The Table California
The Table is a church family in Arroyo Grande, California. Our desire is to give Jesus His desire...a house where He can be Himself with His family. This podcast hosts the weekly teachings from our Sunday evening gatherings and occasionally supplemental conversations throughout the week.
The Table California
Faith, Not Formula: God's Unconventional Path to Forgiveness
In this week’s message, we explore the nature of God's forgiveness through a fresh lens. Drawing from the Psalms and three interactions with Jesus, we challenge conventional religious wisdom about how and when God forgives.
We examine the accounts of the paralytic man, the woman with the alabaster jar, and the woman caught in adultery. In each case, Jesus extends forgiveness without the formal confessions or rituals we often associate with repentance. This leads us to question: what truly is the basis of God's forgiveness?
The message explores the idea that faith, rather than verbal declarations or specific actions, opens the door to divine forgiveness. We discuss how internal repentance often precedes external expression and how God, seeing the heart, responds to this inner transformation with scandalous grace.
We also address how religious practices, while well-intentioned, can sometimes become barriers to experiencing God's forgiveness.
The discussion concludes with a fresh take on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, emphasizing the father's eagerness to forgive and restore his child. This story serves as a powerful metaphor for God's heart toward those seeking forgiveness.
Throughout the message, we emphasize that God is not a God of condemnation but a God of salvation and restoration. This message challenges us to embrace a view of God as compassionate, gracious, and abundantly merciful, always ready to forgive those who turn to Him in faith.
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Okay, shall we open God's Word? We shall. Okay, we're going to be in Luke, chapter 5 today. Luke, chapter 5. While you're turning to Luke, chapter 5, I want to read to you from Psalm 103.
Speaker 1:A beloved psalm, a well-known psalm. It feels weird to say like a really good psalm, as if some are not, but it's a great psalm. Bless the Lord, o my soul and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget none of his benefits. Who forgives all of your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, crowns you with steadfast love and mercy and all kinds of wonderful things? He crowns you with these things. He satisfies your desires with good things and renews your youth like the eagle. And then, in verse eight, david says this the Lord is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will he keep his anger forever. Listen to this he has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Who is this God? For? As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his mercy towards those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. That's a long distance away as far as the east is from the west. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him, for he knows our frame. He remembers that we are but dust. I love that. He remembers where man came from. He remembers that day kneeling down in the dust. He remembers that we are but dust.
Speaker 1:Do you believe this about our God? Do you believe these things about God? Do you believe that he is a compassionate Father, that he is gracious, that he is slow to anger and abounding in mercy? Do you actually believe that he does not deal with you according to your transgressions and your sins? Do you believe that he separates you from your sin as far as the east is from the west? Or is this just a pretty Bible verse? Do you actually believe these things? Do you believe with the psalmist according to Psalm 25, verse 8, that he actually shows sinners the way? Psalm 25, 8 says that Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore, he shows sinners the way. Who is this God? Do you believe this about God? Religion wants to convince you that God is eager to condemn.
Speaker 1:I'm going to do my best today to convince you from Scripture and show you how eager God is to forgive. We're going to read from Luke, chapter 5. We're going to begin with the story of the paralytic man. It's a story many of us have heard often, so do me a favor and hear it for the first time. I'll do my best to speak over the wind. Luke 5, beginning in verse 17.
Speaker 1:Now it happened on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by. Listen to this language. There were Pharisees and teachers of the law, scribes sitting by that come from every town of Galilee, judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed and they were trying to bring him in and set him down in front of Jesus. But when they could not find how they might bring him in and set him down in front of Jesus, but when they could not find how they might bring him in because of the crowd, who's in the crowd? Pharisees and teachers of the law. They couldn't get in because of the crowd. They went up on the roof and they let him down with his bed through the tiling into the middle of the crowds before Jesus. Who was in the crowd? Pharisees, keepers of the law, pharisees and teachers of the law. There were so many religious observers that the way to the front door of the house where Jesus was was blocked.
Speaker 1:It's a powerful image. The Pharisees and the scribes. They weren't there to learn about Jesus. They weren't there to receive from Jesus. They weren't there to bless Jesus and minister to him. They were just sitting by, not sitting by his feet. They were just sitting by, not sitting by his feet. They were there as spectators, critiquers, spies. They were sitting by the word but not sitting under the word. They were not letting the living word of God wash over them.
Speaker 1:Prideful religion always makes its way into the atmosphere of truth being preached, but it never allows itself to be preached to. Religious types already have god figured out. So they draw near to critique but not to be changed. They draw near to nitpick but not to be changed. They draw near to nitpick but not to be changed, and the result is those who truly desire to get to Jesus they find their way to him obstructed. It's a powerful image.
Speaker 1:Perhaps you found your way to Jesus obstructed at times. Perhaps blocked by religion, blocked by rules, blocked by legalities that complicate God. Perhaps your way to Jesus has been blocked by painful church experiences in the past. Maybe your way to Jesus has been blocked by family situations or hypocritical parents who say one thing about God but then you see behind closed doors that they are nothing like how they act or speak. Perhaps your way to Jesus has been blocked by unforgiveness, sickness, unbelief, busyness, a lack of zeal or a lack of passion or lack of desire for God. There's lots of things that can block our way to Jesus.
Speaker 1:But a day comes when you realize, just like the paralytic in this story, that you have to get to Jesus. It doesn't matter, you've got to find a way to get to that man, no matter what, even if it means extreme measures. I'd say that climbing up on a roof and ripping the ceiling tiles out is extreme. Ripping the ceiling tiles out is extreme. But just like this paralytic man, you suddenly realize there is a grace present to get to Jesus, to bypass whatever it is that's been blocking you. When you feel the grace to pursue Jesus. Don't let that moment slip. Don't wait. Be like the paralytic man and his buddies, willing to do whatever it takes to get to Jesus. Tear the roof off if you have to. We may be worshiping and you feel a grace to pursue God in a way that you haven't a way to worship him in a way that you haven't a way to worship him in a way that you haven't. You hear something that's taught and a light bulb goes off, something shifts and things just make sense and there's a grace present to grab hold of God in a way that wasn't there before. Leonard Ravenhill says the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity when God comes in the room and is present to do what only God can do. Don't let the moment slip. Go after God. No matter what. The hungry are always fed. That's not my message. That was extra. You get that one for free. That was extra. You get that one for free.
Speaker 1:I want to read verse 18 again and get to the actual message. Behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the house and they let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus Verse 20, when he saw their faith, he said to them man, your sins are forgiven. I'm sorry, this is actually kind of embarrassing. I apologize.
Speaker 1:There must be something wrong with my Bible because I don't have in here the part where he asks for forgiveness. It must be something wrong with my Bible. I don't have the part in here. The editors must have left it out, the part where he apologizes and confesses and asks for forgiveness. Does anyone else's Bible have that? Maybe mine's just jacked up? Where's the man's confession? Where's the evidence of this man's repentance? Man, it's uncomfortable in here right now.
Speaker 1:Some of you may be a little uncomfortable with what I'm implying, with my sarcasm. I get it. I'm uncomfortable too, but let's wrestle together with the text to see if this story is revealing something about the nature of God. Now, I'm not implying that this was a born again encounter for this man, but Jesus clearly opens the way of forgiveness of sin to a man who didn't even ask for it. So this is the question how is it legal for Jesus to extend forgiveness to somebody when they don't even ask for it?
Speaker 1:And as I was wrestling with these questions, my first thought was. Well, he's God, he can do whatever he wants. And I thought about that some more and I realized that was a dumb idea. To say that he's God and he can do whatever he wants, including forgive whoever and whenever he wants. That's just not good enough. God is just. God is just. God is righteous, which means God plays by his own rules. Jacqueline, I apologize, you're having to strain to look this way. No, it's fine. I'm reading my Bible too. Okay, do you want to? No, I'm fine, okay, okay. Okay, it's fine. God is righteous. God is just, which means he plays by his own rules.
Speaker 1:For the judge to pardon a guilty criminal for no reason other than the judge just feels like it is terrifying. Because what if, when you stand before the judge, he doesn't feel like it? You see the problem there. It's not a judge or a God that we would ever want to have anything to do with. I don't want to stand before a judge like that and I don't want to serve a God like that. That's the God of Islam. Maybe he's in a good mood today. If he's not, let's stay away and keep our distance. That's not our God.
Speaker 1:The story of the forgiven paralytic is not the story of a man catching Jesus on a good day. He didn't just happen to stumble across the judge on a day when the judge was feeling really good. This story shows us something about the nature of God. I believe it's showing us that forgiveness is a free gift of God's grace, listen to me. But it is also a response to something. It's not God arbitrarily just delving out forgiveness to whoever he wants. It's a response to something. I'm going to give you an example.
Speaker 1:Lindsay and I went to Trader Joe's the other day. As I walked through the parking lot toward the front door, I had zero concern that that door was going to open up for me and let me in. See, there's a mechanism inside of that door that waits to respond to any movement in front of it. The response to my movement toward the door causes that door to slide wide open. See, there's something. Yes, sir, whose kid is this? There's something in the door. Whether it's the camera, I don't know how it works. All I know is when I walk up to the door, it opens up. Right, there is a sensor, there's a mechanism, a trigger. There's something. It's just waiting there for somebody to come close so that it can what Open and let you into Trader Joe's.
Speaker 1:See, trader Joe's has this business model that says we don't want anything to stand in the way of anyone coming inside of our store. We don't want anything to stand in the way of anyone coming inside of our store. We don't want there to be any obstructions, any excuses for you to stay outside. Interestingly, some people think Trader Joe's is more eager to bring people inside than heaven is. Eager to bring people inside than heaven is. Did I say that out loud, homer? I meant to keep that one inside and it just popped out as if Trader Joe's would be more eager to bring people in than heaven.
Speaker 1:Psalm 85, 6 says this For you, o Lord, are good and ready to forgive, you're abundant in mercy to all who call upon you. He's good, he's abundant in mercy and he's eager to respond with forgiveness, to fling the door wide open to anyone who would come to him. So let's return again to our story of the paralytic. Yes, on what basis? Let's ask again on what basis did Jesus legally and righteously forgive a man who didn't even call out for it? What was the trigger that caused the door of forgiveness to sling wide open? Yes, while everyone else, these Pharisees, these scribes, these teachers of the law, while everyone else was reasoning among themselves, these teachers of the law, while everyone else was reasoning among themselves, trying to catch Jesus in something that they disagreed with, this man and his buddies were doing anything they could to get to Jesus, because they believed that he had the power and the authority to change a life. Faith was the motion that opened the door of forgiveness. Faith set off the trigger. So we should now ask ourselves another question Was this a one-time deal, like? Was this an exception to the typical way that Jesus deals with people? Or is this story revealing something to us about the nature of God? Is Jesus trying to show us something about the Father? Let's look at another story, shall we?
Speaker 1:In Luke chapter 7, someone else finds their way to Jesus, bypassing what should have blocked them from coming to Jesus. This time it was a woman, a woman of very questionable character. Scholars believe that this woman was a prostitute. Now, jesus had been invited to come to a Pharisee's home. Another story with another Pharisee come to the Pharisee's house for a meal. This woman of questionable character finds her way to Jesus. Let's take a look at what happens when her world intersects with Jesus' world.
Speaker 1:Luke 7, verse 36. One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee's house and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner. When she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil verse 38, and she stood at his feet behind him, weeping. She began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair. She kissed his feet and she anointed them with fragrant oil Verse 39. Skip down to verse 44. For she is a sinner. Skip down to verse 44.
Speaker 1:So Jesus turns to the woman and he says to Simon the Pharisee do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears. She's wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in. Then he looks at the woman verse 48, and says Many are forgiven, for she loved much. Then he looks at the woman verse 48, and says your sins are forgiven, your faith has saved you. Go into peace Again. My Bible must be broken.
Speaker 1:The editors left out the part where she asks for forgiveness. Where was this woman's sinner's prayer? Where was her apology? How many marriages had she ruined? Where's the acknowledgement of guilt? But it clearly says right there in verse 48, your sins are forgiven, your faith has saved. You Go into peace.
Speaker 1:So now we have two instances of Jesus flinging open wide the door of forgiveness in a situation where religion is seemingly blocking the way. Did you pick up on that metaphor? The Pharisee represents religion. Religion is wanting to keep people away from getting to God on God's terms. Another instance where religion is seemingly blocking the way. Two instances where Jesus shows us something about God that quite frankly, does not line up too well with conventional wisdom about the who, what, where, when, why and how of salvation and relationship with God. But why stop at two stories? How about three? Is he ready to eat? Okay, another story. For the sake of time, I'm going to summarize this story. It's in John, chapter 8.
Speaker 1:In John chapter 8, we find the story of the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees again present in the story. The Pharisees bring this woman to Jesus Some scholars believe she was caught in the act of adultery Drag her out, place her in front of Jesus, saying that they have permission from Moses to stone her for her sin. Religion is always looking for opportunities to condemn, but what was Jesus' response? He stoops down in the dust. He remembers that we are but dust. He stoops down in the dust and he begins to write something with his finger. Was this a stalling tactic? Was Jesus trying to figure out how to navigate this sticky situation? A stalling tactic? Was Jesus trying to figure out how to navigate this sticky situation? Some say that maybe he was writing the different sins that the Pharisees themselves had committed, writing these sins out in the dust. Maybe Jesus was pausing to let the wind pass. Maybe Jesus was pausing and remembering the day when he stooped down in the dirt and, with those same hands, formed man.
Speaker 1:We don't know why Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust. But when Jesus finally does speak, he looks at the Pharisees and he says something to the effect of fine, you want to condemn this woman, then condemn her. And because you're so eager to condemn, good news, whoever of you is without sin, you're the lucky one who gets to throw the first stone. So have at it, boys. Boys, of course, they all know that they too have sinned. So they just stand there not knowing what to do next, and during the awkward silence, jesus again stoops in the ground and begins to write some more. One by one, beginning with the oldest, the Pharisees begin to leave Until, finally, jesus is left alone with this woman who was just caught in the act of adultery. He says woman, where are your accusers now? Has no one condemned you? She says no one, lord. He says neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.
Speaker 1:This is the third time that my Bible has left out something very important. Where's the admission of guilt? Where's her confession? Where's the plea for forgiveness? Where is her apology? It's not here, at least not in the way that, honestly, I would prefer it to be there, and I think most of us would prefer it to be there. See, it would be easier if there were metrics that we could measure. She said this. So then Jesus said that. She did this, and then Jesus did that. So then I'll say this, so that Jesus says that have you said this? Well then, how do you know? How do we know that Jesus has done that for you? Have you said that? See, metrics, tangible things that we can measure make it very easy for us. We like having these tangibles because it makes us feel secure about the rules. We like having these tangibles because it makes us feel secure about the rules. I know I'm saved because I prayed this prayer. I was baptized. On this day. I cried and I promised never to do it again, and that time I really meant it. Tangible things it's so much easier if repentance and confession of sin is something that we can measure.
Speaker 1:But the danger is we become like the Pharisees, potentially blocking the way to Jesus. Did you say the thing, did you do the thing? I'm gonna give you some examples of how we can become like the Pharisees, blocking the way to Jesus. Some say that you have to be baptized to be saved. So baptism becomes a Pharisee blocking the way to Jesus. Others say that the God baptizing you has to say the right thing, because if he's not saying the right thing when he's baptizing you, it's not going to take. Others say you have to be baptized in the right denomination, because if you were baptized in a different denomination, we don't know if the guy said the right thing. We don't know what you got to make sure that our guy is baptizing you because we know that our guy is saying the right thing. We don't know what you got to make sure that our guy's baptizing you because we know that our guy is saying the right thing. Others say you have to take communion to be saved. Some say you have to speak in tongues. And if you don't speak in tongues you're not saved.
Speaker 1:And these beautiful things that God intended to be gifts that he's given to his church that we celebrate and unite us, they end up dividing us and blocking the door that Jesus flung wide open with his sacrifice on the cross. Meanwhile, the world is stuck outside in their sin and they can't find their way to Jesus because of religious infighting. Pharisees and scribes who think they have God all figured out, eager to condemn anyone who doesn't play by their rules and come to God the way that they think you're supposed to come to God. Our God is not a God of condemnation. Our God is not a God of condemnation. That's not my opinion. That's Bible, john 3, 17.
Speaker 1:God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world would be saved. He's not a God of condemnation. He's God of salvation and forgiveness and life. Is there coming a day of judgment, when he's going to judge the living and the dead? Yes, but until that day, man, it is a day of salvation. It's an opportunity for life and forgiveness to all who would come to him. Heaven forbid we misrepresent him and become the stumbling block to a lost world. Who Jesus is eager to forgive. Woe to anyone who causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble. Matthew 18, 6.
Speaker 1:So let's ask the question again On what basis was it permissible for Jesus to open the door of forgiveness to a woman caught in adultery? On what basis Faith, faith? On what basis? Faith? There was genuine repentance happening internally that Jesus responded to with genuine forgiveness. You say how do you know that? Well, if there was forgiveness, there was repentance. You can't have forgiveness without repentance. But we need to have the conversation of what, then, is repentance.
Speaker 1:Repentance is not a verbal declaration of sorrow. It can be that and it very often is, but these stories show us that we cannot pigeonhole God. He sees not as man sees, but he sees the heart. He sees. What's going on inside of an individual Before repentance is ever something that we can measure externally. It first listen to this is an internal explosion of awareness that God is nothing like we thought he was. An internal explosion of awareness that I had you completely wrong.
Speaker 1:And repeatedly in the life of Jesus, we see God revealing himself to be so eager to extend forgiveness that he doesn't wait for the time it takes for what happened inside of you to become words that are spoken out of your mouth. He doesn't wait for the adulteress to get her apology right. He doesn't wait for the prostitute to convince him that she won't do it again, because he sees what's going on inside of that woman. He responds to the internal awareness, that internal coming to life, that the Holy Spirit is birthing inside of that individual, and he says forgiven, go into peace. And, jesus, I haven't even got my apology right yet. I saw what was going on in your heart. I delight in what's going on in there and not in the external sacrifice. He's so eager to forgive based on what he sees that by the time the words ever come out of your mouth, he's already opened the door to forgiveness. Okay, one more Joshua's hungry.
Speaker 1:Okay, one more story from the Bible. Because I want to try to prove these things to you with one last story, I'm going to summarize this one. It's in Luke, chapter 15. Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. If I were an editor of the Bible, I would not call this story the parable of the prodigal son. I would call it the heart of the father. His story is more so about the father than it is the son. I believe the story reveals something. The nature reveals something about the nature of our heavenly father. So I'm going to summarize.
Speaker 1:Most of you are familiar with this story. A son he asked his father for the inheritance early so that he could take off and live his best life. Now he leaves. He squanders his father's money, his own inheritance, on sinful living. He runs out of money. He finds himself living in a pigsty and he comes to his senses and he's like you know what. This didn't work out like I thought it was. I should go back home see if my dad will take me back.
Speaker 1:In Verse 18 says this the prodigal son. He says I will arise and go to my father and I'm going to say to him father, I have sinned against heaven and before you and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. Make me like one of your hired servants. The son had a perception of his father that told him dad's not going to let me back in unless I convince him to Apply that to us and our relationship with God. Dad's not going to let me back in unless I convince him, unless I get my apology right. He's not going to let me in as a son, but maybe he'll let me in as a servant. Make me like one of your hired servants. That's religion. I'm going to work really hard to convince you that I'm serious this time and I'm going to work really hard to convince you how sorry I am. That's religion. So the son goes back to his father's house. I'm sure I could just picture him practicing his speech all the way back to dad's house. Father, I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. I got to get this right so I can convince dad.
Speaker 1:Verse 20,. When the son was still a great ways off, his father saw him and had compassion and the father ran out to him. He hugged him and he kissed him. And the son says to his father I got something to say, dad. Father, I've sinned against you and I've sinned against heaven. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father cries out. I'm just picturing the father saying shut up, man, stop. The father cries out quickly. Bring the best robe and put it on my son, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and be merry, for my son was dead, but now he's alive. My son was lost and now he's found. The father wasn't going to let his son talk like that. The father wasn't going to let his son talk like that.
Speaker 1:The story reveals something about our heavenly father. We come to him by faith, believing that he is as good as Jesus says he is, and he lavishes forgiveness on us. The response to that is going to be words declaration Jesus is Lord. I confess with my mouth there's none like you. But it's not going to be something that you have to pry out. When new life comes, there's always a declaration. When Seth and Olivia had baby Malachi, they didn't have to convince baby Malachi to cry why Life? Something comes out. When there's life that comes in. When you become born again, you are going to release praise, you are going to release your God and there is no other. There will be a confession, will be a confession. There is going to be fruit of repentance and then we continue living and bearing the fruit of repentance and we look glorious as we carry those things through life. But he is so eager to extend forgiveness. We have no idea. We have no idea. Maybe you haven't seen God this way before. Maybe you've spent way too long trying to convince him how serious you are this time.
Speaker 1:I would encourage you to study these passages. Don't just take my word for it. Pray, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth. Reveal Jesus to you. Does anyone have any questions? Any comments? Amen, amen, amen. How about we just take a minute and I know kids are hungry and we want to eat and all that stuff, I know, let's just take a minute and respond. It was a heavy word. Let's close in prayer and just ask the Lord to help us.
Speaker 1:Thank you, jesus, thank you Lord. Lord, I confess. I confess that there are things that I would prefer you did differently. It'd be easier sometimes. But then, when I look at my own life, I'm so thankful that you are who you are. Lord, I thank you for your grace, your mercy, your compassion, your forgiveness, your loving kindness, your patience. Thank you, god.
Speaker 1:Holy Spirit, I ask that you would baptize us in an awareness of who Jesus is. Lord, we wanna divide your word rightly. We wanna understand who God is. This is eternal life that they would know. God. We wanna know you as you are, not how we've made you out to be. We don't want to serve a God made in our own image. We don't want to serve a denominational representation of God. We want to know you as you are. So, holy Spirit, guide us into all truth. Thank you that you are with us. You are here to help us. Thank you, jesus, for salvation, forgiveness, the born again experience. Thank you, god.
Speaker 1:Lord, take us deep into these places and Lord, give us language to be able to communicate them to the world around us, so that who you are would be seen in our community. Oh, we love you. We desire to love you so much more, lord, as we gather around the table together to share this meal and to fellowship with one another. Lord, we ask that our time would be sweet, that it would be a fragrant aroma to you, lord, that we would build one another up. Thank you, god, that we are people of the Spirit. Lord, let us speak spiritually discerned things to one another. Bless this food to our bodies. Thank you for everyone who prepared this meal. Oh, be with those who couldn't be with us today, lord, the ones who are sick, oh, would you speak life and healing over their bodies. In Jesus' name. Thank you, lord. It's in your name that we pray, amen.