A Tale of Two Kingdoms.
Notes
Transcript
Opening:
Good morning Connection Church, it is so good to be back with you again this morning.
It is a vital thing to gather together on the Lord’s Day. You may be wondering why it is vital. Perhaps you disagree. Perhaps you don’t think it is vital. Well, I think you are wrong in that and here is why. We do not gather together simply to benefit ourselves, but to worship God. That means that if you are here for your own benefit, you are here under wrongful motives. However, I still am glad that you are here. I pray that your motives will change and God will work in your heart so as to be here to worship Him rather than yourself.
We here worship God on the Lord’s day in several ways. We worship God through singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We worship Him through learning truths in our catechism question. We worship Him through giving of our tithes and offerings. We worship Him through fellowship. We worship Him through the reading and preaching of Him Word, as we are going to do now. And finally we worship Him through the taking of communion, as we will do at the end of this service.
Introduction of the Text:
Now with this in mind I would ask that you all open with me to Matthew 12:22-32. We have been working our way verse by verse through the book of Matthew. Just a reminder, the book of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience. He wrote this book to show that Jesus was the fulfilment of prophesy. Matthew wanted us to know who Jesus was and to put our faith in Him. Jesus is God the Son. He is the savior of the World and is worthy of all our worship.
Specifically, two weeks ago Thomas preached about Christ and the Law. Similarly last week I also preached about Christ and the Law. We have seen how Jesus was not breaking the Sabbath, but corrected the Pharisees in their awful misuse and twisting of the Law. For the few of you that were here, you may remember that the pharisees left and went to plot to kill Jesus.
Reading of the Text:
With this in mind I would ask you to stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.
Matthew 12:22-32 22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
The Word of God. Let’s pray.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Lord, we ask that You would be glorified today. Let us today bless Your name. We ask that You would open our hearts and convict us of sin and sanctify us according to Your Word.
Lord I ask for this, Your Church. Please grow them. Help us to grow together and to be made into the likeness of Your Son. God make us more holy. Help us to have a love for You and Your Word. We want to love the things that You love and hate the things that You hate.
Lord I ask for the lost who may be here but who we know are in our community. Please draw them unto Yourself. Let us be used as a light in this community to share the gospel. May we please see people come to faith in you. Lord, please use us.
We ask for our nation Lord. Be with our leaders. We know you are the one who has placed them into leadership. So Lord, we ask you to strengthen them. Convict them of their sin. Help them to make wise and godly choices. Lord, please convict our leaders of the horrible sin and murder that is happening in our nation through the practice of abortion. God save the children please.
Finally Lord, I ask for myself. Please guard over my mouth. Do not let me speak anything against you or your holy Word. Keep me from profaning your sacred desk in this church. Also guard over my life. In a time when so many leaders and preachers are falling to sexual immorality, keep me away from it. Help me to shepherd this, your beloved church well.
I ask this in Jesus name, amen.
Transition:
As we read this text it opens with an account of Jesus healing a demon possessed man.
Jesus Heals a Demon Possessed Man.
Jesus Heals a Demon Possessed Man.
Explanation:
As we read this we see that this man was blind and mute. While we know that many are blind and mute due to medical complications. People like myself are hard of sight or blind due to damage in their optic nerve or some other condition. But this man is different. Scripture tells us that this man’s heartbreaking plight was due to a demon.
So not only was this man suffering from the inability to see or speak, he was also suffering from the affliction of a demon. Apparently someone or some ones had mercy on this afflicted wretch and brought him to the Savior. And this was a great gift because the Savior has mercy on this man and heals him. Jesus exorcises this demon and the man can now see and speak. This is an incredible miracle. This man in a moment goes from being blind and mute due to a demon’s oppression, to being able to see and speak.
I cannot help but wonder what it would have been like for that man. He is blind and mute, but in a moment he is freed from his affliction and can now see and speak. His first sight of freedom would have been the Lord, and likely his first free words since the affliction started are likely thanks to the Lord. But this man is not the only one with something to say.
There are two reactions recorded in this text.
First, the people are amazed.
1. The People Are Amazed.
1. The People Are Amazed.
Explanation:
This is an expected reaction, right? These people just witnessed a man freed from a demon who can now see and speak. Astonishment is the least of the reactions that would be expected from these people. And truly astonishment is not where these people stop.
They ask the vital question, “can this be the Son of David?” Now if you were here for our walking through the miracle of Jesus restoring sight to the two blind men, you will remember that the term “Son of David” was a common term referring to the Messiah. The people were very familiar with the fact that the Messiah would be a descendant of David who had come to re-establish the kingdom of David and in doing so would establish the Kingdom of God. So do not be confused by this. The people were not simply asking about Jesus’ ancestry. They are asking, “Can this be to Messiah?”
Well, the text says that when the Pharisees heard this, they chimed in as well. And here we see the second reaction in this text. Secondly the Pharisees Blasphemed.
2. The Pharisees Blaspheme.
2. The Pharisees Blaspheme.
Explanation:
Again we see the hatred and hard heartedness of the pharisees. They are already plotting to kill Jesus. And now again they refer to Jesus as being empowered by the prince of demons. In Matthew 9:32-34 we see the pharisees begin this smear campaign against our Lord. Imagine this, they are referring to Jesus as being empowered by Satan. What a lie. What blasphemy!
These men are evil and hard hearted. They were teachers of the Law and should have known Jesus. But when the people begin to recognize who Jesus is, they blaspheme Him to them.
Argumentation:
Honestly I don’t think that we react strongly enough to this. This should make us sick. We should be distraught over this. They are blaspheming our Lord and actively trying to sway people away from Him.
This should cause our hearts to break and our stomachs to twist into knots. We should be angry at this. These men are filled with lies and blasphemy against our Lord.
But thankfully our Savior is not quiet. He hears their thoughts. Again we see Jesus’ amazing ability to know the thoughts of all men. Nothing is hidden from Him. And He responds to them. Jesus uses this as an opportunity to teach and rebuke. Jesus answers the pharisees.
Jesus Answers the Pharisees.
Jesus Answers the Pharisees.
Explanation:
I am so thankful that our Lord answers these twisted men. Jesus hears their thoughts and answers them. His answer is a beautiful rebuttal. Jesus appeals to logic and answers. He does not appeal to emotion, or lash out in anger; even though anger would be appropriate from Jesus here.. He refutes the pharisees and teaches.
Jesus’ refutation comes in the form of three arguments. The first of these three arguments, Jesus references a kingdom divided.
Argument 1: A Kingdom Divided.
Argument 1: A Kingdom Divided.
Explanation:
This is even to this day a common reference. We hear often a reference to this teaching of Jesus. Abraham Lincoln famously referenced this during the civil way saying that a house divided against itself cannot stand. This is basic knowledge or logic. If something is divided, it will fail. The age old military strategem states “divide and concur.” Here Jesus uses this idea to refute the Pharisees.
He says that “if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?” in verse 26. The clear answer is that it cannot. It is completely illogical to state that Jesus is doing this under Satan’s power. Satan may do many things, but he does not war against himself.
Illustration:
Picture with me if you will a child playing on the beach. As anyone knows, one of the best things to do in the sand of a beach is to build a castle. You take your bucket and fill it with wet sand to build the structure. Now picture if you will, a child who builds a tower and then goes down to the water to fill the bucket with water. He comes back and pours the water on the structure and destroys it.
That makes as much sense and trying to build a kingdom by destroying it.
Argumentation:
This argument is true and sound. The pharisees were not just blaspheming Christ but they were being fools in suggesting this. Satan does not divide against himself.
But notice what Jesus is saying here. He is saying that satan in real. R.C. Sproul in his teaching on this passage points out that this is significant and we cannot just ignore it. Unsurprisingly, I agree. We live in an age where the idea of Satan and demons is considered to be ridiculous. I mean, who believes in the Devil anymore. Well, Jesus does. And beyond this, He says that Satan is trying to build his own kingdom.
Jesus says that it is obvious that He is not of the Devil because Satan is not such a fool as to try to build his kingdom by tearing it down.
This argument would be sound enough to end there but Jesus continues with His second argument. Jesus’s Second argument is to point out that what is happening is by the Spirit of God.
Argument 2: By the Spirit of God.
Argument 2: By the Spirit of God.
Explanation:
Jesus asks the pharisees in verse 27 “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.”
You see, it was not unheard of for the Jewish leaders and teachers to encounter demon possessed people. Certainly it was not as often as Jesus did for they were directly attempting to make war against Him. However they knew of demon possession and even had ways of handing it. So Jesus asks them if it is by Satan that He casts them out, how do they cast them out?
He follows this up by saying that “if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” in verse 28. He is saying that He is doing this by the Spirit of God. Jesus in His last argument has made it clear that it is not by the power of Satan. Well, if it not by Satan that demons are driven out, then by what power is it done? It is by the Spirit of God.
Argumentation:
This makes sense. A kingdom divided cannot stand. This is done by the power of God. You see, Jesus is building the idea of two warring kingdoms. And I want to make one thing clear. We can, if we are not careful wrongfully get the idea that God and Satan are equals. They both are building kingdoms, so they must be equals. Beloved, nothing could be further from the truth.
Satan would not even register on the same level as God. His kingdom is that of an ant’s. God can crush it without effort, as indeed He does. Satan attempting to thwart God’s plan is as that of a man attempting to shovel all the sand of the earth with a teaspoon.
But Jesus has shown that Satan is, albeit futilely, attempting to build his own kingdom. And Jesus is saying that God is building His kingdom. In fact, God’s kingdom is here. It has at this point come. This is a beautiful statement. Jesus is saying that God’s Kingdom has come. Satan is merely striving after the wind in attempting to build his own little sand castle.
Now here I want to correct something. Many people believe that the Kingdom of God has not yet come. It is completely in the future. This has much to do with their belief about the end times. The theological term is their “eschatology.” But this view does not mesh with what Jesus is here saying. Jesus is here saying that the Kingdom of God has come. It is present. Now, we know that it will be consummated at the return of Christ, but it is not a completely future event. Jesus is now reigning. And will expound more on this in a moment.
But for now, let us look at Jesus’ third argument.
Jesus next uses the argument of binding the strong man.
Argument 3: Binding the Strong Man.
Argument 3: Binding the Strong Man.
Explanation:
Jesus then says in verse 29 “Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.” This is a curious picture. Jesus uses the picture of breaking into a house and plundering.
Now, I love pirates. Pirate movies, pirate ships, you name it. So, I love this illustration. Jesus uses the picture of binding the strong man and then plundering his house. It has such a swashbuckling idea to it. Especially when we understand what Jesus is saying.
Remember this in the context of what Jesus has said so far. Satan is building a kingdom in opposition to God’s kingdom. But God’s Kingdom has come. It is here. This has the idea of success. So who here is bound? Jesus is not the one who is bound.
Satan can in no way bind Jesus. That very idea id ridiculous. No, Jesus has just driven out a demon and freed a man. Make no mistake, Jesus is here saying that He has bound Satan, and is now plundering his broken and fallen kingdom.
Illustration:
If you have ever read the Pilgrim’s Progress, you will be familiar with this type of imagery. Bunyan used it regularly. Christian had fled the City of Destruction who’s floundering ruler was the serpent, Satan. Christian was heading to the Celestial City. But along the way he encountered the demon Apollyon.
At this encounter they had an exchange before they battled. Listen to this little section of the exchange and you will get an idea of what is said.
“APOL. Whence came you, and whither are you bound?
CHR. I am come from the city of Destruction, which is the place of all evil, and I am going to the city of Zion.
APOL. By this I perceive thou art one of my subjects; for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, then, that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that I hope thou mayest do me more service, I would strike thee now at one blow to the ground.
CHR. I was, indeed, born in your dominions, but your service was hard, and your wages such as a man could not live on; for the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6:23; therefore, when I was come to years, I did, as other considerate persons do, look out if perhaps I might mend myself.
APOL. There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy service and wages, be content to go back, and what our country will afford I do here promise to give thee.
CHR. But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes; and how can I with fairness go back with thee?”
Christ had indeed plundered Satan’s kingdom by saving Christian and Faithful and later Christiana. This is the imagry that Bunyan used again and again. He was communcating what was commonplace held in the puritan belief and preaching. The Christian life was seen as a fight, a war. And this idea of Jesus plundering the kingdom of Satan was easily understood. Just as in real life, Christ is plundering the kingdom of Satan by saving sinners who were formerly bound to Satan.
I highly encourage you to read that book. It is rife with beautiful imagery.
Argumentation:
This is such a hopeful picture and verse. Indeed Christ has bound the strong man. He may flail and curse at us. However, we the Children of God have no true need to fear this worm. Our savior has bound Him.
This is why it angers me so to hear Christians and even pastors speak of Satan as being all powerful. They speak of this idea that God has His plans but Satan comes along and thwarts them. They speak of the Devil as if he is sovereign and God is merely striving to accomplish His goals. They speak as if the Devil has established his kingdom and God is fighting and striving to attempt to build His Kingdom here.
Make no mistake. This is rank heresy. God is not bound! Satan is the one who is bound. Satan is not the one with an established kingdom, that is God. Christ has bound the strong man and is flaunting it in his face. We do not serve a helpless, weak God. We serve the real God who has all power and authority. We serve the King of Kings who is not bound nor subject to anyone.
Hail Christ the King over His established Kingdom!
And this shapes Jesus’ statement in light of these arguments. Jesus says that you are either with Him, or Against Him.
Statement: With or Against.
Statement: With or Against.
Explanation:
Jesus then makes not an argument, but a statement. He says “30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” This is a very strong statement. If we are not cautious, we my view this as abrupt. But if we have been paying attention, we will not see it as abrupt but as clear and logical.
Jesus has said that He has a kingdom and Satan has a kingdom. Those are the two options. There is no neutrality. You are either part of His Kingdom, or Satan’s kingdom. He gives no other options. You are either for or against; gathering or Scattering.
Argumentation:
There is not a myriad of options. There are two. But we don’t like this distinction, do we? We have been taught from a young age what is known as a myth of neutrality. What is worse is that we are taught that this mythical neutrality is found in the world. We hear statements like: “I’m not really for Jesus, but I’m not against Him.” Or: “I’m religious, but I’m not really a Christian.” Or: “I guess I’m a Christian.”
We hear statements like this and think them to be neutral. We hear people talk about neutral spaces or opinions, but the reality is that it is simply not true. There is no neutrality. Jesus says that you are either with Him or against Him. No middle ground, no sort of Christians. For or against Jesus.
The fact of the matter is that those who are not for Jesus are actively against Him. They are building the kingdom of Satan. Your workplace is not neutral. Your School is not neutral. They are building the kingdom of Satan.
Application:
A word of quick application. We must keep this in mind. I fear that we so often have this idea of our jobs or the school system being neutral. Worker, or student, hear me on this. Your work, your school is presenting a worldview and is building a kingdom. It is not neutral. Parents, the school your children are in is not neutral. It is actively teaching your kids a worldview.
There are two things we must do. First we must not go into to world with our guard down. Be on guard. Recognize that the world you are a part of is not trying to build the kingdom of God. It is building the kingdom of the devil. Recognize this.
Second, we must go into the world and build the kingdom of Christ. The world is against Christ. We are for Him. It is our job to build the kingdom that is even now here. This is not a hopeless mission. Jesus gave us hope by telling us that the kingdom is here. We are not laboring in vain! What good news. But we must go into the world and do the work of the kingdom that we are a part of.
But next we transition into Jesus’ closing remarks. He closes this section of His discourse against the pharisees by speaking of what is commonly refereed to as the unforgivable sin.
The Unforgivable Sin.
The Unforgivable Sin.
Explanation:
Jesus says in closing this section “31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Much has been made of this passage by so many. Many have attempted to find the specific sin that is stated as being unforgivable. We see Jesus say that it is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But many have attempted to expound upon this in many ways.
Some have claimed it to be sexual immorality. But it cannot be this, for we see many people in the Bible being forgiven of this sin. Perhaps it is murder. What could be more a direct affront to God than to take the life of another image bearer of God? But again, we see people forgiven of this crime.
Many good Christians have suffered in their souls out of fear that they have committed this sin on accident and have lost their salvation and are now once again in wrong standing with God. If this is you, rest easy beloved. If you are fearful of committing this sin, you may rest assured that you will never commit it.
Argumentation:
A reasonable explanation is that blasphemy against the Spirit is continuous rejection of Christ until death where the rejection is ultimate and ultimately sealed. Indeed this is partly true, but I believe that it is more specific than this. Our mistake with passages like this is that in order to understand them, we remove them from the context in which they are found. We wrongly assume that we can understand them better if we rip them off the page on which they are written. But this is wrong.
Many of you have heard it said by myself or by others that the three most important rules in understanding scripture are “Context, context, context.” We cannot understand what a verse or passage is teaching unless we understand the context around the verse. So what is the context of this passage?
Jesus has been addressing the Pharisees unbelief and blasphemy. This is the context. The pharisees did not believe in Christ even though they should. This is what has lead myself and others to believe that from context, the unforgivable sin Jesus is referencing here is to be illuminated enough by the Holy Spirit to know who Christ is, and then utterly reject Him. It is to know who Christ is and then blaspheme the Spirit’s illumination of Christ.
Perhaps this seems like a stretch, but listen to Hebrews 6:4-8 “4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”
Perhaps at first glance it apears the author of Hebrews is speaking about genuine Christians that then lose their salvation. Indeed if a Christian were to be able to lose their salvation, then they would be lost. But we must not take passages out of the context of all of Scripture. In scripture there are places that make it abundantly clear that a true Christian can never lose their salvation. John 10:28-29 “28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Or John 6:37-40 “37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Or The Golden Chain of Romans 8:28-30 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Or 2 Timothy 1:12 “12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.” Or Romans 8:38-39 “38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
No, a true Christian cannot fall away. The divine grace of God holds us fast to Him. What the author of Hebrews is talking about is what is known as apostasy, or a form of apostasy. What this means is when someone has been amoung us and who has seen and even believed in their head wile not posessing saving faith. Then at some point, they reject and walk away. This is clearly a form of this. But we know that not all apostasy is permanent. Peter fell away from Christ, but came back. Some have come in and left and then come back. No the form of apostasy that Jesus and the author of Hebrews is talking about is knowing who Christ is and then completely rejecting Him. It is seeing the truth of Christ and the grace that He offers and in a complete manner, rejecting it and Christ. A rejection until the end whereupon it is sealed by death and hell.
Truly this is what the pharisees did. They knew who Christ was. We see this in John 3 with Nicodemus. He says “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” There was an understanding of Christ and a complete rejection of Him. This is unforgivable.
Illustration:
Agains refferencing from John Bunyan’s fantastic work “Pilgrim’s Progress” there is contained within a disturbing picture of this very thing. While in the house of the interpretor, Christian encounters a man who is locked in a metal cage. Listen to these words.
“Now, said Christian, let me go hence. Nay, stay, said the Interpreter, till I have showed thee a little more, and after that thou shalt go on thy way. So he took him by the hand again, and led him into a very dark room, where there sat a man in an iron cage.
Now the man, to look on, seemed very sad; he sat with his eyes looking down to the ground, his hands folded together, and he sighed as if he would break his heart. Then said Christian, What means this? At which the Interpreter bid him talk with the man.
Then said Christian to the man, What art thou? The man answered, I am what I was not once.
CHR. What wast thou once?
MAN. The man said, I was once a fair and flourishing professor, Luke 8:13, both in mine own eyes, and also in the eyes of others: I once was, as I thought, fair for the celestial city, and had then even joy at the thoughts that I should get thither.
CHR. Well, but what art thou now?
MAN. I am now a man of despair, and am shut up in it, as in this iron cage. I cannot get out; Oh now I cannot!
CHR. But how camest thou into this condition?
MAN. I left off to watch and be sober: I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts; I sinned against the light of the word, and the goodness of God; I have grieved the Spirit, and he is gone; I tempted the devil, and he is come to me; I have provoked God to anger, and he has left me: I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent.
Then said Christian to the Interpreter, But is there no hope for such a man as this? Ask him, said the Interpreter.
CHR. Then said Christian, Is there no hope, but you must be kept in the iron cage of despair?
MAN. No, none at all.
CHR. Why, the Son of the Blessed is very pitiful.
MAN. I have crucified him to myself afresh, Heb. 6:6; I have despised his person, Luke 19:14; I have despised his righteousness; I have counted his blood an unholy thing; I have done despite to the spirit of grace, Heb. 10:29: therefore I have shut myself out of all the promises and there now remains to me nothing but threatenings, dreadful threatenings, faithful threatenings of certain judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour me as an adversary.
CHR. For what did you bring yourself into this condition?
MAN. For the lusts, pleasures, and profits of this world; in the enjoyment of which I did then promise myself much delight: but now every one of those things also bite me, and gnaw me like a burning worm.
CHR. But canst thou not now repent and turn?
MAN. God hath denied me repentance. His word gives me no encouragement to believe; yea, himself hath shut me up in this iron cage: nor can all the men in the world let me out. Oh eternity! eternity! how shall I grapple with the misery that I must meet with in eternity?
INTER. Then said the Interpreter to Christian, Let this man’s misery be remembered by thee, and be an everlasting caution to thee.
CHR. Well, said Christian, this is fearful! God help me to watch and to be sober, and to pray that I may shun the cause of this man’s misery. Sir, is it not time for me to go on my way now?”
Transition:
I said that if you fear that you have committed the unforgivable, it means you haven’t. I say this because if you fear committing this utter rejection of Christ, then you have not rejected Him. Your heart is still stirring. You may still turn from your sin. It is to be sure that those who have committed this unforgivable sin are so hardened that they will never turn away. But if your heart is still stirring, you may still repent.
Application:
And this is what I call you to do. Repent and turn to Jesus. You may be here and believe that your sin makes you unforgivable. This is not true. No sin is so heinous as to be unforgivable but the one. Are you here and you are sexually immoral? Repent! You will be forgiven! Are you here and you are a liar? Repent! You will be forgiven! Are you here and you have cheated or stolen? Repent! You will be forgiven! Have you committed murder? Repent! You will be forgiven!
If you come and repent, you will be forgiven. Jesus is who He says He is. He can forgive you. If you repent of your sin and trust in Him. You will be saved.
If you have trusted in Christ and have sinned, repent! He will forgive you. We need a constant reminder of the gospel. Sadly we forget it so regularly. Every hour of every day we need to be reminded of the gospel. We need to be reminded that Christ died to pay the dept we owe for our sin. We need to be reminded of our sinfulness and the undeserved grace we have been shown in Jesus Christ our Lord. We need to be reminded of the body broken for us. We need to be reminded of the blood shed for us.
Communion:
This is why we are commanded to take communion. We gather at the Lord’s Table in order to be reminded of His broken body, and shed blood. And as we take this, Christ has promised that He is with us. He is present in the bread and cup. His body, His blood, for us.
So if you are a Christian, you are trusting in Christ as your savior, I invite you to come and take the elements and return to your seat.
In 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 we read an account of how to observe the Lord’s Table. Let us read as we partake.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Closing:
As we go from here it is my prayer over you that the Lord will bless you and keep you, and that you will walk uprightly before Him in this present age. Amen.