A PERSONAL CALL TO FOLLOW JESUS
Luke 5:27-32
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. Luke 5:27 ESV
Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Luke 20:22-25 ESV
”Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Malachi 3:8-10 ESV
Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Luke 3:12-13 ESV
And he said to him, “Follow me.” Luke 5:27 ESV
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 ESV
A Personal Response To Follow Jesus
And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. Luke 5:28 ESV
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. Matthew 9:9 ESV
In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Luke 6:12-16 ESV
A Community Celebration To Meet Jesus
And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. Luke 5:29 ESV
An Objection To Sinners Being With Jesus
And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Luke 5:30 ESV
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Luke 5:31 ESV
How effective will a hospital be if they don’t let sick people come in?
How effective will our church be if we don’t let sinning people come in?
A Purpose To Bring The Good News Of Jesus
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32 ESV
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 ESV
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 ESV