Good morning, CFC. Thanks, Chris. Go ahead and take your copy of God's Word and open up to Jude, verse 24.
! Jude, verse 24. We're going to be wrapping up our study in Jude this morning. I am getting over some sickness. I'm not contagious, so nobody be alarmed.
So I hope I'm able to remain standing by the end of this, that my voice will not give away.
And I also just want to take a minute just to thank so many of you. I'm just very thankful to be in a church where I know that I'm loved and supported,
and I've just had a lot of really great encouragement from so many of you as a young person who's growing as a preacher and trying to get this thing down.
So I'm very thankful for the opportunities I've had, and I'm sorry that you had to deal with me awkwardly saying okay whenever you were encouraging,
because I'm just weird about receiving any kind of compliments. I blame it on my siblings, because I never really got many,
but that's why I'm just a little awkward about these things. But I really do appreciate it, and it really has been encouraging in so many ways.
So our text today is Jude 24 through verse 25. As I said, it's the last bit of Jude.
And this text is a doxology, and this one in particular is probably the most famous, or it's at least up there.
What is a doxology? Doxology is a compound word. It comes from the Greek.
The first word is doxa, which means glory, and the second word is logos, which means word or saying.
And so a doxology is simply a glory saying.
Or you might say it is a statement of praise, worship, and adoration.
So simply put, it is a statement that conveys something glorious about God.
Now I once heard a story about John Piper, a former pastor and seminary president in Minnesota.
Piper was giving a speech to a bunch of incoming seminary students at his seminary.
And basically, Piper gave this whole speech about the glory of God,
and how God is infinite and eternal, and therefore his glory is infinite and eternal.
And with this, he discussed how God as an academic subject, right, which we call theology,
is the only academic subject that is inexhaustible.
So this simply means you will never fully know everything about God,
because God is infinite, eternal, and inexhaustible, whereas we are finite.
So the math does not work for somebody like us, right, creatures.
Finite creatures to fully know and understand the infinite God.
And Piper then turned to his audience, and remember, his audience is a bunch of nerdy,
geeky, know-it-all seminary students, right, who love theology, who love the Bible.
And Piper said to that crowd of knowledgeable, studious types, he said,
God will not be dissected.
He will be worshipped.
So God is not a field of study like biology or chemistry, which are exhaustible.
Have we exhausted those fields?
No.
But anyone will tell you there is an end or a limit to those fields.
Eventually, we can know everything there is to know about those studies,
but not so with God.
God is one in essence, three in person, without beginning and without end.
He cannot be dissected.
There is no limit.
And Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 10,
he says,
So this morning I have no points.
I just want to walk through the text together so that we can understand what Jude is saying.
And by doing this, my goal this morning is simple,
that we would glorify God together in light of the doxology that Jude gives us
through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
So worshiping God is a demand that runs throughout Scripture.
Psalm 150, verse 6 says pointedly,
Let everyone who has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
And worship is not only the demand, but it is also the reward.
So remember the psalmist we read a few weeks ago, Psalm 27, verse 4.
David says,
One thing have I asked of the Lord, one thing that I seek after,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
and notice this language,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
That is worship language.
David wants to adore God by gazing upon him
and learning about him with him, with God.
So I invite you all now to read Jude 24 through 25 with me
and to worship God with me.
There is nothing greater, nothing higher, nothing more meaningful
than what we are about to do,
to reflect on the glory of God and worship him.
So verse 24, Jude writes, to end his letter,
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority
before all time and now and forever.
Amen.
So Jude begins by saying now to him.
And throughout the letter of Jude,
he has switched his address numerous times.
He starts off by addressing the believers
who are called, kept, and beloved by God the Father
in verse 1 for Jesus Christ.
But because of the occasion, as we've studied,
of these false teachers who have wormed their way in,
Jude had to switch plans and address them.
And so throughout the letter, we saw him say these, these, and these.
But here, at the end of Jude's letter,
he says now to him, to God.
And this doxology at first glance might seem oddly placed.
We just spent weeks unpacking text after text
that speak of false teachers
and their damning threat to the church.
We've talked about the dire situation that the church is in.
Yet here, at the end of Jude's letter,
he concludes not with some word on how to fight these people,
nor how to contend for the faith.
That was last week.
Nor does he offer any kind of further arguments to give,
or anything like that,
for the believers to defend themselves with.
No personal greetings of any kind,
as you might expect with Paul's letters.
Rather, he ends by worshiping God.
Jude addresses God to worship God.
So think of all the times in your life
when you put worship to the side.
I have a lot of work this week.
I better forget about prayer.
Or I'm tired this week,
so I better skip church.
Or my spouse and I are getting into it again,
so I can't afford to read my Bible this week.
All these petty excuses,
and many more like them,
have dominated so much of our calendar
far too many times.
And you can imagine someone in Jude's church
using a pretty good excuse.
They might say,
I'm going to have to put aside
my relationship with God for now
because of all these false teachers.
This threat that is opposed to the people I love,
my brothers and sisters of the faith.
I don't have time for all that stuff.
I've got to contend with these guys.
And yet, that's not what we see.
We have an amazing example from Jude.
He begins this letter in verse 3
by saying he can't write about the gospel
because of the occasion of the false teachers.
So notice this.
This is an extremely important and dangerous occasion,
so much so that Jude is unable to write
about the gospel,
our common salvation, as he puts it.
Rather, he has to address the threat
of the false teachers,
these antinomian false teachers.
So wouldn't you also conclude
that Jude has no time to write a doxology
if the situation is so lethal,
so important,
and so consequential?
That's where my mind goes at first.
And yet, here Jude writes a long, beautiful,
glory-saturated doxology to God.
So let Jude's example be a cue to us.
No matter the life circumstance,
we are to be a people characterized
by worshiping God.
If any one of us should ever be written about
in the history books,
live in such a way that your biography
would scream,
one who worshipped God.
So now Jude goes on to describe God
in the doxology,
and refers to him as the one who is able.
He is the one who is able.
Just think for a moment
about the power of this phrase,
God is able.
You cannot be confused about
who this person is
whom Jude is addressing,
because there is no one else
who is able.
Able to do what?
To save us and keep us from sin,
which we'll see in the next two phrases.
But do not miss the underlying point
in this phrase.
Jude singles out God
as the only one who is able.
There is no one like him.
So God is the one
who is able,
verse 24,
to keep you from stumbling.
So last week we discussed
the reality of divine sovereignty
and human responsibility.
So yes,
we are called to keep ourselves
in the love of God,
as Jude says in verse 21.
But as I said then,
and as Jude reminds us now,
ultimately it is God
who keeps us from stumbling.
The idea of stumbling
is found throughout the Bible,
especially in the Psalms,
which I think influenced
Jude's writing of this phrase.
Psalm 56, verse 13,
the psalmist writes,
For you, God,
have delivered my soul from death.
Yes, my feet from falling.
There's the stumbling idea.
That I may walk before God
in the light of life.
In Psalm 66, verse 9,
refers to God as the one who,
quote,
So the idea of stumbling, right,
it usually connotes the idea
of falling into sin
in such a way that we apostatize.
When someone stumbles, biblically,
they are embracing sin
and intentionally rejecting Christ.
So here's part of the good news.
God is able to keep you
from stumbling.
Or you might say,
Well, what about the false teachers?
Aren't they a threat to us?
And the Psalms have a wonderful prayer
for you to use.
Psalm 140, verses 4 through 5.
The psalmist writes,
Guard me, O Lord,
from the hands of the wicked.
Preserve me from violent men
who have planned to trip up my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords
they have spread a net.
Beside the way
they have set snares for me.
So the psalmist prays to God
because he knows God is able.
This is true of God over the devil too.
2 Thessalonians 3, 3.
But the Lord is faithful.
He will establish you
and guard you against the evil one.
So no one will snatch us
from the salvation of the Lord.
So essentially,
Jude is praising God
for his ability
to preserve his elect
unto salvation.
This is what we often call
the doctrine of the perseverance
of the saints.
This biblical doctrine teaches
that those who are truly saved by God
will never lose their salvation.
Rather, they will persevere to the end
by faith in Christ.
And again,
this does not negate
our responsibility to obey.
As Paul so concisely describes
the relationship
between divine sovereignty
and human responsibility
in 2 Timothy 1, 12,
he writes,
But I am not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed.
And I am convinced
that he,
referring to God,
that God
is able to guard
until that day
what has been entrusted
to me.
So likewise,
we are entrusted
with keeping
our salvation,
yet ultimately,
it is God
who guards us.
And that is very
good news.
That news means
we who are in Christ
already have victory
over any and all
false teachers,
any and all
traps in this world.
So praise the Lord
for his steadfast
faithfulness
to uphold us
against any
and all foes,
any and all
traps,
any and all
temptations.
And not only is God
able to keep you
from stumbling,
but the second half
of verse 24,
he's able to present you
before the presence
of his glory
with great
joy.
So truly,
this is
an astounding
statement.
Jude
is assuming
the gospel
underlying
this statement.
Otherwise,
he would not be able
to make such
a statement.
And I guarantee
you that
Jude's audience
who knew this
gospel well,
as we know
from the earlier
parts of the letter,
that Jude's audience
would immediately
think of the gospel
when they hear
this phrase.
We are not able
to present ourselves
before the presence
of God.
We are sinners.
The Lord says
in Exodus 33,
verse 20,
no man can see
me and live.
This is because
all of mankind
has fallen in sin.
We are unholy
from the moment
of our conception,
and therefore,
we cannot stand
in the presence
of a holy God.
Psalm 51,
verse 5,
David says,
behold,
I was brought forth
in iniquity,
and in sin
did my mother
conceive me.
And this is true
of all of mankind.
We are totally
depraved.
And so we are told
from very early on
in the Old Testament
that we need a priest
to intercede for us
so that we can come
before God.
Numbers chapter 3,
verse 10,
God says to Moses,
So you shall appoint
Aaron and his sons
that they may keep
their priesthood.
But the layman
who comes near,
near to the tabernacle
of God,
that is,
for the layman
who comes near,
he shall be put
to death.
So no one
can stand before
the presence of God
apart from a priest.
We also need
a perfect,
spotless,
blood sacrifice
to atone
for our sins.
And this also
is apparent
in the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 17,
verse 1 says,
You shall not
sacrifice to the Lord
your God
an ox or a sheep
in which is a blemish,
any defect whatsoever,
for that is an abomination
to the Lord
your God.
In the New Testament,
Hebrews 9,
verse 22,
echoes the need
for blood atonement
and says,
Without the shedding
of blood,
there is no
forgiveness of sins.
But of course,
the constant sacrifice
of goats and bulls
would never atone
for sin.
We needed
a better sacrifice,
a full
and final sacrifice.
We needed
a perfect priest
and a perfect sacrifice
because God's
glorious justice
demands it.
Justice is an
attribute of God
and therefore
it is part
of His glory.
So it is astounding
that Jude is saying
we are presented
as blameless
before the presence
of His glory
because we should die
in the presence
of His glory
since we are not
blameless
in and of
ourselves.
So how can that
be?
Who is our
priest
and who or what
is our
sacrifice?
How could we
possibly stand
in the presence
of God?
And as Jesus
told the disciples
in Matthew 19,
verse 26,
He said of salvation
with man,
this is impossible.
There is no one
worthy to be a priest
on our behalf
who is among us
nor any sacrifice
that we can make
that will save
our souls,
that will atone
for our sin.
But Jesus goes on
in Matthew 19,
verse 26,
and says,
but with God
all things
are possible.
Or as Jude
puts so simply,
to Him
who is able.
God Himself
is able to present
us before Himself
through the God-man,
Jesus Christ.
That is in the next
phrase of Jude's
doxology.
He says in verse 25,
to the only God,
our Savior,
through Jesus Christ,
our Lord.
So there it is.
God
is our Savior.
Somehow
and in some way,
God is the one
who is able
and the one
who is desiring
to save a people
to Himself
because He is a Savior.
It's in His nature.
And because He is Lord,
He has the authority
and the means
to accomplish
such a task.
And so we know,
like Jude's audience,
we know the gospel.
This is not
some mystery to us
in the fullest sense.
We know Christ
is our high priest
who intercedes
on our behalf.
Paul says
in 1 Timothy 2,
verse 5,
there is one God
and there is one
mediator between
God and men,
the man,
Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 3,
verse 1 says,
therefore,
holy brothers,
you who share
in a heavenly calling,
consider Jesus
the apostle
and high priest
of our confession.
So God the Son
intercedes
before God the Father
on our behalf.
Christ is also
our perfect sacrifice.
Hebrews 9,
verse 12 says,
Christ entered once
for all
into the holy places,
not by means
of the blood
of goats and calves,
but by means
of His own blood,
thus securing
an eternal redemption.
Hebrews 10,
verse 14 says,
for by a single offering,
He has perfected
for all time
those who are
being sanctified.
sanctified.
So notice the language here.
We are perfected
for all time.
Another way of saying
we are blameless.
The author of Hebrews
is speaking
in a judicial sense
in which we are
declared righteous
in a court of law,
though practically
we still give way
to sin.
But he also speaks
of a practical righteousness
that we partake in
as we are being
sanctified,
as the author says.
It's an ongoing process.
So, though we sin,
we are growing
in real obedience
every day.
So, through Christ,
you might say,
on account of Christ,
we are saved.
Now remember,
worship is not only
in demand of God,
but it is also
the reward of God
to the elect.
We are so blessed
because we alone,
who are spiritual,
by God's grace,
are able to worship God.
And it is all
of grace.
And I think Jude
primarily intends that
when he says,
through Jesus Christ.
Notice verse 25,
Jude is readdressing God
more explicitly
in the doxology
and says,
to the only God,
our Savior,
through Jesus Christ.
In other words,
Jude is saying,
we are able to offer up
this doxology
on account of
or through
Jesus Christ.
Only through Christ
could we approach
God and worship him
without being slain
where we stand.
Because Christ
has interceded for us.
Because Christ
has made the once
and for all
sacrifice
that seals
our salvation
in him.
So only through Christ
can we approach God
who sits
on the throne
of grace.
And to think
that Christ died
not only to save us
from hell,
which we deserve,
but then we are rewarded
to be able
to worship him.
Why on earth
are we rewarded?
We did nothing.
The only thing
we contributed
to our salvation
is the sin
which made it necessary
as somebody
once said.
And all this stuff
we're talking about
is captured so well
in 1 Peter 2,
verse 9.
Peter writes,
but you believers
are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people for God's
own possession,
that you may,
so there's a purpose statement
in what Peter's about to say,
that you may
proclaim the excellencies
of God
who called you
out of darkness
into his marvelous light.
We are saved
from death,
from hell,
and we are saved
to worship.
And don't miss this.
Go back to the end
of verse 24.
Jude says,
we will be presented
with great joy.
So in your English translation,
you kind of assume
that Jude is saying
that God himself
presents us
with great joy,
which is theologically
true and wonderful.
But the Greek indicates
that Jude is saying
we will be
with great joy
in the presence of God.
And for obvious reasons,
right?
We are spared
eternal torment
and give an eternal life
dwelling with our
all-glorious God,
whom we get to enjoy
forever
by worshiping him.
No longer ashamed
to be in the presence
of God
as Adam and Eve were
when they hid in the garden.
No longer afraid
to be in the presence
of God
as Isaiah was
and the disciples
on the Mount
of Transfiguration.
But with great joy
we will be
in the presence
of God
because Christ
has removed
all of our guilt,
all of our shame.
Praise the Lord.
And Jude goes on.
He says,
to this Savior God,
he says,
be glory,
majesty,
dominion,
and authority.
So be glory.
This term glory
you might say
is shorthand
to describe
all of God.
God.
Again,
we can't know God
exhaustively,
but because he has revealed
to us that he is
all-glorious,
we can know that
in his totality
he is glorious.
Not one aspect
of his three persons,
of his one divine essence,
not one aspect
of his attributes
or anything else
about him
is not glorious
because he is
all-glorious.
And this serves
as a statement
to undermine
the false teachers
whom Jude writes against.
They attempt
to profane
the glory of God
by teaching
their wicked
lifestyles,
but that does not
add up
when you worship
an all-glorious
God.
And Jude says,
be majesty.
And this term
follows glory
in many ways.
It captures
the grandeur
and awe
of God.
So majestic
are his ways
and so glorious
are his ways.
Jude cannot
help himself
but find a synonym
to double down
on the majesty
and glory
of God.
Again,
what a counter
to the false teachers
who want to pervert
everything.
How could they
possibly worship
such a God
with their teachings
and their
living?
And Jude says,
be dominion
and authority
to this God.
Again,
Jude uses
two similar words
to give
a description
to a general
idea,
to give a general
idea much
weight.
And the idea
is simply
God's sovereignty
over all
things.
Everything is
within his
dominion.
And dominion
is another way
to say his
power in this
context.
God has power
to do
what he
wills.
And rightfully
so because he
has the authority
to carry it
out.
There's no one
higher than our
king of kings.
There's no one
whom God must
give an account
to or answer
to.
God reigns
far above
the heavens
and the earth.
And he is the
creator
of the universe
and therefore
has authority
over all
things.
All things
give an account
to him.
From every
blade of grass
to every
person,
to every
planet,
all things
are under
him.
And what a
comfort it
must be
to Jude's
audience to
worship such
a God.
A God
who has the
power and
the authority
to keep
them guarded
against false
teaching.
And think
more broadly
too.
A God who
is able to
guard them
against their
own flesh
or against
the devil
and against
any and
all who
oppose him.
Who can
contend
with the
Lord?
Nobody.
God.
And all
of these
attributes of
God have
been his
from all
eternity
past and
future.
God does
not change.
He is
immutable.
So something
to know
about doxologies
is that they
always include
the duration
or the time
for which the
author believes
the praise
or worship
should endure.
And here
is the
duration for
which a
Jew believes
God should
be worshipped.
He says
in the second
half of verse
25,
before all
time and
now and
forever.
This is the
great I am
who we are
talking about
after all.
The Alpha
and the Omega,
the only one
who is without
beginning or
end.
And because of
his eternality,
because of his
infiniteness,
because he is
unchanging and
immutable,
because he is
all glorious,
he must be
worshipped
always.
He is worthy.
So finally,
Jude concludes
with the only
word fitting
to end
this epistle,
and the only
word fitting
to end
this magnificent
doxology.
He says,
Amen.
In verse
25.
Now this
word connotes
a great deal
and has such
a variety
to its potential
meaning.
I heard Al
Mulder preach
on this text
once,
and he said,
of all the
words in
this text,
this is the
word he is
the most
unsure of
as to what
exactly it
means,
so that is
pretty intimidating.
He is a
very smart
guy.
But the
gist of the
meaning of
this word
in this
context
is truly.
Jude writes
the word as
a way of
acknowledging
the truthfulness
of everything
that has been
said so far.
This is the
very same
word in
Greek that
our Lord
uses often
when we
translate
truly,
I say unto
you.
He is actually
saying,
Amen,
I say unto
you.
It is a
word one
would use
to express
their total
agreement to
something,
or their
total commitment
to something.
And so
Jude is saying
that with all
this truth,
he is in
total agreement.
There is not
one aspect of
this letter
that he has
written that
he is concerned
about or somehow
secretly against
or not in
line with,
but he is in
total agreement.
covenant.
And this
also is a
writing convention,
right?
In the New
Testament era,
the epistles
would be read
aloud to the
congregation.
And when they
ended with
Amen,
it was understood
that the
congregation as
a whole would
recite this
special word
as well,
a way to
signify that
we, the
church,
are unified
in Christ,
that we are
one in
Christ,
and that we
are in
agreement with
these things,
that we hold
these things
to be true
and will
therefore live
in light of
these truths.
It's a way
for the church
to respond
to this
epistle,
a way for
the church
to say,
yes,
we too
are in
line,
we too
will submit
and find
these things
to be true
and wonderful
and good.
So we,
the church,
affirm these
things.
We are
in
agreement.
That is
what Jude's
audience would
signify when
they say
together,
amen.
And so
in a
similar
spirit,
I would
like to
read the
doxology
one more
time in
full.
And at
the end,
I would
like for
us all
to say
amen
together
as well.
But I
will warn
you,
do not
say so
lightly.
Let your
yes be your
yes and your
no be your
no,
only affirm
these things,
all of what
Jude has
said,
if you
actually
believe it,
if you're
actually going
to live
in light
of it.
And I'll
tell you that
a good
indication of
whether or
not you
say amen
with sincerity
is whether or
not you go
about this
week
worshiping
God,
whether or
not you
are able
to think
over the
truths
that we
have dwelled
on these
last few
weeks with
agreement,
joy,
and sobriety.
Whether or
not you
are able
to consider
Jude in
light of
all of
scripture
and God's
plan to
judge the
wicked and
save his
chosen,
whether or
not you
are working
to obey
him,
these things
will indicate
whether or
not you're
sincere.
Because only
in these
things then
are you in
submission to
the will
of God,
because you
delight in
God and
all that he's
doing and
all that he
is and
all that he
demands,
then you
can say
amen.
So in
closing,
I'm going to
read it one
last time,
and again,
I'd like for
us all to
say this in
agreement,
as the
church,
in Christ.
So Jude
writes,
Now to
him who is
able to
keep you
from stumbling
and to
present you
blameless
before the
presence of
his glory
with great
joy,
to the
only God
our Savior,
through
Jesus Christ
our Lord,
be glory,
majesty,
dominion,
and authority
before all
time and
now and
forever.
Amen.