 The title of our sermon this morning is dragging Judas into the light dragging Judas into the light This is part two So we've been working in this text John chapter 13 verses 18 through 30 We're working verse by verse through this section of scripture working verse by verse through the gospel of John and We've come to John chapter 13 verses 18 through 30 where we see in this text the example Terrible infamous example of Judas now last Lord's Day We discussed the setting for our text right it's Thursday evening The disciples are eating the Passover meal together and there is a wicked Trader in their midst Jesus said behold the hand of my betrayer is with me on the table And by the end of our text in verse 30 Judas Slythers off into the night Swallowed up by the darkness our concern in this study as we've been working through these verses Has been to drag Judas as it were back into the light To shed light the light of God's word on what Judas has done here to shed light on how his actions fit within the plans and purposes of God and to see how even the despicable and detestable actions of a backstabbing betrayer Serve to bear witness to the true light that has come into the world that all through him might believe As we come back together in the study of our passage this morning John chapter 13 verses 18 through 30 I'm hoping with the Lord's help to accomplish three purposes for us this morning one We're gonna consider the big picture. We want to consider the big picture based on our context from this passage How should we understand and apply what we've studied so far in verses 18 through 21? I want to consider with us the big picture and make sure that we don't lose sight of that Secondly, I want to consider the lessons that we can learn from the response of the disciples in verses 22 through 26 And then thirdly I want us to consider the lessons that we can learn from the actions of Judas himself In verses 27 through 30. We're gonna look at the big picture We're gonna look at the response of the disciples and we're gonna look at the actions of Judas and glean lessons from those All right, so let's begin first And let's take a look at the big picture. There's so much gracious instruction from the Lord here Right these passages are packed with truth. There's warning. There's encouragement. There's comfort. There's rebuke There's instruction as we consider those things and as we consider these lessons I don't want us to lose sight of the very important and primary emphasis that is Discussed in this text. We need to see and digest the big picture if you will and live in light of the truth that we learned here And to do that I want to give you a line of reasoning from the text and I want us to grasp this Okay, I want us to understand it We're gonna build our understanding of the lessons that we learned here point by point block by lock block The first point is this first point is this and we alluded to this last week We will face great difficulty in the Christian life Right very obvious point from the text. We will face great difficulty in the Christian life Paul said this in Acts 14. We must through many tribulations Enter the kingdom of God in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution Paul said in Romans 8 we are heirs with God and joint heirs with Christ if Conditional word there if indeed we suffer with him here in John 13 The disciples are facing the betrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ and that betrayal that will lead at the Lord Jesus Christ to his Suffering and to his crucifixion look with me beginning at verse 18 John chapter 13 beginning in verse 18 The Lord says I don't speak concerning all of you I know whom I have chosen but that the scripture may be fulfilled He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me Now I tell you before it comes the Lord says that when it does come to pass you may believe that I am Most assuredly I say to you He who receives whomever I send receives me and he who receives me receives him who sent me And when Jesus had said these things he was troubled in spirit and he testified and said most Assuredly I say to you one of you will be training Think about the condition the state the circumstances in which the disciples find themselves They have given everything to follow Christ right and in just a few short hours It's going to appear to them that all of it all of it is coming unraveled at the seams around them Right first. There's the betrayal of Judas right that betrayal leaves to the cross Beyond the cross lies the preaching of the cross and great persecution and beyond the persecution for each of these disciples is a martyr's death They're gonna face anxiety. We're gonna face doubts fear confusion despair Hardship Paul said of his difficulty. He said we were burdened beyond measure Above strength so that we'd despair even of life In second Corinthians 9 he said we felt that we had received even the sentence of death Christian life is hard. I can God's people say amen There are a lot of professing Christians that wouldn't understand this wouldn't know to say amen But if you're a true disciple a genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, you know the Christian life is hard There's difficulty associated with living this life. It is not easy You're gonna face great difficulty in the Christian life and that's gonna come in various forms All right, we have one example of one form here given to us in John chapter 13 In pilgrims progress By John Bunyan the main character Christian he comes to the cross Right if you remember this part of the story as he comes to the cross the great burden of sin on his back Falls from off his shoulders falls from off his back Loose from him Christian that burden is dropped at the cross as he went on his way Christian next came to a hill called Difficulty you remember that story the hill called difficulty. It's a picture of the Christian life a Hill called difficulty. Listen to what Christian said Christian said the hill Though high I covet to ascend The difficulty will not me offend For I perceive the way to life lies here Come Christian says Pluck up heart. Let's neither faint nor fear Better though difficult the right way to go then wrong Though easy where the end is whoa, you would better count the cost of following Christ Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life But listen that difficult way leads to life at least the life Better though difficult the right way to go then wrong though easy We will face great difficulty in the Christian life secondly We build our argument from the text the Lord himself graciously Prepares us to face that difficulty The Lord prepares us that is essentially what the Lord is doing here for his disciples in John chapter 13 He's preparing them to face the trials that are coming But the first way that he does that in John chapter 13 is by reassuring them of his love for them Now as he does that for his disciples, he's doing that for you and I right in John chapter 13 and verses 1 through 17 He's reassuring you and I of the love that he has for us also in John chapter 13 verses 18 through 30 This betrayal of the Lord is wreaking havoc right wreaking havoc that Havoc wreaking betrayal of the Lord is set in the context of John chapter 13 verses 1 through 17 And the Lord's immeasurable love for his own look at chapter 13 verse 1 verse 1 says Before the feast of Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the father Having loved his own who were in the world. He loved them to the end that should reassure your heart Amen, if you love them to the end of himself right to the extent even of the cross Pictured here in the humble self Sacrifice of stooping to wash their feet look at verse 12 verse 12 So when he had washed their feet Taken his garments. He sat down again. He said to them. Do you know what I have done to you? Jesus is saying listen. This is love. This is love humility Self-sacrifice laying down your life for your friend. This is just a humble Small picture an argument from the lesser to the far greater the foreshadowing of the kind of love with which the Lord loved us at the cross You are loved by God with an immeasurable infinite eternal Unchangeable love and you need to be convinced of that in facing difficulty. All right We're gonna face great difficulty, but the Lord graciously Prepares us to face it by reassuring us of his great love for us So when that trial comes and it will right when the battle with sin is raging and it will When we are burdened beyond measure sometimes with Paul above strength despairing even in life God's people can believe and can trust and can be Comforted by the fact that we are deeply loved by God We need that you to be reassured by that when you're battling sin you need to be reassured by that The second way that the Lord graciously prepares us to face that difficulty According to John 13 The second way in which he does that is by reminding us that he has ordained it. He has ordained it There are many ways in which the Lord provides comfort for his people in suffering One way is to remember that Christ also suffered. Amen Hebrews says to consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself Lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls Another way is to consider the Lord's conduct in his suffering Peter says when he was reviled He did not revile in return when he suffered He did not threaten, but he committed himself to him judges righteously One of the most precious truths for the Christian to understand and to take to heart in the midst of great difficulty is That the same Lord who so deeply loves his own even to the end of his own life That same Lord Jesus Christ also in love Ordained the very trial that you're going through you ordained it He brought it about He has ordained that we will suffer in him. He's not forsaken us. This is not defeat It's not failure or abandonment or condemnation This is the plan of God the purposes of God you in Christ will suffer. This is love This is one of the ways in which the Lord in love loves and cares for his own You will face difficulty in the Christian life Now Jesus does this for his disciples in John chapter 13 By showing them in this text that Judas was not a mistake Judas is not a mistake Judas is not a defeat Judas is just another part of the plan look at verse 18 Verse 18 the Lord says I do not speak concerning all of you. Listen. I know Whom I have chosen and he has chosen Judas But that the scripture may be fulfilled He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me Now all of this is happening because it was planned to happen. This is the fulfillment of Psalm 41 You're gonna face great difficulty in the Christian life God is gracious to provide for you and to prepare you to face that great difficulty One way is by reassuring you of his love for you But the other way here specifically is by showing you that he has ordained it all for your good This was foretold. This was planned. Look at verse 19 He says I tell you before it comes So that when it does come to pass you may believe that I am In other words, I'm gonna tell you the future. I'm gonna tell you the future I'm gonna show you that I am sovereign over all these things So that when everything happens exactly as I told you that it would You will trust in me and believe in me in the trial that you're in You know that works together and we're to think that way when we face difficulty You don't want the idea that someone would be angry with God is absurd God is sovereign and if you believe God he works together all Things for the good of those who love him and are the called according to his purpose We're to trust him and he gives us every evidence to trust him every reason to trust him every reason to persevere through the trial it should bring Great comfort to the Christian to know that the Lord is sovereign here over to choosing Judas It should bring great comfort to the Christian of the Lord is sovereign over Redemptive history fulfilling here even scripture fulfilling the Old Testament scriptures, right? He's sovereign even over the wicked betrayal that led to the cross He's sovereign over every trial and every difficulty that you're going to face also We therefore can trust We can believe him take him at his word that all things work together For good to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose this text and others like it are given to Comfort the disciples these things should comfort genuine Christians. I want you to turn away give you another example of this Turn with me to John 15 just a page to the right John chapter 15 Let me give you another example of this very thing John chapter 13 the Lord is saying look I am sovereign over these things all of these things happen according to plan that Display that Demonstration of his sovereignty to the disciples happens frequently to the gospel of John Here's another example of it in John chapter 15. Look now I'm beginning at verse 18 Look at verse 18 take this to heart right? I want to live according to this truth This should embolden us to live for Christ despite the difficulty verse 18 says this The Lord says if the world hates you You know that it hated me before it hated you if you were of the world The world would love its own Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you That's a statement of fact You go anyway if you witness all Christians witness If you witness you know the world hates you get in one argument with some kid at the campus, right? You know the world hates Christianity you see it on the news every day see them the papers every day the world hates Christianity and that hatred is becoming more and more brazenly obvious with every passing day Here in other words he says remember look at verse 20 Remember the word that I said to you I said this in John chapter 13 verse 16 the text that we're studying Okay, remember the word that I said to you a sermon is not greater than his master If they persecuted me they will also persecute you if they kept my word They will keep yours also in other words disciples Don't be surprised by the difficulty you're about to face their difficulty is just getting started, right? They're gonna face great persecution But that persecution that difficulty has been ordained the Lord here says that it will be so this is all according to plan They says the same thing for you and I this doesn't apply to just these 11 men minus Judas This applies to all of you and I together. We will face this difficulty. We're gonna face persecution Look at verse 21 But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake because they do not know him who sent me If I had not come and spoken to them They would have no sin But now because he has spoken to them. They have no excuse for their sin He who hates me hates my father also If I had not done among them the works which no one else did they would have no sin But now they have seen and also hated both me and my father if they hate him hate his father They hate you and I right they hate those who are in Christ the Lord here in John chapter 15 Attributes to the world a blind and willful Hatred for Christ and a blind and willful hatred for his disciples The world is guilty. There's absolutely no excuse for that whatsoever It has rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. However disciples This terrible reality that we look at in John chapter 15 of Lord is describing here is far from indicating a defeat It's far from saying the plans have come unraveled Far from saying that God's purposes are undermined and circumstances are out of control The reason that's not the case is because all of this Jesus says is taking place Exactly in accordance with the scriptures have said God is sovereign over all these things look at verse 25 But this happened Right this hatred this persecution is difficult. You're gonna face This happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law. They hated me Without a cause, but this is to encourage the disciples The disciples went out and for the cause of Christ suffered eventually they suffered to the point of death When they went out under that persecution It was comforting to them to know that it was all according to the redemptive plan of God This was happening to them according to God's word that should come for you and I brother and sister also Needs to comfort us we need to take comfort in that the persecution the difficulty You face is according to the plan and will of God put the page another couple of pages to the right and look at John chapter 19 John chapter 19 and look there beginning at verse 23 Another example of this very thing right verse 23 Then the soldiers when they had crucified Jesus They took his garments and made four parts to each soldier apart and also the tunic Now the tunic was without seem woven from top from the top in one piece Verse 24 they said therefore among themselves. Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it. Who's it shall be? now today Do this did John record this? Because it was just an interesting story just some interesting facts associated with the crucifixion of Lord Jesus Christ They thought we might want to know No, he does this with a purpose right he records these things with a purpose. What's the purpose look at verse 24 about halfway through The purpose is so that the scripture might be fulfilled Which says they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots Therefore the soldiers did these things you see look down at verse 28 verse 28 after this Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled said I thirst Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there They filled the sponge with sour wine put it on his hip and put it to his mouth So when Jesus had received the sour wine he said it is finished and bowing his head He gave up his spirit But the primary reason these things are revealed in this way in scripture Primary reason is to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ Right to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ who is the promised Old Testament prophesied Messiah he is the promised deliverer the sent one of God and in that it Magnifies who the Lord Jesus Christ is and what the Lord Jesus Christ has come to do But this also has the added effect and the Lord Jesus uses it in this way It has the added effect of being a great encouragement to believers All of these things take place according to plan other than many I know you Experience this I have in talking to someone who is sent out to follow the Lord, right? They say I want to follow the Lord in the beginning They would charge hell with a squirt gun right and a year later. They're waxing and waning right there They're in danger They're facing threats on every side to their profession of faith and they're tempted to leave the Lord how many times they just Had these conversations where someone would say That this is just not what it's supposed to be This Christianity thing is not working right. I'm having difficulty over my sin The Lord has said you will face difficulty you will suffer You're gonna face trials You're to be and battled in the cause of Christ inward battles battles from without You are to wage holy warfare, and it's not going to be easy Think about those in the first century to those in the first century who faced the reality of the cross the faith Shaking reality of seeing the Lord Jesus Christ crucified and Themselves then needing to know that their faith in the Lord is well-placed. They don't have the rest of the New Testament yet They don't have the progress of revelation like we do They need to be reassured This was all according to the salvation plan of God far from God merely reacting to a situation gone horribly wrong and turning it for good what has happened is the appearance into history of This part of God's redemptive plan and a history that was eternally decided Decided in the counsels and purposes of God from before the foundation of the world So follow the flow of reasoning with me One we're gonna face great difficulty in the Christian life. We're gonna face great difficulty in the Christian life to God Graciously prepares his own to face that difficulty Three so that so that you and I brothers and sisters. We don't get part from him in the face of difficulty So that we don't depart from him in the face of difficulty so that you and I Persevere to the end and are saved specifically in John chapter 13 That we would not depart from him in the face of difficulty is associated here with serving him in the gospel Serving him in the gospel now. Here's the reality When we enter into the love and grace and mercy of God in Christ through repentant faith We also enter into God's purpose and God's mission in the world That's the way that it is folks When you enter into the love and grace and mercy of God in the gospel in Christ at the very same time You are entering into God's purpose and God's mission in the world now What is that to spread the gospel? To seek and to save that which is lost when you enter in when you are united to Christ by repentant faith You enter into God's purpose and God's mission in this world That's to spread the message of the gospel of salvation in his son in the face of Opposition and hostility. That's what you have been called to you enter in you were entering into that purpose that mission Look at chapter 13 and look at verse 20 Back in John chapter 13 look at verse 20 Most assuredly the Lord says I say to you He who receives whoever I send receives me and he who receives me receives him who sent me He says to the disciples here in verse 20. I don't want you to doubt. I Don't want you to doubt. I am sending you and there will be rejection your commission in the gospel your Being united to me in the cause of Christ to go out into the world and to seek and to save that which is lost Will not be undermined or hindered by this redaction with rejection in the face of Judas the opposite implication is obvious whoever rejects you Right he's saying to them whoever rejects you is rejecting both me and God the father who sent me However, don't cave in under that rejection Don't cave in don't give up. Don't lose heart. Don't despair You've entered into my love And as entering into my love I have sent you with a mission now as an emissary to accomplish my purposes the Lord is saying Remember the Lord is saying that I am sovereign over all these things I know who I have chosen and therefore whomever receives me Receives him who sent me whoever receives you receives me and God stands behind both of them whoever receives you receives me and God the father receives them also Now let's consider the big picture then What the Lord is teaching in John chapter 13 was put it all together. Okay? It should be of great encouragement to the Christian Along his very difficult journey to the celestial city That God both deeply loves us and has revealed himself to us in his word in order to build our Faith in him that we would believe that we would trust him. Okay as sovereign over all things He's worthy to be trusted. He is worthy to be faithfully followed even if it means giving up our own life to do it When we are betrayed and we will be We can take comfort in the fellowship We have with the Lord who suffered far beyond anything we're gonna face We can take comfort in that fellowship with him And we should be motivated to persevere in the mission and purpose of God Knowing those things need to be motivated by that to persevere in the faith second Corinthians chapter 1 Paul said this Paul said blessed be God blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of Mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our tribulation That we may may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are Comforted by God that's a mouthful, but that's a glorious mouthful We are to be comforted by God enter into his Consolation so that with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God we can comfort others, okay? verse 5 Or as the sufferings of Christ abound in us So our Consolation also abounds you face tremendous difficulty the Christian life Rejection persecution suffering battles on the right battles on the left battles within battles without Battling all the time you can get weary you can get discouraged But listen as those sufferings of Christ abound in us So our consolation abounds not just out of thin air Right not apart from Christ, but our consolation abounds through Christ. He is our consolation He's to be our comfort. He's to be our strength Verse 6 now if we are afflicted It is for your consolation and salvation which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer I Love The scriptures that say you know Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, right? Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. Well Paul Paul was a nature was a man with a nature like ours and the same Grace that is effective in Paul for enduring the same suffering That same grace is effective in me is effective in you if you're in Christ to help you through suffering to help you face difficulty We have the same grace afforded to us Our hope Paul says in you is steadfast because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings So also you will partake of the consolation the glorious blessing one commentator said this He said it should be of great encouragement to the Christian that God knows the instruction and the consolation and the direction that we need on our journey to heaven Elevating his thoughts and desires of that happiness right the happiness of heaven and strengthening him against all opposition in the way Both that of corruption within and temptation and afflictions from without that's the grace that Christ purchased for us at the cross the face difficulty now listen All of that is a laboring in the Lord laboring in God's purpose laboring in God's mission Laboring as the Lord has called us to do in our own sanctification laboring for holiness striving toward godliness exercising ourselves toward godliness All that we are to do if you profess to live the Christian life and yet you know nothing of this kind of battle by this kind of war You need to examine yourself You're living a hypocrite a counterfeit Christian so-called existence The Christian life is going to be a battle But God prepares you for the battle God comforts you in the battle God strengthens you in the battle God provides grace in the battle This is an awesome salvation that we've been delivered to remember Watching a while back a documentary about a tightrope walker right tightrope walker And if you look at how a tightrope walker learns to walk the tightrope right does he start off 30 stories up? No, he starts off three feet off the ground He starts off low strings of cable. He puts it down near the ground Now me three foot off the ground if I fell from that I probably break my hip But a tightrope walker three feet off the ground Comforted knowing that the ground is right underneath him and that's how they learn they train three feet off the ground So think about it for a moment. What's the difference between if you can walk a tightrope three feet off the ground and walking a tightrope? 30 stories off the ground same tightrope But everything's different right everything because if you fall it means death Right there are winds and gusts up there. There's anxiety There's fear. There's a rush of adrenaline that you have to deal with but all this everything changes everything changes You have to gain confidence the tightrope walker does gain confidence at a lower height in order to be able to walk at a higher height Listen for the Christian As the Lord teaches us through trial Teaches us and matures us through difficulty right as he bolsters our faith by his spirit through the word for the Christian knowing and believing and trusting in the promises of God It is like every trial you face every difficulty every gust of wind is like walking a 10 foot wide painted line on a granite slab There is no fear of falling there is no fear of death There is no fear if you believe and trust in the promises of God to the Christian He has assured you of his great love for you Right. He has assured you of the the immeasurable infinite immutable way in which he loves you Most magnificently and gloriously displayed at the cross where he purchased your salvation So that then knowing that he is sovereign over all things providing for us in this way That you can walk through difficulty walk through trial face any opposition Knowing that God the Father has ordained all these things for your good It's in the flesh isn't it it's in the flesh that we fail to trust It's in the flesh that we don't believe him and take him at his word We doubt Lord is good Lord is gracious We have to live in light of that truth We're going to face difficulty and the difficulties are going to get harder and harder. We see it. Don't we? And listen part of the christian life Is putting yourself in the face of those difficulties In other words, what I mean by that is that you can sit back and be a silent concealed Nobody knows it kind of quote unquote christian All you have to do is keep quiet. You don't have to just don't open your mouth Don't open your mouth and you're not going to battle. You're not going to face persecution Don't open your mouth But as soon as you open your mouth, you're going to face difficulty You're going to face persecution All who desire to live godly in this president and notice how Paul to timothy there describes godliness He implies from the text if you desire to live godly It's going to bring it bring upon you persecution. You need to put yourself into the battle Put yourself into the battle. It is a step of faith. It's a step of faith to put yourself into the battle for christ Put yourself into the battle wage war go out with the gospel out with his purpose out with his mission That's what he's called the disciples here to in john 13 They're going out with his purpose and his mission They're going to face difficulty when you go out in his purpose in his mission You're going to face difficulty and all of that brother and sister All of that is a fulfillment of scripture The fulfillment of what god has already said Let's pick up the flow of the text now in verse 22 That's the big picture, right? That's the big picture. That's how we're to understand What's going on here in john chapter 13 and how we're to live in light of that We see their context in which they are battling we need to battle in the same way and trust the lord So now we pick up back with the flow of the text in verse 22 Beginning in verse 22. There are several lessons that we can learn there are several lessons that we can learn from the response of the disciples There are several lessons that we can learn from the actions of judas So if you're walking along the clothes line of our text, right? If you're walking along the line of our text you want to pull each lesson out of the basket Like a clean sheet and you want to pin it to your line. These are each lessons that we can learn from our text first Let's consider the lessons that we can learn and apply from the response of the disciples the response of the disciples in verse 21 The lord is terrazzo. He's troubled. He's stirred up He's deeply disturbed in his spirit and he solemnly announces in verse 21 That one of these men who have been together with him for the last three years is going to betray him Right. I want you to notice first the degree to which hypocrisy can hide The degree to which hypocrisy can hide look at verse 22 When the lord announced this The disciples looked at one another Perplexed about whom he spoke And that word there perplexed means that they were out of loss. They were filled with confusion. There was stunned silence if you can imagine at the table Like who is this that he's talking about? They were looking around at each other in disbelief But it says in verse 21 23 But there was leaning on jesus's bosom one of his disciples whom jesus loved Now the disciple whom jesus loved is a reference to john one who wrote this gospel. It's a great title Isn't it if you want to refer to yourself? That's a great way to refer to yourself And it's not prideful Not prideful for john to do that. In fact, it's precisely the opposite If you consider when we already looked at in john chapter 13 verse one That he loved his own who are in the world and he loved them to the end That is a miraculous love, isn't it? And one of the reasons that it's so miraculous is considering who you are Who you were apart from christ You are a rebel an enemy of god Undeserving of that love and unworthy of that love unlovely Unlovable and yet the lord jesus christ and grace and mercy loved you Even you right even me So that's the that's the feeling here that john has I'm the one he's amazed. He's amazed by it. I'm the one on the disciple Jesus loved not that he loved the john at the exclusion of the other disciples But john here not prideful Amazed and humbled by the lord's love for someone like him That john here in verse 23 Was sitting on the right hand of the lord jesus christ if you remember around the u-shaped table the low Table in the middle of a room U-shaped it's not the the snapshot of the 12 disciples. Uh, the leonard of davinci Painting we're all sitting on one side of the table like they're posing for a picture, right? It's a low u-shaped table. They're reclining at the table leaning on their left arm so that they can eat with their right and john here Leaning on jesus's bosom. It means that john was on his right side incidentally a place of honor John here sits at the place of honor and as he's leaning on his right hand He's leaning into the bosom of the lord jesus christ Look at verse 24 simon peter then from across the table right simon peter motioned to him To ask who it was of whom he spoke Now peter actually shows a little restraint here. He doesn't work out which peter is a accustomed to doing Right, he's discreet about it. He wants to get an answer to his question. So he motions to john verse 25 Then leaning back right. He's got his hands right hand out Leans back closer to the lord jesus christ And he said to him lord Who is it? Who is it? They have absolutely no idea who it is at this point Let's sink in for a moment right the degree to which hypocrisy can hide Even among those closest to the lord jesus christ Even To the degree at which those men were laboring together day in and day out in the gospel Amazing isn't it three years together they're stumped Jesus answers in verse 26 It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it And having dipped the bread He gave it to judas iscariot the son of simon At this point in time, they don't have much christian history to look back on right They've got no christian history to look back on This might not have surprised people in the church This wouldn't have surprised christians a few hundred years later We sadly are used to seeing rank hypocrites rise up among us by doing all the right things But completely devoid of the things of god This shocked them and they were stunned What are some points that we should take away from this? What are some sheets that we can pin to our line right the first is this There will be counterfeit christians There will be false professing christians closely associated with the true people of god That is going to be the case The scriptures testify of it. They are the tears of this world Masquerading in the church as we and infiltrating the church The lord says not to gather them and take them out of the world in matthew 13 But we are certainly to deal with those that we find in the church. That's what church discipline is for right We're to deal with those in the church. This is going to be a reality There will be counterfeit christians false professing christians closely Intimately associated with and closely intimately working in and among the people of god Paul warned in acts chapter 20 verse 29 He warned of this for I know this That after my departure Paul says savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock Also from among yourselves Men are going to rise up Speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore. He says watch and remember That for three years. I did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears That's why we take such time Here appointing or admitting members We understand that right that's why we take such time admitting members That's why we take such time and go to such great lengths to appoint leaders Paul has warned us The scriptures warn us To do that quickly right to do that quickly in the church today Shows no concern for the warning To do that quickly Shows no care or concern for the people no care or concern for the church We have to take our time. We have to be careful and even being careful. Look at the 12 Had no idea that Judas was a betrayer among them There will be counterfeit christians closely associated with the people of god. Secondly It shows just how close the counterfeit can appear Without actually being born again Shows just how close how carefully That hypocrite is counterfeited Without actually being born again Consider how Judas kept up the deceit right kept up the front Judas deceived himself and he deceived the other disciples all the way up until the end Now be warned from this reality We can't substitute church activity For true gospel transformation Right We can't think that because you do all the right things that your heart isn't far from him Judas did The right things This is a warning isn't it to you kids here Who have grown up In mom and dad's house where mom and dad love the lord And yet for you You've not yet turned from your sin to put your faith and trust in christ And the things of god are just absent from your heart You can't claim the faith of your father You can't claim the faith of your mother You yourself must stand before god and give an account Turn from your sin Trust the lord jesus christ love him heart soul mind and strength cry out to god to be born again to be made alive from the dead grown up So to speak in the church how many testimonies have you heard like that right? Where you've grown up just going to church all you know go to church go to church every time the doors are open You're going to church you're among the people of god you've grown up in that environment and your understanding of Being born again is it just It's just the way that you've always been you've just always been there Listen you must be born again The gospel produces a change in your heart a change in your life. You must be born again The faith that you must that you profess must be genuinely your own Faith and trust in the lord jesus christ Hungering and thirsting for righteousness. You must be born again thirdly It shows the heinousness of hypocrisy The heinousness of hypocrisy one way private working of Judas's own heart And another way around the disciples If there are some of you here one way in the private working of your own heart And another way in the public working of the people of god One way at home with your spouse And another way among the brothers another way In the privacy of your own heart inside of god Hypocrisy isn't just the sin of the unbeliever is it? You can suffer from hypocrisy You repent of that sin Not one way at home and one way at church right Not an angel at home and a devil abroad Now before you think to yourself, hey, I sure hope my husband will listen to that That is precisely the wrong response It reveals more about your own heart than about your husband's Turn with me. I want to give you an example of this. Turn with me to Matthew 26 Matthew 26 And again from the response here, we're looking at lessons to be learned from the response of the disciple You're thinking to yourself, and I know somebody that really needs to hear that That is precisely the wrong response. Look at Matthew chapter 26 And drop down to verse 20 Verse 20 when evening had come The Lord Jesus Christ sat down with the twelve Now as they were eating he said assuredly right truly truly I say to you Almost emphasizing that because it's so almost unbelievable right almost unbelievable truly truly I say to you One of you Will be training Look at verse 22 and look at their response this particular point in time Says they were exceedingly sorrowful And each of them began to say to him Lord Is it I? Now listen That's the right response When the Lord makes this stunning declaration, these are men who have fought of the Lord Right you and I we fought the Lord together many of us have been in this church together for years, right? We serve the Lord together But if the Lord Jesus Christ came and said one of you Is going to betray me The right response the wrong response is not to turned what Well, I wonder which one of these guys is it it's going to be Who is it? Which one of you guys is going to betray him? Right the right response The response of the Christian the humble response is to turn that inward and say What am I doing? Is it me? What part do I play in this? They were exceedingly sorrowful These are men who had lived with the Lord were following the Lord love of the Lord Serving with the Lord in the gospel and each of them began to say to him Lord is it I? You know it's short lived however because not long they're back to argue again But this is the way that a Christian needs to respond to these realities. You know that kind of humility Puts a hedge around hypocrisy What is it that I am doing? What contribution do I have in this? Time and time and time again right when you're you're counseling someone They don't see that they're the problem They don't see that they're contributing to the problem It's always that woman that you gave me right that woman that you got man that you saddled me with god They don't see their part in the problem Focus on yourself right. How are you contributing to the problem? However, still in Matthew chapter 26. I want you to see the Detestable heights to which hypocrisy will rise to defend itself all of the other disciples Ask the question And so even in this context the hypocrite has to ask the question too. Look at verse 23 Matthew 26 23 He answered the Lord answered and said he who dipped his hand with me in the dish will be training 24 the son of man indeed goes just as it was written of him But woe To that man by whom the son of man is betrayed all of this said in the hearing of Judas It would have been good for that man if he had not been born verse 25 then Judas Interesting that Matthew qualifies that as who was betraying him present participle Judas who was betraying him answered and said rabbi. Is it I? The audacity right The 30 pieces of silver jingling around in Judas's pocket And he responds and asked that question rabbi. Is it I the Lord said to him you have said it the height to which hypocrisy will go to defend itself you find yourself In conflict resolving conflict and you are defensive Right and you are arguing and you're escalating the conflict You're behaving here like Judas Let me give you a fourth lesson back in john 13 The fourth lesson that we should learn from the response of the disciples Our response to christ think about this for a moment Our response to christ is what defines our fellowship together in the church Our relationship to him Right our relationship to him is what defines our relationship to one another. It's what defines the church What defines our group if we consider what the church is and how the church is defined What defines our group so to speak is shared commitment to christ Shared commitment to christ our shared entry into his love under his lordship Our shared entry into the purpose and mission of the godhead to evangelize the laws Our shared commitment to faith and obedience those things define the church They define our group our relationship to him. You see That's the same way that it was for the disciples. It's their relationship in the lord jesus christ that define their fellowship together it's not music and it's not The coffee It's not even merely or only the fellowship that we have together my fellowship with you. You're a fellowship with me it's not going to be the temperature in the room It's not going to be the color of the building It's not going to be the programs for the kids It's not going to be the fact that we have a young adults group or we've got Rooms where the 82 babies are stuffed into not those things that unites us in fellowship It's our relationship to the lord jesus christ and by virtue of our relationship to the lord jesus christ We are set apart to him to one another amongst one another It's that relationship that defines the church when people lose sight of that Right when people lose sight of that They become self-willed rather than christ-willed. That's when problems start Judas entered into this his own agenda his own self-willed motivations his own desires Judas disrupted that his definition wasn't christ related as much as it was Judas related. You see That's why in the church together for our church to be Solid and biblical and healthy and thriving It depends upon our relating to the lord jesus christ together as we relate to him We need to obey the lord We need to honor the lord as we obey as we put our faith and trust in him as we link arms together Serving him in his purpose and mission. We are united in christ to the degree that one of us does not do that And we become self-willed or we abandon that work It hinders or interrupts or disrupts our fellowship in christ. Do you see? That's why in the church we've seen So many haven't we right so many that have betrayed the cause of christ to go out and do their own thing You're sitting across from the desk from them Right having an exit interview so to speak you're talking to them and i'm saying to them listen obey the bible Just obey the bible Our relationship together is to be our relationship to christ is to be defined by that The lord has given us commandment now. Love the lord by obeying the bible. I know it sounds hard I know it's in circumstances. You don't like right now I know that you don't see necessarily light at the end of the tunnel, but listen If you will just obey the bible It will end up for the good of god's people for the good of the church and for your good But how many times The folks become self-willed Self-interested self-indulgent Looking out only for themselves and they just simply won't do what god calls them to do You're saying listen. I know this is hard But you need to go and you need to make that situation right with your brother Go make that situation right with your sister. Go resolve that conflict And they won't do it There are consequences to that There's blessing right doesn't lord say that blessings to you if you do that's what defines us our relationship to christ We maintain that relationship to christ and by virtue of that our relationship with one another By trusting and obeying the lord jesus christ Back in john chapter 13 In verse 26 Jesus answered they're wondering who it is Jesus answered it is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it And having dipped the bread he gave it to judas is scarier the son of simon Now to extend the offer of bread right for him to offer bread to judas. It's an active intimate fellowship. It's an active love right he's To break bread together to have table fellowship together was a meaningful thing It meant fidelity meant loyalty commitment familial closeness familial relationship So it also then demonstrates the height of hypocrisy for judas To sit there and accept the bread from his hand with the 30 pieces of silver in his pocket. You see Knowing what he's about to do Now if you're here today You come to this church weekend and week out Maybe you come to group Maybe you go to fellowships on sunday You're interacting with the brothers and sisters But you're here. You're amongst us You are As it were accepting bread from our hand brothers and sisters here love you I'm many times right many times the brothers and sisters here provide for needs. Maybe they've provided for your needs Maybe they've taken up a donation it helped you in a time of need They've loved you in that way. They called you they checked on you Concerned about your spiritual well-being And all along another agenda Let me say to you By virtue here at verse 26 that you don't have to go through with it You don't have to persist in your sin and hypocrisy To sit there week in week out with his this hatred in your heart for the lord and for his word and for his people and come here One of two things don't come here Or to turn and repent and believe the gospel and trust christ and love him and serve him Judas here just keeps on accepting the love of christ and all the while sealing his faith judas sat there When the woman broke the alabaster glass and poured the oil on jesus's head not his feet Anointed him and judas in his heart was thinking what a waste A waste of that that could have been sold that money given to the poor right revealing his heart And then judas is in the room with the disciples when the lord jesus christ strips himself down puts on the towel kneels at his feet and washes his feet And judas accepted that from the lord what grace right what mercy what an act of love for even judas's enemy And judas accepted that and now judas sits here at the table and the lord extends Not only extending the bread literally But extending the bread of life figuratively Right the the hand of fellowship extended to judas and judas continues to accept it Stealed in his hypocrisy and determined to betray him listen. You don't have to do it You don't have to persist in this hypocrisy persist in this sin cut it out. Stop where you're at Love the lord serve the lord be earnest be genuine be true Judas stayed on the path continued with his plan He didn't turn to christ. He didn't submit to christ from the heart, you know This must have been virtually unbearable for judas right for three Years being in such close proximity to the lord and having to keep up the charade It had to have been burdensome It had to have weighed on him right the guilt building over the years And nevertheless in verse 26 the taking of the bread from the lord was the final straw Look at verse 27 after the piece of bread Satan entered him Jesus said to him what you do Do quickly you're behind all of this We see the work of satan a satan here doesn't trust this work to an underling satan himself sees to it Satan is going to revel in it as satan does with all hypocrisy among the people of god. He's gonna revel in it Verse 28 but no one at the table knew for what reason he said this to him For some thought because judas had the money box that jesus had said to him buy those things we need for the feast Or that he should give something to the poor The disciples Simply never saw it coming Let's take some lessons. Let's let's learn some lessons from the actions here of judas first one is this Considering judas now Good works can't save you Good works cannot save you look at all the works that judas did He's with them following him three years The best So-called christian testimony The best so-called profession of faith did judas make a profession of faith. Yes, he did He backed it up with action The best testimony the best profession of faith judas professed faith in christ. He just didn't possess True saving faith in christ The best of all that Cannot save you Apart from the regenerating work of god's spirit. You must be born again to The best christian teaching imaginable Right the best preaching In the history of mankind The best discipleship program on the planet The best christian example to follow the best christian brothers around you Cannot save you apart from the regenerating work of the holy spirit of god You must be born again Jesus said in john chapter 6 verse 44 No one can Consider that No one is able No one can come to me the lord jesus christ says unless The father Who sent me draws him I can't say anything else about that that is as clear as you can get right. There's no commentary necessary Understand the doctrine of god No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him. That's what the text means You're wrestling with that in your mind right now stop wrestling. That's what the bible says. That's what it means That's why we right or that's why the so-called church Cannot manipulate or manufacture means in order to gain conversions Just use the words that the bible uses. That's why it's such a A wicked counterfeit to do the whole walk and I'll say a prayer thing. That's that's nowhere in the bible Nowhere does jesus christ call you to say a prayer and mean it if you mean it right That is what misplaced faith right you're putting faith in whether or not you meant A prayer when you said it it's not the gospel folks. That's not the response to the gospel Use biblical terms preach the biblical gospel. You must repent turn from your sin and believe the gospel believe in christ trust in him The church today is manipulating and manufacturing all kinds of false means to quote unquote generate conversions Facilitating what they think are conversions and church today so-called church has become a factory for false conversion Thirdly The empty professor The hypocrite Is 100 culpable for his democracy? Look at verse 27 After the piece of bread satan entered him all right satan entered him But didn't look at what jesus said to him what you do Do quickly Judas is responsible Judas is culpable Judas is guilty Interesting verse 27 though is notice who is sovereign over sending him The word jesus christ sent him out dismisses it he expels him Matthew chapter 26 verse 24 Says the son of man indeed goes just as it is written of him But whoa To that man by whom the son of man is betrayed it would have been good for that man if he had not been born or All of this happened in jesus's life gradually over time This didn't take place overnight in an instant all of this happened over time and you get that inference from the text Judas has been losing the battle in his heart day by day by day by day never repenting Never going to the lord for repentance and faith He's been losing the battle in his heart by degrees Over time and it all comes to a head in this act of betrayal. He takes the bread That's the final straw and Judas heads off into the dark Eternal eternal dark before the sun comes up Judas will be in hell All this happened by degrees over time his heart became predisposed if you will for the influence and eventual possession of satan In john 11 right and he's griping about the woman breaking the alabaster flask and anointing the head and feet of jesus By the time we get to john 13 He's in great hypocrisy accepting the washing of his feet accepting the bread from the lord's hand All as a culmination of this departure over time as a prophecy over time Reminds us it's so difficult to assess the true condition of someone's soul The only ultimate proof the only ultimate proof That you Are fully and forever right with god Is that you persevere in the faith to the end? Leave it persevere to the end will be saved You can have assurance of your salvation. You should have a certain assurance of your salvation But as you enjoy the blessing of that assurance you must Persevere in the faith to the end If you are to be saved You're going to be tested so pass the test persevere Click at verse 30 having received the piece of bread Judas then went out immediately And it was night literally night figuratively night spiritually night He went into the night into the dark night Of eternity jesus swallowed up in the darkness Judas thought that he was selling out the lord jesus christ for 30 pieces of silver When jesus in actuality was selling his own soul for 30 pieces of silver And so it is with all who reject the lord jesus christ again It doesn't have to be that way for you It doesn't have to be that way for you The lord freely offers love and grace and mercy and compassion and forgiveness He offers that to you this morning in doctrine for you to sit here this morning And reject the lord's gracious offer You are playing jesus the bread from his hand in earnestness In truth turn from your sin put your faith in christ and live Here's a little tragedy for jesus Don't continue to reject as jesus did The way of the transgressor is hard And then you die if you maintain the hard part of jesus You'll receive the judgment of jesus turn now at the lord's reproach right Look at how the lord loves his own love them to the end Look at how in his sovereignty god cares for them for trial God cares for them for difficulty and then they have at the end of their faith is glorious In inheritance reserved for us in heaven uncorrupted undefiled which will not fade away Blessings from the lord to be Lavished upon in such a way with that kind of love what a glorious truth a glorious blessing Why why would you persist in your sin and rebellion against god? Make provision for the great death that we are sin Ungodly unrighteous enemies of god by our wicked work You sought a pray god that in light of these truths In light of your sovereignty your power your omniscience your omnipotence Your sovereignty over every difficulty your sovereignty over every trial every adversity god that we would Fervently and faithfully serve in the gospel you've called us to do We would wage war against our sin trusting you Depending upon the strength that your spirit supplies depending upon you for the grace that we need to be victorious in the overcomers Such that our faith becomes a victory and has overcome the world All of which is a testimony of your grace to us in gospel For your glory god, I pray that you would strengthen us to that end You would cause us to Live our lives upon these truths that you have called to our remembrance Your grace in the gospel your grace in this christian life Whatever circumstances that we would Trust you and obey you it is to descend and to never to see light again Never to see the light ever Suffer the torment of hell for all eternity god, I pray For anyone who would make such a tragic decision. I pray god would break their heart over their sin He would reveal to them the glory of christ all the years all that he's done So they would turn from their sin and trust him a little and say do that work You are the one that would draw them you are the one that would give them light from the dead Be born again You are the one that would grant repentance and faith To cry out to you god to do that mighty work and only you can do you trust you in it or for your glory for them to save them Thank you for this church The blessing of I pray god that we would keep our focus on you Each one of us we consider soberly consider How we are related to you how we serve you how we obey you and disobey you I pray god that you are convicted by your spirit Courageous