Is This Seat Taken?

Luke 5:27–32 NKJV

27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. 29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Intro

Have you ever had a weird I should not be here experience?

Church in Texas story

It made me feel uncomfortable

That’s not how you worship

Our way is not always right, not always wrong, and not always the only way.

Holy Conversation

According to John Wesley, one of the means of grace is holy conversation. It is the practice of Spirit-guided listening to one another, discerning the ways of God, consulting Scripture, using our God-given reason, respecting the value of time honored tradition, and speaking truthfully without fear of reprisal.

So in Luke 5:27-32, we see Jesus practicing this art by coming to the table.

The dinner table is a great setting for Holy Conversation.

I. Who was at the table?

A. Levi (Matthew)

Tax Collector

Direct & Indirect taxes

Direct - Straight to Roman empire to support the throne.

Indirect- other taxes

Emancipation tax

Tolls/Roads

They would also pocket any extra for themselves. (Thieves)

Levi was most likely a second hand tax collector collecting tolls since he was at a tax booth.

Zacchaeus - Chief tax collector

Luke 19:1–10 NKJV

1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Modern Day Equivalent

Money to planned parenthood

Money to LGBQT

B. Sinners

Went against ceremonial requirements

Had too much contact with the unclean Gentiles.

C. Pharisees & Scribes

Pharisees- prided themselves on keeping the law and ceremonial purity.

Scribes- interpreters and teachers of the law.

D. Disciples

Those that were following Jesus.

We typically think of 12 but there were many more.

E. Jesus

Jesus was a Jew

He went because he was invited.

Jesus always comes when he is invited.

II. What Does Jesus Teach Us?

1. Extend an invitation to people that don’t deserve it.

Why?

None of us deserve the grace that Christ gives us.

Romans 5:15 CEB

15 But the free gift of Christ isn’t like Adam’s failure. If many people died through what one person did wrong, God’s grace is multiplied even more for many people with the gift—of the one person Jesus Christ—that comes through grace.

Since Jesus has given us this free gift when we did not deserve it, then we should extend grace to people that we don’t think deserve it.

2. Attend things that may make you or others feel uncomfortable.

I think that if Jesus were walking the earth today, Christians would be really surprised to see where he chose to go.

You can be in this world and not of this world.

John 17:14–19 NKJV

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus went to sinners and to the lost.

God’s Word and Spirit will guide us.

Most Common Example

You can go to a bar and not drink or get drunk.

You can use that time to share your convictions.

If God’s word and Spirit tells you otherwise, then don’t go.

If alcohol has been an addiction for you, then don’t go.

Share your story

Just don’t look down on other Christians that go there.

Maybe their presence keeps someone from drinking too much.

Maybe they save someone from driving drunk.

Maybe their witness and story causes someone else to see that the whole that they have been trying to fill can only be filled with Christ.

The point is, Jesus went to have dinner with sinners and knew he was doing it.

3. Diversify your dinner table.

Not everyone at the table should look and think like you.

We need to put ourselves in conversations that strengthen or challenge our convictions.

Acting like we can learn nothing from someone else’s point of view is extreme arrogance and pride.

It doesn’t mean that we have to accept or agree with the other point of view.

The conversations are meant to strengthen or challenge our convictions.

“Our culture has accepted two huge lies: The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear them or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.” (Rick Warren)

4. Spend just as much time with sinners as you do with saints.

One of the most detrimental assumptions that Christians make is that we should spend the majority of our time with other Christians.

We should gather together. It is important.

Where it becomes a problem is that when all we do is gather with other Christians.

The reason many people have never helped lead someone to Christ is because they spend too much time with other Christians and not enough time with those that don’t know Christ.

All throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus spending time with lost and broken people.

He spent just as much time with them, as he did his own disciples.

Jesus was always actively looking for lost and broken people.

With whom do you spend the majority of your time?

In what ways are you actively looking for lost and broken people?

My struggles

Went to work

Joined a gym

Our circle of influence needs to extend to lost and broken people.

What are some practical ways that you can widen your circle?

III. Conclusion

1. Extend an invitation to people that don’t deserve it.

2. Attend things that may make you or others feel uncomfortable.

3. Diversify your dinner table.

4. Spend just as much time with sinners as you do with saints.