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February 24, 2021 2:00 am
Blaise Pascal said, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God." In the message "Jesus Loves Prostitutes," Skip shares how you can find love and forgiveness in Christ.
This teaching is from the series Jesus Loves People .
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The worst sin of all is some of you have thought it's some of the lifestyles we have mentioned in this ersatz the worse and you know what the worst sinners self-righteousness some prices is the worst sin you know why it is because self-righteousness is an affront to the cross of Christ.
CS Lewis was the devil became the devil pride leads to every other vice is the complete anti-God state of mind today on connect with skip-Skip usual humbling look at just how far God's love and forgiveness goes first want to share about what you can hear even more encouraging vital messages from Skip tune in for my program connect with skip-on the health on channel on Saturdays at 4:30 PM mountain time or watch it on TV and on Sundays at 5:30 AM. Be sure to check your local listings.
Thank Skip now where Luke chapter 7 as we dive into our study with Skip Heitzig one anonymous prostitute said prostitutes have very improperly been styled women of pleasure. She says they're not women of pleasure where women obtain sorrow, grief, and a bitter and continual repentance, so she rushes and she barges and there's an air of desperation in her approach doesn't care about the Koran doesn't care about protocol rushes in, as this breakdown, tears of remorse. Tears of pain, tears of hope all the same time.
Now the camera moves from the first scene to the second scene from the patriarch and the prostitute to the patriarch and the preacher invited preacher Jesus because look at verse 39 now when the Pharisee who invited Jesus saw this, he spoke to himself even said a lot of just thinking these thoughts in his head saying this man if he were a prophet would know who and what manner of woman.
This is who is touching him for she is a sinner. Those are his thoughts.
Nobody knows those thoughts he thought Jesus answered and said to him to get back Jesus answered what Jesus answered his thoughts is ironic really because he's thinking this guy can't be a prophet because prophets know stuff we don't know and he didn't even know who she is and Jesus knew he thought that so he answers his thoughts and said Simon I have something to say to you as a teacher say it. There was a creditor a certain creditor who had two debtors one owed 500 and Mary.
The other 50. When they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me therefore which of them will love him more. Simon answered and said, I suppose the one whom he forgave more and he said to him you have rightly judged. He turned to the woman and said to Simon, do you see this woman, I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet. She washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of your head. You gave me this woman is not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in, you did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil therefore I say to you, her sins which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much but little is forgiven. The same loves little crawling to Simon's head for a moment. I know who this woman is obviously Jesus does not. I know her reputation.
Evidently Jesus does not now.
Here's what I want you to see Simon the Pharisee mistook an active devotion and active worship and an act of repentance for sexual advance, the word used for heap she's touching him is a strong word of sensual sexual touch to lose somebody into an affair.
She mistook a woman's active devotion for sexual advance. You know you have to be very coldhearted to think that way, you say it's an easy mistake know it's not because she's crying.
She's weeping. She's pouring out tears that she that's not going to attract anybody but I want you to see you got understand that Simon the Pharisee had a wrong estimation of everyone in that room. He had a wrong estimation of Jesus. He said he's no prophet, he's of the prophet did a wrong estimation of the woman she doesn't belong here with him exactly where she belongs and he had a wrong estimation of himself. I think he was thinking. Thoughts like all I wish others could be as discerning as I am what you need to see is this. When you view life through the lens of legalism.
Everyone you see is distorted everyone and everything is distorted through that lens so after Simon plays pin the tail on the center in his mind.
Jesus speaks up Simon I want to say something. Simon thinking finally good.
You know you have to defend yourself for letting this happen. You need to rebuke her. That's what he's thinking. Interestingly enough, the word Simon the name Simon Simon in Hebrew means one who hears he's about to get an ear full from Jesus. Jesus tells him the story that we read and this is what is amazing, because we don't get the full story of what happened until Jesus talks. And when Jesus talks now we get the full picture and we understand from Jesus words three things about Simon. Fact number one Simon's matter was inhospitable. Did you know in that day. The ancient culture.
There was a protocol if you coming to somebody's house first thing you do is you either get a servant to wash the feet of the person who is been invited and or you give the guest water to do it himself. That didn't happen. Second view is the host embrace and kiss on both cheeks as a formal greeting that person who is come to dinner. That didn't happen.
Third is you give them a Senate olive oil to sort of set the tone for the evening.
That didn't happen. None of it happened the common courtesies of the common protocol for anyone being invited into a home did not happen. That's why I say he didn't invite Jesus because he loved Jesus he didn't buy Jesus because he was curious about Jesus. He wanted to trap him because Jesus said you know what you didn't even treat me with the common courtesy of a regular guest. Your treatment of me has been discourteous and insulting. So that's fact number one second fact we learn about Simon is his heart was judge mental as seen in the little parable that Jesus gives very simple story and you gotta know the rabbis love to tell stories and people love to hear stories so a very typical and engaging way. Jesus tells a story about two guys who both owed a debt to one person. One debt was 500 and Mary. That's about a year and 1/2's worth of a wager let's say which is put $100,000 on that person and the other owed 10 times less than that. So $10,000 you got $100,000 center and a $10,000 center debtor, the creditor comes along. As you know what both of you are unable to pay this amount.
Your debt is forgiven.
That's that's monumental if you could make your car payment this month. You call the bank and the bank said don't worry about it. In fact, we will send you the pink slip in the mail. It will be years in a week you'll own the car free and courageous forgiving the whole debt that will change your life. That is my that's an event you'd never forget this an incredible little story one at 100 grand could never pay at 10 10 grand could never pay it because again, both which of those to do things and I love the guy forgave the debt more easy answer guy was more and he got the answer right, but he's not connecting the dots because what Jesus is saying is you, not Simon goes to debtors.
Are you and her. She's $100,000 center matured $10,000 center. Both of you cannot pay the debt you owe to God. Even though you're not as bad as she is so Simon's heart was judge mental and why, because of his religion.
Hear me clearly religion is the world's biggest line spot when it comes to people knowing their need for God.
Ask a person witness to a person. Do you know Christ you want to go to heaven out of the days I'm going to church all my life, young man. Don't tell me that anymore old man. I've got a church all my life I've been religious all my life this man's religion made him inhospitable to Christ and judge mental toward this woman. So we learned two things about him. His manner was inhospitable.
His heart was judge mental 1/3 thing we know from Jesus words is his sin was invisible. All it was there, but you could see it. Her sin was outward. It was the scent of passion, his sin was inward. It was a sin of pride.
The prostitutes were sins of the flesh of the Pharisees were sins of the spirit person while her sin was overt and everybody knew his sin was covert and nobody knew except one, and his name was Jesus. While I bring this up because I think we likewise have blind spots in Western American evangelicalism. We have sins that we would consider socially acceptable know what we just want not not a big deal we say other sins are a big deal there so they will pick it against the mob signs against the will vote for legislation against their back. At that sense but other sins. Gluttony, it's a sin that's overeating socially acceptable E.man clean your plate greed. Come on this is America, be an entrepreneur, make more. We applaud you gossip socially acceptable houses to prayer request she sharing with 50,000 people there certain sins that are socially acceptable, but others that are not what Simon saw insulted him. What this woman did what he heard Jesus say should have convicted him. The third and final episode and that is the preacher and the prostitute. Now finally they are alone in the conversation.
Verse 48 and he Jesus said to her, your sins are forgiven and those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, who is this who even forgives sins that he said to the woman, your faith has saved you. Going peeks now there is Jesus standing I do I with a woman whose face is red and with tears and was riddled with shame one little sentence, your sins are forgiven over the sound of those words to those ears.
Now notice that Jesus is not put off by her reputation or he knows it. He is not put off by all of the years of her sinful activity. He knows her past.
He's not put off by the judgment in the gossip going on by the religious elite in that room. He just says there, your sins are forgiven. Go in peace, your faith has saved you. Jesus knew he knew that her heart was breaking. He knew that she was filled with shame. He knew that she was full of remorse. He knew that she wanted to leave that and I change it I read a very interesting testimony this week about a woman who said she got involved in prostitution by watching the movie she saw the movie pretty woman.
Some of you will remember that it was a famous movie some years back with Julia Roberts. This lady said I watched the movie pretty woman and I was like what God's look at her she's beautiful. She's making money. She's meeting guys and she fell in love with this guy and she's living in this nice hotel suite and has everything she wants and she's fallen in love. That's what I thought. So that's what I did but I experience nothing like pretty woman. It's totally totally different.
I have been held hostage at gunpoint. I have been raped. I've been robbed I've been strangled I've been beaten up everything by customers. When I read that I thought all what it would've been like for her to have heard the words of Jesus. After a repentant heart to say, your sins are forgiven. No, the others in that house. They were angry at Jesus, promising forgiveness, but that woman she was hungry for the promise of forgiveness. They were disgusted. She was delighted why simple the love that she never found in all of the encounters, the passionate encounter she had with men.
She found in a single encounter with this unique man, Jesus, and she walked away that day, knowing that God has a bigger racer. That's what you discovered God has a big eraser.
He cleaned the Borat of my sin away so so Simon Simon gets his sin exposed.
This woman gets her sin forgiven. Think of all the theological training Simon out as a Pharisee.
He poured over books and scrolls and had talks with theologians and mentors all those hours all that time in the presence of brilliance and he didn't know about a God who can forgive he didn't know anything about God's grace. She spent a few moments in Jesus presence and she knew more about God's grace than most believers today while okay that's a story. Let me give you three quick application take away points his first everyone sins. Face it everyone sins. Everyone's even Pharisees.
Everyone sins. Face it, all have sinned up all rug and a fallen short of the glory of God is the deal on God's test, you all get an F sodalite we all get an F in the righteousness test we all flunked and God is in grade on a curve and yet most people I meet. Think God does grade on a curve. They think they get a little religion and a lot of sincerity and work really hard at being a good person to somehow merit heaven because of that you are not the worst sin of all is some of you have thought it's some of the lifestyles we have mentioned in this ersatz the worse and you know what the worst sinners self-righteousness, so prices is the worst sin you know why it is because self-righteousness is an affront to the cross of Christ. It is telling God. I'm really not that bad that God would have to be shed for me. I'm good enough.
Thank you.
I am self righteous, self-made person that is the worst sin is that so blinding is an old Yiddish proverb that says a scab is a scab even if you smear honey over all Simon could see her scabs. They were apparent, but he had his own scabs smeared with the veneer of honey. So everyone sins face appears the second little truth. God's business is forgiveness. Seek it. Please notice the contrast Simon is unaware of his need and therefore he is uninterested in forgiveness, like most religious people are not aware of their need not interested in forgiveness. This woman is very aware of her need and so she is very interested in forgiveness.
This woman knew two things, one that she was a great center number two that Jesus was a great Savior. The powerful combination.
You need forgiveness goes without saying, resident c-kit from him. There's 1/3 truth, and I close with this God's word is true, believe it.
God's word is true, believe it. Jesus gave to her. A single promise in two parts are forgiven and your saved us the promise he gave her now she had to believe that promise. She does, had walk away believing that what Jesus said was true. She didn't wait there for some overwhelming feeling I have to have a go.
She feeling in my heart before I really believe that what that promises is true for me now.
She does at believe it.
She didn't wait around to get that affirmed by the people in the room that good luck with that crowd. She just simply had to believe the promise and listen to this.
The moment she said I believe what Jesus at that moment, she became an X prostitute when she just connected by faith with the promise that Jesus gave because of this, I found a testimony by a woman named Tina Hoffman she was annexed prostitute.
She said one night she was in her hotel room.
She was waiting for her next customer. He hadn't come yet so she thought she would smoke a joint and wait for him to come, so she did know what she did with her marijuana so she looked around and she couldn't find it and she looked everywhere and she couldn't find her joints so she opened up the drawer in the bureau and what's in the top drawer hotel rooms. God bless the Gideons is a Gideon Bible are. She pulled out a Gideon Bible and she actually thought maybe my marijuana cigarette fell in this Bible, somehow, so she's got a page in truth, this what she said. She opened up to a text of Scripture. She said the words leapt off the page was were they leapt off the page and into my heart and here's what she happened to turn to God demonstrated his own love toward us. Paul writes to the Romans in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. She said at that moment I said, I believe that and she said I left that room a forgiven and change personnel. She said, as I was leaving the room.
My customer was coming and I said have a good day and she walked out never to see him or that lifestyle again, and so did this unnamed prostitute in the story and so can any of you whether you are $100,000 center or you're a really wonderful $10,000 center we fallen short of God's glory and the only medicine is God's forgiveness and it does no good to keep the medicine on the shelf of heaven. When God says I will dispense it to you to cure you of your disease called sin that concludes my text message from the series Jesus loves. Right now we want to share about an exciting resource that helps you better understand the unconditional nature of God's love.
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus loves the devout and the doubters priests and prostitutes. The disease and the depressed Jesus just loves people all people, no matter what their past or their present. Sadly, sometimes it's the people who need love the most.
Feel the most rejected even by the church that Jesus loves all people, shouldn't we we want to help you grasp God's relentless love for people by sending you the complete form booklet Jesus loves people collection. I Skip I think these booklets look to Scripture to demonstrate Jesus's love for people from every walk of life. Yet all four Jesus loves people titles including Jesus loves the broken and Jesus loves addicts when you give the gift of $25 or more today to help expand this Bible teaching outreach to give call 800-922-1888, or give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer. We are excited to share how God uses the supportive friends like you to connect others to his word. Listen to this letter. One person signing. I started listening to Skip in the morning. I can't laugh when I get ready for work quite a while ago. I am so grateful for this program as he teaches the word stories like that happen because listeners like you give your support today will help connect more people with God's truth. So please leave now to help take these teachings even further visit connectwithskip.com/donate.connectwithskip.com/donate or call 819 to 1890 11:58 tomorrow. Skip I think explains why in a fallen world. There was hope for the future and where you can find listen to the words of Jesus carefully. You have heard that it was said by those of all you shall not murder, but I Sandy you if you are angry at your brother without a cause you are guilty of judging murder. We find out from Jesus doesn't originate with her hands but it begins in the heart Skip presentation of connection communication through