Becoming A Stronger Disciple

WHAT A DISCIPLE AVOIDS

A disciple avoids anything that offends Jesus.

“Nevaeh”

Nevaeh – is Heaven (backwards)

(Mark 3:20-30) Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables. “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, he is guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He was an evil spirit.”

1. Scorning the Holy Spirit

(29-30) “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ He said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”

A. What is the Unforgivable Sin?

1) The Seven Deadly Sins?

· Lust

· Gluttony

· Greed

· Sloth

· Wrath

· Envy

· Pride

2) The NEW Seven Deadly Sins?

· Polluting the environment

· Taking drugs

· Becoming obscenely wealthy

· Causing social injustice

· Causing poverty

· Experimenting on humans

· Genetic modifications

3) Suicide?

(John 3:1-7) Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs You are doing if God were not with him.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ (16-18) For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already...”

B. The unforgivable sin – is not believing in Jesus, and therefore rejecting (blaspheming) the Holy Spirit.

(30) [Jesus] said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”

C. Only two options: Either accept Jesus as Savior – or reject Jesus as Savior.

D. Now is the time to trust in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing eternal life.

2. Standing Against the Savior

(Matthew 12:30a) “He who is not with Me is against Me…”

A. Only two options: Either stand with Jesus – or stand against Jesus.

B. Here Jesus says, “Make a choice – Take a stand.”

(Joshua 24:15) “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

C. Choose to serve Jesus.

3. Scattering From the Savior

(Matthew 12:30b) “…and he who does not gather with Me – scatters.”

A. Only two options: Either gather with Jesus – or scatter from Jesus.

(John 6:60) On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (66-69) From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

“YOU do not want to leave too -- do YOU?”

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You [ALONE] have the words of eternal life.”

B. “I’m not scattering Lord! I’m gathering with You!”