The Ultimate Defense
Study Text – Jude 1-2
Memory Verse – Jude 2 – Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
This past Saturday (9/19/98), I had a chance to watch a football game.
During the game the defense chose to cover the offensive team’s receivers in
single coverage. (This means that there was only one of the defense’s players
assigned to cover each receiver.) During that play, the defensive player
intercepted the pass thrown to one of the receivers. A little later in the game
the defense chose to double cover the offensive team’s receivers. During that
play the quarterback made the mistake of attempting to throw to a
double-covered receiver. After the play the announcer stated, "He (the
quarterback) should have know better – trying to force the ball into double
coverage."
This week’s text is the opening of Jude’s letter to the believers in Christ.
In the 1st verse Jude gives the characteristics of the believers:
(1) Sanctified By God – Those who conform more and more to the image of Christ
and become Holy. [Set Apart For God]
(2) Preserved In Jesus Christ – Those who are protected from evil elements
until the last days
(3) Called – Those called out of the world by His word to belong to Him. * (King
James Version)
In the 2nd verse Jude sends the following blessings to the believers:
(1) Mercy – God’s compassion, care and comfort during trials & tribulations
(2) Peace – Serenity & Confidence that comes from reliance on God’s word
(3) Love – The Embrace of God for his people that should then be shared with
others
Jude also desires that these blessings be multiplied. Here Jude shows TRUE
wisdom as a Christian. Now, let’s go back to the football example. We all know
that double coverage is better than single coverage (from the defense’s
perspective). And we should assume triple coverage is better than double
coverage. So here’s my question. Why doesn’t Jude ask for these blessing of
Mercy, Peace & Love to be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled? The answer
is quite simple: HE DOES NOT WANT TO LIMIT GOD! For some reason we tend to
limit God. My plea to you is to STOP LIMITING GOD!
"I don’t know if I can pass this class" – STOP LIMITING GOD!
"I’ll always be broke and never be financially stable" – STOP LIMITING
GOD!
"I’ll never find a Godly mate" – STOP LIMITING GOD!
"My kids/relatives/friends/mate will never come around" – STOP
LIMITING GOD!
"I’ll probably be stuck in this job forever" – STOP LIMITING GOD!
"This pain will never go away" – STOP LIMITING GOD!
If you want limitless blessings then you have to fall into DIVINE ALIGNMENT
with God. You’ve got to fit the criteria Jude mentioned as being Sanctified,
Preserved and Called. The first step, if you’re not saved GET SAVED! For those
who are saved take your faith to the next level. Be even more faithful in the
things you do and attempt to increase your faith walk. Serve Him Diligently,
Seek His Face In Everything, Give Up Bad Habits, Tithe-Tithe-Tithe! (Godly
Prosperity will not come if you don’t.) Stop fooling yourself with that,
"I got enough to get by." GOD IS NOT A GET BY GOD! You don’t believe
me read Haggai 2:8 which states, "The silver is mine and the Gold is mine,
saith the LORD of hosts."
Now, if you get in Divine Alignment, you can have yourselves plenty of
silver and gold too! God truly wants to be the DEFENSE in your life and to
triple cover you is such a small task to Him. For those think His triple
coverage is great, which it is, – STOP LIMITING GOD. (Ephesians 3:20 – Now unto
him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us.) Let Him cover you like He wants to
– wooooooooo! We can’t even imagine how good that is but then again WE DON’T
WANT TO LIMIT HIM!
