Deep-Seated Corruption (Westmont)

The Jesus told his disciples that one of them betray him. They were confused and they asked is that I was unthinkable that one of Jesus closest friends could hand him over to be arrested and killed.

How could a devoted follower of Christ do something so evil today on Truth for Life. Alastair Begg delivers a chilling morning to all those who profess Christ. Mark chapter 14 and verse 10 then Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money so he watched for an opportunity to hand him over on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb. Jesus disciples asked him where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover story sent two of his disciples telling him going to the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you follow him say to the owner of the house. He enters the teacher asks where is my guestroom where I may eat the Passover with my disciples, he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready made preparations for is there, the disciples left went into the city, and from things just as Jesus had told them so they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the 12 while they were reclining at the table eating. He said I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me one who is eating with me. They were saddened on one by one they said to him, surely not. I is one of the 12. He replied one who dips bread into the bowl with me.

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man, it would be better for him if he had not been born.

Thanks be to God for his word. Amen.

The light that shines out from the scene in the home of Simon the leper is in direct contrast to the darkness that surrounds it, and we've moved now from the light of that occasion and occasion that we said was an illustration of wholehearted devotion to the darkness that is represented in the surrounding verses and in this ensuing scene which we might realistically refer to as an illustration of deep-seated corruption. Jesus has explained that whatever the gospel is proclaimed.

The memory of this lady will be in the minds of men and women and it is equally true that whenever the sacrament is served.

The name of Judas Iscariot will be in the minds of men and women and all the way through the New Testament. For example, when Paul references in first Corinthians 11. He says on on the night that the Lord Jesus was betrayed, he to bread, anchoring the awful reality of what is described for us in the verses that we've just read Mark is recording for his readers. The steps that are leading to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, you have this amazing juxtaposition which runs throughout intersecting what God has purposed from all of eternity with the way in which his sovereign purpose in eternity is worked out in time, how he without interfering in any way with the freedom of the individual. In this case, Judas. Nevertheless uses even his sin.

Even his betrayal in order to achieve his purpose and in case we never fully get this clear in our minds. Let us just put it out there right now Judas is a chilling reminder that some who profess to follow Jesus Christ.

Do not continue to the end and are not saved every word and that is important. You will notice that the therapist profess. It is not who have possessed Jesus Christ but who have professed Jesus Christ. If we had no other parable from Jesus to underscore that emphasis than the parable of the sore would be sufficient forms. The seed is the word of God the Word of God is so soon. It is sown, some of it is snatched away some of it instantly blooms and then the Bloom phase. Some of it is squeezed out by the anxieties of life and the cares of the riches of the world and these individuals never come to maturity. It's a chilling chilling thing and it is a vital reminder to us that the balance of Scripture is there, in order to bring us safely to the end that it takes a whole Bible to make the whole Christian. It is not sufficient for us simply to cause the opposite, where to the promises of God's word, which are therefore our encouragement, but it is absolutely vital for us to face dead on the warnings of God's word, which are there to keep us on track and there is nowhere that does it better than the book of Hebrews. Constantly that writer to the Hebrews are saying come on now, we are not those who shrink back and are destroyed. Are we, but we are those who continue to the end and received Judas had a tipping point in his life and the woman's action was more than he could stand his expressed concern for the poor. As we saw was hypocritical. John states it clearest of all, he says boldly. Judas was a thief. He did not become a thief. On that occasion, he was a thief and because his mind was consumed with what he could get any time that somebody did something like this was more than he could possibly handle and Matthews record tells us that he takes the initiative in going to the Pharisees going to the chief priests and asking them what will you give me for him. What can I sell him for how unlike this lady who's taking all that her future represent and sacrifice again in the cause of Christ.

And here is one of the 12 who is going to betray this Jesus asking for what he can get out of it. Hers was an example of extravagant generosity. His is an illustration of cold, calculated selfishness.

She has passed out the equivalent of a year's wages. He is prepared to sell his master out for barely 1/3 of that amount, and it is this action on her part that becomes the catalyst that brings the two of them together me to say a word you about money and passing the Bible is so much to say about money. Paul says quite dramatically doesn't. In first Timothy six that the love of money is the root of all evil feeling about that.

If somebody said you where you think that the real problem with evil lives on the sugar. Many of us would actually respond in a way that is accurate. That's what he says because it is a form of idolatry, a form of the way in which we are consumed with the now rather than the van with the knee rather than the headman so long and when you read the story the Bible you find that it is throughout the brothers of Joseph, sold them to the Ishmaelites for cash the fit that that as Samson was betrayed to the Philistines for money.

Ananias and Sophia are the very threshold of the burgeoning church in the first century seek to lie to the Holy Spirit.

She delighted to Peter for the sake of money know you see there is a virus year that none of us can escape. I've known a lot of people a lot of money to don't love it. I've known a lot of people no money who do love it and I've known the other the other way around. So don't fall into the trap of the whole 1% think whatever you believe about the 1% thing you can love money with no money and you can be hands off money with tons of money is whether you have the money or whether the money has you and in this case, Judas was consumed with the thought of cash. So this lady drove him absolutely nuts and it was a perfect storm because the chief priests and the scribes were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus they could never have imagined in their fondest dreams that the answer to the die llama would come from one of the 12.

The word was out on the street. If anybody finds Jesus of Nazareth. Let us know so that we might arrest him is got a ring to it that if anyone knows what he is. Let us know what is. I made you think of what you did make you think she may have a godparent and I would like to know about where he is as well.

And if you could find out where he is.

Let me know so that I might come and worship them also find out lie. By this point in the proceedings as all hell is now enlisted in the cause of the death of Jesus of Nazareth. There is no pretense led. If you can find them.

We want him will arrest them will kill him at the heart of all the animosities of the world is the essence of Genesis 350 every broken marriage, every war between the nations. Every disruption between parents and children may ultimately be traced to the fact that at the heart of it all.

There is this colossal colossal collision between the seed of the woman and the serpent. And here it comes.

Inexorably moving and out of the beauty and the light in the engagement and the enjoyment of this magnificent scene where we might have expected that the disciples would have stood up and cheered at the end of the night saying on letters just rejoice in this lady Mary who has given her all know they go out moaning and carping and complaining nobody like somebody who loves Jesus more than them is very unsettling. You either have to join them or you criticize them, and Judas decides how this frankly take them out as a reminder. Incidentally, for those of you who are New Testament scholars. This little incident as a reminder as to resolve the unvarnished nature of of the New Testament record itself. You don't think for a moment that if this was an invention of 200 years.

Beyond that, they would've invented a story that included one of the 12 disciples being the one that turned in Jesus you don't do that if you try to make the thing look good now is very very straightforward know does not overlook the fact either that the people that were involved were high-ranking religious leaders, we tend to think that anybody returns is call around the wrong way or wears a rollover is called a chaplain or a parson or a pastor or Executive Director or whatever it might be another they they are exempt from ever now, but many of you only need half a brain to know that isn't true. You only need to know a little bit about church history only need to have read the newspaper just about every single day of the week. Religious authorities are opposed to Jesus in this instance there blind guides. Jesus told them their blind guides and who better to be there companion and another blind man, one who has been blinded by Satan himself. Judas was a chosen apostle. He was a friend and companion of Jesus.

He was an intimate he, Herod, Jesus sermons firsthand. He witnessed Jesus miracles in real time. He was so good on the outside stuff that not any of the 11 suspected him. That's how good he wants, so anyone that stood back and looked at the scene would never have picked them out anymore than anyone will pick you out from the group here at Westmont. If you simply profess Christ, but have never possessed Christ as long as you live within the relative constituency of what is expected in the framework year you will be able to get by. I can guarantee you it's done all the time but let me remind you what Calvin says in book 3 of his integers. He says all that Christ has done for us is of no value to us, so long as we remain outside of Christ.

The knowledge of his work.

The significance of his atonement. The reality of his resurrection. Things that may have become interesting to is perhaps significant to us, but have not brought us to the point of personal repentance and faith will avail nothing simply to be caught up in the group simply to get your card every time you come to the chapel simply to go along with it. Within the framework that is here. This is a dangerous place to be is a dangerous place to be.

As someone who is an unconverted believer because the buoyancy of the place may be sufficient to keep you going long enough, I say to you again. He who betrayed Christ was at the very heart of the operation's reminder is not that sin enslaves that when we don't deal with sin when we respond as Judas had been doing all along. There may come a point in our life's where what we should've done. We now can do easy Judas Judas is actually the great example here of the person who says to himself, or says to herself I can stop sending when I want know you can't.

Here's an example here of the person who says I could never send my way out of the grace of God. The influence of the grace of God.

I'm suggesting you for a moment that Judas was a genuine fall or disciple converted man. He never wants. Jesus knew that from the beginning part of the mystery of it all so nice and not here to say that we can lose our salvation. What we are confronted by is the possibility that our profession may not be reality and Judas exists to warn us about that fact finding guard overrules the evil of bad people as he brings about his purpose doesn't actually see the stock doesn't doesn't transmute them. The evil into good. Melanie destroyed her close and thinking along these lines, Judas goes out from the scene in opposition to Jesus the other disciples go out in obedience to Jesus the contents.

As you can see is the Passover for 1500 years the people of God have been doing what we were asked to do celebrating the deliverance of their forefathers from Egypt. At the heart of that was that. That was the death of an innocent lamb. The blood was sprinkled on the doorpost you remember all of that story and it is there for time immemorial, and it is in that context in that routine context that Jesus dropped the bombshell on his disciples. There is actually two bombshells on the disciples.

The first bombshell is this one all of you is going to betray me and the second bombshell is this is my body.

In other words, I am the Passover lamb making it all the more striking that in that context in that room in that celebration in that holy place one of the pause that goes in the ball is the pause of a betrayer, a betrayer who sold bad that when he finally brings the dastardly deed to fruition. He does so not by pointing from a distance, but by am bracing them with a kiss. The one that I kiss is the one you should kill. Who is this fee from whence does he come from a far distant country know from the heart of the disciple back from the core group from the team that Jesus chose. And, interestingly, and importantly, when Jesus makes this declaration, the response of the people individually is the same all around, and while they were reclining. I tell you the truth, one of you will betray anyone who's eating with me and they were saddened and one by one they said to him, surely not. I in the NIV in the ESV is it I don't like the surely highlight the bold question because it's the right question is the right question one of you will betray me. You don't immediately go and say why wouldn't betray him. How do you know you wouldn't. The story of the treachery of Judas Iscariot serves as a warning to every visible member of the church of Jesus Christ, reminding us that there is always the dreadful possibility that there are some among us who apparently live in the closest communion with the Lord Jesus and yet inwardly false and willing in the end to betray him in a rush to affirm the truth of the security of the believer.

We dare not avoid the warning about the danger of profession without posing action.

Paul in Ephesians 6 what is encouraging the believers to make sure that they got all the alarm along before they go out to battle. He says in, and if you do all of this that this this will enable you to stand in the evil day to an interesting phrase in the evil day, you can look it up in a concordance. We were some of us thinking about it this morning and we came to the conclusion that this may be how we should understand the evil day, the evil day in terms of an onslaught of evil against us is the day when desire and temptation and opportunity combine if you have the opportunity, but no desire. You know you're okay.

In fact, you can manage two out of the 33 in a row is a killer punch Judas at the desire because he was a thief. He went to the chief priests and they give them a little temptation out is 30 pieces of silver stopped could use 30 pieces of silver would you betray him for 30 pieces of silver. While I like a little more but if that's as good as you can. Targeted hedge the going price of a slave. Have you read the law of God is in Exodus 2190 more than that final good for 30 and then he went out and sought for an opportunity to betray desire temptation and opportunity. The chilling warnings of the Bible are there in order to do just what we're experiencing now to make us sit up just a little more in the seat and say Lord Jesus is it I each of us needs to examine herself. Be sure our profession of faith is genuine.

We just heard a message from Alastair big on Truth for Life. Alastair will be back to close the program with prayer in just a minute. Today's message reminds us that we can't only take encouragement from God's word. We also need to heed the warnings we find there is Alastair so often says it takes a whole Bible to make a whole Christian let's wipe teaching the whole Bible is what we're all about our prayer that listing the Truth for Life is a helpful way for you to grow in your understanding of Scripture and to deepen your commitment to Christ. We also select books that keep you grounded in your faith and if you are a college student or maybe about to be. We want to recommend a book that's written with you in mind it's called surviving religion 101 letters to a Christian student on keeping the faith in college you probably know that most universities are not made up of Bible believing Christians in a setting like that your faith is going to be put to the test. Be ready to defend your faith by reading a copy of surviving religion 101 visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate or call 888-588-7884.

Now here's Alastair to close with prayer father, thank you that your word provides us not only with the encouragement of its promises but with the expectation of its warnings.

All Lord God. If Paul was prepared to take himself in hand and say the horrible prospect is before me that having preach to others I myself might be a castaway and help us Lord to add to our faith.

Patients and goodness and all the things in the Peter mentions help us to make our calling and election sure help us to be done with dabbling in sin and fiddling around with stuff and misinterpreting chunks of the Bible. Misinterpreting your patience with us as if you were granting us permission to do what we do save us from the erroneous notion that we will be able of our own volition to determine when and where we will turn to you in genuine repentance and faith save us. Keep us for life's user's for your great glory. We pray now unto him, one who is able to keep us from falling to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power, world without end. I'm Bob Lapine, God's name is never mentioned in the book of Esther.

But as we learned tomorrow. God is always at work even when it's not obvious. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living