Contending for the Faith - Jude 1:1-4
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
Picnic Today
Background to Jude:
Background to Jude:
This morning we are going to begin three weeks in the book of Jude. Some have called this “the most neglected book in the NT.” Due to the mystery surrounding it’s author and audience, the fact that it is the third shortest book in the Bible, and the fact that has some controversial source material (more next week) it is easy to see why this letter can be easily forgotten.
However, this book is packed with gospel truth. Through historical and biblical examples of God's judgment, Jude stresses the seriousness of sin and the need for perseverance in faith despite cultural pushback. Ultimately, Jude reminds readers of God's sovereignty, His ability to preserve His people, and the certainty of His judgment, serving as a call to vigilance, faithfulness, and perseverance in the face of spiritual threats.
The author of this letter is identified only as Jude, which was certainly short for “Judas.” The name Judas was about the most common name a man could have in the first century. Within the New Testament alone we see five different men named Judas.
What we know about this Jude, is found in the opening verses of the letter:
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
A servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James
To me, this opening line gives us a pretty strong clue as to Jude’s identity (though some would argue that point). For there is only one Jude in the NT who we know had a brother named James.
In Matthew 13:55 we see that Jesus had four brothers: James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, who I believe to be the youngest brother of Jesus, and the author of this letter.
Some point out that if Jude was in fact Christ’s brother, he would make that clear, he would surely identify as the brother of Christ and not James right?
However, I think his introduction is intentionally written the way it is to make a point.
In regards to Christ, He is a servant. If he is the brother of Jesus, then John 7:5 tells us that previously he did not believe His brother to be the Christ. Mark 3:21 actually tells us that his brothers at one point believed He was crazy.
But, a good resurrection changes things.
Now, Jude knows who His brother is, and he identifies himself not as the little brother of Jesus, but rightfully as a servant of the Christ, and the brother of James (who would have been the most well known of his brothers apart from Christ, James had led the church in Jerusalem and authored a book of the bible himself).
Jude’s relationship with Jesus as a brother was obviously complicated (I mean, can you imagine having Jesus as a big brother?)
But after the resurrection, not only did Jude find saving faith, but also his relationship changed. Jesus is no longer the brother he pestered and taunted, but He is the Redeemer who purchased Jude through His very blood. I think Jude’s introduction is meant to demonstrate both humility, and this new relationship he has with His Savior.
Based off the context of this letter, it was written decades after Christ’s death. Many put it at around 50 years later, it could have been more (there is a good chance that Judas was much younger than Jesus).
With the passing of time, it seems that the church who had been awaiting Christ’s return, is starting to get frustrated (they had no idea that we would still be waiting 2,000 years later, the same people that saw Him resurrected thought they might see Him return in their lifetime).
When Christ doesn’t return, and suddenly the culture around them begins to change, political powers begin to change, and yet there is no new revelation from God, the people start to get nervous. They thought they’d be out of here by now, and so they’re struggling to live out the apostles teaching in the midst of a world that is becoming increasingly hostile to the ways of Jesus.
In this way, we can probably all sympathize. It seems that every generation has a growing sense that “Christ is surely coming soon” and that totally checks out, because each generations feel the reality that His return is closer than it was for those before us. However, whether 50 years post resurrection, or 2024 years, God has us hear for a purpose, and that purpose includes the building up, and sustaining of His church, in the midst of every variation of Babylon. We are called to wait, and to wait faithfully.
So Jude writes this letter to remind them of that calling, and to do the same for you and I today.
He starts with his opening address, reminding the church of who they are:
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
called… beloved… kept.
To those who are called:
In describing the miracle of salvation and the Spirit’s role in it, Martin Luther once wrote:
"I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith."
-Martin Luther
The history of our salvation, in terms of the aspects we are aware of, begins with God’s call. It’s common to say that someone has “found Jesus” but make no mistake friend, the gospel is clear, Jesus found you!
Do you remember where you were when you first heard the gospel? Perhaps you don’t. In fact, there is a good chance you heard it 100 times without taking notice, but then, came the one time. One day, despite having heard His word many times, you heard it and by the power of the Spirit, He called you.
On that day, the word was not empty of power, but filled with it. Jesus ordained that you would sit in that pew, at that table, in that Sunday School class, in that coffee shop, with that friend, and this time you would hear His invitation and through the person speaking, by the power of the Spirit, He would call you to Himself and you would respond!
In his book titled, Amazing Grace, Timothy George once wrote:
God created human beings with free moral agency, and He does not violate this even in the supernatural work of regeneration. Christ does not rudely bludgeon His way into the human heart. He does not abrogate our creaturely freedom. No, He beckons and woos, He pleads and pursues, He waits and He wins. (Amazing Grace, 86–87)
Our God has no need to bludgeon His way, He only needs to open our eyes, and when He opened yours, you saw everything your soul was created for, you saw every desire your heart longed for, and you responded.
God called you, because your:
beloved in God the Father:
We know that God is love, and John 3:16 tells us that God loves the world.
But God’s love for His own is different. It is a permanent love, a love with benefits, a love that knows no end…A love that would go to a bloody cross.
I am so happy that this building is filled with children, and I take great joy in seeing all of these new babies…I love to hold babies! Every time I hold a baby, I immediately feel a sense of love for them (Josie, Henry, Sons of Thunder).
That love is real, and powerful, but…it is not the same as the love I have for my children. Make no mistake, my love for my own doesn’t lessen my love for others, that love is very real. But the love I have for Millie, Sadie and Moses is a love born from the reality that they are mine. They have been given my name, they are heirs to all I have, they are my responsibility every moment of every day, and I will do ANYTHING (to anyone) to keep them safe.
Your child I must hand back (otherwise you get weird and call the cops), but my child is my responsibility, and thus it is my delight to teach them all I know, and give them all I have.
This is how God loves you.
Romans 5:8 says:
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
That’s one of those verses that is far too easy to read too quickly. Let those words sink in.
God didn’t call you because you loved Him,
God didn’t call you because you were doing a great job,
God didn’t call you because He saw you had “real potential”
God called you, because He loved you, even before you picked up the phone.
The Father knew you long before your mom and dad did, and He loved you long before they existed. God so loved you that He (gospel…).
You were called by God, because you are loved by God, and it’s through Him, that you will be
kept for Jesus Christ:
Jude loves this word “kept”. This book is only one chapter, yet in it Jude uses this word five times. This word is so critical to his message that I want to spend some extra time here.
This word translated “kept” means “to protect, keep from harm, or preserve.”
In Hebrews 7 the author desires for God’s people to understand what God has done for them in Christ. They had long looked to Priests to intercede for them in accordance with God’s covenant conditions as laid out in the OT.
But the author of Hebrews wants them to see that Christ was not only the perfect sacrifice, that fulfilled completely the conditions of the old covenant, but He is now the mediator and guarantee of a better one.
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
The old Priests were many in number, because they died, and their sacrifices were many in number because they were sinners.
The Priests were allowed to serve, because their primary purpose was not to atone for sin, but to point to the One who would.
And on the basis of the Law, Jesus is proven perfect forever, and thus, He is able to intercede for us forever!
Or as the bible so beautifully says, He is able to save to the uttermost!
Uttermost is from the Greek word panteles which means completely, perfectly, utterly
When Jesus saved you, He saved you completely! There was not one transgression that had taken place or that is yet to take place that He did not take with Him to the cross..NOT ONE.
* Your lackluster prayer life went to the cross
* The apathy you have had toward His word was taken to the cross
* Your moments of failure as a parent or a friend, went to the cross
* Your moments of unbelief were taken to the cross
Your heart is conditioned by Babylon to constantly question this reality. If the enemy cannot convince you that God is dead, his best plan is to keep from you the good news that He IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU!
Think about this: What lies did the prodigal son believe that kept him away so long
Lives to make intercession - Child of God, not one moment goes by when your great High Priest does not cease to think of you. His perfect atoning work never ceases to drape over you. He lives to make intercession!
“Our blessed Lord is interceding for us, but He is in no sense appeasing God. All that God’s holy Being and righteous government could demand was once for all, completely and forever, satisfied at the Cross.” - William Newell
Jesus’ intercession on our behalf is not a matter of appeasing an angry Father who wants to destroy us. Nor is it simply a matter of continually chanting prayers on behalf of His people. It means that He continually represents us before the Father so that we can draw near through Him, and that He defends us against Satan’s accusations and attacks. Like the High Priest of old, He represents us before the Father, but unlike them, He does so perfectly forever.
Jesus knows you will fail, just like He knew this of Peter. Consider the words He said to Peter before his denial in Luke 22:31-32
[31] “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, [32] but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Jesus knew Peter would falter, but Satan would not have Him, because Christ would not allow it, thus He charged him to get back up and continue onward. These words are applicable to all who belong to Jesus. Satan demanded to have you, but Jesus Christ intercedes for you and so:
You are Kept!
And because you are kept, you can live boldly like Paul declaring:
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
To live with that kind of assurance, is to live a life of mercy, peace and love, and this is exactly what Jude wants for the church:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you
As a people called, beloved, and kept, the church should living in such a way, that they cultivate the glory of the kingdom in the midst of cultural barrenness.
Mercy, peace and love have been granted them perfectly in Christ, and thus, should be overflowing from their fellowship, yet, this is not the case:
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
This is not the letter Jude wanted to write. He loves these people and he would far prefer to write a letter encouraging them in the midst of faithfulness. But, instead he has to challenge (and even rebuke) them to contend for the faith that was revealed to them by Jesus and taught to them by the apostles.
They seem to be waiting for something else, they’re eager to guy something new! But Jude tells them that what they need is “the faith” there is no other. The same gospel that was delivered once and for all, to all the saints, is the gospel that will see them through that day, and every day after until Christ returns.
They must not only remember the gospel, but “contend” for it. That is, “protect it.”
Imagine you walk into a gallery of the world’s finest art. Would they be ok if you brought a paint brush and decided to make some changes? No way! There are protective barriers in place to keep you back, and in some places there are even guards that would tackle you.
If something is of value it’s protected, and nothing is of greater value than the gospel.
And so every believer is called to contend. To fight for truth, to strengthen one another that we might stand firm.
The problem is that when the world gets scary, we tend to want something more.
When the crowds get angry, we tend to want to make edits to the masterpiece of God’s word. They start off small, but then they grow. Once you’ve defiled a masterpiece, what’s the harm in a little more.
And unfortunately, the enemy loves to deploy distorters of the gospel into the local church.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude describes a church, that in the mist of cultural chaos, has become “unsettled.” This is what happens when we begin to modify the gospel and God’s word. And this has been expounded by “certain people” who are deceiving people and causing all kinds of problems.
Notice some the words that describe them. Few will fit all of these descriptions, but all deceivers will fit at least one of these:
Crept in unnoticed:
Those who seek to cause strife in the church never announce that as their goal. They climb over the fence, they sneak in through the back door, or they come in the front door and simply hide their intentions. They don’t go through the proper channels to share their message, and they avoid those who might catch on to them.
They like to sneak around and discredit those in authority, all in the name of “love” of course.
They act like a friend, but they desire destruction. They fit the description of Revelation 13:11 where we see a false prophet who looks like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon.
God knows who these are, and they stand condemned by Him for they are an:
ungodly people:
The way they live does not reflect Jesus. Peace, love and mercy are not the attributes that describe them. While they might use those kinds of words, their fruit doesn’t match.
They aren’t kind, they aren’t humble, and they don’t submit to authority.
Instead, they:
pervert the grace of our God into sensuality:
While many deceivers can be legalists, they can also be the opposite. They use grace as a means of justifying their desires. The words used for “sensuality” simply refers to “sins of the flesh.” Whether sexual misconduct, or drunkeness, these false teachers make of mockery of Christ’s sacrifice as they use it to justify and encourage unholy living.
In doing so, they:
deny Jesus Christ:
Whether they outright deny His authority with their words, or by reject it in the way they live, they are ultimately those who don’t fear God, and thus, know nothing of His glory!
While we don’t know the specifics of who or exactly what is being taught to the church. We do know this, the church is crippled when we embrace the worlds ways as ours, because in doing so, we forsake God’s glory.
The glory of God is both His beauty and His perfection.
It’s His excellence and His majesty.
It’s His infinite purity and His infinite power.
“It refers to his infinite and overflowing fullness of all that is good. The term might focus on his different attributes from time to time — like his power and wisdom and mercy and justice — because each one is indeed awesome and beautiful in its magnitude and quality. But in general, God’s glory is the perfect harmony of all his attributes into one infinitely beautiful and personal being.” - John Piper
This is the scandal of Genesis 3.
Out of all creation, God loves the image bearers first and foremost….and yet, it is the image bearers that attempt to take for themselves the glory that belongs to God. Creation attempts to take the place of the Creator and all is lost.
And despite the devastation amongst all of creation after the fall, humans do not stop working to attain their own glory.
In Genesis 11 we arrive at the Tower of Babel (context)
In verse 4 the people say “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with it’s top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves ”
At this point humanity seems to be without hope, but in an act of mercy, God intervenes and scatters them in order to protect them from themselves.
Because of God’s great love (an aspect of His glory) He showed His people grace as He prepares to rescue them.
The very next chapter is Genesis 12 and in Verse 1 God tells Abram:
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. [2] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”
Notice the distinction between 11 and 12 (highlight)
In Genesis 12 something amazing happens, God reveals His plan to restore the image bearers He loves. He will make them worthy, He will make His beloved creation good once again, but not by our power, nor through our works, but through His love.
He has made us good on the basis of His loving goodness, which is His glory.
In this way, our brokenness, glorifies the Redeemer who is able to save!
Man is prone to His own way, but in grace, the Lord brings HIS CHILDREN back every time!~ And He receives all the glory forever and ever, for He is the One to which it belongs.
Closing:
Closing:
Timothy writes a word to the church that summarizes well Jude’s heart for the believer:
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
Our world is constantly changing. In November, it will change again, and you can turn on any new station right now and feel the anxiousness of the world, on every side.
It’s tempting for us to get caught up in that, but our instruction in all seasons is to continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed.
Abraham did not receive what you have been given. He did not know the means by which God would rescue His people. He did not know that the Greater Isaac would be sacrificed and would defeat death once and for all.
Moses didn’t know the fullness of the faithfulness God would show those wayward people through the establishment of his church in Acts.
Even the disciples did not have access to the word we have been given. While they witnessed so much, we know details of experiences in Christ’s life that they didn’t even see. We have letters they would write that many of them would never hear.
We have been given a far greater gift than any who came before us, and thus it is no mystery as to why the enemy continually peddles counterfeit glory.
The good news of the gospel is that for those who belong to God, these schemes won’t work, God will sustain His beloved and the schemes of the enemy will only serve to aid our sanctification until the day that work is finished.
My prayer this morning, is that we might continue to contend!
Every believer has experienced the fear of weakness. and false teachers, and a lost culture, they sell fake anecdotes for weakness, one sells license and the other legalism.
But for us, because of Christ, our weakness is not to be hidden before the Lord or the church, our weakness declares our need for the gospel and our dependence on Jesus. It is the prerequisite to receiving the strengthening the gospel provides.
This morning, I beckon you, bring your weakness to Jesus, be honest with yourself and be transparent with this gospel family that we might strengthen and bear one another’s burdens.
As we grow in health living out the rhythms of Gospel, Safety and Time, we begin to slowly but surely cultivate seed of mercy, peace and love into our community, because we are growing in, and embracing the reality of Christ’s heart toward us. A people Called, Loved and Kept, for His glory and our good.
Let us pray
