I. Introduction

II. Judas didn’t agree with God’s plan

1. Jesus turned the people away upset Judas (John 6:66)

2. What’s your response to God’s plan?
Like Peter: He did not understand God’s plan.  He might be disappointed,      but he knew who Christ was and he trusted Him and followed.

Like Judas: He didn’t agree with God’s plan, he refused.

1. To Judas, using the expensive perfume to anoint Jesus is a waste.  (John 12:4-5)

2. Using a spiritual excuse for a hypocritical reason (John 12:6)

3. What do we value the most in our heart? (John 12:8)

1. Satan entered Judas’ heart (Luke 22:3)

2. Even Christ gave Judas many chances to return, he still chose his own destiny (John 13:21-27)

3. Following Christ or betraying Christ is a process, are you aware of it?

Intro to the Parables:

Parables – Relate something unknown to the known.

Why did Jesus use parables?

1. Attractive
2. Relatable
3. Memorizable
4. to reveal and conceal (vs. 12-13)

Key to the parable:  How you hear.

1.  The deaf (vs. 4, 15)
2. The hard-of-hearing (vs. 5, 6)

"In this you greatly rejoice ,though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine an may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Pet 1:6-7 (NIV)
 
3. The selective hearers (vs. 7)

"Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world."  1 Jn 2:15-16 (NIV)
 
4. The clear hearers (vs. 8)

Sign of clear hearers – they bear fruit!

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."  John 15:4 (NIV)

His Price:  (vs. 26-27)

total commitment

"... If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."   Luke 9:23

"I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord."  1 Corinthians 15:31

1. to build  (vs. 28-30)

"... on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."  Matthew 16:18

2. to battle  (vs. 31-33)

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."   Ephesians 6:12

We will gain life!!
"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."  1 Timothy 6:18-19