Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. But the main gist of what I want to share really is about five minutes, and you'll fully understand it. But in order to really understand a passage you have to understand everything about the passage, and I was blessed. I hope you are, but I'm going to tell you something. Just some things I had never seen, and I love digging into the Bible.

You know that I'm learning and I'm trying to to rightly divide God's Word. I'm sure I don't even want to listen to some things I'm sure I said in the 20s, in my 20s, or whatever. I didn't live in the 20s. You know what I mean, my 20s.

Some of our visitors are like, man, he looks good for 80. Anyway, and I look good anyway. But anyway, you know, I'm picking.

If you're 80, I might look good because the eyesight's gone. But anyway, but there's some things that I learned in this passage that I would say blessed me, but it was even more emotional than that. And I think it's because seeing a lot of our families are going through and knowing what my me and my family will be going through here soon and different things. I think that you just look at things different in life. I've had the privilege of sitting down and talking with Brother Joe so many times over the years, and as the Lord has led me here to be the pastor, our conversations changed a little, and now it's kind of a pastor talking to a pastor, and here's a professional pastor I would call him.

He's the best in the world, and here's a novice pastor, and you talk about things, and Brother Joe has often said, you know, I wish I knew some of the things that I know now have seen some of the things you watch people suffer through, and he said I probably would have preached different in my 20s or my 30s, whatever the case might be, maybe a little more compassion, maybe a little more this, and we've talked about these things, and I thought, man, I don't know how anybody could have more compassion than Joe Myers, but even a man like that looks back, and he sees things differently, and you know trials will make you view life different. Everything about life. It'll make you view your children different. You have a car wreck one time, and it's a bad wreck, and you have children in that car, and they're not hurt. You view your children differently. You're more thankful.

You have a bad report from the doctor, and you view those last 40 years where you kind of complained about things, and you thought, man, how good I had it to have health. You just look at things different. I want you to look at John chapter 18, and here's what's interesting. At the end of John chapter 17, Jesus is preaching a message, and Jesus is getting ready to start what we call the Passion of Christ. There's been a movie made about that obviously in different things, and what we call the Passion of Christ is basically the process of Jesus being delivered to be crucified, and to pay for our sins, to be the sacrifice for our sins, and this is getting ready to start in John chapter 18 verse 1, and the Bible tells us, and we're going to read this in just a second, that Jesus kind of knew what was coming, and this is getting ready to be, listen to me folks, the greatest trial that any human being has ever faced. You say, well Jesus was, yes He was, but He was man.

He is our example. If He was just God and not man, He couldn't be our example, so to be our example, He had to prove that He was man and still live the life that He lived, and He is getting ready to suffer like nobody in the past, the present, or even in the future would ever suffer. You talk about a trial coming, and He knew what was coming. Now, many of you in this building have faced trials, but often times you didn't know it was coming. Some of you have been in some bad car wrecks, you've had some tragedies happen, and it just happened all of a sudden. We just had a marriage retreat, you know, kind of a night with the Bunky family, and talked about the one night, lost two children in one night in a car wreck, and different things, little kids, and you just think, my goodness, well they didn't know that was coming. Could you imagine if we knew what was coming?

We wouldn't want to get out of bed, but He knew what was coming. So how did He prepare for this trial? In order to understand the fullness of the trial, we've got to look at John chapter 18, look if you would at verse 1. When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Kedron, or Seidron, they're pronounced different ways, where was a garden, into the which He entered in His disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place, for Jesus oft times resorted thither with His disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.

Man, they could have saved a whole bunch of time. They didn't need weapons to get Jesus. You know our Savior willingly gave Himself. Notice He would at verse 4, Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth and said unto them, whom seek ye? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, stood with them.

Now listen to this, now I never understood this passage, but I'm going to explain it to you today if you haven't. As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward and fell to the ground. Then asked He them again, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am He, if therefore ye seek me, let these, meaning His disciples, go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled, which He spake, of them which thou gavest me, have I lost none. You think you're secure if you're saved today?

He's never lost one yet. Let's pray, Lord we love you. We ask you to help us in Jesus' name. Amen. Don't you hate those short prayers, you're planning on going to the bathroom where I'm going to get out of here real quick while He prays?

That's why I pray short catch who's leaving, you know, kind of thing. First thing I want you to notice, I've got to give you the whole setting, and I'm going to do it quickly. First thing I want you to notice is His bed. You say, preacher, I don't see anything about that in this passage.

Well you're going to have to kind of know the history of the chapters before this. And you know, it was Jesus' custom when He was at Jerusalem, and there was something interesting about the Mount of Olives. Now this Brook Kedron is right at the base of the Mount of Olives, and I want you to understand this, when He was at Jerusalem, always when Jesus spent the day in public ministry, He would always in the evening retire for that night near the Mount of Olives. He just always did that. Now, that was where His quarters were, or where He would stay, or where He would sleep. You say, where exactly was that?

We don't know. All we know is this, that He didn't own it. It wasn't His, it was borrowed, because the Bible tells us that He owned nothing. He didn't even sometimes have a place to lay His head. And so we know that He would always after, listen to me, after spending a whole day in the city, working with the masses, at the end of the night He would come out to the outskirts of the city near the Mount of Olives to spend time in a little garden right there on the Brook of Kedron. And He would always go spend time there, and that is exactly where He would stay. Now you say, preacher, why is that important?

Well, here's what is interesting to me. They could not make room for Jesus in the palaces or in the fancy homes downtown. Where Jesus had to lay His head was in the outskirts of the city. He wasn't the mainstream accepted preacher. He would go and minister and help and heal, and listen to me, He would literally do all the things that all the other preachers couldn't. But then He wasn't welcome in the palaces, in the nice homes.

He would have to go to a borrowed bed on the outskirts of the city at the base of the Mount of Olives. What a reminder that our Savior did not come to get. He came to give. What a reminder that our Savior thinks so little of earthly possessions because He was so heavenly minded.

May I ask you today how important are heavenly things to us as compared to our earthly possessions? If it was me, I would think, man, I've done all this for these people. I'm doing all this healing these people. Everybody comes to me for their miracles and all that stuff.

Man, I ought to at least have a nice place to stay. That wasn't Jesus, was it? Another thing I notice about this, that Jesus, the Bible says, knew what was coming.

And so He ended up out here by this brook of Kedron near the Mount of Olives, right there at the base of that. Why did Jesus go all the way out there if He knew what was coming? Now listen to me, Jesus had many followers. And He had many people that believed in Him.

Now there were a whole lot of people that just followed to watch the show. But there were people that really loved and followed Jesus. Now listen to me, if those soldiers had tried to take Jesus in the city, there would have been an uproar. People would have said something and some of His followers would have tried to fight against some of those soldiers. And there would have been bloodshed and there would have been fighting and there would have been an uproar. And there would have been a tumult and there would have been people arguing and going back and forth. But Jesus, knowing what was going to happen, He removed Himself from where it would cause all the ruckus and where it would cause all the things. And He went to a quiet garden away so that He could be taken without incident. What a Savior! If it was us we'd be like, well bless God this isn't fair.

I'm going to make sure everybody knows and I want everybody to stand up for me and let them know you're not doing right. Jesus removed Himself to somewhere quiet so that they could take Him what they thought would be without incident. Unfortunately He had a guy named Peter with Him.

I kind of like Him though to be honest with you. Let me put it in modern day terms. You know Peter obviously when they tried to take Jesus pulled that sword out and cut off that guy's ear.

I would like to think that if somebody tried to come take me I hope there's a few of you lovingly termed rednecks around here that would shoot a few people first. Listen to me. What did we learn from this preacher? Here Jesus knew what was coming and He removed Himself so there wouldn't be a big fuss about it. So that there wouldn't be all these people trying to stand up for what was right.

Because Jesus knew this had to be done in order for you and I to be able to be here today saved and on our way to heaven. What did we learn from this? Well we learned from this that when you and I find ourselves in trouble we should be afraid and really very against trying to involve others with us.

Now I know your mind can't fathom it quite yet but you've got to get this this morning. When there's a disjustice done to you Christ's example was for us that we should be quiet about it and take it in the name of Christ. You know what our tendency is? Somebody does something unfair to us we gather all our friends and tell them. We want everybody to feel sorry for us and we want everybody to cry for us and we want everybody to... Well that's not fair for you and what we do is we involve everybody in the injustice that was done to us. But what we learn from Jesus is when you're done wrong by folks and especially when you're done wrong in the name of Jesus just quietly take it. Oh the selflessness of that.

The selflessness of this thing inside of us that we want everybody on our side and we want everybody to see that we're the ones, we're the victims. And Jesus didn't want anybody to see it that way. This was something that was His call. It was His burden to carry.

And He took it. Do you know how many problems are caused in church and in life and in families because we try to gather everybody into our problems? Jesus didn't do that.

Wow what a lesson. Let me also tell you this that Jesus gives us another example by the fact of where He ended up out in the outskirts of the city. That you and I have got to lay aside and leave behind the crowds, the cares, the comforts and even the cities. We've got to take up our cross and follow Jesus. We've got to leave the comforts of the palace sometimes and go to the outskirts where it's not popular, where it's not mainstream. And by the way the closer we get to Jesus coming the truth is not mainstream. I'm just warning you about that.

Just because it's big or it's popular doesn't mean it's right according to the Bible. His bed. I want you to notice secondly the brook. Now I didn't know this.

I honestly did not know this but this was extremely interesting. The brook Kedron, it runs between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. And this brook, right along this brook apparently there was a little garden. And we know that this garden was not owned by Jesus but apparently maybe a friend had it, an acquaintance, somebody and they had let Jesus use it many times. It literally became I guess what you would call Jesus' prayer closet. It became the place where Jesus went to. What is interesting is that word Kedron, that word that brook Kedron means black brook.

Well why is it called that preacher? Because this brook was known to be dirty. Because it flowed out of the city of Jerusalem and all the mess and all the dirt of the city was in that brook. And that is where Jesus drank from. And what a reminder that Jesus doesn't mind getting around us who are dirty and are sinful and all the things that we bring into our relationship with Christ.

What a sign that you know what? He doesn't have to have the clean and the pure. He died for the dirty.

He found himself by this brook of Kedron and it was called that because of the color of the water. What a reminder how Jesus took us who are dirty and made us clean. Let me also say this that we also know in the Old Testament that David is always a type of Christ. What is interesting and I've got to read you these verses.

Now if you want to look at them you're welcome to. But 2 Samuel 15 beginning in verse 23. Now listen to this. This is how many years before. Here's David a type of Christ, a man after God's own heart. This is years and years and years before Jesus was ever born. In verse 23 of 2 Samuel 15 listen to this.

And all the country wept with a loud voice and all the people passed over. The king David also himself passed over the brook Kedron and all the people passed over towards the way of the wilderness. Now a couple of verses later verse 30 listen to this. And David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet or the Mount of Olives. Same exact area where Jesus was is exactly where David had been all those years before.

And wept as he went up and had his head covered and he went barefoot and all the people that was with him covered every man his head. And they went up weeping as they went up and one told David saying Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David also oh Lord I pray thee turned the council of Ahithophel into foolishness.

Listen to this. All those years before David was going right by that brook of Kedron. And he was weeping and crying because his own son and one of his closest confidants Ahithophel had turned against David.

And they were trying to kill him. All these years later here's Jesus by the brook of Kedron at the Mount of Olives. And one of his own his closest one of the twelve Judas was getting ready to betray him.

Wow. What a picture of Christ. You see dear friends this is a reminder how Christ was betrayed. And before you and I want to harp and harp and harp on Judas could I ask you this morning and ask us not just you let me ask us.

Let me ask you something. How often have you betrayed Christ? Let me say this that Mount Olive is where Christ began his sufferings.

This is what I thought was wonderful. The Mount of Olives is on the east side of Jerusalem. This is where he began what we call the Passion of Christ his journey to the cross. And Mount Olive was on the far east side of Jerusalem and when he finished and was buried he was on the far west side of the city. That means the entire path went from the east to the west.

Does that sound anything familiar to you? The Bible says that after Jesus died for our sins when you and I put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ that he removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. It started in the east and it finished in the west and our sins started in the east but when we give our hearts to Christ he forgives us and we end up at the west pure as can be.

That's why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. May I say also thirdly I want you to see the betrayal place. You say can you get to this five minute part? Oh I'm getting there. I didn't say the sermon was five minutes I said the gist was five minutes. The sermon is an hour but the gist will only take five minutes.

I hope I'm not boring you but this interests me. This is what Jesus did for us. I want you to notice the betrayal place. It was in a garden. It's in this little garden right there on the brook Kedron. And by the way what a wonderful place to have a garden because you have the nourishment of the water. It reminds me all the way to Psalm 1. We shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. And you know what for us to grow like a garden we have got to get the nourishment from the water. And for us to grow as a Christian we've got to get the nourishment from God's word.

The water of his word. But I want you to notice this that it was in the garden of Eden that sin started. And all these years later it was in a garden where the redemption was started.

And let me tell you something even better than that I think. And as you look at that obviously sin started in the garden. The curse was pronounced in the garden. The redeemer was promised in the garden. And then also after Jesus died where he was buried the tomb where he was buried was known as a garden. It means this that sin started but a promise was promised. And here's a redeemer a lamb that was promised. And it all started in a garden. And then all these years later right in a garden is where he was taken to start the redemption that he was going to provide. Can you see the pictography in God's word? People that think God's word is out of date.

I think they're out of their mind. Let me say this also about the interesting thing about being a garden. It reminds us that whenever you and I I believe walk in a garden. Or see a garden.

And by the way I believe just stuff like flowers. I'm not a tree hugger by any means. I'm a wife hugger. My wife hugger. I had to think about that for a second. It didn't sound good.

I'm a my wife hugger. That's what I meant. When you and I see a garden you and I need to be reminded that there was a curse that was put on the ground. But that was lifted. And now we have things like beautiful flowers that you and I can see and that ought to remind us that that's where sin started. And that's where sin was covered. I want you to notice not just the betrayal place but I want you to see the betrayer. And that was Judas.

There's a lot I can say about him and I'm not going to spend a lot of time on him. Because I'm going to be honest with you I don't think the gist of this story is what Judas did. I think the gist of this story is what Jesus did. Jesus ought to get the preeminence over a man don't you think?

But I will say this. The Bible says that Jesus was betrayed by Judas and he knew what was coming. And that Judas the Bible says if you'll notice in these verses.

Look if you will. Verse 2. And Judas also which betrayed him knew the place. Judas took intimate knowledge of Jesus' schedule of his private places. Of those special places to Jesus. And Judas used that privy information to betray him. To deliver him to be crucified. And we know that but what is the point of putting all that in there and what is it that Jesus wants us to learn? Well the first thing I believe that Jesus put in there was to show the betrayal of the master. And you think about this. All this damage was done by one who seemed to be close to him.

Now that brings us to 2015. And I want you to understand why you and I we believe we try to preach the truth here at this church. And we always try to preach the truth. And if I don't preach the truth I want to know it so that I can fix it. Because I'm doing everything I can do to try to preach the truth. But I want you to understand why it is so dangerous today. Because God's word and God's will and God's way can be absolutely massacred in the name of preachers sometimes.

And you can see a bunch of junk and hear a bunch of junk. And it looks as if they know what they're talking about. And it appears as if they're the ones close to him.

And yet they're the ones that can do the most damage. You know why it is so hard to get people saved nowadays? Is because they've heard so much untruth that it is hard to get them to believe the truth. And where do they hear that from people that look like they were close to him? You know if somebody hears something about salvation from somebody that doesn't even claim the name of Christ, doesn't even look like, they're not going to believe them. But you let somebody look the part, act the part, got all the degrees behind their name, and they look like they're wise and all this stuff and people will listen to that.

And damage is done by those who appear. Listen to me. Judas knew more about Jesus than you and I do. He lived with him, watched him. He had knowledge about Jesus that you and I will never have. And sometimes we think people that have studied more, they've got more knowledge.

I need to listen to them. Listen to me. It's not about study, it's about faith. It's about God's word and taking it by its truth.

That was a freebie by the way. You say what is our lessons here? Well number one was to show the betrayal of the master. But number two, I believe this was shown to show us and magnify the love of Christ. Now listen to me. Jesus knew what was coming and yet he showed himself willing to die for us.

Jesus could have been upset and angry and thinking, well how could you do this? You're a disciple. I trusted you. How could you? He could have done all this.

Look at me. But because the betrayal was so bad, it makes his love that much greater. That nobody could have betrayed worse than Jesus was. And yet it never even faced him.

His love for us and our redemption was so great that even the greatest betrayal didn't bring that out of him. I want you to notice some more. I wouldn't say that my time is gone, but I want you to notice next the band of men.

Now this excited me. If you'll notice the Bible says that Judas brought a band of men and we've often had discussions about this and I've heard different people say different things and I don't know all the different things. I do know that it could have been a number of different amounts of men. We do know that this word spira or cohorse that is used here, this band of men, it means a regiment.

It means a Roman band. It means that it could have been as few as a hundred and it could have been as many as a thousand that showed up to take Jesus. For some reason I think you and I think that here's Judas and here's a couple of soldiers and they came, listen, if they brought weapons and swords and torches, if they were that concerned and that into getting Jesus, why would they just send a couple of guys? So from the terminology that is used, we know it was a band of Roman soldiers and so it literally could have been 500 to 1,000 men. Now it could have been more, but we believe probably because of the area where they went that there was 500 to 1,000 men that showed up and Judas shows up obviously in the garden and he comes and kisses Jesus to let them know and Jesus comes over and says, whom seek ye?

And by the way, he's asked that question before. He says, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Now what is very interesting about this is that as I look at this, here's Jesus, here's 11 of his disciples, a few of his disciples and some of them made their way out from that point anyway, but the 12th one was not there, Judas, because he was missing, because he was up to this and no good obviously. So here's Jesus and 11 men at the most and then here comes Judas with 500 to 1,000 soldiers. This is a reminder that Christ's friends were few but his enemies were many. And if you name the name of Christ, your friends might be few and your enemies might be many.

But listen to this, Matthew Henry in his commentary, I wanted to read this to you because I thought this was great. He said this, let us therefore not follow a multitude to do evil nor fear a multitude desiring to do evil. That means this, we shouldn't follow the crowd but we also shouldn't be afraid of the crowd when they're against us in the name of Christ because although the enemies might be many and the friends might be few, if Christ be for us, who shall be against us? Amen.

I want you to see what I think's the neatest thing. Look at verse six. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he. Now, here comes these 500 to 1,000 men, whatever the case might be and Jesus sees what's going on and he comes over to them and he says, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.

Now look at me, you couldn't even make a movie like this. Jesus had so much power that when all those men and it could have been 500 to 1,000 men, the Bible says, when they said we seek Jesus of Nazareth, the Bible said as soon as Jesus said, I am he that the soldiers fell backwards. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kirtland Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kirtlandbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.