Beware Of The Judas Mentality

Beware of the Judas Mentality

Sunday, April 3, 2011

By Pastor James May

I am glad to be a part of a church where we can see the Love of God in the hearts of people. Your love for the Lord is displayed in so many ways. Every time you worship him, you show your love or God. Every time you sing a song, play and instrument, teach a class, come to Bible Study, clean the church or attend the services, you are expressing your love for God. Nothing that you do for the Lord goes unnoticed. Oh I may not see all that you do, because if you are doing it unto the Lord, you don’t try to be noticed or attempt to get the praises of men. It is all a part of your private worship and your own personal expression of how much you love Jesus. Your life is spent in serving God and that service is your own personal offering unto God and it’s a private thing between you and God alone. Make no mistake about it though, everything you do for God, out of a heart of worship, reference and love for him, is forever recorded in Heaven, and God is preparing your reward for that faithfulness. Though man may not see all that you do; and no one may ever recognize your efforts; there will be a day when God will give you the greatest reward that anyone could ever ask for when he says, “Well done good and faithful Servant. You’ve been faithful over the work that was set before you to do so enter into the joys of your eternal home that I have prepared for you.”

If the question were to be asked of us this morning, “How many of us you really loves Jesus”, I know that every hand would go up. So the question is not, Do you love Jesus? The question is, “How much do you love him; and what are you willing to give to him to prove the depths of your love for God?” Is he more valuable to you than anything of this world?

At what point in your life does the price of loving Jesus get to be too high? True love demands a 100% commitment and nothing less.

We see that to be true in earthly relationships where true love demands faithfulness; total commitment to one another with no room for selfishness, and no place for anyone else. Marriages fall apart because true love doesn’t exist. People get married because they love one another, or at least that’s what they believe. But soon the infatuation wears off and then comes the day-by-day realization that all is not as perfect as we thought and wedges are driven between them by financial pressure, selfish attitudes and differences in beliefs and opinions, with neither party willing to give in. Only true love will stand the test of the wedges. Those whose relationship is built upon desires of the flesh instead of love in their hearts will soon find their lives coming apart at the seams and often, the only thing to do to stop the endless cycles of fighting and arguing is to end the marriage in a divorce court. The love that was there has become more of a tolerance than anything else.

What are you willing to do; how far will you go; how much will you give of yourself, to prove your love for your spouse or some close friend? At what point will the line be drawn where you will say that the price is too great, the demands are too much and I will, or cannot give what is required?

That is the question not only in our relationships in this world, but it is also relevant in our relationship with Jesus. What are the limits of your service to the Lord? How much are you willing to give to his work; to his kingdom? At what point will we say, “The price is too high. I just won’t go that far. I’ll give, I’ll go, I’ll do this much; but no more?”

If we are not careful it is easy to begin to develop what I will call The Judas Mentality!

Think about those first disciples that Jesus chose when he began his earth ministry. He walked by the Sea of Galilee and into the towns and villages throughout Judea and began to pick out men to follow him, men whom he would use to establish his church and preach the gospel. He chose the fishermen, Peter, James and John. Then he came to the tax collector, Matthew; then to a doctor by the name of Luke. Jesus chose 12 men to follow him. 12 Men whom he would pour out his life unto; giving them the opportunity and privilege to walk every day of their lives in the very presence of the Son of God; to be the first among men to know Jesus as both God and man. Among those that were chosen was a man named Judas Iscariot.