Sermon nuggets Weds Aug 13
Theme- Rejecting Jesus
Verses- John 12:39-41 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn-- and I would heal them."
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.
The Reasons for Unbelief.
Here we have a most interesting quote from Isaiah. It is from the 6th chapter when Isaiah is called into the ministry. He is to begin as a prophet to declare the words of God. He had just seen God's glory. He was full of conviction of sin for himself and for his people. He offered himself to God "here am I send me". God warned him in advance that the people to whom he was sent would pay no attention to him – that indeed all his words would be counter-productive and make them close their ears more decisively. Did God send him in order that his hearers would not listen, or did He sent Him in order that they turn and be healed and predicted they would not?
John puzzled not only over the reality of unbelief he also pondered the reasons. The problem of the unbelief of the Jewish leaders and their rejection of the Christ was a cause of perplexity to the faithful. He came to the conclusion that the people were numb, and dumb and blind.
Are we to understand and assume that God deliberately selects some to render incapable of responding to His Son? Does He deliberately cripple and incapacitate some so they will never be able to choose? Indeed this point of theology has divided religious teachers years past and will years to come. What part does predestination have in the relationship of man's response? How are we to understand this? This too is a mystery.
Isaiah words not only speak to the reality of unbelief but prophecies the reason. One reason is spiritual blindness. Hearts are dead to God and cannot respond. There comes a time in our life when the Spirit of God makes alive the good news and any other time it is just words, and human concepts trying to explain our universe, but there is a spiritual experience that is only of God where this message grips us and we know God is speaking to us. Before that time we are dead to spiritual things. Now we are confronted with the power of God sensing the deep conviction of sin and the awareness that indeed Jesus is true.
I think of Bud Holidays statement that says, "The person who agrees with everything you say either isn't paying attention or else plans to sell you something." This issue of predestination and free will has been debated for years and will continue to be so. But still we cannot ignore it. For those who take seriously the Word of God neither can we quickly explain it away.
It was Spurgeon that said when asked to reconcile the two doctrines,"You don't reconcile friends, you accept them both."
We have many churches and pastors who divide over the theological positions of what is also known as Calvinism and Arminianism. After seeking to deal with the passages of mystery I found myself to be too Arminian to appease the Calvinists and too Calvinistic to appease the Arminians.
One way that has helped me to put together the mystery of free will and sovereignty of God is the relationship to the story of Pharaoh in the Old Testament. When Moses came to Pharaoh’s court and demanded the release of the captives Pharaoh refused. Moses worked the miracles and plagues resulted. Each time a plague struck Pharaoh relented and gave in. Each time it was removed he went back to the old ways. The Scriptures make two interesting statements: ‘Pharaoh hardened his heart." and then again, "God hardened pharaoh heart." Now which is it? I believe it is both. God hardened Pharaoh's heart by confronting him and forcing the necessity of a choice. Pharaoh hardened his own heart by continually rejecting the glory of God and making the wrong choice or unmaking the right one. Every time we resist and hold out and say no the easier it is next time. You come to the place you are unable to say, "yes". We are seldom the same after being confronted with Christ; we are either perceptively softer or harder.
As a pastor it is my responsibility to present Christ and encourage one another in faith and good works. Those who make watches will discuss the finer points of how a watch works. I enjoy the discussions of theology and comparing verses to verses, but found most people are further confused when godly pastors and teachers divide over such things. The majority of the people don’t care. They want to know how to tell time.
Understanding why people accept and reject Jesus is explained in the New Testament as the prompting of the Holy Spirit and a hardening of the heart resulting in spiritual blindness.
As a pastor, I am instructed to pray for those who are lost and present the good news of the saving message of Jesus Christ. How that works is significant, but to center on the how and ignore the who can become a barrier to those who need to know what time it is. 2 Cor 6:2 For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”
The response to the call to follow Jesus is received differently by different people.
I’ll comment more tomorrow.
Pastor Dale
