Our Evangelism: Like Jesus or the Pharisees?

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Matthew 23:15 NIV)

Our Evangelism: Like Jesus or the Pharisees?

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. (Matthew 23:13 NIV)

Our Evangelism: Like Jesus or the Pharisees?

"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52 NIV)

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV)

At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place (to pray, Mark 1:35). The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." (Luke 4:42-43 NIV)

He had to slip away just to pray

What we have in common with the Pharisees

• The Strictest Sect (Acts 26:5)• Temple Goer (Lk 18:10)• Not Considered Immoral Lk

18:11)• Fast Twice a Week (Lk

18:12)• Paid Tithe (Lk 18:12)• Dedicated Sabbath Keeper

(Mt 12:2)• Concerned with Purity and

Discipline (John 8)• Search Land and Sea to make

One Proselyte

• Conservative• Church Goer• Not judged as sinful

by society• Don’t drink smoke or

use drugs• Give as Prospered• Dedicated Sunday

keepers• Dedicated to

congregational purity• Interested in

converting others and sending preachers

The Pharisees You and Me

Jesus was a Friend of Sinners

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:9-13 NIV)

Jesus was a Friend of Sinners

But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:13 NIV)

Jesus was a Friend of Sinners

A Woman Sinner at the home of a Pharisee

(Luke 7:36-50)

Jesus was a Friend of Sinners

A Woman Caught in the Act of Adultery

(John 8:1-11)

Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it

The Pharisees came to judge the world, not to save it

Jesus reported to be a glutton and a winebibber

"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by all her children." (Luke 7:31-35 NIV)

Two Misused Passages

Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV)

Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV)

Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 NIV)

abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 NASB)

Jesus did not avoid the appearance of evil

Unlawful in the eyes of some to heal on the Sabbath

Allowed his disciples to harvest grain on the Sabbath

Went into the homes of sinners knowing he would be declared guilty by association

Paul & Peter did not avoid the appearance of evil

Paul became all things to all men to win some

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NIV)

Paul & Peter did not avoid the appearance of evil

Paul became all things to all men to win some

Peter ate with Gentiles when others thought it was sinful (Acts 10; Gal 2)

4 Lifestyles toward the World

• Rejection

• Immersion

• Split Adaptation

• Discriminating Participation