Jude 3 KJV
[3] “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
The name Jude means praise. Jude wanted to praise God for the great salvation we have in Christ. But the Spirit of God led him to write about a more pressing matter. It was more needful to write about the battle over the truth. Apostates were rising up, and someone had to call them out before the church. Thank God for preachers who are not afraid to tell the truth. Jude would rather preach a glory sermon than expose the heresy of the day, but a real man of God will always give people what is most needful at the moment because he is in tune with the Spirit.
Jude’s purpose for writing was to exhort the saints. He has no intention of being mean-spirited, but he does not want them to fall into deception. An exhortation sermon is not always a lollipop message. Some men think that if they preach a sugar-coated sermon, they are encouraging the saints, but genuine exhortation is to present the truth in a way that admonishes you to contend for the faith. In other words, it challenges you to keep going and live for God.
We need more preaching like this today. We have too much self-promotion and flesh in our pulpits. The average preacher is more about exhibiting himself rather than expounding the Scriptures. That is why our churches are dying, and our pulpits are a joke in many places. We need men who will carry a burden, live holy lives, and preach in power. That is what challenged the church to contend for the faith. We need to get off the sidelines and get on the front line. Let us march toward Zion in these last days!