08.30.2015 Sinners were drawn to Jesus - Are they drawn to you?

8-30-2015 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

SermonAudio

I am going to pray, and we will look at The Word

Lord, thank You for Your grace towards us – and that we are a part of the gospel – we participate in that. For Operation Christmas Child – we play a small part in that, and that is encouraging, but for every aspect of our lives, we should be participating in the gospel. Our participation is just as important to you as it is for anyone. So I ask You, for each of us, You have a specific role in Your kingdom to fulfill and You have chosen us to be part of – and help us to know HOW to step in to lives.

Matthew 11: 16 “To what should I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another,

17 ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance;

we wailed in mourning, yet you did not weep.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Jesus is making a contrast between John the Baptist and Himself. There are differences in form, style, and approach. Both ministries are transformational and people are converted through both. There will be different forms and styles for how we do the gospel. There are different styles and approaches for these guys and for churches.

For John and Jesus, they were both considered radical and extreme by the religious culture of their day.

For Jesus, what they focused on – He was called a ‘Friend of Sinners’ – we think of this positively – and THEY did not mean this as a compliment. They were saying that He was participating in the deeds and behaviors of the sinners and outcasts – forsaking proper religious morality. That is what is being said. His engagement with sinners was of such a nature that it caused people to question His spirituality and religious integrity.

We know those accusations are false – He was not joining in the behavior of those He was ministering to – but He lived in such a way as that is how it appeared.

Things to think about this wee k

1) Is there anything about the way YOU engage with outsiders and outcasts that would gain you an unpopular reputation with the religious majority?

2) Does our church have a reputation as being a friend of sinners?

Think about that.

If we bring this into the modern-day world – with the modern day Pharisees… - Most people think the Pharisees are the other guys. We know the right gospel, so WE can’t be the Pharisees!

Today, the modern day Pharisees – I think they would say that Jesus was soft on sin. Jesus in no way was soft on sin – and we’ll see that as we go through this – but His approach was so radical and filled with a hunger and desire to reach the lost, that that is what people thought and would think today.

Luke 15 1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Sinners were drawn to Jesus in droves.

Are sinners drawn to you or our church in droves?

What would need to change in my life, in ministry, in the church, for this to happen?

I don’t know the answer to that – but it would have to be really radical.

What Jesus did – was not complicated – He preached and performed the gospel of the Kingdom.

He lived it – the kingdom just came out of Him! And it would be good – I love doing this – reading the gospels to see HOW he did it.

It is there for us to do! We can’t do some of it – dying on the cross for people’s sins – but most of it – there is an example for us.

The gospel of the kingdom was good news for the outcasts, sinners, and outsiders.

Jesus did an amazing job of bringing them in.

When Paul writes to the Corinthians – not many mighty, noble, or wise – the church was made up of the weak and feeble.

3) are there ways our gospel message has become bad news to sinners?

Is there anything that we attach to the gospel that would make it bad news? Are there things we practice that would not coordinate with the good news? Maybe we preach it but don’t practice it.

The word WELCOMEs sinners – means so much more than being friendly – it means to receive them. Even the Pharisees would be okay with someone saying Hi, how are you when they come to synagogue… He was welcoming people in ways that were completely out of bounds!

4) Are there categories of sinners that you would not be able to receive in such a way?

Caveat – coming up – when we look at all the stories of tax collectors and sinners – there is a transformation that takes place in each!

But in each story, the transformation does not take place until the tax collector or sinner has been received and welcomed by Jesus.

It begins with Him receiving and welcoming. Then there is the transformation. Receiving precedes transformation.

We live in a changed world. It is dramatically changed –everything is different for those of us who have been around for more than 20 years. So many people are unfamiliar with the gospel – the story of Good News of Jesus Christ. There are so many who don’t even believe that it is valid.

There is tremendous amount of competition against the gospel – in 30,40,50 years, there has been so much more competition from other religions and philosophies – and one of the keys to overcoming this is to learn to receive and welcome sinners into the church community. Through that receiving – there will be transformation.

In each of these cases, the tax collector or sinner – there is a turning – a change of heart – repentance.

The repentance comes after the receiving. The repentance comes TOWARD GOD – and THEN away from sin. In turning TOWARD God, a person is enabled to turn from sin.

The kindness of God leads us to repentance.

Titus – the grace of God has been revealed – instructing us to turn away from sin

When a person sees the grace of God, only then do they have the capability to turn away from sin.

We think – they need to repent and then they can see the grace of God – but it doesn’t work that way.

Having been captured by the grace of God - This gives you the ability to turn

Matthew – He wants me to follow Him.

Zaccheus – I’m going to your house today – okay, I’ll return what I have stolen…and repay four times…

Woman in adultery – does no one condemn you? Neither do I.

Matthew 9: 12 When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

We did not earn what we have – we have what we have because God was merciful – and we need to do the same –t o be filled with grace that those who don’t know Jesus may come to know Him – through our lives and message.

Practical things – something I have learned from experience and others – and a lot from my wife – she has done a great job of this at her place of work – so I will boast on her –

Remind me what I forgot when I get to the place of forgetting it.

How do we do this friend of sinner thing in our lives? When we have family members or neighbors who don’t know Christ?

The kingdom of God is like a lump of dough with leaven – we need to learn to infiltrate and saturate our workplaces and communities.

At work – as a follower of Jesus – to infiltrate and saturate your workplace for a greater purpose than earning a living – how can I have a mindset of infiltrating and saturating this place for Jesus.

For your school – infiltrate and saturate – it is not about clocking in and clocking out.

2) We need to participate wholeheartedly in the structures and cultures of our work, communities, city, neighborhood – without compromise. IT would be easier to say – not gonna participate – but Leaven cannot ‘not participate’ – it has to infiltrate – and we have to, without compromise, to go into every aspect and part of it. That is a fine line to walk – but I believe we can do it.

We need to develop relationships that go beyond the work hours. Cindy is really good at this – they are always connecting outside of work – where God is using her to affect someone for Him in that situation.

But part of it is giving our hearts wholly – we are not just there to do our job but to be God’s witnesses. God has you where you are – and you are there to be light, salt, and leaven.

She teaches in a public school – so she can’t just preach the gospel – but she lives it.

In doing that – it is really important to be the first to apologize when your behavior is not good. That is critical. Cindy will be the first to tell you that she does not always exemplify the character of Christ (and I’ll be the second!)

As teachers – they just want to jump out of their skin this time of year – and she has apologized 3-4 times already this year!

In some way – let it be known that you are a Christian – on casual Friday – wearing a t-shirt that says repent or burn in hell – might not be the best way to do that.

We need to pray and ask God – what does it look like to be a friend of sinners – or a church that is a friend of sinners – where tax collectors and sinners are transformed.

I was here earlier this week – the windows were open – and I was praying in the sanctuary here – and I heard a little kid crying – a block away – and I see a dad with a little girl dressed for school – and the younger brother was too little – and the dad said – you are too young – and the little boy says – “They won’t mind…” Nonetheless – I wanted to meet the dad, but wasn’t down there.

I’m preparing a message on being a friend of sinners – and this guy was the chief of sinners – he had a Michigan shirt on. I could have done what I normally do – but I chose not to – and said – hoping for a better year this year?

Have your eyes open. You have opportunities in the most mundane events of life

Lord, help us to see the opportunities You have available and to take advantage of them.