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[0:00] This is the First Mustang Pulpit Podcast, a podcast of the weekly preaching and teaching at First Mustang.! Thank you for joining us. This year, you see them. They're there in the corner.

[0:15] AC didn't work then, doesn't work now. We've got a lot of beautiful buildings here. We don't have real good luck with church vehicles.

[0:27] It's just some, you know, churches have personalities. We love the Bible and we buy junky vehicles. That's just kind of what we do. But what's amazing about this, so that building is still here, by the way.

[0:39] If you have preschoolers, most of our preschool building is new. Part of what is a part of our preschool, though, is this original sanctuary that was then converted to the choir room in the olden days.

[0:58] Then it was repurposed and it's been repurposed again. But this building right there sits still today in our property. And, of course, all around it now are all kinds of buildings and space.

[1:14] But I show this to you as a reminder. That we today stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Who gave, who sacrificed, who served, who taught.

[1:30] If we could go back and visit the business meetings when they voted to move to this location. If somebody would have put up a picture of this morning.

[1:41] I don't know that anybody there would have believed this was possible. But they didn't do it because they knew everything. They did it because they had a heart to reach people and a heart to serve.

[1:53] You don't know what the results of that's going to be. I think of that when I walk through the preschool area or walk through the children's area. This morning I got a chance to teach our youth Sunday school in Zechariah 12.

[2:05] And I don't know who I'm preaching to this morning in youth Sunday school. I don't know who's the future pastor. I don't know who's the future Sunday school teachers. Who's the future missionaries. But I do know that God is at work.

[2:18] And it's important that we recognize that God is at work among us. But that didn't start with us. God was at work through this church long before we were here.

[2:30] Our church started in 1903. It's 119 years ago. Only a few of you guys were around when the church started. I think Dave Anderson, you may have been there when the church began.

[2:44] Not many of you. But this church is here today by God's grace and by God's goodness. And the sacrifice of so many people who have come before us.

[2:55] And today we get a chance to not only invest in each other. But to be a part of what the Lord is doing. That is greater than any of us could ever imagine. Or any of us will ever see.

[3:05] It is a special time to be a part of this church. It's a special time to belong to this legacy of faith that predates any of us in this room.

[3:16] I'm thankful for those that the Lord has used. I'm thankful for those today that the Lord is using to continue to make an impact and a difference for His kingdom. If you've got your Bible open with me to Mark 3.

[3:30] And I almost did it again. I meant to say something last week. I almost forgot it again. So much stuff has happened this summer between camps and trips and new members classes.

[3:41] And I got to spend some time in Los Angeles teaching at the Master's Seminary. And all kinds of stuff going on this busy, busy summer. But what I haven't said publicly that many of you have read or seen is that the most exciting thing that's happened for me and my family this summer is our youngest Benjamin, who was not even born when we moved to this church, has now given up his life savings to put a ring on the finger of Miss Mary Jean Hibbets, our soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

[4:19] Benjamin will be working until he is 75 to pay the ring off. Not because it's that expensive. He just has no money.

[4:29] But they are getting married next June. And Cale and Bailey have been married for about six months.

[4:40] And June 3rd, 2023, Lord willing, Marcy and I will really, finally, fully be empty nesters.

[4:52] It's the day after their wedding. So thank you. Thank you. That day is coming for John in 2097. By faith, he can see it.

[5:08] Mark chapter 3. We are looking at this fascinating passage. If you're new with us, we're just walking through the gospel of Mark here verse by verse. We've come to chapter 3 in this fascinating passage that is really one extremely busy day in the life of Jesus.

[5:27] Mark does not tell us all that happens, but it records a portion of this extremely busy day. Jesus has healed a man that was possessed by a demon.

[5:41] He then is in Capernaum in a house teaching. Scribes come down and they are looking to get him and to try to catch him.

[5:54] Jesus continues to teach and minister all throughout the day. But something happens that really turns the tide. Stay in Mark 3, but let me just read to you from Matthew 12.

[6:10] Matthew tells us a little more detail about this day. Verse 22. Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.

[6:27] And all the people were amazed and said, can this be the son of David? Something has happened as Jesus teaches with power and teaches with clarity and teaches with authority.

[6:41] And they have seen him perform miracle after miracle. And people are beginning to see there is something different, something unique. He himself is letting it be known that he, in fact, is the Messiah.

[6:54] He is the Son of God. And on this day, he cast out this demon, and people begin to think, this is the Son of God.

[7:07] And you'll remember, as we looked last week, not everybody responds in faith to the truth of who Jesus is.

[7:17] It was, as I mentioned last week, C.S. Lewis, who is credited with what is often referred to as this threefold way that people respond to Jesus.

[7:31] Either you think he's a lunatic, he's just out of his mind, he's a liar deceiving people, or he is the Lord. That was well documented in his book, Mere Christianity, back several decades ago.

[7:46] But it was actually first coined by a pastor named John Duncan back more than a century ago. That Jesus is either a lunatic, or he's a liar, or he's the Lord.

[8:01] And we looked last week at the example of the first of that, that Jesus' own family, chapter 3, verse 21, went to seize him, take him by custody, because they were saying he is out of his mind.

[8:18] Jesus' own brothers and those in his family were thinking that he was crazy. He's not eating. He's just going village to village.

[8:29] He's putting his life in jeopardy. He is going against the most staunch religious authority figures of the day. And his brothers and his sisters are saying, we've got to go get him.

[8:45] We've got to try to protect him from himself, because he's out of his mind. I don't think it's necessary to conclude that his mother Mary agreed with them.

[8:55] Doesn't really record how she responded. She's going to show up with them. She, of course, has had the meeting with the angel and has been told what's going on.

[9:09] She knows that she was made pregnant, though she had never been with a man. And yet, in the midst of this, she is put right in the midst of this confusion when her own other children are saying of their sibling, he is out of his mind.

[9:28] That's one way people respond, that Jesus is a lunatic. But secondly, we look today, that some say he's a liar.

[9:41] If Jesus says he is Lord and he's not, then either he is just a crazy man or he's a deceitful man.

[9:52] Either he's not Lord and he knows it, or he's not Lord, he just thinks that he is. His family was saying he's a lunatic. The religious leaders are going to say he is a liar.

[10:04] Let's look at this. What I just read in Matthew 12 is what just happened. Jesus healed the man of a demon, cast the demon out. On the heels of that, verse 22, the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, He is possessed by Beelzebul and by the prince of demons.

[10:26] He cast out the demons. And he called them to him and said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

[10:39] And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is coming to an end.

[10:49] But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

[11:00] Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man. And whatever blasphemes they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin, for they were saying he has an unclean spirit.

[11:20] So last week we said in response to Jesus, some say he's a lunatic. Today, some say he's a liar.

[11:34] Now let's look at three things under this heading of some believing he's a liar. It's what unfolds for us here in the verse I just read. First, there's a satanic charge.

[11:47] There's a satanic charge. Back to verse 22. The scribes came down from Jerusalem. Now, Jerusalem is in the south, and so you say, well, why does it say he came down?

[12:02] If it's actually from the south, it's because Jerusalem sits up high. So when you leave Jerusalem, regardless of what direction you're going, you're going down from Jerusalem. And the scribes showed up.

[12:13] Now, if you've been with us this summer, we've talked a lot about who the scribes are. They were experts in the law. They copied the law. They taught the law.

[12:25] These were men that were part of the elite. They were the ones who were going to be the next wave of religious leaders. These were influential, important men.

[12:37] And they show up in the house at Capernaum on a mission. Their mission was to deal with Jesus.

[12:50] He's just cast out the demons. They've seen it. They know that's happened. And the scribes show up and say, he is possessed by Beelzebul.

[13:03] And by the prince of demons, he cast out the demons. So they make this satanic charge against Jesus. And what the experts of the law, the scribes, what the leaders say, they've got two charges they make against Jesus.

[13:22] First, as they say, he is possessed by Beelzebul. Second, they say, it's the power of Beelzebul that is at work in him.

[13:34] And it says that the scribes came down and they were saying, and the language of the New Testament here would suggest to us, this means they kept repeating.

[13:46] They kept saying. They were creating a stir with this. Jesus is in the house teaching and the scribes are going around to everyone in the house and they're saying, you know, he's possessed by a demon, don't you?

[13:59] You know he's just doing the devil's work, don't you? You know that his strength and his authority comes from Satan himself, don't you? And they just keep saying it and they keep spreading it and they keep trying to create a stir all around the people.

[14:11] Beelzebul. He's possessed by Beelzebul. Beelzebul is a term, it comes from Beelzebub, a term that was originally an ancient reference to a pagan deity.

[14:28] You read about it in the Old Testament, 2 Kings, where it speaks of the god of Ekron. The word for Beelzebul sounds like the word from Beelzebub and Beelzebub referring to the lord of the high places.

[14:49] But because of the way that the words sound, there's another word that sounds like the lord of the high places and it's a term that means lord of the dung heap or lord of the flies of the dung heap called Beelzebul.

[15:09] And so through time, the wording got changed from Beelzebub to Beelzebul to reference that which was evil, that which was of the devil.

[15:23] By the time of Jesus' day, it's become synonymous as a term for just simply Satan himself. He is possessed by Beelzebul is to say he is possessed by Satan.

[15:40] That's the satanic charge they put against Jesus. He's possessed. He cast out the demons by the power of the prince of demons.

[15:55] Now, why do the scribes do this? They cannot argue with what Jesus has done.

[16:07] So they've got to try to get some explanation of how it's done. They know he has the power to cast out demons.

[16:19] They can't argue that. So rather than admitting that he is the Messiah and worshiping him, they're going to instead come up with this satanic charge that sure, he cast out demons.

[16:37] We've seen that. But it's because he's possessed by Satan. That's how he's able to cast out demons. Now, why would they want to go this direction? If the people rightly believed that Jesus is Messiah, their act is up.

[16:59] All these religious teachers and leaders who have taken the word of God and turned it into a way for them to get all the power, these religious leaders who are supposed to be shepherds of God's people and instead are just riding high on the authority they've created for themselves, if people trust in Christ, their time is over.

[17:28] Well, these religious, powerful, arrogant, power-hungry men do not want to give in. So rather than submit themselves to what has clearly been made visible to them, they instead just make up this accusation that Jesus is possessed by Satan himself.

[17:52] His family said he's a lunatic. The religious leaders say he's a liar. He tells you he's from God, but he's actually from Satan.

[18:06] And that's the satanic charge put against him. We see, secondly, a sovereign defense. Jesus offers up a sovereign defense.

[18:21] Verse 23, And he called them to him and said to them in parables. Now, just stop for a minute. Did you catch what just happened? Jesus at the house teaching.

[18:32] It's crowded. The disciples weren't even able to eat. We looked at last week because it was so crowded. These religious leaders show up. They're going all throughout the house, all around the house, telling all the huge crowd that's there, this guy's from Satan.

[18:45] This guy's from Satan. This guy's from Satan. They're just kind of going around, whispering and stirring dissension among the people. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, says, hey guys, come on in.

[19:03] I know what you're doing. I know exactly what you're up to. Instead of whispering behind my back, how about we talk face to face? It says, Jesus called them to himself.

[19:19] Jesus is the sovereign in this story. And he's going to give the defense against their accusation. He says, how can Satan cast out Satan?

[19:34] If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

[19:45] And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. In other words, Jesus says, just look at the foolishness of what you're saying.

[20:01] You've just seen me cast out a demon. If I were of Satan, why would I be doing away with Satan's work? Satan's work and goal is to possess men and to lead them astray.

[20:17] Jesus is doing the exact opposite of that. If Satan is controlling me, the last thing he would do is have me defeat him.

[20:28] He's just showing the complete foolishness of the accusation. If Jesus is doing the devil's work, why is he casting out the demons who are doing the devil's work?

[20:42] If Satan is the one that's empowering Jesus, then what Jesus is doing is destroying Satan's own kingdom. And it's not just that Jesus cast out one demon.

[20:55] He's doing this over and over and over everywhere that he goes. And he says, if you think that I do what I do by the power of Satan, don't you understand that if Satan is fighting against himself, he will not stand.

[21:13] He's just showing in his defense, the complete foolishness of what they're saying. Then he gives another illustration in verse 27. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man, then indeed he may plunder his house.

[21:33] What Jesus says in this brief illustration is that Jesus is the one who is defeating the work of Satan. Jesus, Jesus, through his power, is binding Satan.

[21:47] He's showing his sovereign rule over him. And Satan is entering these men through his demons. But it's the Lord who is setting them free. Satan is trying to take these men through the work of the demonic realm as his own.

[22:04] And Jesus is setting them free, plundering the house of Satan, so to speak. He says, the work I'm doing is setting people free.

[22:17] If I were doing the work of Satan, the last thing I would do would be overpowering him. And what's great about this exchange is Jesus is sitting back, knowing their thoughts, knowing what is being said behind his back, and once again, proving to them that he alone has all sovereign authority.

[22:57] This is the foolishness of sin. These men see what he has done, make up this excuse that he is controlled by Satan, and Jesus not only proves his power by casting out the demon that morning, but also proves his authority by telling them, I even know what's on your mind.

[23:23] Over and over and over again, Jesus has revealed his sovereignty. He indeed is the very Son of God.

[23:35] So they give against him a satanic charge. Jesus gives a sovereign defense showing how foolish that is. And then the unexpected happens.

[23:52] You third get a shocking judgment. It's shocking because the scribes have shown up thinking they are the judge.

[24:07] They've shown up and they've said, we have a charge against you that you are satanic, and because we are the religious elite, we will put down the sentence of you.

[24:19] And their goal is to get everyone to conclude and agree with the judgment that Jesus is satanic and in so doing have nothing to do with him.

[24:32] And now Jesus, the sovereign, flips it. And he says, you're not my judge.

[24:46] I am your judge. And you don't have the authority to give me any sentence, but I have the authority to show you the effect of your sinfulness.

[25:02] in verse 28, he says, truly, I say to you, this is the language from which we get our word for amen, so be it.

[25:16] This is true. May it be. Jesus is saying here, this is true, this is important, this is how it is. Truly, I say to you, so you know what's about to come is serious, and what's about to come is solemn.

[25:34] Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man in whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

[26:01] Quite the twist here. they thought they were putting Jesus on trial. They thought Jesus would be sentenced.

[26:14] But it turns out Jesus is the judge. Jesus is the one who has the final word.

[26:27] God will will to God. Think about how important this word is in our culture today. For those in our world think they have the last word because they mock the things of God, or they declare Christianity outdated and unnecessary.

[26:57] We live in a culture today who has taken the scripture and the gospel and the Lord himself and declared we have no need of you.

[27:16] and yet one day they will stand before the very one they rejected because the truth is man is not the judge.

[27:39] Genesis 18 at the very beginning of your Bible says the judge of the earth will do what is right. There is a judge and it's not you and it's not me and the very people who today mock the things of God and laugh at the things he abhors and curse God and think to themselves they have the final word will one day bow in the presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords but at that point it will be too late for them.

[28:33] It's appointed to man Hebrews 9 to die and then to face judgment. There is no salvation at that point. it's too late. Well rest assured they will see the folly of their sin.

[28:48] They will see Christ for who he is. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess in heaven on the earth and under the earth that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

[28:59] Everyone will bow. And when I look at the world in which we live I think of Mark 3. Of people who think they've gotten too smart to need the Lord.

[29:17] Too sophisticated. The things of Christ are antiquated. Outdated. Unnecessary.

[29:30] We've grown past our need for God. And they look at Christianity and they say in their arrogant way we judge you to be worthless.

[29:51] But there will come a day where they will see that they are not the judge. but they will stand before the judge.

[30:06] And in Mark 3 with just this single sentence the whole trial as it were gets flipped on its head.

[30:24] And Jesus says the Lord forgives sin. Praise God that he does. Amen? But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin.

[30:44] For they were saying he has an unclean spirit. spirit. This wasn't a mistake the leaders made. This wasn't they just got confused.

[30:58] This wasn't it was just a temporary moment of weakness. It wasn't they just didn't have enough evidence. This was a purposeful, deliberate, thoughtful, willful, carefully planned, strategic rejection of the truth of who Jesus is.

[31:22] This was a conscious decision to say they would rather keep themselves in power than submit themselves to the only one who can save.

[31:37] Jesus says whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness. this is what is often referred to as the unpardonable sin which conjures up all kinds of fear in people's mind.

[32:00] What is the unpardonable sin? Could you have committed the unpardonable sin? Can you be a Christian and unbeknownst to you you committed the unpardonable sin and you're not really saved after all or saved today but because you committed the unpardonable sin you're going to lose your salvation or could you be a believer today and down the road commit the unpardonable sin and you lose your salvation?

[32:25] Could you be an unbeliever today and you were thinking about the things of God you're an unbeliever but you've been considering the gospel but now you wondered have I committed the unpardonable sin?

[32:35] Can I not be forgiven? All kinds of things come to play. let me just for a couple of moments let's deal with this.

[32:47] The first thing I want you to understand is I think the first and the primary way to understand what is happening here is that this is a national rejection of Israel against their Messiah.

[33:04] they have seen the miracles heard the preaching they know all the prophecies they see Jesus doing exactly what the prophet said Messiah would do they have been given the law and the prophets to point the way to Jesus they have been given John the Baptist who points the way to Jesus they have been given the amazing blessing of in their lifetime the hope of the ages has been fulfilled.

[33:44] In the Christmas hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. Everything we've hoped for everything we've prayed for everything we've dreamed of all of it is met in Christ.

[34:01] And as a nation they said you're nothing more than a Satan possessed demon controlled liar.

[34:23] And something happens. the mystery of the Old Testament is this great parenthesis known as the church.

[34:44] And as Israel rejects Christ as their Messiah the mystery is revealed. and Jesus will say I will build my church.

[35:02] And you say well what happens when he builds his church? Well Romans 11 gives us some insight. I don't want you to be wise in your own sight. I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery brothers that a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

[35:26] Because Israel rejected their Messiah this mystery known as the church is now revealed.

[35:39] And during the church age Romans 11 says is a partial hardening over the people of Israel. Matthew 16 Jesus says I tell you this upon this rock I will build my church and 2 Corinthians 3 15 says to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.

[36:02] Now praise God there are individual Jews who believe. We have some in our own church praise the Lord for that.

[36:14] But the nation rejected him. The nation said give us Barabbas the nation said crucify him.

[36:27] The nation said you're nothing more than Satan incarnate. And so now the kingdom is given to the church.

[36:46] It's not that the Lord doesn't still save anyone who calls upon his name. Of course he does. But the nation as a whole is now blinded.

[37:00] Now last hour in our Sunday school hour I got to teach Zechariah 12 which helps us to see this beautiful prophecy that at the end of the last days that nation will by God's grace once again look upon him whom they have pierced and they will mourn and grieve as you would mourn an only son as the Lord completes his promised work with Israel.

[37:28] It's an amazing thing. But what happens here in Mark 3 is the nation of Israel as a whole is judged.

[37:44] they thought they were judging Jesus. All their rejection brought was their own judgment.

[37:59] That's the first and I believe the primary way to understand what this text is about but what about for you as an individual?

[38:10] Let me help you with this. If you seek repentance in faith you will be saved.

[38:25] If you turn to the Lord Jesus if you love him if you see him for who he is if you confess your sin if you believe that the Lord is who he says he is then if you believe that he was buried in the grave for our sin after being crucified on the cross for our sin payment and was raised back to life if you believe in him and trust in him if you have faith in who he is you will be saved.

[38:54] We know this not only because of too many scriptures to even begin to count that teach us that but even 1 Timothy 1 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor yet the grace of our Lord was more than abundant if you sit in your chair today and you say I wonder if I have committed some unpardonable sin I love the Lord I trust in the Lord I believe in the Lord then my friends you are his if you're not a believer and today you come to understand your own sinfulness and your need for a savior and understand that Jesus is the only way to heaven the way and the truth and the life and that nobody comes to the father except through him and if you would reach out to him in faith and cry out to him with a heart of belief you will be saved period on the authority of God's word and his promise himself but you need to understand secondly if you reject

[40:19] Christ there is no other way see the nation of Israel as a whole rejected Christ as Messiah doesn't mean every single individual did but the nation as a whole did there there is no other way there is no other Messiah coming it is not as if the father in heaven says you rejected Jesus my son as Messiah I will send you another one no it is not as if the Lord in heaven says you know what I gave you the law I gave you the prophets I gave you the miracles I showed you completely who my son is and you chose to make up these lies that he was nothing more than satanic and because you did that I will give you a second chance at a different Messiah there is no different Messiah there is no other savior there is no other way there is no other hope salvation is found in no other name than the name of

[41:28] Jesus and my dear friends if you conclude today what they concluded in Mark 3 that you'd rather take your chances with plan B understand there is no plan B salvation is found in Jesus and only Jesus that's it Hebrews 2 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation it's a question with no answer the writer of the Hebrews says if you don't turn to the only savior what is your plan of escape and there is no answer the nation foolishly concluded they'd rather hold on to their love of power than they would submit to the

[42:44] God of the universe today it's exactly what people still do they'd rather cling to their 15 minutes of power and authority at the expense of receiving everlasting life because they refuse to acknowledge who Christ is if today you don't know Christ is your savior I mean this literally don't take one more step before you call out to him in repentance admitting to him that you are a sinner needing forgiveness and asking him to save you and to wash your sin away and to be your savior forever if you want a place to rest this morning rest in verse 27 that it is

[44:19] Jesus who binds the strong man it is Jesus who over powers the devil if you belong to Jesus you are guaranteed eternal victory the sin that Israel commits in Mark 3 is the sin of saying we've heard the teaching we've seen the miracles we cannot argue the evidence but we'd rather believe a lie than submit to his authority and I want you to understand that if you take your final breath there's no other hope for you there's no salvation after death if you die in unbelief there is no escape but

[45:47] I do want you to understand that even on the cross Jesus will look at those who curse him and mock him and hate him and will say father forgive them because Jesus forgives sinners he forgives sinners and if he can forgive a thief on the cross to his right moments before he dies he can and he will forgive you but if you reject him there is no other hope there is no other way behold today is the day of salvation salvation do not harden your heart do you today understand that you're a sinner do you today understand that

[47:00]  Jesus is a savior! if so do not put off for one more day what has been revealed to your heart and to your mind call out to the only one who can save Lord we thank you today for your word we pray that your Holy Spirit would give understanding to what we have studied grant insight and a heart of belief Lord we go through life so casually so carelessly pretending we have an endless amount of tomorrows even at times pretending that we are in control of something this passage reminds us that while there is no limit to man's sinfulness there is a limit to your patience and while these are days of grace soon the thunder will roll and judgment will be unleashed on this planet and it's appointed to man to die once and after that to face judgment if there are those in this room not prepared for that day may you use even this passage on this day to bring them to a place of belief we ask it in Jesus name amen he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he fathers he he he he he