June 18, 2023
How Far is Too Far?
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Luke 7:36-37 NIV
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
Luke 7:38 NIV
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.
Luke 7:39 NIV
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.
"She is a sinner in the city — that is, a woman known in the city as a sinner. Undoubtedly, this characterization marks her as a prostitute by vocation, a whore by social status, contagious in her impurity, and probably one who fraternizes with Gentiles {non-Jews} for economic purposes." - Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (p. 309). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Does God care who has sex?
1 Corinthians 6:15 NIV
"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."
God designed sex to be an expression of "oneness" between one husband and one wife for life.
1 Corinthians 6:17 NIV
But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Because we are ONE with the LORD, we commit to this ONENESS with only our spouse.
1 Corinthians 6:18 NIV
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually sins against their own body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Luke 7:40 NIV
"Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
Luke 7:41-42 NIV
"Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Luke 7:43 NIV
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Luke 7:44 NIV
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.
Luke 7:45-47 NIV
"You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."
Luke 7:48 NIV
Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
However you got to where you are right now, Jesus wants to radically impact what happens next.
Luke 7:49 NIV
The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
Luke 7:50 NIV
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."