WHAT JUDAS MISSED-IX—John 13:31–14:11(John 13:18--17:26)
OR--‘WHILE YOU WERE OUT/AWAY’
Attention:
Mrs. Bernice was an Atlanta Braves FAN bar none!
She knew the players, where they were from, what they had done, their averages, their skill-sets, years playing, their relative worth to the team, who would get traded, who would leave, who would remain, how the coaches could hone each player’s skills, what changes the coaches would make, etc.
But ME...I probably couldn’t care less about the Braves!...It’s not that I particularly don’t like the Braves...It’s just that I have never been a true ‘fan’ of any particular sport. The only sports I really cared far were junior high(middle school) & high-school sports that our youngest son played. Only for a limited time I was interested in the school’s football & wrestling team.
I’m just simply & bluntly, ‘not a fan.’
Judas showed by his decisions, that he was not a fan either...
He was not a fan of God’s design in Christ Jesus.
Because of that, we have found that Judas Missed vital life lessons because of his unbelieving heart attitude AND as a result, Judas Missed his life’s focus due to his physical absence...
Judas missed the entirety of Jesus’ example & teaching which took place from the time of his prematurely leaving their gathering in the upper room(13:30; Mk. 14:15) until he arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane, with the detachment of soldiers, chief priests & Pharisees to arrest Jesus!(18:3; Mat. 27:27)—[Roman cohort(speira—the tenth part of a legion=600 soldiers)]
Need:
God’s People Practice...
*Gathering with the Church!
*Allowing God to use them despite their faults!
*Following God’s plain direction for them!
*Being an encouragement to others!
*Fulfilling their God-appointments!
...In doing so, they will never miss out on something vital & life-changing for themselves, their spouses, their children, & others!
JUDAS MISSED...
13:18-27—
•The PRIVILEGE Of BEING CHOSEN.
•EVIDENCE Of MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT.
•His ANCIENT WARNING.
•A MEMORABLE MISSION.
•His REPRESENTATIVE CALLING.
•The TRUE GOD.
•The WARNING Of BEING A HINDERANCE TO GOD.
•The WARNING Of DENYING PERSONAL SIN.
•The EASE & BLESSING Of SEEKING The LORD’s WISDOM.
•The CONFIDENCE Of ALTHOUGH LIMITED Yet TRUE KNOWLEDGE.
•The WARNING Of BEING OUT For YOURSELF.
•The WARNING Of GAINING ‘PERMISSION’ RATHER THAN FOLLOWING GOD’s ‘DIRECTION.’
13:28-30—
•The WARNING ABOUT The DAMNING VOICE Of AVARICE
•The WARNING That SIN TAKES SELFISH ADVANTAGE Of OTHER PEOPLE’s STRUGGLES
•The DANGER of PREYING Upon OTHERS
•The WARNING That SIN PROMOTES The DIFFICULTIES Of OTHERS In ORDER To PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY For SELF
•The WARNING SIGNS Of HIS OWN RUSE(Cf.-:22)
•The WARNING Of The INSATIABLE LUST/DESIRE Of The FLESH
•The WARNING Of the CONSTANT COMPULSION Of FLESH
•The PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION(Darkness) Of HIS SPIRITUAL REALITY
•The WARNING In DARKNESS
13:31-32—
•His PERVERSE ROLE In GLORIFYING GOD
•The FACT That GOD’s GLORY IS IN JESUS & VICE-VERSA.
13:33—
•A FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING CURVE
•.JESUS’ FINAL WORDS.
•The IMPORTANCE Of GOD’s TIMING.
•The IMPORTANCE Of PERSONAL PATIENCE.
•The IMPORTANCE Of JESUS’ PHYSICAL ABSENCE.
•The IMPORTANCE Of PREPAREDNESS BASED On PRESENT KNOWLEDGE.
JUDAS also MISSED...
13:34-35—
•A ‘NEW’ COMMANDMENT Of GOD.
•LOVE For The FAMILY OF GOD....
•The TELLING EXAMPLE & APPLICATION Of GOD’S LOVE.
•His OPPORTUNITY For LIFESTYLE WITNESS.
•The WITNESSING POWER Of LIVING OUT GOD’s LOVE.
13:36-37—
•TRUST In JESUS’ WORDS.
•CONTENTMENT With JESUS’ WORDS.
•The SATISFACTION In JESUS’ PROMISE.
•The WARNING Of SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE.
•The WARNING Of PIOUS PRIDE.
13:38—
•The WARNING Of MISINFORMED Or POORLY THOUGHT-OUT INTENTIONS.
•The WARNING Of DENYING/MISJUDGING ONE’s PERSONAL POTENTIAL For FAILURE.
14:1—
•REAL FREEDOM From ANXIETY.
We encourage you today to put the godly knowledge you receive into practice for the sake of yourself, your family, your community, your country, & for the sake of & betterment of the world.
•Judas missed(& threw away)...
JESUS/Christ/Messiah CENTERED BELIEF(14:1b)
Explanation:(14:1b)
14:1b—“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
“you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Jesus was telling the disciples that it was inevitable that He leave the earth & their sides as their teacher/leader/guide(13:33, 36). The disciples were confused as to why Jesus would leave them. They did not grasp what their salvation would require of both Him & others.
Jesus wanted His disciples to put as much ‘trust’ in Himself as they had invested in the Almighty “God” of Israel, whom they had experienced thru Scripture & their historical “belief.”
The choice is in your hands as to whether you will experience peace or “trouble”!
A belief in God as solitary(non -trinitarian) is flawed. Just as a belief in God as three separate gods(non-trinitarian) is flawed.
Jesus is divine yet He Himself is not the totality of God’s triune existence, as that also requires the Father & the Holy Spirit...& likewise for each person of the Trinity.
“Not”—mh—Particle—1) No, not lest. Strong—a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial); adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether.
“Heart”—kardia—Noun Fem.—1) The heart—1a) That organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, & hence was regarded as the seat of physical life, 1b) Denotes the center of all physical & spiritual life—1b1) The vigor & sense of physical life, 1b2) The centre & seat of spiritual life—1b2a) The soul or mind, as it is the fountain & seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors, 1b2b) Of the understanding, the faculty & seat of the intelligence, 1b2c) Of the will & character, 1b2d) Of the soul so far as it is affected & stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions, 1c) Of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate. Strong—prolonged from a primary kar(Latin, cor, "heart"); The heart, i.e. figuratively--The thoughts or feelings(mind); also by analogy--The middle.
“Troubled”—tarassw—Present Passive Imperative—1) To agitate, trouble(a thing, by the movement of its parts to & fro)—1a) To cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity, 1b) To disquiet, make restless, 1c) To stir up, 1d) To trouble—1d1) To strike one's spirit with fear & dread, 1e) To render anxious or distressed, 1f) To perplex the mind of one by suggesting scruples or doubts. Strong—of uncertain affinity; To stir or agitate(roll water). Used 17X.
“Believe”2X—pisteuw—[Both uses[pisteuete] could be either--Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural--OR--Present Active Imperative 2nd Plural—D.A. Carson]—1)To think to be true, to be persuaded of, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. his Fidelity. Strong—To have faith(in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).
“Also”—kai—Conjunction—1) And, also, even, indeed, but. Strong—apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative & sometimes also a cumulative force; And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection(or composition) with other particles or small words.
“In”—eiv—Preposition—1) Into, unto, to, towards, for, among. Strong—a primary preposition; To or Into(indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or figuratively--Purpose(result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases.
“Me”—eme—Pronoun Accusative—1) I, me, myself, etc. Strong—a prolonged form of me; Me.
Argumentation:
Mk. 9:17-27—“Then one of the crowd answered & said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, & becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him & said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, & he fell on the ground & wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. “And often he has thrown him both into the fire & into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us & help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out & said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf & dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him & enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, & came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand & lifted him up, & he arose.”
Js. 2:18-20—“But someone will say, “You have faith, & I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, & I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--& tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”
Jn. 20:31—“but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, & that believing you may have life in His name.”
Acts 5:38-42—“And now I[Gamaliel a teacher of the law] say to you, keep away from these men[Peter & the apostles who had been arrested for preaching God’s truth] & let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God.” And they agreed with him, & when they had called for the apostles & beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, & let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, & in every house, they did not cease teaching & preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
Acts 9:22—“But Saul[AKA-‘Paul’] increased all the more in strength, & confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”
Acts 18:5-6—“When Silas & Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, & testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him & blasphemed, he shook his garments & said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.””
Acts 18:24-28—“Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man & mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; & being fervent in spirit, he spoke & taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila & Priscilla heard him, they took him aside & explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; & when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.”
1Jn. 2:22-23—“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father & the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
1Jn. 5:1—“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, & everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.”
Many—even in churches—serve a God of their own invention/fabrication/devising/construction/concoction/formulation.
Such people only hold loosely to the Scripture, particularly when it speaks to a truth they do not agree with or accept. These are generally only able to openly tolerate 1-1/2 hours on any given Sunday.
We here at First Baptist urge you to trust Christ & thru Him to seek God’s reality, so that your lack of certainty will be settled with absolute certainty!
Illustration:
From—‘The 2000 Baptist Faith & Message’ located @ SBC.net
II. God
There is one & only one living & true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, & personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, & Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness & all other perfections. God is all powerful & all knowing; & His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, & future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, & obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
A. God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, & the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, & all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.
35 references to that fact.
B. God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit & born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed & did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands & necessities & identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, & in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body & appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven & is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God & man. He will return in power & glory to judge the world & to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living & ever present Lord.
81 references to that fact.
C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, & of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, & effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, & bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens & empowers the believer & the church in worship, evangelism, & service.
63 references to that fact.
All these references give testimony to the reality of God’s trinitarian existence, & thus to our full attention to the whole & each of them.
Application:
?Like Judas, have you Missed JESUS/Christ/Messiah CENTERED BELIEF ?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Mrs. Bernice the Atlanta Braves FAN bar none!
But ME...I’m just simply & bluntly, ‘not a fan.’
Judas was not a fan of God’s design.
Action:
Therefore, JUDAS MISSED...
•JESUS/Christ/Messiah CENTERED BELIEF
!You must not miss what Judas missed!
Jn. 14:1b-14:2 Presented 01/20/2019am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
