The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Matthew 12:22-50, Mark 3: 22-35, Luke 8:19-21, 11:14-54
Act 3: God’s New Covenant People
Scene 2: Christ’s Ministry; God’s True King Manifests His Kingdom
Background Information: Matthew 12:22-50, Mark 3: 22-35, Luke 8:19-21, 11:14-54
The thought of committing what is often called the unpardonable sin can strike fear in the human heart. Jesus taught that there is a sin beyond forgiveness. In context, it was attributing the clear work of Christ to Satan by those who saw him in person and who knew better. The only unpardonable sin that should worry people today is to reject Christ all the way to death. Ironically and tragically, those who should be worried about this are not. Those who do worry about this should not. Jesus is not warning against committing some sin which, even if you repent, you will never be forgiven of. Every sin that is truly repented of will be forgiven. He was warning them, like the Old Testament prophets did, of hardening their hearts against God. There is a point in which the heart can be hardened beyond remedy. God only knows where that point is. There have been many who appeared to be hardened by sin to the point of no return. John Newton, who wrote the song Amazing Grace, was once a slave trader. He was involved in kidnapping, murder, and tearing families apart, all for his own profit. You would think that if anyone was beyond salvation, it would be someone like him. His story makes his great autobiographical hymn even more profound. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” We are all unworthy of being saved. We are all “unpardonable” on our own merit. Newton wrote that it was “grace that taught his heart to fear.” It is God’s kindness that leads us to repent. His grace strikes fear into our hearts when we turn away from him. It is this same grace that moves our hearts to return to him in repentant faith. Then, as Newton continues, “it was grace that relieved my fears.” The grace that made us fear is the same grace that removes our fear. Do not fear that God will ever refuse you. If you turn to him, he will not. Even the very same sin, repeated over and over, can and must be repented of, over and over. He will not grow tired of forgiving us, and one day, by his grace, we will grow tired of our sin. To mess up, fess up, and move on is not to take his grace lightly; it is to take it seriously.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Give thanks to God for our 35 years as a church. Ask him to continue to bless our church with unity and to deepen our love for the lost.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.