Jesus is Recruiting Sinners!

In this episode, I talk about the people Jesus used to spread His message. I think we would be shocked if we truly understood who Jesus used to spread His message and we would be even more shocked today.

Transcript

In today's episode, I am going to talk about the people Jesus' uses to spread his message 

I think we can greatly take for granted all the “sinners” and outcasts in the New Testament that Jesus used to spread his message. I mean, it is seriously crazy who he used if we really think about it. Maybe we take it for granted because we have read the stories so many times, that we read past it without really giving it much thought. If we truly put it into the perspective of Jesus doing this today in our society, I think many of us would be shocked who he would use. Let me attempt to put it into perspective. 

Ok, so let’s say Jesus is going to start a new ministry here in America. He might say something like this, “first round up some prostitutes, strippers, and people who cheat on their spouses. Ok, go recruit the homeless who live out on the streets. I need some mentally ill people too. Don't forget about the addicts. 

Go to the hospitals and recruit some sick people. I don’t care what disease they have, just bring them. Make sure you bring some handicapped people too.

How about some people who are into black magic, Wicca, or people into new age mystical stuff? They connect great with spiritual type people. Need some idol worshipers. Go get some Hindus, Buddhists, and even those Hare Krishna people. 

Ok, now we need the real life changers. Go to the prisons and recruit some murderers and those with violent crimes on their records. We even need some terrorists too. Even terrorists who persecute or even kill Christians. 

Well, now that I think about it, it’s going to take every kind of sinner and every kind of person if we are going reach everyone. Construction workers, truck drivers, trash collectors, custodians, and taxi drivers, house wives, lawyers, accountants, doctors, teachers, and coaches. We need everybody."

Wow! Can you even imagine? Can you imagine this army of people who God wants to use!

God not only used ordinary people in the Bible, He also used outcasts and people with very questionable backgrounds and morals. Moses who led the Israelites to the promise land was a murderer. Who did God use in Jericho to help the Israelites in the book of Joshua? A prostitute. Sampson was a murderer and a womanizer. Some would even say barbaric and he ruled and judged Israel for 20 years. King David, who wrote most of the Psalms, was a murderer and adulterer. Solomon was obsessed with women, who even turned him to begin worshiping pagan gods. 

Jesus’ disciple Matthew was a tax collector, one the most hated people at the time because he worked for Rome and betrayed his countrymen. Interesting choice. He used many tax collectors, including Zacheous.  Peter was an ordinary fishermen and called himself a sinner. Peter was probably not some bible educated guy. Paul murdered and put Christians in prison before Jesus appeared to him and Jesus wants that guy to basically write most of the New Testament?  Simon the Zealot, one of the 12 disciples, would be considered a terrorist in today's world. 

Mary Magdalene was one of the first disciples of Jesus. I'm sure she had a terrible reputation and was certainly an outcast. John 8:1-2 He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Can you imagine what her life was like before meeting Jesus? Apparently she wasn't the only one who was cured by demons that followed Jesus.

How about the demon possessed guy in Luke 8 and Mark 5. He was filled with many demons. He was homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. He was so bad that people tried to chain him down so he wouldn’t hurt anyone. 

Jesus told him to go spread his message? Jesus told him to spread his message that day?
After being delivered from the demons, it says in
Mark 5:18-20 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

What about the Samaritan woman who spread his message in her hometown? In John 4:29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

And Jesus recruited many more sinners and outcasts. Tax collectors. Prostitutes. Beggars. The demon possessed, the crippled, the lame, the blind, those with leprosy and so much more. Their testimonies and stories spread like wild fire. So much so, that crowds, even thousands, would rush to him and crowd around him. 

These are the people Jesus hung out with? These are the people who followed Jesus? These are the people who Jesus wanted to use to spread his message? Sounds pretty crazy. The Bible is full of stories of God using broken and sinful people. The fact is, and oh please hear this. Jesus wants to use sinners for his work. He wants to use ordinary people!

We can minister and disciple the unchurched, the sinners, and the outcasts and they can be used for God right away. This is how Jesus did it. 

How can this practically work? Let me give you some examples that I have witnessed firsthand.

Once we prayed for and ministered to a strip club manager in a low income community, and he was so touched that he allowed our team in the strip club anytime to minister to the women (even during business hours). He also invited and encouraged all of the girls to be prayed for. 

I've seen prostitutes in brothels invite other prostitutes for prayer because they were so touched. 

I have seen addicts invite addicts to bible studies that we started. 

When our team was carrying a cross through the streets (more to come on carrying a cross), I have seen a drug addict so touched, that he himself took my cross and carried with us for hours, leading us to the other drug addicts in the area. Oh what a day. 

I have seen a Muslim man so touched by prayer, that he invited all his friends and family members to his house the next day so they too could be prayed for. I remember the little apartment being filled with people. 

I have seen a Burmese Buddhist touched by Jesus and he ended up inviting all of his Buddhist friends to hear about Jesus. 

None of these people in these stories were believers in Christ up and to that point and God was using them to spread His message. This shows the power of God using people of the community to reach their own community. Yes I went to these places. But it was the people from those communities that did the spreading. 

If God uses all of these kinds of people I have talked about in current day life and in the Bible, do you believe that God can use you? Do you want to know what the qualification is?

Acts 4:13 
“13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”

Could it be that the requirement or qualification for God using you, is being with Jesus? 

Are you a sinner? Are you broken? Imperfect? Messed up? Ordinary? Got a crime record? Committed adultery? Addicted to porn? Addicted to drugs and alcohol? Have a regretful past? Well time to sign up! Jesus wants to use you!

If you have any questions, you can contact us through our website at lovingallpeoples.com. And please remember to subscribe or follow our podcast. Thanks for the listen everyone. This is the loving all peoples podcast.