I greet you in the name of Lord. Jesus Christ.
The resurrected Lord, in the soon.
Returning King, if you can meet me in your copy of God's word in
the Book of Mark chapter 2. If you're visiting with us,
we've been going together as a family Through The Book of Mark
and week after week. As we hear from this word, we
never cease to be amazed at just How Majestic and wonderful he
is. And that will only continue to
be true as we come to this text in verse 13 of Mark chapter 2
and a very familiar passage. But we trust that the Holy
Spirit would Enlighten us to see fresh revelation.
That would benefit us in our sanctification and even benefit,
perhaps somebody in here who doesn't know Jesus.
And Mark 2 13. We read.
He went out again beside the sea and all the crowd was coming to
him and he was teaching them. And as you pass by, he saw Levi,
the son of alphaeus. Sitting at the tax booth and he
said to him, follow me and he rose and followed him.
And as you reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors
and sinners were reclining with Jesus.
And his disciples for there are 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. Lord, we come before you with
this text in front of us. And Lord, you know the hearts of
all men. You know, the condition of our
hearts in this place, you know, exactly what we need to hear.
We trust Lord as this text. As this service has been prayed
over that you will indeed move in an obvious way.
Lord, we realize our weakness, our Frailty are inconsistent
habits below There is something in us because of your spirit
that desires to know you and be like you.
So, we ask father through this text would you Empower us to
obey? And would you draw us to Worship
You? Lord you see our generation, the
flood of distractions, the death, the destruction, the the
confusion Lord, we need an extra measure of your power.
Would you supply it in this place for the name of Jesus?
Christ's sake? And In his name we pray.
Amen. After declaring and
demonstrating his authority to forgive sins, the Holy Spirit
takes us by the hand, and he brings us before the Lord,
Jesus, as he demonstrates that Grace, that ability to extend,
pardon to the undeserving in a very, very moving scene.
And this is accomplished as Mark, introduces us to a man by
the name of Levi, who was known as a collector of taxes in Jesus
day. Now, the significance of Levi's
occupation will be explained in a moment, but it's good for us
to know that the very same man that we are witnessing about
today is in fact, believed by the majority that he is the same
person as Matthew the tax collector that we read of, in
the Book of Matthew which is the Book in our new testament
library. And the reason why that is the
consensus is, because there is an exact almost word-for-word
account of this conversion story, in the Book of Matthew,
and instead of the name, Levi being used, it's Matthew.
Now, you might be wondering why two names for the same person.
Culturally speaking, that was very common in Jesus day where
you would have somebody who was labeled or identify by more than
one name. One of the disciples actually
has three names in our Bibles. His name is Peter and in some
places Simon and another's cephas.
So there's nothing to be confused about that and there's
nothing contradictory about it. What's more important is that
the story of Levi's conversion is strategically placed right
after Jesus. Gibbs and heals a paralyzed man
and that is a spiritual thing because this emphasis is to tell
us that there is a greater Reach In Jesus forgiveness.
It goes to places that you would not fathom it touches, the
hearts that you would not believe.
And that is the case when we come here with Levi, but more
than that, the fact that it's told right after a miracle,
Indicates that this conversion in itself is a miracle.
It's even a greater Miracle than the one who had lifeless legs
was told to pick up his bed and go home.
And so we come here to see that Levi story is a miraculous
story. An old preacher said something
that I love to repeat from time to time.
He said the greatest Miss miracle that God can do today is
to take an Unholy man from an Unholy world and make them.
Holy then put them back in that Unholy world and keep him.
Holy and that is what we are going to witness today.
A very Unholy man who is then made holy and then giving us the
inspiration that he can do the same today.
Levi's testimony. Is given to tell us that
Redemption and healing in the soul is available to the most
repugnant and repulsive of all. And that is certainly true of
our world today. There are, if you're honest with
yourself there is a category of Sinners perhaps in your heart
that you perhaps deem as hopeless.
And two ugly in terms of sin and to horrendous in terms of
actions and belief that you almost write them off as
reprobates to the degree, that they will never have a chance to
be saved. May I present to you, Levi, to
give you the hope that perhaps somebody that you dearly love,
that is so far out can actually come into contact with the grace
of Jesus Christ and be saved because of it.
Consider three things with me this afternoon the calling of
Levi The conversion of Levi and the conflict around Levi, the
calling of Levi, after being, told that Jesus was fulfilling
what he was called to do, what he was sent to do at this point
in his ministry to teach and preach the good news.
We now see Jesus very briefly in motion.
There is a transition, a physical one, because we read
in, verse 14 as he passed by. So, here's Christ walking from
one direction to the next we made, just right.
Cut off as unimportant but it is extremely significant because in
those brief seconds is a person on that same path who will
forever have his life, altered because of Jesus Christ.
Don't get distracted now. They're just people And so, what
we see here is Jesus, passing by and in passing by meditate to
realize what that means he passed by and he saw Levi
sitting at the tax Booth, no, random detail.
There is Matthew, and I'm going to use Levi, Matthew
interchangeably. Same person.
There is Matthew sitting in a tax Booth while Jesus is
crossing him in that path. And this is important because
you and I have to understand We how deplorable Tax Collectors
were those of you who grew up in church?
This is like common. You understand that?
But just realized just how much they were hated as I explained.
Who Tax Collectors were to the Jews, they were traitors, they
worked for the Romans, the Romans oppressed the Jews of
this time. And for you to volunteer to work
for the Romans in the eyes of the Jews was disgusting.
How dare you? You already seen that we are
burdened by this. As people you already seen that,
we don't have the freedom that we desire and here you are only
strengthening their caused over us, but more than the fact that
their position declared, a lack of faithfulness of fidelity to
their people and even to their God, these Tax Collectors
couldn't help it. They're a position of authority
and power tempted him and they would give in to that temptation
to make a profit for themselves. So they would cheat with the
numbers. They wouldn't manipulate they
would press and whatever extra they would get out of there
oppressed brother. They would put it right into
their pockets. Ancient Jewish commentaries and
writings tell us that to the general public Tax.
Collectors were no different than thieves and murderers.
They were illegitimate Witnesses in a court setting.
They were shunned to participate in the worship service at
synagogues. And we even read here at one
point in the mishnah, which is the oral traditions of the Jews
in ancient times that a tax collector.
Was so deplorable that even if he entered into someone's house,
that house would be deemed as unclean. if they understand what
they felt about these people, And that's amazing because in
other words to the Jews that tax collectors were just as
Despicable and worthy of social isolation as the leper.
And you can almost say that these men were even more to be
despised and the leper, because a leopard didn't have a choice
in the matter, concerning his condition, but the tax collector
did, You were so unfeeling about your reputation that you were
willing to be a part of something that you knew would
cause people to despise you. But they could care less and
here's the beautiful thing. That this is where and when
Jesus calls Matthew to himself, while he is sitting at the tax
Booth, Levi wasn't attending the service and verse 13 by the Sea.
He was an eagerly hearing the teachings of Jesus.
He was right in the middle of his sin.
He was sitting there, he was comfortable there and it was
there where you heard the voice of the shepherd, calling him to
himself, wanting him to himself, not even the Detailed word here
in verse 14 as she passed by, he saw Levi.
What did those eyes communicate? What I see there is that when
Jesus saw Levi, he knew exactly who Levi was.
He knew that he had a corrupt character.
He knew that he was part of something that was dishonoring.
He knew the burden that Levi placed on the fellow citizens
who are innocent and already struggling.
He knew of the of the stigma around his occupation, he saw
all of it and yet still out of the same lips, he says, follow
me. I want you while understanding
full, well who lie, Levi was an agent of pain.
And someone who lost all feeling concerning his own reputation, a
spiritual leper, the Lord wanted him, and that same Mercy that he
is displaying towards Levi's the same Mercy that is so
powerfully. Drying Sinners today.
Christ doesn't want you to meet him halfway listen, if you're a
doubtful person concerning the grace of Jesus Christ, As you're
there swimming in your sin? Yes, with Filthy Hands and even
perhaps a perverted mind while you're listening to the sermon.
Your mind is Twisted. Hear what I have to say.
Jesus, doesn't want you to prove yourself to be worthy to come to
him. He wants to rescue you exactly
where you are. And he calls from the shore.
For you to reach out your hand. And his arm is long enough and
strong enough to pull you out of muck and mire.
And that's exactly what he is doing and wanting to do.
Even in this place. Today, there is an invitation,
ringing out loud because the very essence of that invitation
is, it has the power to change you.
You don't change yourself so you can come to Christ, you come to
Christ, so he can change you. And he longs to change a, he
longs to receive all glory and changing you.
And he here is seeing Levi in his sin and he says, I want you
now. Right there, you'd be amazed to
know the skepticism. You'd be amazed to know that
hesitation of people coming. Oh I just don't know if I'm if
I'm worthy. I don't know if I'm a candidate
know. You are a candidate.
You are exactly the person that Jesus is looking for, as we re
later on that, he comes for the sick of physician is drawn to
those who need the physician not to those who think they have no
need of him. I want to, I want you to see
something quickly, turn your Bibles quickly with me, Romans
chapter 5. and look at these amazing statements about, Who
Jesus comes for. Three verses.
Romans 5:6. First.
Look at these words. For while we were still weak at
the right time Christ died for the ungodly weak, unable to
fulfill the law. Unable to prove yourself unable
to be obedient and remain obedient while we were still
weak, Romans 5:8, but God shows his love for us in that while we
were still sinners. So, not just even attempting a
righteousness, but being weak at it.
But while you are sinning and comfortably doing it, disobeying
living for your passions and your pleasures while we were
still sinners. Christ died for us.
It doesn't end there. Yeah, while you were a week
while you're still Sinners, Romans 5:10 for while we were
enemies. For while we were still weak
verse 6 for y, we were still Sinners verse a verse 10.
For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of his son. Much more that we are
reconciled. Shall we be saved by his life
enemies? Open Rebellion to God.
Sticking your nose to the heavens and raising your fist
and saying, I know what I'm doing and I'm gonna do it.
Gladly, it's one thing for one man to die for a friend or for a
child, but it's another thing to die for an enemy.
It's one thing to die for somebody who's trying to get,
right? But they don't have the power to
get, right? But for somebody who turns their
back, And knows exactly the kind of blasphemy.
They are performing. And yet still Christ, says I
still want you. I'm coming for the blasphemer.
I'm coming for the one who hates me.
I'm coming for the one who despises my law and Mike are G
coming for them too. For while we were weak while we
were still Sinners, while we were enemies while he was
sitting at the tax booth. Jesus says, I want you, I want
you to follow me. And Levi was called.
Yes, while sitting there. But Levi was called for a
limited time frame verse 14. And as he passed by, As glorious
as this grace is, you have to understand that it has a window
of time and leave. I only had so much time to work
with. Jesus did not rent a room across
from the tax poles, so that he can have a few weeks of a
one-on-one campaign to convince Levi that he needed to surrender
his life. He was passing by, It was a
short opportunity. And Eve, I had to leave.
I had to respond to that because the physical picture here
provides a Biblical illustration of the urgency of salvation You
don't really hear the word hell anymore in church, right?
It's kind of a rare word. I remember somebody told me once
after I preached on it, I don't believe that you should use hell
to try to convince Sinners to come to Christ.
Oh, really? So, what do you tell Jesus?
Then? You have a problem with Jesus
evangelism. If you have a problem with me.
There is no doubt in my mind that many will be in Hell who
knew exactly how to be saved. They can even tell you how that
what the gospel is. The problem is not their lack of
the knowledge of the Gospel. The problem is their hesitation
or unwillingness to surrender to the call of the Gospel.
Let me take it further. I believe there will be many in
Hell, who would even say in admit, that they were even at
one point interested or eager to repent and believe.
But as they reflect on their life at on Earth, they remember
they push it off until tomorrow and wants tomorrow came, They
delayed it until next week and then once next week came that
conviction that once. So sharply cut their hearts and
brought an Awakening to their conscience was ultimately dulled
until it essentially disappeared until they wished away into
eternity. Many will understand that their
place in judgment was not because they didn't hear was
because they didn't say yes when they had the chance to.
And there are so many sobering illustrations of this in the
Bible. And one of the strongest
illustrations is with a man named Felix and acts 24 who had
Paul as a prisoner before him and Felix was hearing his case
because the Jews accused them of all these weird things,
including treason. And so Felix was going to hear
him, but Felix was Interested in more than just what the Jews had
to say in Acts 24, 24, Felix, and his wife, Drusilla, we read
after Sunday's Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who is a
Jewish and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in
Christ Jesus, we don't know if it was Felix or his wife, who is
Jewish. That wanted to hear what Paul
had to say concerning Jesus Christ.
Despite the fact Paul gladly with those chains came before
and says, let me tell you about the law.
Jesus Christ. And so he preaches and so he
teaches and Felix's there, I'm sure on some kind of a throne
with his hand on his chin, listening intently and then
something happens in verse 25. And as he reason Paul about
righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix
was alarmed. And said go away for the
present. When I get an opportunity, I
will summon you. Here's the sad part.
Felix says, I will fetch for you when I'm ready.
And there is never a recorded moment where he ever asked for
that opportunity again. And I am just so impressed by
Paul's gospel presentation, because the way he spoke and
what he spoke about clearly Disturbed Felix, not that we
intend to disturb or offend, but the Bible tells us.
So clearly what he said that shook Felix, he mentioned
righteousness, he mentioned self-control, he mentioned
judgment to come. Now, let's just be honest today.
How much do we hear of that in our gospel presentation?
How much do we hear of God's holiness?
How much do we hear of the repentance that is needed to
self-control? They're speaking of the
repentance that is needed to say, yes.
How much do we hear of the judgment to come if you refuse
to surrender, to Jesus Christ, who delivers you from the
righteous standard of God? If we want to know how to
preach, let's go to the preachers and the Bible.
And we see here that he presents these things and it clearly had
this man shook because the guilty condition of his soul was
brought before him and he wanted to Shake It Off.
And so he says depart from me I will come for you in a more
convenient time, but listen to me there is never more of a
convenient time to surrender than Christ then today because
the more you resist and maybe you're in this place and you
have resisted you've heard week after week the gospel.
Listen to what I have to say. The more you resist today, the
harder it is to say yes, tomorrow.
You don't believe me, do you? Well, look at Felix and acts
24:27. Do you want to know how long
Felix had Paul in his presence and at his disposal and acts
24:27 we read when two years had elapsed?
Two years, two years, Felix was succeeded by pork is Festus, and
designed to do the Jews of favor, Felix left Paul in prison
to Ole years. And he wasn't saved, then it
call for Paul to explain the gospel.
Again, didn't ask, for more details than ask him, to be led
to the, to the Jesus that say, Paul two years.
And that's why the holy spirit says.
Today as the holy spirit, says, if you hear his voice, do not
Harden your hearts, you have an ability to harden your own
heart. And you can make it much more
callous than it was yesterday. And it can come to the point
where you were so hardened that now, you were just coming week
after week, and nothing moves. You nothing.
Listen to me, I'm being very, very serious.
You can come to the point where God can warn you once just once
and you will never feel the urgency of that warning again
after one time and God is completely justified in all of
that. We have this strange concept as
though, we're doing Jesus a favor and he has to wait on our
terms. And when we're ready, we'll come
to him today. And if it comes today and you
don't answer today, who says you're going to answer tomorrow?
Felix didn't Owen, Moses told Pharaoh about the plague to
stop, you know what Pharaoh said?
Concerning the frogs Moses is one.
Do you want at? And he goes tomorrow tomorrow,
you can have it today. Yeah.
But for some reason I want to wait till tomorrow.
We are strange creatures Sons and Daughters of Adam confused
in. So many ways.
We see here, that Felix waited till tomorrow.
So what was holding him back? Would you like to know verse 26?
It says you're at the same time he hoped that money would be
given him by Paul so he sent for him often and conversed with
him. Money.
Rich's the only reason why he kept Paul closes because he
thought that there would be some bribe to have him released.
And so he kept them close and so he was hoping that one day Paul
would even say look the high really want to get out of here.
Have a missionary in a journey to fulfill here take some money
or his friends would come and provide some kind of extra cash.
The thing that was weighing down Felix, at least one thing was
the love of the world, the love for things, the love for gain.
it's very possible that there are some who have been sitting
here for weeks and months and your heart is only getting
harder and harder because you refuse to say, yes, for what
money Your little Empire. Your cute boyfriend.
Girlfriend. Fear for your family.
Whatever the case may be, would you sense the warning from
Felix's life? And if you have that feeling of
warning be encouraged by Matthew.
When the Lord asked him to leave, when he asks him to
follow him, he did not reply. What saying can you just let me
finish my shift? I'm in the middle of my work
here. I got a couple more hours, maybe
I'll talk to you in my break time.
Not say Lord. I mean I'm a I'm a very affluent
man. I have high position here.
I would like to retire in a respectable way.
Can you just give me a couple weeks while I put in my notice?
And then I can follow you. Nothing of the sort.
He sensed the urgency of the moment.
It's either now or never. And I'm going to say, yes, now.
And he did, and to the human understanding, this might have
been an inconvenient time. Jesus, why did you call him
while he was sitting at the tax Booth.
But let me tell you something, over the ways of the Lord, the
call to Salvation. And even after you're saved the
call to obedience is oftentimes unfavorable to the flesh.
It's very rare, your flesh is going to say.
Yeah, let's do it. I'm in agreement.
I think this is the perfect time.
Oh, you can find a man broken enough, who's desperate enough,
but it is rarely the case. In America, you have people
here. Who tend to give Jesus terms,
can I tell you my own growing up?
In a Christian home, I actually gave Jesus an age.
Lord. When I'm 30 years old, I will
follow you and that nice. 19 18 years old knowing knowing full
well that this Jesus fellow is real.
He is indeed God. But I have a life to live, man.
I got things to do Jesus. You might get in the way.
So, Lord, when I'm 30, hopefully, I'll be married.
I'll bring my wife to even if she doesn't believe in you, 30
years old. How does that sound?
What kind of agreement are you making with Jesus?
Want to wait till you finish school till you get serious with
Jesus. You want to explore a little bit
of the world. A dangerous dangerous game to
play Russian roulette with your soul.
So what is your excuse? There is no better time to serve
Jesus than today. There's no better time to be
saved by Jesus than today, because anything else that is
delayed as only wasted time when it could have been invested into
Eternal reward and joy at this present moment, leave I heard.
He realized that even in his physical predicament, you're
actually calling me a tax collector to come and follow
you. I will do it.
And perhaps, the reason why people do not sense their
urgencies, because they don't realize how horrendous their sin
is. I'm telling you, I've talked to
enough people to come to this conclusion.
Many, many people think that God is just a little bit better than
us just a little bit. Many, many people in America,
which is like, the Disneyland of the world.
Think that heaven is a little bit better than where we're at
today. That's why are people saying you
know, I don't know. I want to do this and do that
before he comes and brings his kingdom.
I'm telling you, the people and living in huts and communist,
China are not thinking the same thing.
They're desperate for the return of Jesus Christ, because they
don't have this concept that it's a little bit better than
what we have going on here. I'll tell you that very soon.
We're not going to be thinking that anymore here in America,
the call for Levi to be saved, but concern, the conversion of
Levi, we can easily expand in great detail.
What was proven in his change with Jesus, despite the fact
that he left something that was profitable, something that
secured his future and just threw it all away to say.
Lord, I will go wherever you want me to go consider the
celebration that Levi has, because of this occurrence.
As you reclined at table in his house, many Tax collectors and
sinners were reclining with Jesus.
And his disciples for there are many who followed him.
This is not just Matthew trying to honor Jesus.
This is Matthew trying to introduce Jesus in this man who
could not comprehend, how someone like him can actually be
called by someone like him could not keep that Grace to himself.
But goes to Great Lengths to make sure that others can have
the same chance that he had. And so it is with the person who
has been truly, transformed by Jesus.
You cannot keep Keep it to yourself.
You want to do what you can and you have here.
Levi opening his home Lord come over and I will bring as many
people as possible. How true is that Zeal?
When we first come to know? Jesus Christ, Luke tells us
something more detailed. Luke says, in 529 of his book
and Levi, made him a great feast, made him a great feast in
his house and there was a large company of tax collectors and
others reclining at table with him.
So he celebrates Jesus, reclines.
He's comfortable and people are coming to converse with them and
hear him and perhaps be saved from him.
And by him. We see here that Levi, had a
great change immediately Evangelistic Zeal, but it's even
greater than that. I want you to see how Levi, we
see his actions, but we don't see his words.
There's not one moment in any of the gospels where you have a
recorded speech given by this disciple, but I want to prove to
you in a subtle way, how Levi, actually proves the depth of his
salvation and what he doesn't say, Remember how Mark describes
the celebration? We are told clearly and verse
15. And as he Jesus, reclined at
table in his house, being the house of Levi.
You heard it from Luke 529 that Levi held a great feast in his
house and a large company was there that tells me that this
man was wealthy. He could host a great feasts and
he can host a great number of people in his home.
This guy had money. This guy was wealthy But have
you ever considered how Matthew himself writes of his own
testimony? Have you ever looked at Matthews
version of his conversion? And what he says, he does for
Jesus, after he was saved, would you like to see it and Matthew
9:9, you will see it and it is very, very revealing of the
character of this man though inspired by the spirit.
In Matthew 9. Verse 9.
As Jesus passed on from there. He saw a man called Matthew
sitting at the tax booth and he said to him, follow me and he
rose and followed him. Pause.
Matthew is writing this. So you can imagine what's going
through his mind as he's coming to this point in the gospel
writing about his own story, about how Jesus met him and
saved him and change them. And so he says it almost word
for word. As Mark does almost word for
word as Luke does, and then you come to verse 10 and as Jesus,
reclined at table in the house, behold many tax collectors and
sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples
Mark, they all went to Levis house, Luke Levi, had a great
feasts, and he had a large company of people there.
Matthew Jesus was reclining at table at the house.
What are you doing there? Matthew.
I'm trying to conceal myself. I want to Avail my hospitality
and my generosity. I'm not really interested in
making my works for Jesus known. And so with some kind of
subtleness and with a strategic uncleanness, he wants to he
wants to teach people through his writings.
Yes Jesus sits and dines with Sinners and tax collectors but I
don't really want to mention how big the party was.
I don't really want to mention that it was my house and that I
held a great feast. I'm not sure how far along
Matthews life. Was when he wrote this gospel.
Surely after the Resurrection, the Ascension of Jesus But one
thing I can assess by this observation, he was mature in
his faith. And he had a wisdom and
humility. And the Holy Spirit.
Honored that and translated that in the scriptures.
So that when you compare Mark and Luke and Matthew writing
himself, you would see. Wow, Matthew What are you trying
to do there? I wonder if this verse ran
through Matthews mind, and Proverbs 27, to let another
praise you and not your own mouth.
A stranger and not your own lips.
Can I tell you something about the power of this gospel?
It really changes you in a fine-tuned way, doesn't just
give you some confidence that you're going to go to heaven.
It chisels you And the Holy Spirit, after you say yes to the
Lord Jesus enters into your life.
We sang it. He's alive in me and he commits
himself to conforming you into the image of the very one who
saved you. And so we see here, even with
Matthew don't know. Recorded word is given and his
own writing. He is silent about his own
Works. He would not dare to try to put
any Spotlight on himself, but on Christ and Christ Alone. and I
think that is so encouraging because I look at this day today
and I can't think of Of a more self, loving self centered, self
praising self, advertising generation.
The good thing about our generation is that anybody can
have a platform. The bad thing about this
generation is that anybody can have a platform People who do
not deserve a platform are getting platform.
And here's the worst thing, they're the most viral some of
the things I look at. This is viral and I get money
for it on top of it. But I will tell you a cure to
the sickness of this culture. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ
because when you realize the humility of Jesus Christ, and
when you let his power enter into your life, the same
fragrance of Christ is adorned upon you.
And Jesus now comes in and he will do things in you that you
never thought he would be able to do.
Not only will he change the way you think and speak about
others? He will change the way you think
and speak about yourself. This is the power of the gospel
and it's available to you. It can break shackles break
habits, and it can transform you to such a degree that you will
not even be able to recognize yourself.
And so we see here that the conversion of Matthews so sweet.
And so obviously working in him even ways that we might have not
immediately perceived, look at the conflict around Levi.
Let me briefly mention about the issues.
We see here in verse 16, 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? Why would this bother you?
Why is this offending you so much?
Because this religious group We're known to separate
themselves from Common People. The very word Pharisee means
separate one Pharisees. We are separated where the
separate ones. And the idea of being associated
or coming into contact with a sinner, Was completely foreign
to the school of thought. These men would have nothing to
do with somebody that did not hold to their Traditions or
their impeccable, observance of those Traditions.
They were repulsed they were disgusted.
They would show that just even by their associations and the
sight of these Pharisees looking upon a holy man, who obviously
perform miracles to have dinner and to express one of the most
intimate ways of being related to somebody Was jarring.
And so they asked in a subtle accusatory way, what is he
doing? Having dinner with these kind of
people And he says it to the disciples, but Jesus hears and I
love that he hears everything. So Jesus answers and he says in
a paraphrase fashion. I'm a spiritual doctor.
I go to the spiritually sick. That's what I do.
That's who I go for. That's who I associate with.
That is my mission. That is my heart.
Amazingly, these men. Couldn't understand it.
These are the type of doctors who avoid sick people and
distance himself from the diseased.
You know what, kind of a doctor that is a useless one.
And that's what legalism is. It is useless religion.
Legalism that says we are pure and holy by not associate or not
believing that God can change or not going to Great Lengths to
show compassion and understanding the people who are
warped and their mind, you are just like a doctor who.
When they see a sick people run, the other direction useless But
Jesus is the great physician. He's drawn to the broken, even
the broken in the mind, broken and heartbroken in their
actions, broken in their vocabulary and he wants to heal
them. And so he comes to do just that
Now, I am fully aware that this Fair say Urkel.
Commentary has been turned into license for unwarranted Liberty.
So you have people, usually Christians.
I try to be cool, and they want to hang out with Sinners, and
they're not just hanging out with Sinners, their sinning with
the sinners. Jesus ate with Sinners, Jesus,
ate with tax collectors. Yeah, he ate with them.
Not to be like them, but to heal them.
That's all I'm gonna say about it.
That's it. He came to them to heal them,
not to enjoy their company and their sin.
And so we see here, that as much as Jesus is rebuking them, it
goes even further and Matthews version.
And we're going to end here in this Evangelistic message this
afternoon to understand, Jesus has wisdom, and designed for his
people, and for any person who engages with this word, and I
pray, that's every single one of you Matthew chapter 9 And verse
12 and 13. Matthew chapter 9, verse 12 and
13. but when he heard it, when Jesus heard the criticism of
This crowd. He said those who are well, have
no need of a physician but those who are sick, Go and learn what
this means. I desire mercy and not sacrifice
for. I came not to call the
righteous, but Sinners. Do you see the added phrase?
Go and learn any quotes from Hosea 6:6.
I desire mercy and not sacrifice.
You know, it's so amazing here. Jesus tells the religious Elite
who are known for their apparent expertise in the law to go and
learn. Talk about a sting.
Hey you you Seminary professors, come over here, go and learn
what this verse says, excuse me. Talking to men who have
memorized large portions, even books of the law.
And Jesus has the boldness to looking them in the eye and says
you clearly have an honor Sir with this verse means.
So go back into your little office, pull out the book and
look at this verse and understand what I mean by it, Go
and learn, and that's, that's very instructive insightful,
isn't it? Because what I see from this is
that God's word was designed so that it would be learned in a
way that would transform your perception and your practice.
That's what true learning is when it comes to your
involvement in the scriptures. When knowledge of the word of
God is acquired but not applied. Our relationship with the word
of God is extremely flawed. As in Need for reform, it needs
to be totally altered because the very Pharisees who knew
these scriptures clearly did not learn be scriptures even though
it was stuffed in their brains and that they could quote it
offhand. Jesus still looks at them as
unlearned men go back and learn that tells me what true learning
is of the When I come to, this is to truly learn so I can truly
change. And in this case, the lack of
compassion of the Pharisees and the coldness and their hearts
towards other people was a clear sign that you did not allow the
word of God to have its way in you the way it was designed to
have its way in you and so when I look at people who are
extremely sophisticated and well taught and well-spoken but then
I look at the character and how they treat others.
I know one thing despite the knowledge they have not learned
they haven't They have not learned the way Jesus said
you're supposed to learn, may God help us to truly learn.
He says, those who are sick down, those are the ones I've
come for and those who call themselves righteous.
I did not come for, you know what that means?
Jesus cannot save a person who does not see their need to be
saved. Jesus cannot heal.
Anybody who does not see their sickness when he says I came not
to call the righteous. He's talking about those who
believe they are righteous when they are not.
So do you want to know how you can disqualify yourself from
salvation? Believe that you don't need
salvation? We had a question.
What is the unforgivable sin? What is the blasphemy of the
Holy Spirit on Friday? And we tried to explain it.
But, let me tell you the unforgivable sin today, it's a
sin. That's not repented of The sin
that Jesus will not forgive his ass in that you will not choose
to acknowledge, and say no to and embrace the forgiveness for
that sin. So the worst kind of people to
evangelize to, and to convince of the Gospel, are people who
think they are good. The most difficult man.
Because like a person who doesn't see the cancer and
refuses to acknowledge that they are in fact affected by some
illness and doesn't go to a doctor, it's the same way for a
person who does not need salvation.
They look at themselves and they go, I'm fine.
I'm very limited on my vocabulary.
I'm very limited and my thought process I can only really say so
much before. Some of you start falling asleep
and maybe some of you already on your way there.
But what I've said, I hope will touch the heart of the person
who came in here thinking they were good.
But came to the realization that they are not good.
And Jesus is willing to save you exactly where you are.
Lord, we thank you for this brief message.
And we ask Lord that as we reflect at your table of what
you've done for us. That the saint.
Would have a renewing joy, and their Salvation, And The Sinner
would be broken. Broken, but they would recognize
it as a blessed Brokenness, because you were right here,
waiting to heal them. Thank you for being the one who
came for us while we were weak, while we were Sinners while we
were enemies. If we become numb to that truth,
awaken Us by the spirit, to see how good that is in Jesus name,
amen.