R sbc
March 12, 2006
Sunday Morning
Series: Christ The Sum & Substance of The Bible
Sermon # 74
Subject: “Jesus Christ & Publicans Sinners”
Mt 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. Mt 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Text: I Tim 1-15
Intro: This subject by it’s title assumes a relationship between Christ and sinners. It is a great subject, not because I am preaching, but because it unveils the reality of the mission of Christ into this world.
The word sinners: The majority of times that you see the word sinners in the bible it refers to the unsaved. The word sinners is found 46 times in the bible and the word sinner is found 21 times. We are called sinners also, if we committ sin, that makes us also sinners,
Of course because of Jesus Christ and his work, we are the saints of God and called that more than any other name in the bible. Ga 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
My sermon is going to be very simple and to the point today:
I... “ THE ENTRANCE OF CHRIST: “ CAME INTO THE WORLD”
This is no doubt the greatest day of all days when our saviour enter into the realm of time through the womb of Mary. It is the mystery of godliness. Listen to some of the scriptures that will tell us of this great entrance of Christ.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Without the entrance of Christ into the world, there would be no hope for any sinner on the earth. This is essential as you know. Our Lord is said to have:
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. This verse also is a revelation of our Lord coming into this world.
The wise men upon hearing of his birth came to worship him. Matt 2-1 ¶ Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him
(1.) It was an entrance foretold hundreds of years before it occured:
Isa 7-14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Further revelations of this child that was to rule all nations Isa 9-6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isa 9-7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
(2.) It was an entrance that was not well received:
Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. That is his own nation, his own tribe, they rejected him. This also was told of the ancient Isaiah when he said he was despised and rejected and we hid as it were our faces from him...
(3.) It was a mysterious entrance:
Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Col 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds
It is no longer a mystery, it is an open story, it is an open gospel we preached.
II... THE MARVELOUS MISSION OF CHRIST”... “ TO SAVE SINNERS”
This tells me that Christ had a relationship to sinners when he came. We find several verses that indicate that.
(1.) He sat with them:
Mt 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Jesus was picked at because he did this... the Pharisees ask why is your master eating with publicans and sinners...The Lord heard it, and said they need a physician, not for their physical condition but their spiritual condition. They were sinners and need a saviour and Christ cam to save sinners...
(2.) He preached to them:
In his sermon to sinners he uses two examples... concerning repentance (1.) What Pilate did.... (2.) What the Galilaeans did.
Luke 13- 1 ¶ There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
(3.) He loved them:
It was said of his friend Lazarus of the Jews: Joh 11:36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! I don’t suppose we will ever realize the depth of his love for us until we see him face to face. It is deeper and wider than any expression I may give you of it today.
Joh 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
(4.) He died for sinners:
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Once I heard Ted Turner the founder and owner of the cable network say; I do not need anyone to die for my sins... well maybe CHrist didn’t die for him. He did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
(5.) He was buried and rose again for sinners:
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: On another occasion the bible says by the Apostle Paul, these comforting words :
Ro 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
III... “THE SALVATION OF SINNERS”
The fact stated by Paul of Christ that he came to save sinners demonstrates the great reality of the condition of sinners.
Ge 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
(1.) Sinners need salvation because they cannot saved themselves:
If you are here this morning and you are lost, you cannot save yourself... I know what the Arminian says he quotes from Acts Save yourselves. Elbert Barnes says: “This expression here denotes—Preserve yourselves from the influence, opinions, and fate of this generation.”
There is no amount of works, worthiness, or keeping of laws, or the ten commandments that will ever save you no matter how much you seek to use this. There is no amount of your free will that can save you , it is folly to think that you can save yourself.
(2.) Sinners need to be saved because they are dead in their sins and need life:
a. Christ is the light of life: Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
b. Christ is the living light: Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
c. Christ is the one who can give your life:
The Lord Jesus said: Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life
Peter said Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life..
(3.) Sinner need to be saved by Christ or they want be saved: Ac 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 8-34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
(4.) Sinner must be drawn to Christ or they want be saved:
The Lord Jesus Christ said twice that sinners must be draw or they cannot come:
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
The fact stated by Christ that is the inability of sinners to come to him clarifies this reality today... Joh 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
(5.) Sinners who are saved by Christ will repent and believe the gospel of Christ and profess him...
The blind man: John 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. Mary: John 11-24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Countless thousands yea even millions have believed in this man called Jesus and they have publically took their stand for him... have you? If not why not, why not today, this hour this moment come to Christ our blessed saviour.