THE BENEFITS OF LOOKING BACK
Matthew 9:9-10
I want you to imagine that just outside the doors of this church is a time machine that will immediately transport you back to the day that you were born again. If this were possible, and you could arrive at the very moment of your conversion, what word would you use to describe your emotions at that specific point in time? I am sure that the majority would say they were excited. This is perhaps the best word that we can use, but it fails to adequately explain that overwhelming feeling that occurs when God takes you from death unto life. When the Holy Spirit does His unparalleled work in our lives, we are crushed by the weight of our sin, terrified at the prospect of an eternity separated from God and amazed at the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. Upon our surrender that weight of sin is lifted, we are reconciled to God and assured of salvation in Christ. When this happens we experience peace, hope, joy, and indescribable appreciation for God’s work of redemption in our lives. These (and many more) emotions should remain with us throughout the remainder of our lives.
Now, I want you to get back in your hypothetical time machine and set the date, time and location for June 9th, 2024, 10:47, Stockdale Baptist Church. Whether you have been saved for a year, a decade, or half a century, ask yourself this question, “Am I still as excited and enthusiastic about Jesus as I was in the beginning”?. I am afraid that many of us may not like the answer to that question. I have been walking with the Lord for 25 years. I know much more about Him than I did the day I was saved, I have far more Biblical knowledge than I possessed in 1997, and I am certainly more spiritually mature than I was back then. However, there are far too many times and often long seasons of life where my passion, zeal, and excitement about Jesus is nowhere near where it was when I was a 15-year-old boy. While this is a common reality for many Christians, it doesn’t have to be, nor should it be. In fact, the more we walk with Jesus and learn about Him, the more grateful, devoted and excited we should be concerning our relationship with Him and our responsibility to be ambassadors for Him.
Our selected text is fascinating. In these few verses we read Matthew’s personal testimony. It is also important to note that his transformation and relationship with Christ was so apparent that Mark and Luke both chronicle it in their Gospel accounts. This fact should challenge us to live in such a way that other people can point to us and tell the story of how Jesus transformed our lives. This is possible, but it will never happen if we fail to share our own testimony of salvation and to live in such a way that proves our transformation was genuine.
I would like to examine Matthew’s personal testimony and consider “The Benefit Of Looking Back”. If you know your Bible, there are probably a couple of passages of scripture running through your mind that have you pondering whether your pastor has finally lost his mind. It is certainly true that the Lord Jesus Himself often warned His followers of the inherent danger of looking back. When teaching about the end times, Jesus encouraged His listeners to “Remember Lot’s wife”. He said this as a caution so that they did not make the same mistake that she did. Jesus also said in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”.
While it is true that we should not look back to the things of this world, it is very beneficial for us to look back at what Jesus has done for us. When we observe the Lord’s Supper we look back to His suffering and sacrifice at Calvary. Each and every week when we assemble together we look back and rejoice in the reality of Christ’s resurrection. When we read and teach through the Gospels we look back at the amazing life and ministry of Jesus Christ. These things are exceedingly beneficial. Likewise, it is beneficial for us to look back to the moment of our conversion and other notable moments in our journey with Jesus.
- For this reason, I would encourage every born-again Christian in this place to take a moment and look back at:
OUR TRANSFORMATION BY JESUS
“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Matthew was the son of a man named Alphaeus. He was also known as Levi. It is possible that after his conversion Jesus gave him the name Matthew which mean “gift of God”. Matthew was a publican in Capernaum. Publicans were tax collectors and Matthew was actively involved in this work when Jesus found him and called him to follow Him. He was “sitting at the tax office”.
This fact shows us that Matthew was the greatest testimony of transformation among the Lord’s Disciples. By this point, Jesus has already called several common fishermen to follow Him, that in itself was probably a shock to many; but now the Lord calls a tax collector to be one of His chosen men.
Tax collectors were some of the most despised people in Jesus’ day and in Jewish society. The reason is that Israel was occupied and oppressed by the Roman government. The publicans worked for the Romans and betrayed their own countrymen by collecting taxes from them. To make matters worse, it was common for these tax collectors to collect excessive amounts of taxes and to keep a percentage for themselves. Therefore they were not only traitors, but also thieves.
It seems that Matthew was finically secure and ‘living the good life” so to speak; for immediately after he met Jesus he hosted a dinner for Him in his own home. (Luke 5:29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them). The words “great feast”, “his own home” and the fact that there was a “great number” of people in attendance shows us that this was no small affair.
Though Matthew seemed to have all that one could desire in this life, this encounter with Jesus and those two simple words “follow Me”, would change his life immediately and eternally. Upon receiving this call, Matthew “arose and followed Him”. In Luke’s gospel account, he says that Levi “left all”, rose up, and followed Him”.
Matthew serves as a fantastic example of Jesus’ requirement for discipleship in Luke 9:23-24, there He says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it”. This is exactly what Matthew did; he left the tax office and the financial security that came with his position, he left behind his home and familial relations and followed Jesus. This decision caused him to endure many hardships, much suffering and eventually death for the cause of Christ. However, if he was here today, I have no doubt that Matthew would tell you that the things he left behind cannot compare to the things that he received in Christ.
Among those of us who have been born again, there is not one who deserved salvation any more than a corrupt tax collector! However, each of us shares a testimony of transformation that is similar to Matthew’s. Some of you have been delivered from a life of drug addiction, alcohol abuse, sexual sins, lust, greed, hatred and numerous other sins that were an offense to God. The Apostle Paul put it so well in Titus 3:3-7, when he said, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”.
Some of you may not have lived the life of a “stereotypical sinner”, but that does not change the fact that you were just as lost as anyone else. You were dead in trespasses and sins, without God, deserving of Hell, and in desperate need of a Savior.
Regardless of your past life, one day Jesus came to you, called your name and said, “follow Me”. Like Matthew, you responded accordingly; you left all, got up, and followed Him. It is important for you to look back at the transformation that Jesus has wrought in your life. Remember where you were, consider where you are, ponder where you are going, and never forget the price that was paid to make all of this possible.
If you have lost your passion for service and excitement concerning your relationship with Jesus, it will certainly help you to look back at your transformation by Jesus. Never forget that this transformation was made possible by Christ and Christ alone!
- Now that we have seen the importance of looking back at our transformation by Jesus, let’s move a little further and consider:
OUR TESTIMONY FOR JESUS
Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples”.
Upon surrendering to Jesus, Matthew contacted many of his friends and invited them to his home for a great feast. In attendance were several other “tax collectors” and others simply described as “sinners”. Tax collectors were so despised that even to be associated with them was cause for derision among the Jews. This is evidenced by the response of the Pharisees; when they saw Jesus go into Matthew’s home they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”.
Before you become too self-righteous in your assessment of the Pharisees, ask yourself how you would respond if a notorious sinner was to come forward and profess faith in Christ today and then go home and host a party with all of their friends and family. Many “church folk” would immediately begin to question the authenticity of their conversion! But it could be that they are so excited about the change that they have experienced that they simply want to tell the people that mean the most to them what Jesus has done in their life and to let them know that they have the opportunity to experience the same sort of transformation.
This is one more reason why it is beneficial for us to “look back”. It is not enough to simply look back at what Jesus did for us in regeneration, we must also look back to those early days of our walk with Him and remember the immense joy, peace and excitement that we possessed as a result of our conversion.
I vividly remember the night that I was saved. I walked out of the church and told every person I came in contact with what had happened in my life. Then, I went home and called the people who were most precious to me and shared the good news with them. The excitement that I possessed was truly like “walking on air”. If you have been born again, you probably have a similar story.
Tragically, over time many Christians begin to lose that zeal and passion for telling others about the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Life happens, problems arise, priorities become misplaced, our focus becomes skewed and our spiritual flame becomes an ember.
What about you? Do you remember a time when you were passionate about sharing your testimony? Do you remember when you possessed and intense desire to see lost people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ? Would you be honest enough to admit that it has been far too long since you shared your faith with someone? If so, then it would be greatly beneficial for you to pause and look back. As strange as it may sound, looking back could be the key for your to move forward in your responsibility to be a witness for Jesus.
- It is beneficial for us to look back at our transformation by Jesus and our testimony for Jesus, as we move further into the text we will see that it is also beneficial for us to look back at:
OUR TIME WITH JESUS
You may be surprised to learn that the Bible has very little to say about the life of Matthew. The only details that we are given about this man are found in the verses concerning his initial call by Jesus. There is no record of any sermon that he preached; nor are we told of any specific miracle that he performed. We know that he did in fact preach the gospel and perform miracles based on what we read in Matthew 10:5-8; there Jesus sent out the Twelve and said,
“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
Matthew informs us of much of his time spent with Jesus, however, he goes to great lengths to ensure that Jesus is the focus of our attention and not himself. As a former tax collector, Matthew was well equipped to keep detailed records of events. In his past occupation it was necessary for him to keep thorough records concerning the taxes he received from the citizens. Once he began following Jesus, instead of keeping tax records, he documented the life and ministry of the Savior.
Every Christian in this assembly is indebted to this former tax collector named Matthew. So much of what we know about our Savior is because of Matthew’s detailed Gospel account. In this Gospel that bears his name, Matthew tells us of Jesus’ family lineage and chronicles His birth. He gives us a brief account of the Lord’s early life including the visit of the Magi, His families flight into Egypt, and settling in Nazareth. He describes the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism, temptation in the wilderness, and the commencement of His earthly ministry.
Matthew covers the amazing teaching, authoritative preaching, and miraculous healings performed by the Savior. He tells of the call of the Disciples and presents a word for word transcript of The Sermon on the Mount and The Olivet Discourse. With his knowledge of Jewish History, Matthew presents numerous prophecies concerning the Messiah that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ, thus proving that He is indeed the Promised One of God. He gives us a vivid record of the events of Christ’s Passion and many important details concerning His Resurrection.
It is because of Matthew that we know the Great Commission. His Gospel closes with Jesus command for His people to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”. (Matthew 28:19-20)
When Matthew penned his Gospel, he was presenting an eyewitness testimony of his time with Jesus. Though his testimony began at the tax office when Jesus said, “follow Me”, that was only the beginning. Matthew’s testimony for Christ involved all of those years that He walked with Jesus before and after His death, resurrection and ascension.
Likewise, our testimony involves far more than our conversion experience. Our testimony involves every step taken with Jesus until the day that we draw our last breath. I love to hear a new believer tell of how Jesus saved their soul and changed their life. But I am far more impressed by someone who has been walking with Jesus for many years and can tell me how He has been faithful through every trouble, trial and tribulation that has occurred in their life since they surrendered to Him.
Like Matthew, each of us has a story to tell about Jesus Christ. This story begins with our transformation by Jesus, it involves our testimony for Jesus and describes our time with Jesus. Though it may sound strange and even contradictory, sometimes it is necessary for us to look back in order to move forward. It can be beneficial for us to look back at where we were and how God has brought us to where we are. If we will do this, it may be just what we need to reclaim that passion, and excitement that we possessed as a new Christian.
- There is one final truth that I would like to consider about the benefit of looking back and that is:
OUR TRIUMPH IN JESUS
As Christians, we are not a people who will experience victory one day in the future. We are in Christ and we possess victory here and now. Paul said in Colossians 3:1, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory”. We have been crucified with Christ, we have been raised with Christ, we are currently abiding in Christ, and one day we will appear with Him in glory.
While we certainly look forward to that day when the Lord returns and gathers His Elect, we must also look back to the Cross and the price that was paid to make salvation possible. Furthermore, we must look back to the day when Jesus came to us and said, “follow Me”. Moreover, we must look back at our time walking with the Savior and remember the victory and abundant life that we have been able to experience along the way.
If you will remember where He has brought you from and imagine where you would be if He had not called your name, then you will clearly see that your triumph in Christ is not some distant, yet to be fulfilled promise, it is a present and permanent possession.
It is commonly accepted that Matthew died as a martyr for the cause of Christ but we do not know for sure. Various accounts say that that he was beheaded, stoned, burned, or stabbed, while others claim that he died of natural causes. Regardless of the manner of his death, Matthew experienced the ultimate victory and was ushered into the presence of his Savior.
This is a promise that each of us possess as followers of Jesus Christ. We are assured that “this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory, O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:53-57)
Knowing our present victory and future triumph, we should be just as excited about our relationship with Jesus as we were the moment He called us out and said, “follow Me”.
Conclusion:
It is estimated that Matthew’s Gospel was written some 30 years after the death of Christ. As he dipped his quill into the ink and began writing his account of the life of Christ, there is no way that Matthew could have known how God would use his testimony to literally reach the world with the Gospel. In the same way, there is no way for you to know how your testimony of your transformation by Jesus and your time with Jesus will impact others.
In closing, I would like to issue a challenge to every person in this building today. I encourage you to go home and take a piece of paper and do exactly what Matthew did, write a detailed account of your conversion. (It doesn’t have to be a 28-chapter book. Matthew’s personal testimony only took a couple of verses of this entire book).
- There are three great benefits that could come from you accepting this challenge:
First of all, when you begin to look back, you will be reminded of that wonderful day when Jesus transformed you your life. This may be the catalyst that is needed to reignite that passion that may have begun to decline in your life.
Secondly, writing out your personal testimony will be a treasure that your children can keep with them long after you are gone. Leaving behind a legacy of faith is far more important than any material possession that you have.
Finally, it may be that some of you go home and attempt to write your testimony and then realize that you have never truly been born again. If so, then your copy can begin with “On June the 9th, 2024 Jesus came to me and said “follow Me”.
I don’t know where you are in your walk with Christ today, but I do know from personal experience that sometimes you have to look back before you can move forward. May we pause and remember: Our Transformation By Jesus, Our Testimony For Jesus, Our Time With Jesus and Our Triumph In Jesus, for these are “The Benefits Of Looking Back”.
