Our desire today is that we would appropriately understand sin, and in doing so, that our love for Jesus would explode with deeper affections. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.
TEXT: Luke 7:36-50
TITLE: Forgiven Much
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The deeper we understand what the Word says about our sins, the greater the depth of our love for Jesus.
POINTS:
1. Our sins are many
2. Jesus forgives them all
3. We love Jesus much
SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Most Scholars – without much argument – agree that this woman was very likely a prostitute. Consider the awkwardness of this scene. A woman, a sinner, standing behind the reclining Jesus. Uncontrollable weeping and wetting his feet with her tears - like rainfall. Wiping his feet with her hair. She kissed his feet - the tense of this Greek verb would be that she ‘kissed and kissed and kissed and kissed...’ his feet.”
“The greatness of Jesus' forgiveness meets every last one of her sins! Not a single sin - and the list is long and known only by God - escaped His forgiveness!”
“Verses 47 and 48 use the verb “forgiven” (perfect tense) meaning a forgiving that began in the past, it continues in the present, and points to an eternal forgiving.”
“This is why she loves Jesus much - she sees that her sins are many and that He has forgiven every single one of them. She cannot contain herself!”
“The amazing thing about the grace of God is that it calls us out by His great love, forgives and saves us for THIS purpose: So that we love Him, exalt Him, honor Him!”
“Luther calls her tears ‘heart tears!’ She cannot contain that which floods her heart for Jesus. It does not matter who will see - no fear of man will stop her. Maybe even surprising to herself her forgiven soul propels her toward Jesus.”
“Our affections have been everywhere else, loving this and that, and in the end, really loving ourselves. THE worship center of this world and of our flesh is the need to love yourself. Sin has us convinced that this is the end-all of our existence.”
“What of the Pharisee? Simon has no awareness of the depth and magnitude of his sin - and he adds to those the unforgivable sin of rejecting Christ - vs 30 - rejecting the very purpose of God. He is likely even left out of the parable, not being counted as either of the two debtors who love even to some degree of response. Chapter 8, verse 10 Jesus reveals that the parables themselves expose and create the Pharisees’ spiritual blindness and deafness - what an indictment on their rejection of the Messiah! One commentator wrote, and I agree… ‘Simon seemingly would rather have had Jesus kick her to the side and demand that she leave!’”
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 1:28-32
1 John 4:19
2 Timothy 1:1, 2
APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
The gospel reaches out and saves this woman, and the result is a transformed life!
Q. Has your life been transformed by the forgiveness of Jesus?
Q. To what degree are you moved by the forgiveness of Jesus?
Q. Have we forgotten that our sins are many and yet that Christ can forgive and forgive them all!
Q. Why do I NOT FEEL this deeply?