Lessons Learned when God Calls
Matthew 9:9-13
Introduction
The most unlikely called of all of the apostles is Matthew. He was a tax collector. He was probably very wealth and he earned his money at the expense of his neighbors, his fellow Jews. It was OK for him to tax almost anything just as long as he gave Caesar his portion and so he would be despised by his fellow Jews. Well, Jesus called him to be a disciples and Matthew has a dinner party that evening at his house and invites his friends and Jesus to attend.
Tonight I want us to learn some valuable lessons, about when God calls.
Read Scriptures: Matthew 9:9-13
I. Matthew’s call teaches me there are no hindrances that can not be overcome if in my heart I really want to follow Jesus.
Vs. 9 “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”
Matthew was a wealthy man. He was a tax collector. Jesus says this about a rich man.
Matthew 19:23-24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
We know the rich young ruler couldn’t give up his wealth to follow Jesus.
So why Matthew? He obviously wanted a change in his life and he was willing to pay whatever the price to get there.
A person who says I want to be closer to God but unwilling to forgive a brother or sister is not willing to pay the price to get there.
A person who says that I wish I was closer to God but I can not go to the church house because there are a bunch of hypocrites down there at the church house is not willing to pay the price to get there.
Matthew teaches me that when I stand before God I don’t have the excuse that it was too hard and I wouldn’t do it. Matthew did it.
II. Matthew teaches me that you can really tell a lot about your spiritual self by the people you hang with.
Vs. 10 “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.”
Matthew has the dinner party and he invites his friends. His friends are other tax collectors and sinners. People just like him. We tend to associate with people just like us. He didn’t invite the people at the local synagogue because he did not hang with them.
That should tell me that if I don’t like to hang around with other Christians- I might have a problem.
If I prefer to be with my worldly friends than my church family, could that mean that I might have a problem?
III. There will always be people that come across your path that claim that they are the spiritual ones and that you are not for the purpose of building themselves up at your expense.
Vs. 11 “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?”
With their question aimed to the disciples they put down three different sets of people. They put down the disciples – “you follow Him?” They down Jesus- “he can not discern the riff raff.” The put down the Tax collectors “we all know that tax collectors and sinners are all scum.”
Churches are full of those types of people. I do this, this and this down at the church why can’t so and so do something. Remember the prayer of the Pharisee that he was so thankful that he was not like the publican.
You find this same attitude in marriages. I work, take care of kids, cook, pay the bills and he does nothing.
You find that same attitude at work. I do twice as much as so and so.
IV. Jesus can do what He desires in the heart of the person who knows that they are sick.
Vs. 12 “On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
The Bible has a lot to say about the heart. It tells me that it deceitfully wicked. It tells me that Paul struggled with his heart wanting to do the wrong thing even when he wanted to do the right thing.
What kind of church do you think God can do his best work in? The church that feels like they are well healed or the church that is hurting? The answer is the hurting church.
V. If I have a choice of being gracious or being religious I better chose being gracious.
Vs. 13 “But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus was not religious; he was gracious to the woman caught in adultery.
Jesus was gracious and not religious in healing the person who was an invalid of 38 years.
Jesus was gracious and not religious in allowing the prostitute to wipe his feet with her tears.
But we would rather be religious than gracious. Our mentality is that they have done something wrong than let’s nail them.
If I have a choice, and most of the time I do, I need to choose being gracious rather than religious.
Conclusion
What about your life, how can your life be characterized since Jesus called you into this Christian walk.
Are there hindrances in your life that is keeping you from fully being all the God wants you to be in this life.
Maybe you need to be more careful about who you choose to hang with, because the ones you are with now are dragging you down spiritually rather than building you up.
Maybe you are insecure in your Christian walk and you have to tear others apart to help yourself feel more spiritual.
Tonight maybe you want to confess to Jesus that you are sick spiritually so He can begin the healing process in your life.
Maybe you find you with others including the lost you are more religious than you are gracious, we will not have an impact on the lost community by being religious, but by showing them the love, grace, and mercy that God has shown us.
