Sermon nuggets Tues Aug 26
Theme Pretenders
Verses: John 13:18-20 "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'
19 "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.
20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."
Among us
How could Judas be one of the special 12 Apostles and not have others know his heart? Judas was no surprise to Jesus, but one of the revelations is that within churches, denominations, and religious groups there are pretenders among us. That has been the case from the beginning and will be until Jesus overcomes Satan. The Anti-Christ is a pretender in the last days.
Jesus had known and loved the disciples, and had called them for the very purpose of bringing the Kingdom of God to the world. Now comes the time before Jesus death when He shares intimately in communion with them. He washes their feet. We are told that He knows Judas is to betray Him. When He speaks to Peter He tells him that he is all clean, but not all of them are clean. He is referring to Judas for He knows what they do not know. Here is an outsider among the insiders. Christ knew. There is no concealment with Him. We can think we have covered up nicely our intension, and our real purposes, but He knows the heart and there is the revelation of the Spirit.
There was uniqueness among Judas that no one else can claim. No one else is the son of perdition. No one else was prophesied to betray Jesus. Although others do not follow the role Judas played, God is completely aware of the hidden and hypocritical hearts that can deceive many within the church and in our world today. Criminals think they get away with crimes. Lawyers think they can bend their arguments making the guilty come off innocent. Politicians get away with cheating.
We all know the temptations to sin and then cover it up, but the fact remains there are people who will deceive others when it comes to matters of faith. Satan sees to that. Some are motivated by personal reason, usually pride, power, or money. Others are deceived by the evil one in order to keep people from the Biblical faith.
No matter what happens it does not change the Apostles’ commission. Christ is often judged by the people who say that follow him. To reject Christianity because of hypocrites is like rejecting Jesus because of Judas, or for the rest of the apostles to think they might as well give up since someone as respectable as Judas was a hypocrite.
I liked the statement made of Jay Kesler, pastor president of Taylor University and former director of Youth for Christ. As a pastor he said when he goes to bed at night he has to ask himself if he is serving Jesus or people. He asks, "Jay, was your motivation today really to serve God, leaning on Him, drawing from His strength, and seeking only His "well done"? Or did you allow yourself to get caught up in wanting the approval of other people?"
Self evaluation can be healthy. It is easy to get the routine down that people can live two lives like Judas did.
Our job is not to do the sorting out unless that becomes apparent or divisive. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of the field being harvested but weeds come up. When asked if they should pull the weeds he answered no for some of the wheat will also be destroyed. The angels will separate the wheat from the weeds at the time of harvest.
It will be those who believe they are Christian are not for they trust a religion, church or good works and have never known Christ because the message has been changed by others whom are pretenders. Let the Word of God be your guide and grow, not in fear, but in the joy of your salvation. Let’s not forget the joy when the wheat is harvested!
Pastor Dale
