The Joy of Being a Christian Jude 1:1-2 Adapted from a sermon by Steve Shepherd http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-joy-of-being-a-christian-steve-shepherd-sermon-on-joy-126414.asp
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1 The Joy of Being a Christian Jude 1:1-2
1. The Joy of Being a ChristianJude 1:1-2 Adapted from a sermon by Steve Shepherd http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-joy-of-being-a-christian-steve-shepherd-sermon-on-joy-126414.asp
2. The author identifies himself as Jude, which is another form of the Hebrew name Judah (Greek âJudasâ), a common name among the Jews. Of those so named in the NT, the ones most likely to be author of this letter are: (1) Judas the apostleânot Judas Iscariotâand (2) Judas the brother of the Lord.
3. The latter is more likely. For example, the author does not claim to be an apostle and even seems to separate himself from the apostles. Furthermore, he describes himself as a âbrother of Jamesâ. Ordinarily a person in Judeâs day would describe himself as someoneâs son rather than as someoneâs brother. The reason for the exception here may have been Jamesâs prominence in the church at Jerusalem.
4. Although neither Jude nor James describes himself as a brother of the Lord, others did not hesitate to speak of them in this way. Apparently they themselves did not ask to be heard because of the special privilege they had as members of the household of Joseph and Mary.
5. There is nothing in the letter that requires a date beyond the lifetime of Jude the brother of the Lord. Possible references to the letter of Jude or quotations from it are found at a very early date: e.g., in Clement of Rome (c. A.D. 96). The description of those to whom Jude addressed his letter is very general. It could apply to Jewish Christians, Gentile Christians, or both. (NIVSB)
6. Jude 1:1 NET 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. 2May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!
7. After years of shaving himself every morning, a man in a small Southern town decided he had enough. He told his wife that he intended to let the local barber shave him each day. So he went to the barber shop which was owned by the preacher of the townâs Baptist Church. The barberâs wife, Grace, was working, so she performed the task.
8. Grace shaved him and sprayed him with lilac water and said, âThat will be $20.â The man thought the price was a bit high, but he paid the bill and went to work. The next morning the man looked in the mirror, and his face was as smooth as it had been when he left the barber shop the day before. Not bad, he thought. At least I donât need to get a shave every day.
9. The next morning, the manâs face was still smooth. Two weeks later, the man was still unable to find any trace of whiskers on his face. It was more than he could take, so he returned to the barber shop."I thought $20 was high for a shave", he told the barberâs wife, "but you must have done a great job. Itâs been two weeks and my whiskers still havenât started growing back."
10. The expression on her face didnât even change, expecting his comment. She responded, "You were shaved by Grace. Once shaved, always shaved.âBrothers and sisters, you can make whatever you want of this story. But let me say, once you know the joy of the Lord that joy should remain. You may have some tough days, but overall, the joy of the Lord should be with you and bless you always.
11. The world knows nothing of this joy.Sometime ago, a poor, nervous wreck of a man called on a famous London doctor. The doctor said: âYou need to laugh. Go down and hear Grimaldi, the famous clown. All London is holding its sides laughing at him.â But the patient straightened himself and said, âDoctor, I am Grimaldi.â
12. For me, this illustrates the so-called joy of this world. Itâs artificial. Itâs not real or lasting. Itâs all on the outside.For example, look at how many Hollywood actors and actresses get hooked on booze and drugs and spend thousands and in some cases, millions of dollars on these things. WHY? Because they havenât found true happiness. They are always looking for a bigger high in life. But they will never find it that way.
13. As a third-century man was near death, he penned these last words to a friend: "Itâs a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy, which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life.
14. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians and I am one of them." Amen.
15. John 10:10 NET The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I take it from this scripture that Jesus wants to give us a rich life, a full life, an abundant life. Even though the world that surrounds us is full of lust, greed and evil, we live in a God-world, a God-centered world, and a God-controlled world. And that is a joy-filled world!
16. Our text shows why being a Christian brings joy into our lives. 1- Weâre called 2- Weâre loved 3- Weâre kept 4 â Weâre lavished to those who are called, Have you been called? WEâRE CALLED BY CHRIST
17. A middle-aged farmer felt the call to go into ministry and entered a seminary. However, as the months went by his studies became increasingly difficult for him. Finally he was called into the deanâs office for counsel.âWhat ever made you think you should go into the ministry in the first place?â asked the dean kindly.
18. âWell, Sir, I was out in the field one day, and suddenly I had this vision. Up in the sky were two large letters: âP. C.â I felt the Lord was telling me to go into the ministry to âpreach Christâ and so I came here to the seminary.ââBut not all of us have to go into the ministry to preach Christ,â said the dean. âDid you ever consider that those initials might also have meant âPlow Cornâ?â
19. Steve Shepherd says he has been asked many times, "When were you called into the ministry?" He finds that a fascinating question because he canât pinpoint any specific time. However, just after he was baptized into Christ at 20 years old he was encouraged to go to Ozark Bible College in order to increase his Bible knowledge since he was a new Christian. AND HE DID THAT.
20. What happened? There was a very strong emphasis at Ozark Bible College on evangelism and world-wide missions. And the more he heard those messages the more it got to his heart. So he thought he would try his hand at preaching. And, like many first time preachers, he wasnât very good, but he kept working at it.
21. And since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, his faith began to grow as well as his fire for winning people to Christ. HE HAS BEEN CALLED. He believes with all his heart that he has been called to preach Godâs Word. And he believes that he has been called to witness for Christ whenever he can and wherever he can. But Godâs calling is not limited to preachers, evangelists and missionaries!
22. WEâRE ALL CALLED BY GOD! Itâs just some people donât recognize their calling.What is Godâs calling for your life? Heâs called you through the gospel to be saved. We all want that or should. But what else? Does God have a special calling for your life? Arenât you supposed to do something for Him and His church on planet earth? Doesnât He have a task for you to fulfill?
23. When I say a name please notice the first word that comes to your mind. Billy Graham, Tom Cruise, Muhammed Ali, Michael Jordan, Al Gore, Angelina Jolie. Now hereâs another one to try. YOUR OWN NAME. If we announced your name, what would people most likely say? What would it be? Christian, Devout, Faithful, Committed to Christ, Soul winner, A good witness, Or perhaps something else?
24. WEâRE LOVED BY GOD You have been called by Christ to serve Him in some form. Have you discovered your calling? Are you doing it? wrapped in the love of God the Father Wonder of wonders!
25. Did you know one of the things that excited Gayla about getting married to me? Remember sheâs a nurse! One of the most important things Gayla couldnât wait to do was get me on her health insurance. As I recall she had me insured ASAP, which was I believe a month after we were wed. Gayla had good insurance.
26. Finally after 10 years of pain & depression from my plane crash I was finally able to start getting medical help. Thank you, Lord! And Iâm glad that Gayla loves me! And Iâm even happier, more thrilled, more excited that God the Father loves me! Gayla blesses my life in many ways, but God the Father does too. In fact, He alone can bless me with eternal life! SO GUESS WHO DESERVES OUR GREATEST DEVOTION?
27. A mother and her little four-year-old daughter were preparing to retire for the night. The child was afraid of the dark, and the mother, on this occasion alone with the child, felt fearful also. When the light was out, the child caught a glimpse of the moon outside the window. âMother,â she asked, âis the moon Godâs light?â
28. âYes,â said the mother. The next question was, âWill God put out His light and go to sleep?â The mother replied, âNo, my child, God never goes to sleep.â Then the child said to her mother, âWell, as long as God is awake, there is no sense both of us staying awake.â Isnât this just one example of how much God loves us? He watches over us at night so we donât have to be afraid.
29. Psalms 121:1 NET I look up toward the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth! 3 May he not allow your foot to slip! May your protector not sleep! 4 Look! Israel's protector does not sleep or slumber!
30. 5The LORD is your protector; the LORD is the shade at your right hand. 6 The sun will not harm you by day, or the moon by night. 7 The LORD will protect you from all harm; he will protect your life. 8 The LORD will protect you in all you do, now and forevermore. Â BEAUTIFUL! Assuring!
31. In what other ways do we see Godâs love for us?Matthew 6:33 NET But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. The promise of answered prayer. Matthew 7:11 NET If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
32. Matthew 10:32 NET "Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:40 NET "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. We get to "double our pleasure" in life. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior we also get God as our Father! How rich is that?
33. WEâRE KEPT FOR CHRIST Throughout the New Testament we see the promises of God and they are all because HE LOVES SO VERY MUCH! kept for Jesus Christ.
34. Everett Alvarez Jr. was the first American pilot shot down over North Vietnam on August 5, 1964. He spent eight and a half years as a prisoner of war, the first one and a half in solitary confinement. He was beaten and tortured. Â His darkest hour came after seven years in prison. On Christmas Day 1971, his captors let him read a letter from his mother that said his wife had left him.
35. Alvarez emerged from captivity with a new spirit. He remarried soon after his release in February 1973. He earned a law degree in night school. He held two senior political posts in the Reagan administration. In 1988, he started Conwal Inc., an executive management consulting firm that employs more than 200 people and pulls in more than $15 million a year.
36. In an interview, he said, âThe hardest part was being alone. I used to do a lot of talking. I talked to God, and I realized I wasnât really alone.â He scratched a cross outside his hut. Christian faith does not deny the problems and challenges of life. It does not turn away from reality, but it understands that beyond the realities of this world, a greater reality exists. (One Minute Uplift newsletter, www.rickezell.net)
37. Brothers and sisters, there may be times in life when we feel like the person who is supposed to love us, has forsaken us. NOT TRUE FOR GOD OUR FATHER! We may forsake Him but Heâll never forsake us!
38. Hebrews 13:5 NET Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you and I will never abandon you." 6 So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
39. What a tremendous promise from God! He will not leave us because we have a relationship to Him through His son Jesus. The word "kept" may well indicate Godâs desire for us in another way.
40. Matthew 4:1 NET Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.â4But he answered, "It is written, 'Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
41. Now picture yourself in the shoes of Jesus. If you had just fasted 40 days and nights, how would you feel? Starving! We often feel this way and weâve only missed one meal!What did Jesus say to Satan when He was tempted? IT IS WRITTEN. What if Jesus had given in to Satan? He wouldnât have been much of a savior, would he?
42. God His Father KEPT Him from giving in to Satanâs strong temptation. How so? With Godâs Word. Jesus quoted scripture. GODâS WORD IS POWERFUL! And He keeps us out of trouble by the power of His Word. Preacher Chuck Swindoll was once holding a series of meeting in Canada. He said heâd been away from home for 8 days and was having a pity-party for himself.
43. While riding the elevator to his room in the hotel two ladies were on the same elevator. He punched #6 then asked the ladies, "Which floor?" One said, "How about six? Do you have any plans?" He said, "We were all alone on that elevator. I was flattered because most folks donât usually mistake me for Robert Redford. These women were available and I was lonely."
44. He said, âDo you know what immediately flashed into my mind? My wife and four children? No, not at first. My position and reputation? No. The possibility of being seen or set up? No.âChuck said here is the thought that came immediately to his mind: Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, Galatians 6:7 NET
45. WOW! POWERFUL! The powerful Word of God KEPT HIM SAFE! So be it! Psalms 119:11 NET In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you. Â Get away from Godâs Word and youâll lose your power and you could lose some of your "keptness."
46. MERCY, PEACE, LOVE LAVISHED ON US 2May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! Jude's fondness for triads is evident throughout the letter. In these first two verses we have: (1) three names: Jude, Jesus Christ, and James, then (2) three forms of relation: servant, brother, and Father, then
47. (3) mercy, peace, and love. In Jude 1:5-10, we have three examples of apostasy: (4) Israel of the Exodus, the rebel angels, and the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. There follows: (5) a three-fold characterization of the evil men as walking in the ways of Cain, Balaam, and Korah. mercy, peace, and love...This follows closely the sentiment of Paul's "grace, mercy, and peace". (adapted from Coffmanâs commentary)
48. 2 Timothy 1:2 NET to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord! As it is God who begins the work of grace in the souls of men, so it is he who carries it on, and perfects it. Let us not trust in ourselves, nor in our stock of grace already received, but in him, and in him alone.
49. The mercy of God is the spring and fountain of all the good we have or hope for; mercy, not only to the miserable, but to the guilty. Next to mercy is peace, which we have from the sense of having obtained mercy. From peace springs love; Christ's love to us, our love to him, and our brotherly love to one another. (MHCC)
50. lavished "may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you." (NET notes) Thayer Greek Definitions: 1) to increase, to multiply 1a) to be increased, (be multiplied) multiply 2) to be increased, to multiply Part of Speech: verb
51. In the mind and heart of Jude, it wasn't enough to have mercy, peace, and loveadded to the life of the Christian. He looked for multiplication instead of simple addition. (Guzik) Does this not back up Jesusâ reason for coming? John 10:10b NET I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
52. Steve Shepherd is asked, âwhatâs it like being a Shepherd?â I like it ,â He replies. âI love the name. And Iâm fortunate enough that itâs spelled correctly! DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SPELL SHEPHERD CORRECTLY? When he says, correctly, he means itâs spelled like it is in the Bible.â He has often had people say to him,
53. "Well, thatâs a good name for a preacher." He does take pride in his name, but he is infinitely prouder and far more excited about the One to whom he belongs! He belongs, we belong to the Good Shepherd. He is the great shepherd of the sheep. Weâre blessed to be a part of His flock! And flock that is blessed and will be eternally blessed!
54. Weâre called Weâre loved Weâre kept Weâre lavished May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! What a joy it is to be one belonging to Christ, a Christian!