Up Close and Personal

A Friend Up Close and Personal With Jesus

First Impression Of Jesus

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 Where the Need Is Greatest (Matthew 9:10–13)

Jesus was saying: ‘I did not come to invite people who are so self-satisfied that they are convinced they do not need anyone’s help; I came to invite people who are very conscious of their sin and desperately aware of their need for a saviour.’ He was saying: ‘It is only those who know how much they need me who can accept my invitation.’

Those scribes and Pharisees had a view of religion which is by no means dead.

(1) They were more concerned with the preservation of their own holiness than with the helping of another’s sin. They were like doctors who refused to visit the sick in case they themselves became infected. They shrank away in fastidious disgust from sinners; they did not want anything to do with people like that. Essentially, their religion was selfish; they were much more concerned to save their own souls than to save the souls of others. And they had forgotten that that was the surest way to lose their own souls.

(2) They were more concerned with criticism than with encouragement. They were far more concerned to point out the faults of other people than to help them conquer these faults. When doctors see some particularly unpleasant disease, which would turn the stomach of anyone else to look at, they are not filled with disgust; they are filled with the desire to help. Our first instinct should never be to condemn sinners; our first instinct should be to help them.

(3) They practised a goodness which issued in condemnation rather than in forgiveness and in sympathy. They would rather leave people in the gutter than give them a hand to get

The Kind of People Jesus Calls v. 9-11

Who Jesus Declares To Be v.12-13

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 Where the Need Is Greatest (Matthew 9:10–13)

Jesus was saying: ‘I did not come to invite people who are so self-satisfied that they are convinced they do not need anyone’s help; I came to invite people who are very conscious of their sin and desperately aware of their need for a saviour.’ He was saying: ‘It is only those who know how much they need me who can accept my invitation.’

Those scribes and Pharisees had a view of religion which is by no means dead.

(1) They were more concerned with the preservation of their own holiness than with the helping of another’s sin. They were like doctors who refused to visit the sick in case they themselves became infected. They shrank away in fastidious disgust from sinners; they did not want anything to do with people like that. Essentially, their religion was selfish; they were much more concerned to save their own souls than to save the souls of others. And they had forgotten that that was the surest way to lose their own souls.

(2) They were more concerned with criticism than with encouragement. They were far more concerned to point out the faults of other people than to help them conquer these faults. When doctors see some particularly unpleasant disease, which would turn the stomach of anyone else to look at, they are not filled with disgust; they are filled with the desire to help. Our first instinct should never be to condemn sinners; our first instinct should be to help them.

(3) They practised a goodness which issued in condemnation rather than in forgiveness and in sympathy. They would rather leave people in the gutter than give them a hand to get

The Disciple Desire (Others May Come To Experience the grace of Christ

Opening: Welcome, Excited You’re Here!

Can you remember the first time you met you best friend, or a teacher, or someone you know fairly well now.. Maybe if your really good you’d remember the time you met you mom or dad for the first time! You know when you meet someone and your first impression is sometimes man, this guy is wierd or, great my teacher is going to be the best teacher of all time.

Sometimes First impressions stick and really are a great story about what that person is like, sometimes they’re not like their first impression at all.

For the last while I’ve been hooked on the T.V. show Suits. Maybe you’ve heard of it, does anyone watch?

It happens in New York City, and the most well respected, powerful, and one of the best law firms and they’re looking to get a new round of associates aka people who can do grunt work. But the man the myth the legend the great Harvey Spectre, the greatest closer of all time is looking to find a personal associate that is the best, he looking for an associate that reminds him of himself.

It starts with Harvey telling his secretary Donna to give him the wink to Harvey as he go’s to get them to confirm if they’re the one.

After many associates a young man named Mike Ross, comes running in...

Mikes first impression leaves an unforgettable one, that gives us a glimpse into who he is… He is a freak with a photographic memory...

It is wild, and long story short this first impression Mike leaves on Harvey begins a business friendship that the show is about..

What is funny, is that we all can think of a first impression someone’s left on us… and in the Gospels there are plenty of recorded moments where Jesus leaves a first impression on someone that we can get a glimpse into who Jesus is and really what God is like because Jesus is God’s Son, part of the God head.

Maybe you have some preconceived ideas about Jesus or really have plenty of questions about Jesus being the real deal… We’re going to look at which is a recorded story by the disciple Matthew about when Jesus approached him for the first time and

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Who Are The Kind of People Jesus Calls (Who He Associates With)

1. Jesus Calls Those The Not Good Enough

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 Where the Need Is Greatest (Matthew 9:10–13)

When Jesus said: ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners,’ we must understand what he was saying. He was not saying that there were some people who were so good that they had no need of anything which he could give; still less was he saying that he was not interested in people who were good. This is a highly compressed saying. Jesus was saying: ‘I did not come to invite people who are so self-satisfied that they are convinced they do not need anyone’s help; I came to invite people who are very conscious of their sin and desperately aware of their need for a saviour.’ He was saying: ‘It is only those who know how much they need me who can accept my invitation.’

Those scribes and Pharisees had a view of religion which is by no means dead.

(1) They were more concerned with the preservation of their own holiness than with the helping of another’s sin. They were like doctors who refused to visit the sick in case they themselves became infected. They shrank away in fastidious disgust from sinners; they did not want anything

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 Where the Need Is Greatest (Matthew 9:10–13)

When Jesus said: ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners,’ we must understand what he was saying. He was not saying that there were some people who were so good that they had no need of anything which he could give; still less was he saying that he was not interested in people who were good. This is a highly compressed saying. Jesus was saying: ‘I did not come to invite people who are so self-satisfied that they are convinced they do not need anyone’s help; I came to invite people who are very conscious of their sin and desperately aware of their need for a saviour.’ He was saying: ‘It is only those who know how much they need me who can accept my invitation.’

ILL: Think about who Jesus is talking to hear… He is talking to a tax collector, it was a calling of ill fame, among serious people, because it was corruption and temptation, there was virtually no one that was an honest tax collector, they took money from the pot of money for themselves. If this was common knowledge you can imagine how people might feel about the people in this occupation… Think of Canada revenue agency and the people working dipping there hand in to the pot for money

ILL: How many of us fall into the trap of thinking of not falling into the trap of not being good enough for Jesus… If you knew what I was like the rest of the week, or what kind of things I do, you would know Jesus wouldn’t want anything to do with me.

My friend in College we would, hit up some of the bars in school, we’d meet people, we’d do this fairly regularly around once or twice a month on a Saturday night we’d go to a bar, and look for someone to engage.

One of the most interesting things when we’d start talking to some one, I remember this one guy, we’d been talking with him for close to a half hour and start discussing some deep questions and started bringing God up- and him pausing and started opening up sharing some of the things from his past, the screw ups, the desires he had to do sinful things, and then he just said… You know, if you knew who I was you’d know God can’t do much for me… I can’t live a life like that with the things I’m struggling with and things I’ve gone through..

What is most interesting is that is exactly the kind of people Jesus calls…

Ourselves are caught up in this back in forth of either feeling like I can’t live up to the standard or feeling disqualified because of the things we struggle with or done.

Jesus calls people who are not good enough, and then says to the religious leaders and explains why...

Jesus Calls The Not Good Enough, but we need to understand who the not good enough people are.

Jesus Is

ILL: I get a once a year sickness, regularly it is awful, 4 Christmas breaks ago, I came down with my yearly bought with Bronchitis...

Jesus calls the not Good enough, He calls them They’re sinners, you and me and you know what Jesus describes sinners as sick.

Jesus is all about calling sinners those in need those sick.

Here in Jesus saw sinners as sick and miserable people in need of a physician, even though they were the rich money movers of the day, the tax collectors. They were sick. He had medicine.