SERMON OUTLINE:
BACKGROUND:
The letter is small.
The letter is strange.
The letter is suspect.
The big picture
The letters outline.
BENEDICTION:
God is able to secure us (vs 24a).
God is able to accept us (vs 24b).
God is able to receive from us (vs 25).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• A collector of Books – is called a Bibliophile.
• A collector of Stamps – is called a Philatelist.
• A collector of Artwork – is called a Virtuoso.
• A collector of Fossils – is called a Palaeontologist.
• A collector of Fridge magnets – is called a Memomagnetist.
• Collectors of Autographs – is called a Philography.
• A collector of Coins – is called a Numismatist.
• A collector of Postcards – is called a Deltiologist.
• TRANSITION:
• I think of Jude as a postcard rather than a letter,
• One of its themes is, God keeps, he collects,
• He holds on to his people.
• We are secure in Jesus Christ!
Note:
• I am aware that there are some very difficult verses,
• In the New Testament,
• That suggest a believer can lose their salvation.
• But there are so many clear-cut verses that suggest you can’t.
• That I think we should always interpret the difficult verses,
• In light of the more direct and clear-cut verses.
Ill:
• This afternoon at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park London.
• A Moslem man will point out a verse in John’s gospel,
• And use this to prove his point.
• But you don’t interpret John’s gospel by one verse,
• You don’t prove or disprove a doctrine by one verse.
• Rather you always let the rest of the book,
• Or chapter or paragraph, interpret that one verse.
• TRANSITION:
• Because there are so many clear-cut verses,
• That I believe teach you cannot lose your salvation.
• That I think we should always interpret the difficult verses,
• In light of these more direct and clear-cut verses.
Ill:
• Watchman Nee was one of China’s,
• Most influential Christian church planters, leaders,
• And evangelists during the twentieth century.
• He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison,
• And died there in 1972.
• Watchman Nee tells the story.
• Of how a new convert who came to see him in deep distress.
• He said to Watchman Nee:
“No matter how much I pray, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot seem to be faithful to my Lord.
I think I’m losing my salvation.”
Watchman Nee said,
“Do you see this dog here? He is my dog. He is house-trained.
He never makes a mess; he is obedient; he is a pure delight to me.
Out in the kitchen I have a son, a baby son.
He makes a mess, he throws his food around,
he fouls his clothes; he is a total mess.
But who is going to inherit my kingdom?
Not my dog; but my son who is my heir.
You are Jesus Christ’s heir because it is for you that He died.”
• TRANSITION:
• We are Christ’s heirs, not through our accomplishments,
• But by means of his grace.
• And what we have in Christ,
• No-one can take away!
Note:
• The letter of Jude is one of the least read,
• And therefore, least known parts of the New Testament!
• It’s a book preachers avoid,
• (When did you last hear a sermon on Jude - me neither!)
Joke:
• Right now, as you are finding it in your Bibles,
• I can see little puffs of dust rising up!
• Quote: Jude has been called,
• “the most neglected book in the New Testament.”
• And there are a number of reasons for this:
REASON #1: IT'S SMALL
• Along with Philemon and 2 and 3 John,
• It is one of the smallest books in the New Testament.
• Just one chapter, 25 verses.
• The fifth shortest book in the Bible.
• Question: Can you name the other four that are shorter?
• (i.e. counting the number of verses not words.)
• Answer:
• Joint 4th place: Philemon (25 verses) & Jude (25 verses).
• 3rd place: Obadiah (21 verses),
• 2nd place: 3 John (15 verses),
• 1st place: 2 John (13 verses),
• These New Testament postcards often get overlooked.
• Either they are too hard to find or in this case,
• “Maybe size does matter!”
REASON #1: IT'S STRANGE
• As you read this postcard,
• You encounter puzzling references.
• e.g. The Archangel Michael arguing with Satan over Moses' body.
• What does that refer to?
• There is no mention of that taking place,
• In the Old Testament books of our Bibles.
• e.g. There are references to 'the sons of Korah,'
• And to angels locked in a dungeon.
• Once again to the casual reader these again seem obscure.
• So, because of these puzzling references.
• It’s easier just to ignore this book!
• Than to strain your brain trying to figure it all out.
(3). IT'S SUSPECT
• Yep, you heard me right!
• Some Christians thinks Jude is a bit dodgy,
• And in a minute, I will tell you why.
Ill:
• Years ago, Counties the evangelistic organisation,
• That Penny & I am linked to have a Bible Expo.
• I spent 6 weeks working on it in Ireland (both north & south).
• Now, if you don’t laugh at me too much,
• I’ll show you a video clip (30yrs old at least!)
• Each day school groups would arrive,
• And as we gave them a guided tour around the expo,
• We would start by asking the question,
• Does anyone know how many books of the Bible there are?
• Whenever we had a Catholic school visiting,
• A pupil would reply, “73 books.”
• Now, if you don’t know,
• The Catholic Bible contains seven extra books in their Bible.
• These are called deuterocanonical books,
• And they are not found in the Protestant Bible.
• TRANSITION:
• Now, Jude seems to quote this apocryphal literature,
• In verse 9 and 14 of his letter.
• Some Christians get uncomfortable with Jude,
• For quoting from the Apocrypha.
• The Apocrypha is the name given to these extra books.
Ill:
• Wes Huff is a Canadian Christian apologist.
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/shorts/gGnLi5T7ZLU?si=s1-0P0qw7cHMRIUL
• Let him explain a bit more about the Apocrypha.
• TRANSITION:
• Quoting from the apocrypha in New Testament days,
• Would be like a preacher quoting from Shakespeare today.
• Or similar to the apostle Paul quoting Greek poets.
• He referenced Epimenides,
• In Acts chapter 17 verse 28,
• And the apostle Paul also quotes Aratus,
• In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 33.
• We would never say these poets are inspired Biblical texts.
• They are used for illustrative purposes only.
• i.e. I might do the same today,
• By quoting an extra biblical source to illustrate a point,
• Such as Shakespeare.
• But we would never suggest that Shakespeare,
• Or these poets are inspired Biblical texts.
Well, because Jude quotes the Apocrypha, some Christians treat the letter as suspect:
• And it is one of the least read,
• And therefore, least known parts of the New Testament!
• Yet ironically, verses 24&25 of Jude,
• Are some of the best-known verses in the Bible.
• These verses are one of the great benedictions or doxologies,
• Of the New Testament.
• They are often quoted at the end of a Church service.
Note: Just one more thing before we look at the benediction.
• This letter was written to all Christians everywhere:
• But it was written unintentionally.
• Jude started with one set of thoughts,
• And ended up with another set as he started writing.
Ill:
• That happens.
• I often start my sermon prep with the PowerPoint.
• I like to have an outline, or a skeleton,
• Once I have that I can put meat on the bones.
• But it is not unusual,
• When I start to get into the text or passage,
• That I have to redo my PowerPoint completely.
• Because my original ideas did not match the studied text.
• Like Jude, I started with one set of thoughts,
• And ended up with another set as the pen hit the paper.
Look at verse 3:
• Jude was going to write about ‘the salvation we share’.
• He was going to write a letter on the Christian faith.
• But got himself distracted by the Holy Spirit,
• And instead wrote a letter of warning.
The big picture of Jude,
• Is that Christians contend for the faith (vs 4)
• To be watchful.
• Surprisingly the problem is not the enemy outside the Church,
• But the enemy inside the Church.
• False teachers had infiltrated the Church.
• And spreading false teaching.
iLL:
• The Great Wall of China,
• Was built over a period of 2,000 years.
• It was built so high that nobody could climb over it,
• And so thick that nobody could break it down.
• Yet during the first 100 years of the wall’s existence,
• China was invaded three times.
• Not once did the enemy break down the wall or climb over it,
• Each time the enemies simply bribed the gatekeepers,
• And they just marched on through.
• TRANSITION:
• Jude is a very powerful reminder.
• That the biggest danger to the Church is often from within!
Ill:
• We live in incredible times.
• We can all tune in on TV, Radio or YouTube,
• And listen to our favourite Bible Teachers.
• I like a bit of Chuck Swindoll & Skip Heitzig,
• Martin likes watching Alistair Begg.
• It only takes a few clicks on most electrical devices.
• And you find good, sound, quality Bible teachers.
• But alongside the good are the bad and the ugly,
• There is so much bad teaching out there,
• Their bait is attractive, but their hook is deadly.
• And we need discernment,
• To know who is sound in the doctrine,
• And who might lead us astray!
• So, remember the big picture of Jude,
• Christians need to contend for the faith (vs 4)
• To be watchful.
Outline to the book:
• Verses 1-3: Introduction.
• Verses 4: The theme: Beware of false teachers.
• In verses 5-16: He uses a variety of vivid illustrations,
• To both describe these false teachers.
• And to tell us about their ultimate doom.
• In verses 17-23:
• He informs these Christians how to remain faithful.
• In verses 24-25:
• He adds this beautiful benediction.
(1). GOD IS ABLE TO secure US (vs 24)
“To him who is able to keep you from falling...”
Notice what the verse does not say!
• "Now to him who always keeps you from falling,"
• It does not say that because at times we all fall, we all fail.
Ill:
• In fact, like the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke chapter 15),
• God does not always keep us from falling.
• He is able to, but he does not always do it.
• Because some of us will not learn any other way.
• If we were not so thick-headed and stubborn,
• He would keep us from falling.
• In that sense, we never need to fall.
Quote: Martin Luther.
“You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head,
but you can keep them from building nests in your hair.”
• Victory over temptation is possible,
• But it is never automatic.
ill
• Seagull and the French Frie Clip.
• YouTube:
• TRANSITION:
• They tempted the seagull, and it caused them a big problem,
• Sometimes our fun, leads to bad consequences.
• Now, if I was to ask you the question,
• What sins do you battle with most?
• You would probably be embarrassed and refuse to tell me.
• But every Christian has at least one area of temptation,
• With which they really struggle!
• And if we are honest,
• There may well be more than one area in which we struggle.
• Because, when it comes to temptation no-one is immune.
Note:
• Being tempted in not a sin.
• It is of course the giving in to temptation that is a sin.
• When it comes to the subject temptation.
• Keep in mind that there are other temptations,
• Beside sensual ones.
• ill: Temptation to gossip or to be Envious.
• ill: To steal or to lie.
• ill: Towards materialism,
• ill: To hold a grudge, or to be selfish.
• ill: Temptation to be habitually lazy.
• ill: Temptation of un-belief
• (forgetting or ignoring God, not trusting him).
• ill: Temptation of presumption - taking God for granted.
• ill: Temptation of worshipping the God of this world,
• (to live by his standards & morals).
• ill: Temptation of pride.
• ill: Temptation of a self-sufficient life,
• (living for Christ in our own strength!)
• And I guess there are a whole lot more temptations,
• Then my list.
• Temptations come in many varied ways,
• So be careful not to limit or categorizing them.
Note: HE IS ABLE TO KEEP US FROM FALLING
• The word translated as ‘falling,’
• Can also be translated as ‘slipping’:
Ill:
• The pastor, author, Bible teacher and evangelist. F. B. Meyer,
• Once wrote about two German men,
• Who wanted to climb the Matterhorn.
• They hired three guides,
• And began their ascent at the steepest and most slippery part.
• The men roped themselves together in this order,
• Guide, traveller, guide, traveller, guide.
• They had gone only a little way up the side of the mountain,
• When the last man lost his footing.
• But because he tied to the others,
• He was caught from falling to his death.
• Each of the others had a toehold in the niches,
• They had cut in the ice.
• But even then, they were not safe, as the next man slipped,
• And he pulled down the two above him.
• The only one to stand firm was the first guide,
• Who had driven a spike deep into the ice.
• Because he held his ground,
• All the men beneath him regained their footing.
• F. B. Meyer concluded his story,
• By drawing a spiritual application.
• He said,
“I am like one of those men who slipped,
But thank God, I am bound in a living partnership to Christ.
And because He stands, I will never perish.”
The secret is to remain in Christ:
• When I am weak – he still remains strong!
• When I can’t – he can!
• He is able! So, I need to be abiding in him!
(2). HE IS ABLE TO accept US (vs 24)
• Amazingly, even when we do fall, he is able!
• "to present us without blemish before the presence of his glory."
Ill:
• Recently released film: ‘Triumph of the Heart.’
• Before that was a book, ‘A Book of Saints.’
• Anne Gordon tells the story of Father Maximilian Kolbe,
• Who was a prisoner at Auschwitz in August 1941.
• A prisoner escaped from the camp,
• And in reprisal,
• The Nazis ordered that ten prisoners had to die by starvation.
• For the crime that had been committed.
• Father Kolbe offered to take the place,
• Of one of the condemned men.
• Who had a wife and children.
• The Nazis kept Kolbe in the starvation bunker for two weeks,
• And then put him to death by lethal injection,
• On August 14th, 1941.
• Thirty years later a survivor of Auschwitz,
• Described the effect of Kolbe's action:
"It was an enormous shock to the whole camp. We became aware that someone among us in this spiritual dark night of the soul was raising the standard of love on high. Someone unknown, like everyone else, tortured and bereft of name and social standing, went to a horrible death for the sake of someone not even related to him.
Therefore, it is not true, we cried, that humanity is cast down and trampled in the mud, overcome by oppressors, and overwhelmed by hopelessness. Thousands of prisoners were convinced the true world continued to exist and that our torturers would not be able to destroy it.
"To say that Father Kolbe died for us or for that person's family is too great a simplification. His death was the salvation of thousands. ... We were stunned by his act, which became for us a mighty explosion of light in the dark camp."
• TRANSITION:
• Like Father Kolbe,
• On the cross Jesus Christ took our place and bore our sin.
• He died that we might live.
• It is the theological doctrine called substation.
That is good but in someways it is only half the story!
• As well as substation,
• Another important doctrine took place.
• The theological term for it is imputation.
• (Joke: Imputation not amputation – lol)
Question: What is imputation?
Answer:
• If ever you have deposited a cheque into your bank account.
• You have experienced this doctrine of imputation.
• That cheque or someone else’s credit,
• Will be credited to your account,
• In doing so the debt you might have will be erased.
• TRANSITION:
• The debt of our sin was transferred not Christ’s account,
• (this happened through his death on the cross),
• In return his righteousness is credited to our account.
• (2 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 17-21).
“God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
The phrase translated, ‘without blemish’.
• Is Old Testament jargon,
• It was a word commonly used in connection with an animal.
Ill:
• If you wanted to buy an animal, then you wanted the best.
• i.e. think of buying a second-hand car,
• You take along someone who is skilled in these matters.
• And in Bible times,
• If you wanted to offer an animal as a sacrifice,
• Then it needed to be without blemish.
• It would be examined by the priest,
• And rejected if it had any fault or blemish!
• If it was faultless and without blemish,
• Then it could be used in sacrifice.
• (the innocent lamb dying in place of the guilty sinner!)
• TRANSITION:
• It was a foreshadowing of what Christ would do on the cross,
• You might remember what John the Baptist called Jesus,
• (John chapter 1 verse 29).
• “The lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”
Ill:
• Do you remember the coloured wrapping,
• That used to be on Quality Sweet chocolates.
• It was a coloured cellophane,
• And if you put it in front of your eyes it changed everything.
• When you looked through the red cellophane,
• Everything looked red.
• When you looked through the yellow cellophane,
• Everything looked yellow.
• When you looked through the green cellophane,
• Everything looked green.
• TRANSITION:
• When we are converted and ‘in Christ.’
• God looks at us not through coloured cellophane,
• But through his Son, Jesus Christ.
• Therefore, he sees us in all the white holiness of his Son.
• That is how we can stand before God faultless.
(3). HE IS ABLE TO RECEIVE from us (vs 25)
“to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen”.
Ill:
• Imagine a child receiving an expensive gift from their parent.
• The child might express their gratitude verbally,
• But they might also show their appreciation,
• Through a hug, a smile, or a drawing.
• TRANSITION:
• Likewise, giving God glory can be expressed through words,
• We pray, we praise etc.
• But gratitude should always be more than words,
• It should be seen in a life that lives to please God,
• A life of obedience, and a life dedicated to His service.
• These actions,
• Are tangible expressions of our love and devotion to Him.
Throughout the letter, Jude the writer has used triplets.
• i.e. verse 1:
• Three actions of God: called, loved, and kept.
• i.e. verse 2:
• Three blessings: mercy, peace, and love.
• i.e. verses 3-7:
• Three historic warnings:
• Leaving Egypt, deserting angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah.
• i.e. verses 8-10:
• Three negative actions:
• Pollute their bodies, reject authority, and slander angels.
• i.e. verse 11:
• Three bad examples: Cain, Balaam, and Korah.
Now in this doxology, we find one more triplet being used.
• But Jude goes out on high,
• Because he uses a triplet of doublets.
• “Glory and majesty.”
• “Power and authority.”
• “Both now and forevermore.”
My salvation is all of God!
• There is only one God and saviour!
• In him we glory and boast and worship.
• It is his power and authority that will keep us,
• And fit us for glory!
• Time will not change our standing in Christ,
• “His blood availed for me!”
Ill:
• Max Lucado, writes in his book,
• “Help Is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit.”
“Seal. You know the verb. You twist a jar lid to seal the pickles. You lick an envelope to seal the letter. You notarize the contract to seal the deal. Sealing declares ownership and secures contents. Sealing is the act that says, “This is mine, and this is protected.”
When you accepted Christ, God sealed you with the Spirit. He cocooned you, assuring your safekeeping. Satan might woo you, discourage you, and, for a time, influence you. But he cannot have you. Christ “has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
(Eph. 4:30 NLT).
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/DVLoRslN0gQ?si=9PSDKYpFpGIx2xHi
