[0:00] Good morning to all of you and greetings in Jesus' name. I don't come to you this morning with a lot of theology and perfect words, I guess.
[0:20] But my heart is, and I believe God's heart is, that we would know Christ better and that we will know Him more and more.
[0:32] And hopefully something, you know, at least, will stir in our hearts today as we look at His Word. And what I've been meditating on, thinking about lately is about honesty or truthfulness or walking in the light.
[0:58] We're called to walk in the light as He is in the light. Pretty high calling. We know God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. And we're called to walk in that light as well.
[1:11] And so, if you would turn your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, for a passage there.
[1:22] Apostle Paul is talking about that, about walking in the light.
[1:33] Verse 1. But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
[1:47] For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
[1:59] And I read that this morning, and I thought of Israel. I'm sure we've heard and know what's going on over in Israel right now. And just the other week, they were talking of more peace and more safety.
[2:13] You know, and we wish them, we wish that for them. But as a thief in the night, they were attacked severely and ferociously.
[2:25] And, by the way, let's keep them in our prayers. Those dear people there. A lot of innocent people affected by that. But I had to think of that when I was reading this verse.
[2:37] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, but that day should overtake you as a thief. He's saying here that if we're a brother, if we're a child of God, that day won't overtake you as a thief.
[2:52] Because we know the signs, right? Verse 5. Ye shall be the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
[3:04] And we honestly say that. We're of light. We're not of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
[3:19] For they that sleep in the night and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. I'm sorry, I missed one word.
[3:29] They that sleep, sleep in the night. Verse 8. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for in helmet the hope of salvation.
[3:45] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that we, I'm sorry, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
[4:05] Wherefore, comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do. We are thankful this morning that we have a breastplate of faith and love and that helmet at the hope of salvation.
[4:27] Without hope, where would we be? What would we do with no hope of salvation? Did you know this morning that we are not appointed to wrath?
[4:39] But what are we appointed to? We just read it. But to obtain, to possess, to have salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
[4:53] That's what God's plan is. That's what God's plan is. That's what His purpose is. That's what He has for each one of us sitting here this morning. Or standing or walking.
[5:07] He has that for each one of us. That is His appointment with us. That we would obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.
[5:21] And then in verse 11, He says, Wherefore, comfort yourselves together. Comfort each other. Encourage each other. Talk about this to each other. It gives us hope.
[5:34] It gives us faith. Now let's turn to 1 John chapter 1. And get some verses there.
[5:49] I'm talking about being honest before God. And before the body of Christ. 1 John verse 1. No, I'm sorry.
[5:59] 1 John 1 verse 4. And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of Him.
[6:12] And declare unto you that God is light. And in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him. And yet we're walking in darkness.
[6:24] We lie and do not the truth. Have you ever met a person that says they have fellowship with God and that they have peace with God, but they don't walk in the light?
[6:40] According to this, we don't have to say it, but according to the Bible, they're lying. It's not true. John, he just came out and said it. We lie and do not the truth.
[6:53] It's the same for us. If we say we love God, we know God, but we don't live according to that knowledge of God, then we're lying. The same way.
[7:05] Verse 7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, now what? We have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
[7:20] Do we rejoice in that this morning? That the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all sin if we walk in the light as He is in the light.
[7:36] If we have come to Him with our sin and repentance. How is our fellowship with other believers? According to this verse, when we walk in the light, we will have fellowship with one another.
[7:54] We're not just going to be all by ourselves, and I'm the only one that's right, and everybody else is just wrong. No, we're going to have fellowship with believers in Christ.
[8:06] One with another. Why? Because we're walking in the light. Verse 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[8:18] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[8:30] All unrighteousness. Are we cleansed from all unrighteousness? One of the ways that He cleanses us from all unrighteousness, what makes us righteous in the first place, is when we accept and receive His righteousness.
[8:51] He makes us righteous. But He cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
[9:07] Romans says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All have sinned. There's not one person that is good enough to make it to heaven without forgiveness, without being cleansed and washed in the blood.
[9:25] We want to know the key to heaven. It's not in being good. It's in being washed by the blood. That precious blood.
[9:36] Now over in the next chapter, in chapter 2 of 1 John, a few verses there if you drop down to verse 8.
[9:59] Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you. Because the darkness is past and the true light now shines.
[10:12] You know, coming from the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, before Jesus' day, before having known Jesus, what a true statement.
[10:29] The darkness, the old, the not knowing is past. And the true light now shineth. Referring to Jesus.
[10:40] Jesus said, I am the light. The way, the truth, and the life. But He's also the light. But you know, the same is true in our life. If we look back, right?
[10:54] We look back at our old life and we remember the darkness, the fear, the agony of not knowing. But then having an encounter with Jesus Christ, having known Him, having met Him personally, by His Spirit, we can say, now that light, that true light is shining.
[11:20] No more darkness. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
[11:36] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.
[11:48] What do you think? Are we walking in the light? Can we see clearly where we're going? You know, that word hateth.
[11:59] Jesus also said, He that hateth not his father and mother, brother or sister. For my sake, isn't worthy of me. So, I think it's that same word.
[12:11] But it's not literally hating your father and your mother. You know, we're supposed to love them. But he was bringing out a point. Here, that hateth, sometimes I think we look at that and we think, alright, well I don't really hate so and so, but I just don't really like him.
[12:33] So, when Jesus uses the word hate, don't you think it's with his interpretation of hate? Maybe not ours? Maybe I just don't like him very much.
[12:46] Maybe I just rather avoid him. And I understand there's personality differences and sometimes we don't connect with somebody like we do with the next person. That's the reality.
[12:59] But, is there love in our hearts? Is there love there? Do we care? Or are we actually caught in this? And we can't see because we just don't like that person.
[13:13] We can't see. John says we're blind. Can't see where we're going. Verse 12, I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
[13:26] I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome that wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because you have known the Father.
[13:41] I have written unto you, fathers, because you know, because you have known him that is from the beginning. Who was from the beginning? Jesus.
[13:55] As always been. I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you. And you have overcome that wicked one.
[14:06] Is that true? Does that word of God abide in us? Really? Do we have that? Is this my testimony?
[14:18] These are challenging words. The Apostle John just lays things out. You know, you don't really have to explain it very much. It just says what it says, and it's pretty blunt.
[14:31] And then he goes on, he says, you know, if this is the case, I believe the next verse is true for us, that we will not love the world, neither the things that are in the world.
[14:41] If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
[14:55] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. You know, this world is going to go away someday, and it's going to melt in a fervent heat, and the lust of it, all the things, is going to pass away.
[15:17] It's not going to keep us. These little things that make us happy from time to time are going to go away. So what is it going to take?
[15:29] How disappointing, if that's all we have. But if we have the love of God in us, and if we are committed to do his will, it says that we will abide forever.
[15:47] And we know where that is. We will abide with him. Verse 18, Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now there are many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time.
[16:03] Now this was John writing this after Jesus, and John was now an old man, and he's writing this back in what? What date?
[16:16] I mean, it was like, where are we at today? 2023. This might have been in 50 or something, or 70, or I don't know when he wrote this exactly.
[16:30] Maybe some of you know. But he just said, many Antichrists are already here, and now we know we're in the last time. Wow, what about today?
[16:45] 2,000 years later. I want to look at some more, another passage here in Luke, and then pretty soon we'll look at one in a story in the Old Testament.
[16:59] But in Luke 12, if you care to turn there, there's some verses there about the Pharisees. Verse 12, Luke 12, 12.
[17:09] In the meantime, when there were gathered together in an innumerable, innumerable, however you say that word, you couldn't count them is what it means, multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another, they were stepping on each other, that many people, he began to say unto his disciples, first of all, beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
[17:42] I'm glad he explained that. He explained what the Pharisees' leaven was. They were hypocrites. They were pretenders. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known.
[17:58] Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
[18:13] In other words, your secrets are coming out. And don't be like the Pharisees. Don't be hypocrites and act like everything's okay when they're not.
[18:28] Verse 4, And I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear.
[18:41] Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
[18:57] But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, ye are more valuable than many sparrows.
[19:09] God values every person, every soul, every man, woman, and child. Next time you see birds, you just tell them that you're worth way more than any of them combined.
[19:22] even at the bird feeder. You know, God doesn't, he doesn't miss them. He sees them. He sees a sparrow fall.
[19:34] But he's saying, you're worth way more than that. Yes, praise God.
[19:45] Mark chapter 4. I have a couple verses there, about three verses in Mark 4, starting in verse 21. And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed, and not to be set on a candlestick?
[20:07] In other words, isn't a candle to be put up on the wall on the candlestick? So you can see. For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested.
[20:17] Neither was anything kept secret but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. I read these verses and these portions of Scripture to bring out this thing of light, of walking in the light, being honest, being forthcoming.
[20:43] and there's many more Scriptures about this subject. But that it is God's heart that we're an honest people.
[20:58] That we're honest first of all with ourselves, honest with God, and then also honest with each other. There's many times things where, you know, we can go and repent.
[21:13] I'll just say it this way. We can go repent of sin. We can tell God we're sorry, but you know what? I'm not telling anybody else because it's too embarrassing. Right? Not only that, what will they think of me?
[21:25] They think I'm a straight shooter. They think I'm a good person. Right? So what will they think? But there is something about, we read here about confessing your faults one to another.
[21:40] I think we did. If we didn't, we're going to, but confessing your faults one to another that you may be healed. There's something about walking in the light, getting those dark things out of our life.
[21:54] And it doesn't mean you have to go around just telling everybody all the things you've ever done, but maybe it's just one person. Maybe it's just a friend or a brother or a wife or a husband, but something that has been hidden that just needs to be revealed.
[22:08] It just needs to be revealed. There's a freedom in that. There's an honesty. I've heard many testimonies of that and that's my own experience as well that we bring it to the light.
[22:24] We walk in the light with an open heaven. Let's turn to Kings, 2 Kings for a short story there.
[22:36] The young man, you might think, well this might be a crude illustration, but I've heard it before and I'd like to share this. 2 Kings chapter 6, starting in verse 1.
[22:51] Just a short story there and I'm sure you've heard this before, but it's a miracle that happened. It says, And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us.
[23:11] The King James says straight, but it means too narrow or too small. We need more space. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan and take thence every man a beam and let us make us a place there.
[23:29] where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. You know, we might just, well let's keep reading, I'll come back to this. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.
[23:46] And he answered, I will go. Elisha agreed. So he went with them and when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood, but as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water and he cried and said, Alas, master, for it was borrowed.
[24:07] And the man of God, Elisha, said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place and he cut down a stick and cast it in thither.
[24:18] And the iron did swim. Therefore he said, Take it. Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand and he took it. What a simple story.
[24:32] Believe it? The axe? If you don't believe that, then what else don't we believe in the Bible, right? So, you know, today we would probably just call Merlin and say, Hey, we're out of space.
[24:48] Can you come build something for us? Or Dan or somebody. We'd call a builder, right? But, they went out there and they took their axes and this must be before chainsaws, but they had axes.
[25:04] They went out there and they cut these beams or these, maybe there were logs, I'm not sure. But, either way, the one man, I'm assuming he might have been a young man, he was cutting away there by the river and the head, the head of the axe flew off.
[25:25] Right? A plump, went into the, went into the river. And what did he do? Now this is, this is probably a little more modern than what he might have had.
[25:39] I would assume he had a wood stick and this thing's really heavy. But, so he, what did he do?
[25:49] What was the first thing he did and the only thing we can read that he did? Is he cried out for help? Why did, why was he so concerned?
[26:01] We have four words. First he said, alas, master. To me that's like saying, help. I need help. Why?
[26:12] It was, for it was borrowed. Interesting. He was worried because whoever he borrowed this from, this is borrowed too, right Dan? I had James bring it along because I didn't have a nice one.
[26:29] But, it was borrowed and he wanted to get it back. He wanted, you know, at the end of the day he knew that he couldn't relax. He couldn't, what's he going to do to the guy that he had borrowed it from?
[26:43] He probably didn't just have a hardware down the store somewhere he could go and replace it. who knows what that all was like. But, the bottom line is, he was there, I just, I love the way he responded and here's the point.
[26:59] He asked for help. He didn't try to hide it. I was hoping he'd bring an axe that I could actually take the head off. In fact, we could.
[27:09] It's got a screw in here. But, there's things that this young man could have done versus calling out for help. And this is what a lot of us would have probably done in life.
[27:24] So, this is missing, right? You can barely see it. But, it's gone. And he could have been out there and he could have kept right on whacking away and just tried to turn so nobody could really see that he doesn't have an axe head.
[27:39] He could just whack away, keep swinging away and just, you know, the end of the day is coming and just hide the whole story. Isn't that how we do?
[27:51] You know, we act like a Christian. We do all the things that other people do. But, inside, there's something wrong. Inside, it's not all okay.
[28:03] And, and we're too scared to just say, I need help. I need help. There's people all around that will help you. but it's just our nature.
[28:16] We don't, we don't want to admit it. Look at what happened. The man of God tossed a stick in there.
[28:26] I think that's the way I would understand. He cut down a stick and he cast it in there and that axe head, against all gravity and logic, just floats to the top.
[28:40] Go in and get it, and he said, keep on working, you're alright. But he admitted he had a problem. Simple story, but I thought it was powerful.
[28:55] Reasons that people are not honest. The reason that if I'm not honest, is, it varies, but it can be things like fear.
[29:07] Just being afraid of what people will think. which ultimately is pride. So, I'd like to look at another person in the Bible that wasn't honest.
[29:31] And, if you'd turn to John, not first or second or third, but John in the front, chapter 13. I want to look at another person that was one of the twelve that was not honest.
[29:49] Does anybody have an idea who he might have been? You don't know? Judas.
[30:01] Right. So, in John, chapter 13, verse 21 is where we'll start. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in his spirit and testified and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
[30:20] Then the disciples looked at one another, doubting of whom he spake. This has brought up a question in my mind many times.
[30:33] But I heard a message preached on this subject of Judas and I think it answered some questions. Verse 22, then the disciples looked one, I'm sorry, I read that.
[30:46] Verse 23, now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom, one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Interesting that John's writing this, but I believe it was true.
[30:59] He had a special relationship with John. Verse 23, Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
[31:19] He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him. In other words, Peter came and said, John, ask him who it is. We need to know. So John says, okay, Lord, who is it?
[31:36] Jesus answered, he it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Asariot, the son of Simon.
[31:50] And after the sop, Satan entered into him, then said Jesus unto him, that thou doest do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
[32:07] For some thought, for some of them thought, because Judas had the bag that Jesus had said unto him, buy those things that we have need of against the feast, or that he should give something to the poor.
[32:25] He then, having received the sop, went immediately out, and it was night. It was dark. I want to talk about this a little bit, but if you want to turn to Matthew 26.
[32:45] Isn't it interesting, the question that has come to my mind over the years was there in verse 24, where it says that they don't know.
[33:00] They didn't know who it is. Or was it verse 22? Yeah, they looked at one another, doubting of whom he spake.
[33:11] It's like a group of men, 12 men, and Jesus, and when he said this, they looked at each other, and they were doubting, like, well, who's going to do that? And we have this saying of, you know, being a Judas.
[33:31] But they didn't know that, apparently. They didn't know that he was a cheat and a liar and, you know, at least not to this extent. Why is that?
[33:46] Why didn't they all know? Is it because he was hiding? Was it being forthcoming? He was pretending?
[33:58] In fact, verse 29 says, he had the bag. He carried all the money. He took care of the finances in this ministry.
[34:13] If they needed something, who did they talk to? Judas. Jesus would say, hey, Judas, you know. And they thought that's what was maybe going on.
[34:27] Let's read now in Matthew 26, verse 47. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the people.
[34:44] Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he, hold him fast. In other words, the one I'll kiss, he's the one I'm betraying.
[35:00] And forthwith he came to Jesus and said, Hail, Master. And he kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend. He said, Friend, wherefore art thou come?
[35:18] Then they came and they laid hands on him and on Jesus and took him. Judas is known to be a betrayer, a deceiver, greedy.
[35:36] Jesus said, even said this, he said, did I not choose twelve and one of you is a devil? Jesus knew all along, but the others did not know.
[35:49] Why didn't the disciples ever complain about Judas? I think it's because he was a great pretender. And the other thing is it didn't all happen at once.
[36:06] You know, my feeling is, my personal belief is that when Jesus asked Judas to be a disciple, one of the twelve, he had as much potential to be a good man as the rest, a faithful man as the rest of them.
[36:28] I don't think he chose him at the time that he was a devil, but he ended up being a devil or having a devil. They even trusted him with the money bag.
[36:42] He was smart, he had potential, he had a good resume. I think he was possibly, just from some of the writings that I was reading, studying about Judas, he was a pretty high class person.
[36:59] As far as his knowledge and his, you know, you would think God could have really used him, and he did use him. Even in this story he's using him. But it's a sad ending.
[37:15] Here's a couple quotes I wanted to read. Mark accuses Judas, the book of Mark accuses Judas of being motivated by greed. Matthew agrees with Mark, but Luke claims that Judas was led astray by Satan.
[37:32] So they didn't even all quite agree, they thought it was greed, it was this, it was that. They're probably all right. Luke claims that Judas was led astray by Satan.
[37:43] John, on the other hand, attributes the motivation to both Satan and a desire for theft. Why would Mark attribute the motive of greed to Judas when he isn't approached by the priests offering money?
[38:03] And remember the alabaster box. Wasn't it Judas that was a little offended at wasting all that? like, why are we doing this?
[38:16] This could have been sold. But then came the pretend part and given to the poor. Right? Sounded spiritual. But he was hiding greed in his heart.
[38:33] Right. Given to the poor. No wonder the disciples couldn't figure out from Jesus who would betray him. they never mention Judas. Never says anything about oh yeah I'm sure it's him.
[38:48] No they asked Jesus like couldn't you tell us which of us is it me? It's possible that we are to conclude that Judas assumed that betraying Jesus would be worth a lot of money.
[39:07] some have speculated that Judas was actually betraying Jesus out of disappointment or disappointed expectation that Jesus would lead an anti-Roman rebellion.
[39:22] Remember they used to think that he's here to set up his kingdom here on earth. But it wasn't happening. Others have argued that Judas could have thought he was giving Jesus the push necessary to launch a rebellion against the Romans.
[39:40] If he's the king of, you know, son of God and he's king of kings, let him come get him and it'll all happen, you know. It's possible. These are just thoughts from Bible scholars.
[39:54] But the bottom line is Judas was good at pretending or walking in darkness. Someone said maybe the first time he took a little money from the bag.
[40:08] He just meant to borrow it. You know, after all, he could have reasoned that, you know, I'm working with Jesus, I'm with him all the time and I don't have time to make money and maybe he was married, I don't know, but your thoughts just roam.
[40:25] But maybe he needed some grocery money and he put it back later and later never came. You know, it's hard to tell how this all began. But my guess is it began with a little bit.
[40:41] How did he become a thieving cheat? Very likely by hiding one small thing after another and never asking for help. I have a problem.
[40:54] I have a problem. I know a man that this exact thing almost happened to him and he began to pay bills with church money, small bills and it kept going, kept going.
[41:12] Like, well, if you stole one, I'm a thief, I might as well steal again. So pretty soon, over years, I don't know how many thousands of dollars, thankfully, this man repented.
[41:26] he became so convicted finally that, and I don't know what happened to his life, but he came back and did an estimation of how much money he took from this church and as far as I know, paid it all back.
[41:44] Church was very gracious, very grateful that he had repented, but he knew just how to take enough money that church wouldn't miss it, right?
[41:56] He had the bag, he had the money bag, good church member, he had something, just a little bit at a time, not walking in the light.
[42:11] We can't see when we're not walking in the light. It got so big for Judas that he finally got to the point where he was willing to betray the Son of God, his own master for money.
[42:37] And you know, when he saw the way that it went, what did he do? Even then he could have cried out for help. I need help. I think he could have. At some point, maybe he couldn't.
[42:48] I don't know. God is God, but he took his own way. He couldn't deal with the guilt. He couldn't deal with the horror, the shame.
[42:59] They're actually going to kill him. I don't know if he knew that. He was willing to take the chance. But that guilt, maybe it's because Jesus called him friend.
[43:12] Why are you doing this? Maybe it's those words. I don't know what convicted him, but he couldn't live with it, so he killed himself. You know, we need each other as believers.
[43:28] We need our brothers and our sisters. God will forgive us when we confess. He will cleanse us, but he also asks us to confess one to another our faults, our problems.
[43:47] When our axe flies off the handle. Maybe it's something else that flies off the handle, right? And we just need help. James says in chapter 5 or 16, confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that ye may be healed.
[44:11] The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. You know, there's two things primarily that we need to be a Christian. There's others, but we need faith.
[44:27] We need to believe that God exists, believe in God with all our hearts, and he'll give us faith. Faith will come, but without honesty, we don't get very far.
[44:41] we don't get very far in the Christian life when we're not honest with God, honest with ourselves and who we are. And if we begin down this path of hiding things, not being open and honest with God and with his people, we will end up in a very dark place.
[45:05] There's a lot more stories. Some end up good, and some don't. Oftentimes people will keep going down that dark way and end up in a place they just can't get out of, or at least they think so.
[45:28] There's a man in prison right now back in Ohio that started down this dark, secret path. And as far as I know, he's still there, still miserable, still not repented.
[45:47] But to have faith that God, I just want an open heaven before me. I just give it all to you, and you can know everything about my life. I don't care anymore.
[45:57] I just want you to be in control of my life. Judas could have chosen a different path. He could have done what that man did with the axe and cried out for help.
[46:12] It was likely the pride in his heart that kept him from being honest. Jesus even asked him, why are you doing this? That indicates he wouldn't have had to.
[46:25] Right? These people that think Judas didn't have a choice, God chose him to do this and made him evil and all that. Jesus said, friend, why are you doing this?
[46:37] I'll take that. Jesus was like giving him an option. That indicates he didn't have to.
[46:52] We can walk in the light. That verse we read in the beginning and I'll close here in a minute. We read that verse in verse John 1 verse 7.
[47:04] But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin.
[47:17] There's not any sin that he can't cleanse. The Bible says from all sin. People sometimes think, well, I've been too bad.
[47:27] Oh, I hear that so much. Would God actually forgive me? That's a works religion. And not realizing the power in the blood.
[47:44] It doesn't take much blood to forgive a sinner if it's from Jesus. But he shed his blood. Have you been cleansed? Are we washed in the blood?
[47:58] And then if we have, are we walking in the light as he is in the light? The Bible says that there is no darkness at all in God.
[48:09] None at all. Nothing. And I don't know if we can even quite understand that or imagine that. Because we're in a world that is so full of darkness.
[48:23] There's so much darkness. And yet we understand a little bit of light is too because we've experienced it. But can you imagine being in a place with God where there is no darkness?
[48:39] Not one thing wrong. That's where we're going. We should be happy about that. Right?
[48:51] We should be rejoicing in that. But God wants us to live more that way here. I believe that with all my heart. That as a Christian he wants us to walk in the light as much as we know how.
[49:07] With God's help. To walk in the light. To be able to just be honest. And I know it's easy for me to say this because it's in the Bible.
[49:20] It's not as easy for me to live it. I don't want Brother Dan to think that I'm a bad person or that I've messed up.
[49:34] But yet there's healing in that. When we pray for one another and confess our sins one to another why don't we stand? And as we come to the Lord and just pray if there's a need in our heart that we just haven't been honest.
[49:57] And we know we haven't been. We've, we'd like to be but it's so embarrassing. We can start by being honest with God.
[50:11] That's where it starts. Being honest with him. The one that has the power Jesus said to not only destroy the body but to cast his soul into hell.
[50:24] Those are not my words. Those are Jesus' words. But that's where it starts. Being open to him and honest with him.
[50:35] And then he'll show us what to do from there. Father we come to you. Lord Jesus we thank you for your precious word. Thank you so much God for for not leaving us in darkness but sending Jesus to die on that cross shedding your blood promising that if we confess that you will forgive us from all our sins.
[51:02] You will cleanse us from all unrighteousness which is anything that doesn't please you. Lord we thank you for that promise. Thank you Lord that you have done that in our hearts.
[51:16] You're still doing that in others. And Father we pray that today you would just help us to recognize the need for honesty and integrity and for having a pure heart.
[51:30] Without a pure heart we can't see God. Your word teaches us that. So Father we ask that you would help us. Lord we don't want to be like Judas that just hid everything.
[51:44] We want to be like that young man that as soon as that axe flew off he cried out for help. And immediately there was help available.
[51:56] And we know that's how it is but our pride keeps us from that. So Lord just break through all those things our pride and our arrogance and thinking that we're okay.
[52:06] And Lord just help us to surrender everything to you. Help us to be more loving and more like you Lord Jesus. To love our brother and our sister.
[52:19] Not only not hate them but to actually love each other. Father we ask that you would do that in our hearts. We thank you. We praise you. Yes you are worthy and we worship you as our king, our master.
[52:35] help us to be truthful and honest. We commit everything to you in Jesus name. Amen.