Joyous Jude

The last two verses (24,25)  are glorious. I have used them countless times as a benediction to close worship and send the congregation out with confidence in God's promise. TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING AND TO PRESENT YOU WITHOUT FAULT AND WITH GREAT JOY - TO THE ONLY GOD OUR SAVIOUR BE GLORY, MAJESTY, POWER AND AUTHORITY, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, BEFORE ALL AGES, NOW AND FOREVER AMEN.  Oh yes. Let it be true for me. 

It never struck me before preaching this sermon how this conclusion is so vital. Hearing Jude's harsh words would have been so tough on this church.  These were warning words which any sensitive soul would have taken to heart, and likely felt they had let Jesus down in behaviour and thought. Some might have wondered how God could possibly be pleased with them. It is exactly this sobering context in which these words ring out with such joyful promise. We need to hear that there is one, and only one, who is able to keep us from falling. Living the Christian life in fellowship with Jesus is demanding. You want to stay close to the end but you cannot depend on others to help you. Not godly parents, a loving church fellowship, an encouraging pastor.  Nobody else can keep us going strong. Certainly not ourselves. There are times when we feel spiritually strong, standing firm, wearing the armour of the Christian fight.  But we know all too well how we can be hit by weakness, by spiritual wobbles. Like D.L.Moody said: 'I've been filled with the Holy Spirit but I leak.' Yes, it's very possible to fall.

That's why we need to hear these words.  It's not just that God is able to keep us from falling as we seek to trust him but that he is able to present us without fault. That's extraordinary.  No one knows more than us our sins of omission and commission which spoil discipleship but at the end, because of Jesus' love, mercy, forgiveness  we are presented without fault.  And oven more - with great joy.  It's all through Jesus' work on the cross and his risen power in our lives.  This is the hope to live by.  

On Facebook  I saw a quasi Christian motivational prayer:  Motivate your day. There's about to be a shift.in your life. You have been through enough and a breakthrough is on its way. Amen.   What dangerous horoscope hokey stuff.  Wishful self-affirming prayer!  We need something solid for tomorrow.  Only God our Saviour can offer future hope. Jude's ending high note should ring in our ears. .

Harsh Jude 2)

Now for the difficult part. Verses 5-16 are tough read.  As mentioned earlier (June22 post) they contain references to stories only told here, citing documents not elsewhere in Scripture. But no one can doubt the severe tone. The Message puts verse 5: I'm laying this out as clearly as I can, ever though you once knew all this well enough and shouldn't need reminding. Here it is in brief: The Master saved a people out of the land of Egypt. Later he destroyed those whose defected.' This church, he wants to encourage, has to be reminded that God is judge who condemns bad behaviour and those who turn their backs on him. In spite of what God has done for his people they have totally lost their way. Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of people deserving judgement, serving as examples of those who suffer God’s punishment.

When a church hears messages that dilute responsibility to live for God in his way, it faces God's judgement. These false teachers, he calls them dreamers v 8, are condemned because they are destroying the faith by their behaviour and teaching. Grumblers, faultfinders boasting about themselves they flatter others for their own advantage, verse16.  What an indictment! Beware affirmation without accountability.   Happy words without gravity. Endorsement of current lifestyles without the wonder and work of the Kingdom of God. And how much we need each other and the Holy Spirit to live in the balance between joy of salvation and obedience in the kingdom.  Like Jude writes subsequently: 'But you dear friends build yourselves up in your most holy faith, and pray in the Holy Spirit. Be merciful to those who doubt' verse 22. 

Did I find this an easy part of the sermon?  No! And nor did the congregation! I paused to remember how I have placed on my bathroom cabinet the famous E. Orthodox Jesus prayer for every morning: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner. I confess not every morning, but it's there to be said from the heart, to give perspective about how Jesus is my Saviour and I need his help to be more like him. I remember talking to a church leaders' conference about the importance of confession.  Afterwards a couple talked to me. How often would you say a prayer like the Jesus prayer? they asked. 'Well, most days and certainly some confession whenever we worshipped', I replied. With indignation they both chorused: 'No. That's unthinkable and unnecessary when you have been saved, cleansed and healed by Jesus.  I understood they offered optimistic leadership with good news and nothing should spoil that. And good news is central. But its such a difficult balance.  I am special but as his disciple Jesus has high expectations and there is 2 Cor. 5:10!

Afterwards a member of the congregation sent me a quote from David Benner (The Gift of Being Yourself);' Some Christians base their identity on being a sinner. I think they have it wrong - or only half right. You are not simply a sinner; you are a deeply loved sinner. And there is all the difference in the world between the two'.  Yes - half right.

 

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Harsh Jude

One reader recently commented positively about earlier posts on Jude. Thank you, but it stirs me to finish the task. My first two themes in Jude were admittedly loosely connected with the text but this next section really goes to the heart of Jude's passion. 

Last Sunday the BBC service highlighted Eric Liddell's life, linking in with the 100 years' anniversary of his Olympic win, celebrated in Chariots of Fire.  During the service they sang his favourite hymn by F.W. Faber.: 

There's a wideness in |God's mercy, 

 Like the wideness of the sea. 

There's a kindness in his mercy 

Which is more than liberty.

Further lines stress this theme: And the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind ....We magnify his strictness with a zeal he will not own.  

Later on Songs of Praise this same hymn was sung to emphasize the theme of inclusion. These words do speak movingly of God's mercy and (often) our lack of it.

When you consider church styles of worship they can range between emphasizing good news with joy, smiles, celebrating with Hallelujahs and affirmation that God loves you. You are special. At the other extreme is a seriousness where the weight of God’s expectations involves confession and tears with challenges like 2 Cor 5. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body whether good or bad.  Of course, this is nothing to do with Jesus' redemption of us, but everything to do about the quality of our actions. That Christianity isn’t a free ride to feel good about yourself but an invitation to live the good life of discipleship in his kingdom. 

It seems as though Jude wanted to stay in the sunshine of celebrating good news. Being positive. Verse 3 almost says I would have liked to be positive about all the good things but I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith.  Contend is a fighting word – I’m begging that you fight with everything you have in your for this faith.(Message). Jude sees danger. Something is going wrong in their church and they have to put it right. V4 Certain men have secretly slipped in among you. Godless men who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.  Notice that the teaching is about ethics and doctrine. Always these are bound together – how we behave depends on what we believe. Water down who you believe God to be in your life and you can become more casual in life-style. 

It's wonderfully true that there's a wideness in God's mercy but there is also the reality of accountability before the judgement seat of Christ.  Jude is going to be harsh.  

Surprise sketch

I was genuine in my wish to pass on freely my Clevedon sketches (to the surprised owner). There comes a time when you can have too much stuff.  But to my amazement, replacing my disposal of Dial House a few days later on the same trip, I received a couple of sketches from Christine, the widow of Stuart - a dear friend who died a couple of years ago.  Stuart was an artist with a studio and shop in Porlock near Minehead.  I had known him since the late 1970's and grown to love him as a deep Christian friend whose artistic eye and heart saw things differently.

Using pen, pencil, water colour, oil and acrylic he reveled in creating art with an extraordinarily wide range of subject and style.. I loved visiting his shop and our long walks together. He was much more than an artist with valuable gifts as a co-manager of the Baptist Holiday Fellowship hotel and apartments in Minehead where we first met him and tasted his cooking and benefitted from his decorating and practical skills.  Multi-talented he was devoted to his family and a loyal supporter of Christine as she rose through the political tanks to become Chair of the Somerset County Council.  Covid prevented me from attending his funeral but I was thrilled to be the speaker for their Golden Wedding.  He was a very special guy.

We saw Christine during our Minehead stay and as we were leaving she gave us (and our London family) a couple of his sketches to remember Stuart and Minehead harbour. Simple lines and colour wash. And worth keeping when other stuff has to go. Bless you Stuart. 

Flashback illustrated 2)

I realize my plan to disturb a resident in this way is rather odd. Arriving in Clevedon I parked outside the main gate into Dial House.  Manipulating my rollator into action I trundled up to the iron gate only to find it impossible to open it's latch.  This left us no choice but to walk along the pavement to the garage drive where two upmarket cars were parked. Unfortunately, entering the drive the only way to the house front door meant crossing the lawn. Pushing my rollator with Carol gamely alongside we heard dogs barking inside. In fact three dogs. While we were still on the grass, the front door opened with the houseowner setting free the dogs which rushed up to inspect us. She looked utterly bemused as this elderly couple plodded onto the front path and up towards her. I can only imagine her mind racing through the possibilities.  Probably she had rejected ideas that we could be dangerous or lost.  But she looked distinctly troubled. I didn't blame her.

As I was approaching I announced that I had something to show her that I was throwing away but before I did she was one of the very few people who might be interested.  She looked unhappy still. I really didn't blame her. I told her, 'For many summers through the 1950's and 1960's my brother and I came here every year for our holidays to stay with our grandparents.  They were wonderful days. When I was older, about 14, 15 I was into drawing buildings and I made a couple of the outside of the house.' She came forward looking worried. Unrolling them she was at first silent and then commented that the rose garden had now gone. I burbled that very little else seemed to have changed.  

Telling her that she could throw them away now she had seen them, we both turned to walk down the path to try the main gate again. After another failure to open it (she said it was difficult!) we retraced our route across the lawn. As we were nearly out of sight she shouted out, 'What year was this?' '1959, I think', I replied. And that was that!

I wonder what happened when other members of her household heard later of this bizarre happening. Perhaps she had disposed of the sketches already!  She had asked nothing about me or my grandparents.  But when you are disturbed like this you don't necessarily think clearly.  Friends hearing this story asked whether I was disappointed that we weren't asked in. To be honest, yes, I was. But I really couldn't blame a stunned lady wanting a quiet cup of tea on her own. I am glad I made the effort and it decluttered a little of my archives.