Desiring the Undesirable

Read Luke 5:27-32   

The Pharisees and their teacher buddies give some feedback.  “What do you think you’re doing, eating, and drinking with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

Jesus states the obvious.  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor; it’s the sick.  I haven’t come to call righteous people.  I’ve come to call sinners to repentance."  Obvious to everyone except the insular religious subculture. 

If Jesus was criticized for having sinful friends, you will be too.  And if you’re not there’s something wrong with you.    

It will be our privilege to be criticized by Christians who don’t understand.  It will be our glory to be welcomed into God’s presence by the people we have served. 

Many Christians come from church backgrounds that say they must separate from undesirable people. 

The last church I pastored had the remarkable quality of serving former prostitutes, drug addicts, alcoholics, ex-convicts, sometimes not too far removed from old lifestyles, as well as police officers, prison guards, and civilian law enforcement support workers.  I was struck by how much they had in common.  

Such is the kingdom of God. 

The Pharisees had two misconceptions:

ü  That holiness means separating yourself from undesirable people. 

ü  That associating with undesirable people makes us somehow undesirable to God. 

It is possible for both individuals and churches to become devoted mainly to personal spiritual culture and forget outreach, especially if the process of reaching out involves touching those who may contaminate us.  Thus, many Protestant churches have in effect become closed systems for the nurture and servicing of the inheritors of a [religious tradition]…

 – Richard Lovelace

You want to inherit a tradition?  Wouldn't you rather have the Kingdom of God?  

This passage contains one of a very few explicit mission statements that Jesus makes.

Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Luke 5:31-32

Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead so that everyone who repents and believes might be healed. 

For Jesus, and for his followers, separation from sinners in the name of holiness is a false dichotomy. 

True holiness reaches out with compassion and sincere love.  It embraces people some might find undesirable. 

Jesus desires the undesirable.  That’s why he reached out to you. 

Jesus openly associates with community outsiders.  It will be our privilege so to follow him, despite the criticism of some Christians. 

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12

If you are so criticized, you’re in good company. 

If you want to see God use you to reach people, reach down.  You’ll find people ripe for the gospel. 

ü  Following Christ means being willing to leave anything and everything for something better.

ü  Now more than ever, those who have left everything to follow Jesus are called to follow Jesus into the world, making the gospel real, as Jesus did.

ü  It will be our privilege to be criticized by Christians who don’t understand.  It will be our glory to be welcomed into God’s presence by the people we have served, people of amazing diversity from every possible background. 

That’s why Jesus came, was betrayed, crucified by the religious, and rose again. 

But his door's open wide. 

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice:
   "Salvation belongs to our God,
   who sits on the throne,
   and to the Lamb."

Rev 7:9-10

Will you…

ü  Take advantage of any opportunity to interact with people different from you or that you don’t know. 

ü  Form relationships.  Invite people over, do things together.  Listen to people.  Love people. 

And if you have ever felt like an outsider, there’s someone who came to welcome you home. 

Where in the World?

Read Luke 5:27-32   

"Five Corners," Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada 

Levi gets included in the company of the most charismatic figure ever to walk the face of the earth.  For maybe the first time ever he is in with the in-crowd, so he throws a huge party at his home for Jesus. 

The party was packed with all the wrong kinds of people: the unscrupulous and immoral for starters: people of whom a proper religious person would not darken the doorway.  Jesus partied. 

They didn’t call Jesus the “friend of sinners” for nothing.  We like that term when it means us; not so much when it means people we don’t approve of.    

You see, now more than ever, those who have left everything to follow Jesus are called to follow Jesus right back into the world, making the gospel real in the trenches, as Jesus did.

It’s what God’s people have done as long as the church has been in existence, often with dramatic results.  We have a mission, a purpose. 

ü  Roman Empire

One of the most striking things about Christians at the time of the Roman Empire was their concern for the poor, particularly for those who were not from within the church community. 

ü  Protestant Reformation

Following the 16^th century Protestant Reformation, Christians combined the message of the gospel with providing food for the hungry, with orphanages, with schools for those who could not afford education. 

ü  Second Great Awakening

During the Second Great Awakening (early 1800s), Christians combined their passion for the gospel with badly needed prison reform, temperance, peace, and the abolition of slavery. 

God‘s people have always followed Christ into their world, making the gospel real -- the Kingdom present -- in word and in deed.  Where in the world do you need to follow Jesus? 

What’s behind this?  What drives and informs our place in this world? 

First, the church is the body of Christ. we are the physical presence of Christ in the world, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  That we have a mission means we are “missional.”

The term missional highlights the core identity and task of the church as God’s called and sent people.  It sees the church as the primary instrument of God’s mission.  A church that is missional understands that God’s mission calls and sends the church to be a missionary in its own society and in the cultures in which it finds itself. 

Eddie Gibbs

Second, Christ’s incarnation is our model.  Ministry to the whole person is the essence of the incarnation.  Jesus doesn’t just forgive them and send them on their way.  He openly associates with them.  He spends time with them.  He hangs out with them. 

By eating with Levi and his friends, Jesus is showing his full acceptance of them.  That’s what that meant in Bible times. 

 “While in the past evangelism meant giving merely the message of the gospel, those who are convicted by the need for transformation realize that evangelism needs to be more than just words.  Effective ministry should care for the body and mind as well as the soul, reaching out to the needs of the whole person.  The message of Jesus Christ should transform and change those who hear it, and through them, transform societies, cultures, and nations…  We need to be concerned not only with planting churches, but we also need to be concerned with the kind of churches we are planting.” 

– Ministering Among the Changing Cultures of North America, Mission to North America, Presbyterian Church in America  

What might it mean for Christians in your community?  Is the community growing or shrinking?  What are the projections?  Who is being hardest hit by the changes? 

ü  low income residents?

ü  single parents, especially single mothers? 

ü  Children? 

ü  those with disabilities? 

ü  the mentally handicapped?

ü  those with addictions?

ü  senior citizens? 

Maybe.  But what can I do? 

Here are seven ways Christians and churches can begin to make a difference today. 

1.   Take advantage of any opportunity to interact with people different from you or that you don’t know. Poker face: don't judge.  Your connection is not your moral code but the image of God in both of you.  

2. Form relationships.  Invite people over, do things together.  Listen to people.  Accept and appreciate them.  Love the person in front of you.  

3.   Create an inviting atmosphere in worship. 

4.   Begin with children’s ministry. 

5. Meet needs regardless of whether there’s anything in it for you.  We address needs regardless of whether they come to our church. 

6.  Make staff additions based on community needs.  Maybe the next staff member will focus on youth or children’s ministry, or counselling, for example. 

7.   This approach has to be fully embraced by the leadership, but will be most effectively done by lay people. 

Followers of Christ will be the friend of sinners, just as Jesus was.