John Chapter 18:1-6

The opposition you encounter and work in different situations where you stand with the lifeless of years we should stand with Jesus we should stand with Jesus. So should we should be stand with to see we have a choice. We can stand with Jesus or we can stand with the enemy. Jesus made it very plain. He said you're either for me or you're against me bozo choices and some of us go through life trying to settle the fence that's not a choice. Jesus is saying you know what you're either with me or you're against me. If you're on the fifth you're against me. We can't live lives on the fence as Christians we need to live that passionate Christian life. So you Jesus I'm with you I'm a mess up sometimes may make mistakes but I'm with you, Jesus, and stand with them. Welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, and today we are blessed to have one of his associate pastors DA Brown with welcome yesterday. Glad you witnessed all about. This is a good one. I'm glad to be here. As Christians we should be standing with Jesus we all stand with something or somebody. The question is standing but today Pastor David asked that question continues in the Gospel of John chapter 18, so let's listen David McGee starts his teaching the betrayal. John chapter 18 verse one when Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered. Now it's interesting to me to note John's approach to the next events in the ministry of Jesus. There's four Gospels.

There's only four Gospels and we have them here in this book. John's Gospel is a little different than the other three. The other three are referred to as the sun not Dick Gospels. What that means is they tend to move parallel in the events that they report and explain in John doesn't exactly follow parallel and will see that we see that actually in this chapter because notice that Johnson's little town talking about the garden of Gethsemane. As a matter fact, this is pretty much it.

He doesn't talk about the prayer he doesn't talk about fall asleep. He doesn't talk about this and why does he not discusses things well to be honest I I think that perhaps because John so loved Jesus to relieve relive those events, and reporting was just too painful, and perhaps by this time, he understood that the other Gospels had covered him and he didn't spend a lot of time in them now. Brook Kidron of the Kidron Valley.

Perhaps you've heard these words Kidron is from the Aramaic and it means dusky or gloomy. Now we get that word from an interesting place.

What you see is there are several places where there's holes, drainage holes, if you will, from the temple mount down and they go into the brook Kidron now there are seasons where the drainage is for rain but understand at this time. Josephus reports that during the Passover season, they sacrifice to hundred and 56,000 lambs you have basically one lamp for every 10 people and there were roughly about 2 1/2 million people injuries over this Passover so they would've sacrificed about 256,000 lambs now what they did when they sacrifice them is I didn't put all the blood on the altar.

All the blood on the doorpost they would drain and as they would drain it.

Josephus and other historians wrote that that Valley that brook would run red with the blood of the lamps. Quite the. The graphic picture that is Jesus walked over this brook into the garden. He would've looked he would've seen the blood of those Passover lambs that have been sacrificed any new he knew that very soon the blood that was in his body fluent in his veins would be spilt as a sacrifice, not just as a Passover lamb but as the Passover lamb and they go into the garden now it's interesting when you consider that all this is happening in the garden because it reminds us. It reminds us of the garden of Eden, east of Eden. But anyway, we'll call it the garden and what happened there because it was a garden originally that a man rebelled. He made a conscious decision to rebel against God and here was in the garden that God made a conscious decision to pursue man. It's interesting, sometimes we seems like we hammer Adam for his mistakes in it were not told how long they were in the garden before they fail to realize that might've been days might've been hours might've been weeks might've been years. I kinda doubt that to be honest. But before you throw stones at Adam, let me ask you question how long do you go without sinning and if it had been you in the garden. How long would've the whole thing lasted, convicting the stop and consider. But that's what happened in that original garden and an God makes a willful decision. Jesus, to lay down his life that we might be redeemed just like a single act of disobedience had doomed man to separation from God. A single act or life of obedience. Now would offer us hope and joy and forgiveness. Adam brought sin and death to mankind. Jesus would bring hope and forgiveness and notice what Jesus did. During this time they pray he prayed and went to spend time in prayer. Now Jesus himself desired. During this time of troubling to spend time with the Lord. How much more so should we spend time with the Lord during those difficult seasons unless the first life lesson. Life lesson during difficult times. Follow these three steps pray pray pray when you get the number three go back to number one see what we want to come up with all these plans and how to fix this fix that when we get in trouble. What I do what I do pray pray nothing will list more effectively change you in the situation than prayer.

What we tend to do is rend other people we get on the phone, we get on this and certainly there's a place for that, but make sure that your spending time in prayer with the Lord. This is what's going on, crying out to God. Verse two reads and Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with this disciples see that tells us something else. Jesus often went to the garden of Gethsemane with his disciples to pray the garden of Gethsemane is still there.

There's olive trees. They they say that one could be as old as 2000 years old. Trees live a long, long time. I don't know about that, but it is very very old, and as you go there.

There's just the sense of as you think about what transpired there. To be honest you been among those olive trees for me was more impactful than going into the church there. That is very ornate and has all this stuff and having this beautiful bit just looking at these olive trees considering what happened on that ground and may have happened around the trees is incredible, but they went there often tells me something else that Jesus enjoyed Fellowship of the disciples that he enjoyed being in Jerusalem. I'm sure in ministering to the people all the Scripture doesn't ring report that he ever spent the night in Jerusalem. He would go elsewhere, and so he would come to get along with his disciples and they would have these prayer times and they would have these fellowship told that's that's an awesome thing and let me encourage you, you should do. You should find brothers and sisters to hang out with an end to talk about God and the pray with. That's one of the reasons that we encourage everybody in small groups because it helps you to grow and again the training analogy that I mentioned last week, you know, if you're if you're training your training for whatever some sport fighting or whatever. You can't train once a week is some you guys and ladies probably work out if you work out once a week. Not a lot happened. It takes a lot more of working out to help your body develop and you develop in that sport. So it's important now. Judas who betrayed him. This is the is the ultimate betrayal and mean every other material in history pales to this one in Brutus with Julius Caesar. Any of those things pale in comparison to what Judas did was read on. Then Judas, having received the detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees came there with lantern torches and weapons. It's amazing the vanity of man and it is showing up to take Jesus down with these weapons shows me that either they haven't seen and they haven't been paying attention to his power. The amazing thing is, you understand that, according to this book. It's going to happen again.

Man is going to try to fight against God with man-made weapons. It's amazing and it you can read about it, it's all in their and once again it will not work now. The soldiers came and was probably somewhere between 300 and 600 of them. They came from the sky. The Antonio Tony a fortress, which was named for Mark Anthony of Antony and Cleopatra fame or whatever and that was where the troops would gather and of course they had a lot of troops there during Passover because there was a lot of people there. They want to make sure nothing went terribly wrong.

But it's interesting and I thought about this when we were in the Kidron Valley and the garden of Gethsemane.

You can look up and you and your literally you're looking up hundreds of feet to the Temple Mount to the city of Jerusalem and says they had lanterns and torches and even the Passover is on full month you would have seen the trail of these lanterns and these torches had towards the garden.

Jesus had plenty of time if he was warning the bailiff.

He was wanting to run the place must go so high behind trees or something he didn't do that. He saw him coming.

He stayed right where he wants to interesting and Judas may I never understand Judas completely all parts of me identified. I guess with him like identify with Peter and that sometimes I betray my beliefs. Perhaps deny the Lord with an with my actions or with my words.

I think we all can relate to, but the depth of Judas and his betrayal is was really scary and acting as a pastor teacher as part of this is really sobering and I'll tell you why she, Judas, all the miracles he heard the words and yet Judas continued on his path not caring not making changes the reason why that's very sobering to me because I realize there's people here this morning they hear the word of God. They see the miracles of the changed lives around. Maybe they even believe like Judas might have believed that Jesus was the Messiah. They walk in they walk out unchanged. That scares me that a heart could be in the presence of God.

Here the word of God and turn from not just once, but repeatedly that's why were encouraged to be doers of the word not just hearers when a disciple kissed a rabbi. It was a sign of devotion. A sign of affection. Also a sign of obedience.

How hypocritical for Judas to use that as the symbol of the betrayal you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be saved. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior. You need people to pray for them. You need someone to present God's word to them every day were present in God's word to here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee. We can pray for them as well. Just by simple going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button. All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love, that need to know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones. What an awesome way to bring your love ones to Jesus. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown. We want to take just a minute to pray for a few cities in our listening audience in Montana, Gallatin, Glendive, Great Falls Hamilton, Helena Kalispell and Ms. Sula low. We thank you for everyone listening right now. We thank you for the work that you're doing in their lives. Lord I pray that you would fill them with the faith that they need to say yes to you, God. We pray that if anyone in the cities does not yet know you if they've not put their trust in you that today they would lower pray for the church is an area that you give the pastors wisdom. Lord I pray that people get plugged into these churches and grow in lower pray for the city leaders. The mayor, the police chief fire Department the town Council everybody leadership Lord that you give them wisdom and discernment. We pray for unity amongst the government. In Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse four. Jesus therefore knowing all things that would come upon him wet floor and said to them whom are you seeking I love Jesus love Jesus. They didn't come in the garden and him you know be hiding behind a tree looking for. It says he went for that you went for you looking for me to go backwards and begin the picture because sometimes in our minds we think while you notice she's huge conspiracy, and he couldn't help to be involved in the whole thing was set into motion by Jesus. He's waiting in the garden from the show up and he goes okay who you looking for me. Here I am.

Boldness now understand that this is not that actions are the words of a man who is you know being used by the powers of Rome or the religious leaders to be railroaded semantic control. This is a man in authority. This is the ultimate leader. Sometimes we we water down the leadership of Jesus when Jesus was an incredible leader. He was a strong leader, as we see right here any and allow the question you looking for you seeking is the question asked the question today to some people are looking for Jesus and they know it.

Some people are not they know it. I'm not looking for the stained glass. Jesus I'm not looking for the Jesus that's been presented necessarily by the church in a while because must be honest that's got a little off center of who Jesus really is about you but when I started reading the Gospels and really get into Moscow surprises some of the things Jesus did. Why because he was a radical. He was a revolutionary and he was up in opposition to the religious leadership and I look across the landscape of the of the Christian church in America today and I don't see a lot of I'm you know what I am. I am overjoyed to be in a ministry that guess what is a little radical.

I am blessed that I am in a ministry that's considered a little revolutionary because it identifies what Jesus and you look at Jesus doing such things as is cleaning out the temple, not once but twice in one time there's a little phrase in there I found very intriguing. It says he sat and watched him as he made the whip that is lower parts of your misconceptions about Jesus. He sat there watching these guys get angry make in the whip and then use the whip. I don't know what kind of Jesus you grew up in Sunday school with. That was not Jesus. I grew up in Sunday school with, but that's the Jesus I am very attracted to see Scott pass his Passion and I think that's part of what's missing from churches. Sometimes the day is a passion and the kids and talked about his kids look at us. They watch our faith and they see a lack of passion, lack of commitment to go yeah whatever apathy that we see in the children somewhat reflects the apathy that exist in our lives. Many don't really care beetle CNN Jesus ECF radical you see a passionate man in an easy to use. He can ask you questions public policing in this morning. Perhaps your single and your thinking that at some point, you get a spouse and everything is going to be okay in your life so I can be okay until Jesus is the one you're seeking, because if you don't if you don't get in touch with Jesus before you get married you will be sadly disillusioned and that merit only go one step further. If you're here this morning and you're married, be careful that you're not placing your spouse in the place of Jesus because here's what can happen you you are unfulfilled in your life because a relationship with Jesus is not right to then you begin to look to your spouse to play that role to fulfill that void in your life that is God shaped and got checked only. And this begins to be a disappointment. Why because she or he can't fill that void. Only God can what you seeking because sometimes we make unrealistic demands on our spouses unrealistic expectations for them to fill the role that only Jesus can fulfill our lives. So it's much better if you figure that out as a single person beforehand who are you seeking maybe your seeking a job or an occupation. It's going to satisfy some of the work either make money you really think that for 10 more cents an hour a dollar more in our they change the sign on your door on your desk that also and that's gonna make you fulfilled and satisfied life now your thirsty for the water of life in a silly water that will ever quench the thirst. This Jesus verse five they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth that you were seeking.

Jesus said to them, I am he, Judas who betrayed him, also stood with them just in several Jesus and stammer the disciples stood with the enemies who you stand with this point when when somebody begins to rail against Christianity.

You stand with in the opposition you encounter and work in different situations.

Who do you stand with the life lesson here is we should stand with Jesus we should stand with Jesus associate we should be stand with see we have a choice. We can stand with Jesus. We can stand with the enemies.

Jesus made it very plain.

He said you're either forming or you're against me as her choices and some of us go through life trying to sit on the fence that's not a choice. Jesus is saying you know what you're either with me or you're against me. If you're on the fence you're against me.

We can't live lives on the fence as Christians we need to live that passion Christian life.

See you Jesus I'm with you I'm a mess up sometimes I may make mistakes but I'm with you, Jesus, and stand with them over six that when he said to them, I am he. They drew back and fell to the ground. Some of you may not agree with what I'm get ready say I've heard people use this as a proof text.

In other words, they point to this Scripture as validation as proof of people being slain in the spirit we familiar with the term slain in the spirit you probably seen on television you're not seeing here is when you know people come forward and somebody comes and they lay hands on him and they fall over back now if you even if you asked me does God ever overwhelm anybody to the point that there just completely consumed with this plan. I say yes, but as a normative as a normal thing, I don't. I reject that practice while because it begins to place emphasis on one old man me when you're watching that what you think I know what I saw. Watching that into and I don't know if you've ever been praying for in a in a line like that be as gentle little night sometimes more in a gentle little notch. You know when and if you don't fall over. All you need to confess your sins, I don't see this in Scripture.

And if I don't see the Scripture guess what were not go make it part of the normal practice here and to use this verse to say she's either there's people can slain in the spirit will nobody touch them. And these people were unbelievers and enemies of God. So how can you look at this verse and go will that's about go slain in the spirit. But in the Hebrew Scriptures and Old Testament see people follow and they fall forward in reference to God again. You don't see people touching number question him and them falling over backwards at it again like it if you've ever been so overwhelmed with the presence of God you fell over backwards. Praise God I'm not gonna argue with you about that.

I'm just saying were not going to have a prayer line where people get shoved over were not going to some of you who, in summary, like praising God that I found a place where they don't engage in surface antics presents what happens in the world looks on and stuff like that goes on is interview believing that we can still fellowship. We can still love Jesus, you still go to church here, but just don't look for that to happen. And in this you know I'm not going to shy away from these things I can't, you know, I mean I'm pastor teacher I communicate is about these things on like a shot with just you will see the situations they well wonder what he thinks now you you probably sit there wonder why did he tell us all that he wants to sit there wondering what I think or what were teaching here. What we believe friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven.

You can know right now only Jenna short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now.

Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life now done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations free, you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you like to support this ministry. Please go to cross the bridge.com. Click on the donate button and ask God how much he would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out to cross the bridge. Thank you so much ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading and the thought to meditate on. Throughout today from the heart. David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today@crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues taking verse by verse in the gospel of God