Live Free with Josh Howerton - Secrets Thrive in the Dark | Ep. 291 | Monday, March 18, 2024

Episode Date: March 18, 2024

Join us today as we start the week in John 13. During the Last Supper, Jesus forewarned His disciples of an impending betrayal against Him. As He sat with the disciples, Jesus knew that it was Judas who would betray Him. Despite Judas' efforts to retreat into the darkness to hide, he was still seen by God. No sin, no matter how secretive, can be hidden from the One who sees all. Do not linger in hiding. Embrace the light, for in it, you will find God’s love waiting for you. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's Word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the Daily Drive on this Monday, and it's almost spring. At least that's what the groundhog said, and I cannot wait. And I know that some of you just love cold weather.

You love the Christmas of the air, you love the snow, you love seeing your breath and all that stuff. Not me. I used to live in Chicagoland, and I love the people there, but I don't care if I ever see snow again in my lifetime. So bring on the flowers and my zero-turn mower. I cannot wait. And since I'm a basketball junkie, I can't wait for March Madness to crank up as well. And I really, really can't wait to celebrate Easter in just a couple of weeks. And we are ramping up for that as we walk through this book all about Jesus called the Gospel of John.

And we are in chapter 13, and the scene is supper at the Passover in a borrowed upstairs room. The 12 disciples and Jesus are all there, and he surprises them all by washing their feet. And then John writes this in verse 21. Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me. The disciples looked at each other wondering whom he could mean. And then John writing about himself says the disciple Jesus' love was sitting next to Jesus at the table. And they said, like, you shaped tables and you reclined on one arm with your feet stretched out behind you and your head next to the other guy's chest. So here is John saying, I was sitting.

right there. I was sitting right next to him. So Simon Peter motioned to me and said, ask him, ask you who he's talking about. So I leaned over and I asked Jesus, Lord, who is it? Jesus tells John, it is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl. And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Ascariot. Now, by the way, Judas would have been sitting on the left of Jesus in the place of honor. When Judas had eaten the bread, John writes, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, hurry, and do what you're going to do. No, Matthew records that Judas even fains a week, is it I?

Along with the other disciples. And the way John describes that this moment between Jesus and Judas is a, I know what's up, I know what you've been planning, so go do what you're going to do kind of moment. And then John writes this of verse 28. None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or go give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night, going out into the darkness.

No one really knew, but Jesus did. It says over in Isaiah chapter 29 verse 15, what sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord? who do their evil deeds in the dark. The Lord can't see us, they say. He doesn't know what's going on. You know, life in the dark is really hard. It's a life of hiding and pretending and living a double life. It's why it says what sorrow awaits those

who try to hide their plans from the Lord. You see, secret sin cannot coexist with inner peace. And I'm sure that Judas had been conflicted torn up for a long, long time as he was planning all of this, because secret sin cannot coexist with inner peace. Proverbs chapter 10, verse 9 says, people with integrity, they walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. And I just heard the folks at Dateline say, amen to that, because it's very hard, isn't it, to cover your tracks on a crooked path. I mean, it's hard enough living one life, trying to live too.

is absolutely exhausting, and it's filled with stress, anxiety, and fear. Plus, it's futile, trying to hide your plans from the all-knowing, all-seeing God, and why would you want to hide from someone who already knows and loves you in spite of it all? Why would you try to hide when you could know the freedom of authenticity? Proverbs 11 says the integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. You see, Satan did not destroy Judas. Duplicity destroyed Judas.

And, gang, it will destroy you and me. So if you have one foot in the darkness and one foot in the light, I want to encourage you. Get both feet in the light. It's a much better path to be on. It's a path that leads to honesty, integrity, peace, joy, and freedom. You're as sick as your secrets. And the sin you want to conceal the most? That's the one you need to reveal the most.

If you need to confess something to God, or you need to confess something to a trusted friend, just do it. Don't hide it like Judas. The duplicity will take you out. Realize that most of us are like the rest of us, and we all got stuff that needs to come into the light. So stop hiding today, and just get with Jesus, and let his light and authenticity begin to flood your soul. Living in the light is a much better place to live. Hope you all have a great day today.

See you back tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. For more information, visit lakepoint.com. dot church slash daily drive.