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you you well good morning and welcome to everyone today to free grace baptist church it's good to meet again together in the in the house of the lord looks like there's a few people away on holidays but nevertheless we're here to worship the lord just um a couple announcements before we start one is uh that there's going to be a luncheon coming up in july the 24th and uh which is good i'm looking forward to that again the last one was great they always are and there's going to be an email sent out on july the 20th about the details of that and the only other announcement is that we have uh the communion service tonight so we praise god for that opportunity once more as our lord is tarried and we would welcome you to come out and join us as we remember the lord tonight so that being said that's all for the announcements so if you would join me in our call to worship this morning and turn to psalm 96 psalm 96 a song of praise to god it was coming in judgment so psalm 96 starting in verse 1 o sing to the lord a new song sing to the lord all the earth sing to the lord bless his name proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day declare his glory among the nations his wonders among all peoples for the lord is great and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all gods for all the gods of the peoples are idols but the lord made the heavens honor and majesty are before him strength and beauty are in his sanctuary give to the lord o families of the peoples give to the lord glory and strength give to the lord the glory do his name bring an offering and come into his courts o worship the lord in the beauty of holiness tremble before him all the earth say among the nations the lord reigns the world also is firmly established it shall not be moved he shall judge the peoples righteously let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad let the sea roar and all its fullness let the field be joyful and all that is in it then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the lord for he is coming for he is coming to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his truth and may the lord bless his word so our first uh song this morning if you want to join uh turn to number 148 b is in bravo 148 b as in bravo and we'll just rise to sing [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] well let's just go before our lord and bow and bring our petitions unto him this morning father who art in heaven we just come before you this morning lord and we're so thankful to be here to be able to gather together as your church in this place of worship that you have provided we come before you to praise you father as the one and only god the creator of heavens and the earth and all things therein and as we have read in the psalms this morning lord that you are a great god and greatly to be praised and to be feared above all gods for there is in reality no other god all the gods that the nations call gods are but idols as your word says and we praise you and thank you father that we have this privilege to come before you this morning and each day solely because of the lord jesus christ and because of his blood shed on the cross that is reconciled us unto you we who were once far off lord from the commonwealth of god we were without god in the world yet you and your grace have reconciled this unto yourself and drawn us nigh through the precious blood of the lord jesus christ we thank you for that father and we thank you for the opportunity that we can have to come and to worship you to glory in who you are to learn about you to sing praises from you to read your word to hear your word preached we give you thanks father for all these things lord we thank you so much for the forgiveness of sin that we have in christ and yet lord we know that you've washed us and made us every bit whole through the blood of christ but yet we have need to come to ask that you would cleanse us from the sins of this world as we walk through this world that we um get upon ourselves as it were lord and we ask that you would cleanse us afresh by the blood of christ that you would be with us this day to focus our attentions on you and on your word and not on the things of this earth lord we thank you we thank you for that we thank you as well father even that today being that day that we can come before you tonight to honor the lord jesus christ to remember lord him through the ordinance of the lord's supper that he has given the church we look forward to that father as we do in remembrance of him and it not only reminds us of who he is and what he has done but it reminds us that we are those who watch and we wait for the coming of our lord jesus christ again from heaven above we we know that this is true your word tells it is true and as christ has said to his disciples that in your house there are many mansions and he goes to prepare a place for us that where he is that we may be also and that if he goes to prepare a place for us he will surely come again to receive us unto himself and we thank you for that father and praise you as we watch and we we just wait for the coming of our lord from heaven and lord with that we thinking of how you are sovereign over all things lord we just pray for the civil governments of this world lord we know that all these things are in your hands lord that you rule over all things and we would pray for them lord at this time as we look around us and we see the the decay and the declension of as it were society and the leaders in it lord not only in our own country but in our neighbors to the south and in other nations of this world the moral declension and decay that is that is their lord and that is propagated by the the leaders of these countries our own as well and lord we would we would pray again that you would be pleased to change their hearts lord that they might bow before you and that they would take upon themselves the roles that you have given them as civil authorities to govern righteously and without bribes and without corruption and all these things that that cause men to go astray lord we pray that you might turn their hearts and we pray that yet if they don't lord bow before you that you would be pleased in your grace to remove them from the authority that you have placed in them lord and we we thank you for that and we do pray these things lord because you have told us that you would have us to live in peace here in this earth and we look to do that as much as is possible and and life within us lord we we just give you thanks for that in the same uh lord we regard your work not only among us we praise you and thank you for this your church for the brothers and sisters here we rejoice and give you thanks for our our pastor and and brother jim and his wife rebecca and how you brought them back to us again we thank you lord for the reprieve that you have given them and for the rest that they have been able to enjoy and we rejoice that they are back with us again we just pray lord that you would be pleased to bless the church here lord in all things and that we might grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord jesus christ and that would we would be lights to you and of the lord jesus christ in the midst of the the darkness of this world we look to you for strength for this lord as we have none of our none of our own and we rely on you for all things lord every every day every hour every minute we look to you as we know that as our lord says that we can do nothing of ourselves so we look to you for all strength and for everything to be good and faithful servants of our lord jesus christ in the place that you have put us and we praise you for that and lord we want to pray as well as we have in the earlier hour for our sister churches lord for the church in surrey and for pastor mike there we pray for your blessing upon them that they might continue to send forth the gospel that you would bless them in every way and that they might continue their lord growing in the lord and we thank you for that we pray for the church in dryden and for the men that are there josh and dan and that you would help them as they seek to honor you and to glorify you in that place in the country that you have given them we praise you for that we praise you and thank you as well for the work that you have brought to pass in vernon and we thank you for this day there that ryan will be there probably his first his first official sunday there uh lord that you would bless them and that you would help them to reach out with the gospel to the community that is there lord we we give you thanks and um we we would just pray lord for uh any and all that are amongst us who are suffering with with various physical ailments lord that you would be with them that you would be pleased to strengthen them to endure these things that you might nurture them back to health we we thank you for that and lord um i just especially want to pray lord for the brothers in honduras and for the word that i've received from them lord of some issues there with our with our brother raulito's father being sick in the hospital and lord we pray that this is uh this is something that he has been dealing with for some time we just pray for your grace that you would give the family strength and that you might nurture them back to health and we just give you thanks for that father we ask that you would be with us this day we ask that you would help us in all things to honor you to glorify you lord in all that is done for we just want to give you thanks for all things in the most blessed and holy name that name of the lord jesus christ amen so if you would join me in our second song this morning is number 153 number 153 in our hymnal [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] uh [Music] okay this morning our scripture reading is going to be again from the book of hebrews if you want to turn there we're going to read from hebrews uh chapter 9 as we continue to learn a little bit more of our high priest and mediator the lord jesus christ so in chapter 9 of the book of hebrews starting in verse 1 we read then indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary for a tabernacle was prepared the first part in which was the lamp stand the table and the showbread which is called the sanctuary and behind the second veil the part of the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all which had the golden sensor and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold in which were the golden pot that had the manna aaron's rod that butted and the tablets of the covenant and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat of these things we cannot now speak in detail now when these things had been thus prepared the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle performing the services but into the second part the high priest went alone once a year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance the holy spirit indicating this that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing it was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience concerned only with foods and drinks various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation but christ came as high priests of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this creation not with the blood of goats and cow calves but with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption for if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living god and for this reason he is the mediator of the new covenant by means of death for the redemption of the transgression under the first covenant that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance for where there is a testament there must also of necessity be the death of the testator for a testament is in force after men are dead since it has no power at all while the testator lives therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood for when moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law he took the blood of calves and goats with water scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people saying this is the blood of the covenant which god has commanded you then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry and according to the law almost all things are purified with blood and without shedding of blood there is no remission therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in heaven should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these for christ has not entered the holy places made with hands which are copies of the true but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of god for us not that he should offer himself often as a high priest enters the most holy place every year with the with blood of another he then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world but now once at the end of the ages he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and as it is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment so christ was offered once to bear the sins of many to those who eagerly wait for him he will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation may the lord bless his word let's just bow on a word to prayer a prayer to give the lord thanks father we thank you for this portion of your word where we hear again of our lord jesus christ who has offered himself once lord for our redemption on the cross of calvary we thank you lord that he has shed his blood there for the remission of our sin and that without the shedding of blood there is no remission we're so thankful lord that he has been obedient even to the death of the cross and that he has entered into that true tabernacle on high lord to and has obtained eternal redemption for us we praise you and thank you for that which you have given us in christ and for the faithfulness of our lord jesus christ who for the joy set before him endured the cross despising the shame we thank you father for these things which are sure and certain for the lord jesus christ our surety and that we know that we have eternal redemption in him and that we are saved by grace through faith in the lord jesus christ and with what he has done and lord we would come to you this morning as well lord as um we continue on in our service and prepare for the preaching of of your word we pray as we're gathered together lord that you would be pleased to just open our hearts to receive your word as it is the word of god that we hear and that it would work effectively in us to will and to do us be your good pleasure and uh that it would work its marvelous work of conforming us and transforming us into the image of christ from glory to glory by your spirit we give you thanks for that we pray for our dear brother jim as he comes to bring us the word lord that you would give him unction from on high that the holy spirit would just fill him and use him to preach your word in truth and we just want to give you thanks now in the blessed name of the lord jesus christ we pray amen okay our third and last song for this morning before we hear the preaching is number 195 number 195 if you want to turn there and rise and we'll sing to the lord [Music] uh [Music] is [Music] is [Music] please [Music] is [Music] me [Music] is [Music] um [Music] is [Music] look at the conversion of two sinners this morning we're looking at the conversion of matthew the author of the first gospel record that bears his name and then tonight god willing to look at the conversion of rahab the harlot in joshua chapter 2. so i want to read chapter 9 of matthew's gospel verses 1 to 17 and then we'll pray and then begin so matthew chapter 9 beginning in verse 1. so he got into a boat crossed over and came to his own city then behold they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed when jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic son be of good cheer your sons your sins are forgiven you and at once some of the scribes said within themselves this man blasphemes but jesus knowing their thoughts said why do you think evil in your hearts for which is easier to say your sins are forgiven you or to say arise and walk but that you may know that the son of man has power on earth to forgive sins then he said to the paralytic arise take up your bed and go to your house and he arose and departed to to his house now when the multitude saw it they marveled and glorified god who had given such power to men as jesus passed on from there he saw a man named matthew sitting at the tax office and he said to him follow me so he arose and followed him now it happened as jesus sat at the table in the house that behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples and when the pharisees saw it they said to his disciples why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners when jesus heard that he said to them those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick but go and learn what this means i desire mercy and not sacrifice for i did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance then the disciples of john came to him saying why do we and the pharisees fast often but your disciples do not fast and jesus said to them can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them but the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then they will fast no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment for the patch pulls away from the garment and the tear is made worse nor do they put new wine into old wine skins or else the wine scans break the wine is spilled and the wine skins are ruined but they put new wine into new wine skins and both are preserved amen well let us pray our blessed god and holy father we thank you for this opportunity to gather together for corporate worship we pray now that your spirit would be active in our midst that he would give us understanding to the word of truth that you would bless and strengthen our hearts she would build up your people in their most holy faith and god may you call sinners out of darkness in the marvelous light that they may confess faith in our lord jesus christ and know the joy of being found in him not having their own righteousness which is from the law but that righteousness which is from you and received through faith alone forgive us now for all sin and everything that darkens our our minds our hearts our understanding and grant us a great joy and gratitude as we come to the holy scriptures now and we pray through jesus christ our lord amen well last time i preached i'd been away for the month it was a good time to get some rest physically it's good to be back in our church to be back in the house of god with brothers and sisters that that we know and love it's a great joy to see everybody the last time i focused at the end of chapter 9 that was the day that we ordained ryan and sent him to vernon to plant the church the reformed baptist church there and in chapter 9 at the end we see that jesus had compassion on the multitudes because they were like sheep having no shepherd that's not just theory in the mind of the savior but we see it with reference to his activity in the passage that we read he's about salvation he's about bringing sinners to himself he's about that forgiveness of sins and a conferral of a righteousness that avails with god and we see that most wonderfully here in the account of the salvation of matthew the apostle i want to look first at the call to discipleship in verse nine secondly the feast at matthew's house in verse 10 and then thirdly this confrontation with the religious leaders in verses 11 to 13. they always seem to be on his heels they always seem to be there complaining and grumbling and whining at the demonstration of the mercy and the grace of god most high now in this particular section of matthew's gospel there's not only those who receive the truth but there is or are those who despise it and reject it look for instance in chapter 9 specifically at verse 34. but the pharisees said he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons so there is this sort of mixed reception concerning jesus and his ministry those who receive him those who come to him they have everlasting life but those who reject those who despise those who forsake will end up in hell for eternity so matthew of course is one of those who by grace came to the savior so let's look first at the call to discipleship notice the setting verse 9 as jesus passed on from there he saw a man named matthew sitting at the tax office he's also referred to as levi in the parallel accounts in mark 2 and in luke 5. it was common for there to be two names we have two names typically and then our last name we have simon peter we have john mark here we have a matthew levi now notice the occupation that he had he saw a man named matthew sitting at the tax office he was sitting there because he worked there look at chapter 10 and verse 3 jesus calls the apostles to himself to function as servants notice philip and bartholomew thomas and matthew the tax collector he likely knew the four disciples that were present at this particular time because he charged them taxes probably they were a bit curious they were much like us if i were to ask you name your five favorite people groups on the earth today would any of you suggest that revenue canada or the internal revenue service would be on that particular list of course not we don't like tax collectors they didn't like tax collectors in their generation as well but tax collectors were notoriously wicked perhaps when i called out this morning or just a little while ago that we're going to look at the conversion of matthew to this morning and then the conversion of rahab the harlot this evening you might be tempted to think well rahab the harlot is pretty notorious rahab the harlot is pretty wicked so is matthew and all of this demonstrates what we see previously in chapter nine at verse six but that you may know that the son of man has power on earth to forgive sins not just sins in the generic sense but particular evils transgressions of god's law lacks of conformity unto that law notorious hell deserving sinners now they were tax collectors despised because of their occupation one commentator chamberlain gives us four reasons why tax collectors were specifically looked down upon in society at that time in the first place they collaborated with the gentiles not a good thing if you're part of the covenant community second they handled currency with pagan inscriptions and iconography thirdly they took money from fellow jews to give to the magistrate who oppressed them so most likely this man was well he was a jew and he's working for the roman government he takes taxes from other jews and turns it over to the roman government and then as well they were often greedy and corrupt it was part of the job it was part of the perks it was part of the benefits you skimmed a little bit for yourself now jesus links tax collectors with sinners in matthew 9 10 he links them with heathen gentiles in matthew 18 17 he links them with harlots in matthew 21 31 and with extortioners unjust and adulterous men in luke chapter 18 at verse 11. rt france says for jesus to call such a man to follow him was a daring breach of etiquette a calculated snub to conventional ideas of respectability which ordinary people no less than pharisees might be expected to block at what's he's saying he's saying that this is not the likely candidate for salvation in god's kingdom and yet we see that this is the very purpose for this particular account the crescendo comes in verse 13 when christ gives us the nature of his mission i did not come to call the righteous because there aren't any but i came to call sinners to repentance and so christ is showing and demonstrating that he has power on earth to forgive sins not just generally but specifically in the case of notoriously wicked and despised sinners that lived amongst the jews in the first century france goes on to say fishermen may not have been high in the social scale but at least they were not automatically morally and religiously suspect matthew was he was a wretch he was a sinner he was a man in adam and again we see that connection with reference to the previous section verse 4 knowing their thoughts he said to them why do you think evil in your hearts for which is easier to say your sins are forgiven you or to say arise and walk the particular account is when those men open up the roof and they lower down their friend and when jesus lays eyes on him he can certainly see that he's paralyzed he can certainly see that he's got a handicap but he pronounces the forgiveness of sins upon him and that causes the pharisees it causes the scribes to scratch their heads and say amongst themselves who but god alone is able to forgive sins so jesus says which is easier to say to the paralytic your sins are forgiven you or take up your bed and walk well it's easier to say your sins are forgiven you because we don't know if it actually takes place but if i say to you take up your bed and walk i will show myself a falsehood and a fraud if you don't take up your bed and walk and that's why jesus then says to the paralytic to take up his bed and walk why because if jesus can do that then he can certainly bring that forgiveness of sins and that's the point of the passage but that you may know that the son of man has power or authority on earth to forgive sins and so we might then say well okay we've got this concept we're not a good people we're not the best people but we're not the most wretched people on the face of the earth either but what about god's grace god's grace goes to the most wretched and brethren we are the most wretched this idea this oh they're much worse than i now paul pott and joseph stalin in terms of their external crimes against humanity we're horrible men thankfully none of us are following in their train but in terms of our estrangement from god most high we have all sinned against god there is none righteous no not one all we like sheep have gone astray and we are liable to god's curse both in this life and that which is to come and so it is a very wonderful demonstration of the power of christ's grace to bring salvation to this matthew to this sinner to this man who was an offender against god's holy law now notice the call very simple jesus says to him follow me that's it the tax collector well well first of all he says to him follow me look back in chapter 8 at verse 22. a lot of lessons about discipleship in this particular section notice in chapter 28 verse 22 but jesus said to him follow me and let the dead bury their own debt he issues the same call to matthew in this particular instance now when jesus issues this call follow me jesus has the power to enable compliance on the part of the person commanded let me just restate that it's not free will that reigns supreme matthew is not to be commended because of his good decision that day matthew is not to be commended because he raised his hand when every eye was closed and every head was bowed matthew is not to be commended because he walked the island came to the altar and he said the sinner's prayer no jesus christ has the power to enable compliance of the dead sinner by the spirit he awakens them by the spirit he makes them alive by the spirit they receive the truth and they respond there's a great illustration of this in the physical realm at lazarus's grave in john 11 at verse 43 jesus says come forth brethren if you and i said that there is no dead person on the face of the earth that would ever be able to comply we're not the son of god we're not the second person of the trinity we are not that one who has the ability in the giving of the command to enable compliance with the command and so jesus does this in the instance of matthew and now notice the actual salvation notice what happens after jesus issues this call follow me it says in verse verse 9 so he arose and followed him there's two things to observe here first the immediacy of it notice that matthew doesn't say you know jesus i might consider this in another 20 or 30 years i got a you know a full life i've got lots of money based on my my particular job i've i've been prospered well so you know when i'm older and when i'm grayer and when i'm facing that 11th hour then i'll make my peace with you i think that's the mindset of a lot of at least young people today and probably middle-aged and older people they always think there's going to be a tomorrow there's a they're always convinced there's another 5 or 10 or 20 years that they can close with christ and so they delay they put it off in the reading today and this was not by design but in psalm 96 what do we see the emphasis he is coming for judgment and then in hebrews chapter nine it's appointed for men to die once and then what and then comes judgment brethren we're not guaranteed tomorrow we're not guaranteed this afternoon we're not guaranteed another breath god most high is sovereign over these things and so immediate closure with christ immediate response to the gospel immediate belief on him is the one thing needful today is the day of salvation don't tarry don't wait don't delay notice what matthew does he got up and he followed him just like the paralytic in the previous account notice jesus says in verse 6 arise take up your bed and go to your house verse 7 and he arose and departed to his house the same emphasis in this instance calvin made the observation he says the custom house has usually been a place noted for plundering and for unjust exactions and was at that time particularly infamous in the choice of matthew out of that place not only to be admitted into the family of christ but even to be called to the office of apostle we have a striking instance of the grace of god so christ says follow me and immediately matthew follows him don't wait don't delay don't tarry don't reason in your mind well i've got lots of other times to hear the gospel i've got lots of other times to close with jesus i'm just a young person i've got many years ahead of me james discountenances that mindset in his epistle those who boast and those who in their pride say we're gonna go to such in such a city we're gonna we're gonna profit there we're gonna we're gonna sell our wares we're gonna do all those things no if the lord wills you will do that your life is a vapor it's here for a time and then it vanishes brethren as jonathan edwards famously said there are innumerable ways of wicked men going out of this world do not despise the call of god in the gospel of salvation but notice as well we see with reference to the implications there would be financial repercussions of this for matthew now the fishermen will return to their nets but i suggest that matthew walking off of his post at this particular instance that immediately i mean did he put all the money in the safe did he did he did he return it doesn't say it just simply says so he arose and followed him one dictionary says jesus summons to a tax collector to join him must have outraged and bewildered public opinion for matthew himself the call of jesus entailed great sacrifice he left everything fishermen could return to their boats but a tax collector who gave up his occupation had no prospect of another job even with the skills that he undoubtedly possessed not a lot of transferable skills when your life has been extortion when your life has been you know selfishness and when your life has been antagonistic to the people you dwell amongst what what kind of transfer do you have there but then as well notice what the text says here so he arose and followed him luke gives us another vantage point for our consideration in luke 5 28 it says so he left all rose up and followed him he left all not some not just a little bit but he left all and we might ask the question why does luke say this and matthew does it because matthew doesn't probably want people fawning all over him wow what a wonderful guy you gave up everything to follow jesus no when we follow jesus there's no giving up of anything we are only gainers we are only benefactors we are only inheritors we only receive blessing so matthew doesn't indicate that he left all luke however tells us this would cost matthew everything he left all to follow our blessed savior now notice secondly the feast at matthew's house in verse 10. we know it's matthew's house because luke tells us luke chapter 5 verse 29 then levi gave him a great feast in his own house notice verse 10. now it happened as jesus sat at the table in the house that behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples now why would he do this why do you think levi matthew would have had a feast in terms of this response well i would suggest there's three reasons the first to honor christ to honor the savior to to give glory and praise to the one who had in fact called him out of darkness into marvelous light who had given him the forgiveness of sins who had given him a righteousness wherein now matthew could enter into god's kingdom that is a reason for us to honor the savior to glorify his great night name the second aspect is gratitude guilt grace gratitude what happens when you're convinced of your sin and misery and your shame and depravity god's grace comes to you and it and it rescues you it delivers you what's the response from the people of god blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in christ we respond with gratitude we respond with thankfulness we praise god that we're no longer hell bound we praise god that we're now included in that blessed lot from every tribe and tongue and people and nation that will be assembled in the in the presence of god almighty so he does this to honor christ he does this to show his thankfulness and gratitude to christ but he also does it to evangelize his friends notice the guest list notice the attendees at this feast it says that behold matthew himself is calling attention to this that behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples this is what a great expression of what happens to those who are conquered by sovereign grace what do they in turn want to do they want to tell others about the lord jesus they want to teach transgressors god's ways and that is precisely what we find in this guest list spurgeon said the new convert most naturally called in his old friends that they might have the advantage of our lord's teaching they would come to a supper more readily than to a sermon and so he gave them a feast and thus attracted them to the place where jesus was and that guest list would indeed shock a multitude it shocked obviously the scribes and the pharisees which we'll turn to presently but it shocks many today as well have you ever mentioned to somebody that you're a christian and they say well i know you that doesn't seem fair well no it's not fair it's grace it's mercy it's god's loving kindness we hear about notorious sinners in history that have been saved and it rises up in us to say well you know that doesn't seem quite fair we're thinking not gospel-ish we're thinking in terms of law the gospel is not fair it's the good news that christ jesus came into this world sinners to save he demonstrates his own love toward us and that while we were yet sinners christ died for us it is a most blessed arrangement it's not the case that any of us are going to heaven because of our good deeds it's not the case that any of us are going to go to heaven because we stop being tax collectors because we stop being harlots because we stop smoking crack because we stopped engaging in those sorts of sins we're going to heaven based on what paul says in hebrews 9. he's secured for us eternal redemption through his blood in roman uh hebrews 9 22 it says without the shedding of blood there is what there is no remission for sins it is that once for all sacrifice of our blessed savior wherein we are forgiven of our sins and it is that life of jesus taken in its totality that is then given to us in terms of the righteousness it's imputed to us so that we may enter into the presence of god almighty so this particular guest list these attendees scandalized the pharisees and the scribes in that generation and it no doubt scandalizes the pharisees and the scribes in our own generation well that doesn't seem right that so and so is going to heaven brethren it's not right that any of us are going to heaven it's grace it is mercy it is loving kindness it is the doing the dying and the rising again of our blessed lord jesus christ if we want fair the wages of sin is death that is legit that is right that we are liable to god's wrath both in this life and in that which is to come it's perfectly just in terms of who god is but with reference to gospel god demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners christ died for us now notice thirdly the confrontation with the religious leaders first look at the nature of their complaint verse 11 and when the pharisees saw it scribes are with them also according to parallel passages when the pharisees saw it they said to his disciples why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners now brethren we might be inclined to read through the gospel narratives with our own sort of mental equipment based on our cultural dealings we might look at the pharisees and see them as kind of bullies they're they're bullies i mean these are the guys that kind of rain on everybody's parade don't don't dare have any fun they're kind of akin to the political left in our own generation they they love pain misery and destruction for everybody that's not them but with reference to these men they're not only bullies but something else that we see in our own cultural dealings is that bullies oftentimes are cowards kind of an interesting uh juxtaposition a bully that is a coward they don't go to jesus they don't express their discontent or their animosity to the one they've got a problem with oh no that just will not do we're going to complain to his disciples just like in chapter 9 and verse 3 after jesus says son be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you and at once some of the scribes and said within themselves this man blaspheme blasphemes man up go to jesus take or complain to him no later they do increasing tension increasing opposition it ends up to the place where they uh cry out away with him away with him crucify him but in this particular instance they're cowards they're cowardly bullies that are hiding behind their own ineptitude and they're going to the disciples and this is the nature of their complaint okay why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners now the specifics of the complaint we can surmise what they thought of tax collectors and sinners they were not fans of tax collectors and sinners they were not champions of the tax collector in the center but the nature of their complaint the target of their complaint rather is jesus himself why does your teacher see they're all about exposing jesus as a fraud they're all about exposing jesus as a champ they're all about exposing jesus as one who is not interested in the salvation of sinners he's not interested in the law of god he's not interested in any of that stuff he's got his own sort of mindset and we just want to neutralize this potential threat so they whine about jesus and they do it in a most sanctimonious way they are smug they are hypocritical they are better than everyone again there is connection with the political left today there are pharisees in the church today brethren but we have a grand example in the prime minister's office of sanctimony lecturing scolding we're not as good as he is that's the mindset of these scribes and pharisees relative to our lord who does he think he is just like in the previous account who does this man think he is he's blaspheming only god alone can forgive sins so hiding like little girls speaking to his disciples they express the content of their heart they're upset with the attendees or the guest list at this particular banquet the idea sure seems to be if he knew what manner of men these were he would want nothing to do with that we know that from luke's gospel simon the pharisee invites jesus over and a woman which was a sinner comes into that meeting place she falls at the feet of the lord jesus she weeps over his feet she pours out perfume on it she takes the hair of her head to wipe up the feet and what does simon the pharisee pharisee news in his heart he says if this man were a prophet certainly he would know what manner of woman she is brethren this is dangerous business when we get into the business of judging others as less sanctified as we are as less holy than we are as less godly than we are the better posture is the man in luke 18. god be merciful to me the sinner when we are saved by god's grace it's not an award for our good behavior it is a display of that grace we are conquered we are blood bought we are trophies and we are simply to reflect the glory and the goodness of our blessed god and not exalt our own righteousness now notice jesus response to the complaint in verses 12 to 13. it's a three-pronged response he first speaks of his role he then makes an appeal and then he describes his mission notice his role look at what he says in verse 12 when jesus heard that he said to them those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick now again this connects with the previous statement the paralytic was lowered through the roof to come to jesus why because the friends of the paralytic knew or understood that jesus had the power to heal him jesus uses a truism he uses a reality that even scribes and pharisees could have gotten it the doctor doesn't go after healthy people when you're healthy you don't make an appointment with your doctor simply to chat and tell them how good things are you go to the doctor when you're sick you go to the doctor when you break a limb you go to the doctor when you got some you know niggling pain you go to the doctor when there's a precise need so christ says that look it those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick the tax collectors and the sinners who came and sat down with him they need jesus they need the physician they need healing they need forgiveness they need a righteousness that avails with god they are the ones that christ came after notice his appeal to the prophet hosea verse 13 but go and learn what this means before we proceed consider what an indictment this was to the religious leadership you don't think they had read hosea you don't think they knew the minor prophets you don't think that they had understood this particular verse in hosea 6 6 go and learn what this means it underscores this harsh reality persons can read scripture persons even devils can quote scripture but that doesn't necessarily mean they're accurate it doesn't necessarily mean they understand it it doesn't necessarily mean they comprehend it and so when christ does this it's an indictment upon the leadership of his generation and it's a leadership that is similar in nature to hosea's generation remember hosea is given that strange command by god to take a wife of harlotry to take gomer unto himself what's the point behind that it's an analogy hosea and gomer are yahweh and israel hosea and gomer are yahweh and israel israel was like gomer she was unfaithful she was a harlot she had been given the covenant she had transgressed that covenant she had lacked conformity unto the law of god and so at the time of the prophet hosea hosea is dealing with the same sort of people and so christ not only wants them to understand that god desires mercy over sacrifice but he wants them to also see their aping they're imitating they're just like the times of the prophet hosea first century israel was a cesspool it was not good that's why we have the cleansing of the temple at the outset of jesus ministry and at the end of jesus ministry why is he cleansing the temple because it was perverse because it was wrong because it was wicked because the people of god the professing people of god professed and had their external religion but they didn't have the heart and that's what christ is condemning with these particular persons go and learn what this means i desire mercy and not sacrifice davies and allison say cultic observe observance without inner faith and heartfelt covenant loyalty is vain it's just like in malachi malachi was later than hosea jose was an 8th century prophet to the northern kingdom malachi was a post-exilic prophet to the southern and only remaining kingdom but remember in the time of malachi what the people of god were doing at that time they were going to the temple they were bringing their sacrifices but their sacrifices didn't cost them anything their sacrifices weren't blind their sacrifices were lame their sacrifices were manging their sacrifices weren't going to sell at the market anyway so go ahead son grab that one who lost in the fight and let's bring him to the service of yahweh and what's worse is that they actually stole sacrifice on the way to the temple to present that to god so they thought external commitment to this covenant is all that's required as long as we dot our eyes and cross our t's in the external it really doesn't matter where our hearts are and again this is something parallel in our own generation christianity is not just a list of rules and do's and don'ts it's the message of christ and him crucified and raised from the dead it is the message that if by grace you believe on him you will have everlasting life and then you are to let your conduct be worthy of that gospel so you're not just externally compliant to the things that god has said but from the heart because of the holy spirit you comply happily you comply obediently and when you don't you cry out to god please forgive me but with reference to these persons in hosea's age and with reference to these persons in jesus age jesus says go and learn what this means i desire mercy and not sacrifice again not that sacrifice is unimportant not that we dispense with sacrifice but it's an idiomatic way of saying it's not only the external but you need to bring the heart it's not only the formal but it's also what goes on in the inner man and so christ says this in an indicting way to these people i desire mercy and not sacrifice in the context brethren mercy for tax collectors mercy for sinners that woman which was a sinner in luke chapter 7 if this man were a prophet he'd know what manner of woman she is brethren we ought to have compassion on sinners we ought to have a desire to see them saved we ought to have that firm conviction that if god is able to save a wretch like me he's certainly able to save from every tribe tongue people in nation he's able to save those who have gone astray he's able to save those sheep who have not followed the shepherd and we ought to have a compassion again look at the end of the chapter verse 37 and he said to his disciples the harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few therefore pray the lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest this idea that christ came just to save a handful just to save a few just to save the frozen chosen that's not biblical later on in matthew 26 at the inauguration of the new covenant in his blood he says that he does this for the remission of the sins of many there is a whole multitude that no man can number according to revelation 7 from every tribe every tongue every people in every nation compassion befits the people of god and these men were destitute of it therefore it reveals they're not the people of god they've got externals they've got formalism but they have no internal heart religion relative to our blessed savior or to his kingdom and then notice his mission that's the lesson that he brings home in 13b notice for i did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance i did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance now if we ask the question are there any righteous no there's not any righteous romans chapter 3 there are none righteous no not one why do you think paul says no not one because he could probably foresee or forehear there is none righteous except for me of course there's none righteous and then we think but me of course there's none righteous but me of course that's how bad we really are there is none righteous no not one put your hand down don't don't exalt yourself don't parade yourself as being righteous it is not a righteous people that christ comes to avoid it's the self-righteous it's the sanctimonious it's the smug hypocrite it's the one in 11 25. you can turn there at that time jesus answered and said i thank you father lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent now the hiding of these things in context is gospel truth so the lord jesus is extolling the absolute and utter sovereignty of god most heart he not only hides gospel truth but he also reveals it and in this instance he hides it from those who are prudent or the wise and the prudent and in our passage in 9 13 he speaks of them as righteous again they're self-righteous they're the deluded they're the ones who think that i've got my act together i'm not a bad guy i've never killed anyone i've never committed adultery i've never embezzled millions of dollars i've never committed bank robbery i'm pretty good after all we don't see your need for christ when you live like that the heidelberg catechism says how do you know your sin and misery the law of god shows me it shows me i hate god and it shows me that i hate man and instead of deluding myself instead of fooling myself instead of trying to parade myself as something i am not i do much better to take the tact of that man in luke 18 not even look up into heaven but to beat my breast and say god be merciful to me the sinner so christ does not come to call the righteous as if there's this body of righteous people out there that don't need redemption through his blood he's speaking condemnatorily of these persons who thought that they were all together good they were all together ready and prepared to go meet god in heaven christ says that's not the nature of my mission i came for matthew i came for tax collectors i came for rahab the harlot i came for the wretches i came from the for the wicked i came and i did and i had my being such that i could deliver them from the power of darkness and translate them into the kingdom of the son of god's love i didn't come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance and that echoes matthew 1 21 you shall call his name jesus for it is he who shall save his people from their sin he delivers them from their sin not to continue in it not to continue to transgress god's law not to continue to lack conformity unto it but he does deliver us from sin and so here he emphasizes the same thing i did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance look back to matthew 11. we saw 25 notice the end of verse 25 and have revealed them to babes even so father verse 26 for so it seemed good in your sight for thus it was pleasing in your sight verse 27 all things have been delivered to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father nor does anyone know the father except the son and the one to whom the son wills to reveal him now notice in verse 28 come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laded now the labor and the heavy laden there isn't because they had a hard work week 60-hour days 70-hour days 80-hour days they were schlepping you know heavy bales of hay all the time and doing that and they were just labored and and heavy laden he's talking about sin he echoes the psalmist in psalm 130 out of the depths i have cried to thee o lord what's the nature of the psalmist distress he indicates in verse 3 if thou lord should mark iniquities oh lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared the sorrows that the psalmist found himself in the the heavy laden and burdened and laboring sinners that jesus speaks to in matthew 11. they're not just hard workers physically they're under the burden of pharisaic religion where there is no gospel and they're under the burden of their own sin which is a harsh task master which is a life indeed of slavery and depravity and then verse 28 come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and i will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for i am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light or the lesson punctuated the account of zacchaeus and our lord jesus remember jesus is passing through jericho more about jericho tonight in joshua chapter 2. but jesus is passing through jericho and zacchaeus is a wee little man he probably sang that song when you were in sunday school zacchaeus was a wee little man he couldn't see because of the press of the crowd so what does he do he climbs up into a tree so that he can see the savior and lo and behold the savior stops at the foot of the tree and tells zacchaeus make haste come down because i'm going to have dinner at your house tonight so what happens everybody grumbles everybody complains human nature isn't different there is nothing new under the sun we'd be right there at the base of that tree going that's not fair i pay my taxes i cut my law and i do my thing and yet he's never offered to come to have dinner at my house why is he going to zacchaeus's house what's the point the son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost luke 15 the the scribes and the pharisees they they murmur they complain they grumble why because all the tax collectors and sinners drew near to hear him and so they say this man receives sinners and eats with them i suggest brethren that every sinner there had their ears pointed to jesus to hear how he's going to answer that charge does he receive sinners does he eat with them yes he does he's like the shepherd who loses the one sheep and he goes and he finds it he's like the woman who loses the one coin and she goes and finds it she's like or he's like the the father who receives the prodigal unto himself and confers upon him benefit and blessing and good provision christ does receive sinners and he eats with them and that's the point here in matthew chapter 9 as well those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are set his role but go and learn what this means i desire mercy and not sacrifice his appeal to the prophet and for i did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance the underscoring or the highlighting of his mission in terms of the salvation of all that the father had given him such that they would end in everlasting life now in conclusion just a couple of thoughts and as i said we have in the passage around us various lessons on discipleship so i want to kind of cull some of that together quick we're not going to be here much longer but bring that together in terms of the disciples of christ so so one of the emphases in this section of the of the gospel narrative again to show the the divided sort of uh uh reception or rejection of our lord jesus you've got the scribes and the pharisees and you've got the tax collectors and the sinners but as well to underscore what it is to be a disciple what does it mean to be a disciple i think at times we get this wrong go out and obey and then god will save you now that's every other religion under this under the under the sun religion of christ is by grace believe and you will be saved based on what jesus has done and then you live in the manner a manner that is according to that but in the first place the disciple of christ i'm using he if that triggers you and you want to cry then go do that elsewhere uh he is encompassing of he and him uh her he believes on the lord jesus christ that's what it means to follow in the context follow me matthew had a revolution matthew had a radical reorientation matthew went from his stacks of money on the table no doubt some which was earmarked for his own benefit to following jesus the disciple is one who by grace has believed the gospel of jesus christ our lord so god willing as long as this pulpit is in place you will not hear do this and you will live that was the demand of the covenant of works that israel was placed under in the new covenant christ did this such that we may live it is most blessed believe on him and you shall be saved so the disciple is one who believes the gospel secondly he repents of his sin matthew 4 17 jesus announces the coming of the kingdom and he says repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand now certainly matthew immediately responds he left all luke 5 28 and now he follows the lord jesus christ so there's faith in christ and there's repentance unto life thirdly he rejoices in the savior now brethren this may not be as sort of symptomatic of your response as perhaps it could be you know sometimes we struggle perhaps with expressing that joy gratitude and thankfulness at what god has done in our lives if that is the case we need to change we need to get better at it we need to join david and say bless the lord o my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name bless the lord o my soul and forget not any of his benefits we need to be a great a thankful people fourthly he pursues the kingdom first you see that matthew 6 33 seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and then these things will be added unto you again just some marks of a discipleship as we see them in matthew's gospel fifth he sees christ as altogether lovely and chief among ten thousands the language that the bride uses of her man in the song of solomon it's again typical of what we find in yahweh and israel and in christ and his church she calls him all together lovely and chief among ten thousand turn over to the parables of the kingdom in matthew 13. to see this emphasis on calling him all together lovely in chief among 10 000 1344 again the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and hid and for joy over he goes and sells all that he hasn't buys that field again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls who when he had found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it in other words christ is everything christ is altogether lovely chief among ten thousand look at seventeen five the father echoes this 17-5 while he was still speaking behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and suddenly a voice came out of the clouds saying this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased hear him brethren if we've been conquered by the grace of god in and through our lord jesus christ applied by the holy spirit then we're going to be a happy people a joyful people and we're gonna see christ as altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand but as well as we consider the the the surrounding context in matthew's gospel we notice sexually that he still experiences hardship in this life you know there's something called the health wealth and prosperity gospel it's not gospel it is not gospel at all it does not jive with the teaching of the bible does not jive with the reality that jesus though a son learned obedience through suffering it does not jive with the experience of the apostle paul does not jive with the experience of probably most of the apostles it doesn't jive with the experience of god's people life today is not all health wealth and prosperity for god's children he still experiences trials even though jesus is with him you see that previously in matthew 8. remember jesus is in the boat along with the disciples jesus is asleep in the boat while the disciples are fearful at the waves in the tumult that they're going to perish they're going to die they're going to suffer what does that show us that even if christ is in the midst of the boat there's still trouble this idea that we're gonna walk through life unscathed that we're gonna march through this lower world without any problems it's not biblical there's heartaches there's hardship there's trial there's affliction we read about several in the prayer meeting this morning again the emphasis is typically now on government oppression of religious people the government is making things very difficult for god's people in this world so when we respond when we see that we're not to lose our minds we're rather to find our help in god most high as well he still struggles with remaining corruption later on in matthew chapter 26 peter swears his fealty to the to the master i will follow you i will go i will die with you in the next scenario next chapter at the end of the chapter uh matthew or rather peter is denying the master to a slave girl he will never be in this life what he ought to be but should always be thankful that he's not what he once was and here i quote john newton the man who wrote amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me newton said i am not what i ought to be i am not what i want to be i am not what i hope to be in another world but still i am not what i once used to be and by the grace of god i am what i am amen that is most excellent most blessed and finally in terms of discipleship he follows christ perseveringly until the end he doesn't say to matthew follow me and when things get tough when things get difficult when afflictions come your way matthew you go ahead and go back to your money in the tax office following jesus is a lifelong pursuit and a most blessed one again altogether lovely chief among ten thousand we press on by the grace of god we press on by the presence of the spirit in us we do what god calls us to do not perfectly not beautifully not magically but perseveringly i think our confession has a wonderful statement on perseverance those whom god has accepted in the beloved effectually called and sanctified by his spirit and given the precious faith of his elect unto can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved seeing the gifts and callings of god are without repentance whence he still begets and nourishes in them faith repentance love joy hope and all the graces of the spirit unto immortality and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon the power isn't in us the power is in the rock notwithstanding through unbelief in the temptations of satan the sensible sight of the light and love of god may for a time be clouded and obscured from them yet he is still the same and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of god unto salvation where they shall enjoy their purchased possession they being engraven upon the palm of his hands and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity praise almighty god that he who begins a good work in us shall complete it unto the day of christ and if you're not a believer here this morning i leave you with verses 12 and 13. christ's function christ's role he doesn't come to call or he doesn't come to heal the well he comes as a physician to sin sick souls if you are a sin-sick soul today look under the great physician he wants us all to understand he desires sacrifice mercy over sacrifice he wants us to have a compassion and a desire to see men rightly connected to god through faith in our lord jesus and let this resonate with you over lunch today over this afternoon and god willing in the coming week the son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost the son of man did not come to call the righteous but rather sinners to repentance if you're a sinner listen to joseph heart and take it to heart he says come ye sinners poor and wretched weak and wounded sick and sore jesus ready stands to save you full of pity joined with power he is able he is able he is able he is willing doubt no more blessed be god for the great mercy that we have in the gospel and that mercy is available to sinners who by grace call upon him in faith let us pray our father we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of this particular account and how it demonstrates the power of jesus in the forgiveness of sins and as sinners we rejoice we are thankful we want to express even more gratitude for what you have done in our lives not only forgiveness but a righteousness that avails with you god bless the preaching of the gospel today may it run swiftly and be glorified and made accomplish the purpose for which you sent it the salvation of sinners the edification of saints and ultimately the glory of god most high and we pray in jesus name amen well let's stand and sing the doxology in praise to our god number 568 in your hymnbook [Music] foreign [Music] is [Music] grace of the lord jesus christ and the love of god and the communion of the holy spirit be with you all amen father help us to glorify you today give us grace to rejoice in the goodness of our god and may we bring glory to your great name bless this local church bless all of our brothers and our sisters and and be glorified in our midst and we pray through jesus christ our lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation you