Life of Christ - 15*

Introduction

The Authority of Christ

Two more ways Christ Demonstrates authority - Over Man

Luke 5:

Luke 5:27–32 ESV

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

v27

Tax Collector

Tax collector - Custom house official (Mockhes) - stood along the highway, collecting taxes from those who passed by -imports, exports, tolls

Authority of Rome and consistently abused their authority to become incredibly wealthy

Why would Rome hire Jews for this job?

Were considered equal with prostitutes, gambles, thieves

So who do you think Levi had as friends

Called - “License Robbers” and “Beasts in human form”

Money was considered tainted and not to be accepted by any moral person

Forbidden from entering the temple

No one was to fellowship with them

They were not to be preached to because - they were considered hopeless by the Pharisees- it was impossible for their sins to be forgiven -In other words - the Jews considered them unsavable

Salvation for The Tax Collector

There is no one Jesus can’t save

Lets get to the core of salvation - Did Jesus ask or command? Did Jesus ever ask anyone to follow Him? Faith, Repentance, Following - Commands

v28

Faith = Following

Levi obeyed the command - In exchange for the wealth and job - he get Jesus

Following Jesus will cost you - But it is worth the cost

The Saved Tax Collector

v29

Notice the change

Where is the shame? Where is the guilt?

He throws a banquet for Jesus - Open about his faith

Evangelism - He brought all of the sinners

v30

The disciples were there - Following Jesus is going to cause you to be in the company of the outcasts and deep sinners - the addicted, the hurting, the ones who have completely destroyed their lives

Jesus Doesn’t Save the Self-Righteous

v31-33

Righteous = In this case is the Self-righteousness of the Pharisees

Man’s second biggest problem is not seeing himself for what he really is

Big Idea: Levi went from the outcast tax collector to a disciple of Christ why?

Because Jesus said - Follow Me - And He has authority

Authority Over Tradition

v33-39

Jesus is going to hit at the heart of the Pharisee

v35-36: Fasting?

Review:

Big Idea: God was not coming to adjust or reform the Old Covenant - He was coming to make a new one

What is the purpose of the Old Covenant? Ten Commandments?

Authority Over The Sabbath

Just Intro

The last thing we are going to talk about in which Christ demonstrated His authority over - hits at the heart of the Pharisee

What is the Biggest enemy of God and His gospel? Legalism

Over the next couple of sessions Christ is Going to Demonstrate His authority over the pride and joy of the Pharisees - The Sabbath

O

They had taken a Command and warped to fit their own agenda and gain control

Jesus is going to defy their legalism in three ways:

Healing A Paralytic On The Sabbath

Allowing The Disciples to Pluck Grain On the Sabbath

Restoring A Withered Hand on the Sabbath

The Sabbath was their legalistic baby

Legalism can be defined in a couple of ways:

Attempt to earn favor with God

Attempt to Elevate Man’s Word with God

Misquoting God - putting Words in God’s mouth

Genesis 3:1-6

Genesis 3:1–6 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Where do you see legalism?

v3 - Did God say not to touch it?

Application

Where have you seen legalism in the church?