Sermon Central
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Part 9 - Matthew 12:30-32 - I Don't Want To Be Rescued Series
Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Oct 15, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: Imagine if some of the miners, after all the work that had been done for them, had decided they DIDN'T WANT TO BE RESCUED and walked back into the darkness of the mineshaft, away from the capsule which had been made to bring them to safety and celebration
Part 9 - Matthew 12:30-32 - I DON'T WANT TO BE RESCUED!
The world watched as 33 Chilean miners TRAPPED underground for 69 days were rescued. The last miner was rescued on Thursay October 14, 2010, a day marked with celebration and joy all around the world. The President of Chile said that Chile will never be the same.
One of the rescued men, Mario Sepulveda, said "I was with God and I was with the devil. They fought and God won the battle. I reached out and took hold of God's hand. I never doubted that I would be rescued." According to one article a number of men and their loved ones gave their lives to Christ during the ordeal as they prayed and reached out for God's help.
Scientists and engineers WORKED day and night to design and drill an ESCAPE hole half a mile down to the trapped miners. 69 days later, they lowered a capsule from CAMP HOPE down to the men. It took 50 minutes to rescue each man. One newspaper headline read "FREED FROM HELL TO HOPE". As the steel caged capsule surfaced it was as if each man was given NEW LIFE, SAVED, DELIVERED, REBORN.
The story got me thinking about what I had been reading in Matthew 12:31-32 (NLT). You probably won't see the connection straight away but Jesus says "Every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven-except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will NEVER BE FORGIVEN. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will NEVER BE FORGIVEN, either in this world or in the world to come."
How am I to understand this verse and what does it have to do with miners or me?
Imagine if some of the miners, after all the work that had been done for them, had decided they DIDN'T WANT TO BE RESCUED and walked back into the darkness of the mineshaft, away from the capsule which had been made to bring them to safety and celebration on the surface? What if they refused to be saved and decided to stay behind? What if they tried to KILL THE PHYSICIAN who came to examine them, SLANDERED Camp Hope, the capsule, the scientists, engineers and the cheering world and stayed behind? What if they didn't want to be hugged by the President of Chile? What if they didn't want to be famous and have their lives changed forever? What if they said, "I REJECT ALL YOUR WORK to save me. I DON'T WANT TO BE RESCUED!"
That's what these verses in Matthew 12:31 and 32 are about! Jesus says in John 16:8-9 (NLT), speaking of the Holy Spirit, "...He will CONVICT the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world's sin is that it REFUSES TO BELIEVE IN ME."
CONVICTION! The Holy Spirit convicts me of my need to BELIEVE AND PUT MY TRUST IN CHRIST. But I can CHOOSE TO REFUSE! I can either respond to the CONVICTION of the Holy Spirit or HARDEN my heart to the point of BLASPHEMY. When I ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit in my life and actively refuse and abuse His promptings in terms of PERMANENT ONGOING UNBELIEF, then such sin against the Holy Spirit is UNFORGIVEABLE. I remain lost.
Are you concerned about committing the UNFORGIVEABLE SIN? That in itself is an indication that you have not. You can still reach out to Christ. Like the physician who came down in the escape capsule, Jesus came down to rescue you personally. Jesus died on the cross for your sin. 1 John 1:7 (NLT) says "...the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin." To reject the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to belief in Christ will leave you WITHOUT HOPE of salvation and GUILTY before God.
John 3:36 (NLT) says "...anyone who believes in God's Son has ETERNAL LIFE. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry JUDGMENT."
Jesus has done everything He could do to save me. There is nothing left for Him to do, but I am left with a choice as to whether or not I respond to the conviction in my heart and receive Christ as my Saviour.
Like the miners who agreed to be rescued I stepped into the capsule of His love and I received new life and hope for the future. He wrapped His arms around me to the applause of heaven. My life will never be the same.
God bless you Church as you remain open to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in your life, willing to be rescued and ready to encourage others to reach out to Christ and be saved.
Pastor Ross
