Bible, Forgiveness, Love, Mercy, Spiritual Growth, patience

Don't Give Up On People God Hasn't

It’s tempting to believe life can get too far gone, too broken, or too messy for even God to fix. Whether we feel that way about ourselves or about others, it can leave us hiding, exhausted, or convinced there’s no hope. But this message tells the story of someone everyone else had written off—yet God redeemed—to show how He makes room for the most unlikely people, rewrites broken stories, and calls us to do the same.

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Outwardly Focused – Rahab

Big Idea: God’s heart is outwardly focused: patient in judgment, merciful in rescue, and gracious in rewriting stories. That’s the heart of God for outsiders—and it must be our heart too.

Key Points:

God’s Patience Delays Judgment

[Genesis 15:16] “After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

[2 Peter 3:9] “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise [to bring judgment], as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

  • God waited 400+ years before judging Canaan because His patience for those far from Him is greater than we deserve
  • His justice is patient, not rash
  • If you’re a Christian, we must also be patient with those same people, never giving up

“God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.” – Augustine

God’s Mercy Makes Room for One More

[Joshua 2:11b] “For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”

[Hebrews 11:31] “It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God.”

  • After centuries of waiting, Canaan’s sin had reached full measure with child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, and every form of sexual corruption
  • In a city destined for destruction, God opened the door for one unlikely woman – a prostitute, an outcast of polite society
  • Rahab found a place among God’s people by faith
  • If God made room for Rahab, the church must make room for those the world rejects

God’s Grace Rewrites Our Story

[Matthew 1:5-6] “Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David…”

[2 Corinthians 5:17] “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

  • Rahab wasn’t just rescued from destruction, she was rewritten into God’s family story
  • Rahab is one of only four women listed in the lineage of Jesus
  • God doesn’t just rescue us from our past, He rewrites a new future for us

“I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior.” – John Newton

Application:

We’re called to be OUTWARDLY FOCUSED:

  • Outward focus isn’t just about being nice to non-religious people
  • It’s building relationships of trust whereby they meet the God who will offer them himself as a payment for justice
  • It’s about welcoming them into a brand-new story

Statistics to consider:

  • 47% of Christians have never shared their faith
  • 82% of unchurched adults say they would attend church if invited by a trusted friend
  • Outsiders are more open than we assume

“Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible; the other 99 will read the Christian.” – D. L. Moody

Ask yourself:

  • Who is the “Rahab” in your world (someone everyone else has written off)?
  • Could God be calling you to get them home?
  • We’ve given up on people that God HASN’T

“Our job as outwardly focused followers of an outwardly focused God is to be the trusted friend.”

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Application Questions

  1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
  2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
  3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
  4. How will this message change how you act at home, at work, and in your relationships?

It’s tempting to believe life can get too far gone, too broken, or too messy for even God to fix. Whether we feel that way about ourselves or about others, it can leave us hiding, exhausted, or convinced there’s no hope. But this message tells the story of someone everyone else had written off—yet God redeemed—to show how He makes room for the most unlikely people, rewrites broken stories, and calls us to do the same.

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