What Judas Missed-7

WHAT JUDAS MISSED-VII—John 13:31–14:11(John 13:18--17:26)

OR--‘WHILE YOU WERE OUT/AWAY’

Attention:

The town of Banner Elk(~1000 residents) is located in the mountains of western North Carolina & is known for its ski resorts.

However every year in the fall(near the end of October) the ‘Wooly Worm Festival’ is held in Banner Elk. The festivities surround the Wooly Worm(AKA-Wooly Bear) Caterpillar. The Wooly Worm has 13 segments which are covered in stiff spines(don’t worry because the wooly worm won’t stick or hurt you but the spines sure make it hard to hold between your fingers!). The spines are colored either black or golden brown. Mountain folks have successfully(<80%) used the coloring of the spines in each of the segments to forecast the length of the 13 weeks of winter(much like the groundhog on Groundhog Day). The more segments with the lighter brown color means there will be more weeks with a lighter winter. So more black spines means a hard winter.

Anyway, every year at the Festival, they have a Wooly Worm race. From 9:30am till 4:30pm(In 2017 there were 1000 entries!). Each Wooly Worm races up a ~3ft. string. The first to the top wins! Depending upon the number of Wooly Worms entered there are a number of ‘heats’ to find the final winner. The overall winner receives $1000 & the bragging rights of being the predictor of the severity of the coming year’s winter.

Unfortunately for me, all that I’ve just told you comes from other people & the internet.

I’ve always wanted to go to the Wooly Worm festival, but I have yet to attend!

Because I have never actually been, I’ve missed out on a lot!

*Judas missed the entirety of Jesus’ example & teaching which took place from the time of his prematurely leaving their gathering in the upper room(13:30; Mk. 14:15) until he arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane, with the detachment of soldiers, chief priests & Pharisees to arrest Jesus!(18:3; Mat. 27:27)—[Roman cohort(speira—the tenth part of a legion=600 soldiers)]

Need:

God’s People Practice...

*Gathering with the Church!

*Allowing God to use them despite their faults!

*Follow God’s plain direction for them!

*Are an encouragement to others!

*Fulfill their God-appointments!

...In doing so, they will never miss out on something vital & life-changing for themselves, their spouses, their children, & others!

We have found that Judas Missed vital life lessons because of his unbelieving heart attitude AND as a result, Judas Missed his life’s focus due to his physical absence...

JUDAS MISSED...

13:18-27—

•The PRIVILEGE Of BEING CHOSEN.

•EVIDENCE Of MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT.

•His ANCIENT WARNING.

•A MEMORABLE MISSION.

•His REPRESENTATIVE CALLING.

•The TRUE GOD.

•The WARNING Of BEING A HINDERANCE TO GOD.

•The WARNING Of DENYING PERSONAL SIN.

•The EASE & BLESSING Of SEEKING The LORD’s WISDOM.

•The CONFIDENCE Of ALTHOUGH LIMITED Yet TRUE KNOWLEDGE.

•The WARNING Of BEING OUT For YOURSELF.

•The WARNING Of GAINING ‘PERMISSION’ RATHER THAN FOLLOWING GOD’s ‘DIRECTION.’

13:28-30—

•The WARNING ABOUT The DAMNING VOICE Of AVARICE

•The WARNING That SIN TAKES SELFISH ADVANTAGE Of OTHER PEOPLE’s STRUGGLES

•The DANGER of PREYING Upon OTHERS

•The WARNING That SIN PROMOTES The DIFFICULTIES Of OTHERS In ORDER To PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY For SELF

•The WARNING SIGNS Of HIS OWN RUSE(Cf.-:22)

•The WARNING Of The INSATIABLE LUST/DESIRE Of The FLESH

•The WARNING Of the CONSTANT COMPULSION Of FLESH

•The PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION(Darkness) Of HIS SPIRITUAL REALITY

•The WARNING In DARKNESS

13:31-32—

•His PERVERSE ROLE In GLORIFYING GOD

•The FACT That GOD’s GLORY IS IN JESUS & VICE-VERSA.

13:33—

•A FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING CURVE

•.JESUS’ FINAL WORDS.

•The IMPORTANCE Of GOD’s TIMING.

•The IMPORTANCE Of PERSONAL PATIENCE.

•The IMPORTANCE Of JESUS’ PHYSICAL ABSENCE.

•The IMPORTANCE Of PREPAREDNESS BASED On PRESENT KNOWLEDGE.

JUDAS also MISSED...

13:34-35—

•A ‘NEW’ COMMANDMENT Of GOD.

•LOVE For The FAMILY OF GOD....

•The TELLING EXAMPLE & APPLICATION Of GOD’S LOVE.

•His OPPORTUNITY For LIFESTYLE WITNESS.

•The WITNESSING POWER Of LIVING OUT GOD’s LOVE.

13:36-37—

•TRUST In JESUS’ WORDS.

•CONTENTMENT With JESUS’ WORDS.

•The SATISFACTION In JESUS’ PROMISE.

•The WARNING Of SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE.

•The WARNING Of PIOUS PRIDE.

We encourage you today to put the godly knowledge you receive into practice for the sake of yourself, your family, your community, your country, & for the sake of & betterment of the world. L

38 Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.

13:38a

Judas missed...The WARNING Of MISINFORMED Or POORLY THOUGHT-OUT INTENTIONS.

Prov. 16:9—“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Prov. 19:20-21—“Listen to counsel & receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’S counsel--that will stand.

Jer. 29:10-13—“For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you & perform My good word toward you, & cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace & not of evil, to give you a future & a hope. Then you will call upon Me & go & pray to Me, & I will listen to you. And you will seek Me & find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.””