Middle School Session #2 (Seeing Ourselves Clearly)

Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-14; Luke 7:36-50

In our first session we learned through the lens of Psalm 103, how to see God clearly. We also learned through Psalm 103, how these attributes of God describe His holiness. This served as a starting point to learning, “The Gospel-Grid.”

Our second session deals with seeing ourselves through the right lens and what happens when we allow how this lens becomes distorted. The enemy (the Devil) has a desire. A desire that is rooted in his hatred for God and his hatred for you. What is this desire? It is to see a person never come to realize God’s love, to never see the love God has for them in sending His only begotten Son to the cross, to die for their sins, in order that they may be saved and have eternal life with God.

In the devils playbook, are lies and deceits, “plays” if you will, in order to keep a person blind to the reality of seeing themselves clearly. Because if a person saw themselves clearly, as the Bible says, then that person would see the cross more clearly (which is our final session)

So—what does the Bible say about us? Later we will discuss the “tactics” the enemy uses in order to lie to us and keep us from seeing this

I. (Genesis 1:27) We have been created in God’s image and likeness

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Go over the creation account (“God spoke and it was so…”)

Go over the difference b/t Genesis 1:1-25 and Genesis 2:7.

Each of us was formed with care, intentionality, artistry, and purpose

Each of us was given something no other part of creation was given (the breath of life)

Each of us was given the opportunity to have something not other part of creation has, something even the angels longed to look upon (a relationship with God/salvation)

What does all of this mean?

God went beyond what He had made when He created the animals as living souls, giving them an earthly and temporal life,

God made man with a spirit just like Himself—we were made to be immortal

God made man with the ability to worship, be in fellowship, and be in relationship with Him

II. (Psalm 139:13-14) We have been created fearfully and wonderfully

III. (Genesis 3 and Romans 3:23) So here’s what happened

IV. How does enemy keep a person blind to the reality of how they were created?

Deceit

Deceit that says their sin’s are not that bad or that their sin is too bad

Deceit that says God isn’t Who He says He is

Deceit that says, God made a mistake when He made you (“I guess that’s just the way we are)

Deceit that says the love of God isn’t for a person

Separations

A person, when they don’t understand, know, or believe what God’s Word says will begin to believe and live in deceit

Self-deterioration

A person’s life will begin to deteriorate and fall apart

Isolation

A person will come to feel all alone—on an island—with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness

Destruction

This is the end the enemy is going for (think of Pharoah, Herod, or even Judas Isacriot)

V. Where can we find a Biblical example of someone living in deceit, who comes to understand their need of Jesus?

Luke 7:36–38 “One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.”

I. (v.36) Setting and Setup

Luke 7:36 “Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.”

While the exact purpose of this meeting is unknown, our verses today show the attitude of Simon the Pharisee (Self-righteous)

He was “suspect” of Jesus

Luke 7:39 “Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.””

He was rude to Jesus

It was customary—in the culture of the day, to wash the feet, give the kiss of greeting, and show hospitality to a visitor in your home

Luke 7:44–46 “Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.”

He may have been just as JTB—desiring to “ask” questions of Jesus, though balancing Simon’s attitude towards Jesus, along with Biblical history, we know that most of the Pharisee’s questions (save Nicodemus) where designed to trick or trap Jesus

What does this teach us about Jesus?

Jesus was not unaware of the attitude of Simon and the other’s that were there; yet Jesus sought (and seeks) after every man

It’s possible, Jesus being Jesus knew “who” was gonna walk in and saw it as an opportunity to teach/restore/deliver His message

(CONNECTION to YOU AND ME)

The message of the Gospel is for any person, the weak and weary or the proud and self-righteous

The message of Jesus Christ is not a respecter of persons, meaning no matter what walk of life you have traveled—from the prodigal to the proud, the message of Christ can impact, convict, and change the heart condition of any person

II. (v.37-38) An Attitude of Repentance

Luke 7:37–38“And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”

(CONTEXT)

The Bible says this woman was a sinner; the New Living Translation (NLT) says she was an immoral woman, and the NIV says she lived a sinful life (NIV)

This woman in living in sexual addiction (prostitute) most of her adult life

Next, the Bible tells us “knew” or “heard” about Jesus being at the Pharisee’s (Simon’s house):

As with the Roman Centurion in Luke 7:1-10, this woman had placed herself in a position to hear and learn about Jesus; and when she did, she would have learned about

The healing & miracles

The sermons & teachings

The promises and the preaching

Moving on, we learn of the woman’s response to hearing about Jesus—she responded by placing herself—literally—at the feet of Jesus, putting herself in a place to be healed;

Note the environment she was entering though:

The public perception and gossip—what others gossiped and said about her

The stigma her sinful lifestyle had created

The culture’s ostracizing of her (she would have considered unclean & unwanted, a cast-out & a no-account)

The environment she was walking into was a lions den of men who would have hissed at her, judged her, thought better of themselves, and would have stoned her if given the chance

Note how she approached Jesus:

She had come to the end of herself, sensing her deep need of healing/restoration

She had surrendered and compromised herself with immorality and addiction for too long, so broken from clinging to passing pleasures of sin trying to find her worth, value, and identity in them

She had surrendered to the fact that she was a sinner in desperate need of a Savior

She began to feel hope—real hope for probably the 1st time in her life

She approached Jesus in desperation and with all she had

The Bible then tells us she stood at Jesus’ feet, “weeping”

What does it mean to weep?

Where else do we hear of people “weeping”?

(READ Nehemiah 8:8-12)

How does this weeping connect the Israelites and this woman

The weeping of the Israelites in Nehemiah 8 and the weeping of this sinful woman—are the evidence of restoration, of people, who are truly repenting from sin and delighting i the Lord—they are people who are getting right with God

(WHAT CAN THIS TEACH US?)

The value of placing ourselves under the Word of God will teach you exactly who you are in the eyes of God, and this

Leads a person to where healing begins—at the feet of Jesus (the foot of the cross)

There are many who need healing “positionally,” in other words they need salvation—to be born again: this is found at the foot of the cross

There are many believers—who because of the wilderness journey in this world, need restoration from burdens/hardships/sins: this is found, again, at the foot of the cross

At the foot of the cross, grace is found—grace which saves a soul and grace which sustains a soul—and it is by grace that healing begins

The value of placing ourselves under the Word of God will teach you the value of surrender

Coming to the end of ourselves is “churchy” way of saying, “I’ve had enough of how I’ve been choosing to live and I desire the life Jesus has for me to live.”

Coming to the end of ourselves is realizing more and more the Biblical imperative to “let the old man pass away,” and to put on the new man

Ephesians 4:22–24 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Coming to the end of ourselves is realizing the answer to awareness of God’s holiness verses our sinfulness in GRACE

The value of placing ourselves under the Word of God will teach you to lament and mourn our sin

Matthew 5:4 ““Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

James 4:9 “Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

The value of lamenting and mourning our sin and running to the feet of Jesus

Restores lost sinners back to God, and

Restores the joy of salvation to the believer

III. (v.39) An Attitude of Self-Righteousness

Luke 7:39 “Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.””

Here’s what we tend to do, when the lens of how we see God and see ourselves becomes distorted: We build walls of pretending and performing when it comes to our sin

We build walls of pretending; when a person pretends, they minimizes sin. How?

We defend our behavior

How long do think this woman from Luke 7 lived defending her life and how she chose to live?

How long have been defending and justifying the choices you are making, in order to explain things away and make yourself feel better

We fake it

How long do you think this woman from Luke 7 tried to keep up her “appearances?” How much of her behavior was driven but what others thought of her?

How long have you been “keeping up appearances,” basing your behavior by what others think of you?

We hide it

How long do think this woman concealed her life, especially the “bad stuff?” (This is different from faking, b/c faking wants to impress others, hiding is about shame)

How long have you been hiding the sin in you life, b/c of guilt and shame?

We exaggerate

Do you think this woman felt more highly of herself than she should have? Do you think she said, “I have some good that outweighs the bad?”

Are you exaggerating your life? Do you think of yourself more highly than others an

We blame away sin

How long do you think this woman lived blaming other people for her sins and lifestyle?

How long have you been blaming others or blaming God for your sins and decisions? (Adam and Aaron)

We downplay

How long do you think this woman lived thinking her sins, “weren’t a big deal,” that they, “weren’t as bad as others?

How long have you been downplaying your sin (“Hey, everyone’s doing it,” “It’s not a big deal, its not hurting anyone,” “No one knows, what’ve the big deal,” or “It’s not a big deal, I can stop later!”

We also build walls of performance

Some will use “family righteousness”

This says, “I do things right as a spouse or a parent. I am more godly than other parents/spouses.”

Some will use “theological righteousness”

This says, “I have good theology, God prefers me/God accepts me over those with bad theology”

“I make straight A’s—I am on the honor roll

Some will use “legalistic righteousness”

This says, “I don’t drink, smoke, do drugs, immorally date, or watch porn, therefore, God prefers me/accepts me more than others.”

Here’s what we need to know

(FIRST) Both Genesis 6:5 and the verses found in Psalm 139:1-4 remind us that Jesus our true hearts…and in the context of our Scripture this morning, no one hides anything from God—no word or deed, not thought or feeling:

Christ knows what a person really thinks and really feels within

Christ knows the truth behind every thought, word, and deed

Christ knows whether or not a person is self-righteous or truly repentant

(SECOND)

When we see ourselves clearly, that have been fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image, yet sin has tarnished this—we must realize the lens by which we must see God (Psalm 103)

When we realize all of this, the first step we must take is the same step as this woman

V. (v.44-50) A person must see their need of repentance

Luke 7:44–50 “Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.””

Those who are repentant recognize Jesus as the One who has the power to forgive sins

The woman’s sins were many and Jesus neither overlooked them nor downplayed the seriousness of her sins

It was her sins and our sins which brought about His coming to this world—which brought about what scholars teach was His humiliation; YET what each of us pay attention to closely is this:

Jesus forgave her sins, despite the awfulness and depravity of her sins

(CONNECTION to YOU and ME)

Those who improper view of God, will only approach God—if at all,

With only a little or small sense of their sin—therefore they only sense a little need for forgiveness

Blinded to the state sin has left them…short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23)

With only a small sense of their need for special mercy & grace—therefore are veiled when it comes to God’s Sovereign Majesty and Person

From a distance, as kind of a formal acquaintance, therefore they miss and lack the intimacy of a relationship with Christ

Those who approach God with a right view of Him and themselves, recognize their need to repent and their need of God’s grace; they also know

The gravity of their sin, knowing their deep need of God’s forgiveness

Psalm 51:1–3 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”

The state sin has left them in and the wage sin has levied, but know the free gift of God’s grace

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ephesians 2:5 “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

Their deep need of God’s mercy which they need above anything else

Mark 10:46–48 “And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!””

The intimate relationship they can have with Christ as they draw near to Him, in devotion to His word and as they lament and mourn their sins

James 4:7–9 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

Note what a heart of repentance brings (Luke 7:50 “And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”)

Repentance brings healings/salvation/restoration and it brings peace with God

(CLOSING/WORSHIP)

(FIRST)

This brings us to the second part of, “The Gospel-Grid” As we learn more about God’s holiness, we also learn more about our sinfulness (not that we sin more, but we are more aware of our sinfulness)

We will tie all this together later today in our last session

(SECOND)

There’s a common thread among every person on this earth—brokenness. Brokenness has touched each and every person. Each of us knows what brokenness feels like. Brokenness has a root and the root is sin:

We experience brokenness when others hurt/wrong us is some way—when they speak or act harshly towards us

We experience brokenness, sadly, because it’s the sinful nature of the world—the loss of a loved one/the cancer diagnosis or sickness that’s unexpected

We experience brokenness, however, primarily because of ourselves—personal sin causes brokenness in our lives and leaves a gaping hole/void in our hearts which only God can fill

Sin brings misery and guilt on our lives. This guilt and misery is what—if we allow it—veils us to the truth of the Gospel. The enemy wants nothing more than for unbelievers to stay veiled to the message and ministry of Jesus; and He wants nothing more than to see Christians become ineffective for the gospel—so guilt and shame remain a big part of his playbook.

Guilt and shame are weighty burdens we cannot carry, nor remove on our own. And in being veiled, worldly truths, passing pleasures of sin, as well has hurts/habits/hangups, are what people turn to try and remove the burdens of guilt and shame—only to find themselves still broken, still hurting, and still veiled.

But we can have hope in the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28–30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

In order for this to be a truth in our lives, we must not possess the attitudes of the self-righteous, but the attitudes of the repentant.

Have you allowed some deceit to creep in, which is lying to you about how God sees you, how He loves you, and how you were created?

Have you allowed some deceit to creep in which is lying to you that your sin isn’t that bad and you can just “pretend and perform” your way through it

Have you started to believe in the enemy’s lies, other what the world or even others are saying about you

The truth of the Bible says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. And yes, the Bible teaches us that because of sin, our view and understanding has become distorted. But the Bible also teaches us there’s a way out, there’s a path where a person can find real life and real purpose, where they don’t have to live with worldly labels, or live believing the lies of the enemy