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3 Volunteers - What is the fascination with Matrix, Harry Potter & Lord of the Rings
People grave reality & the supernatural or spirituality because He is image bearers of God. Problem is man thinks he can understand both without reference to God. That he is the source of truth. God is ultimate Reality.
The message of the bible says that man cannot understand true reality because he is out of relationship with the one whom is true reality.
It's a message that's not popular because it makes us face up to ourselves.
Here in the passage Jesus we meet two groups of people. One have the source of reality the Bible available to them to help them interpret the reality they are experiencing. But sadly they choose to supress the truth, they refuse to believe.
This morning our passage forces us to face up to reality. In this MPC there are only Christian and those who aren't. If your not a Christian this morning Christ wants to warn you of hard three realities. There is no easy way of telling a person the disease they have may be terminal. You need to listen this morning because if your not yet a Christian what you do with this passage could make the difference between living or dying.
1st REALITY IS YOU DON'T TRUST CHRIST
Because you're self -trusting v24
Notice that Matthew only gives one sentence to this miracle which give us a clue to what the passage might be all about and how it applies to us.
Matthew is no different to any author. He's got his readers in mind, not just for newly converted Jews; it's also a reasoned defense of this amazing person who proves to be Messiah they are the religious leaders, the Pharisees. Matthew wants to warn them and in fact anyone who is religious that this is not some magician. This is Messiah, this is the Son of David and he can't or want be ignored.
But this is just where you & I have a problem. We grave reality and the supernatural yet when it come to supernatural things we read about in the Bible we can be so ho hum and indifferent. Why it this?
The reason is the way we have been taught to think. The people of Matthews word where theists. A theists is a person who believes in God. Purpose of the miracles
You grave the miraculous but not the miracle worker
What we have hear is the religious leaders interpreting the supernatural according to their reason/thinking but the problem is not that they don't believe the miracle, they do because they are theists.
The problem is that they refuse to believe in the one who perfroms the miracle. They deny the reality that the crowd suggest. Why do they trust their understanding of the miracle and not believe the one who performs it. V26
They attack the messager. Shot the messager. Destroy him and you can destroy the message. It's what politician do all the time. But it's what you are doing right now if your not a Christian. You refuse to respond to the evidence though it is starring you in the face!
REALITY IS YOU DON'T TRUST CHRIST
2ndly Because you're thinking's wrong v25-27,29
"Natural man can not understand things of God"
Eph 2: 1-3 Mind - thoughts
3rdly Because your speech & heart's wrong 33-37
Christ is like any good doctor he tells us what is wrong with us but he also tells us why we have problems. Here tells us why we are unbelieving. His language is direct cf Matthew 7: 15-21
Your don't trust me because your like a tree & treasure You get good fruit of a good tree. You're a bad tree so your fruit is bad.
V34 Notice the relationship between what you say and your heart
No man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit
1 Cor 12:3
We are that the heart of man is desparately wicked, The heart in the Bible is the person - what they think and will and feel.
2nd REALITY DON'T CHANGE = A HELL OF A LIFE! v31-32
This is the punch line, this is the verse that has done so much harm to Christians. These words of Christ simply express the logical outcome of unbelief. Jesus says "if you Pharisees are going to ignore me and as we shall see there is not neutral crowd v 30. You will pay for it.
To blasphemy the Holy Spirit is to continue to trust yourself rather than Christ. To believe in yourself is to not believe in Christ. Unbelief in Christ is the greatest insult to God. To say to your creator who made you that He doesn't exist or have a right to own your and for you to trust Him is to be so offensive as to be unforgiveable. Notice he says every other sin God will forgive.
Objections But isn't the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit words. Yes as we see here. But words must first be thoughts as we have seen They had an evil heart of unbelief Heb 3:12
3rd REALITY TRUST CHRIST FOR REAL LIFE NOW!
Real trust & guts 23,30
Look at the response of the crowd, v23 Now they have a different attitude to the Pharisees, they are curious. The miracles of Christ are to point us to Him. That's why we T.V can be so distructive. You become a Christ through words, the words of the Bible, yes they may be explain
He who comes to God must believe that he is and that He is the reward of those who diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6
V30 Why does Christ say this? Jesus is saying are you for Me or Satan?
Christ is saying it's either/or. Either your with me or against me. It's
Real submission 28
Real new heart and record 34, 36-37
Matt 15: 19 Out of heart proceed evil thoughts
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them. Ezekial 36:26-27
1 Cor I :30 Christ our righteousness
Reality Crusher - Real Cross - ask a real King for a real crown!
Gen 3:15
Romans 3: 23-26 Read
Forgiven - to let off, to acquittal
Prayer
