Title: The Unforgivable Sin

Focus: Since the problem of blasphemy is a condition of the heart, we need to be careful to let God, as the potter, mold our lives and actions in all humility

Function: To motivate the hearers to allow their heart to be changed so they can be changed

Text: Mk 3:22-30


Intro:
1.  This morning we looked at redefinition of family (can be a disturbing passage)
	a.  Family consists of all who do will of God
	b.  We still honor father and mother (we get together for holidays, and visit parents
2.  We didn’t deal with the other disturbing passage this morning
3.  Mk 3:22-30
	a.  Have heard of people who live in anguish because they think they commit this
	b.  Is there no repentance or hope for this
	c.  What about those scientist who try to disprove God, Spirit, etc. saying it is a 
	      creation of man
		- Is there no hope for them?
		- What if they become a believer, are they still lost
4.  So you can be a serial murderer, rapist, child-molester, torture women and children,
persecute Christians, and get forgiveness, but cannot for something that comes out of mouth?
5.  These are the types of questions people struggle with in this passage


I.  How were they blaspheming the Spirit?
	A.  There were attributing the power of Jesus to Satan instead of Spirit
	B.  Mt 12 includes other details
		1.  v.31-32 - Can blaspheme son of man and be forgiven
			a.  Is this Jesus or a human in general?
			b.  Is blaspheming Jesus lesser crime than blaspheming Spirit?
		2.  v.33-37 - Blaspheming is not just a matter of words
	C.  ILL:  In Bellevue, used to try and sneak into Mr. Niles field to eat apples
		1.  He always chased us away before we could get near the trees
		2.  One day, we finally got to the tree and took a BUNCH of little apples
		3.  We went to our little hideout to eat
		4.  Faces shrivled up, were SO sour, we didn’t like them
		5.  Went back to get more, same thing. 
		6.  WHY?  They were crab apples.  BY NATURE they are sour
	D.  That is the point Jesus is making
		1.  Make the tree good to make the fruit good
		2.  v.34 - They were bad trees, and would not produce good fruit
		3.  Blasphemy is not an isolated act, but a condition of the heart
			a.  Mk 3:30 - Imperfect tense (continual action)
			b.  They were continually attributing Jesus power to Satan
		4.  Phraisees had a heart problem
			a.  Mt 12:14; Mk 3:6 - Were out to destroy Jesus
			b.  Irony, they accuse Jesus of blasphemy, but they blaspheme


II.  What is so serious about blasphemy?
	A.  We have seen it is a heart problem
		1.  Until the change of heart, it not matter how you worship
		2.  Unless change heart, there is no hope
	B.  Besides, look at what the Spirit does
		1.  (Mt 12:28) - If cast out demons by Spirit of God, kingdom come upon
			a.  Jesus binds strong man and plunders his house
			b.  Where Jesus power from?  The Holy Spirit
			c.  The kingdom to come with power (Mk 9:1), and power from the 
			     Holy Spirit
		2.  (Tit 3:5) - Washing of Regeneration, Renweal by the Holy Spirit 
			a.  Spirit enables you to put off old man and put on new man
			b.  Spirit gives you power to change
		3.  (Gal 5:16-18) - Walk by spirit, not carry out desire of flesh
		4.  (Rom 8:12-14)-Power put death deeds flesh, led by Spirit=Sons of God
		5.  1 Cor 12:3 - No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit
	C.  ILL:  When we arrived here and came to our new house
		1.  Wanted to get in, what it take?    Keys
			a.  Have to have keys to get into the house
			b.  Have to have Holy Spirit to get into the kingdom
		2.  To put another way, have to have keys to be freed from prison cell
			a.  Before the spirit came, we in bondage to sin
			b.  Jesus came and gave spirit to renew you and set you free
			c.  Spirit is like the keys
		3.  To put it another way, in order to cut my grass, need gas in the mower
			a.  If there is no power, mower does not work
			b.  In order to cut away the old nature, need the power of the spirit
	D.  Problem with blasphemy - They were opposing the very thing that could free 
	      them from the bondage.  Without the Spirit, they were doomed


III.  Rubber meet the road, what this to do with you and I?
	A.  Should be warning to us in the USA - We most educated in the world with a 
	      heritage in Christian faith
		1.  We are like the scribes in that way
		2.  They educated, and had a long heritage in their faith
	B.  Scribes and Pharisees are not unique in their problems
		1.  Their opposition to God’s plan made them outsiders
		2.  The problem stemmed from one thing, lack of humility
			a.  Humility turns you to clay (moldable to God’s hands)
			b.  Arrogance turns you to stone (cold, rigid, hard in God’s hands)
		3.  They could not accept the new covenant or the new kingdom
		4.  This could happen to anyone, which is why Paul says (1 Thess 5:19-22)
	C.  ILL:  Rom 9:20 - God has right to mold the clay
		1.  Some lumps resisted the potter, so proud, they dried up and hardened
		2.  Other humbly were molded into a vessel for the master
	D.  Only through humility can you receive God’s molding


Concl:
1.  Is God trying to mold you right now?
2.  Remember blasphemy is a heart problem.  Even if not slandering, could have heart problem
3.  If you are humble and allow the master to mold you, can change
	a.  God has been trying to do it tonight as you listened to his word
	b.  How do you need to be molded?
4.  Maybe in humility need to see a brother/sister who have problem with
	a.  Maybe involved in sin of gossip, factions, sexual sin, drunkeness, cursing
	b.  The only way to produce good fruit is not to change the fruit, but the tree (you heart)
	c.  Maybe haven’t fully accepted the Lordship of Christ