Voice of the Nazarene 3-17-24

I'm coming to you from North Central Ohio, we share with you the voice of the Nazarene, a week by week venture into the Word of God sponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio Church of the Nazarene, we joined our Pastor Reverend Ray LaSalle, and the voice of the Nazarene.

Jesus while on earth and his fleshly body during that final three years of his ministry chose, selected and called and anointed at least 12 men. We don't know a whole lot about these men their lives. But this morning, we come to the fourth disciple. You need to remember these are the men the Bible said that the world looked at him and said, they're turning our world upside down. Today, we have 2.5 billion people who say they're followers of Christ. And you can trace it all back to those 12 men. 12 men who are given the monumental, mammoth task of sharing the gospel with, with the ends of the earth, and all the world 12 Ordinary men, and yet most of us don't know a whole lot about him. But we want to look at him just for a moment, over these few weeks.

And let's come alongside of Matthew, today in this service, the man that God used, it's such a great way. Notice what the Bible said here in Luke Five, Verse 27. It says, After these things, he went forth Jesus, and saw a publican named Levi or Matthew, some say that he had two names Matthew Levi, others say that when he encountered Christ, that his name was changed from Levi to Matthew, honestly, we don't know. But anytime you read of Levi, it's talking about Matthew, it's the very same guy. And so, Jesus, he saw a publican named Levi setting at the receipt of custom and set it to him, Follow me, he sees you, and the same to you follow me. And he left all I hope you will rose up and followed him. Levi made him a great feast in his own house, and there was a great company of publicans, and of others had sat down with them. But the scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples saying, Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? Jesus answering Senator them, they are a whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. Now, I had minor surgery this last week, and I can just tell you, I do not relish surgery or going to dentists. Sometimes hate to go to a doctor Friday might give me the news, I really don't want kind of like coming to church and hear the preacher in. But you know, if I get sick enough, I'm glad to see a doctor. Honest to God, and some of you have family and they don't want to change it, you want them to change. And they're never going to change until they get sick enough of their life and their sins and their self until they're willing to change and see a doctor, they've got to get sick. And if you can't get sick enough for them. You might pray that they'll get sick, but they have to get so sick of the way they're living in the direction they're going, that they're willing to find a help and to go to the doctor and that is the great physician Jesus Christ.

Now in verse 32, he said, I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent za who the righteous for the Bible said there's none righteous, no, not one. It says that our righteousness is as filthy rags.

And here he said I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent and so we'll look at that. I want to talk to you about Matthew the tax collector or Matthew The Publican reading the other day the story about a about a guy that was dying a godly man a good guy, he was dying, his family gathered in with him. He'd come down to his final hours. And as they gathered around him that day, they said to him, is there anybody else that you'd like to talk to before you die? He said, Yes. And he gave him two names.

And they were nonplussed because none of those family members knew who these two fellows were.

They contacted him said, Our dad is dying, and he's asked for you to come he, he wants you here.

And so they arrived and greeted each other. And they're sitting there waiting to go back in to see the man and one set of the other said, Do you know this gentleman? He said, No, I've never met him. He said, have you met him? No. He said, I don't know who he is, either. But he's asked for me to come. Well, he said he asked for me to come there sitting there waiting. And finally, for conversation, the one said to the other said, what do you do? He said, Well, I, I happen to be a lawyer. Fact better. I'm an IRS lawyer. And you know, you put the word V and IRS together and it spells there's zoom when there when again. And the other said, Well, that's ironic. He said, You know, I happen to be an IRS attorney also. Well, they're interrupted and come on in and dad's dying, and he's asking for you, and they stepped in. And he asked for one to stand on one side of one the other and they said, do we know you? He said, No, you're wondering why I've asked for you. He said, I want to die like Jesus were the thief on both sides. Did you know that is the exact image that the Jews had of tax collectors during Jesus time on Earth. They felt like they were thieves, extortion errs, that they were being taken. And they didn't like tax collectors.

They didn't like these people called publicans. And we have a tax collector that worked for the IRS right here in the scripture, and his name was Matthew. And this morning, I like for you to see three things we can learn three things from, from Matthew's life, one of the 12 disciples, first of all, you see Matthew, counting his money.

If you look at Luke 527, Jesus came by and, and Matthew was right there after these things.

He went forced all public and named Levi, setting at the receipt of custom. He's at his table. He's in his office. He's at the toll booth. He's at the receipt of customs. And for background to give you a framework. Tax collectors were the most hated people in all of Israel. They were Jews that worked for the Roman government.

Now, they weren't putting taxation on property. Their job was working at toll booths. And they were to spy out and find anyone that they thought was not paying taxes, and expose them, and to levy attacks against them. And they did that. And the Jews despised them for what they did. They felt like they was a traitor to their own people.

They worked for the Roman government, and they were allowed to assess and to add on and overcharge any kind of Levy.

They wanted to but see that the Roman government got their share. And they literally line their pockets with overcharge, and the people despised and hated tax collectors. Matthew was a tax collector you don't want I think? I think he did very well financially. I think on the outside he had it all going for him but on the inside.

He was empty. And I'll tell you why. Because Ecclesiastes 311 says God, put eternity in our heart. There's something about you that will never die. And with all the takes place on Earth, we're heading for the eternities. We're without even while the ages roll on. You can have a hot tub and you can have a good backdrop and and you can drink at the local pub and you can drive a Bentley. But if you don't know Jesus Christ, I can promise you you're gonna be empty on the inside. You can try to fire us satisfy that something somewhere else, but nothing else will satisfy. There was a man in the Bible. He was a wealthiest man that had ever lived. His name was Solomon. By today's standards, his net worth was somewhere around $2.2 trillion. Bill Gates would be a pulper. In comparison, William Buffett would separately are Warren Buffett was similar to be a popper in comparison, and this is what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 510. He that lovers silver shall not be satisfied with silver, or he that loveth abundance with increase. This is also vanity. He said also, in chapter six, verse seven, all the labor of men is for their mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. I want you to know that John D. Rockefeller, the first billionaire in, in America, he owned at 90% of the oil in the US. And somebody asked him, Mr. Rockefeller, what would it take to make you happy he said, one more dollar, one more dollar. One more dollar. I want you to know something folk.

I like what money can buy, but I like what it cannot buy. You see, money can buy you a house.

But it can buy you a home. Money can buy you companion, but it can't buy you a a friend.

Somebody said money can buy you a bed but not rest. Money can buy you a good time, but not peace of mind. And Matthew is busy counting his money. He's gotten together on the outside, just under Tom Brady and what he has to say.

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings? And and still think there's some greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, Hey, man, this is what it is. I reached my goal. My dream my life is me. I think God, it's got to be more than this. I mean, this isn't.

This can't be what it's all cracked up to be. I mean, I've done it. 27. And what else is there for me? What's the answer?

I wish I knew I wish I knew. I mean, it's I think that's part of me, trying to go out and experience other things. But there's a I love playing football and I love being the quarterback for this team. And but at the same time, I think there's a lot of other parts about me that I'm trying to find. And different ways of expression being around. I know what ultimately makes me happier family and friends and positive relationships with with great people. And I think I get more of that than anything.

You see the answer for Tom Brady? Is the same answer for you and I and that's Jesus Christ. You're gonna win all the Super Bowls, make all the money, have the most beautiful women on your arm. But without Christ on the inside. There's an emptiness. The poet said I counted gains while he counted losses. I counted my worth by the things gained in store, but he sighs via by the scars that I bore, I counted honors, and sought degrees he wept as he counted the hours on my knees.

And I never knew till one day at a grave how vain are these things that we spend life to say? Matthew is busy counting his money. But I want you to also see, Matthew changed his mind. The Bible says here in Luke 528, and they left all rolls up and follow him. You say Well, Pastor Matthew made an impulsive decision when he followed Jesus Christ. No, I don't think so. Matthew's temperament isn't that type of a guy at all. Back to matter. In Matthew nine nine Matthew follow the Lord. But before that happened, Jesus had raised Peters mother in law, literally from the deathbed. And before that had happened, Jesus had cast out devils. Before this should happen Jesus calmed the storm and made the sea to relax.

before it happened. Jesus had preached the Sermon on the Mount. And I believe all of these people that had witnessed these happenings and had these experiences in their life, when they stopped at that toll booth and pay their taxes. They were telling Matthew their encounter with Jesus Christ And Matthew is a very analytical guy. He's the kind that put a line down the middle of the page and the ad increase, and he had decrease and profit and gain and exchange and loss. He was a guy that studied at all. It wasn't just an impulsive encounter the fact of the matter, study his life again, in his book 99 times he records the Old Testament. He had studied it in depth. He was very thorough in his study. And so when he followed Jesus Christ, it was a change of his mind. Somebody asked, preacher, what do you think repentance is?

Well, I can tell you it's not regret. Repentance is not remorse. The definition of repentance is when one changes his mind. Some of us need to change your mind about God. We need to change your mind about our sins. We need to change your mind about eternity. Now tell you what happened to Matthew, he changed his mind. He changed his mind because God James just heart, God changed his life. So he's just counting his money, then we seem changing his mind.

And the third thing I'd like to point out this morning, Matthew, confessing his master, Can I Can you imagine? It must have been the talk of the town. The most notorious tax collector of all time, has just confessed that he's following Jesus Christ. He confesses Christ. You say, Well, how did he do that? Well, number one by leaving his sin. Let me tell you something. When you come to know Christ, you get a change of life. You say, Well, I when I get a bunch of things straightened out, and I get it.

All right, I'll start coming to church. No, you'll probably never get it. All right. Just come to know Him. And he'll work with you and he'll work things out. Somebody said, Well, I'm I quit this. And I start that and I get it together. You'll never get it all together. Newsflash.

Only God can change your heart, change your life, you'll never get good enough. No one's good enough. And if you come to him, the good news is, he'll work things out over a period of time. How did he confess Jesus Christ, He left his sin.

Somebody said The Measure of a Man. And the yardstick of his character is $1. Bill. If you want to know if somebody's bad or good, just hold up $1 Bill put $1 bill in their hand.

That's why I say a lot of times where there's a will there's a relative and see how people respond when it comes to finances being involved. Did you know that every public and ever that's ever tax collector public goes we're tax collectors.

Everyone I'm gonna specifically mentioned in the bible gave their heart to Christ. There was Zacchaeus there in Luke chapter 19. You remember he was a wee little guy. And he was shorter stature. He loved his money. He loved his money. He was always counting his money. And when he got converted, he made restitution. He gave back four times what he had taken and backup on Chapter Do you have two men stepping inside the sanctuary and heading to the front and one was a Pharisee.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

And he said, I'm glad I'm not like other man that is looking over this. publican. He says, You know, I give tithe of all that I possess and I fast twice a week. And the other was a public without lifting up his head smoking his breast, and said, God be merciful to me as senator. You know what God wants to hear us asking for mercy. And so there you have the three you you have in Matthew 19, that Zack Hudson chapter right before that the man beating his friend then you have Matthew, and folk, here's what I've noticed this I started the scripture this week.

I was reading just a little earlier on and chapter 15 verse one, it said Ben drew near to him publicans and sinners. For to hear him. Everywhere, Jesus when he drew sinners, and lost people, the very worst of the worst. He drew people. You say, Well, I preach it so straight.

Nobody wants to hear me. No, you got it wrong. Jesus loved people and that's why they wanted to hang around him. It may not be your message, it just may be you that draws or repels people.

They were drawn to Jesus, they knew that Jesus Christ cared about him. And our Christian responsibility is to make people hungry for Jesus hungry. We're gonna be the salt that creates a thirst not salty at you rub in and see if we can make some body sore. Our job is not to repel people. Our job is not to offend everybody, our responsibility is to simply love people till they want what we have. Here's the second thing. He not only left his sin, but he began to tell his friends what Jesus had done.

He's confessing Jesus. He came to know Christ. And the first thing he does, he throws a party. You've got a Bible, you've read it, he throws a party. I mean, he invites all of the other tax collectors, he invites all those sinner friends in and he just has a great be buddies, and I want everybody to come, I'm paying and don't cost you anything. And by the way, we've got a special guest. Jesus is coming. I've been here 31 years. I look back over the years that I think of Earhart, I hope if Sandy's ears you don't mind me telling this. He got saved. God turned his life so around so radically changed. He came down to death's door. And he asked Can I can I have a fish fry at the church, you want to have a what he said a fish for I'm gonna get all the fish we can get. I'm gonna provide all of my friends that have known me. I want them to come. And I want to share with them what Jesus Christ has done in my life. That's what happened right before he died. And Matthew gathers all of his friends, he tries to get everybody to come, that he could get to come. I cannot like this is sent a leave, I made him a great feast in his own house. It was a great company, Republicans and others that sat down with him. I think we ought to try to get people to Jesus, maybe I'm getting crazy.

In my old age. Don't say, man, it's for your record.

I think we ought to do everything we can if it means tearing the roof off the house.

So we can get people in the President as well to do it.

People that don't look like us people that are ranked by God's people that are different than us, when we need to give them to Jesus. It seems like some people get a whole lot more bothered than I do. Some days just don't bother me that much. I'm not bothered over a cup of coffee.

I'm not bothered over somebody wearing a ball cap. Now I can tell you one thing if it was your boy, and they come in and God changes their life. You look past everything. And you'd see a lost soul. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Church isn't about making a holy house out of our churches, our hospital for the lame and hurting and the wicked and the centers. They change. This is not a Holy Club.

It's the house where we invite people to come so they can be with Jesus Christ. You know what we ought to do water quit trying to clean the fish when we haven't even caught him yet.

That's what we ought to do.

Moving along while you're shouting happy. Matthew said I've gotta gotta leave of sin. I gotta tell all my friends, I'll just be a nobody telling everybody about somebody that can save anybody. Jesus can change change your life. Has he made a change in yours? You know, some people have such a filthy mouth Have they ever really get saved, that lose about 50% of their vocabulary.

You can come with all of your addictions, and you can come with having gone the wrong way.

Let me tell you something, he'll give you a turn around. If you want to argue about being sinless, you come to Christ, you'll sin less, because he's still working on you. So by leaving his sin by telling his friends, and a third thing by writing a book, Matthew wrote a book. I'll give you three guesses is what the name of that book was. It wasn't Levi, so you're wrong. Number one. He wrote a book he did. I'm so glad. I'd like to say Matthew.

Thanks. Thanks for leaving your sin. Thanks for quit counting your money all the time. Thanks for telling your friends but thanks for writing this book.

Because it's in this book that three fifths of it are the words of Jesus Christ. He says more quoting Christ than any other writer, including Mark and Luke and John, back to the matter of 1068 verses, and yet 644 Words of Jesus Christ, because if he hadn't written this book, here's what would have happened. He wrote something nobody else wrote. Chapter 24 verse three, and as he said, up on the Mount of Olives, this is Jesus. The disciples came into him privately and they're saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And why should we the sign of thy coming into the end of the world? And Matthew said, Man, this is heavy stuff. This sounds pretty important. Nobody else picked up a pen. Maybe they were so caught off guard they, maybe they ran out, I don't know. But he said I, I better record this and he began to ride verse For Jesus said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many should come in My name saying I am the Christ shall deceive Binney. You're going to hear a wars, rumors of wars, see that you're not troubled. These things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes and diverse places.

And you're going to hear all of this, but he said, these are all at the beginning of sorrow.

Can't remember, Matthew wrote this more than 2000 years ago, wasn't yesterday. He said they'd be famines. Did you know that last night 1/3 of the world what went to bed hungry? He said that the pestilence and diseases COVID-19 Thank you, Matthew.

Glad you quit counting your money. I'm glad you wrote a book. I'm glad you follow Jesus.

I was reading this week about another man that never did quit counting his money. He's in that book of Luke chapter 12. The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully and he thought within themselves, saying, what, what shall I do?

Luke 12 · chapter mention

Because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? Should I believe I pull down my barns and build greater and there will I stole all of my fruits, my goods that will say to my soul, take that nice. Eat, drink and be merry. You've got all kinds of things stored up now. But God said unto him, Thou fool. This night, thy show shall be recorded the still counting his money, still planning a barn building? Endeavor. But before the night was over, he was standing before God with empty hands. And that's not the end of the story. Most theologians tell us that by chapter 16. It reads on about him that the rich man died and was buried in in hell.

Don't hear anything about that these days, do you? That's not a very popular theme. What kind of a preacher would preach about hell, Jesus, Jesus would in tried to tell us not to go there. You better start counting what really counts and quit counting on what is fleeting and slipping through your fingers.

There's another guy and out of that 12 He got so busy counting his money after he'd had the call of God. His name was Judas 30 pieces of silver, he sold out his Christ. Somebody said in the back Rams of the Damned. He's counting in his hands, his burning with coinage as he's counting. When Jesus came that first time the whole world was being taxed. I want you to know it's text I he's coming again.

And there's going to be then the counting i You will give an account of the deeds done in the body. I stood in my office and I said again, what I say every time I get ready to walk out into this open God anything that I picked up along the way, give the credit to someone else. God get all of the glory. God let the people get the help. Just let me be a channel just annoy me enough to be a channel to say what you wanted. Said because I'll have to give an account of what I've said across these 31 years. Every time that I've stood here, but could I remind you that You'll give her an account of what you heard. When you were here to someday soon.

It's gonna be accounting time.

Matthew, follow me. He laid down those tax books, he picked up some other books, and his life was forever changed. And think of how he helped turn the world upside down for God. Now I'm here and you're here this morning because of Matthew, and because of the others to follow the master, Father, thanks for being a part of the voice of the Nazarene. Visit us every Sunday at 9am with B and C's pastor Ray LaSalle. For more information regarding B and C, visit Bucyrus nazarene.org.