A Little Bit Never Hurt Anybody
4/21/2002 Proverbs 1:8-19 Matthew 26:6-13
Have you ever heard those life-changing words, “A Little Bit Never Hurt Anybody?” You know that what is being offered is something you should say no to, but somebody says, “Oh go ahead and try it, a little bit won’t hurt.” People’s lives and futures have been forever altered, because they believed this lie. It is one of the earliest lies used by Satan.
Let’s go back to when Adam and Eve were perfect and lived in a perfect situation. God had provided them with everything they needed. He gave them one commandment. Eat from every tree in the garden that you see except for the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If you eat from it you will die.
Satan showed up in the garden, and he looked mighty fine. His good looks and smooth talking convinced Eve, “girl I’m on your side and I just want you to experience all of the good things of life. He let her know that even though God had told her not to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, eating just a little bit would certainly not cause them to die. Eve believed a little bit probably wouldn’t hurt anybody. She ate and sin came into the world, and all the rest of us have been under Satan’s influence since then.
Most of us are not going to just run and jump into doing wrong. We are going to think about it, and say it’s not worth it. But then we will open ourselves to little possibilities and situations, and start telling ourselves, a little bit never hurt anybody. I’ll only do it this one time. Will just one time matter.
Yes, meet one of our young girls who grew up in the church and was protecting her virginity. She really thought she might have been missing out after listening to her friends talk about sex. She decided, “I’ll only do it this one time.” She believed, the lie and in that one first time she got pregnant. Her life and that of her family changed course.
In our reading in Proverbs this morning, the Bible warns us, that when others tell us to join in and do what we know we should not do, do not go along with the crowd. As much as they tell us, “a little bit never hurt anybody” remember this is a lie. Look in the paper where a little drunk driving takes away the life of an innocent father of three who simply was on his way home from work.
Let’s look at a rather famous biblical character and see how the belief that a little bit never hurt anybody, changed the ending to his life. When he was born, no doubt he was the joy of his family. His parents were very proud of him. When they decided to choose a name for him, they looked for something special. They chose a name which meant, “the praise of the Lord.” They wanted their son’s life to be a witness of what God can do in a person’s life.
The young man grew up to be very smart. He had a good mind for financial record keeping and probably could have gone into business. He had the ability to influence other and quickly gain them to his side of an argument. He could speak passionately about meeting the needs of the poor. He probably would have made a good politician. He was a very likeable guy. He was the kind of person you just felt like you could trust.
As he was thinking about what to do with his life, he ran into the preaching of Jesus Christ. He had never heard anyone preach like Jesus before. Jesus spoke of how God loved people and wanted them to enter into a personal relationship with him.
Jesus would refer to God as His own Father. Jesus had a compassion for people and would heal them of all kinds of sicknesses and disease. Jesus would forgive people of their sins no matter what they had done. Jesus spoke with such authority that it was amazing.
Now here’s someone that he could listen to for days. He knew he could learn a lot from Jesus. He introduced himself to Jesus and got a warm welcome and embrace. He asked “ well, Jesus do you mind if I just kind of follow you around a lit bit and ahhm learn a little more from you.” Jesus probably said, “Sure, just hang with the rest of them. The group keeps getting larger and larger each day.”
Jesus knew that He needed a small group of people to teach and to train so that when he was gone, they could continue in the leadership role in his ministry. So he went up on the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer. That morning he and the other disciples were on the mountain. Jesus told them, “I’ve spent the night in prayer because I have a special assignment for 12 of you. You are to become my apostles. When I call your name, I want you to come up here with me.”
The young man is thinking what would it be like if he could be one of the 12 that Jesus called out. How proud his parents would be? This could be a big step forward in his life. It would be really good to have it on his resume. But there were so many disciples there. His mind stopped wandering for a moment as Jesus began to call out the names.
Where’s Simon and his brother Andrew, Come on James and bring your brother John. I’m also looking for Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew. Come on James, the Son of Alphaeus.
I want Simon the Zealot, Judas (when he heard Judas, his heart leaped into his mouth. Did I hear Jesus call my name) but then Jesus said , “Judas son of James.” That was not his father’s name. Jesus had already called 11 of the 12.
Then Jesus said, “and the final name is Judas Iscariot.” That was him! Jesus had called his name. Judas Iscariot. I can imagine Jesus looking at Judas Iscariot and smiling saying, “Well Judas are you coming up or not.”
Jesus tells the twelve, “Look fellows, there are a lot of small villages that need the touch and power of God. There’s not enough time for me to go to them all. I’m giving you the power and authority to drive out all demons, to cure diseases, to heal the sick and preach the kingdom of God.”
An anointing from God came upon the 12, and they were used mightily by God. Judas was already a good leader, and the anointing turned him into a great one. He quickly won the respect and admiration of the other disciples.
No doubt all the disciples came back to Jesus with money people had given to them in appreciation for what God had done for their lives. It was obvious they needed a treasurer to disburse and hand out the money. Somebody probably suggested Matthew, after all he had been a tax collector. “ I can imagine Matthew saying, oh no not me. That reminds me too much of what I used to be, and I never wanted to be tempted like that again.”
Somebody probably said, “Judas Iscariot has a good head with numbers. With a name that means praise the Lord, if we can’t trust him, who can we trust.” There probably was a big laugh and Judas Iscariot got the job. Having the role as treasurer gave Judas an even more intimate spot in Jesus’ life because there would be things he and Jesus would have to discuss about the money.
The friendship and level of love between Jesus and Judas was obvious to the disciples. They knew they had chosen the right man for the job.
And then one day it happened. It wasn’t that big of a thing at the time. But Judas fell short of some personal bill of his, or was it he saw something he wanted but couldn’t afford it right then. Whatever it was, he took some of the money from the treasury to pay for it, intending to pay it back. But he forgot to pay it, and nobody ever knew about it. You ever have something like that happen to you. You fully intended to make it right but you never did.
Well the next time it happened when Judas needed some money, he took it out of the treasury again. He started to believe, “well, taking a little bit never hurt anybody. They don’t even know about it anyways.” It is so easy to fall into this trap.
We can be married and start flirting with someone on the job, or be single and start flirting with someone’s spouse. We tell ourselves, oh nobody is being hurt. It’s all just harmless fun. A little bit of flirting never hurt anybody. At least it seems that way until, that flirting has led to the destruction of one or more families.
We can flirt with our future by fooling around with drugs. Nobody is going to know what we’re doing. We can stop it anytime we want to. A little bit of it never hurt anybody. You remember that when nobody in your family trusts you to be in their home, because of everything you’re stealing to pay for your habit. You remember that when you leave your kids alone because the love of crack is stronger than the love you have for your kids. You remember that when you lose your job.
You’re sick and tired of your parents telling you who you can hang out with. You’re not doing anything wrong yourself. A little bit of running with the wrong crowd never hurt anybody so long as you behave. You remember that when you’re a passenger in the car that you thought was your friend’s cousin only to realize its stolen when the police pulled you over.
You never ever stole a piece candy from a store and now you’re charged with a felony of auto theft. Not to mention the drugs that you didn’t know your friend had in the glove compartment. You never even smoked a cigarette and you’re being charged with drug trafficking.
You see right now, we think we have these situations under control. Judas knew he could cover his tracks. Everybody thought he was just absolutely wonderful as a leader. They did not know that he was living by the principle, “a little bit never hurt anybody.” The little bit principle never keeps things at the little bit level. We start increasing the size of the little bit so that we become more and more under its influence.
The next level is that we start thinking we deserve what we’re getting. I can imagine Judas thinking, “I’m entitled to some of this money since I’m doing all the work with the records.” People start saying, “I’m entitled to this relationship, after all I work hard and deserve to have my needs met.” People will even say, “I know God does not want me to be unhappy.” God wants us to do what’s right.
The more Judas stole from the treasury, the more he started to distance himself from Jesus. Sin always pushes us further from God, and makes us think God is not worthy of our praise. One day when Mary came with that very expensive bottle of perfume to offer to Jesus, Judas’ eyes lit up. When they sold that perfume, it would bring a lot of money into the treasury and a lot of it would go into his pockets.
But Mary wasn’t interested in money for the treasury. She just wanted to show her love for Jesus. She broke open the bottle and simply poured it all on Jesus. Judas immediately saw his plans for the money spread out all over the place with the smell. He wanted to make sure this never happened again.
He blasted into Mary. “Why did you waste all this perfume. It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” Isn’t that like Judas, the defender of the poor.” He had such influence that the other disciples began hating on Mary, trying to make her feel terrible about what she had done.
But Jesus told them, “Be quite and stop hating. Mary has done a worthy thing for me which will always be remembered. She prepared my body for burial. You always have the poor with you, and you can do for them anytime you like.”
Judas was so angry with Jesus for publicly rebuking him like this. He had already started his two faced campaign. But this time Jesus had gone to far. Immediately after this, Judas went to the people who hated Jesus and asked, “how much money will you give me, if I set Jesus up so you can get rid of him. They agreed on a price of thirty silver coins. How much money was that? That was the price of money you’d pay for a slave that had been wounded.
To think this all started because he believed “a little bit never hurt anybody.” It’s hurt Judas far more than he thinks he has. When he came to know Jesus, he never would have been believed that in three years he would initiate a murder plot for hire. The danger is, we all can fall into the same trap as Judas did regardless of how close we walked with the Lord
Do you really have any idea, where your belief is going to take you? On the night Judas was to betray Jesus, Jesus knew the whole deal and what was taking place. Jesus always knows everything that we’re doing. He loves us so much that He tries to give us the time to change the direction our lives are headed. At the final supper that night, he reserves the place of honor at his left side for Judas at the meal.
He announces one of you is going to betray me tonight. Jesus says, it would be better for the man to have never been born that to do what he is being tempted to do. Everybody is shocked. Who could it possibly be. Judas even asks Jesus quietly, “rabbi is it me” and Jesus says “Yes it is you.” This was Jesus final offer of love and compassion to Judas. But this thing had Judas and he couldn’t let it go.
Jesus then told him, “what you’re going to do, go out and do it quickly.” Judas was so smooth an operator, the disciples thought he was going out to buy something for the poor. It was not until after Judas’ plan worked and Jesus was arrested that it dawned on him what he had truly done. When Judas realized that Jesus was actually going to die because of his betrayal, his conscience struck him hard. He took back the 30 pieces of silver to the men who gave it to them.
He then went to a cliff with a tree branches hanging over the side of it. He tied a rope to the tree and hung himself. His weight caused the branch to break and he fell on the rocks below and burst open. Can you imagine how devastated his family was to learn that their rising star and the joy of their life had committed suicide over the sorrow of Jesus’ death?
Can you imagine how even more devastated they were when they learned the truth of how he had betrayed Jesus. Suicide is never the right answer. It leaves a trail of pain far greater for the ones left behind than the pain the person doing it sought to end. We never will know what would have happened to Judas if he had stayed around until after Jesus resurrection.
But there’s still hope for all of us here today. As we examine our lives, do we see any place where we are living by the philosophy a little bit never hurt anybody. Jesus came to this earth, because that’s what everybody believed.
But a little bit was sending everyone to hell and destruction, because that’s all the sin needed to separate us from God. Jesus did not die a little bit to save us. He died fully and completely to pay the price for our sins. Why not accept both his love and his warning and come back home to follow him? Even if you’ve failed again, He wants you to come back home.
K. Jesus Loves Judas & Tries To Help Him Out
1. The Place Of Honor At The Table
2. The Knowledge Of What’s Going Down
3. The Announcement Of Betrayal
Matthew 26:23-25 Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The 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." 25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."
4. Jesus Dismissal For Him To Leave
5. Judas Just Couldn’t Let Go
6. Smoother Operator—Leaves To Help Poor
L. The Unexpected Conscience Begins To Kick In
1. Jesus Is Condemned To Die
Matthew 27:3-5 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
"What is that to us?" they replied. "That’s your responsibility."
5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
1. The Cliff, The Tree, The Rocks
2. The Devastation Of The Family On Suicide
3. The Devastation Of The Family On Truth
4. What If He Had Of Waited Till Resurrection
M. Jesus Came To Save Us From ALBNHA
1. Examine Where We Are Living By ALBNHA
2. Jesus Died Fully And Completely For Us
3. Let’s Accept His Warning & His Love
4. Today Is The Day To Come Home
Sermon Outline—Pastor Rick 4/21/2002 NLF
A Little Bit Never Hurt Anybody
Proverbs 1:8-19 Matt 26:6-13 27:1-6
A. Have You Ever Heard The Life Changing Words
1. You Know You Should Say NO—But Somebody
2. Lives Forever Altered By 5 Words A-L-B-N-H-A
3. Satan Is The Original Founder
4. God---Garden—Commandment---Perfection
5. Satan-Fine & Beautiful—Convinces Eve
6. Eating A Little Could Not Possibly Do All
B. The Majority Will Not Seek To Go & Do Wrong
1. Count The Cost And Say No…But Open
2. The Small Things & Only One Time
3. Member Who Thought She Was Missing Out
4. Virginity, First Time, Pregnancy, Change
5. Proverbs Wisdom—Don’t Go Along With Crowd
6. A Little Bit Will Hurt---Drunk Driver—Father
C. A Baby And A Man With A Future
1. Famous Biblical Character
2. Life Changed by ALBNHA
3. Born—Joy Of The Family---Special Name
4. Name—Praise Of The Lord—Be A Witness
5. Grew Up –Smart—Good Business Mind
6. Natural Leader—Influencer, Passionate, Concerned
7. Likeable—Naturally Trustworthy
D. The Encounter With Jesus In Life’s Path
1. Jesus Preaching, Message Of God’s Love
2. Relationship, Compassion, Healing, Forgiveness
3. Authority
4. Could Listen For Days To Jesus
5. Introduction, Acceptance, Just Hang
E. Jesus Makes The Choice Of The Twelve
1. Prayer On Mountain, Announcement, Results
Luke 6:13-16 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
2. The Surprise Of Hearing His Name
3. The Mission—Power Authority, Healing, Preach
4. Judas Natural Leader—But More Gifted
5. Came Back With Great Results & Money
6. Who Would Make A Good Treasurer
7. Matthew Tax Collector—Trustworthy Judas
8. Judas & Jesus Grow Closer Together
F. The Change Came So Innocently At First
1. Did He Fall Short Or See It Not Affordable
2. Took It Intending On Putting It Back
3. Ever Have The Experience
4. The Next Time It Was Intentional But ALBNHA
G. The Trap Is Easy To Fall Into Without Warning
1. The Flirting At The Office—Just Harmless Fun
2. Look At The Families Left Over
3. The Drugs We Intended On Controlling
4. Mistrust, Loss Of Respect, Loss Of Love, Jobs
5. I Want To Hang With Who I Want To
6. Running With The Wrong Crowd ALBNHA
7. The Cousin Car, Felony, Drug Charge
8. The Illusion Of Having It All Under Control
9. Judas Knew Well How To Cover Tracts
10. A Little Bit Always Leads To More
H. The Second Stage—I Deserve To Have This
1. I’m Entitled To This Money Because I…
2. I’m Entitled The This Relationship Since….
3. God Wants Me To Be Happy
4. God Wants Me To Do Right.
I. The Third Stage—Distance Yourself From God
1. Sin Pushes Us Away—God Is Not Worthy
2. Mary Brings In The Expensive Bottle Of Perfume
3. Judas Sees Dollars—Mary Sees Jesus
4. Mary Seeks To Bless Jesus—Judas Gets Angry
5. Judas—Why The Waste --The Poor, The Poor
6. The Disciples Join In The Hating
7. John’s Special Insight
John 12:6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
J. Jesus Rebukes The Disciples, Commends Mary
1. The Public Rebuke Too Much For Judas
Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests 15and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
2. How Much Money—Wounded Slave
3. Three Years Ago It Would Not Be Possible
4. Judas—Murder Plot For Hire—Beware
5. Where IS ALBNHA Taking Us
