So we're going to be reading Matthew 11, 1 to 19.
When Jesus had finished instructing his 12 disciples,
he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ,
he sent word by his disciples and said to him,
Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?
And Jesus answered them,
Go and tell John what you hear and see.
The blind received their sight, and the lame walk.
Lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up,
and the poor have good news preached to them,
and blessed is the one who is not offended by me.
As they went away, Jesus began to speak up to the crowds concerning John.
What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken by the wind?
What then did you go out to see?
A man dressed in soft clothing?
Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses.
What then did you go out to see?
A prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is he of whom it is written.
Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.
Truly, I say to you,
among those born of women,
there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.
Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,
and the violent take it by force.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied unto John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah who is to come.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
But to what shall I compare this generation to?
It is like children sitting in the marketplace
and calling to their playmates.
We played the flute for you, and you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.
For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, he has a demon.
The son of man came eating and drinking,
and they say, look at him,
a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.
Well, good morning, everyone.
Most would be familiar with the axiom,
you can't see the forest for the trees.
It's an old saying.
And basically what it means is
that we often get lost in the details of a circumstance
and lose the big picture.
And sometimes when we do that,
we get immobilized,
because there's that much detail
that we actually can't start the project
or get into the circumstance.
I think that will help us
as we move into Matthew 11,
chapter 11, 12, and 13, in fact.
Jesus sort of digs into the growing opposition he's facing.
So he said he's the Lord of the harvest.
He spoke about his mission as harvesting.
He's the Lord of the harvest.
He promised a bumper harvest.
But this opposition is growing.
And it appears in 11, chapter 12, and 13
that Jesus is helping his disciples
sort of step back from the details
and refocus on the big picture again.
See the forest, as it were,
when they might have been overly focused on the trees,
the huge trees in front of them,
which, as we saw over the last few weeks,
was the huge trees of opposition and persecution
and rejection that Jesus is preparing his disciples for.
So let's just turn back to chapter 9, verse 35 to 37,
just to see how all that plays out.
Jesus describes his kingdom-building mission
of teaching, proclaiming, and healing
as harvesting.
As I said before, he declares himself
to be the Lord of the harvest,
promises a bumper harvest.
Then there's that long section
over the last three weeks we've looked at
where Jesus prepares his disciples for the opposition.
For the persecution, for the rejection
that's going to come to them.
Now, here's how it fits together, I think,
that it's quite likely
that the disciples wouldn't be feeling much excitement
about being involved in the work of harvest
after you work through all that stuff.
And so I think Jesus does then
step back from the detail
and put again, the big picture.
The big picture of the ongoing harvest mission.
And so what Jesus says in these first verses
of chapter 11 is that
he wants his disciples to remember,
go back and focus again,
remember that my harvesting or kingdom-building
is totally and comfortably on track.
And we'll see that in the first 15 verses
of chapter 11 we're going to look at this morning.
So again, let me just make connections.
I love making connections
because structure is really important
in the way Matthew's put together
his account here of the life of Jesus.
If you go back to chapter 10, verse 5,
it's almost identical in a sense
to chapter 11, verse 1.
And I think again,
repeating myself, I think for the third time now,
after detailing the huge challenges of harvest
and the perspective needed to face those challenges,
which is essentially chapter 10,
Jesus now resumes the work of harvesting.
So he's back on track.
It's almost as if there's been an aside.
We'll talk about this really difficult subject,
but no, let's get back on track.
Chapter 1.
Jesus finished instructing his 12 disciples
who went out from there
to teach and preach in their cities.
And he's very keen for the disciples
that good news salvation is everywhere,
but perhaps not as expected
in verses 2 through to 6.
Now John's disciples,
John's locked up in prison,
we'll say more about that in a minute,
but John's disciples come to ask Jesus a question.
Jesus, are you the one that was to come?
Are you the one that I announced?
Or should we look for somebody else?
Now, I don't know about you,
but I just find that sometimes in the Christian life,
things just don't add up.
Things just don't make sense.
It's confusing.
We just can't work out what God's doing in our life.
Does God love me?
If God loves me,
then why am I enduring this circumstance?
Why are these things happening to me?
I suspect,
we're not actually told,
but I suspect
that may well have been
how John the Baptist was feeling.
Remember John the Baptist is Jesus' cousin?
He's been locked up now
for the best part of a year,
as best we can work out
from the historical records.
And for John,
things just weren't happening
as he expected them to happen.
He obviously knew what Jesus was doing,
but the things that Jesus was doing
just didn't seem to add up.
It wasn't what he expected of Messiah.
Now, flick back with me
to chapter 3 of Matthew,
where John actually is preaching,
fiery preaching to introduce Jesus.
Jesus.
And remember,
he was preaching repentance
in preparation for Messiah,
for God's King and Savior to come.
And when you look at chapter 3, verse 12,
you get the sense that John
was expecting a figure of judgment.
Jesus was,
the Messiah was going to come,
and the idea of fire there
is always God's judgment.
He would come with a winnowing fork.
This is a sort of violent metaphor
of God coming to bring judgment.
He would gather in his people,
his good people,
and the ungodly would be destroyed,
burned up like chaff.
Two years later,
John's languaging in a dungeon,
courtesy of Herod
and Herodias' wife,
he had dared to call out their immorality.
Now, Herod was the leader of God's people.
He should have been set
on the model of godliness,
but no,
he defended his immorality,
and John's now been in a dungeon
for the best part of a year.
Now, I can well imagine John thinking,
how is this working?
How is this happening?
It doesn't make sense
that just when my part of the ministry
was getting underway,
just as people were coming in their hordes
in repentance to be baptized
in preparation for the coming Messiah,
just then when I introduced Messiah,
everything seemed to be charging forward,
suddenly stopped,
and here I am stuck in a dungeon.
What's happening?
What's going on?
It doesn't make sense.
And perhaps it didn't make sense
about Jesus either.
He was confused about Jesus too.
He hears a lot about compassion
and mercy
and restoration
and healing
and teaching.
Well, if Jesus really was
God's king and savior
coming into the world
to reestablish God's kingdom
or rule,
where was the judgment
that was supposed to come with that?
And why am I still in prison?
There's Herod and Herodias.
They just flagrantly
turn a blind eye to God's law
and do the exact opposite
and they're enjoying the good life
and here I am
having preached faithfulness
and repentance.
Here I am stuck in prison.
You can well imagine John being confused.
Just doesn't seem to be adding up.
Well, verse four,
Jesus is really quick.
to assure John
that he did have it right.
I am Messiah,
says Jesus.
My mission is on track.
And he does that
by referring John back to Isaiah,
the prophet Isaiah.
And there's numerous references
there back in chapter 35
and chapter 61
and possibly chapter 26 and 29.
They're written on the sermon outline there.
So he pushes John
back to Isaiah
and he says,
here's the confirmation.
Isaiah said,
this is what Messiah would be doing
and this is what I'm doing.
It's happening
as it was forecast,
prophesied to happen.
But there's another thing
that Jesus is doing
by pushing John back to Isaiah.
Because when you go back
and read those prophecies,
Isaiah is very clear
that Messiah would be known
as much for the day of mercy
as well as the day of judgment.
The two are inseparable.
But when you go back
and read those prophecies,
Isaiah said,
this is what you'd see
of Messiah first.
exactly as Jesus quotes there.
There would be
a day of mercy,
a day of grace,
a day of deliverance
from the effects of sin,
a day of renewal
into God's character
for God's people
in the context
of a bigger day of judgment.
judgment.
And with that then,
Jesus, in a sense,
concludes this first interaction
with a wisdom statement,
verse 6.
Blessed is the one
who is not offended by me.
That of itself
is probably an allusion
back to Isaiah chapter 8,
verses 13 and 14.
And in that context,
it's a warning
not to reject God's work
among his people.
Why?
Because it might be
unexpected
in the way it's delivered.
And if you go back
and read chapter 8,
that's exactly what was happening
for God's people.
They were looking
at an invasion
by Assyria.
And they were scratching
their head.
Could this possibly
be God's hand?
And God says,
yeah,
absolutely right.
It is my hand.
This is my way
of purifying my people.
So come back
into Matthew 11.
Jesus is gently
saying to John,
don't trip over me
because I'm not
delivering Messiah's promise
as you might have expected.
I just want to pause there
briefly and say
that's a wonderful
perspective for us
in our work
of harvesting
continuing today.
It was a wonderful
perspective for John's disciples,
for Jesus' disciples,
and it comes right down
to us.
In spite of
growing opposition
and unbelief,
in spite of the huge
personal cost
that was detailed
in chapter 10,
in spite of the huge
challenges
as harvest workers,
God's good news salvation
is happening everywhere.
And it's still
happening in our world.
People are still
being confronted
by Jesus
through his word
and they're still
being radically
changed,
radically renewed.
Yes,
massive opposition,
growing opposition
in our Australian culture,
but nothing
ever has
and ever will
stop
the work
of harvest.
because the Lord
of the harvest
is busy
in his harvest field.
And then secondly,
the perspective
is good,
is that
we don't always
experience
God's salvation
and renewing
as we might expect.
The whole letter
to Hebrews
is about Christians
who thought that,
well,
once we become
Christians,
then life will
get easier.
Our sins are forgiven
and God will give us
this and this
and this
and they find out
that their expectations
were quite wrong.
And we experience
that,
don't we?
That sometimes
we realize
that being a Christian
is actually harder.
It puts us
at odds
with our families.
It puts us
at odds
with our neighbors.
And yet,
the Lord
will use
those situations
of conflicts
to be
our maturing,
our growing.
so again,
like God's people
experience
in the Old Testament,
sometimes the greatest
periods of growth
or most times
the greatest period
of growth
comes from
really unexpected
circumstances,
sometimes even
left field
intersections
in our lives
that just
shake us out
of our tree
and we fall
flat on our face
and suddenly
we realize
that,
boy,
we've been
looking here
depending on that
and we need
to come back
and trust
the Lord.
It's not
what we expected,
is it?
And yet,
these things
are good things
and evidence
of God's kindness
to us.
So,
God's good news
salvation
is happening
everywhere,
not quite as expected
and then
Jesus goes on
then in the next
verses to
affirm
specifically
John's harvest
work
and I think
I want to add
in there
that he's
picking up a theme
here that doubt
is not unbelief.
We'll pick that up
in a minute.
So,
in verse 7,
as soon as
John's disciples
leave,
Jesus then uses
the opportunity
to address the crowd
and he speaks
to the crowd
specifically
about John
and it's a very
positive,
affirming
statement.
So,
John's just come
with a question
that might reflect
confusion
or doubt
or maybe even
a touch of anger
and stern correction
of Jesus.
Why am I still
in prison?
But Jesus
doesn't get
put off track
with that.
He warmly
affirms
John's ministry,
John's harvesting
and he spells
out
the significance
of John's ministry
to the crowds
who
probably by now
have dismissed
him.
He's out of sight
for more than a year.
Out of mind
probably.
Or perhaps
the crowds
Jesus feared,
the crowds
might have taken
John's
doubting question
or confused
question
as,
like we do
today,
some sort of
political backflip.
You know,
there was John
12 months ago,
he's this fiery
preacher for repentance,
he was convinced
that this was the
Messiah
and now
we've got
this pathetic
John just
asking this
wimpy question.
Whatever the
reason,
Jesus uses
the opportunity
to affirm
the ministry
of John
to the crowds.
The language
is a bit
strange,
but the point
is clear.
Jesus puts
a couple of
options
to the crowds.
So,
what do you
have in mind
when you think
of John the
Baptist,
that guy
you went out
to see
in the wilderness?
Well,
Jesus is really
saying,
you're not
to think
of John
as a reed
on the river
bank.
In other words,
somebody who's
fickle,
who's lacking
conviction,
who's sort of
blown about
by the political
breeze.
He came,
made a big
splash,
and now he's
gone again.
Blown away
by political
public opinion
or perhaps
personal circumstances,
maybe even
he's rejecting
Jesus now.
No,
says Jesus,
do not think
of John
like that.
Nor,
were you to
think of him
at the other
end of the
extreme,
someone who
just craved
the easy,
ostentatious
life and
reputation of
some sort of
powerful
government
official.
And if this
was a reference
to Herod and
Herodias,
probably in the
day,
powerful government
officials were
also powerful
and enjoying
the good life
because of
corruption,
an extortion
of their people.
So,
Jesus
has given
the crowds
two pretty
obviously
silly extremes.
He's not
this,
and he's
not that.
So,
what is he?
And Jesus
then goes on
to say,
he's a prophet.
Not just a
prophet,
not just any
prophet,
but the
greatest
prophet.
John was a
special messenger
or worker
of God.
Why was he
so special?
Why was he in
a category by
himself?
Because he
himself was
the subject
of a prophecy.
He was,
as Malachi
said,
he was the
one who
would be
like the
new Elijah,
who would
have the
privilege of
preparing
and announcing
God's long
promised king
and savior.
And Jesus
is very clear
here.
Nobody spoke
as clearly
about Jesus
as did
John the
Baptist.
Yet,
end of
verse 11,
yet,
because John
died before
the death and
resurrection of
Jesus,
his understanding
of Jesus and
how his people
would experience
salvation in
God's kingdom
was very
limited.
And
exceptionally
limited compared
to our
understanding,
because we
live in this
side of the
death and
resurrection and
ascension of
Jesus.
So John was
the greatest
prophet.
He spoke the
most clearly of
Jesus at that
point in time,
but even his
testimony to
Jesus is
dwarfed by
what just
an ordinary
Christian like
you and I
can do.
Now,
again,
I just want to
pause because
Jesus' affirmation
of John
indirectly also
affirms us
in our
harvest work.
And the
first thing,
coming back to
it,
is that
Jesus doesn't
put John's
doubts or
confusion in
the category of
unbelief.
Jesus goes on to
speak about
unbelief in
verse 16,
and he's very
open and clear
about it,
but he
obviously doesn't
put John's
doubts and
question and
confusion in
that category.
Why not?
What's the
difference?
Because John
was searching
for truth.
John was
trying to
understand
Jesus,
and ultimately
he gets the
affirmation in
verse 6 from
Jesus that
he is the
blessed,
one of the
blessed of
verse 6,
because of
what he did
with his
doubts.
He brought
his doubts
to Jesus.
He was
determined to
discover the
truth from
the lips of
the one who
could give
him the
truth.
Then he
was determined
to align his
life and
experience
and circumstance
and hope
with what
Jesus said
to him,
rather than
his own
thinking and
expectations.
We'll see a
little bit more
of that when
we come to
look at
verses 16
to 19.
The second
thing is that
I just want
us to note
in passing
here that
Jesus had
such a
warm testimony
to John.
This is an
important point
because I'm
going to take
us back into
chapter 10
for this,
especially
verses 32
and 33
of chapter
10.
See,
back then
Jesus said,
look,
if you stand
with me,
I will never
abandon you.
And there's a
sense here in
which Jesus
is actually
doing publicly
that which
he said back
in chapter 10
verses 32
and 33.
He's not
ashamed to
stand with
his cousin,
even though his
cousin is now
shamed by being
imprisoned.
He's not
embarrassed by
John's persona.
And remember,
John was a
pretty weird
looking guy.
He affirms
John's harvest
work,
even though
John's period
of harvesting
was relatively
short and
actually cut
short by
his circumstance.
And I
think that
might also
then be
an outworking
of verses
41 and 42
of chapter 10.
I said last
week that it
was a bit hard
to understand
exactly what
that was,
but I think
this could be
an outworking
of it.
In other words,
Jesus is saying,
here's John,
he's a good
example.
I said that
different people
had different
points of
engagement in
the harvest,
different levels
of involvement
in the harvest.
People were
doing different
sorts of things.
Is one better
than the other?
No.
They're all
equal.
It's all
part of the
family business,
the harvesting.
John had his
part.
Yes, he was
an outstanding
prophet.
Short period
of time,
yes.
Truncated
out of the
blue,
yes.
But he
did his
work of
harvesting
for the
great king.
And the
third thing
I want to
just draw
your attention
to here
is that
any believer
is better
able to
witness or
speak about
Jesus
than John
the Baptist.
That's quite
a remarkable
thought.
We just
loathe it.
I think we
go too fast
over it.
You're a
Christian here
this morning.
You've got a
vastly
greater
understanding
of Jesus
than even
John the
Baptist
had.
Because you're
this side of
his death
and resurrection.
John could
only begin
to picture
how Jesus
would bring
salvation and
what it would
mean to be in
his kingdom
and what his
kingdom would
look like.
We can see
that in a
detail that
John could
never even
have imagined.
We've
experienced it.
We experience
it daily.
So it
seems strange
to me that I
keep hearing
Christians saying
I don't know
what to say.
I don't
know how to
testify to
Jesus.
Well,
moving on.
The third
thing as
Jesus
harvesting
works on
track,
Jesus does
say expect
people constantly
to attempt
to redefine
salvation and
God's kingdom.
Now we're
going to
look at
some of
the difficult
verses here,
12,
13,
14,
15.
And they
are difficult
verses.
Verse 12
particularly has
been argued
over by
scholars for
generations.
Many
commentators and
commentaries dig
into that verse
in depth and
I'm not going to
do that this
morning.
I'm just going to
offer you what I
think is a
reasonable
alternative for
that verse.
Recognizing it
is a difficult
verse.
And I think the
context is really
important.
Given,
oh better read
the verse.
So what does
it mean then
when Jesus
says from the
days of John
the Baptist
until now,
the kingdom
of heaven or
the kingdom
of God has
suffered violence
and the
violent take it
by force.
It's a strange
verse,
isn't it?
I think that
given that Jesus
is explaining
to the crowd
the significance
of John's
ministry in
relation to
his own,
then the
phrase from
the day of
John the
Baptist
until now
describes
Jesus'
mission of
reestablishing
the kingdom
of God
from the
time it
began in
the context
of John's
ministry.
So Jesus
is now about
to make a
comment that
sort of sums
up and reflects
his period of
kingdom building
or harvesting
work.
the first
phrase that
the ESV
has in
here,
the kingdom
of heaven
has suffered
violence,
can also
be translated
properly and
I think
better.
The kingdom
of heaven
has been
coming
forcefully
or has
been forcefully
advancing.
Now that
makes sense
when we
understand
chapter 8
and 9
and Jesus'
teaching
ministry.
is it
where each
miracle
was Jesus
seizing back
his kingdom
from Satan
and the
kingdom of
this world
or the
kingdom of
evil.
Each time
a person's
life was
renewed,
it was a
forceful
transition,
a forceful
battle,
excursion
into the
world of
evil and
an extraction
and a
renewal.
It's a
picture language
in other
words.
It's a
metaphor.
And it
speaks of
the ongoing
work of
the gospel.
The kingdom
of heaven
or the
kingdom of
God has
been forcefully
advancing.
The violent
take it by
force?
Well I
think that
accurately
reflects the
experience of
Jesus.
Throughout the
ministry of
Jesus, and
we've seen
that already
in these
chapters up
to this
point,
chapter 11,
12, and
13 digs
into this
even more.
The
opposition and
the rejection
and the
challenges that
Jesus faced,
especially from
the Jewish
religious
establishment.
His own
experience has
been all
sorts of
people are
trying to
capture the
kingdom of
heaven for
their own
agenda.
Israel.
They're
trying to
hijack it
and make
it what
they want
rather than
what they
hear Jesus
saying it's
going to
be.
The
Jewish
leaders,
they wanted
political
deliverance.
They wanted
to enjoy a
period of
dominance as
the leaders of
a new world
empire.
That's what they
wanted the
kingdom of
heaven to be
when it
wouldn't just
be deliverance
of Israel,
but it
would be
dominance over
all other
nations.
Crowds
looked at
some of the
Old Testament
stuff and
thought,
well,
when Messiah
comes,
he's going
to bring a
time of
unprecedented
prosperity.
We're going
to really
enjoy the
good life.
We're going
to have
money to
burn and
all sorts
of good
toys to
play with.
Others in
the crowd
wanted to
make God's
salvation and
kingdom about
physical
healing.
restoration in
this life.
So I just
want all my
eggs and
pains fixed.
I don't
really want
any notion
of spiritual
renewal or
spiritual
commitment.
I just want
to be able to
enjoy life as
I know it
now, but
without the
eggs and
pains.
So Jesus is
useful as a
Mr. Fix-It,
but let's not
get carried
away.
And so on
and so forth.
But ultimately
the point
sits easily
with this
passage and
fits easily
with Jesus'
ministry.
From the
very start
of Jesus'
mission, the
kingdom of
heaven has
been advancing
exactly as
planned, and
yes, that is a
spiritual battle.
It doesn't
happen easily.
And yes, it
has not been
and will not
be without
opposition.
And it
won't be
without
unbelief in
many different
forms.
And friends, I
think this is
the point that
John missed in
the original
question that he
sent to
Jesus.
This is the
perspective that
explains why he's
in prison.
And this is the
perspective that we
need to remember
until Christ
returns.
The harvest will
happen as
planned, but it
will never be
free from
opposition, from
a whole range
of people, some
who will surprise
us.
And verse 14
and 15, the
challenge is to
respond to
Jesus as he
is, as he was
spoken about, not
as they want him
to be or demand
him to be.
But you
see, that's
verse, end of
verse 15, he
who is the
ears to hear.
In other words,
Jesus said, look,
this perspective of
understanding that
the kingdom will
advance in the
midst of
opposition, that
requires spiritual
insight.
And I think that
then links us into
verses 16 to
19, where Jesus
then says, looks
around him at the
crowds and said,
well, actually,
we're talking
about spiritual
insight, that's
one thing this
generation, in
other words, people
at large are
seriously lacking
him.
They just don't
have the spiritual
insight to see
Jesus as they
ought to see him.
And that leaves
the only option
therefore as
unbelief.
And Jesus speaks
about unbelief
here, and the
heading I want to
use is, unbelief
wants a saviour,
but doesn't want
God, ultimately.
Jesus likens the
attitude of people
to children
playing.
And I don't
know, I can
remember from my
own days when the
family got together,
I'm talking about
whenever I was a
child, there was
always one of the
mob, and there
was a mob, but
there was always one
who wanted to
control things, or
several that wanted
to control things,
and that would just
set up a big
fight.
And we'd end up
not playing anything
because nobody
would agree to,
you know, back
off and let it
happen.
I think that's
what Jesus is
saying here.
Whatever happens,
people aren't
happy.
They're not
satisfied.
And John and
Jesus refused to
play that game.
So as if John,
Jesus is still
affirming John by
saying John wasn't
the one who's
fickle, the
fickle ones were
the crowds.
Fickle ones are
the people who
hear Jesus teaching
initially with
excitement, hear
John's teaching
initially with
excitement, but
then rejected
him.
At first they
rejected John
because he was
embarrassing, he
was not
attractive, he
was not
cultured, he
was not the
sort of person
God would use
to announce the
coming of
Messiah.
But then
afterwards, when
they understood
his message of
repentance, they
rejected him
because he was
too harsh, too
demanding.
He challenged
the religious
lifestyle and
the belief that
they were
acceptable to
God because
they were Jews,
because they
were good
people.
And any
preaching about
repentance just
crashed through
that.
And so John
had to go, his
teaching had to
go.
And likewise
the nature of
unbelief caused
people to reject
Jesus.
He was the
other extreme.
He came with
the idea of
celebration.
He came
engaging with
the down and
outs of
society.
So what did
they say about
Jesus?
Well, actually,
Jesus, you're
too much like
the people you
say you're
here to save.
We can't have
you saying that
we will be going
into God's
kingdom hand in
hand with
prostitutes and
the down and
outs and the
riffraff of
society, the
people, the
tax collectors,
the people you
seem to love
hanging out with
Jesus.
That's not going
to work either.
That's an
outrage.
That's an
embarrassment.
That's an
affront to us
good Jewish
people.
So they
weren't happy
with Jesus
either.
Lacking
spiritual
insight, people
fail to see the
significance of
either John or
Jesus.
And in their
ignorance and
unbelief, they
reject both.
John, because his
call to repentance
was too harsh,
threatened their
sense of
inherent goodness
before God.
And Jesus,
because his offer
of grace was too
generous and too
widely offered.
They
instinctively knew
they needed a
savior.
They weren't
rejecting the
concept of
savior.
What they were
rejecting was
God.
Their
unbelief meant
they backed
their own sense
of sovereignty
and their
own inherent
sense of
goodness.
And they
thought, well, I
don't need to
repent, but nor
am I willing to
accept that the
riffraff of society
will also join me
in heaven on the
same basis of
grace.
I'm looking for a
savior that will
fit in with my
ideas, will fit in
with my sovereignty,
that will be
acceptable to me.
In verse
16, no, the
end of verse 19,
sorry, it is,
wisdom is justified
by our deeds.
Again, against
persistent unbelief,
the truth and
reality of the
gospel is
demonstrated in
changed lives.
lives, changed
lives that begin
with a recognition
of sin, then
repentance, and
then leads to the
Lord Jesus for
complete renewal and
acceptance with God
and a place in heaven
with him forever.
There's the mark of
the gospel.
There's the context
of the gospel.
The good news
gospel is happening,
it is changing
lives and there
will always be
opposition trying
to knock it
down or
redefine what
the gospel is and
what the kingdom
of heaven looks
like.
That's our
reality.
Now, just want
to finish with a
very, very quick
challenge.
So, there are
many, many
categories by which
we can divide
people in our
world, and we
do all the time,
we have to for
various reasons.
Essentially, Jesus
only uses two
categories to
divide people.
There's belief
and there's
unbelief.
So, the
challenge this
morning for any
and all of you
here is which
category are you
in?
So, speaking
specifically to
those who might
be caught in
unbelief, is your
unbelief hidden
behind a veneer
of searching for
more truth?
Well, if only I
could understand
things better, then
Jesus would be
acceptable.
Well, we've got
the good news
gospel spelled
out very clearly.
We've got it
confirmed.
We've got it
written as a
record in the
Bible.
We've got it
confirmed by
eyewitnesses in
the Bible.
We've got the
testimony of
countless tens of
thousands of
millions down
through the
generations.
How much more
proof do you
want or need?
Or is it, in
fact, just
another form of
unbelief?
Just throwing a
handful of dust in
the air?
Because ultimately
you don't want the
salvation that
Jesus offers.
Either because you
think you don't
need it, or
because you think,
well, I do need
it, but I want to
modify it to suit
me.
I want to take on
the bits I like
and, you know,
cut off the bits I
don't like.
Which would mean
then that the
ultimate reason for
your unbelief would
be that you
refuse to give up
your own
sovereignty.
And that can
only mean, if you
refuse to give up
your own
sovereignty, then
that can only
mean that you
continue to
believe you're
competent to
earn your
salvation, and
that God
will have to
ultimately give
you a place in
heaven because you
have earned it.
you are worthy
of it in your
own right.
You are worthy
of it in your own
right.