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Hey, man All right, how are we gonna get through all this and one sermon who else was thinking that right all right? So we're gonna have to forego the jokes and we're gonna have to just get right into it all right You're actually not ever supposed to start a speech with a joke by the way. Did you know that that's a rule? You should never do it I've done it and here's why because if you start like a speech or a presentation This is nothing to do with sermon, but if you start a speech or a presentation with a joke and no one laughs You basically you're toast before you've even started right so don't ever do that all right so Matthew chapter 12 is this is one of those chapters Where you could probably read it like 10 times and come up with 10 different sermons I bet you if I told every man in the church to write a sermon on Matthew chapter 12 It would be a different sermon from every single guy because there's so much stuff in Matthew chapter 12. It's really kind of a An interesting it's just kind of a one of those proofs that the Bible's an infinite book where there's just there's all these different things That you can come up with but we're gonna preach through. I don't really want to miss anything I don't really want to focus on one thing. I do want to get through all of Matthew chapter 12, so buckle your seatbelts We're gonna go through it verse by verse And I'm sure like I said I could go more in depth on a lot of these different things But I do want to get through the whole thing so let's look at Matthew chapter 12 and verse number one The Bible says and Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn and his disciples Were a hungry and they began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat But when the Pharisees saw it they said unto him behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do Upon the Sabbath day, but he said unto them Have you not read what David did when he was in hungry and they that were with him how he entered into the house of? God and did eat the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat neither for them which were with him But only for the priests so he's saying that David went in and did this it was only for the priests But David did it and hurry be not read in the law that how on the Sabbath day the priests and the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless, but I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple So there's a lot there right there. Okay, so the first thing turn to Numbers chapter 28 So the first thing what these guys are doing is they're walking through the corn and they're plucking the ears of corn and they're eating The corn okay, and so they're they're hungry and they're eating the corn. It's not their field It's not their corn and one thing you notice here that's not brought up We're talking about you know what they're doing on the Sabbath day They're harvesting they're working on the Sabbath day is what the Pharisees are getting on them for doing they're not getting on them For picking somebody else's corn That's one thing. All right turn to Numbers chapter 28. I'm just gonna explain that to you It's not a huge doctrine or anything But in Deuteronomy 23 in verse number 25 The Bible actually says it gives a piece of the law that says if you're walking through somebody else's field You can pick corn with your hand. You just can't take a sickle to somebody else's field So brother Trevor if somebody's you know, some bum is walking through your field. There's nothing you can do about it brother So, all right. I don't think it applies in that sense I'm just joking but what I'm saying is they weren't doing something against the law here as far as picking and eating the corn the Pharisees were getting on them for doing it on the Sabbath day for going out and collecting bread if you remember the manna They were not supposed to collect manna on the Sabbath day either. Okay, they're supposed to collect a double portion before You know the day before and then not work at all on the Sabbath day. So gathering food is work All right, look at Numbers chapter 28. Look at verse number eight and the Bible says this So Jesus says that you know The the priests did this Jesus says the priests did it and in Numbers chapter 28 in verse number 8 we can see that in the Bible says it's talking about a sacrifice and the other lamb shalt thou offer it even as the meat offering of the morning and as the drink offering thereof thou shalt offer it a sacrifice made by fire of sweet savor unto the Lord and on the Sabbath day Two lambs of the first year without spot and two tenths Deals of flour for a meat offering meagled with oil and the drink offering thereof So the priests offered a sacrifice they worked on the Sabbath is what Jesus says and then Jesus says, you know I am greater than the priests All right. So I mean Jesus is saying some things that are probably gonna upset the Pharisees All right, turn to Mark chapter 2 you're gonna be flipping all over your Bible. So get your fingers ready tonight This is not Sleeping Church evening. All right, so Mark chapter 2 look at verse number 27 This is kind of a parallel passage of you know Matthew chapter 12 and in verse number 27 of mark 2 Jesus says and he said and then the Sabbath was made for man and Not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath So in conclusion, Jesus basically says I can do whatever I want because I'm Lord of the Sabbath I'm over the priests. I am Lord of the Sabbath Shut your mouth basically is what he's saying. All right, go back to Matthew chapter 12 Just keep a finger in Matthew chapter 12 at all times. All right and look at verse number 7 But if he had known what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice You would have not condemned the guiltless turn to Hosea 6 6 Jesus is and I've talked about this before but I'll explain it real quickly Once again, he is quoting Hosea 6 verse 6 here where he says I will have mercy and not sacrifice Let's go there and look at it in the Old Testament There's a lot of things Jesus talks about all the time knowing that the Pharisees that the Jews would understand What he's describing in the law or the Old Testament Okay Look at verse number 6 of Hosea 6 where he says for I desired and I like the way it's it's it's worded here It kind of gives it a little bit more clarity of what it actually means for I desired mercy and not Sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offering. So Jesus says I will have mercy and not sacrifice So this the Pharisees what he's getting at here is he's saying look they're all focused on you know Just the law and works and all these things and Jesus says no, I will have mercy I will have mercy and not sacrifice meaning I want mercy I'm gonna give mercy and not sacrifice these these people just want to show their works and give and do all these works And he's saying that's not what I want. It's I'm here to give mercy is what Jesus is saying Okay So he's preaching against their works based philosophy here is what he's getting at whether they got it Probably not right. Look at verse number 8 of Matthew chapter 12 And he goes back to the Sabbath day now, okay And he says for the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day and he was departed thence He went into their synagogue and behold There was a man with his hand withered and they asked him saying is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? That he might that they might accuse him. They're always trying to catch him, right and he said unto them What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep and it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day? Will he not lay hold on it and lift it out how much better then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore is it lawful to do well on the Sabbath days? All right So now he's basically saying that it's okay to do well on The Sabbath day right before he's getting ready to heal this man turn to Romans chapter 14 So let's look at the the Sabbath day. So Jesus has already said that I'm Lord of the Sabbath. Okay, I'm Lord of the Sabbath I can do whatever I want on the Sabbath. I'm over the priests. I'm more than the priests He's he's claiming to be basically God here and he's saying I can do whatever I want But then he gets into this whole thing where he can also, you know heal on the Sabbath But look at Romans chapter 14 and let's look at Romans chapter 14 Then we're gonna go to Colossians chapter 2 right after that Romans chapter 14 Look at verse number 4 where the Bible says who art thou that judges another man's servant to his own master He standeth or falleth. Yea, he'll she be he shall be holding up for God is able to make him stand One man esteemeth one day above another another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. So now turn to Colossians chapter 2 So here the Bible is saying that some people will esteem days above other days Some people not and you know a lot of people most people apply this to you know Christian liberty as it you know comes to celebrating Christmas or Easter or Holidays holy days, right but then we get more detail We will look at Colossians chapter 2 and keep in mind that these books these epistles in the New Testament are being written to The Gentiles, okay, they're being written to the Gentiles They're for all of us, of course But they're mainly being written to the Gentiles so we can keep that in mind But look at verse number 14 where he says of Colossians chapter 2 he says blotting out the handwriting of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way Nailing it to his cross and having spoiled principalities and powers. He made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of The new moon or of the Sabbath days which are what a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ So what the Bible is saying here in the New Testament is all these cardinal ordinances the cardinal ordinances meeting You know what you can eat, you know, Peter arise and eat, you know slay and eat the Bible says in another part and He's saying that let no man judge you because there was many Pharisees and Jews after Jesus had come people that even believed on Christ that were trying to push the law Onto the Gentiles and onto everybody else. So that's where we get this teaching and this this Explanation of what these cardinal ordinances were all about they were just foreshadowing Christ All right, they were they were a shadow of things to come so there's no need for a shadow because Christ is there Christ has come already So there's no need for anything to be done to Symbolize that coming because he's there now and he's already come for us So what he's saying is, you know in Romans 14, he's saying hey, let every man be you know Convinced in his own mind on holy days and then he gets even more specific and even says of the Sabbath days in Colossians chapter 2 so the answer is that you know, should you celebrate the Sabbath? But every man be persuaded in his own mind, all right now look if you want to work on Sunday Basically, as long as it doesn't cause you to sin somewhere else You know if you're working to skip church and you're working well, that's another problem with Hebrews 10 25, right? You're forsaking the assembly of the believers But the Bible says that you know If you want to go and you want to do something on Sunday that's work or you want to make you know gather food or something You're still you know, you're still fulfilling other parts of the Bible You know The Bible has the New Testament in Colossians 2 has done away with those cardinal ordinances the Sabbath day being one of them Okay, so that's kind of where Jesus was heading with this whole thing But Jesus, you know, he didn't get into this type of detail. Whereas he just said, you know, I'm Lord of the Sabbath I can do what I want. I'm over the priests, right? He's like I'm here now, but Paul gives us more Clarity in the epistles, okay Alright, so these things were a shadow of what is there currently now? Jesus Christ as the Messiah go back to Matthew chapter 12 in verse number 13 And where the Bible says then Jesus he says so he's got this guy right in the temple then with a withered hand Then he saith he to the man stretch forth thine hand and he stretched it forth and it was restored whole like as the other Then the Pharisees went out and held a counsel against him how they might destroy him Which is interesting because they went and they held this counsel on the Sabbath So so they're like they're ripping on them You know for for healing people and doing all these good works and it just just like picking corn, right? They're like you picked corn on the Sabbath, you know, you're evil, right? And then they go out and they actually hold a meeting on how they can murder somebody on the Sabbath day, right so I mean Define irony look at verse 15 But when Jesus knew it Because he knew what was going on right because he's God he withdrew himself from thence and great multitudes followed him and he healed them all and charged them that they should not make him known that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by a size the Prophet saying Behold my servant who I am whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles He shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets a bruised reed shall he not break and Smoking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment on to victory turn to Isaiah chapter 42 So again, he says here that it might be fulfilled meaning This is a prophecy being fulfilled and it says, you know, it says things like in verse 19 He shall not strive nor cry Nor shall any man hear his voice in the streets So instead, you know Jesus is out and he's doing these things and he's healing he's preaching and he's teaching and he's telling people He's like hey don't Don't say anything to anybody because he knows his time isn't coming and he knows if the word just gets out that people are gonna Be after him right away and he knows what he has to fulfill before he's killed Okay, look at Isaiah 42 in verse number one This is what this was this was being fulfilled right here Where as Isaiah 42 we see a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles He shall not cry nor lift up his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets a bruised reed shall he not Break and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth So it says he's not there to conquer. He's not there to be some great, you know leader That's that's there to conquer and to just you know, what the Jews were basically looking for, right? So that was the prophecy in Isaiah 42 that was Fulfilled he wasn't there for glory for himself Basically is what he's saying. He was lowly. He was meek He was preaching and teaching and you know then in Isaiah 53 it talks about he was bruised for our Iniquities, right? So he wasn't he you know, he was bruised for our iniquities All right. Now look back at verse number 15 There's something else that I'd like to point out here where it says, you know They were all over him and they were mad at him and it says he withdrew himself from the vents All right. So like this is kind of like a soul winning tip. We headed on on Saturday morning, but basically Jesus wasn't there to just shove his doctrine down everybody's throat that didn't want to listen He understood when people didn't want to listen and he just he just withdrew. He just got out of there Alright, so I mean that's that's a good soul winning tip right there Jesus wasn't there to force, you know his belief, you know belief on him on other people He knew that they weren't believing he got out of there Right and the better you can get at that the better soul winner you're gonna be by the way because you will find That even if you push and you push and you push with people you can't force people to believe All right, we're looking for that right fish We're looking for that person whose heart is soft and who is ready to believe the gospel and those people are out there And you know it Right, we're not there to sit there and and strive with people and try to you know Just convince people over and over and over, you know that that this is the truth Some people are ready for it. Some people aren't some people have a soft heart Some people have a hard heart right and the better we can get at that the better soul winner you will be Alright, look at verse number 22 of Matthew 12 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil blind and dumb and he healed him in so much that the blind and dumb Both spake and saw and all the people were amazed and said is this not the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said this fellow doth not cast out devils But by Beelzebub the prince of the devils and Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and Every city or house divided against itself shall not stand and if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself How shall then shall his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges Alright, first of all, let's explain verse number 27 here and then we'll get into the whole, you know What they're saying to Jesus. Alright turn to Matthew chapter 10 Matthew chapter 10 So he says by if I use the devil to cast out devils by whom do your children cast them out? So who's he talking about? All right, look at Matthew chapter 10 in verse number 1 Where he says and when he had called unto him his 12 disciples So he this is the chapter where he's giving them, you know They're soul winning instructions their instructions to go out and preach the gospel and he doesn't just give them instructions He actually gives them power right Jesus gives them power He says he gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all Manner of disease and then again down in verse number 8 of Matthew chapter 10 He says and as ye go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand heal the sick Cleanse the lepers raise the dead cast out devils freely. He have received freely give He is given the disciples all of these powers So when he says this in verse number 7 of Matthew chapter 12 whom do your children cast him out? He's saying look the disciples all these Jews that are following me He's like they're casting them out too. He's like are they using Satan too? That's what he's saying Okay, and then he goes off to say, you know Therefore they shall be your judges. All right, then later on in turn to Matthew chapter 19 We're not gonna get too deep into this one because I'll go deep into this one on Matthew 19 Sermon, but in Matthew 19 and verse 28 Jesus tells the disciples he says you will judge Israel They will judge Israel and Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that which he have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones Judging the twelve tribes of Israel So the disciples are gonna judge the twelve tribes of Israel and we see that theme Also later on in Matthew chapter 12 of some other people that are gonna look it's not just the disciples There's other people that are gonna judge the nation of Israel All right, and we'll see that when we when we get get there, but let's go back to the story now So here he has cast out this demon. He has healed this man who couldn't speak and was blind So he has totally healed this man and the Pharisee said you use Satan to heal that man He used Satan to cast out that demon and Jesus has doesn't even make any sense This is the first thing he says doesn't even make any sense, why would Kate why would Satan cast himself out? He says why would Satan attack himself a house divided against itself can't stand, right? So if Satan's against himself house his kingdom on earth even gonna work is what he's saying All right, Satan would want people to be possessed with the devil right with his demons. Look at verse 28 he says but if I cast out devils he says but If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God That's the Holy Spirit folks then the kingdom of God has come unto you or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and Spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men So we see equates the Spirit of God with the Holy Ghost many times in the Old Testament You'll see people in the people. I've heard people say, you know, the Holy the Holy Spirit of the Holy Ghost isn't in the Old Testament Yeah, it's called the Spirit of God All right over and over and over and over again. These two things are the same Okay now I mean just stupid doctrine that comes from Stupid things people say that mean nothing. I Mean it's clearly the same thing. All right, so Wherefore I say all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men and whosoever speak at the word against the Son of Man It shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost It shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come So now I mean that's a heavy statement right there So he's like neither in this world and I mean that would be pretty easy to explain if he's like neither in this world Okay, you wouldn't be in right standing with God things like neither in the world to come you're like, whoa He's basically Damning them to hell right here. Okay. So look go back to Matthew chapter 9 first of all The first thing I want to say about this with Jesus in this type of situation is this is not the first time that this Has happened, okay This is not the first time that they have accused him of casting out a demon Using Satan or being Satan or with the power of Satan look at Matthew 9 34 the Bible says or 33 and When the devil was cast out the dumb spake and the multitudes marvel saying it was never so seen in Israel They were amazed but the Pharisees said he casteth out devils through the prince of the devils So at this point, you know, Jesus has had it he's had enough of it, right? So what is the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, you know, there's whole doctrines on this whole like, you know Weird beliefs on this but look Let's just look just clear your mind of everything that you've heard and let's just look at what actually happened here Okay, basically Jesus cast out a demon People said he did it with the power of Satan and he basically said to them, you know, you're done That's what happened in this story. All right, so he basically, you know that matches turn to John chapter 12 that matches His words and his attitude towards the Pharisees in other places as well Okay, so look at John chapter 12 and it actually fulfills Prophecy as well. Okay, so this kind of gives us you know evidence that This is a specific event All right, so this blasphemy when Jesus is talking about this blasphemy of the Holy Ghost He's saying you know, this is a spit. This is a specific event that happened here All right, obviously, but look at John chapter 12 in verse number 39 Where the Bible says therefore they could not believe because that as I say again He have blinded their eyes and harden their heart that they should not see with their eyes Nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them turn to Isaiah 44 Isaiah 44 Isaiah 44 in verse number 18 So this is fulfillment of prophecy. The Pharisees basically, you know becoming or being reprobates is fulfillment of literal prophecy in the Bible look at Isaiah 44 18 And the Bible says they have not known nor understood for he hath shut their eyes That they cannot see and their hearts that they cannot understand Look, there got to be a point with the Pharisees where Jesus did not want them to understand He did not want them to see Otherwise they might understand Otherwise they might believe he got to a point with these people with this group of people who had rejected him enough Where he said that's it I don't want you to understand I have blinded your eyes. I have shut your ears I don't want look I don't want them to understand with their heart and be converted That's what he said in John 12. I mean because if they understand with their heart they're gonna be converted He doesn't want that because they're done all right, so That is what happened here now look is it possible for someone to blaspheme the Holy Ghost today and You know lose the chance of ever becoming saved You know Not in this specific way Okay, so is Jesus here has Jesus been here Is he casting out demons and someone accuses him of doing it with the power of Satan that can't really happen today Right. This is where my belief is on this I don't believe this is some magical thing that you can say where you can go and make a video and you know Say, you know nasty things about the Holy Ghost and just reprobate yourself, you know, look I wouldn't recommend it Okay, I've heard that people do this type of thing and I and I had the thought fleeting like oh I should and I'm like Ah, you know, but that's you know, that's the Holy Ghost, right? You would never want to see something like that. You would never want to do something like that So you would never want to even go and look at see somebody blaspheming the Holy Ghost whatever they think that that is right, but blaspheming the Holy Ghost in this story is them specifically Accusing Jesus of using they were they were basically giving the credit of Casting out this demon to Satan They were basically stealing the credit from the Holy Spirit and giving it to Satan That's what they were doing and if you know anything about God if you know anything about Jesus and if you know anything about the gospel if you know anything about salvation is You must give the full credit To God you have to give the foot. That's salvation That's why so many people will not be saved. It can't be 90 10. It can't be 90% Jesus 10% you God does God Demands the full credit That's why you must believe on Trust in a hundred percent if you are trusting a little bit in yourself or think that if you do something or whatever Even if you say a bad word against the Holy Spirit that you'll lose your salvation Then you have not believed on you've not given that full credit To God, so it's really the same philosophy God demands the full credit to give you that gift of eternal life and God takes that credit pretty seriously because when it was given away to Satan he damned him to hell All right, so is it possible to blaspheme the Holy Spirit today I I Probably not according to this so it's people have created this whole thing You will find people out there that believe that that it's faith in Jesus As long as you don't blaspheme the Holy Spirit, that's how stupid this has gotten But that's serious Right because that's not salvation if you think I have to just stop myself From you know, first of all, if you have to stop yourself from flexing Holy Spirit, you know There's a problem there. All right, so It's just it's it's a strange stretched out Pentecostal weirdness that's kind of this is turned into all right. This was a specific instance that happened Just take the Bible for what it says. That's the bottom line. All right, and don't get look don't get into these Antilogical questions that people will throw at you like hey, what if someone that saved takes the mark of the beast man? you know don't get in those types of Arguments because the Bible says that that will never happen. That's the answer, right? What if you know, what if someone who's saved, you know changes the Word of God? Well, that's not gonna happen Right because someone who's saved is not going to change the Word of God and go, you know publish their own Bible So you could probably say that somebody who's published their own Bible is not saved I mean, that's that's a pretty decent, you know thing that you could say and again, you know, somebody who's saved is not going to Blaspheme the Holy Ghost. I don't even think that it's possible according to what happened here in the Bible turn to Mark chapter 3 We see another Another parallel passage of this in Mark chapter 3 in verse number 23 And it says any call them unto him and he said unto them in parables How can Satan cast out Satan if a kingdom be divided against itself? That kingdom cannot stand and if a house be divided against itself that house cannot stand So that's if you were saved you would never blaspheme the Holy Ghost So the Holy Ghost would never ask the you know, Holy Ghost to be cast out on the opposite side of that coin. So Ultimately, by the way, ultimately people like all the time people that ask these type of questions, you know Turn to Titus chapter 3 just real quick before we move on People that ask these types of questions, you know What if someone who's saved takes the mark of the beast or people that believe that you're saved by grace through faith unless you take The mark of the beast I mean, you know people that that typically ask these type of questions They just want to argue and they're not saved. They're not safe. They don't believe the Bible. They don't believe any of it They just want to they think they have some logical, you know Disconnect that they found in the Bible and they don't understand it Right look at Titus 3 in verse number 9 the Bible says but avoid foolish questions These would be foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings These are people that just you know People are asking they just want to strive with you and contend with you about the law about the Bible, right? these are people that think oh we got a Disconnect in the Bible here, right, but they're unprofitable in vain Alright, so it's just a waste of time basically is what that says and that's why you know The Bible gives us the very next verse where it says a man that is in heretic after the first and second admonition Reject that's why you know So many people are nervous about going soul-winning because they think that they need to win some sort of debate You don't have to win a debate so winning, you know You just have to have you know One or two verses for every single one of your points every single one of your doctrines and if they don't want to hear it Look, you're not sit there and give them ten verses because guess what it won't make any difference It won't make any difference how many verses that you give them. All right, so Matthew chapter 12 go back to verse number 33 So That's the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost It's a very specific event It was actually fulfilling a prophecy about the Pharisees and you know It just I don't believe in that same context. It's even possible today So it's it's way more is made out of it than what actually happened in the Bible All right, Matthew chapter 12 Look at verse 33 where the Bible says Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree Is known by its fruit Oh generation. So he's still ripping on the the Pharisees hero generation of vipers How can ye being evil speak good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak it? So he's still at the in this, you know that an evil person's not going to say good things The house isn't going to be divided against itself, you know, the Holy Ghost, you know Satan isn't gonna cast out Satan you had to bend the Holy Ghost that cast it out Satan you see then he goes into this You know a good tree is not going to produce bad fruit, you know, and and he's just going into these these opposites Okay, and 36 but I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak They shall give account thereof in the day of judgment for by the words by thy words Thou shalt be justified and by thy words shall thou be condemned, you know that he's talking about You know how we can tell basically, you know, basically, how can we tell that someone saved? The only way that we can tell that someone's saved is basically by you know what they tell us Right when we go that's why we go to the door, you know, we ask a couple questions, right? Hey, do you know for sure that you're going to heaven it God forbid if you would die today. I Mean, are you a hundred percent sure that you're going to heaven and then we just listen to what they say But but that's all we can go on. I don't have like God vision to look into someone's heart So guess what people could lie to us, right? But all we can go by is what they say their fruit turn to James chapter 1 You know the fruit the things that come out of them, right? Do they do they you know, that's why you'll see a Pastor you could tell many times a pastor of a church, you know if he's saved by, you know if you knock on a bunch of doors and Like all the people in that church or a majority of people in that church are saved that pastors probably saved Okay, because look that's his fruit Right, you're talking to his fruit All right. Look at James chapter 1 James James 1 & 2 I love James 1 & 2 and these are you know These are chapters in the Bible that when I first the first couple times I read the Bible. I was kind of like ah You know, why why do those two chapters why especially James 2? Why are those two chapters have that why is that the word it that way but these are two chapters that are just now I just love these chapters in the Bible. I mean, this is just great chapter It's talking about your religion in James chapter 1 is talking about your religion. What is what is what is religion? What is your religion? We're talking about somebody's fruit the things that they say being justified before what before men before each other, right? So look at James chapter 1 in verse number 26 I'm sorry. We're hitting a lot of different things tonight. We got to get through this whole chapter Look at James chapter 1 in verse number 26 in the Bible this defines religion for us right here So if you ever wonder, you know, what is religion everybody talks about religion religions bad religions good. I don't believe in religion Here's what religion is. All right, if any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth Not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart. This man's religion is vain. Well, what is religion? pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Your religion is the physical practice of your beliefs That's your religion. All right, so what out soul winning It's possible that someone could lie to you Right, it's possible that when you're given the gospel to somebody and you're saying hey, you know Do you believe this that they could they could lie to you? They could say yeah, I believe this and they couldn't believe it And maybe they're just trying to get rid of you or whatever, right? but look this is why you know the better you get at Relating to people and reading people and just dealing with people in general the better soul winner you will become Period that's why people that that's why you'll see kids, you know, maybe 15 16 year old kids They go out soul winning for several years Maybe you'll see quiet individuals introverts that become soul winners And they're just they did become really good at dealing and talking and relating with people Soul winning is a great way to just get good at dealing with people and And conversing with people and the better you get at it the better you will the more efficient you will be at successfully delivering the gospel All right, it's a great it's a great side benefit right he that when the souls is wise, right? You will get intuition dealing with people. I mean soul winning is a great all-around exercise in in dealing effectively with People because that's look that's all we can tell is by what people tell us what people say That's all we have. We just see the surface in that sense, right? So the better we get at that the Bible says, you know, we'll get we'll get better at soul winning Look at Matthew 12 in verse number 38 Then certain of the scribes into the Pharisees answered saying master we would see a sign from thee But he answered and said unto them an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. Well, he's rough on these people He's just beaten up against one wall and he just smashes them into the other wall and just again and again He says but he answered and said unto them evil adulterous generation seeketh after a sign And there should be no sign be given to it But the sign of the Prophet Jonas for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly So shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. So he's prophesying his death here Okay, he says the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they Repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater than Jonas is here turn to Jonas Jonah 3 10 Jonah 3 10 so he's saying so number one he uses Jonah being in the whale's belly for three days and three nights to prophesy Him being in the tomb for three days and three nights right Friday to Sunday, right? Yeah One what? Yeah, exactly. All right, Jonah 3 10 Let's just read that real quickly and God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God Repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not this is a rare story in the Bible Where Jonah got right after he got out of the whale God judged him a little bit Jonah went to Nineveh and he preached and they Actually repented which meant they turned from their evil way they changed their mind they turned they They left their sins in that case They repented of those sins that they did in that case, but then God repented God changed his mind on Destroying them and he didn't destroy them. All right, so he's saying look the men of Nineveh He says to the Pharisees just like the disciples. He says because Because Jonah went and he preached to Nineveh and they listened to him So think of the comparison here Jonah went to Nineveh. Jesus is here because he's greater than Jonah, right? Jonah was here and the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah They didn't even have Jesus. They listened to Jonah and these people won't listen to Jesus He says therefore the people of Nineveh are gonna judge you Is what he says, all right, and we'll get into that in Matthew chapter 19, but he's comparing he says He forecasts his death using Jonah then he says I'm greater than Jonah He's like the men of Nineveh because they listen to somebody who wasn't even as good as me who is as great as me They're gonna judge you because they were better than you All right. Look at Matthew chapter 12 in verse number 42 The Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost Parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here. So here he does this same comparison with the Queen of Sheba that went and visited Solomon in first Kings, excuse me, first Kings chapter 10 So the Queen travels all the way across, you know, the from the uttermost parts of the earth She listens to Solomon and Solomon's and she believes Solomon She believes everything that Solomon preaches to her right which apparently was the gospel too, right? So then he says but you know Solomon's here. I'm greater than Solomon. So she's gonna judge you too He says all right. Look at verse number 43 And then he kind of gets into another topic here and he says when the unclean Spirit is gone out of a man. He walketh through dry places Seek of seeking rest and find it none Then he says I will return into my house from whence I came and when he has come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and take it with himself Seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is Worse than the first even so it shall also be unto this wicked generation now, there's two applications here Alright he's talking about somebody here who has gotten the unclean spirit out of them Alright and walketh through dry places seek at rest find it none. He's like then he returns back to where he was Right, and he says the state of that man is worse than the first time that they've been then when the guy started Look, this is the person that hears the gospel that hears the truth That hears the gospel and don't take this too far, but I've seen this several times Where somebody hears the gospel they understand what you're saying and they don't accept it Okay, that person many times those people will just become more and more hardened Against the gospel not to say that something can't come into their life that shakes them or knocks them down And that's why you'll see many people who want someone in their life to be saved We'll just sometimes pray, you know, God just you know, drop them down a few notches, you know, take them out of their pride You know soften their heart towards the gospel because ultimately you're not accepting the gospel You have a heart problem You have a hard heart towards the Lord and many times that's caused through pride and other things sin, whatever, right? but the Bible is saying so like look, I think it's pretty I Mean this is maybe just the theory of mine But I would say that the best odds you have of getting saved is probably the first time someone gives you the gospel And you understand it Okay now not to say that, you know, you can't get the gospel ten times and then get saved I know people like that too. All right, so don't take this too far But basically Jesus is saying that you know If you get to the point where you understand it and you just reject it That's not gonna be good for you you're gonna you're gonna head further in that in the worst direction All right Now there's another application here too for somebody that's saved for somebody that's saved and has left Sin in their life or left certain sins or whatever and I've seen this too and you all need to be careful With this type this one that I'm about to say because I'm assuming that most of you are safe that all of you are saved All right people that have given up a sin that have gotten away from a sin that have gotten out of a sin that have Conquered that in their life and then they go back to that sin for whatever reason Many times it will be worse than it was the first time And I mean I can already tell you right now that you know You're we're gonna talk about this in a little bit, but you're now you're under the chastisement of God now Whereas you weren't before but the Bible says that you know, you'll do it worse. You'll get into it deeper and worse If you go back to it, so look you need to be careful in your life You need to put protections in place in your life. You know, I don't know if it's it's alcohol or you know Whatever internet stuff or whatever you need to be careful and put protections in place in Your life because if you go back into those things, it'll be it could be worse is what the Bible is saying All right seen it Seen it personally when you if you haven't seen it as you get older you will see it Okay, so put protect. I mean be careful. Let me like I'm saved. I'm good. No, you have the flesh with you You always have the flesh with you until you die. All right All right, Matthew chapter 12 verse number 43 Don't go anywhere near past sins That's why you know, don't be hanging out with people that do those past sins Separation hello, I mean it's not just for your kids. It's for you, too All right. Look it's it's serious stuff. I mean look, I mean there's a reason that You know people even alcoholics anonymous will tell you you shouldn't hang around people that are drinking if you know You're trying to quit drinking. First of all, if you don't drink who would want to hang around people that drink I mean, is there anything more irritating in the world? All right, but look it's a danger to you All right Okay, put protections in place, you know, and that might not be it. That might not be an easy thing You might have to get like I don't know into church new friends That's why we say you should you know, your friends should be at church Your brothers and sisters in Christ. That's who you should be hanging out with shouldn't be going out You know after work with you know people you work with it's not it's not gonna go Well for you in your Christian life. All right, look at Matthew 12 verse number 46 While he yet talked to the people behold his mother and brethren stood without desiring to speak with him Then one said unto him behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without Desiring to speak with thee But he answered and said unto him that told him who is my mother and who are my brethren and he stretched forth his hand Toward his disciples and he said behold my mother and my brethren For whosoever shall do the will of my father Which is in heaven the same is my brother and my sister and my mother turn to Matthew chapter 7 So what we're gonna we'll cut up verse number 50 and then I'll explain kind of the whole thing here But he says whosoever shall do the will of my father, which is in heaven That sounds like you know, what do I have to do? Do I have to do works or whatever in Matthew chapter 7 in verse number 21? He says something very similar He says not everyone that sayeth unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven But he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven the Catholic will say aha See you have to do the will of the Father to get to heaven turn to math or John chapter 6 John chapter 6 Because many will say to me in that day Lord Lord Have we not prophesied in thy name in thy name cast out devils and thy name done many wonderful works And then I will profess unto them. I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity So the Catholic will sit here and say which doesn't make any sense That this is talking about you have to do the will of the Father which is like do a lot of great works and all These different things that the Catholic Church tells you you need to do because these people didn't do enough works or something I guess in verse number 22, but you know casting out Devils Prophesying in thy name. Those are some pretty good works I mean, you know, I haven't cast out any Devils, you know, so I have not made this achievement yet, right? But that these people are clearly not going to heaven in verse number 23, right? So what is the will of the Father is the question? All right. Well, it's very clear in John chapter 6 look at verse number 39 And this is the father's will which hath sent me that all that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day and this be the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and Believeth on him may have everlasting life So the will of the Father the will of the Father is to give away everlasting life Yes, some some mean Murderous God right the will of the Father is literally to give away everlasting life For nothing and what's the key to that everlasting life? They see the Son and they believe on him That's it. That's the will of our Heavenly Father that we would see his son believe on him and He happily gives us everlasting life Right. That's a pretty good deal All right, the will of the Father's you believe on the Son Look at the last part of verse number 50 where he says the same is my brother and sister and mother now it makes sense Right now it makes sense. These are our brothers and sister. This is our this is our Christian family This is the family that we've been adopted into this is God's family right here turn to Romans chapter 8 Look at Romans chapter 8 and verse number 14 because the Bible says when you do see the Son and you believe on him And you get that everlasting life that Something happens to you. Look at verse number 14 of Romans 8 For as many are led by the Spirit of God They are the sons of God for you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear But you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father so we get adopted into God's Family when we get saved turn to Hebrews chapter 12 Hebrews chapter 12 And So getting adopted into God's family it changes something for us. It changes something for us. We're in this new family We have this new father. We have all these new brothers and sisters, you know, it's a wonderful thing But it does change a few things. Look at Hebrews 12 in verse number 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Oh So now we're sons of God lowercase s Adopted into the family, but it says our Heavenly Father is going to chastise us But it's good because it says if you endure chastising God dealeth with you as sons For what son is he whom the father chastise chasteneth not? But if he be without chase chastisement where of all our partakers then your bastards not sons Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh with corrected us and we gave them reverence Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live so he's saying look You better listen to your Heavenly Father. You should listen to him I mean if you've had reverence for your earthly father, you know who's way, you know lower than your Heavenly Father You know, you better reverence your Heavenly Father and and live because look I mean he may kill you The chastisement in the Bible went so far as God killing some of his adopted family killing them You know physically and just taking them off this earth Right, so look make sure you explain this out soul-winning, you know in a in a brief Way, and this is a good way of you know, just using I always use my son who's with me, you know Especially people that are coming from a Catholic background They need this explained to them because these will be the people that say oh you're saying it's just free and I can just go Out and do whatever I want and I can just go and just sin and just live a wicked life You know and you know, the answer is yes, that's exactly what I'm saying you can do that and you're not gonna lose your salvation, but You know my son I will chase in him I will spank him and if he's if he's wicked and he grows up to be a wicked kid I may kick him out of my house one day, but will he ever stop being my son? No, everybody gets that Everybody will understand that and they'll be like, oh I get it and that's a great That's a great way to lead into after salvation to lead into talking to them about. Hey, you want to waste your life as They're holding the video game controller You want to waste your whole life? Nobody has ever said to me that I want. Yeah, I want to waste my whole life Yeah, that's what everybody does Right. So when you get them saved, this is a good way to you've explained, you know Being adopted into God's family getting chastened by God now, it's a great way to say You know what? You don't want to be chastened by God. You don't want to waste your life Here's what you should be doing Come into a Bible preaching church getting baptized learning what the Word of God says Learning how to share the gospel with other people So maybe you could give the gift or help somebody get the gift that you just got that you didn't deserve Okay, so it's a great lead in it. I make sure you explain that out soul winning All right, one quick. We don't have much time, but we'll go back to verse number 31 one quick last application on the blasphemy the the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit I Just want to mention this one thing and then we'll be done Turn back to verse number 31 and then go to first John chapter 5 This might be in my opinion the strongest Verse in the Bible that or the strongest example in the Bible about Jesus talking about how the fact that not all sin is equal This is a common doctrine in Christian churches today Christian churches today that all sin is equal and Jesus is clearly saying here in verse 31. Wherefore I say unto you That all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven under men So he's talking about this is just a horrible horrible sin that these people have done here. All right, look at first John chapter 5 Look at verse number 16 Where the Bible says, you know, look the Bible teaches very clearly We could do a whole sermon and a whole Bible study on different sins in the Old Testament having different punishments But in first John chapter 5 in verse number 16 It kind of Sun sums it up and it says if any man see his brother sin a sin Which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a sin unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it all unrighteousness is sin and there's a sin not unto death So he's basically saying here that look all on right all sin is unrighteousness But he's saying that there's different levels of their sins unto death And their sins not unto death and we know from you know The law and the Old Testament that there's all sorts of different punishments for different types of sin All right murder adultery, whatever right have a very heavy Punishments, but the main danger with this doctrine is this it is used to allow wickedness to creep into and come into churches Okay, and you know This is where you will get your people that will creep into churches and will harm children And will be able to stay in churches because they miss this in the Bible Alright, so it endangers people I mean, I remember we years ago knew people knew a lady that was actually you know She was molested in a church as a child and that man was allowed to stay in that church because Well, we're all sinners brother Not all sin is equal it is a wicked wicked doctrine that hurts people and Destroys people and destroys Churches actually Okay And we must keep that doctrine once that doctrine goes away and gets liberal and then the reprobate Doctrine goes away and gets liberal now The gates of hell can prevail against the church it's that simple It's tricky, but it's that simple Alright, so look this is I mean, this is the problem This is just the problem with getting getting the Bible wrong in general Alright, it's it's it just always leads to major issues Whenever you know you take you just just take just like we we saw with the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost It's better to always just take the Bible for what it says That's always the best way Alright, so just take the Bible for what it says too many people create doctrines off of a single verse or Stretch and twist the Bible into something that it isn't it's not a small harmless thing for that to happen Because it always turn it's it's Satan trying to work his way into the church And we can't allow that to happen We have we have the blueprint we we have to just stick to the blueprint. That's it All right. It's very simple. All right, Matthew chapter 12. We made it all the way through Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father. We thank you for this evening We thank you for all these people that would be faithful to church on a Wednesday night Lord We ask that you just just keep us in your hand Lord We ask that you just bless the fellowship to come and bless the rest of our week And the entire weekend where we love you in Jesus name we pray