WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:04.230 Amen. And if you can turn your Bibles to John 00:00:04.230 --> 00:00:08.650 13, 21 through 22. Amen. And then we will be 00:00:08.650 --> 00:00:13.550 turning to Matthew 26, 15. Amen. And as always, 00:00:13.650 --> 00:00:16.289 it's up there on the projector. It might be a 00:00:16.289 --> 00:00:21.030 little tough to read, but amen. Nonetheless, 00:00:21.329 --> 00:00:23.769 it's up there for you to read. Amen. So we'll 00:00:23.769 --> 00:00:29.809 start with John. Amen. 13, 21 through 22. And 00:00:29.809 --> 00:00:32.210 the word of the Lord reads like this. And after 00:00:32.210 --> 00:00:35.369 he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit 00:00:35.369 --> 00:00:39.210 and testified. Very truly, I tell you, one of 00:00:39.210 --> 00:00:42.189 you is going to betray me. His disciples stared 00:00:42.189 --> 00:00:45.549 at one another at a loss to know which of them 00:00:45.549 --> 00:00:50.329 he meant. Amen. And in Matthew 26, 15, it reads, 00:00:50.530 --> 00:00:53.210 and he asked, what are you willing to give me 00:00:53.210 --> 00:00:56.049 if I deliver him over to you? So they counted 00:00:56.049 --> 00:01:02.469 out for him. 30 pieces of silver. Amen. 30 pieces 00:01:02.469 --> 00:01:06.010 of silver. Let us go before the Lord before we 00:01:06.010 --> 00:01:07.750 take our seats. Heavenly Father, Lord, we come 00:01:07.750 --> 00:01:09.290 before you today. We give you honor. We give 00:01:09.290 --> 00:01:11.879 you glory. Lord, we ask you, Father Lord, to 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:14.459 anoint our ears, God. Lord, to receive your word 00:01:14.459 --> 00:01:16.439 today that you anoint my lips of clay. Father 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:19.000 Lord, open up our hearts, our minds, God. Lord, 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:21.019 to receive your word, God, that we would adhere, 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:24.439 God, to what thus saith the Lord, God. Use me, 00:01:24.500 --> 00:01:26.840 Father Lord, to speak your word today, God, and 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:29.340 help us, God, to understand the direction, Father 00:01:29.340 --> 00:01:31.840 Lord. Help us to understand, Father Lord, the 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:33.780 things that we need to learn and know, Father 00:01:33.780 --> 00:01:36.079 Lord. Lord, to strengthen our lives, to strengthen 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:38.180 our walk with you, God, and to strengthen our 00:01:38.180 --> 00:01:40.689 spirit today, Lord. Lord, we ask you, Lord, to 00:01:40.689 --> 00:01:43.530 have your way in your house today, Father. In 00:01:43.530 --> 00:01:47.609 the name of Jesus, we pray. Everyone say, amen. 00:01:47.709 --> 00:01:56.010 You may be seated. Amen. I want you to take a 00:01:56.010 --> 00:02:00.129 very, very quick journey with me in your minds. 00:02:00.310 --> 00:02:05.409 Amen. Picture a very cinematic, a very dramatic 00:02:05.409 --> 00:02:10.740 scene. More so like the opening of a very dramatic 00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:14.400 movie. You know how some movies start off very 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.599 slow, amen, and it kind of just gives you a glimpse 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:22.439 as far as where it's going to take you and, you 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:24.680 know, the plots and the twists that you're going 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:26.780 to encounter before it even starts. You kind 00:02:26.780 --> 00:02:28.719 of already know, like, man, this thing's going 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:32.159 to be good, right? Now, I want you to do the 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:35.810 same with me as I describe. the scene and what's 00:02:35.810 --> 00:02:40.610 going on here in our text. So just imagine that 00:02:40.610 --> 00:02:45.129 it's dark and we're in the garden of Gethsemane, 00:02:45.129 --> 00:02:48.930 right? It's dark. Maybe there's some evening 00:02:48.930 --> 00:02:52.550 fog, amen, that's rolling through, amen. Maybe 00:02:52.550 --> 00:02:55.789 you hear the crickets or the crackling of the 00:02:55.789 --> 00:03:00.650 critters in the garden, right? And then suddenly 00:03:00.650 --> 00:03:04.509 you hear torches flicker. Through the olive trees. 00:03:04.590 --> 00:03:08.490 And then you hear these marching, amen, footsteps 00:03:08.490 --> 00:03:11.889 of Roman soldiers, amen. And they're marching 00:03:11.889 --> 00:03:15.729 behind temple guards. And then you hear the rattling 00:03:15.729 --> 00:03:18.990 of the swords that are hinged onto their wayside, 00:03:19.129 --> 00:03:22.030 amen. And you hear the clinging of the swords 00:03:22.030 --> 00:03:25.430 wavering back and forth with each and every step, 00:03:25.550 --> 00:03:30.509 amen. And then now picture Jesus as he... begins 00:03:30.509 --> 00:03:33.990 to, as he finishes praying there and the disciples 00:03:33.990 --> 00:03:36.430 are there with him. And I mean, the Bible says 00:03:36.430 --> 00:03:38.569 that they were asleep. So they were probably 00:03:38.569 --> 00:03:41.090 awakened by all this, confused because they thought 00:03:41.090 --> 00:03:43.689 that they were the only ones there. And at the 00:03:43.689 --> 00:03:46.569 front of the crowd, as they look up and they 00:03:46.569 --> 00:03:50.030 try to picture to see who's with the Roman soldiers 00:03:50.030 --> 00:03:52.349 and the guards, and they're kind of seeing through 00:03:52.349 --> 00:03:54.830 the fog and through the nighttime, they notice 00:03:54.830 --> 00:03:58.159 someone that is standing there. But they noticed 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:01.340 that this figure is not a guard. It's not a Roman 00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:04.719 soldier or chief in command. It's their friend. 00:04:05.819 --> 00:04:10.520 It's not a stranger. It's Judas. And for three 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:16.399 years, Judas walked beside Jesus. For three years, 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:21.120 he heard every sermon that Jesus preached and 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:24.620 spoke of. For three years, he witnessed every 00:04:24.620 --> 00:04:28.879 single miracle. And for three years, he ate at 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:33.019 the same table and broke bread with Jesus. For 00:04:33.019 --> 00:04:36.699 three years, he watched blind eyes open, lepers 00:04:36.699 --> 00:04:40.560 healed, and dead people raised from the dead. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:48.420 And now picture him as he walks towards Jesus. 00:04:50.029 --> 00:04:52.529 Now mind you, the disciples are standing behind 00:04:52.529 --> 00:04:55.069 Jesus and they're probably baffled and whispering 00:04:55.069 --> 00:04:58.350 to each other, what's going on and why is Judas 00:04:58.350 --> 00:05:02.170 standing on the other side? And why is he not 00:05:02.170 --> 00:05:07.910 here standing with all of us? And as he walks 00:05:07.910 --> 00:05:11.529 towards Jesus, he doesn't carry a sword with 00:05:11.529 --> 00:05:16.199 him. He doesn't open his mouth to any accusations, 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:20.860 doesn't look at any of the disciples. He simply 00:05:20.860 --> 00:05:25.040 walks straight up to the master, to the one that 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:31.720 he had access to for three straight years with 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:39.360 a kiss. This is a symbol of affection that becomes 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:46.379 a weapon of betrayal. When he greets Jesus with 00:05:46.379 --> 00:05:53.100 the kiss, he says, Greetings, Rabbi. He acknowledges 00:05:53.100 --> 00:05:58.699 the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Judas 00:05:58.699 --> 00:06:04.379 knows who his master is. He kisses the face of 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:08.639 the one who he loved and the one who loved him. 00:06:09.379 --> 00:06:13.100 And Jesus looks back at Judas, not with hatred, 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:20.600 not with revenge, but says, friend, do what you 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:27.459 came to do. Imagine the moment. Imagine the stillness 00:06:27.459 --> 00:06:31.379 of that moment. Imagine the disciples gasping 00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:35.980 for breath, taken back by what they've just witnessed, 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:40.230 realizing that at the Last Supper, The person 00:06:40.230 --> 00:06:43.790 that Jesus spoke of, of whom was going to betray 00:06:43.790 --> 00:06:48.589 him, has now been revealed. Imagine the heads 00:06:48.589 --> 00:06:51.029 turning and the questions being asked at that 00:06:51.029 --> 00:06:55.509 exact moment. The disciples were stunned. Heaven 00:06:55.509 --> 00:07:02.110 is silent. Hell is celebrating. But here's a 00:07:02.110 --> 00:07:04.629 question I have for each and every one of you 00:07:04.629 --> 00:07:09.389 today. Judas being so close to God. walking with 00:07:09.389 --> 00:07:12.129 him, eating with him, witnessing everything that 00:07:12.129 --> 00:07:15.750 God had done, the miracles, the raising of the 00:07:15.750 --> 00:07:18.709 dead, all of that, sitting in his company, leaving 00:07:18.709 --> 00:07:21.689 the Lord and being with him at his beck and call. 00:07:21.870 --> 00:07:24.470 God was there. He was with him on every journey. 00:07:24.509 --> 00:07:28.069 He was with him with every step. How could someone 00:07:28.069 --> 00:07:33.170 being this close to God, how could he get here? 00:07:34.350 --> 00:07:37.069 How could he be on the other side of the table? 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:41.279 How could he be the one that betrayed the master? 00:07:42.139 --> 00:07:45.600 Now Judas didn't wake up deciding that he was 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.839 going to betray Jesus. And the kiss wasn't the 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:53.839 beginning. Silver wasn't the beginning. The money 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:57.160 wasn't the beginning. The garden was not the 00:07:57.160 --> 00:08:02.120 beginning. The betrayal began long before the 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:07.399 kiss. It began in his heart. It began. In his 00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:12.259 mind. The one thing that Judas had. That all 00:08:12.259 --> 00:08:14.680 of us have today. That I mentioned a few minutes 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:20.939 ago. Was that Judas had. Access. To God. And 00:08:20.939 --> 00:08:24.759 this is where. I want to begin. Judas having 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:29.160 access. The access. To the master. In John 13 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:35.889 18. It reads. I know who I have chosen. Because 00:08:35.889 --> 00:08:39.370 Jesus chose Judas just like he chose the other 00:08:39.370 --> 00:08:43.250 11 disciples. He didn't choose Judas because 00:08:43.250 --> 00:08:46.710 he knew that one day he would be fooled. He didn't 00:08:46.710 --> 00:08:49.509 choose Judas because he knew that one day he 00:08:49.509 --> 00:08:53.350 was going to make a very grave mistake. Jesus 00:08:53.350 --> 00:08:56.500 knew all of this. He knew what Judas was going 00:08:56.500 --> 00:08:59.500 to do in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew who 00:08:59.500 --> 00:09:02.120 Judas was when they sat down at the Last Supper. 00:09:02.220 --> 00:09:06.600 Yet, he still gave Judas full and complete access 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:12.320 to him. Judas wasn't an outsider. Judas wasn't 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:16.360 an atheist. Judas wasn't a Roman soldier. He 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:21.000 wasn't a Pharisee. Judas was one of the twelve. 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:25.700 And for a short moment, I want to preach on the 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:31.779 topic 30 pieces of silver. Because we need to 00:09:31.779 --> 00:09:34.019 understand that it was never about the money. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:38.100 And it had nothing to do with those 30 pieces 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:43.279 of silver. Judas was one of the 12 of God's chosen. 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:48.440 He sat where Peter sat. He heard what John heard. 00:09:48.659 --> 00:09:52.299 He saw what James saw. He had a front row seat 00:09:52.299 --> 00:09:56.480 to the kingdom. And consider all these things 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:01.340 that Judas experienced. He saw water come from 00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:05.360 wine. He saw five loaves feed thousands of people. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.860 Lazarus walked out of the tomb. Storms obeying 00:10:09.860 --> 00:10:13.559 Jesus. Demons fleeing. He heard the sermon on 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:16.879 the mount. He heard every parable. He held the 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:21.139 money back. Which means he was trusted. He was 00:10:21.139 --> 00:10:25.419 the treasurer. And you know that to sit in that 00:10:25.419 --> 00:10:29.460 position, you've got to be trusted. There's got 00:10:29.460 --> 00:10:34.840 to be a level of trust. Judas had that. Or we 00:10:34.840 --> 00:10:38.379 should say he had in the bag. No pun intended. 00:10:39.629 --> 00:10:42.909 But he traveled with Jesus. He laughed with Jesus. 00:10:42.990 --> 00:10:48.289 He ate beside Jesus. He had direct access to 00:10:48.289 --> 00:10:52.210 Jesus. Yet sometimes we need to be reminded that 00:10:52.210 --> 00:10:59.190 access alone does not equal surrender. I don't 00:10:59.190 --> 00:11:02.070 think we realize sometimes the access in which 00:11:02.070 --> 00:11:05.669 I'm referring to. I want you to think about a 00:11:05.669 --> 00:11:07.870 friend or a loved one that you've kept close 00:11:07.870 --> 00:11:10.610 to you. Someone that you've trusted. Someone 00:11:10.610 --> 00:11:13.909 that you live with and share your life with. 00:11:15.110 --> 00:11:17.970 You know, as I contemplated this, I thought about 00:11:17.970 --> 00:11:22.009 my grandfather. There were times because we lived 00:11:22.009 --> 00:11:24.190 with my grandparents growing up. And there were 00:11:24.190 --> 00:11:27.529 times when my grandfather would go to the kitchen 00:11:27.529 --> 00:11:30.950 table. And he would set up his Bibles. And he 00:11:30.950 --> 00:11:33.629 would have his commentary in his Bibles. And 00:11:33.629 --> 00:11:36.169 you knew when grandpa was getting ready to study 00:11:36.169 --> 00:11:38.789 the Word of God, he would take out his magnifying 00:11:38.789 --> 00:11:44.009 glass. Because he needed help reading. He would 00:11:44.009 --> 00:11:46.929 take out all the heavy artillery, Bishop. Set 00:11:46.929 --> 00:11:51.620 it all up. Amen. And every time I saw my grandpa 00:11:51.620 --> 00:11:55.139 do this, I would cringe. Now, mind you, I was 00:11:55.139 --> 00:11:57.460 a young man. I was a young boy. And during the 00:11:57.460 --> 00:12:00.379 summertime when my grandma and grandpa would 00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:02.500 have all my cousins there, there was at least 00:12:02.500 --> 00:12:05.379 12 or 15 of us. I lost count, but there was a 00:12:05.379 --> 00:12:10.129 lot of us there. And as soon as the sun... Amen. 00:12:10.350 --> 00:12:14.090 Rose. Amen. And the sun hung high up in the sky. 00:12:14.309 --> 00:12:16.529 We all knew it was time to go outside because 00:12:16.529 --> 00:12:18.929 back then we didn't have iPads. We didn't have 00:12:18.929 --> 00:12:20.929 cable TV. We didn't have none of that stuff. 00:12:21.009 --> 00:12:23.350 So as soon as the sun came out, they kicked us 00:12:23.350 --> 00:12:27.929 out the house. All of us. It was time to play. 00:12:28.049 --> 00:12:30.450 It was time. But I remember these moments because 00:12:30.450 --> 00:12:33.490 when I saw my grandpa set all of this material 00:12:33.490 --> 00:12:37.700 up. I would just walk out, just anticipating 00:12:37.700 --> 00:12:42.200 my grandpa to yell out, Antonio, which is my 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:45.779 middle name, Anthony. And when I was in trouble, 00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:48.919 it was David. When my grandpa called me, it was 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.299 Antonio. And sometimes the level of my being 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:54.059 in trouble, it would be Antonio. Either way, 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.039 I couldn't win. David, Antonio, I was either 00:12:56.039 --> 00:12:57.700 in trouble or they wanted me to do something. 00:12:58.139 --> 00:13:01.460 Nonetheless, my grandpa would call out, Antonio. 00:13:02.940 --> 00:13:10.429 Ben. My plans of going outside and playing with 00:13:10.429 --> 00:13:13.669 my cousins were canceled. Because there were 00:13:13.669 --> 00:13:15.830 moments where I would sit there and my grandpa 00:13:15.830 --> 00:13:19.429 would speak to me in Spanish. And he would hand 00:13:19.429 --> 00:13:22.450 over the English Bible to me. And he would tell 00:13:22.450 --> 00:13:26.769 me to read along as he read in Spanish, he would 00:13:26.769 --> 00:13:30.169 ask me to read in English. And I would read out 00:13:30.169 --> 00:13:32.590 loud and, you know, sometimes I would sit there 00:13:32.590 --> 00:13:34.750 and I would say, well, Grandpa, how come I can't 00:13:34.750 --> 00:13:37.889 go out and play? How come you're calling me, 00:13:37.990 --> 00:13:40.549 Grandpa? Why do I have to be here? It's hard 00:13:40.549 --> 00:13:43.820 in here. We have no AC. We had one of those big 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:46.039 old swamp coolers. You had to go outside every 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:48.679 like hour to fill up with water. Amen. And so, 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:50.779 you know, someone had to go outside to do it. 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:53.000 But I would say it's so hot in here. Why would 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.440 you? And I remember this young man, I would complain 00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:57.860 a lot until I finally got a little older and 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:00.460 I was realizing what my grandpa was doing. Now, 00:14:00.539 --> 00:14:02.679 mind you, all of my cousins, they all had their 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:04.580 different relationships with my grandfather, 00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:08.600 but this was mine. And now that I'm older, I 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:12.299 understand. That it was a privilege to sit on 00:14:12.299 --> 00:14:15.600 the table with him. My pastor, excuse me, my 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.460 grandfather has passed away and he's gone on 00:14:18.460 --> 00:14:21.340 to be with the Lord. But my grandpa was also 00:14:21.340 --> 00:14:23.799 a minister. He went to Bible college. He was 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:26.399 an assistant pastor. He would have became a pastor. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:30.720 I didn't understand what my grandpa was doing. 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:35.980 My grandpa in his own way was training. He was 00:14:35.980 --> 00:14:40.460 teaching. He was lifting. He was encouraging. 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:45.419 And now, you know, as I sit there, as I sat here 00:14:45.419 --> 00:14:47.460 and I was thinking and pondering on these things. 00:14:48.090 --> 00:14:50.549 I thank God for those times and I thank God for 00:14:50.549 --> 00:14:52.929 those moments because even though we all had 00:14:52.929 --> 00:14:55.149 our different relationship with my grandfather, 00:14:55.250 --> 00:14:58.509 the one thing that I had privilege to was access 00:14:58.509 --> 00:15:02.370 to his wisdom, access to his teachings, access 00:15:02.370 --> 00:15:05.169 to his understanding, access to his knowledge 00:15:05.169 --> 00:15:08.450 of the word of God. And as I see ministers and 00:15:08.450 --> 00:15:10.570 pastors and bishops would come and they would 00:15:10.570 --> 00:15:12.750 come visit my grandpa, they would sit down and 00:15:12.750 --> 00:15:14.850 you knew it was business because he would go 00:15:14.850 --> 00:15:19.149 out to the back far table. And that's where they 00:15:19.149 --> 00:15:22.590 would go to talk. And a lot of times these are 00:15:22.590 --> 00:15:24.929 the conversations that I would have with my grandfather 00:15:24.929 --> 00:15:30.039 was that back table. And so I want you to understand 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:32.240 and grasp that when we talk about these things 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:35.500 and we mention that these 12 men had access to 00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:38.820 Jesus Christ the way we do now because the veil 00:15:38.820 --> 00:15:42.059 ripped. And even though God is not here, he was 00:15:42.059 --> 00:15:44.679 then there manifested in the flesh. They could 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:46.440 hear his voice and they could hear his prayers. 00:15:46.580 --> 00:15:49.519 They could hear his teachings. This was the access 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:52.820 that they had. This was the access that Judas 00:15:52.820 --> 00:15:57.350 had. This is the access that I am referring to 00:15:57.350 --> 00:16:01.970 today. The countless hours, amen, of sitting 00:16:01.970 --> 00:16:04.929 beside my grandfather as he read his Bible, reading 00:16:04.929 --> 00:16:07.450 the scripture, learning the word, listening to 00:16:07.450 --> 00:16:10.470 him pray, watching his life. These moments are 00:16:10.470 --> 00:16:12.830 the moments that shape me. And those are the 00:16:12.830 --> 00:16:17.409 moments that help shape the 12 disciples. But 00:16:17.409 --> 00:16:21.259 being close to someone changes you. Amen? Can 00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:23.960 you all agree? Being close to someone like that 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:29.399 changes you when you allow it to. When you allow 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:32.039 it to change you. When you take in what you're 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.899 being told. When you're taking in the understanding. 00:16:34.980 --> 00:16:37.159 When you're taking in the teachings. When you're 00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:40.379 taking in the lessons. If you allow it to, if 00:16:40.379 --> 00:16:43.279 you allow it to, it will shape and it will mold 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:48.100 you. Romans 12, 2, it reads, And do not be conformed 00:16:48.100 --> 00:16:50.840 to this world, but be transformed by the renewing 00:16:50.840 --> 00:16:53.220 of your mind, that you may prove what is good 00:16:53.220 --> 00:16:57.360 and acceptable and perfect will of God. Closeness 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.059 to God will change how you think and how you 00:17:00.059 --> 00:17:02.940 view the world around you. Jesus had something 00:17:02.940 --> 00:17:06.319 even greater than all that we all have today, 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:12.329 is that he had Jesus all to himself. Yet proximity 00:17:12.329 --> 00:17:17.930 never replaced personal surrender. Even being 00:17:17.930 --> 00:17:21.970 that close to Jesus, Judas became the one who 00:17:21.970 --> 00:17:26.130 betrayed him. In Hebrews 4 .16 it says, Let us 00:17:26.130 --> 00:17:28.349 therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, 00:17:28.549 --> 00:17:32.029 that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help 00:17:32.029 --> 00:17:37.130 in time of need. We have access because the veil 00:17:37.130 --> 00:17:40.410 was torn, as I mentioned a few minutes ago. We 00:17:40.410 --> 00:17:43.349 have that same indirect access. We have that 00:17:43.349 --> 00:17:46.769 same proximity. We have that same closeness today. 00:17:46.910 --> 00:17:49.930 But that doesn't mean that there is not room 00:17:49.930 --> 00:17:55.190 for us to make a mistake and deny what we have. 00:17:57.609 --> 00:18:00.730 What Judas only experienced physically, you and 00:18:00.730 --> 00:18:05.029 I now get to experience spiritually. But here's 00:18:05.029 --> 00:18:08.089 the key. Here's the takeaway. John 15, 5. It 00:18:08.089 --> 00:18:10.769 says, I am the vine. You are the branches. He 00:18:10.769 --> 00:18:13.990 who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit. 00:18:14.049 --> 00:18:21.470 For without me, you can do nothing. Abide in 00:18:21.470 --> 00:18:25.869 me. Now notice Jesus doesn't say, visit me. Jesus 00:18:25.869 --> 00:18:29.089 doesn't say attend church every Sunday. Jesus 00:18:29.089 --> 00:18:32.049 doesn't say just listen to the sermon and you 00:18:32.049 --> 00:18:35.390 will be okay. What is Jesus saying? Jesus is 00:18:35.390 --> 00:18:42.440 saying to remain. To stay connected. You can 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:46.160 know scripture. You can serve in ministry. You 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:48.720 can carry the highest and the most prestigious 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:52.140 position in the church. You can stand on the 00:18:52.140 --> 00:18:55.400 platform. You can sing on the praise team. You 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:59.059 can preach the sermons. But you can still lose 00:18:59.059 --> 00:19:07.099 your way. Revelations chapter 2, 4 -5. It talks 00:19:07.099 --> 00:19:12.420 about the church of Ephesus. Amen. And how FES, 00:19:12.420 --> 00:19:16.240 they had doctrine. They had works. They were 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:21.160 praised for it. They persevered. They had talent. 00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:23.220 They had ability. They had all these things. 00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:27.119 But you know what happened? Their hearts drifted 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.880 away from God. Their hearts drifted away from 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:34.059 their first love. And when we forsake our first 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:40.000 love, we forsake our God. Access to Jesus is 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:45.700 a privilege. Abiding in Jesus is a choice. In 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:49.059 1 John 2, chapter 2, verse 6, it says, whoever 00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:53.160 claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:56.779 That if we keep his commandments, as it says 00:19:56.779 --> 00:20:00.700 in John 15, 10, that we will abide in his love 00:20:00.700 --> 00:20:03.059 and we will have kept his father's commandments 00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:08.650 and abide in his love. We need to understand 00:20:08.650 --> 00:20:13.329 that these choices have to be made daily. Every 00:20:13.329 --> 00:20:15.950 morning that we wake up, we have a decision to 00:20:15.950 --> 00:20:19.029 make. We have a choice to make. The most coveted 00:20:19.029 --> 00:20:22.089 positions will not protect you. Amen. The ministry 00:20:22.089 --> 00:20:25.269 will not protect you. Amen. Your mom, your father, 00:20:25.349 --> 00:20:27.769 your dad, your brother, your wife, your husband 00:20:27.769 --> 00:20:31.589 cannot protect you. You have to make the decision 00:20:31.589 --> 00:20:35.670 for yourself. Choose you this day whom you shall 00:20:35.670 --> 00:20:38.910 serve. Every day that we wake up is a decision 00:20:38.910 --> 00:20:42.309 to keep his commandments. It is a decision to 00:20:42.309 --> 00:20:48.910 live for Christ according to his word. So if 00:20:48.910 --> 00:20:53.339 access was not enough, Then what happened before 00:20:53.339 --> 00:20:57.539 the betrayal? Something changed in Judas' life. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:02.759 Something changed in Judas' mind. It wasn't his 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:05.880 hands because he used his hands to work. It wasn't 00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:08.480 his feet because he used his feet to walk with 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.539 Jesus. It wasn't his body because he was physically 00:21:11.539 --> 00:21:15.599 there with God. What changed in Judas? The thing 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:21.359 that changed in Judas was his mind. This brings 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:26.220 us to point two, which is the entry. First is 00:21:26.220 --> 00:21:29.740 access to Jesus Christ, full access to God. Now 00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:32.000 we're going to talk about what happened to Judas. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:36.980 Amen. In Luke 22, verse 3, it reads, Then Satan 00:21:36.980 --> 00:21:45.680 entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who has numbered 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:50.680 among the twelve. I probably butchered that. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:55.920 But we're talking about Judas. Satan entered 00:21:55.920 --> 00:22:00.859 Judas. And notice that Satan didn't force Judas. 00:22:01.980 --> 00:22:06.319 Satan did not threaten Judas. Satan did not come 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:10.700 by way of a friend, a family member. He didn't. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:17.279 He entered Judas. What does that mean? What does 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:19.240 that tell us? That tells us that there was an 00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:26.440 opening. Judas was, he left his gates unguarded. 00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:31.940 Judas left an opening and the devil was able 00:22:31.940 --> 00:22:37.279 to enter. How could a man of that statue, how 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:40.380 could a man that close to God allow something 00:22:40.380 --> 00:22:44.369 like this to happen? How could someone who was 00:22:44.369 --> 00:22:47.029 hearing the sermons, watching the miracles as 00:22:47.029 --> 00:22:49.849 they happened, listen to the parables, walking 00:22:49.849 --> 00:22:52.809 and talking with God, eating with God, how could 00:22:52.809 --> 00:22:58.529 something like this happen to Judas? John gives 00:22:58.529 --> 00:23:02.950 us another detail to this. In John 13, 2, it 00:23:02.950 --> 00:23:07.829 says, And supper began being ended, the devil 00:23:07.829 --> 00:23:13.630 having already put into the heart of Judas, Simon's 00:23:13.630 --> 00:23:19.609 son to betray him. There was a deposit that Judas 00:23:19.609 --> 00:23:26.309 allowed to be made. Where? In his heart. The 00:23:26.309 --> 00:23:30.650 devil had already prompted Judas. The devil had 00:23:30.650 --> 00:23:35.329 already compromised the gates. Satan, before 00:23:35.329 --> 00:23:40.829 entering, entered through a thought. The thought 00:23:40.829 --> 00:23:45.119 came first. Then the agreement. Then action. 00:23:46.059 --> 00:23:49.220 We need to understand today that our thoughts 00:23:49.220 --> 00:23:54.539 will determine our behavior. Proverbs 23, 7 reads, 00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:57.900 for as a man thinketh in his heart, so shall 00:23:57.900 --> 00:24:02.440 he be. Do you know how powerful you are today? 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:06.619 Do you know how powerful you are? Do you know 00:24:06.619 --> 00:24:09.859 how much power God has given you? The Bible speaks 00:24:09.859 --> 00:24:11.900 about speaking with boldness and speaking with 00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:15.180 authority. Amen? Amen? Amen. That he has given 00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:18.220 us power. Amen? A peace and of a sound mind. 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:21.259 The Holy Spirit, right? He's given us that as 00:24:21.259 --> 00:24:24.299 a weapon. He's given us that to recover. He's 00:24:24.299 --> 00:24:27.859 given us the Spirit of God to run to, to be saved 00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:31.480 from. Amen? To inhabit in. A safe place. That's 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:33.519 what he's giving unto us. But do you know how 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:37.359 powerful you are that if you allow a simple thought 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:40.720 to be deposited into your mind, into your heart, 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:43.980 do you know that you have the ability to feed 00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:49.940 that thought? To feed what was placed into your 00:24:49.940 --> 00:24:55.930 heart? Sometimes we allow people to do this to 00:24:55.930 --> 00:24:58.369 us. Sometimes we allow situations to compromise 00:24:58.369 --> 00:25:01.630 our walk with Christ. Sometimes we allow situations 00:25:01.630 --> 00:25:04.470 to compromise our trust in God, our trust in 00:25:04.470 --> 00:25:06.470 our brothers and our sisters, sometimes even 00:25:06.470 --> 00:25:10.960 in our spouses. Because the Bible said that the 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:13.660 devil is lurking and he roams to and fro as a 00:25:13.660 --> 00:25:16.559 roaring lion. Don't think for once that the enemy 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:19.019 sleeps. You know what he does? He just waits 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:22.059 in the weeds. He hides in the weeds. He hides 00:25:22.059 --> 00:25:24.839 in your home. He hides behind the pot way, way, 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:28.779 way, way back, amen, in your cabinet. And it's 00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:31.319 always the one that I cannot find. And it's just 00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:33.700 way back there and you got to pull everything 00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:36.480 out, right? He hides in those places because 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:38.880 he doesn't want you to know that he's there. 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:41.920 And he's listening. He's listening to the argument. 00:25:42.119 --> 00:25:44.819 He's listening to the conversation. He's listening 00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:47.119 to the things that you are sharing with your 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:49.480 loved ones. Amen. He's listening to the things 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:51.460 that you're going through. He's hearing those 00:25:51.460 --> 00:25:53.460 things when you're walking in your kitchen, in 00:25:53.460 --> 00:25:55.160 your living room, and you're saying to yourself, 00:25:55.299 --> 00:25:57.299 man, this is too hard. I don't think I could 00:25:57.299 --> 00:25:59.700 do this anymore. You know what, pastor? He just 00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:01.759 doesn't understand. I think we should do this 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:03.839 or that. Or you know what? My wife, she doesn't 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:06.200 understand me. Or my husband, he just doesn't 00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:11.809 get me. And he hears. conversations and then 00:26:11.809 --> 00:26:17.849 suddenly amen you get a thought plopped into 00:26:17.849 --> 00:26:20.630 your head well maybe you should leave your husband 00:26:20.630 --> 00:26:25.250 well you know what you've gone to Bible College 00:26:25.250 --> 00:26:27.970 you know the Word of God why don't you go start 00:26:27.970 --> 00:26:32.470 your own church Why don't you leave your church 00:26:32.470 --> 00:26:34.009 and go somewhere else? They don't appreciate 00:26:34.009 --> 00:26:36.769 you there. Nobody sees you there. Nobody understands 00:26:36.769 --> 00:26:40.490 you there. Why don't you just go and leave? And 00:26:40.490 --> 00:26:43.210 then you know what we do? Because we're not guarded. 00:26:43.430 --> 00:26:46.490 Because we're not firmly, amen, standing in the 00:26:46.490 --> 00:26:49.250 word of God like we should be. We're caught and 00:26:49.250 --> 00:26:51.549 we're made vulnerable in those moments of weaknesses. 00:26:51.670 --> 00:26:54.950 And then we start to entertain those thoughts. 00:26:55.970 --> 00:26:58.390 You know what? You are right. They don't see 00:26:58.390 --> 00:27:01.130 me at my church. Or you know what? You are right. 00:27:01.250 --> 00:27:03.269 You know what? My wife, she, she, I've been married 00:27:03.269 --> 00:27:06.490 for 20 years. You know what? She doesn't get 00:27:06.490 --> 00:27:09.150 me. I'm probably better off over here. Or you 00:27:09.150 --> 00:27:10.890 know what? My husband, he, you know what? I'm 00:27:10.890 --> 00:27:13.809 better off with that other guy. And then the 00:27:13.809 --> 00:27:17.900 thought started. And it starts to grow and it 00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:20.240 starts to grow and it starts. It's almost like 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:22.299 a like like an anvil. That's right. It starts 00:27:22.299 --> 00:27:24.640 off small. It starts. And then it starts to grow 00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:27.220 and it gains momentum because every day instead 00:27:27.220 --> 00:27:29.539 of praying and instead of rebuking these thoughts 00:27:29.539 --> 00:27:31.819 and instead of coming against the enemy every 00:27:31.819 --> 00:27:34.059 day, we're feeding into it. We're feeding into 00:27:34.059 --> 00:27:36.220 it. We're feeding into it. And then by the time 00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:39.559 you know it, your thoughts are now controlling 00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:44.700 and now determining your behavior. You have now 00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:50.720 become a slave to your own thought. That's how 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:54.559 powerful you are. That's how powerful you are. 00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:57.519 That you can create something in your heart. 00:27:57.579 --> 00:27:59.819 You can create something in your mind. And over 00:27:59.819 --> 00:28:02.500 time, you feed it and you feed it. And now you 00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:07.940 become a slave to it. This is what happened to 00:28:07.940 --> 00:28:12.740 Judas. This is how spiritual warfare works, my 00:28:12.740 --> 00:28:15.099 friend. This is how spiritual warfare works, 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:17.400 church. This is how spiritual warfare works, 00:28:17.500 --> 00:28:20.160 brother, sister. The enemy doesn't begin with 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:22.859 your behavior. The enemy begins with a suggestion. 00:28:23.099 --> 00:28:29.509 Every action starts with a thought. James 1, 00:28:29.589 --> 00:28:32.410 14 through 15, it says, but each person is tempted 00:28:32.410 --> 00:28:35.710 when they are dragged away from their own evil 00:28:35.710 --> 00:28:41.809 desire and enticed. Then after desire has convened, 00:28:41.809 --> 00:28:45.809 it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full 00:28:45.809 --> 00:28:51.630 grown, gives birth to death. Each person is tempted 00:28:51.630 --> 00:28:54.410 when they are dragged away by their own evil 00:28:54.410 --> 00:28:58.380 desire. evil desire. What does that tell you? 00:28:58.420 --> 00:29:00.819 You know what that tells you? That when you stop 00:29:00.819 --> 00:29:04.019 praying and you stop trusting and you stop reading 00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:07.700 your word and you slowly start to let go, you 00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:10.019 know what starts to happen? You start drifting 00:29:10.019 --> 00:29:14.940 away. You start drifting away. Judas started 00:29:14.940 --> 00:29:19.380 drifting away. He started drifting away. Amen. 00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:21.900 I can imagine Judas when the Lord said, hey, 00:29:21.940 --> 00:29:24.319 Judas, come on. It's time to eat. Oh, you know 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:26.339 what, God? I got this thing to do over here. 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.460 You know what? I'll catch you guys later. Hey, 00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:31.619 Judas, come on. It's time to read the word. Come 00:29:31.619 --> 00:29:34.319 on. You got the 11 here. Come on. You're the 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:36.079 only one left. Oh, you know what, Lord? I got 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:39.359 a headache. I got a headache. I got a headache. 00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:41.299 I know you can pray for me, Lord. I know you 00:29:41.299 --> 00:29:43.240 can in my head. But you know what? I must sit 00:29:43.240 --> 00:29:45.940 this one out. I think I need to drink more water. 00:29:47.319 --> 00:29:49.839 It's too hot in here. I think I need to take 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:53.980 a break. I need a time out, Lord. Or the new 00:29:53.980 --> 00:29:59.200 one. I need a mental health day. I need to step 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:01.500 away. And don't mind. There's nothing wrong with 00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:04.339 that. There's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. 00:30:05.150 --> 00:30:08.190 But we need to understand what this does to us. 00:30:08.710 --> 00:30:11.349 And these things come and we think that they're 00:30:11.349 --> 00:30:13.789 a good thing. We think that sometimes it's good 00:30:13.789 --> 00:30:17.730 to take a break. And it is. But you have to recognize 00:30:17.730 --> 00:30:20.170 and have discernment when you start to drift 00:30:20.170 --> 00:30:22.869 away from the master. When you start to step 00:30:22.869 --> 00:30:26.549 away and now you're too far gone. And now you're 00:30:26.549 --> 00:30:29.069 at a point where you don't realize, how did I 00:30:29.069 --> 00:30:33.549 get here? Notice the progression. First it's 00:30:33.549 --> 00:30:36.849 desire. Then it's conception. Then it's sin. 00:30:37.029 --> 00:30:42.470 Then it's death. Sin has a pregnancy. It begins 00:30:42.470 --> 00:30:46.750 small. It grows quietly. Then eventually it gives 00:30:46.750 --> 00:30:51.990 birth. Judas' decision to betray Jesus wasn't 00:30:51.990 --> 00:30:58.109 about the 30 pieces of silver. It wasn't about 00:30:58.109 --> 00:31:03.339 that at all. In Matthew 26, 14 to 15, it says, 00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:05.619 then one of the 12, the one who called Judas, 00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:08.519 went to the chief priest and asked, what are 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:11.880 you willing to give me if I deliver him over 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:15.839 to you? So they counted out 30 pieces of silver, 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:19.200 and from then Judas watched for an opportunity 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:24.160 to hand him over. In the book of Exodus, 30 pieces 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:27.539 of silver was the legal price required to compensate 00:31:27.539 --> 00:31:32.740 an owner if an ox had gored a slave to death. 00:31:33.400 --> 00:31:35.180 Because you know they worked out in the field 00:31:35.180 --> 00:31:37.640 and back then they didn't have tractors. They 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:42.180 didn't have John Deere. They had John Ox. And 00:31:42.180 --> 00:31:44.099 if you know what an ox looks like, these things 00:31:44.099 --> 00:31:47.819 are huge. They're these huge beasts, right? And 00:31:47.819 --> 00:31:51.410 back then they used them to pull the plow. If 00:31:51.410 --> 00:31:54.309 a slave was injured and a slave lost his life, 00:31:54.450 --> 00:31:59.529 this was the compensation for a slave. This was 00:31:59.529 --> 00:32:05.309 the price of a slave. This also shows how lowly 00:32:05.309 --> 00:32:11.190 the chief priest valued Jesus. Not everybody 00:32:11.190 --> 00:32:14.569 that you go to for help is going to value your 00:32:14.569 --> 00:32:19.029 God the same way you do. And this is why we need 00:32:19.029 --> 00:32:21.789 to be careful. And this is why, especially now, 00:32:22.009 --> 00:32:25.650 and you want to know what prompted this thought, 00:32:25.769 --> 00:32:28.170 this sermon today? It's because all the stuff 00:32:28.170 --> 00:32:29.970 that's going on in the world today and everything 00:32:29.970 --> 00:32:32.289 that's going on around us, you know what we are 00:32:32.289 --> 00:32:36.450 busy doing? We are busy paying attention. What's 00:32:36.450 --> 00:32:38.630 going on in the Middle East and what's happening 00:32:38.630 --> 00:32:41.250 here and there was a shooting here and there 00:32:41.250 --> 00:32:43.809 was something here and this person here and we 00:32:43.809 --> 00:32:47.799 got to do this and we're distracted. We're distracted. 00:32:49.299 --> 00:32:52.900 And sometimes when you're distracted, or I should 00:32:52.900 --> 00:32:55.119 say all the time when you're distracted, that's 00:32:55.119 --> 00:32:58.500 when we give way to the enemy. That's when we 00:32:58.500 --> 00:33:01.339 give way to those thoughts. Because your eyes, 00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:08.299 your ears, and your mouth are gates. The Bible 00:33:08.299 --> 00:33:11.880 says that we should pray so that the Lord, the 00:33:11.880 --> 00:33:14.680 Spirit, will guard our hearts and guard our minds. 00:33:15.740 --> 00:33:19.259 Amen. That there's a spiritual hedge around our 00:33:19.259 --> 00:33:22.519 mind and around our hearts. So that when the 00:33:22.519 --> 00:33:25.799 devil fires off those fiery darts, the Spirit 00:33:25.799 --> 00:33:28.660 of God is going to protect us from every thought, 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:32.539 every worry, every concern. So that our main 00:33:32.539 --> 00:33:35.200 concern would not just be pleasing our spouse, 00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:38.440 not just be pleasing our boss, not just be pleasing 00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:40.619 our children, not just doing what we have to 00:33:40.619 --> 00:33:50.019 do, but pleasing the Almighty God. The interesting 00:33:50.019 --> 00:33:52.299 thing about the silver and why Judas' betrayal 00:33:52.299 --> 00:33:55.420 was never about the money, because remember, 00:33:55.660 --> 00:34:00.299 Judas was a treasurer. He had access to money. 00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:05.500 And John tells us that Judas would dip in every 00:34:05.500 --> 00:34:09.539 now and then. Yeah, that's right. In John 12, 00:34:09.659 --> 00:34:13.320 4 -6, he said, but one of his disciples, Judas, 00:34:13.420 --> 00:34:17.460 Simon's son, who would betray him. He said, why 00:34:17.460 --> 00:34:20.739 was this fragrant oil not sold for 300 denarii 00:34:20.739 --> 00:34:24.980 and given to the poor? Then he said, not that 00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:27.420 he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. 00:34:28.380 --> 00:34:31.619 And he had money, and he had a money box. And 00:34:31.619 --> 00:34:36.760 he used to take what was put in it. This is another 00:34:36.760 --> 00:34:39.539 reason why it had nothing to do with the money. 00:34:40.099 --> 00:34:43.199 The betrayal didn't have nothing to do with 30 00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:46.849 pieces of silver. He regularly stole from the 00:34:46.849 --> 00:34:49.730 money bag. And if Judas wanted money, he had 00:34:49.730 --> 00:34:53.769 access to it. 30 pieces of silver was not life 00:34:53.769 --> 00:34:56.510 -changing wealth for someone who already was 00:34:56.510 --> 00:35:00.730 stealing. 30 pieces makes no sense. But because 00:35:00.730 --> 00:35:04.250 it wasn't about the money. The silver was the 00:35:04.250 --> 00:35:07.190 visible transaction. But the thought that was 00:35:07.190 --> 00:35:09.489 planted in his mind, the thought that he was 00:35:09.489 --> 00:35:14.230 entertaining, was the invisible battle. At the 00:35:14.230 --> 00:35:16.769 last supper, Jesus says, one of you will betray 00:35:16.769 --> 00:35:19.469 me. And the disciples, as they sat there shocked, 00:35:19.809 --> 00:35:22.829 they looked at each other and they asked Jesus, 00:35:23.090 --> 00:35:28.230 well, who is it? The Lord. Is it I, they asked? 00:35:28.469 --> 00:35:30.750 Is it me? Am I the one that's going to betray 00:35:30.750 --> 00:35:37.849 you? No. It was Judas. Because outwardly, he 00:35:37.849 --> 00:35:42.389 looked normal. Outwardly, he looked fine. While 00:35:42.389 --> 00:35:44.789 he was sitting there at the last supper, he looked 00:35:44.789 --> 00:35:48.309 like the other 11. While he was walking with 00:35:48.309 --> 00:35:51.190 God, he looked like the other 11. While he was 00:35:51.190 --> 00:35:53.349 sitting there listening, he looked like everyone 00:35:53.349 --> 00:35:56.409 else. Outwardly, the outward appearance looked 00:35:56.409 --> 00:35:59.070 fine and it looked okay. But that wasn't the 00:35:59.070 --> 00:36:02.690 truth. Because internally, the battle was taking 00:36:02.690 --> 00:36:05.610 place. And our greatest battles are the ones 00:36:05.610 --> 00:36:09.090 that are invisible. The ones that... cannot be 00:36:09.090 --> 00:36:12.289 seen the ones that cannot be heard the ones that 00:36:12.289 --> 00:36:14.889 we are toiling in our hearts we are toiling in 00:36:14.889 --> 00:36:17.590 our minds we are going back and forth struggling 00:36:17.590 --> 00:36:19.949 with a thought struggling with the situation 00:36:19.949 --> 00:36:23.590 struggling with the concern these are the battles 00:36:23.590 --> 00:36:31.349 this is spiritual warfare For we walk in our 00:36:31.349 --> 00:36:33.750 flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 00:36:33.809 --> 00:36:35.769 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 00:36:35.769 --> 00:36:39.349 but mighty in God. Pulling them down, strongholds, 00:36:39.349 --> 00:36:42.070 casting down arguments, every high thing that 00:36:42.070 --> 00:36:45.110 exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Bringing 00:36:45.110 --> 00:36:47.429 every thought into captivity to the obedience 00:36:47.429 --> 00:36:51.349 of Christ. We've got to take every thought captive. 00:36:52.230 --> 00:36:56.090 Paul doesn't say take every action captive. He 00:36:56.090 --> 00:36:58.750 doesn't say take every habit captive. He doesn't 00:36:58.750 --> 00:37:01.409 say take every addiction captive. He says take 00:37:01.409 --> 00:37:05.570 every thought captive. Because if the thought 00:37:05.570 --> 00:37:08.750 isn't captured, the thought will capture you. 00:37:10.070 --> 00:37:13.550 Eventually, your thoughts will capture your mind, 00:37:13.789 --> 00:37:17.030 your heart, and they now control your behavior. 00:37:17.349 --> 00:37:21.670 You ever talk to someone and you ask them, What 00:37:21.670 --> 00:37:25.909 happened? What's going on? What transpired? What's 00:37:25.909 --> 00:37:30.309 the first thing they tell you? I don't know how 00:37:30.309 --> 00:37:35.909 I got here. Right? In all my years of counseling, 00:37:36.190 --> 00:37:39.369 in all my years of helping young people, and 00:37:39.369 --> 00:37:42.150 even married couples, I wasn't even married then. 00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:46.000 And I was counseling and I was put in front of 00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:48.820 situations and circumstances that I might not 00:37:48.820 --> 00:37:51.719 have been, amen, physically involved in. But 00:37:51.719 --> 00:37:53.800 there was some understanding of what was happening. 00:37:53.920 --> 00:37:56.440 And every single time I asked that question, 00:37:56.559 --> 00:38:01.179 I got the same response. I don't know. It's all 00:38:01.179 --> 00:38:09.519 a blur. It starts with a thought. It starts with 00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:13.619 a thought. Above all else. Guard your heart for 00:38:13.619 --> 00:38:16.619 everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4, 00:38:16.739 --> 00:38:20.900 23. We must guard our heart and we must guard 00:38:20.900 --> 00:38:23.000 it with everything we have because everything 00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:27.739 flows from it. We must understand that we cannot 00:38:27.739 --> 00:38:31.400 negate this. We cannot, amen, forget about this. 00:38:31.539 --> 00:38:35.000 We cannot, amen, dismiss this. We must understand 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:37.900 that those battles and those things that we struggle 00:38:37.900 --> 00:38:41.769 with and we encounter all. happened in our hearts 00:38:41.769 --> 00:38:45.170 and in our minds while outwardly everything seems 00:38:45.170 --> 00:38:48.110 fine and everything seems to be okay and this 00:38:48.110 --> 00:38:50.849 is the misconception and this is why social media 00:38:50.849 --> 00:38:55.670 is so dangerous because we only see what people 00:38:55.670 --> 00:39:00.230 want us to see we only see the things that people 00:39:00.230 --> 00:39:05.250 want you to see they don't show you the argument 00:39:05.250 --> 00:39:08.630 that happened before the picture They don't show 00:39:08.630 --> 00:39:10.489 you the back and forth because they couldn't 00:39:10.489 --> 00:39:12.809 decide on where to go to vacation or on vacation. 00:39:13.889 --> 00:39:16.190 They don't show you the struggle that they have. 00:39:16.349 --> 00:39:19.650 They only show you the smile and all the good 00:39:19.650 --> 00:39:22.130 things that take place. And so there we are. 00:39:22.170 --> 00:39:24.929 We're scrolling and we're feeding into it. We're 00:39:24.929 --> 00:39:27.670 feeding into it. And now we're comparing ourselves. 00:39:27.849 --> 00:39:31.929 And now we're judging ourselves. How come I don't 00:39:31.929 --> 00:39:34.190 look like that? How come I can't get a new car? 00:39:34.369 --> 00:39:36.889 Why doesn't God bless me like that? And why doesn't 00:39:36.889 --> 00:39:43.960 that? Thoughts. Things start to happen in our 00:39:43.960 --> 00:39:46.920 minds. And then when you're approached or you 00:39:46.920 --> 00:39:49.000 come to church and the preacher is saying, hey, 00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:51.239 come to the altar. God wants to speak to you. 00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:53.440 God has something for you. We stand there and 00:39:53.440 --> 00:39:56.519 we say, no, I'm okay. No, I'm fine. No, everything's 00:39:56.519 --> 00:39:59.300 okay. When deep down inside we're breaking apart. 00:39:59.539 --> 00:40:02.139 When deep down inside we are crying. When deep 00:40:02.139 --> 00:40:04.460 down inside we are concerned. When deep down 00:40:04.460 --> 00:40:11.369 inside we are losing hope. Judas finally came 00:40:11.369 --> 00:40:15.230 to that point. He came to that point of hopelessness. 00:40:15.829 --> 00:40:19.989 It's my third and last point. Judas came to the 00:40:19.989 --> 00:40:24.630 point after his betrayal. Because after he betrayed 00:40:24.630 --> 00:40:31.309 God came regret. First there was remorse. Then 00:40:31.309 --> 00:40:36.489 the return. And then the repercussion. In Matthew 00:40:36.489 --> 00:40:40.409 27, 3 -5. Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that 00:40:40.409 --> 00:40:43.469 he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought 00:40:43.469 --> 00:40:46.829 back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests 00:40:46.829 --> 00:40:49.730 and elders, saying, I have sinned by betraying 00:40:49.730 --> 00:40:53.090 innocent blood. And they said, what is that to 00:40:53.090 --> 00:40:57.730 us? And you see it. Then he threw down the pieces 00:40:57.730 --> 00:41:00.170 of silver in the temple and departed and went 00:41:00.170 --> 00:41:04.429 and he hung himself. You know, I think this is 00:41:04.429 --> 00:41:07.130 where they get the term, let them hang themselves. 00:41:09.129 --> 00:41:12.929 Because sometimes we keep pulling on that rope. 00:41:13.690 --> 00:41:16.469 We keep pulling on that rope because nothing's 00:41:16.469 --> 00:41:19.750 happened yet. Everything's okay. Everything's 00:41:19.750 --> 00:41:22.570 fine. I don't got to repent. I don't got to be 00:41:22.570 --> 00:41:24.789 in church. I don't have to give my tithes. I 00:41:24.789 --> 00:41:26.630 don't have to pray. I don't have to read my word. 00:41:26.730 --> 00:41:28.610 I don't have to trust in God like the word says. 00:41:28.690 --> 00:41:31.690 I'm okay. Everything's fine. Until it's not. 00:41:33.050 --> 00:41:36.519 And I know right now this word sounds grim. It 00:41:36.519 --> 00:41:39.460 might sound ugly. It might sound, amen, maybe 00:41:39.460 --> 00:41:42.599 not so much encouraging, amen, because it's not 00:41:42.599 --> 00:41:45.159 just meant to encourage us. It's meant to remind 00:41:45.159 --> 00:41:48.019 us. It's meant to remind us that we must stand 00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:50.900 guard each and every day. We must stand guard 00:41:50.900 --> 00:41:53.539 each and every moment. We have to be on guard, 00:41:53.699 --> 00:41:56.119 not because we are fearful, but because we are 00:41:56.119 --> 00:42:00.920 aware of what could happen. So Judas in first 00:42:00.920 --> 00:42:04.679 shows remorse. The betrayer seeing what he had 00:42:04.679 --> 00:42:09.300 done. Amen. Amen. He was remorseful. And he realized 00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:11.760 this. And he said, I've sinned. But it was too 00:42:11.760 --> 00:42:16.019 late. The thought he entertained now owned him 00:42:16.019 --> 00:42:20.139 and became a reality. And Paul makes a very important 00:42:20.139 --> 00:42:22.920 distinction. Amen. If I could have the pianist 00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:24.860 come up. He makes a very important distinction. 00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:28.599 He says, godly sorrow brings repentance that 00:42:28.599 --> 00:42:30.960 leads to salvation and leaves no regret. But 00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:34.739 worldly sorrow brings death. Godly sorrow brings 00:42:34.739 --> 00:42:37.039 repentance, but worldly sorrow brings death. 00:42:37.619 --> 00:42:40.360 And remember Peter? Remember when the Lord told 00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:42.500 him that he was going to deny him three times 00:42:42.500 --> 00:42:44.960 when the cock crowed, right? And the Bible says 00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:47.139 that when that happened, the difference between 00:42:47.139 --> 00:42:51.699 Peter, amen, and Judas was that Judas showed 00:42:51.699 --> 00:42:56.000 remorse, but the Bible said that Peter wept uncontrollably. 00:42:56.699 --> 00:42:59.599 Peter not just regretted what he did, but he 00:42:59.599 --> 00:43:02.820 repented. And what he had done. And that's the 00:43:02.820 --> 00:43:05.840 difference between remorse and repentance. We 00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:08.360 can feel bad because of what we've done. We can 00:43:08.360 --> 00:43:10.659 feel bad because of what we said. We can feel 00:43:10.659 --> 00:43:12.659 bad, but once you put it out there, you can't 00:43:12.659 --> 00:43:16.960 take it back. And sometimes, sadly, the things 00:43:16.960 --> 00:43:19.699 that we say and the things that we do, it's irreversible, 00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:24.340 Brother Isaac. You can't take it back. It's already 00:43:24.340 --> 00:43:29.239 done. But we can't make the same mistake that 00:43:29.239 --> 00:43:32.429 Judas made. We can't just show remorse and think 00:43:32.429 --> 00:43:35.090 that everything's okay because it's not. The 00:43:35.090 --> 00:43:38.670 outward appearance might show, but inside we're 00:43:38.670 --> 00:43:43.550 dying. We've got to do what Peter did and repent. 00:43:45.610 --> 00:43:48.449 The difference between Judas and Peter, that 00:43:48.449 --> 00:43:52.889 he showed remorse, Peter repented. Then Judas 00:43:52.889 --> 00:43:55.809 tried to return the silver. He said, no, no, 00:43:55.829 --> 00:43:58.360 no, you can have it back. You can have it back. 00:43:58.380 --> 00:44:00.539 You know what? The money wasn't worth it. I don't 00:44:00.539 --> 00:44:02.400 know what I was doing. I made a mistake here. 00:44:02.440 --> 00:44:04.380 The Bible says that he threw it on the temple 00:44:04.380 --> 00:44:11.360 floor. The chief said, the priest, what good 00:44:11.360 --> 00:44:17.460 is this? What is this for now? This doesn't mean 00:44:17.460 --> 00:44:21.559 nothing to us anymore. The silver never satisfied 00:44:21.559 --> 00:44:26.449 Judas. In the end, it only condemned him. What 00:44:26.449 --> 00:44:30.130 we have value today means nothing tomorrow if 00:44:30.130 --> 00:44:33.730 it isn't from God. For what profit is it for 00:44:33.730 --> 00:44:35.789 a man to gain the whole world and lose his own 00:44:35.789 --> 00:44:39.469 soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for 00:44:39.469 --> 00:44:46.429 his soul? Then sadly came the repercussion. Because 00:44:46.429 --> 00:44:49.570 when we sin, there are repercussions to our sin. 00:44:50.989 --> 00:44:53.820 I know we don't like to hear that. You'd rather 00:44:53.820 --> 00:44:55.659 hear that everything's going to be okay as long 00:44:55.659 --> 00:44:58.860 as you repent. Yes, it will. But we can't get 00:44:58.860 --> 00:45:01.000 away with the things that we choose to do. Why? 00:45:01.099 --> 00:45:03.639 Because it was a choice. And even though the 00:45:03.639 --> 00:45:05.840 Bible said when he was speaking about Judas, 00:45:05.940 --> 00:45:07.719 he was talking about prophecy being fulfilled. 00:45:07.940 --> 00:45:10.360 God knew what Judas was going to do. But Judas 00:45:10.360 --> 00:45:16.199 still had a choice. Judas could have rebuked 00:45:16.199 --> 00:45:19.639 that thought. When that thought entered into 00:45:19.639 --> 00:45:22.079 his mind, into his heart, Judas could have rebuked 00:45:22.079 --> 00:45:24.039 it and told the devil to flee, told the devil 00:45:24.039 --> 00:45:29.760 to leave. Judas made a choice. And the Bible 00:45:29.760 --> 00:45:32.559 said that after he had done this and he threw 00:45:32.559 --> 00:45:35.199 the money on the floor, the Bible said he went 00:45:35.199 --> 00:45:41.599 and he hung himself. He departed from the temple. 00:45:43.380 --> 00:45:47.579 The enemy will always start with the lie. First, 00:45:47.949 --> 00:45:51.610 He will take it. He'll tell you to take the lie. 00:45:52.050 --> 00:45:55.510 Then He'll tell you to hide the lie. Then once 00:45:55.510 --> 00:45:59.070 you've gone too far and there's no hope, now 00:45:59.070 --> 00:46:06.769 you have to die by that lie. What is the message 00:46:06.769 --> 00:46:10.630 today? What is the Lord trying to say to us? 00:46:12.190 --> 00:46:16.170 The Lord is saying, guard your heart, guard your 00:46:16.170 --> 00:46:19.679 mind. Because you have a relationship with me. 00:46:20.059 --> 00:46:24.059 Because you have access to me. Because my spirit 00:46:24.059 --> 00:46:27.239 is in you. And we have to understand that it 00:46:27.239 --> 00:46:30.699 is a privilege to carry the name of Jesus. It 00:46:30.699 --> 00:46:33.079 is a privilege to be called a son and daughter 00:46:33.079 --> 00:46:37.099 of a living king. More so, your relationship 00:46:37.099 --> 00:46:40.760 with God is the most precious thing that you 00:46:40.760 --> 00:46:44.869 could ever have, church. And we are living in 00:46:44.869 --> 00:46:48.070 a day and age where the devil is not looking 00:46:48.070 --> 00:46:51.710 just to kill. The devil is looking to destroy 00:46:51.710 --> 00:46:58.949 you. Just because everything's okay today doesn't 00:46:58.949 --> 00:47:01.869 mean that it's going to change tomorrow. Look 00:47:01.869 --> 00:47:04.389 at what we started and we opened up with. This 00:47:04.389 --> 00:47:07.409 young boy was just living his life healthy, strong. 00:47:08.300 --> 00:47:10.639 laying with the siblings, no worries or cares 00:47:10.639 --> 00:47:12.940 in the world, and now we're sitting and laying 00:47:12.940 --> 00:47:17.460 in an ICU bed with no answers. I'm not telling 00:47:17.460 --> 00:47:20.579 you that we need to focus on, you know, sickness. 00:47:20.760 --> 00:47:24.780 I'm not saying that. I value my health. I value 00:47:24.780 --> 00:47:30.920 my peace. I do. I treasure it. The peace that 00:47:30.920 --> 00:47:33.940 God has given me is far worth any amount of money 00:47:33.940 --> 00:47:40.929 that I could ever obtain. Honestly. Because I 00:47:40.929 --> 00:47:42.730 have the peace of God and the peace of mind. 00:47:44.610 --> 00:47:47.130 Allows me to make the decisions I need to make. 00:47:47.630 --> 00:47:49.989 Allows me to live the life that God had called 00:47:49.989 --> 00:47:54.869 me to live freely. Without hindrance. Without 00:47:54.869 --> 00:48:00.170 distraction. I want you to stand with me. The 00:48:00.170 --> 00:48:04.530 message is today. To guard your walk with Christ. 00:48:05.849 --> 00:48:09.719 Guard your relationship with God. Value the teachings. 00:48:10.219 --> 00:48:14.320 Value the sermons. Value these moments in these 00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:17.800 times. And let's not forget that it happened 00:48:17.800 --> 00:48:21.780 to the one of the twelve. It happened to the 00:48:21.780 --> 00:48:25.480 one that God called, that God hand -chose himself. 00:48:26.699 --> 00:48:29.960 If it happened to Judas, it could happen to you 00:48:29.960 --> 00:48:33.820 and I. You and I could be on the outside looking 00:48:33.820 --> 00:48:37.079 in. You and I can find ourselves in a situation 00:48:37.079 --> 00:48:40.159 tomorrow not knowing how we got there. Not knowing 00:48:40.159 --> 00:48:44.480 what happened. But then remembering we gave way 00:48:44.480 --> 00:48:48.820 to a thought. Remembering that we gave way to 00:48:48.820 --> 00:48:51.780 a whisper. Remember, everything that is contrary 00:48:51.780 --> 00:48:56.420 to the word of God is from the devil. If it's 00:48:56.420 --> 00:48:58.800 not about love, if it's not about peace, if it's 00:48:58.800 --> 00:49:01.039 not about salvation, if it's not about sacrifice, 00:49:01.280 --> 00:49:03.639 if it's not about repentance, if it has nothing 00:49:03.639 --> 00:49:06.400 to do with these things, then it's not from God. 00:49:07.840 --> 00:49:10.639 These things we need to rebuke. These things 00:49:10.639 --> 00:49:13.079 we need to tell the devil to flee. The Bible 00:49:13.079 --> 00:49:16.099 says that if you do so, he'll what? He'll flee. 00:49:16.260 --> 00:49:20.599 He'll go. If you want to come to this altar, 00:49:20.639 --> 00:49:22.820 you can. But if not right there where you're 00:49:22.820 --> 00:49:24.719 standing, I want you to close your eyes. I want 00:49:24.719 --> 00:49:28.519 you to lift up your hands towards heaven. amen 00:49:28.519 --> 00:49:31.260 and if there is any weaknesses that you find 00:49:31.260 --> 00:49:33.619 in your walk with God right now maybe you're 00:49:33.619 --> 00:49:35.739 not praying the way you should be praying maybe 00:49:35.739 --> 00:49:37.980 you're not fasting the way you should be fasting 00:49:37.980 --> 00:49:40.539 maybe you're not reading the word amen maybe 00:49:40.539 --> 00:49:42.719 you're not doing the things that you should be 00:49:42.719 --> 00:49:45.840 doing maybe you're giving ear to a thought maybe 00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:49.039 you're lending your heart to a voice amen that 00:49:49.039 --> 00:49:51.760 is not a godly voice maybe you're giving yourself 00:49:51.760 --> 00:49:55.480 to ungodly counsel amen maybe you haven't reached 00:49:55.480 --> 00:49:57.719 out to your pastor you haven't reached out Bow 00:49:57.719 --> 00:50:00.440 to your leadership for help. Maybe you just don't 00:50:00.440 --> 00:50:02.179 want to say nothing because you don't want to 00:50:02.179 --> 00:50:04.380 look bad or you don't want people to think that 00:50:04.380 --> 00:50:07.159 you're struggling. Whatever it is today, amen, 00:50:07.260 --> 00:50:14.099 God is here. God is listening. And God will respond, 00:50:14.440 --> 00:50:16.980 amen. God will give you the strength. God will 00:50:16.980 --> 00:50:19.500 give you the wisdom. But you have to make the 00:50:19.500 --> 00:50:23.159 decision today. You have to make the choice today. 00:50:25.019 --> 00:50:29.159 Judas has a choice. You have a choice today. 00:50:30.280 --> 00:50:35.300 Choose you this day whom you shall serve. Every 00:50:35.300 --> 00:50:38.579 day, church, it's got to be Jesus. Every day, 00:50:38.619 --> 00:50:41.599 it's got to be Jesus. Every day, it's got to 00:50:41.599 --> 00:50:44.840 be God. Lord, I know I'm struggling. It's got 00:50:44.840 --> 00:50:47.900 to be Jesus. Lord, I know my faith is windowed. 00:50:47.920 --> 00:50:50.860 It's got to be God. Lord, I know I'm not doing 00:50:50.860 --> 00:50:54.119 it. It's got to be God. I've got to trust you. 00:50:54.159 --> 00:50:56.420 Lord, I've got to follow you. Lord, I've got 00:50:56.420 --> 00:50:59.920 to give everything that I need to give to continue 00:50:59.920 --> 00:51:02.659 to walk with you, to continue to talk with you, 00:51:02.699 --> 00:51:05.719 to continue to hear from you. His relationship 00:51:05.719 --> 00:51:09.039 is the utmost important thing, the most precious 00:51:09.039 --> 00:51:16.360 thing that we have. Maybe this doesn't hit with 00:51:16.360 --> 00:51:20.840 you. Maybe this isn't the type of preaching or 00:51:20.840 --> 00:51:24.199 sermon. For us to get excited about and smile 00:51:24.199 --> 00:51:27.320 about. But let me tell you something. When the 00:51:27.320 --> 00:51:29.559 devil has a hold of your children at 1 o 'clock 00:51:29.559 --> 00:51:32.519 in the morning. When that sickness has gripped 00:51:32.519 --> 00:51:35.380 your body. When those situations have occurred. 00:51:35.539 --> 00:51:41.280 It's not pretty. It's not pretty. Sometimes it's 00:51:41.280 --> 00:51:44.320 ugly. Sometimes things don't go our way. And 00:51:44.320 --> 00:51:48.070 sometimes we don't understand. But it's in those 00:51:48.070 --> 00:51:50.710 moments that we need to remember that God is 00:51:50.710 --> 00:51:52.869 on our side. That he would never leave us nor 00:51:52.869 --> 00:51:55.789 forsake us. That we have the almighty and we 00:51:55.789 --> 00:51:58.750 have the hope that everything is going to be 00:51:58.750 --> 00:52:01.269 alright. Everything is going to be okay.