Jude

Transcript

So, the book of Jude, there are a lot of themes within it. I think it would be, we could easily do multiple classes on Jude, but I felt that there are some themes within it that would be really useful for us in these times to look at. I'm sure you've heard that it said that if one of the arts of effective communication is to say what you're going to say and then say it and then say what you have said. And so, I wanted to start off by basically giving a summary that the book of Jude that we will be looking at primarily focuses on us as Christians standing firm in our faith, rejecting false teachings and remaining faithful to the gospel of Christ while we trust in God's ultimate power to protect and to sustain us. This is a very valid and needful message to us in these last days, where as

children of God, in the final chapter of man's reign, we wait to see the long-promised stone come and crush the pride and glory of mankind and God's kingdom being finally set up. I'd like us to think about these words as we look at a few themes within Jude this evening. It's quite a sobering book, I would say, because from the very onset, we read things such as the angels that did not keep their first estate being reserved in chains of darkness. It's a warning for those who should have known better, who knew God, who turned away from and did not hold fast to their faith. They rebelled against him, and we know this from those who stood against Moses, that the earth itself, Dayton and Abiram, and their company, that the earth opened, and these men who should have been leaders within the congregation, the earth swallowed them, and they will certainly face their judgment at the last day. Now Jude starts off in 1 verse 3 saying, 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 you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. This book was written, it is estimated, around AD 6 to 7, and Jude, whose name means praise and is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah, was one of Jesus's four brothers, the others being Simon, Joseph, and James.

And Matthew chapter 13 verse 55, as well as Mark chapter 6 verse 3, points this out, as well as 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 5, where we see that he was one of the leaders. This book was probably written not long after 2 Peter, and there are lots of similarities that we see between 2 Peter and the book of Jude. In fact, it quotes 2 Peter and it was likely written to Jewish Christians or a mixed group that knew of the Jewish traditions within the Jewish community. As such, many of the references that were used in the book are taken from stories or incidents that were commonly known within the community. The gospel was spreading quickly, the gospel of Christ, due to the persecution that was happening within the Brotherhood. But unfortunately, at this time, there were also falsehoods seeping in,

seeping in with the beliefs. One such example was Gnosticism, where the adherents felt that was true knowledge rather than true faith. They also believed in multiple gods, and that they were gods for different things, and hence denied the oneness of God. Jude 1 verse 3, therefore, says, and exhorts you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Now this word

contend, it has a strong military connotation behind it. It's one that urges the brethren they can't take the word lightly. They couldn't live in a life of ease with the word of God in their midst. It was something that had to be preserved. It was something that

they had to work towards maintaining its purity. The word had indeed been heard by them, but if they had not developed a relationship with God, that knowing his word should inspire, it would not bear fruit or come to fruition for them. Again, for us today, we may not call false gods in our midst Baal or Molech or Chemosh, but we should use this same test of where we spend our time. What are we devoted to today? You might agree that sometimes we can be a divided people, and we are in constant need for reality checks that should refocus us and cause that these words to contend for the faith is equally relevant to us today. He makes reference to Peter's epistle which suggests perhaps they had the same audience. For example, in Jude at verse 18, Jude quotes 2 Peter 3 verse 3 showing that Peter wrote his letter before Jude and it was known to the recipients of the letter. It says in verse 18 how that they told you that there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. In fact, Jude quotes Peter repeatedly showing that not only that Peter wrote his letter before Jude and that it was known to the recipients of the words used give us a clue of the meaning and the relevance, the references that would have been at that time. For example, the word mockers is only found here and is translated as scoffers in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 3. Like the recipients of Peter's epistles, the hearers would have known of the disciples and the need to stand firm in the faith in the midst of false doctrines on the inside while they face persecution as Christians from without. This idea of scoffers or scoffing means someone who laughs at or speaks about a person or an idea in a way that shows that they find that idea silly or stupid. They don't subscribe to it. Similarly, for many today, if we try to speak to people about a coming kingdom, about someone who was dead and resurrected 2000 years ago returning to the earth, we would certainly in many settings face scoffers as well today. We all would have heard through the years derision that has been pointed towards God while instead that derision or ideas regarding scientific knowledge is elevated and many of the theories today regarding the world, its origins, be it evolution or so on, are taken as read without as much challenge to them as Christians would commonly face if speaking about a resurrection and a judgment to come. But such is it that that's the time that we live in. Mankind's unbridled hunger for power, fame and pride has left us with a proclivity to deny God and scoff at him as Jude describes in verse 4, verse 15, as well as verse 18 of his book. So this certainly is a point that shows us there is a strong similarity between our time and theirs.

Jude encourages his readers to recognize, as an antidote to this, their godly identity and that they need to embrace that identity through Christ, thereby declaring that they are not part of the group of the ungodly, such as the scoffers were, but that they were now part of a group he refers as the beloved. Now this contrast between the group, the ungodly and the beloved, is one that is used multiple times throughout the book of Jude and I think it paints a very vivid picture for us when we consider what our identity is. Which group do we belong to? The part of the beloved. The beloved is referred to in verse 3, verse 17 and verse 20, while the ungodly is referred to in verse 4, verse 15 and verse 18 as mentioned. As evil waxes worse and worse, we are called upon to contend for the faith as well, so that we would stand in the last day with what Jude refers to as the beloved. The very word beloved takes us back to Christ's sacrifice in John chapter 15 and verse 13, that greater love had no man than laying down his life for his friend and in John chapter 3 verse 16, for God so loved the world. This word is indeed very special to us because the very word beloved that is used, it brings forth a tender meaning such as dearly beloved, well-beloved, favorite or dear to us. The first nine uses in the New Testament were all of in some way referring to Jesus. In Matthew chapter 3 verse 17, for example, it reads, and lo, a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Matthew chapter 12 verse 18 says, behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the gentiles.

This tender, loving reference that God used to refer to his only begotten son, Jude uses it for us as Christ's brethren. I'll repeat that, this tender reference that God uses to refer to his only begotten son, Jude uses that word to refer to us as Christ's brethren. Now what does that say to us? From the onset, we should each count it our highest privilege to be called beloved by Jude and sharing God's tender love. Listen to how God speaks to us by John in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 1 to 3. It says, behold, what manner of love the Father had bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that had this hope in him purified himself even as he is pure. That is exactly a reference, an echo that goes back to message of Jude, that everyone that had this hope of being part of that beloved needs to purify himself just as he is pure. Do we think about what this means to us today? The immense love, the honor, the care that God has given to us as his children? Do we think of ourselves as the beloved, beloved by God? Do we seek to reflect this in our actions? Now Jude is one of the brothers of Jesus who accompanied him early in his ministries. We read in John chapter 2 at verse 12. He was also probably with his family members as they tried to change Jesus' path from one seeming heading off the rails in Matthew chapter 12 at verse 4 to 6 and Luke 8 at verse 19. After Jesus' resurrection, he would have been among those who saw Jesus in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 at verse 7 and were converted and stayed with the apostles as we learn in Acts chapter 1 at verse 14. So Jude, as someone who had been blessed with sharing all of these intimate experiences, we can ask ourselves how would he have seen himself relative to Jesus, his brother? It's rather surprising when Jude introduces himself in this of Jesus Christ. The servant of Jesus Christ. But then he continues and says, and brother of James, who was another brother of Jesus, who wrote the book of James. Why didn't he say the brother of both Jesus and James? That's such a lesson, I think, in humility because while he was willing to embrace his brother James, he saw himself none other than Jesus' servant. Philippians chapter 2 verse 1 to 8 is a sound reminder of this humility. His unworthiness is brought forth there. I want to make two points about this because even though they were brothers, meaning they had the same mother, they had different fathers. God was Jesus' father, but Jude recognized Joseph as his father. And this, I thought, was another point that comes out in the book of Jude. It's a huge lesson in who we identify with if they have the same father as us. Jude addressed his letters to those that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called. This word sanctified means to make clean or holy. So the letter therefore implies to us, since by belief, repentance, and obedience to the gospel, we are made clean by God's grace. We therefore can embrace the fact that we are brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ and we have been elevated through this process of being sanctified, being called, and being preserved, and we'll come back to that point. Yet another point is that of what our desire and what our will is. Now Jude did not know his heavenly father's will early on in his life, and he was part of that group that stood outside while Jesus preached. He acknowledges that he was a servant while Christ was the Son. The Son was one who knew the will of his father and did it while he found himself worthy only to be called a servant because he did not always follow after his Lord's will earlier on. But later on, after his conversion, we can see that he became a brother, one that was prepared to do his father's will. Jude addressed this letter to those who are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called. And as we said, just a reminder, sanctified means to be made clean or to be made holy. In 1st Peter chapter 1, verse 15 and 16, well-known verses, we're called to be as holy as God is holy. What I found puzzling, however, was the order in which these words were placed. It seems as if he mixes up the order of the first, since he says sanctified first, then preserved, and then called. Why would sanctification be first, then being preserved, and then being called? We surely would have put, well, we're called first and then maybe we're sanctified or preserved or vice versa. But certainly our calling is the first thing. Well, it is important to understand that God is the one who does the calling. He summons us and we come. Paul, in 1st Corinthians 1, verse 5, writes, God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus says in Matthew 22, verse 14, for many are called, but few are chosen. The word is also, however, translated, reserved. Reserved. And in 1st Peter chapter 1, verse 4, we're told that, recalled to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. In fact, the net Bible puts it a little differently, where it says, from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. I'll repeat that again. The net Bible puts it that from, in Jude, translates that, Jude chapter, well, Jude 1, 3, as from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, they put that called first, as we might have expected, wrapped in the love of God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. And this seems to have a different spin on it. The focus is what we probably would have expected, given that our calling is first, and that idea of being wrapped in the love of God, that the love of God is what preserves us, and we're being kept for Jesus Christ, kind of like a present that is going to be given to Jesus Christ at his return. The latter rendering focuses on the work of Christ in our lives today, as the one who, Jude 1, 24 says, is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. And this is the work of Christ, preserving us until that day. The net Bible focuses on us being preserved, or being wrapped and covered by God's love, as something precious that is reserved and given to Jesus Christ. Both are encouraging, excitational points for us to consider in this kingdom. But I just wanted to highlight that fact of us being wrapped in God's love. When we tie that in with the idea of being part of the beloved, we recognize that there is no other place we would want to be in this life, but part of that camp of the beloved. Certainly not part of the ungodly. Godly are not the ones being wrapped and preserved. They are preserved for destruction, while the beloved are being kept as a present for Jesus Christ at his return. As Jude begins his letter, he tells his readers that his original plan was to write to them concerning the common salvation. It seems that this plan was set aside because of the troubles that were developing in the early Ecclesia, as Paul warned in 2 Thessalonians 2. Jude saw that it was needful to write to you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the that was once delivered on to the saints. As mentioned, this word contend here is a military term. It has its root in the word for which we get our English word agonize, something that would cause us to worry about, something that we have to be concerned about. Consider what Paul says, wrote of a brother in 2 Timothy 1, verse 16 to 18, where it says, The Lord gave mercy on to the house of Onesiphorus, for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. In verse 18 it says, The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day, and in how many things he ministered unto me, at Ephesus thou knowest very well. This was a brother who was very concerned for Paul, he was contending for Paul. He wanted to ensure that he was well taken care of, and he put in effort to seek him out very diligently. Another example of another brother we are told about is Epaphroditus in Philippians chapter 2, at verse 25 to 27. It says, Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to me once. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that he had heard that he had been sick. For indeed, he was sick nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. This was another brother we're reading of, he was full of heaviness, he was worried about the brethren and his concern, knowing that they had heard that he was sick. This is yet another example of someone showing this idea of agonizing or contending for those within the truth, those that they cared about. It's a level of care and anxiety which should mark the walk of any believer as we think of our brethren, as we think of the truth, as we feel a sense of worry, of heaviness, of sadness when we hear of the trials of each other, or when we hear of the things of the truth that may not be going well, maybe some that are falling away. Does it have the same effect on us, we might ask ourselves? Do we feel it's something that gives us anxiety, heaviness, is it something we feel that we're contending for, or it's just something that we go, it doesn't bother us that much. Now coming back to the book of Jude, the passage that I'd like us then to look into is the need for us to be part, as part of the faithful in Christ, to contend for the faith to the point of personal sacrifice and possibly loss. And this was one of the lessons in this, book of Jude. Let's look at a few other passages that bear this idea out. In Philippians chapter 1 and verse 27, 1 Timothy 1 verse 18, 6 verse 12, and 2 Timothy 4 verse 7 and 8, they give us an idea of what, the idea that there needs to be an undaunted, uncompromising and wholehearted struggle for the truth. It needs to be a part of our DNA, a part of our being. It says, let only let your conversation be as it be come it, the gospel of Christ. This is one way our conversation, or that word means our way of life, has to be something that reflects the gospel of Christ. Continues, that whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. This is in Philippians 1, 27. Similarly, in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 18, it says, this charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before unto thee, that thou by them mightest war, a good warfare. Again, this idea of military care for the gospel, it's something that has to consume us, something that is a part of our life. Or in 1 Timothy 6 verse 12, he says, before many witnesses. And in 2 Timothy 4 verse 7 and 8, he says, Paul says, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also, that love is appearing. So I think this that idea of the need, the mindset we need to have, the diligence, the being a people that contend for the faith and the purity of it, but also the works that come forth from it, the faith that belongs to it. Now, we might ask ourselves, why did Jude make reference, therefore, to the he used Israel in the wilderness, he used Dathan and Abiram, and he made reference to Sodom and Gomorrah. These are three vivid pictures that he used in this book. I think these three are mentioned as examples of those who departed from the faith, who did not contend for the faith that they once believed in, but instead they turned back. In Jude 1 and verse 5, he says, I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believe not. I think all three of these examples show those who once believed and then turned back. Israel in the wilderness teaches us of going through life today, and as trials of life comes along, as they inevitably will, we turn back, we ask to go back to Egypt, we turn back to our own strength, we dismiss what God has done in our lives, and this is one way of leading to condemnation, this is one way in which the believer can turn back, and Israel in the wilderness was one example of this. This was as a body, this was a group, and then there was Dathan and Abiram, which was a smaller group, but we're told that they were famous, that's how they're described, or select as the Concordance says, men who were famous or select, called as we are, we're reminded in Jude 1 that we are also select. Now Dathan and Abiram turned again in rebellion, they stood against Moses, they refused to obey him, and they were destroyed. In effect it wasn't Moses they were standing against, it was against God who had ordained Moses. They were not faced with trials, but they set themselves based on their opinion and self-importance against Moses, and this led to their downfall. So the first group, Israel in the trials came along, they wanted water, they wanted meat, etc., and they turned back, but Dathan and Abiram had to do with those who rebelled, they wanted power, their pride was there, and that got the better of them, and so they rebelled in that fashion. And then there is Sodom and Gomorrah who they rejected this teaching and correction which Lot brought to their city. He was there as a judge, as they pointed out, this one came into sojourn here, he sat in the gate, he no doubt tried to turn them back by saying among other things the words brothers why do you do so wickedly, but they rejected him and they opted for a life of pride, fullness of bread, and rejection of the poor. Now these all

spoke against the people of God, all three of these examples, and in Jude 1 verse 15 Jude reminds them that judgment is coming, that there will be a judgment where he describes it, to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. That brings out the idea of rebellion and where the ungodly as we describe the group of the ungodly, what their ultimate aim is, it's to stand against God. Are these, these are illustrated as failings of these filthy dreamers as it's described of his time, which defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignity, dignities. Who are Joshua and Michael that are referenced, we might ask. Now we know of

Michael the archangel and so on, this is a reference from Zachariah 3 verse 2 and that body of Moses is not, you know, some churches would try to say it has something to do with where Moses was buried or anything like that. That's simply a reference to the body of Moses being the body, the ecclesia, Israel in the wilderness, the body of Moses as I'm sure we're familiar with. But he describes them as as dreamers. They were filthy dreamers rather than bringing forth messages to uplift, to communicate as God would sometimes reveal his will to people in that time through dreams etc. Instead they were not using dreams for anything good. It was, it was, they're described as filthy dreamers and it's far from being faithful conveyors of God's message. They instead were ones that despise the message of God and also despise the messengers of God such as Dayton and Abiram did. So Jude, there's no way that these brethren could be reached, that they could be converted. They despise a message as well as the messenger and

so Jude likens these false brethren to being animals without reason. There is no way of reaching them. They had compromised the truth and ran after the flesh in the way of Cain, Balaam and Korah. Each of these three men gave the prevalent attitudes of those that let the flesh rule them. Cain, which was the first example, he claimed to be a worshiper of God but he was only prepared to do so on his own terms. He brought his his own offering and he was upset with his brother's offering and he committed murder. Balaam mounted the words of God, he communicated with God but was intent upon his own self-glorification despite God giving him a different message to bring. He brought his own message or he certainly tried three times and while he was speaking God's words he pursued his own material advantage. Then Korah refused to be humbled before the divine authority. He was dominated by fleshly thinking, fleshly pride and rejected those who had been sent an authority over the Ecclesia. So Jude refers to these false brethren but this time he uses six figures of speech to show the depraving effect that these brethren had on the doctrine of the truth. He refers to them as spots which is actually translated as hidden rocks and we could imagine a boat going along or a ship in the sea and they're rocks that are there that would be cast upon it, they would be shipwrecked upon if the boat goes upon those rocks but they're hidden so they're under the water, they cannot be seen, they're there. Seemingly those in the boat would seem as if they're safe but they're not because these false brethren are hidden, they're in their midst and they're ready to cause shipwreck at the least chance that they have. He describes them as shepherds who only take care of themselves. That one is pretty self-evident. Clouds without water and again rather than clouds bringing rain, bringing refreshment, causing growth, clouds without water, they appear one way but they're not bringing any water, not bringing any of life, giving water with them that would water the earth and bring forth fruit. Trees also whose fruit withereth, again trees that are bringing forth no fruit. Just as Jesus came upon that tree and he cursed the fig tree, they are not bringing forth any that would be for God's glory and this is another image that is used. And the foaming sea, we know that the wicked are like the sea in waves and they're just foaming up their own thoughts, their own ideas and he describes finally wandering stars. Those that rather than being fixed that someone could, such as seamen, can plot a course based on wandering stars that should be fixed. Instead these are wandering stars that would lead you off course and lead you, cause you to be lost. So this was the scenario that was affecting the Ecclesia and

Jude therefore after painting this he brings what is the antidote. What is the antidote to this, to this false brethren, to all the challenges that they faced at that time? Jude chooses to remind his readers that the apostles spoke of these things before, that these weren't new things, they weren't strange things upon them. If we look at Acts chapter 20 at verse 20 to 30, it reads, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. So it was meant to be no surprise they should have known that these things were going to happen. At second Timothy three at verse one to five warns also this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boastous, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth -breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despises of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof, from such turn away. These warnings had been given by the brethren. They should have expected these things and

it's a sobering thought for us as we go through that list because so many of those things are so expect no less in certain circles of this world. But with these warnings, Jude exhorts the believers. What is the antidote? He said, build up yourselves in your most holy faith by as Paul says in Hebrews chapter three at verse 13, exhorting one another daily. He also asked that they attempt to save those that are destroying themselves and others, having compassion, not bitterness. So God's will was that none should perish and it is this attitude of understanding that these things would come, that they were promised, they were prophesied, but yet the antidote is we've got to build ourselves up in the faith so that we're not overwhelmed when we see evil coming upon us, such as coming from those foaming waves, the waves of the sea that form their own destruction. So we can see that this applies to us today as well because as believers in Christ, we also can feel overwhelmed. We can feel disheartened as we see it seems that Christ is delaying his coming, that there are so many challenges within the ecclesia as well as without, and so many can lose their faith so easily. But this antidote of building ourselves up in our most holy faith, exhorting one another, it applies to us today that we should take this path as we are in the last days. And so with this, Jude calls on us as disciples to stand firm in our faith, to reject false teachings and to remain faithful to the gospel that we've been given because we know that God's power that he has, that he has set out, he set out to save us. It's not going to fail, not a word is going to return to him, null or void.