JUDE 1:24-25: THE SUPREMACY, AND POWER OF GOD TO KEEP US IN TRUTH AND HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ALL MEN

Main Point: Scripture declares God alone to be the One Who is Supreme in Power with Authority to rule

FCF: Many in the Church have replaced God with their favourite preacher as the one to have supreme authority

Proposition: Acknowledge God as the Supreme and Highest Ruler over all things by understanding Him from Scripture alone to protect your mind from apostasy

1. INTRODUCTION

RECAP: Last week we were in and the text told us about...

THE BIBLE’S EARLY WARNING SYSTEM & INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEALING WITH APOSTASY

We must...

REMEMBER THAT THE BIBLE FORETOLD OF APOSTATES 1:17-18a

REMEMBER THAT THE BIBLE DESCRIBES APOSTATES 1:18-19

REMEMBER THAT THE BIBLE GIVES YOU THE INSTRUCTIONS TO PREVENT YOU FROM BECOMING APOSTATE 1:20-23

I don’t know if you’ve realised by now, but this is a very VERY important little book for the South African and international Church. Why? Because almost none of us know, or care to know the Bible anymore, and therefore we can hardly see early warnings of apostasy, nor do we know the instructions for preventing it in our own lives and dealing with it in the lives of others.

INSTEAD...

South Africans have replaced Bible study with passivity and therefore we only have ourselves to blame, no wonder our country looks the way it does. We have Churches full of worshippers every Sunday, but if you shone a light in their face and asked them if what the pastor said is Biblical or not, they wouldn’t be able to tell you. “I just liked how it sounded and I needed to feel good before I face my horrible life again which is on Monday! Please man! Live and let live!”

Unfortunately this is the reality of where we find ourselves right now. But God in His mercy has His men around the country and around the world preaching His Word and being a mouthpiece to the nations, warning us all just as Jude does here.

And in the past few months of studying this book we’ve heard of the terrible examples we find in our modern world, yet they are simply the spiritual children of the ancient liars, but with new clothes, new words, and their own slot on “Christian” television.

Whether it be someone from…

The W.O.F. movement like Creflo Dollar with his blaspehmous claim that we are all little gods, or Benny Hinn promising you health and wealth for money OR...

The Emergent Church which has abandoned the authority and literal meaning of the Bible to fuel uncertainty and just allow everyone to their own feelings of what they wish to call reality OR

Other movements like the New Apostolic Reformation, which we still have to deal with one day because it’s infecting my generation as well

THEY ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON and that is that they preach a different Jesus and exalt themselves as the prophets and leaders of God’s Church when in fact they are ministers of Satan who do not know God.

We’ve seen and heard such a lot of spiritual rubbish out there, coming out of these people’s mouths and it does not reflect the truth about God’s character and His actions in eternity and human history.

ILLUSTRATION:

QUESTION: I want to ask you something now. What would you rather have? The new and ear tickling knowledge these people preach, or the knowledge that comes from Scripture and enriches your minds and moves you to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth? The only way you can do that is by having knowledge of Scripture and understanding God this way, the way He chose to reveal Himself to us.

How many times have you heard a prayer like this?

And in truth we’ve had to hear a lot of hard things while we studied this book, but now at the end Jude gives us what is called a benediction.

“Dear Lord, we just uh… thank you Lord… for um… everything Lord

Now at the end of the book, Jude gives us what is called a benediction.

QUESTION: What is that?

ANSWER: A benediction is simply thankfulness, or thanksgiving.

QUESTION: Do you remember what Jude wanted to write about when he started this letter?

ANSWER: READ V.3. Well now is the moment he shares with us the richness, the magnificence and majesty of God’s character that we see revealed in the Gospel and that we must come to understand in order to worship Him correctly.

FROM WE WILL SEE...

OBSERVATION: After reading this letter, his audience

THE SUPREMACY, AND POWER OF GOD TO KEEP US IN TRUTH AND HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ALL MEN

2. MESSAGE: THE SUPREMACY, AND POWER OF GOD TO KEEP US IN TRUTH AND HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ALL MEN

OBSERVATION: After reading this letter up to V.23, his audience probably asked the question “Who will deliver us from these evil people hiding amongst us?”

And I know there are those of you who feel the same. There have been those of you who have said “I don’t know who to trust anymore...” And I share your pain and concern because I also have it. Just because I’ve had a formal education in theology does not mean that I’m immune to being deceived. For example, before I buy a Christian book, whether it be devotional, or deeply and technically theological, I try and read up as much as I can on the author first before I buy it. Because the last thing I want is to be entrenched in lies and teaching them to all of you! So trust me, I’m with you on that.

QUESTION: So once again, who will deliver us from the false teachers, the apostates, the liars of our day? ANSWER: Well here’s the answer! READ V.24.

Well here is the answer! READ V.24.

2.2

“Now unto Him...” Let’s PAUSE right there and focus on that one word in the text, “Him”. Who is He? God! Not a man or an angel but the awesome, almighty God of Scripture!

NOW BEFORE WE CONTINUE WITH V.24 AND UNDERSTAND GOD’S ABILITY TO KEEP US FROM FALLING, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT V.25 WHICH DESCRIBES GOD’S ATTRIBUTES AND WORTHINESS FIRST.

OBSERVATION: What we have here is a burst of adoration! Maybe you’ve seen this in the hymn book or chorus books? What is called a “doxology.” What is that? It simply means to express praise to God because of His glory, His righteous Person and works.

This is what we read about every time in these two verses. So first of all Jude starts with the attributes. READ V.25 with me. Do you see those words? “wise… Saviour… glory… majesty”? Let’s start with “wise.”

“… to keep you from falling...

Now if you have an NIV, NLT, ESV etc. they all remove the words “only wise”but you will find this expression in the KJV and NKJV. In the KJV Jude says “… to the only wise God...”

“Now unto Him...” it says in V.24. To Who? “…the only wise God...” Why does the Bible say this? Because wisdom in its purest form comes from God alone. These early gnostics, or higher knowledge seekers claimed to have information and wisdom that was better than the Bible and the apostles, but because they had not come to know God through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, they truly had no real wisdom from God at all. So what they were saying was very unwise, foolish, because they blasphemed God. Remember the modern examples I gave you like David Koresh of the Branch Dasvidians? Mr. Berg from the Children of God? Rev. Sun Yun Moon of the Moonies cult? We have something that God did not give in the Bible and we are continuing His work. Blasphemy! There is no wisdom of God in their words because they reject Scripture!

You and I on the other hand have the wisdom of God available to us at all times from His Holy Word. says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”

QUESTION: Big old word, “upbraideth”, what does that mean? ANSWER: That word means to revile or mock. So when you approach God in prayer to ask for wisdom, He doesn’t mock you and make fun of you like some sinful human being, but He is ready, even anxious to give it to you! That is your and my Father who loves us and wants our thoughts to be established and built on Scripture! How about that?

“Oh God I don’t know who to trust anymore, there are so many bad preachers out there, I’m scared to listen to any of them or read their books. What should I do?” God will answer that prayer. The Holy Spirit will guide you through Scripture and teach you to depend on it for measuring every man’s words and character, so you will know.

But remember that you will only get this true wisdom by studying the Word of God, and when you do that you strengthen your mind against the lies of Satan which come out of false teacher’s mouths.

Anon, 2009. The Holy Bible: King James Version Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

ILLUSTRATION: Contemporary lies

So when someone like Creflo Dollar says “You are a little god”, you respond with “That’s very unwise Sir, the Bible says there is only one God, no god formed before Him or after Him. He will not share His glory with another and you will not be held guiltless for what you just said. I believe the Bible and only God is wise.”

SO NOW ACKNOWLEDGING ONLY GOD AS WISE, WE ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS OUR SAVIOUR.

“… to the only wise God our Saviour...” He’s Someone specific, He’s unique, He is personal, He is “our Saviour”! Are you seeing a connection here? If you’ve become wise through the true wisdom of God, you believe then that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Saviour and there can be no other. says “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” My brothers, my sisters, if you trust in Him alone then you are in the grip of the Lamb of God, the unique and only Saviour that will NEVER let you slip into the burning fiery depths of Hell and eternal damnation. This is security in Christ, this true wisdom!

And in addition to that He is not only our Saviour from eternal death and Hell, but also our Saviour from sin and false teaching! In His grace the personal God Who calls you son will walk with you in this life and He will save you from the liars out there who want to enrich and fulfil themselves at your expense. Whether they want to exploit your faith, family, finances, or even your body, God can and will save you from them when you trust in His Word alone as your Authority!

Wow! Just wow! How different God is from the people we’ve been warned about!? Only He is truly wise, and only He is our Saviour! He is so much better than a mere man spouting nonsense trying to get riches and pleasure from sin! Surely God is worthy of our love and devotion! Worthy of so much more!

LET’S LOOK AT THE REST OF THE TEXT AND SEE WHAT THE GREAT GOD, FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT IS WORTHY OF! READ V.25

“… glory and majesty...” Why must glory and majesty be to God? Because to give God glory means He is magnificent, He is excellent, and commanding respect. Glory and majesty because He alone is great, and because He is the only One worthy of it. He is eternal, He always existed. In fact, the Hebrew covenant name for God is YHWH (Yahweh), which literally means “To be” or “I AM THAT I AM”, “I exist.” The thoughts, works and words of men are temporary, and most of them have no eternal value if not done in Christ’s name and for His glory. BUT the mighty words, and works of God which have been in His mind since before He created the universe out of nothing can never fade!

I quote Warren Wiersbe who says “Only God is great. When we praise God, we praise the most magnificent Person in the universe”. Could we let that sink in for a moment? REPEAT QUOTE. The God of the Bible is unrivalled and there is no other! Glory and majesty be to Him!

Wiersbe, W.W., 1996. The Bible exposition commentary, Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Church, I truly hope that this is cementing itself in your minds and that you understand why He is worthy of your reverence, and for you to ascribe glory and majesty to Him alone. And if you think this way, you will cry amen to what Jude says next in the text. To His magnificent majesty, our God belongs look at V.25 “… dominion and power...”

God as the Creator of all the universe and life itself, and God alone has the power to rule over it in every aspect. That is time, space, matter, and life, physical and spiritual. All creation belongs to Him and He holds complete and total power over it. “… both now and ever...” the text tells us. He Who is the forever, the eternal Sovereign God will never lose His power.

A different Greek word translated “power”

And that God was always worthy

There is no nation, army, technology, or weapon strong enough to take this from Him. And if we look at the context of Jude, there are no mere men with despicable, filthy teachings that can EVER replace the Word of God or overtake it’s power, and if they continue to resist, they will be damned to the unquenchable eternal fires of a devil’s Hell! God overrules ALL!

“… both now and ever...”

QUESTION: I ask you, do you realize Who you’re dealing with? God cannot be stopped or ignored. And for you dear Christian, you who are concerned, maybe even worried about the mess of false teaching and those who sell it out there. Are you afraid of falling for it? I want you to see something here in the text. The truth of God’s greatness is in the forefront of your minds...

NOW LET’S GET BACK INTO V.24, EXPLAINING WHAT OUR GREAT GOD IS ABLE TO DO. READ V.24

CLARIFICATION:

Let’s look at what this verse is not saying first:

It is not saying that you can fall from eternal life or “fall from grace”as the common saying is today. The falling here is from the truth into error, and the verse is not saying that God will by default keep you from falling into it. Why is that? Well let’s find out.

Let’s look at what it is saying:

It is saying that He CAN keep you from falling into apostasy, He is ABLE to do so, but to say He will just do it automatically causes a problem.

If it were so we would have to ask then, why would Jude give us the blueprints, the clear path, the responsibilities in VV.20-23 if we could just get zapped back where we were suppose to be? “Hmmm, the Mormon faith sounds like an interesting path to explore “ZAP!” God stops you and you’re thinking correctly again. “Phew! That was a close one! I was in trouble there for a moment! What Church is this now? Jehovah’s Witn-” BZZZT! “AAAAAAAH!”

No! Let’s read VV.20-23, please pay close attention. What do you see there?

We build ourselves up on our most holy faith. That is the collective teaching of Scriptural doctrine. We build our own personal faith and the faith of others through teaching! And when we teach this knowledge there is growth, we progress from spiritual babies to mature men and women of faith.

Continuing with V.21 We pray in the Holy Spirit. And as we learned last time this is NOT prayer language, or better put gibberish, sounds that have no meaning. It’s actually praying by the power of the Holy Spirit because He is the One directing, guiding our prayers as He takes them to the Father. No one in the world except a born again Christian has this! An unbeliever prays and God refuses to answer unless it’s a prayer of seeking the truth. So we have the two connected. The Word of God gives us the knowledge we need about God, so we know and pray according to His will, and this is confirmed by God the Holy Spirit.

Then in VV.22-23 we have the command to show compassion to those who are falling away from Biblical truth. And this goes right back to V.20 because you go in prepared, with your mind strengthened in Scripture and your reliance on God confessed to Him through prayer.

Do you see the big picture now? Here we have God’s complete Sovereign power met with the responsibility He has given to you. God is able to keep you from falling, but He will not keep you from falling if you refuse to study, know, and obey the truth of His Word. Being saved from Hell-fire is easy, God does it all, but growing as a Christian takes combined effort from your side and God’s side. You have to proverbially “sweat” quite a lot sometimes.

So then with that said, do I have your attention now? The Great and Awesome God the text just described to us, He Who is able to keep you from falling will…

“… present you faultless before the presence of His glory...” What does this mean?

We spoke about this last week, the Judgement Seat of Christ. We always hear of the judgement on unbelievers, but now at the end, when Christ returns to catch up the Church into Heaven, ending the Church Age here on earth, we are judged for rewards, or our place in God’s Kingdom.

For many Christians this is going to be the saddest day as they have nothing to show for their work on earth. But for that Christian who searched the Scriptures and obeyed God, he or she is presented faultless in that regard before the presence of His glory. As far as your eternal life is concerned you will be presented without fault, but as far as our position is concerned, the results will be different.

Furthermore the Bible says that God will present us faultless…

“… with exceeding joy”

Do you see what Scripture says here? Can you imagine this!? The obedience of the Christian actually brings joy to God! His will is that you be faultless that day so that His glory is magnified through you and you are a walking reminder of His greatness and unfailing Word!

Friends, we’ve come to the end of the book of Jude. It’s been an amazing journey through this little book. let’s read V.24-25 together again and pay attention to the very last word. READ. V.24-25 “Amen”

3. CONCLUSION

3. CONCLUSION

Friends, we’ve come to the end of the book of Jude. It’s been an amazing journey through this short letter and I hope you’ve learned, been warned and enriched by it.

We’ve heard this benediction or doxology so many times before, but now I hope you all have a new appreciation for it.

HERE IS YOUR TAKE HOME:

Main Point: Scripture declares God alone to be the One Who is Supreme in Power with Authority to rule us in every area of our lives

FCF: Many in the Church have replaced God with their favourite preacher as the one to have supreme authority

Proposition: Acknowledge God as the Supreme and Highest Ruler over all things by understanding Him from Scripture alone to protect your mind from apostasy

We have Jude warning us over and over about the wolves in sheep’s clothing, false prophets and false apostles sneaking into the Churches and bringing believers to ruin with their evil teachings. And these descriptions, these warnings like we’d receive in an email or over Whatsapp today were probably terrifying to these new believers, but Jude did not leave them without hope.

By God’s authority he gave them instructions to avoid these liars, these counterfeits, and on top of that he tells us all Who is able to keep us from falling.

Here are the joyful words Jude wished to write about in V.3 which says “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”

With this knowledge now that we’ve collected from this book, let’s read VV.24-25 again with renewed awe for our great God our Saviour. READ VV. 24-15

Anon, 2009. The Holy Bible: King James Version Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Let’s pray…

4. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Wiersbe, W.W., 1996. The Bible exposition commentary, Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.