The Joy of Being a Christian

Jude 1:1-2

Adapted from a sermon by

Steve Shepherdhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-joy-of-being-a-

christian-steve-shepherd-sermon-on-joy-126414.asp

The author identifies himself as Jude, which is another form of the Hebrew

name Judah (Greek “Judas”), 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

apostle—not Judas Iscariot—and (2) Judas the brother of the Lord.

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 “brother of James”. Ordinarily a person in Jude’s

day would describe himself as someone’s son rather than as

someone’s brother. The reason for the exception here may have been James’s prominence in the church at Jerusalem.

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.

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)

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. 2 May mercy, peace, and love be

lavished on you!

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 town’s Baptist Church. The barber’s wife, Grace, was working, so she performed the task.

Grace shaved him and sprayed him with lilac water and said, “That will be $20.”

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 don’t need to get a shave every day.

The next morning, the man’s 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 barber’s wife, "but you must have done a great job. It’s been two weeks and my whiskers still haven’t

started growing back."

The expression on her face didn’t even change, expecting his comment. She

responded, "You were shaved by Grace. Once shaved, always shaved.“

Brothers 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.

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: “You need to laugh. Go down and hear Grimaldi, the famous clown. All London is holding its sides laughing at him.” But the patient

straightened himself and said, “Doctor, I am Grimaldi.”

For me, this illustrates the so-called joy of this world. It’s artificial. It’s not real or

lasting. It’s 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 haven’t found true

happiness. They are always looking for a bigger high in life. But they will never

find it that way.

As a third-century man was near death, he penned these last words to a friend:

"It’s 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.

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.

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!

WE’RE CALLED BY CHRIST

Our text shows why being a Christian brings joy into our lives. 1- We’re called

2- We’re loved 3- We’re kept

4 – We’re lavished

to those who are called, Have you been called?

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 dean’s

office for counsel.

“What ever made you think you should go into the ministry in the first place?”

asked the dean kindly.

“Well, Sir, I was out in the field one day, and suddenly I had this vision. Up in the sky were two large letters: ‘P. C.’ I felt the

Lord was telling me to go into the ministry to ‘preach Christ’ and so I came

here to the seminary.”“But not all of us have to go into the ministry to preach Christ,” said the

dean. “Did you ever consider that those initials might also have meant ‘Plow

Corn’?”

Steve Shepherd says he has been asked many times, "When were you called into the ministry?" He finds that a fascinating question because he can’t 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.

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 wasn’t very good, but he

kept working at it.

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 God’s Word. And he believes that he has been called to witness for Christ whenever he can and wherever he can.

But God’s calling is not limited to preachers, evangelists and

missionaries!

WE’RE ALL CALLED BY GOD! It’s just some people don’t recognize

their calling.What is God’s calling for your life? He’s

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? Aren’t you supposed to do something for Him and His church on planet earth? Doesn’t He

have a task for you to fulfill?

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 here’s 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?

WE’RE 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!

Did you know one of the things that excited Gayla about getting married to me? Remember she’s a nurse! One of

the most important things Gayla couldn’t 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.

Finally after 10 years of pain & depression from my plane crash I was

finally able to start getting medical help. Thank you, Lord! And I’m glad that Gayla

loves me! And I’m 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?

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. “Mother,” she asked, “is the moon God’s

light?”

“Yes,” said the mother. The next question was, “Will God put out His light

and go to sleep?” The mother replied, “No, my child, God never goes to sleep.”

Then the child said to her mother, “Well, as long as God is awake, there is no

sense both of us staying awake.” Isn’t this just one example of how much

God loves us? He watches over us at night so we don’t have to be afraid.

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!

5 The 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.

BEAUTIFUL! ASSURING!

In what other ways do we see God’s 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!

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?

WE’RE 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.

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.

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.

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.

In an interview, he said, “The hardest part was being alone. I used to do a lot of talking. I talked to God, and I realized

I wasn’t really alone.” 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)

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

He’ll never forsake us!

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?"

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 God’s desire for us in another way.

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.”4 But he answered, "It is written, 'Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth

of God.' "

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 we’ve 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 wouldn’t have been much of a savior,

would he?

God His Father KEPT Him from giving in to Satan’s strong temptation. How so?

With God’s Word. Jesus quoted scripture.

GOD’S 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 he’d been away from home for 8

days and was having a pity-party for himself.

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 don’t usually mistake me for Robert Redford. These women were

available and I was lonely."

He said, “Do 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.”Chuck 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

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.

Get away from God’s Word and you’ll lose your power and you could lose

some of your "keptness."

MERCY, PEACE, LOVE LAVISHED ON US

2 May 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

(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 Coffman’s commentary)

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.

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)

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

In the mind and heart of Jude, it wasn't enough to have mercy, peace, and love

added to the life of the Christian. He looked for multiplication instead of

simple addition. (Guzik)Does this not back up Jesus’ reason for

coming?John 10:10b NET I have come so that they

may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Steve Shepherd is asked, “what’s it like being a Shepherd?”

I like it ,’ He replies. ‘I love the name. And I’m fortunate enough that it’s spelled

correctly! DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SPELL

SHEPHERD CORRECTLY? When he says, correctly, he means it’s

spelled like it is in the Bible.”He has often had people say to him,

"Well, that’s 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. We’re blessed to be a part of His flock! And flock that is blessed and will be eternally blessed!

We’re called We’re loved We’re kept

We’re lavishedMay mercy, peace, and love

be lavished on you!

What a joy it is to be one belonging to Christ, a Christian!