Rest in God's Authority
Notes
Transcript
I really struggled writing the message for this week. Every time I thought about what I might want to say I found myself lacking tremendously.
I wondered how I could encourage you to live in a way that I struggled so much with myself.
But then I realized something. . .
There was a time right before the presidential debate where even the social media were setting the bar so low for Biden.
It was so low that he basically had to show up, stand for 90 minutes, and at least sound somewhat coherent.
One person after the debate made a comment about how low the Democrats set the bar and they still found a way to limbo under it.
I’m not trying to get political here but it was a perfect illustration for the message today. Last week we talked about how we are supposed to live in this ungodly world.
How we should know and rejoice in the apostle’s prophecy of the false teachers. How we are to strengthen our faith and our relationship with God.
How we are to present the love of God to those around us. How we are to treat them with mercy, compassion, and love.
We might laugh about Biden in the illustration. . .
But, God set the bar really low for us. It would be so much easier to just step over the top of it.
But instead we go out of our way to twist and contort ourselves so we can limbo right underneath it. One of the ways we tend to do that, is by accepting the glory for things ourselves instead of giving that glory to God.
We should always give God the glory and rest in His authority.
What does it mean to rest in God’s authority?
We’re going to look at what Jude tells us about that in the final two verses of his letter.
In order to rest in God’s authority there are two concepts that we must understand and apply in our lives.
Our Reason For Praising God
Our Expression of Praise to God.
We must first recognize the reason we should be praising God.
Our Reason for Praising God
Our Reason for Praising God
Jude gives us some reasons in verse 24.
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
If you remember from last week we talked about how we have a responsibility for our relationship with God and with others. How we are supposed to be and act different from secular society. How we are supposed to present Christ through us.
Some of us may be thinking we’re tired, we’re weary. We might be feeling like we just want to throw in the towel and give up the fight.
We struggle with all sorts of fleshly desires. We get angry, we might have lustful thoughts, we definitely have a tendency to be prideful. But, Jude reminds us to give glory to God for two reasons. It is God’s authority that enables Him to “keep you from stumbling” and it is God’s authority that enables Him to “present you faultless.”
First we praise God because His authority is able to keep us from stumbling.
Last week we were told to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” The Greek word translated “keep” there is a different Greek word and has a far different meaning than the Greek word translated “keep” here.
The Greek word translated “keep” from last week means to continue on in a state, or to keep on. The Greek word here means, to guard closely, to hold someone in close custody.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word “keep” similarly in two ways:
Have or retain possession of
Cause to continue in a specified condition, position, course, etc
As we study Scripture I think sometimes we lose a lot in translation. And this can be perilous as false teachers take current language translations and twist their meanings out of context.
Yes we have a responsibility to cause ourselves to continue in the state or condition of adopted sons in Christ. And we are to continue in the course of sanctification through meditation on God’s word. prayer, being obedient to God’s will, and remain faithful in His promises.
But, we are to praise God that He holds us close in custody. The He is the one who retains possession of us. He is the one who guards us closely by providing the Holy Spirit to reside in our spirit.
It’s the Holy Spirit the convicts us and points us toward the righteous path. We are to praise God that we have His Holy and righteous Spirit giving us direction and even correction when we need it.
Some might ask, well how does He do that?
There are many ways God does this. I’ll highlight a few.
This again is a place where God’s sovereignty and our free will come into direct contact with each other. So, I will say God keeps us from stumbling, by providing us with an opportunity to acknowledge our struggle and continue in our course of sanctification.
We all struggle with temptations and even fall to them at times. When we do have a tough struggle or even fall in our temptations, we feel ashamed. We struggle getting to church and staying in fellowship with other believers. We even try to validate our temptations by applying false teachings or societal acceptance.
One way God “keeps” us from stumbling is by His word. Have you ever been begrudgingly drug to church? You don’t really want to go to church, but you’re somehow drug along. And then the pastor preaches about the specific temptation you’re dealing with!!
You ask yourself how did he know? You feel like the pastor is speaking to you specifically. Especially when he makes eye contact with you during the sermon. Where do you think that comes from? Trust me it’s not some well devised plan for intervention.
I can promise you, there has never been a spirit led pastor, who would tailor a message around any specific person in their congregation. Especially one struggling with temptation and sporadically showing up for church.
What am I going to do preach the same message every week until you finally shows up one Sunday morning? No, rather, you just ran headlong into the sovereignty of God. Now you have the choice. Are you going to continue in your sanctification? Or are you going to give in to the temptation?
Psalm 119:9 says:
9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
Another way God keeps us is by the church. Have you ever had a time when you were about to give in to your temptation? You’re at the moment of no return. You’re at the moment of stepping into that fleshly indulgence when someone from the church calls or knocks on the door. Someone interrupts the very moment you were going to cross the line.
Yes, that is God’s sovereignty once again slamming into you’re free will. Providing opportunity for you to remain on course.
God also keeps us by letting us temporarily fall. Wow, I just realized how stupid that sounds. It seems like an oxymoron right? How can God keep us from stumbling if He actually let’s us stumble?
Well, this is the crux of what Jude is talking about. He doesn’t claim we will be perfectly righteous. He is saying God will never let us fall completely away from grace. Every time we encounter one of those situations above and choose temptation. Every time God doesn’t bring us to church or send someone over or have them call.
God allows us to temporarily fall. Peter is the prime example of this. On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter said I’ll never deny you, I’ll never leave you, I’ll even die for you. Peter was fully committed to his temptations. His pride, self-reliance, and his arrogance all needed to be broken.
God let Peter temporarily fall so his pride, self-reliance, and arrogance could be broken. Can you imagine how those might have caused major issues in his Christian walk as an apostle? Instead the conviction from that temporary fall tasted so bitter that he never denied the Lord again.
We too, sometimes need to be temporarily broken so we can better navigate our Christian life. I know I can think of times where God allowed me to temporarily fall and the conviction was so great that I have never been tempted by that temptation again.
And lastly, while the Holy Spirit is on display in all the others, He is specifically in our prayers. Have you ever been in a place where you felt so broken that you didn’t even know what to say in prayer? Maybe you didn’t even want to pray. When you do come to prayer the only thing you can muster is “Heavenly Father, and some form of a sigh, or even AUUUGH!!! in frustration.
That’s when the Holy Spirit “intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.”
Isn’t that the state we find ourselves in?
Unfortunately the church for far too long has falsely tried to impress on us that we should be perfect and we truly desire to be that way. Yet we are very aware of the fact that we are not perfect.
And Jude gives us the second reason for praising God. He is able “to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”
The Greek word translated “to present” means to place and implies to make stand. There are how many biblical accounts of people being confronted with angels. Every time they fall prostrate, that means fall flat out face down on the ground, before them.
When we rest in God’s authority, when we remain in obedience to God’s will in our lives. He makes us stand before the presence of His glory as faultless. The Greek word translated “faultless” means to be morally blameless.
God’s glory is the manifestation of His character as seen when Moses asks God to see His glory in Ex 33:18-34:9 and is fully communicated in His Son Jesus Christ. Heb 1:3 tells us,
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Our lives should be a sacrifice to God. If we are truly converted, then our lives will turn away from self-centeredness toward pleasing God. Without lasting transformation in our lives there is no true salvation.
A true Christian desires to be Holy and perfect. But is completely aware of their imperfections. Yet, through Jesus, God makes us stand morally blameless in His glory.
Think about that for a moment! Even just the presence of an angel makes people fall face down on the ground. Yet, God makes us stand in the presence of His glory.
How can that be? Because Jesus, the fully manifested glory of God, has payed for all our sins on the cross. Our failures are covered and we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness.
We are not just welcomed into heaven. We are greeted with exceeding joy. Go back to the story of the prodigal son and how the father runs out to greet his son.
Close your eyes and picture this with me. Now imagine God, hiking up and holding His robe as He runs out through the mud and the muck to greet us.
We are not perfect now, but as we are transformed we begin to manifest God’s glory in our lives. We can’t be the full manifestation of God’s glory Christ is, but God sees us that way through Christ.
Now that’s reason to praise God.
Our Expression of Praise to God
Our Expression of Praise to God
How are we supposed to express that praise?
25 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.
We start by letting God know we understand who He is to us.
He is our only God. There are no other gods, and there is nothing that comes before Him.
He is our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. God alone is the one who draws us to Christ. God alone has the power to save or condemn. In our salvation we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord.
Because we understand who God is to us He receives all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority.
The four words, carefully chosen, describe our expression of praise to God as an expression of submission to God. Jude proclaims that God should command us and all should subordinate themselves to God.
To God be glory. Yes this speaks to the fame and admiration of God. But it goes much further than that. Everything that is good. Everything that is right. Everything that is praiseworthy in our lives. We express our praise to God by giving Him the glory.
Majesty speaks to the transcendent sovereignty of God. There is not a single microscopic spec of creation in which God is not sovereign. He is the author and ruler of all. We express our praise to God by submitting to His majesty over all.
Dominion is probably better translated power. Although it is akin to majesty it is not the same. We tend to think of kings and rulers as the most powerful. But how many kings and rulers have lost their kingdoms or nations to others who rose up in power? No, God’s power is an unrivaled strength and force that can never be matched.
We express our praise to God by submitting to God’s power. By rejoicing that all of heaven and earth are under God’s power and He condemns all who oppose Him.
Authority is recognizing God’s right to use His majesty and power. We trust in God’s authority because we know His character is righteous and full of love. We express our praise to God by submitting to His authority.
When is God due these praises and when should we attribute these praises to God?
Jude gives us a time-scale of praise and it blows the mind. He says before all time and now, and forever. This threefold reference to past, present, and future is unique in Jewish and early Christian doxologies.
There is usually a reference to present and future, but Jude references before all time. He takes us not just back to the beginning of time, but to eternity past. Praise and glory for our triune God is due in eternity past. Praise and glory is due now in the present time. Praise and glory is due forever in the eternal future.
We are to praise God that He keeps us from stumbling. He guards us and holds us close.
We are to praise God that He presents us blameless in His presence. That He welcomes us with exceeding joy as sons returning home.
Can you think of any better reasons to praise and glorify God?
We should express our praise by glorifying Him and praising Him in His majesty, power, and authority.
Is there anyone here who doesn’t think God is due praise and glory from eternity past, to now, to eternity future?
I’m glad everyone agrees. Now I can retire right?
Okay maybe not!! But as we struggle with temptations, as we struggle with anxiety over the world around us, let’s remember who we serve. Let’s remember the sovereignty of God and rest in His authority.