Turn with me, if you would now,
to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11. A man made the statement one
time that in our preaching, we must have the meat and potatoes
of the gospel. That's what he said. In our message,
in our preaching, we absolutely must have the meat and potatoes
of the gospel. But he said, a little ice cream
is nice every now and then too. And that's what I consider this
message to be. I honestly consider this a little
dessert for the day. I pray the Lord will make this
sweet. and bless us with it. That same
dear man, that same dear preacher of the gospel brought an outline
and I heard it and it blessed me so much, I wanna bring it
to you tonight. It's blessed me so much, all
right? One line will be our text. One line from Matthew 11, verse
19. I'm gonna read down to the line. Matthew 11 verse 19. It says, the son of man came
eating and drinking, and they say, behold, a man gluttonous
and a wine bibber. Now here's the line, a friend
of publicans and sinners. That's good, isn't it? The Lord Jesus Christ is the
friend of publicans and sinners. What a title, the friend of sinners. John, they accused John of being
one thing and accused our Lord of being the exact opposite.
They sat there and watched him as he ate, and they said, look
at how gluttonous he is. And do you see what he's drinking?
He's a wine bibber. Our Lord is the friend of centers
who men see to be centers, who truly are centers centers. In
James two, verse 23, God said, Abraham is my friend. That's just so amazing to me. Abraham is my friend. Let's think about this for one
minute. Honestly. See if you've ever thought about
this. Who was Abraham? Who was Abraham? Abraham was
an idol worshiper until he was 75 years old. After God called him from worshiping
his idols and turned him to the true and living God, after he
was a believer, after he was a follower of Christ, he was
unfaithful to his wife. He didn't believe God. He didn't have faith in God's
word to him. God gave a word to him. All right, he didn't have faith
in God's word to him. He didn't wait on the Lord. He
did not do that. Instead, he took matters into
his own hands and he tried to perform the work of God for him. Isn't it amazing, honestly, isn't
it amazing that the man who is called the father of the faithful,
He's the one referred to as the father of the faithful. Isn't
it amazing that he was not faithful to God or his wife? Isn't that
amazing? He pled works to God. He pled works. His own works. This is what he said. He said
to God, he said, surely Ishmael is the one you were talking about.
I plead. the works of my own flesh to
you. Isn't it amazing that the one
of whom the scripture says believed God, it's like we glorify Abraham
in that. We give him a real pat on the
back. Well, listen to this. Abraham believed God. You know,
at least we can say that about Abraham. At least Abraham can
say that about himself. Abraham believed God. In his
own flesh, in his own doing, he didn't believe God. In his
own flesh, of his own doing, he did not. We don't have time
to go back and read all the story of Abraham, how God told him
to leave and he didn't. And he told him where to go and
he went somewhere else. He didn't. That's interesting, isn't it?
That's amazing, isn't it? Why does the scripture say that
he was faithful and he believed God? Why does it say that? Here's
why. It's because God was faithful for him. God was faithful to
him. God was faithful for him. God
did a work in him and caused him to believe God. It was God's
work. It was God's faith. It was God's
gift. It was God's object. God was
the author. God was the finisher. Where does
Abraham boast in this? And then God counted his own
work to Abraham in Abraham for righteousness. It was counted
unto him for righteousness. That's amazing. Isn't it? Why would God do that for Abraham?
Here's the reason why it's because he's the friend of sinners. This is just amazing to me. This
is simply amazing. He is the friend of sinners in
Christ. And that's the key. That is the
key to the whole thing outside of Christ. If we're talking about
outside of Christ, God is angry with sinners outside of Christ. In God's own word, he said, and
this is strong language, but this is what God said. God said
he hates sinners. That's what he said. Outside
of Christ, this whole thing pivots on Christ. Outside of Christ,
he must punish sinners, he must condemn sinners, he must damn
sinners, he must cast them out. Depart from me, I never knew
you. That's outside of Christ. But in Christ, all because of
what Christ did for sinners, in Christ, Redeemed, justified,
sanctified sinners can be called the friends of God. Every time
I say it, it's amazing to me. I mean this, every time I say
it, it's amazing. I mean, I'm talking about sinners.
I'm not talking about people who say, yes, okay, well, yeah,
I'll put myself in the category. I'm talking about sinful people. who other people look at and
say, now that's a sinner. The friends of God. This is what
our Lord said in John 15. He said, you are my friends. He said, from henceforth, I call
you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth,
but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard
of my father, I have made known unto you. That's what you do
with your friend. how amazing it is to hear and
to realize and to know, to really know that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the friend of sinners. That's amazing. This outline
that I wanna bring to you, this is proof, all right? This right
here is proof that our Lord is indeed the friend of sinners,
by showing us how he was the friend of sinners. This is so
good. I didn't come up with it so I
can say that, okay? This is so good. I'm just gonna
repeat it. I'm gonna repeat it to you and
hopefully I don't mess it up. I hope you think this is good
when this is over. Here are seven ways All right. Seven ways. And I'm just going
to go right through them. I'm not going to drag it out.
I'm going to tell you, cause I don't need to even expound.
I just need to tell you, but seven ways, how Christ was the
friend of sinners. I have a scripture for each one
of them. All right. First, go with me to Romans eight. Romans 8 verse 3. It says, For what the law could
not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, and that
translates by a sacrifice for sin, Condemned sin in the flesh. How do we know that Christ is
the friend of centers? He came in the likeness of them. First thing. Think about that. He came in
the likeness of them. He could have come. Okay. God
came, God came here to this earth and he could have come in any
likeness he wanted to. If he wanted to, he could have
taken upon him the nature of angels. But Hebrews 2 tells us
that he did not do that. He chose to take upon himself
the seed of Abraham. He was willingly numbered with
the transgressors. Numbered with the transgressors.
Counted, line them all up, transgressors, transgressors. He put himself
in that line. numbered with the transgressors,
came to this earth in the likeness of sinful flesh. Was he sinful
in his flesh? No, but he came in the likeness
of sinful flesh. All right, so that's the first
way that we know he's the friend of sinners. He came in the likeness
of them. Number two, turn with me to Luke 15. Luke 15 verse 1 says, then drew
near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured saying, this man receiveth
sinners and eateth with them. That was their gripe. Not only
does he receive sinners, he eats with them. How do we know that
Christ is the friend of centers? Really? How do we really know
that he's the friend of centers? We know it because he spent all
of his time on this earth in fellowship with them. He could have gone anywhere. Could have gone anywhere. Could
have gone to all the... You know, Gamaliel was the big
professor at the seminary college. He spent all his time with sinners. He walked with them, he talked
with them, he ate with them. The religious people were constantly
shocked by who he associated with. They were constantly shocked,
constantly saying, if he knew what manner of woman that was, he associated with centers. He
associated with publicans and centers. He associated with the
lost. He associated with the sick,
the poor, the outcast, the forsaken, the shunned, the condemned. It was those who were known,
those who had reputations, all right, reputations for being
murderers and harlots and whatever. Don't you love that story in
John 8 where those Pharisees caught that woman in the act
of adultery. And they brought her to the Lord
so he could, you know, judge her according to the law. And
one by one, he stooped down and he wrote with his finger in the
ground. And he must have been, it doesn't say what he wrote,
but he must have been exposing their sins to them. Because one
by one, they left. One by one. And then he stood
up. And he looked at that woman and he said, is there no one
here left to condemn you? And she looked around and she
said, no Lord, there's nobody left. He said, well, neither
do I go your way and sin no more. That woman at the well in John
four, that woman at the well, this is what it says of that
woman. She had already had five husbands and the man that she
was with at that moment was not her husband. All right, this
is what the Lord said to her. He said, if you knew who it was
who was standing here talking to you right now, who took the
time, sent the apostles away, came to this well, waited for
you, sought you out, If you knew who
it was who was speaking to you right now, you would ask of me
living water and I would give it to you. And you'd never thirst
again. I'd do that for you. The Lord is so much more merciful
than we are. I'm so glad I'm not God. I'm
not merciful enough. Saul of Tarsus? Saul of Tarsus? This is what
the Lord said, he is a chosen vessel of mercy to me. How do we know that Christ is
the friend of sinners? It's because while he was on
this earth, he was not ashamed to call them brethren. He spent
his time on this earth in fellowship with them. All right, number
three. Look right here in Luke 15 at verse two, it says, and
the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, this man receiveth sinners
and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto
them, saying, what man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he
lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness
and go after that which is lost until he find it. And when he
hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth
together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with
me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you
that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth
more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. How do we know that Christ is
the friend of sinners? It's because he preached the
glorious message of the gospel to them. It was to them, all
of the good news that he had, he came bringing good news. Glad
tidings have come. And all of the good news that
he had was for them. Honestly, there is no good news
in the scripture for a soul. Who's not a center. There are
so many people who do, they do not believe that they're centers
and there's no good news for them. All of the good news is
for centers. There, there are promises to
men and women who will keep the law. You do this, you'll live. So men and women try to keep
the law and in their mind, they think I'm going to live because
of this, but they don't know they're not keeping the law.
If it's not in every dot and every cross of the T dot of the
I and cross of the T it's not going to stand. All the good news is for sinners.
All that he had, all that he brought, it was for sinners.
In Luke 4, he stood up and he read Isaiah 61, and this is what
he said. The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He anointed me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, sight to the blind,
Liberty to them who are bruised. All of his good news gospel message,
all of it was for sinners. All of it. Number four, turn
with me to Luke 22. Luke 22, verse 31. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you
as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that
thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren. How do we know that Christ is
the friend of sinners? It's because while he was on
this earth, he prayed for them. In John 17, this is what he said. He said, father, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
I do pray for them. I pray for them, which thou hast
given me for they are thine and mine are thine and thine are
mine. And I am glorified in them. I
pray for them. Number five, turn to John 15. John 15 verse 13 says, Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. How do we know that Christ is
the friend of sinners? He died for them. While he was
on this earth, He died for them. Romans 5 verse 6 says, when we
were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the
ungodly. While we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. 1 John 4 verse 10 says, here
it is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and
sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. that bloody victim
for our sin. The Lord Jesus Christ proved
His love for sinners by dying for them. Having loved His own,
He loved them to the end. All the way to the end. Number
six. Turn with me to Romans 8 again.
Romans chapter 8. Romans 8 verse 31, it says, What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. How do we know that Jesus
Christ is the friend of sinners? It's because he is right now
making intercession for them. Right now. Intercession means, this is what
the word means, it means entreating for favor. Entreating for favor. He entreats
the father for favor toward us. Father have favor toward them.
That's what he entreats, favor toward us. Based on what? His
blood, his righteousness. Hebrews 7.25 says he is able
to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. He ever lives. He will live forever to do that
for his people. So how can we know that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the friend of sinners? Number one, because
he came in the likeness of them. Number two, he spent his time
on this earth in the fellowship of them. Number three, he preached
the glorious message of the gospel to them. Number four, he prayed
for them. Number five, he died for them. Number six, he arose and now
makes intercession. for them. And here's the last
one, number seven. Go with me to John 14. John 14, verse one says, let
not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there you may be also." How do we know that Jesus
Christ is the friend of sinners? It's because he said he would
come back to forever receive them to himself. He said, if you see me go, I
will come again and I'll receive you to myself that where I am,
there you may be also. This is what our brother read
for us just a minute ago. This is first Timothy one verse
15. It says, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners. Sinners. Hearing that, knowing
that, really getting a hold of that. Do you know what that makes
me want to cry? As I hear that and as the Lord opens my heart
to that and I really understand what it's saying, do you know
what that makes me want to cry? I'm the chief. I'm the chief. If you are the
friend of sinners, if you came to save sinners, save us, Lord,
we're the chief. We're the chief. Thank God for
our friend. How amazing that we can call
him our friend. Our God? Absolutely. Our salvation? Our friend, thank
God for our friend, our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend. We're gonna close with a song,
and that's how the song ends. Our maker, defender, redeemer,
and friend, thank God for the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's all
stand together.