Jesus - keeping the right company, Luke 5:27-32

Featuring: Gordon Randall

Date: Sunday, 24 February, 2013

The last word in our passage is ‘Repentance’. It means to “change your mind,” or to “turn away from sin.” Jesus said He came to call sinners to repentance. He called Levi to repentance. When Levi decided to follow Jesus, he left his tax collection booth behind. Following Jesus required him to repent of his sin and turn away from the life that was separating him from God. Repenting doesn’t mean you won’t sin any more, but it does mean changing your mind about what you want to do. Levi wanted to follow Jesus who saw him and loved him when no one else did. Continuing to sin so boldly when he had been given a second chance just seemed wrong. So he left that life behind. He repented.

It’s fantastic - Jesus wants to bring sinners like Levi and us and our contact people into His kingdom! He sees potential (we are all fearfully and wonderfully made) and His love for sinners leads Him to say “follow Me” to even the worst offenders. And a person who knows their sinful nature and sees how it keeps them from fellowship with God will readily follow Jesus into the kingdom. Their humble spirit allows repentance where once there was just bold and willful rebellion.

In giving our lives to Christ we have to admit fairly and squarely “I am a sinner. Not a sinner but-trying-ever-so-hard. Not a sinner but-not-as-bad-as-some. Just a sinner.” That’s who Jesus is for. Our hope is not in our health but in the Doctor’s care. And the message is “Come to Christ – He wants your company and the company of your contact people”.

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