“Personal Responsibilities in These Times”
Jude • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsThis sermon covers the last half of Jude's epistle.
Notes
Transcript
Like many adolescents and teens in the 1980’s, I was a Boy Scout. Teaching them leadership and responsibility, The Boy Scouts of America has one simple motto: “Be prepared.” That motto goes long in life.
That simple instruction has been placed on the mind of many a young man to progress through life.
Scouts are taught to be prepared, whether it is honoring our nation’s flag, getting by on a rainy camping trip, or if your bleeding while out on a hike in the woods.
In His great Olivet Discourse, Jesus addressed the events that would take place in less than 40 years. He would also speak to the ongoing tension in the world between the body of Christ and a unbelieving society. Both in Matthew 24, and in Jude, Christians are encouraged to act and to be prepared.
In our Scripture this morning, we see there are a series of verbals designed for Jude’s readers to pay attention to their inward spiritual condition and their outward ministry to others. Jude instructs his readers to pay close attention to their doctrinal and ethical faithfulness.
There are two adversatives. In verse 17: “But you...” And verse 20, “But you… .” Both denote a contrast and a set of instructions in a particular context. It also denotes that God’s judgment is happening in the world, but He has something different planned for His church.
The first adversative is given because of the times that Jude and other Christians are living in. Jude 17-19 gives us such a scene.
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
In other words, times will always be challenging. And the people of God gather, knowing that there is both a physical and a spiritual world that is plainly against them. Jude’s readers must pay close attention to their spiritual health in order to prosper in a world set against them.
David Payne states:
“Most of this brief letter is strikingly similar to 2 Peter 2:1-3:3, so much so that it is usually thought that one writer must have borrowed from the other.” David Payne, “The Letter of Jude,” New Testament Commentary, 626). Notice the mention of scoffers in 2 Peter 3:2-3
2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
Payne goes on to state:
“True Christians in such circumstances must be very careful, obviously; but they need not be alarmed, because the presence of evil men had been foreseen and foretold.”
Mark 13:5-6
5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.
And,
21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
During these difficult times, You must have a clear focus.
During these difficult times, You must have a clear focus.
But this should not rattle us. As followers of Christ, we must keep our focus sure and be in the word. Jude 20-21 states:
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
You might ask: “How is this focus kept? How must I keep myself in the love of God?” God’s love is unconditional and free, yet true Christians will be anything but complacent. Consider the following points:
Faith. Faith must be exercised, if it is to be had at all. There must be times in your life, if not daily occurrences that you actively trust God, even when it is not convenient, or does not feel right.
Prayer. Jude instructs his readers to “pray in the Holy Spirit.” This could mean, “as the Spirit leads.” It can be understood as asking for the Spirit’s guidance, opening yourself to God’s leading. The Holy Spirit is your teacher, guide and friend, as Jesus taught in John 14:26
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
And finally, anticipation of Jesus’ return. Every Christian must believe that Jesus “...will come again, to judge the living and the dead.” This is in accordance with what Revelation 1:7-8
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Jude also advises us to
Take an active interest in the spiritual welfare of others.
Take an active interest in the spiritual welfare of others.
Regarding our responsibilities to outsiders, Jude writes: Jude 22-23
22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
This, of course, must be done winsomely and with love, not in a judgmental or condescending way.
I am surprised how much people respond to kindness. I don’t agree everything that people say to me, but I try to choose carefully when and how to disagree with them. I want them to come away with an impression that I care about them. That’s hard to do in this political climate.
On Friday, I was cleaning at my dad’s house in Missouri, when I heard the doorbell ring. It was two young men who invited me to worship with their church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I briefly told them that I was a Protestant minister in Pennsylvania. And I asked them, “have you heard the statement: ‘As man is, God was; and as God is, man may become?’
They responded: “Yes, I’m familiar with that.”
I then said, “Well my Bible teaches me that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and that we should only worship that one God revealed in Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 1 Timothy 2:5 tells us we are not gods. Jesus died to redeem us from sin, not to make us gods.
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
I ended our time with: “But I appreciate your zeal. Goodbye.”
How must one respond to false teaching? Rev. Rodgers Atwebembeire who writes for The Gospel Coalition in Africa points out five things (See www.africagospelcoaltion.org):
Find out what they believe. Compare it with Scripture. Study. Know. Don’t base your acceptance of them on their “goodness.” Be a Berean (Acts 17:11
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Focus on grace (vs. legalism). No one can earn favor with God. No one is justified by the law.
Share because you care. People won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Establish common ground. Heterodoxy is dangerous, yet there are likely some things you can agree on.
The battle is spiritual; we must pray.
All witnessing involves spiritual warfare. So we must pray.
This idea of “praying in the Holy Spirit,” could also mean praying by, or with, the Holy Spirit. John spoke of “being in the Spirit” as he wrote the book of Revelation. Ephesians 6:18-19
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
And we are assured that the Spirit prays with us and takes up the slack, where we lack sense or clarity. Romans 8:26
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
A profound benediction
A profound benediction
The way that Jude ends is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty over the believer’s life. Jude 24-25 is one of the greatest benedictions in the Bible. It signals that the Christian’s spiritual state and upkeep is God’s doing. We are active in it, but it is all of grace.
24 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, 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.
Jude praises God as the One who is able to keep you from falling. Falling into sin. Falling into heresy. Falling away from the Lord. Remember how the letter begins: Jude 1-2
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.
Being “kept” or “guarded” by God is a tremendous blessing. Jesus said in John 10:27-30 that no one can snatch us out of His hand, nor the Father’s hand.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
And so, we are assured that God’s work will be completed in us.
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
And so let us take refuge in the One who David refers to as “...our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1. Such verses teach us that God’s work of grace in our lives is from beginning to end, all of Him. We are active in it, but He starts and completes it.
“To the only God our Savior… .” In those few words we see that Christianity is set apart from the other world’s religions.
For Islam, God is not a Savior, but an author of fatalism who may or may not show you mercy.
For Buddhism, God is not a Savior, but a mindset to reach a state of ultimate consciousness.
For Hinduism, God is not a Savior, but consists of millions of gods that must be appeased.
A man was once conversing with a Brahmin priest, and he asked: “Could you say, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life?’”
“Yes,” replied the priest, “I could say that.”
“But could you make any one believe it?”
Christ proved His superiority right there. His character and His actions backed-up His words. In Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, He exhibited His divine power to silence His enemies.
