This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson, \”Your Faith Makes The Difference\”, 4/10/2015

 

YOUR FAITH MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

 

Luke 7:36-50

MEETING THE DEVIL WITH THE WORD

V:36-39 \” Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee\’s house and reclined at the table.\”

37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee\’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, \”If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner.\”

1. Not everybody who smiles in your face is your friend.
2. Not everyone who comes around you, comes to be helpful.
3. There are some people who are jealous and envious and who\’s only

intent is to see you fail.

1.   The Pharisee  invited Jesus to find fault with His ministry.
2. He questioned Jesus position as a prophet, because He allowed a woman

to wash His feet.

1. The Pharisee question Jesus knowledge because He allowed a woman to

anoint Him with her perfume.

1. There are some folk who look for the bad in everyone, but never see the good.
2. A woman who was grateful for what Jesus had done in her life, came to serve.
3. This woman came bearing gifts to serve.
4. This woman had a past that people could not forget.
5. People who knew this woman judged her based on her past.
6. People who knew her, couldn\’t see beyond her past, even though she

was doing good.

1. She brought expensive perfume to anoint Jesus.
2. The perfume she brought was probably her best.
3. The perfume she brought cost her something.
4. The perfume she brought, was her way of showing love

and respect for Jesus.

1. She poured the perfume on Jesus feet and wash them with her hair.
2. She humbled herself before the Lord with tears in her eyes to give Jesus

guest treatment.

1. The host judged the woman as a sinner without judging his own lack of compassion.
2. You can never get away from your past.
3. You can do what the woman did; fall on your knees before Jesus and

ask forgiveness.

1. When you get up off your knees, your past will still be your past, but

you will have full forgiveness  from the Lord.

1. It does not matter what others think of you, it is what Jesus thinks that counts.

 

AN EXAMPLE OF FORGIVENESS

V:40-45.\” Jesus answered him, \”Simon, I have something to tell you.\”  \”Tell me, teacher,\” he said. 41 \”Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?\” 43 Simon replied, \”I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.\” \”You have judged \”correctly,\” Jesus said.

1. Jesus did not respond to the judgmental thoughts of the Pharisee, but gave an

example of forgiveness.

1. Forgiveness has nothing to do with the amount of the debt, but the love

of the one doing the forgiving.

1. To Jesus, sin is sin.
2. There are no big sins or little sins.
3. All sins carry the same punishment, death.
4. In Jesus\’ example, one man owed more, therefore by

human standards, you would think he would love the money lender

who forgave his debt more.

1. We must realize that there is no way we can satisfy our sin debt before the

Lord.

1. God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son so that those who

believes in Him will have eternal life.     John 3:16

1. Because of the Lord\’s love for us, we ought to sacrifice to Him our very best.
2. We can learn a lesson of repentance from this woman.
3. We can make it our business to publicly show our love for Jesus every

chance we get.

1. We can come to the Lord giving Him our best.
2. We can fall on our knees asking for forgiveness.
3. We should be grieved in our hearts because of our sins.
4. We should humble ourselves and serve the Lord with gratitude.
5. No one should have to ask us to serve the Lord.
6. The proof of her love for the Lord was in her works.
7. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead.
8. There was nothing dead in this woman\’s faith.
9. Because of her faith, she served the Lord.
10. The glory of a woman is her hair. 1 Cor 11:15
11. Can you image a woman using her hair to clean the muddy feet

of anyone.

1. Even though her hair was her glory, she gave it to Jesus.

 

FAITH PRODUCES WORKS

V: 44-48. \” Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, \”Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.\” 48 Then Jesus said to her, \”Your sins are forgiven.\”

1. To Jesus, every situation is an opportunity to teach the principles of love and

forgiveness.

1. Jesus used a comparison between Peter and the woman to show us the difference

between the one who knows he is a sinner and one who thinks he has no sins.

1. The one who knows his sins, knows his need for forgiveness.
2. The one who knows his need for forgiveness, knows that the only one

who can forgive him is Jesus.

1. The one who knows Jesus, treats Him like his king.
2. The common custom of the time was to wash the feet of the guest and pour oil

over his head.

1. This sinful woman was not the owner of the house, but she treated Jesus like

her guest.

1. This woman was not even invited to the house, but she seized the opportunity

to seek Jesus for her salvation.

1. Peter, walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, served with Jesus, but did he

really know Jesus?

1. Peter loved Jesus, but did he love him as his salvation?
2. Did Peter know that he was a sinner in need of salvation?
3. You cannot take the Lord for granted just because you come to Church.
4. You cannot assume that your sins are forgiven because you serve the Lord.
5. Your sacrifices for the Lord does not grant you salvation.
6. It is your repentant heart and your plea for forgiveness

and your faith in Jesus that  is the key to your salvation.

1. Everyone at the dinner party saw the woman as a sinner, but Jesus

saw her plea for forgiveness.

1. Everyone in the crowd saw the woman\’s past, but Jesus saw her future

in his righteousness.

1. Everyone in the crowd condemned the woman, but Jesus lifted her up to

eternal life.

 

SALVATION IS BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

V:49-50. \” The other guests began to say among themselves, \”Who is this who even forgives sins?\” 50 Jesus said to the woman, \”Your faith has saved you; go in peace.\”

1. The woman came to Jesus in faith.
2. The other guest came to Jesus in disbelief.
3. The woman came to Jesus knowing who He was.
4. The other guest came to Jesus condemning Him for His love for sinners.
5. Where you came from is no indication of where you are going.
6. Your past is no indication of your future.
7. The woman came in sin, but left in the righteousness of Jesus.
8. She came a child of the devil, but left a child of the Lord.
9. She came in darkness, but left in the light.
10. She came in turmoil, but left in peace.
11. At Jesus Word of forgiveness, the crowd was left wondering who He was.
12. Since faith comes by hearing, then the crowd was deaf.
13. The crowd saw Jesus but did not come to know Him.
14. The crowd came without faith and left without faith.
15. The crowd came in darkness and left in darkness.

 

CONFESS YOUR SINS BEFORE THE LORD

 

HUMBLE YOURSELF AND SERVE HIM WITH YOUR BEST

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas