LOJ #: ‘Unpardonable’
Andover Baptist Church-February 2nd, 2012
Opening
A. Text for today is Luke 12:8-12 and our sermon is titled
‘Unpardonable’.
B. Scripture NET:
“12:8 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before God’s angels. 12:9 But the one who denies Me before men will be denied before God’s angels. 12:10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:11 But when they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense or what you should say, 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you must say.”
C. Children’s Sermon (SLIDE)
1. How many of you would like to be famous like a rock
star?
2. How many of you love Jesus because He made you and
died on the cross for your sins?
3. Well I want you to turn and tell everybody what you
think about Jesus
4. Did you know that because of you telling others about
Jesus, that you will be famous in heaven?
5. It’s true! Jesus tells us that if we tell others about Him,
then He will tell His angels about us!
6. That’s way cooler than being on MTV or Disney!
7. So remember that to encourage you to tell others about
Jesus!
D. Introduction
1. The unpardonable sin
2. Over the years I've been approached by a number of
people concerned that that had committed it
3. Maybe some of you have secretly wondered if you will
stand before Jesus only to have Him tell you that you
have in fact become 'unforgivable'
4. And then there may be some of you sitting smugly in
those chairs thinking you haven't when in fact you are in
the midst of it right now
5. Well…..I won't give any more away, let's open God's
Word, if you haven't already, to Luke 12:8-12
Sermon
READ: Luke 12:9, 9 (Scripture slide)
12:8 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before God’s angels. 12:9 But the one who denies Me before men will be denied before God’s angels.
A. 'I tell you'
1. One of those you had best take note of this moments
2. Jesus’ way of telling you that this is truth, that you
should listen up for this is how it is, or how the cookie
crumbles
B. 'whoever acknowledges Me before men'
1. ‘whoever’
a. Doesn’t matter your station in life, whether
you’re rich, poor, smart or dumb, its open to all
men, women and children
b. The message is for all who would hear it and
accept it
2. ‘Whoever’ what? ‘acknowledges’
a. Could substitute that word for ‘confess’
b. The word means no only to acknowledge but to
declare allegiance to
3. Who or what are we to ‘acknowledge’?
a. The text says, ‘Me’
b. Who is ‘Me’? Jesus
c. You see it doesn’t matter who else you believe in,
the only way the angels of heaven will hear your
name is if you believe in Jesus!
4. To whom are we to acknowledge Jesus to?
a. ‘men’: the generic word in the Bible for the
world
b. This is a public declaration of following Jesus
c. Don’t think you can idly sit back and not let the
world know you’re a Christ follower and Jesus
will be pleased with you
d. And to acknowledge Jesus is more than just
speaking, it's living too
e. It's the testimony of your words, of your actions,
of your life and it had best speak to the fact that
Jesus is your Savior
f. It’s not a sheepish, mamsy pamsy 'I know of
Jesus'
g. This is not simply a head knowledge of Jesus but
a claim via all that is you, that Jesus is your Lord
and Savior
h. So plain and simple the issue here is an express
commitment to Jesus before all who are around
you
i. According to what Jesus just said, do you
acknowledge Him and confess Him to the lost
world around you?
C. Some of you may be thinking, what is the big deal about being
such a witness about Jesus?
1. Well for one thing it has a huge payoff
2. Jesus says that for those who do as He calls them to do,
He as the Son of Man will acknowledge them before
God’s angels
3. Your name will be known in the heavenly court of God
4. Those of you who are faithful, even the angels will
know your name
Matthew 10:32 (NET) “Whoever, then, acknowledges Me before people, I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven.”
5. Do you know how many angels that is? Lots!
Daniel 7:10 (NET) “A river of fire was streaming forth and proceeding from his presence. Many thousands were ministering to him; Many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. The court convened and the books were opened.”
6. Can you imagine that?
7. You may live your life as a paparazzi nobody, but those
that do know you know you love Jesus
8. But when you walk into heaven it will be like walking
into and episode of Cheers….’Everybody will know
your name’!
D. 'But the one who denies Me….'
1. ‘But’ = connects the first truth to an equally important
other truth
2. Jesus’ words here is a perfect reason to make sure you
are a true follower of His
3. Those of you who have not have been paying attention,
or drifting off, or thinking about some game that is
going to keep you out of church to night, you need to
focus and take this seriously
4. Jesus is the One in charge of the Last Judgment
Acts 10:42–43 (NET) “10:42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to warn them that He is the One appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. 10:43 About Him all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.”
Acts 17:31 (NET) “because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
5. Your eternal fate is determined by your attitude about
Jesus here and now
6. Jesus’ position in heaven is clear, He will be at the right
side of the Father judging
Luke 22:69 (NET) “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
7. So what is the consequence for failing to acknowledge,
but instead denying Jesus to men?
a. Jesus will deny you before God’s angels
b. This is nothing short of being eternally separated
from God
c. It is He denying you
d. Your denial of Jesus = His denial of you
E. What is meant by 'denies'?
1. Both Judas and Peter denied Jesus (SLIDE)
2. So, according to what Jesus just said shouldn’t both of
them have been denied
3. No, you can’t take this as just one failure
4. Peter did deny Jesus three times, but then look at him
after the Resurrection
5. Judas better illustrates this verse
1 John 2:19 (NET): “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us.”
READ: Luke 12:10 (Scripture slide)
“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
A. Here we get into the ‘blaspheming of the Holy Spirit’ aka ‘the
unpardonable sin’
1. There are about 5 views on what this unpardonable sin
truly is
2. Some say it is seeing Jesus’ work as of the devil and not
by the Holy Spirit (this I think can be included in
another view)
3. Others say it is what happens to those who initially
believe and then willfully turn from Jesus (I’d cross
reference 1 John 2:19 for a rebuttal on that one)
4. Some say no, it’s okay to reject Jesus’ message, but
when the early church was empowered by the Holy
Spirit, rejecting their message is what is meant
5. Still others say that’s not it, it’s when the Holy Spirit
gives you a message and your refuse to give it to others
6. The last one, which I find to be decisively the Biblical
one, we will talk about in a moment
B. Let’s look at what Jesus is saying here shall we
1. Jesus tells us here that one can speak against Jesus and
still be forgiven for it
2. If you look through Scripture you see some pretty nasty
deeds by people who were latter forgiven for it
3. David was a man after God’s own heart, but even he had
lied, committed adultery and even committed murder
4. Look to the thief on the cross beside Jesus as an
Example, at first even he rejected Jesus at first
Matthew 27:44 (NET) “The robbers who were crucified with Him also spoke abusively to Him.”
Luke 23:42–43 (NET) “23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.” 23:43 And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
5. We have even seen Paul speak against Jesus, persecute
His church and even organize the murder of a believer
1 Timothy 1:15–16 (NET) “1:15 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them! 1:16 But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate His utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.”
6. Why were they not all rejected? Why were they not
guilty of the unpardonable sin?
a. Well because they all turned to Him for
forgiveness
b. You see forgiveness is conditional on the
acceptance of Jesus
c. The only unforgivable sin is when you reject the
Spirit’s message and work concerning Jesus
d. You never get forgiveness because you don’t
want forgiveness!
e. Any sin brought to Jesus as your Lord and Savior
can be, and will be, forgiven
f. The unforgiveable sin is the attitude that keeps a
person from turning to Jesus
g. It's a death row inmate purposely cutting the
phone cord to the governor
h. If you unwilling to accept the pardon, you won't
be pardoned
i. You can't reject God's plan and expect to join His
celebration party
READ: Luke 12:11, 12 (Scripture slide)
“12:11 But when they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense or what you should say, 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you must say.”
A. Jesus throws in some assurance for those who have not rejected
Him, but in fact speak out for Him
B. If you speak out for Jesus it is just a matter of time before it
brings conflict, that I can assure you
1. ‘But when’: there is not a doubt that there is going to be
persecution of the believers
2. Society does not like the message of Christ, they want
nothing with the fact that they are sinners, and they don't
want to admit that the cross happened because of them
3. So they attack
C. Good news is, when have no reason to fear
1. The Holy Spirit will tell us what to say
2. When you are persecuted, He will come to your aide
3. That means we must be willing to put our trust in Him
and depend upon Him
Matthew 10:20 (NET) “For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
John 14:26 (NET) “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.”
1 Corinthians 2:13 (NET) “And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.”
4. See how Peter dealt with persecution in Acts 3-5
5. See how Paul dealt with persecution in Acts 21-28
6. Stephen in Acts 7 (is a great example)
7. There is no reason that we should be afraid to testify for
the Holy Spirit will equip us with what we are to say
8. Rejection of those who reject the Holy Spirit is followed
by promised help for those who don't
Application (slide)
A. There is no neutral position on Jesus
B. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior you haven't committed the
unpardonable sin
C. If you haven’t and still have breath you still have time
D. Everyone can be pardoned, everyone can be saved….but it
takes you making Jesus your Lord and your Savior and that
first starts with you recognizing that you indeed need a Lord
and Savior
Invitation
Let us sing our last song # ,
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.