The One with the Pharisee, Prostitute, and Jesus, Part 2

Town Summit life with Jeannie Greer. Those of you who come in here you got mistakes of shame and pain. I want you to hear from you directly. You are not your divorce, you're not. You're right.

You're not sure abuse you're not surprised.

Dr. Dixon, you're not a notch percent do not pass or not your future. Not saying you're not so bad choices. You are God's child that is today on Senate life pastor Jeannie Greer shows us in our teaching series called In-Stat that when we allow the grace of God to truly amazed that our lives will undoubtedly look different easy. While many of us understand in our heads. The importance of Jesus's sacrifice for us. We often allow our hearts to forget just how amazing the good news of the gospel really is.

Now if you missed any of the previous messages in this teaching series, you can catch up online. Jeannie Greer.com but now here's pastor Jeannie with the conclusion of a method again yesterday titled the one with the Pharisee, the prostitute and style I got to joists like this is where you're watching over our Ellen or Bill Marr or anybody affirmation or alienation from that person fully or the other options you can reject them.

But Jesus shows us 1/3 option that is neither affirmation or alienation. Speaking truth with grace speaking God's truth to them, but not in a way that pushes them away when it shuts off the relationship. One of Jesus's most misunderstood teachings in our day is what he says in Matthew seven judge not lest you be not judged. People always assume that that means you should never tell somebody what they're doing is wrong with you do if you say will you judge this is the one verse in the Bible, but Bill Marr seems to know. But is that really what Jesus met is what he met, don't tell other people the wrong way coming. Think about it. Did Jesus spend an entire lifetime pointed out people's wellness wellness and what they think longest what they believe wrong us and what they're doing so not judging somebody to mean not speaking the truth of them. Note judging them is what you do after you speak the truth to them after you speak the truth event you cast them away or do you draw them close judging means pushing somebody away condemning them and shutting them off and not condemnation just means I'm breaking the relationship because your bad receipt even when Jesus spoke truth.

The people he truth in the radiated acceptance of love in John 12, you said that that while he was on earth he would not judge anybody that one day one day he'll come back as a judgment. During his time on earth he wouldn't do it because he'd been sent out only to extend the acceptance of salvation to all who would receive it.

The course is true of us to for our time on earth. That means no matter what somebody is done it means matter what they done until their dying breaths.

We extend God's acceptance and embrace them and we model that that is only posture toward the world as the standoff grace is the heart of the gospel to that scandal produces three things in us three things that religion by itself, with all the flaws and all of its commands and all of its disciplines can never produce. I don't care how intense your religion, how deep your Bible knowledges forgiveness and grace are the only things I can produce these three things in your heart.

Number one white hot worship.this woman demonstrates anything else is an uncontrollable passion for Jesus. She weeps over percent. She adores with tearful thankfulness for her salvation. She she pours out a bottle of expensive perfume on his feet. Love so strong that she can't seem to even constrain herself here Simon the Pharisee for all of his knowledge all is religion any kind of emotion like that in his heart. Matthew you will I Simon you will like her. When was the last time that you wept over your sin and salvation. The answer is never to say very humbly that you got a problem if the fact that God himself took on for you and eternal hell that you would brought onto yourself with the fact that he sought you when you were running as fast as you could be other direction that's never brought tears to your eyes and you got a serious problem so well. I'm just not that emotional of a person you don't have to be emotional for that to bring tears to your eyes. You have to be human with some semblance of understanding everybody here as far as I can tell, is human, which means that if you have a Web server, your salvation, I'm questioning whether or not you actually understand Jesus said those were forgiven might switch all of you love much and I love you much. You must mean you don't to forgiveness, give many clear me be very clear. The point is not that this woman needs to be forgiven of a lot in the Pharisee only a little note. Both are in great need of forgiveness because one, the prostitute got the five security and happiness apart from God or prostitution. The other Simon thought he could win God's approval by showing how much better he was, and everybody else both rejected God in their own way and both needed to be forgiven her advantage is that she realizes that he done which is why she loves Jesus passionately, and he doesn't friend if your faith is cold. If your heart is hard if your worship feels perfunctory but you need to pray that God opens your eyes to see how amazing Grace is to see how high and wide and deep and long God's love is for you is when grace is amazing to you worship will fill a drudgery worse will be your delight coming to church to celebrate God's grace with other people is not to feel like something you gotta get dragged to. I will use a coronavirus as an excuse not to gather with people in the mirror people to do it for safety reasons and their people that the distal I got assume that is I just know that compelled to do it. You will feel like that it'll select something you can't wait to do if you're in a circumstance, we can't do it because your heart will be. I can't wait to be around other people celebrate the grace of God white hot worship Esther first effective know you been forgiven. Number two.

Acceptance of others run some a church we always say those who believe the gospel become like the gospel acceptance that we have received from Jesus forever redefines how we receive others. I don't like this woman in the church. From this point on, would find herself looking down her nose at other people in the church wonder only what historians you have heard about that. I knew what I guys marriage. I knew about what went on in her life.

I don't think she was like that because every time she walked in the church. All she could think about was where she was when Jesus found her back.

I think it's kind of important how little too obvious. He was a member of the early church the loop refers to this woman, verse 37 he called her a woman who was a sinner. He calls her first a woman, he identifies a person a woman a human being with inherent dignity.

She's somebody sister somebody's somebody's daughter somebody's mother. Perhaps doesn't mean she's not also a sinner. It just means he sees first in her something he can relate to. He sees first somebody made in the image of God like him who came in the world, just like he did with the same needs and hurts and desires. If I could you give me a little little artistic license year. I can't help but wonder how this woman became a prostitute. We can be sure that Telus it's possible it's possible that she chose this path, despite a loving father and mother who raised her the right way and provided for her. That is a possibility, but it's unlikely like you have to admit that it's very unlikely was more likely is that something happened to her. Something happened to her life at some point to totally derail her and she got right now your husband abandoned her with no way to pay off the debts or the possibility of owning land in first century Israel no way to get remarried now.

That's how a lot of women in those days became prostitutes that made even darker really know this happened. Maybe her dad sold her office a little girl to patient.

That's that happen. Maybe she tried for a while to make money in other ways.

Weather is finally came a day when she got so desperate that the thought crossed her mind. Well, there's always that way to make a living. We still wouldn't starve. Miss you meet a man who didn't care about what her name was want to know her name. She walked away after being used with enough money not starve and then she went there again and again and again and every single time it the shame increased and eventually the same becomes unimaginable.

The pain becomes unbearable. Just got into a cycle that she didn't know how to get out of here me. I must say interactions are just about a much under excuse her to say that those of us who are not currently walking down a path of darkness might consider that the darkness that some of the people around us have experienced is what has led them to this task darkness you and I've never had to go through for the underserved braces that God gave us to keep us out of that darkness we ought to consider that to this woman. Luke says I see you first is a woman I see you first.

Somebody who's paying I understand a somebody who is made in the image of God just like me is not made in many different substance that I made up God loves and whose pain breaks his heart is for those of you who come in here that one of our campuses sitting in your home watching later this week online you got mistakes in shame and pain. Maybe that's the reason you're watching online, so I got to going to a church to the people know what's happened in my life. I want you to hear from me directly. You are not your divorce. You're not your rape you're not your abuse you're not surprised. You're not your addiction. You're not your pain.

You're not your sin, do not pass your not your future. You're not your stupidity or not your bad choices. You are God's child. That is who you are bundling public scholars point out historians with the question never totally resolved after Jesus excepts this woman. The question is does everybody else store never tells would never tells what happens.

Did Simon say hey okay puppeteer and was taught theology when the disciples are we just won't know for some a church that's a question for us how we can receive centers but your own circle and it was easy to not your bill yet. That's right give us of seven rows away from investment grade, I will be parameters on look at your own circle who is in your circle. How many broken messed up people are part of your circle. What tarnished broken person that other people gotta shake their heads that tell jokes about what should those people are you showing the acceptance of Christ and some element of say it to be a church to stewards grace while working to have to get used to our church feeling a little messy.

Something what I wanted two decades as a pastor, people who actually have broken past don't get like automatically sanctified when they walk into the church building and I'm sure this woman brought all kinds of baggage into the church all week. It is a little story here, but you can't tell me to sit in the years to deal with counsel even in just dealing with some of the pain that she was bringing into the church.

Sometimes people like this don't know the right things to do and worship him like this woman, they do something that is awkward and borderline inappropriate gravida will commerce it will ease the conversation was right after I preach the message of was a Berkeley campus man walks up to look at the guys that this is church is not typical place for this gotta be what about me very quickly and he turned around she turns her angst I had tears in his eyes and he stuck out his hand very quickly little bit awkwardly and just a pastor that was the best point that he blatantly click click click sermon I've ever heard and I will do a double take is like what the first thought in my heart was, you know that might that just might be the most authentic expression of praise uttered in this place. This morning, God might be more, please let Sen. that he did anything that I said, setting up a language that that guy uses okay to figure out soon enough that we will all talk like that is at some point as you sit in the service. Little of the words on the screen of the song got mildly use curse words and the song that he should have that thought. I'm just saying that when lost people find Jesus it's messy okay with that. I'm okay with that or you write number three. Last thing here extravagant generosity will overlook that in the story. This woman is an expression of worship or Zelda help. One of the word used for scandalous outpouring of generosity. She feels that weeping at Jesus feet.

She looked at her hair. Then she breaks open expensive bottle of perfume.

These perfumes that were kept in alabaster glass flask and Roger Cheever. This they were were were both precious and very expensive. They say about a year's salary for the average person there something you For a lifetime used very sparingly.

If you use them at all. You let them. As an inheritance for your kids. And here we have her in one motion, break the entirety of the bottle and pour out the content on Jesus feet, something that would've lasted an aroma that would've lasted no longer than a couple hours.

We know from other accounts that some of the disciples thought this was with an incredible waste and there like look up anything really want to give it. She should've given it to the poor. But Jesus rebuked them sooner you'll get it.

This was warship. This was pure worship Jesus as Lilo got. I can I can multiply bread and fish to take care of the poor. I can do that. This kind of extravagance is right in light of the extravagance of the forgiveness I've given to her. I will need your money. This expression of her worship is right, the right to stamp some gifts are valuable because of the good they can do in the world. Others are valuable for this statement they make about the heart of the giver and the worth of the God to whom they are given generosity is first and foremost a declaration to God about how valuable he is to you. We wanted to give in a way that shows that Jesus is first in our lives told you various stories of told you want about one of our pastors who determined that he was going to make his giving beginning from his family. The largest expenses family had every month bigger than what they pay for the mortgage bigger than what they were saving for retirement or for college bigger than their vacation in her car expenses in order to do that.

He said we had to make some lifestyle changes.

That's one way to do it. One way to do it is to rearrange a budget that way. My question for you is not a you doing it that way.

Question is, what is it look like for you is how your giving is how you're using your resources, your time, your talent and your treasure what kind of declaration is it making soup God about his place in your lives, about how grateful you are of grace on what you understand grace. Maybe some of us realize about this out that there something in our lives that were holding onto something. What we call stored assets that we visualize God's name are you warding that I did you get a transfer into my kingdom.

You trust me with your future. You can trust me with with right now shall don't live from that investors in my kingdom. Use it eternally. Should be some gift that we offer as an act of worship that declares a Jesus is first.

Some gifts are valuable because of the good they can do in the world that is true but the most important gifts are valuable for the statement they make about the heart of the giver.

The word of God in their given will come statement about Jesus value is your giving. Make tortuous interviews of resentment floods up in your heart and you just you, bow up a little bit at best, honestly, I just rather you cut a deal with that on your own. I'm not asking for anything from Bible says God loves a cheerful giver, and if your heart is not cheerful when you hear about its things and you probably not a place for me to hear that you got a deal.

Some questions on your own, but for those of you that that that don't have that reaction. I just want to ask you to pray through and consider this word a very key point in the ministries of some church because of lockdown things of been very unusual and there's a lot of new ministry opportunities in front of us. So does Ashley to say Jesus is all yours. What you want with it. Want to make an eternal investment. I wanted to do this in a way that declares robust significance of my security. I want to do so in a way that shows the value I want to declare this to my friends and my family want to teach my children miss what is your church.

This is the world this this is the value I have. It's for those of us in the midst of an uncertain time like lockdown. We believe we don't cower backwards and fear. We walk forward boldly in faith. This is the time to make that kind of declaration they limit to close a point out of these three things white-hot worship.

Acceptance of others in extravagant generosity. Some of the more astute if you notice that they correspond to three of our discipleship identities you been doing the groundwork study, worship, family member, that's the acceptance of others and steward that's extravagant generosity.

We see all three of those identities in this story. What is most important, listen is how RVs produce. How was warship acceptance as a family member. How does extravagant generosity where the come from answer a deeper awareness of grace. What we say here that you never grow in the Christian life by resolving to do better. You'll grow just by doing the groundwork study right you grow by going deeper into the wonder of your salvation. We should throw it in in the in the road in the Gospels like drinking from a well, you'll get the best water from the well by widening the circumference of the well get the best water from the well by going deeper into the same image of your heart is cold in the Christian life feels like drudgery. Ask God to open your eyes to the wonder of grace still do it not wonderful is your heart, passion for the Christian life will follow as naturally as roses on rosebush with power has right now me to do that is by grids wherever you are you doing I want to say to those you find yourself made like this woman, maybe a life filled with regret over mistakes you're aware of your sin. Unsure about how God feels about you I need you to understand of the arms of Jesus stand open wide for you should not make too many mistakes from my mistakes so bad that he couldn't. He couldn't he could receive me. Jesus said that as long as you're on earth he stands arms open wide.

Not in the posture of Judge from say one of our songs if you're not dead. God's not done or to quote an old song dark is the stain that you cannot hi, how one can avail to wash it away.

Look, there is flowing a crimson tide whiter than snow. You can be today. Grace grace God's grace grace that can be hard and includes within grace grace God's grace grace that is greater that all my center in the words of another song you might've heard just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that now bids me come to me all Lamb of God and into the arms of Jesus are wide open to you today will you respond.

The gospel is at the core of all we do here at Senate life if you joined us late or if you'd like to study to complete an edited message transcripts.

You can find all of our messages and many Bible study tools free of charge@jdgreer.com Pastor Jenny we've learned around here how important it is to know the Bible for me.

I want to be able to recall Scripture easily beheaded SD on some of the memory verses that I learned as a kid, the desire to know more Scripture my heart. I just need a little push. Sometimes the others will different tricks that you can use but but really just comes down to reading them saying them back tell a friend of mine is extremely good at this taught me to do it by actually reading the verse 10 times and say that 10 times and then reviewing it. Once the next day and he said you have to memorize that circle to Drew my life. We would produce a stack of 50 memory cards, which is designed for you to memorize one a week in the year 2022.

I would say at most it would take you 10 minutes to memorize one and then you put one person we can you review its day by day after you don't the year. Think about it you got 50 promises Scripture 50 living words that are in your heart that the Holy Spirit can bring to mind whenever he needs to counteract some deception coming from the depths of your heart, or from our enemy. I think these will be a tool to actively transform how you see yourself ice world. I think about God's go to JD Greer.com today reserve the consummate as small as I size for quick reference, putting on the fridge or even sticking in your wallet.

You could even give them away in greeting cards to encourage others there agree inspiring reminder to your left-wing is always within as our way of saying thank you for your one-time donation of $35 and your monthly commitment as a gospel partner will think you are brand-new exclusive resource the rejoice always, and then reverse heart to help you not only remember the word of God's latest here after you were sent today we find 866-335-5224. You can get online and.com.

I'm only been advanced to a second Thursday when pastor Jenny is back I'm always up for that search witness right here on the right rear ministry