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Text: Matthew 9:9-13
Cross references to Matthew’s account are Mark 2:14-17 and Luke 5:27-32.
Call of Matthew (vs 9)
- These verses deal with the Lord calling sinners and publicans instead of the self righteous religious pharisees. Matthew’s testimony of his call fits the context of these verses.
- Matthew works for the government. He would be called a publican. He is evidently working his job while looking for the Messiah and salvation to come to Israel. That’s evident by his response to the Lord’s invitation.
Criticism from the self righteous (vss 10-11)
- These pharisees are self righteous people. They don’t believe they are sinners. They aren’t looking for forgiveness. They use the law to profit themselves.
- They believe it’s a mark against Jesus Christ to point out his eating with publicans and sinners.
Call sinners to repentance (vss 12-13)
- Repentance as a medical illustration: sick people look for a doctor just like sinners look for a savior. People who believe they’re OK don’t look for a doctor just like people who are self righteous don’t look for a savior.
- Hosea 6:4-7, Micah 6:6-8
- 1 Samuel 15:20-23, Proverbs 21:2-3, Isaiah 1:10-20, Luke 11:27-28, 2 Timothy 3:1-5
- Psalm 40:6-8 (referenced in Hebrews 10:5-7)
- Repentance is not salvation, but repentance is absolutely necessary to salvation.
- The only reason repentance wouldn’t be necessary is if you were going in the right direction and pleasing God before you “trusted Christ.” And if you were pleasing God before then what are you “trusting Christ” for anyway.
- Repentance is absolutely necessary because (Ephesians 2:2-3) …ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
- Repentance was consistently preached from John the Baptist to Paul
- Matthew 3:1-2 – John preaches repentance
- Matthew 4:17 – Jesus preaches repentance (KOH), Mark 1:14-15 (KOG). Repent and believe the gospel
- Acts 3:19 – Peter and John preach repentance
- Acts 26:19-21 – Paul preaches repentance
- There is no such thing as the gospel of the grace of God that doesn’t deal with sin.
- See Titus 2:11-14. The same gospel that brings salvation teaches sinners to deny ungodliness, etc. (The very familiar great commission in Matthew 28:19-20)
- You may have a Christianity that says I like the idea that God is good and I’m forgiven, but I don’t know exactly what I’m forgiven from. Because I’m pretty OK with all my behavior and certainly wouldn’t change anything for the Lord. See 2 Timothy 4:2-4, doctrine has to do with lifestyle.
