Know Where You're Going Before you Get There

Introduction

Good morning

Personal Info

Family

My mission:

Going to Bible College and being surrounded by Christians and people who are interested in studying Theology is a lot different than being at home.

I’m working at Seaman corporation this summer as a college student they hired in to help, and I’m seeing this summer more than ever how dark the world is.

Cussing and speaking other terrible things

Talk about other God’s

Other local churches practicing bad theology

People constantly using the name of the Savior in vain

This reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing, I show these people that I give my life to serve God, and I can show them the love of Christ, as it is evident that they need it. Seeing so many people who don’t go to church, don’t know Jesus, and don’t even care hurts my heart.

So that’s my goal, to bring the lost people of Wayne County to the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. It is not I, but the Lord that will do the saving, I’m just leading the way to Him. And that, conveniently, brings me to my topic today, and that is salvation, and the consequences of the unpardonable sin.

We will be in today

1) Context of Matthew 12

At the beginning of , Jesus and his disciples are being verbally attacked by the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were a group of religious leaders who practiced strict Mosaic Law (laws given by Moses).

It is important to realize what the Pharisees are doing here, they are specifically choosing Sabbath violations that they think Jesus is committing.

Jewish law prevents the Jews from doing any kind of work on the sabbath.

The first time they get attacked, was whilst walking through a grain field.

We can imagine that it is the Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples are gathered after the service and took a walk.

In that time, it is common for travelers to walk through or along the borders of grain fields, as they acted like pathways of sorts to get from village to village.

His disciples became hungry and picked some grain, and began to ate it. This was permissible according to the Law ().

The reason this could be a violation is because the amount of work it takes to eat the grain. They had to pluck it, separated the chaff, and ground the grain up in their hands to eat it. This would be considered work.

I believe that the Pharisees did not typically patrol the grain fields looking for people who violated the Law, but they were looking for reasons to catch Jesus, after all they did not believe that he is the Son of Man.

We see Jesus quickly jump to the DEFENSE of the disciples. He turns the Old Testament on them, which is ironic because they claim to be experts on the Old Testament. He uses multiple examples in the OT where it is permissible.

Jesus puts an end to it.

Verse 8

As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus gives true interpretation of the Law

USE OTHER IF TIME ALLOWS

2) Jesus moves to the offensive

After all these accusations, Jesus turns it on them once again.

12:30 - He who does not gather scatters.

If you’re not furthering the Kingdom, you’re actually making it worse

Now we get to the tough part, the unforgivable sin.