“Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who has a heaven for everybody, but a hell for none; a God who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible there is no God at all.”
Prayer
Follow His Call
Mark 2:17
[17] And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Why did Jesus come?
Mark 2:17
[17] And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 19:9-10
[9] And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Here’s the story thus far in Mark.
Jesus arrives on the scene
Jesus gets baptized (as an example for us)
Jesus is tempted in the desert
Jesus calls disciples
Jesus casts out demons
Jesus heals the sick
Jesus preaches
Jesus cleanses a leper
Jesus heals a paralytic (the guy dropped down through the ceiling)
He heals his sins, remember? Your sins are forgiven, before he tells him to get up and walk.
We now pick up the story here in Mark 2……..
Mark 2:13-17
Jesus Calls Levi
[13] He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. [14] And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
[15] And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. [16] And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [17] And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
—————
Let’s notice what’s going on here in the passage.
Jesus is out by the sea. (He goes out there because of the large crowd)
The crowd comes to find him.
This is a pattern we see with Jesus that the goes out to the wilderness (withdrawing from the city)
As he passes by he sees Levi (a tax collector) and says “follow me”
Capernum is a military post for the Romans and is also a customs post, a trade route
Levi is smart, there’s money to be had here
Tax collectors are hated.
They are seen as traitors.
They skim off the top.
They work for Herod and the Romans.
And Jesus picks one to follow him.
Why? We will get to that…..
Next we have Jesus reclining at the table in Levi’s house.
Levi has wasted no time after his conversion…he’s helping others find Jesus.
Recline to eat.
Eating together is a big deal.
Bigger than baptists eating together.
“Eating a meal together meant something in Jesus’ world that it does not mean today in the West. Hospitality was a sacred duty in the ancient Near East. When someone invited someone else to eat with him, he was extending a pledge of loyalty and protection to that person. To accept an invitation to dinner implied a willingness to become a close friend of the host.”
there are many tax collectors and sinners here
rough crowd
I’m no Jesus…but how would it look on the surface if you saw me down here at the bar “witnessing”?
easy to jump to conclusions, right?
how about witnessing to a questionably dressed lady on the street or a drug dealer?
So we have to think before we’re so judgmental right?
He gets us…foot washing ..have you seen the ad? It was on during the super bowl. Some controversy around that.
So easy though to sit here today and cast judgment on each side. The overly pious or the overly liberal?
Let’s not get caught up in that. Let’s see what the passage is teaching us.
Jesus is clearly calling people unto himself, right?
Jesus is no respecter of persons, right? (Anyone is welcome at the table, Levi)
If we stop there, it feels one sided to me. Like we’re saying it’s okay to live any old way. Even though some might say that….it’s wrong.
Like we read from JC Ryle earlier
“Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not ; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who as a heaven for every body, but a hell for none; a God who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible there is no God at all.”
What he’s saying is all are welcome to come. There is none righteous enough on their own merit. (That’s scriptural).
He’s saying anyone can come……then “follow me”.
Oh…then what does follow me mean? Glad you asked.
Matthew 16:24-26
[24] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
“It costs something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run. Conversion is not putting a person in an arm-chair and taking them easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory.” J. C. Ryle
“Christianity a noun not a verb (e.g. it’s not what we do….it’s who we are)”
So instead of worries about the overly religious or the overly sinful and the differences our passage is about a call to follow Jesus.
Pastor, I’ve already made a decision a long time ago. I walked the aisle when I was 12.
Glad you did!!! The angels rejoiced when you did!
However; there’s more to the NT and all of scripture than a get out of hell free card. Do you understand that? Following is for a lifetime
Matthew 4:19
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 19:21
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Matthew 10:38
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Matthew 8:22
And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Luke 9:23
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
John 12:26
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:31-32
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
——————-
Here’s what I’m driving at.
It’s not a guilt trip. I cannot name to you how many times you should serve at a homeless shelter, nor can I tell you how much money to give to orphans, nor how many times a day to read your bible, but I can tell you what scripture clearly tells us that our lives should look like.
We are to not fear nor worry
We are to pray without ceasing
We see where the widow gave two mites and it was all she had
We see where Jesus tells Peter he should forgive 70 times 7
Right?
We see these principles over and over of the lavish love of Jesus towards us. We cannot out give or out love him, right?
We’re not trying to earn love, nor earn a crown, nor impress God and oh by the way…it’s not easy. We have to lean into grace driven change in our lives. Ultimately it means that we can “associate with sinners and it not change us…but help to change them by the power of the Holy Spirit”
What good would a doctor be who only hangs out with the people who are well?
Paul says it this way.
Romans 12:9-21
Marks of the True Christian
[9] Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. [10] Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. [11] Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. [12] Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. [13] Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
[14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. [17] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18] If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” [20] To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Follow Him
