PBC, August 6, 2023

Last week, we finished a study through Jude. His main point of emphasis was “defend the faith.” Contend for it. Stand for it. In a couple of weeks, I plan to begin a new study in Genesis 1-11. These chapters contain things that our culture, and many, if not most, churches dismiss: Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the dispersal at Babel.
Our passage today is a good connection between what we have looked at and what we will look at. Matthew 7:6 is part of the Sermon on the Mount. In verses 1-5, Jesus cautions against judging hypocritically. (remember the log in your eye before you try to remove the speck from your brother's eye.) In verses 7-11, Jesus teaches about asking and receiving in faith.
Right here in the middle is this short command to be careful and discerning with what belongs to God. This falls right in line with Jude's call to defend the faith. For the next few minutes, we are going to unpack what Jesus is saying, and then finish with how we should respond to and obey this command.