The Letter Jude Was Not Intending To Write

The Letter Jude Never Wanted To Write
Jude 1:1-25
*This week's sermon focused on the first two verses of the epistle
- This book is mainly about Jude calling out the apostates within the church. He cited no less than 8 examples from the Bible and other extrabiblical Jewish literatures, identified some false believers from days past and the judgment that befell them.
- He wants us to see the seriousness of the threats these apostates pose to the church and how we should deal with them even now.
- External threat is always there but the internal one is the more dangerous.
- So evil and far more treacherous for the "wolves in sheep's clothing" to come in and pervert the gospel inside the church because the church is supposed to be a place where the people of God grow in the knowledge, rest and grace of the Lord. Hence, Jude dealing with it very bluntly.
How to deal with these threats?
- There should be a balance between the attacks to be made against the ravenous wolves and showing mercies on those who who have stumbled.
- We should remember that however appropriate it is to get rid of the "snake" during a wedding party, that Christ saw the snake before we did. Christ will keep those who are His.
Main outline of the sermon:
1. Jude's greeting
Jude was not actually his real name. He was Judas but the name was rather stained. So he may have found it more effective to shorten his name when his motive was to call out apostasy.
We might perceive him as high and mighty and judgmental but he was actually a very humble man.
By describing himself as "a servant of Jesus and brother of James" (James being a brother of Jesus), he implied that he was not even worthy to be associated (as a brother) to Christ who is perfectly God.
2. Jude's gospel
He was trying to give us a picture of what the gospel is by linking the first verses of his message to the golden chain of redemption according to Paul being "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)
"Called" - He was talking about the effectual (specific) call on God's people and it is found in regeneration
"Beloved" - love that is specific to a people because they have covenant connection to the Father; love that is the basis for their justification, sanctification...
"Kept" - those who have been called and beloved will be kept and endure to the end - not just being kept from hell but kept from apostasy too!
The way God keeps His people is not the we can live our life the way we want to and still be saved (OSAS misunderstood) but to continuously be under the shepherding of Christ protected from falling away.
3. Jude's prayer
Jude's prayer is for mercy, peace and love to be multiplied to us!
"Blessed with multiplication" - you and I are saved. That alone is great! But to multiply, what greater miracle it is! Praise be to the Lord Almighty!
Our God is an infinite God and so is His mercy, love, grace and peace.