Let's read this verse aloud together: "For God so love the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Who's in?
That's a common question - isn't it? Who's in? Who's out?
I've been reading a novel recently that's set in an exclusive neighborhood outside New York City. The main character, who is returning home after having lived abroad for 10 years, is obsessed with this question. He goes back to his old neighborhood and comments on the gated communities and the walled estates with armed security guards. He thinks about going back to the yacht club he used to belong to - but he knows that he's no longer welcome because of the way he left 10 years before. He considers his former home - but he's out there too - his ex-wife doesn't want him in her life, and he doesn't want her in his.
But this question of who's in - who's out, that's not just a question for novel, is it? We understand it.
"No shoes, no shirt, no service."
Well, we kind of understand that one, right? Who wants barefoot, half naked people in the restaurant when you're trying to enjoy a meal? But it goes much deeper than this, doesn't it? I have a friend whose son is hoping to be accepted to the Air Force Academy. What a process? Who's in - who's out. We have security access badges to get into work - and if you're a guest, someone inside the walls better be expecting you. Who's in - who's out? The list goes on and on - in formal settings, and informal groups:
Colleges; country clubs; private schools; gated communities; the right cliques in middle school; the cheerleading squad; the honor choir; the basketball team; that group of girls headed down the hall; the guys playing golf on Saturday morning; the management team at work; these days - just having a place to go to work for some; religion - who's in? who's out?
It seems like every chance we get - as humans - we try to divide ourselves into exclusive groups. Groups that help us validate our own worth - or at least invalidate whatever the excluding factor is for "them" - you know, those ones who aren't in. They're not smart enough. They're too elite (this works that way too - doesn't it!) They're poor. They're stupid. They weigh too much. They exercise too much. Their skin is the wrong color. Their hair is the wrong length. They act in ways that we don't approve - so we can't associate with them.
Who's in? Who's out?
This isn't a new phenomenon, is it? It's as old as time itself. Older than the division that separated Romeo and Juliet. Older than the the divide that fragmented the Northern Kingdom of Israel from the Southern in the days after King Solomon. People have been dividing themselves up into groups to include some people, and exclude other people since the day Cain looked with jealous, murderous eyes at Able - and he said, it looks like he's in, and I'm out - so he's dead. And then Cain was really out.
You see, this was an age-old question even by the time Jesus lived on the earth.
And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Luke 15:2
The religious leaders looked at the people who were flocking to Jesus - and they said to themselves - hey some of those people, MOST of those people - they're on the OUTS - they don't belong with Him. What's he doing? He's welcoming sinners - He even eats with them.
Religious leaders vs. Jesus. Who's in? Who's out?
That's the ultimate question in life, isn't it? When it comes to God - the creator, the one who sustains life; the one who grants eternal life - life after death - who's in? who's out?
Let me tell you - this is an age-old question that has perplexed people for all time. But I want you to hear something this morning - we're going to look at this question from God's perspective this morning. I hope we can answer it for you. It's not a complex answer - even though a lot of people find it hard to believe. Once you've heard the answer - there's a choice you have to make. I want you to know that right up front this morning. I'm not going to preach a complex, hard-to-understand message. What I have to say is pretty simple. But at the end of it, I'm going to ask everyone here to make a choice - from Bruce Grubbs and Craig Webb to Rick Prall right on down the line to you - but - I'm getting ahead of myself. We'll come back to that.
This 3:16 message we've been looking at for the last 6 weeks includes the answer to who's in - who's out? Jesus was clear about it. He had to be. Look at the religious people around him - they looked at most of the rest of the people in the world, and the answer for them was - they're ALL out.
You know what - they had good reason to say that. God's Word tells us the very same thing. When left to ourselves, when judged by our own devices, we're all out.
There is no one righteous, not even one. Romans 3:10
Now - those of us who've been around church - we expect that from the Old Testament - it's full of stuff like that. But in the New Testament. Mingled into a book that tells us of the marvelous grace of God - there's no one righteous. Well - that sums it up pretty well, doesn't it.
Well it would, if we were left to our own devices to get in with God. If it were just left up to us - we'd all be out in the dog house.
But Jesus had something else to say about this - he said it in our theme verse
"For God so love the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
WHOEVER believes in Him.
People around Jesus just didn't get it. Remember - they've spent all their lives living in a who's in - who's out world. They weren't ready to hear WHOEVER.
So Jesus told us some stories. These are all found in the 15th chapter of Luke - you're welcome to look at them. But let me tell you about them too. You see, the four stories in Luke 15 tell us all about the four ways most people are on the OUTS with God. In church terms - mostly because of the way Jesus told these stories - we call these four ways people are lost from God.
I. The lost sheep - Luke 15:3
What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?" Luke 15:3
Now think about this for a minute. How do sheep get lost? Even if you're not a shepherd I bet you can figure this out. We've all been to petting zoos. We've all watched sheep somewhere. Sheep are kind of self-absorbed, aren't they? They put their heads down, they start to graze a little - wander off - graze a little - wander off some more. Pretty soon, that little sheep, the one with it's head down, the one who is just thinking about what's for lunch, where can I get a snack, where can find some nice green grass, some nice cool water - just wanders away.
Some people are like that in relation to God - that's what Jesus is trying to tell us. Some people, not thinking much about God - they're just a little self absorbed, they've got head down - they're grazing along through life. They just wander away from God - from church - from the things their grandmother taught them.
After all, they've got the kids to look after; grades to make in school; a promotion at work to chase; the next sale in business; the next paycheck to divide between too many bills. The next woman to find; a better relationship with a man who cares -
One day, they lift their head, they look around, and they think to themselves, "How did I get all the way over here? I never meant to get here? I wasn't aiming to get this far away from God, from all that is important to me. How did this happen?"
Some people - maybe some people here today are just like that lost sheep - you've wandered away from God. Didn't mean too. But you don't know how to get back either. You're lost.
There's good news: look at the end of that little story:
"Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep! I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents . . ." Luke 15:6-7
There's a way back if you're a lost sheep.
II. The lost coin - Luke 15:8
Or what woman who has 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? Luke 15:8
This story's not hard to understand either, is it? Now, in Jesus' day, 10 silver coins was a life fortune. I can just imagine this woman - perhaps a widow. No way to make a living for herself. This is it. She has just this money - just this much and no more. She's going to live on this the rest of her life - and there's a coin that's lost.
Now, how does a coin get lost? The woman got forgetful, or clumsy. Put it down one day when someone knocked at the door, and just forgot about it. Was counting her coins one day, and something cooking over the fire started to burn - she put the coin down and simply forgot about it. Misplaced. Uncared for. Forgotten. Maybe a little worthless. When her husband was alive that one coin didn't represent very much. He could earn that much in a short time.
Sometimes people get lost the same way, don't you? You're forgotten. You're abandoned. A little worthless to the "in" crowd. You were pushed aside when someone else came to call. The cares of the day were more important than you. Hey - there's plenty more where that one came from.
I have to admit - in front of all my brothers and sisters in Christ, sitting right here in church today - sometimes we've been guilty of doing this to some of you who feel helpless, abandoned, worthless, and forgotten. We've gotten on with our life. We've "got it all together - why don't you have it all together." More about this later - but shame on us. We've let you get lost - and it's time to get our flashlight and broom out - it's time to find you.
There's good news at the end of this little story too.
Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost! Luke 15:9
Good news is God's got you in mind. You're not forgotten in His economy. He's expecting some rejoicing to happen when you're found! There's a way back to God if you're a lost coin.
III. Lost Rebel - Luke 15:11
The younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. Luke 15:13
We all get this one too - right. Every one of us here either knows, or was, or is a rebel son.
Bruce preached a little about this story of Jesus a few weeks ago. I don't really need to tell it to you - you know it - it has been called the best short story ever written. I loved this story as a youngster. My daddy would sit on my bed at night and tell me stories - and sometimes he'd tell me this one. You see - I'm the younger son - I've got an older brother. I know all about being in his place. And as a young child - I could just imagine all the ways to squander an inheritance. Bubble gum, ice cream, and comic books for everyone! When I was young - what a party I would have thrown.
But the real truth of this story we recognize too - right? We know the destructive, rebellious, person (maybe it's us). We gather together all we have and we strike out to the far country. We know where we're going. No simple wandering around like those sheep. We're going to the far country, and we're going as fast as we can get our 1965 Mustang or our Harley to take us. And we're going to live any way we feel like. We're doing this on purpose!
Rebellion - the desire for some freedom, feeling, activity that we think we're missing that's powerful stuff. Right up until we hit the bottom. Right until we realize that we're sitting with the pigs, filling our lives with swill - and we know - we know it was better the other way. And we know just how we got in the pigsty.
How in the world do you come back from that?
There's good news at the end of his story too:
This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! Luke 15:24
I'm telling you this morning. If you're that rebellious one - you've hit bottom - or maybe you can see bottom from where you are, there is a way back. If you're a lost rebel - there's a way back to God.
One more story - sometimes gets lost, but it's so obvious. This is the older Son.
IV. The Lost Self-Righteous Son
He became angry . . . "look I've been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed, yet you never . . ." Luke 15 28-29
Can you hear the bitterness of a lost soul on the outside in those words? Here's the self righteous older brother - hey I'm a younger brother - to me, these guys are easy to spot! He's been slaving away. What a martyr! Always doing the work. Never getting the recognition or the party. Nose to the grindstone. No time for self, no need for grace or love - I've done all this myself.
But there's a certain weariness here, too. I've slaved for years . . . no party for me . . . no celebration with my friends . . .
The self-righteous are just as far away from God - just as much on the outside as the rebel. Away from the party. Away from the rest. Literally tied up! by the rules and regulations.
Conclusion
There's good news for you this morning if you're tired of trying to make it this way. It's unfortunately true that you can't get in on your own - but there's a way back:
Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. Luke 15:31
If you're tired of the religious game - there's a way to God for you this morning.
I've been saying all through these stories, there's a way back. For each one of these types (wanderer, forgotten and abandoned, the rebel, the self righteous) God offers you the way back. Remember, I told you, left to our own devices, we can't find our way in. But this John 3:16 verse, it offers the way for
WHOEVER -
Whoever will believe.
Whoever - not to some special people who never wander, never feel abandoned, never rebel, never try to make it on their own - oh no - WHOEVER.
And that's enough. But let me offer just a bit more for each of you - a bit of encouragement.
This morning - if you feel like you've wandered away like a sheep - you didn't really intend to get away from God - it just happened - while you were looking for satisfaction. God has an offer for you:
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8
God offers you a simple way back. Just believe. Here, He says, you've tried all those other things while you wandered away - now, just "Taste and see for yourself."
If you're feeling like that lost coin this morning - you've been abandoned, forgotten, misplaced, the Lord says:
Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Isaiah 55:1
God knows your heart is broken. You're without hope, abandoned, forgotten, broken. He says, Come on - here's all you need - no charge. Take from me whatever you need to satisfy that abandonment. I'm all you need.
Maybe you're the rebel - and you've hit rock bottom. You're ready for something different - you sure wish you knew how to make it right because you messed it up so bad.
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 2 Chron. 7:14
That's is the picture of the rebellious son in Jesus' story . . .
Maybe you're tired of the religious game. You hear other people tell you their spiritual life is so satisfying, but you feel worn out by trying to do all the things you think you have to do to win God's favor;
Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
All that self-righteousness - all that work - that won't ever do anything but wear you out and burden you down - and you'll still not find the way into God.
At the beginning of this sermon, I told you everyone here has a choice. I want to take a moment to offer you that choice.
1. If you're away from God, you've never trusted Christ as your savior - and you find yourself in any of these categories: wanderer, abandoned, rebel, self righteous, your choice today is to repent and come to Christ. Notice in every one of the stories in Luke 15, repentance, turning away from your old life, and turning to Christ is always the way that someone comes to belief in Christ.
John 3:16 offers the promise to WHOEVER - no matter where you are apart from Christ, you can come to him today. Turn to Him (that's repentance) believe in Him, trust Christ today.
If you've never made that choice in your life, that is your choice today. Come to Christ. Taste and see, come buy with no cost, humble yourself and pray, come to Jesus - all you who are weary.
2. If you're a believer, you've trusted Christ, but because of choices in your life, you find yourself far away from Him - my offer to you today is to choose to return to Christ. You already know the way you're living is no way to live. Return to Christ. Live for Him.
3. Believers who feel close to the Lord - I'm going to ask you to join me in prayer for all these others here today. The Bible says that heaven rejoices over the lost sheep that is found, the lost coin that is found, the rebel who returns, even the self-righteous who is finally able to rest in Christ.
Folks, this morning, I want to tell you some people are out - some people are in. Who's in? Who's out?
The answer is not found in politics. Not found in finances. Not found in work, self-fulfillment, or even human relationships. There's only ONE answer - and that answer is Jesus Christ.
God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life.
Won't you choose to trust Jesus today?