This message is Part 3 in Pastor Chuck Bernal's series, "JESUS is _____________". The message is titled, "JESUS is your Friend". Pastor Chuck discusses how the religious leaders of the day criticized Jesus for befriending "bad" people and how Jesus revealed what God is truly like by showing grace, mercy, love and forgiveness to everyone - no matter what they had done. The message has a two-fold purpose: 1. To show that Jesus loves us just as we are and 2. To show we must have the same mindset and attitude toward others that Jesus had. This message was delivered at LifePointe Church on Sunday, March 6, 2016.

3. JESUS is
your Friend!

4. The Word became a
human being and lived
here with us. We saw
his true glory, the glory
of the only Son of the
Father . . . No one has
ever seen God.

5. The only Son is the
one who has shown us
what God is like.
(John 1:14, 18 – Contemporary English Version)

6. The Son of Man
comes along, feasting
and drinking wine,
and you say, “This
guy is a glutton and
a drunk, a friend of
sinners and tax
collectors!”
(Luke 7:34 – The Voice)

7. But think about this:
while we were wasting
our lives in sin, God
revealed His powerful
love to us in a tangible
display — Jesus died
for us.
(Romans 56:8 – The Voice)

8. Jesus is a friend
of sinners and
loves everyone
unconditionally

9. FOS CASE
STUDY 1:
A lunch with
Simon the
Pharisee

10. Jesus spoke up.
“Simon,” he said
to the Pharisee,
“I have something to
say to you.” “All right,
Teacher,” Simon
replied, “go ahead.”

11. Then Jesus told him
this story: “A man
loaned money to two
people—$5,000 to one
and $500 to the other.
But neither of them
could pay him back,

12. so he kindly forgave
them both, letting
them keep the money!
Which do you suppose
loved him most after
that?” “I suppose
the one who had
owed him the most,”
Simon answered.

13. “Correct,” Jesus
agreed. Then he
turned to the woman
and said to Simon,
“Look! See this
woman kneeling here!

14. When I entered your
home, you didn’t
bother to offer me
water to wash the dust
from my feet, but she
has washed them with
her tears and wiped
them with her hair.

15. You refused me the
customary kiss of
greeting, but she has
kissed my feet again
and again from the
time I first came in.
You neglected the
usual courtesy of olive
oil to anoint my head,

16. but she has covered
my feet with rare
perfume. Therefore
her sins—and they are
many—are forgiven,
for she loved me
much; but one who
is forgiven little,
shows little love.”

17. And he said to her,
“Your sins are
forgiven.” Then the
men at the table said
to themselves, “Who
does this man think
he is, going around
forgiving sins?”

18. And Jesus said
to the woman, “Your
faith has saved you;
go in peace.”
(Luke 7:34, 40-50 – Living Bible)

19. FOS CASE
STUDY 2:
A dinner with
Zacchaeus the
tax collector

20. As Jesus was
passing through
Jericho, a man named
Zacchaeus, one of the
most influential Jews
in the Roman tax-
collecting business
(and, of course,
a very rich man),

21. tried to get a look at
Jesus, but he was
too short to see over
the crowds. So he ran
ahead and climbed
into a sycamore tree
beside the road, to
watch from there.

22. When Jesus came
by, he looked up
at Zacchaeus and
called him by name!
“Zacchaeus!” he said.
“Quick! Come down!
For I am going to be
a guest in your
home today!”

23. Zacchaeus hurriedly
climbed down and
took Jesus to his
house in great
excitement and joy.
But the crowds
were displeased.

24. “He has gone to
be the guest of a
notorious sinner,” they
grumbled. Meanwhile,
Zacchaeus stood
before the Lord and
said, “Sir, from now
on I will give half my
wealth to the poor,

25. and if I find I have
overcharged anyone
on his taxes, I will
penalize myself by
giving him back four
times as much!”

26. Jesus told him,
“This shows that
salvation has come
to this home today.
This man was one
of the lost sons
of Abraham,

27. and I, the Messiah,
have come to search
for and to save such
souls as his.”
(Luke 19:1-10 – Living Bible)

28. FOS CASE
STUDY 3:
A party with
Matthew the
new disciple

29. Later on as Jesus
left the town he saw
a tax collector—with
the usual reputation
for cheating—sitting
at a tax collection
booth. The man’s
name was Levi.

30. Jesus said to him,
“Come and be one
of my disciples!”
So Levi left everything,
sprang up, and went
with him. Soon Levi
held a party in his
home with Jesus as
the guest of honor.

31. Many of Levi’s
fellow tax
collectors and
other guests
were there.

32. But the Pharisees
and teachers of the
Law complained
bitterly to Jesus’
disciples about his
eating with such
notorious sinners.

33. Jesus answered
them, “It is the sick
who need a doctor,
not those in good
health. My purpose
is to invite sinners
to turn from their sins,

34. not to spend my
time with those who
think themselves
already good enough.”
(Luke 5:27-32 – Living Bible)

35. FOS CASE
STUDY 4:
An encounter
with a wayward
woman

36. The Jewish leaders
and Pharisees
brought a woman
caught in adultery
and placed her
out in front of the
staring crowd.

37. “Teacher,” they said
to Jesus, “this woman
was caught in the
very act of adultery.
Moses’ law says
to kill her. What
about it?”

38. They were trying to
trap him into saying
something they could
use against him, but
Jesus stooped down
and wrote in the dust
with his finger. They
kept demanding an
answer,

39. so he stood up again
and said, “All right, hurl
the stones at her until
she dies. But only he
who never sinned may
throw the first!” Then he
stooped down again and
wrote some more in the
dust.

40. And the Jewish
leaders slipped away
one by one, beginning
with the eldest, until
only Jesus was left
in front of the crowd
with the woman.
Then Jesus stood up
again and said to her,

41. “Where are your
accusers? Didn’t
even one of them
condemn you?”
“No, sir,” she said.
And Jesus said,
“Neither do I. Go
and sin no more.”
(John 8:3-11 – Living Bible)

42. Stage 1:
I’m a good
person and
I am justified
in criticizing
bad people

43. Stage 2:
I’m a good
person but I
should show
compassion
to bad people

44. Stage 3:
I’m a sinner
who needs
help just as
much as the
next guy

45. Stage 4:
I’m loved
by Jesus
just as I am,
and so is
everyone else

46. Jesus was a FOS
(Friend of sinners)
not because He
winked at sin,
ignored wrong or
endorsed immorality.

47. Jesus was a FOS
because all people
matter to God and
He loves everyone
unconditionally.

48. Jesus came for
the lost – not just
to be with them –
but to save them
and give them a
brand-new life.

49. Because Jesus
was a FOS, He
loves everyone
just as they are –
but He doesn’t want
them to stay there.

50. His friendship
wasn’t - (and isn’t) -
about companionship,
it’s about
transformation.

51. He loves us
just as we are
but He loves us
too much to let us
stay that way.

52. Let’s Pray