Come And See His Enemies

The miracles of Jesus gladden the hearts of the crowds pressed to see him, but those miracles darkened the hearts of the Pharisees who saw Jesus as a grave threat to their positions and authority.

Indeed, the stage is being set for a final decisive confrontation.

Stay with us from Chicago.

This is The Moody Church. Our weekly service of worship and teaching with pastor Erwin Blitzer. Today we continue our series on come and see Jesus pictures of the Savior the teach us about his mission on earth later in our broadcast Erwin Blitzer will speak on. Come and see his enemies.

Pastor Lutzer comes now to open our service are so glad that you have come to worship with us and we hope that you've taken time to prepare your heart because we are here today in the presence of God.

As you look at your bulletin. You'll notice that in a moment were going to be singing together. God of grace God of glory Scripture reading today's by Pastor Milko, Pastor Milko has many responsibilities here at The Moody Church men's ministry shepherding small groups.

He helps us in many different areas and will have the privilege of also participating little later Abby doll and she is going to be singing old for a heart to praise my God. As you come to worship today. I want you to know that that we have spent time thinking about this service, praying through it so that we will be changed forever in the presence of the Almighty.

You'll notice that as we sing today. The marvelous words that are printed out for us.

The second part where we participate with the choir note is secured by children's warring that disbanded our pride to thy control. Shame I want in the selfish gladness rich in things and poor in soul.

Notice that this song is actually a prayer. It goes on to say Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, lest we miss thy kingdom's goal and so as we sing and worship. We are also praying as we do that.

Let this song be your hearts expression.

Let's pray together and then we shall participate in singing their father.

Today we want to thank you that you are a God of glory, a God of greatness. We thank you that the leaves that fall from the tree, do so according to your plan and for your glory.

Thank you that you created us to bring glory to your name to enjoy glory, and so father transport as we pray in mind and heart into your presence as we sing and worship in Jesus name, amen and in and in and in your words and everything in it, the world and all who live in the sea who may send the hill of the Lord who may stand in his holy place. You are so R squared byways. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God, Savior second generation of those who seek him see your face God, thank you so much Abby. One day Jesus said to his disciples who do men say that I am I said while some say John the Baptist, one of the prophets, and then he said who do you say that I am he didn't say now tell me do you like me what you think of the miracles that I perform pretty good said who do you say that I am he was asking about his person, and I want you to know today that your answer to that question. Determine your eternity. Who do you say that he is 12th chapter of the book of Matthew what's happening.

Is this Jesus performs a wonderful miracle. Matthew chapter 12 verse 22 and those around him are trying to figure out who he is there trying to answer that question. Who do you say that I am says in Matthew chapter 12 verse 22 than a demon pressed a man who was blind and mute was brought to him and he healed them so that the man spoke and saw the man had two problems.

First of all, yet a demonic problem. He was demonically old, pressed, maybe even pose asked and there are some of you were listening to this message who understand those words very clearly because you are in the same situation filled with condemnation and self-hatred and some of you have battled evil spirits or may be battling them.

The other problem with this man is he couldn't speak. Jesus healed both problems and it was verifiable.

They could see up there and verse 23 all the people were amazed and said can this be the son of David there trying to figure out who Jesus was. That expression, son of David actually is a messianic title what they're saying is, could this be the Messiah.

Some of you may be asking that question. Some of you should be asking that question. Is this the Messiah, the Pharisees and those were the religious elite. We often put them in bad light, but they were trying to do their best in many situations, but they really they really hated Jesus and I'll tell you why they didn't like him. First of all because he trampled on some of their pet traditions made in like that. Everything was Jesus sometimes spoke to them with such a sense of a what shall we say Jesus judge them.

I mean, you know he call them hypocrites. He pointed out the sin in their hearts, and they didn't like that so they began to panic here because you have an uprising of people who are at least questioning. Is this the son of David, couldn't be that this is the Messiah and so these Pharisees when they see this happen there in a situation where they make up an explanation for what they saw and this is what they said.

I'm in verse 24. It is only by bellows a bull, the prince of demons that this man casts out demons while bellows a bull or Beelzebub, as it is sometimes written is a Canaanite deity and actually stood for Satan so they're saying the miracle that you have just seen a nobody could deny that a miracle that happened the miracle that we just seen, is actually done by the devil. The devil cast out these evil spirits and it is the devil who caused the mute to be able to speak pretty desperate. Actually, at that point Jesus in this context gives some reasons why that conclusion is false and if you think that that conclusion is right. I want you to know today that it is false, and the reasons that Jesus gives to this people to believe in him is the same reason why you and I should believe on him. First of all, the first reason than that. I titled it to a kingdom must be unified. Maybe not said in the best way but that's the essence of it.

Notice what Jesus said in verse 25. By the way, Jesus knowing their thoughts. Did you know that Jesus knows your thoughts today. Some of you.

God bless you. You have come with open minds and hearts, and you've said all lords to me.

Some of you have come sort of as if to say, I wonder how boring this is going to be, and others of you maybe have common said there's no way that I'm going to believe on this Jesus, I rejected him before and this is going to be the same old story. And Jesus knows your thoughts.

He says to them every kingdom divided itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided itself will stand and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided himself. How then will his kingdom stand.

You know the devil does many destructive things he overreaches and actually harms himself by his overreach. He is oftentimes the master of chaos. He absolutely loves chaos and sometimes there's chaos in his kingdom, and sometimes he even will fake exorcism, pretending that that he's casting out a demon. Certainly that happens with false teachers who who go through certain incantations and and they pretend that there casting out demons and it appears as if it's working but it's not really working. Here's Christ's point.

Don't mess it is saying that not even the devil or let me put it positively, even the devil is smart enough to know that he can't to be the one casting out his own demons for his kingdom is going to collapse. Even he knows that when their civil war within his own kingdom that he's going to be weekend and not be able to take on any attempt to take on Jesus Christ and the church so the devil is not going to cast out devils said Jesus. And that's true isn't it at the miracle that Jesus performed was so direct, so verifiable, so unique and so unquestionable that they that they couldn't deny that. And to say that somehow Satan was doing what Jesus was doing was utter foolishness, it was an act of desperation by those who were committed to not believing that Jesus said takes them a little further in this discussion and says to them in verse 27 that if I cast out demons by bellows a bold rebels a bull, by whom do your sons cast them out, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God but I cast out demons in the kingdom of God is come to you.

You see, they had their own the Jewish community in those days had their own exorcists. They would go through these incantations and cast out devils and I don't know whether or not it was working.

I've no way of knowing. But Jesus is saying go to them and ask them by whose authority they cast out demons. If they say of the devil which they would never say they would be condemning themselves.

Obviously they would not say that if they say that they're doing it by God's power, then why should you be critical of me and say that I'm not doing it by God's power. In other words, if you go to them and ask them it will undercut your own criticism.

That's what Jesus is saying to the first reason that they should believe, is to know that the devil can't do what Jesus did, he would never do what Jesus did.

Jesus is not from Satan but from God.

Second second reason and I'm calling this. I guess that a house must be guarded. Jesus goes on and 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 will plunder his house want you to imagine that there is a hostage taker whose grabbed some children thrown them in the house now is holding them hostage and he's threatening to kill them, if any, of any of the police get to him. Sometimes that happens is you know now, the police just can't go in and and say all were just gonna walk in on this sunny day in Chicago and release the children.

That's no problem. No no no no this strong man.

The hostage taker has to be arrested. He is to be neutralized yes to be bound yes to be taken care of and then once he is taken care of. Why, then, indeed, the police can go and they can take the children and reunite them with their family and Jesus is saying in light of the fact that I'm doing so much damage to Satan's kingdom and the damage is extensive, but I'm actually casting out demons and delivering people from that and also that I am able to take mute people and people with these disabilities and cause them to be able to speak and to see you and all the other miracles. In light of that, don't you see that I must be stronger than the enemy who is holding them around.

Don't you see that I am able to crush the strong man.

The hostage taker and set captives free. You want to know that I've triumphed over Satan and Jesus hands triumphed over Satan already. Then he had power over Satan just in terms of power and then after the cross, he not only had power, but he had moral authority having destroyed. Satan's ability to claim certain rights. So Jesus says you have to understand here that I have bound the strong man I've gotten to those whom he took hostage and that proves I'm stronger than the hostage taker there's 1/3 reason that Jesus goes into here and that is that he saying that ruler must be served.

Once again, I'd not said this as well as I should, but the whole idea. I think it's better to simply say the myth. The myth of neutrality. I notice what Jesus said in verse 30 whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters the imagery. There is of the ancient imagery of the way in which they had at harvest.

What happened is you took the harvest you took the grain and cattle perhaps stepped on attend to help to crush it and to thresh it and then you screw it up and that you threw it in the air in the chapel away and you kept the grain. What Jesus is saying is he who is not gathering in the harvest and helping me do it. He's the one who's just letting all the grain blow in the wind and to blow it away instead of keeping it so either you are for me or you are against me this this idea of being neutral is impossible want to say this clearly, and that is that if you do not belong to God, you are God's enemy your God's enemy. There's there's no neutrality there regarding Jesus and so what Jesus is speaking about is the fact that you just can't. You can't think that your neutral kind of in order to illustrate the seriousness of the Jesus now goes on and talks about an unpardonable sin. This is very serious business folks verse 31 therefore I tell you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven.

People but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven, 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 a or in the one to come. There is a sin for which there is no forgiveness.

I suppose that everyone who's ever heard of the unpardonable sin. At some point in their life, thinks that they have committed it here I am on a boy of 11 or 12 riding my bicycle at the back of our house one Easter Sunday afternoon is amazing how you remember son things with real clarity and I had what I deem to be some very blasphemous thoughts against Jesus and I'll never forget the turmoil that I was in for days wondering whether I had committed the unpardonable sin. I wish that I had kept all of the letters that have been sent me throughout the years of people who believe that they have committed the unpardonable sin. I have some of them I was going to read a few of them to you today but I don't think it will take time to do that because you probably know already what those letters say they say something like this, like one man said Saturday evening, three weeks ago I committed the unpardonable sin. I was angry and I blaspheme God and now I have to deal with the devil. Do you think that I can be forgiven and then there are those who commit this center. That's an end and they asked the question of whether or not forgiveness is possible for this center that's and have they committed the unpardonable sin was look at this with a little bit of care. First of all, we are encouraged to learn that the old sin.

Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven. People and Jesus even said if you blaspheme against the Son of Man will be forgiven because when Jesus was here on earth. If you didn't pick up on the fact that he was Messiah and divine that in a certain sense was forgivable.

After you realize the truth you could be forgiven for that. After all, he did look like a man. He ate and he slept in. Even the disciples themselves. It took them a while to understand that they were in the presence of divinity. But if you commit a sin or a sin against the spirit.

It can't be forgiven. What is the sin against the spirit will in context the sin against the spirit is to take the marvelous miracles of Jesus and ascribe them to bills a bowl to say that the miracles of Jesus are not real to reject Jesus Christ Messiah ship because you credit all of his wonderful works in his miraculous abilities and you give credit somewhere else other than Jesus and not accept him as the miracle worker as the Messiah.

When you stop to think of it, realize that for these Pharisees. They had crossed a line like a boat in the mighty Niagara River gets to a certain point were all turning back now is too late for them. That was unpardonable they were sent in their hardness against Jesus. I'm not sure if the unpardonable sin can be committed today in the same way as it was in New Testament times, but I'm absolutely convinced that there is an unpardonable sin, the unpardonable sin is to reject Jesus on till you get to a point in your life where you will no longer care about him or responding to him because God says my spirit will not always strive with man and unpardonable sin is a hard determine the heart cannot be affected by Jesus. No matter what. And that is unpardonable because you need faith to accept Jesus to be part as though there is such a thing as an unpardonable sin, but I do need to tell you this, that if you write me a letter and ask whether or not you've committed it. I'm going to write back and tell you that I'm quite sure you haven't, because the very fact that you are concerned about having committed the unpardonable sin is a marvelous sign that you haven't. If you commit an unpardonable sin, you will not be writing me a letter and asking and be troubled about it. You will say nothing troubles me. I rejected Jesus, and am at peace with my rebellion that is unpardonable. What are the lessons that we need to learn here as we begin to think about a two and number today from this awesome passage of Scripture. The first is a lesson about Christ's power over bells. The bull over the strong man is lesson number one. About three weeks ago I spoke on the telephone with the student who called me who said that he was very troubled by Setanta conflict.

There was no doubt that there was activity in his life of demonic spirits, so I asked him the question that is obviously one of the most important questions you could ever possibly ask. I should do you have in your mind any recollection of when this began and he said yes he said at the age of 11 in a fit of anger. I sold my soul to the devil all right. And then of course the devil comes to collect.

You know you sold your soul, you old me and so there he is hassling insisting threatening, demeaning, causing people to have great self-hatred. That's what the devil loves his self-hatred so that you just think I know good. Nobody will ever love me. God can't love me, you know, might as will end it all and that's that's the kind of thing that the devil specializes in, among other things. So here is he's he's saying that he's hassled, how do you think I helped him what did I say in counseling. Lord help me as I explained this to these people because for many of you, this could be a tremendous moment of deliverance. The next five or seven minutes of what I say is incredibly important. I only pray that I shall say it well and clearly. I said to him, the first thing that you need to know since you are a believer in Jesus. The first thing that you need to know is that your agreement with the devil was totally illegitimate because when Christ redeemed you. The Bible says that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, but rather we were purchased by God and catch this. Now, the Scripture says you are not your own. Your soul was not yours to give to the devil.

Your soul belongs to Jesus. What if someone were to come to you as parents I'm speaking to parents now and say what I just did. I just gave your children to the devil. It's a way moment you gave my children to the devil. My children were not yours to give to him. Thank you.

They are not yours to put a curse on because you do not own them. I regard all of your remarks as illegitimate and DO a I do not accept any such thing. The Bible says that we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son into the kingdom of light. When you make that transfer all allegiances all agreements all commitments all covenants that belong to the kingdom of darkness are broken as you have a new allegiance to the one who is the king of light.

You no longer owe him any thing in all agreements are no employed one time I met a man who took this a little step further and he said I sold my soul to the devil in the blood covenant.

Then he came out with this. He said, and I'm a man of integrity life to keep my covenant that I take my glasses off at this point. First of all, for openers you made an agreement with the being who doesn't even understand the meaning of the word integrity. That's for openers you made an agreement with the being who the Bible says that Jesus said there is no truth in him. When he speaks, he speaks a lie. In fact the only time you can believe the devil is if he were to say to you on lie and believe that I said something like this to him because the devil is not the being of integrity. He probably didn't tell you that any agreement that you made with him was illegitimate because he had no right to make any agreements with you. He didn't tell you that getting all know know know he doesn't tell you that all that he does is come and collect when I teach homiletic switches really a big word for trying to teach young preachers to get them to be better preachers. I always say to them, clarity, clarity, clarity, clarity, be clear. Don't ever allow people to leave wondering what you believe something to take my own advice.

Today I'm going to be clear came thanks to Jesus the devil has no rights at all non-non-those little children that are being held hostage by the hostage taker may be foolish enough to make an agreement with the hostage taker when that hostage taker is arrested when he is carried off and the parents come and pick up the children they begin to understand that all agreements with this evil hostage taker are no and void.

They do not count.

It is the fact that they belong to these parents, to whom they owe allegiance and you owe no one allegiance unless that person has ownership in your life and when you are bought by Jesus. He is the one who owns you and your allegiance is to him long Jesus has has found the strong man he disarmed all principalities and all powers making a show of them openly triumphing over the minute you say well yeah, he still hassled me see hassled you, but his hassles are illegitimately based they are they are they are not legitimate and you need to know that because Jesus is stronger than the devil and he's proved it.

Satan has no rights at all. He does have some obligations.

Chief among which is to go to hell forever. That is his obligation. Amen. Right. Amen corner of Reiger spotting Christ's power. There's a second lesson and that is the lesson of no neutrality, no fence sitters so I'm going to and today by talking to you fence.

There are number of you out there and let me give you the fence sitters take that I've heard in my life. Some of you are out there and saying I don't believe in Jesus I know can accept them because I like my life the way it is and I like to be alone and I don't want him to disrupt any pain. It's the if I accept Jesus. I'm gonna have to stop sleeping with my boyfriend syndrome and right now that's not where I'm at so your fence.

Some of you are fence sitters because of fear. Fear of your family what your saying is like a man said to me I'm going to accept Jesus but him to wait until my die fences. Some of you, bless you, your offense sitters because that you're saying I don't have enough time.

I haven't investigated Jesus enough. Let's fine you can go ahead and investigate him, but some people use that as an opportunity to constantly hold him at arms length, as if to say, you know, it really doesn't matter. I'm not against him. I think he's great.

I just am not going accept them. Jesus said if you aren't for me your against final. You're my old and I stalk put aside.

Remember Pilate when he brought Jesus out. He said who is this man what you want me to do with Jesus who is called Christ and today Jesus asks each of this question so what are you going to do with some of you are visiting today and you need to face that issue what to do with them. Some of you been around a while what you can do with them going to say yes I accept them as Messiah as Lord is King as the one who bow the enemy and sets the captives free. Bless God spray my father be asked today for those who never trusted Christ to save. We pray for all the fence sitters here today never believed in Jesus of heard the gospel many times, for whatever reason put it off but it's okay.

Give them hearts today that are open father hearts that say yes I in fact, I'm going to stop praying right now and give you a moment of silence because there are some of you can be saved right where you're seated.

If you say Lord Jesus. I accept you as my deliverer. I accept you as my Savior. You tell that right there owe father for those who struggle.

We ask overcome the natural reluctance of people to come to Jesus and may there be those who right now are saying I accept him as mine. I choose sides. I see them as the one who forgives my sin, who translates me from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light grant all got that grace and were grace. That grace is not yet been granted helpless people be troubled all week until they do. We need you Jesus we need your grace, your spirit, which we live totally in Jesus name on today's Moody Church. Our pastor looks or write a message on come and see his enemies. The fifth of eight pictures of the life of Christ in a series entitled come and see Jesus, the true glory of Christ was veiled those around him once though he let it shine forth on a remote mountaintop next week.

Join us as Dr. Luther speaks on come and see his transfiguration are eight part series on come and see Jesus can be yours on CD for a gift of any amount Moody Church. Our our thank you to you will be a set of eight messages, you can hear and then pass on to others. Just call us at 1-800-215-5001. Let us know you'd like to support Moody Churches ministry, call 1-800-215-5001 or you can write to us at Moody Church media 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. Mention the series come and see Jesus when you write or call online, go to moody offeror.com that's moody offeror.com.

Join us next time for another Moody Church. Our with pastor Erwin lutes are in the congregation of historic Moody Church in Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church