Luke 5:27-32

[0:00] So we'll pick up in verse 27 of Luke chapter 5 says, And after these things he went forth and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the receipt of custom and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house. And there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against the disciples saying, Why do you even drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. That's all we'll read down to. So again, here at the beginning of this chapter we have Jesus calling on the first disciples. Now folks, this is a little bit beyond really the first disciples. We have to think of this as the beginning of the church in its most literal form. These were the first followers really of Jesus Christ. He had brothers and he had sisters we know from the gospels. And I mean, I'm talking blood brothers through his through his mother that didn't even follow him. But he calls these disciples to follow him. He calls Peter and calls Matthew here and these people they follow him. Peter of course being a fisherman, but he follows along with the call comes. Then we have the healing of a leper and we have the healing of the man with palsy. And then as Jesus is walking through, it says after these things he went forth and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the receipt of custom. And he said unto him follow me. And we got to keep in mind here that a publican was looked down upon not only by the Roman government whom he worked for. He collected taxes for the Roman government.

[2:10] And but he was looked down upon because he was a Jew and the Romans didn't like the Jews, didn't like anything about the Jews, didn't like their customs, didn't like their God, didn't like anything about them. But not only was he looked down upon by the Romans and the Roman government, he was looked down upon by his own people, by the Jewish people because he worked for the Roman government. Now it's well known that that the publicans when they collected these taxes, a lot of times they would overcharge their own people, they would overcharge on the taxes, and they would pocket the profits themselves. And that's one of the reasons they were looked down upon by the Jewish people. Another reason is the Jewish people saw them as traders to their own race, to their own culture, to their own people. So not only was this man looked down upon by the Romans, he was looked down upon by the Jews, he was looked down upon by Jew and Gentile a lot.

[3:11] And folks, that's one of the most amazing aspects of the call of Levi here. He was a despised man, he was a despised person, his own people, his own family, the Jews, they didn't like him, the Roman government, they didn't like him. No one was on this man's side. But yet as he sat at the receipt of custom, which was the place where the taxes were collected, as he sat in this place, there was one that came by, saw him in his despised state, saw him as a hated person.

[3:46] Hey, Jesus himself was a Jew, was he not? Jesus being of the Jewish race of people, Jesus looked over there and he didn't see a man that had betrayed his own people. Jesus could have looked around at anyone that was around him at that point and said, these people are going to betray me. These people are going to come against me. These people are not going to let me come to the end of this whole thing. But he looked over it at Levi or Matthew and what did he say? He said, follow me, two very simple words, but folks, when it comes to Jesus Christ and it comes to salvation, it's simple, it's as simple as the call that God gave unto Levi here. Hey, he was the same God 2,000 years ago that called Matthew as he called me 11 years ago in Bristol, Virginia, when he looked down toward me, saw me in a despised state, saw me in a miserable condition, saw me as a person that was hated by some, that was loved by others, but he saw me in the state that I was in and he said, follow me, that call goes out unto everyone. He says, follow me, come with me, come after me, are different ways that it's free inside of the Gospels, but it all means the same thing it means, take up your cross, come my way, come the way that I have prepared for you, come and follow me, that's what he said unto Matthew, Matthew seemingly immediately, it says here in verse 28, he left all, rose up and fall, there was no delay, oh Matthew, I've heard stories, you've heard stories, it may be part of your testimony that God had to chase you, had to chase me, had to chase some people, maybe for hours, maybe for days, maybe for weeks, but when God puts that call upon you, you cannot get away from God, when the call comes to follow me, he will chase you, he will, he'll track you down, go with you wherever you're at, I remember my conversion in the couple of days before it, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, all the hell my mind was my goodness, could I have been wrong about this for all of these years, could I have been wrong about my doubting God and doubting the Bible, God chased me from Sunday morning to Tuesday morning when I finally hit my knees and he saved my soul, but it all started with two very simple little words, follow me, is that precisely what he said, honestly I don't remember, but it was the same way, it was the same situation as it was here with Matthew, he saw me in a state I could do nothing on my own, I could do nothing about my sin, I could do nothing about the people rejecting me,

[7:02] I could do nothing except for follow Jesus Christ and there's an entire world of people out there right now that are that are sitting back in the race and I preached it this morning, I said there's people out there now that are that are saying I'll get saved in my own time, I'll get saved when I decide to get saved, no we'll get saved when that call comes into our life, when God gets a hold of our heart, God breaks our heart with the gospel of Jesus Christ shows us that we are all sinners and that we all deserve to burn in hell forever and ever, but that Jesus Christ is the only way out of that mess, he's the only way out of that judgment and the only way out of that condemnation when that happens and the Holy Ghost of God gets a hold of our heart then we can get saved, but there's folks out there that have been chased by God, that have been shown by God, that have had their hearts ripped apart with the gospel of Jesus Christ and they say that cross is too heavy for me to bear, I've sinned too much for God to save me, Matthew was despised by his own people, despised by the Gentiles, he was despised by everyone except for Jesus Christ and we're in no different boat, I know my wife loves me and I love her and I don't know y'all have had spouses, you've had family members, you've had friends that you love and they return that love, but when it comes down to the way and especially in the lost world, especially to those that know not Jesus

[8:45] Christ, when it comes down to that way will they really be there by your side, would they really be there for you now, I think that my wife would and I know that I would for her and y'all I'm sure would say the same thing about your spouses and about your children and your grandchildren and nephews and nieces and everyone else and I understand I'm talking about lost people though Matthew was sitting there in a lost state in a lost state that he could do nothing about and the only one that would come his way I'd say that's the only Jew that spoke nicely under Matthew for years, however long he had been collecting taxes for the Roman government was probably however long it was since a Jew had spoken kindly under this man and all it took was two words follow me and Matthew property was doing and he went with Jesus that's what we should have done now I said God he might have chased us for a while the boy you gotta hold me and I hope you gotta hold everybody here

[9:53] Levi made him a great feast in his own house and there was a great company of publicans and others that sat down with him who was this great company what was Matthew he was a publican who was in this company publican folks and I was actually just talking about tonight before service I still keep in contact with a lot of mechanics although I ain't been I worked on cars for a living in 10 years now over 10 years now but I still know some hey whatever your occupation is that tends to be the people that you know Missy worked in the medical office for years and she knows people that work out in the medical field she worked in a bank for years she still knows people that work in the banking industry wherever it is our occupation is that tends to be in the crowd of people that we keep up with the crowd of people that we make friends with here we have not only publicans but centers the publicans were considered to be the lowest of the low they were considered to be the scum that's at the bottom of the barrel and here's Matthew it says he prepared a great feast for hey what was his what was his occasion what was the meaning of this feast that he prepared the man had been called by Jesus Christ to follow him hey if there is another thing on the face of the planet that we should be happy about that we should express joy about it is the call of God in our life to be one of his children to be a follower of him to do his bidding to do his will just to know that Almighty God wants something to do with us is enough to cause merriment and joy in our lives so he prepares a feast he prepared for Jesus publicans sinners invite him on and do you think Matthew knew what kind of man this was I think he had a decent idea maybe not immediately but this feast wouldn't have been immediate he would have traveled around with Jesus just at least for the day and followed him wherever it was that he went but he prepared this feast and prepared it for Jesus says he prepared it for him prepared for himself publicans and sinners you think he wanted these other publicans and these sinners to meet this

[12:18] Jesus I think that's part of his plan I think that was part of his plan hey folks let me tell you now if you ain't got it in your heart if you got no desire to see other people saved you've never been saved yourself if grace has no place in your heart if you don't want to share the grace of Almighty God you have no grace of Almighty God about you I think that Matthew here I think he was wanting to share his testimony I think he was wanting to share this great thing that happened to him and he prepared this feast for these publicans and sinners and for Jesus to be there I'm sure the disciples were there everyone was there and I think that he wanted to share the good things of Jesus Christ with his friends hey when I got saved I was telling everybody that I got saved I was calling people I hadn't talked to in five or ten years telling them hey I met Jesus he came to where I was at and found me precisely what Jesus did with Matthew here he didn't wait oh

[13:22] Matthew to come to him he went to where Matthew was and I want to share that with everybody Jesus found me Jesus found me I was lost and now I'm saved he prepared a feast he prepared a feast to celebrate he prepared a feast it may have been a going away feast hey he was leaving the people he'd worked with for who knows how long at that point maybe it was there but I think he was wanting to share Jesus too I think he's wanting to share the good news that had happened to him and the good things that had happened to him but regardless it was a cause for joy it was a cause for celebration and folks I think the only time that we read about such things happening in the scripture when you read the the the parable that Jesus speaks about the prodigal son what happened when the prodigal son after he done gotten his part of the inheritance went off in the world went into a far country blew all this money wound up eating the corn husk in the pig pens of the world and he came back to the father hey his brother said why are we treating him this way why don't we kill the fatty cat why are we doing this why are you giving him your room why are you giving him your ring why have you done these things what did the father say he said my son who was dead is alive he was lost now he's found this is a cause for us to be married it's a cause for us to be happy and leave I was practicing this here before that parable was ever even spoke he was already practicing this is something especially in ancient culture that's where fellowship took place was at the table fellowship took place and folks up until in terms of years up until recent times in american homes fellowship took place around the supper table did it not until recent years recent decades I could even say until then it took place there at my house when my boys were growing up no cell phones at the table everybody sat at the table we didn't go off to our separate rooms we didn't some of us go to the bed and some of us go to the bedroom to eat we all sat around the table and we ate I found out what they've been doing all day they found out what I've been doing all day hey that was the time for fellowship that was the time for catching up with one another's lives and this for Matthew it was a time for fellowship yes it was a time a fellowship with publicans it was a time of fellowship with sinners it was a time for fellowship with these others that have been called by Jesus Christ it was a fellowship with everyone that knew who Levi was but regardless it was a time for fellowship but it says there's there were scribes and Pharisees murmured against the disciples saying why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners now keep in mind it says they murmured against the disciples not against Jesus uh himself it was against the disciples of Jesus Christ but they asked the disciples why are you feasting with these people it says why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners and Jesus Jesus didn't give the disciples time to answer oh no Jesus said they that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick I came out to call the roaches but sinners to repentance they that are whole need not a physician what was Jesus saying here I mean it's not that hard to read between the lines really there's no lines to read between says they that are whole need not a physician in other words you Pharisees you think that you're all right you think that you're fine remember the Pharisees they were they were the sect of people that that that prided themselves on following the law and not only the law that Almighty God gave they added under God's law they added all these ceremonial things that aren't even part of scripture and they they prided themselves on that and they looked down upon other people for not doing those things and they asked the disciples why are you eating and drinking with these sinners and Jesus has to do them themselves and he said they that are whole need have no need of a physician in other words hey if you think you're so righteous if you think you're so holy if you think that you don't need me then that's fine but they that are sick they are the ones that are in need of a physician post it holds true to this very day and this very hour that we are in now there are people in the world now that think that they're fine with God they think that they're in good standing with God and those are the hardest people to get through with the gospel too that's the hardest people for the gospel to print their hearts and show them what kind of state that they are in the people that think they are saved and they are not these Pharisees we're part of those people and Jesus put them in place here yeah says they that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick

[18:37] I came not to call the roaches but sinners to repentance people say all the time you've heard it and I've heard it well Jesus he hung out with sinners he did Jesus turned water into wine he did yeah Jesus done this and Jesus done that one of my favorites is God made weed we've all heard that ain't we he must have made it for a purpose if he made it hey folks don't twist the scriptures don't twist the scriptures how much of so really androchously do we read about in the scriptures yeah how much of that do we find in the scriptures I find I find quite a bit of it and not only in those exact words but I also see it hinted at in other scriptures I see it alluded to in other scriptures not just in those exact words but scripture upon scripture speaks against those things the Bible says that wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging the Bible says all kinds of bad things about things that people justify in their own lives and people say well God has done this and God has done that let me tell you what God came to do he stated it here in Luke chapter 5 he came not to call the roaches but he came to call sinners to repentance hey there wasn't a whole life that he could do with those Pharisees because they were righteous in their own eyes and Jesus knew they were going to be a hard they were going to be hard to reach but this this public in here

[20:10] Levi he went to where he was and he knew that Levi would heed the call he went there and said follow me and Levi did exactly that why was that because Levi recognized his sin Levi knew how low down and knew how dirty and knew how filthy he was therefore he hated the call of the gospel but those that are already righteous and their own minds those are hard to reach and notice he said I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance sinners to repentance yeah that includes you whether you like it or not and that includes me whether I like it or not he came to call sinners to repentance not to sanction their sin not to say okay this sin's okay but this one isn't not to say your mom was seeing or your daddy's sin or grandma and grandpa sin might have been worse than yours but I'll let you slide with yours folks there was a time that

[21:18] God winked at that ignorance according to the book of Acts he winked at that type of ignorance but now he calls all men unto repentance all men that includes preachers that includes teachers that includes deacons singers that includes everybody that includes lay members that includes laws and that includes say he calls all men unto repentance why because all men are sinners for all of sin and come short of the glory of God all of sin yes we all deserve death we all deserve judgment we all deserve the flames of hell and people think all the time I ain't that bad of a person I've done a little bit of this and I've done a little bit of that you are a sinner in the eyes of a holy god just as I am it don't matter how small you think your sin is or how small I think mine is we are sinners in the eyes of a holy and just God and we must stand before that holy and just God one of these days when we stand before him it will be the same God that called Levi to repentance that called Levi to follow him that called Levi and Levi gladly accepted that calling and when he accepted it he saw it as an occasion for joy and to be happy and to celebrate with his friends why because the Savior of the entire world had called him to follow him it's the same God yeah same call and the same reason the call Matthew was a sinner Levi was a sinner and he needed salvation folks and Levi was no different than Peter he was no different than anybody that was called in scripture than anybody that was elected in scripture David was chosen of God was he not when he went to Bethlehem or when Samuel went to Bethlehem and he went to Jesse's house and he called for Jesse's boys and each one of them that paraded there in front of him he said no not this one and no not that one and no not that one and no not this one he said do you have any more son he said well I've got one more he's down there watching the sheet I got one more boy but he's a little ruddy boy I don't know if you're interested in him or not to bring him up here they brought David up there and God said that's the one you break that horn of all and you pour it over his head that's the one that I Almighty God have chosen to lead my people man had nothing to do with that decision Samuel had nothing to do with it Samuel was doing nothing more than what God told him to but when David received that call what did he do he's the only man in scripture that scripture that describes as a man after God's own heart yes David had sin and yes David sin was great but he was no different than any of the rest of us folks God came to save sinners God said hey hey this wasn't just a celebration because Levi had been asked to follow or been told I should say to follow Jesus Christ it wasn't just a celebration of that folks that was a celebration that was a soul that was rescued out of hell that was a soul rescued out of eternal judgment that was a soul that was rescued from the punishment that it deserved that's why there is call for celebration that's why the Bible says that the very angels rejoice at the repenting of one person why the world doesn't the church here on earth rejoice when we hear about a soul being saved by God when angels are doing it when angels rejoice the church should rejoice as well why because we just gave the brother and sister in Christ we did that's one more soul that's not going to go to hell that's one more soul that is repenting that is taking up their cross that has followed Jesus what did Jesus say he said he said uh when the when uh the came the came after him said what must

[25:20] I do there's a rich young ruler he came to him and he said hey I follow the law I've done this I've done that Jesus said did you like a style one thing he said take all your goods sell them and give unto the poor and take up your cross and follow me take up your cross and follow me what else did Jesus say he said if any man's not willing to take up his cross and follow him he is not worthy of him he is not worthy of Jesus Christ there's people all over the church world now there's people in churches every Sunday and every Wednesday and every Thursday there's people in revival meetings all across the region there's people that say oh Jesus Christ Jesus Christ saw me as worthy no Jesus Christ saw you as something that he could redeem you were worthless you were useless you were nothing you were nothing more than a ball of sand that Jesus looked down and said I shed my blood to do something with as I shared my blood to redeem this and only when you are redeemed it's the only time that God can use you oh man that's the only time now you might look back in the old testament he said well God used Pharaoh and he did Pharaoh was never redeemed but he used him for what for his own glory oh yeah God used Pharaoh hardened Pharaoh's heart for for God's own glory folks there's so many lessons so many lessons can be taught just out of the calling of Matthew oh yeah just out of that one calling just I said six or seven verses there the folks the the main thing is the last line that when Jesus says I came not to call the roaches but sinners to repentance that's the purpose that Jesus Christ came he came yes he taught while he was here and yes he preached while he was here hey what was the first thing Jesus Christ ever preached according to the mat the gospel of Matthew the first word the man ever preached was repent said repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is a hand the same words that John the Baptist preached just before Jesus did it was the exact same words repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is a hand he tells us what to do told those Jews what to do it passports to us what we are to do and it also tells us why for the kingdom of heaven is a hand that's why we repent it becomes the kingdom of heaven is nigh hey the start of that kingdom was right here with Peter right here with Levi right here with Andrew with all of them that was the beginning of that kingdom comes the kingdom of God is set up in men's hearts it is set up in men's hearts Christ is the king of that kingdom but the kingdom itself is set up with that man