Sermon Tone Analysis

Jude #04

Jude 24-25

A Singular Sensation

* Sing – /"There is None Like You"/

* Sing – / "Doxology"/

Jude had a desire when he started to write this letter … in verse 3 he says “I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share”

But there was this little matter of heresy and apostasy in the church.

He didn’t want to correct he wanted to worship.

He then goes on to correct the error, but after the correction and instruction he can’t just leave it there.

He can’t have us thinking that all there is is bad news.

And while we have responsibilities and expectations, Jude wants to remind us that God is still in charge!

This still is my Father’s World!

And so, Jude says “hey I don’t want to leave you in a downer, LOOK UP!”

And these last two verses are separated by biblical editors into a section called a Doxology.

That word comes from two Greek words, /Doxa/ which means praise, glory, reputation, and the word /Logos/, which means word or utterance.

So, a Doxology is “words of glory”, or “words of praise” or “an utterance about a reputation”.

Now, in spite of the apostasy threatening to damage the gospel of Jesus Christ, Jude must get on his feet and say “don’t give up in the face of apostasy”.

“Don’t give in because you think that Satan is winning”.

“Look up, look at God, set your heart and eyes on things above not things below.”

*Read vv24-25*

That was the way the NIV(84) reads

Let me share with you a couple of other renderings

*Young’s Literal* - /And to Him who is able to guard you not stumbling, and to set you in the presence of His glory unblemished, in gladness, 25to the only wise God our Saviour, is glory and greatness, power and authority, both now and to all the ages!

Amen./

*The Message* - /And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating—to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time.

Yes./

*Holman’s Christian Standard Bible* - Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now, and forever.

•Amen.

*New Living Translation* - Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.

25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!

Amen.

I think I could just keep reading this and rephrasing and paraphrasing it, because He is Worthy!

But let’s break the text down for a few minutes.

For outline purposes, I would like to follow the NLT.

Jude says he wants to make sure we see our God.

There is none like him.

He is a Singular Sensation, so first see the

!

*1.

Singularity of Praise*

The NIV and others say /“TO HIM”/ … but I like the NLT because it says /“ALL Praise to Him”/

We have used a definition for worship I coined here at New Life

/“An Expression of Adoration to the Object of our Affection”/

The thing that Jude understands about worship is that no one deserves it like our God!

Now there is certainly nothing wrong with us giving affection, gratitude, and a level of praise to people we consider special, important, or worthy.

But when it comes to the Highest Worship, the Highest Praise, it all Belongs to God

James says /“Every good and perfect Gift comes from above … the Father of lights the Lord of Love”/

If everything comes from him, then He is even worthy of praise for the good produced by men.

All glory belongs to God

All Praise belongs to God

All /DOXA = splendor, brightness, praise, honor, opinion, estimate/ … so we might even use the word /reputation/

The Old Testament word for worship meant to /“bow in reverence, to prostrate oneself”/

God is worthy of us bowing down and saying “we’re truly not worthy”

The practice of worshiping God was all about service in humility.

*External* worship involved prayer, service and praises

*Internal* worship involves obedience, commitment, and fidelity and the two, internal and external, were inseparable because Jude says that ALL glory, all worship, all praise is TO HIM

* Forms of Worship, in the Old Testament, included instruments, voices, solos and choirs, shouting, chanting, dancing, processions, incense, offerings, tithes, preaching, proclamation, revelation, petitions, prayers, vows, vigils, creeds, confessions, meals, audible worship and silence.

The glorification of God is both Public and Private it is verbal and is acted out.

And God is WORTHY of it ALL and MORE

IN the Old Testament some acts and words were reserved only for God because none can compare to him.

So, I shouldn’t use the same word for Him that I use for other things or be so flippant when I say something is Amazing or Awesome or Majestic.

Now, I’m not being legalistic about this, but let me encourage you to take some words in your vocabulary and reserve them only for God and find opportunities to praise God with them often.

For me I have tried reserving the word “Awesome” for God alone because there is truly nothing that makes me AWESTRUCK in fear like a full vision of God.

Isaiah saw Jesus in Isaiah 6:1-3 … /“Seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy , holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.”/

And do you know what Isaiah did … well I wonder if he had to change his undergarments ….

Then the scripture records that Isaiah said /“oye”/ which is translated /“WOE is Me”/ or … “I am in trouble”

We might be in a place where some athlete or musician or other does something amazing and the theatre, or stadium, or arena, or field is filled with their glory but PEOPLE … the WHOLE EARTH is full of God’s glory and that ought to fill us with HOLY FEAR … HE IS AWESOME!

All Glory belongs to Him!

We could spend days, weeks, months, and years talking about WHY all Glory Belongs to God … but Jude focuses on what does for those of us who are his children, that we cannot do for ourselves … He has a PURPOSE towards us that is truly worthy of ALL GLORY …

!

*2.

Singularity of Purpose*

John 1:12 says /“to as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the children of God”/

Ephesians 2:8,9 /for by grace you are saved, through faith, and that is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast/

We all agree that God saves us by his grace.

But some would say that then it’s up to us … we have to someone HOLD ON to our salvation …

FOLKS YOU ARE NOT ABLE to save yourself

And you are NOT ABLE to KEEP yourself in Jesus

If somehow you could KEEP yourself in Jesus after your salvation, then you could GET Salvation for yourself.

But you cannot KEEP yourself you are NOT ABLE

But if he cannot keep us then he only saves us partially … but

Hebrews 7:25 “… he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, …”

Say “GOD IS ABLE” …

Say “I Am NOT ABLE” … Aren’t you glad that HE is Able?

Able to do what?

!! A. Keep Us from Falling

You know Jude has told us “keep ourselves in his love and from impurity and improper practice and theology” and we have responsibility … but we can’t do it alone.

It is an act of faith that responds to the work of God IN us … so I daily have to rely on his work but also be assured that he WILL keep me …

so when I fall … I don’t fall away … I just fall in his hands … because He is KEEPING ME

he is /“ABLE”- dynamai (doo-nam-ahee) = to be able, have power whether of virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; capable, strong and powerful/

to /“Keep” – phylasso (foo-las-so) to guard, watch, have an eye upon lest he escape from/

/“Falling” or “without Stumbling” – aptaistos (ap-tah-ee-stos) = not stumbling, standing firm, exempt from falling/

the word often was used to refer to a sure-footed horse that might lose its balance but not go down, lose his balance but not his way.

Because it says we are /EXEMPT from FALLING/ … wow I like that definition

Why?

Is it because of something IN us?

Is it because of something we can develop?

*No*, it is because GOD is able to keep us and make us exempt from falling

John 10:27-28 – Jesus said /“my sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand”/