"Jesus is Attractive"

Scripture Reading:

New Living Translation (Chapter 1)

15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all

Introduction

The shortness of time is frequently urged as an incentive for seeking righteousness and making Christ our friend. This should not be the great motive with us; for it savours of selfishness. Is it necessary that the terrors of the day of God should be held before us, that we may be compelled to right action through fear? It ought not to be so. Jesus is attractive. He is full of love, mercy, and compassion. He proposes to be our friend, to walk with us through all the rough pathways of life. Bible Echo, June 25, 1894.

Ole time religion - blood and fire

Accept Jesus out of fear

This type of fear gives a warped doctrine of what God is like:

For some God has a hammer waiting to strike you down

Some ignore the OT God and make a distinction between Father and Son

And unfortunately many simply run from God.

Our Mission

Make disciples of Jesus Christ who live as His loving witnesses and proclaim to all people the everlasting gospel of the Three Angels’ Messages in preparation for His soon return (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Rev 14:6-12).

This is a great mission statement, but if we are really honest not many of us know what it means and how to apply it into our lives.

My mission is to make Jesus attractive

And I want you to make this your mission

Question: How do we make Jesus attractive?

Contemporary church services

Less emphasis on Biblical truth and more about our feelings

“Anything goes” God

The 'entertainment' model of church was largely adopted in the 1980's and 90's and while it alleviated some of our boredom for a couple of hours a week, it filled our churches with self-focus consumers rather than self-sacrificing servants attuned to the Holy Spirit...we understand something very important is missing. The feeling is so strong that some have run away from the church and God's word completely. I believe this missing something is actually a missing Someone--namely, the Holy Spirit. Without Him, people operate in their own strength and only accomplish human-size results. The world is not moved by love or actions that are of human creation. And the church is not empowered to live differently from any other gathering of people without the Holy Spirit. But when believers live in the power of the Spirit, the evidence in their lives is supernatural. The church cannot help but be different, and the world cannot help but notice— Francis Chan, Forgotten God

You cannot make Jesus attractive by external and human effort.

The church without the Spirit is a social gathering.

Character

Jesus is attractive [because] He is full of love, mercy, and compassion

Jesus is attractive when our characters reflect his character

Jesus is attractive when we have love, mercy and compassion

He Came To Save

Scripture read - Paul says Christ came to save sinners

I believe Christ followed a process

He Mingled

King James Version Chapter 15

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

The Jews thought themselves better than other people, and held themselves aloof from other nations; but Jesus mingled with all classes of people. He had come to seek and to save that which was lost—YI January 2, 1896, par. 2

He Condemned Sin (And not the Sinner)

English Standard Version Chapter 8

2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.

This set up puts Jesus’ reputation on the line (read ch. 7)

Significant in comparison to Solomon - two women and one child (1 Kings 3:15-28)

His response would decide his entire ministry moving forward

His Response:

New Living Translation Chapter 8

“All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

We are in the business of condeming

Problem is that we condemn the wrong things

Forgiveness

King James Version Chapter 23

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do

Jesus asks the “Father to forgive

Three Scenarios:

Walking down the road and I’m attacked

Walking down the road with teenage son

Walking down the road with infant son

Reconcile

New Living Translation Chapter 1

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Reconciliation = To reestablish a close relationship, as in marriage.

All this ultimately leads to Paul’s statement “Christ came to save sinners”

Conclusion

“There are only two emotions: love and fear. All positive emotions come from love, all negative emotions from fear. From love flows happiness, contentment, peace, and joy. From fear comes anger, hate, anxiety and guilt... We cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time. They're opposites. If we're in fear, we are not in a place of love. when we're in a place of love, we cannot be in a place of fear.”— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

To make Jesus attractive to others

We must be motivated by love and not fear

Follow Jesus’ example

Mingle

Condemn Sin (not the sinner)

Learn to Forgive

Seek to Reconcile