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Introduction
Good morning and welcome back!
This morning we will be continuing our Journey Through Matthew looking at the subject of Sinners and Wineskins on the backdrop of if you would like to start finding that in your Bibles.
We will cover verses 9-13 this morning and then return tonight to look at 14-17.
Last week we witnessed another great miracle performed by Jesus as he healed the paralytic both spiritually and physically.
And in the process of this healing he left the townspeople in awe but also angered the Jews a great deal.
And we talked last week how these last few passages give us some good insight into the minds and motivation behind the plot that eventually led to the death of Jesus.
And this morning’s passage is really no different.
We are going to see yet another instance in which Jesus has a confrontation with the Jews and calls them out on their hypocrisy and their own sinfulness.
Also, just like the other passages, this one is also outlined in and and the narratives almost mirror one another.
So, this morning we are going to primarily be in .
So, if you have found in your Bible, I’d invite you to stand with me as I read verses 9-17.
Matthew writes . . .
Scripture Focus
Eating with the Tax Man!
So, we start out here immediately after the incident with Jesus healing the paralytic and his confronting the Jews for harboring evil in their hearts, or rather sin in their hearts.
And if you recall the thing about this harboring of evil or sin was that it kept the Jews from seeing the truth about Jesus.
Their own pride and selfishness got in the way of them seeing Jesus for who Jesus really was.
They were unwilling to give up their sin and unwilling to turn their lives over to God and the result was this growing resentment and hatred toward Jesus.
And the reality is, even though we may not realize it, sometimes we do the same thing.
The Holy Spirit is with us, convicting us of our sin and the areas in which God wants access and instead of allowing God the needed access to our lives we shut God out.
We become resistant and bitter toward God.
Its almost if we are being “pestered” by God and want Him to just leave us alone.
To just go away and let us live our lives!
If we are like that this morning, then I have to tell you, you are harboring sin in your heart and if you do not allow God to deal with it, it will ruin you and destroy your soul and your eternity.
reminds us that . . .
And I bring that up because it is pride that causes us to reject God and make the determination in our mind that we do not need God.
Also, James teaches us that . . .
James 1:
Do you see the progression there?
First, we harbor this sin in our heart, then enters temptation.
If Jesus is not in our heart we give in to that temptation and are dragged away from God and wind up in sin.
And the end result of sin, as we know is death.
Not physical death but spiritual death.
Eternal separation of the soul from God.
Hell.
That’s the result of continuing to harbor sin in our hearts.
So, make no mistakes, we had better be examining ourselves today as to what is really in our heart.
And Jesus in our narrative here, almost adds insult to injury for these Jews.
The passage again starts out . . .
Matthew 9:9
Now, Mark and Luke call him Levi, but Matthew and Levi are the same person.
But as Jesus is leaving the paralytic and the Jews, he sees Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.
Now, let’s just put it in perspective, does anybody like paying taxes?
Does anybody like the “IRS?”
Tax collecting in Jesus’ day was 100 times worse than it is today.
In the Jews eyes, the tax collector was just a few steps away from Satan himself.
The Jews hated them.
And the reason they hated them is because they viewed the tax collector as a traitor to their own people.
Tax collectors were Jews who contracted with the Romans to collect the taxes for the government.
So #1, these are Jews conspiring with the Roman government, who remember were an occupying force who had taken the Jews land and people.
#2, these guys were as crooked as the river is long.
They would collect taxes from the Jews, but instead of collecting the amount the Romans had determined they would take a little extra and keep for themselves.
For instance, instead of 6% they would take 10% and pocket the other 4%.
And the Jewish people couldn’t do anything about it because if they did, the tax collector would keep it all and tell the Romans the person didn’t pay their taxes.
And, #3, since these tax collectors were hated by their own people and viewed as traitors and sinners anyway, they figured if the shoe fit wear it, so they were usually vulgar, sneaky, sinful people.
So, in the Jews mind, Jesus didn’t have any business even talking to Matthew unless he was going to condemn him for his sin.
But that’s not what Jesus did is it?
No, instead Jesus comes up to Matthew and simply tells him follow me.
And the amazing thing about this is that Matthew knew in his heart who Jesus was because, he didn’t argue, he didn’t refuse, he didn’t tell Jesus he was crazy and to quit “pestering him.”
No, the Bible tells us that Matthew simply got up and followed him.
No questions, no argument, nothing.
He simply obeyed Christ.
And the sticking point was, here this guy was, dismissed as a dirty sinner by all the religious people, was the only one who knew who Jesus was and was willing to obey him.
Which also brings up a couple of points.
#1-Don’t let anyone tell you you are not good enough
The devil will try to tell you that you are not “good enough” or that you have done “too much wrong” or that “God doesn’t want you.
Lie after lie after lie, to try and draw you away from Christ.
The reality is God wants you.
God wants us all.
If we really believe that God casts our sins as far as east is from the west.
That when we accept Christ, we are new creations,
Then we must understand that God can use anybody, and does so long as they are willing.
God takes us as we are, who we are and transforms us, if we allow Him.
Which is exactly what is going to happen here.
God is going to take one willing, dirty old, sinner and turn him into one of the greatest disciples to ever live.
And God can do the exact same thing with each and every one of us, if we are willing.
If, when he says follow me, we get up and follow.
So, don’t believe the lies, believe God.
#2-Religion isn’t going to get you anywhere.
What matters is whether you know Jesus or not.
We have a lot of people in this world that think if they belong to a certain denomination they are going to get to heaven.
Or, if they take membership in a church.
Or, if they get baptized.
Or, if they follow the Manual.
Or, if they do this or do that.
All of those things are great, but all of those things are things that will come as part of a changed heart after a person accepts Jesus.
When you accept Jesus, you will want to be baptized because the Bible says we should.
You will want to join a church because it gives you a sense of family, a place to belong.
You may want to be attached to a certain denomination because you like their doctrine, but I will caution you not to get too caught up or too legalistic in doctrines.
Because doctrines are man’s interpretation of God’s Word.
Some are good some are not.
And you may find yourself wanting to
Just be sure you are following the Bible first and doctrine second.
#3-Just knowing who Jesus is, isn’t enough either, you had better be willing to obey Him as well.
And this is a very big sticking point as well.
There are a lot of people in the world who know who Jesus is.
There are a lot of Atheists who know who Jesus is.
There are also a lot of people sitting in church pews who know who Jesus is.
You can know all there is to know about Jesus, the question remains, do you actually know Jesus?
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