Christ In Controversy

One of the Hardest things to be is challenged. Imagine something you have believed for years is being questioned, by the new guy on the block. You have worked years and years to become good at what you do, you put in the time, learned the facts, beat others for your position and someone new came into the picture and just flipped everything on its head.

Some of you might think of Tonya Harding who hired a guy to break a competitors knees caps so she wouldn't loose. She sill did, but she was wiling to do anything to beat her opponent .

Today we are going to look at four encounters of Controversy between Jesus and the Pharisees. We are going to learn four ways to follow Christ closer in our Christian walk.

1) Calling Levi.

a. What's wrong with Tax collectors (then and now)

b. Jesus sees past the Office of tax collector

c. Controversy Strikes

d. I came for the sick not the healthy

i. The Big brother vs the little brother (prodigal)

ii. The Pharisee and the Publican.

iii. Sharing the Gospel with those at the bottom verse those at the top.

2) No need to fast.

a. Pharisees Fasted on Mondays and Thursday based off of tradition.

i. So ingrained works based religion.

ii. So stepped in tradition it had become as if law.

Iii. Martin Luther and the organ

b. Disciples of John fasted as they waited on the repentance and the kingdom of God to come.

i. So focused on the end the forgot the means! (waiting for Jesus and not trusting John that Jesus was the messiah)

ii. Let other things get in the way of Jesus.

c. One day the Christians will fast, One day the Fast will end.

i. Jesus in this passage was talking his rise into heaven (Luke 24: 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven)

ii.

3) Lord on the Sabbath.

4) No really he is LORD on the Sabbath.