Encountering Jesus

“It all STARTS with JESUS…!” (Part 1)

1 Tim 1:12-17

Introduction:

·        In this study series we want to look at some of the encounters that Jesus had with individuals in the Gospels.

·        This is a wonderful truth to meditate on namely that: Jesus came to save sinners... people... individuals... people with names...!

·        I am so amazed to look at the Gospels and see how Jesus came to encounter a Pharisee... a Thirsty Woman... a Tax Collector... a Harlot... a Possessed Man... a Guy in a Tree... a Humbled and Hurting Disciple...

·        Joh 10:3, 11 – Jesus knows His sheep by name and He came to give His life for His sheep...!

·        His life, death, resurrection, ascension, reign, intercession and return is a personal matter...!

·        He did it for people with names...! His people...!

·        To start us of with, I just first want to focus on this reality that being a Christian, starts with an encounter with Jesus... It all starts with Jesus...!

·        Although we might cover some well-known ground in this study, please take the time to examine again your own testimony of being a Christian in the light of thinking on this question:

Have you encountered Jesus...?

·        And so, let’s start again with this question: What is a Christian?

·        At the most basic level, a Christian is someone who knows and follows Jesus!

·        Christianity is all about Christ – it is all about Jesus.

·        Many people have a Christless Christianity where they call themselves "Christians" but they have no knowledge about who Jesus is and what He requires of them…

·        They have never encountered Jesus in a saving way...

Study Points:

·        In this study we will explore three points about being a Christian, about encountering Jesus, that is actually part of one big point:

The BIG POINT:

Christianity is all about Jesus…! (Knowing Him and following Him...)

1) Being a Christian STARTS with an ENCOUNTER with JESUS!

·        This encounter comes through the preaching of the Gospel!

·        It is in the Gospel that is about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus that we encounter Jesus.

What is the Gospel?

➢ God is the righteous Creator who made us and everything else for His glory!

➢ Man is the terrible sinner who rebelled against God and deserve to go to hell.

➢ Jesus is the wonderful Saviour who came to live the perfect life, die in our place to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the dead to conquer death and free us from the bondage of sin.

➢ We need to turn from our sin and rebellion towards Jesus, repent, and place our trust in Him to save us from our sin and hell – come to faith in Jesus.

·        This good news about Jesus must be received – there must be an encounter with Jesus!

·        Joh 1:12; Col 2:6; Eph 4:20; 2 Cor 5:17

2) It is an encounter that is based upon an UNDERSTANDING of WHO Jesus is…!

·        The apostle Paul had a one-of-a-kind encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road as he was on his way to persecute people who believed in Jesus, because he didn’t! (cf. Acts 9:1-19)

·        That encounter changed what he believed about Jesus, namely who Jesus is!

·        When Paul writes to instruct Timothy about leading the church in Ephesus, this is what he then mentions about his encounter with Jesus: 1 Tim 1:12-14

·        He uses three titles in regard to Jesus:

1) Christ – He recognizes that He is the Messiah – the promised anointed one that would reveal and declare to us the good news of God’s salvation;

2) Jesus – "The Lord saves". He is the One who would save people from their sins, so not just announcing our salvation, but He is our salvation…!

3) Lord – to One who is supreme in authority, the controller!

·        Jesus is completely man and He is completely God!

·        Joh 1:1, 14, 18; Col 1:15-17; Mark 4:35-41 – Verse 41 = NB!

·        Thankfully, this encounter is not based upon who we are, because then there would be no reason for Jesus to encounter us…!

·        Paul knew this!!

·        1 Tim 1:13

·        Every saving encounter with Jesus is based on the reality that He is merciful and gracious…! (cf. 1 Tim 1:13b-14)

·        Withholding what we deserve and giving us what we don’t deserve… this because of who He is...!

3) It is an encounter that is further built upon an EMBRACING of WHAT Jesus came to do…!

·        1 Tim 1:15-16

·        Joh 3:16-18 – Jesus was sent by God not to judge or condemn, but to save!

·        Luk 5:31-32 – Jesus came for those who are sick because of their sins, spiritual sickness, He came to call them to repentance.

·        Luk 19:10 – Jesus came to seek those who are lost – estranged from God because of their sin and under His wrath.

·        Matt 20:28 – He came to save sinners by giving Himself as a ransom for them.

·        1 John 4:9-10 – He came to manifest the love of God towards us and to die in our place…

·        Rev 5:9 – He came to save people from all tribes and tongues…!

·        Paul puts Himself as an or rather the example of what can happen when someone truly encounters Jesus!

·        It is an encounter that results in embracing Jesus through faith – trusting in Him for your forgiveness and salvation...

·        It is an encounter that brings about repentance – turning away from sin... having a change of mind over sin and choosing Christ above sin...

·        Acts 26:18

·        An encounter with Jesus based on an understanding of who He is and embracing what He came to do results in someone becoming a Christian and being changed for life! (cf. 2 Cor 5:17)

Conclusion:

·        Our focus in the rest of the studies will then be to study some of the encounters Jesus had with people in the Gospels as to get a better understanding of who Jesus is and more complete embracing of what He came to do…

·        Meditate on and answer these questions:

Have you encountered Jesus...?

Do you understand who He is...?

Have you embraced what He has done...?

“Jesus & Nicodemus” (Part 2)

Joh 3:1-15

Teaching the Teacher about Regeneration

Introduction:

Q: Have you ever been intrigued or interested to meet a specific person?

·        You saw or heard or know something about them, but you have never met them… and you would like to – you are curious about them, interested in them…

·        I wonder if there are any Bible characters that you would be interested in meeting?

Few examples:

1) Noah regarding the ark and the animals;

2) Moses regarding the burning bush, red sea, ten commandments, etc.

3) Jonah in the whale;

4) David regarding Goliath;

5) Elijah regarding the challenge of the Baal prophets on Mount Carmel…

·        In this study we will meet a man who was curious and interested about meeting another man that caught his attention, because this other man stepped in to the temple of Jerusalem and chased out all the people who were using the temple as a place to make money for themselves – he upset the majority of the Jews!

·        This Pharisee, called Nicodemus, was interested in this man, Jesus, and he decided he needed to meet this man…!

·        We read about the Encounter that Nicodemus had with Jesus in Joh 3:1-15…

Study Points:

·        Nicodemus came to Jesus by night – there may be a few reasons for this namely: he was afraid what the other Pharisees might think; he and Jesus were very busy men and he was looking for some uninterrupted time with Jesus; it illustrates to us his spiritual condition namely that he was still in spiritual darkness (John uses "night" in other places as a spiritual symbolism…)

·        He comes with a humble statement about Jesus and maybe wants to talk about religion and laws and teaching skills… but Jesus then teaches him a lesson on regeneration – being born again!

·        We will note the three main teaching points on this lesson about regeneration:

1) The ABSOLUTE NECESSITY of being BORN AGAIN! (v3)

·        Being born again, born from above, reborn from above carries the idea of getting a new start, starting a new life.

·        It is not just to try harder or try again, not just turning over a new leaf, but starting a new book altogether!

·        This would have been a radical, curve ball statement for Nicodemus!

·        Most probably because of who Nicodemus was:

1. Nicodemus Was a Rich Man – Tradition tells us that Nicodemus was one of the three riches men in Jerusalem. He had more money than he knew what to do with! What we have does not change what we are! Your money can buy you many things here in this world, but it can buy you nothing in Heaven!

2. Nicodemus Was a Respectable Man – He was a ruler of the Jews and he was the teacher of Israel. When he walked down the streets, people knew who he was and they pointed him out to their children. He was held in great esteem by all who knew him and saw him. Still, what we achieve does not change what we are! It is good to be respected and to have a good name among men, but that will not provide you a place in Heaven

3. Nicodemus Was a Religious Man – He was a Pharisee! He kept the Law. He was morally pure to a degree that you and I cannot imagine! He paid his tithes, did everything the Law said to do; he kept the written Law and the traditions of the elders. He never touched a woman; he probably avoided looking at them when possible. He would not come into contact with a sinner. He was a holy man! Still, what we do does not change who we are! In spite of the outward attempts at righteousness, Nicodemus was a religious man in need of a Redeemer! It is good to live clean and moral, but that will not save your soul! Your religious activities will not do the job either!

"In one sentence Jesus sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for, and demands that he be re-made by the power of God."

·        Rom 8:6-8 explain to us why it is absolutely necessary to be born again – we need a new nature!!

·        Ps 51:7; Rom 2:23; Eph 2:1-3

·        Corruption has spread to every part of our being and there is nothing in us that is not sinful. Therefore, our whole nature needs the new birth!

·        We are sinners and it is only by being born again that we can be changed from a sinner to a saint!

·        Only changed people can see the kingdom of God.

·        "Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people" – for a people who are enabled to possess it and enjoy it!

·        You will never see a dog driving a car… a pig flying… a bird swimming laps, under water… Why? It is against their nature…!

·        You will never see a natural born sinner in heaven because it is against their nature! They cannot possess it and have no ability to enjoy it…!

Steven Cole: "The point that Jesus wanted to hammer home to Nicodemus is, “You don’t need further instruction in religion. You need to be born again! You need to see yourself as a sinner who needs more than moral or religious improvement. You need nothing less than new life from God!”"

2) The MYSTERY of being BORN AGAIN! (v4-8)

·        Nicodemus is baffled by what Jesus is saying…. He is thinking literally but also avoiding what he is understanding Jesus to actually mean.

·        How is this possible namely that the nature of a man can be changed? (cf. Jer 13:23; Gen 6:5)

·        Being born again is a mysterious thing – Jesus explains some of the most important things here for us, but even someone who has been born again cannot completely explain how this came to be – it is a mystery!

Jesus compares being born again to two things: birth and wind…

✓ Birth:

Birth provides life – being born again brings spiritual life.

Birth happens only once – being born again is a one time for all time experience.

Birth happens at the suffering of another – being born again is only possible because of the sufferings of Jesus on the cross!

Birth brings about a new start – being born again results in a brand new start, the past is gone!

✓ Wind:

A wind can be felt, it can be measured and the effects can be seen, but where it comes from and where it is going remains a mystery!

Being born again is the same way – you cannot see the work of God in the heart of a man, but you can see the effects of that work! (cf. 2 Cor 5:17-18a)

We cannot control the wind. In the same way we cannot control God's sovereign work in bringing about the regeneration of people… (cf. Joh 1:12-13)

Q: What is this work of God that He then brings about when someone is born again? What does it mean to be born of water and Spirit?

·        Scripture must interpret Scripture – Tit 3:4-5; Ezek 36:25-27

·        Water: The washing away of our sin – being forgiven by God!

·        Spirit: Being renewed by the Holy Spirit – being changed and receiving a new nature with new passions and desires and the ability to obey God!

·        Someone who has been born again will never be the same!!

3) The POSSIBILITY and PRICE of being BORN AGAIN! (v9-15)

·        To be born from above is possible because Jesus is the One who came from above, who came into the world and who came to do what is necessary so that we can be born again.

·        What He had to do was that He had to pay the price that our sin deserved and in so doing buy us back from the penalty we deserved – redeem us!

·        Jesus reminds Nicodemus of a time when Israel rebelled against God and He sent snakes among them to bite them resulting in many people dying…! (cf. Num 21:4-9) God then instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole – Jesus said to Nicodemus that in the same way, He must be lifted up referring to His death on the cross where He would pay the price for all the sins that His people have committed against God!

Q: What did the people have to do when they were bitten by the snakes?

• They had only to look to the bronze snake on the pole…! They had to look and live!!

·        Those who would simply look upon Jesus and believe in Him – trusting in Him and fully relying on what He did on the cross – they are the ones who has been born again by God!!

·        Being born again is possible because of the price that Jesus Christ payed on the cross and we simply have to look, believe, trust in Him!!

Conclusion:

Q: Have you been born again?

·        There is nothing left for you to do! Just look upon Jesus and trust that He has done everything needed to save you from the penalty of sin that you deserve!

·        Trust Him and repent of your sin, that you may live!

Q: Did Nicodemus remain the same after his encounter with Jesus?

·        We believe that he was born again – in Joh 7:50-51 we find him standing up for Jesus and in Joh 19:39 we find that he is the one helping Joseph of Arimathea in burying Jesus.

He put his wellbeing and his wallet on the line for Jesus – the effects of the wind of regeneration that started blowing on him one dark night on which the rising of the morning sun of a new life was just a few moments away…!

“Jesus & The Woman at the Well” (Part 3)

Joh 4:1-30

True Satisfaction for a Thirsty Soul…

Introduction:

Q: Have you ever been really thirsty?

·        Being thirsty flows from a need that your body has, namely that of liquid, more specifically – water!

Just some interesting facts:

·        You can survive 3 weeks without food…

·        You can survive 3 to 4 days without water, maybe a week under cool conditions…!

·        You need to take in about 2 litres of water a day to maintain your fluid balance.

·        Just as your body thirsts for something to drink and so satisfy your need of water, in the same way your soul thirsts to have its needs satisfied.

Q: What are some of the needs that our souls thirsts for?

·        Love; Acceptance; Meaning in life; Joy; Peace; Fellowship (Friendship & Companionship); Rest…

·        We seek to satisfy our souls!

·        Theses needs of our souls are the driving force behind most of our pursuits in this life!

·        We seek to find satisfaction for these needs, but many times we seek it in the wrong things, places and people…

·        In this study we will meet a woman who tried to satisfy her thirsty soul by pursuing a sinful life but then found satisfaction for her soul when she met the Messiah!

·        We will look at Jesus’ Encounter with the Woman at the Well under the theme: True Satisfaction for a Thirsty Soul…!

·        Please read Joh 4:1-30

Study Points:

·        I want to show you the 7 steps of this encounter with Jesus that lead to this woman finding true satisfaction for her thirsty soul:

STEP 1: A DIVINE APPOINTMENT (v1-6)

·        Verse 4: There were other roads that led to Samaria. Many of the Jews would not travel through Samaria because they viewed the Samaritans as an impure, half-bred people who intermarried with the Assyrians.

·        So when John says Jesus "had to" travel through Samaria, it is because it was the will of His Father that He would do so in order to fulfil the mission that He has been given – there was a divine appointment set before the foundation of the world that Jesus had to keep.

·        There was an encounter that was planned for that day, an encounter that would take place at a well in Samaria at noon…!

Jesus doesn't miss any of His appointments...!

·        Every encounter that there would be between Him and a sinner in need of salvation, will take place…! He will lose none of those that the Father gave Him!

·        There was a thirsty soul and Jesus was on his way to bring true satisfaction to this soul.

Q: Who was this very important person that Jesus had to go and meet?

STEP 2: A Very UNIMPORTANT PERSON or UNLIKELY CANDIDATE! (v7-9)

·        This is one of the things that is so astonishing about this encounter.

·        Verse 7!!

·        A woman – Jewish men would not speak to woman in public – not even their own wives!

·        A Samaritan – there was some bad blood between the Jews and the Samaritans because of the intermarriage that happened between them and the Assyrians – they looked at them as half breeds. There were also some differences concerning their religion – they worshipped at different places…

·        For Jesus then to speak to a Samaritan woman in public – He crossed all the cultural barriers!

·        But there is more for us to understand regarding the character of this woman…

·        Think about this: What time would be the best time to go and fetch water at a well…?

·        Early in the morning or maybe late afternoon when it is a bit cooler...

·        This woman came at noon – she was avoiding other people; she was an outcast; her sins has brought great shame on her… she was isolated and other people most probably preferred it that way.

·        But Jesus had compassion on her…!

·        Jesus loves saving people who are unlikely candidates, even those whom the world has written of and pushed aside…

·        You and I are not out of reach of Jesus!

·        Nothing can stop Him from saving those whom His Father has given Him!

·        Not their past, nor their cultural baggage… nothing!!

STEP 3: Her NEED Revealed (v10-15)

·        Jesus initiates the conversation by asking her for water – revealing a physical need of thirst (note that Jesus was fully man – he got tired, hungry and thirsty…)

·        Jesus would then turn the tables on her and use "water" as a metaphor for what He was actually offering this woman.

·        She misunderstood Him and thought he was talking about physical water…

·        He was offering this woman "living water" namely that which would satisfy her soul…the salvation of her soul in its complete sense – the forgiveness of her sins and the ability to obey God.

·        She was confused and ignorant about who Jesus is and what He was actually offering her…

·        Yet there is the undertone that in the reply of the woman in verse 15 – whether she was sarcastic or not – that she had a deep thirst in her soul that wasn’t satisfied by all her sinful pursuits…

·        All those who come to Jesus come because they realize how spiritually bankrupt they are – that they have nothing in themselves that can satisfy them and because they realize that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy them… everything that this world can offer you will leave you "thirsty again" – it brings temporary satisfaction.

·        Matt 5:3 needs to be the attitude of all who come to Jesus!

·        Jesus gets this woman’s attention… and he then presses on to expose the true state of her soul…

STEP 4: Her SIN Exposed (v16-19)

·        Jesus helps this woman to see that her need is much more than just being temporarily satisfied.

·        She needs the water that He is offering, because she needs to be cleansed, forgiven of all her sins.

·        Jesus asks her about her husband (verse 16) and she gives the technical correct answer – any other person would have come to the conclusion very simply that she was a single woman…

·        But that was not the case and Jesus knew all about her sinful past…

You cannot hide your sin from Jesus…!

·        The reality was: She was married five times and got divorced five times most probably because she was unfaithful to her husbands, and now she was living with a man who was not her husband but maybe even someone else’s husband…

·        Jesus exposed her sins… and she doesn’t argue about it!

·        She doesn’t deny it but affirms that everything that Jesus said about her was true…calling Him a Prophet.

·        To come to Jesus you have to stop trying to explain away your sin and you have to openly confess and admit to your sinfulness.

·        Matt 5:4 needs to be your attitude concerning your sin when you come to Jesus!

STEP 5: TRUE Salvation Explained (v20-24)

·        An interesting twist then happens in the conversation – she starts to talk about where is the right place to worship – this has been one of the things that caused enmity between the Jews and Samaritans.

Q: Why does she start talking about this…?

·        Maybe she wanted to change the topic because she was getting uncomfortable with all this conviction of sin happening…

·        Maybe because she now progressed in her thinking about Jesus namely that He was a prophet and He could sort out this dispute…

·        But even deeper maybe was her motivation that she realized how sinful she was and she wanted to get right with God but was confused about where to go and do it…

·        For all of the Old Testament, sacrifices had to be made to be right with God and maybe she wanted to make sure we she was supposed to go…

·        But then Jesus makes a wonderful revelation about true salvation…!

·        Verse 21-24

·        True salvation is not about an external and empty religion, but about an inward and eternal relationship!

·        To worship in "Spirit" – it is about being sincere in your service towards God, about a heart that is fixed on God and in love with God; a heart that has been cleansed and changed

·        To worship in "truth" – is to serve God for who He is and not who we want Him to be; to worship Him as He revealed Himself and in the manner that he wants to be worshipped.

·        God is not confined to a place and Jesus came to open up the new way by which all people everywhere can draw near to God through Him...!

Salvation doesn't come through doing something, it comes through knowing someone…!

STEP 6: The SAVIOUR Revealed! (v25-26)

·        This woman reveals something then about her understanding of that the Messiah must come and although she is still a little bit confused, she trusts and hopes that all would make sense then…

·        And then we find the climax of this encounter when Jesus reveals Himself for the first time, to a Samaritan woman as the Messiah, the Christ!

·        You could just imagine the shock on her face and the realization and even maybe clarity that comes to her in that moment…!

·        Jesus opens her eyes and reveals Himself to her…!

THIS IS AMAZING GRACE...!

·        Matt 11:27-28

STEP 7: SALVATION HAS COME! (v27-30)

·        I love verse 28…!

·        She forgets all about her temporary pursuit to satisfy her need and she is consumed with that thought that she has met the Messiah!

·        What does she do?

·        She goes back in to town and start witnessing – telling everyone about the man she met…

·        She has experienced what Matt 5:6 talks about…

Conclusion:

·        Where do you stand?

·        Are you still trying to satisfy your needs with the things of this world? They won't satisfy…

·        Maybe you have come to realize that it doesn’t and you are feeling so guilty because of everything that you have done – you are ashamed and just don’t feel like getting up and going on…

·        Then be encouraged by this encounter that happened between Jesus and this woman!

THERE IS HOPE and HIS name is JESUS!

·        There are three non-negotiable things that needs to happen for you to come to true salvation:

1) Realize you need spiritual life and there is nothing you can do to get it…

2) Repent of your sins and seek the forgives that only Jesus can give…

3) Embrace Jesus as the only One who can save you from your sin…!

·        If you do know Jesus, let us imitate Him in our efforts to reach the outcasts and those who are overwhelmed by their guilt with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

“Jesus & Matthew” (Part 4)

Matt 9:9-13

A Super Sinner Saved...!

Introduction:

·        In this study we will look at Matt 9:9-13 where we find Jesus calling a man called Matthew to follow him...

·        What is interesting about this man is that he had another name that he was known by as well... Levi...(cf. Luk 5:27)

·        That makes us think of jeans... and you thought jeans was a modern thing...!

·        When I grew up, jeans was still nice and whole... later it became trendy to buy brand new jeans that looked like the dog got hold of them...!

·        If you would wear these torn jeans, the older people would look funny at you... they would think that you are some or other criminal and rebel... you would be shamed...!

·        In general, when people think about followers of Jesus, those people that Jesus encounters, they think that mostly good people may or can follow Him... surely someone who wears these "messed up jeans" cannot be a follower of Jesus...!

·        Surely the good kids in school may or can follow Jesus, the good employees, the good bosses... the "good" guys... but surely not those bad kids, employees, or bosses... Right?

·        As we look at Matt 9:9-13, we will find that this man called Matthew, also known as Levi, he wasn't a good guy... as a matter of fact, we could classify him as a criminal and a traitor... a bad guy... even as a super sinner...!

·        And Jesus will encounter and call this super sinner to follow Him...!

·        And so, in Matt 9:9-13, we find a super sinner saved...

Study Points:

·        Let’s to look at four things in this encounter about following Jesus:

1. The CALL...

Jesus calls Matthew, a very bad man, to follow Him and be His friend!

·        Matthew was a tax collector...

·        You need to understand how the other Jews felt about tax collectors and what was true about these tax collectors...

·        They worked for the Roman empire and so they were viewed by their own people as traitors...

·        They sat in these booths all over Rome and could then tax people on everything... fish, amount of wheels and axles on their wagons, open their personal belongings, etc. There was really no limit on what they could tax the people.

·        They would then have to give a fixed amount to Rome, but whatever was extra were theirs, and so they would be know to over tax people for the sake of making money... they were nothing less than thieves...!

·        They were seen as the scum of society... the worst of the worst... they were super sinners...! And in general they were filthy rich...!

·        But then, Jesus saw him... he didn’t see Jesus... he wasn’t looking for Jesus or to follow Jesus...

He was not the first to seek Jesus, but Jesus was the one who first sought him...!

·        We can be sure that when Jesus saw him, He saw all of Him and knew exactly who he was concerning his reputation and his character.

·        And then Jesus did the unlikely and even unthinkable thing... He called Matthew to follow Him...!

2. The RESPONSE...

Matthew leaves everything for good to be Jesus’ follower and friend!

·        What would this super (and wealthy) sinner do...?

·        Matthew most probably knew something about Jesus – Jesus already did a few miracles in his town and he maybe even heard Jesus teach...

·        How would he respond to this call, this command of Jesus...?

·        Matt 9:9 says very simply – "And he rose and followed him..." Nothing dramatic or spectacular...

·        You need to understand that this Matthew is the same Matthew who wrote this Gospel... Matthew is basically writing his own testimony...!

·        And we need to see something of how humble this man became – he doesn’t place any unnecessary attention on himself...!

·        And so when we turn to the gospel of Luke 5:28, we find an important detail that Matthew in his humility left out... He left everything...!

·        His wealth and his position... he left it for good... there was no way he could go back to having the position and job that he had... when he got up and followed Jesus, he walked away from everything...!

We can deduce from this that all of his security, power and position he considered as worthless in comparison with the joy and privilege of following and knowing Jesus!

·        This has to help you see something of how precious Jesus is...! (cf. Matt 13:44; Phil 3:7-8)

·        And what happens next even further highlights how radical Matthew’s life was changed...

3. The RESULT...

Matthew wants all of his friends to get to know Jesus!

·        Luk 5:29 helps us again to have a better picture of what happened...

·        Matthew throw one huge party for all of his tax buddies because he wanted them to get to meet Jesus...!

·        This shows us just how excited he was about Jesus and how much joy Jesus brought to Matthew that he just wanted to share Jesus with all his friends...!

·        People who get to meet Jesus just can’t keep them to themselves...! If they can, they don’t understand whom they have met... and maybe they haven’t met Him at all...!

Whenever we see people getting to know Jesus in the Bible, they want to make Him known as well...!

·        When you experience the mercy and grace of Jesus, you desire others to experience it as well!

·        Someone who is following Jesus wants other people to follow Jesus as well... they are not ashamed of Jesus...!

4. The DECLARATION...

Jesus makes it clear that He came to save bad people, not good people!

·        The Pharisees didn’t like this at all...!

·        They just couldn’t accept the reality that Jesus was being friendly to these super sinners...!

·        They were so proud in what they were doing and they thought that it made them better than these bad people.

·        It is interesting to see that they said this to Jesus' disciples and not to Jesus Himself... they were maybe trying to give Jesus a bad reputation with His disciples...

·        But then Jesus answers with a logical analogy...

·        Who need a physician, a doctor – healthy people or sick people...? Obviously sick people...!

·        Who needs a Saviour – good people or bad people...? Bad people!

·        These Pharisees thought they were good but didn’t realize that they were bad – that is why they rejected Jesus!

·        They didn’t think that they needed Jesus... like many if not most people today...!

·        What is worse is that these Pharisees made a right diagnoses of these tax colletors – that they are super sinners. and yet they didn’t want to do anything about that...!

·        That is why Jesus exhorts them with Hos 6:6 – an Old Testament passage which explains that we should not be so focused on doing right things if our hearts aren’t right before God... all of our "good service" that we are doing means nothing if we don’t have mercy and compassion for other people... if our hearts aren’t filled with compassion and mercy for people who don't know Jesus, we don’t have the heart of God...!

·        And then Jesus makes this wonderful, hopeful declaration – He came for sinners... for bad people...

·        All of us are bad people... all of us are sinners... super sinners...

·        All of us are spiritually bankrupt before God and we need a Saviour...

·        The bad news is that you are bad and that you can do nothing about it from yourself...

The good news is that Jesus came for bad people, for sinners and He can do everything to save you... He did do everything to save sinners...!

·        That is the greatest miracle there is – when Jesus takes a super sinner and makes him a saint...!

Conclusion:

·        What do you need to be to qualify to become a follower of Jesus? A sinner...!

·        The question is: Will you answer the call of Jesus to follow Him...?

Only He can transform you to be His follower and so, if He encounters and calls you, get up and follow Him!