Stay in God's Love

Introduction

Most preachers do not intentionally try to mislead their audience. I am convinced that most preachers are sincere and do not want to lead people away from God. I am also convinced that all preachers have said something that they either regret saying or look back on and realize was not appropriate or true. I know this is true for me—things I said in my early days of preaching I would not say in the same way now. Every preacher has a responsibility to study and prepare, but every listener has a responsibility as well. Just because a preacher says something does not automatically make it true, nor does believing differently mean your belief is false.

Each of us has a responsibility to study God’s word and to try to read and understand it. Many preachers have advanced educations to assist in their study and understanding, but long before colleges and universities had their imprint on ministers, people were coming to faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Each person must take responsibility for his or her journey of faith and not entrust such an important matter to another.

Ministers and audiences are interdependent. The audience depends on the minister to speak and the minister depends on the audience to listen, and both do this in love. The minister who speaks down to his audience has lost them, and the congregation who listens with the intent to criticize will not have a minister long. This mutual love is based upon the understanding that God is the focus—not a minister or group preferences. The minister presents a profound message about God which the audience appreciates even if the delivery is lacking, and the minister loves his audience even if they are lacking.

This is our last lesson on transitions. We have seen that God wants unity, not division over preachers. God wants us to love in the way that he through Jesus has loved us. God doesn’t want us to compare but to appreciate the gifts that each minister has. Today we look at Jude and focus specifically on the last few verses of this very short letter. This letter was intended to be read aloud as the author combated false teachers. Jude says that the people are responsible for maintaining their faith in the God who is worthy of praise.

Responsibility

Jude contends against false teachers who make their living through speaking but misuse their words. They believe that grace means one is free to live any way one wants and can violate God’s will in matters because God’s grace covers their sin. This false doctrine is often seen in sexual misconduct—Jude mentions (v. 7) that sexual immorality will be punished.

These false teachers are boastful, quickly and easily find fault, use their authority to complain, and take advantage of others to gain financially (v. 16). These false teachers are disruptive and evil. As Jude says in verse 4, “They are godless men who change the grace of our God into license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”

The audience is expected to do something about these false teachers. Just as Jude has a responsibility to be truthful and direct about these false teachers, the audience has a responsibility as well. The readers are to contend for the faith and fight for truth—not physically, but spiritually. It is at the end of the letter that Jude tells them how they are to do this through several imperatives or commands.

First, build yourself up in the most holy faith. Jude uses a word which depicts a great building with faith as the foundation, and the building is under construction. Each person is to add to their building and is responsible for adding to their faith. Reading and studying the Bible would be an obvious way to do this.

Second, pray in the Holy Spirit. Each person is responsible for praying. Jude’s encouragement to pray in the Holy Spirit is not in some special way but to pray in tune with the Holy Spirit—praying for God’s will.

Third, keep yourselves in God’s love. Each person is responsible for remaining in God’s sphere of love. God has loved us, but we also have a responsibility to remain in God’s love. Our lives are to reflect that we belong to God.

Fourth, wait for God’s mercy. Each person is responsible for remaining hope-filled. We know that Jesus is coming, and when he comes he will bring us to eternity. This is the mercy that we wait for, and waiting we are filled with hope anticipating what we know is to come.

Fifth, share mercy with others and with others confront. Each person is responsible for interacting with others in appropriate ways. There are some who doubt in terms of faith—with these we are to be merciful. There are others who have gone off the path of salvation. In our mercy we confront, but we do so with humility and love. We love the one who is forfeiting salvation so much that we will do all we can to reclaim them from the fire. Nothing is more important than recognizing that Christ died for us and eternity is our gift.

This is every Christian’s responsibility. This is not left up to ministers or elders. Every Christian is to build up, pray, stay in God’s love, live with hope, and be merciful. I want us to share in the Lord’s Supper at this point. This is a time to remember that we are recommitting our lives to be Jesus’ disciple and servant in this world.

The Future

The Gaines family will be here in late October and Steven’s will begin with us on November 1. His first sermon will be Sunday night Nov. 4. Steven and I will be preaching through Galatians. I will begin the series in October and then Steven will add his thoughts in November.

You can read and understand the six chapters of Galatians. You should do that. You can pray for the Gaines family as they arrive and begin their ministry, you can pray for our transition, you can pray for new roles that Dwight and I will have, and you can pray for the unity of our congregation. You should do that. You can demonstrate that you are remaining in the sphere of God’s love by how you treat one another. You should do that. You can be filled with hope anticipating the return of Christ no matter who stands on this stage. You should do that. You can be merciful to those who doubt in their faith and confront those who are denying the faith. You should do that.

Park’s future isn’t dependent upon a preacher. Park’s future is dependent on God’s will being lived out and carried out in the lives of individuals who make up this place. A minister can do much to encourage, teach, serve, and guide, but the individual members have a responsibility to carry on no matter who the preacher is.

Jude makes this point in verses 24-25. In a beautiful text Jude assures us that we depend on God and are connected to him. It is God who will keep us and guard us so that we do not fall. Jude uses a word used of horses that are sure-footed and do not stumble. It is God who guards us so we do not stumble. It is God who brings us into his presence where we can see his full glory. It is God who introduces us as blameless and with great joy. It is God alone who is worthy of all praise now and forevermore—no minister, no servant. Only God.

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