WHEN JESUS CALLS YOUR NAME
Luke 5:27-32
In life there are certain "monumental" days that we will always remember. Such as: The day you graduated high school, the day you started college, the day that you got married, and the day your children were born. All of these are special days
But for those who have been born again, you remember a day when your life was changed eternally! You did not achieve sinless perfection, but a change takes place when a lost soul meets a loving Savoir! As the old Hymn says "What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart!"
Some of you have not experienced this change that I speak of. You are lost in your sins and you are headed for Hell. This is a devastating fact, but it is true nonetheless. If that describes you, I have good news... this could be the day that everything changes for you. This could be a day that you will never forget. This could be the day that your life is changed eternally. This could be the day that Jesus calls your name.
- I want to look to our selected text and preach on the subject "When Jesus Calls Your Name"
This passage describes the call of Levi. Jesus chose him to be one of His 12 Disciples. This was a great honor, there were many who followed Jesus, but only 12 were chosen to be Disciples. Levi (better known as Matthew) was a publican. Publicans were tax collectors for the Roman Government. Publicans were among the most hated people in those days. Many of them were corrupt and considered to be extortionists. If Rome levied a 5% tax, the publicans would charge 10% to 15% or sometimes more, and they would keep the difference for themselves.
We are not told, nor is it implied that Matthew was a dishonest tax collector. He may have been completely honest in his business dealings. Whether he was a stereotypical publican or not, Matthew was still a sinner in need of a Saviour. He did not know it, but this would be the day his life would change forever! On that day Jesus passed by and He called him to follow Him. This simple invitation changed Levi's life forever!
That is how salvation works. Matthew didn't wake up and say, I am going to follow Christ today. He didn't go looking for Jesus, Jesus sought him out. Jesus called his name and invited him to follow Him. Matthew gladly accepted that offer. He forsook all, and followed Jesus!
That is very similar to my own personal salvation experience. I did not wake up and say "I think I will give my life to Jesus today". In fact, that day started out like any other day. But when I least expected it, Jesus passed my way. He called my name and invited me to trust in Him. He offered me salvation and eternal life. And I surrendered to Him and my life has never been the same!
If you come to faith in Christ, it will happen in similar fashion. The Savoir will call your name and offer you the greatest gift you will ever receive. If you accept that gift of salvation... Jesus will change your life eternally. If you could talk to Levi today, he would tell you that from the moment he met the Master, his life was never the same.
- I want us to examine what happened the day Levi met Jesus. As we look at the events of that day, we will see what happens "When Jesus Calls Your Name"
Those who have been born again will testify that the day Jesus saved their soul was a day like no other. It is a day and an experience that you will never forget. Notice:
I. THERE IS AN INVITATION TO FOLLOW JESUS
v27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me."
Being a publican, receiving a kind word from people was probably a rare occasion. Levi wasn't expecting the long awaited Messiah to call his name, and he certainly wasn't expecting the invitation that he was about to receive.
- Notice:
A. WHERE JESUS WILL FIND YOU
Where will Jesus find you and offer you salvation? The bible proves over and over again that Jesus will come to you where you are. Jesus found Matthew at his tax booth. (v27) Perhaps he was there counting his money and reconciling the daily receipts.
It seems that Levi was dedicated to his job. He was faithful to the task that had been assigned to him. He was just an ordinary working man. In much the same way as Andrew, Peter, James and John were just common fishermen. Jesus did not seek out the scribes and theologians of the day. He didn't seek out the religious elite. He chose ordinary men who were faithful to the tasks that had been assigned them. He has continued to do so throughout church history!
- D.L. Moody was working in a shoe store when Edward Kimble led him to faith in Christ. God took Moody from that shoe store and used him to reach two continents with the Gospel.
God is still calling and using common ordinary people today.
People would have never guessed that someone like Levi would be chosen as a disciple of Christ. But Jesus had a plan for this man, and there at that tax booth, Jesus called him and simply said "follow me"
- Jesus will find you wherever you are, let's move a little farther and consider:
B. WHY JESUS WOULD CHOOSE YOU
This is a question that every child of God has asked at one point or another... "why would Jesus choose someone like me?"
There were many people following Jesus in the early days. As Jesus began to work miracles, the crowd began to grow. In this very chapter, Jesus cleansed a leper and healed a man who was sick with the palsy. Why didn't Jesus choose one of those people who were already following Him? That is a question I cannot answer. But I can tell you why Jesus chose Levi. He chose Him because he saw something special in him. Jesus didn't see what everyone else saw. He didn't see a corrupt publican. Jesus didn't see what Levi was... He saw what he could be. He saw someone who would be beneficial to the work that He had come to accomplish. No one else may have cared about this man, but Jesus saw something special in him.
Why would Jesus chose someone like you? Why would the Son of God call your name and offer you salvation? He did so because He sees something special in you. He chose you because He didn't see what you were, He saw what you could be. He chose you and He called your name because He loves you. When He called Levi He already had great plans for his future. And the same is true for you. Jesus called your name because He has a plan and a purpose for your life!
- We have seen where and why Jesus will call you, let's move on and consider:
C. HOW JESUS WILL CALL YOU
Levi's story shows us that Jesus calls us personally. When Jesus saw Levi, He simply said unto him, "follow me". That was the invitation... Levi, "leave this life and follow me and I will give you a new life".
That is exactly how Jesus calls people today. - Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Jesus was doing more than offering Levi an amazing gift....Jesus was calling him to a life of surrender. It would be necessary for him to leave his current life behind and for him to follow Jesus wherever he leads. If Matthew had not been willing, he would not have been qualified to be a Disciple of the Lord.
Remember the story of the rich young ruler? A young man came to Jesus and said "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said "if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." ....."'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' The young man said "I have all these things from my youth. What do I lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
This man missed out on salvation and eternal life because he would not surrender. There are multitudes of people in our day who refuse to surrender to Christ. They like the idea of salvation, they like the promise of eternal life, but they don't want to surrender their lives to Him. They want to go their own way, they want to live life on their terms. They want a Saviour, but they don't want a Lord. But you can't have one without the other. Jesus Christ is Lord AND He is Saviour!
- It has been said that "He is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all!"
How will you respond to Jesus? Will you accept His offer of salvation? Will you surrender your all to Him? Jesus looked at Levi and said "follow me", this was an unexpected invitation. Once the offer had been made, Levi had a choice to make.
- This leads us to the second thing I would like to consider:
II. THERE IS A PROPER RESPONSE TO JESUS' INVITATION - v28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
In 1891 A. B. Simpson wrote a hymn called "What Will You Do With Jesus?" The chorus of the song says:
"What will you do with Jesus?"
"Neutral you cannot be"
"Some day your heart will be asking"
"What will he do with me?"
When Jesus calls you, you will have to decide how to respond to Him. You do not have the option of being neutral. You must choose whether to accept Him or to reject Him. Levi chose to accept Jesus' invitation. I pray that you have done or will do the same.
- Let's see how we should respond to Jesus' invitation:
A. YOU SHOULD WILLINGLY FOLLOW JESUS
v28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
Matthew was set up with a nice government job. He had job security and a made a good living. He had a home and most likely a family. Now Jesus has called him to follow him. There is no way Matthew could have known exactly what that would mean. He didn't know how far they would go. He didn't know how long they would be away. In fact, he didn't know the risks or the troubles that they would face. He just knew that He trusted Jesus and had a desire to follow Him. So Matthew literally put his life in Jesus' hands. He forsook all and followed Him.
That is exactly what we must do. When Jesus calls, we must be willing to forsake all and follow Him. Jesus may not lead you to quit your job and move from your hometown, but then again He may do so.
I can give you many examples of people who worked their way through college, they paid multiple thousands in tuition, they put in the time, money and effort to become doctors, lawyers, dentists, optometrists and business executives. Then, when they least expected it, God called them to leave there homes, their families, their friends and their careers and to move to some foreign land and to reach an un-reached people with the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Even if God doesn't call you to a foreign mission field, He still expects you to follow Him! He has a work for you to do. That work may be right in your own backyard. Regardless of the location, He has a plan and a purpose for you. If you seek to obey Him, you must respond in the same manner as Levi. You must forsake all and follow Jesus!
- Not only should you willingly follow Jesus, it is also true that:
B. YOU SHOULD PUBLICLY CONFESS JESUS
v29 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. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Levi was not ashamed of Jesus Christ. He had no intentions of being a secret disciple. He made a feast in his house and he invited friends to meet the Lord and hear about his conversion. Levi gathered many of those corrupt publicans together and introduced them to Jesus. He also invited many other friends, neighbors and acquaintances to this feast. He was already doing the work of an evangelist.
When you really meet Jesus that seems to comes natural. When the Saviour radically transforms your life, you want to share Him with those closest to you. If you have been saved, it is your responsibility to publicly profess Christ to others.
Matthew 10:32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
- How do we profess Christ? Well, there are several ways...
1) WE PROFESS CHRIST THROUGH BAPTISM.
Jesus called on people to repent and be baptized. I am greatly concerned with anyone who professes faith in Christ but refuses to be baptized. Baptism is the first step of obedience, and we should gladly and boldly step into the waters of baptism and show others what Jesus has done in our lives!
- Also:
2) WE PROFESS CHRIST WITH OUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY.
We should regularly tell people what Jesus has done for us. We should never pass up an opportunity to share with others what Jesus has done in our life.
- It is also true that:
3) WE PROFESS CHRIST BY OUR ACTIONS.
The way we live our lives should point people toward the Saviour. Jesus said in - Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
- If you seek to respond correctly to the invitation Jesus has given you, you must willingly follow Jesus, you must publicly confess Jesus and finally we see that:
C. YOU SHOULD FAITHFULLY SERVE JESUS
From this day on, Levi followed Jesus and faithfully served Him. He was with the Saviour for over 3 years. He travelled with Him throughout the region. He heard Jesus teach, he saw Jesus work many miracles. He was commissioned as an Apostle. He preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is because of Matthew that we have one of the most comprehensive accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
He remained with Jesus throughout His time on earth, He was there after the resurrection, He was there at the ascension, He was present in the Upper Room and at Pentecost. Matthew served the Savoir for the rest of his days. It is believed that he eventually died a martyr's death. This was a man who was sold out to Jesus Christ. He received an invitation to follow Jesus and that is exactly what He did.
Many of us can remember that day when Jesus called our name as well. We accepted His invitation and from that moment on nothing has been the same.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit has convicted you of your sin and convinced you that you need a Savoir. Just like He did for Levi... Jesus may be calling your name. He is inviting you to "follow Him"!
How will you respond? Will you reject His offer of salvation? Will you risk standing before Him in Judgment? Will you risk and eternity in the Lake of Fire? Or will you surrender to Jesus? Will you follow Him? I can assure you, if you will accept His great invitation, your life will never be the same.
Romans 10:13 says that "whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved".
Trust Him today and you can spend the rest of your life rejoicing over all that happens "When Jesus Calls Your Name".
