Gods attitude toward sinners
God's Attitude Toward Sinners NV 6/9/01 a.m.
OS: A-D Automatic People have polarity. Same as being exclusive
Those on the opposite team/Auburn Alabama Rivals/In HS you don’t date a girl from your rival/
We tend to “team up” and that is well and good until we team up in the church.
I. What kind of relationship is the Christian to have with the person of the world?
A. Inclusive or Exclusive? The following is a dialogue from the once-popular sitcom, Seinfield, between Elaine and her boyfriend. Elaine asks, "Do you believe in God?" "Yes," her boyfriend replies. Elaine asks, "Is it a problem that I'm not religious?" "Not for me," her boyfriend answers. "How's that?" she asks. Her boyfriend says, "I'm not the one going to hell."
B. E & F 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1
C. G 1 Corinthians 59 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. (First mention of space travel.)
1. We are to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Our light cannot shine in the light, only in darkness.
D. * 1 Corinthians 1533 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
TS] So, what is our attitude toward the sinner supposed to be?
II. Let me clarify “sinner”.
A. Passages about sin:
1. H Romans 3:23 (not perfect just forgiven)
2. *1 John 1:7-10 (you sin while walking in the light)
3. I Romans 6:23 (the wages of sin is death, unless paid by the blood of Jesus.)
4. J 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 (those who have not believed and obeyed will be lost.)
B. There is a difference between the saved sinner and the lost sinner that is measured by the blood of Jesus.
TS] So, what is our attitude toward the lost sinner supposed to be?
III. Let’s allow Jesus to model the answer to our question in the familiar context of Luke 15.
A. K Our attitude toward people ‘out there’ should be the same as God’s attitude toward people ‘out there’.
B. Jesus, in Luke 15, gives us a front row seat to God’s attitude toward sinners.
1. L Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
2. *4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home…
3. M 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
4. * “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
5. N“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
6. *23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
C. Don’t get lost in the parable and forget the overall message that Jesus is trying to get across to us!
TS] O Jesus is teaching us about God’s attitude toward sinners!
I. P God’s attitude toward sinners is inclusive. (Not Exclusive)
A. Consider the message of the text.
1. Jesus demonstrates a ‘seek and save’ attitude rather than a ‘seek and destroy’ mentality.
2. Seek and save that lost sheep and celebrate when it is found.
3. Seek and save that lost coin and have a party when it is recovered.
B. Jesus obviously did not exclude Himself from the daily lives of those in the world.
1. *Luke 15 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
2. *Luke 7 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’
3. We find Jesus in the home of Levi, Zacchaeus, talking with the woman at the well, allowing a sinful woman to wash his feet with her tears, etc.
4. Jesus didn’t avoid those who were lost because that is why He came in the first place.
C. The disturbing question in all of this is: Are we more like the Pharisees, or Jesus?
1. The greatest deterrent toward the church accomplishing the mission of God is teaming up with one another and shutting the world out.
2. How can we possibly claim the mission if we are not involved in the lives of people out there?
3. Well it’s time for the annual office party again…should we go? They’ll probably be drinking, … I don’t know if we should have their children over to play or not…they don’t go to church and you can sure tell it. WWJD
TS] Q Our attitude toward people ‘out there’ should be the same as God’s attitude toward people ‘out there’.
II. R God’s attitude toward the sin is exclusive. (Not Inclusive)
A. Jesus never condoned the sin! Parable of the Prodigal son emphasizes that!
1. The parable emphasizes the offense of sin. Giving one’s live over to a life-style of sin is done in absence of the Father.
2. The parable emphasizes the degrading personal consequences of sin.
3. There are a lot of people in the pigpen because of sin, and the tragedy is that many don’t even know it.
4. This younger son knew what he was missing. There are many people out there in the pigpen who don’t even know it. You may be the only bible they ever see!
B. A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer asked, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes." The doctor agreed: "I've never seen such slow golfers." The pastor noted, "Hey, here comes the groundskeeper. Let's have a word with him." The priest called out to the groundskeeper, "Say, George, what's with the group ahead of us?" George said, "That's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The group was silent for a moment. The priest sympathized, "That's so sad. I think I'll say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor added, "That's a good idea. In fact, I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if we can do anything for these guys." Then the engineer spoke up: "Well that's great, but in the meantime, why can't these guys play at night?"
C. Let’s have some compassion, like Jesus, and help some folks out of that muddy stinky pigpen.
1. I know the smell is bad, and I know some people may get the wrong idea when they realize you are spending more time with them than us.
2. But, you may be the only bible they ever read, and you may just be that one link, chance, difference between Heaven and Hell.
TS] S Our attitude toward people ‘out there’ should be the same as God’s attitude toward people ‘out there’.
III. T God’s attitude toward sinners craves fellowship.
A. The parable of the Prodigal Son reveals:
1. *The Father’s full acceptance.
2. *The Father’s full forgiveness.
3. *The Father’s full restoration.
B. Isn’t it great to get together and have fellowship with one another. We can be comfortable, and enjoy our time together.
1. I like those class “A” potlucks, and that desert table, etc.
2. But, do I crave Christian fellowship with those of the world, as God craved fellowship with me?
C. Jesus, by example and with this parable, demonstrates the value of the sinner in the Father’s eyes.
1. U John 3 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
2. *1 Corinthians 5 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
3. *Romans 5 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
D. God has done that for you.
1. The difference between a lost sinner and a saved sinner is measured in the blood of Jesus.
2. Those who are saved have been blessed to hear, believe and respond to the gospel of Christ in obedience.
3. There are so many out there who have not had that opportunity.
TS] V Our attitude toward people ‘out there’ should be the same as God’s attitude toward people ‘out there’. The greatest deterrent toward the church accomplishing the mission of God is teaming up with one another and shutting the world out.
God calls us to be the middleman in his compassion transactions.
Responses this morning:
Fallen to a life-style of sin (pigpen), and need to come home.
Maybe you’ve never lived in the Father’s household. You can be born again today into God’s family.
Get into the world and let your light shine, tomorrow, and the next!