Good morning. Good morning. It's a real joy for me to be here and see familiar and friendly faces. Forgive me for not remembering all of your names, but I do remember your faces.

And I want to thank you once again for just a warm reception that you have given to my wife and I, and I bring you greetings from your brothers and sisters in Portland, Oregon, Glen Collin Baptist Church. Please turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12, and I'd like to read verses 22 through 32. Matthew chapter 12, beginning to read in verse 22, and please give careful attention to the reading of God's holy word.

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, that is, to Jesus, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw, and all the people were amazed and said, can this be the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, it is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man cast out demons. Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself.

How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Or how can someone enter a strongman's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strongman? then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore, I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come as far as we read God's Word. There is a great deal of truth contained in that passage, but today we will gather our thoughts primarily around verses 22 and 23. That a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him and he healed him So that the man spoke and saw and all the people were amazed and said, can this be the son of David? Our theme today is the amazing son of David, savior of needy sinners.

We'll consider that under three main heads. First,

Jesus Proves His Messiahship

Jesus gives proof that he is indeed the Messiah. Second, Jesus is the Savior of needy sinners. And third, we will consider the abiding proof that Jesus is the Savior of sinners or what he has done for sinners once for all. Let's pray and ask for God's help.

Our Father in Heaven, we do thank you once again for the grand privilege and blessing that is ours to gather together on this, your day. And we thank you for your word that is able to make us wise to salvation. And Father, we are very aware of our own inability to do anything of spiritual value, and we need your help. And we pray that your Holy Spirit would come and be our teacher, We pray, Father, for clarity and understanding of your word to the end that Christ would be glorified, that your people would be drawn closer to you.

And, Father, might you be pleased to speak even this day to sinners and cause some to be born again. We will thank you and praise you for your help and for hearing our prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.

Introduction

In the preceding and the immediate context, which we just read, we see how the Lord Jesus had been busy healing the sick and preaching the gospel. These were indeed busy and exhausting days for the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, there was this growing opposition. Recently, opposition over the Sabbath commandment.

And there was a mounting hatred of the Lord Jesus among the Jews, especially the Pharisees, the religious leaders. If you go back to verse 14, but the Pharisees went out and conspired against him how to destroy him. How sad, the Lord Jesus came as a light in a dark world by doing good. telling the truth with compassion, and he was rejected by the darkness. And there is a lesson right away for each of us that we must bear in mind, and I would speak especially to you young people, you older young people.

And you must understand that following Jesus Christ will not make you friends and all popular with everyone. In fact, there are those in the world who will react to your faith in and your love for the Lord Jesus Christ with hatred and bitterness. Jesus said, if you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you, John 15. and verse 19.

So don't be surprised, brethren, that unbelievers react with anger when you shine the light of the gospel upon them. The servant is not above his master. And make no mistake, we are called. We are called to be lights in a dark world to shine brightly for Jesus Christ.

And now in the passage before us this morning, Matthew draws our attention to an amazing event. A man was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed. Moreover, this man was blind and mute. He couldn't see or speak.

And Matthew simply says, don't you love the simplicity, the power of this? Matthew simply says, Jesus healed him. instantly and completely in so much that the man right away both spoke and saw. Read in the passage that all the people were amazed. And they asked, can this be the son of David?

Now obviously, this was a needy man. Desperately needy man. He was mute. And often it's true that people who can't speak can't hear.

And maybe that was the case with this man. In addition, he was blind. So just think how needy he was. He couldn't communicate to those around him.

He was isolated and cut off. And on top of all of that, a demon possessed him, oppressed him, the ESV says, the King James says he was possessed. What a horrible reality. And today we might find that hard to understand, but we should observe that not all such afflictions in scripture in the New Testament are attributed to demon possession.

There were those who were afflicted, but not demon possessed or oppressed. For example, Turn over to Matthew chapter 15, verses 30 and 31. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others. And they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered When they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel." Note nothing is mentioned of those afflictions being the result of demon activity or demon possession.

In the case of the man being born blind in the Gospel of John chapter 9, In verse 1, we read, as he passed by, he saw, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. And you'll see how the Lord Jesus healed the man with no reference to demon activity. We can think of blind Bartimaeus, or even how the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias, you may remember, who was suddenly, he suddenly became mute, unable to speak for a time, and it was at God's hand. So not all muteness, not all blindness or deafness in the Bible is attributed to demon possession, regardless what liberals today like to accuse Christians of being backwards and superstitious in their beliefs.

It's a distortion to say that. That all affliction is a result of some demon activity is a distortion of the so-called deliverance movement. Have any of you ever met someone believing that every affliction must be traced to demon activity and therefore they say what is needed in every situation of affliction is that the demons be confronted. Have you ever met anybody like that?

We had a lady in our church, when she first came to us, she wasn't converted, and she had a lot of bitterness in her heart towards the Lord. Her daughter had recently passed away with a very bad brain tumor, and she would go to the hospital and visit her daughter, not knowing what to do. And her daughter was a member of this cultic group that would gather around her bed and would pray for the demons to come out of her. And this dear lady couldn't accept any of that.

She believed her daughter was really sick and needed medical attention. They didn't allow her to see her daughter in her dying days. You see, that simply is not the teaching of the Bible. Regardless how superficially exciting it may appear to be, to be battling demons at every front, it is in fact error and the teaching leads to misery and disappointment.

However, that being said, demon possession is something that is real. And it was common at times. And it was evidently more common at the time of Christ's coming into the world. In fact, we might say that the very coming of Christ into the world was actually the occasion for the increase of activities from the of powers of darkness.

You might remember as you read in the book of Acts how the apostles Peter and Paul were also confronted by people possessed with demons. And today missionaries will report in some pagan cultures of demon possession and oppression and activity. So while we don't understand all there is to know about these matters, Brethren, one thing we do understand is that the Lord Jesus is sovereign and he rules over the demons. He's in control of all of these things.

Go back to Matthew chapter 4 verses 10 and 11 for a moment and I just, I love these verses. You know the context. The Lord Jesus has been in the wilderness for 40 days without food or drink and he's been tempted by the devil. And we read at the conclusion of that, In verse 10, Jesus said to him, be gone Satan for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.

Then the devil left him and behold angels came and were ministering to him. Be gone Satan. He dismissed him. So Jesus can cast out demons and His miracles that Matthew records for us in this section of his gospel are intended to teach us something about his great love and compassion.

And we don't forget that he is all-powerful as well. What an amazing Savior, full of love and power. He came to set captives free out of love and compassion, and he has power to deliver those kept in the bonds of slavery. And brethren, that's good news, is it not?

Because with Christ, there is hope for the hopeless. In fact, this passage teaches us that for Jesus, there are no hopeless cases. Sometimes you may feel hopeless. Sometimes you may feel as if you're beyond his love or his reach, but it's not so.

And the reason we are presented with this account here of this, the healing of this desperately needy man is to teach us the truth that Jesus saves desperate sinners. Matthew gives us these accounts of physical healings to show that the physical effects of sin and Christ delivering from them are illustrations and lessons concerning Christ's willingness and ability to deliver from sin itself. To set us free from guilt and the power that sin has over us and all of its effects and consequences. Jesus saves to the uttermost.

The Miracle as Messianic Proof

Now in this miracle the Lord Jesus gave powerful proof of his messiahship. Note Matthew said simply, he healed him. He healed him and the people were amazed. Literally they are taken back in astonishment.

I like what Hendrickson said, he said they were not off their senses. We might say today in our vernacular, they were blown away. How amazing the thing. And take note of what they said.

Can this be the son of David? Son of David, well that was the name and character by which Messiah was looked for. In fact, during Christ's earthly ministry, Son of David and Messiah had become synonymous terms. In fact, it's interesting to note, if you turn over to Matthew chapter 21, and we just read verses 15 and 16.

But when the chief priest and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, And the children crying out in the temple, Hosanna to the son of David, they were indignant. And they said to him, do you hear what these are saying? To Jesus, do you hear what these kids are, they're calling you Messiah. And Jesus said to them, yes, have you never read out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes you have prepared a praise.

So back in Matthew 12, the people are asking with a measure of doubt, can this be the son of David? Hendrickson writes, the question was so phrased that a modified negative answer was expected. Somewhat on the order No, he's probably not the son of David, and yet, who else could he be to perform such a miracle? An important question.

Who else could this be? I appreciated Hendrickson's comments at this point. He went on, and bear with me one paragraph. He went on and wrote, but though we should guard ourselves against attaching too little significance to the question, we must equally refrain from reading too much into it.

It must be borne in mind that even if it should be granted that these people, at least some of them, saw in Jesus the Messiah, the further question would still be, what kind of Messiah? Merely a deliverer from earthly woes, such as bodily afflictions and handicaps, yes, even from demons, possibly also a potential rescuer from the Roman yoke, hints from degradation and oppression, all of this, but not from sin, not from the evil underlying all other miseries, namely man's alienation from God. The messianic conception of the people, including to some extent Christ's own disciples, was distinctly materialistic, earthly, Judaistic. The very suggestion of the possibility, no matter how imperfectly and remotely conceived or presented that Jesus might be the long-awaited one was poison to the Pharisees.

I feel I should interject here. Don't underestimate the settled unreasonableness and hatred of the Pharisees for towards Jesus Christ. We read a moment ago if you go back to verses 12 and 14 Actually just verse 14, but the Pharisees went out and they conspired against him how to destroy him. Turn over to Mark's gospel chapter 3 and verse 6.

The Pharisees went out immediately and immediately held consul with the Herodians against him how to destroy him. Now can you imagine? The Pharisees, the rulers in Israel, the Herodians were their natural enemies. They despised them.

They despised the fact that Herod had given them rule over them in Jerusalem. But their hatred for Christ is so much greater they went out with them and conspired with them as to how they might destroy Jesus. In Luke chapter 6 in verse 11 we read that they were filled with fury. They denied the clear evidence that Jesus was the Messiah and they rejected Christ.

And the thing is, this miracle was precisely of the kind that Messiah was expected to perform. This is exactly what was predicted of Messiah. in the Old Testament. It was foretold by the prophets. For example, in Isaiah 35.5 we read, then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

And remember when John the Baptist had doubt and he asked the Lord through his messengers in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 3 while he was in prison, are you the one who is to come? Are you the Messiah? Are you the son of David? Or shall we look for another?

And how did Jesus respond? He referred to such miracles that he was doing just like this one as positive proof of his Messiahship. Matthew 11 verses 4 through 6. What an amazing and wonderful miracle. the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, the truth of who Jesus was so clearly set forth.

But the envious Pharisees, in order to deny the conclusions of truth, ascribe the miracle to a partnership with the devil. They couldn't deny that a healing had taken place. And so what do they do? They ascribe its power to a partnership with the devil.

Matthew 12, look at verse 24. But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, it is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this man cast out demons. The hardness, brethren, and the unreasonableness of sinful unbelief clearly demonstrate it. And our Lord argued with them that if their view was correct, what would be taking place is that Satan would be undermining his own kingdom.

And he describes that in verses 25 and 26. And since that's inconceivable, and that denies even common sense, and the Pharisees had to recognize that, then it must be clear, as Jesus continued to say in verses 7 and 28 where he says, and if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if it is by the spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

That was not good news to the Pharisees. So again we see the purpose of this miracle as with the others was to establish his claim as the Messiah. It was to give sufficient warrant for the people to receive him as the appointed Savior of the world. In order for them to embrace and to enter his kingdom.

Isaiah 59 20, and the Redeemer shall come to Zion. We sing, come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free. From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. He is the great Lord and he is the king to whom all power and all authority in heaven and upon earth has been delivered.

Christ Jesus is the Son of David. He is the Savior of desperately needy sinners, and that's the point of this passage before us this morning.

Jesus Saves Desperately Needy Sinners

He is the amazing Son of David, and this blind man is brought to Christ. A beautiful picture of the gospel of free grace. This man, utterly hopeless and helpless, cannot see, probably can't hear, but only feel his way about. He can't speak.

He's possessed with a demon who moves him here and there in turmoil and trouble and unrest. And just think how he is brought to the savior of the lost and needy. What a wonderful, moving, living picture. What a beautiful illustration.

The most wretched of men can be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's consider this man a little closer.

Spiritual Blindness of Natural Man

First, he was blind. Now, isn't that an illustration of how all men are spiritually blind? The Bible says that We are dead in trespasses and sins of ourselves and dead men and women don't see. And so here in his blindness is a picture, you see.

It's not just an amazing story, which it is, but a wonderful picture of how we are of ourselves. Tell me, what is there in the world in all of reality that of ourselves we see correctly. What is it? One of my favorite preachers, Charles Simeon, he asked the question this way, what views have we of our duty, our interest, or our happiness?

How do we see those things? How do we see our responsibility? How do we see our purpose in life? How do we see our real happiness?

He then explains, you might assume that every rational thinking person should see, understand, with a little help maybe, that his great duty in life is to love and to serve God. And that he might see his interest or his great motivation and purpose in life should be to secure that divine favor and his happiness. And he might see that to enjoy the very presence of God and a foretaste of his eternal inheritance. The Bible declares in many places what the catechism clearly teaches.

The chief end of man, that is his number one interest, his number one purpose in life, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But who really sees that? I mean, where do you find people of themselves acting in alignment with such a view? Instead, men's earthly endeavors and occupations and enjoyments of this world are of the highest obligation and attention.

And the desire for God's presence, his favor, his heavenly favor and the things of eternity is lost as man sets his sights on things of the world. It's for those things, those things of the world that he is engaged. It's for those things for which he is ambitious and anxious over. It's for those things that he plans, and he works, and he strides, and he frets, and he worries about the things of the world, things that are passing away.

And it's not that God hasn't told us differently. It's not that God hasn't told us that this world is like a broken fountain. that it can't hold water, Jeremiah 2.13. Or as 1 John 2.17 says, the world is passing away along with its desires. What shall it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

So the Bible clearly declares that no real, no lasting rest or joy can be derived from any source but from God. God is the fountain. of living waters. But we don't see it of ourselves. It's not our concern by nature because we are spiritually blind until by grace our eyes are opened.

Until we are born again. And so Jesus says in John chapter 3 In verse 3, truly, truly, unless one is born again, he cannot what? He cannot see. The word see there means to understand so as to appreciate.

Pastor Al Martin used to say he cannot savvy the kingdom of God, even though it's come right before him. This poor blind man, was desperately needy, but the Pharisees were much worse off. And so our passage has been recorded in order for us to see how we are by ourselves. For us to understand how it is that we live in the world of ourselves, spiritually blind.

And man doesn't realize that. And it's not just that we are spiritually blind, you see, we don't think it so. I remember my own experience before I was born again. Let me speak to some of you older young people.

I was raised in the church like probably many of you are. I heard the gospel from week to week. And I never believed I was blind to spiritual reality growing up. I knew all I needed to know.

I could see clearly. But the Bible declares the reality that man doesn't realize spiritual reality. He doesn't see sin for what it is. He might say, I've messed up.

I've made some mistakes that were costly and a bit painful. But he sees no offense against God, his creator. He sees no guilt. Everybody sins, he might say.

He might even go so far as to say, well, I did wrong towards that person. I was unkind. I thought badly. I even wish they were dead, but guilty before God?

The judgment of God and that my sins deserve hell? Man's blind to that. He doesn't see that he is given over to his sin. He might sin now and then, he would admit, but in his mind, you see, he's not a sinner.

In fact, he justifies and he validates himself. He says, in the end, the good outweighs the bad. He's blind to the spiritual reality that he is a sinner in his heart and in his mind. As the Bible says, at enmity with God and under his judgment, his condemnation.

Moreover, such a person doesn't see who Christ is. He has no room for Christ. He's full to the brim with himself. And the natural man doesn't see the necessity of Christ.

Again, my own testimony to these things. Growing up in the church, I never remember a time that I didn't believe Jesus was the Son of God. I don't ever remember that, when I didn't believe that. I don't ever remember a time that I didn't know Jesus died on the cross for sinners, and that he was buried, and he rose again on the third day, and that he went back to heaven.

I believed all of that. But I didn't have any time for that in my life. I wasn't interested in Jesus being my Lord. The spiritual truth is foolishness to the natural mind.

Because he just doesn't understand as the Apostle Paul says there in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Now that's how man is by nature. Spiritually blind. I should stop and And ask, I would be negligent if I didn't.

Have you ever come to a time when you could see these things? Have you ever come to a time in your life when you could see your sin? That you came to know and understand that it was real. And that it was ugly.

And that it was from the heart. And that it was against God in heaven. Have you ever come to conviction and a sense of true grief and sorrow over that sin? Like Isaiah in the Old Testament who cried, woe is me.

I'm undone. I'm coming apart, literally. I'm lost. I'm a man of unclean lips.

A sinner. Have you ever seen your need for the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your sins? To be merciful to you. Have you ever come to the place where you stood like the publican, Lord be merciful to me, a sinner.

Have your eyes been opened to that? Have you ever prayed like David in Psalm 119 and verse 18? Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your love. You must be born again.

Except a man be born again, born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God, even though it has come very near to you.

Spiritual Muteness of Natural Man

In addition, this desperately needy man couldn't speak. He was blind and he couldn't speak. Our text points that out. Well, it's amazing when you think about how we're made, how we're put together, isn't it?

When you think of the human body and the tongue is a wonderful thing in one sense. When David repented of his sins, He prayed in Psalm 51 and verse 14, my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. You see, that's what the tongue is designed for. But how is the tongue used for God?

Read Psalm 39, because when David sinned, he was silent. Do sinful, spiritually blind people praise God with their tongue. By nature, we don't speak of Him in the exercise of prayer and praise. Of course, we have numerous needs, multiplied needs, and sometimes out of a sense of selfish desire, we ask for God's help.

I have a friend I worked with for many years when I used to work for the Boeing company, and from time to time he will still call me. I don't know the last time he was ever in church. He has no time for Christ in his life. But if he gets in a bind, he will call me and ask me to pray for him or the particular situation in which he's in.

It's real easy for me to get judgmental about that, but I have to remember where I was at many years ago. That's how we are by nature. We don't use the tongue in the exercise of real prayer, of desiring his name to be glorified and hallowed, asking for his will to be accomplished in our lives. And in spite of all of God's mercies to the natural man, he doesn't speak to God in praise.

And in the world, as we make a way for ourselves, we don't speak of God or his honor of ourselves. And there's no limit of things that we might speak of or things that we might tweet about. We could have any number of conversations about politics and sports and music or weather or health, whatever it may be. And even among our friends and family, it's as if at times there's a general agreement not to speak of God.

This is my favorite time of the year. I love this. I love the end of October, not because of Halloween, but because of Reformation Day. This is Reformation Sunday, isn't it?

Wednesday is the anniversary of the Reformation, and I love this time of year because then we begin to look towards, in the United States, we have Thanksgiving. Do you have Thanksgiving in Canada? I hope you have Thanksgiving every day in Canada. A couple weeks ago, okay.

Close. I love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite of all the holidays, to be able to sit down with family and friends and to really thank God. I really think it's a wonderful holiday when observed in that spirit.

We have some friends, very dear friends of ours we've known for many years, and we used to spend Thanksgiving with them. And they professed to be Christians, but they were somewhat nominal in their faith. And my friend had his sister would always come over for Thanksgiving dinner as well. And he would always say to me before we would sit down for dinner, now Phil, please, no God talk today.

And by the way, will you give thanks and ask the blessing. You see, by sin, man has become spiritually mute. By grace, David saw this and in humility, out of his sin, he repented and he prayed in that 51st Psalm, Oh Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise. And so we see in our passage in verse 22 that a demon oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him and he healed him so that the man spoke and saw.

He spoke. So when by grace the Lord saves the people, he saves them for his praise. Brethren, the Lord Jesus has no spiritually mute people among his redeemed. Do you believe that?

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumph of His grace. By grace, we know how to praise and honor His glorious name. Not of ourselves, by grace. And it's our delight to speak well of the one who has saved our souls.

You see, the child of God just can't keep that in. He's like that man that, can you imagine? He couldn't see, all of a sudden, boom, he sees. He couldn't speak, and all of a sudden, words.

Do you think you could have shut him up? He spoke. The child of God just can't keep it in. It's like a young man smitten with his girlfriend.

It just bubbles up. It comes out. I don't know if I can say this or not, but it's all right. I'm visiting so I can say it and I'm going home.

I believe in romance. I'm not talking about sinful lust. I believe in romance. And when I do marriage counseling with a young couple, I like to know that this young man really loves her.

And when a young man really loves This girl, it'll bubble. He won't be able to keep it in. His desire will be to spend his life with her and to speak of her. And that's the way it is for the one who's born again.

That's the way it is for the one who's been forgiven all of his sins. He can't help but tell what Jesus has done for him. We love to tell, I love to tell the story. of unseen things above. I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love.

Listen, that's biblical. Isaiah 43, 21, the people whom I formed for myself, why? That they might declare my praise. First Peter chapter 2, verses 9 and 10.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You see, once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy, and you can't be quiet about it. You're going to speak his praises.

Needy sinners delivered by Christ don't want to talk about themselves. Some people even in the church are stuck on themselves. I did this. I had this experience and let me tell you about this experience that I have.

It's me, me, me. And that's not good. That's not evidence of grace. It needs to be about Christ.

Let me tell you what He has done for me. Let me tell you how gracious and merciful and patient and kind He has been to me. Once, I couldn't see. I couldn't speak His praises.

I was lost, but now I'm found. And with their tongue, they express a desire to know more about Him, to love Him more, to serve Him with greater zeal and energy. They sing as we did earlier, oh for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's, one's not enough. The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace.

Is that how it is with you? Or are you still spiritually mute?

Enslaved to Satan by Nature

Now coming back to this man in Matthew 12, we read that he was oppressed by a demon. And what can we say except he wasn't his own master. The devil controlled him and exercised power over him. And that cruel master had taken away his eyesight, and his speech.

Now to a certain extent, that's a picture of every sinner. Don't misunderstand me. Not every sinner is oppressed or possessed by a demon. But every sinner is under the evil influence of Satan.

Every sinner is born under that wicked and hard taskmaster. The Apostle Paul reminds the Christians at Ephesus of that very thing. Ephesians chapter 1. Oh, all that grand truth of what they are in Christ, in Christ.

Fourteen times. Their predestination, their election, their adoption, their forgiveness, their redemption. All of that in Christ. In Christ.

In Christ. Chapter 2. Don't forget. You were dead in trespasses and sins.

Back yonder. Don't forget what you were. And how you live. According to the course of this world, you followed the dictates of your own sinful hearts and desires, just like all the rest of the people in the world.

That's what you were. And you lived under the power of the prince, the power of the air. You were, by nature, children of wrath, even as others. Every sinner is under the evil influence of Satan, under that wicked and hard taskmaster.

And he tells the natural man, go ahead and lie. Go ahead and curse and covet what your neighbor has. It's not fair anyway, is it? He's got something you don't.

Go ahead and desire it. And you say in your natural condition, yes, master, a little lie won't hurt. I'm going to curse. I've got to let off some steam.

And I will stew in my discontent. Life just isn't fair. That's how natural man goes because he's under the influence of the devil. 2 Corinthians 4.4 says, Satan has blinded the minds, that is the spiritual senses. of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. Now grace changes all of that.

By the gospel we have a new master, Jesus Christ. But we don't forget, we don't forget from where we came.

Christ's Atoning Work for Sinners

Now think of what Christ has done to save desperate, needy sinners, which we all are. Spiritually blind, mute, children of the devil, he bore the wrath of God on the cross of Calvary. That's what he did. And he did so, so that the riches of divine grace and mercy should be displayed in the deliverance, in the salvation of needy, guilty, very guilty, terribly guilty men and women.

He bore on the cross our sins. He took upon himself the guilt and the shame and the punishment that those sins deserved. Christ Jesus died for sinners in their place. Literally, he died instead of sinners.

Sinners like you and me. Desperate, needy sinners. And now he is risen from the dead. He is exalted to God's right hand.

And he is constituted both Lord and Christ and he is given a name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And he is exalted so that he may give us the grace we desperately stand in need of. Acts 5.31 God exalted him at his right hand and as leader and savior to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. That's why the Apostle John teaches in 1 John 3.8 that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.

He came to destroy his works and his influence in us. When Christ arose and ascended to heaven, he poured out the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit, which indeed are promised to all who believe. And by the spirit of grace, as Ephesians 2, 17 and 18 says, he will open the eyes of our understanding. And with all the other saints, you see, we will open our lips that we may show forth His praise.

The Abiding Proof: Christ's Saving Work

This is the very office and work of the amazing Son of David, the Messiah, the Savior of desperately needy sinners. He is, as Colossians 1.19 says, made head over all things to the church for this very purpose. And what a complete and divine savior he is. There is a fullness that is treasured up in him for the salvation of his people.

He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by him. And he is ever willing to save you from your sin. He is a powerful and willing Savior. Might you go to Him even today?

No Hopeless Cases with Christ

See, there is no reason to be discouraged. There is no reason to doubt. There is no reason to think that you are beyond the reach of His mercy. And listen, you can't prepare yourself.

You can't make yourself savable. See this story in our text, it's about how hopeless was that man. And so we're assured, you see, that there are no hopeless cases with Christ. The things which are hid from the wise and prudent, our Lord will reveal unto babes.

Things that are impossible with man are possible with God. So look to Christ and be saved. The spiritually blind that they may see, the mute that they may speak, and not one will be disappointed of this hope. Our blessed God calls all people to come unto him for life and fullness of blessing.

He calls this morning in the gospel message. He calls you to repent of your sins and to believe on him and not one who seeks his face does so in vain. Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found.

I was blind but now I see. Let me tell you, this poor man in our passage was in a very bad way. But if you are spiritually blind and mute so that you have no spiritual perception, you cannot see so as to appreciate the Kingdom of God. You're way worse off than that blind man.

Charles Simeon wrote, if you have not a truly spiritual use of your faculties, possess what else you may, you are in a far worse condition than the man whom Satan had rendered blind and mute. His wants might be supplied by others, yours cannot. His would cease at death. Yours will never terminate.

His might be far more than compensated by the acquisition of spiritual attainments, but what can ever compensate for the wants which you experience? 10,000 worlds could not be to you any compensation for the loss of spiritual faculties and spiritual enjoyments, then I entreat you Come to the Lord Jesus Christ who was able and as willing to supply your wants as ever he was to heal those who were brought to him in the days of old. Come to Christ. And if you've been saved so that you are made new in Christ, to see his beauty, And you're here this morning and you have an appreciation for His goodness. And by grace you've been enabled to embrace His kingdom.

Then you have a new song in your heart. So strive to use all that is renewed by grace to the glory of Christ and to the good of His people. Dear brethren, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.

Amen. Let's pray.

Closing Prayer

Most gracious and loving Father in heaven, we do thank you and praise you for the gospel, the good news of the gospel. We thank you that Jesus Christ indeed has come. the Savior of desperate centers. And we, many of us here, Father, are so thankful for what you have done for us in Christ. And we thank you that we have a redemption, even the forgiveness of all of our sins.

We thank you, Father, that you have opened our blind eyes. You have loosed our deaf tongues. And we just praise you. Father, help us to live out of an awareness and a deeper sense of gratitude to all that you've done for us.

And Father, undoubtedly, there are some here this morning that are yet in the darkness of sin, who cannot see, so to appreciate your kingdom. We pray, Father, that you would cause them, by your grace, to be born again. Grant unto them repentance of their sins and faith. Enable them to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, who was able to save to the uttermost. and we'll thank you and praise you for all of this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Scripture References

• Isaiah 35:5; 43:21; 59:20
• Jeremiah 2:13
• Psalm 39; 51:14; 119:18
• Matthew 4:10-11; 11:3; 11:4-6; 12:14; 12:22-23; 12:24; 12:25-26; 12:27-28; 15:30-31; 21:15-16
• Mark 3:6
• Luke 6:11
• John 3:3; 9:1; 15:19
• Acts 5:31
• 1 Corinthians 2
• 2 Corinthians 4:4
• Ephesians 1; 2:1; 2:17-18
• Colossians 1:19
• 1 Peter 2:9-10
• 1 John 2:17; 3:8