The summer after I graduated from high school, I worked in a carpet factory. I met a very interesting man who, at one time, was a professional boxer. We got to talking about boxing and he said, "Do you know the two biggest mistakes boxers make?"

I said, "No, what?"

He said, "Number one: telegraphing their punches; and number two: failing to keep their guard up."

The theme of the book of Jude is "Keeping Your Guard Up." This is the third smallest book in the New Testament, but it illustrates the truth that "big things come in small packages." It is a small book, but it packs a big wallop. Jude tackles head-on what may be the greatest issue facing the church today apostasy. Luke wrote the acts of the apostles, but Jude has written the acts of the apostates.

Now what is an apostate? An ap…