WEBVTT 00:00:00.180 --> 00:00:04.150 I'm going to invite you to John chapter 13, John 13 is where we're going to be today. 00:00:04.860 --> 00:00:06.400 We're going to talk about an important topic. 00:00:06.800 --> 00:00:13.860 This to me, this section of scripture is a very powerful section of scripture that I will tell you most Christians walk 00:00:14.760 --> 00:00:20.420 away from this section of scripture with incorrect thinking as it relates to your relationship with God. 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:20.560 Okay? 00:00:21.020 --> 00:00:28.240 This is about Victorious Christian living and powerful section scripture, have told us together as we go on into John 13, to 00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:35.360 John 17, this section of scripture is some of the most powerful passages and all of the Bible for 00:00:35.360 --> 00:00:37.560 me, this is my favorite section in all the Bible. 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:45.280 This is the last six hours Jesus spends on the earth, teaching us, teaching his disciples before he goes to the cross for 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:45.820 six hours. 00:00:46.660 --> 00:00:53.860 When Jesus is teaching his disciples, he's teaching in the most intimate of settings with the closest of his followers in 00:00:53.860 --> 00:01:01.040 an upper room, spending his last moments on earth in some in-depth discipleship teaching as to the importance 00:01:01.040 --> 00:01:03.360 of what it means for you and I to follow Jesus. 00:01:04.160 --> 00:01:05.560 Very powerful section of the scripture. 00:01:06.020 --> 00:01:13.000 This is also an infamous section of scripture where one guy has ruined a name forever, right? 00:01:13.300 --> 00:01:18.300 There's one character that we're going to read about today that is forever ruined a name. 00:01:18.380 --> 00:01:25.380 It's funny as I was thinking about this really history has had a way of ruining names, maybe not forever, 00:01:25.380 --> 00:01:30.380 but at least temporarily ruining names that you just don't find people carrying that name anymore. 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:32.860 I got some examples on the screen for you. 00:01:33.020 --> 00:01:33.720 No more Dora's. 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:35.230 There are no more Dora's. 00:01:35.340 --> 00:01:38.840 Or Mario's and Luigi's, they're gone now. 00:01:39.240 --> 00:01:42.600 Or Kermit, I don't know if you've ever met a Kermit, but not lately, right? 00:01:42.940 --> 00:01:44.120 Or how about this? 00:01:44.260 --> 00:01:50.610 Obviously Adolf, we could throw in with that maybe a Stalin or Genghis Khan, those names are off the list. 00:01:51.420 --> 00:01:54.140 Alexa, not going to name anybody Alexa anymore are you? 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.120 Elsa. 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:56.760 How about that? 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:57.780 No more Elsa. 00:01:57.860 --> 00:01:58.770 I can't even get it out of my head. 00:01:58.960 --> 00:02:01.300 I feel bad about this one, but no more Karen's. 00:02:01.820 --> 00:02:02.840 Right? 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:05.140 Give me your manager now. 00:02:05.940 --> 00:02:10.000 But here's the character we're going to talk about today, Judas. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:15.460 This is not the most popular name for children, right? 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:21.880 No one's lining up to give their kid this name because Judas has probably done the most egregious act in all of history. 00:02:22.200 --> 00:02:23.740 He betrays God in the flesh. 00:02:24.580 --> 00:02:29.320 Not very many people have had that opportunity, but Judas certainly did. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:37.420 And so when we look at this passage of scripture, when we talk about Victorious Christian living, I'm going to highlight for us two concerning elements 00:02:37.420 --> 00:02:43.720 from this section of the Bible in verses 21 to 25 and then 26 to 27. 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:51.400 There is some concerns spiritually speaking with Judas, which will heighten our paranoia, 00:02:51.880 --> 00:02:54.240 I'll say, about the spiritual world. 00:02:54.940 --> 00:03:01.960 And then I'm going to give us three responses to that, so that you don't walk away just looking over your shoulders, scared all day long about some of 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:03.580 the things that we learn about Judas in this passage. 00:03:04.100 --> 00:03:09.780 Wondering if your life might even have anything related to Judas going on in it. 00:03:10.440 --> 00:03:17.480 In two concerns that we see here in the beginning with Judas, John 13:21, 00:03:18.120 --> 00:03:21.520 if you've got notes this morning, this is your first blink at the top. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:29.060 And is to recognize this, we are spiritually vulnerable in adversity. 00:03:30.620 --> 00:03:33.200 We are spiritually vulnerable in adversity. 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:40.560 We're really vulnerable in all things spiritual, but there is a heightening in our Christian 00:03:41.060 --> 00:03:44.740 walk when we are facing some adversity. 00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:52.240 We meet some challenges in life and there's some temptation to deny Christ or to do something contrary to your faith. 00:03:52.300 --> 00:03:59.300 But in John 13:21, look at this, "When Jesus had said these things, he became troubled in spirit and testified and said, truly, truly I say 00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:01.680 to you, the one of you will betray me. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:07.700 The disciples began looking at one another at a loss to know of which one he was speaking. 00:04:08.220 --> 00:04:13.100 Lying back on Jesus's chest was one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. 00:04:14.020 --> 00:04:20.649 And so Simon, Peter nodded to the disciples and sang to him, tell us who it is of whom he is speaking. 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:28.240 He then simply leaned back on Jesus's chest and said, Lord, who is it?" If you remember this story, this is Jesus in the upper room, 00:04:28.280 --> 00:04:32.820 the disciples are all around the table, having their last supper. 00:04:32.820 --> 00:04:36.780 And Jesus is letting the disciples know that one of them is about to betray him, right? 00:04:37.900 --> 00:04:43.540 By the way, if you've ever seen the scene of the last supper, which the pictures on the screen that Leonardo da Vinci has created. 00:04:43.540 --> 00:04:46.340 You can go back to that real quick, Leonardo da Vinci has created. 00:04:47.300 --> 00:04:50.320 That picture is wrong for so many different reasons. 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:51.620 It's a beautiful picture. 00:04:51.900 --> 00:04:53.280 Leonardo da Vinci painted it. 00:04:53.280 --> 00:04:59.320 You can appreciate the artistic ability that he has, but it's a wrong account of Jesus's last supper. 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:03.260 They didn't sit at tables like this, in the background, there are the Italian mountains. 00:05:03.980 --> 00:05:06.300 There was no mountains where Jesus was doing this. 00:05:06.820 --> 00:05:12.810 On their table it's a fish and loaves, which Jesus would have had lamb and flatbread. 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:20.600 While Leonardo da Vinci is a great artist, he historically did not understand scripture to the degree that 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:23.180 he needed to paint an accurate picture of this story. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:30.690 If you want to see an accurate picture, the next illustration gives you an idea of more where Jesus would have been in position around the table. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.340 In Jesus's day it wouldn't have been a table that you sit under. 00:05:33.340 --> 00:05:35.890 It would have been on the short table that you laid out from. 00:05:36.760 --> 00:05:44.200 And on one side of him would have been John, and John, this is why in the story you see John leans back on Jesus 00:05:44.200 --> 00:05:46.520 and asks who is it? 00:05:46.880 --> 00:05:52.020 And at the same time, Jesus, at one point is going to whisper to Judas that it's him, but no one else hears it. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:59.320 And the reason we see that no one else hears it, is because Jesus could have had a very close interaction with Judas where no one would have been able to hear the story. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:06.760 At the same time, you can see why Jesus was so easily able to wash the feet of the disciples. 00:06:07.620 --> 00:06:10.380 The minute they laid down at the table, their feet would have been exposed at the end. 00:06:10.380 --> 00:06:16.400 And Jesus could have gone around, in John 13, we read this story together of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. 00:06:16.840 --> 00:06:22.680 Something else interesting about this story is that the guest of honor would not upset in the middle of the U shaped table. 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:23.780 They would have sat on the side. 00:06:24.340 --> 00:06:31.500 Jesus is in the position of the guest or the leader of this meeting and the guest of honor would have been to 00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:38.520 the left of Jesus, which would have been Judas, which is a pretty profound, incredible 00:06:38.520 --> 00:06:43.500 thought when you understand that Jesus knows Judas is about to betray him. 00:06:44.620 --> 00:06:51.780 Here in this upper room at the end of Jesus's life, knowing Judas is his enemy, we've seen two incredible things Jesus has done 00:06:51.780 --> 00:06:52.440 for Judas. 00:06:52.940 --> 00:06:58.460 One, he washed his feet and we joked about the fact that he didn't even do it begrudgingly. 00:06:58.880 --> 00:07:01.080 He didn't scrub extra hard or put them in an ankle lock. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.780 He washed it lovingly. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:10.080 Even to the point that he was willing to let Judas be in the seat of honor, as they gathered around this table. 00:07:11.380 --> 00:07:16.100 Something else that's a little incredible and I know Judas gets a bad rap and rightfully so. 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:23.580 He betrays the son of God, but something I find interesting about this story that gives us I think a little bit of compassion towards 00:07:23.580 --> 00:07:28.390 Judas, is what I said to us in the beginning that, we face adversity. 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:31.380 We have some vulnerable ability in our spiritual life. 00:07:32.580 --> 00:07:36.270 And that is in the question that the disciples ask of Jesus. 00:07:38.380 --> 00:07:45.480 The disciples are so perplexed by what Jesus is saying, that they all want to know the person that's going to betray 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:46.860 you Jesus, is it me? 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:48.810 Is it me? 00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:52.340 The other gospels give accounts of this to, Jesus, which one of us is it? 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:53.230 Is it I? 00:07:53.340 --> 00:07:53.800 Is it I? 00:07:54.020 --> 00:07:54.420 Is it I? 00:07:55.740 --> 00:07:57.210 That's the kind of question they're asking Jesus. 00:07:57.540 --> 00:08:04.960 Here's what makes that so interesting, is that I think in these moments that the circumstances they find themselves surrounded in has 00:08:04.960 --> 00:08:10.960 become so intense that I think that they realize at any moment, any of them could snap. 00:08:12.260 --> 00:08:14.470 The writing is sort of on the wall for Jesus. 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:15.980 The tension has built. 00:08:16.580 --> 00:08:20.100 I think all of them might be looking for the escape hatch in this circumstance. 00:08:21.700 --> 00:08:28.840 And so while we see Judas as the culprit here, I think any of the disciples could have easily turned their back 00:08:28.840 --> 00:08:33.679 on Jesus and turn Jesus in, which is why they're asking the question, is it I? 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:39.840 You would think in a circumstance like that, if Jesus was going to be betrayed, you would know if you were the one doing it. 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:41.039 Right? 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:48.600 But the disciples, I think because of the intensity of the moment realized that they are very close for maybe throwing in the towel, because 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:53.600 this moment could cost them their lives. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:57.540 Same is true with our spiritual walks, right? 00:08:58.860 --> 00:09:03.860 Following after Jesus, we don't follow after Jesus because it makes life easy. 00:09:05.400 --> 00:09:08.660 We follow after Jesus because it's true. 00:09:10.160 --> 00:09:15.580 And in walking in the truth, we find ourselves strengthened to do the work of the Lord in this world. 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:21.760 But Jesus very plainly said to us, in order to pursue after him, you must be willing to take up your cross and die daily. 00:09:23.740 --> 00:09:29.700 And so you see in this moment that there is some vulnerability when circumstances are adverse to where we are. 00:09:30.820 --> 00:09:33.560 The disciples ask a question that suggests as much. 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:41.050 And then John 13:26-27, if we go on from here, in the middle of that vulnerability, it's important to recognize too, 00:09:41.620 --> 00:09:47.320 this is your second blank, that Satan wants to capitalize on your weakness. 00:09:48.680 --> 00:09:50.220 Satan wants to capitalize on your weakness. 00:09:50.300 --> 00:09:50.960 Look at this for a minute. 00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:54.820 This is that verse that I told you might cause you to freak out a little bit. 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:58.840 And I don't want you to walk away freaking out, right? 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:05.980 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God doesn't give you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love 00:10:05.980 --> 00:10:07.520 and of a sound mind. 00:10:08.260 --> 00:10:11.180 As we read this, think about a verse like that, okay? 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:11.580 Look at this. 00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:17.700 Jesus then answered, "That Man is the one for whom I shall dip the piece of bread and give it to him. 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:21.770 When he had dipped the piece of bread, he took it and gave it to Judas. 00:10:22.500 --> 00:10:23.580 The son of Simon is scary. 00:10:24.520 --> 00:10:26.800 After this Satan then entered him. 00:10:27.680 --> 00:10:35.020 Therefore Jesus said to him, what you're doing do it quickly." That is the freak 00:10:35.020 --> 00:10:35.800 out verse, right? 00:10:35.800 --> 00:10:42.880 The fact that Satan enters into someone, this is the thing that nightmares and scary movies are made all of, is this going to happen 00:10:42.880 --> 00:10:43.650 to you? 00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:45.780 Can Satan possess your life? 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:52.740 This is the kind of thing where people sometimes they sort of get concerned and they think about some of their past decisions in life. 00:10:53.040 --> 00:10:59.550 They start confessing Heavens to Betsy at one point in my life, I played with a weegee board and some magic rocks. 00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:01.620 And is there some demons on me? 00:11:01.620 --> 00:11:03.070 Do I need to exercise those demons? 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:06.560 Can Satan doing that to me? 00:11:07.050 --> 00:11:13.020 What's the implications if this can happen to Judas for my life too and how can I avoid this? 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:15.170 Because, well, that's just concerning. 00:11:15.460 --> 00:11:20.820 I think sometimes one of my children might be going through what this verse talks about. 00:11:20.820 --> 00:11:20.960 Right? 00:11:21.900 --> 00:11:26.300 Satan wants to capitalize on your weakness. 00:11:28.140 --> 00:11:35.900 Well, first let me just say this, I think what I don't want to do is over 00:11:35.900 --> 00:11:43.300 heighten your spiritual sensitivity to certain things and ignoring your spiritual life 00:11:43.300 --> 00:11:44.760 in everything, right? 00:11:44.760 --> 00:11:52.120 Sometimes we look at these things and we tend to think very large in certain spiritual circumstances, like demon 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.660 possession and Satan possession. 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:59.460 We ignore the fact that everything that we do in life has spiritual implications. 00:12:00.880 --> 00:12:03.320 Everything you do in life has spiritual implications. 00:12:04.180 --> 00:12:09.220 You're being discipled by something, you're being molded by something, you're embracing the truth about something. 00:12:09.980 --> 00:12:13.300 Your life has determined what leads it. 00:12:13.410 --> 00:12:19.860 The way that you conduct your life shows you what your idols are or what you worship. 00:12:20.520 --> 00:12:22.350 Everything that you do in life has spiritual implications. 00:12:22.640 --> 00:12:29.760 In fact, when God made Adam and Eve, as soon as God made Adam and Eve, the first thing that we see is Adam 00:12:29.760 --> 00:12:36.880 and Eve interacting with the serpent in the garden, because everything we do as human beings has 00:12:36.880 --> 00:12:39.100 spiritual implications. 00:12:40.220 --> 00:12:45.050 From the beginning, you see this spiritual interaction with people. 00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:53.180 And two, if we answered the question, can you be devil possessed or demon possessed? 00:12:53.460 --> 00:12:54.710 You see this in the life of Judas. 00:12:54.980 --> 00:12:56.000 What does that mean for us? 00:12:56.930 --> 00:13:05.020 I will tell you this, if you're a follower of Christ, it is impossible to 00:13:05.020 --> 00:13:08.440 be demon possessed or devil possessed. 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:08.560 Okay? 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:11.970 And the reason I say that is because you are Jesus possessed. 00:13:12.820 --> 00:13:14.430 That's a weird way of saying it, right? 00:13:14.680 --> 00:13:22.140 But in passages like Ephesians 1:13 or Ephesians 4:30, it says, 00:13:22.140 --> 00:13:25.120 "You are sealed in the spirit of God." Meaning you belong to him. 00:13:25.620 --> 00:13:27.120 You have been bought with a price. 00:13:28.300 --> 00:13:35.700 Passages like 1 Corinthians 3:16 or 6:19, "Your body is the temple of God." So you belong to 00:13:35.700 --> 00:13:38.140 Christ and Christ alone. 00:13:39.040 --> 00:13:46.800 Now there are passages in the Bible that talk about the fact that our lives can be overtaken by dark 00:13:46.800 --> 00:13:51.640 spiritual forces, like Matthew 12:43–45, which I think is for the unbeliever. 00:13:52.800 --> 00:13:59.360 But it says this, "Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person..." Meaning when someone has cast out an unclean spirit from someone. 00:14:00.200 --> 00:14:06.640 "It passes through the waterless places seeking rest and does not find it." Then it says, "I'll return to my house from which I came. 00:14:07.060 --> 00:14:10.360 And when it comes, it finds it unoccupied swept and put in order. 00:14:10.640 --> 00:14:17.920 And then it goes and brings along with it Seven other spirits, more wicked than itself." It talks about the idea of a life, 00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:21.440 not belonging to the spirit of God, but rather to the things of this world. 00:14:22.040 --> 00:14:29.060 And when someone casts out a demonic influence from someone's life, that more demonic influence can 00:14:29.060 --> 00:14:31.900 return if that life is not given over to Christ. 00:14:32.820 --> 00:14:40.080 But in terms of our relationship with God, being a follower of Jesus, Bible encourages us to recognize that if 00:14:40.100 --> 00:14:46.180 you're possessed or owned by Christ, you can't be possessed or owned by demons or the devil. 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:48.420 Number three, what about this though? 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:55.760 Can a demon influence, can a demon oppress you as a Christian? 00:14:57.380 --> 00:15:01.430 That question is where it gets a little more interesting for our lives. 00:15:01.640 --> 00:15:04.250 When I get ready to give this answer, I want you to know something. 00:15:05.640 --> 00:15:12.200 When we look at the struggle of the Christian life, sometimes it's got a struggle to it, right? 00:15:12.520 --> 00:15:18.260 Our tendency when we read verses like this, are to run away and be like, never let this happen. 00:15:18.300 --> 00:15:19.570 How can I avoid this? 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:23.640 Or it's horrible here and I want the easy streets. 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:30.700 Show me by the end of this chapter, Nathaniel, how none of this can ever happen to me and I can avoid it all for the rest of my life. 00:15:30.780 --> 00:15:34.320 I'm just going to tell you the reality is, you can't. 00:15:35.780 --> 00:15:42.820 You can't, because everything you do in life has spiritual 00:15:42.820 --> 00:15:44.180 implications. 00:15:45.560 --> 00:15:52.680 There's already in this world two leaders of a battle taking place, right? 00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:56.720 There is Christ, kingdom of light, Satan, kingdom of darkness. 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:05.360 We read passages in the Bible like, in Matthew 16:18, Jesus gives that famous statement 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:09.030 to his disciples outside of an area of the world called the gates of hell. 00:16:09.980 --> 00:16:15.840 He tells his disciples, "I will build my church and not even the gates of hell will prevent you. 00:16:15.880 --> 00:16:23.000 You will storm down the gates of hell." He even says to Peter, he asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" He says, "You are the Christ." And at that 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:28.000 moment, he gives Peter his name, Peter, instead of Simon, he goes by the name Peter, which means little rock. 00:16:28.400 --> 00:16:35.760 He says, "Upon that rock, the greater rock who is Jesus, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." A powerful, incredible 00:16:35.760 --> 00:16:42.780 statement guys, is saying to us as a church, yes, there is a kingdom of darkness out there, but God's call to you is not to hunker and 00:16:42.780 --> 00:16:45.740 to hide, but to storm down the gates of hell. 00:16:45.800 --> 00:16:49.570 It gives us picture that the gates of hell is this mighty fortress, like a castle. 00:16:50.060 --> 00:16:56.300 You get the storm down those gates by the authority of Christ and behind those gates are people that need rescued in Jesus. 00:16:57.940 --> 00:17:00.300 We live our lives to love God, love others. 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:02.440 We'll see that verse in just a minute, all about relationship. 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:08.619 Jesus calls us on a rescue mission for the hearts of people, but it's also to recognize that there's still a battle, right? 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:09.619 To storm down the gates. 00:17:09.619 --> 00:17:11.079 There's a battle involved with that. 00:17:11.660 --> 00:17:18.880 In fact, the very next verses, right after Jesus says this to Peter, you will storm down the 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:19.359 gates of hell. 00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:24.940 Jesus tells Peter that he's about to go die. 00:17:25.700 --> 00:17:32.980 And Peter says, that ain't happening, I will jump in front of that and I will lay down my life and I will take the sword before you do. 00:17:33.220 --> 00:17:39.240 And then in Matthew 16:23, "Jesus then looks at Peter and says, Get behind me Satan. 00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:48.440 In verse 18, you have this incredible statement of Peter being this rock of which is established on the greater rock 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:50.720 who is Jesus, is going to storm down the gates of hell. 00:17:51.320 --> 00:17:58.340 And then just a few verses later, you got Peter being called Satan because Peter had given into something that was contrary to 00:17:58.560 --> 00:17:59.220 God's will in this world. 00:18:00.840 --> 00:18:02.240 And that's what I'm saying for us. 00:18:02.260 --> 00:18:08.260 When we think about the spiritual implications of the life that we live, we're not perfect at it. 00:18:09.600 --> 00:18:11.410 You're not ever going to be 100% successful. 00:18:12.860 --> 00:18:19.980 And when it comes to this spiritual world, you can be influenced in the wrong way, influenced or 00:18:19.980 --> 00:18:21.540 even oppressed. 00:18:22.020 --> 00:18:29.060 In fact, when you read in 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul says he was given a 00:18:29.060 --> 00:18:32.480 thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan. 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:37.280 Paul was tormented. 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:45.840 Paul was being oppressed by demonic influence, and the same can happen 00:18:45.840 --> 00:18:47.060 in our lives. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:53.900 Now, I'm not saying run out of here and go seek after that stuff and show those demonic influences, you can storm down the gates of hell. 00:18:54.120 --> 00:18:55.380 Please don't do that, right? 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:56.340 That's not healthy. 00:18:57.040 --> 00:19:04.660 But I do want to show you from the rest of this passage, three responses that we can have that 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:11.760 help us live successfully in the spiritual world that we walk in, the unseen world around us. 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:20.040 So what can be our answer, knowing that these things won't just die and go away, that 00:19:20.040 --> 00:19:23.400 we are possessed by Christ if we have faith in him? 00:19:24.140 --> 00:19:31.220 How can we respond to find ourselves successful knowing that there is a spiritual force of darkness 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:38.520 that wants to fight against us, especially when we're vulnerable in our adversity, especially knowing Satan wants to capitalize 00:19:38.520 --> 00:19:39.580 on our weakness. 00:19:40.320 --> 00:19:43.780 Three responses, first is in verse 28 to 30. 00:19:44.280 --> 00:19:51.720 I want to give you just the next blank in your notes, but it's this, find Christ in the ordinary. 00:19:53.360 --> 00:19:56.680 That's not an incredibly profound thought, but very important. 00:19:58.140 --> 00:20:01.460 Find Christ in the ordinary. 00:20:01.500 --> 00:20:04.600 I'm going to read the verse in just a minute, but let me just tell you practically why this is important. 00:20:07.060 --> 00:20:13.960 Last couple of weeks where our Grace Haven Bible Camp, actually the last three weeks, we had high school camp, elementary camp and the middle school camp. 00:20:14.300 --> 00:20:21.300 For those that went and helped with that, thank you for taking your time out of the week to help be a part of the camps, to minister to 00:20:21.300 --> 00:20:22.310 our young people. 00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:29.940 Lincoln, our youth pastor handles the high school camp and I usually go down for the elementary and middle school camp and help out. 00:20:31.780 --> 00:20:38.790 One of the reasons that I love and cherish that opportunity is, one, kids are so young and I just want to make sure they're supervised and cared for well. 00:20:39.660 --> 00:20:46.720 But two, there's something about those younger years that I think are very powerful when a 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:47.780 child gets to high school. 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:57.060 What I mean is this, your child, by the time they get to their high school years has 00:20:57.060 --> 00:21:02.560 learned some habits, they're going to set a precedent for how they choose to live their lives. 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:08.870 I think that the earlier years are where those are shaped. 00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:10.040 Right? 00:21:10.040 --> 00:21:17.260 Middle school year, I think particularly very important because that's where your child learns a lot of things in the world that 00:21:17.360 --> 00:21:19.380 they would not tell mom and dad about. 00:21:19.520 --> 00:21:19.620 Right? 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:27.280 And it's that age that there's a lot of vulnerability and it has spiritual implications. 00:21:28.840 --> 00:21:35.940 Having a weak, and I don't think it just can happen in a week, but having a week to encourage and influence a 00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:40.600 young person's heart and mind towards the things of the Lord, very important. 00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:48.880 And if you learn to walk with the Lord in the mundane, in the ordinary, I think it gives us the strength to learn 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:50.760 how to lean into the Lord in the difficult. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:54.540 You don't all of a sudden turn on your spiritual life when things get hard. 00:21:54.580 --> 00:22:01.640 I know that's typically how we do it as people in a secular mindset, life gets hard and all of a sudden we find ourselves on our 00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:05.190 knees seeking Jesus, but we've never really talked to Jesus before. 00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:08.320 And all that we really want is to make the bad things go away. 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:12.010 And as soon as we get past those bad things, we no longer walk with Jesus anymore. 00:22:13.720 --> 00:22:22.040 But learning to walk with Jesus in the ordinary is important, because it strengthens you for all 00:22:22.040 --> 00:22:23.700 the other battles that you may face in life. 00:22:24.540 --> 00:22:31.820 Look at this, in verse 28, "Now none of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose he had said this 00:22:31.820 --> 00:22:33.560 to him." Talking about Judas. 00:22:34.360 --> 00:22:41.480 "For some we're assuming since Judas kept the money box that Jesus was saying to him, buy the things we need for the feast or else 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:48.480 that he was to give something to the poor, so after receiving the piece of bread, he left immediately 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:55.700 and it was night." Jesus already turned to Judas and said, "What you're going to do, go do it quick quickly." 00:22:56.140 --> 00:23:02.440 And the group saw Judas leave, but they had no idea that it was actually Judas that was betraying Jesus. 00:23:03.840 --> 00:23:12.260 What makes this moment so important and why I say seek God in the ordinary, is that when you study the life of the disciples in scripture, Judas 00:23:12.260 --> 00:23:17.720 never referred to Jesus as Lord. 00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:24.860 You see the rest of the disciples at some point in their life, they came to Jesus in a personal way and talked to Jesus as Lord. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:30.220 Judas has only ever on record as calling Jesus a rabbi or meaning a teacher. 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:38.620 But never in his life had he come to a place where he embraced Jesus as Lord of his life. 00:23:39.840 --> 00:23:45.180 And so as he journeyed with Jesus for three years, he never really learned to walk with the Lord in the ordinary. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:51.840 And so when he comes to a moment like this, he gives into the temptation because Jesus was not really his Lord. 00:23:52.540 --> 00:23:55.600 What we know about the character of Judas is a couple of things about him. 00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:57.430 One, he was a greedy person. 00:23:58.380 --> 00:24:05.720 We saw that recently when a lady was anointing Jesus leading up to his crucifixion and Judas got mad 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:11.860 at her because she used a perfume that was worth a year's wages and Judas felt she should sell it to the poor. 00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:15.160 But Judas's intentions was really to keep the money for himself. 00:24:16.080 --> 00:24:17.260 Judas was a greedy person. 00:24:18.120 --> 00:24:19.340 I think Judas was also a coward. 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:24.520 Judas was not willing to follow Jesus because he was a coward. 00:24:25.520 --> 00:24:30.000 And guys, I think our culture is like that right now today, to follow after Jesus is not a popular thing. 00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:38.700 But it takes a strong individual who is willing to put their faith in Jesus to do it, to say, I am a follower of Christ 00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:44.180 at whatever consequence, Jesus leads my life and determines my path. 00:24:44.180 --> 00:24:51.220 I think we should strive to always love people no matter where they are, but we certainly disagree with people because we can't hold 00:24:51.220 --> 00:24:52.180 everyone's values. 00:24:52.600 --> 00:24:55.720 Our Lord is Jesus. 00:24:56.520 --> 00:25:02.120 Judas in this story chooses cowardice rather than Christ, because he sees the writing on the wall. 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:06.620 It's interesting when you read Revelation 21:8. 00:25:06.660 --> 00:25:11.680 Revelation 21:8, the Bible tells us the first person that God judges is the coward. 00:25:13.760 --> 00:25:20.620 We don't follow Jesus because it's easy, we follow Jesus because it's true. 00:25:22.360 --> 00:25:25.470 That's the radical transformation we see in the life of the disciples. 00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:25.840 Isn't it? 00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:33.180 We know here in the next few hours that they're going to scatter when the hammer comes down on Jesus. 00:25:33.400 --> 00:25:35.080 They're going to hide for their lives. 00:25:36.280 --> 00:25:44.040 In fact, they give up on following Jesus, but something radically happens in their lives that transforms them, that 00:25:44.040 --> 00:25:45.030 they could not deny. 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:52.980 After they see Jesus crucified, they run away and they hide and fear, thinking that now their own lives are at risk because they were the closest followers 00:25:52.980 --> 00:25:56.700 of Christ and the Jews and Rome would want to destroy them too. 00:25:57.560 --> 00:25:59.140 They see Jesus resurrect from the grave. 00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:07.700 These individuals that were cowards in following Christ, had denied him, ran away, all of a sudden, they come 00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:14.720 after their walk with God with such boldness, that they go to the ends of the known world throughout 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:22.080 Rome and even beyond, to share the gospel, because they saw a dead man walking 00:26:22.080 --> 00:26:23.000 and couldn't deny it. 00:26:24.860 --> 00:26:32.080 They end up living lives as martyrs, because of what Christ has done all except for John who's 00:26:32.100 --> 00:26:34.000 writing the gospel of John. 00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:39.340 Verse 28, "Now none of those reclining at the table knew, I already read this, didn't I? 00:26:39.820 --> 00:26:41.760 Knew that Judas had left. 00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:49.960 But when we look at this, finding Christ in the ordinary becomes important to our relationship with God, as he 00:26:49.960 --> 00:26:54.600 leads us down paths where we can do greater things for the Lord. 00:26:55.380 --> 00:26:57.960 One of my favorite Proverbs says something like this. 00:26:58.020 --> 00:27:06.260 it says, 'When there's no ox and in the barn, basically there's nothing to care for, but many ox in the barn and you've got a lot of poo to shovel." It's 00:27:06.260 --> 00:27:13.380 an interesting Proverb that says this, basically as you live your life as an adult, you grew up in this world, you get more responsibility, with 00:27:13.380 --> 00:27:16.360 more responsibility you got more things to take care of. 00:27:16.820 --> 00:27:18.900 Same thing is true in your spiritual life, right? 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:22.980 As you follow Jesus, very basic simplistic walk. 00:27:23.040 --> 00:27:30.060 But as you learn about Christ, grow in Christ, you have more to share with this world and make disciples for Jesus and the way you give in this 00:27:30.060 --> 00:27:30.440 world. 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:32.350 But with that comes more responsibility. 00:27:33.540 --> 00:27:39.780 It becomes important to learn to walk with Jesus in the ordinary that as you follow God into more adverse things, you continue to honor him. 00:27:41.340 --> 00:27:43.780 Number two is this, walk in the spirit. 00:27:44.800 --> 00:27:47.900 Verse 31 to 35, very important passage of scripture. 00:27:47.900 --> 00:27:54.140 If I could tell you today, if you walk out of here and only remember one section of this whole passage, let it be this. 00:27:54.740 --> 00:28:01.960 Because this section is the section that most Christians struggle with understanding how it fits in 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:02.780 the whole Bible. 00:28:02.780 --> 00:28:02.880 Okay? 00:28:04.020 --> 00:28:08.960 Verse 31, you'll see why I call it walking in the spirit in a minute because the spirit's not even mentioned yet. 00:28:09.800 --> 00:28:16.160 But verse 31, "Therefore, when he had left, Judas said, now as the son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 00:28:16.800 --> 00:28:22.940 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him immediately. 00:28:23.540 --> 00:28:24.180 Little children. 00:28:24.260 --> 00:28:25.550 I am still with you a little longer. 00:28:26.340 --> 00:28:27.280 You will look for me. 00:28:27.620 --> 00:28:35.000 Just as I said to the Jews, now I'll also say to you, where I am going, you cannot come." Verse 34, "I'm 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:41.680 giving you a new commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you, that you also love one another by this. 00:28:41.940 --> 00:28:49.300 All people will know you are my disciples if you have love for one another." As a church we say a 00:28:49.300 --> 00:28:57.210 couple of things that we are about, our missional focus as a church is the great commission through the great commandment. 00:28:58.100 --> 00:29:00.380 The great commission is what we follow. 00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:01.870 The great commandment is what we fulfill. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:05.080 The great commission is going in this world and make disciples. 00:29:05.320 --> 00:29:07.040 Matthew 28, 19 and 20. 00:29:07.060 --> 00:29:09.380 The great commandment is to love God, love others. 00:29:09.380 --> 00:29:13.320 You're seeing the love others passage here, the new commandment. 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:15.510 But here's the question we want to ask. 00:29:15.540 --> 00:29:17.230 Why is this a new commandment? 00:29:18.180 --> 00:29:20.140 And loving people is not a new thing. 00:29:21.300 --> 00:29:24.050 Why does Jesus call it new? 00:29:24.560 --> 00:29:26.240 This is not revolutionary. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:32.000 You innately probably knew it was important to love people, even before you might've known Jesus, right? 00:29:33.080 --> 00:29:34.730 Why does Jesus call this a new commandment? 00:29:34.840 --> 00:29:39.200 Well, I would say two things, one less important and then two very important. 00:29:39.260 --> 00:29:46.140 The less important is, it's new in the sense that we've not seen the extent of God's love displayed as we have here in this moment. 00:29:47.460 --> 00:29:50.200 A new commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. 00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:54.900 And we see in Jesus's life here, the way that he has loved us, is by sacrificing his life. 00:29:55.760 --> 00:29:58.680 That's a pretty extensive form of love, right? 00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:02.680 Willing to lay down your life for the benefit of someone else, that's biblical love. 00:30:03.620 --> 00:30:10.960 It's new in the extent that we have seen how far God will love, but it's also new in the means to 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:12.080 God's love. 00:30:13.600 --> 00:30:19.260 What I mean is, Jesus, in these moments is giving us a new to covenant. 00:30:20.420 --> 00:30:25.120 And then a new covenant is very significant to understanding the Bible. 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:27.740 We think about, what is a covenant? 00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:36.080 Well, look in your ministries, titles it this way, a covenant is an oath bound relationship between two or more parties, 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:42.660 probably the best illustration we have in our day of what a covenant is the marriage covenant. 00:30:42.660 --> 00:30:47.640 In fact, Jesus is going to use that as an illustration in chapter 14, we'll see that next week. 00:30:48.340 --> 00:30:54.530 But the best form of a covenant that we have today is the idea of marriage. 00:30:54.640 --> 00:31:00.040 In the old Testament, the old Testament, another word for Testament is actually covenant. 00:31:00.820 --> 00:31:02.750 We have the old covenant and the new covenant. 00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:04.760 That's what your Bible is broken up into, right? 00:31:04.980 --> 00:31:06.140 Old covenant, new covenant. 00:31:06.140 --> 00:31:07.800 The gospel start the new covenant. 00:31:08.340 --> 00:31:11.430 The old covenant was given under the law of Moses. 00:31:11.860 --> 00:31:14.780 Exodus 19-24. 00:31:14.780 --> 00:31:20.840 God gave 613 commandments to the Jews and they were to follow the old covenant. 00:31:21.780 --> 00:31:25.960 What we find is Israel follows the old covenant is none of them do it faithfully. 00:31:27.060 --> 00:31:30.320 Deuteronomy 29:4, Moses acknowledges that. 00:31:30.980 --> 00:31:38.140 In Jeremiah 31:31, there is a future promise that God will one day write his new covenant 00:31:38.140 --> 00:31:40.680 on the hearts of his people, that they could follow him. 00:31:41.840 --> 00:31:47.800 Old covenant, they can never live up to the standard, which is why God brings a new covenant. 00:31:48.780 --> 00:31:55.860 Now, when it comes to terms of a covenant, just like marriage covenant, there are only two ways a covenant ends. 00:31:57.300 --> 00:32:00.140 Scripturally speaking there are only two ways a covenant can come to an end. 00:32:00.880 --> 00:32:02.140 One is, you die. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:07.560 The other one is you fulfill all of the demands that you have agreed to in the covenant. 00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:13.140 When it comes to the old covenant, Jesus did both. 00:32:13.780 --> 00:32:20.960 Look at this, in John 19:30 and in Matthew 5:17, Jesus both died 00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:24.400 with the old covenant fulfilling it. 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:27.800 And he fulfilled all of the law's demands because he lived his life perfectly. 00:32:28.700 --> 00:32:30.480 John 19:30, it is finished. 00:32:30.860 --> 00:32:35.840 Matthew and saying, this is when he died under the old covenant, having been really the only true Israelite. 00:32:36.340 --> 00:32:39.500 Israel strives to live up to the 613 laws. 00:32:39.500 --> 00:32:41.820 None of them did it successfully, but Jesus did. 00:32:42.680 --> 00:32:45.230 He says, "It is finished." He fulfilled the demands of the old covenant. 00:32:45.320 --> 00:32:52.520 Matthew 5:17 even tells us, "I didn't come to just remove the law, but to fulfill it." All of its demands, Jesus did, 00:32:52.560 --> 00:32:53.110 the old covenant. 00:32:53.700 --> 00:33:00.820 When you get to a book like Hebrews 8:13, when you think about the old covenant, you ask the question, how much of the old Testament do you have to live? 00:33:02.140 --> 00:33:08.340 Hebrews 8:13, look at this, "When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. 00:33:09.600 --> 00:33:15.630 But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear." That word obsolete is literally can be translated obliterated. 00:33:17.040 --> 00:33:21.700 When it comes to the 613 commandments in the old Testament, if someone asks you, what are those laws do you have to live? 00:33:21.720 --> 00:33:23.260 Here's the answer, none of them. 00:33:24.320 --> 00:33:24.580 None of them. 00:33:25.380 --> 00:33:26.740 Because Jesus fulfilled it all. 00:33:27.280 --> 00:33:33.820 Now that doesn't mean you can't learn anything from the old Testament because the holiness of God, our relationship with God is communicated through the old Testament. 00:33:34.440 --> 00:33:37.540 It's the same God in the old Testament, that's the same God in the new Testament. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:40.480 We certainly learned from God in the old Testament. 00:33:41.060 --> 00:33:43.680 But when it comes to living those laws, you are under no obligation. 00:33:44.180 --> 00:33:47.760 In fact, if you go on a little further, you see that reiterated throughout scripture. 00:33:47.760 --> 00:33:49.280 Give me another click. 00:33:49.620 --> 00:33:51.220 Galatians 3, look at this. 00:33:51.220 --> 00:33:56.140 "But before the faith came, we were kept in custody under the law." Talking about the old Testament. 00:33:56.140 --> 00:33:58.840 Being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. 00:33:59.700 --> 00:34:05.040 "Therefore, the law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith. 00:34:05.900 --> 00:34:12.920 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the guardian of the law for you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:14.440 Christ." Give me another click Celia. 00:34:15.600 --> 00:34:17.230 I continues on other passages. 00:34:17.540 --> 00:34:21.719 Romans 6:14, "You are no longer under the law, but under grace. 00:34:21.820 --> 00:34:22.239 What then? 00:34:22.540 --> 00:34:25.420 Are we to sin Because we are not under law, but under grace? 00:34:25.520 --> 00:34:25.980 Far from it. 00:34:26.560 --> 00:34:33.620 Here's the question people ask, they tend to ask is, well, if we don't have a bunch of laws dictating what we do, who determines whether or not we go out in this world and just live like 00:34:33.620 --> 00:34:34.719 hell, right? 00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:36.840 There's no rules. 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:44.120 But Paul answers that in verse 15 and goes on to explain why may it never be. 00:34:44.980 --> 00:34:49.620 Because you were bought with a price, the precious blood of a lamb. 00:34:51.340 --> 00:34:54.570 You've never been loved to a death, you've been loved by Jesus. 00:34:56.340 --> 00:34:59.640 Why not live your life to honor the one who gave his life to honor you. 00:35:01.220 --> 00:35:02.940 You get to have a relationship with God. 00:35:03.180 --> 00:35:09.820 You get to be owned by your creator who desires to know you and to make himself known in your life. 00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:17.920 Galatians 5:16, this is why he says then, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." If you're led by the spirit, you are 00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:20.220 no longer under the law. 00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:24.700 When it comes to living this Christian life, we don't live old covenant. 00:35:26.180 --> 00:35:27.490 It's a beautiful covenant. 00:35:27.680 --> 00:35:32.170 It communicates to us the beauty of God, but we live under the new covenant. 00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:35.160 And the new covenant, the way it's lived, is to walk in the spirit. 00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:38.360 And this is how know whether or not you're walking in the spirit. 00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:40.320 The fruit of the spirit is being made known in your life. 00:35:41.340 --> 00:35:44.860 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness. 00:35:44.860 --> 00:35:52.400 It says, "Against such things there is no law." That's the calling of 00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:57.020 a Christian life to walk in the spirit. 00:35:57.020 --> 00:36:04.380 Our resolve in this world should be this, to be Christ life, to let the goodness of 00:36:04.380 --> 00:36:11.380 Christ be made known in our lives in the best of days, in the worst of days, which is why 00:36:11.380 --> 00:36:12.820 I want to end with this thought. 00:36:13.860 --> 00:36:15.260 Verse 36 to 38. 00:36:15.260 --> 00:36:15.720 This is your blank. 00:36:17.660 --> 00:36:20.500 Depend on his strength not yours. 00:36:22.780 --> 00:36:24.980 Depend on his strength not yours. 00:36:25.100 --> 00:36:27.330 Guys this is why I say, this is very important. 00:36:29.220 --> 00:36:33.700 God is not interested in how great you are. 00:36:35.740 --> 00:36:39.240 God is interested in showing you how great he is. 00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:44.460 God is not interested in you proving to him how strong you are. 00:36:46.740 --> 00:36:50.300 God is interested in you resting in his strength. 00:36:52.520 --> 00:36:56.160 That is so important to the Christian life. 00:36:57.200 --> 00:37:04.520 Because when we say walk in the spirit, we understand we're under a new covenant now, and we're called to love others in 00:37:04.520 --> 00:37:05.420 this new covenant. 00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:11.480 And we understand that we walk in the spirit and walking in the spirit bears the fruit of the spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness. 00:37:12.100 --> 00:37:19.260 Our legalistic mentality is to go through that list and figure out where we're succeeding and where we're failing and where we're failing to try 00:37:19.260 --> 00:37:20.620 harder at not failing anymore. 00:37:22.760 --> 00:37:28.870 But I think it's important to remind us that it's not the fruit of you, it's the fruit of the spirit. 00:37:30.160 --> 00:37:37.020 And it's not the fruits of the spirit as in they're all different fruits, it's the fruit of the spirit, meaning it's singular. 00:37:37.600 --> 00:37:44.600 And so what it's saying to us is, if you feel you're loving but not patient, it's that the fruit of the spirit is 00:37:44.600 --> 00:37:45.920 not being made known in your life. 00:37:45.980 --> 00:37:49.780 And the answer isn't to try harder at being more patient while you think you're loving. 00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:54.860 The answer is that the spirit doesn't have full control of your life, so you need to die to yourself. 00:37:56.940 --> 00:38:02.000 Die to yourself and let the spirit of God work through you, in you and through you. 00:38:02.080 --> 00:38:04.510 You are sitting on the throne somewhere in your world. 00:38:05.740 --> 00:38:08.860 Sometimes we look at that and we feel like, well, I'm just an utter failure. 00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:14.950 I know you can look at your life and be like, I struggle with this all the time and I feel like a failure. 00:38:15.540 --> 00:38:19.620 I could say right here, my tendency would be, you know what, just pat you on the back and say, you know what? 00:38:19.640 --> 00:38:22.400 You're a great, just keep trying, you're great. 00:38:22.440 --> 00:38:29.540 But the point is that you get to a place where you realize you can't do it 00:38:29.540 --> 00:38:30.020 in your strength. 00:38:31.560 --> 00:38:36.920 If I were to just give you the idea of, you know what, you do good most of the time, just keep it up and work on this area. 00:38:37.520 --> 00:38:41.420 I think we would completely be amiss as to what makes Christianity so powerful. 00:38:42.280 --> 00:38:46.020 The distinction of what this Christian life is about versus all other religion in the world. 00:38:47.040 --> 00:38:51.820 Because what we see here in this verse, is there is a contrasting now between Judas and Peter, let me read it for you. 00:38:52.500 --> 00:38:55.900 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going. 00:38:55.920 --> 00:39:01.740 You cannot follow me, but you will follow me later." Peter said to him, "Why can I not follow you right now? 00:39:02.360 --> 00:39:07.540 I will lay down my life for you." And Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? 00:39:07.600 --> 00:39:14.600 Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not Crow until you have denied me three times." You 00:39:14.600 --> 00:39:18.420 see in the beginning of the story that there's Judas who was a coward and greedy, right? 00:39:19.560 --> 00:39:25.200 We would think that the answer would be, we don't want to be Judas, let's buck it up and get strong and show God how great we are. 00:39:25.540 --> 00:39:27.700 And that's what Peter does in this story. 00:39:27.700 --> 00:39:29.220 He's like, God, I got this, right. 00:39:29.260 --> 00:39:32.290 I'm going to just chop people's ears off and go down swinging. 00:39:32.680 --> 00:39:34.260 He's a zealot, that's what they do. 00:39:37.220 --> 00:39:45.340 While being a coward will keep you away from the truth of Christ, so 00:39:45.340 --> 00:39:45.780 does pride. 00:39:48.320 --> 00:39:53.020 I think I shared this with us last week, but the greatest enemy to your walk with Jesus is pride. 00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:58.120 Because it's a dependency on your strength and not his. 00:40:00.060 --> 00:40:01.260 Religion will teach you that. 00:40:03.320 --> 00:40:08.600 Religion will teach you that you come into a church and you learn about the things you're doing great. 00:40:08.740 --> 00:40:11.250 You learn about the things you're doing bad and you try harder. 00:40:12.140 --> 00:40:12.860 That's not Christianity. 00:40:14.640 --> 00:40:15.660 That is not Christianity. 00:40:17.560 --> 00:40:22.960 Christianity says that, it's not me that's great, it's Christ that's great. 00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:27.660 And I need to fully surrender myself that the power of God may be known in my life. 00:40:30.700 --> 00:40:33.890 God doesn't need you to do anything for him. 00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:37.620 He's completely capable of all of it himself. 00:40:39.120 --> 00:40:46.240 But God gives you opportunity to do things for him, because in that you get to learn what it means to walk with 00:40:46.300 --> 00:40:48.150 God and have a relationship with him. 00:40:49.160 --> 00:40:53.140 And along the way, you're not depending on yourself to make those things happen. 00:40:54.240 --> 00:40:59.290 You're leaning into the power of his spirit to see those things made known in your life. 00:41:01.600 --> 00:41:05.620 When I depend on my strength, that's where we get into trouble. 00:41:07.060 --> 00:41:14.010 That's where I can become angry or bitter when things don't go the way that I want to, because I feel I'm in charge. 00:41:15.100 --> 00:41:18.720 And when I'm in charge and things don't go the way that I want, then I feel out of control. 00:41:19.000 --> 00:41:25.560 And so I'll either go into despair and hide or anger and try to fight and destroy to get what I want. 00:41:27.240 --> 00:41:34.320 But when I lean into Jesus, I understand that while things aren't the way that I may want them, that I can walk 00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:41.580 with my creator through it, to be strengthened in the moment, and as I honor him with my life, he has the ability to work through me, 00:41:42.200 --> 00:41:44.980 to minister to the hearts of others that may need changed too. 00:41:46.340 --> 00:41:49.750 It's not my job to be the holy spirit, it's his job. 00:41:50.940 --> 00:41:56.580 Leaning into him becomes important, laying down all that I am for all that he is. 00:41:58.260 --> 00:42:05.300 When it comes to understanding spiritual life, this way, I find as people sometimes we don't like it because it makes 00:42:05.300 --> 00:42:06.050 us vulnerable. 00:42:07.560 --> 00:42:15.480 But what we find in the end, I said in the very beginning, vulnerability can be a struggle for us, but also vulnerability 00:42:15.480 --> 00:42:22.640 becomes the place where you can fully lean into the strength of God, because you found the 00:42:22.640 --> 00:42:23.380 end of yourself. 00:42:24.940 --> 00:42:28.940 And that in Christianity is where life in Jesus is found. 00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:33.260 I'll use this illustration in close. 00:42:33.280 --> 00:42:36.100 I heard in Mere Christianity, C. 00:42:36.180 --> 00:42:36.280 S. 00:42:36.380 --> 00:42:42.780 Lewis has this story and I'm going to add a little bit, not quote him directly, but he describes it this. 00:42:42.860 --> 00:42:50.220 He says, when it comes to the Christian life, I would rather be the prostitute in 00:42:50.220 --> 00:42:57.700 the back of the room asking and begging God to forgive me, than I would being the self-righteous 00:42:57.700 --> 00:43:01.950 person on the front row, judging her for what she's done. 00:43:03.800 --> 00:43:07.700 God desires to make all things new in your life. 00:43:09.520 --> 00:43:16.780 To be completely forgiven, to be strengthened and empowered in him and to know the goodness of Christ. 00:43:18.180 --> 00:43:23.980 I'm going to take a moment for us to partake of communion together as a church. 00:43:25.360 --> 00:43:27.620 If you've got your communion cups with you. 00:43:29.040 --> 00:43:36.140 Communion for us is a representation of the strength of God 00:43:36.140 --> 00:43:43.220 given over for you, that you can be possessed by him, that his 00:43:43.220 --> 00:43:47.590 spirit would seal you and that you would belong to him forever. 00:43:49.140 --> 00:43:56.420 And it's a representation of the expense that Jesus has given on our behalf, that his body 00:43:56.420 --> 00:43:59.280 was broken and that his blood was shed. 00:43:59.820 --> 00:44:06.720 And community for us becomes a representation of all that Jesus has done for us on the cross that we could belong to him. 00:44:06.720 --> 00:44:08.120 It's for believers. 00:44:08.720 --> 00:44:12.590 And not only looks towards the past what Jesus has done for you. 00:44:12.740 --> 00:44:17.960 It also recognizes in the present that you have a relationship with God because of what Christ has done for you. 00:44:18.140 --> 00:44:25.220 And it looks to the future because there's a promise with communion that one day you will drink communion new with Jesus face to face 00:44:25.220 --> 00:44:26.660 in his kingdom. 00:44:28.080 --> 00:44:34.240 And for those that have put their faith in Christ, this is the picture of all that Jesus has done. 00:44:34.240 --> 00:44:41.340 In 1 Corinthians 11:23, Paul says for us, "For I receive from the Lord that which I delivered 00:44:41.340 --> 00:44:48.430 to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, 00:44:49.120 --> 00:45:03.040 he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 00:45:03.040 --> 00:45:10.160 "In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this as 00:45:10.160 --> 00:45:18.360 often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 00:45:18.360 --> 00:45:25.820 And then he gives the promise, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he 00:45:25.820 --> 00:45:32.920 comes." Guys, I hope that you see this morning how much the Lord desires to fight for you, that he doesn't leave 00:45:32.940 --> 00:45:34.940 you empty in a spiritual world. 00:45:35.760 --> 00:45:37.960 He doesn't leave you powerless in a spiritual world. 00:45:38.980 --> 00:45:46.220 1 John 4 tells us, "A greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." And how important 00:45:46.220 --> 00:45:51.510 it is in those moments of vulnerability that you lean into him and find his strength sufficient.