September 23rd, Morning

Austin this Jesus went out and sort tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his text. Please follow me. Jesus said to him up last everything on Fullerton. Ben Levi has a great banquet for Jesus at his house on a large crowds of tax collectors and others waiting with them. But the Pharisees on the teachers of the law, he belong to that sex complain to his disciples. What do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus answered them. It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who I L. I have not come to call the righteous but Sinners to repentance. Thanks, Rachel.

So what are we see here? What is this ad? What is new into understanding a huge Jesus is and what he's up to what I think the first thing for us to see is the Jesus isn't just into this save and wave thing, right? So he says the end of The Last Story the guy who's there?

He says to the story before the leopard who's playing C's go show yourself to the priest. But Jesus is not really just in to save and wave he's not into just leaving us to get on with our own life. Now. All that spiritual stuff is sorted. Jesus saves and he calls as he sends just save us from things. He saves us for things to you leave. I hear the words to use in verse 27 says follow me. And that cool that coats are falling me as the sort of coal that is going to change your whole life. I guess the question we should be asking is what exactly does this look like. What is it called to follow me look like what's the code to you see a little bit here and Levi wants Levi's first move in response to this call to follow me while I'm verse 28, he leaves everything gets off on follows him in the original language the phrases order that way the first thing he does he starts by leaving everything and he leaves everything by getting up and going after Jesus nail to keep us from taking this too. Literally I leave I still had a half's notice in verse 29. He's like having a party at his house. So when he's left everything goes he hasn't left his house. So what does he mean when it says he is left everything.

But we're invited to picture him getting up from his tax booth and you can't imagine he's a little bit plump. He stands for a little bit to the tax collector and he woke up. He walks off his job right then and there if everyone around him And it's follows Jesus physically walks away with Jesus. And as far as we know he never went back to text Alexa. But before you think I'm suggesting a picture of Christianity that is totally incompatible with real life. It's not one of us to follow him walk away from all of us writes a letter to one of the earliest Church of the church in thessalonica all about this. I he he speaks about how we still need to work. We need two people people who work to provide for myself and needs to be people who have something to share with those around us here in need. So full of me doesn't simply equate to leaving everything walking off your jump and and living this kind of weird did the reason Levi wokes away from his job isn't because real followers of Jesus thing to do jobs. That's kind of silly idea that way he walks away from his job because Jesus is Told him to follow Jesus into a totally new way of life. A way of life is radically different from how we've been living up to that point. That's the picture for us leave. Everything is being ready to enter into a radically different way of life. No matter what the cost and what does that way of life look like what are the characteristics of life? We can learn something from Levi right here. We can learn from his next step. What does he do for Levi gets up leaves his text collecting stuff party expectations. And then they have absolutely that's what we did but it says 29 he held a great banquet on that's really emphatically language on this is the only great banquet that takes place in the whole of the New Testament the whole the stories of Jesus his lives outside of Parables and pictures. What's a big party got to do with following Jesus? Well following Jesus. And sharing the good news about Jesus are are inexorably connected The Joint up in the way. They can't be separated. If you're following Jesus and make sense that you're following him in doing what he is doing. And he told us a few pages back what he's doing. He's come to an end the good news of the kingdom of God that's coming and is coming in Jesus himself. So if you're following Jesus, you're following Jesus who Sharon himself sharing. Jesus is following Jesus. This party is all about sharing Jesus. It's a day you call yourself a follower of Jesus. If you wanted to share Jesus, let me show you some things this party teaches us about how we might go about that. This is a big party. Right? It's a huge one. Just like the the language for the party is infected the language for the guest list is in feta to it's not just a crowd that's going to be there. It's a large crowd it's going to be there. This isn't a quiet night time for to protest at with candles. This isn't even a table set for 12 to show Hospitality to others in significant numbers. Perhaps you have a sense for the sort of work that's involved here is not the sort of thing. You just pulled together a moment's notice. You can imagine in the morning. You know, I think we have a party for a hundred in the evening do it for tickling off back. Then I must have taken some serious preparation was taking a bunch of time and thought from Levi to pull this off and you know what? I must had some pretty serious cost to Other word used for the face makes it sound like going to be pretty fancy. This is not just meat and potatoes. Not just a TV dinner table is not just a food. Think about the total cost here. It's the drink to by the Pharisees old enough about them eating and drinking in the invites out the tables where the people to cook going to come from who's going to serve there a million things to do. Delete my shows at the Sharon Jesus. Something is going to demand some of our resources that song Money. Yeah, I've also our time or energy also our creativity. Receiving a lot of voices Levi is Levi is putting a pretty serious Bill and it seems to be delighted to do that. As a part of his Newfound faith is apart following his new master part sharing. Jesus is good news with others. The first thing Levi teaches us about following Jesus by sharing Jesus. Is it something we invest our resources in and is right for us to stop here and examine ourselves. Let me ask you what is the what's the most you've ever thrown into planning an event for other people all together any event until for the people? What's the most you've ever put into planning and delivering event for other people?

How much more to the point if you are following Jesus Will what's the most you've ever put into trying to help other people meeting then just think money think about time energy creativity all of your Resorts as one of them many a few. What are young or whether you're older? What are the temperature of us have opportunities Levi setting a high bar here? What's the most you've ever put in a trying to help people meet Jesus?

Second thing I'm to learn about sharing Jesus here Levi sets out to share Jesus by connecting with his friends. And we started with those moments that change your whole life with Levi as have one of those moments as he walked off the job as he walks away from it. Jesus calls in to follow me. It's going to change his whole life. He leaves everything meaning he leaves behind his old way of life now Levi was a tax collector. What do you think of tax collectors? We think of tax collectors today some of your pressure thinking Robin Hood. That's what tax collector's office today. Trying to take from the rich and give it to the poor some you thinking parking wardens or just walking around trying to get you. Back, then there really wasn't much disagreement. Okay, so that the Roman and Greek perception of them. Will they appear in the lists? I'm next to Beggars and thieves and robbers is Beggar's these robbers Tax Collectors. That's the sort of cats are there in the in the room of mine in the Jewish mind. It's even worse than the ancient there their next door to murderers. throwing short list of disreputable professions, but no serious you could ever have you might imagine if you've been involved in a trade that is disreputable. You've been holding a tray that is really far away from us, except when you seen the light you walked away from it. What would you do next? Well, you might want to cause many times as possible.

As quick as possible, you might want to get out and stay out. But even as Levi leave the hold of his way of life behind, you know, it doesn't do if he doesn't leave his friends. It doesn't leave them at all. I'm quite the opposite. In fact, he pursues them. Why did you do that because he wants them to meet his new friend. Levi really loves his friends. I think he he cared about them and then we see that love and that care spelled out in what he does. He's willing to spend his Resorts as his reputation and biting his old friends to come.

If you're trying to follow Jesus here today, I think probably for us one of the most challenging groups to share him with his our friends. I will leave I start to leave those relationships Balsam envelope over a long time and precious to us. Maybe their relationship has grown into through times of difficulty and struggle together.

At the cross the potential cost of reaching out to them and being rejected to seeing them turn away. I just feels too large doesn't it? So that's very often where we stop. Canon the cost of thinking is too hard. Maybe we quietly let those relationships with her instead thinking that's the right way to leave everything. Let's detach ourselves. And we should look at Levi. We should be challenged and said to be thinking about trying to connect with our friends and connects our friends with Jesus. I even if it means reconnecting with friends that you may be stepped away from I'm just as a friend. I wonder if there's someone that God is putting on your heart right now. Take a moment to think is there someone you could reconnect with?

Is the recent one? Make a note you're allowed to write things down while I'm talking I wouldn't mind text yourself. I'll think you're reading Facebook, but I want to lick you ugly. Make a plan to do something about it. So often we're thinking there is going to be another opportunity will think there's going to be another time will think there's going to be a more obvious moment to take you all could step of actually speaking to somebody about what we believe. Levi just got on with it. So just just get on with it. So sharing Jesus Through investing resources, Sharon, Jesus three connecting our friends final thing about sharing Jesus and I don't realize that this is not your bag. This might seem very I want to talk about it, but it's just well this passage Levi is work is working in a team. I let me show you that but he was at this party for me by Steamroller convert 29 the little number 29. He holds a great banquet for Jesus does Levi and Jesus there? That's an absolutely essential if you're thinking about reaching out with Jesus, right? This makes it pretty plain. He says apart from me. You can do nothing over in John's gospel. And of course he's right, but Jesus isn't with us physically in the same way anymore. People send it to the father in so handy, that would be nice to have a party and bring Jesus along. That's that's not the sort of thing. You can do that's not in the cards just now but want to show you something else that's here. Take a look at me with these grumbling Pharisees these teachers of the law take a look at what I have to say. I noticed in verse 30. They're busy complaining to the disciples about the company that uses keeps right. They complain to his disciples. Jesus is right. There will be the one who answers the question as it turns out for the Pharisees question isn't just the right to the Jesus is Jesus. Why you doing this? It's all of your disciples why you engaged in this and then the original language. Do you? Why do you eat and drink like that collectors and sinners that you was plural in the original language? Why do you all eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? What's my point? All the disciples are there with Levi? All the disciples are there with him? He wants to introduce his friends to Jesus by doesn't have to do that on his own as I forget news. He doesn't have to do all the talkin. Why doesn't have to do all the listening. He doesn't have to do all the asking questions are all the answering of the typical questions for the disciples are there they don't want his friends to meet Jesus to how they'll bring their own perspective will bring their own insights. They'll bring their own background into play. The final thing for us to learn from Levi. Is it sharing Jesus is something we can pursue as a team doesn't have to be a silo sport. I fear Christian here today, if you ever had the chance to do that. I had somebody alongside you while you're trying to do this and seen the good thing is to have them pick up the bowl when you dropped it have them rescue you when you get asked a difficult question have them help you out and actually listening and understanding where your friends are. That is the joy of working with a team as we have to share Jesus with all this so three things to learn from Levi right investing our resources that sharing Jesus connecting our friends that sharing Jesus working in a team that share in Jesus, but you know what I've done I've given Naomi my notes and I've got here knows I'm just going to swap.

That was slick.

To take a look at what Jesus calls us to there's another thing to see in today's passage and it is who is that Jesus is Calling?

Who is the Jesus calling when he responds to the Pharisees and their questions about the sort of company? He's keeping he uses a metaphor use the word picture to tell us who it is. He thinks he's hanging out with. And he says it's not the healthy who need the dumpster. It's the sick.

Verse 31 is not healthy me to dump to it's those who are ill. The key question is will who is ill?

Who's ill? Navigate vacation when Jesus tells that would use that word picture the same what you eat and drink with his tax collectors and sinners. Jesus says it's not the healthiest. Don't treat the sick. His implication is that they are the sick people these tax collectors and sinners. They are in that category of people who are wrong with gone rather than right with God. He doesn't argue with the Pharisees characterization of tax collecting crabs. What does party people are like he says, yeah. Yeah, they are in trouble and they are out of step with God. Who were the Pharisees are missing is that they they're sick, too? I'm facts. We're all sick. That is why this world is such a mess. Right? We we often think the problem is always out there within the problem is always with somebody else somewhere else. I treated the same here. The famous guy. I was remembering his quote. Hey Becca, you want to shut the door for us. Thanks. Enjoy them, but we can have a little bit less of them sometimes. I'll try to remember whose car this is but there's a famous quote that talks about. I'm just this guy I growing up in Russia and he says he came to realize that the line between good and evil doesn't run between some people and other people but it runs right through the center of every human heart. He says the dealing with evil isn't simply there for a case of taking all the bad people and putting them somewhere else for the oldest go to nice people can crack on. He said the problem with evil is it runs right through every human heart and I think that's a great diagnosis. That's what Jesus is really saying here who's sick? All of us are sick, and we need a doctor. Does the pictures we've been seeing if you've been with us for the last few weeks and what uses up to right? He deals with this guy who is separated from people. He makes them clean so he can come back to be with people come back to be with God. That's a picture of what we're separated from God. He can cleanse us and bring us back to be with him the paralytic he gives us this picture of sins being what separate us the wrong things. We do do the right things. We don't to

he showed us that the biggest problem we have is people is our sin not even being unable to walk. The biggest problem we have is our sin. And it's not just going to get better by itself.

Well lot of things to write you think about your health our bodies an amazing piece of work. It does get better and I was having a big bonfire yesterday. I got hit by some nice big burning piece of the bonfire. I'm going to get better amazingly. I'm going to get better from from from a burn. The only think about the sort of sickness were talking about here. You're not just going to get better. Have you ever tried to fix yourself? You were trying to just make a decision not to do that anymore just to change your behavior. Never tried to say I don't want to be that person. I want to be somebody else. We cannot ultimately fix ourselves. The job is beyond this we need a doctor and amazingly Jesus is not afraid to walk among us to come into the midst into the middle of this mess that we made of the world. And to rub up alongside us because he's the doctor has come take to restore. And that that really is the story of inbreeding throughout believe that Jesus is coming to restore the well, he's putting things back to the way they're meant to be and he's doing it one person at a time the first 32 the last thing he says he was I'm not come to call the righteous. He says But I've come to call Sinners to repentance Sinners people. Who do you wrong things people who done to write things? That's all of us. It's going to call us to repentance what's repentance Bible where it isn't it. What does it mean? It means turning around means changing our minds means going a different way. You want to think about a picture. It will leave by the picture that he got up and left everything and followed Jesus. He turned around from his way of living and pursued a new course and that that one at a time transformation of people tell Jesus is restoring the whole world. He's working through you and through me to make this in the place. It was meant to be. He's not just to save and wave kind of God. It is a sort of sad spiritually and walk away leaving us with nothing to do. He called us to repentance and repentance is just living out this change this new life.

Someone plays with this question. Was Jesus Calling YouTube today?

Can you pray for us?

No, thank you that.

You don't desert us. As sick and unpleasant and wrong as we are. Punch that you come Among Us. And you come among us to restore. I think you for your call to repentance to changing. Turning around. Please help us to listen to that cool. Thank you for this picture and Levi voice could look like how we can share Jesus with others.

Is my oldest embrace? The truth about what it is to find you I into your mission.

Can I please would you be at work Among Us making sick people while Transforming Our Brokenness and I'll mess into Busey.