Jump Start # 3091

Jude 3 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was one for all delivered to the saints.”

There is a small, old abandoned brick church building that sits outside of the town of Windsor, Illinois.  Recently, I stopped by this place. The building was built in 1874. It’s one of those things that history buffs need to do.

Back in the late 1880’s, there was a strong progressive spirit that was working through many congregations, especially in the north. The desire to have instrumental music and work through a national missionary society seemed pleasing to many folks. These new innovations were causing turmoil and division in many congregations. Many thought it was time to adopt these practices. Others saw them as steps leading away from the N.T. pattern and the Lord.  Tensions were high. The brotherhood papers were busy battling these issues. Families were divided on these things. Even in my Indiana, the story is told of an organ being brought into the church building. Late one night, some broke into the church and chopped the organ up.

Every August, outside of Windsor, Illinois, at a place called Sand Creek, brethren gathered for preaching, singing and fellowship. In August 1889, one such gathering took place. It is said that 5,000 people came. The famous Daniel Sommer was the featured preacher. The day before the meeting took place, several from surrounding congregations gathered to write a document that was to be presented the next day. Historically, it is known as the “Address and Declaration.” Sommer preached more than an hour. Then Peter Warren, a well known preacher from the area, read the document. It had been signed by men from six area congregations. It was a stake in the ground. Unless the progressives stopped their innovations, they would no longer be considered brethren. Fellowship was ending. A division and a major split was going to happen.

Most historians use the date of 1906 as the official split between the Churches of Christ and the Christian Church. For the 1906 census, Gospel Advocate editor, David Lipscomb was asked about how many churches of Christ were in the fellowship. He made the distinction between instrumental and non-instrumental congregations. Because of that, most use the 1906 date as the starting point.

But outside of Winsor, at Sand Creek, in 1889, a line was drawn. The progressives dug their heels in. A division was taking place. After that August meeting at Sand Creek, everyone went home. The Sand Creek church had a problem. Who was going to control the church building, the progressives or the conservatives? A lawsuit took place. It went to the Illinois Supreme Court. Eventually, the conservatives kept control of the building. But the fighting between the two sides left a sour taste in many people’s minds. It filled the newspapers. And it further drove a wedge between the two sides.

So, on a recent preaching trip to Illinois, I went by the Sand Creek building. It’s old, small and no longer used. A cemetery sits beside the brick building.

Our verse today is a good reminder of the call to stay true to God’s way. Contend earnest for the faith, is what Jude wrote. “The faith,” is not our convictions or conscience. It is the N.T. pattern. Paul said in Ephesians, there is one faith. Since the days of Nadab and Abihu and running through O.T. history, including the likes of Jeroboam, there has always been some who were not content with God’s way. They want something different. Some want what others are doing. Some think they know a better way of doing things than God does. So the spirit of change has been sung through the ages.

Jude’s words are to earnestly contend for the faith. Defend God’s word. Support God’s word. Stand with God.

There are some lessons for us, even those who have no taste for history:

First, the fight for truth often is a real fight. We are seeing this in our country over the issue of abortion. Those that do not like controversy will go along with the loudest and largest group. Those that want to hold the line to where the Scriptures are often are mocked, and ridiculed. Satan will try to get a foothold in every congregation if we let him. The role of shepherds is to guard the flock. Protect it. Watch it. Danger is lurking and they need to be aware of it. Trouble, problems and error never just go away. Like mold on a wall, they seem to grow and grow.

Second, in fighting for what is right, one must not use wrong. The Sand Creek declaration, signed by men from six area congregations sure sounds like a creed to me. In fighting one thing, we must make sure that we do not run past Jerusalem. Creating a wrong to fight a wrong never works. It sounds like the signed document was a power play. The area churches were kicking out the progressives. We’ll have nothing to do with you. But in doing that, they forgot about the independence and autonomy of each congregation.

Third, the best way to fight any error is to simply preach and teach the N.T. way of things. The concept of a missionary society is not supported Biblically. Look how the early church operated. Antioch sent Paul out. It was not a confederation of many churches, it was one.

Teaching and teaching and teaching the N.T. pattern and showing that God’s way works, and it’s sufficient to do what God wants, and that the early brethren were content with God’s way of doing things. We don’t need documents outside of the N.T. We don’t need an alignment of area churches to prove our point. Just stick with the Bible. Error sounds sweet. Error looks good on paper. Error appeals to the emotions. But error falls apart when it is investigated and Biblical evidence is sought. That’s the way things need to be done today.

And, all these years later, what do we see? The progressive side continues to move further and faster away from the word of God. Today’s Christian church doesn’t look like anything similar to the 1880’s model. That’s the way error works. Once the barn door is opened, there is no closing it. What one generation wanted, the next wants more. The generation following that, wants even more. And, in a short while, they are standing so far away from God’s pattern that they no longer can even see it.

Today, there is virtually no contact between those in the Christian church and the churches of Christ. Most do not even know that there was at one time a common beginning point in America. Most today, do not care about the past. And, to the spirits of that old Sand Creek document, the two have nothing to do with each other. Attitudes and how one views God’s word and Biblical authority are not even in the same solar system these days. Today, there is little in common at all.

Could things have been done differently at Sand Creek? Probably. Would it have stopped from what eventually happened? Probably not.

Sand Creek…interesting place in Restoration history. Glad I got to see it.

Roger

Jump Start # 2423

Jude 3 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered.”

Our verse today is one of the most known verses from the short book of Jude. It reveals a change in direction that has taken place. Rather than writing about the common salvation, there was a more pressing need. Trouble was on the horizon. False teachers and error were creeping in. Dark days were ahead for the church. And, this pressing urgency lead to the change in the tone of this book.

We understand this in other areas of life. You plan to go to a park, do some outside work but storm warnings in your area changes all of that. You adjust your plans. Funerals do that to us, as well. A death in the family and everything changes. Appointments are cancelled. We don’t go in to work. We travel to the funeral home. There has been some adjustments.

From our verse let us consider a couple of ideas:

First, there are times as a church, adjustments must be made. Sadly, some of these come suddenly and surround the death of a member. I’ve seen that a couple of times. On a Saturday, a member passes. Their passing was unexpected. Their lives touched many and many in the congregation would be in a state of shock. Rather than staying with the planned classes, they were cancelled. Everyone was brought in together. Special prayers were offered. Selected passages were read and talked about. It helped the congregation to deal with the loss and offered comfort to them. I remember, the Wednesday evening services after the 9-11 attacks. Services were changed. Special prayers were offered. I find that it is helpful to be somewhat flexible. Some places don’t seem to get this. They are rigid and staying with the plans no matter what. So a Bible class is taught but the mind of the audience is miles away as they think about the person who has just died.

Sometimes it’s not a death, but a matter of what is needed at the moment. Classes may be mapped out for the year and in the course of the year some unplanned things happen. Several are experiencing marriage issues. Several have caught wind of some idea that is pulling the church apart. Rather than staying the course with the plans for the year, it is good to make immediate adjustments. We do that at home. A meal is planned, but suddenly, a couple of the kids get the stomach bug. Plans change.

Sometimes it’s nothing bad, such as a death or marriage troubles, but something good. Several conversions and a new batch of young Christians need to be grounded and taught the word of God. Rather than tossing them into the middle of a current study, adjustments are made. A new class is formed to teach basics.

Adjustments are about seeing and realizing what the people need at the moment. Some things should not be put on the back burner. Some things ought to be addressed at the moment. Momentum can be lost because some are incapable of making adjustments.

Second, Jude was planning on writing about the common salvation. Common—it’s what we all know and what we all believe. There is something good about all of us seeing God’s word the same. The Bible doesn’t read one way for you and a different way for me. Folks have hidden behind the idea of your own interpretation for years. This allows them to do whatever they want. And, in the process, without realizing this, they indict God as a terrible writer. God authors a book in which we cannot agree upon. We can read a college biology book and agree. We can read Harry Potter and agree. But when it comes to the Bible, it means whatever you make of it. That idea screams that God cannot write in a clear and understandable way.

There is a common salvation. That common salvation is built upon the common understanding of Scriptures. That comes from the idea that we all have the same common need, and that is Jesus. Not everyone needs a new roof on their house. Not everyone needs a knee replacement. Not everyone needs to go back to school. Not everyone needs medicine. However, we all need Jesus. From the folks in Washington, to the folks in Hollywood, to the folks in between. The young, the old, the common guy and the sophisticated one, we all need Jesus. The rich guy and the bum, they both need Jesus. Among us, as different as we are, is a common need. And, there is a common solution to that common need, Jesus. And, the way we find forgiveness, grace and hope in Christ is common. It is a common salvation. It is shared universally. It is the same here as it is there. It is the same now as it was back then. It is the same in the states as it is in Europe. It is common. It is universal. We know that because the apostles were commissioned to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. That Gospel, that divine message, was the same. It is a common message. What I have to do is what you have to do. What I have to do is what my father had to do. And what I have to do is what my children have to do. Nothing unique. Nothing one of a kind. No lone wolfs, and, no Lone Rangers. Your circumstances and your background may be very different from mine, however, we stand upon the same ground when it comes to our salvation. It is common. It shared equally. It was the same for the Ethiopian, as it was for Lydia, as it was for Cornelius, as it was for the jailer in Philippi, as it was for the Corinthians, as it was for the Ephesians, as it was for you and as it was for me.

No one gets a special pass. No one gets to be different. No one is unique in this. Common salvation. Different talents. Different opportunities. Different circumstances. Yet, a common salvation. This seems to be so hard for some to get. They want to fly solo and independent from the Scriptures. They think that they are so special that they alone get to be different. Nope. It’s the same for all of us.

And, through this common salvation, we become one family. United. Connected. Speaking one voice. Having one mind. Following the one Savior. Common. We stand together in this common need. We stand together in the common solution, Jesus Christ. We stand together on the common message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

You got someone boasting about a unique, special, new way—best steer clear of him. Ours is a common salvation. The new, the different, the unique, the one-of-a-kind, is likely nothing more than Satan trying to pull you away from the common salvation in Christ.

We are all in this together, working the same direction, after the same goal.

Roger

Jump Start # 1871

Jude 3 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Jude changed the direction of what he was intending to write. Instead of writing about the common salvation, he wrote an appeal to contend for the faith. There was a more pressing need that caused this shift in the direction of what he was writing.

This verse reminds us of the faith which was once delivered to the saints. The word “faith” is used a number of ways in the Bible. We most often think about what we believe, “our faith.” This faith comes through a belief in the word of God, as Romans 10:17 teaches. Faith can also refer to our conscience. This is how Paul uses that word in Romans 14. But faith can also be used to describe what it is that we believe. The faith, as Jude uses it, is not my personal belief but rather what was preached. In that powerful “one” section of Ephesians 4, we are told that there is “one faith.” Faith this way, is the Gospel message. The “faith” which was delivered, as Jude uses this word, is the message that the apostles preached. That faith, was once for all delivered to the saints.

The faith which was once for all delivered means God’s message. God has revealed His message to mankind. It has once for all been delivered. Jude’s appeal is for the brethren to seek, contend, follow and obey that faith that was preached.

Simple verse. Easy to understand. Then comes Satan’s curve ball. Has “the faith” been once for all delivered? That’s what the verse says, yet so many believe that God is still talking to them. They believe that God reveals things to them. They believe the Holy Spirit is leading them beyond the Scriptures. Formally, this is called “Progressive Revelation.” In other words, revelation is progressing. Like a river, it’s still flowing. There is more to come. It’s not completed. It’s not finished. It’s certainly, “not once for all delivered.” Most don’t know it by that formal terminology, they simply say, “God led me to this.” Or, they believe in divine nudges. Often, and most times, these things are feeling based. I have a hunch or a feeling that God was leading me to this.

Many current and popular religious writers are obsessed with this. They talk and write as if they are currently inspired directly from God. They talk about God leading them to write a certain paragraph or God leading them to a certain passage or God revealing a new way of doing things. And what generally happens, is that folks put more interest and attention into these “progressive” revelations than they do the written revelation of God’s word.

There are multiple problems with progressive revelation, one of which is that the people claiming these divine leadings, often stray far from the Scriptures. Where they believe God leads them is not closer to the word but to new horizons and new ideas and new doctrines. So, the truth be told, God is changing His mind. The faith once delivered wasn’t good enough. There was more that was needed. So, the Christian today has a different message than the Christian that Jude was writing to.

The message first spoken by our Lord and the apostles was confirmed and proven by miracles. This is what Hebrews tells us. And as we read the New Testament, we find only a handful of people that were directly inspired by God. And what they received from God was recorded for others to know and it concerned our walk with God. You’d get the impression by the way some that God must have been talking to the early disciples every day and about every thing. Not so. That’s not what we find in Scriptures.

Yet today, people are convinced that God led them to buy a certain house, take a certain job, marry a specific person. Things that do not involve any one else. Things that do not involve spiritual things. Things that are about parking spaces, and items found in a store.

Throwing the “God led me” expression to a discussion makes someone seem more credible. Who is going to argue with God? Who is going to say, “that’s not right?” Paul warned the Galatians about receiving messages, from angels or apostles, that was different than what they already had received. There again, is that “faith once delivered.” It’s ageless and changeless.

We need to stick with the word of God. The faith that Jude wanted his readers to contend for had been once for all delivered. Once for all.

Once for all people. There isn’t an American gospel and a European gospel. Once for all.

Once for all time. The faith in Jude’s day remains the faith today. Don’t go looking for something new, different, or unique. It has been once for all delivered.

Once for all situations. The message of the Gospel has gone through wars in foreign fields as well as Civil Wars. It has gone through Civil Rights issues, and political unrest. It has gone through depressions and economic upswings. It has gone through changes in government and society changes. It is that faith once delivered that comforts a home touched by death. It is that faith once delivered that has brought prodigals back home. It is that faith once delivered that has started congregations and seen them grow through the years. It is that faith once delivered that brought assurance of salvation and the hope of Heaven.

We need to be preaching that one faith that has been delivered. We need to toss these modern books that are leading us into the mine field of error by promoting progressive revelation. Feelings change. Feelings can be influenced by external things. Feelings can be wrong. If you don’t believe that, why is Google Maps something we all tend to use. It is because we thought we knew how to get somewhere, but we were wrong. Feelings can be misleading. We need to stick to that which is true, proven and lasting. We need to stick to the faith once delivered to all the saints. We need to stay away from “private messages,” and “personal messages” that we thought were given just to us. The message you from God is the message I have from God. It is the same message that Jude’s audience had. It was given to ALL THE SAINTS. And, it was given ONCE. Continual or progressive revelation is an on going process. There is no “once” in their thinking.

The VBS song, “The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me, I stand upon the word of God, The B-I-B-L-E.” Let’s not just sing that song, but let’s actually stand upon that book that was once delivered to all.

Roger