Let the Shepherd Lead

Originally Proclaimed 04/19/20

Intro:

• Do you remember the show “Whose Line is it Anyway?”
• The show pitted various actors against one another in teams giving them the task of improvising a scene to entertain the audience.
• Far from having the audience vote or respond with clapping, etc to determine which skits were best, the host would arbitrarily assign points to the actors.
• Then at the end of the show, with no real tabulation of accumulated points, the host would declare a winner.
• The show, popular, humorous, and fun made light of competition, discouraged objective measures of success, and encouraged everyone to have their own opinion of who “won”.

Hook:

• For a TV show meant to entertain and make us laugh, the format worked. But as Christians we must ask, does that format work for our lives?
• It is common today for people to see competition and objectivity as evil and oppressive, while at the same time lauding relativism.
  • Even though this attitude is prevalent our world just does not work that way.
  • Ideas and worldviews do compete for adherents.
  • Objective standards form the basis of how companies measure their success and people earn their degrees and promotions.
  • And though people might say, “that’s your truth and this is my truth”, only one truth will become the norm for the society.
• As Christians, no matter whose line it is, we have to stand with confidence in Christ, not in the measures of this world!
  • Just think of the debate that has occurred in our current crisis as to whether or not churches are “essential businesses” that should remain open.
    • While our SC governor has intentionally said nothing with regard to churches; some like the governor of Kentucky seem to be openly hostile toward churches.
    • So much so that the Louisville mayor, following suite, criminalized drive-in services but allowing drive-in beer and wine sales. https://albertmohler.com/2020/04/13/more-than-an-idle-threat-real-assaults-on-religious-liberty-emerge-in-the-pandemic
    • We can continue the debate about how open or closed a church should be to combat COVID-19, but as Christians we cannot pretend that our society can have “their truth” and we can have “our truth” and both of them will coexist.
  • No matter whose line is the one that our country will follow at this time as Christians we have a responsibility to maintain our faithfulness to Christ and our witness in the world.
• So as we begin this new series entitled “Are We Contenders?” we will begin by examining why this little epistle of Jude is so important for us to understand in this day and age.

Message Points:

• To do that we will ask and answer three questions about the epistle today. 1st “Who is Jude?” 2nd “Who is Jude’s audience and 3rd “Whose line does Jude Follow?”
• As we begin, most of us would probably confess that we have heard few sermons from Jude, and perhaps have not often read this little epistle.
  • This has been the case throughout church history for various reasons.
    • Jude comes as the penultimate or next to last book of the Bible.
    • It is a short epistle and against Revelation tends to be overlooked.
    • Jude has a strong stance and tone that seems more harsh than most would think a Christian should adopt.
    • And perhaps most importantly Jude utilizes quotations from two non-Scripture sources from Jewish society.
  • Even so, Jude has a strong case for being both authentic and important to read.
    • It is important for us to understand why Jude is authentically Scripture.
      • Scripture is inspired by God and written by people to reveal His will.
      • Because God wants to reveal himself, believers should recognize Scripture. They ordinarily do this by recognizing…
        • Authorship – the author was a prophet, apostle, or associate of theirs.
        • Agreement – the teachings of the writing agree with and do not contradict other Scripture.
        • Applicability – the teachings have benefited believers in all places, throughout history.
      • Jude was understood as authentic Scripture as early as  the 2nd Century.
        • The first individuals to quote Jude wrote included church Fathers like Clement of Rome, Polycarp, and even the church handbook known as the Didache. (for the next few bullets – Hiebert, 185-187)
        • It was listed in the Muratorian Cannon of 170, a list of all the writings considered Scripture by that time.
        • But as time went on, other church fathers like Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Eusebius (this first church historian) utilized the work with varying levels of confidence.
      • Jerome the church father who translated the Scriptures into Latin offers an important window into why Jude began to be doubted as Scripture.
        • He makes the claim that due to its use of the non-Scriptures sources from Judaism many rejected the epistle.
        • However, Jerome along with many others received it as Scripture.
        • William Moorehead helps tremendously to explain why Christians came to receive Jude as Scripture in spite of their doubts when he says, “Paul cites from three Greek Poets… Does anyone imagine that Paul endorses all that these poets wrote?… So Jude cites a passage from a non-canonical book, not because he accepts the whole book as true, but this particular prediction he receives as from God.” (Hiebert 190)
      • Thus even though we may not be as comfortable or familiar with the teaching of Jude, it is Scripture that benefits us as we  read, understand, and apply them to our lives.
        • It is similar to the list of warnings included with most major appliances or tools.
        • We may not want to read them and jump right into using our tool, but reading the warning will help us not to be injured.
    • As to its importance, Jude writes because he sees the church being challenged by dangerous ideas that would destroy their faith in Christ.
      • This may have been an early form of Gnosticism that claimed that adherents had some form of special knowledge that made them better Christians.
      • They were certainly antinomian, teaching that our salvation meant that we were free to do as we please, no matter what Scripture might say.
      • It may also have been a challenge brought from those similar to the group called Carpocratians. (Green, 24-25)
        • The group grew out of teachings in Alexandria and spread to the region of Judea and Galilee by the late 2nd Century.
        • They revered angels as the God’s instruments to create of the world. Thus they would practice contacting angels and demons for counsel rather than Scripture.
        • They taught that Jesus was nothing more than a physical man who was blessed with a “special soul”. Further, anyone could live in a way to obtain the same status as Jesus if they followed the right teachings.
        • Further, they extended Christian liberty to the place where no desire was off limits.
          • Because they believe there was no distinction between mine and yours, they would steal other people’s property they wanted to use.
          • There were no boundaries on how much to eat or drink.
          • In a day long before the words polyamory or erotic liberty were in use this group would commonly share their wives to satisfy their sexual desires.
      • The similarity of Jude’s situation to ours in America means that the epistle is important for us to read and heed his warnings with care. 
• This leads us to consider our questions.
  • 1st: Who is Jude?
    • Look with me at the first verse of this epistle. Here we find three important facts about Jude: his name, his spiritual status and his relatives.
      • Jude was a common name in the first century due to the fame of Judas Maccabaeus, the leader of the nation and restorer of the temple worship.
        • The connection to the tribal history of Judah along with this famous forebearer made it one of the most popular names for boys.
        • The name is listed forty-five times in the New Testament and is the name of two of Jesus’ twelve disciples – Judas Iscariot and Judas son of James.
        • The most likely candidate for the author of this epistle is Jude, son of Joseph and Mary and half-brother of Jesus.
          • Matt. 13:55 and Mark 6:3 lists Jesus’ biological half-siblings born to Joseph and Mary as James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas along with at least two sisters.
          • John 7:5 tells us that during his ministry, “not even his brothers believed in him”.
          • By Acts 1:14 this all seems to have changed as they are listed as being gathered with the disciples in the upper room praying before Pentecost.
          • In 1 Corinthians 9:5 we hear Paul mention the brothers of Jesus as taking along believing wives and ministering to the churches.
        • It is important for us not to assume that our growing up in the church, or coming from a Christian family will save us. If it did not save Jude it will not save us.
      • Perhaps this change in Jude’s attitude about Jesus is why Jude describes himself not as his half brother, but as a servant of Jesus Christ.
        • He is no longer seeing Jesus as a brother and contemporary, but a Master worthy to serve.
        • That word servant is the common word for slave and describes Jude as one who has been called into service by his Master Jesus.
        • If 1 Cor. 9:5 is an accurate description by Paul, he would have been something like an itinerant evangelist or guest pastor.
        • Again none of us are expert from serving Christ. Not even his brother were exempt.
      • Further, he is the brother of James.
        • The most famous James in the New Testament also wrote an epistle to the Jews who were forced out of Jerusalem when the first wave of persecution hit in Acts 9.
        • This James was also Jesus’ half-brother; and while he did not follow him during his ministry, James became the Leader of the Jerusalem church and according to Paul a pillar of the church in Gal. 2:9
        • By connecting himself to James, Jude is wanting to distinguish which Jude is writing primarily.
          • There is only one candidate whose brother is James.
          • But this may also display the reality that James so revered by the Christians in Judea and Galilee had already been martyred around AD 62.
          • So Jude would have been writing sometime after AD 62 and likely closer to the middle of the decade.
      • Perhaps as God calls believers home he is calling us to serve in ways we ha e not before.
• 2: Who is Jude’s Audience?
  • This leads us to consider Jude’s audience. Again Jude lists three identifying facts: their call, their love, and the preservation.
  • Jude writes to those who are believers in Jesus Christ and members of churches.
    • The church by its name in the original language is an assembly of the “called out” ones.
    • Church members have been called out from the wider society.
    • Further Church members have been called out to serve Jesus.
    • This makes the letter widely applicable and authoritative to all who might be “called out” to be believers.
    • With the persecution ramping up in Jerusalem, Jude takes on the mantle of his brother James to encourage the churches to be faithful to serve Jesus.
    • While Jude likely wrote to churches in Judea and Galilee; he follows the pattern of Peter who wrote to those churches in Asia Minor.
    • This is very similar to Peter’s introduction in 1st Peter when he mentions the “elect exiles scattered” throughout Asia Minor.
    • Talk about the difference between names on the roll and actual membership in the church.
  • Jude writes to those who love God the Father.
    • This exact phrase is found nowhere else in Scripture, but beautifully corresponds to the motivation for our service to Jesus.
    • We do not work and serve to earn our salvation or avoid judgment.
    • Because of Jesus’ work on the cross our salvation has been bought for us.
    • We serve and obey Scripture because we now have been made a part of God’s family.
    • We God’s love for us as a Father, motivates us to live differently and in ways that please him.
    • Jude’s audience must be a group that have begun to doubt that God’s love as a Father means any kind of specific response from them.
    • In other words this audience is in danger of thinking that Jesus called them to freedom primarily rather than called them to be free as a part of God’s family.
    • Talk freedom as the most important value of our culture and erotic liberty as opposed to being a part of God’s family. Most 20 somethings see not recyling as more of a problem than pornography.
  • Jude also writes to those who are kept for Jesus.
    • This phrase leans into the idea that we will never perfectly obey or serve God.
    • Yet, because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, all our imperfections are no longer able to separate us from God our father. 
    • Thus God our Father is keeping us safe and secure. He is guaranteeing that we will persevere.
    • This emphasis on perseverance means that Jude’s audience must be a group that has somehow failed in their faithfulness.
    • They need to know there is hope of them to repent and still be in a right relationship with Christ.
    • Isn’t that what we all need as we go through life.
• 3: Whose Line is Jude Following?
  • Notice verse two. Here we see Jude pray for three blessings to be extended to his audience in abundance.
    • He prays for mercy, peace and love.
      • Mercy is a part of the prayers that open 1-2 Timothy and 2 John.
      • This is an apostolic way of making sure people know there is forgiveness for failures in faithfulness.
      • Peace is often used in greeting and salutation in the New Testament.
        • It refers to the kind of Shalom God established in the Old Testament when he created humanity to live with Him in the garden.
        • Since broke our peace, but in Jesus peace is forever restored.
      • Love only occurs here in an epistle’s greeting and prayer.
        • This is an unconditional love as we have heard it be described.
        • But friends, remember that God’s love in Christ places a value upon us that we do not deserve.
        • He values us so much that he is willing to bleed and die that we might be saved and sanctified.
      • Further this is described as something that would be ours in abundance.
        • It implies we already have these three blessings of God.
        • But it makes plain that Jude is writing so that Jesus mercy, peace and love might be increased in our lives.
  • So Jude is not offering us some arbitrary line. Jude offers us a direct line to Jesus and the help and hope he can give as we tarry in this world.

Conclusion:

• So as we begin this journey through Jude can I encourage you to turn to this direct line to Jesus’ mercy, peace, and love?