The Sick
Difficult People • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Difficult People
Difficult People
27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
In Luke 3, we see John the Baptist (who was considered by Jesus to be the GREATEST prophet, although he hadn’t “done” any miracles, at least none that are recorded) was baptising and calling people to REPENTANCE.
Then Jesus was Baptized
Then Jesus was tempted in the wilderness
Then He starts his ministry, begins to teach, and to miracles.
He prays and begins to call the 12 disciples.
He calls Levi (MATTHEW)
By God’s providence, by God’s amazing plan, Matthew (Levi) is a tax collector, one who is deemed as unredeemable or not worthy of associating with, as seen in VS 30.
However - Matthew responds to Jesus’ call to “Follow me,” and the religious leaders can’t stand how Jesus claims to be a rabbi, has disciples, and is associating with the publicans.
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
1.) A person who is not sick doesn’t need to go to the doctor.
Implies
A.) Those that are not sick don’t need to visit the doctor - There are people out there that believe that they are well, that they are not in need of saving. These people, who do not believe they have anything wrong with them, will have no desire or realization that they are in need of help, of saving, and thus they will not do what is necessary to get well, they will not seek a physician because they do not believe they are sick, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE.
B.) Some are sick, and realize they are sick, but they have different reasons for not going to the Dr..
I.) Their illness isn’t bad enough to warrant going to the Dr.
II.) People are more fearful of what it will cost them, when in reality, in this situation, it cost the Dr. more than the patient to receive the treatment that will cure the disease.
III.) They are fearful of what the Dx will be, and how invasive the treatment or medication. What are the side-effects.
IV.) Pride - I’ve never needed to go to the Dr. before, I am not going to start now.
2.) Jesus is talking to the observer, people who are sick, who don’t realize they are ill, who are in need of the Dr., but who are stiff necked and thus won’t hear what the Dr. has to say, because they don’t see themselves as a patient, they see themselves as being able to self medicate, OR, that they are not ever going to get sick.
Perception and Repentance. Repentance can’t or won’t come unless one realizes they are in need of it.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
We are all sinners. Thus we are all sick and in need of saving. We are also dead to our sins, and yet we are in need of an every day remembering of what we have been saved from and that we do not live for ourselves, but for God. This is a process of sanctification. Of needing to continue to go to the Dr. through repentance. We do not repent once, but many times throughout our life when we recognize that we are ill and are in need of the grace of God.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
I would think, as believers, as those who KNOW the great physician, we would be quick to visit the Dr. when we know something is wrong, when something is going on within our souls that only He is capable of and has authority to take care of.
We need to:
1.) Recognize that just because we visited the Dr. once, (repented once) that we never need repent again.
2.) Recognize we need to repent if we have never, because we are sick, we are ill, we are in need of the great physician.
What are the ways that we (even as believers) are showing symptoms of being sick?
What happens to the church when those who are members of the body don’t realize that they are sick?
The members of the body begin to suffer. The church suffers.
We will spend the next couple of weeks looking at the symptoms that manifest in us (believers) are unaware of their illness SO THAT we might be more ready to go to the great physician in prayer, humility, and hope to receive from Him what we need to become more like Him, as that is our goal.
CRITICAL PEOPLE
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Praise - will often reveal what you value most.
Criticism - often reveals your deepest insecurity
Jesus was critical of the pharisees. Their greatest insecurity seemed to be their own hidden sin.
4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
WRONG RESPONSES - Fight or Flight - Both not the best response or reaction.
Fight - (defend)
Flight - (flee)
RIGHT RESPONSES - to constructive criticism
POINT - LISTEN - WHEN … Their motive is to help, not hurt. AND When the person CAN help.
31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life Abideth among the wise.
32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: But he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
ANSWER - When a person is missing information that could change their perception.
When a person is open to change.
1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
The Ephraimites asked Gideon “Why have you treated us like this?” - They criticized him sharply. BUT HE ANSWERED...
ANND … When they (Ephraim) heard Gideon’s ANSWER, they were NO LONGER ANGRY.
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
3 “God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.
DISMISS - When the person is characterized by being overly critical. OR - When the person is emotionally unhealthy or wounded.
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
FINAL POINT - We can’t please all people, that is not our aim, we are to please GOD!
4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.
Examine - Test - Approve - Pass - Stamp of approval - or maybe even after a physician looks you over, gives you a stress test, communicates to you where you can go, what you can do, what you are capable of.
Jesus didn’t come to PLEASE PEOPLE, He came to SAVE PEOPLE, to be the great PHYSICIAN, and thus we PLEASE HIM when we share the gospel, the GOOD NEWS, and repent when we are the one who needs to see the physician.