So all I have to do this morning is mention the name Judas and disgust and loathing comes on us. So let's stop and let's read this story. It's a short passage. Let's read together. John 18, 1 to 11. Let's stand together. If you would, the words are going to be on the screen. Let's read it so that we know exactly what we're talking about this morning. Let's begin reading together out loud right now. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priest and Pharisees came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that would come upon him, went forward and said to them, whom are you seeking? And they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he and Judas who betrayed him also stood with them. Now, when he said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. And he asked them again, whom are you seeking? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. Therefore, if you seek me, let these go their way. That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spoke of those whom you gave me, I have lost none. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which my father has given me? I draw your attention to the three little words, I am he. Actually, the word He, even in your version, ought to be in italics. I think it is in most versions. Which indicates it was added for clarity. But what Jesus actually said on all three occasions is just two words. I am. Ah, that changes it. Because when He declared Himself I am, what happened to them? They drew back and fell to the ground. And the reason is the only proper position in front of the great I am is on our face in worship. All, every single knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that he is Lord to the glory of God. Father, add your blessing to the preaching and teaching of your word. Help me be anointed with the spirit as I speak and help these that are here to hear with the anointing on their hearing and understanding. Pray that our time together today would be profitable for those that have not come to know you as savior. As Brian mentioned a few moments ago, or for those who are believers, but sometimes the culture begins to sweep us away. Thank you for this time. Help us now in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen. You can be seated. You know, I don't know anybody named Judas. In fact, I don't know anybody who even has a dog named Judas. Judas was chosen as one of the 12 to be with Jesus, to observe and to listen and to learn from so that he, after his departure might also help with the mission and carry the good news. Jesus was aware of what Judas was, would do. Don't make any mistake. Jesus, Jesus knew he wasn't fooled by Judas. John 6, 70, Jesus answered them, did I not choose you, the 12, and one of you as a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the 12. Now the name Judas is a form of the name Judah. And the word Judah, the name Judah, means praise. I'm sure the parents of Judas, when they brought him into the world and they named him, had hopes, had high hopes, that his life would glorify God, but we all know how that turned out. The Lord Jesus said he was the son of perdition. Jesus said the man had a devil. John said that he was a thief. Earlier in Luke, Luke's gospel said something very significant. He said that Judas was the traitor, a traitor. You think of In American history back at the time of the revolution There was an infamous traitor who helped the british and he went was an informant for them and his name was benedict arnold For those of you that are young know nothing about that. Just google him and you'll find out what a dastardly thing He did and he's known in infamy as a traitor of the american cause Well, it was a privilege to be chosen by jesus. He heard the lord jesus preach He saw the miracles that Jesus performed. He heard the prayers that the Son of God prayed. Judas even went on preaching tours. You could put it this way, he went on short-term mission trips for Jesus and with the other disciples. But what's so interesting about it is is that even in spite of all of the evidence he had, listening and seeing and observing everything that Jesus did, it made very little impression, if any, on his life. Jesus seemed to have no influence on Judas. Judas was like a, like a dead stick you plant in the ground. You can put all the water you want on that dead stick, but there's no life in it. It's not going to grow. So he serves, this Judas does, as a warning to every church member. This is important. Judas was one of the 12 and yet he was lost. Judas identified himself publicly with Jesus, yet the Bible said he went to his own place. Before I even get too far into this this morning, I should stop and address this. Now listen to these words, association with. affiliation with, fellowship with, and participation with, and even acts of service among God's people in a church does not make you a child of God. Having your name on a membership roll because you filled out the information and answered a few questions does not mean that you know Jesus as your personal Savior. And having your name on a membership role does not mean your name is written on the Lamb's book of life. Now we ask every person we interview and we do the best we can to only bring believers into the membership. But sometimes if Judas could get into the 12, you know what I'm saying, so it's important. Judas had all the evidence that he needed for faith in the Son of God, but he did not trust Jesus. He had something else in mind. So how is it that Judas got to this place of betrayal? How could he experience all that he did with Jesus and still do what he did? What was it that's in his heart? I have three words that summarize the life of Judas today. Three words. I'm going to give them to you. You can fill them out ahead of time. The first word is decision. The second word is deception. And the third word is desertion. So decision, deception, desertion. Sums up the life of this man named Judas. Now the first word, decision, listen to the Bible in John 13 too. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, He had a decision to make. He was collaborating with Satan. He made a decision to go against Jesus and to go with Satan because it was already in his thought and in his heart. Now folks, we make decisions all of our life. Many of the decisions we make are insignificant. They really don't matter. Like what shirt we're gonna put on in the morning. Now I got up this morning, knew that it was chilly outside, went and got myself a long sleeve shirt. There is no significance to the exact shirt that I put on this morning. It means nothing. You say why do you have a tie on because I tend to get a sore throat in the winter when it's cool And I sometimes wear a tie just to I don't know. I I don't know it's in my head I think it doesn't work, but I just put it on because I think it might help So i'm not starting a new trend in grace church. Just want you to know that they just thought I'd throw that out So they're insignificant and then choices like we make on a menu at a restaurant insignificant But there are bigger choices too. Like what's going to be my vocation? Who will I marry? Where will we live? And so on. Those are important things that we choose. But I'm going to tell you something this morning. There is nothing that compares with what we do with Jesus Christ. Pilate was asked one day, Pilate asked the question. He asked a lot mass of Jews that were crying crucify him. And he said to them, so what then shall I do with Jesus? And everybody there had to make up their mind. what to do with him. This setting of this story is so important. Now in John 12, Jesus had been at Bethany and that was the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Mary at that time did an incredible, we preached on it a few weeks ago, an incredible act of worship where she poured out a year's salary worth of spikenard. It would have taken a year to earn the money to buy Spikenard, it was a certain perfume and she poured it out on his feet and she wiped his feet with the hair of her head. Now listen to what Judas had to say about this in chapter 12 in verse four of the same book, John, but one of his disciples. Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray him, said, why was this fragrant oil not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? And he said, not this he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. and he had the money box, and he used to take what was put into it. So it sort of reveals what was in his heart. What a waste, he said. Later on in John 12, 12, there is the story of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. All this is going on now. He had just watched this, in his mind, waste of money on pouring oil on Jesus' feet, and then there was this. In John 12, 12, Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and as he rode into Jerusalem, the masses, of people laid their cloaks in the way. They also went and cut palm branches and they waved them. And here's what they said. They said this, when they heard that Jesus was coming, they took branches of palm trees, they went out to meet him and they cried out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And this key phrase, the King of Israel. Everybody was so excited because the king of Israel had arrived this powerful Miracle-working 5,000 people feeding man. He was their king Judas had heart issues and the heart of the issue is always the issue of the heart Judas was like many of those in the crowd on that day of the triumphal entry and he was looking for Jesus with all of this power and and with his miracle-working ability, he was looking for him to overthrow Rome. Get the Romans out of here. Enough of the hobnail boots, enough of their rule over us. Get them out of here, and let's return Israel to its glory days, like the glory days of the time of David and Solomon. And of course, what Judas is thinking, he wanted to be a part of it. His association with Jesus in his heart, his association with Jesus was never spiritual. It was material, earthly, and it was personal. This is what it was all about. Judas made some decisions about this. He decided for power. That's what he wanted. How can you not seize the moment, Jesus? Why don't you use your power? Now, what happened to this kingdom? You came preaching the kingdom. Well, what happened to it? You kept talking about it. And what about my lofty place in this kingdom? If you could just Use your power, you can fix everything. You can make my dreams come true, Judas was thinking. So Judas saw what was happening. Jesus did not throw Rome out. He threw the money changers out of the temple. Wow, he didn't have much regard for money. And then he didn't attack the government, he assaulted the religion of the people, the religious leaders, the apostates, he assaulted them. So Judas decided for power, he also decided for money. He decided for money. Judas had the same opinion as did Muhammad Ali. Here's what Muhammad Ali said. You don't want no pie in the sky when you die. You want something here on the ground while you're still around. And he was talking about money and the wealth and riches that you could get from it. Judas loved to talk about benevolence. We read it a moment ago. He loved to talk about kindness and helping the poor. He even said, why this waste? Why was this spikenard not sold and the money given to the poor? He loved to talk about that. But you know a Judas spirit will always be disturbed by spiritual generosity. Maybe you're even a believer today, and when you see somebody lavishly give or lavishly do something, maybe it bothers you, oh, that was just a waste. Well, it's a Judas spirit that thinks spiritual investment is a waste, a Judas spirit. And so, we read it again, John 12, six, he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, he had the money box, and he used to take what was in it. He could not, and no one can, serve God, and the King James Version said, memon. or money. You cannot serve God and money. Now, our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have a chief rival for their affection in this world today. for the affection of mankind. And the affection of mankind is divided pretty much down the line of God is number one in my life or money and all that it can get for me is number one in my life. Do you see why the Bible says that the love of money is a root or the root of all kinds of evil? Matthew 26, 14 says, one of the 12 called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priest and said, what are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you? And they counted out to him 30 pieces of silver money was his master. Just like Zachariah 1210 said it was going to be 30 pieces of silver. It was predicted 30 pieces of silver was the price. The lofty price that was paid for Jesus money in his pocket. Judas sided with Satan Judas went his own way. Now. That's a huge statement. He went his own way That's repeated in the scriptures often There's a verse in Luke's version of the narrative that says in chapter 22 verse 4 After he duck got done speaking with a chief priest. He went his own way and And he sought how he might betray him and they were glad and agreed to give him money. So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Jesus in the absence of the multitude. So he went his way. Isaiah 53, six says, all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Folks, Proverbs 14, 12 says this, there's a way, a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death. When you choose your own way, count on it, you're choosing to go with the devil. Our way is the way of the devil, John 13, two. Supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. The devil is always looking for a vessel. He's always looking for a beachhead. He's always looking for an angle, and it always has to do with somebody. He found it in Judas. This is so amazing. In John 13, 26, he says, it is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it and he dipped the bread and he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. There's only two people in scripture that it is said of them that Satan entered them. One is Judas and the other is the Antichrist. How does this apply? Well, it's a short step from letting Satan tempt us to letting Satan control us. It is a very small step from satanic suggestion to satanic possession. I have a question this morning for you. Let's just stop and think. Judas had this problem. He looked at Jesus in the wrong way. How do you look at him? Do you look at Jesus as a material resource? Do you look at him as a divine fix-it man? The one who can give you what you want and make your dreams come true? Or is Jesus who he said he was, Lord of all? If we confess with our mouth that he is the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. So is he Lord? The second word after decision, write it down, is the word deception. This man Judas was a deceiver, John 13, 21. When Jesus said these things, he was troubled in spirit and testified, most assuredly I say to you, one of you will betray me. Get this now, the disciples looked at one another perplexed about whom he spoke. Do you see what a deceiver Judas was? He'd been with them this three to three and a half years, and he was so gung-ho, and he played the part and wore the mask so well. He was such a hypocrite, but was so good at it, no one suspected him. Later, when Jesus says, what you do, go and do quickly, they still didn't get it, even though he said, the one I dip the bread and give it to is the one, they still didn't get it. They thought he was going out and was told to go give some money to the poor or something, or to pay their taxes. They didn't know. They didn't get it. They were perplexed. Nobody in the group suspected Jesus. Why is that? Because he was one of them. He had been with them. He associated. He affiliated. He assimilated. He did all of those things. Jesus said, behold, the hand of my betrayer is with me on the table. Make sure you understand this. This betrayer was seated at the Passover meal. He was eating the bread and drinking the cup with them. We're looking back now at the Passover. They were, they were looking back at the Passover. They were looking forward to the new covenant, the covenant of Jesus blood being shed and G and Judas was right there. He was a deceiver. He was in the amen corner when Jesus would get up and preach. When miracles were performed, Judas was right there. He had lived a life of deception. It's amazing that a person can be a spiritual Judas and can come to church and can sing as loud and long as the rest of the congregation. He confirmed the messages with his amens and hallelujahs, just like everybody else. Yet the truth of the matter is he was living a life of deception. Somebody might say, well, it would never happen today. Think again. He deceived other people. He goes through all the motions. His words are the right words. His gestures are the right gestures. He smiles at just the right time. He looks compassionate at just the right moment. He says amen. He goes on preaching tours. He goes on mission trips, but it's a mask. It's a facade. It's a charade. He's putting on an act. What an awful thing for a person to do and live a life of deception. So he deceived other people, but worse, he deceived himself. Jesus knew that he was the betrayer from the beginning. I don't believe Judas knew from the beginning he would be the betrayer. I don't believe he knew that until he saw that his dreams were over. Here Jesus is wasting a year's salary, letting this woman waste that money. Here he is, they're proclaiming him king and he could take over right now, but he didn't do it. Instead he went into the temple and threw out the money changers. And so, he looked around and he said, I gotta get something out of this situation. After all, I left everything I've been following for three to three and a half years now. What do I have to show for it? The phrase that is so often used today, what's in it for me? I can just hear him thinking. Now, we're fine upstanding people that are here today and we associate with Jesus, come to church and everything. And we come in and we're part of what's going on. We give a little bit, and we sing a little bit, and we praise a little bit, and we participate, and we do this, that, and the other, but I just wonder. It would never come across our lips, but sometimes I think it might be in our heart. We might say, well, I'm doing all this stuff, but what's in it for me? I don't see what I'm getting out of this. Wow. Well, how about a forgiveness of sin, a relationship with the creator, a place in his eternal kingdom, and a home in heaven, a partnership and membership in the family of the redeemed? Imagine that. Judas played the part right to the end. Along with everybody else, what did he say when Jesus said, one of you is gonna betray me? What did Judas say right up to the end? Is it I? Wow. The disciples still didn't know he was the trader, even when he went out into the night chapter 13 and verse 30. So how does this apply? Pastor Phil, what can we, what are we supposed to do about that? Well, I can just say this. We can all play a role. We can all go along to see what we get out of it. We can experience a little renovation of behavior, but stop short of a regenerated soul. There's too many people that have been told and have given in to the idea of try Jesus Why don't you just try Jesus folks? You don't try Jesus you trust Jesus You put it all on Jesus. You don't come to Jesus and say, I've got a few things messed up. I've got a few problems in my life. I just need you to help me straighten this out so I can go back to living the way that I used to, the way that I want to. I just want to get my ground level again. I just want to get my feet under me. I just want to get where I can see and handle things again. I just need some help. I need some money. I need some finances. I need some relationship fix. I need this. No, no, no. When we come to Jesus, we come to him under the law of God, under the wrath of God. We are sinners. We have lied. We have stolen. We have lusted. We are sinners. We are separated from God. We are headed for eternity separated from him. We are lost. We don't have anything to offer him. We don't come to Jesus and say, well, look, I'm really a pretty good guy. Let me do what I can for you. You do what you can for me. No, no, no, no, no. We come hopeless, helpless. We come completely condemned. We are condemned already. John chapter three and verse number 36. We come to Jesus and we say, I can't fix myself. I can't save myself. But I'm coming to you and I trust that your death on the cross your burial and your resurrection You did it for me and I believe it and I trust you and I bring all I am to you Please save me Jesus. That's trusting Jesus Trusting Totally wholly completely no trust in yourself the third word is desertion John 18 1 to 11 we read the passage we read it and Jesus knew the place where or Judas knew the place where Jesus would go no doubt He'd been in many prayer meetings there before so he knew where to lead this group. So he deserted to the devil He had his 30 pieces of silver jingling in his pocket. So it was time to deliver what he promised so he was granted from the Romans a Roman cohort and When it says a detachment of soldiers, the word is cohort, and it could be anywhere from 480 to 600 soldiers armed, ready for battle. He came with those officers. He came with the priest. He came with the Pharisees. They came to arm for battle. One unarmed itinerant preacher and miracle worker. who had 11 men at his side, who also, with the exception of Peter, were unarmed, and they had one sword among them, this cohort, and these officers, they all came to arrest Jesus. He stood with the apostates, Judas did. He stood with the devil, not with Jesus. I can ask today, where do you stand? Judas abandoned his loyalty to Jesus. I just got a question for you today. When Jesus Christ comes up for opinion today, which crowd do you run with? When a moral issue comes up, where do you stand? When it's time to stand up for what is right and what is decent in the areas of morality, which crowd are you in? I believe if those who name the name of Jesus would just take a stand for what is right in the city of Des Moines, we might make a dent in the pornography industry. I think if we'd just stand up and be counted, we could vote out those dedicated to redefining marriage, gender, and sexuality in this town. If just those who say they are saved would take their stand for Jesus, when there is a vote for life in this city, I'd like for us to find out how many of those running for office and claiming to be Christians are actually voting for death behind closed doors. When moral issues are up for grabs in the city, find out how many who name the name of Jesus are in the mob that would actually crucify him and put him to death with Judas all over again. Standing up for Jesus. Judas delivered him with a kiss. Luke 22, 47 says, while he was still speaking, behold, a multitude and he who was called Judas, one of the 12, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said to him, Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? Judas abandoned the love of Jesus. Now I'm gonna climb on my soapbox for a minute. Let me do that symbolically. I'm on my soapbox. And I just wanna say a couple of things. Young people, please be listening to, listen to me for a minute. Don't be kissing on one another like it's some sort of handshake. Girls, young women, single women, I don't care how old you are. I just want to say to you, don't give out this tenderest symbol of affection to every guy you meet. I don't care what the culture is doing. I don't care what you see on television. I don't care what all your friends are doing. Don't give out this incredible symbol of affection and devotion. Give it out like candy at Halloween. Don't do it. Don't be like an old block of salt on the farm and let any old cow that wants to come along licking on you. Some of you have never been on a farm. You don't even know what I'm talking about. But I'm telling you, be careful who you give your kisses to. It's a token of affection and tenderness Judas is like a poisonous snake slithering through the rose bushes that night and when he kissed the Son of God there was a hiss and a kiss The very venom of hell was on that kiss think about it Here was a man who kissed the very door of heaven and he died and he went to hell Jesus in his kindness makes one final appeal to his soul and he says to Judas Judas are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss and Well, that's the final appeal that Jesus makes to him. Judas, why don't you see what you're doing? And he just couldn't see anything. He'd made his choice. He'd thrown his lot. It was all about the money. It was all about the power. It was all about what he wanted, his own dreams. Judas discovered too late who Jesus really was. Judas was standing with the cohort, the priests and the Pharisees, that is all of the false religionists. And when Jesus asked, whom do you seek? They said of Jesus, they said Jesus of Nazareth. And he said, I am. And they fell backwards at that statement, because He is the great I Am. You know, they should have all pulled off their boots and shoes and bowed in His presence and worshipped. And everybody at one time is going to bow before the great I Am, whether in this life or the next. You say, Pastor, how does this apply? Well, it was too late for Judas to repent. He regretted his decision too late. He tried to return the 30 pieces of silver to those priests, but to no avail. He threw it down inside the temple doors and he had stood with the devil. He had deceived himself. He had deceived the disciples, but it is impossible to deceive Jesus. I'll just pull over and say, you may convince all of us that you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. You may convince the elders. You may convince Pastor Matt if he interviews you for membership. You may convince your parents. You may convince all kinds of people. But I'm gonna tell you there's one person, there's two people who know the truth. One, you, and the Lord Jesus Christ knows the truth about every one of us. He went out into the night after his decision to betray Jesus. He went out into the night after that garden kiss, and if there were owls out there, they must have been hooting at him, traitor, traitor. And if there were coyotes around, they must have been growling, traitor, traitor. And if there were black bats flying, they must have been flying low to whisper in his ear, traitor, traitor. And if there were Buzzards flying overhead and circling they must have been gulping traitor traitor and he went out into the eternal night He went to his own place and eventually hung himself and I won't get graphic. I Just want to say to you today What is this sermon? What is this about? I want to say to you I'm not calling you Judas, but I'm saying you can certainly be a deceiver. You can deceive yourself It's not too late for you to repent and believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe in Him. Churchianity won't save you. Being in this building won't save you. Being among the believers won't save you. It is as if you went to Wendy's hoping to become a hamburger by just sitting there. It's not true. You must believe on the name of the Lord Jesus. Trust to him, it's not too late to stand with Jesus. It's not too late to take off the mask of the hypocrite and put on the robe of righteousness that is provided by Jesus. And to the believers, I just want to say to you very quickly, it's not too late to stand up for Jesus. I'm telling you, if there's anything that's very difficult to take, it's when Christians just get caught up in the cultural flow and just go with it. Change everything that they've always believed they just go with it because hey, we just can't stand against the kink stand against the flow Well, I just want to say to you George Duffield, way back in 1858. There must have been stuff going on then because he wrote that old hymn that we love, Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus. The second stanza says, stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey, forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day. Ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes. Let courage rise with danger and strength to strength oppose. And the four stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus. The strife will not be long. This day, the noise of battle. The next, the victor's song. To him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be. And he with the king of glory shall reign eternally. Don't sacrifice the eternity on the altar of the immediate today. Don't sacrifice your eternal future in heaven. Don't sacrifice that on the altar of the immediate of popularity, of being accepted by the crowd, of having people speak well of you. Don't do that. Don't sacrifice it because a better sacrifice has been made. Jesus made the sacrifice for your sin and he paid it all. And you need to come to him and believe on him if you haven't believed on him. And if you're a believer today, Don't make the assumption that God doesn't still require us to stand up for him. I'll never forget that old saying about Stephen. Stephen stood up for Jesus. And when he looked in heaven, Jesus stood up for him. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes this morning? Judas, the Judas kiss. Oh, what an incredible passage. What a horrendous ending for a man who had every advantage. If you're here today and you've never called on Jesus to be your Savior, I implore you, I implore you, I beg you, ask Jesus to come into your heart. I'm gonna stand right down front here, I'm not going anywhere. If you'd like to come talk about receiving Jesus or if you need to come pray about anything, then I want to pray with you and for you and help you. And if you're here today and you're a Christian, you're a believer, but the world's pushing on you, and the cultural currents are pushing against you, and it's an everyday fight. I just wanna encourage you, he that is within you is greater than he that is in the world. Just stand up for Jesus, stand strong, stand against the current, and let Jesus shine through you. This dark world needs it so very badly. Our Father, I pray that You would add Your blessing to what we share today. And I pray for those that have yet to call on You to be their Savior. I pray today would be the day to do that. I pray that they would come and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. For the believers that are here today, Lord, I pray that they would examine themselves and find out where their loyalty lies and where their greatest love lies. Lord, I pray that they would do that today, and I pray that we would stand up against the darkness, be the light, and stand against these cultural currents. Help us to be kind, help us to be friendly, help us to be loving and patient, but help us to be decided. I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.