"Jesus Seeks Sinners"

Cornerstone Church September 29, 2013

“Jesus Seeks Sinners”

Matthew 9:9-13

The following happened to Dr. Tony Campolo:

“He had flown into Honolulu and was unable to sleep, so he ventured into an all night diner, where he overheard a group of prostitutes talking. One mentioned to her friends that the next day was her thirty-ninth birthday. Another replied scornfully, ‘What do you want? A Birthday party?’ She retreated into her defensive shell: ‘I’ve never had one in my whole life. Why should I expect one now?’ It struck Campolo that it would be a good idea to conspire with the owner of the diner to throw her a surprise party the next night. A cake was baked, and all was prepared. The cries of ‘Happy Birthday!’ from her small group of friends and this stranger left her stunned. She was shocked that anyone would go to this much trouble just for her. She asked if she could take the cake home and then left with her prize. When she left, Campolo offered to pray and prayed for her salvation, for her life to change, and for God to be good to her.

The prayer startled the owner, who asked antagonistically, ‘You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?’ He responded that he belonged to a church that threw birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.”

The answer may meet with skepticism from outsiders: There is no church like that. It may meet with disdain from insiders: We would never do anything like that. But it parallels the kind of thing that Jesus did in reaching out to those who were lost and despised.

Life Application Commentary, pg. 120 paraphrasing Tony Campolo’s “THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A PARTY.”

This story troubles us.

I believe it troubles us because somewhere in our heart, the Holy Spirit confirms and convicts us that this reflects the love the LORD Jesus Christ has for sinners.

* Sinners and outcasts of His time

* Sinners and outcasts of today

JESUS CHRIST LOVES SINNERS!

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS MORNING?

Jesus did not come to reach the religious and self-righteous that thinks they are respectable and deserving of God’s grace because of their good works, deeds and lifestyle.

There is little Jesus can do for the self-righteous until they are willing to forsake their pride and put their faith in trust in Jesus Christ Alone to save them.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone

Luke 19:10 ESV “…For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

DID YOU CATCH WHAT WAS SAID IN THAT VERSE?

Jesus didn’t sit around waiting for people to come to Him.

* He didn’t say, “Here I am world, if you need help, I’m here!”

* Nor did He say, “I hope you find Me!”

* Jesus is always seeking lost sinners!

1 John 4:10 ESV In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

John 3:16 ESV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus’ Mission was to save sinners!

* Biblical Christianity, the one revealed in the Word of God, teaches the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was on a rescue mission, sent by God the Father, to save the lost.

* If we did not take the time to read through and teach through the gospel accounts every so often we would probably loose this great thought completely.

Jesus loves sinners and Jesus died to redeem lost sinners!

* All are destined to perish unless the Son of God saves them!

* All are sinners and are all ready condemned unless the Son of God saves them!

It is easy for us to forget Jesus’ primary mission

* As the years go by people and churches can forget about the Amazing Grace of God that brought about salvation.

* Soon we forget that the church is God’s Emergency Room. It is His M.A.S.H. Unit (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) ministering to the needs of the lost that are trapped by sin and live in bondage held captive by satan.

* When we lose this passion for seeing lives transformed by the grace of God we risk becoming a social club (Holy huddle for the Saints).

In 1739, John Wesley, took the gospel message to the coal miners. At dawn he would preach to 30,000 of them. The tears of the coal miners left streaks of white on their faces, which were black from the coal dust. The Episcopal Church had grown too respectable for these workingmen. Because of this he formed the Methodist-Episcopal Church. A church for common folk. Unfortunately, 100 years later, William Booth, was expelled from the Methodist Church. The reason, bringing the downtrodden to church. “Methodism had become respectable.”