Jesus, Forgiveness, And You Part 1

You assume God forgive morally soon so they send all the more. Not knowing the mercy of the Christ died for sins like these.

Today a real life story of how Jesus restored the dignity of someone with a lifetime of sexual sin from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to win with Dr. Erwin Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Mr. Lewis someone listen may feel better soon is beyond forgiveness.

Do you have any words of hope for these people. Dave, I have to tell you that I absolutely love this story hears a woman almost certainly a prostitute who shows up at a feast to which he was not invited, and she's the one that leaves forgiven loving Jesus in the midst of some self righteous Pharisees. It's a wonderful story. It's a story of redemption. My wife Rebecca and I have written a book entitled life changing Bible verses you should know is filled with about 35 different issues. Many of them, perhaps two or three pages, but it also has to do with issues such as forgiveness, justification, redemption, it will be the kind of book that is a blessing to you and to others for a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337, but for now let's listen to this remarkable story of hope, forgiveness and love Marilyn Monroe once said that in Hollywood. They give you $1000 for a kiss and $0.50 for your soul so want to begin today by asking you the question, how is yours all, how would you characterize is it full of guilt and remorse, powerlessness, self-condemnation, peace, joy. How is the state of your soul. As you know we're in a series of messages titled restoring the soul in the first message we spoke about shame and how that has to be overcome if the soul is to be restored and will be commenting on that again today and the second message we spoke about the lies that we like to believe about sexuality lies that hurt and rudeness and then last time breaking soul ties you know there was a man who was in an adulterous relationship and when he was confronted, he denied it and even put his fist up to heaven and set a fine line and let God dislike me dad. But God didn't smite him. Dad and so he felt emboldened to continue on in his lie. But when it finally finally came unraveled on the lie didn't work anymore. He said these words. I know I'm wrong I'm helpless. I am driven to be with, no matter the cost. We commented on that.

Lastly, giving an explanation for that but I need to tell you that the next message in the series is going to do with breaking the cycle breaking the cycle, but today were going to speak about grace and forgiveness in the presence of Jesus because there's a story in the New Testament that is a wonderful story.

It's one in which Jesus takes a woman who had greatly sinned, and he restores her and not only does he forgive her, but he gives their back something that is desperately needed appeared to be restored. That is your dignity because if not, you'll repeat the same sin like one woman said I thought I was scum so I live like scum. Want to tell you, today you can live differently in the presence of Jesus. The story is found in the seventh chapter of the book of Luke Luke chapter 7 there is a Pharisee by the name of Simon who decides to throw a party for Jesus just to check him out. That's what the Bible says and and what he does as he throws this feast in Jesus is to be there because he wants to meet Jesus for himself.

This Pharisee does and actually invites Christ to the feast.

Now you need to understand that in those days on invited guests could come into the courtyard. They could not come to the table but if they wanted to crouch along the walls of the courtyard they could do that they were free to do that and there is a woman in the town who is a sinner.

We know from the text that she's a prostitute and she comes and she cowers in the shadows. Those of us who are interested in the cause of human behavior would be very interested to know how she got into prostitution wasn't there that she was raised in a fine home but then decided to throw it all away and to simply go into this lifestyle and once she began that way.

She was despised and scorned, and so she stayed earning a living doing that. That's a possibility, but it's doubtful. More likely she was abused by a man she may have been sexually molested as a child. Those who have been sexually violated find it very difficult to put up boundaries.

Sometimes they don't even know where the boundaries are. They find it hard to say no because they have been so severely violated. They don't even know exactly where those boundaries should be and so anyone can come along and they they are willing to open up their lives and their bodies for them.

Maybe she's like the prostitute whom someone once brought to me who was tossed out in the streets at the age of 14, having to fend the loan rate then lived as a prostitute. Whatever all we know is that this woman was known in town as a center. Everybody's sins, but she especially was known as the center of the streets or something else that you have to know in terms of customs in those days when you had a feast. The table was only about 18 inches from the floor and the people would come and recline their feet were extended.

The men then would the lien on their left elbow, and each with their right hand and that's the way also that we have to understand the Lord's supper. It makes no sense to try to understand what was going on there. Unless you understand that that was the custom of the day so Jesus is there, and his feet are extended and this woman comes and notice what we read verse 37 when a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house. She brought an alabaster jar or perfume as she stood behind him at his feet. Weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kiss them and poured perfume on them while she said to herself. I'm coming from the shadows and I'm going to get to Jesus no matter what and openly repeatedly and unashamedly. She showed disaffection to Jesus. This was too much for Simon the Pharisee will notice it says in verse 39, when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself. If this man were a prophet he would know who is touching him and what kind of a woman she is and she is a center Jesus would know that he is being touched by this immoral woman of the streets and what I'd like to do in the next few moments is to show you how this woman came to wholeness because at the end of this passage we read from the words of Jesus himself from his lips will in peace. How does Jesus take an immoral woman filled with all kinds of shame and remorse and in the end in just a few moments able to say to her go in peace. How does that happen in the presence of Jesus. I want you to know today that it happens also today I'm going to give you five steps. I'm a little hesitant to call them steps because when God works in our life. It isn't in some kind of a neat pattern step-by-step. Sometimes the steps are in a different order.

Sometimes all of them happen at once, but I do believe that in all the processes of healing that basically there are these elements that are present in, I'd like to give them to you because there are some of you who are listening today need to be brought from your own lifestyle and your own pain and your own memories to wholeness in the presence of Jesus.

I believe that that is going to happen. I really do first step. She was honest and open. She was honest and open you sable how do you know that well. The very fact that she was willing to come to this feast. She knew that everyone who was at the feast. All of these Pharisees would hold her in scorn and derision. She knew that she would elicit this kind of a response but her desire to meet Jesus was more powerful than the public scorn and review and judge mentalism all that she cared about was getting to Jesus so she came out from the shadows of the courtyard and she came to him the insults on the street were nothing in comparison what you would get what you would get in the house of the Pharisee, the self righteous bigots who did not see their own sin. And so this dear woman, bless her, she overcame her natural desire to hide her shame. There is some of you who are addicts sin, we will be talking about that, but in another message but there is some of you who are in a lifestyle of repeated sinful behavior and what I need to tell you today is that the grace of God does not go behind the closed doors and what she had to do is what many have had to do to die the natural inclination to live a lie and to come into the presence of Jesus. And I invite you to do that today and those of you who have been abused. Perhaps it's not your sin, but the sin of others you to have to come to Jesus because the same grace that this woman experience the grace of forgiveness and healing and dignity is what all of us need in the pilgrimage of life. Sable pastor Luther can I do this on my own. Yes, you can be forgiven in the presence of God on your own but you cannot be restored.

Your dignity cannot be reinstated, as we shall see except to come out from the shadows and come to the presence of Jesus and not care who's looking or who knows God bless this woman. First of all, she was open and honest. Secondly, she faced her pain. She faced her pain.

You sable where is that in the text back in verse 38 when it says that she was weeping and then she wipes the feet of Jesus with her hair and kisses them as her tears mingled with the perfume in the Greek text is present tense.

What it means that she kept on weeping. She kept on anointing.

She kept on the wiping and the reason that I know that she faced her pain is because she was weeping. Why was she crying but of course we know she was crying because she thinks of all of the men who betrayed her all of the men who said those wonderful beautiful seductive things and then when they got what they wanted. They tossed her away like the peeling of an orange. She thought also of the broken relationships. Maybe at one time she had a family. Maybe she was even scorned by her relatives and friends who knows, maybe by her own children. We do not know this story. We do not know all of the things that came about to have her in this condition, but either way the simple fact is here was a woman who was so filled with self revulsion so filled with shame and the degrading feeling of being you that there she was in the presence of Jesus, and she wept she wept want you to know today the tears are very important. You don't have to cry to be forgiven, but many of you need to cry to be restored and I'll tell you why she could have acted differently. She could've chosen not to cry.

She could have said to herself you know if these self-righteous Pharisees are going to treat me that way and scorned me. I'll show them all take all of my feelings and my hurt and I will stuff those feelings into my soul.

I will well hold of my soul shot so that no one will ever get. And then she would have been hard.

She'd of been angry. She would've been uncaring.

She would've been defiant and she would've been unhealed want you to know today that God gave us tear ducts that we might cry and some of you are in denial you want to give yourself the privilege of crying maybe you want to weeping even in this service today. I want you to know today that if you weep in the person next to you is finding it difficult for her to accept that that person next to you needs more help, possibly than you do. Feel free to wait in the presence of Jesus. That's what this woman did.

And again I refer to abuse children. Some of you know, I wrote a book with Dori Van Stone entitled Dori the girl nobody love it. About a second book was entitled no place to cry. Why did we call it that.

It's because one of the problems with abuse children often times is these feelings are stuffed into their souls and they have no place where they can cry their eyes out.

Some of you. God bless you would do well to cry. Tears are often times a barometer of the soul and this woman in the presence of Jesus wept. She did not hide her pain.

Third, she accepted Jesus Christ's forgiveness. That is a very interesting interchange that takes place here beginning at verse 41 assignment of course is incensed that Jesus would let a prostitute touch him. And so Jesus knowing this said, he says to Simon, I got something to say to you, and Simon says okay tell it to me and Jesus said in verse 41, two men owed money to a certain moneylender.

One owed him 500 denarii.

The other owed him 50, neither of them had the money to pay him back so he canceled the debts of both now which of them will love him more and Simon says I suppose.

I suppose the one who owed more. Jesus said you're right Simon, verse 44.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, do you see this woman, I came into your house and you did not give me any water for my feet, but she wept my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

You did not give me a kiss, but this woman from the time I entered has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil in my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she loved much but he who has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, your sins are forgiven.

I hope someday in heaven will see a video of this incident.

What Jesus was saying is, is that those who are forgiven more love, more have a degree of our love oftentimes is dependent upon the extent of our forgiveness and what we been forgiven for a member woman at Moody Church said Pastor Luther, I am the woman at the well.

I am the woman who committed adultery I am the woman. These women throughout the New Testament, and she says I am wrapped all into one.

In other words, I'm all of these ladies.

Yet this woman in such a glow on her face.

In such a love for Jesus, but it was overwhelming because he was been forgiven much loves much. Jesus wasn't saying well you know Simon, you can't love me very much because you don't have very much that I have to forgive you for I want you to know today that Simon was a much greater need than this woman thing got at least she could see her sin. He couldn't see his as he looked down his judgmental holier than thou knows he couldn't see that he needed the grace of God. But what I like is this Jesus Christ is right in the presence of this bigoted Pharisee and his friends and right in the midst of these people Jesus speaks these kind words to this woman, who perhaps had not heard kind words for four years from a man and Jesus says to her tenderly laid a you are forgiven is not only a restoration of forgiveness, but her dignity is restored because she is in the presence of the only one who can speak or clean.

And if the man who is at the center of the universe Jesus Christ would not have spoken her clean. What if Jesus would have been a Pharisee. What Jesus would've said well you know, don't touch me lady.

Don't you understand I'm the son of God. Don't you understand how holy I am go back out onto the streets where you belong. You even belong in this place, but with this dear lady have done. The only thing that she could've thought of maybe to do is to commit suicide because of you're in the presence of the most holy God and the only one who is able to speak you clean. Then he condemns you cookware do you go from there. There is no other place to go my friend today, no matter who you are, no matter what you have done. There is no other place to go. Jesus is able to speak you clean.

I hope that you come to him today in repentance and faith receiving the gift of eternal life receiving not only the gift of eternal life, but the very sense of his presence that comes to all those who were cleansed, running to win exist to give you resources to help you manage this life run successfully all the way to the finish line is we frequently mention we exist in order to share the good news of the gospel with many my wife and I have written a book entitled life changing Bible verses you should know it's really a book that has 30 or 40 different topics.

Two or three pages each. Let me simply read some of them adversity, anxiety, the armor of God, assurance, I'm jumping down now to forgiveness to justification to redemption to the fear of the Lord. All of these topics for gift of any amount. This book can be yours.

Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and thanks in advance for helping us messages like the one that you have just listen to are going to thousands upon thousands of people right now. You can pick up the phone and call 1-888-218-9337 life changing Bible verses you should know it's time again for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Sometimes the questions we receive.

Running to win break our hearts. John was the store program here is history.

I was a school administrator or parochial school. I committed adultery that resulted in an innocent child. The church has removed me from my call and now I'm unemployed. I listen to your program today and my question is now simply this should my wife and I tell our children will my dear friend a couple of things.

First of all, if your children are going to find out anyway and I suspect that they will. It would be best for you to tell them because it certainly is better that they hear it from their parents than they hear it from friends or through some other route and you may be paying alimony. There may be connections that are involved. As a result of what happened and that the children need to know about that.

Of course you've not told me how old the children are and I would say that, on the other side of the ledger. If indeed there is no way for your children to ever find out. Then I would say that they don't need to know. I think as long as this difficult issue is resolved between you and your wife hopefully you and the church because apparently the church knew all about this, then that would be sufficient. It is not necessary that our children know everything about their parents and the sins that their parents have committed, but my suspicion is, these children will find out anyway. I think at some point when they are at the right age, you just need to tell them thank you John for sharing your question. Thank you Pastor Luther for that compassionate counsel if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. The woman who wiped her tears from Jesus feet new.

This man could restore her dignity as well as forgive her moral sin. Next time I'm running to win our series on restoring the soul continues will turn again to Luke chapter 7 and hear about the key elements of one woman's return to dignity.

Could this be your story plan to tune in. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin looks her, this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher