Test of Loyalty

0:00 I would like to invite Rabbi Sean to come to the stage Avin Shava Shama, my father in heaven. Lord, I thank you for Rabbi Sean and his diligence this week to prepare to study your word and to uh, look and see what you would have for us today. Lord, I pray that you would open up our ears, that we can hear from you today, Lord, that we can be encouraged, that we can be challenged by your word. We bless you and praise you in Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen. Shalom.

0:46 Shalom. What would you do for a Klon D**e bar? Probably not very much. Those things sell for about a dollar at Walmart, but what if I was to offer you $10? Would you be willing to take a walk with me? What would you be willing to do for $5,000? Would you be willing to sell me your car? How about 50,000? What would you be willing to do for $150,000?

1:33 Would you be willing to break the law? Would you be willing to steal or forge a signature? Would you be willing to hurt someone? What if you didn't have to even do it yourself, but you could bet get paid just to hand someone over to someone else? Would you do it for $150,000? If we're honest with ourselves, we all have at least one area where we are weak and might be willing to bend our moral code under the right circumstances. Maybe you are a person who is not easily bribed, but you may be vulnerable in another way.

2:19 Perhaps you are susceptible to peer pressure, anger, or lust. Have you ever experienced betrayal? When I was 13 years old, I was shocked when my best friend of seven years suddenly turned on me. At that point, he was my only friend in the neighborhood, but the pressure from the other kids got the best of him. What further complicates this issue is that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia around that time, although I didn't understand it as a kid, I was never angry at Keith for what he did to me. He was a great friend to me for seven years and I understood how

3:08 difficult it was for him to be pressured by a large group. I didn't see Keith after that. As he was taken out of school at age 20, Keith hung himself. I was invited to his funeral the same week that I had put my trust in the Lord. Keith's uncle had me over to his house after the funeral and explained that Keith had always felt guilty for what he had done to me. I'm sure this wasn't the only factor that caused him to take his life. However, it was so sad to learn that he had carried a burden of guilt for what he had done to me.

3:54 I had even reached out to him a few years before his death, but his uncle told me that he couldn't face the shame of picking up the phone and speaking with me. Let me be crystal clear about something. Perhaps in that situation, I was the one who was betrayed by another. However, I am not so innocent myself. Even though I hadn't harmed Keith. I have harmed others. I can think of one family, just two doors down from Keith who I subjected to unwarranted abuse. I beat up their kids. I stuffed tangerines in the tailpipe of their vehicle.

4:42 I stomped out their rose garden. I humiliated them publicly for fun. Why did I do such cruel things to these people? I'm not sure. Maybe it was because I knew I could get away with it. Maybe it was because older and bigger kids picked on me and I was continuing a pattern. Maybe it's because it made me feel bigger to be able to hurt somebody else. Maybe I was simply ignorant. Whatever the case, after I came to faith in the Lord, I felt guilt and shame for every evil thing I had done to that family as well as the countless things that I had done to others.

5:30 Even though I had gotten away with it at the time, my conscience forced me to bear the guilt of what I had done. Today I will be looking at Luke chapter 22 verses one through 13. The title of my message is Test of Loyalty. I'd like to demonstrate three concepts from this passage. First, Yeshua challenges our ego. Second, our allegiance to Yeshua will be tested and lastly, God will do surprising things to build his kingdom as we follow his guidance.

6:16 This passage challenges us with the idea that we must continually face the question of who we will serve. My outline can be found on the you version app and I will be reading from the Tree of Life version. Luke chapter 22 verses one through two, read as follows. Now, the Feast of Matza, which is called Passover, was approaching the ruling Kohanim and Torah. Scholars were searching for a way to do away with Yeshua, for they were afraid of the people.

7:04 Yeshua challenges our ego. Perhaps some of us daydream that we were alive in the days of Yeshua's earthly ministry. What would it have been like to be one of the 12? What would it have been like to hear from him directly in that manner and to witness all that we read about in the gospels? Perhaps we imagine ourselves like Peter, eager and impulsive, but ultimately obedient to the Lord. Perhaps we imagine ourselves like Yohanan trusting in Yeshua and experiencing deep relationship with the master. However, there were lots of people who witnessed Yeshua's earthly ministry in some way

7:53 and just continued life as usual. There was that one time I was part of a crowd that he fed when he multiplied bread and fish. Don't you remember that rabbi who was healing people at the synagogue? Were you at the wedding where he turned water into wine? Yet there were many others who were not pleased with Yeshua's ministry, who is this young man who is causing such a stir in the community. People are following him as if he were the Lord himself. Some people say he's the Messiah, but I know his family. I heard that he was healing people on Shabbat. The Messiah will be the prince of peace,

8:40 but this man is causing division among the people. The Messiah will be a conquering king, but this man doesn't even carry a sword. Lord, if he were the Messiah, we would no longer be under Roman rule. Imagine that you were part of a priestly family at that time. You are a representative of God to humanity and serve at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. Who is this man who is drawing so much attention to himself? Did you hear what he just said? Did he just say that this temple would be destroyed? Who does he think he is? He's dangerous.

9:28 I heard that he was challenging Caesar. He's going to get us all killed. Did you hear about what they did to his crazy cousin when he got too bold? While it is convenient for any of us to imagine that we would be that beloved disciple discerning the times and hanging onto Yeshuas every word, chances are that we would not be so receptive. Imagine being a rabbi at that time at a local synagogue. You're quietly and faithfully serving. When? Where did this guy come from? Who does he think he is? Can anything good come out of Nazareth? He's making us all look bad.

10:16 If you struggled with confidence in any way, imagine how you would assess yourself in comparison to this wonder working prophetic sage. One of the challenges of being created in the image of God is that we tend to get so consumed by our own importance that we mistake ourselves for the Lord at times. While we love to imagine that we would've been receptive to Yeshua if we lived in that time, it takes great humility to forsake your own plans in order to follow a controversial rabbi who will probably get you killed.

11:02 In fact, there were only 12 who followed to this extent and even they struggled with the task and faced times of doubt and disbelief in some way. The ruling kohanim and the Torah scholars were simply being pragmatic. Yeshua was causing too many waves among the people and it made them nervous. Additionally, he was a threat to their power. It is not surprising to me when I read the book of Revelation that the Son of man returns riding on the clouds with all power and authority and multitudes of people swipe left and say, nah,

11:49 I'm good. Yeshua is a threat to our ego. Submitting your life to Yeshua means that you are letting go of control. Ironically, even when we serve ourselves, we are not in control, but we hang on to that illusion anyway. Submitting your life to Yeshua means that you may be asked to do that thing that you don't want to do because you think that it is beneath you. Submitting your life to Yeshua means that other people might ridicule or disown you. Submitting your life to Yeshua means that you will seek to follow his will and forsake your own.

12:37 We should not be quick to condemn these priests who wanted to do away with Yeshua. Each of us also resists Yeshua's reign in our own way. If we say that we are completely submitted, we deceive ourselves. Where is your ego getting in the way? How are you resisting the Lord's will in your life? What are you afraid of? Luke 22 verses three through six read. Then Satan entered into Judah, the one from Creole, one of the 12, and he went away and talked with the ruling kohanim and officers of the Temple

13:25 Guard about how he might deliver Yeshua over to them. They were delighted and agreed to give him money, so he agreed and began looking for a chance to hand Yeshua over to them. Without a crowd, our allegiance to Yeshua will be tested. Judah becomes an easy target for ridicule. As we read the gospels, he is the bookkeeper, but he is stealing money. Greed overtakes him to the point that he agrees to a sum that he would be paid in order to give the authorities a tip on where to find Yeshua with hardly anyone around. He is the betrayer.

14:14 It goes to the extent that whenever the name Judas is mentioned in society, particularly in music, movies and literature, we automatically think of the rat, the snitch, and the betrayer. Sadly, the name Judas or Judah is often associated with Juddaism to the extent that many Jewish stereotypes exist that portray Jews as greedy, backstabbing, and power hungry. When my kids were younger, I would walk them to the bus stop. I was talking with my neighbor who told me that he was Jewish.

15:01 Passover was approaching, so I invited him to our congregational Seder. He responded to me by saying, didn't the Jews kill Jesus? In response, I asked him, who do you think followed him? My neighbor did come to our Seder that year. We can do our part to push back on this anti-Semitic narrative. Do you know that Judah or Judas was a common Jewish name? Yeshua himself is referred to as the lion of the tribe of if you've ever celebrated Hanukkah, as Yeshua did. You are celebrating the leadership of Judah McAbee,

15:49 who was one of the Jewish freedom fighters who drove the Sal Lucid Greek occupiers out of Judea in 1 39 b c e. There was even another Judah among the 12 disciples who was Judah son of Jacob. This name has to do with giving thanks and praise and we should not be ashamed of it. In spite of the shameful end of Judas scar, Judas certainly gets a bad rap in historical memory. Acknowledging this, I want to encourage just a bit of empathy for Judah. First, he was a person with flaws and sinned just like you and I.

16:37 He struggled with greed. The gospels tell us that he was pilfering funds. Yeshua knew what was coming, but also understood that certain painful things needed to happen for the scripture to be fulfilled. Although the betrayal wasn't pleasant, it was necessary. Siry, do you remember when I asked you what you would be willing to do for $150,000? How did I get to that number? Perhaps you're saying to yourself, didn't Judah betray Yeshua for 30 pieces of silver? Yes,

17:22 he did. However, we do not know the equivalent amount in modern currency. Some think that it is just a few hundred dollars, but I do not agree with them. Here's why Matthews gospel informs us that those same 30 pieces of silver were used to buy the potters field, which would be used as a cemetery for strangers. I don't know if any of you have been looking at real estate prices lately, but I suspect that you would have a difficult time purchasing a field for $300. If you know of such a deal, please meet with me after service.

18:11 While the price of land would vary based on season, location and the size of the plot, it seems to me that in modern terms, this was a sizable amount of money. Again, consider how much it would take to purchase a field in a busy city. So I am choosing $150,000, not because I know what the value of the 30 pieces of silver was, but because I'm just considering our current market. So while this does not completely justify what Judah did, we must be aware that he was offered a sizable sum of cash to do something which might have seemed inevitable.

19:00 He didn't even need to physically harm Yeshua himself. He simply had to let them know when and where Yeshua would be away from the crowds, and perhaps at this point there was even some tension that existed between Judah and Yeshua that he was responding to. We don't know. Perhaps you're thinking what a horrible person you are, rabbi Sean. Are you really going to stand there and try to evoke empathy for the one who betrayed the Messiah? I don't know about you, but I have never been offered $150,000 to do anything. As much as I would love to think that I would not be susceptible to such temptation, I have never faced that temptation myself.

19:49 Can you be sure that you would not fold under such pressure? Additionally, the text tells us that the adversary had entered in to Judah. What exactly does this mean? Did Judah no longer have control of himself? Can we be overtaken to the point that we are no longer in control of our own actions? Have you ever been overcome by something? What I do know is that Judah had been stealing for quite some time. The enticement of money was an area of vulnerability for him. He was overcome in this very area of his weakness.

20:36 Do you have any areas of vulnerability? Is there a level of temptation that you might not be able to overcome? Lastly, on this rant about Judah, it must be noted that when Yeshua was taken, Judah snapped out of his satanic spell and felt remorse immediately. He gave back the money before Yeshua's trial, but it was too late. The deed had been done. Judah couldn't fix it. He felt such a strong burden of guilt and shame that he could no longer bear living and hung himself horrifically.

21:22 Judah had condemned himself. Perhaps you have known someone who committed suicide or even struggled with these thoughts yourself. Sometimes the weight of what we have done or what others have done to us can seem unbearing. If you look at the life of King David or even the apostle Paul, you will see that they had also committed atrocious acts that were worthy of great punishment. Yet instead of taking judgment into their own hands, they took their shame and remorse. Before the Lord experienced his forgiveness and committed themselves to a new and better way,

22:08 these men both made a tremendous impact for furthering the kingdom of God after having done horrendous deeds and recognizing the errors of their own path. If King David had taken his own life prematurely, we would not have the richness of the Psalms or the fullness of Messianic hope of the king who would come to reign from the line of David. If the Apostle Paul had judged himself unworthy of life because of the guilt and shame that was on his conscience, we would not have this beacon that shows us how Israel is to be a light to the nations.

22:53 If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, encourage them to allow God to be the judge rather than taking judgment into their own hands, you might find that God is more gracious than you had imagined. You might find that this vicious cycle of dreadful deeds can be broken through confessing your sin, repenting and receiving new life. In Yeshua, you might find hope and the ability to love the Lord. You might find that the Lord has a purpose for your life that is greater than what you can ask or imagine. Don't put yourself in the place of the judge.

23:39 God alone will judge. While Judah might serve as an extreme example, each of us will face tests of our allegiance to Yeshua. Can you think of the last time that you were tested? How did you do? If you're saying to yourself, I've never been tested, your struggle may be with honesty. Consider in what areas you feel most tempted to do wrong. This will give an indication of your greatest vulnerabilities. It does not have to rule your life. It all starts with being aware of your own weaknesses.

24:25 Do you know what they are? If you don't ask the Lord to show you and ask some people that you trust and who know you well, they can probably tell you. You might feel like being aware of your weaknesses would make you weaker, but actually the opposite is true. When you know where your weaknesses lie, you can take action to protect yourself from the enemy without, and the enemy within honesty with yourself allows you to be honest with the Lord and honest with others. While sometimes it feels like hiding your sin would be the best strategy to defeat it, it only grows larger in the darkness.

25:10 The more light that you can shine on it, the less it will thrive and the more you can see it for what it is, a trap, an temptation to draw you away from the path of life. Luke 22 verses seven through through 13, Ritas follows, Then came the day of Matza when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Now, Yeshua sent Peter and John saying, go and prepare the Passover for us so we may eat. Then they said to him, where do you want us to prepare? And he said to them, behold, when you have entered the city,

25:57 a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and say to the owner of the house, the teacher says to you, where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And with that, he will show you a large upper room, fully furnished, make preparations there. So they left and found just what Yeshua had told them and they prepared the Passover. God will do surprising things to build his kingdom as we follow his guidance. I know some people work hard to solve all the theological mysteries

26:45 in their mind. Fortunately, I don't struggle so much with this. I don't mind living with a bit of mystery concerning things to come. I noticed that even when Yeshua told his almadi what was about to happen, they still didn't get it. I don't expect to be any better. I do see however that after things happen, Yeshua's followers can then grasp it. So for many future things, I am content to wait and see how it all unfolds, even if I cannot grasp it at the moment. I can't think of a few times where I seem to have a clear sense of direction from the Lord.

27:31 Followed it and saw amazing and life-changing things happen For Peter and John, however, they had the benefit of seeing and listening to Yeshua in the flesh. It certainly seems like Yeshua had made prior arrangements with this man in the city. Though the text does not say this explicitly, I suppose a man carrying a water jug was unusual enough that Peter and John would be able to pick him out. It is also easy to understand why Yeshua chose these two men to send on this particular mission. Peter was impulsive by nature.

28:17 Surely he would not delay or leave this man waiting but would quickly accomplish the task. John or Yohanan was the beloved disciple. He was trustworthy and could keep Peter out of trouble. There is something to be said about serving the Lord with others. It keeps us honest and helps us to overcome the weakness that we each possess. Also, Peter and John knew how to prepare for Peoc. Obviously, as I reflect upon the kingdom building that I have witnessed in my life, it always seems to involve people with different gifts coming together

29:06 for the Lord's purposes. Perhaps someone has an inspiring vision. Perhaps someone has a large furnished upper room. Perhaps someone makes excellent hummus. We talked about our weaknesses and vulnerabilities earlier, but the good news is that God has also distributed gifts to us according to His purposes. What has God given you in abundance? How can it be used to build up his kingdom? How can it be used to bless others? As an aside, young people choosing a career might be tempted to think about how they can make

29:54 the most money. It's not wrong to think about money. Yeshua had plenty to say about it, and you will need it to get along in this world. However, I encourage you to also spend some time reflecting upon the unique way that the Lord has made you. Since we live with our gifts every day and they seem to come so naturally to us, we can fail to appreciate them. I can think about someone in our community who has the ability to make the toughest people behave like little children. I can think of someone in our community who can handle great physical tasks. I can think of someone in our community who is skilled in reconciling groups of

30:42 people where conflict is present. I can go on like this for a long time. I might not know you well enough to know what gifts the Lord has given you. Frankly, you might not know yourself well enough to know what gifts the Lord has given you. This comes with time and experience and is a worthy pursuit in itself. I've seen that when people embrace their God-given gifts and share them with humanity, opportunities begin to emerge. We can all contribute something meaningful to the world. We can all contribute something meaningful to the kingdom of God.

31:27 Part of this involves embracing your gifts rather than desiring the gifts of another. Sometimes the thing we have is not the thing that we asked for. God does this. Just read the book of Jonah if you doubt what I am saying. We must trust that God knows more than we do. We must trust that when he distributes gifts and talents, he knows what he is doing. Sometimes we get stuck because we are not asking the right questions. For example, instead of asking what careers make the most money, what if we asked for what purpose we were created for?

32:16 What if we asked what God wanted to do with our gifts? What if we asked how we could be of the greatest service to the world and the kingdom of God? What if we asked what our role is and what God's role is? What if we asked what we are currently doing that is keeping us from reaching our potential? What if we were to stop asking God to bless us in our pursuits and were to start asking God what he is doing so that we could bless him in his pursuits? The paradox of serving God is that the more we can lose ourselves in serving him and his creation,

33:01 the more that we find ourselves in him through serving others with excellence and heartfelt commitment, we become an asset to others and find that our needs are also met in the process. God cares for us better than we can care for ourselves. Are there any areas in your life where the Lord is asking you to do something but you are reluctant? Perhaps you're scared about what might happen. Perhaps you're not sure if you're hearing correctly. Maybe you just don't want to do it. Ironically, the Lord often calls us to things that terrify us because he is looking to

33:50 grow us and conform us more into his image. Are you surrendered to his voice or are you running away? Sometimes we ignore the things that we think are insignificant. I'm glad that Peter and John were obedient to find the man with the water jug and to do exactly what the Lord told them. We must take the small things seriously. If we cannot be faithful with small things, we will not be trusted with big things. Rather than dismissing the little things we should embrace them, plus, they are so much easier to accomplish. When you can form small habits of doing good,

34:35 they will accumulate While you are unaware and become a big deal in your life, life can be overwhelming. We see this in Judah. Small things became a big thing and it was more than he could bear. We also see this in Peter's life. We should take hope from observing Peter. He was far from perfect. He would act first and think later. He denied Yeshua three times, yet that wasn't the end of his story. His failures only served as opportunities for growth. The Lord didn't get rid of him because he made mistakes. Rather,

35:23 Peter became the foundation upon which Yeshua built his [unknown]. But don't let me give you the impression that Peter was a continual failure. Either he acknowledged his shortcomings and overcame them through submission to the Lord and the community of the faithful. He learned from the master that the greatest one was the one who served others. In Peter, we have the picture of what happens when you acknowledge your sin, turn from your wicked ways and continue being sharpened in your walk with the Lord. The same Peter would go on to tell us that these trials are so that the true metal of your faith far more valuable than gold,

36:09 which perishes the refined by fire, may come to light in praise and glory and honor At the revelation of Messiah Yeshua, through making mistakes and continuing on in humility and the refining of his character, Peter would become a pillar of the faith and an example of what it means to persevere and to serve Yeshua well. We each must continually face the question of who we will serve. As you go forth, understand that Yeshua will test your ego. Know that your allegiance to Yeshua will be tested and finally be encouraged that God will do surprising things to build His kingdom as you

36:56 follow his guidance. Shabbat Chalo, May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace

37:54 in the name of our Messiah. Yes,