1 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,100 What a wonderful time of worship, wouldn't you agree? 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:11,900 I mean, The Gospel According to Mark in chapter 3 and in verse 3 00:00:11,900 --> 00:00:15,300 20, we have quite a bit of verses to read here, but it's 4 00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:19,200 important to understand though. The context before we we 5 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,600 explore, the the meanings of These sacred texts. 6 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,000 Mark chapter 3 beginning in verse 20. 7 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:36,800 Hope you have a Bible in your hand. 8 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,400 It's best to follow with your own, copy of God's word. 9 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:45,800 Mark 320 reads, then he went home and the crowd gathered 10 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,800 again so that they could not even eat. 11 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:52,400 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him for. 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,700 They were saying, he is out of his mind and the scribes who 13 00:00:56,700 --> 00:01:00,100 came down from Jerusalem, were saying, he is possessed by Bells 14 00:01:00,100 --> 00:01:04,700 able, and by the prince of demons, he casts out the demons. 15 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,500 And he called them to him and said to them in Parables. 16 00:01:09,300 --> 00:01:14,500 How can Satan cast out Satan, if a kingdom is divided against 17 00:01:14,500 --> 00:01:18,500 itself that Kingdom cannot stand and if a house is divided 18 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:22,100 against itself that house will not be able to stand and if 19 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:26,000 Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he 20 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:31,400 cannot stand but it's coming to an end but no one can enter a 21 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,100 strong mans house and plunder his Goods unless he first. 22 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,600 Binds the strong man. Then indeed, he may plunder his 23 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:44,400 house. Truly, I say to you, all sins 24 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,000 will be forgiven the children of men and whatever blasphemies 25 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,200 they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy 26 00:01:52,200 --> 00:02:01,100 Spirit, never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin. 27 00:02:01,900 --> 00:02:06,900 For, they were saying he has an unclean spirit. 28 00:02:08,699 --> 00:02:14,900 Lord with this. Weighty text, we ask for a 29 00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:20,000 greater measure of your holy spirit's help. may this liberate 30 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:26,800 those who are confused. And unnecessarily anxious. 31 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:33,100 But met this also stir up, the one who has become dangerously 32 00:02:33,100 --> 00:02:38,000 comfortable Lord give us Minds to understand hearts. 33 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:40,800 That we'll have our affections warmed. 34 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,200 By these words. We love you. 35 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:46,300 We want to love you more as a result of obeying you through 36 00:02:46,300 --> 00:02:48,900 this in Jesus name. Amen. 37 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,300 I'm sure that one of the first things that comes to mind when 38 00:02:53,300 --> 00:02:59,100 you hear this famous passage is to see Clarity of this 39 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:09,300 disturbing frightful. Revelation of the Eternal sin. 40 00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:16,800 The unforgivable sin, the unpardonable sin and be assured 41 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,000 that we will seek to have understanding about what that 42 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,700 really is. But at the same time we must 43 00:03:22,700 --> 00:03:27,000 resist the temptation to make this entire message about just 44 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,400 that because there is so much leading up to it, that will 45 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,500 supplement our walk with the Lord. 46 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:37,500 If we are about patient and As we come to this text this isn't 47 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:42,700 perhaps going to be the most crafted message but I want us to 48 00:03:42,700 --> 00:03:47,200 just follow marks thoughts and to just pick up truths until we 49 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,100 come to. What I'm sure is really on our 50 00:03:50,100 --> 00:03:53,700 hearts after hearing, what Jesus had said, not just to this 51 00:03:53,700 --> 00:03:58,100 audience, but to all of us even today, Something has happened in 52 00:03:58,100 --> 00:04:01,000 Jesus ministry, you were here last week, so you heard it. 53 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,000 I'm sure Jesus had just selected his 12 Apostles. 54 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:07,300 And this was a significant decision that would affect the 55 00:04:07,300 --> 00:04:09,200 future of his message and Ministry. 56 00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:11,800 And we see here that after he selects this group, there are 57 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:17,000 three other groups who enter into the scene to come to him 58 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:18,700 following this important decision. 59 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,200 The first group, is something you're familiar with the 60 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,500 recurring, an overwhelming crowd who were desperate to receive a 61 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:30,500 touch from He ministered by this unusual Authority that this 62 00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:35,500 Rabbi from Nazareth possessed. The second group were his 63 00:04:35,500 --> 00:04:40,100 closest relatives. and the relatives of Jesus were 64 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:43,200 concerned for him because they had heard that he was receiving 65 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:47,400 certain attention and they were worried about his safety and 66 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:52,600 maybe even their own as his relatives, the third group, Is 67 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,400 something that we know of as well. 68 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,200 The Pharisees, we have not seen the Pharisees since that 69 00:04:57,300 --> 00:05:01,200 wonderful scene, where Jesus was in their self-righteous presence 70 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,800 in that synagogue and he healed. A man with a withered hand, only 71 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,900 having them, so flared up to flee, the scene and to plot his 72 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:12,900 destruction. When you look at this you 73 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:15,800 understand a principle that is Promised throughout the word of 74 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:20,600 God that has God's purposes Advanced as God salvific person 75 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,400 through. His son was making progress, 76 00:05:23,900 --> 00:05:27,900 there was an increase of protest and there was an increase of 77 00:05:27,900 --> 00:05:31,200 persecution. And any servant of God, who 78 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:36,000 plays any role to seeing the gospel advance in their life and 79 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,300 in the ministry that they are part of have to know, this have 80 00:05:39,300 --> 00:05:41,700 to be so aware of what I'm about to say. 81 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:45,300 And it is the following that opposition's of various kinds 82 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,800 are inevitable when you and I do God's work Faithfully, they will 83 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,500 come, they will come to you, personally, they will come to US 84 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:57,500 corporately minister with the Zeal that the master exemplifies 85 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:02,600 and expects Satan to Edge or dampen your fervor through 86 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,000 various means we see that here, don't we? 87 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,500 We see that here with Jesus, his own family. 88 00:06:08,900 --> 00:06:13,800 We see that here with Jesus own enemies first, we see that his 89 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:15,800 own brothers and it's questionable whether had his 90 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,100 mother was a part of this criticism, but we see for 91 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:21,500 certain that his brothers as half brothers, who did not 92 00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:24,100 believe in him according to John, until after his 93 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:29,900 resurrection, were insulting him were openly saying he lost, Just 94 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:34,100 his ability to reason because they couldn't understand how 95 00:06:34,100 --> 00:06:39,100 someone would miss meals to minister to strangers, to give 96 00:06:39,100 --> 00:06:41,900 so much energy, and to give so much of themselves. 97 00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:45,000 And so, here they are from a distance receiving, this news 98 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,600 and they want to be able to rescue him apparently. 99 00:06:49,100 --> 00:06:51,000 And makes you wonder though. It's not explicitly. 100 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:52,800 Clear are they worried for themselves? 101 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,300 Because they know that there is a growing hostility towards 102 00:06:56,300 --> 00:06:58,400 Jesus and their related to Jesus. 103 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,300 And so we read here that they were actually now come to where 104 00:07:02,300 --> 00:07:05,200 he is to physically apprehend him. 105 00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:10,100 Perhaps, with the goal of conforming him to some normal 106 00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:13,800 and quiet, safe routine that doesn't attract so much trouble 107 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,900 from those who are in power. But what's amazing here is that 108 00:07:17,900 --> 00:07:21,800 Jesus. We'll deal with them in a moment 109 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,500 but not immediately because all for a sudden this suspenseful 110 00:07:25,500 --> 00:07:30,300 scene is interrupted with a second group who also have a 111 00:07:30,300 --> 00:07:33,100 gross speculation of who he is and why he's doing what he's 112 00:07:33,100 --> 00:07:36,300 doing over, how he's doing, what he's doing, and that's the 113 00:07:36,300 --> 00:07:39,600 Pharisees. And I wonder I said, you know, 114 00:07:39,608 --> 00:07:41,600 to myself reading this. Why did Jesus? 115 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,300 Because look at verse 20, 21 writes about his family. 116 00:07:44,300 --> 00:07:46,700 Then the rest of the text is about the Pharisees. 117 00:07:46,700 --> 00:07:50,300 And then you look at verse 31 down to verse 35, I've and he 118 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:53,600 comes back to his family again to respond to them. 119 00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:59,100 And I thought to myself, well, why not just keep Jesus responds 120 00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:02,800 with the comments of his family in one part and in deal with the 121 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,600 second part. Why intertwine them? 122 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,700 Why split into two segments and then put that famous passage in 123 00:08:08,700 --> 00:08:11,100 between and here's what I believe. 124 00:08:11,100 --> 00:08:14,600 I believe it's because the Holy Spirit wants to make sure that 125 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,900 we realize that there is a truth with these segments being 126 00:08:18,900 --> 00:08:21,900 brought together as a sandwich. So to speak and it is this 127 00:08:22,700 --> 00:08:26,900 Satan's Arsenal to hinder, the work of Christ is is deep. 128 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:34,600 Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is open, they can 129 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,600 come from those who are closest to us, or they can come from 130 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,900 those who brazenly despise us. The efforts of the enemy to 131 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:46,500 derail our enthusiasm for the work of Jesus. 132 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:51,100 Can come from those who are unknowingly serving his 133 00:08:51,100 --> 00:08:53,500 purposes. Remember Peter, who tried to, 134 00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:56,300 who try to take Jesus, to a different course, other than the 135 00:08:56,300 --> 00:09:00,800 cross, and it was Satan, who is influencing his thinking, I 136 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:02,900 believe in part, that's what's happening here with his family. 137 00:09:04,700 --> 00:09:07,500 And sometimes the efforts to derail our enthusiasm. 138 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:11,600 For Christ comes from those who have no shame to be 139 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:18,000 intentionally malicious. And divisive and harmful, you 140 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,800 and I are going to follow marks thoughts here, and we're going 141 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:25,100 to pause with his family and we're going to revisit that next 142 00:09:25,100 --> 00:09:28,000 week as Jesus will indeed correct them. 143 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:30,500 And he will show us what true family is. 144 00:09:31,100 --> 00:09:34,100 But for now, we will look in deal with the Pharisees and how 145 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:38,200 Jesus immediately rebukes them. And, there are so many truths 146 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,100 here. Not just about the blasphemy of 147 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:42,300 the Holy Spirit. May, I present to you today 148 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:46,600 through the serious servant of God, That we will impart expose 149 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,400 some of the tactics of Satan, because if you serve Jesus 150 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,400 Christ long enough and if you are part of a church by God's 151 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,900 grace like this one that wants to be serious about, proclaiming 152 00:09:56,900 --> 00:10:00,400 God's word and making disciples, then these attacks will surely 153 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:06,000 come if they haven't already. Look at verse 22 again and the 154 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,100 scribes who came down from Jerusalem. 155 00:10:08,100 --> 00:10:11,400 Just pause there, they came down from Jerusalem. 156 00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:14,900 It is believed that Jesus and his group were in Galilee miles 157 00:10:14,900 --> 00:10:18,100 and miles away from Jerusalem. And we are told that these 158 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:22,600 scribes, these religious leaders made a trip down to visit Jesus. 159 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,100 Not because they were honestly curious, but because they had a 160 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:30,400 plot in mind and I can't help, but think of the great, the 161 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:34,900 great effort to make sure to spy on And Jesus and stop the move 162 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:39,400 of God at any cost. They had no hesitation to waste 163 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:44,700 resources to set apart time to travel on foot perhaps and to 164 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:47,300 give up so much of who they were to stop something. 165 00:10:47,300 --> 00:10:51,500 So holy and good and that simple phrase of how they came down 166 00:10:51,500 --> 00:10:54,700 from Jerusalem, should be a great reminder, that the enemy's 167 00:10:54,700 --> 00:10:58,800 attacks against the children who are faithful and spirit 168 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,200 empowered, and who want to serve their father. 169 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,900 Are relentless. He is constantly on the move. 170 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:14,300 He is constantly aware. and he constantly plans and schemes to 171 00:11:14,300 --> 00:11:16,700 find a way to limit the proclamation of the whole 172 00:11:16,700 --> 00:11:21,300 counsel of God, and anybody who is Desiring to plant the seed of 173 00:11:21,300 --> 00:11:24,200 truth, and the hearts that God has brought into their lies, if 174 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,500 you think that this was unique to Jesus, Then remember the 175 00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:31,800 Apostle Paul reflect on the account of his life in the book 176 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:37,000 of Acts, that guy could not evade the harassment of the 177 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,000 Jews. I mean, no matter where he went, 178 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,100 there was some kind of interference from the spiritual 179 00:11:41,100 --> 00:11:45,600 leaders of his day as well. And so it is with us you and I 180 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,800 when we said yes to Jesus, you signed up for a war. 181 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:54,300 If you don't know that I'm going to hear, I'm here to tell you 182 00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:58,000 that you signed up for a war, an ancient war, a war that's been 183 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,000 going on since the beginning of time. 184 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:04,000 And you have put on a uniform and you have the badge of 185 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,200 Christ. And as long as you are dedicated 186 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,300 to the cause of Christ, you are a threat to the kingdom of 187 00:12:10,300 --> 00:12:15,500 darkness. And so it's more than just you 188 00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:18,700 having a nice quiet life. You got your insurance for 189 00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:22,700 heaven, your life is bigger than just two vacations a year and 190 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:27,200 paying off your mortgage. You are part of an army with an 191 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,800 eternal cause and Satan knows the potential that you have if 192 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,200 you are indeed serious about that mission. 193 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,800 And so, what should we expect as a church? 194 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,900 I speaking to Maranatha Bible Church, here's what you can 195 00:12:40,900 --> 00:12:45,100 expect in your own life and as our lives are lived together, a 196 00:12:45,100 --> 00:12:49,100 series, a lifelong series of attacks from hell. 197 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:57,200 God does Grant his servants a season or seasons of repose. 198 00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:59,100 And we always know an internal Joy. 199 00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:03,200 But even in those times where corporately, we see, great fruit 200 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:08,600 and great piece and height, enjoy, I personally am always 201 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,600 mindful of this Satan is somewhere planning something. 202 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,600 And once these scribes finally arrived at the place where these 203 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,600 desperate crowds were to receive from the Lord, we are told that 204 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:30,700 they began to poison the minds of people by saying that Jesus 205 00:13:30,700 --> 00:13:35,600 was doing what he was doing by the influence of satanic powers. 206 00:13:37,900 --> 00:13:40,700 The reason for this, it's a smear campaign. 207 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:47,200 This was a diabolical plan to try to discredit who Jesus was 208 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:51,400 and the source of his message and his ability to minister. 209 00:13:52,100 --> 00:13:56,300 And hopefully, that would cause people to at least doubt and 210 00:13:56,300 --> 00:13:59,500 more than doubt despised and remove themselves from any 211 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:02,100 association with Christ. And here's what I find. 212 00:14:02,100 --> 00:14:05,700 So interesting about what these scribes were doing the last that 213 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:07,700 we heard from them was in. Verse 6. 214 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:09,700 Go back to verse 6. What do we see? 215 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:14,400 The Pharisees went Out and immediately help counsel with 216 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,100 the herodians, against them, how to destroy him? 217 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,500 You know what? That tells me, that tells me 218 00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:25,300 between that moment in our text today, these evil men have been 219 00:14:25,300 --> 00:14:31,000 brainstorming of how to destroy the ministry of Jesus Christ. 220 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:35,500 And what was their primary weapon of choice? 221 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:41,300 You ready for this slander? That was their weapon of choice. 222 00:14:41,900 --> 00:14:48,000 Intentional misinformation that harms how others view the object 223 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,700 of one's hatred. This is an Insight. 224 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,800 This is an inside that you and I have to contemplate and have to 225 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:59,000 consider and have to seal into our hearts because this is 226 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,200 Satan's strategy to ruin the reputations of men and women of 227 00:15:02,208 --> 00:15:06,400 God. One of his go-to tactus is to 228 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:12,700 find a mouthpiece or mouthpieces to unashamedly, Spain, the name 229 00:15:12,900 --> 00:15:16,200 of somebody who is actively serving for the glory of God. 230 00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:22,000 So if I see that here, then I got to apply that to my life and 231 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:26,100 here's how we apply it. As a people, we are Discerning. 232 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:32,100 We must be always investigating operating in wisdom. 233 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,400 Whenever Formation. Comes your way that may cause 234 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,500 you to doubt the Integrity of someone else. 235 00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:44,400 Especially if that person is serving God. 236 00:15:46,100 --> 00:15:50,100 But here's what I think and I say this in love because so many 237 00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:56,900 Christians are uneducated about the schemes of Satan. 238 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,700 The devices of the evil one, they're easily influenced by the 239 00:16:00,700 --> 00:16:05,400 wicked Whispers. Of churchgoers. 240 00:16:07,100 --> 00:16:10,800 I said churchgoers. Is it a tax collectors? 241 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:12,000 And the prostitutes going around? 242 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,300 Sharing this stuff, huh? The Pharisees. 243 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:21,900 The Pharisees, those who had a presentation of piety, those who 244 00:16:21,900 --> 00:16:25,500 memorize scripture, those who seem like, they respected and 245 00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:28,100 revered God and his commands. Yeah. 246 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,200 Those kind of people were the ones who are doing the work of 247 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,400 Satan. They were slandering. 248 00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:40,200 And the reason why I believe even Christians, today are so 249 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,700 gullible is because they can't see past the surface. 250 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,100 And so, they just eat up everything that they here, 251 00:16:47,100 --> 00:16:50,400 especially if a person has some kind of a smokescreen of 252 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:56,200 spirituality. Surely such men would not be 253 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,400 among those who would tarnish the reputation of another 254 00:17:00,300 --> 00:17:03,800 especially especially a good man, like Jesus of Nazareth, 255 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:07,700 there must be some authenticity to their criticism. 256 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:13,900 How foolish of us? how foolish of us because it is 257 00:17:13,900 --> 00:17:16,800 often those who are affiliated with religion and who dwell in 258 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,599 the Spheres of spirituality, who are most capable of the most 259 00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:25,900 heinous offences And just like the Pharisees religious men and 260 00:17:25,900 --> 00:17:30,700 women are susceptible to being so eaten up by the cancer of 261 00:17:30,700 --> 00:17:34,800 envy and jealousy that they will do anything at any cost to bring 262 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:39,200 down the object of their hatred. Be Discerning Church. 263 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,500 Be smart. Know how Satan works. 264 00:17:44,700 --> 00:17:47,600 So if you're someone who seeks to be a servant of Jesus Christ 265 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,300 in this adulterous and perverse and increasingly hypocritical 266 00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:54,200 generation, remember the words of Jesus towards you meet me in 267 00:17:54,208 --> 00:18:07,500 Matthew chapter 10 verse 25. Matthew 10:25. 268 00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:14,200 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the 269 00:18:14,208 --> 00:18:17,900 servant like his master. If they have called The Master 270 00:18:17,900 --> 00:18:21,200 of the House Bells, able how much more will they malign? 271 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,600 Those of his household? How do you summarize? 272 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:25,700 What? Jesus teaching here. 273 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,000 Very easy. If you want to live, like Christ 274 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,500 beaks, be expecting to be treated like Christ. 275 00:18:33,100 --> 00:18:39,300 If Christ himself, the matchless undefiled sinless, son of God. 276 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:46,200 Had his name, drug and dragged and drowned in the mud. 277 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,000 What's going to happen to you. And I imperfect and weak 278 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:55,300 Servants of his It's bound to come your way, but understand 279 00:18:55,300 --> 00:18:58,100 what Jesus is warning about here is in the context. 280 00:18:58,300 --> 00:19:01,200 Because earlier, in verse 7, we were told go and Proclaim saying 281 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:02,700 the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 282 00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:05,900 He's speaking to those who are actually taking the Great 283 00:19:05,900 --> 00:19:10,200 Commission, seriously. so, if you really want to serve the 284 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,300 Lord, if you really want to make your life about about that 285 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:19,200 proclaiming and testifying with your life, Don't be surprised 286 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:25,000 when slander comes your way. And don't be afraid when it 287 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,800 comes your way. Don't Be Afraid when it comes 288 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,300 towards the ministry that you represent if they're faithful 289 00:19:31,300 --> 00:19:36,800 and godly, it's bound to happen, even from the least expected 290 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,200 crowd. Be ready. 291 00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:44,000 And the way you have trusted your soul in the hands of God, 292 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,700 put your reputation there with it. 293 00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:51,400 As Wesley said, You and I have a responsibility to make sure that 294 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,100 everything in our lives, gives no ammunition to a watching 295 00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:57,100 world and even a religious world, to say something that 296 00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:59,900 would disqualify our Effectiveness for the kingdom of 297 00:19:59,908 --> 00:20:02,600 God. But to make the mistake and 298 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:08,200 think that High character will eliminate the possibility of 299 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,300 being smeared and lied about is wrong. 300 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,900 They try to do it with the perfect one. 301 00:20:17,500 --> 00:20:19,800 Surely will come to the imperfect ones, who love him. 302 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:26,200 And serve him. We come back to verse 23. 303 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,500 There are times when we should ignore slander made about us and 304 00:20:31,500 --> 00:20:35,800 there are times where we are responsible to address it and in 305 00:20:35,808 --> 00:20:39,500 this case, the Pharisees were publicly attacking Christ and so 306 00:20:39,500 --> 00:20:43,400 it deserved a public reprimand from Christ. 307 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,900 And so, he calls these Pharisees over to himself, and he is going 308 00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:53,000 to rebuke them openly And this is what he says, how can Satan 309 00:20:53,100 --> 00:20:57,000 cast out Satan, a rhetorical question that is followed with a 310 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,600 universal truth that we are familiar with and verse 24. 311 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,100 If a kingdom is divided against itself that Kingdom cannot 312 00:21:04,100 --> 00:21:08,700 stand, It seems straightforward. It seems so clear. 313 00:21:08,700 --> 00:21:11,100 It seems so obvious, but let me say it in a different way. 314 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:18,900 No, institution has a chance of survival when the members within 315 00:21:19,700 --> 00:21:24,300 turn against one another, whether it's a kingdom or it's a 316 00:21:24,300 --> 00:21:29,300 household, any establishment is bound to collapse when you have 317 00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:35,300 those who represent it devouring one another And Jesus is saying 318 00:21:35,300 --> 00:21:41,700 something, so humbling. Even Satan understands the 319 00:21:41,700 --> 00:21:44,700 destructive force that division brings to a body. 320 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:52,400 And Satan as chaotic vile. And as evil, as he is, would 321 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,200 never permit division in his own kingdom. 322 00:21:59,100 --> 00:22:03,600 Yes, he is ugly. Yes, he is disloyal. 323 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:06,300 Yes he does. Promote betrayal. 324 00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:12,400 But he's not stupid. and he realizes that he would never 325 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:18,600 entertain, and he would never encourage his agents to fight 326 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:25,400 against one another And he would never ever allow that in his own 327 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:31,500 operations and yet it is what he initiates and has caused in 328 00:22:31,500 --> 00:22:34,300 different structures and administration's throughout 329 00:22:34,300 --> 00:22:38,300 human history. It would be wrong for us to 330 00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:41,600 assume that the church is impervious to division and 331 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,200 divisive schemes from the devil, because we are his primary 332 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:48,800 target. And so you have to understand 333 00:22:49,700 --> 00:22:53,700 that what we so often experienced, as the Evangelical 334 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:58,100 Church is something that the kingdom of darkness. 335 00:22:59,900 --> 00:23:01,400 Does not. Tolerate, isn't that like 336 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:07,600 sobering like that? So, convicting to me, That the 337 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,000 Devil Himself knows. The power of unity. 338 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:17,300 The Devil Himself will not allow those minions of his who tear 339 00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:21,800 things apart day by day. To allow it to happen to 340 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:28,800 themselves. Paul gives us to strong threats. 341 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,600 Two Ministries being ripped apart. 342 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,000 Can I show you them? It's in Acts. 20 verse 29, then 343 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,000 Acts 20 verse 30, Acts 20 verse 29. 344 00:23:41,900 --> 00:23:45,100 He's sitting with the Elders of the Church of Ephesus and he's 345 00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:48,300 giving them a final set of instructions before he departs 346 00:23:48,300 --> 00:23:51,500 from them. And he warns them, he warns 347 00:23:51,500 --> 00:24:00,300 them. and he says, in verse 29 of Acts 20, I know that after my 348 00:24:00,300 --> 00:24:05,400 departure Fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing 349 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,000 the flock. Number one, there are threats 350 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,400 outside. And Paul says, I am sure of it. 351 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:19,200 That once I leave here, Wolves will come in and try to ravage 352 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,200 the people of God with their false teaching. 353 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:27,400 They will come in dressed as sheep and they will, they will 354 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:31,500 seek to Devour the faith of those who truly belong to God, 355 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,200 and those who may not belong to God, bar in the presence of 356 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,000 God's people. And I think, for most of us, 357 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,200 when we understand the threat to the church, we generally, think 358 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:44,100 about outside dangers, right? And those are are coming from 359 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,300 outside of our safety, and our family. 360 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,300 And that's easier to detect that's easier to spot out. 361 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,400 That's where energy goes, that's where our Vigilant goes. 362 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,000 But that's not where Paul's stops when he talks about the 363 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:02,100 possibility of a Ministry, imploding, and internally 364 00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:04,600 eroding. Look at verse 30. 365 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:13,500 And, and from among your own selves, Will arise men speaking 366 00:25:13,500 --> 00:25:18,500 Twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. 367 00:25:20,700 --> 00:25:22,000 Almost hard to believe, isn't it? 368 00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:27,500 Paul, according to the next first we're told was with this 369 00:25:27,500 --> 00:25:33,600 church for three entire years, teaching them, training them, 370 00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:36,200 praying with them, Outreach with them. 371 00:25:36,300 --> 00:25:39,900 All these wonderful things, I can imagine, the the wonderful 372 00:25:39,900 --> 00:25:43,300 testimonies and the relationships built, and the 373 00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:45,600 things that they enjoyed during those three years. 374 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:52,100 And yet, when he is ready to leave, he says, I know that once 375 00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:57,400 I leave I just outside threats but even from within there will 376 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,300 be those who will try to divide the body of Christ. 377 00:26:00,300 --> 00:26:02,700 How did he know? We're not told how that's not 378 00:26:02,700 --> 00:26:05,200 the main point of the passage. The main point of the passages 379 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:10,600 that even healthy and godly churches can have members who 380 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:15,900 turned sour over time. The Twisted things that he is 381 00:26:15,900 --> 00:26:18,700 speaking about here is clear, its false teaching, but that is 382 00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:23,200 not the only reason why churches divided Ministries divided 383 00:26:23,300 --> 00:26:26,700 families divided. There are various reasons. 384 00:26:28,700 --> 00:26:33,300 That can bring a body of genuine Believers to a Breaking Point. 385 00:26:34,700 --> 00:26:39,200 And you see the motive to seek to draw disciples after them? 386 00:26:41,100 --> 00:26:44,400 That sounds scary, right? That sounds scary. 387 00:26:45,900 --> 00:26:49,200 Imagine the leaders approaching this church after three years in 388 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:53,000 saying, I know that from among this group, there will be those 389 00:26:53,000 --> 00:27:00,000 who will seek to divide this church, I don't think that is a 390 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,400 principle for all churches. This is a specific warning to 391 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,900 this church, but it is a potential danger for every 392 00:27:04,900 --> 00:27:07,100 church and here's the hopeful message. 393 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,900 Is it possible for us to avoid that to escape that to never 394 00:27:10,900 --> 00:27:13,600 experienced that? And I say with the resounding? 395 00:27:13,700 --> 00:27:18,000 Yes, it's possible. It is possible for us to know. 396 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,300 Continuous Fellowship, continuous Harmony. 397 00:27:20,300 --> 00:27:24,300 Continuous love. And I'll give you one ingredient 398 00:27:24,300 --> 00:27:26,700 to that reality. Why do you think it is that the 399 00:27:26,700 --> 00:27:30,500 kingdom of darkness will not succumb itself to division? 400 00:27:31,500 --> 00:27:35,300 One simple answer? Because even the devil and his 401 00:27:35,300 --> 00:27:39,600 demons share a consuming common goal. 402 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:45,800 And that goal is greater than anything else to steal to kill 403 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:50,000 and to destroy. And anything that is a threat to 404 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,600 that goal, anything that will hinder the effectiveness and the 405 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,300 efforts to knowing the full potential of that goal. 406 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,300 Will not be tolerated. You and I are called to a 407 00:28:01,308 --> 00:28:04,000 glorious calling one of redemption and healing and 408 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,900 salvation. And sanctification, is that 409 00:28:06,900 --> 00:28:10,500 enough motivation for us to be able to put things aside into 410 00:28:10,500 --> 00:28:12,500 forgive and to love, and to move on? 411 00:28:13,300 --> 00:28:17,800 It? Should it should be And we 412 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,500 should be embarrassed to a certain degree. 413 00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:23,100 When we allow certain things that have absolutely no Eternal 414 00:28:23,100 --> 00:28:28,100 value terrorist, apart the cause us to create Clans from within 415 00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:30,100 and to destroy what God has begun. 416 00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:34,400 But let me tell you this, all it takes is for one person to lose 417 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:39,100 sight of that Heavenly call for there to be hellish chaos. 418 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:44,600 The same Paul who warned about the possibility of Godly 419 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:48,100 churches, knowing Civil Wars is the same man who gives us the 420 00:28:48,100 --> 00:28:51,600 antidote. From a compromising immune 421 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:53,600 system in the body of Jesus Christ. 422 00:28:55,200 --> 00:29:02,100 In Philippians 2 verse 2. Paul says complete my Joy by 423 00:29:02,100 --> 00:29:06,700 being of the same mind. Having the same love being in 424 00:29:06,700 --> 00:29:09,000 full Accord and of one mind. You know what? 425 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:11,900 Verse 2 tells me? It's possible. 426 00:29:12,700 --> 00:29:17,000 That's what verse 2 tells me. No, command is given in the 427 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,900 scriptures. That cannot be fulfilled. 428 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:25,400 He says complete my joy, as an apostle is a spiritual father of 429 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:29,900 being of the same mind. Having the same love being in 430 00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:33,100 full Accord and of one mind. Wonderful. 431 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,100 That's possible for Maranatha Bible Church for 100 years. 432 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,000 That's possible for this church until eternity. 433 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,200 How do we get there? How do we maintain that? 434 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,000 How do we nourish? The how do we protect that verse 435 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,700 3 do? Nothing from selfish ambition. 436 00:29:55,300 --> 00:29:59,300 Or conceit. But in humility count others, 437 00:29:59,300 --> 00:30:01,000 more significant than yourselves. 438 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,600 Is that a random command? No, it's directly connected to 439 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,600 the previous reality. If you want the same love the 440 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,600 same mind one Accord perpetually. 441 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:15,500 Then every single one of us has the great call of dying to self 442 00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:18,100 and doing nothing, nothing, nothing. 443 00:30:18,100 --> 00:30:21,100 Nothing from the place of selfish ambition. 444 00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:27,200 When we esteem others, as higher than ourselves, when we steam 445 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,100 their interest above our own. Oh, we can know Piece of Heaven 446 00:30:31,100 --> 00:30:34,500 on Earth. This could be a joyful place, 447 00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:37,400 this can be a refuge, this can be a Healing Place. 448 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,100 But all it takes is for one to be selfish. 449 00:30:42,900 --> 00:30:45,400 All it takes is for one to be proud. 450 00:30:45,700 --> 00:30:48,500 All it takes is for one to look at ministry as an opportunity to 451 00:30:48,500 --> 00:30:53,400 glorify your name or your family's name, for things to 452 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:58,500 come Crashing Down. Do nothing from selfish ambition 453 00:30:58,500 --> 00:31:02,600 or conceit and this church will know the preserving grace of God 454 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,300 perfumed with the love of Jesus Through us. 455 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:10,900 I hope you would desire that Jesus points out there. 456 00:31:10,900 --> 00:31:13,200 Logical fallacy. You guys don't even make any 457 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,000 sense. Even Satan is not dumb enough to 458 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,600 try to fight against his own efforts to be a hindrance to his 459 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,000 own plans. How can you even come up with 460 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,400 such an argument? And he goes on in verse 27, to 461 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:32,400 actually make a statement of how he as the Son of God, is able to 462 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:37,600 deliver these suffering. Bound individuals from the power 463 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:39,800 of Satan. Look at verse 27 and Mark 3, but 464 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,700 no one can enter a strong mans house and plunder his Goods. 465 00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:47,400 Unless he first binds the strong man, then indeed, he made 466 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,100 plunder his house. So he gives a little parabolic 467 00:31:50,100 --> 00:31:52,700 will saying a little illustration, but it's very 468 00:31:52,700 --> 00:31:57,400 straightforward and obvious, the reason why I'm able to overcome 469 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:00,400 Satan in this way. It's not because I'm in League 470 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:02,800 with Satan, but because I'm more powerful than him. 471 00:32:03,500 --> 00:32:08,800 That's why now notice he did isn't dismissed the reality. 472 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:13,100 That Satan is strong twice. He refers to them as strong, but 473 00:32:13,100 --> 00:32:15,500 he is stronger and he is greater. 474 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,200 I'm able to do this you Pharisees because I overwhelm 475 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:23,900 the authority of Satan with my own and he must submit to my 476 00:32:23,900 --> 00:32:25,900 orders. He must submit to my power, 477 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:29,900 that's the explanation for why I'm able to do what I am doing. 478 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,200 And I look at this and I was meditating on that. 479 00:32:34,700 --> 00:32:39,800 Jesus is stronger than Satan. Okay, we don't believe that, you 480 00:32:39,808 --> 00:32:43,300 know, like there's things that go on in the internet and I'm 481 00:32:43,300 --> 00:32:45,600 off social media, so I don't see it anymore. 482 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:48,200 But I used to see stuff. We're just these illustrations. 483 00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:50,900 There is a picture of Jesus and there's a picture Satan. 484 00:32:50,900 --> 00:32:53,000 And the world is under them in their outer arm wrestle. 485 00:32:53,700 --> 00:33:01,000 Not even close, not even close. They don't share equal power. 486 00:33:01,300 --> 00:33:03,900 There isn't a duel over the Earth. 487 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:10,600 He is under him. He is a created being and any 488 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:14,500 Authority. He possesses is granted by God. 489 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:21,200 He has a leash around his neck and he even in his destructive 490 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,600 ways according to God's sovereignty, still fulfilling a 491 00:33:24,608 --> 00:33:28,200 Redemptive purpose. Let me show you though, because 492 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,300 we have, to be honest of how powerful Satan is. 493 00:33:31,900 --> 00:33:37,200 And first John, 5:18 Excuse me. 519. 494 00:33:38,900 --> 00:33:42,600 John says, we know that we are from God and the whole world 495 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:48,400 lies in the power of the evil one, the whole world lies in the 496 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,400 power of the not part of the world, not certain countries in 497 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:57,700 the world, the entire globe. Is orchestrated to a certain 498 00:33:57,700 --> 00:34:01,100 extent by the authority of Satan himself. 499 00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:04,700 The world is subject to his cues. 500 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:09,199 The world is subject to his influences, which means 501 00:34:09,199 --> 00:34:13,000 something brother and sister every entity that you can think 502 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,800 of whether it is, educational, political, even spiritual. 503 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:23,800 Is only operating with two types of authorities. 504 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,699 Invisible authorities, God or the devil, there's no third 505 00:34:27,699 --> 00:34:30,100 option. There's no neutrality in our 506 00:34:30,100 --> 00:34:34,400 universe. It's either being energized and 507 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:40,800 inspired by hell or it is humbly taking orders from the word of 508 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,800 God. And there's nothing in between. 509 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,699 I hope that's that reminder helps you filter how you view 510 00:34:49,699 --> 00:34:52,800 the world and what you allow into your life? 511 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,900 Into your mind into your living room into your phone? 512 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,000 It doesn't take much of the sermon to see who's working for 513 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,800 who, especially in these days. Satan him is Satanism, is being 514 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,800 promoted as those the new trend. These days, Satan cartoon shows, 515 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:13,100 Satan Satanic rituals, and our entertainment, and our music. 516 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,000 I mean, what kind of dare we living in when Satan is not even 517 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,500 trying to hide anymore? We're living in the last days. 518 00:35:21,900 --> 00:35:24,700 But even though we are pilgrims traveling through this 519 00:35:24,700 --> 00:35:27,800 satanically empowered and animated. 520 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:30,500 World. Look at Verse 18. 521 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,500 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep 522 00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:38,500 on sinning, but he, who was born of God protects him and the 523 00:35:38,500 --> 00:35:40,300 evil. One does not touch him. 524 00:35:42,300 --> 00:35:45,600 Does not touch them. Nevermind, enter into him, 525 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:49,900 somewhat propose. Does not touch the one. 526 00:35:49,900 --> 00:35:54,400 Who is born of God cannot even lay a finger on the child of God 527 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,900 and if there's anything that Satan would desire to do, he 528 00:35:57,900 --> 00:36:03,300 must get permission from God. Whatever he would try to plot 529 00:36:03,300 --> 00:36:06,800 against a child of God and God allows it will always be for his 530 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:08,900 glory and are good. Hallelujah. 531 00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:12,700 I praise God for that. George Whitefield said that you 532 00:36:12,700 --> 00:36:15,700 and I are Immortal until our work on Earth is done. 533 00:36:16,900 --> 00:36:21,300 We are Immortal until our work on Earth is done. 534 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:27,200 Only we can see what the invisible World sees the great 535 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:29,900 protection around us around our homes around our children. 536 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,800 I said this at one point a few weeks ago and I'll say it again. 537 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:37,200 And this crazy age, the safest place to be is not in some 538 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:40,800 Island somewhere where you're not being dictated by a 539 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:45,400 tyrannical, government to be in the hands of Jesus. 540 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,400 That's the safest place to be. Now it's come back, it's come 541 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,200 back to mark. In chapter three. 542 00:36:56,200 --> 00:37:00,700 Jesus, rebukes these Pharisees. He exposes really their silly 543 00:37:00,700 --> 00:37:04,200 thinking, and their argument. He makes a statement about his 544 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:09,000 lordship about his power over. Even these Fierce dark powers 545 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:13,600 and then he issues a warning He takes this opportunity to give a 546 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:18,300 warning because what these men said, exposes a condition of the 547 00:37:18,300 --> 00:37:21,100 heart that is absolutely terrifying. 548 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,500 Truly. I say to you. 549 00:37:25,500 --> 00:37:30,400 In verse 28, all sins will be forgiven the children of man and 550 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:33,500 whatever blasphemes. They utter. 551 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:37,700 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, never has 552 00:37:37,700 --> 00:37:40,400 forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin. 553 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:42,700 I can't think of something more horrific than that. 554 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:48,600 You all can say, I will never forgive you and that's fine, but 555 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,400 to not have forgiveness from God as a hopeless place. 556 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:58,300 And this is why a scripture like this has been the source of much 557 00:37:58,300 --> 00:38:02,800 confusion and fear. Really among those who shouldn't 558 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:08,300 be confused or fearful. And it's predictable that and 559 00:38:08,300 --> 00:38:12,500 almost any biblical Q and A. In any setting, there will be 560 00:38:12,500 --> 00:38:15,100 the inquiry of a troubled soul, who wants to know whether or 561 00:38:15,100 --> 00:38:16,500 not. If they have committed, the sin 562 00:38:16,500 --> 00:38:18,700 of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 563 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,300 And the way out of the confusion is to First clarify, what the 564 00:38:24,300 --> 00:38:29,300 blasphemy of the holy spirit is not Did you read the reassuring 565 00:38:29,300 --> 00:38:31,700 words of Jesus? In verse 28, read it again 566 00:38:31,700 --> 00:38:33,500 slowly and understand the implications. 567 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:38,600 Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven The Children of 568 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:42,900 Men When Jesus meant all since he really meant all sends every 569 00:38:42,900 --> 00:38:46,400 sin. So the blasphemy of the holy 570 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:52,000 spirit is not repeated sexual morality, it's not murder or any 571 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:53,800 other atrocity that you can imagine. 572 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:59,000 Because all sins that are repented of are able to be 573 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,400 forgiven by God. And but from there, he takes a 574 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:07,800 separate category and he even clarifies what and whatever 575 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:12,500 blasphemies they utter. So, even the category of sins. 576 00:39:13,500 --> 00:39:16,100 That blaspheme God. Now, what does it mean to 577 00:39:16,107 --> 00:39:19,800 blaspheme God? It means to openly mock or 578 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:25,400 Scorn, the name of God. The character of God, the ways 579 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,500 of God with disdain with irreverence, that's what it 580 00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:33,100 means to blaspheme. And we are told by Jesus that 581 00:39:33,100 --> 00:39:36,300 even blasphemies, that people utter and Matthew 12, he 582 00:39:36,300 --> 00:39:38,400 clarifies. If you blaspheme against the 583 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:41,200 sun, you will be forgiven. In other words, if you blaspheme 584 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:45,900 God, there is still forgiveness. What is there? 585 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:48,700 Well, how do I understand this? Because he goes on to say, but 586 00:39:48,700 --> 00:39:52,500 there is one kind of blasphemy That will never be forgiven or 587 00:39:52,500 --> 00:39:55,800 pardoned. And some people even in this 588 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:57,900 place could be worried. Because you think about your 589 00:39:57,900 --> 00:40:04,700 life before Jesus and you can you can reminisce as you cringe 590 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:10,300 as you blush with shame of times with the ungodly or even in your 591 00:40:10,300 --> 00:40:16,700 own room with anger boiling over, blaspheming God, profaning 592 00:40:16,700 --> 00:40:21,500 his name. Ascribing slurs and wishes 593 00:40:21,500 --> 00:40:25,500 against his holy character. And here you are though, and 594 00:40:25,500 --> 00:40:27,900 there is a moment where you came to Christ and you wonder am I 595 00:40:27,900 --> 00:40:31,200 really in Christ? Will God hold this against me 596 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,900 when I see him face to face, some people live with that 597 00:40:33,900 --> 00:40:37,100 torment and their other Christians who Wonder as well. 598 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:40,700 I have a loved one who doesn't know the Lord, but I hear them 599 00:40:40,700 --> 00:40:44,200 give so much contempt towards Christ, and I wonder if they've 600 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,300 crossed the line. And if they are irredeemable by 601 00:40:47,300 --> 00:40:50,600 his grace, I want to give you hope. 602 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:56,800 Because in first Timothy 1:13, Paul gives a glimpse of what his 603 00:40:56,800 --> 00:41:00,800 life was like before he came to Christ and he gives a snapshot 604 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:06,600 idea of what kind of person he was and in 1 Timothy 1:13. 605 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:10,300 He says, though, formally, I was a blasphemer. 606 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:14,800 Persecutor and insolent opponent. 607 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:19,000 But I receive the mercy because I had acted ignorantly in 608 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:23,400 unbelief, a blasphemer? You want to know how great of a 609 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:25,600 blasphemer? Paul was, you don't have to turn 610 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:30,000 there, but when you go to Acts 26 verse 11, this blasphemer was 611 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:34,500 so ugly that he even tried to take imprison Christians and 612 00:41:34,500 --> 00:41:36,500 cause them to blaspheme themselves. 613 00:41:36,500 --> 00:41:40,500 So he even tried to make Christians, blaspheme the name. 614 00:41:40,500 --> 00:41:44,800 That he's so easily. Themed in his days of ignorance. 615 00:41:45,500 --> 00:41:48,900 But he was also in that same sentence though, a great 616 00:41:48,900 --> 00:41:51,500 offender an offense. So, great that in the Old 617 00:41:51,500 --> 00:41:53,500 Testament, it was punishable by Death. 618 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:57,000 How many of our people on TV here? 619 00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:00,200 These late night show guys and these news anchors, how many of 620 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:01,900 them if they were in the old Covenant would be punished by 621 00:42:01,900 --> 00:42:04,200 death for blaspheming the name of God. 622 00:42:06,300 --> 00:42:11,400 Even such a man, new true forgiveness as we know, and not 623 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,800 just forgiveness. But even being set apart to 624 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:16,900 being one of the greatest men that the church has ever known. 625 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:22,300 So understand that there is still Mercy for the blasphemer 626 00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:26,100 but I think what he says at the end of the verse, it gives us 627 00:42:26,100 --> 00:42:29,900 more help about why even more, why was he? 628 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:35,000 Recipient of God's Saving Grace because he acted ignorantly in 629 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,700 unbelief. What does that mean? 630 00:42:39,500 --> 00:42:42,800 I think what that means in part is that Paul admitted that he 631 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:47,200 was not exposed to the full measure of God's power and 632 00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:51,500 revelation. When he was in that season of 633 00:42:51,500 --> 00:42:56,300 Life, blaspheming the name of God, there was a level of 634 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:00,700 Darkness that he was in about who Jesus was, who God was. 635 00:43:02,100 --> 00:43:06,100 And God saw that in gave him Mercy. and I think that's 636 00:43:06,100 --> 00:43:12,900 important to understand, you know why, because The crowd that 637 00:43:12,900 --> 00:43:15,600 Jesus was addressing when he warned them about this. 638 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:22,600 Eternal sin had a front-row seat to the manifestation of God's 639 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:25,800 glory and Power in the person of Jesus Christ. 640 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:28,500 It's going to start making sense. 641 00:43:28,500 --> 00:43:33,900 Now, I hope What this means is that the blasphemy of the holy 642 00:43:33,900 --> 00:43:38,600 spirit is more than just a tributing, the work of God to 643 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:41,800 the work of Satan. It's not that simple though. 644 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:46,000 That is dangerous ground to be treading on what the blasphemy 645 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:50,000 of the holy spirit is is to attribute, the work of God to 646 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,900 Satan. When you have been granted 647 00:43:52,900 --> 00:43:59,900 undeniable and absolute confirmation of the contrary You 648 00:43:59,900 --> 00:44:02,400 see what the Pharisees were saying was this was, especially 649 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:05,800 dangerous because they were not opposing. 650 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:12,100 The spirits work with limited Revelation, they had a unique 651 00:44:12,100 --> 00:44:16,100 privilege that no one else and all of human history shared. 652 00:44:16,900 --> 00:44:23,200 They constantly stood in the unfiltered presence of God's 653 00:44:23,300 --> 00:44:28,700 empowering work to prove the deity of Jesus Christ day by 654 00:44:28,700 --> 00:44:33,600 day. And the main reason why these 655 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,700 men were treading on the line of an eternal guilt was because 656 00:44:36,700 --> 00:44:40,300 there was nothing more for God to do in order to Showcase his 657 00:44:40,300 --> 00:44:44,800 sons. Messiahship What more could have 658 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:51,100 God done to display, the true identity of the saving identity, 659 00:44:51,100 --> 00:44:55,000 the prophesied identity of Jesus Christ. 660 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:59,900 Nothing. So to stubbornly refuse to 661 00:44:59,900 --> 00:45:04,800 acknowledge that Jesus is in fact the true Messiah, even 662 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:09,100 after all that you have seen with your own eyes means that 663 00:45:09,100 --> 00:45:13,400 they were close to sealing, they're unforgivable fate. 664 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:20,000 It was them despising, the holy spirit's work, it was them 665 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:24,600 insulting the invitation to be saved in the face of a unique 666 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:29,600 measure of marvelous power. That made Jesus warned them of 667 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:36,600 going to a place of no return. So the question is, at this 668 00:45:36,600 --> 00:45:39,000 point? Is it possible then? 669 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:45,000 To commit the blasphemy of the holy spirit in our day. 670 00:45:45,300 --> 00:45:48,600 And here's what my answer would be because I'm not in the camp 671 00:45:48,600 --> 00:45:52,000 that says the blaspheming of the holy spirit is really just as 672 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:55,300 synonymous way of saying to continually reject God, yes and 673 00:45:55,300 --> 00:46:00,200 no. My answer would be, it's 674 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,700 possible to commit the sin of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit 675 00:46:02,700 --> 00:46:06,800 only if someone has been granted the equal evidence of the 676 00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:11,200 Supreme Revelation that Jesus made of himself during his 677 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:16,500 ministry. An example of that would 678 00:46:16,500 --> 00:46:21,900 arguably Hebrews chapter 6 and a very known passage. 679 00:46:21,900 --> 00:46:24,300 That makes other people more uncomfortable. 680 00:46:24,400 --> 00:46:27,800 I want you to see with your own eyes and Hebrews chapter 6. 681 00:46:36,100 --> 00:46:40,200 The author of Hebrews is addressing Jewish Christians. 682 00:46:42,500 --> 00:46:45,200 You know what his thesis is? You know, what his concern is? 683 00:46:45,900 --> 00:46:49,200 They want to turn away from Christ and go back to the 684 00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:53,800 levitical law. And he warns him in different 685 00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:57,600 portions of this book. It one of those strong warnings 686 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:01,800 is a verse 4. It is impossible in the case of 687 00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:05,000 those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the 688 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:09,800 Heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted 689 00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:13,600 the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to 690 00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:16,800 come. And then have fallen away to 691 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:18,800 restore them again to repentance. 692 00:47:19,100 --> 00:47:21,800 Since they are crucifying, once again, the Son of God to their 693 00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:25,100 own harm and holding him up to contempt content, I think this 694 00:47:25,100 --> 00:47:28,500 is the closest arguably, the closest thing of what Jesus is 695 00:47:28,500 --> 00:47:31,600 warning about. In Mark chapter 3. 696 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:36,500 Let me say this, because when we come to Hebrews, or in another 697 00:47:36,500 --> 00:47:38,400 appropriate time, I will break this down. 698 00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:41,100 This is not teaching that somebody can lose their 699 00:47:41,100 --> 00:47:46,500 salvation because if you carefully examine the wording 700 00:47:46,900 --> 00:47:50,400 about the experiences that some of these readers are having, or 701 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:54,900 had none of them are really, about being saved, right? 702 00:47:54,900 --> 00:47:58,400 You can be enlightened and not truly absorb the light. 703 00:47:58,700 --> 00:48:01,900 You can taste the Heavenly gift, but not receive the Heavenly 704 00:48:01,900 --> 00:48:06,400 gift. You can be around God's word and 705 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:09,800 actually somewhat be blessed by a but not truly give yourself to 706 00:48:09,800 --> 00:48:13,200 it. And to propose that this means 707 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:15,800 that if you were a Christian at one point and then turn away 708 00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:20,300 from Christ, either from a continual repetition of a 709 00:48:20,300 --> 00:48:22,800 certain sin. Then you also have to with that 710 00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:25,300 consistently say that, that person can never be saved again, 711 00:48:25,900 --> 00:48:28,000 which I don't think people who even believe you can lose your 712 00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:32,700 salvation would say that So then what is happening here? 713 00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:38,300 Will notice the description of the experience of some of these 714 00:48:38,300 --> 00:48:42,200 readers that the writer is writing to one of the things 715 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:45,800 that stand out to me is that the end of verse 5 and have tasted 716 00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:50,300 the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to 717 00:48:50,300 --> 00:48:54,600 come. The powers of the age to come. 718 00:48:54,700 --> 00:48:57,300 Look, I've been blessed to experience many things from the 719 00:48:57,300 --> 00:48:58,500 Lord. I'll tell you this one thing. 720 00:48:58,500 --> 00:49:01,100 I don't, I can say coffee. I have not tasted of the powers 721 00:49:01,100 --> 00:49:02,400 of the things of the age to come. 722 00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:06,400 But some of these guys could you know why? 723 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:10,100 Because the reason why they are in this place to begin with was 724 00:49:10,300 --> 00:49:13,600 because they were exposed to the ministry of the Apostles, the 725 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:17,500 apostles who mirrored, the power of Jesus, while he was on Earth 726 00:49:17,500 --> 00:49:21,600 because it was granted to them to perform certain miraculous 727 00:49:21,600 --> 00:49:24,800 signs and abilities in order to confirm the message of the 728 00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:29,500 Gospel in its infant stages. and so these guys here, who 729 00:49:29,500 --> 00:49:33,900 experienced the miraculous ability of the apostles were and 730 00:49:33,900 --> 00:49:40,000 as select Danger, And the danger is this, you have reached a 731 00:49:40,008 --> 00:49:43,600 certain level of experience that that really cannot be matched. 732 00:49:43,600 --> 00:49:45,800 And there's really nothing more that can be offered than what 733 00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:48,300 you have known. And here's the point, you ready 734 00:49:48,300 --> 00:49:52,200 for this, after all that you've experienced all that you've 735 00:49:52,200 --> 00:49:56,800 witnessed. After you've known a degree of 736 00:49:56,800 --> 00:50:01,500 light, that is not common and you still will not be faithful 737 00:50:01,500 --> 00:50:02,900 to the Lord and give yourself to him. 738 00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:05,500 It's impossible for you to be saved. 739 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:12,500 How, what else can God do in order to convince you of the 740 00:50:12,500 --> 00:50:16,500 truth of the Christ? There's no other options, all 741 00:50:16,500 --> 00:50:21,100 the options have been executed. And that is exactly what is 742 00:50:21,100 --> 00:50:26,200 happening to the Pharisees. The Pharisees have seen so much 743 00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:32,700 be held, so much undeniable evidence, unparalleled matchless 744 00:50:32,900 --> 00:50:38,400 majesty, and miracles. And with all of that, the 745 00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,400 Pharisees have made this conclusion. 746 00:50:40,900 --> 00:50:43,900 Listen, not only am I not going to believe in you? 747 00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:50,700 This is of the devil. So, here's the Holy Spirit. 748 00:50:50,700 --> 00:50:54,600 Who is the agent upon Christ's Humanity? 749 00:50:55,900 --> 00:50:58,900 Who wants to invite and prove who he is in order for people to 750 00:50:58,900 --> 00:51:01,500 be saved. And you have these men who are 751 00:51:01,500 --> 00:51:04,000 looking straight into the eyes of the one, who can save their 752 00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:10,500 souls and say, I'm going to reject you as I would the devil 753 00:51:14,100 --> 00:51:18,500 And Jesus says that's dangerous. That's very dangerous. 754 00:51:18,500 --> 00:51:20,400 The debate is, did they commit? The blasphemy of the Holy 755 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:22,700 Spirit? Are they about to commit? 756 00:51:22,700 --> 00:51:26,700 The sin of the blaspheme, the Holy Spirit Whatever it is, they 757 00:51:26,700 --> 00:51:31,100 were on their way of committing this sin and Jesus warned them. 758 00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:36,000 Now if you're a person in this place who are concerned about 759 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:38,900 whether or not you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit, that 760 00:51:38,900 --> 00:51:43,700 attitude confirms that you have it. because a person who 761 00:51:43,700 --> 00:51:48,300 blasphemes the Holy Spirit, Is not worried of whether or not 762 00:51:48,300 --> 00:51:51,100 they have done it. A person who is blasting. 763 00:51:51,100 --> 00:51:56,100 The Holy Spirit has made the conclusion. 764 00:51:57,300 --> 00:52:03,800 That the saving work of Jesus. To them is as repulsive as hell 765 00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:09,700 itself. So I want to say something in 766 00:52:09,700 --> 00:52:12,700 closing. By offering a word of comfort 767 00:52:12,700 --> 00:52:15,800 and a word of warning for those who might be trembling. 768 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:19,400 Who have perhaps been lied to by Satan himself. 769 00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:23,400 The evil one, who enjoys to disturb our joy and our 770 00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:26,500 confidence in the Lord. Do you realize that Jesus? 771 00:52:26,500 --> 00:52:29,000 And Mark, chapter 3 did not address his church. 772 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:32,400 He addressed his enemies. Are you his enemy? 773 00:52:35,100 --> 00:52:39,400 Are you a person who has plotted in your heart to defy the name 774 00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:43,000 of God? And to destroy the work of the 775 00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:45,500 Gospel. If you can answer that 776 00:52:45,500 --> 00:52:47,100 constantly, you're in a good place. 777 00:52:48,300 --> 00:52:52,300 You're safe. You are not his enemy, you're 778 00:52:52,300 --> 00:52:55,500 his possession. You are his child. 779 00:52:56,800 --> 00:52:59,900 You belong to him. And if there's any work that the 780 00:52:59,900 --> 00:53:03,900 Holy Spirit has done in you upon faith, is the work of a promise 781 00:53:03,900 --> 00:53:08,500 seal upon your soul. So what you and I can do the 782 00:53:08,500 --> 00:53:11,100 capacity of our relationship to the holy spirit. 783 00:53:11,100 --> 00:53:15,000 In the negative sense is that we can grieve the Holy Spirit and 784 00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:20,600 we can quench the Holy Spirit. But because of our entrance, 785 00:53:20,600 --> 00:53:23,000 into the kingdom of God in our names being sealed in that 786 00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:28,300 precious Book of Life, he says, I will commit myself to you and 787 00:53:28,300 --> 00:53:31,200 the work that I began in you. I will bring it to completion 788 00:53:31,300 --> 00:53:35,900 for the glory of God, nothing to fear, nothing to worry about the 789 00:53:35,900 --> 00:53:41,200 fact that you are worried about. That is a wonderful pulse. that 790 00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:46,700 you love the Lord and you want to be his but also a word of 791 00:53:46,700 --> 00:53:51,400 warning. I don't think this idea of the 792 00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:55,100 blasphemy of the holy spirit is a common thing, and I don't 793 00:53:55,100 --> 00:53:57,600 think it equates. Intrusive thoughts that even, 794 00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:01,600 you might have dear Christian, that are disrespectful to God or 795 00:54:01,600 --> 00:54:04,300 perverted even about God. That's not the same. 796 00:54:05,300 --> 00:54:08,100 Because the, this is, this is the battleground of Warfare. 797 00:54:08,100 --> 00:54:11,100 It's the mind. And Satan is clever enough to 798 00:54:11,100 --> 00:54:13,500 put things in our mind and then blame us for it. 799 00:54:16,800 --> 00:54:22,300 But there is a principle behind this, the scary warning. and the 800 00:54:22,300 --> 00:54:25,600 principal, when you put the teaching of Hebrews and the 801 00:54:25,600 --> 00:54:29,900 warning of Jesus together is that, although somebody may not 802 00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:33,800 outright blaspheme, the Holy Spirit, like these Pharisees had 803 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:40,600 It's possible to resist the Holy Spirit. to a degree where you 804 00:54:40,607 --> 00:54:46,200 become so unresponsive that your irredeemable Right, that's what 805 00:54:46,200 --> 00:54:47,800 it again. Let me, let me revisit that text 806 00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:49,500 in Hebrews. That's what I think is happening 807 00:54:49,500 --> 00:54:51,600 in Hebrews. After all that. 808 00:54:51,600 --> 00:54:53,000 You've seen all that, you've heard all that you've 809 00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:55,300 experienced that you still cannot come to Christ. 810 00:54:56,000 --> 00:54:59,600 There's nothing left for God to be able to do And so it's 811 00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:07,200 impossible to be saved. And so, I would say this, As as 812 00:55:07,200 --> 00:55:11,100 privileged as we are in the west to be exposed freely to so much. 813 00:55:11,100 --> 00:55:16,500 Light and Revelation, that's a dangerous thing to That's a 814 00:55:16,508 --> 00:55:21,500 really dangerous thing. And it's dangerous because the 815 00:55:21,500 --> 00:55:24,800 longer you resist to give your heart to Jesus Christ, 816 00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:28,700 especially when you are sitting under true. 817 00:55:29,100 --> 00:55:34,000 Unfiltered unadulterated Revelation, the more insensitive 818 00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:38,600 you will become over time to the point where you are unresponsive 819 00:55:38,900 --> 00:55:42,600 to the call of the Gospel. And even in this life, you 820 00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:47,200 cannot be saved. That's why I've heard somebody 821 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:51,400 say, tell me that a visitor came and they said the preacher is a 822 00:55:51,400 --> 00:55:54,900 little strong. How can I not be? 823 00:55:56,800 --> 00:56:00,000 This isn't a clubhouse. This isn't. 824 00:56:00,100 --> 00:56:03,200 This isn't just because we have nothing else to do in the past 825 00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:07,100 hour and a half, perhaps Souls have been hanging in the balance 826 00:56:07,100 --> 00:56:10,900 between Heaven and Hell. I'm not giving a TED Talk this 827 00:56:10,900 --> 00:56:15,500 afternoon. I have to stand before God and 828 00:56:15,500 --> 00:56:17,900 he's going to ask me how seriously, did you take your 829 00:56:17,900 --> 00:56:22,500 preaching position? And so there is a serious 830 00:56:22,600 --> 00:56:26,600 urgency with the proclamation of the gospel because the Bible 831 00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:31,500 tells us that the more light you are exposed to and the longer 832 00:56:31,500 --> 00:56:35,600 you resist with that light shining on your heart it can 833 00:56:35,600 --> 00:56:38,200 either soften your heart or heart in it. 834 00:56:39,400 --> 00:56:41,300 Just like what the son can do with clay. 835 00:56:43,100 --> 00:56:48,700 It can melt or it can Harden. So, today is the day of 836 00:56:48,700 --> 00:56:51,700 salvation. Don't gamble with it. 837 00:56:52,100 --> 00:56:55,900 Don't wait on it. And to be honest, I've seen it 838 00:56:55,900 --> 00:56:59,800 to a certain degree. I've seen it. 839 00:57:00,900 --> 00:57:03,600 I've seen how the word can convict somebody's heart and 840 00:57:03,600 --> 00:57:05,400 such a fresh way. You can even see while you're 841 00:57:05,400 --> 00:57:08,800 preaching, just their mouths are dropped and their eyes are 842 00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:12,600 filled with water. But no decisions really made and 843 00:57:12,700 --> 00:57:15,800 you can just see a hardening take place week after week. 844 00:57:16,900 --> 00:57:19,700 And those same people are so distracted during the meeting. 845 00:57:20,700 --> 00:57:22,400 And you wonder what's happening to them. 846 00:57:24,700 --> 00:57:28,800 What's happening to them? No man can ever determine what 847 00:57:28,800 --> 00:57:32,900 line? They cross only God knows the 848 00:57:32,900 --> 00:57:36,900 heart but the warning is clear. Don't don't flirt with how close 849 00:57:36,900 --> 00:57:41,400 you can come to that line. Today, if you hear his voice, do 850 00:57:41,400 --> 00:57:43,600 not Harden, your heart don't Harden. 851 00:57:43,600 --> 00:57:47,200 It give yourself fully to the cross of Jesus Christ. 852 00:57:47,600 --> 00:57:52,000 Run to him, give yourself to him and he will embrace you. 853 00:57:52,600 --> 00:57:55,000 If there's anybody who will be responsible for them not being 854 00:57:55,000 --> 00:57:57,900 redeemed, it's you. Not him. 855 00:57:59,300 --> 00:58:04,600 And the human heart is so tricky, so scary that it is 856 00:58:04,600 --> 00:58:07,500 capable of doing what Pharaoh did be exposed to the 857 00:58:07,500 --> 00:58:09,100 miraculous. You think Miracles are going to 858 00:58:09,107 --> 00:58:12,400 save people. You think of God, splits open 859 00:58:12,400 --> 00:58:15,900 the ceiling and shows us something that people look at 860 00:58:15,900 --> 00:58:18,300 Fair, all the things that he has seen, all the things that he is 861 00:58:18,300 --> 00:58:21,500 experienced and yet, he was still able to harden his heart 862 00:58:21,500 --> 00:58:23,800 and Harden it. And hearted, until God says, you 863 00:58:23,808 --> 00:58:25,300 want to harden it? Let me help you. 864 00:58:27,900 --> 00:58:31,400 So the blaspheming the holy spirit is really to be exposed 865 00:58:31,400 --> 00:58:36,700 to an overwhelming flood of the evidence of his power of His 866 00:58:36,700 --> 00:58:42,400 truth and to look at it and say, that's the devil and I want 867 00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:45,600 nothing to do with it. Jesus is be careful. 868 00:58:47,700 --> 00:59:07,600 Let's pray. Lord with his solemn, text. 869 00:59:10,800 --> 00:59:16,600 We Rejoice with trembling. because those whom you save, you 870 00:59:16,600 --> 00:59:22,500 keep And we thank you Lord. That in this place many can 871 00:59:22,500 --> 00:59:26,900 Testify the opposite of what your son warned about and that 872 00:59:26,900 --> 00:59:31,500 is having a Hearts Changed by the Holy Spirit. 873 00:59:35,100 --> 00:59:38,000 And Lord we want to know the Holy Spirit and grow in the Holy 874 00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:40,400 Spirit. We don't want to even grieve the 875 00:59:40,408 --> 00:59:41,900 Holy Spirit. We don't want to quench the Holy 876 00:59:41,900 --> 00:59:43,400 Spirit. We want to know the fullness of 877 00:59:43,400 --> 00:59:48,600 the Holy Spirit. And Lord, we just pray for the 878 00:59:48,600 --> 00:59:51,600 person who is in this place, who has resisted the Holy Spirit 879 00:59:51,600 --> 00:59:54,500 over and over and over again. They know they're not right with 880 00:59:54,500 --> 00:59:55,700 you. They know they're playing games 881 00:59:55,700 --> 00:59:57,300 with you. They know that they have been 882 00:59:57,300 --> 00:59:58,000 rejecting. You. 883 00:59:58,000 --> 00:59:59,800 They might have not blasphemed you but oh Lord. 884 00:59:59,800 --> 01:00:03,400 Would they feel the urgency of this message to know that the 885 01:00:03,400 --> 01:00:05,900 direction that they're walking on is a scary path? 886 01:00:06,900 --> 01:00:08,400 And you are patient. Yes you are. 887 01:00:08,400 --> 01:00:11,400 And you're willing to save us at any point in our lives. 888 01:00:11,400 --> 01:00:14,300 But oh, Lord, our hearts are not for us. 889 01:00:15,600 --> 01:00:18,900 Our hearts are desperately wicked and they want to betray 890 01:00:18,900 --> 01:00:22,800 us and lie to us. And so Lord rescue us from 891 01:00:22,800 --> 01:00:28,000 ourselves. And Lord, we just pray that 892 01:00:28,000 --> 01:00:32,100 every person leaving this place would have the confidence that 893 01:00:32,100 --> 01:00:35,800 they are a child of God by repenting and believing in the 894 01:00:35,800 --> 01:00:38,700 name of Jesus Christ. But realizing that you are 895 01:00:38,700 --> 01:00:41,600 willing to forgive us. As you said of all sin, even 896 01:00:41,900 --> 01:00:47,000 blasphemies. You're willing to forgive The 897 01:00:47,000 --> 01:00:49,400 Lord may we not Harden our hearts to the point where we 898 01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:51,400 don't even respond to that love anymore. 899 01:00:54,400 --> 01:00:57,600 We worship you. We worship you in the promises 900 01:00:57,600 --> 01:01:01,100 of your love and then the warnings of what we can do to 901 01:01:01,100 --> 01:01:04,200 ourselves. We give you praise now in Jesus 902 01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:06,500 name. Amen let's stand and Worship the 903 01:01:06,500 --> 01:01:06,800 Lord.