Go Coastal: Don t waste a good party Luke 5:27-32 Introduction A time I wasted a good moment (For fun, or evangelism My wife asking me about how the

Transcription

1 Go Coastal: Don t waste a good party Luke 5:27-32 Introduction A time I wasted a good moment (For fun, or evangelism My wife asking me about how the Seahawks did the first week) Transition: Today we are going to look at this incredible call of Levi, or most of you know him as Matthew the author of the gospel of Matthew. I think there is a lot we can take away from this in our own lives in regard to evangelism. I. Jesus call to follow. Luke 5:27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, Follow me. (ESV) A. Jesus interacts with people in daily life. 1

2 1. Our mission takes place every day. 2. Levi is doing his job and God is working on Him. 3. Levi apparently has been thinking about spiritual things. 4. Never assume a person isn t thinking about spiritual things. 5. Your waiter or waitress, your check out person, your doctor or nurse, your accountant, and your neighbor. 6. God is always at work around us. God is the evangelist we join him in what He is doing. Secondly our invitation is to B. Follow Jesus. 1. We can get bogged down in so many debates. 2. Usually when a person wants to debate: 2

3 a. The hurts/sins/short-comings of the church. b. What about those that never heard the gospel? c. How can there be evil? d. Creation vs Evolution. Etc..etc. e. Or clean up their political party, or Halloween observance, movie watching. 3. I often won t sit and debate, I am looking for a heart that is ready to hear about Jesus. 4. Come and follow and let Jesus and his word take care of cleaning up a person s thinking, worldview, and even repentance of a particular sin (And sometimes that is a critical part of following Jesus a person being willing to turn from an idol or sin that they are yoked to) 5. Ultimately Repent and believe follow Jesus. He takes care of the clean-up sanctification. 3

4 Jesus called Levi to C. Be a disciple. Illustration: To understand the gravity of this, you have to understand how much the Jewish tax collectors were hated by the Jews. These were the turncoats, men that only followed money. Men with no loyalty, and certainly would not be welcomed back into Jewish community. The Jewish tax collectors were essentially Jews that franchised tax collecting for the oppressive Roman government. These are the people that if they showed up at the average American church we might ask, what are they doing here? Main Point: Any one can repent of sin and be a follower of Jesus. Anyone. There is no past of a person that we would look at and say, They can t be a disciple. Can I make you uncomfortable? 4

5 1. What if an extreme Muslim terrorist became a Christian and wanted to be part of our church? (Would that be okay). 2. What if a child sex offender repented of sin, paid their debt to society through the laws of the land and became a Christian and became a part of our church? (Proper protections around our children for the good of both parties but could they be a part of our church?) 3. What if a transgender person (Who had gender reconstruction) became a Christian, and wanted to be a part of our church? Illustration: Dog poop story. Main Point: Our evangelism can not discriminate against particular sins. We can t think that someone else s sin is some how worse than the sin that God has saved us from through the person and work of 5

6 Jesus Christ. Anyone can be saved and be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus call to follow is a D. Call to leave everything. Luke 5:28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. (ESV) Illustration: This was a man who left everything. There literally was no going back. If this Jesus thing didn t work out, there was no going back. The Jews wouldn t have him, and neither would the Romans. He was literally a man without a home. He was probably the biggest money earner of the disciples as well. But he left the job too. Fisherman could always go back to their business, but not the tax collector. He cashed out and followed Jesus. Main Point: This is what it means to follow Jesus. It is an all-in commitment. Some of you right now, are ½ in, that is not 6

7 following Jesus. Following Jesus is he gets it all: 1. Attitudes. 2. Beliefs. 3. Obedience. 4. Pocketbook. 5. Time. Also, there is nothing wrong with presenting Jesus as an all-in commitment when sharing the gospel. It is okay to encourage a person to count the commitment level, before committing. Transition: The next thing we see here is that Levi throws a party. II. Levi Party. Luke 5:29-30 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. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, Why do 7

8 you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? (ESV) A. Hangout with people that don t know Christ. 1. One of the things we tend to do as Christians is Cloister. 2. And should have close and intimate Christian friends. 3. But we also should have nonchurch going friends not that influence us to sin, but that we hope to influence to introduce to Christ. B. Invite those you know. (Don t waste a good party) 1. Introducing people to Christ was in the context of relationship. 2. He invited them to something fun. 3. He invited them at his cost. 4. It cost Levi something to invite His friends to meet Jesus. 8

9 Transition: Here are some ideas for all of us to consider developing relationship with some of the people you are praying for: C. Relationship Ideas: 1. Help your neighbor with a cleanup project. 2. Instead of doing a small group cookout everyone in your small group take a weekend and grill out for one of the people you are praying for. 3. Use your boat or pool to invite unchurched people to come over and hangout. 4. Eat at the same restaurant for a year and attempt to develop a relationship with the owner, or waiter or waitress. Finally pray for III. A heart that welcomes the gospel. Luke 5:

10 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? 31 And Jesus answered them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. (ESV) What is Jesus saying here? He is saying that only the heart of a person that sees themselves as needy will receive Jesus as a savior for their sin. A. Pharisees saw themselves as having it all together. B. They couldn t imagine with Jesus would hang around with people who didn t have it together. C. Those that think they are okay with God, do not need saving. D. It is only those that understand the Holiness and justice of God that understand that they are in a desperate place. 10

11 E. Only those that raise a hand and say, yep, I am a broken sinner, find salvation. F. And the offer of salvation is repent and believe. Transition: What if you do some of the things above, hung out with people, develop relationships with those you know and those around you, and you strike up a spiritual conversation, and someone wants to know how to follow Jesus. I like to use the Roman road. IV. When the heart is ready. A. How I use the Romans Road: 1. Read the verse out loud -so I know they are reading the correct verse. 2. After they read the verse, I ask them what they think that means? 3. If they don t know I ask them to read it again and then tell me I leave room for the word of God and the Holy Spirit to do the work. 11

12 4. I then write the next verse in the margin of my Bible you don t even have to memorize the scripture. 5. And turn to the next verse and repeat. Reminder: Here is what is awesome, it is not my job to convict, to argue, to persuade, to convert that s God s job. It is my opportunity to invite. Romans 3:10 None is righteous, no, not one; (ESV) Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (ESV) Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV) Romans 10:9-10 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that 12

13 God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (ESV) Romans 10:13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (ESV) B. When we are done, I ask them: a. Are you a sinner? b. According to the Bible how do we receive forgiveness of sins? c. Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again for you? d. Are you willing to surrender your life to Jesus? e. Do you want to follow Jesus today? f. No I am praying for you, if you ever have any questions about this conversation, ask me? g. Yes (Pray) I acknowledge I am a sinner. I ask forgiveness for my sin. I believe Jesus is God s son, who 13

14 lived for me, died in my place, and rose again that I might have eternal life. Today I turn from my sin, and my way, and give my life to Jesus Christ. Amen. C. What next: 1. Bring them to Church. 2. Follow our discipleship process (Connect, grow, serve) 3. 2 classes that will help Baptism Class, We Are Coastal Class. 4. You should attend these classes and walk with them through this process. Conclusion Revelation 3:20 Hojo dinner. 14