Friend of Sinners

Jesus Loves the Self- Righteous 

Luke 18:9-14 

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: God, I thank you that I am not like the other people – robber, evil doers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

Their righteousness was not the righteousness of ______, but a righteousness of the _____. 

Jesus is more concerned about _____ ______ ______ and not what you _____ or _____ ____ done for him. 

God draws the line of righteousness between the ________ and the __________. 

Luke 18:14 

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

Humility is a ______ ______ __ _________ 

“In every Christian’s heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross. If he refuses the cross, he remains on the throne. Perhaps this is at the bottom of the backsliding and worldliness among gospel believers today. We want to be saved but we insist that Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of Mansoul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar, but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility.” A.W. Tozer 

Matthew 5:20 

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. 

“Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.” - Andrew Murray, Humility

Jesus Loves Addicts

Addiction - a surrender of ones self to something obsessively and habitually.

1 Corinthians 6:12

“I have the right to do anything,”you say- but not everything is beneficial. 

“I have the right to do anything”- but I will not be mastered by anything.

Proverbs 26:11-12

Ephesians 2:3-6 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions (bound by our sin/addiction)- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ Jesus, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Luke 4:16-19 He went to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and on the sabbath day he went into the synagogue as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The spirit of The Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

How to walk in Freedom: some tips.

1. Rely on The ____________________.

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

2. Look for the ____________________.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

3.Walk in _________________.

Luke 18: 18-22 Then a certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? “Why do you call me good? Jesus replied, no-one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother. “All these I have kept from my youth” he said. On hearing this Jesus told him, “you still lack one thing: sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.”

4. Bring it into the_________________.

Luke 8:17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known and brought out into the open.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

FRIEND OF SINNERS – 7

JESUS LOVES YOU

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.

___________: "For God…"

1 John 4:19 We love him because he first loved us.

Genesis 3:8-9 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Isaiah 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned, every one of us, to our own way.

Ephesians 2:1-5 “…dead in our trespasses and our sins." And we "walked according to the course of this world . . . But God, who is rich in mercy . . . he has made us alive." 

___________________: "For God so loved"

1 John 4:8, 16 …God is love.

1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,

Romans 5:8 God demonstrated his love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

_____________________: "For God so loved the world"

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

• Though God loves you, and you can't change that, you can change your _______________________ of that.

________________________: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son"

• Real love can never be ______________; it always has to be ______________

________________: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever"

John 4:14 Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst.

Revelation 22:17 Whoever is thirsty, let him come. Whoever wishes, let him drink freely of the water of life.

__________________: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him"

James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Believe: It means to rely on him, to trust completely in him, to place all of your weight on him.

___________________: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"

• Unbelief will ________ the best of us, believing will ________ the worst of us

FRIEND OF SINNERS – 6

Jesus Loves Murderers

Matthew 5:21-22 You have heard that it was said by those of old, 'You shall not murder.' But I say unto you if you are angry at your brother without a cause, you are guilty of judgment.

"I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction out of obituary notices." – Clarence Darrow

• The greatest murder in human history: the killing of the ______ ___ ______.

John 10:18 No one takes my life from me; I lay it down of myself.

Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not murder.

Luke 23:32-38 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³ And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵ And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

1.   The ____________ of Jesus: "they crucified Him"(vs. 33)

• This is the most _________ act ever perpetrated by sinful hearts: the killing of the ____________ Son of God

Matthew 17:22-23 …The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill him…

Acts 2:23 …You have taken Christ by lawless hands and put him to death.

Matthew 12:14 The Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might destroy him.

"To bind a Roman citizen is a crime, to flog him is an abomination, to kill him is almost an act of murder: to crucify him is—what? There is no fitting word that can possibly describe so horrible a deed" —Cicero

• Even with the most _______ act of crucifixion, God brought the maximum amount of ________ out of it

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…

Isaiah 53:10 For it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he has put him to grief…to make his soul an offering for sin.

Luke 23:33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 

Calvary comes from the Latin word calvarium

Greek kranion

Hebrew Golgotha

Means a skull

2.  The _________ of Jesus: "Father, forgive them" (vs. 34)

"These seven last words from the cross are windows that enable us to...see the heart of the Savior and the heart of the gospel" —Warren Wiersbe

• His prayer was ____________ scripture

Isaiah 53:12 He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors…

• His prayer was consistent with His __________

Matthew 9:2 Man, your sins are forgiven. Be of good cheer.

• It’s the greatest need of humanity to _____ _________

3.  The ___________ of Jesus: "for they do not know what they do" (vs. 34)

• That doesn’t mean they were _____________ that they were sinning – ignorance doesn’t mean ________________.

Matthew 26:59-61; Mark 14:55-59; Luke 23:13-23; John 19:6

• The Roman soldiers performing this deed didn't know the ______________ of Jesus

Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

•  The rest of the crowd knew the reality of their crime, but not the ______________ of their crime

1 Corinthians 2:8 Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

•  People who ____________ Christ by and large don't know how enormous an offense that is

Acts 17:30 Truly, these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

Luke 23:43 Today you will be with me in paradise.

Luke 23:47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 6:7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Final Thought: Jesus' prayer wasn’t a promise of instantaneous and _____________ forgiveness…it anticipated that there would be people who understood the identity of Jesus and the enormity of this crime and would turn to Him to be forgiven

FRIEND OF SINNERS - Week 5

 Jesus Loves Traitors

"Two men looked out from prison bars; one saw the mud, the other saw stars"—Dale Carnegie

Matthew 7:22-23 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

1.  _____________ - The Traitor Who Didn't Live Up to His ________

• His ____________________

Matthew 26:6-12 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. ⁸ And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” ¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 

John 12:4-6 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵ “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

"A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint"—Francis Bacon

• His ___________________

Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Exodus 21:32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Matthew 26:19-25 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. ²⁰ When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. ²¹ And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²² And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” ²³ He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”²⁵ Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

• His ________________

John 13:23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side,

John 13:26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

2.   _____________ - The Traitor Whose Name Is Still ___________

• His ________________

Matthew 26:30-33 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” ³³ Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 

Matthew 16:13-17  Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 16:21-23 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Matthew 26:34-35 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” ³⁵ Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

• His __________________

Matthew 26:69-75 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” ⁷¹ And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷² And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” ⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 27:5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

John 21:15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? ”He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

• His _________________

Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”

Matthew 26:49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.

Luke 22:3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.

John 13:27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

FRIEND OF SINNERS – Part 4

Jesus Loves Haters

Galatians 5:19-20 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

Leviticus 19:17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.

Hatred takes many forms in Scripture: mocking, yelling, foul language, persecution, avoiding, shunning

TWO FORMS OF HATRED

1.  If Hatred Is ________________ _____ ________

Matthew 5:43-46 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Matthew 10:36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

1 John 3:1, 13 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

•  _________________ with Love

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.

•  ___________________ the God of Love

Matthew 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

2.  If Hatred Is _____________________ ______ _________ 

Luke 9:51-56 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. ⁵³ But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But he turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ And they went on to another village.

Mark 3:17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);

• Your ______________ Must Be ________________

Revelation 3:19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Leviticus 19:17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

•  Your ________________ Must Be _________________

• Your _________________ Must Be ___________________

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

FRIEND OF SINNERS – Part 3

 Jesus Loves Homosexuals

John 8:1-11 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² Now early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and he sat down and taught them. ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say?" ⁶ This they said, testing him, that they might have something of which to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger, as though he did not hear. ⁷ So when they continued asking him, he raised himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." ⁸ And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰ When Jesus had raised himself up and saw no one but the woman, he said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" ¹¹She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." 

1.  Jesus was ____________ with all people.

John 8:11 "…go and sin no more."

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.

Genesis 19; Leviticus 19 and 20; Judges, chapter 19; Romans, chapter 1; First Corinthians, chapter 6; and First Timothy, chapter 1---all have something to do with the practice of homosexuality.

Acts 4:19 "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge . . .”

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. But we must obey God rather than men."

Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

2.  Jesus was ____________________ with all hypocrites.

John 8:3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ and said to him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.' ⁵ "'Now Moses, in the law, commanded that such should be stoned. But what do you say?' ⁶ This they said, testing him, that he might have something---they might have something to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, wrote on the ground with his finger, as though he didn't hear."

⁷ "When they continued asking him, he raised himself up and said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.' ⁸ "And again he stooped down, and he wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."

Leviticus 20:10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

John 8:6 …Jesus just stooped on the ground.

John 8:7 "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."

"Outsiders say our hostility toward gays---not just opposition to homosexual politics and behavior but disdain for gay individuals---has become virtually synonymous with the Christian faith." - David Kinnaman, unChristian

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God." 

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

1 Corinthians 6:10 “…nor thieves, nor covetous no drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Luke 18:10-11, 13 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.

1 Corinthians 6:11 As such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our Lord.”

“If I were looking for a motive to be sexually pure, it would be not only to be true to my wife and a good father to my children, but I want God to look down and say, ‘Here is a man I can trust with my Holy Spirit in great measure.’” – R.T. Kendall

3.  Jesus was ________________with all sinners.

John 8:10-11 When Jesus raised himself up and saw no one but the woman, he said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.' "

Final Thought: I believe that the church should be a ____________ for struggling people, not a __________ for perfect people.

FRIEND OF SINNERS – Part 2

Jesus Loves the Broken

“The biggest disease today is the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference of one neighbor who lives at the roadside assaulted by exploitation, corruption, poverty and disease.” - Malcom Muggeridge

• Jesus announced that one of the ________ ____ ____ ________ was to fix the broken.

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed;

• Jesus doesn’t help those who help themselves, He helps those that _______ ______ ______________!

 PEOPLE CAN GET BROKEN

“A single human being is the beautiful, the most valuable, and potentially the most powerful thing God ever created.” Gordon Macdonald

John 5:1-8 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ² Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. ³ In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, ^[c]waiting for the moving of the water. ⁴ For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. ⁵ Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” ⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

Proverbs 18:14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?

1.  People can get broken by _________________________.

John 5:5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 

Infirmity = debilitating illness

2.  People can get broken by ___________________.

John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 

Bethesda means “house of mercy”

3.  People can get broken by _____________.

John 5:5-6 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time…

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.

2 Corinthians 11:27-28 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Psalm 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

JESUS LOVES BROKEN PEOPLE

1.  He was able to really ________ people.  

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there…

2.  He was always _______________.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Roger Frederikson, commentator: So often people succumb to their illness, ‘bedding down’ with their alcoholism or heart trouble or partial paralysis or whatever. They become psychological or spiritual invalids, retreating within themselves, avoiding responsibilities, becoming more and more self-centered as they demand sympathy from others. So every now and then in dealing with this kind of defeated person in the office or at a hospital bed or at a luncheon appointment I have asked that question, “Do you want to be made well?”

John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

• Loving the broken means preaching the __________ ___________.

“If I weep for the body from which the soul is departed, should I not weep for soul from which God has departed?” St. Augustine

3.  He wasn’t surprised by _________________.

John 5:9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

John 5:9-14 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” ¹¹ But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” ¹² They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” ¹³ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.¹⁴ Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

• Loving the broken has consequences – like being _____________________.

Final Thought: There is a brokenness God loves and even _____________.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Friend of Sinners - Part 1

Jesus Loves Doubters

Mark 9:23-24 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

"I was supposed to 'hear his voice' in a two-thousand-year-old book. I was supposed to 'talk with him in prayer.' But when I read the Bible I heard no voices, and my prayers often seemed more like talking to myself. My sense of his presence was never intense enough to form absolute proof of God. And other people's experiences were—other people's. One inky, blustery night when the wind blew the trees' arms high into the air, I walked for miles, asking God again and again to simply show himself to me. I shouted to heaven to shatter the silence. I did not want to 'work up' a feeling of God; I wanted God to break in on me. He did not. I heard no voice, saw no lights in the sky. I went home to my dorm room and went to bed. And I survived. I did more than survive; I grew. But I did not stop longing for God to be unquestionably real—real to me"—Tim Stafford

Luke 24:9-11 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

1.     Two Notable _________________

• _________the ____________

Matthew 11:1-6 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Mark 1:7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

Luke 3:16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John 1:27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

•  ___________ the ___________

John 20:24-29 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 11:16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

John 14:1-6 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2.   Two Noteworthy ______________________

• The _____________ of Jesus – unfulfilled expectations

• The _____________ of Jesus – personal presupposition

John 20:24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

"[There are] none so deaf as those that will not hear. None so blind as those that will not see"—Matthew Henry

3.   Two Noble _______ ________ __________

Matthew 11:4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 

• An Appeal to ________ _________

Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

• An Appeal to ________ _________

John 20:26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”