Sermon

A Long and Joyous Obedience in the Same Direction

March 17, 2024 Messiah West - Sermons

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Before we get into the Word of God, let me say a quick prayer and ask for the Lord's blessing.
Heavenly Father, remind us afresh this morning that your Word is true.
And whether we think it or not, or whether we know it or not, this is the true food that we need this morning.
Lord, we thank you that we get to hear your Word.
And by your Spirit, Lord, we ask that that Word would go into our souls, that we consider it and obey it.
And Lord, trust that when you say it will produce fruit in our lives, that it truly will.
So we give this time to you this morning in Christ's name. Amen.
We moved to the area from the downtown.
I mean, we're living in Ottawa, but we moved to the West End four years ago this upcoming June.
And one of the first things after we moved in and settled and we painted everything is I decided I was going to build a guest room in the basement.
Have I framed anything in my life?
No, I didn't.
I ordered a bunch of wood.
I picked it up.
I put it through a window just because our basement's a bit tricky to get some 8-foot, 10-foot beams down there.
Anyways, I framed it up.
It took me a while.
And then I left it for like a year and a half, two years.
That's it.
That's all I did.
I didn't even wire outlets.
I didn't think of drywall.
I got discouraged or distracted.
Probably both.
I did not finish the job.
About a year and a half, two years later, I finished the job with the help of actually my barber, which is kind of random, a point that doesn't need to be made in the sermon.
But anyways, he helped me.
And we finally got it finished.
It turned out I did a terrible job.
So it was probably a good thing that I didn't complete it.
But it wouldn't be the first time that I began a project and didn't finish it.
I have started things.
And whether, again, distraction or discouragement, I tap out.
I just leave it.
It's half done.
It's a half-framed room, metaphorically speaking.
It reminded me this morning, or leading up to this morning, that it is so easy to start things, especially around January.
It is so easy to start things, but very, very challenging to finish.
We're going to wrap up Jude this morning.
There's been a warning and an encouragement to the church to love Jesus so much so that we would be willing to contend for the faith that was once delivered to all the saints.
Jude has reminded us that there will be false teachers at every age, something that is not new to the history of God.
If you remember, Jude gave us examples from the Israelites who were rescued from Egypt going into the Promised Land,
and how there were false teachers and grumblers and rebels and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah,
even the angelic beings who were rebels pushing against the authority and goodness of God.
For 23 verses, we have learned about judgment and warnings.
And, if I'm honest, I'm a bit weary of the content.
A lot of judgment, week after week, can be heavy.
It has been heavy.
And, the thought of contending indefinitely seems awfully hard and difficult.
I put this out to you.
Do you wonder, as I do, genuinely,
sometimes that you might not be able to make it to the finish line of your faith?
That whether Christ comes back, or you are either a person of riper years,
as the prayer book calls older folk, or some kind of accident, whatever,
whether you meet your end in this life, or Christ comes back,
do you ever wonder if you have the strength to make it to the end?
Or, have you simply started a faith journey only to not complete it?
Given the topic and content of the letter,
verses 1 to 23,
save for a couple verses here and there that are wonderful sources of encouragement,
especially verses 1 and 2,
verses 24 and 25 seem like nice words to incorporate
at the end of a very intense letter.
Jude will bookend the letter with nice encouragement,
talking about us being the beloved of God,
and it seems fitting.
However, these aren't just nice words that Jude bookends the letter with.
They actually serve two huge purposes for us.
The first, it's a relief and balm in times of struggle and doubt.
We've talked about struggle and doubt a number of times over the past few weeks,
and like I may mention just a few moments ago,
a lot of talk about judgment and struggle and doubt.
Warnings are good, but nonstop warnings can be heavy.
So, verses 24 and 25 that Brad read,
they're balm to our souls, they're encouragement to us.
The rest for our weary souls.
When you are tempted to rebel,
when you are tempted to look elsewhere,
to compromise on the truth of God's word,
to not obey
what God has called us to
live out,
this is balm for us,
this is help for us,
but it's also a preparation.
It's preparation for a long, faithful walk with Christ
until either he brings us home
through death or his return.
It's a preparation
in the same,
to live out this faithful walk.
Eugene Peterson wrote a book on discipleship,
and he entitled it
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.
That's the Christian life.
And this is what Jude is preparing us for,
a long obedience in the same direction.
Understanding that there are times of struggle,
of valley,
of discouragement,
where we don't feel God's presence
or even feel like engaging with him at all.
Jude is preparing us
for this long obedience
in the same direction.
So Jude prepares us
for a long obedience in the same direction
by drawing our attention
to two fundamental aspects of Jesus
in verses 24 and 25.
Very simple.
What Jesus does
and who Jesus is.
After our time in verse 24 and 25,
I hope you will see with me
that Eugene Peterson,
although that's a wonderful way
to talk about the Christian life,
I think he
should have added
a very small
but very significant
adjective to his title.
It should have been this,
in my humble opinion,
a long and joyous obedience
in the same direction.
Because verse 24 and 25
will help us to have joy
for a lifetime
as we venture with the Lord.
So let's jump into it.
What Jesus does.
Look with me at verse 24.
This is what it says.
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.
We might be tempted
to skip to
what Jesus does here.
That he will
keep us from stumbling,
present us blameless.
But what does Jude tell us
right before that?
He says this.
Now to him who is able,
Jesus is able.
This isn't just
a comment on
what he can do.
It is a comment
of,
I mean,
our second point
is who Jesus is
but this is a key point
for what Jesus does
because he is able.
It speaks to our Savior
not being a weak Savior.
He does not suffer fatigue
nor does he lack power.
He has great abilities
and powers.
But it's not that Jesus
has this great power
because he was weak
at some point
and had to augment
his weakness
with great power.
It's not like Jesus
came upon
some source
of his strength
and that's how he
is powerful,
how he is great.
but rather
that he has always
been able.
He has always
been strong.
He has always
had such great power.
In fact,
he is great power.
What do I mean
by that?
To say that
Jesus doesn't
just have power
but he is power,
it's an expression
of Jesus'
divine simplicity
and if that
confuses you,
just stick with me
for a moment.
This doctrine
of divine simplicity
is key to
Christianity,
key to
the orthodox faith,
the key to
understanding
who God is.
And it means
that Jesus,
God,
the Son of God
incarnate,
but really
the entire Godhead,
Father,
Son,
and Holy Spirit,
he exists
not as a
changeable
being
in which
he acquires
knowledge
or power
or abilities.
He never
lacks.
He is who
he is
and in that
way,
God has
the attribute
of salvific
power
from the
very beginning.
There was
never a
time where
God,
the Son of
God,
ever had
a point
in his
existence
where he
was not
able to
save.
It is not
as if
God,
the Father,
sent God,
the Son,
who took
on human
flesh
and then
was somehow
empowered by
God the
Father to
do the
salvific work
of dying on
the cross and
saving us from
our sins.
He always
possessed
such power.
therefore,
it is not
that God has
the attributes
of salvation,
but he is
salvation
himself.
It is not
that God has
the attributes
of being
powerful.
He is
power
himself.
it is a
very important
point because
in some
areas we
are made
in God's
image,
so we
share in
some of
the qualities
of who
God is.
We have
a rational
mind,
for instance,
but there are
other qualities
where we do
not share
in God's
qualities,
and this is
one of them.
We are
people that
lack.
We are
people that
are finite.
We are
people that
are not
all-powerful,
and sometimes
we can
augment our
lack of
power or
lack of
might to
accomplish
things that
otherwise we
wouldn't be
able to
accomplish.
You go to
school to
learn great
things.
You don't
have those
great things
inherently
inside of
you when
you are
born.
You have
to acquire
them from
outside.
Not so
with God.
He is
the source
of all
knowledge,
of all
power,
of all
might.
And
therefore,
to talk
about God
and his
attributes is
to talk
about God
himself.
In the
same way
that God
was able to
speak creation
and it was
so, so
too is
Jesus able
to keep
and present
us.
Jesus is
able because
he cannot
be otherwise.
That is
excellent news
because it
means we
have the
ultimate
savior,
savior,
the
ultimate
person in
our
corner who
cannot fail
and cannot
be overcome
and cannot
be thwarted
and cannot
be emptied
of that
power because
it is who
he is.
Jude tells
us here
that Jesus,
this Jesus,
is able
to do
two things,
one negative
and one
positive.
the negative
thing,
he keeps
us from
stumbling
but the
positive
thing is
that he
presents
us blameless
before the
presence of
his glory
with great
joy.
And friends,
he could
not do
this if he
was not
able.
If he
did not
have the
power,
if he
was not
the power
himself.
Let's
look at
these two
things that
Jesus is
able to
do.
Let's
look at the
first thing,
that he is
able to
keep us
from
stumbling.
Jude has
urged us
to keep
watch for
false
teachers.
He urged
us to
contend for
the faith,
to keep
ourselves in
the love
of God,
to show
mercy to
those who
doubt.
This is
the call
of faithful
living.
But who
in this
room or
on earth,
in all
of God's
church across
the world,
across space,
in the history
of the church,
across time,
could ever
keep the
call
perfectly?
Who is
the faithful
one who
can keep
God's
commands
perfectly?
It is
not me,
and it
certainly
is not
you.
We
can't,
by sheer
grit,
keep God's
commands,
stand true
to the
faith,
consistently
abide in
God's love
and compassion
all of our
days.
We're bound
to trip up,
we're bound
to fail,
even though
those whom
Christ has
saved are
free from
being slaves
to sin.
We are not
yet glorified,
we are not
yet made
perfect,
so we are
bound to
trip up,
we are
bound to
stumble.
Jesus knows
our weaknesses,
he knows
our propensity
to get weary,
he is aware
of the nature
of temptation
that wears
on us
day by
day by
day.
this doesn't
take him
by surprise.
Again,
divine simplicity,
he knows
everything,
he is
knowledge
itself.
This does
not surprise
Christ.
So how
wonderful is
it to hear
that Jesus
is able to
keep us
from stumbling,
literally to
guard us
from falling.
It's as if
he is so
close that
when we are
bound to
stumble,
he will not
let us
fall.
His grip
on us
is certainly
tighter than
our grip
on him.
We are
reassured
here that
as we
seek to
obey,
he is
able to
uphold.
He sees
that we
strive and
we ask
him for
strength,
often times
we try to
do it
on our
own,
with our
own
might,
we fall,
we stumble,
he sees
it and yet
he upholds
us.
He
guards us
from falling.
What a
wonderful thing
to be
assured of.
It is not
a license
to sin,
but a
recognition
of our
brokenness,
our fragility,
spiritually
speaking.
It is a
promise that
Christ doesn't
start
renovation
projects,
only to
abandon
them.
He doesn't
begin a
work in
your life
and then
he might
run out of
money or
time or
effort.
He doesn't
say,
this person
is driving
me crazy
a hundred
times,
two hundred
times,
they don't
get it.
Yeah,
they say
sorry,
they seek
forgiveness.
I'm
growing weary
of this
person.
He doesn't
say that.
He is
there.
He will
catch us
as we
stumble.
He finishes
the works.
He begins.
But he
doesn't
merely keep
us from
stumbling,
does he?
If so,
we would
still be
in an
eternally
bad
predicament,
unable to
solve the
problem of
being unworthy
and blameless
and therefore
disqualified from
being with God
forever.
So what does
Jesus do?
He doesn't
just keep us
from stumbling.
He presents
us to
God,
the Father.
The question
is,
how can
sinful
people
like us
stand before
a perfect
God in
his presence?
Jude,
once again,
he flexes
his biblical
knowledge.
A couple
words here
that,
again,
if we could
double-click
them,
we could
spend a
whole sermon
series on
looking through
some of
these biblical
references that
Jude gives.
But this is
some of the
allusions Jude
refers to
here.
So throughout
the Old
Testament,
the presence
of God,
it was a
terrifying
thing.
No human
could stand
in God's
presence
because God
is holy
and we are
not.
He is pure
and we are
not.
We read
in two places
in the Old
Testament,
one in
Malachi 3
and Psalm
15,
that essentially
say the same
thing.
I will read
just in
Malachi 3

Malachi 3:2
verse 2.
But who
can endure
the day of
his coming?
Who can
stand when
he appears?
For he is
like a
refiner's
fire and
like fuller's
soap.
Who can
stand in
the presence
of almighty
God?
Is the
question that
is asked.
It is a
rhetorical
question because
the answer is
nobody.
Who can
stand,
and what is
implied here,
and not
flinch or
not be
destroyed,
or not be
cast down,
or not fall
into great
terror before
the presence
of God?
And the
answer is
no one.
No one
can genuinely
and uprightly
stand before
the presence
of God.
Even more
when we see
instances of
scripture where
people stand
before God's
presence.
Think of
Isaiah in,
I mean,
this was just
a vision,
Isaiah in
Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 6 chapter mention
6.
He is
overcome with
grief over
his sins
and fear,
dread,
in front of
the presence
of God.
And yet,
Jude is
telling us
that Jesus
cannot only
keep us from
stumbling,
but present us
before the
presence of
God in a
worthy manner
so that we
are not
completely
undone.
Friends,
Jude is
using language
that points
to cleansing.
Again,
we can't
do a deep
dive this
morning,
but Jude
has envisioned
the sacrificial
system in
the temple
where the
high priests
on behalf
of the
people only
enter into
the symbolic
area that
is where the
presence of
God truly
is,
only when
their sins
are removed
and cleansed,
where they are
made blameless
before God.
Jude is
saying here
that we
can stand
before God.
Why?
Because we
are blameless,
we are
blemishless,
we are
spotless,
we are
faultless.
Why?
Because Christ
has taken
our sin,
he has
atoned
for our
evil,
he has
made us
pure and
right before
Almighty God.
We can be
blameless
before God
because we
are now
enveloped
in Christ,
we are
in the
blameless
one.
And
therefore,
we are
able to
stand
before the
presence of
God without
flinching,
without being
undone.
In fact,
if you look
with me at
the end of
verse 24,
sorry,
yeah,
verse 24,
that we are
in the
presence of
his glory
with great
joy.
There's no
fear,
it is this
beautiful,
wonderful picture
of happiness
without end.
In fact,
it,
again,
Jude here,
an allusion
to the
ultimate
banquet that
will happen
at the end
of the age
where the
lamb who
was slain
before the
foundation of
the world
will be
united with
his bride,
the church,
and we
will dine
in this
incredible
marriage
supper
for all
of eternity.
And it's
all because
of what
Christ does.
We can't
get this
from within.
This is
something that
can only be
given to us
from without.
This is a bit
of a problem
though,
because I'm
sure many
of us,
whether it
be fitness
or wellness
influencers,
whether it's
blogs or
YouTube or
Instagram,
they,
at least some
of them,
suggest that
there is a
holistic purity
that is
available.
Work out
harder.
Meditate
harder.
Eat clean.
No processed
sugars.
No chocolate.
Organic.
Be kind.
Do more.
Think harder.
Say less.
Say more.
Set up
boundaries.
Remove
boundaries.
There's a
lot of
advice.
And that
advice sometimes
can be
excellent
advice.
I mean,
don't
unsubscribe
this afternoon.
But it's
a fallacy
to think
that true
holistic
purity
and righteousness
can be
achieved
by us
willing it,
by us
doing it,
by us
making
tweaks
and incorporating
new things
that we
have to
still do
that we
need to
exercise
greater
agency
and greater
willpower.
If the
problem was
simply a
lack that
could be
reformed or
something that
could be
acquired,
we would
have solved
many societal
ills and
solved the
issue of a
lack of
transcendence and
a lack of
meaning a
long time
ago.
Yet as we
progress,
we have this
annoying habit of
simultaneously
regressing.
not all
progress is
bad,
of course,
but all
progress that
seeks to
do what
only Christ
can do,
it is going
to be a
terrible,
terrible slave
master to
us.
Friends,
what Jude is
saying and
what we all
know deep
in our DNA
is that we
desire to
touch the
divine,
but we are
entirely unable
to do so by
our personal
and collective
strength.
Jude reminds
us that the
cross of
Christ is
the only
means by
which we
can know,
be with,
and enjoy
God.
We can
stand in
his presence
again without
flinching,
without being
undone,
with great
joy,
without being
overcome with
dread.
and it's
only because
of what
Christ does
for us
on our
behalf.
We embrace
by faith.
Jesus is
able.
He is able
to keep us
from stumbling.
He is able
to present
us blameless
in his presence
for eternity
with great
joy because
Jesus is
the only
God,
Savior,
and Lord.
And this
gets us to
our second
point.
If that is
what Jesus
does,
who,
who,
Jew will
remind us
of who
Jesus is.
Look with
me at
verse 25.
To the
only God,
our Savior,
through Jesus
Christ,
our Lord,
be glory,
majesty,
dominion,
authority,
before all
time,
and now,
and forever.
Amen.
Notice
first that
Jesus is
explicitly
declared to
be God.
Biblically
speaking,
you cannot
disentangle
God,
Savior,
and Lord.
They are
all titles
and terms
that describe
who God
is.
We can talk
about them
individually,
we can talk
about God
individually,
and what it
means to be a
Savior individually,
and what it
means to be a
Lord individually,
biblically speaking,
but we can't
talk about them
as if they are
separate from
one another.
God,
who is the
one who saves,
can do so
because of
his power
and rule.
And the
one who
rules with
ultimate power
is God.
So they're
all connected,
they all
feed into
one another.
It's like a
circuit in a
sense.
You can't
remove one
aspect of
God being
God or
Savior or
Lord and
expect God
to remain
God or
him to
remain Savior
or him to
remain Lord.
and again
we see
Jude
hammering
home
biblical
truths
with a
triplet.
It's kind
of his
thing,
but it's
helpful.
Jesus is
God,
Savior,
and Lord.
This is
the one
who keeps
you and
presents
you.
This is
the one
who will
not leave
you or
forsake
you.
This is
the one
who has
made a
way for
you,
who has
no business
being in
the presence
of God
to stand
in the
presence
of God.
When we
consider what
Jesus has
done and
who Christ
is,
can we
somehow
hold back
praise?
And I
mean really
understand this
truth goes
into us,
into our
souls.
It begins
to change
us.
The result
will be
praise.
This is a
helpful thing
why we
are about
not going
hardcore
with theological
language
necessarily,
although I
talked about
divine simplicity,
but why we're
very intentional
about doctrine
in this
church,
because right
theology
leads to
right doxology,
that is,
right understanding
of who God
is and what
he has done
and who we
are in
light of
that and
his creation
and his
ordering of
everything,
it leads to
a proper
expression of
praise.
We don't
worship Jesus
only,
or God the
Father only,
or the
Spirit only.
We worship
God the
Father,
God the
Son,
God the
Holy Spirit.
Jesus isn't
just a man,
nor is he
God,
but just in
the appearance
of a man,
he is fully
God and
fully man,
so we
worship the
incarnate
Son of
God.
It's important
that we get
our theology
right,
or at least
strive our
best by
God's
strength
together
to get
that right,
so that we
may praise
him
correctly,
and this
is what
Jude is
doing.
He has
described
what Jesus
does,
who Jesus
is,
and it
results in
this gushing
out of
praise to
Almighty God.
And what
does Jude
say here
in verse 25?
To the only
God our
Savior,
through Jesus
Christ our
Lord,
be glory,
majesty,
dominion,
authority.
You kind
of hear the
voice,
continue to
rise before
all time,
and now,
and forever.
This is
throughout the
Old Testament,
this doxology.
I mean,
it's in
maybe slightly
different form,
but King
David says
this,
the Apostle
Paul says
this,
Jude says
this,
all of
heaven
proclaims
it.
This is
what we'll
say before
Holy
Communion.
Holy,
Holy,
Holy,
Lord,
God of
hosts,
heaven and
earth are
full of
your glory.
continually
proclaiming
God's
goodness
and his
glory
and his
dominion
and his
majesty
forever
and ever
and ever.
You don't
have time to,
again,
double click
on glory,
majesty,
dominion,
and authority.
Worth your
time if you
have any
kind of
study tools
to do a
deep dive
into that.
But it
paints a
picture,
it communicates
to us
that Jesus
is all
powerful,
that he
is magnificent,
that he
is the
Lord of
all,
he's the
unchanging
creator God,
he is
worthy
of your
praise.
And it
also
communicates
to us
that even
when the
godlessness
that we
see and
that we
feel and
that we
lament in
our own
lives
seems to
grow and
threatens to
overtake us,
our Savior
and our
Lord and
our God,
he is
unchanging.
His grace
is not
emptied,
his dominion
is not
shaken,
his majesty
is not
tarnished,
that he is
the same
yesterday,
today,
and forever.
This is what
it says here,
before all
time and
now and
forever,
there was
never not
a time
when God
the Father,
God the
Son,
God the
Holy Spirit
did not
enjoy glory,
majesty,
dominion,
and authority.
Nothing
that the
world,
the flesh,
or the
devil can
do can
change that.
That's
called rock
solid truth,
that's a
foundation
that is
unshakable,
a truth
that is
worth
building
your life
upon,
and praising
God
forever.
So in
conclusion,
God has
promised that
we will be
with him
for eternity,
knowing full
well that
apart from
him,
we have no
business standing
in his
presence,
yet,
we will not
stand in
fear or
anxiety,
but blameless
and with
exceeding
great joy,
able to
bless his
name,
echoing
Jude 24 and
25 for
eternity.
never
feeling like
we are
needlessly
in repetition,
that we are
just vainly
speaking words,
but forever
embracing the
goodness of
God in
praise.
Given that
life is
perilous,
and a long
obedience in
the same
direction is
fraught with
disobedience
and
considerations
of quitting,
verse 24
and 25,
they remind
us that
God,
our Savior,
our Lord,
Jesus himself,
he is able
to sustain
us,
and he
will finish
the work
that he
began,
and we
will be
with him
in glory
forever,
and that he
delights in
doing so.
the
marriage
supper of
the Lamb
is this
beautiful
picture in
John's
Revelation,
the last
book of
the Bible,
if you
turn one
page,
it's
Revelation
chapter
one,
and it's
this
beautiful
picture of
the
culmination
of
salvation,
where there
will be
endless
feasting
and joy
and excitement,
no more
tears of
sorrow,
it's
everything
that we
could hope
for,
everything
that will
give us
great meaning,
everything
that points
to all
of our
deepest
longings,
that is
our future
forever.
And this
morning,
as we gather
around the
table,
we, in a
sense,
rehearse that.
The table
is this
beautiful
reminder for
us that
Christ has
died for
our sins
and risen
again to
new life,
but it
also points
us to the
marriage supper
of the
Lamb,
that one
day we
will be
gathered
around a
table,
with each
other,
and with
Christ,
and it
is all
because he
is able
to keep
us from
stumbling,
and to
present us
blameless in
his presence
with glory
and joy.
Let us
pray.
Father in
heaven,
thank you
for