We are looking for sermon transcribers/transcript reviewers.
Email [email protected] to serve  or to report transcription errors.
I like to begin with a story of a man, this picture of this man has been circulated on Internet for the past few years. It's a man who looks unkempt, dirty and probably homeless. So a story is told of him who turn up in church one day, he entered a huge church of about 10,000 people, he was there early for the service, 30 minutes early and when he got there he was surprised that out of 10,000 people, only three said hello to him. He asked for some money because he needed food, but nobody was willing to give him any money and then he found a seat right in front of the hall, got seated there, but then the usher came to him and says, “sir, would you mind going to the back.” So he was brought to the back and people were giving him those looks, those disapprovingly looks, those dagger stares as it were.

Well, the man stood there or sat there for service, he attended the entire service and near the end of the worship service, the elders, the leaders of the church came up, gave some announcements and also at the same time said, “today, we welcome the arrival of our new Pastor, Pastor Jeremiah Steepek.” So everybody got up, gave the applause, welcomed the Pastor, this man also stood up, he walked the aisle, he, he walked the corridor or the aisle and he came up on the stage, he got behind the mic and then he says, “dear church, I'm Jeremiah and I like to you read to you this passage in the Bible, and he began to read Matthew 25, I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink and when did we see you as a stranger and welcome you all naked and clothed you and when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them truly, I say to you, “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it to me.” And he began to explain and to share what he experienced that very morning.

And as he was sharing that everybody was, was, was filled with shame and guilt, they bow their heads and they wished they had not treated their Pastor like that. Now I found out that this story is actually fictitious, it's false, there's no one like this, who is a Pastor, but it goes to show a very good point, isn't it? That sometimes, and sad to say, often times, people in church can be judgmental, people in church can be harsh, we can despise the poor and segregate from the poor. But you know, the Bible tells us Jesus is absolutely not like that.

The Bible tells us Jesus is compassionate, He's not judgmental, Jesus is kind and merciful. He is a friend of sinners and that's what we going to learn from this story we read in Matthew chapter 9. The Bible tells us of this amazing story of how Jesus befriended sinners, when nobody would want to be with such people.

Matthew 9:9-13 reads, “as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth and said to him, “follow Me and he rose and followed Him.” [And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, the way people eat in those days are kind of a semi-inclined position they don't sit upright on chairs, that's the Roman style. So He was having that meal in the house], “behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and His disciples and when the Pharisees saw this, [Pharisees are religious leaders part of a sect, religious sect in Jewish times or Jewish nation in New Testament times,] “they said this to His disciples, why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners. But when He heard it, He said those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

So the story brings us to this man named, Matthew. Well, he's a tax collector because we are told, he sits at the tax booth. Is he a poor man that people despise? No, I think Matthew is probably a rich man. In those days, tax collectors are pretty well to do, you read of that rich man, Zacchaeus, he's very rich and I think Matthew is not that far behind, he's probably a well-to-do man. Now, in those days, they collect taxes in two ways. You have the general taxes where it involves your income tax and your property tax, these are the general taxes and then you have the variable taxes, taxes about import and export, about road taxes and so on.

Now Matthew is someone who sat at the tax booth, he's at Capernaum, the northern seaport of the sea of Galilee. It's a place where it's bustling with business, fishing and so on. I think he's collecting variable tax and he has a pretty good tax franchise, good business, I think he's pretty well to do. So you say, “Jason, why, why you say despised, he's not a poor man he's not like that Jeremiah Steepek story you told, he's not unkempt, he's probably well-dressed, rich, successful in his job.” Well, you're right, but he's not despise because of his wealth or the lack of it, he's despised because of his job, the nature of his job, he's despised because he is a tax collector, is a dishonourable job. You say, “no, that's not true, I know of friends working in IRAS in Singapore Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore they are good people, it's a honourable job.” I mean you go to Novena, it's a nice building.

Well, in those days, tax collectors are not glamorous good jobs, they are bad jobs according to the Jews. You see, Israel at that time was a vassal state, in the sense that they did not rule themselves, they were under another country's rule, they were under Roman Empire rule. So they were very upset that they have to pay taxes not to their own ruler but to the Roman Emperor, to Caesar and they have great difficulty because to them, they should only give to God not to another - monarch. So you could remember for those who have read the Bible, you remember later on, some of the religious leaders will ask Jesus, “is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” They have this problem, they don't think it is right, but they have no choice but to give taxes to Caesar.

So when they look at tax collectors, they hate tax collectors because these are their own people, their own Jewish people who would take taxes from their own people to give to Caesar. They look at him like they are traitors, they betray their own people and do something that is not right. Moreover tax collectors have to survive, they don't just collect exact amount of tax to give to Caesar, they collect more than what is exact, they collect a cut so that they can line their own pockets.

So for all these reasons, the Jews look upon tax collectors with disdain, they look at them as if they are the lowlifes, the scums, the bad people, the dishonourable ones, they are the rejects. According to their teaching, they are not allowed to participate in Jewish religious ceremonies, they're not allowed to enter the synagogue. So they are like the untouchables, they're like the lowest of lows, they are the despised. So when you read the Bible, you will read of how they categorize tax collectors as the worst of sinners, for example, in Luke 18:11, the Pharisee, the story Jesus gave would say, “God I thank you that I am not like other men.” What kind of man? Extortioners, unjust, adulterous, these are bad enough, but the Pharisee would even say or even like this tax collector. I won't be even close to him, they look at them like they are really, really bad.

Likewise, in Matthew 18:17, Jesus would say, “let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” A Gentile is a non-Jew, in the mind of a Jew they are dirty, they are outside God's grace and economy of salvation. They are bad, bad, bad and they linked tax collectors to be no different as a Gentile. Or maybe even clearer here in Matthew 21:31, “I say to you the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.”

So I hope you appreciate the fact that according to the Jewish people, tax collectors are scums, lowlifes, despised, rejected, not part of their Jewish religious setup. So this is Matthew - rich but despised, has a lot of financial material stuff but spiritually cut off, he's like a moral leper, not allowed in worship.

The question is how did Matthew get this job? How did he become a tax collector? I mean for a Jew who is so familiar with the religious worship of God to say no, I want to be a tax collector, I want to leave it all behind, how do you get his job? Now, some of you may say, “well, maybe his parents are tax collectors, this is his family business, he, he followed his daddy.” Possible, we are not sure whether that is the case, but that might be possible, but can I venture to suggest to you, a paint a kind of a portrait of Matthew that maybe that's not the case. Maybe his parents are God fearing parents, you say, “how do you know that?”

Well, it’s all I guess but let me just try. For example, his name, Matthew, is a good name. My son is called Matthias, very close to Matthew, what is the meaning of Matthew? Anybody knows? Matthew means ‘the gift of Yahweh’, or ‘the gift of God’. So, I think the parents here are people who fear God, they say, “wow, God has given us a son, let's call him the gift of Yahweh, Matthew.” Now you say, “that's a weak point Jason, how can you infer that because of that they are God fearing people?” Well, maybe, but let me just add on another fact that I think we can see in the Bible.

This Matthew, who is said to sit at the tax booth is the same Matthew who wrote the book of Matthew, so clever, so Matthew wrote for us the book of Matthew, the first book of the four Gospels. Now, that's not remarkable but what's remarkable is this, Matthew quotes the Old Testament. In other words, the Bible before Jesus came, he quotes the Old Testament more than any other Gospel writers like Mark, Luke or John. In fact, if you combine all the Old Testament citations, quotations of Mark, Luke and John, there are still less than one Matthew, he quotes 99 times the Old Testament.

I don't think you even know 99 verses in the Old Testament that well. He did! He knows the Old Testament thoroughly and he quotes not just from one part, but he quotes from all parts of the Old Testament, from the prophets, to the historical writings, to the law of Moses. So I think, I think, I am guessing, Matthew is very well-versed in his Bible, how did he get that? From MOE? Probably not! Probably from his parents.

Now, I am guessing all that because I'm suggesting to you that the reason why he's a tax collectors is because he made his own choice. He probably came from a good family who taught him the Bible, but somehow along the journey of life, he decided, I think I want money, I think I want this career, I know I'm going to be cut off from religious worship, but I just want money, he made that choice, turned against worship of God and that's how he ended up. But I don't think he's happy, I think he must be regretting his decision, but it's, it's too late, he can't turn back, he can't go back to his old life, it’s too late for Matthew, he would have thought and so I think he sits at the tax booth, absorbed with getting money, but it's eating him on the inside that he can't turn back to God.

Now, he must have heard about Jesus, he must, because he's at Capernaum. Capernaum is the city where Jesus performed the most miracles, that's where He frequented the most, that's, that's the home base of Jesus as it were for His ministry. He must have heard of Jesus. Everybody will be hearing about Jesus in the city of Capernaum but he doesn't leave his tax booth to look for Jesus, maybe because he's fearful, he knows he will not be accepted, he's an outcast, he's a leper, he's an untouchable and so he never wanted to, he said oh, well let me say this, he has always wanted to, but he doesn't dare to and whilst he's tortured on the inside, he doesn't have the courage to follow Jesus on the outside.

But this is where the Bible is so encouraging, when he's sitting at the tax booth, Jesus passed on from there and saw him.” Jesus knows Matthew, Jesus, I, may I say this, looked for Matthew, sought for Matthew and spoke to Matthew. What did Jesus say? The Bible tells us Jesus said to him, “follow me.” Now, I think Jesus might have said more than just follow Me, He might have explained more. I'm not sure but the Bible essentially tells us Jesus offered Matthew an invitation. An invitation I think Matthew would be shocked at, I mean this great teacher, this great miracle worker, this man who is, who says that the kingdom of heaven is come, this man on whom the Spirit of God descended, this man where heaven declared, “this is My beloved son in whom I am well pleased”, this man I believe who is the Saviour, has come into my life and say, “follow Me”.

I mean, I've never been allowed to the temple, but am I allowed to follow this Saviour? I'm a reject, but now I can be part of His preaching team, am I going to be part of the inner circle? Am I going to be a fisher of men? Am I going to be called to change the world? I mean, it's unbelievable! Are you sure? Yes, follow Me! I can imagine with, with tears in his eyes, all those years of pent-up agony he says, “wow, there's hope for me, I mean, I can follow this Jesus.” I think he must be excited.

The Bible tells us, he left everything, rose and followed Him [Luke 5:28]. That's why I think he must have been struggling for a long while. He must been, have been hoping that there is some way he can get back to God and when there is this way, no hesitation, immediately left all behind. He left his money, he left his tax franchise, he left his business. He says, ”I realised that these money and this success means nothing in life, I'm going to give it all up because I want to follow Jesus.”

Wow, you know like that story in the Bible in John 4, the Samaritan woman when she met with Jesus and when she recognized that Jesus is the Saviour, you know what she did? She went back to her hometown and got all the people to say, “hey here is the Messiah, come and see Him!” This man, Matthew - no different! The Bible tells us Levi, well, Luke called Matthew, Levi.  Don't be surprised, we, we have many names ourselves, my, my name is Jason, you can also call Lim Kim Guan, whatever you want to call, different names, we all have different names and in those days, he has these two names, Matthew, Levi - same guy.

So, Luke says, “Levi made him a great feast in his house [Luke 5:29]. So Matthew was so excited, he didn't want to keep this joy of knowing Jesus to himself, so he invited Jesus to his house, set up a party and it's all in his house and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. I think he must be a rich man to have a what I think pretty large house, probably some bungalow at the, at the Orchard Road and he invited all his Ah Bengs, Ah Sengs, all come and Ah Lians, maybe, they never say Ah Lians, but picture don’t have Ah Lian, so Ah Bengs, Ah Sengs all come and they have a party, you know what, beer and whiskey, I do not know, all that together to why to learn of Jesus, to hear Jesus.

“Matthew, what happened to you? I heard you gave up your business.”
“Yah, I did.”
“Why?”
“I want to follow Jesus.”
“Who is this Jesus? You siow [crazy in Hokkien dialect] ah, is He going to bring you more money?”
“No, He, He said, sometime earlier that foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head, I am going to be homeless.” “What? You are going to leave your lucrative business, with lots of agents under you and you going to follow Jesus?”
“Yah, that's what I'm going to do because He has the words of life. Ay, Ah Beng,come lah, invite you to my house, I belanja [ it means give someone a treat] you meal but come and find out from this Jesus, so that you may also have the words of life lah.”
“OK, OK, lah!”
“then you bring Ah Seng and Ah Huay and everyone”

And, and they all have a great time learning from Jesus.

I wish the story stops here, but no, the Bible tells us that there was another group of people. These are the religious leaders, these are what you call the Pharisees. In those days there are four major religious sects, they have the Pharisees, then you have the Sadducees, Sanhedrin, no, Sanhedrin is the, is the highest court made up of people from perhaps these various sects okay, the other two a bit “ulu”[means uncommon in Hokkien dialect], not so, so obvious, you probably know it from historical records, not from the Bible, but you have the zealots, Simon the zealot, you remember that?  And then you have the Essenes, so they are the four sects and of the four, the Pharisees are the most well known in the Bible.  They are a very strict sect, they are very strict about their ceremonies, about their rules and regulations, you know about how they are so strict about the, the Sabbath laws, they are very strict about washing your hands before you eat, not because of hygiene but religious reasons, they are very particular about washing your plate, make sure it's clean - your dish.

In fact, they want to be separate from anything that is dirty, so the word Pharisees means ‘separated ones’, they are highlighted, their highlight, their distinguishing feature is how they are kept separate from the unclean. So you can imagine why the Pharisees, when they saw this, said to Jesus’ disciples, “why does your Sifu [师傅，master] eat with these dirty people[Matt 9:11], cannot lah, how can a holy man mix with dirty people? That's their question. In fact, I don't think that's just a question, that's their ammunition.

See, sometime earlier, they have already found fault with Jesus, sometime earlier, they have already said, “ah, how can Jesus claim that He can forgive people, thereby claiming equality with God,” they hated Jesus. They start to have this ‘buay song’[to be unhappy or angry about something], you know in Hokkien. They're not happy with Jesus and now they found extra ammunition look at this, He cannot be from God because He's mixing with dirty people, they rubbed their hands with glee, now we've found reason to go against Him and this reason is a repeated problem because later on in Matthew 11:19, we are told, they say this again, “look at Him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

Luke 15:2, the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled saying, “this man receives sinners and eats with them,” look at Him, dirtying Himself, polluting Himself, He is just like them “and when they saw it, they all grumbled, He has gone in to be a guest of a man who is a sinner [Luke 19:7]. So they are very particular about separation but Jesus is not. So there is a tension.  Ah, how can he do this? So Jesus now, hearing what they said answered, “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick[Matt 9:12]. I think Jesus is saying, “you think I'm here to eat and drink ah, no I'm here to save, that's my purpose.” Anyone of you go to the hospital and say, “eh, doctor, why you so stupid, mix with the sick?” Nobody says that because you understand that the doctor is that to be with the sick, that's his purpose!

Now, they don't understand why Jesus is here; Jesus is here as a spiritual doctor, to cure man from his spiritual disease of sin, of course then He must be with the sick, with the sinners, it makes sense. And then Jesus went on to say, “go and learn what this means,” quoting from Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.[Matt 9:13]” You are all so caught up with religious form and ceremony that you forget the heart of it all, that God is a God of mercy and He desires mercy. I'm here not to judge them, condemned them, but I'm here to show mercy to them, go and learn what this means, “for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners[Matt 9:13], I'm here to save those who know that they are sinners.

Now, there is no one righteous. When Jesus says, “I'm come, I'm, I came not to call the righteous” He's not saying that there's any man righteous, but He's saying, “I'm not here to save those who assume to think, who think that they are righteous. I'm here to save those who know they are sinners.”

What do we learn from this passage? Just what, five verses, but extremely rich, don't you think? What do we learn? Well, I learned something about snobbery. You know what's snobbery? That ‘Hao Lian!’ [arrogance in Hokkien dialect] what to slap face, the arrogant prideful snobbery and when we are snobbish, you can be snobbish over your, your wealth, you see, I, I stay where, I have what car, you don't have. Or you can be snobbish about your, your O level results, A-level results. You can be snobbish about your IQ, you can be snobbish about many things, but do you realize, you can also be a snob, spiritually speaking, when you think you have something that others don't have, that results in snobbery.

Now again, the Bible tells us of a snob. This is a story given by Jesus, but we read it just now about this Pharisee, this character who goes to the temple and say, “Lord, I thank you, I'm not like those terrible people, extortioners, unjust, adulterous, or even like this tax collector, standing behind me. I fast twice a week and I give you money, I give you tithes of all that I have, I'm better than him. I have all these he doesn't have.” He was snobbish, don't you think?

Religious people who don't understand the grace of God can become snobbish. When we think of what we have or what we think we have, and we judge people on what they don't have. I, I read this quote, he's not a Christian alright, this is just a secular quote, but I think is a very good quote:

“the true definition of a snob is one who craves for what separates men rather than what unites them.” [JOHN BUCHAN]

A snob is someone who says, I have more and I have more and I have more and you don't have and you don't have and you don't have and it makes me more and more superior to you, that's a snob. So rich man can be a snob because he thinks he has a lot, a smart man can be a snob because he thinks he knows a lot and the Pharisee, or a man with pharisaical spirit can be a snob because he thinks he has a lot when others he perceives don't have that much.

You know, this week or actually for the past two weeks, we are all in Singapore, fascinated with the political scene in Malaysia. I mean I was fascinated what, wah the greatest turnaround, the fight back of the century, whatever, it's like, it's amazing that the opposition party has, has won the government control and as a result of that change politically the 1MDB saga has become a scandal, isn't it! I mean, the verdict is still out, but it seems like and the reports are saying that it is a scandal, that this whole thing is the great heist of the century, and that the current government is saying, the past government or the previous government is a kleptocracy, meaning is a rulership by thieves and then we read about how the police have gone to the former PM Najib's house and seized some 284 boxes of handbags, Birkin is the favourite brand of handbags, watches, shoes, and mostly women's things, I don't know why, but 284 boxes of, of stuff and cash, cash amounting to 43 million dollars in the house and, and I've shown picture of people how they carry, wah very heavy, you know, must be a lot of ‘ji’ [means money in Hokkien dialect], a lot of money inside.

I, I found myself looking at all this and I shook my head, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, jialat man, tsk, tsk, tsk, wah, the, the, the, the, the feeling is jialat man, tsk, tsk, tsk, I, I keep I, I, I can picture myself doing that until I, tsk, tsk, tsk, until I giddy ah, and then quickly, soon after I tsk, tsk, tsk, enough, I thought actually, I'm not very different from them. Well because I, I thought of a passage in James 5, that tells me someday all the wealth and riches, I accumulate for myself will be a witness against me on the day of judgment, it can be! You, you see, so often we think that all that we are given in this life is for me, who say so?

The Bible tells us, we are all slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. All that I have is not for me, it's for the glory of God. Yes, some of it, is necessary for the maintenance of this life here, sure and some of it is for our pleasure, sure. But overall, all that I have should belong to God and so often, I am guilty of criminal breach of trust. When I, when I see all the resources I have and I say, “it's mine.” Now, I'm not very different from Najib and Rosmah, I'm not, just that I'm, I'm not found out and maybe I don't have that much to, to abuse.

I don't have that much to abuse but you give me the right circumstance, you give me the right opportunities, I may do the very same because we are all sinners and I think it's pride for me to tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, I will never be like Najib, are you, are you sure? tsk, tsk, tsk my wife will never be like Rosmah? Are you sure? Actually, we vary maybe to the degree only she has four boxes, she has 248, that's all, 284 but in many ways we are not very different from one another and you know that's what the Gospel is all about.

The Gospel is not for those who are very, very sinful and only and is not necessary for those are very, very good, because in God's eyes and in reality all of us are very, very sinful. That's why the Bible tells us, we are saved by grace. Grace means it is nothing you work for, nothing you deserve, it's all given FOC by God, you're saved by grace through faith, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast[Eph 2:8-9].

Why are we spiritual snobs? Because we somehow forget the Gospel. We somehow think we are a Christian today because I'm better than Ah Seng. You know why I'm a Christian? Because I have a more decent life than Ah Beng. Really? we are like Najib, we are like Rosmah! We are like, we all the same, we are all sinners and apart from the grace of God, you will not be part of the Kingdom. The Gospel humbles us, you see. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Bible tells you, we are like Matthew, we are like the prostitutes, we are like the extortioners, we are the unjust, we are the sinners and that's why Jesus came, came for you, came for me. He came to save sinners like you and me.

I think this passage also tells me that as a church, being mindful that we should not be spiritual snobs, should always be thinking about what it means to eat and drink with sinners and publicans or tax collectors. I think Christians, we need to get out of our bubble. You know Christians, church, we can be guilty of living in bubbles, we, we like to be in a Christian bubble.  We don't want to be with the unsaved, we don't want to be those who gamble, we don't want to be with those who, who are, are full of tattoos, who smoke and who do all kinds of bad stuff, we, we want to be in our little club.

Now, I think it is appropriate, it is good, it is necessary that Christians should have environments where we get together, encourage one another and it's only for Christians, I think so. That, there is the need for one anothering in closed environments, but we certainly shouldn't have everything closed because we should think about getting out of that bubble and to eat and drink with sinners and tax collectors. The Christian mindset should be like that of Jesus, that we are out there in the world to, to be like that physician, if I may say, to help the sick, to go there with a broken heart, wanting to win them to the cross, that should be your mindset, that should be your heart beat.

Now, there's a story that has been shared here few times I think two, three times already, but I think, I'll share it again for those who are new. There's a preacher who travelled to Honolulu in Hawaii and because of time zone difference he couldn't sleep and therefore went to a 24 hour diner, there he ordered his food and had his food and at the same time he was, he found himself sitting beside a group of ladies who happened to be prostitutes and he who overheard their conversation and one of the prostitutes in her conversation said, “well you know ladies, tomorrow is my birthday.” All of them then looked at her and said, “so, what do you want, you want us to celebrate for you ah?” ha, ha, ha and they scorned at her. Well she said, “well, I'm 39 and I've never had a birthday party, so I thought, well never mind,” and they went on.

So this preacher, who overheard all that, thought to himself, maybe I can do something for her, spoke to the owner of the diner. He subsequently spoke to the ladies in that group and said, “ Eh, let's, let's do something for, for her tomorrow night, same time,” and that's what they did. He got her cake, he organized the surprise and the they jump that surprise on her and she was absolutely delighted. She says, “nobody has ever held a birthday party for me, thank you so much,” and she was, she was curious why would you do that. Well at the end of the party as they were leaving he said to her, “ma'am is it okay if I pray for you,” and so he did, he prayed for her salvation, prayed for her to know Jesus, for life to change and, and as she walked away the owner of the diner then asked this preacher. “Hey, I didn't know you were a preacher, you didn't tell me, which church do you come from?” And this preacher says, “I come from a church that will throw parties for prostitutes at 3:30AM in the morning.” That's the kind of church we should come from, because that's the kind of life, your Saviour lived.

You know, just two, three weeks ago there was a man in this church who came to me and say, “Pastor, will you accept me in your church.” I say, “why?” “Because I struggle with mental problems. I've been struggling for a long time, I'm seeing psychiatrists, I'm taking medication from it, would you accept me?” I say, “number one, you are wrong in two fronts, number one, this is not my church, it's not up to me, it's, it's God's church. Number two, if you're follower of Jesus Christ, your identity is not in your mental illness, [you mental], your identity is we are brothers and sisters in Christ.”

And I want to say, I want to ask you if someone comes to you and say, “I am an ex-con, but I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, am I welcomed?” What would we say? What would you say when our youths are reaching young people and they coming in with all kinds of ear rings, nose rings, tummy ring and whatever rings and with all kinds of tattoos and smoking and so on, would we as a church, ay, you wear, you wear, this ear rings, please go away, your you, you, your hair too long, go away. Hey your shorts, too short, go away.  Would we say that? Or would we say, “well, I think some of the things you're living in is bad, sinful, offensive to God, but we want you to know the love of Jesus for your life.”

You know, we are starting hopefully soon a prison ministry, men and women who might want to serve the inmates in prison and also the families left out here in society, would you say, “aah, too dirty! I want to stay in my bubble or would you say, “I'll step out and dirty my hands and recline at the table with tax collectors, prostitutes, extortioners, adulterous, the unjust.” That's what church is all about, don't you think? Because our Saviour is a friend of sinners.

Sometimes you look at Jesus and we are very scared, some other religions tell you, you cannot pray straight to Jesus, you got to pray via intermediaries because Jesus very scary. No, Jesus is a friend of sinners, He came to be with people when nobody wanted to be with these people because He understood very clearly I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. I came to seek the least, the last, the lost, the dirty, the filthy, the despised, the untouchables of society, I'm here to heal them, to save them, that's our Saviour!

The Bible tells us, “for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” [John 3:17] And I say to you my friends, if you are here today for the first time, if you are a guest, witnessing the baptism. Let me tell you those who are getting through or going through baptism are bad people. I know there are your daughter, father, mother, friend, but they're all bad people like me, we are all sinners, we all dirty. We are no better than you, we are no better than anyone, we are all sinners.

But the reason they want to be baptized is to tell you, Jesus has washed away their sins, they want to tell you that there is the gift of salvation, the grace of God, that you today can receive, you're not too far for God to save. No man is too sinful for God to save, that's the amazing goodness and the grace of God and I hope today you come to this friend of sinners. He's your friend, would you be willing to be His friend?  Would you be willing to humble yourself and come and say, “Lord, save me from my sins.” Repent of your ways, it's not too late. Matthew was not taught too far gone, you are not too far gone, you're not!

Someone say this about Matthew - Matthew lost a comfortable job, but he found a destiny. He lost a good income, but he found honour. He lost a comfortable security, but he found an adventure, the like of which he had never dreamed. [WILLIAM BARCLAY]

I want this kind of life by following Jesus. I think when Matthew wrote Matthew chapter 9 and verses 9 to 13, especially those words “and Jesus came and said to him, follow Me”, there will be tears down his eyes because that was the day his life completely changed. I pray today will be the day your life - completely change. Why?  Because you repent and you believe in Jesus Christ.

May God bless you, let's bow for a word of prayer together.

What kind of a church does Gospel Light aspire to be? A snobbish church or a church that follows Jesus, always desiring and serving as friends of sinners?

What kind of a life would you choose for yourself today? A life like Matthew, sitting at the tax booth, just accumulating gold and silver or a life that speaks volumes, even thousands of years after he died. A life that goes on and on and on in the heavens above with God forevermore, each day better than the one before.

I want that kind of a life and I trusted in Jesus some 20 over years ago, I tell you my life has changed. Today your life can change, today you can come to the foot of the cross where Jesus laid down His life. Why did He go to the cross? Not because He had sin, but because He was carrying your sins, He was there as your sacrifice, He was there as your substitute, He was there as the Lamb of God to take away your sin.
Today come to God in humility, stop rebelling against Him, humble yourself, bow at the foot of the cross, repent of your ways, repent of your sins and say, “Lord save me, You are gracious to save me, You are able to save me, save me,  I plead with you.” And your Saviour, hears the prayer of a broken heart. I pray today will be the day of your salvation, the day you can say, “my life has completely changed.” May you find the destiny, may you find that forgiveness, your Saviour is risen today, you can have new life in Him today.

Father, thank You for Your Word, thank You for Your people here.  Bless each one, may they come to know Jesus. Bless this church, may we all be like Jesus, bless Your people, we ask this in Jesus Name, Amen.

We are looking for sermon transcribers/transcript reviewers.
Email [email protected] to serve  or to report transcription errors.