When God Calls You

Welcome to the radio ministry at Clearview church in Henderson. Margo is to make Christ visible Clearview is a place of genuine worship with ministries for all age groups and all people.

For more information, visit us at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson for visit us online@clearviewb.org now join us for this week's message by Pastor items discomfort message turn in your Bibles to the gospel of Mark, and for those of you who may not know were in our series on the life of Christ from all four Gospels.

Mark being the shorter gospel. We have ignored. But today, we can try to even the score some Mark chapter 2.

If you have your Bibles with you starting in verse 14 and the message is called when God calls you, let's all stand together as he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus sitting at the tax office and he said to him, follow me, so he arose and followed him. Now it happened, as he was dining and Levi's house that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him, and when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners. This said to his disciples, how is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners. When Jesus heard it, he said to them, those who are well have no need for physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. How many if y'all remember growing up playing pickup games after school usually have these two leading kind of guys. They would get up and they will start picking teams you wanted your name to be called and if your name was not called quick enough.

It was really painful this morning were going to hear Jesus calling someone's name someone who did not expect his name to be called, although he had some history with Jesus. I believe he was not expecting his name to be called because according to the religious standards of the day he was unfit for the kingdom of God. But according to God's standards. He was the perfect fit in his name we just read was Levi or Matthew before getting to this message. Have you had God's call on your life. Now there are several calls that come in a person's life. You don't immediately need to jump up and say I think God is calling me to preach.

There are several calls that come in a person's life as a Christian, there is the call to discipleship discipleship means going further with Jesus Christ becoming more obedient in his word, trusting more to the Holy Spirit guiding you in your life.

There is a call that comes to human beings who are Christians that says come further with me. It's a call to discipleship. Have you ever heard that call. Are you hearing the call as I'm speaking to you. It is time to burn those ships to burn those bridges, this time to move further with me. It's a call to discipleship does another call that comes in Christian's life is a call to ministry.

Now please don't think ministry immediately means you gotta go find a pulpit and start preaching.

Sometimes ministry is as simple as look at what's happening in Lumberton is time for you to go help is time for you to give us time for you to maybe go it's time for you to find ways to help people in need, because that's where God is, he is helping people who are down in their life right now is a call to ministry. Maybe this morning that call this coming to someone's heart. There are many different calls in a Christians live. There's a call to repentance. There is a call to more obedience. I can go on and on, but the primary called that comes to every human being is a call to salvation, and by the way if you've never answered that call, you cannot jump around and get to missions work in an teach Sunday school and help the poor and do those things are wonderful, but the first call. You need to respond to is a call to receive Jesus as your Savior. So here's the question this morning. Has there ever been a time in your life when you answered that call, I inserted when I was four years old.

It was a symbol call that said make Jesus your Savior and I answered the call. Four years old. Have you ever answered the call. If you haven't, I'm praying this morning that you will forget about missions work and forget about teaching Sunday school and helping the poor and the needy that you will respond to the first things first, which is make Jesus your Savior be say let the Holy Spirit speak to your hearts this morning were going to learn how to respond when God calls you three things number one is the nature of God's call. By the way this message is deeply already for deep message. Listen to verse 14. As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus sitting at the tax often is.

He said to him, follow me, so he arose and followed him. People mistakenly assume that this was the first encounter that Levi or Matthew had with Jesus Christ as a Jesus is walking around, sees this man sitting at the tax table. He said hey you, yeah. Because Jesus is God. He knows his name.

Levi come follow me. Is it okay I did my job anyways. Were we going not true. When God calls people in such a radical way to follow him. There's always a history there's always a context.

This morning I was to spend just a few minutes to look at the context of back up to verse 13.

Get a context of what's happening here. Listen to what it says in verse 13 and he meeting Jesus went out again by the sea. What is by the sea by the sea of Galilee.

The place is Capernaum. If you read Mark chapter 1 and two. It'll tell you this is Capernaum. Capernaum was on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. In ancient times Capernaum was sitting on an important trade route going from Egypt to the north to Syria and to the east. Mesopotamia so you come up here. This is Capernaum, right appear on the northwest shore of Galilee. Now, though this high.

We would either go to the North toward Syria, which is still there you hear in the news or it would go to the east towards Babylon and that amazing that Capernaum was sitting at a perfect point for people from all over the world to come through. Not only that, because of the Sea of Galilee sees all surrounded by mountains can see those mountain ranges all around here.

This is on Mount because the Sea of Galilee. This was perfect to transport cargo import and export cargo. Because of this Capernaum here was a checkpoint for customs goods from all over the world is passing or passing through Capernaum. This was the checkpoint. It had a pretty large customs department and if you have a customs Department of that magnitude will you have you would you have you have tax collectors you have customs agents it with the Romans would do the Romans would sell taxation to the highest bidders. So if you have a lot of money, they would say okay we want $2 million from Galilee. Are you willing to do that. Somebody says what I have somebody says three all right three got it now give us the $3 million and you are in charge of collecting taxes passing through your territory.

Boy oh boy, you can hike up as much is you want you can make it 4 million you can make it. Five. Don't go too high because the people will start complaining than the Romans would get on to you so still that made so much money lata tax collectors were here because there was a customs checkpoint not only with the tax collectors there, but you need some force behind it, but I can tell you to give me some money, but if I don't have any leverage they will save no Roman soldiers were there. There was a Roman garrison in Capernaum to back up these tax collectors. So now you have displaced Capernaum ancient Capernaum sitting at a perfect point but customs department tax collectors Roman soldiers Egyptian Syrians Anatolian's Babylonians.

They're all coming through here. Who else do you think comes to a place like this. What was the oldest profession in the world. Prostitution. There were plenty of brothels around here. Why because business is good.

I'm going somewhere with this and that amazing that Jesus picked up her knew them to be the base of his early ministry. What he think he did that because people are there in the amazing thing about the church today as we complain about how ungodly we are, and how the church is not growing and how America is going downhill. And yet we run from the culture and for goodness sake. There is one church that says run to the culture he was on all like traditions now. What is your purpose to be satisfied or to do what Jesus came to do heaters hung around in Jerusalem he went to cup her gnome folks America can be one hate to break it to you is not to be through politician is going to be through Jesus Christ as Gobi on the church to make it happen. So this is Capernaum. This is where all these things are happening to listen to what is says, and as he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus sitting at the tax office and he said to him, follow me know what people typically assume, as I mentioned earlier is that this was his first encounter not true. You see, Jesus was all over the Capernaum countryside preaching to the multitudes, he was doing miracles everywhere. In fact, that he this is the place where he called Peter and Andrew, James and John to be his disciples. This is where was you know they were originally from Bethsaida and that amazing how God sovereignly works out his plan. There were from Bethsaida, but they moved to Capernaum. Why because the business was better and Jesus found them and said, follow me, I'll make you fishers of men.

This was also the place where Jesus preached in their synagogues, so this is a synagogue was built on top of the original. When we saw the ruins of the synagogue, any picture Jesus preaching here. What is my point. The point is this Jesus was not a stranger in Capernaum.

This was not his first entry into Capernaum people knew him.

So when it says he came to Matthew and said come follow me more than likely he knew Matthew and Matthew knew him he had heard him preach before more than likely had seen his miracles.

More than likely had seen Jesus healed a lot lame and the blind and the paramedic more than likely Matthew probably had many conversations with Jesus and there was that one day Jesus saw Matthew the same tax collector who always shows up.

There's that sense of humility in his eyes that eagerness in his heart and he says to him, it's time and Matthew left everything and followed him to the point I'm making here is this, this was not a random call to some random person demanding a spontaneous lifelong commitment.

It bothers me when people think. I think God is calling me to move. How did that happen just felt that this morning. I think God's calling to quit my job. I think that's what I need to do.

How did you decide that this this morning I felt I was this the song on the radio and it just felt like you got a go in order to lose people, but you need to pray about this on the God's calling you anywhere in the worst of them. I think God's going to preach what happened. I went to the survival of man as a preacher was preaching. I felt the fire in my bones not to get up and preach like, no, no, you need to stop doing those looking look at the smut magazines.

First let's start with that God is not calling you anywhere folks. Matthew had a history. More than likely would Jesus Christ by the way, what kind of the call was this was this a call to salvation. No, because Jesus would have said Matthew believe in me. I can give you eternal life.

Jesus didn't say that he's a come, follow me.

Was this a call to discipleship. Matthew want you to grow in me. I want to learn more about God, no, you don't have to quit your job to grow in your faith. This was a very specific call to be one of his apostles did you know that the only other time.

Jesus give a call like this was to those fishermen follow me and I will make you fishers of men. As I mentioned, sometimes I'm amazed at how flippantly people talk about responding to God's call God's call comes in many different ways.

I've heard messages were people said they listen. Jesus calls you respond immediately and and leave everything and follow no, look at the context in which context is Jesus calling Matthew, not salvation, not discipleship apostleship. How many of you are called to be an apostle. Thank you for not raising your hand this morning of the Holy Spirit is tugging on your heart and if you've never given you harder Jesus Christ. Would you like to know what you call this your call is to get save if you are saved in the Holy Spirit is still tugging on your heart. Maybe your call is to repent for your sin as a call to repentance, to that says get on your face before God and confess some sins in your life if your sins are fessed up and you are saved and you still feel the tug on your heart.

Maybe it's a call to obedience get into the word of God and say God I would obey you more than obeyed you yesterday. If that's all covered. Maybe there is still in it have on your heart maybe you need to talk to somebody and said I think God is calling me in the ministry folks we got too many preachers doing too many stupid things. Last thing we need is one more if you have this one guy back in our home church came to my dad what has been pastoring for 55 some years same church came to him one day young man at the time in his 30s is that I think God's calling me in the ministry that he had just gotten married and my dad told him is looking to work on your marriage, build your home work on that right now, as he knew there were things were not right in what he said you don't have the spirit of encouragement you should be encouraging me to go in the ministry. Look at how many people are lost that city look God is in control and and yes he needs more people to go on the field but the first thing first you to build your home is on the listening too young to do what I want to do what he did he start a home church of no one home. At home, church began to call his neighbors, friends, whatever they all began to come and you always find some people like that is got all these people together. You know the first thing that happened.

His wife ran out on him. She was gone, his kids began to do crazy things.

You know what he said. He said I think Satan is attacking me. I can just I like to joke about Satan, but at that moment. I bet Satan even went home and do that one. I think you burn yourself. I've heard some very wonderful messages on this passage where it says if Jesus calls you leave everything and follow folks Jesus builds up a history with you before he calls you for such abandon followership. If this morning. God is speaking to your heart. Question yourself is this salvation is this. Repentance is an obedience to something in your life and then don't then only is it some ministry or service. I'm not telling you that unless you have all the boxes check. You cannot follow Jesus because that will never happen. What I'm saying to you is wait and discern God's will for your life.

Let the Holy Spirit fill that desire into you when I went to Nicole's dad was pastoring for many years at the time and I told him I think God's calling me in the ministry and what he told me you will believe it. He said is anything else you can do that went away for about a week. I came back. Is it all right good. Let's talk more can ask you this morning. What is God calling you to do is he calling you to receive Jesus as your Savior. Is he calling you to repent of your sin is he calling to obey some truth then is he calling you to a lifetime of service. Let that be the last thing so the nature of God's call.

Your comes the confirmation by the way, if God is calling you.

He's gonna give you some fruits is to confirm it. Opposition will come just because you follow Jesus Christ does not mean you are immune to trouble. In fact, trouble will grow, but God will strengthen you in the process… A whole different thing.

Are you seeing this is what happens here Levi or Matthew begins to follow Jesus. Now it happen as he was dining and Levi's house that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples were there were many first thing. Matthew does this I'm called by Jesus becomes to Jesus and says I have a lot of buddies. I don't think that I go to a synagogue that did not the church going type but if I have a big cookout at my place.

Luke and his gospel says Matthew put out a big feast if I have a big cookout at my house and if you don't mind if I invite some of these guys these tax collectors. The Roman soldiers, Gentiles prostitutes, the riffraff. If I invite him what you think they're rough around the edges. Ivy said no and I won't do it, but I think they listen to you and I can just see a smile come across Jesus's face. Matthew that's the reason I came, I figured you'd say that an old Matthew goes out to the market sends out his servants by the lambs by Bob mean by grain by bread is going to be a big feast you think Jesus helped out I think so, but he slips up the floor. I bet he clean the table.

I personally think he was helping clean the fish and all these people showed up. These are not your synagogue going type and at the right time. Matthew looks at Jesus is all yours and Jesus begins to speak to them and listen to what the Bible says just three or four words it says and they followed him how to know what that means. They followed him. Maybe they got saved in the follow Jesus Christ. Maybe it means they they give up their old lifestyle and they follow Jesus Christ. Maybe just like Matthew, they began to follow Jesus everywhere he went there. Matthew was a tax collector. He was literate.

He he knew how to read and write. He is the one who wrote the first gospel I can imagine these tax collectors who got saved. They also began to take notes. Is it any wonder that Matthew's gospel is the most comprehensive gospel, not a single story gets missed the point is this.

Matthew's call was to go and call others. The longer you are a Christian, the more distant you get from lost people, folks, there are many people who would never listen to me if they find I'm a pastor the person to stop doing his cars, but they listen to you and you don't have to say come to church with us, you can say hey were going to have a big birthday cookout come over and guess what you should do stand up and pray for guys with our prayer. You'd be surprised. Many of them will actually bow their heads and pray, and only eternity will tell the impact that will make on the lives of people. Matthew goes and these people begin to follow me ask you this morning.

Do you invite people to me, Jesus, do you care about the salvation of your friends and neighbors that may not come to me, but they will come to you especially when they're going through a difficult time when was the last time you invited someone to come over for a meal and somewhere he allowed the Holy Spirit to bring the gospel somewhere you found a way to talk to them about Jesus Christ.

So, the nature of God's call.

It is different for different people at different stages in life. The confirmation of God's call Matthew was really called. Guess what, he reached many people. But here's number three the opposition to God's call for 16 and when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with the past collectors and sinners are said to his disciples, how is it. Can you see the disdain in their face. How is it why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners into these tax collectors.

As I mentioned earlier were hated by the people. The religious leaders group them but the robbers and even the Romans regarded them as pimps. Why would he go spend time with them come to the synagogue.

Sometimes people are shocked when they come to Clearview does not look like a typical church audience. I love the look on their face. They walk in and go. This is different, but different is good. I still have the old gospel different is good.

Got all kinds of people.

All background some really rough around the edges. It's an awesome place and the religious leaders will look at this and say why why you know the tax collectors of the ever walked into a home that home was unclean. Jesus not only walked into a tax collectors home, but he ate with them and ate with them bunch of bare mom and he broke every rule I love Jesus.

He was a radical. We make it more like us. He was more radical than all of us.

I promise you, Jesus was here today he probably won't come to church. He would be somewhere else. Reaching people Jesus heard it, what was his response. Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous needed rated as self-righteous hi did not come to call the self righteous, but sinners to repentance. Jesus was not saying that the religious leaders were the righteous who don't need him what he was saying was if you think you're better than them out and come for you anyways. I came for the nobodies and I used to work with a lot of people in warehouses and momenta found out I was a pastor going to be a pastor, man, you know you're with a bunch of sinners here were gonna bust a lot open to something happens to this truck. I did not have to convince them they were lost they would tell me where lost. We know where were going, folks. It is so much easier to convince an outright sinner that he or she needs to be saved, then to convince a churchgoing Bible toting so-called Christian that he or she is lost in the church all my life I teach Sunday school I been on mission trips like the man who complained about the amount of time. His children were watching TV and his wife was watching to his leg and I'm sick and tired of this, all my kids do is watch cartoons on TV and they don't do their homework. All my wife does is watch a soap opera, and doesn't do any housework is nominal unplug and cut off that cable as soon as the ball seasons over that's self-righteous. It is so easy to look down and say you you you you folks, if that's you maybe today is a day you need to get say and maybe you are saved, but you are living in that self-righteous zone where you feel like you better know it's not about being better is about coming to Jesus and say I'm a nobodies only by your grace. Where is God calling you to do. Listen to his voice.

Thank you so much for joining us today and before you can answer any call from God. The first call is to receive Jesus as your Savior. For more information visit us online@clearviewb.org and for the notes from this sermon. My blog site I been on shawl.com