Proverbs 23:23
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Introduction:
How many people do you know that are named John? How about Peter? Mark? Andrew?
How about Judas?
How come do you think?
The Story of Judas bothers me, I must admit.
The concept that someone that close to him could betray him is frightening.
I’ve wondered on many occasions what it was that caused Judas to betray Jesus.
What caused him to sell out?
Was it the money that he sold him for? Was it pride? What was it?
As I’ve watched people walk away from God, I’ve wondered.
I saw someone just the other night that used to worship in this building, someone that was an integral part of this church, but somewhere are another they walked out. I saw them with a case of beer in their cart and a face that looked like death warmed over.
And I asked myself, Why? What was their price tag.
And then I had to ask myself, what is mine?
· Pride?
· Pleasure?
· Money?
· Friends?
What would I sell him for?
1. That which was on the inside was different from that on the outside
I believe part of the answer is here.
John 12:3-6
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Did you catch that? What he was saying was on the outside was different than what he was thinking on the inside.
Illustration:
I love to watch documentaries on how they make films. One in particular that fascinated me was “Jurassic Park.” In one scene in the movie, a man and two kids are fleeing from these Dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are everywhere. But on the documentary it shows that they were fleeing from “Nothing.” There were no dinosaurs running, it was all computer generated.
Matthew 23:27-28
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Illustration:
South Louisiana tomb paint.
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:
That which on the outside must reflect that which is on the inside.
Conclusion:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
You were made “for him.” There is a Jesus size hole in your heart that only he can fill. None of that stuff that you might sell him for will ever fill it. Only Jesus can do that for you.
Am I Real?
