I try to regularly take suggestions for topics and texts that I preach on. One of the ways I get this info is my sermon survey every 100 sermons. I hit my 600th sermon in May of 2020 while we were still shut down. Needless to say I did no survey-now it’s been another year and I’m now on sermon #645. You are way over due for telling me what you what me to preach on! So, the survey will be coming soon!

But I must confess I still haven’t preached on a book I was asked to in the last survey (which was in 2017!). For years I have had the book of Jude suggested but honestly, I didn’t want to preach it. Even though it’s tiny (25 verses- same size as Philemon) it’s rough. It is a letter that Jude didn’t want to write-but felt he had to. Sometimes in life we just need to say things we don’t want to-even in church.

Jude, the author of this inspired letter is believed to have been the ½ brother of Jesus and the full brother of James and Jesus’ other brothers. These boys were the ones who didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah and maybe even made fun of him. Jesus was the big brother and what younger sibling doesn’t struggle to listen to and believe the older sib? But after Jesus rose from the grave that changed and they believed whole heartedly.

In fact, they became leaders of the church and passionate protectors of their new found spiritual family. This is the essence of Jude’s letter in 2 words-BE WARNED! Something bad is happening and Jude is sounding the alarm to protect the church. Why? b/c the church is valuable!

I remember living in Amsterdam and going to the national art museum called the Rijks museum-it holds many great artistic treasures but probably none more valuable than the Night Watch by Rembrandt.

With an estimated worth of over $500 million today I remember going to see it. The largest of all Rembrandt’s painting it stretches almost 12 feet by 14 feet. In the room where it was displayed there were armed guards with fire extinguishers at their sides. You see the painting has been attacked multiple time in the last 100 years. People attempting to destroy it with knives and acid. It is vigilantly guarded. All things of value are. This is why Jude is here!

Sermon in a sentence: The church is worth protecting/Jude was one protective dude!

This is why Jude writes what he writes. The church is God’s most treasured possession. It is of infinite value. It was under attack and Jude is standing guard-listen to what he has to say. Why? The church still comes under attack and we can learn much from this faithful brother thru the inspired letter he wrote…