Monthly Archives: February 2016

Jesus Friend of Sinners

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Scripture is clear that Jesus demands worship and complete devotion from his followers, even calling his followers slaves (1 Corinthians 7:22-23). Yet the book of Matthew portrays an incredible picture of Jesus connecting with sinners in a personal way that would make modern Christians cringe. Jesus hated sin yet devoted himself to sinners. Instead of aligning himself with the religious elite he devoted his life to bringing empathy, love, and grace to people long abandoned by the religious leaders of the day. One of the best examples of this comes from Matthew 9:9-13. Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector (the author of the book, also called Levi). Tax collectors were particularly hated by Jews, like a government sanctioned mob boss. Known for their greed and disloyalty, only the most wretched sinners would associate with them (Dr. John MacArthur does a fantastic job of describing tax collectors in his book “The Gospel According to Jesus”). After his conversion, Matthew holds a banquet inviting Jesus to dine with prostitutes, tax collectors, and other rejects of society.

The Healthy Don’t Need a Doctor

If Jesus demands complete worship from his followers and hates sin, why would he attend a banquet with some of the most notorious sinners in that community? Why would a holy God share a table with prostitutes? That is exactly what the Pharisees wondered, but Jesus himself answers this question saying “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees by presenting the question “if you recognize them as sinners, what are you going to do about it?” Jesus is attacking an attribute of the Pharisees that is also common in modern Christians: labeling people as sinners but remaining numb to their condition. So the lesson from our Lord is this: When you notice a sinner, bring them to repentance as a doctor brings healing to the afflicted.

Go Learn

After he demonstrates their callousness Jesus exploits the pride of the Pharisees. “Go and learn” (vs.13) was a way for teachers to expose ignorance in an area their students should have known. Basically Jesus was saying “go back and study this topic, come back when you understand.” He then quotes Hosea 6:6 saying, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” reminding his audience that God is not concerned about religious activity. He wants character. Pharisees had nearly perfected the religious rituals but ignored mercy, compassion, grace, and had no love for the lost. The Old Testament sacrificial system was pleasing to God only when it was accompanied by a broken and contrite heart (Psalms 51:16-17). Sacrifices without repentance are like soiled rags in his presence.

I Did Not Come For the Righteous

Luke 18:9 tells us that Pharisees trusted themselves and looked down on others. In other words, they viewed themselves as righteous. Jesus is saying he doesn’t want the self-righteous. They lack humility, but the sinners he would call to repentance. Jesus is making clear that the gospel is a call for sinners to repent and find forgiveness. The “righteous” simply can’t accept this because they attempt to veil their sinfulness and lack the humility for confession. “I did not come to call the righteous” tells us that Christ’s invitation to salvation is not for those who view themselves as righteous.

Wrap Up

Jesus is calling for repentance, not sacrifice. He wants to see sinners not validate or redefine their transgressions, but turn from them. Sin today is the same as it was 2,000 years ago. Christians should not ignore the “tax-collectors” of today in favor of other Pharisees. The beauty of Christian life is the community. We can minister to the broken in our city together as a unified community. As one body with many parts, our church can impact Billings. We can overcome fear and weakness together. My weaknesses are overcome by the body of Christ as we bring the gospel to our city. In other words, we should follow Jesus’ lead and extend grace and a call for repentance rather than hide in our buildings with like-minded friends pointing fingers at sinners. This may be a radical approach, but Jesus never promised a comfortable life.

Reaching The Lost

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Two weeks ago Gallup released its latest poll listing the most and least religious states in America. Not surprisingly Mississippi was revealed as the most religious state for the eighth year running. New Hampshire overtook Vermont as the least religious state in America, having only 20% of their residents claiming to be “very religious” as compared to 55% being “not religious at all.” Montana and Wyoming both revealed that there are more people who are “not religious at all” than “very religious.” Obviously these polls don’t give us the entire picture of spiritual health in America, or even in our own state, but they do represent trends. The trend we can see clearly is that in Montana people show little concern for Christianity. As a church in Montana’s largest city, we should take notice and see the incredible challenges and opportunities this trend presents. We have been called to minister in a highly secular context. God gave you and me the responsibility to bring the message of Jesus Christ to our neighbors.

We know that the majority of people in our city and state are without Christ. God has entrusted the people of Billings to us. His expectation is that we love our city, serve our city, and most importantly, reach our city. You and I don’t have an excuse for sitting on the sidelines. We cannot sit back and wait for unbelievers to walk into our doors looking for redemption. We cannot sit complacently in our beautiful building while the other churches strive to care for widows and orphans. We can’t grumble about the immorality surrounding us as we withhold the Gospel from those who need it the most. We must not hide from the lost because they act lost; instead, as a church, we must be intentionally and lovingly proclaiming Christ to our city. Polls are revealing what we already knew: Montanans need Jesus. If we want to see morality, wisdom, and Christianity take hold in our city, we must declare the beautiful message of Jesus Christ. Last week we covered discipleship based on Matthew 4:19. Today I want to look at the first phase of discipleship, usually referred to as evangelism and the three essential aspects of reaching the lost.

1. Reaching the Lost must be intentional

John 4 gives us one of the most direct examples of evangelism in Scripture. This passage shows how Jesus goes out of his way to reach a broken woman with secular beliefs and an immoral lifestyle. Verse four says “And he had to pass through Samaria.” Jews hated Samaritans, so they did not walk through Samaria. They would go out of their way to walk around the region. The reason Jesus “had to pass through” was so he could meet this woman. This meeting didn’t occur by chance. Jesus intended to meet her because unlike other Jews, Jesus loved Samaritans. Jesus loved that woman before she repented. He loved her and he saw through her brokenness and immorality.

Jesus wanted to bring healing, fulfillment, encouragement, grace, and forgiveness to a woman so broken even the pagan Samaritans rejected her. Jesus went out of his way not to condemn her, but to transform her. Her sinfulness wasn’t ignored, but it wasn’t the focus. When we sit back and wait for the lost to come to us we’re failing to obey the very first part of the Great Commission: “go therefore” or “as you are going.”

2. Reaching the Lost must be done from love

1 Corinthians 16:14 says “let all that you do be done in love.” Sometimes Christians get so distracted by the sinfulness around us that we forget the Biblical expectation to love our neighbors. Sometimes we begin to despise our neighbors. While Jesus was on the cross, some of his last words were “Father forgive them.” To his last breath Jesus was concerned with those who hated him and didn’t deserve his sacrifice. Luke 10:25-37 records a lawyer asking Jesus (after quoting Leviticus 19:18) “who is my neighbor?” Jesus responds with what is likely his most famous parable: The Good Samaritan. The Samaritan, whose people were known to have been bitter enemies with Jews, demonstrated sacrificial love to his expected enemy. The point of the parable was that love is never out of the question. A demonstration of self-sacrifice and humility for the sake of your enemy’s salvation is always noble. Love is always right and (according to Romans 13:10) love is the fulfilling of the law. Jesus lived this principle. He demonstrated this on the cross when he died for the sins you and I committed. Jesus loved his people regardless of how they felt about him, and through his power, we must love our city regardless of how they feel about us.

3. Reaching the Lost Must Be Christ Centered

Reaching people is about Jesus. Sharing the gospel isn’t about winning an argument or reaching a moral victory. It’s always about making disciples of Jesus. He is the reason we teach, preach, serve, and love. Jesus is why we care about the widows and orphans; he is why we hurt for the teenage mother. Our mission is to lead the lost to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot accomplish this if we are distracted by the vanity of earthly pursuits. Jesus loves those whom the world would prefer to ignore. As his followers we should love them too. Love them with humility, sacrifice and grace. After all, that is exactly what Jesus did for us.

Wrap Up

Ministry isn’t always easy. In fact, when done correctly, it comes with criticism and opposition. Reaching the lost is a critical responsibility of the church and living in a wonderful city like Billings gives us plenty of opportunity to share the gospel with some pretty incredible people. Fortunately we don’t have to rely on our own knowledge, ability or power to accomplish this. 2 Corinthians 9:8 reminds us that God will work through us. In Christ we will have all sufficiency in all things at all times.

What Did Jesus Mean By “Make Disciples”?

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As Jesus was ascending into heaven he gave his last command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20). Jesus ushered in a new covenant which requires his followers to make disciples. It can be difficult to make disciples if you don’t know what that looks like or how to tell when your task is complete. If Jesus expects us to make disciples, we had better know what he meant by the order.

At Heights, we are bringing a new emphasis to the discipleship process and working to define what this process looks like. When defining what a disciple is, the definition must come from Scripture and it must be simple. One of the best outlines of discipleship comes from one of the most quotable verses in Scripture. Matthew 4:19 states “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This verse shows three aspects of discipleship (as described so well by Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington in their book “Discipleshift”).

Follow Me.

Jesus is giving an invitation. To be a disciple, one must accept that invitation and one must acknowledge Jesus as Lord and leader. Following him is recognizing who he is while submitting to his leadership and his teaching. Jesus taught this same principle in John 12:26. According to Jesus, a disciple is someone who knows him and follows him. Jesus taught us that those who love him will obey him as well (John 14:23-24). This means that disregarding the Great Commission is an attribute of a “convert,” not a disciple. One who acknowledges Jesus as Lord but does not obey his teaching is self-centered, not Christ-centered. The first step in being a disciple is cognitively accepting the Lordship and authority of Jesus.

I will Make You.

Jesus is promising transformation. Once we acknowledge his authority, he commits to transform us. All disciples of Jesus have been transformed by him. A person does not transform themselves before discipleship. Transformation is a part of discipleship. This is why we cannot expect unbelievers to behave in ways that glorify God. We live in a secular society, so we should expect to see secular morality. Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 both describe the transformation process and it’s beautiful. Jesus transforms how his disciples see the world. He transforms how they see the lost and he transforms what they value. The apostle Paul is a perfect example of this. Discipleship is not just the acquisition of biblical information; instead, it is the complete transformation of one’s identity by the Spirit of God.

Fishers of Men.

The final part of discipleship refers to action. Our acceptance of Jesus begins in our head, extends to our heart, and is demonstrated with our hands. A disciple of Jesus takes up the mission given by him. This is why Peter stood up and preached at Pentecost. It’s why Peter and John refused to remain quiet and it’s why Paul wasn’t intimidated by persecution. Their hearts had been transformed. They viewed people in a new way and they prioritized Christ’s mission. Because of their transformation, their actions centered around glorifying God by making disciples of Jesus Christ. They were fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ in their head, heart, and hands. When a person’s heart is transformed they begin to care about the things God cares about. Their heart is broken for the things that break his. Disciples of Jesus care deeply for the lost. 2 Corinthians 5:15-20 describes this well. We are saved not for our glory or purpose, but for his. Our mission isn’t to gather biblical facts or morality score cards, it’s to join God’s mission for his purpose and his glory.

Wrap Up.

Matthew 4:19 isn’t the only verse that describes discipleship and we could write a series of books on the topic, not just one blog post. The point is that discipleship is more than an intellectual acceptance of Jesus’ leadership. It’s more than a heart transformation or good works. The authentic disciple of Jesus Christ combines all of these. The disciple believes, loves, and obeys Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The true disciple completely relies on Jesus for everything. When we allow other issues to take the place of discipleship, we become ineffective for our Lord. The moment a program becomes the focus of our faith or moral behavior becomes the end goal, we have lost sight of what Christ last commanded us: make disciples.