What We All Have Felt: Betrayed Series

Every time we turn away from God and play the prodigal we give him a Judas kiss—we betray him.

Every time we trust in the world and all of its clubs and groups and parties and bars and associations to give us what only JESUS can give us, we betray HIM!

And when we allow the body, the church of Jesus Christ we are members of, to believe we are supporting them, loving them, honoring our promises to them—but it is all pretentious lie—because behind the church’s back, and outside these walls we are orchestrating our own agenda.

Oh sure, we want to look good to everyone, but the TRUTH is we have a betrayer’s heart. “Oh pastor, now you’ve gone from preaching to meddling!”

Petra’s Greg Voltz sang these words about what it might be like when God’s children sin, “It must be like another thorn stuck in your brow; it must be like another close friend’s broken vow; It must be like another nail right through your wrist. It must be just like Judas’ kiss.

Ray Boltz sang, “Does he still feel the nails everytime I fail? Does he hear the crowd cry crucify again? Am I causing Him pain, then I know I’ve got to change. I just can’t bear the thought of hurting him.”

Anyone here today feeling betrayed this morning?

Are there any betrayers here this morning too?

When I think of Judas’ betrayal of the Lord, I always think of someone else who denied Jesus the honor he was due—Peter. But why did Peter get off from his betrayal and Judas didn’t?

Judas went away in guilt. Peter went away in sorrow.

Judas went back to the Pharisees. Peter went back to the disciples.

Judas gave the money back. Peter had nothing left.

Judas hung himself and took his own life. Peter found life again in Christ.

And Jesus came that one day to Peter and sat with him and while eating some fish-n-chips asked him three times—on purpose to remind him of his three denials—“Do you love me?” Then feed my sheep.

After Pentecost, Peter preached at his first attempt to feed the Lord’s sheep and 3,000 were brought into the kingdom that day and baptized into a body. Through the act of forgiveness Jesus washes us. And through the act of baptism we acknowledge outside what has happened to us on the inside.

It took a couple of months—almost a year for that young man to come around to apologizing to me for what he did. It took even longer for me to be able to initiate conversation with him because of the pain I felt. But I did it.

Why? I know what it’s like to be betrayed. AND I know what it’s like to have betrayed others…and stand in need of forgiveness too.

Today, as we continue to walk the Via Dolorosa with Christ through the STATIONS OF THE HEART, we stop at the scene of the betrayal and ask ourselves—have I betrayed the Christ? Am I betraying the Lord in the faithless way I am living? Am I betraying this church, HIS body on this earth, by making them think I care, that I am devoted, that I am committed because I come here—but when I am out there, I am not the same person; BUT …I …WANT TO BE!