Mark 2:13–17 (ASV)
13And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the place of toll, and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
15And it came to pass, that he was sitting at meat in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
16And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
Introduction:
-The Gospel of Mark does not start with the birth or upbringing of Christ
-Mark’s Gospel starts out with Jesus fully grown.
-Baptized by John the Baptist who was the forerunner or the announcer for Christ.
-Once Jesus Is baptized we find the book of Mark taking us right into Jesus ministry..casting out demons, healing the sick, teaching in the synagogue….
- Mark 1:21 The Demons cry out: what do we have to do with you? (Leave us alone)
- Mark 1:30 Simon’s Mother In Law had a fever
- Mark 1:39 He went into all the synagogues in Galilee preaching and casting out demons
——>Jesus was different: WHY?
Because He was not just an ordinary man, He was God in flesh!
-Even DEMONS recognized who he was!
-And He did not even suffer the demons to SPEAK!
——>Jesus shows us the formula of how effective ministry is to be done:
Teaching + Demonstration
-It’s one thing to talk about this Jesus thing, but it’s WHOLE DIFFERENT story when you have a TESTIMONY!
-It’s not enough to just know the Word, but to also LIVE the Word.
-Testimony is the PROOF of the the WORD in your life!
-People can debate this Gospel, but they can’t argue with EVIDENCE!
Effective ministry will have a HEALTHY BALANCE of both.
1.)The Call
Jesus Calls Matthew: (Levi) the Publican
-Matthew is at the toll (tax booth) working for the Romans…
-Tax collectors got a bad rap because, they were charging Galilean people taxes on land that belonged to them!
In the eyes of the self-righteous tax collectors were traitors!
And Jesus extended an invitation and said Follow Me.
Notice: Jesus didn’t PERSONALLY ask everybody to follow Him, but this one day at Levi is on the clock and the LORD says “follow me.”
Matthew got up, left his job and followed Christ.
2.)The Meal
Mark 2:15–16
15And it came to pass, that he was sitting at meat in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
16And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
The disciples and Jesus are eating at Matthew’s home, and it’s a mixed bag.
-Matthew co-workers there (publicans), sinners are there, the disciples are there and the self righteous scribes and know it all Pharisees questioning the disciples:
“How can he sit down and eat and drink with them? Tax collectors and sinners?”
“-Yall be eating with them?”
——>>>The scribes and Pharisees were looking for a different Messiah.
They wanted a King that would wage war against Rome and call down armies and legions of angels
3.)The Purpose
Mark 2:17
17And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
-They wanted to Christ that was going to enter the world and punish EVERYONE ELSE (Rome).
-Jesus INSTEAD recognizes that this is an INSIDE ISSUE for Israel. They need
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