Pastor Brian Wilkie - A Hospital For Sinners - October 4th, 2026 - Bible Study
Bible Reading
Mark 2:15-17
“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?' And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
[36:47]
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
[44:58]
John 9:25
“He answered, 'Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
[53:08]
Observation questions
- In Mark 2:15–17, who is gathered at the table with Jesus, and what question do the Pharisees raise about him? [37:04]
- What picture does Jesus use to explain why he welcomes sinners, and what does that picture say about the kind of people who need him?
- In 1 Corinthians 1:26–29, what kinds of people does Paul say God chose, and what reason does he give for choosing them? [43:11]
- In John 9:25, what is the one clear fact the man who had been blind is able to say about his encounter with Jesus? [53:01]
Interpretation questions
- Why might eating with tax collectors and sinners have been such a powerful sign of Jesus’ mission, rather than simply a casual meal?
- Jesus describes himself as a physician for the sick. How does that image challenge both the person who feels too sinful to come near Christ and the person who feels spiritually “finished”? [38:42]
- Paul says that God chooses what the world calls weak and foolish so that no one can boast before him. How can this shape the way a church views ability, education, social standing, and leadership? [43:27]
- The man in John 9 could not answer every question put to him, but he could tell what Jesus had done. Why can a simple, honest testimony sometimes speak more clearly than winning an argument? [52:47]
Application questions
- Where are you most tempted to act as though you are spiritually healthy and do not need the Physician—perhaps through self-reliance, hiding sin, or comparing yourself with others? What would honest repentance look like this week? [39:38]
- The church is meant to be a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. Is there someone in the church or community whom you have quietly kept at a distance because their struggles make you uncomfortable? What could welcoming them with the grace of Christ look like? [37:41]
- Are you presently in an “ER” season that needs immediate prayer, a therapy season that needs patient encouragement, or a rehab season that needs steady growth? What specific help could you ask this group for? [40:13]
- God is not done with his people. What hardship, temptation, disappointment, or fresh insight from Scripture may be showing you that Christ has more healing and growth for you? [45:58]
- What is one experience of God’s grace—a prayer answered, a loss endured, a sin forgiven, or a lesson learned—that you could share to encourage someone else, even though your own story is still unfinished? [48:46]
- Where might fear of not having all the answers be keeping you from serving or speaking about Jesus? What would it look like to say, “I don’t know, but here is what Christ has done for me”? [49:19]
- What is one small “exercise” of mission God may be inviting you to do this week: praying with someone, checking on a struggling person, feeding someone in need, visiting, listening, or simply being present? [59:33]