People Leave, Not God
Easter 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Sometimes you walk away from people
Sometimes you walk away from people
I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.
Sometimes people walk away from you
Sometimes people walk away from you
Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”
Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.) He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father.”
From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
Sometimes God sends people away
Sometimes God sends people away
We may not understand why, but God knows people better than we ever could.
When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one he was speaking about. One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about. So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.”
None of those reclining at the table knew why he said this to him. Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left. And it was night.
Jesus knew Judas 100%. There was never a moment when Jesus was unsure, but every opportunity was there for Judas to change.
I love that Jesus explains plainly to the disciple whom Jesus loved, and yet the disciples still didn’t get it. They still didn’t get that Judas was a betrayer, not till later. I love that verse 28-30 are included - that the disciples didn't know what Jesus was saying to Judas, or even that they understood that Judas was the fulfillment of the betrayal.
Sometimes God sends people out of your life.
But God never leaves us!
But God never leaves us!
I will never leave or forsake you
I will never leave or forsake you
The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.
The Word of God makes it abundently clear, REPEATEDLY, that GOD will never leave us or forsake us.
Leave - God will never walk away from us
Forsake - God will never give us up or send us away!
