We're thankful for that opportunity, and we thank you for having us, receiving us here today. If you have your Bibles, our main passage of Scripture this morning is going to be found in the book of Luke, chapter 15, in verse 2. Luke 15 and 2. Now before that, I am gonna read also from Romans chapter eight and verse 34, so you might wanna find it as well and be ready to look at it first. Romans 8, 34, and then we'll spend our time with Luke 15 and two. The topic, or the title of the message this morning is This Man Receives Sinners. And I want to address this morning the Issue of the true gospel versus false gospels. There are a lot of false gospels going around out there and we must be very careful that we look to scripture and search the scriptures to know what we should believe and how we should practice our Christian faith. Intertwined with this is the false idea that the gospel does not divide people, that it unites all people. And at the center of this is Jesus and whether he should be seen as someone who loves and accepts everyone as they are, or whether he puts justice first and holds people accountable for sin. People will usually choose one of those or the other. I believe that the scriptures teach that Jesus is both love and justice, savior and judge. Romans 8 34, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. So we see there that Christ is both judge and also intercessor. He is the one who appeals to God the Father on our behalf. And that is very much an act of love on his part. So, Let us think, and I want us to just start with this in our mind, that there is, there are, let me put it in the plural, there are false gospels floating around out there that have taken away from what the gospel really is, that have taken away from what Christ has really done, that have taken away from what Christ has really said, and we should be very careful about this. Before we go any further, let's bow our heads for prayer. Our kind and most gracious Heavenly Father, again, oh Lord, we are thankful to be in this place this morning to worship, to worship you, to worship the Holy One, the Almighty God. And we pray this morning, oh Lord, that your Holy Spirit has already been in this place, has already begun to prepare our hearts to receive what you have for us from your word. I pray that you would open our hearts, that you would open our minds, open our eyes, our ears, that we might be able to comprehend what you would have us to know here this morning. And Lord, that we would be changed because we came here this morning, that we would not leave this place the same as we were, but Lord, that we would leave here closer to you, that we would leave here more aware of our sin or sinful nature, and certainly more aware of your grace and your mercy. Lord, I just pray these things in Jesus' name, amen. So Luke chapter 15 verse 2, we find one of those encounters that Christ had as he went about his ministry here on this earth and these encounters he had with the Pharisees and the scribes and those who were in opposition to what he was preaching and what he was teaching. And we find in Luke 15 2 these words, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. Now in this text, Jesus is being reproached by Pharisees for doing something that they would never do. Visit and eat with sinners. They did everything they could to separate themselves from those who sin, thinking, especially the Pharisees, that they themselves did not sin. That they kept the law in every respect. And they didn't want to be seen with, or party to, or around those who sinned. And yet they see Jesus going around and not only being in the midst of sinners, but actually sitting down to meal with them and fellowshipping with them. And they couldn't understand this. Well, let me say this, know this. Number one, Jesus received sinners before they received him. I want you to think about that. Jesus received you before you ever received him. So yes, Jesus does spend time with sinners. And I hope you are as thankful as I am that he does that. Number two, he does not receive sinners for any worthiness on their part or for their good intentions. He receives them in mercy and grace and love. So when he received you, it wasn't because you were a pretty good old boy or a pretty good old girl. It was in spite of the fact that you were a sinner and it was all about his grace and his mercy and his love that he directed towards you. So my first point this morning is this. It is, and I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say because this is one of those things that sounds good, but when you really get into it, it's not, it's false. But it is a false gospel that teaches that Jesus loves every sinner and accepts them in their sin. Meaning he accepts them as they are without change. Okay? Again on the surface that sounds really good and wonderful and it makes people feel good in spite of their open and rebellious sin against God. You'll see this preached in a lot of churches today. And it's preached in this respect. They rarely speak about sin. They rarely preach about hell. It's all about having your best life now. It's all about making you feel good when you walk out of the church. Brothers and sisters in Christ, I'm gonna tell you, there ought to be times, there ought to be a lot of times, when you walk out of church with your feelings hurt, as the old saying goes, feeling like your toes have been stepped on, because there's something you heard from God's word that's convicting you. But that's not the way you build great big churches. That's not the way you pack people in. And when your concern is more about bodies and budgets and buildings than it is about the Lord Jesus Christ, and his gospel. And you've gone off the way, you've gone off the rails, you have gone the wrong way. Now what set me on this train of thought for this message is an ad that ran during the last Super Bowl. I don't know if you watch the Super Bowl or not, I rarely do, I might check in, I'm a sports fan, I might check in, see kind of how things are going. But ads in the Super Bowl for years now have been a big big deal. In fact they'll spend millions companies will spend millions of dollars for a 30 second or a 60 second ad during the Super Bowl because of the large number of eyes that are going to be on it that are going to see it and it's become a thing. There are people who watch the Super Bowl just to see the ads anymore and a lot of these ads are Not good, I'll just leave it at that. Now in this last Super Bowl, and actually I think they ran one in the previous one, the one before this one too, but in this last Super Bowl, there was an ad that ran that's message was, he gets us. Meaning Jesus gets us. It cost an estimated 17 and a half million dollars to put this ad on the air. I think it aired a couple of times, maybe three times during the Super Bowl. It was paid for by a group that goes by that same name, He Gets Us. And I understand that at least some of these people say, say that they are Baptist. I went and looked up their website and it says things like, no matter who you are, where you're from, or what you believe, we invite you to discover the world's greatest love story, the story of Jesus. Now there's nothing wrong with that. Sounds pretty good, in fact, when I heard that, my ears kind of perked up. I thought, well, this might be a good ad here. Well, that quickly was proven wrong. So there's nothing wrong with those words. We should be sharing Christ's gospel the best way we can, with every person we can, every day we can. The problem with it was in how they portrayed this being done. What they did was take something from the scriptures. Something that Jesus did, and you remember from the scriptures how he washed the disciples' feet the night before his crucifixion, or during kind of the Lord's Supper. He washed the disciples' feet, you remember that? He comes to Peter and Peter, oh no, you don't need to wash my feet, you know. He was embarrassed that his master was washing his feet. Jesus, I'm paraphrasing, said, well, if I don't wash your feet, you don't have any part with me. And he's like, well, not my feet then, Lord, my whole body. But Jesus washed your feet, and it was an act of service, and it was an example for us how we ought to serve one another. We shouldn't exalt ourselves and think I'm better than my brother or sister in Christ. I should be willing to wash your feet, and you should be willing to wash mine. So the ad takes that concept and it shows Christians washing other people's feet. But these people whose feet they were washing were still, they were portrayed as still being in their sin. And I'll explain that more in just a moment. I wanna say that it is okay that we should wash people's feet, that we should have on our hearts the idea of reaching out and ministering to people. That's fine. But the way that they were doing this was saying that it's okay that they are a sinner And even that, they continue in their sin. And the way they were doing that is, the person was garbed in such a way as to demonstrate their lifestyle. Lifestyle has become a big deal in our society today. But some of these people were garbed as homosexual, as transgender, and there was one setting was in front of an abortion clinic, someone who had either just had an abortion, was going to have an abortion, and all kinds of, but the point is, they were still in their sin. And the idea is he gets us. He accepts us. Now listen, we're sinners when Christ comes to us, there's no doubt about that. But when Christ truly comes into your life, there's a change that happens. Now you may not walk away completely from every sin you're committing, it takes some time. But there should be pretty immediately some results showing where you understand that that lifestyle, that thing you were doing is a sin and that it's wrong. That was not being portrayed in this ad. What's being portrayed is that it's okay that they continue in their sin. No, it's not okay. We should minister to everyone and we certainly need to be prepared to share the gospel with them. But we should never condone sin and what God himself abhors. The many examples given in the advertisement were intended to teach that Jesus accepts people in their sin and that he gets them. In these ads, Jesus is merely an example and no mention is made that he is a savior. Now, I wanna pause for a moment and emphasize the savior part of this. He saves us from our sin. Not so that we can continue to sin. He saves us from the dangers of sin, the consequences of sin, the eternal judgment of sin. And that necessarily means that we are changed so that we don't continue in that sin. So in that Jesus is merely an example. No mentions made that he's a savior. The homosexual, the person guilty of abortion, the other examples that were all received as they were with no repentance on their part and no change in their lives. Well Brother James what about the woman brought to Jesus in adultery? He received her. He certainly did. He also told her, go and sin no more. That part gets left out. He called her into repentance. So point number two, the true gospel teaches that Jesus is Savior. Again, our text there, Luke 15, two, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured saying, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. The people whom Jesus sought out and drew around him were indeed the burdened, the bowed down, the disconsolate, the poor, the friendless, the helpless, the ignorant, the weary. In a word, sinners. The very people the self-righteous Pharisees, religious people, look down on. By the way, All those words describe every one of us. The scriptures in fact say in 1 Corinthians chapter six, starting with verse nine. I'll give you a moment to turn to that if you wish. 1 Corinthians six, verse nine. The scriptures are very clear about sin. about God's view on sin, about what will happen with sinners who remain unrepentant, and who do not turn to Christ. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. What's that saying? If you stay in your sin, You're not going to heaven. Verse 11. And such were, notice the past tense, were some of you. And I say to you this morning, and such were some of you and me. But you're washed. Something's happened. This is the salvation part. This is where Jesus is Savior. We're washed. How are we washed? It's as if we are filthy dirty with our sin and we are before we know Christ. And we are washed in his blood and that cleanses every stain of sin from us. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, that is, made holy. But ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Jesus is Savior. And we see example after example in, during his ministry, where he loved to lavish upon such the fullness of his benevolent heart and to exert upon such the skill of his wonder-working power. Sometimes I think we feel like we are short-changed maybe because we Don't live in Old Testament times or New Testament times. And thus we missed out on some of those great big miracles that others got to see. I'm gonna tell you this. I think one of the greatest miracles Christ performs is number one, the raising of a dead sinner out of the grave with spiritual life to live forevermore. and the change, the work that he does in that person from henceforth throughout the remainder of their lives. That is miraculous. If you need a little more help with that, I want you, if you have professed Christ as your Savior, I want you to look back as best you can on what you once were and look now at what you are. Now, if you don't see any change, then you've made a false profession. You weren't really saved. Because God does, Christ does not save you and leave you in your sin. He takes you out of that. Now, I fully appreciate the fact, from my own personal experience, that it may take a while, that we are stubborn and hard-headed. We're like donkeys. You ever been around a donkey? We're like that. God sometimes takes His time. with the utmost patience, but he still works his work in us, and he still changes us. If there's anything to really think about there, it is this. The quicker we yield to Christ, the quicker that change happens, and the more blessings we receive. Okay, if you don't persist in being hard headed, I'll just tell you what I used to tell my children because I wanted them to learn this lesson. But I used to tell them this. You will never win an argument with me, your father. Never. I didn't tell them even if I'm wrong. I didn't say that part. I wanted them to understand because, and understand this, for children, their father, and that's why it's so important to have godly fathers in the home, but their father is the first impression of God that they will have, okay? I'm not saying dad's God, I'm just saying that's how they're gonna start thinking of God. And if they think they can argue with dad and win, they're gonna also then think they can argue with God and win. Now they might win with dad, but I know from personal experience, and I'm sure you do too, that you never win with God. Never win an argument with God. He always wins, okay? And he's not above whipping you to get you to understand that. Weary people from every walk of life And I'm talking now, I'm going back to when Jesus walked on this earth during his time of ministry here, weary people from every walk of life reached to his outstretched arms for shelter. And the world's ignorant and despised clustered around his feet to be taught and blessed. We see that example after example in the scriptures. I want you to know that hasn't changed. These same types of people reach out to Christ every day. Sinners of every character, the disconsolate of every grade, were attracted by his fame and reputation. And they pressed upon him from every side. Think about the crowds that follow Christ. They heard about this miracle worker. They heard about this man who preached and taught like nobody had ever heard before. And they came, they wanted to be a part of that. Some were there for the show, yes. Some were changed. Some were born again. Some came to experience who Christ really is. Such were some of you and me. This man received sinners, was the name and the character by which he was known. It was new and it was strange. Now when uttered by the lip of the proud and disdainful Pharisee, it was an insult of reproach and an expression of ridicule. But upon the ear of the poor and wretched outcast, the sons and daughters of sorrow, ignorance, and woe, it fell sweeter than the music of all the world. It passed from lip to lip, it echoed from shore to shore. This man receives sinners. It found its way into the abodes of misery and need. It penetrated the dungeon of the prisoner and the cell of the maniac. And it kindled an unearthly light in the solitary dwelling of the widow and the orphan, the unpitied, and the friendless. Thus received the accomplishment of the prophecy that predicted him as the plant of renown whom Jehovah would raise up. Thousands came, faint and weary and sad, and sat down beneath his shadow and thousands more since then have pressed to their wounded hearts the balm that flowed from his bleeding body on the cross and have been healed. Remember that ad I was telling you about earlier? He gets us. The more I watched the ad, the more concerned I became. I looked at the website, became even more concerned and I was troubled by what I saw. Later that week, there was another ad put out for free on the internet in response to that one ad. So someone released their own free alternative and it also shows sinners who came to Christ but with a different look. It showed a former witch, former drug addict, former drag queen and prostitute, former transgender. Note that word I'm using, former. Because the people in this ad, they were not dressed as what they had been. Indicating, demonstrating that these people had been changed. And you could see it on their faces. You could see it as their heart responds here. They were not what they were. They had been changed. Why? Because they had been saved. They were obviously changed and they showed repentance. Those people in the other ad were proud of the fact that they were what they were and were deluding themselves into believing that Jesus got them. He gets that. He doesn't. He died, by the way, for that. He suffered and died for that. He faced the wrath of holy God for those sins, those kinds of sins. And he saves people from that. So they were obviously changed and they showed repentance. And then this ad closes with these words. Jesus doesn't just get us, he saves us. Amen. Yeah, Jesus understands what you are as a sinner. He understood it so well that he made, the son made agreement with the father that he would die to rectify that problem. Not to perpetuate it, not to allow you just to keep going on sinning that way, but to change you. He saves us. Luke chapter 19 verse 10, for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. Not only did he die on the cross, but now he comes to seek and to save that which is lost. He doesn't leave you there, he comes to take you out of there. This man received sinners. Are you a sinner? Then do what the sinners in the text did. Take your guilt to his blood. Take your vileness to his righteousness. Take your sins to his grace. Take your burdens to his arm Take your sorrows to his heart. Romans chapter one, verse 16. Turn to this, I want you to see this passage if you have your Bibles there. Romans chapter one, verse 16. As we all need to hear this message that Jesus saves us. We all need to respond to this message that Jesus saves us. We all need the change that comes when he saves us. Romans 1 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it, listen to these words, For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Note those words, it is the power of God unto salvation. Wherever you are, whatever sin you are in, Turn away from that sin. That's what repentance is. Leave it and go to Jesus. See that first little part of that, the repent part, repentance, not a very popular topic in churches today. Because people don't want to hear that. They want their sin in heaven too. But the scriptures tell us that's an impossibility. We've gotta be separated from that sin. And the only one that can separate us from our own sin is Jesus Christ. Believe on him and you shall be saved. Wherever you are, whatever sin you're in, Turn away from that sin, leave it, and go to Jesus. Be transformed by His love, His mercy, and His grace. This man received sinners. Has he received you? Let's bow our heads for prayer. Our kind and most gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, we come to you thankful for your scriptures and for your Holy Spirit who shines a light upon them to make them clear so that we might understand them. And help us to know, Lord, how important it is that we repent of sin and turn to Christ, and that we turn in faith to Christ, believing that he died on the cross to pay the price for our sins and that we find in Him everlasting, eternal life. I pray, Lord, for your Holy Spirit to take this message here this morning and speak to every heart and bring about change that we all need. Make it happen, Lord. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.