A Church Full of Sinners
Genesis 24:43 (Abraham’s servant) “Behold, I stand
by the well of water, and it shall come to pass…”
I’m so thankful to be a part of such a great forever
family of believers…
Who was sorry to see the Prodigal Son return? NO. It
was the fatted calf!
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1. This is a family of people who love each other
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2. This is also a family of people who love other
people, people outside this family.
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We’re involved in so many things to reach out and bless
Provide financial support so the gospel can be
preached to people Africa; get personally involved
by sending boxes of clothes to help poor there
Giving food to help feed 400 elderly Brown Bag
Through program Damascus Way we help provide
care for women/children in difficult circumstances
Helping homeless families feeding giving place stay
Reaching out to ex-offenders as they released
Work with college students at CSU to not only tell
them about the love of God but show it
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Why did Jesus talk about the older brother?
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Go back to v1-2
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Pharisees + scribes were a lot like that older brother
Didn't approve of Jesus spending time with sinners
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Look at Mark 2:15-16 (another similar episode)
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The Pharisees and scribes openly criticized Jesus;
they called Him "a friend of tax-gatherers and
sinners."
In their opinion, if Jesus really was a holy person
(as they themselves claimed to be), then He would
be like them and look down on the sinners and have
nothing to do with them
In their opinion, the synagogues ought to be filled
only with holy and righteous people, not people
who struggled with sin
You see, they were a lot like that older brother
Had no concern for those who struggled with sin
Through these and many other ways we are reaching
out to the world and community around us. We are
seeking to know and do the work that God desires for
us to do as a congregation of His people.
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God is working through us, and He’s making a
difference out there in the world. And He’s making a
difference here in this church.
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We are growing in so many ways
With so much work to be done, God is providing
opportunities for all us be workers in His vineyard
There is an excitement and enthusiasm as we see
God doing great things
And, as we’ve been talking about it for a while, God is
sending us people… And He will continue to send
more and more…
What kind of people?
aren’t always going to be the best or nicest citizens
already said may not know how to go to church
may have been in jail, drug and alcohol abuse…
remember John 4 woman at well married 5 times…
John 8 woman caught in adultery…
These are the kind of people… in other words, sinners!
How are we going to handle this?
In v25, Jesus adds another element to this last
parable: the older brother READ v25-28
Note v29: "I've been here doing my best to live
right…"
"And now this brother (NO, this son of yours)
comes back after living in sin…"
"I'm always good and he's a terrible sinner…"
"And I'm supposed to just take him back and be
happy about it?!"
The father said, "YES, we rejoice, not for what he
did, but because your brother was lost but now is
found."
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But look now at Mark 2:17…
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Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost
Righteous people don't need Savior, but sinners do!
The Pharisees may not have cared much for sinners,
but Jesus does!
What about us today? How do we feel about sinners?
Sad to say, but there are some churches that might just
be a bit too much like that older brother + Pharisees…
There may be some who think the church is just for
holy and righteous people…
But Rose Hill is not one of those churches!
In this church family, we recognize that Christ’s church
is for sinners.
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Please be turning to Luke 15…
The church is for people who need a Savior.
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3 parables: Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, Lost Son
Takes his inheritance, goes to distant land, wastes
And it's always been that way.
We talk about the early church and how marvelous it
must have been, but we need to realize that the church
of the 1st century was a church full of sinners.
In Acts 2, who were the first members of the church?
Those who had crucified Jesus! And they were the first
Christians.
Romans 1:6-7 Paul writes to those who "are the called
of Jesus Christ, to all who are beloved of God in Rome,
called as saints." But what does he say about them?
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1:18ff Gentiles were guilty of the most awful sins.
2:17ff Jews were also guilty before God.
3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God."
1 Corinthians 1:2 Paul writes to "the church of God
which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified
in Christ Jesus, saints by calling." And what kind of
people were these?
6:9-11 “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the
kingdom of God. And such were some of you…”
1 Peter 4:3 Peter speaks of how they once "pursued a
course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals,
drinking parties and abominable idolatries."
All throughout the NT read many warnings against
immorality and impurity and dishonesty and idolatry
and drunkenness…
Why? Because these were the very real problems and
temptations confronting the Christians in the early
church.
So what can we do to help each other?
We don’t want to fill our lives with sin. We want to be
the pure and holy people God has called us to be, but
we also recognize that all of us will fall short…
1. We can help each other by not judging each other
too harshly.
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Matthew 7:3-5 (Jesus being careful judging others)
2. We can help each other by caring enough to get
involved.
Matthew 18:15-17 If a brother sins, go and reprove…
Galatians 6:1 “If a man is caught in any trespass, you
who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of
gentleness…”
Hebrews 3:13 says “Encourage one another day after
day . . . lest any one of you be hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin.”
We use the word "congregation" sometimes; the word
literally means, "An assembly that is led together, and
struggles together, and strives together."
That's what we are. God knows that we need family of
Christians to give us strength and support and encouragement. Together we're struggling and striving to
help each other overcome sin and make it to Heaven.
3. We can help each other by forgiving each other.
When a brother/sister in Christ messes up, goes off and
lives in sin (like that prodigal son in Luke 15), but then
decides to come back home and ask forgiveness, we
can't be like that older brother. Our brothers/sisters
need forgiveness from God and from us.
1 John 1:8 "If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving
ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
Matthew 18:21-22 Peter asked Jesus, “How often shall
my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to
seven times?” Jesus: “Up to seventy times seven.”
1 Timothy 1:15 Paul said, “It is a trustworthy
statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am
foremost of all.”
Luke 17:3-4 Jesus: “Be on your guard! If your brother
sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if
he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to
you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
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The Bible says in a lot of places that if we hope for our
Heavenly Father to forgive us, then we must be willing
to forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15; Col 3:13).
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I know how he feels. I was a sinner before I ever
came to Christ, and I'm still a sinner now.
I mess up all the time; I fall short continually. We
all do, don't we?
We're blessed to be a part of this church family;
filled with some wonderful God-loving and very
special people
But we're also real people with real sins, sometimes
little ones, and sometimes it's the really big ones.
Regardless, we all sin and fall short of the glory of
God.
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Let's close with Romans 5:6-8…
We have a lot to be thankful for. "While we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us." That's me, and that's you;
we're sinners But we have a Savior who gave His life
for us, even us, with all our sins!
Our invitation song says,
“Bring Christ your broken life, so marred by sin.
He will create anew, make whole again.”