ALL PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as come people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.”
Jesus told three parables in Luke 14-15 that teach all people matter to God.
In Luke 14:15-24 Jesus told the story of the “Great Feast.” A man threw a great party and invited many friends. He sent out his messengers to give personal invitations to his friends to come to his party. His servants reported back to their master that everyone he invited had excuses and refused to come.
The master told his servants “Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” Luke 14:21 - The servant came back and said there is still more room in the banquet hall. The servant’s master then said, “Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.” Luke 14:23
Jesus was teaching in the parable of the “Great Feast” that all people matter to God. There is room in God’s Kingdom for all who will accept God’s invitation. To become part of God’s Kingdom requires a positive response to come to the table of God’s love and grace.
In Luke 15 Jesus tells the story of lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. Jesus said a Shepherd counts his 100 sheep at the end of the day and if one is missing will go out and search until he finds the lost sheep. Jesus said: “In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” Luke 15:7
Jesus then told the parable of a woman who had ten silver coins. The ten coins represented her fidelity in her marriage. One coin was missing and she was desperate to find it and continue to receive honor from her husband. She searched in desperation until she found the one lost coin. When she finds the coin she throws a party for all her friends and neighbors to celebrate the fact that she found the coin and proved her integrity in marriage. Jesus said, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
The parable of the lost son demonstrated the love of God for all lost people. God never gives up on anyone. As long as a person has breath God waits patiently for the person to turn around and come back home.
God’s Word teaches that
I. God Does Not Show Favoritism
All People Matter to God – God in His Divine wisdom does not limit His love only to those He believes are worthy of His salvation.
Jesus and the disciples did not teach that only Jews can be saved. They did not teach that Jesus was a Jew and came to provide salvation only to Jews. Jesus said: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.” John 3:16 - God so loved the world, the world includes Jesus and Gentiles.
When Jesus died on the cross He did not limit His atonement for just a few people to receive His forgiveness and salvation. God’s grace reaches out to all: Jew, Gentile, Red, Yellow, Black and White people matter to God.
God does not say, “I will determine who will be saved and those who will be lost.” God reaches out in His love to all. The Apostle Peter declared: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 All have the privilege of coming to Jesus.
Jesus reaches out to all people. Jesus associated with a wide range of people. He ate with the disciples, with tax collectors and sinners, with Pharisees and publicans, with outcasts, and with a well know notorious cheat named Zacchaeus. All people regardless of their socio-economic or cultural background were invited by Jesus to become part of His Kingdom.
Today Jesus doesn’t say, “You better be white, or black, or pro-life, or liberal, or Democratic, or republican, or young, or old, or single, or rich.” Jesus is for all people who are missing from being participants in His Kingdom.
Jesus taught that God does not show favoritism. Jesus also taught that
II. God’s Grace is not Limited.
Jewish leaders taught with strong conviction that only Jews could experience the Love of God. Only Jews who were circumcised could have the assurance of God’s forgiveness and salvation.
Scriptures teach that God’s law reveals sin and the penalty of sin. The law cannot save. Only God’s grace through Jesus provides salvation form sin.
The Bible doesn’t teach that only Jews, or only Baptists, or only Lutherans, or only Free Methodist’s or only Roman Catholics can call upon the Name of the Lord an be saved.
Here’s a Biblical truth I want you to take home with you today: “Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” No where does Scripture teach that God has selected those who will be saved and those who will be lost. God has created every person on earth with “Free Will.” God gives everyone the privilege of choosing his/her own destiny. You are free to choose your Master. The Apostle Paul said you have a choice to make, become a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. Romans 6:19-23
Rev. 3:20 – Jesus says He stands at the door of your heart and knocks. You look out and see it is Jesus who is knocking. Jesus does not force His way into your heart. He invites you to open and door and invite Him in. Whoever opens the door to Jesus, Jesus comes in.
Romans 10:13…“For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 2:21…Peter on the Day of Pentecost quoted the prophet Joel in his message to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost. “And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
John 3:14-15…And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole I the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.”
Numbers 21:4-9…The children of Israel murmured and complained against God and Moses and God sent poisonous snakes and all the people who were bitten died. The people cried out to Moses and confessed their sin. Moses prayed to God and God told Moses to make a bronze replica of the poisonous snake and attach it to the top of a pole. If a person wanted to live all they had to do was look at the bronze snake and they would live. All who had been bitten looked at the bronze snake recovered and lived.
God’s grace is not limited. You can choose to reject His grace by refusing to look to Jesus. All who look to Jesus and honor Him in their life will live.
The Grace of God overcomes sin and death. You must look to live.
The Scriptures teach that God does not show favoritism, and God’s grace is not limited and third:
III. God’s Grace Sets You Free
John 8:31b…Jesus said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
Galatians 5:1a…The Apostle Paul taught: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
When you become a Christ follower you are set free to become the person God created you to be. You don’t have to compromise and give in to “peer” pressure from your friends. Pleasing Jesus becomes more important than pleasing your friends.
When a lady reached her 102 birthday and was asked what she enjoyed about being 102 and passing the century mark. She replied: “No peer pressure.”
The Apostle Paul declared in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Chuck Swindoll tells about a study of teenagers and peer pressure. The design of the study was simple. They brought groups of ten adolescents into a room for a test. Each group was instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three separate charts. What one person in the groups of ten did not know was that the other nine had been instructed ahead of time to vote not for the longest line, but for the second-longest line.
Regardless of the instructions they heard, once they were all together in the group, the nine were not to vote for the longest line, but rather vote for the next to the longest line. This left the tenth student being the only one who would be voting for the longest line. Guess what happened. Time after time, this tenth student would glance around, frown in confusion at the way the others were voting, and slip his hand up with the group. The instructions were repeated and the next card was raised. Each time, the self-conscious stooge would sit there saying a short line is longer than a long line, simply because he lacked the courage to challenge the group. This remarkable conformity occurred in about 75% of the cases, and was true of small children and high-school students as well.
God’s grace sets you free to be yourself and not compromise to please people. God’s grace also sets you free from legalism. One of the black marks on so called Christians is legalism. Legalism is having a critical and judgmental attitude toward others. It is having spiritual pride and a superior attitude. Legalism is opposite true holiness and the Spirit of Christ.
Charles Swindoll in his book, Grace Awakening, tells the story of a couple who were friends of the family. He and his wife became youth workers in a church with Scandinavian roots. He decided to show a missionary film. He showed the missionary movie and after the meeting he heard from the leaders of the church. They asked him: “did you show the young people a film?” He told them that he had. “We don’t like that,” they replied. The youth worker commented that at the last Missionary Conference the missionary had showed slides. Then on of the leaders stated emphatically, “If it’s still, fine. If it moves: sin!” In other words you can show slides, but when they start moving, you’re getting into sin. Legalism only makes sense to people who have their mind set and closed to thinking logically.
I read about a missionary family serving in a foreign country. It was a place where they could not purchase peanut butter and this entire family enjoyed peanut butter. So they made arrangements with friends in the States to send them peanut butter from time to time. The problem was that they didn’t know that the other missionaries considered it a mark of spiritually to not have peanut butter with your meals. They might have reasoned: “We believe we can’t get peanut butter here, so we should give it up for the cause of Christ.” Maybe they thought that a basis for spiritually was “bearing the cross” of living without peanut butter.
Legalism does harm to the cause of Christ’s work around the world. I Timothy 1:7 - gives this truth: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, or love and a sound mind.” Don’t throw out common sense as a follower of Jesus. We all need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and common sense.
God’s grace sets you free so don’t abuse that freedom. There is something is wrong with the person who says he accepted Jesus and then declare: “Now that I’m saved I can do anything I want. I can lie, cheat, and steal and still know that I am eternally saved.”
God’s grace does not mean you are free to live anyway you wish, whatever the consequences. God’s grace sets us free to choose righteousness over unrighteousness and disobedience.
The bible teaches that there is only one sin that God cannot forgive and that is the sin of unbelief. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
We are to walk in the spiritual light that God gives us. As long as we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus forgives us and cleanses us of sin. (I John 1:7) The stronger we become in our faith the less and less times do we need to make confession of sin. As long as we live we will be tempted and from time to time may slip and need to confess our sin.
The committed Christian does not abuse God’s grace on purpose. It’s like getting in your car every day. You have a spare time in your trunk. You don’t on purpose run over nails and glass so you can use your spare. As a Christian you know God love you and cares for you but you don’t on purpose disobey His commandments. Your goal is to live as the Apostle Paul lived, Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I life in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
All People Matter to God – God does not show favoritism, God’s grace is not limited and God’s grace sets you free. Since the Scripture teach that “Who so ever” may come and experience God’s grace we are called to become an inviter and pointer.
IV. God Calls Us to Become an Inviter and Pointer
God calls all of us to “Help point people to God – Show them God’s Love and God’s Grace.”
You may say, “Who me an inviter and pointer?” That’s the job of the ministry staff. I could never do that! I don’t have the personality. I’m too inhibited. Last Sunday I spoke on the theme from Ephesians 2:8-9 – God’s Grace Sends Us Walking.
1. The Greatest Single Gift you can give someone is to point them the way to Jesus.
2. We must be willing to step out of our comfort zone.
3. Listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and take action
4. Take the first step – just walk
Since all people matter to God ask God to lay on your heart someone to invite to church or go with you to a Christian event. Invite a relative, friend, work associate or neighbor to come with you to our Easter Week-end presentation of “Bow the Knee.”
Point people to Jesus by developing friendships by walking across the room at your workplace. Strike up a conversation on things of common interest. Listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Last week we put a postcard in your worship folder for you to mail to someone who has encouraged you in your Christian walk. This week pray for a next step. Who is God directing you to show kindness and God’s love? Maybe someone you know just needs a listening ear. Maybe you know someone who could use a good book like the “Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel of “Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis or an inspirational CD or DVD movie.
I want to challenge to take the welcome card and on the back of the card write down your possible next step. Place the card in the offering plate when it is passed. We tend to follow through on next steps when we have some accountability.
All people matter to God. People all around you are hurting and need someone to come along side and give them an encouraging word. There is also awesome power in a listening ear.
Mark 3 - Jesus was preparing to teach in the temple on the Sabbath. At the back of the temple there was a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if they could catch Him disobeying their Sabbath law. No work like healing hurting people was allowed on the Sabbath.
“Jesus said to the man with the crippled/withered hand. ‘Stand here where we can see you.’ Then Jesus spoke to the people: ‘What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?’ No one said a word.
“He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man. ‘Hold out your hand.’ He held it out –it was as good as new!” (Message - Mark 3:3-5)
There are people all around us with withered hearts, withered minds, and withered bodies. If you are open to God’s leading you may well be lead to bring healing to family or friends you meet this week.
God isn’t looking for people with great abilities. He is looking for people with availability. This week become an inviter and pointer.
