Preserving the gospel

Introduction:  a need to think differently-released from a life of worry-image, family, career, finances, outcomes etc..

*Are we resting or worrying?

Luke 12:25-26 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

-how do you measure your life?-is it consumed by worry?

-how is God challenging you to think differently, beyond your anxiety?

-What is truly distinguishing Christians from the world?

Luke 10:38-42–Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,  42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

-Jesus highlights being troubled about many things, hindering what matters-Martha was trying to handle everything!

–she has made what she is worried about the focal point of her life and relationships-she is angry that everyone is not worried about what she is worried about

–Mary chose what was necessary to focus on that helped her-meanwhile Martha chose what to worry about, producing frustration and anxiety-where is God!?

-The clutter of worry in Martha’s life kept her from a life of worship and peace-Mary knew what was important and focused her life and mind on that

Until you think differently and free yourself up to worship, how can God be relevant in your life?-How can our faith and the gospel influence anyone around us?

 A heart to engage and influence

 Luke 5:27-30-27  After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.”  28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.

*(Vs27-29)-Grace has changed the focus of Levi as a tax collector (sinner)…

–In a fresh realization of change, Levi extends this same benefit to others by holding a feast at his house…-Levi begins living for the purpose of God (welcoming other sinners like him into God’s love)

-Levi knows what he has been blessed by didn’t come from him=grace-when you understand your life is a product of grace you don’t forget where you came from

-this is what makes the church unique-we maybe new creatures but we don’t see ourselves too good not to relate

-Levi first gets Jesus and brings his friends to meet his Lord-this is what God is expecting from us, we bring Jesus

Luke 11:33,35-“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light… 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.

–When Christ becomes the focus of your life, you don’t hide it-but when He is not, the light it is hidden

2 things emerge if our light has become darkness: 1) we either pretend we have the light  2) or we honestly confess and make changes to get back into fellowship with Christ

 *Realizing we need grace keeps us from being self-righteous or pretending we have the light

As a tax collector Levi would have been considered a heinous sinner from all of society, especially religious folks

-we may think such sinful people should be merciful and gracious to invite sinners to Christ…

Luke 7:47-48–Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”  48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.

-how much do you see your need for forgiveness?-you may need a lot of forgiveness, but you may only see a need for a little?

-How much are you in touch with your sins before God?-Only you know how sinful you have been!

You may not struggle with an outward appearance of sin like Levi, but struggle in your spirit-jealousy, bitterness, etc

2 Corinthians 7:1-Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

-When everyone realizes they are wrought with sin and need grace-you create an atmosphere like Levi had with Jesus

-That anybody is welcomed to this feast-to be a tax collector or sinner was a disgrace, but grace puts everyone on the same level

But Levi had an outward reputation that he couldn’t hide like the Pharisees

 Living out of touch

Luke 5:30-And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

 *(vs30)-Why are the Pharisees so disgusted with Jesus sitting with sinners?

–Because they measure their identity and worth by their status and what they do for God.-their self righteous heart kept them from engaging people who are not like them

-They see themselves as better than or righteous,-but that is what the world does, they base their worth on status!

–A status that God does not honor-Romans 3:10-11– as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.=they are carnally minded because they get their identity from themselves not God

–The true worshiper of Christ finds their identity and worth in the work Jesus has done for us-Levi relates to Jesus and sinners, because he sees his identity in Christ

The Pharisees have isolated themselves by their own self-imposed status

*There are two things we can conclude at this point about the Pharisees

1)  they don’t relate to sinners like Levi and his friends at the table

2)  but they also don’t relate to Jesus!

-The Pharisees have a righteousness of their own=isolation-

 *(vs31,32)-Our relationship with Jesus is strictly Perfect Physician and a sick patient relationship…

-“Sick” from sin is the permanent diagnosis of you and I until heaven-our devotion and need for Jesus is based on sickness

-the stigma of being sick is negative, defeated, terrible-we all hate being physically sick,  it is physically humbling!

1 John 1:8-If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

2 things)-from this passage, if we don’t see ourselves as “sick” and relating to Jesus and others from the Word

1) we don’t know ourselves as sinners, so we don’t need Christ

2) we are focused on other people, trying to find ways to compare ourselves with each other, to feel better about our sickness

both are in unbelief and lead to self-righteousness

–yet this is why Jesus and the disciples engaged the world, calling the sick-Jesus came to heal the sick from their sin

–Jesus says people who are “well” don’t engage with Me as a Physician or “the sick”-they don’t relate because they don’t see themselves as sick.

Ex:  visiting a cancer ward-no one in that cancer ward was there pretending not to be sick!

*Jesus is distinguishing between two camps of people:

1) those who see themselves in need of Him as the Great Physician (true worshipers), 2) and people who don’t know their need for Him (the world and the religious who think they live for God)

–we easily forget the sickness of sin God engaged us in, because we are out of touch with being sick like everyone!

Sincerely wrong…

*Levi saw himself as a sinner, the Pharisees saw themselves close to God and righteous

The disciples were all given the opportunity to see the heart of Jesus as He reclines with sinners and tax collectors.  Their close association with Jesus afforded them the opportunity to observe and possibly conclude…

 1)  “I am sick as well, and understand why Jesus is reclining with such people because I relate to them”

2) Or I am righteous because I am close to the Righteous One, so I don’t see myself as sick…-Pharisees

-you can be so stuck in your ways that at the expense of a relationship you don’t consider yourself wrong…

-Pride was keeping the Pharisees from experiencing God in the flesh-they were determined to be right

Ex: when your worth is in being right, the end goal is to be right, not preserve relationships-but if it is the truth than it’s not about you, it’s about God and love in relationships=humble

-when you argue to win, you make the relationship about you=is the goal of a relationship about you having things your way or unity?=selfishness closes you off from the truth=unity-winning the argument and losing the person=division

-they lost an experience with Jesus and relating to others in Christ because they refused to see themselves as sick

 Conclusion:  Making things compatible

Luke 5:33-35 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?  35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”

*(vs33-35)-Jesus is bringing change to an old mindset

*But Jesus is trying to help them understand that since He is with them they don’t need to fast right now

-the disciples of John are comparing themselves-They don’t know the reason behind why people do the things they do

-that is what people are doing when they compare themselves with each other. -we criticize what we don’t understand…

(the Pharisees criticized Jesus for sitting with sinners, now the disciples of John are criticizing the disciples for not fasting and praying)

Ex: blind criticism generally comes from what’s unfamiliar to what we think is right

-Jesus is changing their whole paradigm as to what godliness is, that it has nothing to do with their righteous works being the standard of righteousness

*Can the truth and gospel hold your mindset

Luke 5:36-39 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.  37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.  38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.  39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.'”

–The gospel of grace and mercy cannot be preserved in the old mind set of religious works and self-righteousness. 

-being sick is a mentality that says I need Jesus, whereas the old mentality we have is independent and self-reliant, contradicting the gospel=the cross is a sign for the sick to come to

John 12:32–And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

-You cannot think yourself well or not sick, and still preserve the gospel in the heart and relate to God and the lost

-are you judging being sick or well by the worlds standards?-how much money you have, your status, image, etc.?

-How do you see Jesus, and how do you interpret the gospel?-Do you see yourself not sick and needy, or do you live in tune with yourself and know your need for a Savior?-That mindset preserves the gospel