The Rev. Benjamin Bernier: "The Friend of Sinners"

Prydain ^ | 7/06/2006 | Will

[sionnsar]

This week from the good people of Providence REC in Texas we have the sermon The Friend of Sinners by the Rev. Benjamin Bernier. This sermon is based on St. Luke 15:1-10, the account of Jesus' being reviled by the Pharisees for being one who "welcomes sinners and eats with them." In response our Lord tells the parables of the lost sheep and of the lost coin. There is much that is worth pondering in this sermon; I will simply post what one might call the application of these truths to our own lives:

Christ came to save sinners. How does this truth apply to our lives?
First, as a warning that we would not embrace the mindset of pride and separation of the Pharisees and learn from Jesus to appreciate the value of a sinner.

Jesus is willing to sit at our table, regardless of who we are. We may be one of those disrespected publicans, or one of the respected Pharisees, he ate with both of them. He went to the house of Zacchaeus the tax collector as he went to the house of Simon the Pharisee.

He was willing to go where ever he was invited, and even invited himself on some occasion. The humble received mercy and salvation while the proud were offended.

How will it be with us? Will we be willing to humbly come to him, receive his teaching and eat with him; not judging others, but judging ourselves in repentance and amendment of life, trusting in his mercy?

Let our sin have a good effect in driving us to the Lord's table, to his throne of grace while there is still chance for repentance and amendment of life. Never allow our sin to prevent us from coming to our Saviour who came to save sinners. Who was counted as a sinner and a friend of sinners.

There is much else in this sermon to savor and contemplate--read or listen to it all.

[sionnsar]

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

People always tell this as though there was a group of people on earth who were not sinners, so Jesus had to made a special effort with the sinners.

[AnAmericanMother]

No, it was the ones who (of course) were sinners, but thought they WEREN'T, who were the problem.

"I thank thee, Lord, that I am not as other men . . . "

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Yes. Exactly. But my point was, "Jesus was a friend of sinners" doesn't only mean he sat at the table with the worst of them. We are all sinners and He laid down His life for all of us. That's the point. It doesn't mean Christians should seek out the worst sinners and pal around with them so they can supposedly be more Christlike. We are corruptible. Christ wasn't. Preach the gospel to all sinners. But bad company still corrupts good morals, and Christians had better remain mindful of that. We don't have to hang out in bars (or at porn conventions) to find sinners who need salvation. Find a human, cuz they're all sinners.