Hope Church's Church
4.26.26 Sunday Morning Worship
  • Resurrecting
  • Resurrender

      • Matthew 12:33-34ESV

      • Matthew 12:35-37ESV

      • Matthew 12:38-39ESV

      • Matthew 12:40-41ESV

      • Matthew 12:42-43ESV

      • Matthew 12:44-45ESV

      • Matthew 12:46-49ESV

      • Matthew 12:50ESV

  • Intro

    What is the unforgivable sin? If there is a sin that is so terrible to God, we really ought to know what it is right?
    We know the scriptures talk about a sin that is unforgivable by God, but what is it? How can I be sure I don’t do that one thing that will remove me from God for forever?
    We also know that God is gracious and merciful, longsuffering. He forgives even the worst of sins, even sins that we might not forgive.
    We know that there are heinous crimes that are committed. People murdering their own family members. Rape. Abusers of Children.
    But we know that we serve a loving God who will forgive all of these sins.
    Some have been led to believe that God will not forgive suicide. If you commit suicide, there is no way that God could forgive that right?
    I know some people who wrestle with a loved one ending their own life. And certainly thoughts plagues their mind about suicide and God’s forgiveness. We would affirm that even suicide can be forgiven.
    Some of us get wrapped up in this text today and know the unforgivable sin has something to do with the Holy Spirit. What does blaspheming the Holy Spirit look like? Do I do it with my words? Do I do it with my lifestyle?
    George Borrow, a Welsh preacher, thought he did this sin as a child and then could never be forgiven by God.
    John Bunyan, the pastor and writer of Pilgrim’s Progress, would be persecuted in prison for his baptist faith in England. He also wrestled through the concept of the unforgivable sin.
    If John Bunyan, a man far holier than us, wrestled with the thought of himself being forgiven of God, do we think we are better off than he is?
    How can we not wrestle through the thought of our own forgiveness?
    Am I too far gone?
    Have I messed up to bad?
    I have asked myself this question and I know many, if not all, of you have as well: Am i too broken for God?
    This is the exact question that our text today will answer. And then we will talk about the unforgivable sin.
    Jesus as we have seen is tender and lowly.
    There is a song we sometimes sing: Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling.
    Jesus comes for the broken ones. He doesn’t come for the righteous, he comes for the sinners. He comes to save his people from their sins. This is his mission. And because of that, we find rest and forgiveness in his grace.
    Main Point: Because forgiveness is found in Jesus, we must put our trust in him.

    I. Servant of Meekness v15-21

    First today, we see the Servant of Meekness. And we find this in verses 15-21.
    A quick refresher: Jesus has been upsetting the pharisees. Or should we say more accurately, the pharisees have been seeking ways to be upset with Jesus. At the beginning of chapter 12, we saw their disgust with Jesus’s view of Sabbath, and him completely owning them as the Lord of the Sabbath.
    And after Jesus beats them at their own game, the Pharisees desire to destroy Jesus.
    Jesus aware of this withdrew from there.
    Jesus doesn’t get away from the crowds following him. He continues to spend his ministry time healing, not dominating religious leaders.
    Then he tells people not to make him known.
    And he seeks not to be made known.
    We look at this action, and think, what kind of leader messiah is this?
    He steps away just when his authority is beginning to be known? He limits his fame?
    We know that later, Jesus will be exalted, but this is not the time for his exaltation, this is the time of his humiliation.
    Notice how the opposition does not stop Jesus from his ministry. He continues on in his ministry of people.
    Though Jesus possessed all authority, his focus is people.
    This is what meekness looks like. It isn’t weakness.
    Meekness looks like power under control. We often say this. But we might say from Jesus’s example, meekness is correctly prioritizing how to use our power.
    George Washington is an example of meekness to us. The great revolutionary war leader. The one who led the American armies to give us freedom from the British. At the end of the Revolutionary war, with victory and freedom secured, he was wildly popular and could have easily taken the title of King or ultimate ruler. But his actions showed he was serving people. He stepped down from his role only to be called into the presidency. He was reluctant because he would have to give up the peaceful life he had earned. Once in office, he could have been a life long leader of what would become the greatest nation in the world. But after two terms, he stepped down to better enable the democratic republic to continue. His power was shown through his desire to help others, not hurt others.
    Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus is the classic Roman archetype of meekness. When Rome faced a military crisis, the Senate granted him the title of Dictator, giving him absolute, unchecked power over the state.
    The Act: He defeated the enemy in just 15 days.
    The Restraint: Instead of using his newfound popularity or the title of Dictator to stay in power (which was legally his for six months), he resigned immediately and went back to his small farm to continue plowing. He valued his duty as a citizen over the prestige of a ruler.
    It would be good for us to consider Meekness in our own personal lives. Placing our power not for ourselves, but for others.
    With many different personalities, this isn’t true for everyone. But many of us find it hard to back down from a fight. Maybe an argument about religion, politics, or faith. We don’t want to end it, we want to win.
    But it is good for us to ask ourselves if we are using our power, to elevate ourselves in the conflict or conversation, or are we trying to help the other person?
    Would we be known for having a spirit of gentleness and humility?
    Our being should show meekness like Jesus’s. A desire to help, not hurt. To help others, not to help ourselves.
    A qualification for eldership is that anyone desiring it should not be known as a brawler. As a fighter. We remember that the qualification list that Paul gives in 1 Tim 3 is not just for elders, it is for elders to exemplify to the people entrusted to them by Jesus. One trait your elders should exemplify for you to live out is not being quick to cause fights, or known as a fighter.
    We might have the excuse to keep fighting and think to ourselves “well, it is true” “What I’m saying is true.”
    Yes, but it might not be the right time. It might be the right moment for us to consider how we can live in meekness and for the sake of others.
    Then we get to this quote from Isaiah.
    And notice how Matthew introduces it to us. Jesus displaying his meekness, is to fulfill the prophecy. Jesus stepping down to use his power to help others is to fulfill the prophecy.
    And then we get to this beautiful text. The longest quotation in all of the gospels.
    This quotation helps remind us that confrontation is not Jesus’s goal. He didn’t choose confrontation, in fact, he’s been trying to avoid it.
    In verse 18, we see Jesus as God’s chosen servant. Again this affirmation that Jesus has the fathers blessing, just like we saw in chapter one.
    This quotation helps us understand What Jesus is doing here.
    There is a Strong emphasis is on the gentiles. Jesus came to bring justice to the Gentiles in verse 18, and Jesus’s name will be hope to the Gentiles in verse 21.
    This is a reminder that the Jewish people who thought everything was about them were wrong. God brought his servant to reach the nations.
    Notice in verse 18 that God puts his Spirit on Jesus. This is going to be critically important when we get to the pharisee’s slander in a moment. So just tuck that away.
    We see that he doesn’t come to quarrel or speak loudly. Nor does anyone hear his voice in the streets.
    Again is this aspect of Jesus being gentle and lowly.
    To those who oppose him and his message, he will judge them harshly. But to the ones who are willing to receive him and know their need of him, he is gentle.
    Sometimes we can have this idea of what a leader should be. Bold, have presence when they enter a room. Loud. Dominating conversation. Always able to win.
    I’m so thankful for you all. I love you all. Erika and I are so happy to be with you. We sometimes reflect on the fact that God has given us a church of introverts and gentle people with warm kind hearts. And we are thankful for this.
    Do you want to know who else was a quite gentle spirit? Jesus.
    This should be an encouragement to our congregation. To follow Jesus, we don’t have to be the ones dominating conversation and the life of the party. Those who follow Jesus have a gentle spirit for the unsaved.
    The illustrations in verse 20 are great. A bruised reed he will not break. A smoldering wick he will not quench.
    Reeds were plants in the ancient times. They would have many different purposes. You could use them for building, writing, measuring, making an ancient paper called papairi.
    But if a reed was bruised, or had a defect, it would be thrown away. And maybe so you didn’t accidently use it again, broken in half.
    The smoldering wick is somewhat easier for us. When a fire is near going out on a wick, it is good for nothing and just starts smoking. It isn’t generating light anymore. When a candle is so burnt down that you can’t get the wick anymore, just put it out, and throw it away right? Don’t let it keep smoldering.
    Guess who the smoldering wicks and the broken sticks are?
    But Jesus, the servant of God does not do this. He doesn’t throw aside the ones who feel like damaged goods. And many of us know we don’t just feel like damaged goods, we are.
    Maybe you feel like a smoldering wick, barely hanging on, like you have nothing left and are worthless.
    But our God loves to take the broken things to use them for his glory. Our God loves to take the things counted as worthless by the rest of the world to show that He is worthy to make them worthy.
    You might feel like you are not enough, too far God, but in fulfilling this text from Isaiah, you are exactly who Jesus came for. The bruised reed and the smoldering wick.
    God’s servant Jesus does not come to condemn or discard you. Jesus came to bring justice and victory to the ones that the rest of the world has cast to the side.
    In a recent Q and A, a question was asked about how social media might impact our psyche which will impact how we view ourselves before God. And how we might view ourselves before God and its affected by what we hear in church.
    From our text today, you can know that you are unworthy, the people that Jesus came for are broken reeds and smoldering wicks.
    Jesus didn’t come for righteous people. If you are thinking you are righteous and worthy, Jesus didn’t come for you.
    But if you are honest with your position before God, you are made worthy by the true servant of God, Jesus Christ. You are who he came for.

    II. Servant of Malice v22-32

    Next, we see the servants of Malice in verses 22-32.
    Not the first time this has happened, but a demon oppressed man comes to Jesus. This demon has an effect on this man’s physical abilities. And Jesus heals him.
    We aren’t surprised at this point of the story as we know that this is the outcome.
    But the timing is significant as Jesus lives out the text of Isaiah. He could have stood his ground and kept fighting the pharisees.
    We may think Jesus looks weak. But Jesus is showing that his ministry is about compassion and helping people.
    But the crowds are amazed and asking if Jesus really could be the Son of David. And we think that maybe they are catching on. Maybe they are figuring out who Jesus really is.

    A. Pharisees Attack v22-24

    In verses 22-24, we see the Pharisees attack.
    The crowds aren’t the only ones amazed, the pharisees are also amazed.
    They have no way to denounce that something supernatural has happened. But in contrast to the crowds who think they might be beholding the son of David, the Pharisees see him as a son of Beelzebul.
    They seem him as a malicious servant of Satan, or Satan himself.
    They associate him with Beelzebul which was a slang way of referring to Satan. It probably means Lord of the Flies. So after Jesus has claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath, they will defame him by calling him Lord of the flies.
    This is not just offensive, it is mud slinging. They are accusing him of working with sorcery which would have been a capital offense.

    B. Jesus’s Defense v25-32

    The rest of the time, we are going to focus on Jesus’s Defense which we will see in verses 25-32.
    Jesus knows their thoughts and hearts, so he responds to their horribly slanderous claim. And his defense will be in four parts.

    1. Satan doesn’t fight Satan v25-26

    Satan Doesn’t fight Satan.
    He starts by saying their argument doesn’t even make sense.
    Why would Satan want to destroy what Satan already seems to own?
    A house divided against itself will not stand.
    How many of you thought this quote was originally an American quote?
    This is quoted famously by the Great 13th president of the United States Abraham Lincoln. Discussing the divide in the nation over slavery.
    Satan desires to have a kingdom that is opposed to God. He is the aggressor, Jesus is the defender. The aggressor can’t be fighting his own kingdom.
    But here Jesus is showing how absurd their argument was to say Satan was casting out Satan.

    2. Pharisee accept casting demons out v27

    Then we see Jesus’s second argument against the Pharisees in verse 27.
    They do accept some exorcists as working for God. And if they are working for God, they will be able to judge the actions of the Pharisees.
    And if these ones accepted by the Pharisees are working with God’s power, why do they have to degrade Jesus doing the same work?
    Why single out his ministry?

    3. Proof of the Kingdom of God v27

    In verse 27, Jesus tells them that this demonic casting out is proof of the Kingdom of God.
    After showing them how absurd their arguments are, he tells them that this work is necessary to reveal to them the Spirit of God at work. And if the Spirit of God is at work, then the kingdom of God is here.
    This is the message that Jesus has been proclaiming. The kingdom of God is here.
    Also, remember the quotation from Isaiah. Jesus has the Spirit of God and is bringing the Kingdom of God. He is the Messiah they’ve been waiting for.

    Jesus has already conquered Satan v29

    Then we see in verse 29 this odd illustration. But it is to show that Jesus has already conquered Satan.
    He comes to bind up the strong man so he can plunder as he wants.
    He doesn’t need to align himself to Satan as they say he is doing. His mission is alternative to Satan’s.
    Jesus has already defeated Satan like we saw in chapter 4. Where all of us failed, Jesus succeeded in defeating Satan.
    Now, He is here to plunder the rest of the house.
    Some of us may be uncomfortable with Jesus being compared to a thief here.
    But Jesus comes to take back what belongs to him.
    The plunder for Jesus is human hearts that are enslaved to Satan. This is what Jesus has come to plunder. To take back what is rightfully his.
    Isaiah 49:24–25 NET 2nd ed.
    24 Can spoils be taken from a warrior, or captives be rescued from a conqueror? 25 Indeed,” says the Lord, “captives will be taken from a warrior; spoils will be rescued from a conqueror. I will oppose your adversary and I will rescue your children.
    Jesus comes to rescue the Children of YHWH. He comes for us.

    C. Jesus’s Condemn v30-32

    Last, we get to Jesus’s condemnation in verses 30-32.
    Jesus says that whoever is not with him is against him. And if you aren’t working with Jesus, you are working against him.
    This is a call to assess yourselves and determine which side you are on. You cannot be in the middle with Jesus. You are either for Jesus or you are against Jesus.
    Then these puzzling verses in 31 and 32.
    Well last week, we had the passage that talked about being baptized for the dead, and I completely side stepped it. But today, we are looking at the unforgivable sin, and we will hit it head on.
    Every sin, including blasphemy will be forgiven. But the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
    And if you speak again Jesus, you will be forgiven. But who ever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, now or ever.
    We see that words have meaning. What we say is not to be said lightly. What the Pharisees said is revealing their heart condition. Your words show who you really are.
    Regarding simple words, The Pharisees words which maybe were said flippantly, denied what was good and called it evil.
    We ought to be careful to truly know what God calls is Good and not call it evil. When it comes to lifestyle views, political issues, biblical interpretations, we do not call what God has said is good evil.
    I don’t believe even this is the unforgivable sin though.
    In this passage, we could simply say that the unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
    Which leads to our next question, What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
    While some of you might be concerned that you have committed this sin, or want to know how you can keep committing this sin.
    By you being concerned over this sin shows that you have not committed this sin.
    Whatever it is, it’s meant to be understood in this context as whatever the Pharisees just did in verse 24.
    What the Pharisees do is attribute to satan what is the Spirit of God is making clear to them.
    It is not a momentary failing, a doubting of God, or a sinful thought. It is a continuous settled disposition and mindset to follow the Pharisees attitude to the Spirit’s work.
    Consider Peter. Remember that he denies Jesus, but Jesus forgives him. This keys us into to know that the Spirit’s work is not a temporary lapse in our commitment to God. Rather, its a commited lifestyle to oppose God’s Spirit.
    Again, if you’re worried about it, you didn’t do it. The ones hearing Jesus don’t seem to be concerned that they committed it.
    I would say, you cannot commit this sin today in the same way that it was committed in Jesus’s day. Jesus is not walking the earth, evidencing the Spirit at work in him. The situation cannot be duplicated today.
    But if the principle is a denial of the Spirit’s work in revealing the truth of who Jesus is and our response to him, than this can still be done today.
    If someone is presented with the evidence of Jesus being the messiah, and wants to continually reject it, they will not be forgiven.
    Once you hardens your heart to the gospel, die in unrepentance, the chance to accept the gospel has passed. If you didn’t take the blood of the passover lamb being offered to you by Jesus himself, and you will have God’s judgement on you.
    The continual unresponsiveness and rejection to the gospel leads to a compromised moral system where evil is good and good is evil. In this state, the recognition of sin is no longer possible as God’s mercy has been refused.
    If you remain unrepentant of sin, you are certainly at risk of the unforgivable sin.
    Maybe there is a sin you hold onto so tightly. A sin you are not willing to give up. If you are not willing to listen to the Holy Spirit in your life pointing you to Jesus, confusing morals of good and evil, and not able to be moved by the Holy Spirit to repent of sin, you will not be forgiven in this age or the one to come.
    Remember what Jesus said earlier. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off, because it’s better to live without a hand than enter fire.
    Jesus isn’t talking about self-mutilation, he is talking about repentance of sin.
    Remember Jesus’s words in Matthew 7. Not everyone who says to me “Lord Lord look at all of these things we did in your name!” will be accepted by Jesus.
    The ones who do not want to accept Jesus will be rejected by Jesus and sent into eternal punishment. The ones who do not repent of sin and submit to the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
    Consider a bird seeing some food on a floating ice chunk. We just finished the ice melt season. And you could watch ice chunks go over the dam by fort Andros on our new Bridge. You could go up steam between our church and there and watch the ice chunks float down. But imagine one of those sea gulls saw some food on an ice chunk. And it wanted that food so badly, it sat on the ice chunk. And it knew the dam was coming. But it remembered it had wings. But just when it got to the waterfall edge, it tried to fly away, and noticed its feet were frozen into the ice chunk. It could not escape in this life or the one to come.
    The Spirit of Holiness will forsake the arrogant sinner forever.
    The only unforgivable sin today is the sin of disbelief and unrepentance. Both of which the Pharisee’s practiced.
    John 8:24 NET 2nd ed.
    24 Thus I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
    If you are here today, And your heart is being convicted to trust in Christ as the only means by which you are saved and repent of your sin, it is not too late.
    We spend so much time when we talking about the unforgivable sin that we miss the grace and forgiveness found in this verse. That Jesus is forgiving, even of blasphemy, even of speaking against him.
    But I want you to know today, if you think you have outsinned God, Romans 5:20
    Romans 5:20 NET 2nd ed.
    20 Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more,
    And maybe you say say “well i have blasphemed, or I have struggled with faith and belief.” Listen to the testimony of Paul.
    1 Timothy 1:12–17 “12 I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them! 16 But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the eternal King, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.”
    Hebrews 7:25 NET 2nd ed.
    25 So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
    Did you catch that? He is able to completely able to save you. Does that not reassure us?

    Beyond the Walls (Grace and Growth)

    If you are here today, You can’t out-sin God. If you are here thinking you are unworthy for a relationship with God, you are exactly who God sent Jesus to come and bring life to.
    This quotation from Isaiah tells us that Jesus is God’s chosen means of salvation for you and the only way for you to be made whole before God.
    Jesus took on your brokenness, your sin before God, and took it to the cross. He died for your inability to live up to God’s standard. But that is not all he did. He rose to give us new life. He gave us his righteousness. No longer does God see a smoldering wick or a bruised reed when he looks at us. He sees the righteousness of his servant Jesus.
    If you have yet to confess your sins and believe in your heart that Jesus is the only way you are saved, today can be the day you trust Christ as Savior.
    If there is a sin in your life that you are holding onto, one that the Spirit of God is reminding you of today. I would implore you to leave it and grab hold of the forgiveness of Christ being offered to you. Repent of that sin today.
    To those of us who are saved. Think of Jesus in his ministry. He is opposed, he could have used his authority, power, influence to elevate himself.
    He doens’t give up in opposition, but continues to remember the calling of God’s Spirit on his life.
    So we too will be opposed. Jesus reminds us of this. But we do not recluse for self-preservation. Rather, we remember the work that God’s Spirit has called us to. To point people towards the Savior. To serve others selflessly.
    I read this quotation:
    “Love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person in which we give ourselves to bring the relationship to God’s intended purposes.” -Michael J. Wilkins
    Jesus models this, and we are to exemplify it also.
    In almost all discussions or contemplations about the unforgivable sin, it is usually introspective. Assessing ones own life. Did i do this? How do i not do this?
    But if we have determined it is a continuous lifestyle and decision to reject Christ, and if we have determined that this is not our position, we ought to look beyond ourselves.
    We should look at the lost and dying world around us. Our neighbors, our co workers, our family, our friends, the attendant checking us out at the grocery, are lost in their sin of unbelief in Jesus. Their sin of unrepentance will not be forgiven either in this age, or the one to come.
    Our hearts should be for them. The ones who we think are no longer useful, the ones who we might think are too far gone.
    Remind ourselves this week that those are the people Jesus came for and loved. So we ought to compassionately compel them to the Savior.
    Lets take a moment to respond to the text together. We can bow our heads and close our eyes.
    Father, we realize how great our sin is before you. I repent of my sin today.
    Jesus, thank you for not casting us aside, but lovingly securing our relationship with God.
    Spirit, help me to see how you make Christ evident in my life.

      • Proverbs 4:23ESV

      • Matthew 19:29ESV

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