From Mark Copeland... The Unforgiveable Sin

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                    The Unforgiveable Sin (3:22-30)

INTRODUCTION

1. During His earthly ministry, Jesus faced great opposition from
   religious leaders...
   a. By Pharisees and Herodians who plotted to destroy Him - Mk 3:6
   b. By scribes from Jerusalem, who accused Him of using demonic power
      - Mk 3:22

2. In our text for this lesson, Jesus easily answered the scribes'
   charge...
   a. For Satan to cast out demons defeated his (Satan's) own purpose
      - Mk 3:23-26
   b. On the contrary, casting out demons was integral to defeating
      Satan - Mk 3:27

3. On this occasion Jesus mentioned an "unforgiveable sin"...
   a. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - Mk 3:28-29
   b. For which there is no forgiveness - cf. Mt 12:31-32

[These words of Jesus have troubled many, who wonder if they have
committed this "eternal sin" (ESV) that "never has forgiveness".  Let's
first seek to identify exactly what was...]

I. THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN THEN

   A. WHAT WAS THIS SIN...?
      1. Jesus described it as blaspheming the Holy Spirit - Mk 3:29
         a. Blaspheme - "to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile,
            calumniate, blaspheme" - Thayer
         b. Thus to speak evil of the Holy Spirit in some way
      2. Mark reveals exactly how they spoke evil of the Spirit - Mk 3:30
         a. "because they said, 'He has an unclean spirit.'"
         b. By attributing Jesus' power to cast out demons to Beelzebub
            (Satan), they spoke evil of the Holy Spirit by whom Jesus
            cast out demons - cf. Mt 12:28
      3. In effect, they were calling the Holy Spirit a demon; in so
         doing...
         a. They denied the evidence that Jesus was truly from God
         b. They deprived themselves of evidence to believe in Jesus
         c. They divested all hope of forgiveness that comes only
            through Jesus
      -- The unforgiveable sin was to believe that the Holy Spirit was
         in fact Satan!

   B. CAN IT BE COMMITTED TODAY...?
      1. "Probably not. It was a sin committed when Jesus was on earth
         performing miracles. Since He is not physically on earth today,
         casting out demons, the same possibility of blaspheming the
         Holy Spirit does not exist." - Believer's Bible Commentary
      2. "People who worry that they have committed the unpardonable sin
         have not done so. The very fact that they are concerned
         indicates that they are not guilty of blasphemy against the
         Holy Spirit." - ibid.
      3. From the NET Bible:  "Three things must be kept in mind..."
         a. "The nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious
            work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan's
            power) to Satan himself"
         b. "It is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but
            is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit's
            work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed
            Jesus"
         c. "A person who is concerned about it has probably never
            committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the
            religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about
            Jesus' warning"
      -- Even if it can be committed today, if you worry that you have,
         you haven't!

[Speaking of "unforgiveable sins", we do well to review how we can still
fall into a condition where forgiveness is not possible as long as we
remain in it...]

II. THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN TODAY

   A. WHAT IS THIS SIN...?
      1. There is a sin by which we "crucify again" the Son of God - He 6:4-6
      2. There is a sin for which there "no longer remains a sacrifice
         for sin" - He 10:26-31
      -- This sin is one in which there is no hope for forgiveness!

   B. HOW DO WE COMMIT IT...?
      1. Note carefully that it is an ongoing sin, a condition of
         rebellion against God
         a. Committed openly - cf. He 6:6
         b. Committed continually - cf. He 10:26 ("go on sinning", ESV,
            NASB)
         c. Committed willfully - cf. He 10:26 ("deliberately", ESV,
            TNIV)
         d. Committed knowingly - cf. He 6:4; He 10:26
      2. A spiritual condition in which one is doing grave things - He 10:29
         a. Trampling the Son of God underfoot
         b. Treating the blood of the covenant (Jesus' blood) a common
            thing
         c. Insulting the Spirit of grace
      3. A spiritual condition that left unchecked has grave
         consequences
         a. Fearful expectation of judgment - He 10:27
         b. Fiery indignation - He 10:27
         c. Worse punishment than death - He 10:28-29
         d. Vengeance and judgment by the Lord upon His people - He 10:
            30-31
      -- It is any sin that we knowingly refuse to repent of, despite
         many opportunities!

CONCLUSION

1. Many today worry about blaspheming the Holy Spirit...
   a. A serious sin indeed, but likely cannot be replicated today
   b. If one worries about it, they are certainly not guilty of it!

2. People should be more concerned about any sin...
   a. They knowingly commit
   b. They refuse to give up

Whether one is obeying the gospel of Christ for the first time, or has
already "tasted the heavenly gift" (He 6:4) and "received the knowledge
of the truth" (He 10:26), all sins are "unforgiveable" unless we repent.

Are we willing to let the goodness of God lead us to repentance...? -
cf. Ro 2:4-5

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary... The side no one sees

Yesterday my granddaughter and I decided to get out of the house and took our cameras with us. Unlike previous times, she had the better camera and is better acquainted with hers than I am with my little point and shoot gadget.  She wanted to go to the park in Dade City and I reluctantly agreed.  You see, we had been there several times and I didn't think we would see anything new.  I was wrong.  Right away she took some pictures of this sign and at first I wondered why.  After all, we had taken pictures of it before, so why do it again?  Then I noticed something; Dade City had refurbished it, so it looked like new.  Nice sign!!!  If she could notice it, so could others, so I took a picture of Lizzie taking a picture and then my own picture of it as well.  Then, I wondered about the back side of it.  You know- the side no one sees.  As expected, it was not quite so nice.  Respectable, but just not even close to the front.  As I thought about this, I remembered David and Bathsheba from the old testament and the following passage from the New Testament...

2 Corinthians, Chapter 5

1 For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.  2 For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven; 3 if so be that being clothed we will not be found naked.  4 For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  5 Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit. 

  6  Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;  7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.  8 We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.  9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.  10 For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  

Most people want to get to heaven.  They come up with all sorts of rationale to "approve" of their chosen lifestyles and still believe they are pleasing to God.  But God knows who and what we are; both the good and the bad.  People view us as Lizzie looks at the sign- head on at the manicured side.  But only God sees the not so nice reverse (or private side).  We may try to cover up our failures, shortcomings and rebellions by using some smokescreen (like the bushes do for the sign) but God sees everything and will judge us fairly in the life after life.  Now, we all SIN, we all FALL SHORT, we all FAIL in some way or other, but if we try to please God in all that we do, we will gradually get closer and closer to perfection.  The apostle John puts it this way...

1 John, Chapter 1

 5  This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth.  7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Signs are out there to make you aware of something and today would be a good time to think about your private life.  WHY you do the things you do and what you THINK about.  It is not too late, go ahead spruce up your life a bit- even the "hidden parts".  God can help!!!

PS. I thought my point and shoot camera took some pretty nice pictures!!!  Maybe I could do better with a high end camera - maybe not!!!

From Mark Copeland... The Apostles of Christ Mark 3:13-19

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                    The Apostles Of Christ (3:13-19)

INTRODUCTION

1. Important to the ministry of Jesus was the appointment and training
   of His apostles...
   a. Men who would follow Him and continue His work after His death
   b. Men who themselves would experience great suffering and martyrdom

2. In our text (Mk 3:13-19), we read of their appointment...
   a. To be with Him and later sent out to preach, heal, and cast out
      demons
   b. Luke tells us that the selection was proceeded by a night of
      prayer - Lk 6:12

[In another lesson (on Mt 10:1-4), attention is given to the identity
and history of each man.  In this lesson, I wish to focus on their
overall ministry for Christ and the world.  To wit, they served as...]

I. WITNESSES FOR THE RESURRECTION

   A. THEY WERE EYEWITNESSES OF JESUS' RESURRECTION...
      1. Jesus had shown Himself alive through various proofs - Ac 1:1-3
      2. Jesus commissioned them to testify concerning Him - Ac 1:8
      3. Peter explained that the apostles were to be witnesses for the
         resurrection - Ac 1:21-22
      4. Thus they testified again and again - Ac 2:32; 3:15; 4:33;
         5:30-32; 10:39-41; 13:29-31

   B. OFFERING A SOLID BASIS FOR OUR FAITH...
      1. Jesus expected us to believe in Him through their word - Jn 17:20
         a. Apart from their gospels and epistles, we know little of
            Jesus
         b. They tell us of His life, miracles, and resurrection
      2. The manner of their lives and death give credibility to their
         testimony
         a. They suffered greatly for their faith - 1Co 4:9-13; 2 Co 11:23-28
         b. All but John suffered martyrdom

[The apostles served the important role of providing reliable testimony
that Jesus arose from the dead, so that our faith in Him might rest on a
solid basis!  They also served as...]

II. AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

   A. REPRESENTATIVES WITH A MESSAGE...
      1. Sent out to preach the gospel to every person - Mk 16:15-16
      2. Given a "ministry of reconciliation" - 2Co 5:18-19
      3. Proclaiming that message as Christ's ambassadors - 2Co 5:20-21
      4. Even when they were bound in prison - Ep 6:19-20

   B. TELLING THE STORY OF SALVATION...
      1. Pleading with all to be reconciled to God - 2Co 5:20
      2. Pleading as co-workers with Christ, not to receive the grace of
         God in vain - 2Co 6:1
      3. Warning of the danger of refusing Christ and His message - He 12:
         25-29
      4. Warning of what will happen to those who obey not the gospel
         - 2Th 1:7-9

[The apostles as ambassadors of Christ revealed the good news of
salvation to the world.  Have we accepted their message in faithful
obedience?  But consider also their role as...]

III. TEACHERS FOR THE DISCIPLES

   A. CONTINUING THE WORK BEGUN BY JESUS...
      1. Jesus did not reveal all things during His earthly ministry
         - Jn 16:12
      2. The Holy Spirit would reveal all the truth to the apostles 

         - Jn 16:13-14
      3. The Holy Spirit would remind them of things Jesus said - Jn 14:
         25-26
      4. This was part of the Great Commission given to them - Mt 28:
         19-20
      5. Declaring the whole counsel of God - Ac 20:27
      6. Teaching all things that pertain to life and godliness - 2 Pe 1:3

   B. BECOMING THE AUTHORITY FOR THE CHURCH...
      1. Continuing steadfastly in their doctrine - Ac 2:42
      2. Receiving their words as the word of God - 1Th 2:13
      3. Accepting what they wrote as the commandments of the Lord
         - 1Co 14:37
      4. Rejecting them is thus paramount to rejecting Christ - 1Th 4:
         1-2,8; cf. Lk 10:16

[Through His apostles, Jesus continues to instruct His church as we
continue steadfastly in their teachings!  Finally, the importance of the
apostles is seen by their role in the...]

IV. FOUNDATION FOR THE CHURCH

   A. TOGETHER WITH CHRIST...
      1. The church is built on Christ, as the chief cornerstone - Ac 4:
         10-12; 1Co 3:11
      2. But the apostles are also part of the foundation of the
         spiritual building - Ep 2:19-22
      3. Their names are even depicted as written on the foundation for
         the New Jerusalem, which is the Lamb's bride (the church) 

         - Re 21:9-10,14

   B. SERVING AS THE BASIS OF...
      1. Our faith, through their eyewitness testimony - 2Pe 1:16-18
      2. Our doctrine, through their teaching - Ac 2:42
      3. Our hope, through their message - Ep 3:5-6

CONCLUSION

1. The world owes a great debt to the apostles of Jesus Christ...
   a. Without whom they would know little of Jesus of Nazareth
   b. Without whom they would have little reason to believe in Him

2. As disciples of Christ, let us be sure to give them the honor and
   respect that is their due...
   a. By continuing steadfastly in their doctrine
   b. By respecting the authority of their doctrine

Indeed, the moment we begin to drift away from the apostles of Jesus
Christ, we begin to drift away from that great salvation made possible
by Him...! - cf. He 2:1-4

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Jim McGuiggan... My brother Alex

My brother Alex

As I write this my brother Alex is in intensive care. He’s been very ill for about a year now. Lost a lot of weight, complained of marked pain in his back, utter fatigue and in recent months he’s had more and more trouble breathing. He’s been a heavy smoker since boyhood and has been about 6 months into recovery—alcohol-free. It wasn’t hard to guess, without ever saying, that he had developed cancer but we only got the definitive word yesterday (24/12/08). I don’t know if we’re now looking at days or a week or so—probably days.

He’s eighteen months older than I am but in many ways especially in earlier years he seemed older than that—a sort of patriarch of the family. You know how it is in families; sometimes you have brothers who aren’t really brothers and sisters who aren’t really sisters and then there are those who hold “family” precious. Alex thought “family” precious. He was always very attentive to our mother and while he was never Jesus I can tell you that, all in all, he was and is a better man than I have ever been or will be in this life. There were things he forgave and needed to be forgiven of—nothing unique in that, is there?

Always intense (all the McGuiggans are I think) except on the day I baptized him into Jesus Christ about six years ago. We went to the water on his confession of trust in the Christ and committed himself to the care and service of our Lord. He listened with the air of a quiet child as I spoke to him about Jesus and he surrendered himself sweetly to all the little instructions his kid brother was giving to him as the baptism took place.

He was already ill then though the severity of it all developed into what this past year has revealed. He and his wife Ann have four fine sons and a sweet daughter. When they were children, though Alex didn’t attend church himself, he did everything to encourage and help Ann get the children out without fail to church and Sunday school. Three of those sons are presently spreading the gospel of Christ; two as local preachers and the other in the Christian publishing business and they’re raising their children in the nurture of the gospel of Jesus. The other two children are well aware of Jesus and maybe before too long will give their lives over to him to complete an entire “family salvation”. They already have such a disposition toward Christ.

I talked to Alex before he underwent surgery the other day and asked him if he was afraid of dying. He said he had concerns about his family, of course. I said that made perfect sense but “what of you, personally, are you worried?” He said he wasn’t because he had the right man in his corner. It’s astonishing (and yet…) how a few words can express a world-full of meaning and images and truth and can transform a tragic situation into something more than tragedy (not less than tragedy but more).

Ah, sin, disease and death—your day’s coming. To hell with you!

Hurry on, Jesus, life, righteousness, reunions and unbroken peace and adventure.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Gary V. Womack... DEFINING OUR IDENTITY (two parts)

DEFINING OUR IDENTITY

Part 1

1. How do we define our identity as God's people - the church?

2. How does the world view us?

These questions we will answer from the scriptures

We are not identified by where we meet

Acts 5:12-13 The church initially met in the open on Solomon's porch.

Notice - These 5,000 were "esteemed highly" by those

outside of the body of Christ.

Acts 5:42 They met in the temple & every house.

Acts 19:5-10 At Ephesus - they first met at the synagogue then in a school

At the time Paul wrote to the church at Corinth from Ephesus: (57AD?)

1 Cor. 16:19 "The churches of Asia greet you. Aquilla and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house."

At the church at Colosse:

Phil. 2 "to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house."

Notice - They met in the house of Apphia (probably the wife) & Archippus who was a minister of the gospel:

Col. 4:17 "And say to Archippus, 'Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.' "

We can become preoccupied with concern about what the world thinks about us

What we need to be concerned about is: What does the world think about Christ.

Mt. 16:13-16 "Who do men say that I am - who do you say that I am?

1 Jn. 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called Children of God ! Therefore the world does not

know us, because it did not know Him."

If we want the world to know who we are, we need to let the world know who Jesus Christ is.

This should be our emphasis

Num. 14:1-19 When Israel refused to enter Canaan, God was ready to destroy them, but Joshua pleaded on their behalf.

Notice - he was concerned for what Egypt & the people of the land would think about God if He destroyed the Israelites.

We need to be concerned about what the world thinks about Jesus Christ based on our example as His people.

We can bring reproach upon Christ by improper conduct:

Examples: at Corinth:

1 Cor. 5:1-2 The sexual sin that even Gentiles (the world) did not condone 

1 Cor. 6:1-8 They went to the worldly courts to hear their own cases which they should have been wise enough to judge.

As His children our conduct is to be "honorableamong the Gentiles" (world)

1 Pet. 2:11-ff Our conduct as individuals is to be honorable & patterned by Christ's example.

As His children - individually - we can bring Christ to open shame.

Heb. 6:4-6 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, (6) if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame."

INVITATION

Our concern should be that for which Paul prayed on behalf of the church at Colosse:

Col. 1:9-14 "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

vs. 18 "He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."

DEFINING OUR IDENTITY

Part 2

Past questions we asked:

1. How do we define our identity as God's people - the church?

2. How does the world view us?

Past points we covered:

1. We are not identified by where we meet.

2. We can become preoccupied about what the world thinks about us.

3. What we need to be concerned about is what does the world think about Christ.

4. If we want the world to know who we are, we need to let the world know who Christ is.

5. The world needs to see Christ through our example as His people.

We are God's own special people - a spiritualhouse - a holy priesthood

1 Pet. 2:9-10 A peculiar (kjv) people - intended to offer up spiritual sacrifices

Peculiar - [peripoiesis] "An obtaining, an  acquisition, purchased possession."

Acts 20:28 to the Ephesian elders: "Therefore take heed to your selves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to

shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood."

1 Cor. 6:20 "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

God makes a distinction between His own possession & the world

Consider the example of His people (Israelites) in Egypt:

1. God made a distinction between Israel & Egypt in the plague of flies:

Ex. 8:20-23 There were no flies in Goshen - showing who God was with.

2. God made a distinction between Israel & Egypt in the pestilence:

Ex. 9:1-6 None of Israel's livestock died.

3.God made a distinction between Israel & Egypt in the plague of darkness

Ex. 10:21-23 While all Egypt was in darkness, Israel had light in their houses

4. God made a distinction between Israel & Egypt in the plague of death:

Ex. 11:4-7 By this final plague, Pharaoh would know God distinguishes between His people and the people of Egypt.

Because God made this distinction - did this mean Israel was better?

Consider what God warned them before entering Canaan:

Deut. 6:10-7:5 They would be distinct from the nations around them by their submission to God's law which demanded a separation from

the people of the land.

We are to be distinct from the world in action and in purity

Jas. 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted

from the world."

We are to be distinct from the world by a different mindset:

Rom. 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which

is your reasonable service. (2) And do not be  conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Deut 7:6-11 God had chosen Israel & separated them from the nations because He loved them & keeps His promises.

1Pet. 2:1-10 We have come to Christ as a living stone In this we are distinguished from the world that rejects Him.

How do we define ourselves as God's people - the church?

Ezek. 37:15--ff Ezekiel's vision looked to both fleshly Israel & the church. The world would know that God sanctifies (distinguishes) His people.

Compare this to Jeremiah's prophecy:

Jer. 31:31-34 A new covenant wherein is taught forgiveness of sins.

Tit. 2:11-14 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, (12) teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we

should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (13) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (14) who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."