Is Judas sitting in your church?

You see him or her sitting in your church...

they smile when they see you...

they laugh at all of the jokes the pastor tells...

they carry a Bible but cannot teach their children about "why" they need to be a follower of Jesus...

their attitude about sin is very flippant...

they have their foot in the door of every church activity...

they like to tell others about how much they love Jesus and yet they look down their nose at others in church...

they brag about how good their pastor is even though he is a story teller and a joke teller more than an expositor of Scripture...

they highly influence the direction the church takes even more than the pastor does...

Do you recognize the Judas in your church yet?

"And he said, Therefore said I to you, that no man can come to me, except it were given to him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus to the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? - you have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve." (John 6:65-71)

Jesus said that "one of you is a devil!" He was speaking of Judas Iscariot. And yet, the other apostles did not know that Jesus was speaking of Judas Iscariot. He was not a true convert. He hid it well.

When Jesus said that one of them would betray him, each one of them said, "Is it I, Lord?" Even Judas said it. No one suspected it could have been Judas. Want to know how well he hid it?

Judas was involved in many of the same activities as the other disciples so he put up a good front until it was his time to "shine??"

Mark 6:7 says, "And he called to him the twelve, and began to send forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits."

I have to wonder, which disciple was sent out two by two with Judas Iscariot? Wouldn't that be a bummer? Hangin' out with the devil!

Suppose it was Peter that got "stuck" with Judas. We don't know for sure but in Luke 22:31, we read, "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren."

We don't hear that anything went wrong with whoever went out with him. Judas put up a good front and hid his true feelings. Just like many people in your own church. There are people possibly sitting right next to you who have no desire to reach the lost. They have no desire to be obedient to God's Word. They just want the security of hearing the pastor say, "If you pray this prayer you will be saved." They might be able to hide it from you, but you need to remember that they will be known by their fruit (or lack thereof). "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." (Matthew 7:18)

Can you walk the talk? Do you get into Scripture each and every day in order to better understand and to grow in your knowledge? Can you spot the Judas sitting in your church? Is it you?

REPENT-- BE OBEDIENT -- PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS