I'm Invited

Introduction

Introduce self

Dismiss Children

Starting a new series this week titled I’m in.

We are all invited to Gods church, we are invaluable to Gods work, we are influential for gods glory, and we should all be invested in Gods church.

Today we are going to look at what it means to be invited.

As followers of Jesus we have been invited into the greatest relationship that exists.

And we were not invited becuase of any great qualities we have. We were invited beccause of who he is.

You see, the human race often makes decisions about who to invite into their lives based on the qualities and traits that the other person has and brings to the table.

Becuase of this way of thinking we can take a lack of invitation to something as an insult.

Eever been in that situation? sccroling through social media or hearing abotu a party that your not invited to.

That doesn’t feel good does it.

It makes us feel like the other person doesn’t see value in us.

as followers of Jesus we know that a persons value comes from who He says they are not their status in life.

There is a man in our church that shared a story with me one time about when he ws visiting a church, I believe on aa business trip or something I could have that wrong. However, when he went he didn’t wear a tie.

As he was entering the church a man stopped him and let him know that he needed a tie to come to church.

Fortunately this man was already a believer. However what if that had been someone that didn’t know Jesus? Someone that was looking for hope because they had none? Someone that had been rejected by family, friends, lost their job, famiyl is falling apart, and they came to the one place they were told they could find hope to keep moving foward and were told “There’s only hope for people with ties? There’s only hope for people with Jobs. There only hope for people with homes. Theres only hope for people already like us.”

This is the type of interaction that was a trademark of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.

You see Religious elitism isn’t a modern phenomena it has been happening even before Jesus.

Jesus changed this for every person on planet earth.

Jesus invites those others reject.

He didn’t do that without meeting the same type of criticism that gets tossed around between churches today. And it’s sad that this continues.

I’m thankful that this church doesn’t reject people. I’m thankful we invitee those others may reject.

The phariseees rejected people but they would invite people to their parties from time to time.

That’s how Jesus ended up where He is today. He waas invited to the Pharisees house for a party.

This party was not exacctly llike what you and I would think about. There was no cornhole, BBQ, or Banana pudding.

It was an intellecctual party where the reeligious elites would discuss the politics of the day, theoligcal issues, and other topics of that nature.

Listen, I know I’m a pastor but if someone were to invite me to a rousing disccussion about the implications of soteeriological beliefs and their impact on pnuemotology, I’d probably pass. And not to sound smart but all I said there was how our beliefs about salvation impact our understanding of the Holy Spirit.

Now just like when they gathered at the temple they were dressed to impress. Robes, tassels, and the hottest yamachas on the market...

They would gather at the home and would be in a room in the house with the front door open so everyone could hear the extravaagant discussions they were having.

This was their entertainment. This is what they did for fun. They couldn’t binge watch the hottest new shows on netflix. They got to gather and discuss these types of things…if you were invited.

But in our passage today there is one person that comes to the party that wasn’t invited.

Luke 7:37 “37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

Now we have a sinner woman…that terminology is understood to be a proper means of saying a prostitute.

Here they are enjoying a proper conversation on the laws God gave and how ti oimplement them, and in runs a woman known to be a prostitue.

Imagine the looks on the faces of the religious elite. The whispers..she’s unclean, shes impure, she can’t be here. She doesn’t have a dress on, her kids are crazy, she uses foul language...

I’d be willing to say, especcially in that culture and their downard view of women, no one stopped to ask…I wonder what she has been through to put her in this place? Why does she feel this is the only way she can make a living?

In our society today if there is a woman in this state, let’s be honest, we rarely ask these questions either.

This is a hurting woman. Some could say..why doesn’t get an educaation? get into real etate? be a teacher?

However it’s more common than we want to think that a woman could have been abused by her father? a family member? Someone in the church?

and it causes great problems in their life they have to overcome. It is also possible for a man to have weent through a similiar situation.

It could be boyyfriend pressuring her, maybe parents died…whatever it is she has been rejected by society, not invited into it.

In her rejection, desperation, and despondancy she has come running to the one she believes can help.

She has run in, disrupted the party, and is now kneeling in a posture of worship, breaks open this alabaster jar of perfume and pours it all over Jesus’ feet.

Now to us, this may seem like some small thing. We pay 20-a few hundred dollars for cologne or perfume, everyone wears it, and if it’s made with essentials well then you don’t just smell good, your healthy to.

Howver in her day, this women would use this perfume as a means of letting men know she was available.

It was her marketing budget. And, it was an expensive form of marketing. Whaat she had in this alabasteer jaar woudl have cost her almost a years salary. caan you Imagine spending 30+ thousand on perfume...

Then taking it and pouring it on…hear me out…a middle eeasteern mans feet that wearas sandals as he walk all day?

SHe must think highyl of this man.

In this one act she shows an extravagant act of worship and a symbol of repentance.

Luke 7:38 “38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”

She couldn’t stop crying.

And with no towel around her she unbinds her hair and dries his feet with her hair.

To us today a woman taking her hair out of a pony tail or anything that is holding it up isn’t a big deal. However, in that time women did not let their hair down in public. This was a cultural no no.

And after this display the phariseees begin not just judging her but juddging Jesus

Luke 7:39 “39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.”

He ccan’t b God, He can’t be a prophet. If he was he would know she is a sinner, a prostitue, and wouldn’t associate with her.

Listen..listen to this…They said if he was as good or better than us he wouldn’t be seen with her. He wouldn’t allow that type of person around him.

When you beign to love on the unlovable those who love you will begin to look at you as one of the unloveable.

Jesus wasn’t concerned about his status or position. He was there to help people know His father.

And this person wasn’t getting any help from the religious people of her day.

How do we respond to people like that?

How did Jesus Respond?

Well…he gives aa little paarable there in veerses 40-43 about who is more appreeciative of forgiveness, then he says this

Luke 7:44-48 “44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

He says to Simon, you thought I was a prophet or God and you did nothing.

Her act reflects her faith aand becuase of her faith, here sins aree forgiven.

Why did she come to Jeesus though? Why did she run past the men of the party as they looked at her with daggers.

She had probably already heaard of Jesus.

While it’s not 100% clear in scripture it’s not unreasonable to assume she heard Jesus answer John the Baptist’s disciples.

John the Baptist is the person you would think of that woudln’t question at all who jesus ws. Yet here h is sending his disciples to ask if He is the one He says he is.

We find this same interaction in Matthew 11

where Jesus says

Matthew 11:4-6 “4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

What was the message? The broken were made whole, the blind had sight, the rejected were accepted.

He said I have unconditional love for you.

Imagine this woman being in the back of the crowd, her head hung in shame, people staying away except for men that want to take advantage of her.

Jesus gave her a completely different message. He said You are invited into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 11:28-29 “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

Notice what Jesus didn’t do that lead to her repentance...

He didn’t point out here sins and judge her for them.

Judging her lifestyle didn’t change it

Shaming her didn’t lead to her being free in Christ.

Jesus didn’t come to call the righteous to repentnce but the sinners. He wasn’t there to spend time with the pharisees and debate the law. he was there to seek and to save that which was lost.

He desiredd to be around the ones the others rejected. He was inviting them to personal relationship with himself.

Wee as beleivers my find ourselves focusing on “what can the cchurch do for me? What can I learn from church?” Remember the difference between kirche and ekklesia? Kirche is the germanic word that church is translated from and repreesents the system of worship that we often associatee with churchees today. But ekklesiaa isn’t abotu a system of worship. It’s about a people that follow Jesus that live as Jesus lived. Which is for others and not for self.

Which means you all are invited.

Maybe you have doubted God, question his existence or the validity of his word…your invited!

Maybe you walked away from God, feel like you failed God, your invited.

Maybe you filed bankruptcy or need to. Maybe you have had suicidal ideations, cursed God, committed adultery, been on drugs or currently on them, addicted to porn…you are invited.

This lady needed the hope of God in her life and people would have turned her aawaay becuase of a dress code.

You can come wtih all of your baggage. you can com with all your sins. all your problems, whatever you have going on, you are invited.

Aand dont’ come aalone. Bring people with you.

Everyone has issues, everyone has problems, and everyone needs Jesus.

Do you remember the message I preacched a while ago about Jesus telling the parable of the wedding feast? Wheree the host invited people, they didn’t come, and so he invited the sick, the lame, and the poor?

The people described there were not just identified with those labels. They were rejected by not just society but the religious people of the day.

Who do the religious reject now? Whoever they are, they are welcome here. We will love you. We will care for you. We will not compromise truth. We will preach against sin, elevate Jesus, and love everyone. Love doesn’t mean agree, it meanas love.

There is always room. If there comes a time there isn’t room in this aauditorioum, we will have more services and make room. Too manyy services? Bigger building? There is always room and there will always be room.

The quetion is are we inviing pepole? Not just to church but to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

You were invited and accepted the invitation…no go out and compel and invite otheers to do the same.

Time of Response