[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 13th of August, 2017. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Even before being elected President, Abraham Lincoln wanted his divided nation to be reunited once again. In a speech in 1858, Mr. Lincoln paraphrased the Bible when he asserted, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Throughout history, many leaders have paraphrased another Bible verse in this same passage when they said, “You’re either with me or against me.”
Our Lord Jesus is the Author of both these concepts, and they both come to us from an incident where the Pharisees had once again tried to disparage our Lord and make trouble for Him. Listen and follow along as I read from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this incident that the Apostle Matthew recorded in his Gospel account, in chapter 12 verses 22 through 30…
Our Lord Jesus is the Author of both these concepts, and they both come to us from an incident where the Pharisees had once again tried to disparage our Lord and make trouble for Him. Listen and follow along as I read from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this incident that the Apostle Matthew recorded in his Gospel account, in chapter 12 verses 22 through 30…
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."
--Matthew 12:22-30 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, Your Son Jesus worked under Your authority and with the great power of Your Holy Spirit to do wondrous things. Speak to us now, Father, through Your strong Holy Spirit directly into our hearts, that we might better understand Your will for us. Let us hear Your voice in Your message this morning. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Throughout life we find ourselves in a position of needing to make a decision. We must choose between two or more options, each having its own pros and cons, its own benefits and detractors. It can often be tough to choose, and sometimes we simply don’t. American philosopher William James noted that, “When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice.”
Our decisions very often center around which side we will take in a given situation, which again can present a difficult choice where we might prefer to just go down the middle and not have to choose. Holocaust survivor, author, and human rights activist Elie Wiesel once said, "We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
James and Wiesel are saying we have to make a choice, we are morally bound to do so. Why is it so important to choose sides? Author C. S. Lewis tells of Jesus' return:
"This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side."
Jesus said, “Choose – choose which side you want to be on.” He didn’t say it exactly like that, though. But it was pretty much like, “You’re either with me or against me. There’s no middle of the road to walk down, no fence to sit on. Choose a side.”
The Pharisees accused Jesus of being on Satan’s side. They said He was doing all those wondrous things by the power and authority of Beelzebub, better known by us as Satan. And of course Jesus rebuked them by pointing out that Satan would never allow anyone to cast out his own demons. If he did, his power would be eroded, his “house” divided, and his reign destroyed. A house divided against itself cannot stand, but will be destroyed. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself and his kingdom cannot stand.
No, Jesus did all His miraculous acts and signs under the authority of God in heaven and in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. And that shows us there are only two sides to choose from. We can stand on the side of Jesus, or of Satan. Which side do we really choose?
Mr. Lincoln saw how difficult it was becoming for a divided nation to continue to stand. And still today, we can see forces at work trying to tear apart this great nation, dividing states, communities, even families down ideological lines. We once considered ourselves one nation under God. The devil couldn’t allow that, so now more and more seem to choose to stand with Satan rather than Jesus.
But I believe there is a greater risk than seeing our nation divided and being destroyed. That risk has been witnessed and exemplified right here in this Pilgrim family, and not that long ago. There is an increasing risk of the very body of Jesus Christ being divided, being pulled apart, being brought to desolation. Once the center and heart of the local community, the church today is losing influence in the modern world. And I feel we are rapidly approaching a crossroads where there will only be two choices.
Who do we serve? There are still many church families like Pilgrim that stay true to God’s word, that follow and adhere to scripture, that understand we are here to serve God and His Son Jesus our Christ, to worship Him. We’re not here to be entertained or to be seen by others or to put on a false face and a nice show.
And Satan hates us! He will do anything he can to drive a wedge between us, knowing that even this house cannot stand if it becomes divided against itself. Had it not been for the Spirit of God working mightily through some good men and women, this house would have fallen.
And family, those forces are still at work, even here as well as elsewhere in Jesus’ church. There are still those who would plant and water the seeds of dissention and distrust, rather than of love and cooperation. They very likely don’t see it this way, though. They probably think they are working for Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us that as Saul, he was a very good and righteous Jew, doing the work of God as he persecuted and chased down these rebellious Christians. He did not realize he was doing Satan’s work until Jesus showed him the truth.
Family, we need to see the truth! We need to choose who we will serve. For Joshua, there really was no choice. Listen to what he instructs his fellow Jews, and us today, in chapter 24, verses 14 and 15 of his book…
Who will we serve? Who will this house, this family of Pilgrim, serve? Jesus was quite clear on the consequences of our choice. Listen to what He tells us in the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 12, verses 8 and 9...
At some point in our lives, if we consider ourselves to be a follower of Jesus, we made that choice. We frequently confess Jesus as our Lord before others, such as when we reaffirm our faith through the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed. We would never deny Christ before men, would we!? We stand with Jesus, right? - not with Satan!
Sadly, we might not even realize when we are making the wrong choice. Like Paul, we might even think we are doing God’s work while at that same moment driving another nail into Christ’s hands, striking at the very foundation of His body left here on earth. We confess Jesus as Lord with our lips, but what is in our heart?
Before every decision, with every word that leaves our mouth, we must make sure we are supporting the body of Christ, not trying to pull it down. We must work to build up the church, not destroy it. Even right here, in this little church family known as Pilgrim. God has a plan for us, for each of us. He put us all here for a reason – every one of us has a role to play, a task to fill, in this great plan. It is up to us to choose to serve Jesus and strengthen His body, or to serve Satan and weaken it.
This is the time to serve our Lord in sincerity and truth, putting away the false gods of convenience and entertainment that the self-serving world worships. This is the time to gather up the wayward and the lost of Jesus’ flock and bring them home, not scatter them around the countryside. This is the time to stand up and say… As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
Stand with Christ. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Joshua had great faith in You and in what You promised. Even when his peers doubted Your word and looked only to their own strength and found themselves lacking, Joshua trusted You completely and was ready to move at Your command. And You rewarded Joshua by making him the leader of Your chosen people as they finally crossed into the land You promised them. Thank You, Father, for giving us faith, and for Your great faithfulness. Please help us put all our trust in You. Please help us serve only You.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thankful for Your grace and mercy, repenting of our sin, and seeking Your assurance of our pardon…
Lord Jesus, You offer us all two choices. We can stand with You and serve God our Father, or we can stand with Satan and serve the forces of evil that want nothing more than to tear the world apart. You make it clear to us, Lord, that these is no middle ground. We can’t just sit on the fence and watch to see what happens next. If we don’t get up and stand with You, then we are working against You. And Jesus, since we know that Your church is Your body left on earth, that we must also stand with Your church as well, looking to You for guidance, serving only You and God. We must remain united, as one people under our Father God, or else Satan will surely divide us and scatter us to the four winds. Thank You, Jesus, for showing us what we must do, and for so clearly showing us the consequences of our actions, or inaction. Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to fully trust You, when we hesitate to confess You before our fellow man, when we doubt You. Help us to follow Your lead in all we do. Give us the strength to stand at Your side even as the world tries to rip us away. Support us with Your strong, steady hand when we tremble from fatigue or fear. Help us always and only serve You and our Father God.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
Throughout life we find ourselves in a position of needing to make a decision. We must choose between two or more options, each having its own pros and cons, its own benefits and detractors. It can often be tough to choose, and sometimes we simply don’t. American philosopher William James noted that, “When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice.”
Our decisions very often center around which side we will take in a given situation, which again can present a difficult choice where we might prefer to just go down the middle and not have to choose. Holocaust survivor, author, and human rights activist Elie Wiesel once said, "We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
James and Wiesel are saying we have to make a choice, we are morally bound to do so. Why is it so important to choose sides? Author C. S. Lewis tells of Jesus' return:
"This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side."
Jesus said, “Choose – choose which side you want to be on.” He didn’t say it exactly like that, though. But it was pretty much like, “You’re either with me or against me. There’s no middle of the road to walk down, no fence to sit on. Choose a side.”
The Pharisees accused Jesus of being on Satan’s side. They said He was doing all those wondrous things by the power and authority of Beelzebub, better known by us as Satan. And of course Jesus rebuked them by pointing out that Satan would never allow anyone to cast out his own demons. If he did, his power would be eroded, his “house” divided, and his reign destroyed. A house divided against itself cannot stand, but will be destroyed. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself and his kingdom cannot stand.
No, Jesus did all His miraculous acts and signs under the authority of God in heaven and in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. And that shows us there are only two sides to choose from. We can stand on the side of Jesus, or of Satan. Which side do we really choose?
Mr. Lincoln saw how difficult it was becoming for a divided nation to continue to stand. And still today, we can see forces at work trying to tear apart this great nation, dividing states, communities, even families down ideological lines. We once considered ourselves one nation under God. The devil couldn’t allow that, so now more and more seem to choose to stand with Satan rather than Jesus.
But I believe there is a greater risk than seeing our nation divided and being destroyed. That risk has been witnessed and exemplified right here in this Pilgrim family, and not that long ago. There is an increasing risk of the very body of Jesus Christ being divided, being pulled apart, being brought to desolation. Once the center and heart of the local community, the church today is losing influence in the modern world. And I feel we are rapidly approaching a crossroads where there will only be two choices.
Who do we serve? There are still many church families like Pilgrim that stay true to God’s word, that follow and adhere to scripture, that understand we are here to serve God and His Son Jesus our Christ, to worship Him. We’re not here to be entertained or to be seen by others or to put on a false face and a nice show.
And Satan hates us! He will do anything he can to drive a wedge between us, knowing that even this house cannot stand if it becomes divided against itself. Had it not been for the Spirit of God working mightily through some good men and women, this house would have fallen.
And family, those forces are still at work, even here as well as elsewhere in Jesus’ church. There are still those who would plant and water the seeds of dissention and distrust, rather than of love and cooperation. They very likely don’t see it this way, though. They probably think they are working for Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us that as Saul, he was a very good and righteous Jew, doing the work of God as he persecuted and chased down these rebellious Christians. He did not realize he was doing Satan’s work until Jesus showed him the truth.
Family, we need to see the truth! We need to choose who we will serve. For Joshua, there really was no choice. Listen to what he instructs his fellow Jews, and us today, in chapter 24, verses 14 and 15 of his book…
14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
--Joshua 24:14-15 (NKJV)
8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God."
--Luke 12:8-9 (NKJV)
Sadly, we might not even realize when we are making the wrong choice. Like Paul, we might even think we are doing God’s work while at that same moment driving another nail into Christ’s hands, striking at the very foundation of His body left here on earth. We confess Jesus as Lord with our lips, but what is in our heart?
Before every decision, with every word that leaves our mouth, we must make sure we are supporting the body of Christ, not trying to pull it down. We must work to build up the church, not destroy it. Even right here, in this little church family known as Pilgrim. God has a plan for us, for each of us. He put us all here for a reason – every one of us has a role to play, a task to fill, in this great plan. It is up to us to choose to serve Jesus and strengthen His body, or to serve Satan and weaken it.
This is the time to serve our Lord in sincerity and truth, putting away the false gods of convenience and entertainment that the self-serving world worships. This is the time to gather up the wayward and the lost of Jesus’ flock and bring them home, not scatter them around the countryside. This is the time to stand up and say… As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
Stand with Christ. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Joshua had great faith in You and in what You promised. Even when his peers doubted Your word and looked only to their own strength and found themselves lacking, Joshua trusted You completely and was ready to move at Your command. And You rewarded Joshua by making him the leader of Your chosen people as they finally crossed into the land You promised them. Thank You, Father, for giving us faith, and for Your great faithfulness. Please help us put all our trust in You. Please help us serve only You.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thankful for Your grace and mercy, repenting of our sin, and seeking Your assurance of our pardon…
Lord Jesus, You offer us all two choices. We can stand with You and serve God our Father, or we can stand with Satan and serve the forces of evil that want nothing more than to tear the world apart. You make it clear to us, Lord, that these is no middle ground. We can’t just sit on the fence and watch to see what happens next. If we don’t get up and stand with You, then we are working against You. And Jesus, since we know that Your church is Your body left on earth, that we must also stand with Your church as well, looking to You for guidance, serving only You and God. We must remain united, as one people under our Father God, or else Satan will surely divide us and scatter us to the four winds. Thank You, Jesus, for showing us what we must do, and for so clearly showing us the consequences of our actions, or inaction. Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to fully trust You, when we hesitate to confess You before our fellow man, when we doubt You. Help us to follow Your lead in all we do. Give us the strength to stand at Your side even as the world tries to rip us away. Support us with Your strong, steady hand when we tremble from fatigue or fear. Help us always and only serve You and our Father God.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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