Sermon passage: Jude 17-25

Below is a sermon manuscript from September 1, 2024. Watch the sermon here.

Introduction

Neil Postman once wrote,

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. 

Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. 

Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. 

Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture. 

‘In 1984,’ Huxley added, ‘people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure.’ 

In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.”^[1]

It seems there is no shortage of theories of what will ruin us. They are powerful as we see reflections of these within our society. But what are we supposed to do? It’s one thing to diagnose another to give wisdom on how to live in the midst of it. How do we live faithfully in our time? Do we have any idea? Fortunately, we have an answer. We live faithfully in a time that demands a response in the same way that Jude’s audience was called to live faithfully in a time that demands a response. 

Don’t Be Surprised by Opposition

It’s interesting that Christians have always pulled the “woe is me” kind of attitude. Oh, everyone hates us. Sometimes that’s on us. I love what one of our district pastors, Matt Mitchell, said in a recent sermon,

“If the world hates you because you’re angry, unloving, contentious, impatient, rude, mean, and out of control, that’s not on Jesus. That’s on you. And cut it out! But if we are abiding, remaining, dwelling in Jesus, that will not safeguard us from the world’s hate. It will actually attract it.”

Jesus warned against opposition. The apostles warned against opposition. Jude says it’s something that we should expect and not be surprised by. The specific opposition that Jude has in mind is those who come from within.

We should expect opposition in the time we live

Jude says that scoffers will come in the last time. Last time here refers to the time between Christ’s first and second coming. 1 John 2:18 says, “It is the last hour,” and Hebrews 1:2 says, “In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son.” Jude’s use is similar here. The scoffers will be there in these times, we see Acts 20 and 1 Timothy 3-4 discussing this. Another apostle who may be in mind is Peter. Given the similarities between 2 Peter and Jude, it’s unclear whether Jude is using material from 2 Peter, Peter is using material from Jude, or there is a common source. But if it is from 2 Peter, that could also be in mind here. Scoffers in 2 Peter has to do with those who deny the resurrection and that could be a part of it here, but Jude’s emphasis seems to be on those who mock God’s moral requirements in their lifestyle and potentially their teaching as well. 

This is helpful for us to think about. Opposition doesn’t always happen in one way or on one front. Sometimes it is intellectual objections. Sometimes it has to do with lifestyle. While these things cannot be neatly separated since doctrine informs our lifestyle and our lifestyle can influence our doctrine, we still need to be aware of multiple pressures. There was a time when the church was facing opposition from modernity. The pressure was denying the miraculous. Now there is often a pressure of accepting the morality of Scripture. 

Wordly people cause divisions

Those who cause divisions are called worldly. If you have the NIV, you will see it says to follow their mere natural instincts. The word worldly there is really “soulish” people. It’s used in Scripture in contrast with those who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Since everyone has a soul, it has connotations in this use as natural or earthly. One scholar writes, “It can therefore suggest a narrow perspective or behavior that focuses solely on this world and its values.”^[2]

Our loves should be directed by a desire to glorify God and not ourselves. To bring him honor and not merely living for our own pleasure. The problem is that within the church, many claim the name of Christ but live for themselves. This very fact causes divisions. Why? Because it is frustrating for people who desire to please God above all else to be worshiping alongside others who don’t really care. And who lead others to not care.

Think about it this way. If you are at work and five people show up and don’t do anything, that’s pretty irritating. The rest of you are doing your job, trying to complete a project or do a task, and the group isn’t doing anything. It might cause others to be lackluster. Which can compile the divisions and distraction from the task at hand.

Following Jesus means sacrifice. It means laying down desires and patterns before the throne of grace. It also means doing this alongside others. This is a recipe for difficulty. Different people have different struggles. But each of us should be sacrificing. The problems come when some turn up their nose at the very idea of sacrifice. Unfortunately, they are likely to sacrifice for what they truly love. Maybe it’s their own comfort or safety. We all have something ultimate in our lives that is worth the sacrifices. 

Being aware means being prepared

Jude isn’t specifically saying what to do here. We have other Scripture that details church discipline. But Jude’s point appears to be that they need to be aware of this if they are to live wisely. Neglecting the truth that this will happen will leave churches ill-prepared for when it does happen.

I had students who would prank me. One time, they came and filled the office with balloons. One time they wrapped my furniture in wrapping paper. Another time they messed with my books. Now, I am a little crazy when it comes to the books. But the pastor who I worked alongside, knew that students loved to prank and intervened. He gave parameters. They could touch books, but they couldn’t take them out of order or move them at all. So, they meticulously turned each one upside down. I still had upside-down books when I packed them to move here almost 5 years later. But it didn’t affect my workflow too much, and I’m thankful that that pastor was aware that he could act when necessary.

It’s one thing to be aware of well-intended teenagers pranking their pastor; books being messed up isn’t the end of the world. But the ungodly leading others astray can be disastrous for the spiritual health of those individuals and for the community. Jude says to be aware so that we can be prepared. In fact, this is what remembering means within the Biblical text. Doug Moo writes,

“remembering” in the Bible includes the will and not just the mind. In recalling what God has done or said in the past, we are to take it to heart in a way that affects our thinking and behaving. Consequently, Jude wants his readers, by recalling what “the apostles of our Lord Jesus foretold,” to learn how better to respond to the false teachers.^[3]

I think about this even in terms of worshipping. Do you come prepared to worship? Is your heart directed toward the Lord? There will always be a mixed company within the church. But when there are people who desperately desire the Lord, that’s contagious. I was very encouraged by the DiscipleMakers crew we had with us this summer. They were passionate for the Lord. You could tell they understood what they sang, and it mattered to them. Spirit-filled singing is a great remedy amid spirit-void scoffers.

Keep Yourself in the Love of God

Jude gives the command and ways to do this. The command is right in the middle with the ways preceding and following it.

Be built up in the faith

How does this happen? Well, I already mentioned one, spirit-filled singing. This isn’t just something that I think is nice and should happen; it’s a way that God has given us to be built up. Listen to the words of Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” 

This is one way that we are built up together, as we see in Ephesians 4. We are also built by the Word of God and right doctrine that flows from the Word of God. By doctrine I mean the Biblical truths that we hold. The idea that God is sovereign and everywhere at all times is both Biblical truth and helpful for us to live. We are accountable to God. We can’t outrun his presence. He is near us when we are struggling. There are times we need to hear, “Don’t do this, live like this.” The commands certainly have a place. But we are transformed through the renewing of our minds, as we see in Romans 12. When our minds are transformed then we live for the Lord. This is why false teaching is so dangerous; while our minds are being fed the good food of right doctrine, false teaching is like a drop of poison – it spoils the whole thing and turns good into bad immediately. 

Praying in the Holy Spirit

Jude says that the false teachers are devoid of the Spirit, but those who belong to Jesus have the Holy Spirit. We pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament teaches us to pray without ceasing. We are to make it a regular pattern of our lives, some have referred to it as the exhale of the Christian life. Where learning and studying the Word of God are the inhale, prayer is the exhale. In prayer, God works to align our wills with His.

Wait on the Mercy of God

Wait could be seen less as the means by which we keep ourselves in the love of God and more as the condition in which it takes place. We are built up and pray in the midst of waiting.

Wait. We don’t like that word, do we? We are impatient people. The other day, I saw someone at a stop light, and it turned green, but they didn’t go at all. In fact, I was on the bike path and stopped just to see how long it would take. Would they ever go? Honestly, I don’t know. I got bored and kept going. Rumor has it, they are still there!

Sometimes we can be impatient as we wait on the mercy of God. We live in the already/not yet. We have already experienced the saving mercy of God yet we have not fully experienced everything that entails. One day we will be with God forever. We have eternal life now, yet we still live amid the brokenness. One day, all sad things will be made untrue. The tears will be wiped from our eyes, life as it was meant to be lived will be experienced to the full. There is an end-times hope within us that awaits that day. How we long to experience God’s pardon to the full.

But now, we wait. That is the Christian life, isn’t it? But God works during the waiting. 

Show Mercy to Others

Earlier we discussed the issue of worldly people coming in and how this can bring division. But division and problems can also occur when a church lacks mercy and grace.

Show mercy to those who are struggling

Show mercy

Mercy is a way that we show love to others. We saw this as something that Jude prayed for in verse 2. It means “showing kindness or concern for someone in serious need.” (TDNT) It is compassion. Mercy is often described as withholding the just punishment. Christians have experienced the mercy of God’s forgiveness of our sins in Christ. Because we understand our own need for mercy, we are freed to show mercy to others. Our mercy shown to others is a picture of the mercy we have and will receive from God.

To those who are struggling

 It is one thing not to lovingly confront someone who is identifying with Christ and walking in open rebellion. But it is another to lack patience with someone who is being led astray. Two people can be practicing the same behaviors but have two different heart dispositions. The first could be stubbornly rebelling, and the second could be naively following. A toddler who swears at their older sibling is held to a different standard than the mother or father who is making a practice of cutting down others with their vulgar language. 

We discussed those who mock the faith and those who delight in deconstruction earlier. But there is a danger of placing everyone in the same camp. There are some who are truly wrestling with things. They should be dealt with graciously. The person who arrogantly asserts that Jesus is not God is different than someone who stumbled across a YouTube video from a Mormon and is a little taken aback by arguments they have never heard before. 

Show mercy to those who are being compromised

But this mercy is to be shown as we hold to the truth. It states, “Show mercy with fear.” The first one tells us who needs mercy, and this tells us how to show mercy. We don’t only have this statement but also an illustration of garments stained by the flesh. This is an allusion to Zechariah 3, where Satan is seeking to accuse Joshua, who stood in filthy garments but listened to what happened.

And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” ⁵ And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.^[4]

The goal of showing mercy is for those who are clothed in dirty garments to be clothed in clean garments. This illustration of clothes gives us a picture of those who are dirty in their sins but who are made clean by Jesus’ righteousness. It shows us the end goal of mercy. For those who repent and believe they will be clean. 1 John 1:9 says, 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.^[5]

Ok, but what does this have to do with fear? We need to understand that we are calling people to turn from their sins and trust in Christ. The message should be communicated in a way that doesn’t downplay sin but deals directly with it. There should be a fear that is produced within the hearts of the hearers of what awaits those who continue in their sins.

Showing mercy with fear also directs those who are coming alongside. We are to take care not to fall into the same errors ourselves – incurring the stain, and we are also to take care not to act self-righteously. It was Satan who was pointing out that Joshua was not worthy. We can easily turn into the accuser instead of one who desires others to be made clean by the power of God. Our goal is not condemnation but restoration. It’s not pointing our fingers at another’s sin but pointing them to Christ who takes away our sin. 

We tell people to come to Christ and find wholeness and healing. Those who are content in the midst of their sin will not see that as something valuable but those who understand their need will come and find him a sufficient Savior.

Show mercy to those who are hardened

We also need to be aware of the warnings that preceded this section. It might seem extreme. Even gruesome to recount events of God punishing with fire those who were unrighteous. But God is showing us the just consequences for those who continue in their sin. 

In driver training, the instructors often show gruesome videos and pictures of car accidents. This is to show the seriousness of driving, the importance of taking it seriously, and what happens when you don’t. It’s not unloving to show these things; it’s helpful to understand the stakes. To know what might happen. Likewise, there is much at stake. We should be aware of this. We should take our faith seriously as we understand the just judgment of our sin. But we also should know that the God who is just is also merciful. We should desire for others to experience that mercy. That is, after all, why Jesus came? He didn’t come to condemn us – we are already condemned in our sin, but he came to rescue us from the penalty of our sin and to empower us through the Holy Spirit to walk in a new and better way. There is no sin or hardness of heart that the love of God cannot break through. We cannot do that. Only God can. If we are to show mercy to those who are hardened, we can do that from our knees. Pleading for God to show mercy to those who do not see their need for mercy. 

TABLE 2.3: Toolbox for Skillful Shepherding

Member Condition	Spiritual Danger	Proper Response	Scriptural Support
Living fruitfully	Failing to continue	Encourage; praise	Phil. 2:29; 1 Thess. 4:1
Lacking information	Doctrinal ignorance	Teach; instruct	Acts 18:26; 1 Cor. 12:1; 1 Thess. 4:13
Needing to get moving	Laziness; neglect	Exhort; spur on; urge	2 Cor. 9:4–5; Heb. 5:11–12; 6:12; 10:24
Suffering trial	Discouragement	Comfort; console	2 Cor. 1:4; 7:6
Starting to go astray	New sin pattern	Warn; correct; admonish	Matt. 16:23; Luke 9:54–55; 1 Cor. 4:14; Titus 3:10
Determined to wander	Habitual sin	Rebuke	Gal. 2:11; Titus 1:12–13; Rev. 3:18–19
Stubborn unrepentance	Apostasy	Excommunicate	Matt. 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:5[6]

Conclusion

God keeps us while we keep. We show mercy while we wait for mercy. Throughout the history of the church, God’s people have faced opposition from within and outside. One way they have sought to protect the church is through church discipline. That meant that those in unrepentant sin were unable to partake of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a picture of our union with God. It displays God’s mercy to us while we wait for that perfect mercy. It reminds us of the apostle’s teaching and is a great time for reflection and prayer to God in the power of the Holy Spirit – confessing any sins you need to him, rectifying any divisions or quarrels among the body of Christ. When you take the Lord’s Supper, use this ordinary means to remember and reflect on who God is and what he has done. The God who saved you will keep you by His grace.

---

^[1] Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, 20th anniversary ed (New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Penguin Books, 2006), xix-xx.

^[2] Douglas J. Moo, 2 Peter, Jude, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 283.

^[3] Douglas J. Moo, 2 Peter, Jude, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 280–281.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Zec 3:4–5.

^[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 1:9.

^[6] Andy Davis as quoted in Andrew David Naselli, “1 Corinthians,” in Romans–Galatians, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. X, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 260.