Clear Thinking About New Life

Pastor Dave Martin Cross Creek Community Church ~ Nov 14, 2004

“Clear Thinking... About New Life” – Part 5

In an average lifetime, the average American spends:

• 3 years in business meetings

• 13 years watching TV

• $89,281 on food

• Consumes 109,354 pounds of food

• Makes 1811 trips to McDonalds

• Spends $6881 in vending machines

• Eats 35,138 cookies and 1483 pounds of candy

• Catches 304 colds

• Is involved in 6 motor vehicle accidents,

• Is hospitalized 8 times (men) or 12 times (women)

• Spends 24 years sleeping.

• Where does God fit in my life?

In an Average Lifetime, Tom Heymann

In 1991 a Gallup poll showed that 78 percent of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die. However, many of them hardly ever pray, read the Bible, or attend church. They admit that they live to please themselves instead of God. I wonder why these people would want to go to heaven. - Life is precious and so very short!

• Have you ever felt like you sinned too many times or have so messed up your life, God abandoned you?

• You feel like you will never be close to God again... Heavy duty weight of sin hanging over you?

• It’s a lousy way to feel, wandering through life, extremely guilty, very ashamed, full of regret and unworthy.

• There is a lady like that in the Bible who felt this same way. It is a true story in how she found New Life!

• A true story of how she heard the sound of GRACE that radically changed her life.

Text: Luke 7:36-50 (pew Bible p731)

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.

41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

New Life...

1. God sees the Real You, He looks into your Heart. Vs 39-40\

Luke 7:39-40 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner." Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.

We see the lives of two very different people... (Jesus MRI’s your spiritual condition... He knew what Simon was thinking)

• Pharisee – Self-righteous – Simon’s thinking was in error. He added laws to scriptures, he was proud, self-righteous, smug, thought God was on his side because he was religious.

• Woman – God-righteous – Luke never mentions her name, just a sinful woman by reputation. Some Theologians believe her to be a “famous” prostitute, a whore. But she was attracted to the Savior... she knew she was a sinner, and knew she needed a Savior.

One immersed in Jewish religion, a Pharisee and the other a sinful woman living in a sinful lifestyle. God sees the real person. God is able to look into our hearts... One heart was closed and one heart was open.