Kept in Christ

INTRO

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Good morning, everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Bruce. I’m one of the leaders here with CityLight Young Adults. It’s been such a blessing to be here with you this weekend to watch this community grow and to see each of you pursuing the Lord and contending for your faith.

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This weekend has been great! But as great as it’s been, I hate to break it to you, it won’t be representative of the majority of your life. The beauty of these conferences is that we take you out of the busyness of the City, out of your daily anxieties. And we bring you to a place where everything facilitates your pursuit of God. We remove all of the distractions to keep you FOCUSED on Jesus.

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But most of your walk with God will be filled with distractions. It’s EASY to contend for the faith here, where we force you to hear 4 sermons in 2.5 days. It’s EASY here. But how do you contend when you get home? When a college buddy comes to town and wants to get drunk with you and relive your college days together. How do you contend when you feel left out? When your friends stop inviting you to things because you’re taking this Christian thing “too seriously?”; and now you feel like your friendship is slowly falling apart? How do you contend when your friends are trying to convince you to watch that new show with about 10 sex scenes in every episode. How do you CONTEND when your flesh is telling you, “Eh… it’s not that bad. I can handle it.”

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Contending in those moments, THAT is the Christian life. It’s about being intentional with the decisions that don’t really seem to make a difference. Nobody needs to convince themselves that they can’t jump across the Grand Canyon. But what if it’s just a six-foot ditch? “If I just get a running start, I could probably make it.” “If I just fast forward through all those sex scenes, I could probably watch this show without falling to temptation.” The Christian life is about having the wisdom to make those types of decisions EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE, especially when it’s easier to let our guard down.

To contend for the faith requires a daily pursuit of God; a daily reliance on the Lord. That’s what we’re going to look at today. How can YOU, ACTUALLY do what’s necessary to contend for the faith, every day? What you’re going to see is that the only way for you to keep yourself in the love of God is to RECOGNIZE and LIVE out of the truth that God put you in that love to begin with. And it’s God who will keep you there in it, as well. It is GOD who empowers YOU to contend. God Keeps You in Christ.

Three Points

‌God will Keep you Contending; God will Keep you Clean; and God will Keep you for His Commendation.

Scripture Reading

‌So open your Bibles to Jude 24

​Jude 24–25 ESV

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Keep you Contending

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God is able to “Keep you from stumbling.” When you read this word here, you have to understand the meaning from the context. Most people, when they hear the word “stumbling,” think about tripping or falling down. So, it is easy to understand this sentence from Jude to mean that God does not let you trip. But that’s not what it means at all. In the context of the problem that Jude presents to his audience, he’s talking about people being led away to the point of no return, not tripping and getting back up, or losing one’s balance momentarily.

The Book of Jude is warning that there are false teachers who are leading people astray, they are deceiving people into thinking that they’re good with God, but they’re walking further and further away from the kingdom. Some of these people are so deceived that they THINK they’re walking towards the love of God, but they’re not. They’re walking away from it. They think they’re an apple tree, but they’re producing oranges.

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That’s what stumbling means in this passage. Stumbling isn’t losing and then regaining your balance. Stumbling, in this context, and in many other places of the Bible is a calamitous fall, one with no return. And that’s what God is able to keep you from. He is able to keep you from his judgment, from his wrath.

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Once you’ve placed your faith in Christ, you are SEALED. There is NOTHING that can change that. You were dead. But Christ came and died, then he was raised to life, and through that, he gives you life. You WERE dead, but now you’re ALIVE, and YOU WILL REMAIN ALIVE. You will not STUMBLE your way back into death; that’s impossible. You started off DEAD in your sins, and when you place your faith in Jesus, you become ALIVE in Him. What God has made alive is ALIVE. Can I get an amen?

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IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST, YOU ARE FULLY ALIVE, AND GOD WILL KEEP YOU ALIVE. HE WILL KEEP YOU CONTENDING. He will keep you moving in the right direction.

MOVING SIDEWALK ILLUSTRATION

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I used to love going to the airport as a kid. I always got so excited to see those moving sidewalks. I loved those things! And I always wanted to walk on them. Even as a kid, I understood the math behind how it worked. My walking speed PLUS the speed of the moving sidewalk EQUALS…*pshh pshh pshh* TOO FAST, BABY! “YOU CAN’T CATCH ME!” It made me feel like a superhero, like I was Flash Gordon. They were so much fun to walk on. They just carry you along, even if you’re not walking.

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Now I bring this up, because I want you to visualize your walk with Jesus like this moving sidewalk. This is the truth of the Gospel: When you receive Christ into your life, you move from Death to Life. God takes you from the normal walkway (which leads to damnation, eternal judgment), and He puts you onto this moving sidewalk that continually progresses towards an eternity with God.

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This is the process that Christians call sanctification. Every day, you’re being made more like Jesus Christ. You’re on this moving sidewalk that is directing you to a place where you will be perfectly reflecting Jesus Christ.

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“But Bruce, if God is moving me forward on this conveyer belt, how come I feel like I haven’t made any progress?” Oh, thanks for asking!

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That’s what Jude is warning against in his letter. There ARE false teachers in the world. There are people in this world who are twisting God’s word, or they’re neglecting God’s word, to justify the evil that they want to do. And you MUST be aware of them. These are the people that are telling you that its’ okay to do this or to do that. Or that what Paul is teaching in his letters was specific to THAT particular people in THAT culture at THAT particular time. As if God changes His mind as cultures change over time.

Cultures may change, but the Character of God does not. Write that down. Cultures change, but God’s character doesn’t. That’s why Jesus had to come. Because humans were calling RIGHT what God called WRONG. What God calls wrong is wrong YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW. The world is lying to you, and these lies tell you that your behavior doesn’t really matter. God’s cool with it. But that’s not true! He’s not cool with it at all. If God was cool with it, then Jesus wouldn’t have come. And Jesus actually coming to die on the cross, is evidence that God is, in fact, NOT COOL WITH IT.

“Contending for the faith” requires us to look at our lives with magnifying glasses. Studying our lives to see what it is we’re producing. Are there things in your life that you’re holding onto so desperately that it’s become an idol? That it’s become sin. Look, nobody needs a magnifying glass to see that Murder is a sin. But you might need a magnifying glass to see that your perfectionism might be. That your jealousy might be. That your competitiveness might be.

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I’m going to let you in on a little secret. EVERY. SINGLE. one of us in this room has sin like this in our lives. We’re all the same in that aspect, the only difference between us is that we all fall into one of three categories.

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You’re in the first category if you know the sin in your life, and you’re actively searching for and working to uproot them. Like a weed in the garden, you want to pull it from its roots and toss it away before it spreads to other areas of your life. You’re in the second category if you don’t know the sin is in your life, so you can’t actively work to uproot them. You would if you could, but you’re just blind to it, so you can’t. And the third category, you’re in that one if you know the sin in your life, and you choose to ignore it, justifying them.

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Let’s dive into those categories a little bit more, and I want you to honestly ask yourself as we discuss these, “Which one am I in?”

Let’s start with the third category. It’s very important, but it’s not a very easy thing to be up here teaching about. If you recognize that there is sin in your life, if you know it is against the will of God, and you continually justify your actions, without any remorse or guilt. If that’s you, I want to challenge you to consider whether you’re actually on this conveyer belt or not. Because the truth of the Gospel is that when you receive Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and He, the Holy Spirit, will guide your conscience, your heart, your mind. And if somehow you have NO DESIRE to be more like Jesus, then I would encourage you to consider whether the Holy Spirit actually dwells in you. Now the beauty of the Gospel is that if that’s you, if you’re in this category, you don’t have to stay in this category.

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When you hear this, you probably respond in one of two ways. The first way is that you’re thinking, “Screw this guy. I’m not gonna listen to him. He has no idea what he’s talking about.” The second way you might respond is, “Man, I hope that’s not me. Please don’t let that be me.” If you’re that first person, I don’t know what to tell ya. I hope you enjoyed your time here this weekend, and I’ll be praying for you. Come talk to me afterwards if you want to wrestle later.

But if you’re that second person, I want to encourage you, because simply having that reaction is evidence that you want to move in the right direction. You understand that Jesus died for you. He bought you for a price to live a life that He’s called you to live. And this tension that you feel is your body recognizing that there is a gap between what you know God has called you to and the way you’re living your life. That’s a good tension that you want to have in your life. It’s a holy tension.

And I just want to reiterate this. If you haven’t already placed your faith in Jesus, I am pleading with you, do NOT leave this place without putting your faith in Christ and telling somebody it. Please. If you’re on the fence, please talk to me or to Pastor John, or to your friend who invited you here this weekend and express these thoughts. The best thing you can possibly do with your life is to start living it the way God desires you to, and that can start right here, right now.

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Now for the first two categories, you ARE on this moving sidewalk; you have been justified by faith. There’s no doubt about it. So that first category, if you recognize the sin in your life and you actively work to uproot it. I encourage you to keep digging! The deeper you grow in your walk with Christ, the more you see the sin in your life. The more you see the sin in your life, the more you see God’s grace in your life, because you learn how much you ACTUALLY need Jesus.

If you find yourself in that second category, SAME THING. KEEP DIGGING. David says in Psalm 139:23–24 ESV, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” This the attitude you should have. Asking God to point out your brokenness and to lead YOU, into the way everlasting, in the right direction. Otherwise, if you don’t have this attitude, you continue in your sins, not knowing that they’re there. And you grow exhausted.

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Why? Because there are some things in your life that are contrary to God’s design for you. The world is trying to convince you to pursue those things. But when you do, you’re facing the world, rather than God. And this conveyer belt that you’re on has turned into a treadmill, because you’re facing the wrong direction. And you grow exhausted. The Christian life feels burdensome. Because you’re feeling the effects of that sin in your life, whether you know the sin is there or not. Why is the Christian life so difficult sometimes? Because there is sin that is underlying some of your behavior and thoughts in life. You might be searching for validation from the people around you rather than from the God who died for you. Or you might be trying to juggle everything in your life rather than resting in the fact that God, the creator of the universe, the God who holds all things together, is the one who is actually controlling everything. That’s why.

And that’s why it may seem like you’ve not made much progress. Listen, if you’re on this moving sidewalk, the only way to not move forward is to actively walk the other direction. That’s what Jude is saying here. There are false teachers who are actively fooling people into actively walking the other direction. Jude is saying, “Don’t walk that way! Contend for the faith. No matter how appealing their message, don’t listen. It’s all lies. You’ve been saved, Dude. Walk in the way of salvation.”

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So, GOD KEEPS YOU CONTENDING. Your Christian walk is done on this conveyer belt. You are destined, an absolute guarantee, to be transformed into the Likeness of Jesus Christ. You may fall down, but that conveyer belt is still carrying you to the goal. And by God’s grace, no matter how many times you fall down on this journey, you can always get back up. So, God keeps you contending. Not only does he do that, but he also, KEEPS YOU CLEAN.

Keep you Clean

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

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‌Other versions say, “without blemish” or “without fault.” God makes you clean, and it brings God joy to do so. When somebody becomes a Christian, they are made righteous. You’re not just forgiven for your sins, but you’re credited with all the good that Jesus did. So, it’s as if every time God looks at you, He doesn’t see your sin and your brokenness, but He sees Jesus’ righteousness.

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Now, just because you’ve been called righteous by God doesn’t mean that sin doesn’t affect you anymore. You still live in this broken world. And you still have temptations that you deal with on a daily basis. Although God will always see you as righteous, you can still do unrighteous things on this earth. That’s why, even as a Christian, you might cuss out that guy when he cuts you off on 495. You can still do unrighteous things on this side of Heaven. But even then, God is proactively working in you to make you more like Jesus every single day. So that you’re actually living in alignment with the righteousness that you already carry. That’s holiness.

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MIRROR ILLUSTRATION

‌I have another illustration for you. This time I have some props. This mirror represents you. *HAVE SOMEONE SHINE FLASHLIGHT AT THE MIRROR* In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And we learn that “God created man in his own image.” God created you to bear His image. Out of all of God’s creations, the heavens and the earth, the birds in the air, the animals on the land, the fish in the sea, and the angels, out of all of God’s creations, only you, only humanity is made in God’s image. You were made to be his representatives in the world. To reflect God. To be an accurate picture of who God is. But as you know, Adam and Eve, they disobey God (Genesis 3). Sin entered into the world. And every single human has now been born into a state of sinfulness. *SPRAY MIRROR WITH FAKE SNOW* So now, because of the sin in our lives, the way we reflect God’s image has been marred. The image has been distorted. It’s cloudy. It does not accurately display God to the world. But God sets out to fix that.

God picks you up, saying, “By the blood of Jesus, this one is mine, and He is righteous.” And He sets you on that conveyer belt, and He keeps you there. But again, just because you’re on it doesn’t mean you can’t still sin. You can.

But God is uprooting those sins in our lives day by day. He is revealing those things day by day.

As you walk the wrong way on the conveyer belt, the Holy Spirit might bring up a verse you have memorized, and it stops you in your track.

“Oh, you’re right. I am wrong. I should forgive that person. I should probably go ask them for forgiveness actually.”

And just like that, in that area of you’re life, you’re not walking the wrong direction, but you’re now moving towards Jesus.

If you struggle with anger or hatred in your heart, he helps you to learn to love.

If you do things that bring sadness to others, as God transforms you, he helps you to bring joy into the world.

‌He helps you to trade:‌

Chaos for Peace

‌Irritability for Patience

‌Callousness for Kindness

‌Evil for Goodness

‌Infidelity for Faithfulness

‌Brutality for Gentleness

‌Impulsivity for Self-control

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God has made you clean, and He is Keeping you Clean. He is empowering you to live out of the righteousness that He has already given you. And that brings us to our last point: God Keeps you for His Commendation.

Keep you for His Commendation

‌Don’t get this one twisted. It is true, we’d all love to meet face to face with God one day for him to say to us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” And by God’s grace, that WILL happen. I truly believe that He wants that to happen. It’s not your commendation for which you are being kept, but his. It’s for his glory, not yours.

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Let’s look at the verses again. It says, “Now to HIM who is able to keep YOU from stumbling and to present YOU blameless before the presence of HIS glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, [TO HIM] be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.”

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It’s not for your glory that God is keeping you, brothers and sisters. It’s for God’s. The reason we have the Bible today is because humanity stole glory from God. Adam and Eve thought they knew better than God. They thought God was holding out on them. So they disobeyed; they sinned, marring the very image of God, in which they were made. Humanity was designed to be the representation of God to the world. A representation of his goodness, His patience, His creativity, His joy, His love, His holiness.

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John Piper defines God’s glory as “the manifest beauty of God’s holiness.” So, God creating humans in His own image was God’s preferred way of manifesting His holiness to the world. Through you and me.

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But in your sin, you are stealing glory from God. Because the world is not seeing God for who He is, the world sees a false picture of who God is. Their idea of God is the hypocrite who goes to church on Sunday but lies, steals, and cheats his way to the top in his workplace. Or the gossip who prays with the other women while at the church but talks poorly about them on the way home.

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But God, in His goodness, does not leave you in that mess. He makes a way for YOU to be reconciled to Him, and for Him to get the glory He’s due. He makes us righteous. And He keeps us clean. And the cleaner He makes us, the better we reflect the Image of God. And the better we reflect the Image of God, the more accurately the world can see God’s holiness. ‌

Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” As you’re made clean, the light you shine is God’s holiness. You’re reflecting the glory of God INTO the world. And the world will see it and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

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It’s not a question of if; it’s a question of when. God will stop at nothing to take back what is His. He sent His only son to die on the cross to ensure that. And if He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him graciously give us all things?

How will he not also, along with Him, graciously KEEP US CONTENDING? How will he not also, along with Him, graciously KEEP US CLEAN?

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And I need you to understand this: Nobody, not even you, desires for you to be made more like Jesus than God does. And God has put you specifically where you are in life right now, because He wants you to be more like Jesus. And He wants YOU to reflect HIM to those people in your spheres of influence. You’re going to leave here. You’re going to go home. And you’re going to have to make many difficult decisions. Do I do this, or do I not do it? Do I say this or no? Do I go there, or do I stay away? You’re going to be faced with tough decisions. But if you’re on this moving sidewalk, every single one of those decisions will EVENTUALLY lead you to where God is already taking you. It just might be a little more exhausting and strenuous, depending on the decisions you’re making.

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I’ll tell you this though, as encouragement to contend: Those moving sidewalks are not designed to be a treadmill. They’re designed to get you to where you’re going.

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BRING BAND BACK UP:

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So often you see in war movies: The good guys are pinned down by the enemy, they can’t advance. But one of them is on the radio calling in air support. After a little while, the jets come flying over, bombarding the enemy strongholds. And those people who were just pinned down have a resurgence of life. Their spirits are lifted, and they can continue to contend. They can fight the enemy with confidence.

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That’s the same kind of motivation that Jude is giving here with these last two verses. Yes, there’s a responsibility that we have to continue to contend. For us to keep ourselves in the love of God. But it’s God who is actually doing the work. He’s put you on this conveyer belt, and He’s propelling you forward. Because of that, you can have confidence as you contend. So I want to encourage you. GO!!!! Go contend. Go snatch people out of the fire. Go attempt big things for God. Go pray massive prayers for God to do what the world thinks is impossible.

Don’t LEAVE here. GO from here. Go from here with confidence that God has taken you from death and raised you to life. Now every step you walk in this new life is done so on this path toward Jesus Christ, and there’s nothing that can thwart that plan. Not the enemy. Not your thoughts and insecurities. Not your lack of finances. Not your lack of a spouse to partner with. Not the sin that God is slowly removing from your life. God will USE all of that for your good and for His glory. You WILL be transformed into the likeness of Christ. You WILL be kept to contend. You WILL be kept clean. You WILL bring glory to God.

So, to answer that question from the beginning of this message: how can you contend when you get home to the real world? Rest in God. He is the one who keeps you. It’s not easy, but it is simple. The Christian life is very simple: TRUST IN GOD. But the practical steps can be tough when you’re fighting against the world.

We know how tough it is to drown out the noise of the world and to fixate on the truth of the Scriptures sometimes. So we want to help you by providing you with a resource. You may have already seen, but in your swag bags we made you a little bookmark. On it, you’ll find a handful of verses that you can pray through in times of doubt and questioning. I encourage you to try and memorize a few of them that really calm your heart.

In the same way that bookmarks help you to keep your place in the novel that you’re reading. We want you to use this bookmark to help you keep your place in God’s love, knowing that He’s the one that put you there to begin with. And this work of transformation in your life, if it started by God, it will be finished by God. That’s why the Book of Hebrews calls Jesus the author and perfector of your faith. He starts it and He finishes it.

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So, fix your eyes on Jesus, and run the race that was marked for you. Take off down that moving sidewalk with confidence. And we might just see how fast and how far God can move you.

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Let’s Pray.