Rev. David Holwick B [also at Ledgewood Baptist, February 4]
Nobleboro Baptist Church
Nobleboro, Maine
January 28, 2024
Luke 7:36-48
CIRCLES AND LINES
I. Andy Stanley's controversial conference.
A. October conference focused on how to relate to LBGTQ children.
1) The panel discussion included two gay men who were in a
homosexual marriage and were members of the church.
2) Critics such as the Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler
claimed it was proof Andy Stanley was abandoning
traditional Christian teaching on sexuality. [1]
a) Stanley, the son of famous TV preacher Charles Stanley,
said he wasn't endorsing homosexuality but wanted
to help families who were facing the issue.
b) However, his defense of the conference did seem to
indicate he accepted the liberal viewpoint.
B. Andy Stanley addressed his critics by pointing to Jesus.
1) He said of Mohler in particular:
"His version of biblical Christianity is the problem.
His version of biblical Christianity is why people are
leaving Christianity unnecessarily...
“Bottom line: that version of Christianity draws lines.
And Jesus drew circles.
He drew circles so large ... it consistently made religious
leaders nervous.
And his circle was big enough to include sinners like me."[2]
2) The debate over the conference touched a nerve.
a) Jesus certainly caused controversy by his teaching and
actions on inclusiveness. It even got him killed.
b) How accepting should Christians be? Do we put up too
many barriers?
II. Jesus did draw big circles.
A. He focused his ministry on drawing in outsiders and misfits.
1) In the conclusion to his Parable of the Wedding Banquet,
the servants are ordered to go out and invite the poor,
the crippled, the blind and the lame. Luke 14:21-23
2) When the master is told there is still room, he orders the
servants to go out to the roads and country lanes.
B. Jesus aimed for sinners and outcasts, not normal people.
1) Normal people didn't see a spiritual need for him.
2) It is the same today.
III. Consider the people Jesus reached out to.
A. Notorious sinners.
1) The sinful woman at a dinner party. Luke 7:36-50
a) We are not told what her sin was, but it was probably
adultery or prostitution. She had a bad reputation.
b) She brought perfume to anoint Jesus, but began crying
before she could apply it.
c) Her tears fell on Jesus' feet and she wiped them off
with her own hair. (kind of gross to us)
d) The Pharisee who was hosting the dinner was appalled
but Jesus criticized him and defended her, saying
her sins were forgiven.
2) The woman caught in adultery. John 8
a) There are difficult issues about this passage.
1> It is not found in early Bibles, and when it was
included it was put in various places.
2> Many consider it an authentic event in Jesus' life,
but not written by John himself.
b) In the story, Jesus doesn't seem to follow Jewish law.
1> She has been caught red-handed, and the law of
Moses demands execution by stoning.
2> Muslims still do this in Afghanistan and
Pakistan.
3> (Even in the Old Testament many adulterers were
not executed - consider King David.)
c) Jesus does not defend her or condemn her, but highlights
the crowd's hypocrisy and they leave.
B. Heretics.
1) The Samaritan woman at the well. John 4:4-29
a) She was a woman, first of all.
1> Even his disciples were surprised he was talking to
her.
2> Jews had very strict rules about mixing the sexes.
3> It is amazing that Jesus focuses on women so much.
b) She was a foreigner with special issues.
1> Samaritans came from outsiders who were imported
to Israel's north.
2> They had a form of Judaism, but it was heretical.
c) To top it off, she had a string of husbands and was
probably promiscuous.
d) But Jesus spoke to her and she accepted him.
2) Good Samaritan parable. Luke 10:30-37
a) This Samaritan outsider is the hero, and not the priest
or Levite as would be expected.
b) Jesus says we should emulate him.
C. Pagan foreigners.
1) Syro-Phoenecian woman. Matt 15:22-28
a) She was a foreign Gentile woman with hurting child.
b) Jesus initially pushes her away - we feel the harshness
of his rejection but she gives a great response.
Jesus heals her daughter.
c) Elsewhere, Jesus notes that even in Old Testament times
miracles often happened to foreigners, not Jews.
Luke 4:25-27
2) Godly centurion. Luke 7:2-10
a) Another Gentile (though he likes Judaism) has a servant
who needs to be healed. "Just give the command."
b) Jesus not only heals the servant but commends the
soldier's faith.
D. Lepers, the demon-possessed, little children.
1) Jesus reached out to those others had no time or interest in.
IV. Many were not happy with the big circles Jesus drew.
A. The primary opponents were the Pharisees.
1) They were a religious/political group of conservatives.
a) The Apostle Paul had been a member.
b) Many early Christians were.
c) Very influential - modern Jews still follow their model.
2) Pharisees were sticklers for following the law.
a) They wanted to apply the law to every sphere of life.
b) They even went beyond the law, tithing tiny leaves in
their gardens.
c) They could be harsh and had no problems with stoning
sinners - they had problems with those who wouldn't.
3) The error of the Pharisees - they lost the law's intent.
a) They left out God's grace and love.
B. Who are the Pharisees of today?
1) I think Baptists are the best candidates.
a) We are the largest Protestant group in America.
b) We are devoted to the Bible and correct Christian
living.
c) We can be harsh on those who don't tow the line, or who
disagree with us.
1> (Just ask Andy Stanley!)
d) We are better at drawing lines than circles.
2) We would do well to consider the criticisms of others, and
of Jesus as well.
a) He had his biggest issues with religious types.
C. How big is our circle?
1) Are there any out-of-the-ordinary people here today?
a) Former prostitutes? Former drug dealers?
b) Foreigners fill our land - do they fill our pews?
2) Society is moving far away from the "ordinary".
a) A majority of those in their twenties no longer identify
themselves by the traditional labels, esp. on sex.
b) How will we reach them for Christ?
V. Jesus drew lines as well.
A. Even circles are circular lines that establish boundaries.
1) Jesus always set boundaries.
2) When he began his ministry, he had a simple message -
repent, and believe. Mark 1:15
a) He never left off that first part.
B. Jesus accepted everyone, but never without conditions.
1) The sinful woman of Luke 7 is accepted, but because of her
devotion to Jesus, and not her sinfulness.
a) Her personal repentance is implied in her weeping as
she washes his feet with her hair.
2) The adulterous woman in John 8 is forgiven, but then told
to leave her life of sin.
3) The Samaritan woman disputed with him on theology, saying
their spiritual mountain was better than the Jewish one.
a) Jesus didn't say, "Everyone has their own path to God."
He said, "Salvation is of the Jews."
b) He always drew the line on genuine theology.
c) The woman accepted him, and became an evangelist to
her people.
C. A theology without lines makes half the gospel unintelligible.
1) When Jesus teaches on the Old Testament's ethics, he
sharpens it rather than abandoning it.
a) Even on sex. You think adultery is sinful? So is lust!
2) In Matthew 18 Jesus teaches about expelling people from
church fellowship.
a) That is certainly about drawing lines.
3) In perhaps the scariest passage in the gospels, Jesus talks
about the Judgment Day. Matt 7:21-23
a) Religious people come to him and say, "Lord, Lord!"
b) He rejects them, telling them their deeds were evil.
D. Jesus' expansive "circles" of outreach did not blur the lines.[3]
1) He always made a distinction between disciples and
non-disciples.
2) There is never a repentance-free zone.
a) Jesus fraternized with sinners but it did not signal
his embrace of them as disciples or followers.
b) They were still going to hell unless they repented of
their wrongdoing.
3) Zacchaeus the crooked tax collector. Luke 19:2-10
a) Short guy climbed a tree to see Jesus, and Jesus
invited himself to the sinner's house.
b) The people grumbled at this.
c) But Zacchaeus pledged half his possessions to the poor
and said he would pay back 4-fold what he had stolen.
d) It is at that point that Jesus says, "Today salvation
has come to this house." Man's response came first.
VI. Have you crossed the line?
A. Jesus wants to reach you and include you in his circle.
1) Whether you are a notorious sinner or not.
2) All of us are sinners in God's eyes.
B. It is not about labels, but about your personal response.
1) Have you believed in Jesus?
2) Have you repented of your sin?
3) Has Jesus changed your life?
a) (My question to a liberal - can Jesus change people?
He pondered for a moment. "That's a good question."
b) There is also a good answer - yes, he can.
I would like to share a story about a woman who's life is the
modern version of the Scripture passage today.
Brittni De La Mora, professional name Jenna Presley, was named
one of the top female porn stars in 2010 by Maxim Magazine.
She began her career when she was a freshman in college, by
dancing in a club.
Two men approached her and asked if she wanted to make
romance movies.
"You mean porn?" she joked.
They nodded affirmatively, but it was no joke.
Brittni had had a tough upbringing without a lot of love.
In Los Angeles she received a lot of affirmation.
During this period, she worked as much as 60 days without a
day off, shooting two and sometimes three sex scenes a day.
At one point she earned $40,000 a month but she blew it all
on drugs.
Eventually she was addicted to heroin.
She became emotionless; hopelessness and emptiness overwhelmed
her.
She says she had many lonely nights when she cut on her wrists.
After three years in the adult film industry, she placed a 911
call to her grandmother - "Come and get me!"
During her stay with her grandparents, they took her to the
Rock Church in San Diego, led by Pastor Miles McPherson.
Brittni was bawling through most of the sermon.
In response to his invitation, she raised her hand to receive
Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior.
She began reading the Bible.
She began to date a man she met at church, but it had a tragic
ending - he was a former motorcycle gang member and he was
murdered right in front of her at a restaurant.
This derailed her faith.
Another boyfriend also attended the church but he was a wolf
in sheep's clothing and got her back into adult films.
Brittni began to straddle two worlds ruled by opposing powers.
She was on the Howard Stern show preaching the Word and she
was preaching on the set of the adult movies she was in.
She admits it was a big mess.
She says the devil had a plot, but God has a plan.
In 2012, after seven long years, she quit the adult film
industry completely.
Today she is married to a minister and is ordained herself.
Her sister got baptized with her and her brother prayed the
prayer of salvation with her on the phone.
Brittni says God is alive and He is in the business of
miracles.
She has finally encountered the unconditional love of God and
she will never go back.
#65924
C. Who is out there that you can draw into God's circle?
1) Homosexuals and transgendered.
2) Muslims or atheists.
3) The indifferent and bored.
4) Perhaps you yourself.
a) Sitting in a church pew doesn't guarantee you are a
true follower of Jesus.
b) Have you repented, and believed?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
1. “The Train Is Leaving the Station,” by Dr. Albert Mohler, October 18,
2023; <https://albertmohler.com/2023/10/18/the-train-is-leaving-the-station-andy-stanleys-departure-from-biblical-christianity/>.
2. “Jesus Drew Circles and Lines: A Response to Andy Stanley,” by Hunter Beaummont, October 10, 2023; <http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/response-andy-stanley/>.
3. “Andy Stanley’s Circles and Lines: A Response from Robert Gagnon,” by
Robert Gagnon, October 10, 2023;
<https://wbs.edu/news/andy-stanleys-cirlces-and-lines/>.
#5924 “Top Female Porn Star Finds Jesus,” by Mark Ellis, June 24, 2013,
<http://blog.godreports.com/2013/05/top-female-porn-star-finds-jesus/>.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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