Available Schedule

Love

How do build

How to love people or build strong relationships

Having a love for people so much that there is a burden

What are examples of this in the bible

Luk 15:1 is the parable of the lost sheep

Jesus was already around a group of non believers.

So how did this all get set up?

Luke 5:29-32 Jesus was already invited to a banquet with from Levi

Levi invited him to the gig and told him to pull up

Jesus was able to be the flavor in a group of people who were not his disciples

Can you be the flavor in a full pot

Can you be the salt

Will you get lost in the pot

Being strong enough to influene the group without the group influencing you

Luk 5:29 when Jesus told him to follow him that was something that was not common

Tax collectors were excluded from reliogous circles

Jesus was now invited to be with Levi

Mark 2:13-17 is much better context

When Jesus called Matthew/ Levi he was at his booth working. He was picked out of the crowd

Levi saw that from the crowd this was a special man to follow

We wouldn’t be reading about Levi the tax collector but Levi the apostle

He invivted Jesus and the other disciples to his banquet and a bunch of other guest

Having the influence on people

Being able to influence oth

The spirit of reconciliation

What about calling

Our calling on being available. Levi was available

We are called according to his purpose

They guy who wasn’t fit for the kingdom

We are focused on what is not the kingdom of God

Levi dropped everything to follow Jesus

Then he throw a banquet in his honor

Levi found something worth following

He is worth following

Who was available for God to use them?

Lydia from Acts 16:13-15 was able to house Paul. They had housing because she was avaialbe

Who was available and God used them

Making yourself avaialbe-

Being available

Trial and error- Learning to be called or being involved in the church can be a trial and error thing sometime

Rom 1:7 called to be his holy people

Rom 8:28 called to his puposes

He lived 15 years-20 after the ressurection. My mainly ministered in Ethopia but was martyed in Alexandria in Egypt

Being called is being avaialble and ready

Know how to answer every man

Know your role (what is your part in this)

Being Available 240418

Mark 2:13–17 “13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.””

Being called is an interesting thing.

God loves everyone and aslo has an assignment for everyone

Your calling as a Christian will depend on how available that you are

(What is the story for depending on someone)

What is your story

Vs. 14 Levi was there as a tax colletor at his booth

Now he sees Jesus and then hears his voice and then follows him

It was that moment that Levi became available

Picking Up the Call

Answer the call

Avoid the fear of being called like Jonah

Phones and cell phones have really evolved

I remember the days of picking up a phone and using the dial

Those phones where so hevay back then

For some the clip would break off and you would have to stop your finger at the spot

Now the beauty of phones are seeing the call ID

You know who is calling immediately

This is so helpful for you

Maybe not for the other person on the life

It’s like, oh I can call them later

This must be a telemarketer

This could be a scam

Unkown called yes definetly not picking it up

I don’t do that with the YAs

We do this because in most cases you don’t want to waste your time

Levi was a busy tax collector who was probably making good money at him booth

Then some Jesus guy came by

For most of you here. The day you really came to Jesus was not planned

Maybe mom and dad dragged you to church

I friend tricked you and said you were going to a party

Sometimes the call of God cames at the weirdest times

All of you are here now because in that moment you picked up the call

A nature obedience became a spiritual moment

In your walk with God sometimes that spirital

Levi knew about Jesus and when the opportunity came he jumped on it

Are you dropping on the opportunites that God drops by?

Just like a real phone call you can be scared?

How many people have walked away from the call of God on their life

They were scared to use available, scared to be used, scared to follow God, and scared to help people

In the book of Exodus Moses was scared at first to be used or sent out by God

He gave plenty of excuses, it was the first time God called him so I see why

Whatver God calls you to at that moment you may not comfortable but it is taking that step of faith and allowing yourself to trust God

Called people must trust God and avoid the fear

2 Timothy 1:7 “7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

This is a time when your mind and emotions shoud line up to the holy spirit and move forward

2. What will you Drop

When God called people they always had to give up something

When will you pick up

Levi left his occupation

He dropped it on the spot

Back then it was easy to leave an occupation because society back then wasn’t so complex.

As a tax collector he was making good money

The Jews hated him because many of them would overtax them

Even if Levi was an honest tax collector. He was hated

What he knew and worked on now he gave up

What will you put down? What will you pick up?

He was willing to give up what he knew for what Jesus had to offer

Jesus first wanted people to have a change of heart

As they go the transformation of the mind would happen

You may have to give up habits, some friends, and even some opportunites to follow God.

It is obsvious that the sins have to go.

The bible already tells us that we have been free from the power of sin so our action is to put it down

Leaving some people who are

Even the occupation that you have now is more than just a career or a way to climb up the ladder

It is now something that you give to Jesus

It means he controls your major job/ occupational decisions

What did Jesus tell you to put down

What will you pick up?

Some new habits to pick up

Psalm 37:5 “5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”

New habits to pick up

Instead of putting you first it’s putting God first

New habits in the morning

Places where you go

Be willing to get the new habits because they are better than the old ways

Colossians 3:12“12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

3. Active in Your Calling

Vs. 15 Levi immediatley got to work

The work of an apostle or messenger he got his friends to meet Jesus

Being available means you are active in your calling

Romans 12:6 “6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.”

What are you called to do?

Let me share 3 things with you

What are your natural skills?

What are you drawn too?

Try try try?

Natural skills can sometimes lead to spiritual abilities or gifts to use

If you like to sign and like to sing that is a start

If your good at organizing maybe there is an event you can help with

I had no fear to start conversations with people

For a season it was very easy to share my faith

Start being active in the church or your place where people trust you to bring people to God

What are you drawn too?

What is the things that excites you

Does hearing the word of God get you excitied

Is it easy for you to share if you hear a message from God

I graduated from Tuskegee University

There was a basketball coach there names Byron. He wasn’t on staff but he lead many men to the Lord on the campus

He used basketball as means to build relationships and reach people for Jesus

For some of you getting A’s or having 90% grades allows people to be attracted to you

God used the gifts of education that allowed Levi to write the book of Matthew

4. Your Influence

2 Pet 1:5-10 is a good example of being called (to work hard to prove we are called)

Levi is our case study on what to do

He threw a banquet for Jesus

We can’t do that now but it would have been cool

They came for the food but they got the living water

What would happened if you invited your friends to tell all of them about Jesus

Since his heart was so ready to follow Jesus has would only be influenced by Jesus

I’m sure a few of his friends asked him probably to come back to the profession

He unfollowed them but they followed him

He became the influencer

Their decision where influenced from his drive to follow Jesus

When your action in your calling

People around you will change

You are the salt of the earth

You are the flavor, you are the change agent

If you stay connected to the source

Colossians 4:6“6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

Trusting God that he will give you the right words to say

That the HS will cover your fears and anxiety and that you will open your mouth and say what needs to be said

Speaking life or praying for someone until their life changes

5. Legacy

What will you be know for?

What you are available now may change 5 yrs from now

I started teaching youth to children to pre k

Taught at the university

Ran evangelism teams

Choirs, associate pastor, campus pastor, then lead pastor

God is not done with me, he is not done with you either

My story is still be written and more chapter to fulfill

What will you be known for?

What will be your legacy in God’s kingdom?

It could be supporting churches from your wealth

Serving the community as a nurse

Growing a God loving family

Work on what you are doing now to support a life of work

Preaching and teaching

Being more practical

In the bible we really only here of Levi or Matthew from his calling.

He would later live 15 plus years after the ressurrection of Jesus

Then he would be serve in Syria, Persia, Egypt, and Ethopia.

It was said that he was martyed in Alexandra Egypt.

I’m sure like many of the other apostles signs wonders and miracles probably followed his minstry. This was typical of apostles as their calling to operate in all of the 5 fold ministy and gifts of the spirit.

What he is known for now is writing the book of Matthew. The longest gospel.

That is his legacy

My prayer is for people