the book of Acts chapter 1. To me, this is one of the most solemn
passages of Scripture in the Bible that I think I've ever
read. We have looked at it before sometime
in the past, and I don't remember what I said about But I want
to look at it again this morning, and that is some things concerning
Judas, this traitor, the traitor of the Lord Jesus Christ. There
are things here to encourage us. There are some things here
to comfort us, to instruct us. There are some things to warn
us. And I want us to look at it this morning. I want us to
begin in verse This is after our Lord had ascended up in a
cloud and seated on the right hand of the Father. And the apostles
in the early church, there was 120 of them, went back to an
upper room to worship and to wait upon the Lord's commandment
to be fulfilled, the coming of the Holy Spirit. In verse 15,
Peter stands up and this is what he says. Acts chapter 1 and verse
15. And in those days Peter stood
up in the midst of the disciples and said, the number of the names
together were about a hundred and twenty, Men and brethren,
this scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy
Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which
was God to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us,
and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased
a field with the reward of iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst
asunder in the mist, and all his bowels gushed out. And it
was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem, insomuch as that
field is called in their proper tongue a seldom, that is to say,
the field of blood. For it is written in the book
of Psalms, you will find this in Psalms 109, Let his habitation
be desolate, and let no man dwell therein, and his office, his
bishop, his apostleship, let another take. Wherefore, of these
men which have accompanied us, all the time that our Lord Jesus
went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism in John, until
that same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained
to be a witness with us of His resurrection. And they appointed
two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justice, and
Matthias. And they prayed and said, which
knoweth the hearts of all men, show whither of these two thou
hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry in apostleship,
from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his
own place. And they gave forth their lots,
and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the
eleven apostles. Now, I want us to notice some
things here, and the first thing I want us to see in this passage
is very instructive for you and I, and it answers that question
that you have probably been asked by people, and I have been asked
by people all of my Christian life, and that's this, where
did the Scriptures come from? Where did we get the Holy Scriptures? We have such a plain answer here
to that question that nobody can deny where we got the Scriptures.
He says here in verse 15, men and brethren, this Scripture
must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost spake. Where did we get the Scriptures?
Where did we get the Old Testament Scriptures? The Holy Ghost spake. Now, you'll find that in other
forms. Our Lord Jesus said, Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God. It's basically saying the same
thing, isn't it? The mouth of God. The Bible says
all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. That means it's God breathed. And when God breathes, that's
His Holy Spirit. And His Holy Spirit speaks. And
when he speaks, he gives the Word of God. Now, the Holy Spirit
does not have to wait until somebody is born. He does not have to
wait until he actually sees their evil character or their end to
write about it. He wrote this concerning Judas
a thousand years before Judas was born, that Judas would be
a friend of Christ. Christ called him His familiar
friend. He professed to be. That they went into the temple
and worshipped together? That he would betray Christ?
Even for how much and to who and what would happen when he
betrayed Him? He would betray Him to death. A thousand years
before this happened, the Holy Spirit predicted this. Now, He's
got to be infallible, doesn't He? And if He's infallible, then
everything He says is infallible. Now the Pope will confess, and
you read this in the Oracles of Faith, that when he sits in
his seat, his throne, then he can write or speak with infallible
language and writing. I don't believe that for a minute,
but the Holy Spirit doesn't have to sit in a special chair when
he speaks. Everything that he says is infallible. The Word of God is without error. The Word of God is inspired.
It's truth. It's ever settled in heaven because
we got it from the infallible person of the sacred trinity,
that third person. Now, why is this so important?
Well, it's important, brothers and sisters, for this reason,
and I won't name this man's name. Some of you probably heard about
him. He's a famous pastor, pastors of great number of people just
north of Atlanta, Georgia. And he made this statement. Now,
here's why this is so important. He made this statement, and I
quote, It's time for the church to divorce itself from the Old
Testament. Now, that's dangerous. That goes
beyond dangerous, doesn't it? That's sad, and that's blasphemy. Who gave the Old Testament Scripture?
The Holy Spirit. To deny the Old Testament Scriptures
is to deny the Holy Spirit's work. That's His work. But why
are some of these modern preachers wanting to deny the Holy Scriptures? Why are they beginning to say
we need to divorce ourselves from the Old Testament? Well,
when they divorce themselves from the Old Testament, it won't
be long, they say, we need to divorce ourselves from the New
Testament. Why do they want to divorce themselves
from the Old Testament Scriptures? Well, one is this. We've got
preachers today. who believe that everything that's
made evolved. At best, God began the evolution,
and it took control and evolved on its own. And if you get rid
of Genesis chapter 1, you get rid of divine creation, and they
don't have to deal with it. In chapter 2 of Genesis, they
want to get rid of that because they believe in homosexuality. They believe in same-sex marriages. If they can get away and give
away and let go of Genesis chapter 2, then they don't have to explain
that God Himself ordained marriage between a man and a woman. If they can get rid of Genesis
chapter 3, they can get rid of something they don't believe.
That man is a fallen creature. That by sin entered and brought
death and judgment of God. They don't believe that. They
believe men at best stumble and stub their toes. It weakened
them. But the Bible says they fail.
We fail. And we fell into sin. And we're
dead in trespasses and sin. They don't believe and they have
no concept of the holiness of God. They do not believe and
they do not preach that God will punish sin. Therefore, if they
can rid themselves of Genesis chapter 6, they won't have to
answer the question, why did God destroy the old world? And you go to Genesis chapter
19, and you find out that homosexuality is such an abomination in the
eyes of God that He destroyed entire cities for them. But if
they don't want to explain that, or they want to explain it away,
they want the Old Testament to be violated, destroyed. We have to divorce ourselves
from the Old Testament, is their word. But you know, that's not
the main thing, is it? That's not the most important
thing. The most important thing is this. The Old Testament scriptures
are full of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who would want to divorce himself
from that? The everlastingness of his person. From everlasting, He's the Son
of God. The Old Testament teaches us
that. That He was born of a virgin.
That He lived a sinless life. That He died a vicarious death
upon the cross of Calvary. He was wounded for our transgressions. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him, and with His stripes we're healed. Do you want to
divorce yourself from that? That He put an end of sin, He
brought in everlasting righteousness, and that He risen from the dead,
He's enthroned at the right hand of God until His enemies be made
His footstool, and He's seated there to make intercessions for
all that come to God by Him. And He's coming again. He's coming
again to rapture His people and to put down His enemies under
His feet. Brothers and sisters, it seems
like to me if we divorce ourselves from the Old Testament Scriptures,
we do two dreadful things. We divorce ourselves from Christ. He is the Word. In the volume
of the book, it is written of me from Genesis to Malachi. It is Christ there. The person
and work of Jesus Christ. The glory of Jesus Christ. The
way of salvation. And if you divorce yourself from
that, you divorce yourself from Christ. We can't know Christ
apart from His Word and His Spirit, can we? And the second thing
we do, I earnestly believe this, if you and I deny the Holy Scriptures,
we divorce ourselves from the Old Testament Scriptures, we're
hinging on the border of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. That's where we got the scriptures.
And I love that old song that says how firm a foundation. Ye saints of the Lord is laid
for your faith. In His excellent, in His infallible
inspired word. Good foundation, solid foundation. His promises, not a one of them
have ever fallen to the ground. And all of His threatenings are
sure. That's what makes us tremble
at His Word, isn't it? And rejoice with trembling. I
want you to look at a passage on this first point over in Acts
chapter 26. Just back a few chapters over
to your right in Acts chapter 26. And look in verse 22. the Apostle Paul preaching before
Governor Festus. And look how the Apostle Paul
says it here in verse 22. Well, he said there in verse
21 that the Jews weren't about to kill him. I went to preach
the gospel and the Jews caught me in the temple and weren't
about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue
unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none
other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say
should come." Paul said, I'm not preaching anything but what
I find in the law and in the prophets. That Christ should
suffer, that's in Moses and in the prophets. That He should
be the first that should raise from the dead and show light. unto the people and unto the
Gentiles. You are here this morning, brothers
and sisters, and you have light in your heart. You were in darkness,
but light has shone in your heart. What light are you talking about?
The light of the Scriptures. It has come to you in your darkness
and shined into your heart, and it has enlightened you and taught
you. You want to divorce yourself from that light? We'll never
do it as long as God gives us grace, will we? We'll never do
it. He said you're in verse 16 of
our text. This scripture must needs have
been fulfilled. See how sure the scriptures are.
No promises will fall to the ground. No prediction will go
unfulfilled. This Scripture must be fulfilled. It had to be fulfilled. I tell you, God will damn a man,
and God will damn a nation, and God will damn every unbeliever
before He will break one jot or one tittle of His Word. It
is never going to happen. The Holy Ghost has spoke it.
And it's true. Now, I know about you because
I know about myself. That's comforting to me. That's
reassuring to me. Yes, it strips me. Yes, it searches
me. Yes, sometimes it burdens my
soul. But it makes me cry out unto
the Lord who is faithful. The scriptures are inspired. I wonder how David felt. As he
wrote these words that the Holy Spirit says he wrote concerning
Judas, I wonder if his hand didn't tremble. I wonder if he thought,
who is this man? Who is this character that the
Holy Spirit is telling me about? Listen to what David wrote concerning
Judas. Let death seize up on him, and
let him go down quick unto the pit. For wickedness is in his
dwellings. Let his habitation be desolate,
and let no man dwell therein." Psalm chapter 55 and Psalm 69
has that recorded. And David wrote that. Boy, I
tremble to think about it. And David probably trembled when
he wrote about it. That's the first thing, though,
we learn. And sort of a side note here about this man, it
tells us where we got the Scriptures. The Spirit of God spake. Here is a certain truth that
makes me tremble sometimes. A man may be a professor of Jesus
Christ. He may profess Christ today.
He may be a member of the visible church and yet perish at last. Notice verse 17 of my text. Turn
back over to Acts chapter 1 and look at verse 17. Look how he
says this concerning Judas. He was numbered with us. He was counted one with the apostles. How often in the gospel you see
this phrase, the twelve. The twelve went with him. He
tucked the twelve. He was numbered with The apostles,
he traveled with them, he ate with them, he worshiped with
them. If they had a church row, Judas
was on it. He was a member of the local
church. He was a man numbered with the
apostles. He professed Christ with the
apostles. And yet the scripture says here
that he was a guide to them who arrested the Lord Jesus Christ. took him off to the cross to
crucify him. One day he is a great professor
with all these gifts and privileges and the next day he was a traitor
seeking opportunity to betray the Lord Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, I can learn
something from this. Being among God's people won't
save you. Gathering with the saints. Having
your mom and dad saved. Having family members saved.
Fellowshiping with Christians. These saints are not saving. Men have did this. How many have
we seen come through this little local congregation for a while
and they profess Christ, some are even baptized, but they go
back. They leave Him. They leave their
profession of Him. They turn from Him. And you know
what? The truth is about it. People
who do this do more harm to Christianity than open and profane sinners.
Take a man who speaks highly of the Lord Jesus and professes
Him before the congregation, before the world, and he goes
to work and tells people how he's found the Savior and he's
trusting the Savior, and then turns around and denies the Savior
and betrays the Savior, he does more harm than the open and profane
sinners. That's why the Apostle Paul said,
my soul takes no pleasure in them who draw back, in them who
leave Christ. And them who throw down their
Bibles and trample the truth under their feet, Paul said,
I can't rejoice in them. I can't take any pleasure in
them. They grieve my heart and they grieve the heart of God
and do great harm to the kingdom of heaven. Peter tells us here
in this chapter that everybody around Jerusalem knew what happened. And can't you hear somebody say,
especially those who are looking for excuses anyway, I'm not coming
to Christ. I'm not even going to hear His
gospel because look at Judas, what he did. I don't want a Christianity
like that, they say. Look what Christ's people do.
Look how they betray Him. Look how they act. We sang that old song, Lord,
don't let me be a Judas in my heart. And when I look at this
man, sometimes I see myself. And I get to thinking, Lord,
I profess You. I profess You to be my hope. Don't let me be a Judas. Don't let me leave You. Don't
let me come short of saving faith in You. I think one of the most
dreadful sins that has ever been committed is found there in Hebrews
chapter 10 and 2 Peter 2. And you can go read these sometimes
at your leisure. And that is due in despite to
the Spirit of grace. Grieving Him and turning from
Christ and turning from His gospel and sealing one's fate. That is dreadful to think about,
isn't it? He was numbered with us, but no more. No more. We can learn this along the same
lines. Temporal gifts and temporal privileges
cannot save us. Look how he says it again in
verse 17. He was numbered with us and obtained
part of this ministry. It always makes me examine myself
as a preacher, as a pastor. When I read this passage and
realize that Judas was called to being an apostle, when the other apostles went
out to heal the sick, Judas went with them. When they cast out
demons in Christ's name, Judas cast them out. When they preached
the gospel that you must repent for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand, Judas preached the gospel. He obtained part in this ministry. He had this gift to preach. He
had this gift to heal and to cast out devils. And yet, And yet, he was a devil
himself. That's scary, isn't it? That's
scary. That's scary to think a man can
leave the pulpit and go to hell. That scares me to death. How often has your pastor prayed,
Lord, don't let me trust in your gifts. Don't let me trust because
I'm a preacher that I'm a saved man. Preaching won't save you. Being a deacon, being a Sunday
school teacher won't save you. Gifts will not save a man. The only thing that will save
a man is to know the Lord Jesus Christ. This is eternal life,
that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom Thou hast sent. I don't want his gifts without
the giver. I want the giver. I want to know
the giver, to believe the giver, to trust in the giver, to follow
the giver. And without him, no gifts will
save you. No privileges will save you.
I remember, I think it was 1978, if my memory serves me well,
at a conference in Ashland, Kentucky. Some young preachers were sitting
around in the motel room discussing religious issues. And you can
imagine what some issues some young preachers can get discussing.
And Henry Mahan came into the room and listened for a few minutes. He sat down on the bed and he
said, Brethren, I have got to know Christ. There's issues that
we may never figure out. But this one thing is a must.
I must know Him. And He's got to know me. There are going to be a lot of people,
the Lord said on the Judgment Day, that will stand and say
to Him, Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and drunk in Your presence?
Did we come to the Lord's table and drink the wine and eat the
bread? Did we not do many wonderful
works? Did we not cast out devils in
your name? And I'm not here to deny what
they said and what they did, but that's not Satan, is it?
Judas had these gifts, but he didn't know the giver. He did
not know the giver. Well, we've got people today,
I'm fascinated by men and women who are great communicators.
You see women now, you hear women and see women in the pulpit preaching
and they've got all this liberty and they can communicate all
right. I totally disagree with that.
But I don't care what gifts they have. I don't care how great
a communicator they are. I don't care what privileges
they may enjoy. If you do not know the Lord Jesus
Christ, you are unsaved. You are unconverted. Well, this is some more statement,
isn't it? He obtained part of this ministry. Something else that you and I
can learn here from this Trader, as you are in verse 18, I thought
of this as I read this, and I thought, my, there has got to be a greater
lesson here. He says in verse 18, this man,
Judas, he purchased a field with a reward of iniquity. He purchased a field. You remember
how this happened. When he saw that he had betrayed
The Lord Jesus, he took the 30 pieces of silver back to the
high priest and the elders and threw it down there at their
feet. And they said, we can't use this. We can't put this back in the
in the treasure. This is the price of blood. So
they took that money and bought the potter's field. They called
it to fill the blood. And to this very day, I think
that's what they call that cemetery there. But as I read this, I
thought, surely there's a greater message here than just Judas
purchasing this field. And I think the larger message,
brothers and sisters, is this. He purchased a place in hell. He purchased a place in hell
by his sinning against God. Paul said about false preachers,
their end shall be according to their works. According to
their works. Listen to Deuteronomy 32, 41. If I whip my glittering sword
and my hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to my
enemies and I will reward them that hate me. This is 2 Samuel
3 verse 39. The Lord shall reward the doer
of evil according to his wickedness. I wonder what kind of reward
Judas had. He was God to them who came and
arrested the Son of God. God is going to reward that man
for that. He is rewarding that man. Can you imagine what his
reward might be? He did more than just purchase
a field. He purchased his eternal doom,
his damnation. He betrayed the Son of God. And here's what he knew about
Him. He knew that He was no mere man. He knew that He had no sin. He knew that. To the high priest, he said,
I have betrayed innocent blood. This man is not like us. He is
a sinless man. And Judas betrayed him. And he
even led the soldiers there to get him. He knew where the Lord
often resorted to prayer. And the Lord was there in the
garden, pouring out His heart to the Father, sweating drops
of blood. And here comes Judas with his
soldiers, his band of men, to arrest the Son of God. And you
add to that this. He kissed Him. They said, how
can we know it's the one? He said, I'll kiss Him on the
cheek and you can know that's Him. And that's what he did.
And the Lord said Himself, Judas, did you just betray the Son of
God with a kiss? What hypocrisy! And he had six
days to think about it. When he first got it in his mind
and heart to betray the Son of God and went and told the priest
about it, he said, I'll seek opportunity. It wasn't some sudden
temptation that came upon him. He had a week to think about
this. And yet he was a guide to them that took Jesus. And
I'm just saying, brothers and sisters, I wonder what this man's
reward is. If I whip my glittering sword
and my hand take hold on judgment, I'll render vengeance to my enemy. I'll reward them that hate me. And I think that every man that
goes to hell purchases his residency there. The wages of sin is death. A man earns that, doesn't he?
I thought of this as I read down here in verse 25 where Peter
said that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship
from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go, look at
this, to his own place. Hell is called a place. Speak
to my brethren lest they come to this place." But there is
something the rich man did not tell us. It is his place now. He purchased a property there
just as Judas did. And it is called his long home.
The man goes to his long home. And here is the sad thing about
it. It is a home that he purchased for himself. He's been rewarded
for his iniquity. I've heard men, sometimes I get
pulled up Bill Morrow on my phone just to see what he's ranting
and raving at today. And he's so often ranting against
God. Ranting against the Word of God.
Ranting against the Son of God. Ranting against the Church of
God. Lying on God. Mocking God. And little does he know that
he is digging his own pit. He is lighting his own flame.
He is potting up wood to burn his soul in. And his reward will
be what he has earned. And God who has this all-seeing
eye is able to reward that man who mocks him. That's a scary thing, isn't it?
Well, it's not that way with believers. It's not that way
with God's children. They have a long home, too. They
have a place, too. Do you know that? But they didn't
make it. They didn't buy it. They don't
merit it. It was prepared for them. The
Lord Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you. Judas purchased
his own place. Christ purchased for His children
a place for them. A throne of grace to go to, to
obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. Where
did we get a throne of grace? He prepared it for us. He went
to the cross, suffered for our sins, and went to the right hand
of God in our glorified humanity, and He's there on the right hand
of God and ever lives to give you grace and to show you mercy
and forgive your sins and give you strength in your time of
trials. But it's the place of His preparing. Our Lord Jesus
said, In my Father's house are many mansions, but you didn't
buy it. You don't merit it. Come, you
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world. And how do you get it? You inherit
it. God is your Father. Jesus Christ
is your elder brother. You're in His will and you inherit
the kingdom. It's the Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. If a man is damned, he has nobody
to blame but himself. If a man is saved, it is by the
pure and free and sovereign grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. A man has to merit hell. He gets
just what he needs and what he should have when he goes there.
He is being rewarded. But when a man goes to heaven,
it is grace and grace and grace all the way. David read it to us this morning,
didn't he? Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down
from the Father of lights. And it's in Jesus Christ and
it's for his sake and for his glory. Oh, brothers and sisters,
I feel like Henry this morning. I've got to know Christ. I've
got to know him. I look forward, to be honest
with you, to the day when I can lay down my Bible. I look forward
to that day. I don't have to pour through
all these scriptures anymore and try to find the meaning of
them and come here and preach them to you. I look forward to
that day that I can close my Bible and go to be with the Incarnate
Word. And look at His eyes and have
Him to reveal all of these mysteries to me that He knows. We can learn something else from
this traitor. You and I are no match for Satan. We're no match for him. You remember how this come to
pass. There was the occasion where Judas got it in his heart. I think
probably for the first time to betray the Son of God. And this
is where it happened. You remember when he raised Lazarus
from the dead in John chapter 11? A few days later, he went
back to Martha's house again. And while they were sitting there
at dinner, Mary brought this box of ointment, this perfume,
and poured it on his head. And Judas was livid. He was angry. And he even dragged some of the
other apostles in with him. He said, why was this ointment
wasted? He could have been sold and given
to the poor. He didn't say that because he
cared for the poor. He was a thief. And he carried
what was in the bag. And here's what the Lord Jesus
said to him. You let her along. You leave
this woman alone. Against the day of my birth,
she did this. Wherever the gospel is preached,
She's going to be a witness. They're going to read about her
account. And you know what happened to Jesus? He was so offended
that Christ rebuked him in front of everybody that he went right
at that instant and met with the high priest and the elders
to betray the Son of God. But there's something else in
this story, too, and I want you to see it over in Luke 22. You
can leave this chapter and look at Luke 22. And look here in verses, look
in verse 1. Look chapter 22 and look in verse
1. Now the feast of unleavened bread
drew near. I think at this time it was about
five or six days. It's called the Passover. And
the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill him,
for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas,
surnamed Iscariot, being one of the twelve, and he went his
way and communed with the chief priests and captains how he might
betray him unto them. And they were glad and coveted
to give him money, and he promised and sought opportunity to betray
him unto them in the absence of the multitude. Look here what happened. The
Lord Jesus turned and rebuked Judas for being so mean and hateful
and covetous. And in his anger, Satan entered
into his mind and said to him, suggested to him, if I was you,
I would go betray him. And he listened. And he left Bethany and went
up that steep hill almost three-quarters of a mile to Jerusalem. Then
he went and found the high priest, waited till they called all the
elders together, and said to them, ìIf youíll give me thirty
pieces of silver, Iíll betray him into your hands.î Then that night they were eating
supper. And the Lord Jesus was grieved in his heart and said,
weren't you going to betray me? And everybody said, Lord, is
it me? Is it me? Is it me? And Judas finally said,
Lord, is it me? Well, he knew at that time it
was him. And the Lord said, it's whoever I give this shop. After
I dipped it in the soup and I gave it to this one man, that's the
man. He gave it to Judas and said,
whatever you're going to do, do it quickly. And Satan entered
unto him again. And he went out into the dark
and said, I know where he's at. But here, brothers and sisters,
what I wanted to emphasize in this story, you and I are no
match for Satan. Men brag how they've wrestled
with Satan and how they've overcome him. Look what Satan did to Job. Look how he handled Job. Look
how he deceived King David. Look what he did to Peter. The Lord said, Every one of you is
going to forsake Me. And Peter said, I'll never forsake you.
All these other guys may forsake you, but I'll go to death with
you. But our resolves are no match
for Satan's cruel temptations. The only hope, brothers and sisters,
we have, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will take our part
and stand up for us and plead and maintain our cause. If He
leads us to the devil, we're going down. We're going down. If these apostles are no match
for him, puny little fellows like us are no match for him. The only hope Peter had of being
saved was when the Lord Jesus Christ said, Peter, I have prayed
for you. That's enough, isn't it? If he's
there in heaven to plead your cause, Satan cannot get advantage
of you. He may deceive you for a little
bit, but not long. My last thing I want to say in
this text is this. Have you ever heard anybody say,
my sins are just hurting myself? I'm not hurting anybody but myself.
Have you ever heard anybody say that? Maybe your kids have said
that or some relative. I'm hurting nobody but myself.
This man's sin. haunted his family. It brought
judgment upon his family. I want you to notice that in
Psalms 109. Psalms 109. Look at this. And I'm not professing, brothers
and sisters, to understand all of this. I'm just reading it
to you and proclaiming it to you. Judas' sin seemed to drag
his mother and his father and his brethren and even his children
under the awful judgment of God. I know it is not apart from their
personal sins, but I want you to read this. Here is what David
said concerning Judas. Look in verse 6. Set thou a wicked
man over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand. When he shall
be judged, let him be condemned, and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few, and let
another take his office. That is what we read in Acts
1. Look at this concerning his children. Let his children be
fatherless, and let his wife be a widow. Let his children
be continually vagabonds, wanderers, gypsies. poor people, and let
them beg. Let them seek their bread also
out of their desolate places. Let the extortioner catch all
that he hath, and let the stranger spoil his labor. Let there be none to extend mercy
to him, not even God. Let there be any Neither let
there be any to favor his fatherless children, not even God. Let his
posterity be cut off, and in the generations following, let
his name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers
be remembered with the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother
be blotted out. Let them be before the Lord continually,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. Why,
Lord, such judgment? Because that he remembered not
to show mercy, but he persecuted the poor and needy man, that
he might even slay the broken in heart. As he loved cursing,
let it come upon him. As he delighted not in blessing,
So let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing,
like as with a garment, so let it come unto his bowels like
water, and like oil unto his bones. Let it be unto him as
the garment which covered him, and for a girdle wherewith he
girdeth himself continually. I don't understand all of that,
but that's a very awakening passage, isn't it? Judas perished. His mother died unforgiving.
His dad died in his sins. All of his children become beggars.
He lost every penny that he had. Sin. It does hurt others, doesn't
it? My sin hurts nobody but myself.
Well, let's hope that's so. But usually it's not that way.
There's whole families that will not obtain mercy of the Lord.
There's other families. The Lord reaches down and plucks
them out of the burning. There's others. He saves everybody
in the family. But that's His business, isn't
it? Father in Heaven, oh, our Father in Heaven, thank You for
the Lord Jesus Christ, our salvation, our hope. Oh, give us grace this
morning These thoughts may provoke us to cleave to our Savior more
than we ever have before, to trust nothing, to lean upon nothing
but the Lord Jesus Christ and His merits and His grace and
His strength. Bless this dear people that's
come here today. Oh, Lord, I pray that not a one
of us here this morning will perish. All of us here this morning
will be given grace to believe and cleave to the Lord Jesus.
Strengthen these dear people. As Brother David has already
prayed, be merciful to those who are sickly, merciful to those
who are tried, going through some deep waters. Oh, Lord Jesus,
be a strength to them. Be their help. We ask these for
Christ's sake and for His glory. Amen. If you have a bulletin,
let's sing this song on the back side of it. We can sing it a
cappella.