Incoming Call: ME

We often think we need to clean ourselves up before approaching Jesus, but this powerful message from Matthew 9 turns that idea completely upside down. When Jesus called Matthew the tax collector, he didn't say 'How dare you?' or demand change first. He simply said 'Follow me.' This is revolutionary because tax collectors were the most despised people in Jewish society, collaborators with Rome who stole from their own people. Yet Jesus not only called Matthew, he went to his house and ate with other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees were scandalized, but Jesus explained he came as a physician for the sick, not the healthy. We follow Jesus to change, not change to follow Jesus. It's the experience of grace that inspires transformation, the teaching of Jesus that gives us understanding, and the indwelling of the Spirit that empowers us. We don't have to pretend we're not sick to make a doctor's appointment. The great physician has already made a house call, diagnosed our condition, provided the cure through the cross, and paid the bill. The question isn't whether we've been called, because if Jesus came to call sinners, he's calling every single one of us. The real question is: what will we do with that call?

CHAPTERS

Chapter 1: Jesus Calls Matthew the Tax Collector (0:00 - 7:00)
We examine how Jesus called Matthew, a despised tax collector, to follow Him, demonstrating that Jesus came to call sinners rather than the righteous.

Chapter 2: We Are Patients in Need of a Physician (7:00 - 14:00)
We learn that Jesus identifies us as sick patients needing a doctor, not as defendants before a judge, and that we must acknowledge our need for healing rather than pretending we are healthy.

Chapter 3: Following Jesus to Change (14:00 - 21:00)
We follow Jesus in order to change more than we change in order to follow Jesus, as His grace teaches us and empowers us to transform our lives.

Chapter 4: Befriending Sinners to Introduce Them to Jesus (21:00 - 28:00)
We cannot effectively introduce others to the friend of sinners if we do not befriend them ourselves, and we must move beyond surface conversations to help others hear the call of Jesus.