Sermon Summary

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SERMON OUTLINE:

I. Prior to the Garden
-washed the disciples feet
-shared last supper
-identified Judas as betrayer
-predicted Peter's betrayal
-prayed for disciples and all future believers (that's us)

II. How Many Betrayers in the Garden?
-Takes Peter, James, John
-tells them he is "crushed to the point of death
-asks three things: keep watch with me, pray with me, stay awake just
one hour with me (he
never asks much of us)
-prayed three times for cup to pass from him...but he would do what God
willed
-Judas arrives at garden with mob
-the KISS--not for a stranger--a powerful symbol of deep love, affection

and covenant relationship
-Judas kiss revealed insincerity, bogus love and phony committment

III. Are We Guilty of Betrayal?
-ANY ONE OF US COULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT GARDEN because we have betrayed Christ--we have not kept our promises
-baptism, confirmation, membership promises---parents and congregation alike promise
-marriage vows---all to often we don't keep those promises very well either
-our gifts--when we don't use what God has given us
-are our promises just empty religious ritual like Judas' empty and meaningless kiss?

IV. Chirst's legacy for Us
-the cross
-only empty promise was the promise of an Empty Tomb
-He was looking to the horizon--to the future
-Disciples were given a Legacy--to take Christ to the ends of the earth

V. Keeping the Legacy Alive
-our new site
-promised God first fruits would go to Africa--kept that promise
-are we going to keep Christ's legacy alive through that new building?

VI. He still calls us Friend
-look at verse 50--still called Judas "friend"
-death on cross was for Judas too
-resurrection was for Judas too
-He loves us unconditionally and if he had it to do over he would do the very same thing
-his resurrection points us to the horizon...the future...there are no

limits to His vision for our lives, our ministries, our church, our community.

Altar call---time of reflection--time to reaffirm your covenant relationship with Christ--