We Are Called to Share the Story of God To Inspire (Passion)

Introduction

We Are Called: Adventures into the Unknown

Today: We Are Called to Share the Story of God To Inspire (Passion)

Chris Nickic

20 yrs old

Nov 7 competed Ironman Florida 140.2 miles

Minor bike accident

bitten by fire ants

Finished in just under 17 hrs (the cutoff time)

10’s of thousands have done it before him

No one else with Down’s syndrome

His dad Nik remembers when he and his wife, Patty, learned that their son had Down syndrome and doctors told them all the things he couldn’t do.

“When your child is born with Down syndrome everyone tells you what they can’t do and how tough it is going to be … Chris is going to prove if he can do an Ironman and he can do anything else,” Nik said. “Being first opens a lot of doors for him and people like him.”

Heaven Comes to Earth

Matthew 9:1–13 ESV

And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Authority to Heal

Restoration of Life

Zoe

life (state) n. — the condition of living or the state of being alive; especially healthiness, happiness, exuberance, energy, vitality, and the like.

Paralysis - Like Chris (Down’s Syndrome): you can’t have life…because of sin.

He sinned or. his parents.

SIN

Basic thought: not hitting; missing.

SINNER

Those who are intellectually and morally inferior and

Those living in conscious opposition to God's will in the law.

Value judgment for a class of people and a description of our natural relationship to God:

In Matthew: Distance from God.

Your paralysis is justice; the consequences of his or his parent’s sin. You are permanently distant from God. Nothing can change that.

Here comes Jesus - your sins are forgiven.

Wasn’t asked, just did it.

Jewish religion - Forgiveness could not be spoken by any human on his own authority.

Blasphemy - Witherington

Calling God's good evil and calling evil good.

They said what Jesus did was evil.

Get Up

Then he takes away the judgment/justice (paralysis).

Healed, cured, treated, brought back to perfect health, made whole physically, socially.

The cure immediate

Message: You’ve got it wrong: This is NOT the consequence of sin.

The crowd amazed

The command to the paralytic to get up proves more than that his sins are forgiven; it indicates the authority of the forgiver.

Jesus brings on earth the authority of God.

Miracles accompanied the demonstration and explanation of God’s Kingdom.

On earth as it is in heaven.

Calling An Outcast to Be His Disciple

MATTHEW:

Matthew was a customs official in the service of Herod Antipas rather than a collector of direct taxes.

Customs officials and tax collectors linked together in Jewish writings and in the same category as thieves and ‘sinners’ in general.

Both occupations were despised as unpatriotic. Dirty jobs.

Matthew clearly didn't feel he was a righteous man. Knew he was a "sinner." His own people called him a sinner.

Matthew identifies more with the paralyzed man than his own people (Pharisees) because of his occupation.

Like Chris and the paralyzed guy, YOU CAN’T have life, you can’t BE…You’re not good enough.

Jesus: You can. Follow me/come with me.

Matthew did.

There is no evidence of any previous direct contact between Matthew and Jesus (cf. on 4:20), but Jesus was by now well known in Capernaum.

That this popular ‘Rabbi’ (cf. 8:19) should take the initiative in calling an outcast to be his disciple was a sign of acceptance to which Matthew understandably responded readily.

This is what makes this story and Jesus’ invitation so inspiring.

Chris Nickic: You’re not and you can’t.

The Paralytic: You’re not and you can’t.

Matthew: You’re not and you can’t.

JESUS: YES YOU CAN. BY MY AUTHORITY, YOU CAN. I’LL SHOW YOU HOW.

Identified Himself With Them

Followed him back to Matthew's house for a dinner party with other tax collectors (sinners).

Pharisees again show up questioning Jesus' relationship with sin and sinners.

To be the guest of an immoral person disqualifies you from being a good person.

10 - Jesus sat at a table with immoral people.

To share a meal was a sign of intimacy, friendship, solidarity.

Jesus was willing to identify himself with the immoral, the undesirable.

To meet the need of sin - the gap in relationship between God and humanity he draws them to himself

This is what happens when the Kingdom of God breaks in.

This is the nature of the gospel.

Conflicting Priorities

12 - The difference between Jesus and the Pharisees is their understanding of the priorities of the Kingdom/will of God.

Pharisee Priorities: Obey the rules

Standards of formal religion: The ones he should have called to eat with are the righteous; the good people.

- It's not sufficient.

Pharisees were sicker than the sinners.

Explains what happened earlier and why he is in Matthew's home: the sick need a doctor (figure of speech).

Jesus: A Mission to People

Right relation with God comes by his kindness, holiness, renouncing self and turning to full obedience.

Jesus invites the disqualified.

Jesus was inclusive, intimate with sinners.

There is a danger of a religion that demands anything other than mercy.

- Hosea 6:6 I desire mercy (what I demonstrated); not sacrifice (what you think is important)

Having a meal with this group of people is the highest fulfilment of God’s desire.

Something the religious people couldn’t do.

The paralytic and Matthew were among the first and they opened doors for the rest of us - who are just like them.

And just like those who inspired us.

What Does This Mean?

There's a warning here for Church/Christians.

13 - Figure out what this means: I'm after mercy, not religion.

Some people view the church like the temple - only those serious should be part of that. If you're a "sinner" you're mocking God.

We like to emphasize the discipline aspect of sin.

Others view church as place where people come to be healed, become more like Christ.

Church is not a place - it’s a people

Who are the people: I came to call the sinners not those who think they are righteous.

Why? People who hunger and thirst for the things of God but are far from it are closer to true righteousness than the self satisfied.

I'm here to go be with outsiders, not coddle insiders

We'll not our heads in agreement but stick with the comfort of our coddled religious order, our tribe and culture we’ve made sacrifices to build and maintain

Rather than be disrupted and moved to go with Jesus to become friends with and live mercifully with those not like us

To share the story of God, see miracles happen and inspire others to trust him.

Unforgivable Sin

Jesus is the servant who by his death and resurrection carries away sin, restores us to life as God intended.

This story of God that inspires a passionate trust in Jesus and living life as God intended, is lived/told in the context of relationship (invitation to it) with our neighbors who do not yet believe/trust.

Sin is only unforgivable when we recognize the mission of Jesus by the holy spirit but defy it and resist it.