Introduction: We live in a time when people can’t handle adversity. People no longer believe in hard work and dedication and finishing their course. You work with people who don’t care what kind of a job they do. Husbands and wives really don’t care how well their marriage is doing. Young people don’t care what kind of students they are. People don’t care what kind of friends they are and worst of all is that Christians don’t care whether or not they are good Christians.

American Christianity has been reduced to a watered down, offend nobody draw everybody mess. You’ve got Billy Graham telling hell bound religionists that they are going to heaven because they are doing their best. You’ve got mainstream charismatic crowds making people into gods. We’ve turned the Church into an entertainment center and sent holy living and godly Christianity packing. We’ve watched as young people lose their purity not because of Hellywood but because they’ve sat in a modern Church service. We’ve forsaken songs with words like:

“O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood

To every believer the promise of God;

The vilest offender who truly believes,

That moment from Jesus a pardon receives”

And

“My Jesus I love Thee I know Thou art mine

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign

My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now”

To the modern praise and worship, contemporary Christian and southern gospel junk. So how do we get back what we’ve lost and gain ground to being a godly people? EARNESTLY CONTEND!

1. What Does It Mean To Earnestly Contend
1. Earnestly contending basically means that you are fighting with every bit of strength and zeal that you have and if you lose it will be because you died fighting
2. The Example of a Shepherd (Amos 3:12Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
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2. For What Things Should We Earnestly Contend
1. The Bible
2. The Blood
1. Following the teaching of John MacArthur many have forsaken the importance of the blood of Christ. They say that the shedding of blood is merely symbolic to say that Christ had to die.
2. References to the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
   See All...; Hebrews 9:14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
   See All...; Hebrews 10:19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
   See All...; Hebrews 13:12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
   See All...; 1 Peter 1:18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
   See All...; Revelation 1:5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
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3. Baptism
4. The Gospel
5. Liberty
1. To Preach
2. To Proselyte
6. Holy Living
3. Why Should We Earnestly Contend
1. Because the faith has been bought by the blood of God’s people since it was delivered to them
2. Because this faith that was once delivered has been delivered to us
3. Because the Church was purchased by the blood of Christ

Conclusion: The blood of martyrs is so precious to God that one day He will avenge their blood (Revelation 6:10-11 [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? [11] And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
See All...). The blood of Jesus Christ is so precious to God that He will forgive the vilest sinners debt if he only put his trust in that blood. The church was so precious to Christ that He purchased it with that blood. Is Jesus Christ and His blood precious enough for you to Earnestly Contend for the faith? How are doing? Are you just going through the motions or have you given yourself in life and even in death to fighting the good fight of faith?