Turning your Bibles with me tonight, and we will need our Bibles for a couple of different readings tonight besides of our text So you may want to have your Bibles? Available to you, but we'll begin tonight with reading the psalm psalm number 86 psalm number 86 What a prayer that our brother David Was inspired to write by the Holy Spirit here for us What a prayer.

A prayer from the heart. Bow down thine ear, O Lord. Hear me, for I am poor and needy. What a way to start a prayer. Lord, will you hear me? Lord, will you bow down your ear to one so undeserving? I am nothing but poor and needy. Psalm 86 verse 2. Preserve my soul, for I am holy.

O thou, my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant, For unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.

We are going to need our Bibles tonight, as I said a moment ago, but if you would like to turn to Matthew chapter 26, and we'll start with our handout. and read the first page before we begin with our text in Matthew 26. In our handout we read on page 1, I've titled tonight, Close but Still Lost. Interesting how the Lord has given us this article. I don't know who wrote it. It was out of one of the different, I'm a member of different groups on Facebook, mostly Sovereign Grace groups, and this came out of one, and I don't know who wrote it, but let's read this together. First paragraph, page one.

How close Can someone be to Christ and the kingdom of God and still be lost? Now, what jumped out at me at that is we're going to read about Judas tonight, who was just as close as anybody could be to the Lord Jesus, to the kingdom of God, yet he was still lost.

Judas Iscariot was among the twelve when Jesus walked the earth. He identified as a disciple of Christ in the First Church of the New Testament. He associated with Christ and the other disciples daily, studied Christ, having seen him in the flesh, heard Christ's doctrine, and preached his gospel. Judas even cast out devils in Christ's name and was the treasurer of that group. Yet for all of this, Judas never believed on the Savior. He never believed the gospel that he preached or loved the Christ with whom he identified. Instead, he betrayed the Son of God for 30 pieces of silver, died, and went to hell.

How close can someone be to Christ and the kingdom of God and still be lost? They can be as close as Judas Iscariot was. That should make each and every one of us. You remember what we read not too long ago when the Lord told the apostles that somebody would betray him? Did not every single one of them say, Lord, is it I? We know, by God's grace, the depravity of our hearts, don't we? We could be just as lost as a Judas Iscariot, but the Lord gives us a hope.

A hope that no one else has. And let me go on with this article here, and we'll get to that hope in a moment. Salvation is by grace alone. It is God who gives life and causes His people to believe on His Son for their salvation. How can I know I am merely close? I am not merely close, but that I truly know the Lord. believe on the Son of God. That's what the Word tells us in John 3 verse 36, he that believes hath life. Listen to what Brother Don Fortner wrote here about our text before we go to it.

Nothing in human history more vividly portrays the depravity, blackness, vileness and deceit of the human heart than the betrayal of our Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of his enemies by Judas Iscariot. Nothing more woefully displays the evil of the hypocrite's heart than this vile deed of Judas. Nothing more fearfully exemplifies the hardness of a heart that is produced by the profession of faith in Christ without the possession of grace of God and the knowledge of Christ. If we are wise, we will read the passage before us with fear and trembling. We should at last be found with Judas. Now, if you would turn in your Bibles to Matthew 26, and join me in reading from verse 47 through 56. 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.

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he, hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus and said, Hail, Master, and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, Wherefore art thou come? Now, I want to stop right there for just a moment and express something to you. That kind of used to catch me.

The Lord Jesus called Judas friend, but that's not what he's doing here. He's not calling, like James, I would call you my friend, or my brother in Christ, or something to that. This is more of, this is the way you're approaching me. You're approaching me as a friend? That's what a kiss is, and we'll get into that a little bit further later. But I wanted to bring that out to you in case that caught you for a moment. The Lord Jesus calling him a friend is not calling him a friend. It's calling him for what he's approaching the Lord as.

Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. Verse 51, And behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come? out against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

But all this was done that the scriptures from the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. Back in our handouts, page two, what a sad picture. What a sad picture the Holy Spirit has painted with these words. Here we see the beginning of our Lord's sorrows. The cup of his woe, as some put it, is beginning to be filled. One of his disciples betrays him. All of his disciples are about to forsake him. He is arrested like a common thief by his enemies. Behold these things, the beginning of his sorrows.

And knowing this, that there never was or ever shall be any sorrow like his, May we never forget that the cause of all his sorrows was our sin. The Son of God was delivered for our offenses. as it states in Romans 4, verse 25. In these verses we are given clear instructions concerning both our Redeemer and ourselves. May God, the Holy Spirit, take the things of Christ and reveal them to us.

Now our first consideration is the kiss, like I had brought, we talked and looked at a minute ago, the kiss of hypocrisy. It's called the Judas kiss. Now I will be honest with you, I had not heard that phrase before, but I can see where it became a phrase that people would use, the Judas kiss. Many are familiar with the event, but few pause to consider its implications. The most dangerous men in the world are those who betray Christ with a kiss of friendship. Judas betrayed the Lord of glory with a kiss.

Though treachery was in his heart, familiarity, kindness, peace, and love was what he wished to convey. That's what the kiss was all about. In Eastern countries, a kiss is a common form of greeting. It suggests respect, friendship, affection, and a wish that one kiss may enjoy every blessing. The kiss of Judas was the kiss of a betrayer. a kiss of treachery and hypocrisy.

When he said, Hail Master, he was saying joy and happiness to you, my master. Thus the hypocrite, with the hardness of his heart, he pretended to worship, honor, love, and serve Christ, even in the act of betraying Him. May God keep us from the treacherous kiss of self-righteousness, false religion, idolatry, and hypocrisy. This kiss of treachery is also manifested in all who pretend to serve and honor our Lord Jesus while betraying him with false doctrine, by which they deny the sovereign, saving operations of the triune God alone. They deny the work of God, the Father, alone in the accomplishment of our salvation by His eternal decree.

Look with me at Romans chapter 8, if you would. These are familiar verses, I know. Some of you may be able to quote them without even turning there. But I'd like you to read along with me anyway. Two verses over in Romans chapter 8, verses 28 or 29 and 30, for whom He did foreknow. This is Romans 8, verse 28,

29. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate. to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many. We're talking about them who deny that God the Father alone in the accomplishment of our salvation. Look what he predestinated his people to be conformed to the image of his son, that he, Christ Jesus, might be the firstborn among many brethren. Look at verse 30, moreover, whom he did predestinate. Now look, here's the salvation of God's people. There's no room in here for man's works.

This is where the false doctrine, the false religionists, they deny God the Father. Yet here we see God the Father predestinated them, he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. So we see here that God the Father alone is the one who accomplishes our salvation. Look over to the right, Ephesians chapter 1. Again, familiar words, but look at the glory that it gives our Savior in all of salvation. Look at the glory it puts in the hands of God the Father. Ephesians chapter 1, beginning at verse 3.

Blessed be the God and Father. Do you ever get tired of reading this? I hear no. I bet everybody online saying the same thing. No, keep reading. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame. before him in love, having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Page three. They deny the work of God the Son, God the Son alone, in the accomplishments of righteousness and redemption at Calvary. Look here if you're still in Ephesians at verse 7 through 12. in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself. that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things of the counsel of his own will. that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. Paragraph two, page three. And they deny the works of God the Holy Spirit alone and imparting righteousness to us, making us partakers of the divine nature in regeneration, sanctifying chosen, redeemed sinners by his grace into the gifts of life and faith in Christ.

Our Savior's warning needs to be cried out often and heard distinctly. And you know, I want to stop there in our handout for just a moment. I don't understand it. I don't understand how the religious folks, and I do have a little bit of an understanding. The Lord says He will cause them to believe a lie. He says He will blind their eyes. So I understand that it's not God's will for them to understand it, but it just makes no sense to me why religious people will absolutely pay no attention to the warnings of God. Lee and I were talking outside a minute ago, and he blurted out the word, beware. Do you know how often the word beware comes up in God's word? Every time he talks about a false religion, he's telling you and I to beware. Watch out.

That's what we deserve is what they're going to get. Yet our Lord has taken all that we deserve upon Himself. Our Lord says here in Matthew 7 verse 15, Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves. These wolves would not be so dangerous if they did not come in sheep's clothing.

Look with me at 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Look at the first 15 verses there. Ye could bear with me a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me? For I am jealous over you, writes Paul to the Corinthians, for I am jealous over you with godly jealous. For I have exposed you to one husband, to Christ, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

This is exactly what people who want to bring works into the grace of God's gospel do. They come in and they try to make it complicated. Folks, Christ and Him crucified is just as simple as it can get. Substitution is a word that even children can understand. Verse 4, for if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye have received another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

For I suppose I was not a wit behind the very cheapest apostle. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. Have I committed an offense in abasing myself, that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other church, taking wages of them to do you service. And when I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable to no man, for that which was lacking to me, the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in all the regions of Achaia.

Wherefore, because I love you not, God knoweth. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion, that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.

Now, you've seen the description of Judas of Iscariot in that? The very thing? Back in our handout. Charles Spurgeon wrote this. This is mid-page three. This sign of Judas is typical of the way in which Jesus is generally betrayed in all ages. When men attend to undermine the scriptures, how do they begin?

Why, always with the declaration that they wish to promote the truth of Christ. We are also taught in our text And you can turn back to that if you'd like in Matthew chapter 26. We are also taught the Lord Jesus Christ is such a friend of sinners that he is readily accessible, always there to them. I recognize that we are never told that any of the other apostles kissed the Savior, but that does not mean they did not.

In fact, it would be a very strange thing if they had failed to do so. As I have said, This was then, as it is now, a common form of greeting in Eastern countries. Listen to these words from Exodus 18, verse 7. This is all the way back in the Old Testament. And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. and did obeisance and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and they came into the tent. See the greeting there all the way back in Moses' day? Or how about this from 1 Samuel chapter 20 verse 41.

And as soon as the lad was gone, David rose out of the place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David acceded. Last paragraph, page 3, Our Lord rebuked. the Pharisee, because he did not greet him in this manner. Remember in Luke 7 verse 45, Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. Page 4. When Judas made his deal, he told them to arrest the one that he kissed.

His object was to betray the master in a way that would appear the least suspicious. Therefore, he said, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he. It would seem that this was the common way in which our Lord was greeted by his disciples after a time of absence. It was a custom maintained by his disciples even long afterwards. Paul frequently admonishes believers to greet one another with a holy kiss. Peter does the same thing. He urges us to greet one another with a kiss of charity or a kiss of love.

Let all who seek to serve the cause of Christ in this world learn from Matthew 26, 51 through 53, that the cause of Christ and His kingdom cannot be established, maintained, or defended, even helped by carnal means. I've got it here in our handout, or you can read it out of your Bible if you want, verses 51 and 53. One of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear.

Then said Jesus unto him, put up again the sword into his place. Now, we know this is talking about Peter, because if you look at this account, I believe it's over in the book of Luke, you'll find the same thing. And it talks about Peter pulling out a sword. He says, put up the sword in his place for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father and he shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels? In Matthew 26, 53, we see Peter acting very rashly. He drew out his sword and began to take on the band of soldiers single-handedly. Sometimes Peter just amazes me. I'm not sure if he's amazing me because of how brave he is or how stupid he is. Either way, he just amazes me.

We may admire his courage, but we must not fail to see his error in this. Our Lord rebuked him for it. He did not commend him. John Trapp wrote this, he said, a wonderful work of God. It was surely that hereupon he was not hewn into hundreds of pieces by the barbarous soldiers. Yeah, God kept him from getting killed by all these men.

Isn't that something? Two things must be understood here. Our Lord is not condemning the lawful use of the sword. or the deadly arms of force. There are many that make this verse an argument against believers going to war, or for defense of the nation, or against a man arming himself to defend his family and property, or against criminal intruders, or maybe against the exercise of capital punishment by the state. What nonsense. What our Lord is doing here, He is teaching us that His cause His kingdom, his church, his gospel can never be established, maintained, defended, or even helped by carnal weapons.

Folks, it goes for anything that we could do. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Mighty through God, through the preaching of his gospel. That verse I just quoted is 2 Corinthians 10 verse 4. Second paragraph, page 5. While the Lord specifically speaks of the sword, the sword is but a symbol. It's a symbol of all carnal thing. The Church, the Kingdom of God, cannot be established by carnal means. And we must never attempt it.

You remember what our Lord tells Peter? What was it that he said? That the gates of hell shall not prevail? Remember what it said? He said, who do you say that I am? This is over in the book of John. Who do you say that I am? And Peter says, why thou art the son of the living God. And Christ turned to him and said, he said, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed this unto him. And then after declaring him Peter, he said these words.

He says, upon this rock, the rock of who he is, The rock of Christ being the son of the living God, I shall build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail. Did it say anything about man's works there? No. Boy, they sure love to jump all over that, those folks from the Catholic Church, though, about Peter being the rock, don't they? Peter's not the rock. I know the name Peter means rock, but that just means that Peter went out and preached the gospel, the truth about who the rock truly is.

Every other means by which men attempt to advance the cause of Christ in this world, civil law, political power, religious entertainment, religious philosophy, human reason, the doctrines of men, eloquent speech, etc., etc., etc., is but wood, hay, and stubble that will burn. Listen to these words. from 1 Corinthians 3, 13 and 15.

Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

Another point to consider, if you would, all that our Lord Jesus Christ endured as our substitute, he endured freely and voluntarily. One great feature in the redemption of our souls is the freeness with which our Redeemer performed the work. In fact, in great measure, it was the voluntariness of our Savior's sacrifice that gave it merit and efficacy. Our Savior said these words, he says, therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. John 10, 17,

18. Our Lord was not taken captive against his will or because he could not escape. That would have been the very easy thing for him to do if he wanted, but he had come here on purpose to fulfill the will of God, to fulfill the types and the prophecies of the Old Testament, and to fulfill all righteousness for the salvation of his people. His heart was set upon accomplishing this great work. He was voluntarily He was a voluntary scapegoat, a willing victim, and a willing sacrifice for us, page six. We read in our text there, thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my father, and he shall presently give me more than 12 legions of angels?

This is Matthew chapter 26, beginning at verse 53. But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled? that thus it must be. In that same hour, Jesus said, Jesus, to the multitudes, are you come out against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.

Our Lord Jesus said this, thus it must be. Why? Why must it thus be? It must be because it was ordained of God the Father. It was agreed upon in the covenant of grace and it was prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures. Every detail of our Lord's sufferings and death from this betrayal to the piercing of His holy side was foretold in the Old Testament. It must be because it was typified in the sacrifices and ceremonies of the law.

There was no other way for God in His holy justice to forgive and pardon the sins of His people. One last thing to consider in these verses, then all the disciples forsook Him and fled, verse 56. We see in the conduct of our Lord's disciples a clear picture of that which the Word of God constantly holds before us with regard to saved sinners. Though loved ones, though loved and chosen of God, though redeemed and justified by His blood, by the blood of Christ, though born of His Spirit, sanctified and given a new righteous nature by Him, God's saints in this world are sinners still. None of us really knows what evils we are capable of committing. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. How little we know of the weakness of the sin of our hearts. All these disciples had, just a few hours earlier, protested our Lord's prophecy and said, we will not forsake you in verse 35. There was no reason for their fear. The Lord Jesus had already demanded of these soldiers that they let these disciples go as recorded in John 18. Now I want to stop there before we go to page 7.

One of the things that this shows us in the gospel, it tells us in God's word that we should examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. Do we believe the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. When we see what we are capable of, and that's what Judas is a picture of, the total depravity of men. God's chosen children are not concerned that we are a Judas. What we see in Judas is what we deserve before a thrice holy God. And what the picture of Judas does for you and I, those of us who know that we believe God, those of us who put all of our trust in our Savior as best we can, those of us who know that all of our salvation is in the hands of Christ, what this shows us is what we deserve before God.

And therefore, it magnifies what Christ is about to do. He's going to the cross for you and I. Rather than being like Judas, a man of the world, we have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ by His blood. Even though we are still capable of doing exactly what Judas did, we can see the mighty grace of God. and not giving us what we deserve and putting it all on His Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Oh, what a picture this is for God's people to look at and to rejoice in our Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord. Now let's go on, if you would, with page 7. They had witnessed His sovereign power, speaking of these very ones who got up and left Him. They witnessed his sovereign power over the soldiers, yet when left to their own strength, every one of the disciples forsook their master. In the time of testing, they forgot everything. They forgot God's goodness, grace, and power, their past experiences, their fervent resolutions, and their master's love. They forgot it all. They forgot everything.

This is recorded to remind us again that there is no evil we are not capable of committing, or will not commit if left to ourselves, and that salvation is by grace alone. Our only righteousness is Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Our only hope of preservation is that God, who saved us by His grace, will keep us by His grace. Isn't that what 1 Peter 1, verse 5 says? We are kept by the power of God unto salvation.

Listen to what J.C. Ryle wrote here in the middle of page 7. Let us learn from this passage lessons of humiliation. This is to be humbled, folks. This is to humble ourselves before God. I'm capable of doing the same thing. If it wasn't for His grace, I would.

It's a lesson of humiliation and self-abasement. Let us resolve by God's grace to cultivate a spirit of lowliness and self-distrust. Don't ever put any trust in what we have in this flesh. Have no confidence in what we do, think, or do with our hands. Let us settle in our minds that there is nothing too bad for the very best of us to do, unless he is held up by the grace of God. And let it be one of our daily prayers, hold thou me up and I shall be safe. Psalms 119 verse 117.

After these things, after suffering the wrath of men, our Savior yet had to endure the wrath of God to save us. That, too, He voluntarily endured for us as our substitute. Listen to 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. For He, God the Father, hath made Him, God the Son, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Galatians 3 verse 13 through 14, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.

That the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. And then John 18 verse 4, Jesus therefore knowing all things, that should come upon him, he went forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye? Now I put a couple of articles on page 8 to bring this to a close that I pray will bring some assurance, some hope to God's people as we go through this time of our Lord's sorrows.

Henry Mahan wrote this first article titled, Sinners Need a Miracle. If a man is nearsighted, he only needs corrective lenses, but if he is blind, he needs a miracle only God can give, sight. If a man is sick, he only needs medicinal aid, but if he is dead, he needs a miracle Only God can give life. If a man has a weak heart, perhaps changing his diet and habits will improve his condition. But if he has a stony heart, a deceitful, desperately wicked heart, he needs this miracle.

A new heart also will I give you. And a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. Ezekiel 36, 26, and 27.

Knowing these things, writes Henry, To be true in knowing the desperate, depraved condition in which Adam's fall has plunged all mankind, I believe, preach, and insist upon one solemn, certain fact, salvation is of the Lord. Let every son of Adam who reads these words come, like the leper in Matthew, to Christ and worship Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou can make me whole, and He will.

Hold Thou me up. Psalm 119, verse 17, I quoted for you a moment ago. Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe, and I will have respect unto the statutes continually. John Newton wrote, we are poor, weak, inconsistent creatures if left but a little to ourselves. When I think how cold and dull and heartless I have been, how often I have wandered, how often trifled upon the brink of temptation, when I consider what powerful, diligent, and subtle enemies are combined against me, and how many professors have fallen on my right hand and my left, I am amazed at the greatness of His mercy in preserving me. I am a living commentary that there is forgiveness with him and that he is able to save to the uttermost, John Newton. Amen.