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Jesus and the Party Poopers

Pathway to Victory / Dr. Robert Jeffress
The Truth Network Radio
December 26, 2024 3:00 am

Jesus and the Party Poopers

Pathway to Victory / Dr. Robert Jeffress

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December 26, 2024 3:00 am

You would think that the perfect Son of God wouldn’t be caught wasting His time with sinners. Yet Jesus’ harshest criticism wasn’t targeted at adulterers, drunkards or idolaters, but at the religious establishment of His day. Dr. Robert Jeffress explores what the Pharisees were doing that Jesus found so offensive.

 

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Hey, podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. And right now, your generous gift will have twice the impact thanks to the Light the Darkness matching challenge. It's active now through December 31st.

To give a special year-end gift, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Thanks for joining us on today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

Before we began today's program, I wanted to say a word about the recent election. In 1 Timothy 2, Paul said we should pray that government would basically protect us and then leave us alone to practice our faith. And I think the election has ensured that's going to happen for the next four years. I've known President Trump for almost 10 years, and I know religious freedom is a very real priority with him. We need to remember that it is not government's responsibility to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's our responsibility and one we need to take advantage of while there's still time.

The only way we're going to change America is by changing the hearts of Americans, and that's only possible through the power of Jesus Christ. Thank you for supporting Pathway to Victory generously in this important time but limited time of religious liberty so together we can pierce the darkness with the light of God's word. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, today we're going to look at how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees.

And as we do, we're going to discover how to deal with legalism that people try to impose on our life as well. If you have your Bibles, turn to Luke chapter five to see how Jesus dealt with the party poopers of his day. We call them the Pharisees. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. You'd think that the perfect Son of God wouldn't be caught wasting his time with sinners.

Yet Jesus' harshest criticism was not targeted at adulterers, drunkards, or idolaters, but at the religious establishment of his day. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explores what the Pharisees were doing that Jesus found so offensive. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Dr. Jeffress? Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. For the entire month of December, we've been devoting our complete attention to this relevant topic, and that is reigniting our passion for Christ. We've created something special for you that will equip you to keep your passion for Christ burning brightly long into the new year. It's the Pathway to Victory daily devotional for 2025. Now, if you own one of our previous devotionals, I want you to know that the 2025 leather-bound edition is completely new, with fresh devotional readings for every single weekday in the coming new year.

It's more than 530 pages in length. Plus, in my opinion, this navy blue devotional is one of the finest we've ever produced. And it's yours when you give a generous year-end gift toward the Light the Darkness matching challenge. Remember, the matching challenge that's active right now gives you an opportunity to double the size and impact of your gift. But the matching challenge will end on Tuesday night at midnight, so be sure to give your generous gift right away.

The goal is set at $1.5 million. Can you imagine what we could accomplish together by deploying these resources next year? This gives us ample ammunition to help us push back the forces of evil pressing against our culture these days. Now, I'm going to say more about the matching challenge and the daily devotional after today's message. But right now, let's open our Bibles to Luke chapter 5 for another look at our Savior. I titled today's message, Jesus and the Party Poopers.

It's very important that we evaluate any instructions we receive from other people before we act on those instructions. I think about the story of the husband who was driving around from appointment to appointment one day. He felt bad about the argument he had had with his wife the night before, so he picked up the cell phone to call her and try to reconcile with her. Picked up his cell phone, called the home.

The maid answered the phone. He said, might I speak to my wife, please? She said, well, no, she's busy right now. He said, busy?

What is she doing? The maid said, well, she's upstairs with her boyfriend and asked that she not be interrupted. Well, the husband was furious. He said, you know where I keep my shotgun? The maid said, yes, sir. He said, I want you to take that shotgun, load it with two shells, and blast both of them to smithereens. She said, okay. He waits on the phone. Here's her going up the stairs.

Here are the two shots of the shotgun. Here's her come back to the phone. She said, okay, what do you want me to do with the bodies? He said, throw them in the swimming pool. She said, sir, we don't have a swimming pool.

The husband said, is this 723-2275? Okay, it's a disgusting story, but it illustrates the point. You better make sure you know where your instructions are coming from before you follow through on them. You know, the fact is all of us are getting instructions from other people, aren't we? People who want to tell us how to do everything, people who want to tell us how to have a good relationship with God, how to rear your children, how to manage your finances, all kinds of instructions we're getting from people, even Christians in the church. The problem is many times these instructions are not coming from the Word of God, but they're coming from other people's opinions and prejudices. And many times, have you noticed Christians equate or even elevate their opinions with the truth of God's Word?

And they try to make their opinion about certain issues your obligation to follow. Today, we call those people legalists. But in Jesus' day, they went by another name. Their name was the Pharisees. And when you look through the story of Jesus, Jesus' harshest critics were not the adulterers and the murderers. It was the Pharisees. In fact, they were the ones who plotted and finally executed Christ's crucifixion. But it was also the Pharisees who were the recipients of Jesus' harshest criticism.

He didn't criticize the adulterers and murderers and drunkards. His harshest criticism was for these people who elevated their opinion above the truth of God's Word. And in the process, they turned a relationship with God into nothing but a sterile ritual. Today, we're going to look at how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees.

And as we do, we're going to discover how to deal with legalism that people try to impose on our life as well. If you have your Bibles, turn to Luke chapter 5 to see how Jesus dealt with the party poopers of his day. We call them the Pharisees. The first encounter Jesus had with the Pharisees was in the passage we looked at last time when Jesus healed the paralytic. Remember, they were in the audience in the house that day when Jesus miraculously healed that paralytic.

They were there to check him out. Now, let's look and see how Jesus deals with them again, beginning in Luke 5, beginning in verse 27. The call of Matthew is a disciple. Look at his invitation in Matthew 27.

And after that, after what? Well, after the healing of the paralytic, Jesus went out and noticed a tax gatherer named Levi. His name also was Matthew, sitting in the tax office. And he said to Levi, follow me. And the Bible says, Levi immediately left everything and he followed Jesus.

Now, look at verse 29. Levi was ready to throw a party. He wanted to celebrate his retirement from the tax business and his call to follow Jesus. He also wanted his friends to meet Jesus as well.

So what did he do? Look at verse 29. And Levi gave a big reception for him in his house.

And there was a great crowd of tax gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them. Now, think about it. Here's Levi, a brand new Christian. He wants to throw a party and introduce his friends to Jesus. Now, who do you think is going to be on his invitation list?

Let me give you a hint. It's not going to be the ladies from the Women's Missionary Union, the WMU is going to come to this party. The only people that Matthew knows are other non-Christians and other tax gatherers. So he invites them to come to the party to meet Jesus. Well, the Pharisees, they couldn't handle that. Look at verse 30. Remember, their goal was to separate themselves from unbelievers. You don't want to be around unbelievers.

You might get contaminated. Verse 30. And so the Pharisees and the scribes begin grumbling at Jesus' disciples saying, why do you eat and drink with the tax gatherers and the sinners? And notice how Jesus answered in verse 31. And Jesus answered and said to them, it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.

And in case they missed that point, look at verse 32. Jesus said, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I didn't come for righteous people. I came for the unrighteous people to call them the sinners.

Now here's the catch. The fact is we're all sinners. We're all unrighteous. We all need God's forgiveness. The difference was the people Jesus hung around to understood that the Pharisees didn't understand their sin. You see, if you're going to experience physical healing, you have to first of all admit that you're sick. You'll never find healing until, first of all, you admit you need healing.

And in the same way, you'll never experience spiritual healing, forgiveness, unless you first admit that you're spiritually sick, a sinner, and need healing. That was the difference between the Pharisees and the rest of the people. The Pharisees didn't understand that they were just as unrighteous as anyone else. Well, that just went over their head.

They didn't get that at all. So verse 33, they launch a second attack against Jesus. And they said to him, the disciples of John often fast and offer prayers. The disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but yours eat and drink. They said, Jesus, we just don't understand this. You don't obey our rules and regulations.

Why? We believe in fasting. We teach people you're to fast, abstain from food Mondays and Thursdays. And even the disciples of John did the same, but your disciples are always partying and having a good time. Don't you know religion is a sober affair? You're not supposed to have a good time with religion. We don't understand this.

Why don't you obey our rules and regulations? It just doesn't make sense. Well, Jesus answers them with three illustrations. First of all, the illustration of a wedding. Look at verse 34. And Jesus said to them, you cannot make the attendance of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? A Jewish wedding was not just a one night affair.

It was seven days of nonstop partying. And Jesus said, you know, my relationship with my followers is like a groom and a bride. That's the picture in the church, of the church. The church is the bride of Christ. Jesus is the groom. And as long as they're together, it ought to be a party. You don't mourn.

You don't fast. When you're having a wedding, that doesn't make any sense. Jesus said about, now, if the groom were tragically killed, then the party would turn into a morning ceremony, a time for fasting. When that happens, maybe you might want to mourn and fast.

But until that time, it only makes sense that you would want to celebrate. He gave a second illustration. Look at verse 36.

And he was also telling them a parable. No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, he will both tear the new and the piece from the new will not match the old. You can't match the Old Testament system of rules and regulations and the add-ons by the Pharisee. It doesn't fit with Jesus' new message.

The two don't match one another. And in case they didn't get the point, he uses a third illustration. The illustration of the wineskins.

Look at verses 37 and 38. And no one puts new wine into wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out and the skins will be ruined. But the new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. Now, you would not take an old, brittle wineskin and pour new wine into it.

Why? Because that new wine, freshly fermented, would have these gases that would start to expand and expand. And inside that old, brittle wineskin, well, it would finally burst the brittle wineskin and you'd lose the wine. You don't put the new into the old. And it's the same way with Christ's new message of grace not fitting into the old message of laws and regulation. There are a lot of people who are confused about this. They try to match the New Testament and the Old Testament. It doesn't work. The New Testament does not fit the Old Testament.

It just expands it and it breaks it. The Old Testament has been done away with. What part of the Old Testament has it done away with?

Well, first of all, the ceremonial laws have been done away with. We don't offer sacrifices, do we? We don't bring a bloody animal up here every Saturday to sacrifice. There's no need to.

Jesus is our sacrifice. So we've done away with all of the ceremonial laws. We don't keep the feast. We don't need to. Yeah, they're a great picture of Jesus, but Paul said in Galatians, don't bother keeping the feast.

They're just a shadow of the substance of Christ and now that Christ is here, you don't follow the shadow any longer. So we don't keep the ceremonial law. Secondly, we don't live under the civil law.

America is not Israel, okay? We are not a theocracy. We don't stone adulterers or shoot them with a shotgun. We don't stone gay people. We don't stone disobedient children, though sometimes we wish we might be able to do that. Not really, but we don't do that. We just don't do that.

It's all been done away with. So we don't live under civil law. The only other portion of God's law is the moral law. Don't commit adultery.

Don't lie. Don't steal. And the only part of the moral law we keep is that part that is repeated in the New Testament. In the New Testament, we're told not to lie. We're told not to steal. We're not told to commit idolatry. All of these things that are repeated in the New Testament are commands that we live under. But we don't keep anything else that was in the Old Testament. Does that help you understand what the difference between the Old and the New Testament is? We live under the new agreement. And let me just say this again.

Under the new agreement, there is absolutely, absolutely no allowance for violence against anyone. Now, what are the applications of all of this for us today? Let me give you three principles to live by that come from this. First of all, evaluate all advice you receive by the Word of God. Yes, Proverbs says we should listen to other people's counsel. But before we follow other people's instruction, we ought to ask, is this what the Bible teaches?

Or is it just that person's opinion? Second principle, tolerate differences in other Christians. Tolerate differences in other Christians. Romans 14, 13 says, let us not judge one another anymore. He's not talking about judging behavior the Bible talks about.

He's talking about those gray areas that the Bible doesn't speak about. Tolerate differences in other Christians. Third principle, associate with unbelievers. Associate with unbelievers. Do you realize Christ has left you and me here for one purpose? And that is to influence non-Christians to become Christians so they can experience eternal life.

That is the only reason we are here. And yet you know what the truth is, the longer we're a Christian, the fewer non-Christians we hang around. The time we know the most non-Christians is as soon as we're saved.

That was true for Matthew, wasn't it? He had a whole group of non-Christian friends that he wanted to meet Jesus. And that means the longer we're a Christian, the more we have to work at being around Christians. But so many Christians have this bunker mentality. Oh, I can't be around a non-Christian because I might get contaminated or I might become like them.

No, God has called us not to isolate ourselves from non-Christians but to influence non-Christians. That doesn't mean we date them, teenagers. It doesn't mean we marry them. It doesn't mean we go into business with them.

But we are to try to influence them and you'll never influence somebody you're not a friend with. People you don't hang around. No, I'm getting ready. I want you to pray for me.

The next three days, I'm gonna be in New York, back-to-back interviews. And what I love about hanging out with my friends in the media is there are a lot of them. There are members of other faiths, many of them of no faith. And it's just a great opportunity to get to be with them and share with them about what Christianity is and what the Bible says about this subject or that subject. We need to take our cue from Jesus. You know what the title Jesus went by? Jesus, what he was known as, the friend of sinners. He was the friend of sinners. See, Jesus didn't hate sinners. He loved sinners and rejoiced when they came into a right relationship with himself.

We'll see, in a few months, in Luke 15, he told a parable about a lost sheep and a lost coin and a lost son. The reason he told those stories was to contrast the Pharisee's attitude with God's attitude. You know what the Pharisee sees their attitude towards sinners? They hated sinners. And they would just assume they spend eternity in hell. They wanted to live separate from sinners. The Pharisees hated sinners, not God. All of those three stories illustrate that God loves sinners and he rejoices when they come to salvation.

Tony Campolo in his book, The Kingdom of God is a Party, tells a great story. Several years ago, he was in Honolulu at a speaking engagement. If you've ever been over there, you know the time change can be a little difficult. So he wasn't used to the time change the first couple of days. And so he found himself wide awake at 3 o'clock in the morning.

So he went down to a little diner down the street from the hotel and sat there drinking a cup of coffee and eating a doughnut. And while we were sitting there, about 3.30, the door burst open and in walked nine of the most boisterous, loud-mouthed prostitutes you can imagine. And they were having a party and they were carrying on. And one of them said, you know, it's my birthday tomorrow. And the other just kidded her, your birthday? Well, what do you want us to do, throw a birthday party for you? She said, why do you have to be so mean? But yeah, that wouldn't be bad.

You know, I've never had a birthday party in my entire life. They kidded her for a while and Tony was just sitting there listening to all of this. And finally they left and he said to the big guy behind the counter, Harry, he said, do these ladies come in here every night? He said, yeah.

He said that one who was talking about her birthday, what's her name? He said, oh, that's Agnes. Tony said, what do you say tomorrow night we throw Agnes a birthday party? Harry said, well, I'm up for it.

That's a great idea. So Tony says the next day he went out and bought the crepe paper, got a cake, got the streamers, made a sign, happy birthday Agnes. Came back down to the diner the next night at 2.30, decorated the place. By 3.15, Tony said every prostitute in Honolulu had crowded into that diner right there for Agnes' birthday party.

3.30 right on the dot, in walks the nine ladies with Agnes. And Tony has everybody queued to shout out happy birthday Agnes. He said she was stunned.

She couldn't believe it. So he led everybody, the prostitutes, in singing happy birthday to Agnes. Then they brought out her birthday cake with all the candles lit.

Tony handed the birthday cake to her. He said she took hold of that like it was the Holy Grail. She said, sir, do you mind if I don't eat it right now?

I'd like to take it home because I've never had a birthday cake before. He said that'd be fine. And he said, got kind of awkward there for a moment.

He couldn't think of anything else. And he said, why don't we all pray together? Let's pray for Agnes. So they all bowed their heads and Tony prayed for Agnes that God would be good to her, that good things would come into her life, that she would come to know Jesus Christ as Savior. When he said amen, he opened his eyes and very behind the corner leaned over and growled. He said, you didn't tell me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to? And Tony said, without even thinking, he said, I belong to the kind of church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3.30 in the morning.

He said, oh, no, you don't. There's no such church like that. If there were that kind of church, I'd join it. I'd really join a church just like that.

Tony writes, wouldn't we all? Wouldn't we all like to be a part of a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3.30 in the morning? You know, I believe First Baptist Dallas is that kind of a church. Regardless of what you read in the media, this church does not hate sinners. We don't hate sinners. We don't hate anybody. Instead, we follow the model of Jesus.

And make no mistake about it. Jesus hated sin, and he spoke out against it continually. He hated sin because he saw the way it destroyed people's lives.

Jesus hated sin, but he loved sinners. And he worked with them. He prayed for them. He loved on them and rejoiced when they came to faith in him.

And so should we. Once we get to know the real Jesus, not the fictional Jesus of our imagination, but the genuine Jesus of the Bible, we can't help but be drawn to him. I certainly hope you've been encouraged by this glimpse into his life today. Remember, I've written a daily devotional for you so that you can draw near to the Savior every single weekday in the new year that's beginning next week.

Be sure to get in touch right now while there's still time to request this leather-bound gift from Pathway to Victory. By the way, if you happen to own one of our daily devotionals from previous years, this one for 2025 is completely new. And it comes with my profound thanks when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory. And here's why I'm grateful. You see, when you invest in Pathway to Victory, your gift is directly channeled into reaching men and women in your city and around the world with the bright light of Jesus Christ. That's not hyperbole.

It's a fact. For example, I was encouraged by a comment that came from Keith in Oklahoma who wrote, Pastor Jeffress, Pathway to Victory has helped me get through a lot of personal problems in my life. I've learned that Jesus is the true Lord and Savior and that in Him and through Him, nothing is impossible.

That's why Pathway to Victory exists. So please be generous with your special year and gift so that we can continue to impact people like Keith and so many others around the world. And remember, time is running short to benefit from the Light of the Darkness matching challenge.

This wonderful arrangement, which ends New Year's Eve at midnight, gives you a way to double the impact of your generous gift. And here's David to tell you more. Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. Today, when you give a generous year-end gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, we'd like to say thanks by sending you the brand new leather-bound 2025 Pathway to Victory daily devotional. To request your very own copy, call 866-999-2965.

Or even easier, simply go online to ptv.org. Now, when your gift is $100 or more, you'll also receive this month's teaching series called, Reigniting Your Passion for Christ. We'll send that on both DVD video and MP3 format audio discs.

Now don't forget, your contribution right now will be doubled in impact through our Light the Darkness matching challenge. So be sure to get in touch today. Call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. You could also send your donation by mail right to P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. That's P.O.

Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. You know, for thousands of years, the Sabbath has been considered a holy day.

But does God really expect us to keep the Sabbath in the 21st century? Find out when you join us again Friday for Pathway to Victory. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

And we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. And right now, your special year-end gift will be matched and therefore doubled in impact thanks to the Light the Darkness matching challenge. Take advantage of this opportunity to double your impact before the deadline on December 31st. To give toward the matching challenge, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-12-26 04:47:41 / 2024-12-26 04:58:41 / 11

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