A party happens when those who are distracted from God recognize and respond to their need for God...

This week, we have been looking at an event from history involving a retired Roman soldier who was a jailer that is recorded for us in a letter in the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of Acts. In Acts 16, the Apostle Paul and his traveling companions were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination.

Luke tells us that upon crossing paths with this demon possessed slave girl and her masters, the slave girl cried out with a loud voice "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." After putting up with her presence and proclamation for several days, Paul, annoyed with the situation, confronted the demon who had possessed this girl and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, rid the girl of the demon. However, while the girl was now freed from the enslavement of a demon, she was not freed from the enslavement of her earthly masters.

Upon recognizing that they would no longer be able to exploit the slave girl for a profit, her masters responded by grabbing Paul and Silas and dragging them into the marketplace, where they were accused before the magistrate of disturbing the peace and order of the Roman civil and religious practices by advocating and promoting that the residents of the city become Jewish. As a result of the accusations and the anti-Jewish sentiment in Philippi, Luke tells us that the magistrates pronounced a judgment where they were handed over to the local jailer to be incarcerated for an unspecified period of time. Now in the culture of the 1^st century, the jailer most likely was a retired Roman soldier. During this time in history, and especially in Philippi, Roman soldiers were respected and looked up to.

After being ordered by the magistrate to guard Paul and Silas securely, Luke tells us that the jailer placed Paul and Silas in the inner prison, which was most likely the most secure cell that was located in the center of the prison.  And to make sure that Paul and Silas had no chance to escape, the jailer placed both men in stocks. The jailer, having done his job by locking Paul and Silas in stocks after placing them in a secure cell in the center of the prison could relax.

For the jailer, life was easy. For the jailer, life was comfortable. For the jailer life was comfortable because he was enjoying the rhythm and routine of his life. All of his hard work as a soldier placed him in a position to have financial stability and a comfortable lifestyle. A comfortably simple and stress-free life.  For the jailer it was time to coast and catch some sleep because he was confident and comfortable in his comfortable life that was smooth sailing. However, while the jailer was asleep enjoying his comfortable life, something was about to occur that would shake things up literally and figuratively for the jailer. Something that Luke records for us in Acts 16:25:

 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; ²⁶ and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. ²⁷ When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Luke tells us that about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Evidently, all the prisoners were confined to the “inner cell” overnight. While that would have made the jailers job even more comfortable, this would have been very uncomfortable for the prisoners, who would suffer from overcrowding and poor ventilation.

As Paul and Silas were praying and singing; as the rest of the prisoners listened to Paul and Silas praying and singing, Luke tells us that a violent earthquake shook the prison, opening the doors of the prison and releasing the chains that held all of the prisoners. The jailer, who was asleep, confident that the prisoners were safe and secure in the inner cell, was jarred awake by the violence of the earthquake. Once the jailer had come awake from his sleep, he discovered the reality that the doors of the prison were opened and there was silence from the inner cells where earlier there had been singing and talking.

The jailer immediately recognized that this was no ordinary earthquake. After all, earthquakes do not open doors and unfasten chains, earthquakes destroy doors and chains. Upon seeing the open doors and hearing the absence of noise from the prison cells, the jailer came to the understandable conclusion that all of the prisoners had escaped. And as a Roman soldier who lived with a clear understanding of his duties and responsibilities, he recognized that he would be found guilty of allowing the prisoners to escape and would be put to death.

As a result of knowing that he faced certain death for failing to do the only job that he had to do, the jailer decided that the honorable thing to do would be to kill himself.  However, as the Roman Soldier drew his sword to end his life, he heard something most unexpected, which Luke records for us in verse 28-32:

 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!" ²⁹ And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, ³⁰ and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" ³¹ They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." ³² And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

Luke tells us that as the jailer drew his sword to end his life, Paul spoke up so as to save his life. Upon discovered that Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners were all still present in the jail, the jailer responded by falling before Paul and Silas’s feet as he trembled in fear. After bringing them out of the cell and away from the other prisoners, the jailer, his face covered with fear, asked a very pointed question: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Now a natural question that could arise here is “Well Dave, what would cause the jailer to say "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And is he talking about being saved spiritually and not simply about being saved physically?” If that question is running through your mind, I just want to let you know that it is a fair question.

And my response to that question is this: As a retired Roman jailer who was well respected in the community, the jailer would have been very familiar with those who lived in the city. The jailer would have known about the fortune telling slave girl and her two masters. The jailer would have heard about how the slave girl had proclaimed that Paul and Silas were bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation. The jailer would have heard about how Paul and Silas had caused the slave girl to longer be able to tell the future. The jailer would have heard the charges against Paul and Silas that they were trying to convert people a new religion so that they would worship the One True God. The jailer would have heard Paul and Silas praying and singing songs to this God. The jailer would recognize that, while he had been in earthquakes before, this earthquake was no ordinary earthquake. The jailer would also recognize that there was something different about Paul and Silas because none of the other prisoners had tried to escape after they had been given the opportunity to escape.

The jailer could easily connect all of these dots to come to the conclusion that this earthquake was evidence that Paul and Silas were spokesmen for God who were delivering a true message from God. And as a result of that connection and conclusion, the jailer came to the place of asking these two men who were speaking on behalf of the one true God how he could be rescued from his selfishness and rebellion that had led him to do things throughout his life as a soldier that would have hurt God and others so that he could experience rescue and a relationship with the one true God. You see, for the jailer, he needed an earthquake to wake him up spiritually. This jailer had to experience a literal earthquake before he realized his need for rescue and a relationship with the One True God.

After expressing that he needed to be rescued, Paul and Silas explained how he could experience that rescue and relationship with God. Paul and Silas stated to the jailer and to his family "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." What is so interesting is that the phrase, believe in, in the language that this letter was originally written in, is that same word that is translated trust in our English Bibles. This word literally means to entrust oneself with complete confidence to someone or something.

For the jailer, just as it was for the rest of his family, to be rescued from their selfishness and rebellion so that they could experience the relationship with God that they were created for would require that they respond to all that God had done through Jesus life, death, and resurrection, by believing, trusting and following Jesus as Lord and Leader. We see how the jailer and his family responded in verse 33-34:

 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. ³⁴ And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.

Luke tells us that the jailer responded to the message of the gospel that Paul and Silas proclaimed to Him by placing His confident trust in Jesus. And as a result of placing his confident trust in Jesus, the jailer’s life was immediately changed. The jailer who was once indifferent to the treatment of those in his custody took great care to clean and bandage the wounds of those in his custody. The jailer, along with his family, who also had placed their confident trust in Jesus, immediately began to follow the message and teaching of Jesus by being baptized as a public statement that they were identifying themselves as being followers of Jesus.

Luke also tells us that the jailer and his family brought Paul and Silas into his home and set food before them and rejoiced greatly. In other words, the jailer and his family threw a party. The jailer and his family threw a party because there was something significant that needed to be celebrated. And what was so significant that need to be celebrated was that the jailer and his family had placed their confident trust in Jesus so that they could experience the forgiveness and the relationship with God that they were created for.

And it is here, in this event from history, that we discover a timeless truth about what would cause followers of Jesus to party and celebrate something that He viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration. And that timeless answer is this: A party happens when those who are distracted from God recognize and respond to their need for God.

Just as it was for the jailer, we can find ourselves in a place where life is comfortable. Just as it was for the jailer we can find ourselves coasting through life as we live with a comfortable rhythm and routine of life. And just as it was for the jailer, when we are comfortable and coasting through life, we can become distracted from God and what is really important in life. And just as it was for the jailer, sometimes we need an earthquake to wake us up spiritually.

But why do we wait for the earthquakes in our own lives to realize what's important? Why do we wait for the earthquakes in our own lives to wake us up spiritually? Why do we wait for the earthquakes in our lives before we stop coasting when it comes to our relationship with God?

You see, the jailer had to experience a literal earthquake before he recognized his need for Jesus. The jailer needed a literal earthquake to wake him up spiritually. And it is in this event from history that we see why we need to wake up. And it is in this event from history that we see that a party when those who are distracted from God recognize and respond to their need for God.

A party happens because those who were once distracted from God celebrate the reality that they have been awakened to see their need for God. A party happens because those who were once distracted from God celebrate the reality that they have responded to being awakened to their need for God to trust in Jesus so as to experience a relationship with God.

 So are you waiting for an earthquake in your life to wake up spiritually? Are you waiting for an earthquake in your life to realize what's important? Are you waiting for an earthquake in your life to stop you from coasting in the comfortable? Are you waiting for an earthquake in your life before you will realize your need for Jesus?

And how are you responding when those who are distracted from God discover and respond to their need for God? When a person who is distracted from God discovers and responds to their need for God, do you view that as being worthy of celebration? Do you have a party when someone who is distracted from God comes to know God and experience the forgiveness and relationship with God that they were created for? 

And are you doing what you can do to let those around you who are distracted from God know that they are significant to God? Are you doing what you can do to help those around you who are distracted from God come to the place where a party can happen because they have come to God?

Because, as we see from this event from history, a party happens when those who are distracted from God recognize and respond to their need for God.

Coasting through life content in a comfortable lifestyle...

This week we are looking at an event from history that is recorded for us in a letter in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Acts. In Acts 16:16, Luke, who is the author of the book of Acts, was accompanying the Apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy on what would become known as the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey.

Upon arriving in the city of Philippi as Paul and his traveling companions were traveling to the place of prayer to engage the Jewish residents of the city with the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel, they were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. This was a girl who was a slave and who was possessed by a demon.

As a result of being possessed by a demon, she was empowered by the demon to predict and proclaim the futures of people. Upon crossing paths with this demon possessed slave girl and her masters, the slave girl cried out with a loud voice "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

Day after day, as Paul and his companions made their trip from the city of Philippi to the place of prayer and back, this demon possessed girl and her masters would publicly proclaim this message while following closely behind them. After putting up with her presence and proclamation for several days, Paul, annoyed with the situation, confronted the demon who had possessed this girl and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, rid the girl of the demon.

However, while the girl was now freed from the enslavement of a demon, she was not freed from the enslavement of her earthly masters. And Paul’s intervention on her behalf was not appreciated by the girl’s masters, as we see in Acts 16:19-24:

 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, ²⁰ and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, ²¹ and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans." ²² The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. ²³ When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; ²⁴ and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Upon recognizing that they would no longer be able to exploit the slave girl for a profit, her masters responded by grabbing Paul and Silas and dragging them into the marketplace. In the Greco-Roman culture of the 1st century, the marketplace was the center of civic life and also served as the place where civil and legal cases would be heard before a local magistrate, or judge. Luke tells us that Paul and Silas were accused before the magistrate of disturbing the peace and order of the Roman civil and religious practices by advocating and promoting that the residents of the city become Jewish.

You see, while the Roman Empire allowed people to practice their own religions, to attempt to evangelize and convert Romans citizens to another religion was strongly discouraged and was, in some cases, illegal. Since there were very few ethnic or religious Jews in Philippi, the men who accused Paul and Silas had very little knowledge of Jewish religious practices and simply assumed that since they were Jewish, they were promoting Judaism.

Evidently, there was an undercurrent of anti-Jewish sentiment evident in Philippi. This was demonstrated not only with the charges that Paul and Silas were accused of; this was also demonstrated that Luke and Timothy, who were with Paul and Silas but were not Jewish, were not arrested. As a result of the accusations and the anti-Jewish sentiment in Philippi, Luke tells us that the magistrates pronounced a judgment where they were handed over to the local jailer to be incarcerated for an unspecified period of time.

Now in the culture of the 1^st century, the jailer most likely was a retired Roman soldier. During this time in history, and especially in Philippi, Roman soldiers were respected and looked up to. And as a retired Roman soldier who was now serving as a jailer, life would have been easy and life would have been good. A retired Roman soldier who was a jailer would have a great deal of authority and a great deal of freedom when it came to how he treated and handled the prisoners. As a result, jailers were often treated prisoners harshly.

A retired Roman soldier who was a jailer would receive good pay and would have a comfortable life that did not need much of anything. After all, if you were a jailer, you only have one job, which is to keep the prisoners from escaping. After being ordered by the magistrate to guard Paul and Silas securely, Luke tells us that the jailer placed Paul and Silas in the inner prison, which was most likely the most secure cell that was located in the center of the prison.  And to make sure that Paul and Silas had no chance to escape, the jailer placed both men in stocks.

Now stocks were used for low-status prisoners not only to secure them but also for punishment and torture. You see, the stocks could be positioned in such a way that a person’s legs would be locked into various painful positions. The jailer, having done his job by locking Paul and Silas in stocks after placing them in a secure cell in the center of the prison could relax. For the jailer, life was easy. For the jailer, life was comfortable. For the jailer life was comfortable because he was enjoying the rhythm and routine of his life. All of his hard work as a soldier placed him in a position to have financial stability and a comfortable lifestyle. A comfortably simple and stress-free life.  For the jailer it was time to coast and catch some sleep because he was confident and comfortable in his comfortable life that was smooth sailing.

Maybe you can relate to the jailer. Maybe life is good, life is flowing with a rhythm and routine that enables you to coast and be comfortable. Sure, there are occasional bumps in the road, but you are comfortable and content with a lifestyle that enables you to coast through life. You are at a place where you are able to have all of your needs met and even some of your wants fulfilled, you really don’t need anything. Maybe you are at a place in life where you are coasting through life because you are comfortable where you are at in life.

However, while the jailer was asleep enjoying his comfortable life, something was about to occur that would shake things up literally and figuratively for the jailer. Something that Luke records for us and that we will look at on Friday...

An annoyance that leads to a miraculous intervention...

At the church where I serve, we are in the middle of a sermon series entitled Party. During this series, we are going to discover that when we read the letters that make up the Bible, we discover that God loves a good party. And when we read the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible, we see that Jesus loved a good party. Jesus loved to celebrate that things that He viewed a significant with the people He viewed as being significant.

But if that is the case; when did Jesus throw a party? When did Jesus celebrate? What did Jesus believe was significant enough to be worthy of celebration? And when did early followers of Jesus throw a party to celebrate something that they viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration?

During this series, we are going to look at three different events from history that are found in the letters that make up the New Testament of the Bible that provide the answer to these questions. And as we go through this series, my hope and my prayer is that God would move by the power of the Holy Spirit in our heads, hearts, and hands to empower us to be able to celebrate that things that Jesus viewed a significant and that was worthy of celebration the led Him to party, so that we can reveal and reflect the celebratory heart of Jesus to those around us.

This week, as we continue in this series, I would like for us to spend our time together looking at a second event from history that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible. In this event from history, we will see early followers of Jesus throw a party. And it is in this event from history where a group of early followers of Jesus threw a party that we will discover a timeless truth about what would cause these early followers of Jesus to party and celebrate something that they viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration. So let’s look at this event from history together, which is found in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Acts, beginning in Acts 16:16-18a:

It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." ¹⁸ She continued doing this for many days.

Now to fully understand what is happening in this event from history, we first need to understand the context in which this event from history took place. During this section of the book of Acts, Luke, who is the author of the book of Acts, was accompanying the Apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy on what would become known as the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey. During this missionary journey, the Apostle Paul, along with his companions, were sharing the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel with those who lived in the region of the world which we know today as Northern Greece.

On this journey, Paul and his companions arrived at a city in northern Greece called Philippi. The city of Philippi was a Roman colony, similar to a military base today, whose residents enjoyed the same rights as those who lived in Rome. Upon arriving in a new city, Paul would always start by sharing the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel with those who were Jewish ethnically and religiously. Then after sharing that message with those who were Jewish ethnically and religiously, and after receiving opposition from those who were Jewish ethnically and religiously, Paul would then begin to share the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel with those who were not Jewish ethnically or religiously.

So, as was their custom, on the day of the Jewish Sabbath Paul looked for a place where he could engage the Jewish residents of the city with the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. However, there were few people who were religiously or ethnically Jewish in the city and there was no synagogue. And because of that reality, on the Sabbath, Jewish people from Philippi would gather at a location about a mile and a half outside of the city on the river Gangites to pray.

It is in this context that Luke tells us that as they were traveling to the place of prayer to engage the Jewish residents of the city with the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel, they were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. This was a girl who was a slave and who was possessed by a demon. As a result of being possessed by a demon, she was empowered by the demon to predict and proclaim the futures of people.

In the culture of the day, just as it is today, people desired to get a glimpse into their future before that future occurred. This desire led the people of Philippi to search out this slave girl to have their fortunes told and to receive advice from the gods about what their future held. The owners of the slave girl, recognizing the opportunity for great financial gain as a result of the desire that people had to know what their future held before that future arrived, were exploiting this girl to become wealthy.

Luke tells us that upon crossing paths with this demon possessed slave girl and her masters, the slave girl cried out with a loud voice "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." This slave girl, possessed by a demon, was identifying Paul and his traveling companions as being solely committed to the service of the One True God and that they were publicly proclaiming the way to salvation and rescue from their rebellion.

Day after day, as Paul and his companions made their trip from the city of Philippi to the place of prayer and back, this demon possessed girl and her masters would publicly proclaim this message while following closely behind them. Now as you might imagine, given the demon possessed slave girls penchant for drawing a crowd and making money for her masters, you would think that Paul and his traveling companions would be excited about the attention. And you would be wrong, as Luke reveals in the second half of verse 18b:

 But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.

Instead of being excited about the attention, Paul was greatly annoyed by the continuing presence and proclamation of this demon possessed slave girl. After all, Paul wasn’t looking to make a profit, and Paul wasn’t trying to tell people what their fortunes were. Paul did not want the crowd to get the impression that their motives and the message were even remotely the same as the demon possessed girl and her masters.

After putting up with her presence and proclamation for several days, Paul, annoyed with the situation, confronted the demon who had possessed this girl and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, rid the girl of the demon. However, while the girl was now freed from the enslavement of a demon, she was not freed from the enslavement of her earthly masters.

And Paul’s intervention on her behalf was not appreciated by the girl’s masters. Tomorrow we will see their response to Paul and his intervention…

A party happens when those who are far from God come to God...

This week we have been looking at an event from history that is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible, called the gospel of Matthew. In this section of the gospel of Matthew, Matthew has been sharing his story.  

In Matthew’s story when Jesus saw him sitting at the tax collector booth, where he worked as a tax collector for the Roman Empire, Jesus invited him to follow Him. Matthew responded to Jesus invitation by leaving his tax booth and job to follow Jesus. Matthew tells us that after receiving the invitation to follow Jesus as His disciple, he not only responded by leaving his tax collector booth to follow Him.

In addition, Matthew responded by inviting all of his tax collector and sinner friends over to his house for a dinner party to meet and hang out with Jesus. Matthew responded to Jesus invitation to follow Him by throwing a party so that He could invite all of his tax collector and sinner friends to meet and hang out with Jesus. And what is interesting is that all of Matthew's tax collector and sinner friend actually accepted the invitation to the party.

You see, there was something about Jesus that made people who were far from God feel comfortable enough to want to hang out with Son of God. While Jesus never lived a life that was marked by selfishness and sin, people who were far from God felt comfortable enough to engage and interact with Him. This morning, if you are a follower of Jesus, could the same be said of you?

Now I want us to take a minute and imagine the scene that was occurring at the party at Matthew’s house. Imagine watching as Matthew’s house began to fill up with all his tax collector and sinner friends and their girlfriends. Imagine the sounds of salty language and music filling the room as Matthew’s tax collector and sinner friends began to engage in conversations. Imagine the smells of food and drink wafting through the home. Imagine Jesus engaging in conversation with Matthew and his friends.

Can you picture the scene? Matthew then explains that as his house began to fill with all of his tax collector and sinner friends who were far from God, others were attracted to what was happening. We see this in Matthew 9:11:

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?"

While the tax collectors and sinners were drawn to and felt comfortable hanging out with Jesus at the party, there were others who were not quite as comfortable about Jesus being at this party. Another group of people, called the Pharisees, responded to what was happening between Jesus and Matthew and his tax collector and sinner friends at the party by disengaging.

And so often that is what religious people do, isn’t it? As religious people so often do, the Pharisees viewed these tax collectors and sinners who were far from God as “unclean”. And just like religious people, the Pharisees would not enter into the house and engage those who were far from God; instead, they called Jesus disciples out of the house to ask why Jesus would consider associating with such people. “Why is your teacher hanging out and partying with tax collectors and sinners? Doesn’t he know who they are? Doesn’t he know who is throwing this party? Doesn’t he know what kind of guy Matthew is?”

What I find so fascinating is that while those who were far from God felt comfortable hanging out with the Son of God, those who thought that they were close to God often felt totally uncomfortable hanging out with the Son of God. You see, Jesus made insiders feel like outsiders while making outsiders feel like insiders when it came to how He related and engaged them.

Jesus, however, overheard the conversation between His disciples and the Pharisees and responded with a timeless statement provides a timeless truth about what would cause Jesus to party and celebrate something that He viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration. So let’s look at Jesus response together in Matthew 9:12-13:

But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Jesus responded to the religious people of His day and their criticism with a metaphor to explain his reasons for attending the party: “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick”. You see, a physician, whose whole purpose is to cure physical ailments, does not spend a lot of time while he is at work seeing healthy people. And we intuitively know this, don’t we?

I mean, you usually do not go to the doctor because you want to, do you? You usually don’t say “I know what I’ll do today; I like going to the doctor so much that I’ll make an appointment to go today, even though I am healthy”. No, almost always, we go to the doctor because we have to. We have to go because we are ill, or have been ill, or need a check up to prove we are not ill.

Jesus then took this metaphor and applied it to his actions and to the Pharisees religious lack of action when it came to those who were far from God. Jesus entered into this conversation and commanded these religious people to read their Bibles again. Jesus quoted a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Hosea. In Hosea 6:6, God, through the prophet Hosea, condemned the Jewish people for focusing on religious rituals instead of focusing on displaying a faithful devotion to God and to those around them who were far from God and who were lost, hurting, and broken.

Jesus then explained that just like a physician, His focus was for those who were far from God and were separated from Him. When Jesus states that He did not come to call the righteous, He is explaining that He did not come to invite those who were insiders who were right before God. Instead Jesus states that He came to earth to call sinners. Jesus entered into humanity to call those who were far from God and were outsiders back to God.

You see, Jesus did not enter into humanity to see those who were close to Him; Jesus entered into humanity to rescue what was furthest from Him, the outsiders. And as Matthew looked back on his encounter with Jesus; as Matthew sat down to write, by God’s inspiration, this letter that is now a part of our Bibles, Matthew recognized that Jesus celebrated something that was significant his life with the people who were significant in his lives.

And it is here, in this event from history from the life of Jesus involving a traitor tax collector, that we see revealed for us a timeless truth about what would cause Jesus to party and celebrate something that He viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration. And that timeless answer is this: A party happens when those who are far from God come to God. Just as it was for Matthew the traitor tax collector, just as it has been throughout history, A party happens when those who are far from God come to God.

You see, as Matthew sat down to write the divinely inspired account of Jesus life that we have in our Bibles today, Matthew wanted to communicate to us today the reality he was not simply a part of what Jesus did when He entered into humanity; instead  he was the point of why Jesus did what He did when He entered into humanity. And to prove to the Jewish people that they were the point of why Jesus did what He did when He entered into humanity, Matthew shared with us his story. Matthew shared with us his story because Matthew wanted us to understand that Jesus came to seek people who were flawed, broken, and far from God.

And that is who we are aren’t we? That is who I was before Jesus sought and rescued me. And that is who we all are before Jesus came to seek us. Jesus came to seek those who were far from God so that He could bring them back to God.

And just as it was for Matthew, Jesus entered into humanity to seek those who were outsiders and who were furthest from Him. Just as it was for traitor Matthew, Jesus entered into humanity to provide an opportunity for the traitor race of humanity to experience forgiveness and the relationship with God that they were created for. 

You see, we are not just a part of what Jesus desires to do in the world today; we are the point of what Jesus desires to do in the world today. Jesus views those who are far from God as significant. And when a person who is far from God comes to God, Jesus views that as being worthy of celebration. And for Jesus a party happens when someone who is far from God comes to know God and experience the forgiveness and relationship with God that they were created for.

So how are you responding to Jesus coming to earth to seek those who were far from God so that He could bring them back to God? How are you responding to Jesus coming to earth to invite those who were far from God to come back to God?

And how have you responded when a person who was far from God comes to God? When a person who is far from God comes to God, do you view that as being worthy of celebration. Do you have a party happens when someone who is far from God comes to know God and experience the forgiveness and relationship with God that they were created for? 

And are you doing what you can do to let those around you who are far from God know that they are significant to God? Are you doing what you can do to help those around you who are far from God come to the place where a party can happen because they have come to God?

Because, as we see from Matthew’s encounter with Jesus, A party happens when those who are far from God come to God.

Throwing a party so those who were far from God could meet the Son of God...

This week we are talking about the reality that there is something within us that yearns to party. There is something within us that yearns to celebrate something that is significant in our lives with the people who are significant in our lives. And that yearning was wired in us by God. When we read the letters that make up the Bible, we discover that God loves a good party. And when we read the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible, we see that Jesus loved a good party. Jesus loved to celebrate that things that He viewed a significant with the people He viewed as being significant.

But if that is the case; when did Jesus throw a party? When did Jesus celebrate? What did Jesus believe was significant enough to be worthy of celebration? To answer that question, we are looking at a section of one of the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible, called the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew, who was writing to Jewish people to explain and to show that Jesus was the Messiah that God had promised would come to rescue and restore the Jewish nation as His chosen people, started his account of Jesus life was with a genealogy that displayed Jesus family tree. For Matthew, it made sense to write his account of Jesus life this way because Matthew knew something that they did not know and that we often do not recognize. Matthew wrote the story of Jesus life this way because Matthew knew his story.

And it is in Matthew’s story we find a timeless truth about what would cause Jesus to party and celebrate something that He viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration. We find Matthew’s story in Matthew 9:9. Let’s look at it together:

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth;

As we jump into this section of the account of Jesus life that was written by Matthew, Jesus had just performed a miracle in the city in which he lived in, which was Capernaum. In this miracle, which we read in greater detail in another account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Mark, Jesus healed a man who was paralyzed after his friends lowered him through a hole that they had made in the roof of a house where Jesus was speaking.

After healing this paralyzed man, Jesus and his disciples left the house and began walking down the street, where they came to a booth where Jewish people were required to pay taxes. Matthew, who was manning the tax booth along with others, was a Jewish man who was a tax collector that worked for the Roman Government.

Now Jews who were tax collectors were hated by their fellow countrymen for two reasons. First, these tax collectors were hated because they would often charge higher taxes than necessary in order to make a profit. Since the Romans did not care what these tax collectors charged as long as they received what was due them, many tax collectors became wealthy by charging over and above what the Romans asked for.

Second, Jewish tax collectors were hated and were viewed as traitors because they were working for the enemy. I mean, imagine how you would feel if Mexico invaded and conquered the United States and began to charge large taxes that you would have to pay to the Mexican government. And imagine if your neighbor began to work for the conquering Mexican government as a tax collector. Imagine giving your money to you neighbor, who gave part of that money to the Mexican government and kept part of it for himself. Now, if that were the case, how would you feel toward your neighbor? That is how Jewish people felt toward people like Matthew.

Jewish people so despised tax collectors that they had a separate category for them. There were sinners and there were tax collectors. There were those who sinned and then there were tax collectors. With this background in mind, we see Jesus approach Matthew, this tax collector and sinner, who would later write the letter the bears his name in the Bible and say the following in the second half of Matthew 9:9:

and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.

Matthew explained that when Jesus saw him sitting at the tax collector booth, He said to him “Follow Me”. Now, in the Jewish culture of the first century, when a teacher asked someone to follow him, this was a call to follow Him as his disciple. So Jesus here is calling this tax collector, who was so despised that they had a separate category for him, to follow Him. Can you imagine what the rest of the disciple’s response to Jesus invitation to Matthew would be?

Can you imagine Peter, for example “Jesus, I don’t think that is a good idea; I mean he is a tax collector; he is the enemy”? What is just as hard to understand, however, is how Matthew responded. Matthew responded to Jesus invitation by leaving his tax booth and job to follow Jesus. I mean at first glance that seems odd, doesn’t it? I mean, to just get up and leave your job because a teacher asked you to follow him seems strange, doesn’t it?

While it may seem strange at first glance, it would not have seemed strange to the crowds at Capernaum. You see, such teachers were the most respected members of Jewish society. So to be asked to follow someone who was viewed as a teacher was a great honor. But Jesus was no ordinary teacher; he was performing miraculous signs that people had never seen. Jesus, at this point in His life, had an almost rock star or celebrity status. If there would have been TMZ in Jesus day, TMZ would have been following Him around.

In addition, this was probably not the first time that Matthew had seen or heard about Jesus, as they both lived in the same small town. Plus, Jesus wanted him: Jesus wanted a tax collector and sinner to follow Him. Jesus invitation would have been unheard of by any other teacher to call such a man like Matthew to follow him as a student. What would be viewed as strange or odd would be why Jesus would want a person like Matthew around Him as His disciple. We see the reaction of others to Jesus seemingly strange behavior as this event from history continues in Matthew 9:10:

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

Matthew tells us that after receiving the invitation to follow Jesus as His disciple, he not only responded by leaving his tax collector booth to follow Him. In addition, Matthew responded by inviting all of his tax collector and sinner friends over to his house for a dinner party to meet and hang out with Jesus. Matthew responded to Jesus invitation to follow Him by throwing a party so that He could invite all of his tax collector and sinner friends to meet and hang out with Jesus.

And what is interesting is that all of Matthew's tax collector and sinner friend actually accepted the invitation to the party. You see, there was something about Jesus that made people who were far from God feel comfortable enough to want to hang out with Son of God. While Jesus never lived a life that was marked by selfishness and sin, people who were far from God felt comfortable enough to engage and interact with Him. If you are a follower of Jesus, could the same be said of you?

Now I want us to take a minute and imagine the scene that was occurring at the party at Matthew’s house. Imagine watching as Matthew’s house began to fill up with all his tax collector and sinner friends and their girlfriends. Imagine the sounds of salty language and music filling the room as Matthew’s tax collector and sinner friends began to engage in conversations. Imagine the smells of food and drink wafting through the home. Imagine Jesus engaging in conversation with Matthew and his friends. Can you picture the scene?

Matthew then explains that as his house began to fill with all of his tax collector and sinner friends who were far from God, others were attracted to what was happening. Tomorrow, we will meet these people and discover their response to Jesus being at such a party…

The Yearning within all of us to Party...

Last Sunday we found ourselves in the first Sunday in August. And in many ways, last weekend marked the beginning of the end of summer. For many children, students, and families, this past week marked a return to the routine of school. However, while school is beginning, in our culture summer does not officially end until Labor Day.

And until then, many of us will strive to enjoy the rest of the summer while balancing a return to the routine of fall. We will strive to enjoy the rest of summer because there is just something about summer, isn’t there? I mean, in our culture summer tends to be a time that is marked by vacations. Summer tends to be a time that is marked by relaxation and refreshment. And summer tends to a time that is marked by parties.

I mean, have you ever stopped to think about all the parties that occur during the summer season? Beginning in May, we celebrate Mother’s Day. Then there are all the graduation parties that begin in May and often continue into June. In May, we also celebrate Memorial Day weekend, which usually involves picnics and parties. In June, we celebrate Father’s Day and many families begin to celebrate family reunions and family vacations. In July, we have the fourth of July, which also involves picnics and parties. And the summer season of parties and celebrations culminates and comes to an end with one final weekend of Labor Day in early September.

We love the summer season as a culture, because deep down as a culture we love to throw parties. After all, who doesn’t love a good party? We love a good party because when we are at a party we usually are at an event where we can connect with the people we care about. We love a good party because when we are at a party we usually are celebrating something that we believe is significant and that is worthy of celebration.

Because, at the end of the day, that is what a party is all about, isn’t it? That is why we have a party, isn’t it? That is why we can tend to take a great deal of time and energy to make sure that a party is successful, right? We throw parties because we want to celebrate something that is significant in our lives with the people who are significant in our lives.

You see, there is something within us that yearns to party. There is something within us that yearns to celebrate something that is significant in our lives with the people who are significant in our lives. And that yearning was wired in us by God. When we read the letters that make up the Bible, we discover that God loves a good party. And when we read the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible, we see that Jesus loved a good party. Jesus loved to celebrate that things that He viewed a significant with the people He viewed as being significant.

But if that is the case; when did Jesus throw a party? When did Jesus celebrate? What did Jesus believe was significant enough to be worthy of celebration? And when did early followers of Jesus throw a party to celebrate something that they viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration?

To answer that question, we are going to spend the next three weeks at the church where I serve in a sermon series entitled Party. During this series, we are going to look at three different events from history that are found in the letters that make up the New Testament of the Bible to discover the answer to these questions. And as we go through this series, our hope and my prayer is that God would move by the power of the Holy Spirit in our heads, hearts, and hands to empower us to be able to celebrate that things that Jesus viewed a significant with the people He viewed as being significant, so that we can reveal and reflect the celebratory heart of Jesus to those around us.

Now this week I would like for us to spend our time together looking at a section of one of the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible. In the Bible, there are four different accounts of Jesus life, which are called the gospels. What is so interesting is that these four different accounts of Jesus life, which were written to four different types of people, complement one another in a way that provides us a vivid picture of the life of Jesus and what drove Him to live the life that He lived.

One of these four accounts of Jesus life, called the gospel of Matthew, was written to Jewish people to explain and to show that Jesus was the Messiah that God had promised would come to rescue and restore the Jewish nation as His chosen people. You see, the Jewish people knew that God had promised Abraham, who was the person from which the Jewish nation descended from, that through his offspring that all the nations would be blessed.

In addition, God had promised the Jewish nations most famous king, King David, that one of his descendants would be the Messiah. So the Jewish people were looking for the descendant of Abraham, from the line of David that would be the promised Messiah who would bring the Jewish people back to God and back to prominence in the world. So to prove that Jesus was the long promised Messiah, Matthew began his gospel with a genealogy to show that Jesus had the proper family background to be the Messiah.

Now, I don’t know about you, but reading a genealogy, which is a list of names that details a person’s family tree, does not sound very exciting. As a matter of fact, maybe at one time you actually started to try to read the Bible. And then you came to a genealogy. And then, after about five minutes into trying to read the genealogy, you stopped reading the Bible, right. I mean, who can pronounce all of those names? And reading a list of names is so boring, isn’t it? However, for the Jewish people, being from the right family, having the right family background, was essential to be their rescuer and redeemer.

So for Matthew, who was writing to Jewish people to explain and to show that Jesus was the Messiah that God had promised would come to rescue and restore the Jewish nation as His chosen people, the natural place to start his account of Jesus life was with a genealogy that displayed Jesus family tree.

In addition, for Matthew, it made sense to write his account of Jesus life this way because Matthew knew something that they did not know and that we often do not recognize. Matthew wrote the story of Jesus life this way because Matthew knew his story. And it is in Matthew’s story we find a timeless truth about what would cause Jesus to party and celebrate something that He viewed as being significant and worthy of celebration.

Tomorrow we will begin to look at Matthew's story...