Matthew: From Untouchable to Ambassador

Matthew: From Untouchable to Ambassador

June 28, 2019

ANYONE WHO BELONGS TO CHRIST HAS BECOME A NEW PERSON. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. AND GOD HAS GIVEN US THIS TASK OF RECONCILING PEOPLE TO HIM. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, NO LONGER COUNTING PEOPLE’S SINS AGAINST THEM. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So WE ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “COME BACK TO GOD!” (2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NLT)

GRACE CHANGES LIVES: FROM AN UNTOUCHABLE TO AN AMBASSADOR

Matthew 9:9-13 NLT

 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

JESUS IS WATCHING (Verse 9)

  • Jesus did not stumble upon Matthew. He WAS WATCHING HIM
  • Jesus is watching: keeping a list of our wrongdoing to pass judgment
  • God does not keep a list, the law did that
  • Jesus came to erase that list that the law stuck on you

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn (judge) the world, but that the world through Him might be save” (John 3:17).

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. HE CANCELLED THE RECORD OF THE CHARGES AGAINST US AND TOOK IT AWAY BY NAILING IT TO THE CROSS.” (Col 2:13-14 NLT)

  • JESUS IS WATCHING YOU BECAUSE HE IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU

 

LEAVE THE OLD LIFE BEHIND (verse 9)

  • “COME FOLLOW ME AND BE MY DISCIPLE” – Leave the old life behind, change, repent
  • To follow Jesus, you have to let go of the old and embrace the new
  • ANYONE WHO BELONGS TO CHRIST HAS BECOME A NEW PERSON. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)
  • THE GRACE OF GOD WILL EMPOWER YOU LEAVE THE OLD LIFE BEHIND

 

GO TELL OTHERS (verse 10)

  • Matthew couldn’t the good news for himself! He had to tell others about Jesus!

Therefore, GO and MAKE disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you (1. YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR SOUL, AND ALL YOUR MIND. 2.  ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF). And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

CONCLUSION

  • If all the people I love, love Jesus, I don’t love enough people
  • Here’s an assignment for you: Go find some tax collectors, some sinners, and bring them to church

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *