WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:25.880 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons. 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:30.420 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:31.260 the latest message. 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:32.460 Thanks for listening. 00:00:46.460 --> 00:00:47.400 Good morning. 00:00:48.260 --> 00:00:49.540 That sounded good. 00:00:49.620 --> 00:00:53.600 Glad you guys are here with us today, whether you're here with us on campus or you're joining 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:54.420 us online. 00:00:54.420 --> 00:00:59.600 If you've got your Bibles, go ahead and open them up to Matthew chapter 26, all right? 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:04.740 We've been in Luke since Christmas, and we're going to take a break over the next three weeks 00:01:04.740 --> 00:01:07.400 and dive into an Easter series. 00:01:07.660 --> 00:01:11.680 And so we'll be doing that Easter all the way through April 4th, and then the Sunday after 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:12.100 Easter. 00:01:12.440 --> 00:01:13.960 Excited to be able to share this with you guys. 00:01:14.160 --> 00:01:18.740 We're going to have a special guest speaker on April the 11th. 00:01:19.240 --> 00:01:24.300 Dustin Stotman, who is our church planner that we are working with in Salt Lake City, is 00:01:24.300 --> 00:01:25.160 going to be here. 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:29.000 And he called me, he said, hey man, I'm going to be in South Carolina that weekend. 00:01:29.100 --> 00:01:31.440 I would love to come to Willow Ridge and share with the church. 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:33.260 And so, Justin is going to be here. 00:01:33.360 --> 00:01:37.520 He's going to share what God is doing, but also preach that Sunday. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:42.780 And so you'll make sure, you want to make sure that you're here for the 11th with that. 00:01:43.020 --> 00:01:48.540 I do want to take a couple minutes and clarify a few things about Easter, and I hope that 00:01:48.540 --> 00:01:52.540 I don't complicate things as I try to clarify, but I can do that from time to time. 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:56.180 All right, so we are having three services on Easter. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:03.120 The 7.30 service is going to be an outdoor as close as we can get to as Baptist sunrise, 00:02:03.360 --> 00:02:03.520 right? 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:05.940 So 7.30 that morning, all right? 00:02:06.180 --> 00:02:08.300 And so if, man, this is a good opportunity. 00:02:08.660 --> 00:02:13.720 Maybe since COVID's hit, you've just been worshiping online, but you want to be back and want to 00:02:13.720 --> 00:02:18.360 have that opportunity with us, being out there to have the sunrise service with us would be 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:19.300 a great opportunity. 00:02:19.800 --> 00:02:23.560 That service will be everybody, babies all the way through, all right? 00:02:23.600 --> 00:02:27.080 We'll all be gathered outside for a time of worship together. 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:32.020 It will be a little bit scaled back acoustic worship because we'll be outside, but the message 00:02:32.020 --> 00:02:36.920 will be the same and we'll be taking part of the Lord's Supper together as well during 00:02:36.920 --> 00:02:37.580 the sunrise. 00:02:37.580 --> 00:02:43.640 Then 9.30 and 11 is going to be family worship, but we will have the nursery available. 00:02:44.040 --> 00:02:47.220 And again, we'll be taking the Lord's Supper for both of those as well. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:49.720 A lot going on with our student ministry. 00:02:50.160 --> 00:02:54.740 We've got the lock-in that's happening Friday night. 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:59.580 I told Joel from the very beginning, man, I will do anything you ask me to do during this 00:02:59.580 --> 00:03:02.820 interim time except participate in a lock-in. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:07.100 So I will not be here, but Joel's going to be leading those 6th through 12th graders. 00:03:07.100 --> 00:03:08.580 So here's what I want you to do. 00:03:08.920 --> 00:03:09.800 Parents, all right? 00:03:10.580 --> 00:03:16.060 Give them airheads and Red Bull and drop them off and let Joel and his team have fun with 00:03:16.060 --> 00:03:16.180 them. 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:17.040 But love to do that. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.880 A high school Bible study on Wednesday nights are going strong. 00:03:20.200 --> 00:03:21.100 Middle school, we're strong. 00:03:21.420 --> 00:03:23.760 Tonight, I want to say this as I lead our middle school study. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.340 We're starting a new study tonight on boldness, but we're going to start off with a gaga ball 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:28.700 tournament. 00:03:28.820 --> 00:03:31.600 Wyatt and Joel worked hard to get a gaga ball pit for us. 00:03:31.820 --> 00:03:36.580 So we're going to start off tonight, even before we eat, with a winner-take-all, right, 00:03:36.660 --> 00:03:40.080 in theme of March Madness, gaga ball tournament. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:43.880 If you're a middle schooler, you don't know what gaga ball is, show up tonight. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:44.740 You will love it. 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:46.420 I enjoy it as well. 00:03:46.620 --> 00:03:48.220 I'm usually the first one knocked out. 00:03:48.300 --> 00:03:48.520 All right. 00:03:48.720 --> 00:03:51.960 So Matthew chapter 26 here, let's get started here. 00:03:52.200 --> 00:03:52.340 All right. 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:52.840 Here's the deal. 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:57.300 The Easter story is a powerful story. 00:03:57.940 --> 00:04:02.200 And we know that because at least to some extent, you're here this morning. 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.140 So whether you're a believer or not, you've heard the story. 00:04:06.620 --> 00:04:07.580 You know what happens. 00:04:07.660 --> 00:04:08.600 You know what takes place. 00:04:08.700 --> 00:04:11.940 You know that the Easter story is filled with plot twists. 00:04:11.940 --> 00:04:12.900 There's heroes. 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:14.080 There's villains. 00:04:14.340 --> 00:04:15.360 There's skeptics. 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:16.800 There's followers. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:17.840 There's conflict. 00:04:18.140 --> 00:04:22.200 There's resolution, right, for us as believers of what we understand. 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:28.520 That the Easter story is 100% historically accurately true. 00:04:29.020 --> 00:04:30.680 That's what we believe as followers of Jesus. 00:04:31.460 --> 00:04:37.700 Historically proves that Jesus was a man, the crucifixion happened, and his history proves 00:04:37.700 --> 00:04:39.000 that the tomb was empty. 00:04:39.500 --> 00:04:43.300 And we as believers, we know the reason why, the hope. 00:04:43.760 --> 00:04:47.680 We know that it wasn't just a man who was crucified, but it was Christ, 00:04:47.760 --> 00:04:51.080 fully God, fully man, crucified for the sins of the world. 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:56.700 We know as believers that his body wasn't lost, that his body wasn't smuggled out, but that 00:04:56.700 --> 00:05:03.120 his body that was dead for three days began to fill with blood and oxygen again. 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:07.540 And his lungs began to expand, and his heart began to beat. 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:13.480 And Jesus, who was fully dead, became fully alive again and walked out of the tomb in the 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:14.480 power of the resurrection. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:16.200 And it's why we have hope. 00:05:16.200 --> 00:05:21.920 It's the reason why we sing, because one day as well, our physical bodies will be laid into 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:26.180 a tomb, but our spirit will be risen to live with God for all of eternity. 00:05:26.420 --> 00:05:31.580 And it's the reason why we can say, I raise a hallelujah, right, in the middle of all of 00:05:31.580 --> 00:05:35.140 this that surrounds me, because our hope is found with Jesus. 00:05:36.140 --> 00:05:42.780 And if you take the Easter story, and you just put it on paper and give it to someone, while 00:05:42.780 --> 00:05:46.500 they might not believe it to be true, there would be parts of them that would resonate. 00:05:47.640 --> 00:05:49.840 They would find out that there's a hero named Jesus. 00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:53.840 They would find out the sacrifice that he goes through. 00:05:54.540 --> 00:06:00.420 But also, within it, like most good stories, they would learn pretty quickly that there's 00:06:00.420 --> 00:06:01.140 a villain. 00:06:02.420 --> 00:06:08.680 And the story of Easter often has to be told, or not often, but always has to be told with 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:10.440 telling of the villain. 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:12.580 Now, most of y'all know this. 00:06:12.640 --> 00:06:13.560 I know we've got some new faces. 00:06:13.900 --> 00:06:16.100 If you don't know this, let me confess this. 00:06:16.640 --> 00:06:19.440 I love Star Wars, right? 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:24.320 Like, we own multiple lightsabers at my house. 00:06:24.460 --> 00:06:29.760 As my kids are 13 years old now, as they've gotten older, right, we've had those journeys 00:06:29.760 --> 00:06:33.440 where we take toys to Goodwill. 00:06:34.320 --> 00:06:38.980 And I want to tell you, as they put toys to go to Goodwill, there are pieces that dad grabs 00:06:38.980 --> 00:06:43.820 out, because they're not ready to release them, but I'm not ready to release them, right? 00:06:44.140 --> 00:06:45.600 And it's all the Star Wars stuff. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:46.680 I love Star Wars. 00:06:47.660 --> 00:06:53.000 And for me, what cannot be missed in Star Wars is Darth Vader. 00:06:53.860 --> 00:06:54.460 He's the villain. 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:57.540 You've got to have Darth Vader in the story. 00:06:57.880 --> 00:07:03.420 If you take Darth Vader out, and if you haven't seen the movies, I apologize, but that's what 00:07:03.420 --> 00:07:04.800 you need to do this afternoon, okay? 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:10.540 If you take Darth Vader out, you still have the Force, you still have the Empire, you still 00:07:10.540 --> 00:07:14.700 have the Rebel Alliance, you still have all of the characters that are there, but it is 00:07:14.700 --> 00:07:19.040 pivotal, because you have to understand who the villain is to understand where the good 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:21.740 comes from, and to understand the hope that we have. 00:07:22.640 --> 00:07:28.640 Now, for here, when we tell the story of Easter, you can't tell the story of Easter without 00:07:28.640 --> 00:07:31.020 telling the story of who we believe to be the villain. 00:07:31.820 --> 00:07:37.160 And while we're going to talk about Jesus this morning, so much of the dialogue that I want 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:43.960 us to have today isn't just focusing on Jesus, but is also telling the story of the villain 00:07:43.960 --> 00:07:46.540 that we think of, the guy named Judas. 00:07:47.500 --> 00:07:53.080 Now, when you think of Judas, those of you who know the story, how would you describe him? 00:07:53.160 --> 00:07:56.440 What comes to mind when the name Judas is said? 00:07:57.100 --> 00:08:00.160 You could think of a sneak, he's the guy that broke away. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:05.720 You would think of a betrayer, he's the one who went and betrayed those who were closest 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:06.240 to him. 00:08:06.780 --> 00:08:12.540 You think greedy, he sold out for some money and betrayed those that were closest to him 00:08:12.540 --> 00:08:15.700 so that he could gain a financial peace. 00:08:16.580 --> 00:08:25.500 He was a liar, he was a deceiver, he was sinister, and those are the characteristics that we think 00:08:25.500 --> 00:08:27.120 of when we think of Judas. 00:08:28.080 --> 00:08:34.720 But what if history, what if the Bible told a little bit different narrative? 00:08:35.660 --> 00:08:38.640 He did all those things, we're going to look at them in just a second. 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:43.820 But what if those weren't the only aspects of Judas that we need to consider this morning? 00:08:44.520 --> 00:08:49.380 What if I were to tell you that Judas, while he was all of those things, what if I were 00:08:49.380 --> 00:08:57.360 to tell you that Judas was respected, considered trustworthy, was dependable, and was committed? 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:05.860 In John chapter 13, the Bible tells us that amongst the disciples of Jesus, that Judas was 00:09:05.860 --> 00:09:07.000 the one who kept the money. 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:13.340 So that says something to me about his character, or the perceived character about him to those 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:14.280 around him, right? 00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:18.640 Like, you know this, someone at work, maybe someone in your neighborhood, someone maybe 00:09:18.640 --> 00:09:22.780 even with your family, y'all all decide y'all are going to collect money for some purpose 00:09:22.780 --> 00:09:24.180 or some reason, right? 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:26.660 Do you give the money to your sketchy uncle? 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:27.860 No, right? 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:31.680 You give the money to the most trusted individual that you know. 00:09:31.880 --> 00:09:34.900 You don't give the money to the neighbor that no one talks to. 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:38.960 You give the money to the neighbor that everyone knows and that everyone trusts. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:44.480 And so it says to me, when I begin to think through Judas in John chapter 13, was that for 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:48.080 those that were closest to him, he exhibited some behaviors. 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:51.720 He exhibited some characteristics of like, nah, he's a trustworthy dude. 00:09:52.820 --> 00:09:54.480 Nah, I can go with Judas. 00:09:55.280 --> 00:10:01.080 I can take the money that we've been given, that we've been entrusted with, and I can give 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:05.380 that to him that he's going to do with it what needs to be done with it. 00:10:05.380 --> 00:10:11.460 Now, there's lots of character flaws within Judas, but at least on the outside of what 00:10:11.460 --> 00:10:12.460 people begin to see. 00:10:13.560 --> 00:10:18.420 Here's what I'll tell you is, as Judas was on that journey with Jesus, we see a lot of 00:10:18.420 --> 00:10:24.140 people in the three years of Jesus's ministry not stand and not make all the way to Jerusalem. 00:10:24.980 --> 00:10:30.520 As Jesus called for, as Jesus commanded, as Jesus set for its standards, there was people 00:10:30.520 --> 00:10:37.100 who were consistently walking away and walking away and walking away, but Judas, to some extent, 00:10:37.900 --> 00:10:40.000 kind of perseveres and moves on through. 00:10:40.420 --> 00:10:41.440 Here's my point. 00:10:41.520 --> 00:10:45.340 Here's what I want us to understand as we read through the Easter story. 00:10:46.420 --> 00:10:49.340 Judas is not like the villain that we think of in a movie. 00:10:50.340 --> 00:10:56.220 He's not hiding back in his lair, plotting and saying, oh, there's this guy named Jesus, 00:10:57.520 --> 00:11:02.740 and he's going to come through my town, and I'm going to form a relationship with him, and 00:11:02.740 --> 00:11:07.220 I'm going to build this level of trust, and I'm going to work and leverage one day to where 00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:13.240 I'll be instrumental in his crucifixion, and I'm going to do it all for money. 00:11:14.180 --> 00:11:18.240 That's not the narrative that we see in Scripture. 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:26.840 We know where his path led him, but Judas experienced all of the things that we've been 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:29.120 looking at so far in Luke and more. 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:33.060 He was there when dead people became alive. 00:11:34.140 --> 00:11:38.980 He was there when Jesus spoke and demons were cast out. 00:11:39.640 --> 00:11:45.640 He was there when Jesus took a few fish and a few pieces of bread and performed a miracle 00:11:45.640 --> 00:11:46.920 and fed the masses. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:50.860 Jesus entrusted him to go take the food to him. 00:11:51.740 --> 00:11:56.080 Judas was one of the disciples who, through the power of the Spirit, was given to him by God 00:11:56.080 --> 00:12:01.740 to go into the village to heal and cast out demons and declare the good news of the gospel. 00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:09.040 These are all things about Judas, but yet there were pieces of him that fell apart. 00:12:09.220 --> 00:12:12.300 There were pieces of him that were broken. 00:12:12.660 --> 00:12:17.960 There were pieces of him that don't line up with the command of what God calls us to. 00:12:18.180 --> 00:12:22.540 And there was a piece of him who missed so many things along the way. 00:12:22.740 --> 00:12:27.720 And my fear is that for you and I, it's easy for us to look at and say, 00:12:28.040 --> 00:12:32.780 Jesus is the hero of the Easter story, and Judas is the villain. 00:12:32.940 --> 00:12:37.680 But the truth is, is that when we look at our lives, there's a lot of Judas in us. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:45.200 And maybe Judas isn't the only villain of the Easter story, but maybe that man who I looked 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:48.420 at in the mirror this morning, maybe he's got a role in it too. 00:12:49.520 --> 00:12:51.980 And maybe he's got a part of that too. 00:12:52.860 --> 00:12:59.500 And maybe this just isn't limited to one man and his ambition of greed, but maybe it's a condition 00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:03.560 of mankind and what God wants to remove from us. 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:07.360 And so let's start reading Matthew 26. 00:13:08.060 --> 00:13:09.080 Start in verse 6. 00:13:10.920 --> 00:13:37.680 Let's pause for just one second here. 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:40.600 Verse 8 doesn't say when Judas saw it. 00:13:40.920 --> 00:13:45.640 Verse 8 says when the disciples saw it. 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:54.200 And that's important for us because this conflict of what should we do and how is Jesus responding 00:13:54.200 --> 00:14:01.200 isn't isolated to the heart of one individual, but it is permanating through all of those who 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:02.740 are closest to Christ. 00:14:03.580 --> 00:14:09.880 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, why waste this? 00:14:10.100 --> 00:14:13.820 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor. 00:14:13.920 --> 00:14:14.500 Verse 10. 00:14:14.860 --> 00:14:19.380 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, why do you trouble the woman? 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:22.120 For she has done a beautiful thing for me. 00:14:22.640 --> 00:14:28.240 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:33.560 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 00:14:34.140 --> 00:14:40.280 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has 00:14:40.280 --> 00:14:44.300 done will also be told in memory of her. 00:14:45.300 --> 00:14:51.440 And so we have this point where there's this group of followers of Jesus, and they see a 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:53.440 woman walk in with some ointment. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:56.600 It's an alabaster flask of ointment. 00:14:57.400 --> 00:14:58.600 It's valuable. 00:14:59.520 --> 00:15:02.120 It could be worth up to a year's wage. 00:15:03.280 --> 00:15:11.580 And Jesus reclines back at the table, and she comes in, and she begins to pour every drop 00:15:11.580 --> 00:15:12.360 of it, right? 00:15:12.900 --> 00:15:15.520 Like she's like the old Heinz 57 bottle, right? 00:15:15.560 --> 00:15:18.260 Like she's trying to get it all out on Jesus. 00:15:20.260 --> 00:15:21.920 And what's their response? 00:15:23.280 --> 00:15:25.180 Why do you waste this on him? 00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:30.480 Not some, all of it. 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.820 And notice their words. 00:15:33.380 --> 00:15:34.480 Notice their thoughts. 00:15:34.760 --> 00:15:36.440 Not why do you use this. 00:15:37.140 --> 00:15:39.020 Not why do you pour this. 00:15:39.900 --> 00:15:42.300 Why is this wasted? 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:46.420 Wasted on Jesus. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.840 Now, here's a side point, okay? 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:52.140 This is just kind of laying here for just a moment, all right? 00:15:52.660 --> 00:15:56.220 If you waste anything on the Lord, it's not wasted on him. 00:15:57.620 --> 00:16:03.040 Waste your life on him, and in wasting your life on him, you will find the purpose and hope 00:16:03.040 --> 00:16:06.740 and satisfaction and joy in your life, right? 00:16:07.560 --> 00:16:09.020 And Jesus says, you don't get it. 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:10.840 You don't get it. 00:16:11.640 --> 00:16:15.220 Everything that she's doing is preparing me for what awaits. 00:16:15.220 --> 00:16:25.200 And Jesus says, and in fact, wherever the gospel is proclaimed, right, the memory of her will 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:26.980 be told, right? 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:29.020 The power of this act. 00:16:29.640 --> 00:16:34.860 And the disciples, every single one of them misses it. 00:16:35.540 --> 00:16:42.020 And what we begin to see here is this weak faith in these disciples that had an expectation. 00:16:42.340 --> 00:16:44.040 Now, let's understand their expectation. 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:50.560 They didn't say, Jesus, we think we should have taken this bottle of ointment and sold 00:16:50.560 --> 00:16:52.820 it so that we could all get new places to live. 00:16:53.680 --> 00:16:59.120 Or Jesus, that we should have sold the ointment so that our meal situation could be taken care 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.120 of, so that Jesus, that we can be provided for. 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:08.740 It's careful for us to note that within this passage of Scripture, what their heart was, 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:12.460 right, what their motivation was, we could argue is good. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:17.280 If we were to sell that, think of all the things that we could do for the poor. 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:23.340 This, Lord, is our expectation, but Jesus says, but you're missing it. 00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:31.660 And what we're going to see in this Easter narrative is that when weak faith and unmet expectations 00:17:31.660 --> 00:17:36.660 collide, oftentimes destruction comes if we miss it. 00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:38.440 If we miss it. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:47.720 When our faith is weak and our unmet expectations that we give for the Lord, when they collide, 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:51.560 and they don't mesh well, destruction comes. 00:17:52.800 --> 00:17:55.080 Disciples have an expectation. 00:17:56.340 --> 00:17:57.900 Jesus, it shouldn't be wasted on you. 00:17:58.780 --> 00:18:00.340 But Jesus had a different plan. 00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:06.520 When we think of the Easter story of what we'll look at through the cross, what we'll look at 00:18:06.520 --> 00:18:12.660 through the resurrection, the pain of sins, the process of what God wants to do, the resurrection, 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.560 the hope that's found in new life, in all of these things. 00:18:16.280 --> 00:18:21.080 But what I want us to look at this morning are there are warnings for us. 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:29.260 There are warnings of the Easter story that God so graciously gives us for us to look at 00:18:29.260 --> 00:18:30.960 and examine for our lives. 00:18:31.800 --> 00:18:31.920 Right? 00:18:32.020 --> 00:18:38.580 It's those pieces, those warning signs where it is easy to say, Jesus died for me, 00:18:39.140 --> 00:18:42.540 but the warning signs of Easter say, but I put him there. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:44.820 But I put him there. 00:18:46.180 --> 00:18:48.400 It's my hand who grabbed the hammer. 00:18:49.060 --> 00:18:51.240 It's my sin that put him on the cross. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:53.480 And so yes, he died. 00:18:53.780 --> 00:18:55.500 Yes, there's freedom that we find. 00:18:55.820 --> 00:18:58.360 Yes, there's new life and salvation and all this. 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:02.380 But there's the warning signs of Easter that me and you put him there. 00:19:02.820 --> 00:19:04.140 It's our sin. 00:19:05.840 --> 00:19:07.200 And so that's what I want us to look at. 00:19:07.860 --> 00:19:13.720 The first warning sign that God's going to give us is beware of conditional Christianity. 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:16.140 Beware of conditional Christianity. 00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:18.240 Judas had a price. 00:19:19.800 --> 00:19:19.840 Right? 00:19:19.940 --> 00:19:22.540 Judas had a line in the sand. 00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:29.260 Judas had an expectation of Jesus, of what Jesus should do. 00:19:30.060 --> 00:19:34.400 And we see this all throughout, through all of the disciples as they walk with God, 00:19:34.700 --> 00:19:36.120 as they walk with Jesus. 00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:38.580 They think, well, you should have handled that differently. 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:39.860 You should have handled this differently. 00:19:40.100 --> 00:19:43.440 We have the expectations, and this was largely for all of them, 00:19:43.560 --> 00:19:46.680 that Jesus would come, Jesus would establish his earthly kingdom. 00:19:47.020 --> 00:19:47.940 Jesus does that. 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:49.660 We're a part of this earthly kingdom. 00:19:49.660 --> 00:19:53.180 But Jesus also talks about a heavenly kingdom of what's there. 00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:58.400 And Jesus' kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, both here on earth and all for eternity. 00:19:58.620 --> 00:20:00.680 But what they wanted was a different kingdom. 00:20:01.260 --> 00:20:04.460 They wanted to go back to the glory days of David and Solomon. 00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:06.760 They wanted Rome removed. 00:20:07.080 --> 00:20:11.880 They wanted to relive the time of, we're not walking out of Egypt like we did before, 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:13.840 but instead, Egypt is walking out of here. 00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:16.800 And Jesus didn't meet those expectations. 00:20:17.540 --> 00:20:21.480 And they built, and they built, and they built, and they built. 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:24.480 And what we see is Judas had a price. 00:20:24.580 --> 00:20:26.180 Let's keep reading verse 14. 00:20:27.580 --> 00:20:32.040 Then one of the 12, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priest and said, 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.720 What will you give me if I deliver him over to you? 00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:38.020 And they paid him 30 pieces of silver. 00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:43.440 And from that moment, he sought an opportunity to betray him. 00:20:44.280 --> 00:20:48.640 You see, for Judas, he walked with Jesus saying this, 00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:50.660 I'll take up my cross. 00:20:52.280 --> 00:20:59.740 I'll follow you if, if, if. 00:21:00.740 --> 00:21:06.460 And when Jesus didn't fulfill what the other end of the if was, 00:21:06.940 --> 00:21:09.900 that was time for Judas to say, I'm done. 00:21:11.060 --> 00:21:12.620 Now, I want to be honest with you. 00:21:13.460 --> 00:21:16.860 There are a lot of us in here who have that same mindset. 00:21:18.440 --> 00:21:20.180 Judas disagreed with Jesus. 00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:22.660 Judas didn't understand Jesus. 00:21:23.300 --> 00:21:25.020 Judas didn't fully trust Jesus. 00:21:25.020 --> 00:21:29.160 And as a result of that, Judas walked away from Jesus. 00:21:30.740 --> 00:21:33.000 Now, let's be honest about ourselves in our life. 00:21:34.060 --> 00:21:36.980 How many ifs do you have in your faith? 00:21:38.320 --> 00:21:40.280 Lord, I will follow you if. 00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:42.440 Lord, I will be obedient to you if. 00:21:42.820 --> 00:21:44.560 Lord, I will trust you if. 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:46.780 Lord, I will release to you if. 00:21:47.060 --> 00:21:51.600 And when God doesn't fulfill the other end of that, then who failed? 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.400 Your expectations are God. 00:21:54.300 --> 00:21:56.900 We say he did. 00:21:57.900 --> 00:21:58.620 But no, no, no. 00:21:59.140 --> 00:22:00.080 It's what we did. 00:22:00.740 --> 00:22:06.540 And we find two behaviors that come as a fruit of this conditional Christianity. 00:22:06.700 --> 00:22:09.180 Number one, the first one, it's what Judas did. 00:22:09.320 --> 00:22:10.660 We walk away from Jesus. 00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:12.140 We see this all the time. 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:16.560 Men and women of faith, supposed faith, and they go through a crisis. 00:22:16.840 --> 00:22:18.420 They go through an unmet expectation. 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:19.660 And what do they do? 00:22:19.800 --> 00:22:21.120 They walk away from Jesus. 00:22:21.340 --> 00:22:22.720 They walk away from faith. 00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:24.900 They walk away from their relationship with him. 00:22:25.020 --> 00:22:28.380 And it leads to a path of destruction that we'll see with Judas as well. 00:22:28.560 --> 00:22:29.580 But there's another one. 00:22:29.800 --> 00:22:35.020 There's another more passive-aggressive one that we do where it's culturally expected for 00:22:35.020 --> 00:22:40.260 so many of us to be Christian, to say the right things, to do the right things. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:43.920 So we're not going to walk away from Jesus, but here's what we're going to do. 00:22:44.020 --> 00:22:45.300 We're going to walk away from the church. 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:48.540 Now, when I talk about walking away from the church, I'm going to be careful. 00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:51.200 I'm not talking about walking away from here. 00:22:52.580 --> 00:22:56.440 I'm talking about walking away from the church, the big C church. 00:22:57.340 --> 00:23:02.300 Not because God creates something within you and you move from one church to another church. 00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:03.400 Happens all the time. 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:06.520 God works and God moves that way. 00:23:07.980 --> 00:23:15.620 But when we walk away from the big C church and we make foolish, sinful statements like this. 00:23:16.940 --> 00:23:18.960 Well, I know the Lord. 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:21.880 I love Jesus, but I don't need the church. 00:23:22.620 --> 00:23:25.780 I can have him without having them. 00:23:26.820 --> 00:23:31.380 And the truth of scripture is that that's not at all the way this works. 00:23:32.580 --> 00:23:37.280 You know, you can't claim love for the groom and not love the bride. 00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:41.700 You can't love the father and hate the children. 00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:43.140 Right? 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:47.160 For all of you who are married or have kids, like you know this. 00:23:48.700 --> 00:23:51.920 I've been ringing around in my head, should I use this illustration or not? 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:54.120 So the answer is probably no, but I'm going to do it anyways. 00:23:56.060 --> 00:23:58.420 Jesus says if somebody strikes, you turn the other cheek, right? 00:23:59.060 --> 00:23:59.960 I get that. 00:24:00.560 --> 00:24:02.300 Don't try it afterwards, please. 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:06.420 Like if you come up and you slap me, you can do stuff to me. 00:24:07.620 --> 00:24:11.340 But you do something to my wife. 00:24:12.900 --> 00:24:14.220 You do something to my kids. 00:24:16.120 --> 00:24:17.860 Me and God will have to get right after. 00:24:19.560 --> 00:24:25.620 Because you can't attack my bride and not expect the groom's heart to not be hurt. 00:24:26.740 --> 00:24:33.800 You can't hate the kids and not expect the dad to have heartache in that moment. 00:24:35.560 --> 00:24:38.820 And parents and spouses, you've walked through that. 00:24:39.980 --> 00:24:45.520 And I can't help but wonder what the heart of God feels like when we make foolish statements. 00:24:46.380 --> 00:24:48.920 Like I love God, but I don't need his church. 00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:51.560 I don't need those people. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:54.280 I don't need to be a part of that. 00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:57.740 You can't love the groom and yet not love the bride. 00:24:57.900 --> 00:25:00.460 You can't love the father and yet hate the children. 00:25:01.460 --> 00:25:04.080 In a few weeks, we're going to talk about this a little bit more. 00:25:04.820 --> 00:25:07.200 But Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24 and 25 says, 00:25:07.500 --> 00:25:12.120 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 00:25:12.320 --> 00:25:15.680 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, 00:25:16.780 --> 00:25:22.920 but encouraging one another all the more as you see the day drawing near. 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:28.880 So if you've bought into the lie that you don't need the gathering of God's people, 00:25:29.080 --> 00:25:30.140 that's a lie. 00:25:30.320 --> 00:25:31.180 That's sin. 00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:33.660 You need God. 00:25:34.600 --> 00:25:36.080 And you need us. 00:25:37.120 --> 00:25:38.440 And we need you. 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:45.000 That there's this work of the Lord of what God does when God's people gather together. 00:25:45.980 --> 00:25:48.200 You see, because it's not a family reunion, 00:25:48.940 --> 00:25:55.880 but it's a family who's coming together to build, to encourage, to strengthen, to pour in. 00:25:56.120 --> 00:26:00.860 Here's the thing, like all of you could leave here today and I could be here 00:26:00.860 --> 00:26:03.320 and I know that God's here with me, right? 00:26:04.080 --> 00:26:04.800 I get that. 00:26:05.620 --> 00:26:10.500 I get whether I'm gathered in a service or I'm out on a mountain trail by myself, 00:26:10.860 --> 00:26:11.820 God is with me. 00:26:12.300 --> 00:26:15.680 But there's a beautiful picture of what happens in the body of Christ 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:17.340 when God's people gather together. 00:26:18.540 --> 00:26:21.160 And so in this, what part, I'm sorry, 00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:24.020 what conditional Christianity will lead us to 00:26:24.020 --> 00:26:26.840 is walking away from Jesus, walking away from church. 00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:28.940 Who does Judas walk away from? 00:26:29.080 --> 00:26:30.380 Jesus and the disciples. 00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:32.620 Both of them. 00:26:34.760 --> 00:26:36.260 And we'll see where it leads you. 00:26:37.300 --> 00:26:39.180 The second thing to be aware of 00:26:39.180 --> 00:26:43.340 is be aware of partial Christianity, all right? 00:26:43.860 --> 00:26:46.280 And Judas wasn't the only one who betrayed Jesus. 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:48.440 It wasn't just him. 00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:52.240 Everything that we think about with Judas, 00:26:53.140 --> 00:26:57.940 sketchy guy, working in dark, working in secret, is willing to betray. 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:02.340 To be honest with you, when I think of Peter, I think of the exact opposite. 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:05.840 And I believe that's kind of supported by Scripture. 00:27:05.840 --> 00:27:08.820 We see in the interaction of the garden, 00:27:09.240 --> 00:27:14.300 in the moment where Judas is coming to betray Jesus with a kiss, 00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:16.480 what does Peter do? 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:20.620 Peter doesn't care about all of the Roman soldiers. 00:27:21.560 --> 00:27:26.860 Peter doesn't care about all of the weapons and the armor and the shields that they have. 00:27:27.260 --> 00:27:32.560 Peter reaches out and grabs a dagger and he takes off after them. 00:27:32.940 --> 00:27:35.560 And he strikes one of them, right? 00:27:35.760 --> 00:27:37.320 Peter is bold. 00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:39.360 Peter is confident. 00:27:40.100 --> 00:27:43.960 Peter's the one who's willing sometimes to put his foot in his mouth, 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:46.480 but he's the one living under the authority of God. 00:27:48.100 --> 00:27:51.500 When Jesus says, who do people say I am? 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:53.620 And the disciples tell him. 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:56.800 And Jesus says, who do you say that I am? 00:27:57.780 --> 00:28:00.320 And Peter says, oh Jesus, you're the Messiah. 00:28:01.060 --> 00:28:02.000 You're the Messiah. 00:28:02.820 --> 00:28:04.020 Right there, there's Peter. 00:28:04.940 --> 00:28:11.420 We view Judas as the coward and Peter as the hero. 00:28:12.220 --> 00:28:13.720 But look down at verse 69. 00:28:15.080 --> 00:28:21.380 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came up to him and said, 00:28:21.960 --> 00:28:25.040 you also were with Jesus the Galilean. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:30.860 But he denied it before them all saying, I do not know what you mean. 00:28:31.960 --> 00:28:37.620 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him and she said to the bystanders, 00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:40.200 this man was with Jesus of Nazareth. 00:28:40.760 --> 00:28:43.280 And again, he denied it with an oath. 00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:45.140 I do not know the man. 00:28:45.860 --> 00:28:49.500 And after a little while, the bystanders came up and said to Peter, 00:28:50.080 --> 00:28:53.720 certainly you two are one of them for your accent betrays you. 00:28:54.540 --> 00:29:00.400 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know the man. 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:04.200 And immediately the rooster crowed. 00:29:05.020 --> 00:29:06.400 Why would Peter do this? 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:14.660 Why does this man who lived in great boldness, who lived in a reckless abandonment for Christ, 00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:19.100 who was willing to walk away, who was willing to risk his own life in the moment, 00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:25.380 why do we find him in this moment now with two servant girls and a crowd who calls him out 00:29:25.380 --> 00:29:27.540 because they know his accent, they know where he's from, 00:29:27.700 --> 00:29:31.760 they know that's where Jesus is from, they know that they've seen him with him. 00:29:31.960 --> 00:29:33.380 Why would he do this? 00:29:34.080 --> 00:29:34.820 Well, he's afraid. 00:29:35.780 --> 00:29:36.760 He's scared. 00:29:37.620 --> 00:29:38.800 He's uncertain. 00:29:39.600 --> 00:29:42.140 He's given up everything to follow Jesus. 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:48.560 And he just watched everything he'd give his life for get led out of the garden in chains. 00:29:49.840 --> 00:29:51.560 And now his mindset switches. 00:29:52.820 --> 00:29:54.260 And now it's self-preservation. 00:29:55.380 --> 00:29:57.540 Now it's I got to look out for me. 00:29:58.320 --> 00:29:59.960 Now I'm number one. 00:30:00.800 --> 00:30:04.560 Jesus, I thought this would take us to the garden and then you would lead us somewhere else. 00:30:04.680 --> 00:30:07.040 But you didn't lead us and instead you were led. 00:30:08.560 --> 00:30:09.980 And I watch you walk out. 00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:22.120 And so what we see is this partial faith, partial Christianity take over because self-preservation is what's there. 00:30:23.780 --> 00:30:27.060 We've seen Judas betray. 00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:32.660 We've seen Jesus, I mean we've seen Peter betray. 00:30:33.860 --> 00:30:35.300 So where does this bring us? 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:40.300 It's the third warning that God gives us in the Easter story. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:43.460 And it's beware of graceless Christianity. 00:30:45.380 --> 00:30:47.160 Our struggle with grace. 00:30:47.560 --> 00:30:52.040 By the way, if you remove grace from Christianity, it's no longer Christianity. 00:30:53.140 --> 00:30:56.600 Our struggle is not that God doesn't offer or give grace. 00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:00.160 Our struggle is believing that. 00:31:00.980 --> 00:31:01.780 Receiving that. 00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:03.260 Accepting that. 00:31:03.940 --> 00:31:04.860 Walking in that grace. 00:31:05.620 --> 00:31:06.260 We all know. 00:31:06.360 --> 00:31:07.560 We sing about grace. 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:10.740 We understand that God gives grace. 00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:13.000 We understand that God offers grace. 00:31:13.460 --> 00:31:14.760 That's not our struggle. 00:31:15.540 --> 00:31:18.180 Our struggle is living in that, in the failure. 00:31:18.580 --> 00:31:20.360 Accepting that in the sin. 00:31:20.660 --> 00:31:26.700 Walking in that freedom when we've picked up our chains of slavery and put them back on for another day. 00:31:28.600 --> 00:31:31.460 This is what we see begin to happen. 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:34.100 So far we've seen for Peter and Judas. 00:31:34.740 --> 00:31:35.920 They both turned on Jesus. 00:31:37.260 --> 00:31:38.740 They both sin. 00:31:39.060 --> 00:31:44.780 And before they do, Jesus addresses them about it. 00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:49.080 It's not that they get found out after the kiss in the garden for Judas. 00:31:49.860 --> 00:31:53.560 It's not that Peter gets found out after he denied him three times. 00:31:53.920 --> 00:32:00.640 In fact, before those two events, before the garden happened, before the crowing of the rooster happened, 00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:02.800 Jesus has already told them you're going to do this. 00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:04.960 For Judas, look at verse 17. 00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:06.980 Judas has already sold him out, right? 00:32:07.320 --> 00:32:08.160 There's still time. 00:32:08.220 --> 00:32:09.440 He could walk away from this. 00:32:10.120 --> 00:32:14.200 It says, now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus saying, 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:18.140 where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover? 00:32:18.700 --> 00:32:25.260 And he said, go into the city to a certain man and say to him, the teacher says, my time is at hand. 00:32:25.580 --> 00:32:28.840 I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples. 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:33.240 And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 00:32:33.660 --> 00:32:36.500 And when it was evening, he reclined at the table with the twelve. 00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:42.260 And as they were eating, he said, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. 00:32:42.340 --> 00:32:44.160 Like this is an uh-oh moment, right? 00:32:45.600 --> 00:32:51.420 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after the other, is it I, Lord? 00:32:51.520 --> 00:32:54.100 And I have a feeling like Judas is kind of sitting over there. 00:32:54.100 --> 00:32:57.840 You know like when your teacher, or like in Bible study, when somebody says, who wants to pray, 00:32:57.920 --> 00:32:59.220 and you're not feeling it, and so you're like this. 00:32:59.760 --> 00:33:00.440 Don't look at me. 00:33:00.500 --> 00:33:02.400 If we don't make eye contact, maybe this won't happen, right? 00:33:02.580 --> 00:33:05.500 Like I just feel that this is what's going on. 00:33:06.180 --> 00:33:07.520 Verse 23, sorry. 00:33:07.900 --> 00:33:12.120 He answered, he who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:19.160 The Son of Man goes, it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. 00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:23.060 It would have been better for that man if he had not been born. 00:33:24.320 --> 00:33:30.520 Verse 25, Judas, who would betray him, answered, is it I, Rabbi? 00:33:31.500 --> 00:33:35.040 And he said to him, you have said so. 00:33:36.040 --> 00:33:39.020 You see, it wasn't that Judas got found out after. 00:33:40.320 --> 00:33:43.380 Judas got found out before and was told that he was found out before. 00:33:44.140 --> 00:33:46.380 This wasn't some secret anymore. 00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:49.800 For Judas, he knew the depth of the sin. 00:33:50.020 --> 00:33:51.280 He knew what Jesus had said. 00:33:51.560 --> 00:33:55.940 Jesus says to him, it would have been better if you weren't even born. 00:33:58.100 --> 00:33:59.560 But there's also Peter. 00:34:00.840 --> 00:34:02.300 Look down at verse 30. 00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:06.520 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 00:34:08.060 --> 00:34:10.460 And then Jesus said to them, I won't get this too. 00:34:10.520 --> 00:34:12.020 We're not picking on the rest of the disciples. 00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:16.820 But Jesus says, you will all fall away because of me this night. 00:34:17.820 --> 00:34:23.620 For it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 00:34:25.300 --> 00:34:29.880 Verse 32, but after I'm raised up, I will go before you to Galilee. 00:34:30.900 --> 00:34:38.020 Peter answered him, though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away. 00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:40.220 And look at these two different conversations. 00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:43.440 You got one with Judas. 00:34:44.840 --> 00:34:46.440 Judas knows it's him. 00:34:48.340 --> 00:34:49.120 Is it me? 00:34:50.680 --> 00:34:51.820 And you got Peter. 00:34:53.100 --> 00:34:55.420 What was confidence may be drifting toward arrogance. 00:34:57.380 --> 00:35:00.500 It'll never be me. 00:35:00.860 --> 00:35:03.720 All of them, but not me. 00:35:04.600 --> 00:35:05.580 Look at verse 34. 00:35:05.740 --> 00:35:12.380 Jesus said to him, truly, I tell you, this very night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. 00:35:12.860 --> 00:35:18.020 And Peter said to him, even if I must die with you, I will not deny you. 00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:21.000 And all the disciples said the same. 00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:22.700 One said, is it me? 00:35:23.560 --> 00:35:24.920 And the other said, I would never. 00:35:26.080 --> 00:35:26.920 Is it me? 00:35:28.020 --> 00:35:29.980 I would never. 00:35:30.520 --> 00:35:31.260 But they do it. 00:35:32.040 --> 00:35:33.320 They both do it. 00:35:33.820 --> 00:35:35.700 They were told that they would do it. 00:35:36.520 --> 00:35:37.560 And here's the difference. 00:35:38.520 --> 00:35:46.620 When we think about Judas and we think about Peter, it's not what they did in the moment. 00:35:47.120 --> 00:35:49.680 It's what they received after. 00:35:50.840 --> 00:35:53.580 It's the moments following the betrayal. 00:35:54.980 --> 00:35:56.180 Judas betrayed Jesus. 00:35:57.600 --> 00:35:58.660 So did Peter. 00:35:58.660 --> 00:36:05.540 But what happens to both of them is the understanding and the application of grace. 00:36:06.800 --> 00:36:09.880 Look down at chapter 27, starting verse 3. 00:36:10.040 --> 00:36:21.720 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, 00:36:21.860 --> 00:36:24.000 I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:26.740 And they said, what is that to us? 00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:28.100 See to it yourself. 00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:34.160 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed and he went and he hanged himself. 00:36:35.560 --> 00:36:36.960 Judas confessed his sin. 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:39.680 Judas said, I did it. 00:36:40.780 --> 00:36:41.880 Judas owned it. 00:36:42.680 --> 00:36:43.900 There's no hiding it. 00:36:44.720 --> 00:36:48.300 Judas isn't trying to paint a prettier picture of what he did. 00:36:48.640 --> 00:36:51.980 I have betrayed innocent blood. 00:36:52.240 --> 00:36:55.280 He threw it away and he went out and he killed himself. 00:36:56.820 --> 00:36:59.140 But the chief priest, taking the pieces of silver, said, 00:36:59.420 --> 00:37:02.700 It is not lawful to put them into the treasury since it is blood money. 00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:08.740 So they took counsel and bought them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 00:37:09.220 --> 00:37:12.480 Therefore that field has been called the field of blood to this day. 00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:17.100 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 00:37:17.100 --> 00:37:24.160 And when they took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 00:37:24.340 --> 00:37:29.260 and they gathered for the potter's field as the Lord directed them. 00:37:30.020 --> 00:37:31.500 Judas did it all. 00:37:32.560 --> 00:37:33.880 He got rid of it. 00:37:34.600 --> 00:37:36.100 He said, I'm done with it. 00:37:36.500 --> 00:37:38.000 He said, you can have it. 00:37:38.380 --> 00:37:40.040 He said, I've sinned. 00:37:40.180 --> 00:37:41.740 He did all of the confession. 00:37:42.100 --> 00:37:43.500 So where did it go wrong? 00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:45.180 What did Judas miss? 00:37:45.600 --> 00:37:46.080 Grace. 00:37:46.080 --> 00:37:47.520 He missed grace. 00:37:47.700 --> 00:37:48.900 He messed up. 00:37:49.080 --> 00:37:50.540 He messed up royally. 00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:52.040 He betrayed Jesus. 00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:53.440 He sold him out. 00:37:53.640 --> 00:37:56.260 He broke the intimacy of their relationship. 00:37:56.680 --> 00:38:00.520 And where Judas missed it is where so many of us miss it. 00:38:00.740 --> 00:38:01.760 He missed grace. 00:38:02.020 --> 00:38:03.500 He embraced the shame. 00:38:03.740 --> 00:38:05.000 He embraced the guilt. 00:38:05.220 --> 00:38:07.700 He kept his life in his own hands. 00:38:07.860 --> 00:38:09.260 And his death was found in that. 00:38:10.460 --> 00:38:15.220 And so for so many of us, my fear is we're proclaiming Christ. 00:38:15.220 --> 00:38:19.840 We're confessing that we're sinners, but we're not embracing grace. 00:38:21.780 --> 00:38:30.360 Jesus died on the cross for every screw-up, failure, sin that you've got. 00:38:31.420 --> 00:38:32.920 Write your list. 00:38:33.600 --> 00:38:34.960 Let's stack them all together. 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:36.420 God's bigger than that. 00:38:37.640 --> 00:38:41.240 And his blood covers all of them. 00:38:42.040 --> 00:38:46.440 And Judas missed grace. 00:38:47.820 --> 00:38:50.440 Look back at verse 75 in chapter 26. 00:38:52.520 --> 00:38:53.240 Peter. 00:38:55.320 --> 00:38:56.440 He's betrayed. 00:38:58.320 --> 00:38:59.580 What's going to be different? 00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:04.140 And Peter remembered the sayings of Jesus. 00:39:05.520 --> 00:39:09.120 Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. 00:39:09.980 --> 00:39:14.500 And he went out and wept bitterly. 00:39:15.980 --> 00:39:20.300 You know, Peter's broken. 00:39:22.560 --> 00:39:28.420 But his brokenness extends beyond the words that he says. 00:39:29.960 --> 00:39:36.620 His brokenness causes him to understand the depth of his depravity. 00:39:37.740 --> 00:39:42.120 And to respond in a way that reveals his soul. 00:39:43.660 --> 00:39:48.740 And from that moment, what we see, Peter's still going to have some issues. 00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:51.220 He's still going to have some struggles. 00:39:52.560 --> 00:39:53.440 He's still going to have some battles. 00:39:53.520 --> 00:39:57.300 But in the early days of the church, as the church is being formed, right? 00:39:57.420 --> 00:40:02.960 And acts through the power of the Holy Spirit as they're confronted by the religious leaders. 00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:08.300 As they're standing there amongst the masses of lostness that's gathered in Jerusalem. 00:40:08.620 --> 00:40:11.180 Whose voice begins to declare the gospel? 00:40:12.100 --> 00:40:12.860 It's Peter. 00:40:14.060 --> 00:40:17.460 Whose voice stands up to the religious leaders and says, 00:40:18.220 --> 00:40:21.900 The Messiah you longed for, you nailed to the cross. 00:40:22.940 --> 00:40:23.720 It's Peter. 00:40:25.380 --> 00:40:29.340 And I can't help but ask why. 00:40:30.560 --> 00:40:39.340 And come back and look at the difference of what we see is that Peter was broken. 00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:46.500 You see, grace isn't just about admitting sin. 00:40:47.060 --> 00:40:48.060 We're good at that. 00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:50.980 We'll even brag about it. 00:40:52.840 --> 00:40:56.480 Grace is found in living when we're broken for it. 00:40:57.760 --> 00:40:59.060 How do you view your sin? 00:41:00.080 --> 00:41:03.440 Do you cling to the shame and to the guilt? 00:41:04.440 --> 00:41:09.480 And in doing that, embrace a graceless view of Christianity. 00:41:11.020 --> 00:41:12.120 Or in your sin. 00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:14.580 Is it about admitting? 00:41:15.860 --> 00:41:17.220 But it's about being broken. 00:41:18.360 --> 00:41:21.220 Before a Savior who was crucified. 00:41:22.060 --> 00:41:24.780 So that we may be given grace. 00:41:25.600 --> 00:41:28.000 And then go and walk in it. 00:41:29.200 --> 00:41:29.980 Would you pray with me? 00:41:29.980 --> 00:41:30.020 Would you pray with me? 00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:40.240 God, the truth is for us. 00:41:43.620 --> 00:41:47.460 Lord, we can see a little bit of Judas. 00:41:49.320 --> 00:41:50.520 A little bit of Peter. 00:41:52.060 --> 00:41:54.340 A little bit of all of the disciples in ourself. 00:41:55.860 --> 00:41:57.780 We see our defiance. 00:41:58.740 --> 00:42:00.100 We see our arrogance. 00:42:01.260 --> 00:42:02.480 We see our bitterness. 00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:05.120 Lord, we see our betrayal. 00:42:06.620 --> 00:42:09.520 But Lord, you in your wisdom. 00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:12.640 You in your holiness. 00:42:14.140 --> 00:42:16.680 You in your love and your compassion. 00:42:18.180 --> 00:42:19.420 Lord, you withhold. 00:42:21.080 --> 00:42:24.600 And Lord, instead, you give us grace. 00:42:25.440 --> 00:42:30.480 You give us grace to cover a multitude of sins. 00:42:32.620 --> 00:42:41.600 Lord, and what we do, we walk away so many times embracing a partial gospel. 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:50.360 We walk away accepting a conditional faith where we're still at the center. 00:42:52.560 --> 00:42:57.020 Lord, and what you're calling us to, Lord, and what you're calling us to is a devotion to you. 00:42:58.720 --> 00:43:02.560 Lord, and who you are and what you've called us to. 00:43:03.920 --> 00:43:05.480 And Lord, that's grace. 00:43:08.920 --> 00:43:13.540 Not just admitting, yeah, I did that, and I did that, and I did that. 00:43:16.340 --> 00:43:19.140 But I need to, I need to receive it. 00:43:20.840 --> 00:43:22.260 And then I need to walk in it. 00:43:29.200 --> 00:43:32.640 With every head bowed, every eye closed, I want to, I want to close with this. 00:43:35.260 --> 00:43:41.380 The struggle with Judas led him to the end of the rope. 00:43:46.140 --> 00:43:55.560 The struggle with Peter would take him to Jesus. 00:43:59.000 --> 00:43:59.820 That's grace. 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:08.300 The question I have for you this morning is what do you choose? 00:44:10.460 --> 00:44:22.320 Life, death, hope, despair, freedom, guilt, joy, shame. 00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:25.500 All comes from God. 00:44:26.540 --> 00:44:27.660 All found in grace. 00:44:31.200 --> 00:44:37.760 Lord, I pray this morning, as we respond in song, we respond to you. 00:44:39.260 --> 00:44:43.680 To walk, Lord, in the boldness of who you are and what you've done. 00:44:43.780 --> 00:44:45.860 Lord, I thank you for this Easter season. 00:44:46.980 --> 00:44:47.940 I thank you for it. 00:44:48.120 --> 00:44:53.020 It's an opportunity where people might not understand, 00:44:53.020 --> 00:44:56.440 but it seems like there's more opportunities. 00:44:56.760 --> 00:45:01.260 There's open hearts and avenues to share about who you are. 00:45:02.440 --> 00:45:04.380 But Jesus has got to begin with us. 00:45:06.100 --> 00:45:10.400 So may we walk, live in, and experience your grace. 00:45:11.440 --> 00:45:12.540 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:45:13.340 --> 00:45:13.640 Amen. 00:45:14.600 --> 00:45:17.280 In just a moment, we'll stand and respond in song. 00:45:18.060 --> 00:45:19.200 I'll be down front here. 00:45:20.060 --> 00:45:23.000 If you want to come and talk with me, we can pray together. 00:45:23.520 --> 00:45:25.040 Maybe you want to talk about grace for the first time. 00:45:25.100 --> 00:45:26.720 Maybe you want to step out of death into life. 00:45:27.580 --> 00:45:29.960 Today will be the day that Jesus saves you. 00:45:30.560 --> 00:45:31.340 Love to talk with you. 00:45:31.400 --> 00:45:32.280 Love to pray with you. 00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:34.860 Maybe you just need to come down front. 00:45:36.220 --> 00:45:37.380 Let go of some of it. 00:45:39.060 --> 00:45:43.280 Maybe not even, maybe not just drop those 30 pieces of silver, 00:45:43.520 --> 00:45:45.280 but receive the grace that comes with that. 00:45:46.380 --> 00:45:47.140 It's open. 00:45:48.200 --> 00:45:50.060 Maybe you just need to stand and worship. 00:45:51.180 --> 00:45:54.740 To celebrate out of a reborn spirit, a reborn heart, 00:45:55.600 --> 00:45:56.340 who God is. 00:45:57.380 --> 00:45:59.620 I invite you to respond in how God's leading. 00:46:00.120 --> 00:46:01.400 Would you stand as we worship you? 00:46:01.400 --> 00:46:27.620 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:46:28.140 --> 00:46:30.420 We hope that you enjoyed listening to this week's message. 00:46:30.700 --> 00:46:32.820 If you'd like to learn more about who we are 00:46:32.820 --> 00:46:34.420 or explore additional resources, 00:46:35.020 --> 00:46:39.480 visit us online at www.willowridgechurch.com 00:46:39.480 --> 00:46:43.040 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:46:46.040 --> 00:46:54.460 We'll see you next time.