Introduction to Jude (Part B)

Going on to say that he remained faithful to the parents is as he grew, preserving Christ says Jude sanctified by God the father preserved in Christ. That's an ongoing action. So you just save the mess that you just say you just obey your on your own.

We are preserved. God preserves all who want to be preserved in Christ. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Rick is currently teaching through a special series called truth, love, testimony stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching that hears Pastor Rick as he continues in the book of Jude. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. And I don't need you to approve my faith for me to have my faith but I want to share with you. Nonetheless, you can do that with truth and love. Otherwise, it's not much truth.

It's not much love, if it is withheld. So before we sit and let people accuse us of being archaic and tell him look out the window and tell me if the barbarians are at the gate or not, not Christians killing the unborn babies is not Christian saying to people you know what you look better as a woman than a man. Why don't you change or the other way around is not the Christians rioting and hating and refusing anybody who doesn't side with us to be treated kindly. We are told back to the opposite if someone does not agree with us were still supposed to be kind to them decent people not to their ideas, but to them personally, so I'll stick with Scripture and those who truly love God's word and I'm not going to say Gnostic with Scripture.

Thank you because I don't think them.

I was once lost to. I remember what it was like to feel so sure that the Bible was false, that these people just made things up as they went along that people who followed Christianity were just blind doing it, but I don't recall really engaging spirit filled Christian as a young man.

Where were they some of you may have difference that I know you do you have different stories, but you have them. Nonetheless, and so we preach Christ to those who will listen. And now we look at verse one and realize I might be done in another 10 minutes, then what are we going to do. Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called sanctified by God the father and preserved in Jesus Christ.

Jude is a prince is of the lineage of David, the king is not treated like one.

Judah is his name in the Hebrew Judas in the Greek by the time it makes it to English.

It's Jude 7 men. The New Testament have this name. It was a popular Jewish name even before the Maccabees, Judas, Maccabee, who led the revolt against the Syrians and just as a real champion or hero of the Jews, the that the name Judas and so the name was one that's just held up in that society. But because of Judas Iscariot. The translators almost never named this the book of Judas. They want to make that distinction. And so we have Jude as the title of the book with the man's name was Judah in the Hebrew that's closer to what they would've called them if they were Jewish and Judas from the Greeks and a bondservant. He says in the word therefore bondservant a slave translators make it bondservant. I wish they wouldn't. Now there is a little bit more to it than just slave but that is the Greek word independent of it being an indentured slave or I will put it this way, a willful slave or an unwilling slave doesn't make a distinction there. What makes the distinction is context what's going on. So when the Christian said I am a slave of Jesus Christ. They were very much conscious that there were genuine slaves of of slave owners throughout the Roman Empire. Many of them, if not most of them unwilling to be slaves. They had no choice if taken from their homeland. Roman armies came through and enslave them and took them back in Solomon they were slaves.

So when a Christian said I am a slave of Jesus Christ slave could identify with that a true slave they would understand what I'm forced to be one.

What you are willing to be one that's a bondservant, and indentured slave is another Greek word translated servant in our New Testament we get our word deacon from that diaconal's that does not mean a slave that is really something to do with a hired servant or at L or an errand boy and through at the root of the word, and so my point is that when the New Testament writers who originally penned their letters in the Greek language. They were very much aware of the words they were using. And so when he says, instead of saying a servant of Jesus Christ which he was. He starts off by saying I am slave of Christ, and I am a willing slave of Christ. This is voluntary because he is worthy.

In fact, is John the Baptist made it clear if anything I'm not worthy to be his slave, but he takes me anyway. You know that you've tried to serve Jesus Christ and failed.

You've said you you've had some sense of I'm not worthy.

He says yeah but I love you. All you have to do is look at the cross to know how much I love you.

All you have to do is look at the cross and see what I did to hell lie died for you and is nothing they can do about it. Any man is in Christ is a new creation. Jesus did Noah snatch you out of my hands. You are mine and so the New Testament writers no longer viewed their lives as their own. And that's why they choose chose this language, the translators want to make the distinction. What is a bondservant, and that good links it to the Old Testament and that he was a willing indentured servant, but I think it goes deeper than that. First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 19, or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own. You don't belong to yourself.

If you are a believer in Christ, you belong to Christ, and of course he is worthy, so he says Judah slave of Jesus Christ. That's how he introduces his letter. He's not the only one that does this when he says of Jesus Christ with Jesus is of course the name is a descriptive name name is nature.

He is the Savior and in that name that that it is there, the one that saves he is Lord. That is his title but being Christ.

That is his distinction is distinct from everyone else. He is the only begotten son. There is no other that is coming directly from the father. He is a worthy master who are afraid of these words in the society.

Some of us, but it's Bible language. I am a slave of Christ, and he is my master and I love it and I am grateful for it and I'm not ashamed of it. And everyone stands up and says well we think. I say no we don't we go by the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which runs from Genesis to the end of Revelation he says and brother of James, what is that mean I don't know, let's skip it for my process of elimination, we conclude that this is the half-brother of Jesus Christ of the men named Jude or Judas in the New Testament. Three of them are candidates to consider well the first when we consider is Judas Iscariot he's eliminated instantly. We know he didn't write this letter. We know the letter comes after his death. We know that he was a traitor and son of perdition, and they didn't get to voice his opinions. Judas, the apostles, son of Alpheus was not the brother of James because we the James is not his brother and in for me.

Get the verse 17 Judah is going to make a distinction that he's not one of the apostles that there they listen we listen to the apostles that we should look at verse 17 briefly if you have your Bible open. If not, you can just hear me read it is a superduper 11 room. Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that seems to leave him outside of that group, though he is under the authority of the apostles and so that leaves Judas, the son of Joseph the husband of Mary, one of four brothers listed in the New Testament. Mark's gospel chapter 3 is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, of course you know they were going. This, he didn't get out stamp of approval. So what right does he have to teach it. He can't be homeschooled by God and father in heaven. Yes, come through us and if he doesn't come through us because get that accreditation from us.

He can preach that was their opinion that remind the people that work just being healed and the miracles and the solid truths that were being fired from the lips of the Lord that didn't count. This is what these men replica Paul justly hounded Paul. They hated Paul so much chasing him from city to city for having the audacity to say I do not follow you. I follow the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only begotten of the father. So this episode, Mark's gospel chapter 3 is is not the carpenter's son is a note of disdain. Isn't this him that cause Jesus to say a prophet is not without honor except in his own home is is not the carpenter's son, the son of Mary, brother of James Josie's Judas there he is, and Simon are not these his sisters with us and so this family. Christ being the elder's son, according to the flash, these being his step brothers and sisters. No attempt to deny that Mary had subsequent children are at least ignorant, and at most hellish. I go to the Scripture from Scripture. I find that the children were born to Joseph and Mary after the virgin birth of the Lord and that's why Jesus is singled out as being Mary's firstborn Luke chapter 2 verse seven we all have only born if you don't have a second born. If you have a firstborn that means there's more and everybody knows that somehow that the rule doesn't apply when you want to deify Mary as some sort of co-Redeemer, as the Roman doctrine does and as one of many reasons why you I believe should fully reject them. That does not mean there are nonbelievers within the group. I have to make that disclaimer because it's true, but because we know that there are those in there that love the Lord and they just don't know better and it's a sticky situation. So why does James and Jude give us more information. Why do they not say what both of them. James the brother of Jesus Christ Jude, the brother of Jesus Christ, why, why do they not introduce their letters this way. When these men grew up with him. The same home is Christ. Can you imagine how many times in their ministry. People asked him questions about growing up with Christ. I mean, what if you grew up in the house of Jesus Christ and you came to church there is great this get what so tell me what was his favorite color what it is like for dinner this on and on. It would go less on the lighthearted side of it, but the fact is that their work. They had much work to do that we would say bigger fish to fry, and the emphasis was on the ministry of Christ after his public ministry who he was when he revealed himself.

We find this very thing taking place in the book of acts chapter 1 verse 14 these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers and John seven.

First Corinthians 9 you you find more mention of his siblings.

So as with his brother James. He doesn't does not write Judas or Jude, the half-brother of Jesus Christ keeping themselves subject to Christ unworthy to be able to say yeah he's my brother. He was far more than that. Paul writes about this second Corinthians makes his profound statement chapter 5 verse 16. Even though we have known Christ according to the flash yet now we know him thus no longer yet he's hit is risen is revealed himself be ascended to heaven is far more than the man of Nazareth is God the son, and these men never lost sight of that, but today the deity of Christ is challenging pulpits and churches and seminaries. The question whether indeed he is God the son he says here to those who are called.

Well, these are the believers and wherever they were.

They circulated this many nuke letter and and here we have it sanctified by God the father will that's what happens to believers word sanctified me to set on the side for salvation apart from judgment.

That's what it means to be safe there and not only does it mean that their Savior cannot split this get a chance you might want to read a W toes as I call it heresy.

The first chapter and there he says hi you you can't split the salvation and the Lordship of Christ.

How can you say you saved but you don't come under this authority you you been obedience means nothing to you.

So if you going to be sanctified. Your visitors phases the two phases to that is that justification phase where your sins are forgiven, then there is the development phase where you are formed and shaped into the image of Christ.

That's a lifelong process that cannot be completed in this life you have to die to get to the next level. So because of their faith in Christ and his word. They preach sanctification we receive it by his blood father has separated us from judgment of sinners.

Incidentally, seven men only in the Old Testament refer directly to God as father, Moses, David, Nathan, the prophet Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ethan, the psalmists and Malachi get to the New Testament usual concordance to look up father capitalizing the Old Testament versus father capitalizing the New Testament and is off the chart. You have hundreds of references well over 200 in the New Testament, compared to a handful in the Old Testament see the emphasis shifted when the only begotten son came he had something to say about the father our father in heaven. So you hear Jesus say our father in heaven, righteous father, holy father, the people needed to hear these things because they had been theologically starved what they were receiving were lessons from Pharisees who were hypocrites and wicked men will not all of them with many of them and so this understanding, made all the difference of of it.

When you understand God as father. If the difference is seen a good good example is David and Solomon.

David saw God as a loving father to be revered.

He was holy he was magnificent but he was he was able approachable. I will enter his courts with thanksgiving in my heart I will enter his court and pray them is the lenders gave thanks giving my heart. His courts with praise David so he could access the father's presence. Solomon Solomon saw God more as a servant here's a master and try to just kind of keep a distance which would explain much of his aberrant behavior. Our father who is in heaven is infinitely above all father's in Jesus from the first words out of his mouth.

The father is exalted.

We hear him say why did you seek me, did you not know that I must be about my father's business. I remember he said this to a parent whose eyeballs were about this big as they were looking at him because he was lost for three days.

I may put it all but you know back then all back then a child for three days as a child, lost for three days so put yourself in that spot. I'm sure they were furious when he said these words of them and they saw the countenance on his face.

I'm also quite certain that they just shut up. That was the end of it going on to say that he remained faithful to the parents as as he grew, preserving Christ says Jude sanctified by God the father preserved in Christ. That's an ongoing action. So you just say the mess that we just say the value of the just obey you're on your own. We are preserved. God preserves all who want to be preserved in Christ you have strawberry preserves. You have you have peace, preserves, marmalade Christian preserves its recurrent cleansing is continuous is the flow of the blood of Jesus Christ washes over me as the psalmist sings of the hymn goes Peter in the first chapter of his letter he says reserved in the heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation different Greek word for Identical meaning. It is an ongoing action.

It is the believers assurance.

You can't function if you're not sure, not well if you ever been and is maybe get a new job. Some of you remember when you were green you to know you more.

The bathroom was. I mean just everything is uncertain and just.

You can't function that way. But after you learn then you start to gain some authority in the same way with our salvation. If you not sure you save, you know, you kind of a approach like someone driving 30 miles an hour and 55.

I mean they can do at least 7 miles over the speed limit.

At least have no one's looking. The sky is the limit.

But anyway, I don't mean to get off that what you know I could take a whole sermon. Talk about bad drivers and all that. If there my way and you feel the same way. But anyway, let's get back to the message.

Verse two now mercy. Speaking of driving, mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you what we heard this over and over again because we need to hear it over and over again.

This wasn't a trivial you know, like and so forth and so forth and so forth. Mercy as punishment without you love someone, the object of your love you care for them. You want them to be recipient of mercy. How much mercy do I need all I can get God's abundant mercy so that so that when life is just terrible beating us up and were tempted to say con where are you don't you care. I'm haunted by the adverse master of all use the old King James is more poetic. Can you not that we perish. Christ is sleeping on the pillow the boat about the sink and they wake him up care you. Not that we perish because he gets up, rubs his eyes. I assume instills the storm, but he doesn't always do it that way, forcing me forcing me to to be to question his goodness. Those that make it into glory. Of those who seen the face of Christ, and we refused it. We know he is merciful and full of grace and he'll make good on it when he's good and ready, and that made that I'll be in heaven when that happens, and if the Lord were to come to me and say in heaven. So you want to talk about that day.

I'm going I got my answer ready nope I'm good I'm just loving it up here. You know what you got the snack.

By the way, what do you snack in heaven. I mean what is on so many questions I guess I don't want there to be a receiving area in with the rookies go to newcomers and you look like you're a newcomer and is the guy the veterans that are in the field and get this to seniors in the freshman. I hope you just we just plug in is all you know citizens like that.

Okay no nuts this move on.

There will be miming.

Imagine it was God is going to do such a magnificent job.

We get the habit that I won't go down the street and see somebody that used to come to the church see Salem messed up that would be across the side across the street on honesty.

I just don't they be doing the same thing to me so mercy daily soaking in God's mercy. That's what is offered peace. Peace is undisturbed faith. I know we think pieces not being attacked. I agree with you but God takes it to another level. You know, this verse, it is quite alarming. Sometimes these things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace in the world you will have much tribulation would be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. You want you they say, Lord, are you from the twilight zone.

How can I have peace when everything is coming at me because he's talking about a different life a different world a different dimension that begins here and merges them together undisturbed faith you. Your life may be disturbed to visit your body may be disturbed at your faith. That's what we want to keep the peace with the Lord we have peace with God. Romans Romans 51 multiplied. He said well in the Lord is glorified.

Believers are multiplied. If you don't believe that, then you won't preach Christ in the workplace. If you do believe that you will preach Christ. I would like to go to the universities as a freshman at maybe 18 years old. Knowing what I know now and being able to fistfight really good just in case is a backup plan meeting the little tension Sampson by mechanical. Thanks for listening to cross reference radio today cross reference is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, you can visit our website cross reference radio.com.

You'll find more of Pastor Rick's teachings available. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you become aware of each new edition of cross reference radio. Just search for cross reference radio in iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast. You can also follow the links across reference radio.com were glad we were able to spend time with you today to do next time to continue learning more this year's truth love test here on cross reference radio