So Close, yet so Far: Surprising Story of Judas

Notes: ”So Close, yet so Far: Surprising Story of Judas Iscariot”

Matthew 26

Pastor Greg Laurie

SERIES: God Came Near

Sunday, September 13, 2015 — 10:00 a.m.

Judas Iscariot is one of the most misunderstood of all the people in the Bible. He was not pushed into doing what he did. Judas Iscariot did it for himself.

1.     Jesus came to give us life in its fullest measure.

 John 10:10 NKJV The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

2.     Jesus came to seek us, save us, and bring us into a right relationship with the father.

1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Matthew 18:11 NKJV For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Luke 15:1-7

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

3.     Jesus came to die for us

Hebrews 9:26 NKJV He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Matthew 20:28 NKJV just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

He removed sin by the death and His own sacrifice.

4.     Jesus came to break satan’s power in people’s lives.

1 John 3:8 NKJV He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Judas Iscariot was doing his part in bringing Christ to the cross.

Some suggest that Judas was a good guy that was trying to help Jesus. This just is not true.

The Bible tells us that Judas was a wicked man. He wanted to betray Jesus, he did it for money, and he couldn’t wait to betray his Lord.

God and Satan were both moving towards the death of Jesus at this time, different motives but same objective.

Satan wanted Jesus tortured, humiliated, murdered, and most of all, stopped. The Father wanted Jesus sacrificed, atoning, and risen.

Judas made his choice and his choice made him. Judas could have resisted that temptation.

You can also choose to resist temptation. You are not defined by your temptations.

Judas himself initiated the betrayal of Christ.

Matthew 26:14-16 NKJV Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Judas had been plotting and planning to betray Jesus. Judas did it out of greed, purely for money.

Jesus never sinned, so Judas could not say Jesus was a hypocrite and that is why he betrayed Jesus. No, Judas did it for his own greed.

Matthew 26:21-24 NKJV Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe 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.”

The men were all sitting around the same table; they would have been sort of laying around a low table.

Jesus then gives Judas some of his food.

Matthew 26:39-50 (NKJV) 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless[a] I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” 47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Peter, James and John could all see that Jesus was in anguish. Jesus was sweating blood.

Gethsemane means, “olive press”

Jesus was there under such extreme pressure, being pressed.

What is your role to a friend that is under pressure? Just be there for them.

Jesus didn’t need anyone to explain what was happening, He just needed friendship. Sometimes people don't need a sermon, they just need a friend.

When we are under spiritual attack, we are to cry out to God!

You should never be afraid to commit an unknown future to a known God.

Spread out your petition before God and then add, "Thy will, not my will be done." Let the Lord chose for you.

Jesus had to deal with the fact that He was going to have to drink from the cup of the wrath of God.

Jesus could have stopped these people, but He didn’t. He just said “I Am”. He confirmed His deity and let Himself be captured.

The people had to have Jesus identified because He did not stick out.

Jesus of Nazareth was quite ordinary in appearance.

Isaiah 53:2 NKJV For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

Matthew 26:49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

To kiss someone on the cheek was a mark of affection or love. Judas was excited to betray Jesus.

Jesus still called Judas, friend.

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend or family member?

Matthew 27:2-5 NKJV And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

The name Judas means son of waste.

Judas was not repentant, he was remorseful.

Repentance means to be sorry enough to stop, remorse is sorry that you got caught.

The easiest place to get a hard heart is in church, if that is where you don’t want to be and not gaining a need for repentance.

God will strengthen you in whatever faith you want to have, a softer or harder heart will be granted to you.

How do you want God to bless you?

The Parable of Spiritual Growth

Notes: The Parable of Spiritual Growth

Luke 8

Pastor Greg Laurie

MUSICAL GUEST:

Marty Goetz

WORSHIP TEAM:

Harvest Worship Band

Thursday, September 10, 2015 — 7:00 p.m.

Series: What Every Growing Christian Needs to Know

As Christians, we will always need the essentials to continue to grow. Life will begin to unravel if we believe we can outgrow the essentials.

If you want to continue on spiritually then you will, if you don't want to continue, then you won't.

When someone makes a profession of faith at the Harvest Crusade there is follow up done by churches that participate. The people are encouraged in their walk, but not pushed. It's up to the individual to follow Jesus.

Everyone is either progressing or regressing in their spiritual life.

Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV

[19] I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

God gives us a test and the answer. Choose life.

Philippians 2:12 NKJV

[12] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Philippians 2:13 NKJV

[13] for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

God will work through you, but you have to carry it to the goal.

2 Peter 1:3 NKJV

[3] as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

Luke 8:4-15 NKJV

[4] And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: [5] "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. [6] Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. [7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. [8] But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" [9] Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?" [10] And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.' [11] "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [12] Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. [13] But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. [14] Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. [15] But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

You have four kinds of people, soil is the comparison.

Evangelism is like sowing seeds in the past, we proclaim the Gospel wherever we can. We don't know where the soil will let it grow.

1 Corinthians 3:6-8 NKJV

[6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. [7] So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. [8] Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

We all have our role, but to God goes the glory.

Can someone lose their salvation? No, they never had it.

Only the test of time will confirm.

1 John 2:19 NKJV

[19] They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

You can be a prodigal, but a prodigal will always return home.

1. Highway hearers.

The seed hit the ground, but it never touched soil. Just like hitting the highway.

Satan gets that person back immediately.

2 Corinthians 4:4 NKJV

[4] whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

The word of God, runs off like water off a ducks back.

Someone who doesn't want to hear it.

2. Rocky-road Hearers.

Luke 8:13 NKJV

[13] But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

These are the people that do come, they are excited! It appears to be an amazing conversion. Couple weeks later, they never come back to church.

They are the ones that say they "tried Christianity"

They are impulsive by nature.

Matthew 13:21 NKJV

[21] yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

These people will run at the smallest sign of persecution.

Jesus said we should rejoice if we are persecuted for Him.

A true believers faith will be strengthened in trial.

Only build your faith on Christ.

3. Thorny Hearers.

Luke 8:14 NKJV

[14] Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

These people are slowly choked out.

The second best, is often the worst enemy of the best.

God eventually gets crowded out by all the things of this world.

Philemon 1:23-24 NKJV

[23] Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, [24] as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

2 Timothy 4:10 NKJV

[10] for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica-Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.

Demas fell away over time.

Put God first and all these things will be added to you.

4. Fruitful Hearers

Luke 8:15 NKJV

[15] But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

You need to get as much of Gods word in you as possible.

You can't just hear, you have to listen.

The success or failure of the Christian life depends on how we hear it.  

Healthy people are hungry people. Are you hungry for God's word?

Be bold, be brave and be strong for Christ!

Weights or Wings

Notes: Weights or Wings

Hebrews 12:1–2

SPEAKER:

Tony Clark

WORSHIP TEAM:

Harvest Worship Band

Sunday, September 6, 2015 — 8:00 a.m.

There are things in our lives that are either weight or wings. We have to learn if things are holding us back or helping us soar.

The Hebrews that Paul wrote to were going back to their Jewish ways.

Many people today are contemplating going back to their sinful ways.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

[1] Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

To know what a verse means, you have to know what it doesn't mean.

This verse doesn't mean that our family members in Heaven are  looking down on us hoping we make it through today.

When we face giants, we can look back to heroes of our faith to draw strength from.

What ever we face today, God will deliver us from.

He can deliver us out of or through a situation. We don't know which one God will be doing for us.

It's better to be in the fire with Jesus Christ then out of it alone.

"Lay aside" in this verse is used also to describe discarding dirty clothes at the end of the day.

We are to lay aside our sin and the things that interfere with our faith.

What is weighing you down today? It is not necessarily a sin, it could just be a burden.

Mark 4:19 NKJV

[19] and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Riches don't make us happy, we all know that. The desire of other things can weigh us down too. Anything interfering with us running the Christian life race is a weight.

Sin is the obvious, what are the other things? If it is making us miss the mark, then it could be sin. To sin means to miss the mark.

The world likes to call the sins of the world a disease. We need to call it what God calls it, a sin!

Ensnaring us means to trap us in every direction. Sin easily traps us.

Endurance requires patience.

Life is a marathon, it requires endurance for the long haul.

The motivation is to be "looking upon Jesus".

Jesus came here in the flesh to show us how to run this race.

1 Corinthians 11:7 NKJV

[7] For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

This is saying, your wife reflects you. If you think she stinks, then look at yourself.

We need to fix our eyes upon Jesus.

What you do to gain, you have to do to maintain.

What happens when we take our eyes off of Jesus? Peter sank when he saw how boisterous the waves were. You can't keep your eyes on Jesus when you are looking at what the problems are around you. Peter then prayed by crying out, "Lord save me!"

When we are sinking we need to look to Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NKJV

[6] being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

We are going to make it, because God is the author and finisher of His work.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The fruit of the Spirit is love. All

of the other fruits are a result of love.

Happiness is based on outward circumstances. Joy is a fruit that is within you.

Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame that was within it. After He endured the cross, He sat down and rested.

Your joy will come.