, hating even the garments that they're defiled by the flesh. Finally, this beautiful doxology, this wonderful closure of this epistle.

It says, "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the exceeding presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."

What a powerful conclusion this is as Jude says several things here. But for the sake of time, he says "to him who is able," notice this, "to keep us from stumbling." There are so many things wanting to trip us up, but did you know something? God's able to keep you and me from stumbling.

He can lead us out of temptation. He can keep us from stumbling. But also, not only can he keep us from stumbling, but I want you to see this: he is one day going to present us faultless before the throne. In other words, let me just say to you, you know what that means?

It means you're going to make it. He's guaranteed it. You're going to make it. He is going to present you faultless before his throne. He is going to keep you from stumbling. He is the one that's going to get me there. He's the one that's going to present me faultless before the presence of his glory.

And it says that there in his glory there is exceeding joy. Exceeding joy, not just joy. Exceeding joy. I can't even fathom that. But I'm going to be there and you're going to be there if you're a child of God. To God our Savior. There's a verse for the deity of Christ.

To God our Savior. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus is God. To God our Savior, who alone is wise. Glory, majesty, dominion, power, both now and forever. Amen. Amen. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, thank you tonight for your Word, for your power, for your promises, for the assurance we have.

Lord, we want to keep ourselves in the Word, in prayer, in fellowship, in the love of God, with an eternal perspective, trusting that, Lord, you are able to keep us from falling. Lord, you are able to present us and will present us faultless before your throne. Our confidence is in you, Lord, and you alone.

Lord, we thank you for the work you're doing here. Pray that it would continue, Lord. Help us to be those that would contend for the faith. Give us a heart for those who are near the fire and don't even know it. Lord, give us a heart like yours. Oh, we love you and we praise you in Jesus' name, amen.

Guest (Male): So how are we to contend for the faith? Stay in the love of God. Stay in the Word, in fellowship and prayer. And then maintain an eternal perspective. And with that, we've made it through the book of Jude here on A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall.

I'd imagine some of you would like to hear this again or even get the entire study in Jude. They've archived it for you at adailywalk.org and also at oneplace.com. We sure love to connect with you and we appreciate your prayers.

Here's our email address where you can send your comments and your prayer requests: adailywalk@gmail.com. That's adailywalk@gmail.com. Maybe you're looking for a devotional to go through here in 2026. We've picked out a good one from Oswald Chambers called *My Utmost for His Highest*.

This is the updated language gift edition offering you a wonderful daily devotional for each day of the year. It's available through our e-store for the cost of $18. Head over to adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828. Again, that's 877-242-0828.

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With all that's transpiring in our world and an increased interest in Bible prophecy, we can't wait to open Revelation with you to hear what it has to say. That all starts tomorrow. This program is brought to you by Calvary Salvo City and made possible through your generous support.