Not For Sale
Not for sale
O.S. 614
C.S. 616
Matt 26:14-16
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.
(KJV)
This morning’s topic is one that maybe we can all ask ourselves. One that is being asked right know. What is your price? What is it, how much do I have to pay for you to betray Jesus? It is a question that the Devil is asking each one of us. It is a question that he ponders in his mind as he plans his deceptive programs against the people of God. The question is are you for sale this morning.
I suggest to you my people that the devil is willing to pay you whatever he can to get you and I to give up Jesus from following Him wholly and allowing us to be used so that he can defeat the purposes of God. Are you for sale? My topic “Not For Sale.”
What is the purpose of God concerning mankind? What is the intention of the Godhead when it comes to this planet? When it concerns you and I how does God feel?
Well that’s why I believe the Bible was created—the Word of God!
God took His time laying it down all throughout the ages of earth’s history.
It took about a period of 1600 years by 40 different authors.
Yet the 66 magnum book of Holy Ghost power all points to one thing It’s summed up in 1 John 4:8 that God is love.
What are you talking about preacher you haven’t told me nothing yet?
Well what is God up to?
Psalmist express why and how we ought to come into God’s House.
Ps 95:1-2
1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
(KJV)
Gal 4:4-5
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
(KJV)
Luke 9:56
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.
(KJV)
John 14:1-3
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
(KJV)
The Bible expresses to us that His intentions are good. He only wants to do good by us.
Change us first. . .
Matt 1:21
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(KJV)
Well let me tell you that the devil studies the Bible. He knows it in and out.
And I know he was looking for the Messiah. He knew just around the time Jesus would come.
He met the Lord at His birth . . .
Matt 2:16
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
(KJV)
child grew in favor of God and man.
He met the Lord on the mountain top (in the wilderness)
Matt 4:1-10
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
(KJV)
Then He tried to knock Jesus out at Calvary. Demons buoyed on the crowd.
(Tomb)
Rev 12:10-11
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
(KJV)
Acts 1:10-11
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
(KJV)
What was His message to His followers?
Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
(KJV)
Matt 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(KJV)
According to the Bible the devil was upset that Jesus overcame!
I got my butt beat at the birth
I got butchered in the wilderness
and I got whipped at Calvary what can I do now?
I got to stop the church.
Symbolic prophecy and history alike tells us (Rev 12:6) Pagan Rome and the Jewish nation.
By Papal Rome. (Rev 12:13-16)
Every time I stomp them some come out somewhere else!
Well know If I can’t beat them I have to get back to joining them!
That’s been His game from the beginning. He loves to cause confusion among God’s people from within. (Rev 12:19)
How does he intend to do that? By buying people in God’s church, this morning I want to talk to you about someone who was for sale.
The inspired writer tells us in the book Desire of Ages that Judas would have been revered among the twelve had he died before the last journey. We would have said “I want to be as faithful as Judas”
He would have been honored of God.
His life was a warning to all like him who would betray sacred trusts.
The Bible says that the love of money is the root. . . this man loved money.
Ellen White said
E.W. p.166
“His love of money led him to agree to betray his Lord into the hands of His bitterest enemies. Satan was working directly through Judas, and in the midst of the impressive scene of the last supper, the traitor was devising plans to betray his Master.”
The devil will use church people! You know that! And in 1996 nothing has changed.
His first step is to make sure that hell will be your home and mine. If he can get you out of the church by any means necessary he’ll do that. But if he can keep you lost and in church that’s even better.
But he has to offer the price.
The devil knows just what we are interested in.
Some of you act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. If your here in the flesh this morning you have a price.
Don’t act like you’ve got it made in the shade and you just can’t fade!
Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We all were born in sin and shaped in iniquity.
There is a sin that easily beset what is it?
Paul recognized this in Romans 7
It is money, it is a women or man, is it LL Cool J. or T.L.C. Is it self-righteousness. (Vain Christians). It a non Adventist spouse that you want to please. It is a job that keeps you breaking the Sabbath. It is non Christian friends who you don’t have the guts to announce to about your love for Him.
Education or intimidation, Effemination or adulteration. Is it self exaltation and proclamation, hesitation, it is constipation or manipulation, complication or unconsecration.
You got to know what it is!
“Judas had naturally a strong love for money; but he had not always been corrupt enough to do such a deed as this. He had fostered the evil spirit of avarice until it had become the ruling motive of his life. The love of mammon overbalanced his love for Christ. Through becoming the slave of one vice he gave himself to Satan, to be driven to any lengths in sin.” D.A. p. 716
Judas was blinded to his own weakness of character, and Christ placed him where he would have an opportunity to see and correct this. P.718
One thing about this Adventist message because of Jesus there’s always hope.
Sin is something that if you recognize you got to get hospitalized!
Because Jesus is on the case there is hope! Don’t let the devil get you so steeped in your own weakness that you can’t see the light beyond the tunnel there is hope!
Doctor Jesus is looking on in our case!
Even though we might be in fighting among one another there is hope!
Even though we might be Christians and there is trouble in the home there is hope!
Even though we might be hypocritical in the church there is hope!
You know as S.D.A. we become experts at knowing how to look good even when things are not right! We become beautiful shells. You know what I mean by shells!
( Fine looking car)
A beautiful Lexus, Mercedes, Acura Legend, you receive this car beautiful interior, leather bucket seats, plush upholstery, power windows and door locks, cruise control and CD player. Vanity window and cup holder. All the niceties except for one thing no engine.
Oh thank you Jesus for your time! Sometimes God doesn’t expose us for who we are. Sometimes He knows where on E. When we are worst or act worst than those in the world.
Because He knows that a man or woman whose got a title sometimes can’t talk to just anybody.
There some people just waiting to hear some juicy gossip. So they can parade.
When I need to talk to my Jesus He’s there! He talk me in His garage of grace shut the door and give me a complete overhaul!
Matt 12:30
30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
(KJV)
Can continue to sin willfully. Have to decide what we want to do.
There is a point of no return that’s why Paul cries aloud and says!
Rom 13:11-14
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
(KJV)
1Thes 5:9
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
(KJV)
The Christian writer said it was one year before the betrayal that Jesus said:
Have I not chosen you twelve and yet one of you is a devil? Jesus knew what Judas was all about.
You know the old saying “You can fool some of the people, some of the time, You can fool most of the people most of the time, You can even try to fool all the people the people all of the time but you can’t fool God no time!
The Church is lost.
The Conference is lost.
Not everyone is lost! God’s got a witness in His church! Somebody going to do right!
You know sometime you can see right through an individual, sometimes brethren you can’t!
DA.717.001
“He felt a desire to be changed in character and life, and he hoped to experience this through connecting himself with Jesus. The Saviour did not repulse Judas. He gave him a place among the twelve. He trusted him to do the work of an evangelist. He endowed him with power to heal the sick and to cast out devils. But Judas did not come to the point of surrendering himself fully to Christ.”
“He felt that he could retain his own judgment and opinions, and he cultivated a disposition to criticize and accuse.”
DA.717.001
“Judas was highly regarded by the disciples, and had great influence over them. He himself had a high opinion of his own qualifications, and looked upon his brethren as greatly inferior to him in judgment and ability. They did not see their opportunities, he thought, and take advantage of circumstances. The church would never prosper with such shortsighted men as leaders.
Judas regarded himself as the capable one, who could not be overreached. In his own estimation he was an honor to the cause, and as such he always represented himself.”
We are such dupes for quote artist. . .
Committee’s, board’s, council’s and members wasting God’s time!
RH.1890-01-21.pp 3, 4
Christ is present at every assembly and at every private interview. He has made his people the depositaries of rare blessings. . . .While temptations to worldliness and licentiousness cause the love of many to wax cold, they stand true as the needle to the pole, as faithful workers, as standard-bearers for God, in principle firm as a rock.
Shall we forget our holy calling, brethren? Shall the mournful deterioration of piety be seen among us, that caused the rejection of the Jewish nation? Shall we who have had so great light upon Bible truth let a dry, dead formalism take the place of zeal and faith? Is our light to go out in darkness? Are we not to work zealously to counteract the arts of the enemy? We must watch and pray.
You’ve heard the saying sometimes we get so heavenly minded that we become no earthly good. I believe it’s because we seek God’s place instead of the place God wants us to be.
Are some who believe have gone ahead of the pastor, move before the church. Overtaken Ellen White, Upstaged the disciples and even to the point where they tell God (unseat )
I believe it’s because instead of being Spirit filled we want to fill in the Holy Spirit. Instead of taking God’s grace to others we want to only meet out His justice. Instead of want to be more like Jesus we want to be God.
When Jesus presented to the rich young ruler the condition of discipleship, Judas was displeased. He thought that a mistake had been made. If Judas were only received as a counselor, he thought, he could suggest many plans for the advantage of the little church. His principles and methods would differ somewhat from Christ's, but in these things he thought himself wiser than Christ. DA p. 719
ED.057.003
The greatest want of the world is the want of men-- men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
Men and women are wanted now who are as true to duty as the needle to the pole. AU.1901-11-01.004
Not For Sale
Judas now cast himself at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging Him to be the Son of God, and entreating Him to deliver Himself. The Saviour did not reproach His betrayer. He knew that Judas did not repent; his confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a looking for of judgment, but he felt no deep, heartbreaking grief that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God, and denied the Holy One of Israel. DA p.721
We will serve the Lord!