The sermon delivered by Scott Brown, titled 'Judas the Betrayer,' explores the narrative of Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus Christ as depicted in John 13:18-30. It highlights the dual themes of Jesus washing the disciples' feet as an example of humility and service, and Judas' betrayal. The sermon emphasizes the importance of not being surprised by betrayal in Christian contexts, distinguishing between involvement in Christianity and true belief in Jesus. It further discusses how Jesus' actions exemplify a godly response to betrayal, encouraging believers not to fall into self-pity or bitterness. The sermon also underscores the significance of Judas' betrayal in fulfilling Scripture, specifically citing Psalm 41 and how it parallels David's experiences. Scott Brown reflects on the inevitability of betrayal and God's sovereignty in such events, reminding believers that Christ's betrayal was part of God's plan for redemption. Additionally, the sermon calls for self-examination of one’s faith and motivations, urging listeners to ensure their identity is rooted in Christ and not merely in religious activity.

It's always thrilling to open up the Word of God and to know that it's here to equip us. It's here to grow us up. How about that? We need that. It's here to give us a sense of history, a sense of ethics, a sense of Christian doctrine, and the way to think about everything.

So it really is a pleasure to read these verses. Now, the text formally today that we're going to be dealing with is verses 18 through 30 in John 13, but I really, I want you to look at verse 1. I'm going to read the whole chapter up to verse 30 Because I want you to have an eagle eye to look for something as we read look carefully at the places Where the testimony of Judas? Appears in the text because I'd like you to get a flow of what's happening here in this passage of scripture So let's read verse 1 now before the feast of path of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things in his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, He rose from supper and laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself. After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. Then he came to Simon Peter and Peter said to him, Lord are you washing my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, what I am doing you do not understand now but you will know after this.

And Peter said to him, You shall never wash my feet. And Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with me. Simon Peter said to him, Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head. Jesus said to him, He who is bathed only needs to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.

For he knew who would betray him therefore he said you are not all clean so when he had washed their feet taken his garments and sat down again he said to them do you know what I've done to you you call me teacher and Lord and you say well for so I am if I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I've given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, Nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I do not speak concerning all of you.

I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it comes that when it comes, when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. Most assuredly I say to you, He who receives whomever I send receives me, and He who receives me receives Him who sent me." When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit and testified and said, Most assuredly I say to you, one of you will betray me. Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about what he spoke.

Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom, one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom he spoke. Then leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it. And having dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

Now after the piece of bread Satan entered him Then Jesus said to him what you do do quickly But no one at the table knew for what reason he said this to him. For some thought because Judas had the money box that Jesus had said to him, buy those things we need for the feast or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately and it was night. Let's pray. Oh Lord open our eyes to see wonderful things from your law.

Equip us, train us, teach us the ways in which we should go. Identify who we are. Help us to see what's true, Lord, through these marvelous words of truth. Amen. Please be seated.

Please be seated. Now these these verses show the dramatic story of the betrayal of Judas and it shows how no one thought that Judas was the one. That's astonishing And if you look at the narrative, the most striking thing about the narrative is Jesus' example in washing his disciples feet, but there's this sub theme that runs through this whole section all the way to verse 30. There are 50, of these 30 verses, 15 of them, fully 15 are dedicated to the betrayal of Judas. And we can't miss that in terms of the message that John is trying to give us.

He's showing us two things. He's showing us Jesus who washes his disciples feet, even Judas' feet, and he shows a betrayer at the same time, giving almost equal time to both in the narrative. Now this is the last time we encounter Judas in the Gospel of John. Jesus will mention Judas, not by name in chapter 17, but when we pass this text, we won't Encounter Judas again. There's so much to say about Judas But this passage teaches us a number of very very important things and I'll just give you a couple of them and then we'll See them and then I'll repeat them again by the end.

But first of all, we should not be surprised when it happens that the person that you thought was a Christian was not. Don't be surprised. Don't be taken off guard. Let's grow up. Let's be mature.

Jesus is teaching us something about the about reality about the real world secondly Involvement in Christianity and Loving Jesus Christ can be two very different things They can look the same This was the case for Judas. He had a ministry, he had a lifestyle, he had a reputation, he had a job, he kind of had a schtick among the disciples, but not an identity in Jesus Christ. He identified with Christianity, but his identity was not in Christ. Judas actually had a Christless Christianity, And that should strike us to the heart. The other thing is, I think we should recognize how significant the betrayal of Jesus is.

And all these things are here for our instruction. But here's a question. Have you ever been betrayed? Jesus was betrayed. And what do you learn about betrayals that take place in your life from the Son of God?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is betrayed and responded perfectly to the betrayer in his life. How you deal with betrayal is very, very important. It's one of the most defining things in your life. And in many ways, it'll tell whether you're a happy person or not, whether you're a forgiving person or not, whether you're like Jesus Christ or not. But my guess is everyone has experienced betrayal at some level in this life.

Some more than others, but all have probably experienced it in your life. Jesus quotes a psalm. He quotes Psalm 41 at a time when David was betrayed because David's betrayals are really foreshadowings of the betrayal of Jesus Christ. But what I want us to understand so clearly this morning is that the betrayal of Jesus doesn't make Jesus the victim, and your betrayal doesn't make you the victim either. And Rather, this betrayal makes Judas a very useful tool under the sovereign hand of God to glorify the grace of Jesus Christ.

So with this chapter, chapter 13, We also find ourselves really at the headwaters of a very long section in the Gospel of John. The next five chapters cover the next 24 hours in Jesus' life. And it's very dense. If you have a red-letter Bible, you'll see a lot of red letters because Jesus talks a lot here It's just just glorious the the encouragement the wisdom the help that's in these next five chapters is so wonderful I remember reading them when I was young and I can't get away from them. Jesus explains the purpose of this upper-room discourse.

This is the upper-room discourse by the way, what scholars call it. In John 17 verse 12, he explains why he's saying all these things so that we know why he says but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Now, when I was reading this passage over and over again this last week, I thought, what a dark passage. There's no gospel here, there's no encouragement here, there is a betrayer, there's the darkness of a betrayer in the room of the most loving person who ever walked the face of the earth. It's all dark here, but it isn't it isn't really all dark here.

Because Jesus Christ has written this that your joy may be fulfilled And I pray that happens. I pray you'll be able to see the joy here as we walk through this text and I'd like to show you five ways that Jesus engages his betrayer among his disciples in the midst of this We'll find out a lot about the doctrine of God and all kinds of things, but how does Jesus treat his betrayer? I think that's very significant. There are many things we could draw, but I'd like for us to at least observe that, just in case maybe you've ever been betrayed, that you might go and do the same in some sense. So let's begin with verse 18.

First of all, Jesus knows those he has chosen. Jesus knows his betrayer and He chose his betrayer. He says I did not I do not speak concerning all of you. I Know whom I have chosen and Jesus is declaring that he knows what he has done by choosing His Apostles, I know the one I have no ones I have chosen as Apostles. That's what he is saying.

I believe he's talking about the Apostles and not broadly of election. In John 6 verse 7, 70, which was probably spoken a year before this moment. Jesus spoke of the fact that one of his disciples was a devil. He says, did I not choose you the twelve and One of you is a devil He spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon for it was him he who would betray him I believe he's talking about the choosing of the disciples. He intentionally proactively chose Judas as one of his disciples Jesus knows the heart of every person.

Remember the woman at the well where she said, come see a man who told me everything I ever did. That's Jesus. He knows you. Jesus knew who he was choosing in terms of his choice of Judas. And you know thousands of churches are gathering together and Jesus knows those who are His.

There's nothing hidden from His sight. He knows who everyone is who's walking in to these local churches around the world. In Hebrews 4.13 we learn there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account now in verse 10 if you remember reading it just a minute ago Jesus says you are clean but not all of you Jesus sees he sees into the heart of every person. There's nothing hidden from his sight now That's that that's a blessing for everyone that he sees For anyone who here is convicted that he sees your unbelief repent turn to him He sees it to motivate you to turn to him. Jesus sees all who are lost.

And this is so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me." So Jesus sees Judas for who he is, chooses him, makes him part of the band of the disciples that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Now what Scripture is that? Now he's quoting Scripture here.

He's quoting Scripture that was written a thousand years before by David the king. And Psalm 41 is one of those open your Bible so Psalm 41 find verse 9 Jesus chose Judas to fulfill Psalm 41 verse 9 written a thousand years before. Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me. Lifted up his heel. The language there is like a word picture.

And you kids who've ever been around horses, here's what you need to think about. When a horse lifts up his heel, what happens? You better look out. You better get really, really close to that horse or he's gonna kick you and we lifts up His heel it happens in a flash and Jesus is quoting that saying he will he will lift up his heel like a horse lifts up his heel to kick quickly. You didn't see it coming.

It came quickly. And this is being fulfilled in this moment of Judas betrayal. It happens very quickly. This is what happens often with betrayals. You don't see it coming.

You were walking with your own familiar friend and all of a sudden wham don't be surprised when that happens and this pet this verse or this Whole Psalm is most likely speaking of Absalom's plot to kill his father David. David had been driven out of Jerusalem by Absalom and he was betrayed by his close friend. You know his name. Ahithophel. Nobody names their children Ahithophel.

He's the betrayer. Please don't name your children a Hithophel. You won't. Another Old Testament passage, Psalm 55, turn there. Psalm 55 verse 12.

Psalm 55 verse 12. "'For it is not an enemy who reproaches me. Then I could bear it.'" In other words, it's just so much, it really matters who's betraying you. He says, if it was an enemy, I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me?

Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in the throng. Now, this is the most difficult kind of betrayal where your close friends are involved. And this is also the most difficult because it's the one that makes you more prone to fall into self-pity because of that betrayer.

This is the great danger of falling into the dark hole of self-pity of anger and of bitterness and never letting them off the hook It's most difficult when it happens with a wife or a husband who betrays the spouse or a child who betrays his parents. Two looming examples in modern times, Francis Schaeffer's son Frankie who has so dishonored his father Barnabas Piper dishonoring his own father and his upbringing in a book that became a bestseller it's so hard when they're close that's the point It makes it so much more difficult the closer they are. And that's why we find this narrative here before, for many Reasons that I'll get to in a minute Sometimes it's a business associate. Sometimes it's a fellow pastor. Sometimes it is a fellow church member Sometimes it's a husband or a wife or a child or a business associate, but it happens Be be mature Understand that a servant is not greater than his master.

If it happened to the Son of God, don't think that it won't happen to you. And don't be too upset. It happened to the most perfect man our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord full of grace and truth it happened to him in Zechariah 11 we learned he was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Now when you are betrayed, be careful, it's a time of great vulnerability. Jesus did not become bitter at his betrayal.

And neither should you, and neither should I. As tempting as it is to fall into the hole and then Jesus explains his motive verses 19 and 20 This is the second way that Jesus deals with this betrayer. Now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. So Jesus is speaking to His disciples and saying, I'm telling you this about my betrayer so that when it happens you will believe and Jesus is preparing his disciples he's Informing them beforehand one of the commentators says that Jesus knew that that Judas's duplicity would shake the faith the faith of the eleven disciples and so he's preparing them for it Maybe they would think that Judas had outwitted Jesus or overcome him. And so he tells them before it comes so that they wouldn't be caught flat-footed.

Neither should you be caught flat-footed. Don't be surprised at the fiery trials that come. They will come. And don't expect that a servant would be greater than his master, even in matters of betrayal. And don't be rattled when you see the Judas Betrayed don't lose your faith because some prominent Christian character that you put put confidence in falls Don't let that shake your faith Be mature Jesus warns his disciples and he's warning all of us.

God is in control. Respond by believing in a sovereign God who governs absolutely everything. In verse 20 he continues, he says most assuredly I say to you He who receives whomever I send receives me and he who receives me Receives him who sent me He's talking about disciples being received and not received. You might be able to turn that around and say, betrayed or not betrayed. And then we find Jesus is troubled in spirit, Verse 21.

When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit and testified and said, most assuredly I say to you, one of you will betray Me. Now, catch the word troubled in this sentence. Now, it's recorded that Jesus was troubled three times in the gospel of John, all for different reasons. In John 11, Jesus is troubled at the death of Lazarus. He's troubled at the impacts of the fall and the devouring death that came upon his dear friend and the sorrow that it caused in the family.

Remember Jesus wept. He entered into their sorrows. And then in John 12 27, he's troubled over the bearing of the weight of sin. He says, he's troubled and he says, my soul is troubled, father save me from this hour. Here he was troubled over the anticipation of bearing the weight of my sin and your sin and the sins Of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.

And in John 13 Jesus is troubled for those who would be troubled. Jesus is not dispassionate in his humanity. And that's for a purpose. Jesus is the man of sorrows, and he's acquainted with grief. And don't expect that in Jesus' humanity that he's not touched by the troubles of humanity because he was tempted in every way like we are and he was troubled the same ways you and I are troubled.

Some of you are troubled right now. Some of you have walked in here and you're carrying a load of trouble in your heart and there are fears and insecurities. There are things you've done that you shouldn't have done, things you said that you shouldn't have said, their sins that you committed and you're troubled. Just know that Jesus was troubled to see you through your troubles and to atone for your sins When you're troubled because often when we're troubled we sin Often it's unbelief Forgetting the sovereignty of God forgetting everything you knew about the love of God and the care of God for you. But Jesus was troubled and he, Jesus is walking with God by faith, but he's not dispassionate in his humanity.

It's very, somebody wrote a book called The Emotions of Jesus several years ago, but Jesus is not dispassionate. He enters into our sorrows. He is the man of sorrows. Now we shouldn't expect to go through this life, and this is part of growing up, and just being dispassionate about everything. Like, godliness is always dispassionate.

No, that's not true. Godliness can hurt. There's a way to hurt in a holy godliness and there's a way to hurt in an ungodly unholiness. Jesus entered into this trouble of his soul in complete holiness, and boy is it hard for us to do that? When we're troubled There's a lot more sin in it there was no sin in his being troubled Oh to be like Jesus Christ But I think we should recognize that if you're troubled today Jesus enters into your troubles he he is the man of sorrows acquainted with your grief because he experienced it himself now the fourth thing that Jesus does is that he engages his disciples Perplexity in other words he recognizes their perplex they do not understand who it is who is the one?

Versus 22 to 25 then the disciples looked at one another Can you met do you see the scene they're looking at each other? They're just checking each other out is it you is it you is it you Is it me? That's what they're doing. Now Matthew explains it more thoroughly. But remember, you know, when we look at the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 1, there's this statement in the book of Acts where they're replacing Judas and Luke says that Peter says for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.

He was numbered with us. He was one of us. He was one of the disciples. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. All twelve disciples.

He was one of us. He experienced everything that we experienced. Now in Matthew 26, a parallel passage, it says that each one of them said to Jesus, Lord, is it I? They're all going to Jesus and saying, is it I? Is it I?

Is it I? And of course, Judas asks, is it I? And Jesus says, you are the one. Now, the way that the conversations seem to be going here, there was private, quiet moments with Jesus, almost as if they were speaking into His ear. And we get that a little bit later.

Look at verse 23, you see it. John asks a very uncomfortable question. You know, sometimes you have people who ask uncomfortable questions. You know that? You ever know anybody like that?

There's an elephant in the room, nobody's acknowledging it, but somebody does. John is that guy. Now there was leaning on Jesus bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved that's John we learned that at the end of the the gospel Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom he spoke. So Peter says, John, come over here. Ask him.

You ask him for me. Then leaning back on Jesus' breast, He said to Him, Lord, who is it? There's a lot of self-evaluation going on in the room. There should be that going on here, too. We should always be doing that.

Examine yourselves to see if you're in the faith. You can be the most religious-looking person in the church. You can be the most responsible person in the church like Judas was who kept the money box It was probably reasonable that Judas had the money box You usually give the money box to people who have organizational skills And the dissolve the disciples are asking these questions of assurance and they're saying, is it I? Is it I? And It is an appropriate question to a point, because Jesus made it very clear that you can have a fruitful religious life and not know Him.

And in Matthew 7, He said, many will say to me in that day Lord did we not prophesy in your name? Cast out demons in your name Perform many wonders in your name In other words there was a dramatic impact. I mean, this person had a good effect on a lot of people and amazing things happened. And then Jesus says, I never knew you. Says, I never knew you.

Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." Well thankfully the Lord knows those who are His. Paul said that to Timothy in saying Timothy 2 verse 19, nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands having this seal. The Lord knows those who are His and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." So, there will be what one of my redneck farmer friends calls false pretenders. Hypocrites in the church, in the ministry, in the mission field, in the ranks of the officers of churches. It happens.

And it's always so tragic. This should be a very humbling wake-up call and something to sober us up. You know, Judas was not a renegade. He didn't show signs of his betrayal. He was chosen and trusted and he took part in everything and he was sent out to preach, he was entrusted with the money box, and he was known to have compassion for the poor and he was taking care of the poor.

And he looked like a Christian, but he wasn't. Now if you are that person today, cry out to God. Say Lord Jesus Christ, save my soul. If you're that person, most likely you know who you are. You would think that Jesus would throw him out, but Jesus did not throw him out.

And we learn so much from Jesus about how to treat a betrayer, a known betrayer. The difference between Jesus and you and I is that we don't know but he knew. But he knew and he didn't throw him out. He picked up a basin and took a towel and he washed his feet and he spoke kindly to him. And at the very last moment there was an embrace and Jesus received his kiss.

He didn't do this. This is what we often do when we're betrayed. We do this to that person. You know, one of the marvelous things about the gatherings of local churches is that God gathers all kinds of different people together in a church, saved and unsaved, wise, foolish, old believers, new believers, and he brings the unsaved into the church and there they sit and he doesn't throw them out he just keeps speaking to them he keeps bringing the Word of God to them he keeps putting songs in front of them he puts prayers in front of them and fellowship and food and joy and kids and everything that's what he does and smiles it's what he does it's the love of God praise God praise God There's always another moment. There's always a chance.

Take the chance. Go believe in the Lord Jesus Christ if you're that person. He hasn't thrown you out, he wants you in and that's why you're here. And then finally Jesus unmasks Judas, verses 26 and 27. Jesus answered, it is he whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it and having dipped the bread he gave it to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon Now after the piece of bread Satan entered him then Jesus said to him what you do Do quickly Now you see a progression in Judas life up to this point, you know, he's chosen and then He became a thief.

He started stealing from the money box We learned that in chapter 12 and then he coveted he coveted the money for Mary's perfume He wanted to take a piece of the action, having sold it, she poured it out. And then in chapter 13 verse 2, if you remember what we read at the very beginning, Satan put it into his heart. Satan gave him a suggestion, and Here Satan entered him. Do you see the progression one step at a time? Satan can put thoughts in your minds He put He put his thoughts in the minds of Peter.

In the mind of Peter, one of the most devoted disciples was rebuked. Jesus said that he was going to go to Jerusalem and suffer and die and be raised from the dead and Peter said no and Jesus Said get behind me Satan. He said you do not have the mind You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men We do have ideas that have their origin from Satan. But can we resist the operations of the devil? Yes, we can.

Can we resist the operations of the Holy Spirit? Yes, we can. And Paul taught the church in Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5 19, do not quench the spirit. In other words, they have they have the ability to stop quenching the Holy Spirit. What a blessing that is to stop quenching the Holy Spirit.

In Paul's letter to the Ephesians in Ephesians 4 30 he said do not grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person. Just like you can grieve your wife or your husband or your child, you can grieve them, you can grieve the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is a person. And that's why James said, submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee from you. So we're not we're not incarcerated by the suggestions of the devil because By the work of the Spirit we can turn Now in verses 28 and 29 we we see again how nobody understood it was Judas, but no one at the table knew for what reason he had said this to him, for some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, buy those things we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor.

Well the disciples were doing what Christians are supposed to do. They thought the best. They just thought he was going to go take care of the poor or buy something for the Passover. They respected him. And then finally Judas makes his move in verse 30.

Having received the piece of bread he then went out immediately and it was night and it was night. I want you to see when it was morning. Open your Bibles to Matthew 27. Matthew 27. Because when you read, and it was night, then you will read in Matthew 27 when morning came.

So you see the continuity of the story from this gospel writer Matthew 27 verse 1 well you've just read and it was night now you read when morning came well when morning came Judas would kill himself All the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death, 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.

But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, it is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood. And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers. Therefore that field has been called the field of blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field as the Lord directed me. Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver for about four months wages of a common laborer.

So that's the story of Judas. We won't encounter him again. He's gone. He's dead after this. Now, I just want to talk through a number of applications here.

Here's the first. Don't waste your opportunity. Judas wasted such a marvelous opportunity. He was with Jesus, he was with the church, and he cared for the smallest things. He was all wrapped up in the smallest, most trivial things, and he shows the danger of loving temporal things and and what it can deprive you of and what you lose Judas saw it all he saw the glory of God but he loved the little things You know yesterday many of us heard a eulogy of our former dear deacon whom we loved and there was a eulogy given the question is what will your eulogy be like well well well the purse will the speaker speak of significant things or trivial things about your life.

For Judas you know Christianity was just a thing. He had a position, he had opportunities, it was a thing to him. And he had an opportunity that he did not take. I think we should also recognize the sovereign hand of God in betrayal. God planned this.

And I think that we can equally say that God of course planned for the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ by His betrayal from the foundation of the world. And God has also planned from before the foundation of the world every single betrayal that you've experienced God did it it was God God. It's very easy to go through life feeling like a victim of betrayal, But Jesus never teaches us to think like that, to think like victims at all. And He washes the feet of His betrayer, And he receives the embrace of his betrayer. And he causes his reign to fall on the evil and the good.

And that's how Jesus deals with his betrayers. You know, Jesus was speaking in the Sermon on the Mountain, he said, You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven for he makes his Son rise on the evil and on the good and since his reign on the just and on the unjust For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?

Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Our Lord Jesus Our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed and He shows us how to be betrayed. And then he has mercy upon us and he becomes the sacrifice for our sins when we are betrayed. Praise God for his loving kindness toward us. So if you've been betrayed, see the Son of God.

He shows us how to engage a betrayer, and yet he did not sin. Now, You know, I've asked this question a few times in the moments we've had, do you believe? Are you engaging in Christless Christianity? So I've been asking that question in different ways. So how do you know?

How do you know if you believe? Well, you know what? So the kids that have grown up in this church and you who grew up in real live Christian homes, you don't even have a testimony, hardly. You don't have it. I mean, you know, you grew up in the church, You never became the biggest drug dealer in Lizard Lick and finally came to your senses You know that didn't happen to you So you've really got nothing you to think it and you see these people and there's all these dramatic, you know swooning testimonies and you wonder if you're a Christian because you didn't have a massive stroke level experience.

So what do you do about that? You know, if you've grown up in this church and you wonder, you know, am I a Christian? How do you know? Well, the Bible gives us many ways to know the answer to that question. You know, are you hostile toward God?

Are you indifferent toward God? Do you desire God? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? The perfect Son of God Who is crucified and buried and rose on the third day and He intercedes for you and He paid for all of your sins. Do you believe that?

You know, 1st John gives many different ways to help us understand whether Christians, one of them is, do you love the brethren? Like, Do you love the people in the church or you just can't wait to get away from them? If you just can't wait to get away from Christians, you're probably not a believer but like if you grew up in this church and like you like it you want to be here and the The life together is sweet to you and you Want the counsel of your brethren, you know, I spoke with the young man not in this church who grew up in a church and One of the most encouraging things to me was he said to me He said, you know the council that the four men that I respect the most, they're all like almost elders in his church, right? He said, I want to do something different, but they think that I should do this. And he says, I respect them.

I'm going to do what they say is wisdom. Well he respects he respects the brethren he wants the counsel of the brother he's not running away from it John makes that really clear If you say you love God but hate your brother, you're a liar. If you hate the people in the church, you're a liar. Or do you love the world? John says if you love the world, Then if you say you're a Christian, then it can't be true.

Do you love the world? Do you want more of the world or are you progressively moving toward more holy things? Throwing off the things of this world and hating them actually and loving the things of God more than anything. John says this in 1st John 3 14, By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his spirit and we have seen and testified that the father has sent the son as Savior of the world whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God and abides in him And he in God and we have known and believed the love that God has for us God is love and he who abides in love abides in God in God in him So maybe maybe you weren't the biggest drug dealer and lizard lick and finally got busted and you came to your senses in prison You know coming off of a drug Scene, you know, maybe that wasn't you but do you love him? Do you believe in him?

Do you want to follow him? If that's you praise god You're not judas You are a disciple You are one of the 11 Would you pray with me? Lord Lord, we thank you for bringing this testimony of wisdom from heaven before us so that we might know who we are so we might know how the world is wired so that we might not be foolish about the things that we experience with betrayers and with the various experiences that we have in this life. Lord, we thank you for your sovereign control. We thank you that you use everything for your good, even the betrayal of a betrayer.

How you took the means of betrayal to save souls for all eternity. Thank you, Lord. Amen.