Disclosure of the Betrayer - Applications

Introduction and Prayer

0:02 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, April 2nd, 1989, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:14 Now, in our ongoing studies of the Gospel of Mark, we find ourselves this morning in the fourteenth chapter, and I shall read in your hearing verses seventeen through twenty-one. Mark, chapter fourteen, verses seventeen through twenty-one.

0:39 It is the day of the great Jewish feast of Passover. Our Lord has sovereignly directed two of his disciples to make adequate preparations for his own celebration of that feast with them before he goes on to the garden, to the place of trial. To Gethsemane, Golgotha, and ultimately to his horrible death upon the cross. And in that setting we read, and when it was evening, he comes with the twelve.

1:17 And as they sat and were eating, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, one of you shall betray me, even he that eateth with me. They betrayed me. They betrayed me. They betrayed me.

1:33 They betrayed me. And he began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him, one by one, Is it I? And he said unto them, It is one of the twelve, he that dippeth with me in the dish. For the Son of Man goeth, even as it is written of him.

1:53 But woe unto that man, through whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Good were it for that man, if he...

2:03 Had not been born. Now let us again pray and ask God by the Holy Spirit to come and minister with power to our hearts from this portion of his holy and infallible word.

2:23 Our Father, we thank you for the privilege that has already been ours in this hour, to worship and to magnify your name as the great preserver of your people, to direct our prayers to our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom alone we are enabled to approach you, and in whom alone we sinners have salvation. And we now come again to beseech you that as your word is opened, it may be said of us in this place that the word came to us today in this hour, not in word only, but in power. And in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. O Lord, you alone can make it so. And therefore we come and cry that you would send the Holy Spirit in copious measures upon every mind and heart that will be exposed to your word, that to that mind and that heart the word will indeed come with power. O Lord, our...

3:38 Our expectation is from you. You have told us cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, and we therefore turn away from all hope or confidence in ourselves and in the creature, and ask you, O mighty God, to come and to minister to us with power. Hear our cry as we offer it through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

4:06 Amen.

4:14 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

4:15 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

4:15 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

4:15 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

4:16 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

4:17 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

4:18 Amen. It was a solemn yet joyful night throughout all of the holy city of Jerusalem.

Recap of Previous Sermon and Christ's Sovereignty

4:28 Multitudes, it is estimated, that perhaps well over a million, some estimate even more, had made their way to the holy city in order to celebrate the feast of Passover, that feast instituted by God. Amen. God to commemorate God's mighty intervention in the deliverance of his ancient people out of Egyptian bondage. And on a certain unnamed street in the upper level room of a home of an unnamed friend of Jesus, a group of 13 men are gathered for that commemorative feast. And well into the elaborate rituals of that feast, and after a number of other incidents, some of which are recorded in Luke 23 and in John 13, the atmosphere of the feast is radically changed from one of solemn joy to that of a disruptive perplexity and sorrow.

5:46 And the reason for that change in atmosphere is that Jesus, the central guest in that feast, has just made the shocking disclosure that one of the inner circle of the twelve would actually betray him. The account of this revelation of the betrayer is given to us in the words read in your hearing, Mark 14, verses 17 and 18. Mark 14, verses 17 and 18. And two Lord's days ago I attempted to open up the contents of that paragraph under the four very natural headings which the paragraph itself dictates. We considered the shocking disclosure made to the twelve disciples in verses 17 and 18. Then we examined the various responses.

6:46 On the part of the twelve disciples in verse 19, and then bringing in highlights from Matthew 26, 6, and from John chapter 13. Then thirdly, we noted the additional disclosure to the twelve in verse 20 and 21a. And then finally, the solemn pronouncement concerning Judas at the end of verse 21. And then finally, the solemn pronouncement concerning Judas at the end of verse 21.

7:16 And then finally, the solemn pronouncement concerning Judas at the end of verse 21. And then by way of observation and application, we looked at the three things that this passage tells us concerning our blessed Lord himself. On the threshold of his rejection and suffering and ultimate crucifixion, it is made plain in this passage, first of all, that he is in complete control of all of the people, circumstances, and the world. On the threshold of his rejection and suffering and ultimate crucifixion, it is made plain in this passage, first of all, that he is in complete control of all of the people, circumstances, and the world.

7:46 And events which will eventually lead to his death. Judas is not able to go out and to contact those with whom he has made a contract of betrayal until the Lord himself dismisses him to do his horrible deed. We noted secondly that this passage with reference to our Lord underscores his complete submission to the path of the Lord. Judas is not able to go out and to contact those with whom he has made a contract of betrayal until the Lord himself dismisses him to do his horrible deed.

8:46 We noted thirdly that in all of these events our Lord is a real whole man in responding to the circumstances leading up to and involving his death. For the beautiful sidelight that is brought into this incident from John 13, 21 is that Jesus did not arbitrarily disclose, the betrayer, but sitting in this intimate feast of remembrance with this warm familial climate with his own, John tells us his spirit reached a place of disturbance and agitation in the thought that there was one among them who would actually hand him over, that it was that agitation and troubling of spirit that precipitated. That is why the Lord has made the disclosure of the betrayer. But now this passage not only points to our Lord and gives us these very helpful insights concerning him as the sovereign Lord of all the circumstances leading to his death,

10:09 as the submissive servant who is determined to conform to the path marked out by Scripture, and as the true God-man who does not have any of the faculties of his manhood neutered, suspended, or even to any degree lessened as he faces his great ordeal, but all of them fully engaged and fully involved in all of the horrors of the betrayal and the ultimate crucifixion. But beyond what the passage teaches us of our Lord, there are some other very vital lessons to be learned from the passage, and I wish to direct your attention to four such lessons this morning as we continue the application of this portion of God's holy word. There are vital truths which it both validates and illustrates. We look at four of them. And the first is this.

No Contradiction Between God's Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

11:19 This passage forcefully validates the fact that there is no contradiction between the absolute sovereignty of a loving, personal, wise God and full, true human responsibility. This passage forcefully validates a truth a truth called everywhere from Genesis to Revelation, that there is no contradiction between the absolute sovereignty, not of some impersonal force, but of the personal, loving, holy, wise God of the Bible, and complete, real, true human responsibility on the part of man, the creature. Now that God is absolutely sovereign as the living, holy, wise, loving God, is clearly taught in such passages as Psalm 115 and verse 3, our God is in the heavens.

12:36 He hath done whatsoever He has pleased, or in the language of Ephesians 1.11, He is the God who is working all things after the counsel of His own will. And so when we speak of the absolute sovereignty of God, we are speaking of that great truth, a truth to which we have been directed. Our evening meditations for the past couple of Lord's Day by Pastor Sarver, that God sits enthroned in a place of unrivaled, majestic, sovereign rule over all of His creatures and all of their actions. However, the Bible teaches with equal clarity that man, the creature, is fully, completely, and really responsible for everything. For His actions. The Scripture tells us that the day of judgment will be the inescapable witness to this fact.

13:46 Second Corinthians 5.10, we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ that we may give an account of the deeds done in the body. Or Romans 14.12, so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

14:06 Or Matthew 12.36, every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. Or Revelation 20 verses 12 and 13, where we find this phrase twice, they shall be judged every man according to his works. They are his works, his words, his thoughts, his actions.

14:34 And for them. He shall be held accountable. held fully accountable in the final day. Now see how forcefully this passage validates and illustrates the compatibility of these two biblical truths. We read in verse 21a, The Son of Man goes even as it is written of Him. In other words, everything pertaining to our Lord's exodus out of this world and ultimately to the right hand of the Father, which from that point at which He spoke involved the details of the betrayal, the trial, the crucifixion, the death, the burial, the resurrection, He says all of this will be precisely as it stands written of Him.

15:37 Now, does it stand written of Him because God, as it were, stood back in eternity, folded His hands and said, Now what will men do when I send my Son, and as I anticipate what they will do, I will record all of them? When I make sure they come back to earth to live, and when I through make sure that these are their potential actions, I will then write them into Scripture and make certain that men will do them. In other words, was it written because God was writing History beforehand, but a history determined ultimately by man, or was it written because God determined whatever was to be done and therefore wrote what would happen. Or was it written because God determined what should be done and therefore wrote whatever would happen and therefore secured eternal life he had deemed. on a short, well in güzel case, not typically the dis стал will now be Elijah links 19 years old.

16:26 former Bartolomeu will need to read these words. secured all of the actions of men that would bring it to pass? Well, scripture in the very parallel passage to this answers that question without any equivocation, without any reservation. If you turn to Luke chapter 22, Luke chapter 22, we read these words, Luke chapter 22 and verse 22.

17:00 You'll notice it's in the same setting of our Lord in the upper room, the institution of the Lord's Supper. For the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined, as it has been determined. And here we have a perfect participle of the Greek word horizo, and it is exactly the same word that Luke said. Luke uses in Acts 2 and verse 23 when he records Peter as preaching, and these were Peter's words pertaining to the death of Christ, him being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men did crucify.

18:07 And so with respect to this matter, and again, it's underscored in Acts 10 and verse 42, we see the absolute sovereignty of God planning, ordering, and disposing all men and circumstances and defense, even, even, even the horrible actions of these that are involved in the crucifixion of the Son of God. Even those horrible actions of betrayal, the horrible actions of the activity of the false witnesses, none of whom could agree in all of these things. What came to pass is that. Which God determined should come to pass. The Son of Man goes as it is written, and it is written because God determined it should be that way.

19:24 But now look at the text. No sooner does our Lord affirm the absolute sovereignty of a personal, holy, wise God with reference to all of the events and circumstances pertaining to his own, including the betrayal, and all of the treachery involved in the psychology of Judas's mind and in the state of his heart, God is utterly sovereign in all of these events. Yet, Judas is fully and completely responsible but woe. Woe unto that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Good were it for that man. If he had not been born. All responsibility for the condition of heart that left Judas vulnerable to this contract of betrayal.

20:28 Everything that went through his mind of evil intention, of treachery of the most base kind, of rejection of light and trust and everything else, for every single bit of that, Judas is utterly and completely responsible. Every motion of his mind, his covetous heart, his actions, his feet, his hands, his tongue, and even his lips when he planted his Judas kiss upon the cheek of Jesus, he is absolutely responsible for every last bit of it. The Son of Man goes as it is written. It thogns is written because it is determined. God is utterly, absolutely, sovereign in every single detail pertaining to the betrayal of His Son. And, וה zureν כה pear HORchodzi September 21, 2002, And, yet, ARE the options.

21:30 erek case does not exist. 는데 is absolutely responsible for every single detail in His actions. koya And as though diartet contrary to the law of God and the revealed precepts of God and Sword of Jeroboam. Simon scribes The disciples worshiped the great Lord.

21:41 in the context of the wilderness and not only fruits of the harvest. and less than a thousand leaves, he himself did not strange due to The Lord's providence and infallibility, and the Lord said, In the light of it, it were better for him that he had never been born. Now where, brethren, in such short compass do we see brought together these two great pillars of biblical revelation? The absolute sovereignty of the personal, wise, loving God of the Bible and the complete, inescapable responsibility of man for all of his actions.

22:16 Calvin, commenting on this very incident, writes as follows, Christ here encounters the offense that might otherwise shake godly minds severely. What could be more appalling than that the Son of God be foully betrayed by a disciple, exposed? Exposed to the frenzy of his enemies and taken off to a shameful death. Christ declares that this occurred by the will of God.

22:46 The decree he proves by the testimony of scripture, or he revealed by the mouth of his ancient prophet what he had determined. Now we see the aim of Christ's words, that the disciples should know that whatever happens is guided by God's providence and they should not reckon that chance played any part in his life or in his death. The use of this teaching extends further still. The fruits of Christ's death have only made their lasting oppression upon us when we know that he was not rudely snatched away to the cross by men, but that the sacrifice was ordained by the eternal decree of God. to expiate the sins of the world? Whence do we obtain reconciliation if it is not that Christ placated the Father's wrath by His obedience? So let us ever think of the providence of God which Judas himself and all the ungodly, though they do not want it so, and acting against it, must yet obey and ever hold on to this, that Christ suffered because by this kind of expiation God was pleased.

24:13 Christ says that Judas is not absolved from blame on the ground that he did nothing but what was divinely ordained. Though God in His righteous judgment fixed the price of redemption for us as the death of His own Son, nonetheless, Judas in betraying Christ being full of treachery and greed drew on himself a righteous condemnation. God's will for the redemption of the world in no way prevents Judas being a wicked traitor. Hence we see, though men cannot do anything but what God has appointed, they are not for that reason absolved from guilt.

24:56 Their wicked desire leads them on to sin. Granted, God may lead them with a reign too light for them to notice, to a destination unknown, yet nothing is more contrary to their purpose than to obey His decrees. No doubt to human reason, these two principles appear inconsistent with each other, that God should arrange human affairs by His sovereign will so that nothing happens other than by His will and bidding, and that He should destroy the reprobate by whom He had ordained. In the same way, we see how Christ reconciles these two, placing Judas under a curse, though it was divinely appointed he should plot against God as he did. Not that the treachery of Judas should properly be called a work of God, but because God bent the treachery of Judas to the fulfillment of His purpose. You say, but Pastor Martin, I can't put the two together. I didn't ask you to put them together.

26:11 God already has. God doesn't ask you to do what He has done, nor does He ask you to seek to fully comprehend His ways. He asks you to come with the mind of a disciple and to bend your mind to the revelation of God's holy word, not to take the posture that is recorded in Romans 9 when this same issue is brought forward in conjunction with another set of truths in which Paul anticipates the objection of men and say, wait a minute, if God is utterly and absolutely sovereign and his will determines all events beforehand, and scripture can speak of them with certainty because they're embedded in the sovereign decree of God, why does he yet find fault? If I sin, if I curse him, if I live in unbelief and impenitence, I'm only fulfilling the will of God. Why does he yet find fault? If everything I do simply is an expression of his own decree and sovereign purpose, how did he find fault with me?

27:20 And you remember how Paul answers it? He doesn't say, now I know this is a difficult philosophical problem. Let us sit down and reason it through. No, you know what he says?

27:29 He says, nay, old man. Who art thou to reply against God? Put your hand upon your mouth, put your face upon the earth, and acknowledge that God has every right to be God, while holding you accountable for that which you cannot deny in your own consciousness, namely, that you are responsible for your deeds. And this passage...

Application: Do Not Be Indifferent to God's Sovereignty and Your Responsibility

28:06 Now, in applying it briefly, let me say this. You see, my friend sitting here this morning, you dare not be indifferent to these realities, either one of them separately or both of them together.

28:32 You may attempt to raise your fist at such a God and say in the middle of your speech, the language of Romans 9? Well, I'll be a faithfulist then. If God is so utterly and absolutely sovereign, do what I will, try what I may. I only fulfill His will.

28:48 Therefore, I'm really not responsible. You may attempt to do that, but in so doing, you not only run into the face of the Word of God, you run into the face of your own conscience. Your own conscience that screams out at you, saying that you are culpable and responsible for your actions. And it is this great and glorious God, my friend, who is revealed to us in Jesus Christ, and it is this very Christ on the eve of laying down His life for sinners who asserts, everything pertaining to my death is as it has been determined by the sovereign will of God. And yet every action of everyone who contributes to my death is an action for which they are utterly and fully accountable and responsible. And that principle is true right here this morning. As Jesus Christ stands before you in the Gospel, as He stretches out His hands to you in the substance of His own Word, an invitation of promise, saying, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.

30:07 Oh, every, every one that thirsts, come to the waters. Turn ye, turn ye. Why will ye die? God appeals to you.

30:16 God entreats you. I wrestled with whether to use the term, and I think it's legitimate. God graciously begs you to take heed and to come and avail yourself of all the redemptive privileges purchased by the death of the Son of God in fulfillment of your life. In fulfillment of that which was decreed.

30:43 And God not only holds you responsible for the sins which can only be atoned for and cleansed and washed, the chains of which alone can be broken in the person and work of Christ, but if you refuse to come in your impenitence and unbelief, those very dispositions, God holds you responsible for them. God says, I tell you nay, except you repent, ye shall perish. God tells us that unbelief is a culpable sin, a damning sin, and you cannot throw on it responsibility for your impenitence and unbelief upon God. Own conscience affirms and the word of God testifies and the day of judgment will clearly validate before the whole moral universe that you are utterly and totally responsible for that impenitence and unbelief. So when people say, well, these doctrines of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, those are for theologians, my friends. No, they're not just for professional theologians. What more devotional passage could we have than the account of Jesus sitting in that upper room or reclining at table in that upper room in the intimacy of fellowship with his own,

32:11 and with an agitated heart anticipating the activity of the betrayer. He speaks out of the context of all of those events that ooze with the tenderness and the mystery of the cross and of his dying love for sinners. And yet this high theology is planted right in the midst of those most glorious, tender, touching, devotional realities. But then, there is a second thing that I would set before you from the passage this morning, and it is this.

Inability of Light and Privilege to Change the Human Heart

32:50 It not only sets before us this validation that there is no contradiction between absolute sovereignty and complete human responsibility, but this passage vividly illustrates the inability of the greatest light and privilege to change the human heart. This passage vividly illustrates the inability of the greatest light and privilege to change the human heart. We become so familiar with things that ought to terrify us and shock us. That's true in the realm of our own existence in our own country at this time. There was a time when if someone were known as a public figure to be living in an immoral relationship with a man or woman, it was considered a shameful thing. But now not only can people appear on national television before millions and talk about their live-in lovers and all the rest, but Christians can sit there and not even be shocked or grieved. And I'm afraid that that same kind of hardness comes over us through our familiarity with some of the shocking things of Scripture.

34:11 For example, look at the words of the text. Verily I say unto you, there in the intimacy of that upper room, no general statement before the masses to be sorted out only in the inner theater of the conscience of the individual who in a sense is tucked amidst the safety of the masses. But here, just the twelve and Jesus. And he says, one of you.

34:41 One, verse 20, one of the twelve that is entering into the symbol of intimate friendship and trust that is eating with me, dipping with me into the dish, one of you shall betray me. And who were the you? Well, they were the ones described in chapter 3 of Mark as being given this unusual privilege. And what a privilege.

35:13 Mark 3, verse 13 and 14. He goes up into the mountain and calls unto him, Whom he himself would. Here was gracious sovereign selection out of the masses of the followers at that time. He sets his choice upon twelve.

35:37 And they went unto him. And he appointed twelve that they might be with him. Oh, think of the privilege. That they might be with him.

35:51 That they might not just occasionally stand off at a distance with hundreds or thousands of milling and pressing crowds between themselves and the teacher and healer and miracle worker out of Galilee, but that they might be with him over a period of many months in the most intimate day and night, week in, week out, month in, month out, morning till night, personal intimacy with the only time God himself was here upon this earth, joined to true humanity. With him, the incarnate God, as John says, the one that we beheld his glory, we beheld him full of grace and truth, that they might be with him, with him to see him at prayer, with him to see him as he stretched out his hand to heal and touch the unclean and welcomed the outcast, with him when he might preach and dive into the consciences of men and fearlessly stand against the scribes and the Pharisees and the false religious leaders, with him. And they would see him come.

37:16 They would come in the weariness of his labors, with him, as he deals with the full spectrum of human need. Let the little term, with him, do its work, that they might be with him. That was their first great privilege, but then secondly, and that he might send them forth to preach and to have authority, not only to be with him, but to be duly commissioned by him, not merely to preach about him, but to preach in a confirmed, ordered authority from him that, according to this passage, would involve casting out demons. The parallel passage in Matthew 10, 5 and 8, it would involve the power to cleanse the lepers and even to raise the dead.

38:02 Think of it. To have a conferral of authority, that you could go to a corpse and speak to it and see it come to life and touch lepers and see them cleansed and go off to the priest and be declared fully clean to be with him and then to go forth and speak for him, to have such intimate interaction that when it came time for the actual betrayal, it says in John 18, 1 and 2, Jesus went over the brook Kidron and Judas knew the place for off times, off times he resorted thither, with his disciples. Think of the privilege in the quiet of that place on the other side of the brook Kidron, there, to enter into the most intimate conversation, to ask him questions, Lord, what did you mean by this and what did you mean by that? And why did you do this? Lord, why did you spit?

39:12 Wouldn't you love to have asked the Lord that? Why did you make spittle and put it on his eyes instead of just touching his eyes or speaking? All the questions we ask, when we read the gospel records, they had the privilege of asking and getting answers. You talk about privileges.

39:31 Privileges. To be with him. To go forth and speak for him. To be given conferred authority from him.

39:41 Now, my dear listeners, if ever light and privilege and knowledge and contact with spiritual reality could change a human's, human heart, this would have done it.

39:58 Never was more surrounded with the most effective means of grace than Judas. Never did a man have so many megawatts of light coming on the outward eye of the soul. Never did anyone have such intense of truth coming on the outer vestibule of the ear. And never, never did anyone find himself buried in tons of pressure that should have pushed him into the kingdom of God than Judas. But with all the light upon the outer, with all the fluence to pressure him into the kingdom, one of you shall betray me. One of you will be so utterly devoid of any true perception, of any true perception, of any true perception, of any true perception, of who I am. Utterly devoid of action for my person.

41:18 Devoid of even respect for my integrity that you will consort with my bitter enemies and contract to hand me over to them. What does that tell us? If any passage in the Bible tells us this truth, this one does, that there is an absolute inability of the greatest light and privilege to change, the human heart. It takes something more than the best of means, which are but means at best.

Application: No Presumption for Children or Unconverted Adults

41:56 And where am I going with the application of this? Well, I want to say a word to you as the Lord's people. And it is this. Don't assume or presume for your children and for others, especially now that we have the blessing, the wonderful blessing, the blessing of a Christian school that though operating independent of the church in terms of authority and in terms of administrative responsibility, operates within these premises and is accessible to all of the families, something for which some of us have longed and prayed for decades.

42:39 Or what worse it would be to assume that now that I have them at home to pray with them and to instruct them and to catechize them, and they're in Sunday school and they're learning their hymns and their verses and their Bible lessons, and from three years old onward they sit under the preaching that is often has special arrows feathered and tailor-made for the children. Now add to that five and six hours a day, five days a week, out of the many weeks of the school year, surrounded with people who exemplify, who exemplify conformity to Christ, who bring to bear upon their minds the law of Christ and the gospel of Christ and the ways of Christ, surely, surely, this will be a marvelous batch of great soldiers for Christ. Not necessarily. It could be the emergence of a horrible society of Judas's. Is their privilege greater than that of Judas?

43:50 Their privileges are a little birthday compared to comparing their privileges to Judas. And yet Judas, with all his light and privilege, one of you shall betray me. Dear parents, if we believe that, you know what that's going to do? That will cut the nerve of all presumption or assumption that all of this light and privilege will automatically bring our children into the kingdom.

44:31 And it will instead, if we really believe it, it will drive us to our knees to cry out to the God of heaven that He will give the inner eye which all of the megawatts of light upon the outer eye of the soul will only increase their damnation. That God will give the inner ear to hear the gentle gracious voice of Christ calling them into fellowship with Himself, calling them to part with the world and with sin and the dominance of self. We will cry to God that God would give the inner ear to hear the voice of Christ. And that God will put forth almighty, gracious, re-creative power that will change the bias of their affections and the bias of their will and the whole bent of what they are in Adam and what they are by virtue of being conceived sinners through the union of you and your spouse. You see, if we believe the message of this passage, one of you shall betray me, then surely there is no room for presumption in any of our hearts with reference to the salvation of others,

45:59 particularly those who are sovereignly singled to be the recipients of special privileges. And every child in a consistent Christian home in Trinity Church has been singled out for unique privileges. But do you see, Judas was singled out and yet one of you shall betray me. Then I want to say a word to you who are unconverted under this heading.

46:37 Don't assume or presume for yourself. Listen, children. Listen to Pastor this morning. God, as I've indicated, has already marvelously singled you out.

46:49 Go up and down your block and ask the kids, how many of you have never heard your dad curse? How many of you have never heard your mom curse? How many of you have moms and dads that really obviously love one another? The house is not full of fighting and bickering.

47:07 How many of you have moms and dads that strictly guard what you're able to see on your TV? Moms and dads that won't let you have your own way and everything you want? How many of you have moms and dads that are training your will and teaching your conscience and conditioning your whole inner life to discern between right and wrong? You, dear children, you are privileged.

47:32 You've been singled and marked out by God for unusual privileges. In that sense, you are with Christ as He dwells in that Christian home. You are with Christ as He dwells in the midst of His gathered people in this place. And you sit here and you hear the Word of God and Christ draws near in the worship.

48:00 And He draws near in His Word as it's taught to you at home, in school, taught you here in this place. But, oh, dear children, dear children, listen. You must not rest short of truly knowing Christ. You must not rest short of knowing that your own eyes of your soul have seen your sins as ugly and as deserving of God's wrath.

48:29 That you see, not with your physical eyes, but with the eyes of your soul, that Jesus is worthy of all your trust and all your love and all your allegiance. That He must be the friend that you cling to even if it means you lose other friends. May I say it in these terms? You must be popular with Jesus even if all your...

48:55 Because it's Jesus who alone that can speak for you in the last day. All your friends can't gather round and say, Lord, she was a nice gal and He was a nice guy. Lord, let...

49:10 It's either Jesus who says, welcome or depart. And that will be based on whether or not you're attached to Him in faith and love and have shown the reality of that faith and love by a life of obedience. And what I say to the children, I say to you adults, don't rest on the privileges. Yes, you have light, abundance of light, but could it be, could it be that sitting in this intimate fellowship of light and privilege, the Lord Jesus would say by His word this morning, one of you shall betray me?

49:53 For alas, the society of Judas did not end with Judas. John said, they went out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not all of us. You see, John said, even under the scrutiny of apostles, there were those in the visible church who did not have the root of the matter in them. They had sufficient light, sufficient understanding, sufficient knowledge, sufficient courage to make a credible profession, to be welcomed into churches under the scrutiny of apostles.

50:34 And yet John says, they went out from us because they were not all of us. And they're going out, John says, and said, 1 John 2.19 reveals they were of the society of Judas. Are you content with merely being with him externally, even having some semblance of task to do for him?

51:06 This incident of Judas underscores that no amount of light or privilege can ever change the human heart. Listen to Bishop Ryle speaking on this very issue in his comments on this passage. He says, Let us learn from this melancholy history of Judas to be clothed with humility and content with nothing short of the grace of the Holy Ghost in our hearts. Knowledge, gifts, possessions, privileges, church membership, powering, praying, and talking about religion, are all useless things if our hearts are not converted. They are all no better than sounding brass in a tinkling cymbal if we have not put off the old man and put on the new. But then there is a third observation from this passage, and I touch upon it briefly because it is akin to the one I've just mentioned, and I want to come to the fourth and final one. This passage solemnly reveals to what lengths a man may go in a false profession of attachment to Christ.

The Lengths of a False Profession of Attachment to Christ

52:27 You see, it not only teaches us that no amount of light and privilege can automatically unite us to Christ, but it solemnly reveals to what lengths a man may go in a false profession of attachment to Christ. And while the last thing I would ever know would ever knowingly do is unsettle the faith of a true but weak child of God who is struggling in his or her faith, coupled with an over-scrupulous conscience, that's the last thing I would do. Yet, yet, if such a true saint is unsettled, they won't be damned. They may not quite have so many bells ringing on their way to heaven for a while, but they'll turn out all right. While I would not knowingly unsettle a Mr. Weak Faith and a Mr. Fearing and a Mr. Ready to Halt,

53:25 I would under God some of you who have external privileges give. And this passage reveals to what lengths a man may go in a false profession of attachment to Christ. And remember, Judas was not suspected by the inner circle right up to the moment that he went out to do his deed. According to John 13, the Lord revealed the secret to John and to Peter before Judas went out.

54:07 But had he not done so, the Scripture says, when Jesus whispered to him at his left and said, what may have well been in that posture at his left, I should say, Scripture doesn't say it was at his left, but it does say this, what you do, do quickly. It says the disciples thought he was being sent on an errand. When Jesus said, one of you shall betray me, they did not automatically say, aha, aha, now it's clear. We've noticed in our prayer meetings Judas never prays.

54:42 We've noticed in our prayer meetings when he prays, his prayers are lifeless. We've noticed in our preaching tours, his preaching has had no fire, it's had no unction. We've noticed in our healing times, no lepers are getting cleansed, when he touches them. No debtor being, ah, now it's all coming together.

55:02 We've seen the droppings all along the way. Now it's clear. Not a shred of that. There is not one thing to indicate that there was anything external in Judas to raise the slightest suspicion that he was not the real thing.

55:18 And therefore I beg of you, if Jesus could have one out of twelve, who are we to think we're exempt with a membership of 360? This passage warns every one of you that you may go to great lengths in a false profession short of attachment to Jesus Christ. You may have great utterance and fluency and frequency in public prayers. You may even preach or teach to others.

55:49 You may have an official task as Judas did in carrying the money box. But all the evidence that you are truly Christ's, is not to be found in any one of these things or any combination of them. The evidence of attachment to Christ is that which only grace can produce. Are you conscious, are you conscious that in your heart of hearts your deepest desire is that there should be no rival to single-eyed devotion to Jesus Christ as the pearl of great price?

56:34 In your heart of hearts are you conscious that there is no place of resting for your guilty soul but the perfect righteousness of the Son of God? And are you waging relentless warfare against the sins of the heart that no John of age was covetousness? Because nobody could see it, but it was safe to indulge it. And you may sit here this morning not waging war with your pride, your envy, your jealously, your idolatry of people and things, your lust, your carnal ambition, your burning discontentment with your lot in life. My friend, whatever, have it slain by the grace of God, or it will one day kill you as did Judas's covetousness. A man may grow to great lengths and maintain for a long period of time a false profession of attachment to Christ. And Jesus said in the day of judgment there's going to be a whole lot of them.

58:00 Many, many, many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not? And then they begin to parade all...

58:12 Not one word about what they were. All the emphasis is on what they did. We did, we did, we did, we did. Not a one of them said, Lord, were we not redeemed from the world and attached to you in supreme love?

58:33 Were we not those who mourned over sins known only to you and to our own consciences? Lord, were we not in the secret place, seeking to cut off the right hands and pluck out the...

58:51 of envy and pride and lust, having deep struggles with things known only to you, all searching God? No, what they say is, did we not preach, prophesy, gave our...

59:14 attended all... captured by a camera this morning the state of the heart and flash it on that white wall?

59:37 What would we see? What would we see sitting in this building this morning in the heart? Would we see there in the heart a throne and on the throne Christ sitting in unchallenged rivalry of affection and love? Or would we see a picture of yourself?

60:06 You're your own idol. Would we see your house? Would we see boyfriend, girlfriend, job, reputation? What would be there?

60:17 Anything other than Christ, and my friend, you don't have the root of the matter in you. The soul of all true religion is that Christ is made supremely precious to all who possess it. Oh yes, His preciousness as to our consciousness of it waxes and wanes. The rivals to His supreme place is challenged and are many.

60:47 I know all too well that the passage reveals to what lengths a man may go in a false profession of attachment to Christ. May God search your heart. And then finally, the passage strikingly affirms the sobering reality of eternal punishment. The passage strikingly affirms the sobering reality of eternal punishment.

The Sobering Reality of Eternal Punishment

61:26 How does it do that? Look at the words to Judas. Good were it for that man if he had not been born. What's he saying?

61:37 He's saying that oblivion of non-existence before birth and conception were good in the case of Judas. Good were it that the man had never come from non-existence into existence. Now why did he say that? Because living as he did and dying as he did, he shall be one of the goats at the left hand of Christ, in the last day, who will hear the words, depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire.

62:11 Now hear me carefully as I close this morning, brethren. You'll not hear my voice for another couple of weeks, God willing, as I leave for England on Tuesday. And I want you, as you think and pray for me, I want these words to ring in your own hearts. There is a broad in our day in so-called evangelical circles.

62:33 It's been there since the day of Adventism for years and in certain forms of liberalism among the Russellites. But among so-called evangelicals there is a broad fad to do away with the doctrine of the conscious everlasting torment of the damned in hell. In his most recent book, Philip Hughes, a long esteemed evangelical Anglican scholar, excellent commentaries on both Hebrews and the book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 38 of his newest release, a book on the doctrine of the image of God in man, in chapter 38 on the question is the soul immortal? Till a fusion of the wicked. And then he gives his so-called biblical reasons, a patent outright denial of the true significance of the word of Jesus. Listen to what he said to Judas. He said, Good were it for that man if he had never been born, whether conceived or born, he is used in both ways.

63:48 Now if it's true, according to what's called conditional immortality and annihilationism, the text would read this way. It will be even as he had never been born. What existence did Judas have before he was born? Or conceived?

64:06 None. According to annihilationism, what existence will people have after God consumes them and annihilates them in hell? None. So the text would read this way.

64:17 It will be even as he had never been born. But that isn't what Jesus said. He said, Good it were that he had never been because a condition awaits in his never-dying existence that would make oblivion welcomed. And then if universalism is true, that's the other strand of heretical teaching.

64:48 That is that all men will ultimately not be annihilated, but ultimately all will be sanctified, justified, and glorified. Then the text would say of eternal glory than if the betrayer of Jesus would end up in heaven. But Jesus said neither. He did not say it will be with him as if he were never born.

65:19 Annihilationism is that he was born. The so-called larger hope, universalism, Jesus says good it were that he had never been born. Because Jesus knew that one day as the judge of the world he'd say to Judas, depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And Revelation 14, 13 says in language that cannot be misunderstood, and the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever.

65:58 Ah, someone says it's just the smoke of the temporary torment when they were annihilated. What of the next words? And they have no rest day. Does Anani know anything of restlessness day and night?

66:23 My friends, listen. Isn't it interesting that on the eve of his crucifixion where the love of God finds its most glorious, its most overt power that he gave to the only begotten Son, incarnate love about to make the most glorious display of the love of God when the just dies for the unjust. God commending his love to us in that while we are yet sinners Christ dies. It is incarnate love about to make the great sacrifice of love who says there is a doctrine of eternal hell. Don't let men dupe you into thinking they are wiser about what God's love will do than Christ's love. People say, well, God's justice and wisdom are impugned if there is a doctrine of eternal hell. Mr. Hughes says,

67:30 as I have read and re-read his chapter, it would be unthinkable that in the new heavens and the new earth there would be a part in God's universe that would be in essence a monumental display of failure, a contradiction of all things new. He becomes wiser than God. While Jesus is on his way as the wisdom of God, and the greatest expression of the wisdom of God in the redemption of sinners, as he is on his way to satisfy the justice and the wrath of God, he does so with the conviction that the doctrine of everlasting hell is in no way inconsistent either with redemptive love or with infinite wisdom, holiness and justice. Don't let anyone trifle with your soul and tell you that if you live and die impenitent there is anything that awaits you but everlasting torment. And I tell you this morning, Judas knows the meaning of these words. May God grant that you will never, never have an eternity to exegete them, but run to Christ, the Christ of the upper room, the Christ who is about to pour out his life for sinners, who is about to be consumed

Exhortation to Flee to Christ and Closing Prayer

69:00 in the fury of God's anger against sin, that I this morning as a saved sinner might say to my fellow sinners, flee from the wrath to come, run to Christ, find in his blood and righteousness, find in his agony, find in the bloodletting of the incarnate God that fountain made and then opened for sin and uncleanness so that you will not be with Judas in the lake of fire, but that you will be part of that multitude we looked at last Lord's Day morning in Sunday school, the multitude of no man in number, out of every kindred, tribe, and tongue and nation who say salvation to our God and unto the Lamb. Let us pray. O our Father, we thank you for the richness of your word and we pray that the Spirit will attend its preaching this morning and will attend it as the preaching is over and we leave this place. O our God, write upon our hearts these vital truths and may we not have them plucked away

70:27 by the enemy who would come like the birds of the air following the actions of the sower. But may the seed of your word be enfolded in the soil of our hearts and bring forth holy fruits both now and forever. Hear our prayers as we plead them in Jesus' name. Amen.