Sending a Message
The passage for our Men's Bible Study this morning was Luke 5:27-32. We had some of our regulars back after two weeks of holidays, so we had a group of 11 men. We had a meaningful discussion of the call of Levi to be a disciple of Jesus. I told the men that I thought this short passage contained some of the most important truths in the Bible for us as believers and for the church.
It is shocking that Jesus would call one of the despised tax collectors to be one of his disciples. He was sending a powerful message that He came to save all kinds of people, and He was sending a message to the religious leaders that He was not accepting their way. They thought that tax collectors were unclean and that they would be unclean if they associated with them. Jesus asked one to be His disciple, and He went to a party where there were many of these types of people. Jesus was showing that His kingdom will be made up of all types of folks who are willing to follow Him and have a changed heart. He did not go by the outward appearance. That was a great message to send. We need to hear it, too.
Then, Jesus told them that He came for the sick folks, not for the well. I told the men that we, as believers, are the well folks. We know the truth from God's Word. Jesus came to reach those who did not know the Way. He was sending a message to the Pharisees that they were not His focus. It was the sinners who needed to repent. Now, the Pharisees were sinners, but they knew enough of the Bible to know that they should repent and trust God. They should have been sharing the truth with others, instead of staying separate from them. Jesus was showing them that their way was absurd. Unfortunately, many Christians have the same mind set today. They stay away from the non-Christians. That is the wrong message. Jesus was sending the message that He loved the whole world, and He cared for those who needed to repent of their sins. He still feels the same way today.
The least we can do as Christians is what Levi did when he came to Christ. He gathered all of his friends, spent his money for a party, and introduced them to Jesus, the Lord and Savior of the universe. Once any person comes to Christ, he or she can do that. Then, if each person who heard did the same thing, the whole world would know very soon. The problem is that we are not getting the message of Jesus. We are gathering in our buildings and enjoying ourselves, when Jesus went to the people who really needed Him. We must get His message and go to the hurting all around us. They need to know that the "wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." We are the ones, the disciples, and that is our job. What a message!
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 10-12 and Galatians 1.
It is shocking that Jesus would call one of the despised tax collectors to be one of his disciples. He was sending a powerful message that He came to save all kinds of people, and He was sending a message to the religious leaders that He was not accepting their way. They thought that tax collectors were unclean and that they would be unclean if they associated with them. Jesus asked one to be His disciple, and He went to a party where there were many of these types of people. Jesus was showing that His kingdom will be made up of all types of folks who are willing to follow Him and have a changed heart. He did not go by the outward appearance. That was a great message to send. We need to hear it, too.
Then, Jesus told them that He came for the sick folks, not for the well. I told the men that we, as believers, are the well folks. We know the truth from God's Word. Jesus came to reach those who did not know the Way. He was sending a message to the Pharisees that they were not His focus. It was the sinners who needed to repent. Now, the Pharisees were sinners, but they knew enough of the Bible to know that they should repent and trust God. They should have been sharing the truth with others, instead of staying separate from them. Jesus was showing them that their way was absurd. Unfortunately, many Christians have the same mind set today. They stay away from the non-Christians. That is the wrong message. Jesus was sending the message that He loved the whole world, and He cared for those who needed to repent of their sins. He still feels the same way today.
The least we can do as Christians is what Levi did when he came to Christ. He gathered all of his friends, spent his money for a party, and introduced them to Jesus, the Lord and Savior of the universe. Once any person comes to Christ, he or she can do that. Then, if each person who heard did the same thing, the whole world would know very soon. The problem is that we are not getting the message of Jesus. We are gathering in our buildings and enjoying ourselves, when Jesus went to the people who really needed Him. We must get His message and go to the hurting all around us. They need to know that the "wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." We are the ones, the disciples, and that is our job. What a message!
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 10-12 and Galatians 1.