9.00am and 10.30am Bible Sunday 27 July 2003
Rev Des Botting
Readings: Isaiah 40:9-11, 27-31; John 10:11-15; Luke 15:1-10
This saying is so true, that a real friend is a gift from God! Friends are those we can relax with, laugh with, cry with, share our innermost problems with, and know that whatever we say, it will be safe with them.
What makes friends special is, as Proverbs says, A friend loves at all times[1] Friends overlook our foibles and failings, and continue to love us even when we dont deserve to be loved. Whenever we are in trouble, theyre always there for us.
Friends are good for us, too. Because they care, they are not afraid to correct us when its necessary. Again as Proverbs says, Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts...[2] Their influence on our lives makes us better people. They help bring the best out in us. Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other.[3]
It is our friends that we want to be with us at special times in our lives, as we saw in these two stories Jesus told. When the shepherd found the lost sheep, and the woman her lost coin, what did they do? They called in their friends and neighbours to celebrate. Proverbs says,The sweet smell of incense can make you feel good, but true friendship is better still.[4]
Friendship is what many are looking for in todays superficial society. Loneliness was identified as the major need in our community in a research project done a few years ago. That need is still here today, maybe even more so, with so many people from different ethnic backgrounds moving into our area. One of the greatest gifts we can offer another is friendship, particularly to new people within our community and church family.
Friendships can have their beginning in unusual circumstances, and have unexpected outcomes. At our Cell group on Thursday night we were talking about chance encounters that changed our lives. One of the group shared about an experience many years ago at a young peoples camp. While out walking near the Hunua Falls she sprained her ankle and had to be peddy-backed the two miles back to the camp by a strong young man. A friendship was begun out of that act of kindness that some time later led to her marrying the young man who had carried her.
One of the ways in which friendships develop is through informal gatherings, such as over a meal, or being involved in an activity of some kind. These are the kind of things that the Strategic Planning Group want to encourage you to do. Its a good way to get to know other people. Often youll be surprised at the things you have in common. These times can lead to sharing the things that are really important to us, especially the things of our faith. They are the times I have treasured most in my life.
I. Jesus valued the importance of Friendship particularly with those who were the outcasts in his society. At the beginning of Luke 15 we read, Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. What an amazing person Jesus must have been when he walked this earth, that these types of people, the rejects of society, people who probably never darkened a church door, felt comfortable in his presence. However, as we read, not everyone was happy about his being in their company. Luke tells us that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them. [5] Although they didnt mean it as such, but what a wonderful commendation of Jesus, that they called him the friend of sinners. What Jesus was allowing to happen, the religious leaders would never do. They would not be seen dead in the company of such people. And yet I wonder if Jesus told the three stories in Luke 15 to illustrate what he had been saying at the end of the previous chapter. Remember he said, Salt is good, but if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made to taste salty again? It is no longer good for the soil or even for the manure pile. People simply throw it out. If you have ears, pay attention![6] You see, salt stops things from going bad. It is both a preservative as well as helping bring out the flavour of whatever it is added to. Maybe Jesus is saying to these religious leaders, that because of their wrong attitudes towards tax collectors and sinners they had lost the ability to have any influence on their lives for good. That certainly couldnt be said of Jesus. As we can see from this passage, these people eagerly sought his company, and we know that for many he was having a powerful influence for good on their lives. We know that a number of them became his followers. It was certainly true of Matthew, one of his disciples, and also of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, of whom well read later in Luke.
What about you? Imagine yourself in this scene. Where would you be standing? Would you be mixing freely with the prostitutes and tax collectors as they crowded around Jesus? Or would you also be standing aloof like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses, maybe feeling afraid that if you got too near the crowd, they would contaminate you in some way? Where do you think you would be?
II. Jesus befriended all types of people because he was passionate about bringing Gods lost sheep back to the fold so that they would be with him forever. He was just as much at home in the presence of tax collectors and sinners, as he was when dining in the home of a Pharisee, because all were sinners. All needed to hear Gods truth. All needed to turn to God and be saved. He came to seek out and save the lost.[7] Paul said to Timothy,
God wants everyone to be saved and to know the whole truth, which is,
There is only one God,
and Christ Jesus is the only one
who can bring us to God.
Jesus was truly human,
and he gave himself to rescue all of us.[8]
Every single human being needs to turn from sin to God, otherwise they are lost.[9]
If Jesus isnt your shepherd today, that is, if you have not asked him to forgive you, and invited him into your life to be your Saviour and Lord, then you need to know that you are lost.
The Good News is
1. You can come to Jesus JUST AS YOU ARE. These Tax collectors and sinners were welcomed by Jesus, just as they were. You dont have to wait until you have your life sorted out, until youve got your act together. You can come right now. Jesus welcomes you as you are. But you should also know, you wont stay the same. The Bible says, Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.[10] He has promised to make all things new, the old will pass away, because when you meet Jesus and welcome him into your life you become a brand new person inside. You are not the same any more. He loves you too much to leave you as you are.
This leads to the second truth about the Good News, that
2. Jesus loves you with an EVERLASTING love. He will never stop loving you, ever. The two stories we read bring out this wonderful truth. Remember how the shepherd left the 99 sheep to go and look for the one that was lost and he kept looking and looking until he found it. One can imagine him out long after dark, stopping and calling the sheep by name, then listening intently. Then walking on a bit further and doing the same, until at last he hears the faint bleat of the sheep that recognises the voice of its shepherd calling its name. Jesus said the shepherd looked for the lost sheep until he found it. He wasnt going to give up until he had that sheep safely back in the fold. It was the same with the woman who lost the silver coin. She lit a lamp, and swept the floor and searched carefully until she eventually found what she had lost. This shows how God will persist until he finds you. He wont give up on you.
He shows his love by the extent he was willing to go to save you. I was amazed to hear how much the farmer we stayed with while on holiday in the South Island last January, cared for his sheep. (Show first slide) His farm was on the West coast of the South Island just below Farewell Spit. Along the shoreline were cliffs that, in some places, were over 100 meters high. (Show second slide) He told us how he rescued a lamb that had slipped over the side and was stranded on a ledge several metres from the top. He had someone secure him with a rope while he carefully climbed down to where the lamb was stranded, and then had the person at the top of the cliff help them back up.
Jesus paid a high price to save you. He did this because, even if you arent aware of it, hes your friend already? He said, The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.[11] If you werent his friend, he wouldnt have died for you.
Even if you have willfully wandered away from him, because, as the Bible says, all of us are like sheep that have wandered off and gone our own way,[12] he still loves you, and will never cease to love you.
At the end of the first story Jesus said, In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God And after the second he said, In the same way Gods angels are happy when even one person turns to him.[13] Note that He said, one sinner and one person. This shows us how infinitely precious is each individual to God.
Shepherds in Jesus day had to account for every sheep committed into their care. If any were lost or killed, they had to bear the cost. This was Jacobs experience when he was taking care of his Uncle Labans sheep. He said, In all the 20 years that Ive worked for youif a wild animal killed one of your sheep I paid for it myself.[14] Jesus had that same concern for the disciples that God entrusted to his care, and at the end of his life, he was able to say to his Father, I have kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost, referring to Judas Iscariot. You can be sure he will take care of you.
3. Jesus always speaks TRUTH. He is the truth. He revealed the truth about God. He showed what God is really like. This was quite different to what people had been taught before. Jesus demonstrated that God is love through the love he showed in his words and deeds.
He told the truth about our being lost, and that God had sent him to seek them out and save them.
He told the truth about what it costs to follow him. In the previous chapter he had said, You cant be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cant come with me unless you love me more that you love your own life. You cant be my disciples unless you carry your own cross and come with me.[15] He encouraged those who wanted to follow him to sit down and count the cost. No one could say that he didnt make the demands of discipleship clear. He also made it clear that repentance was an essential requirement for being saved. Everyone needed to turn to God.
Back in April I shared the story of Sir Francis Drake, the famous English explorer, who when he was seeking crew for one of his sea voyages, would tell the young men of the beautiful sights they would experience, the sunrises, the magnificent sunsets, and the gentle breezes. However, he had few takers. So he changed his approach and began to tell them of the demands the journey would make upon them and of the hardships they would confront; of the terrible winds that would blow them off course so that they would be lost for days; of the thirst they would experience when there was no more fresh water on the ship, a thirst so fierce that they would be screaming for a drink of water. He told them of the hunger they would experience that would gnaw at their stomachs for days before food was available. Then he would say, If you can handle conditions like these, then I tell you that the exciting rewards of exploration and discovery are beyond your wildest dreams. And how on hearing these words of challenge, some of the boys never even went home to say goodbye to their families. They simply went on board, eager for the journey. Jesus made his conditions for discipleship very clear, and still these tax collectors and sinners flocked to listen to him. Jesus always speaks the truth.
4. God knows how to CELEBRATE. Heaven is a joy-filled place. Jesus said there is a party in heaven when one sinner turns to God. God and his angels are constantly working to bring us home to him, and they really celebrate when someone repents and receives Christ as their Saviour. Jesus is the friend of sinners, and is passionate about seeing his lost ones come back to God and be saved.
The point I made a few moments ago was that Jesus befriended all types of people because he was passionate about bringing Gods lost sheep back to the fold. God does not want anyone to be lost. He wants them to share the joys of heaven with him for all eternity. His love for you is infinite. His cares for you.
III. Jesus wants us to befriend people, too. In closing, just as Jesus befriended all types of people and shared with them Gods truth, so he wants us to do the same. Jesus was the friend of sinners. He mixed with people from all parts of the social spectrum, and had a wholesome influence on all.
Let me ask you a question, as I ask it of myself, Does your presence have a wholesome influence on all you come in contact with, or have you lost your saltiness? Jesus presence embodied the essence of Gods nature, which is love.[16] Ours should, too, as we seek to be real friends to those about us.
Jesus loved to tell stories, so let me finish with a story about the importance of friendship, which, to the best of my knowledge is true.
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous.
Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse.
God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.
[1] Proverbs 17:17 NRSV
[2] Proverbs 27:6 NRSV
[3] Proverbs 27:17 (All Bible references are from the Contemporary English Version unless otherwise stated.)
[4] Proverbs 27:9
[5] Luke 15:1-2
[6] Luke 14:34-35
[7] Luke 19:10 NRSV
[8] 1 Timothy 2:4-5
[9] 2 Peter 3:9
[10] 2 Corinthians 5:17
[11] John 15:13
[12] Isaiah 53:6
[13] Luke 15:7, 10
[14] Genesis 31:38-39
[15] Luke 14:26-27
[16] 1 John 4:8