6-24-2023 West Palm Beach Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Garfield “The Power of Community – Believe” Matthew 9;9-13

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6-24-2023 West Palm Beach Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Garfield “The Power of Community – Believe” Matthew 9;9-13

 

 

Last week we talked about the community and belonging. This week we will talk about believing. Next week we will talk about behaving. I want to start by making the statement that whatever you believe is possible Is. Whatever you believe is impossible Is. Whatever you believe is possible is possible. Whatever you believe is impossible is impossible. Such is the power of the mind. Such is the power of the experiences we have had. Such is the power of the thinking that we have.

Brothers and Sisters, when you believe, it creates a vision, creates strength and creates energy that will cause us to ignite into activity. Believe creates a guide and leads us into purpose. When you believe something it drives how you will react and behave. Today we will look at one man named Matthew and we will see what he believed. In the ninth chapter of Matthew is where Jesus called Matthew into ministry. Jesus had an encounter with Matthew. He did not promise Matthew anything physically. At least when Jesus called Peter and the others, He said follow me and I will make you fishers of men. But He never said that to Matthew. Matthew is the simplest call we find in the Bible. Jesus simply said follow me. Without any questions or any hesitation, Matthew just left what he had.

I want to propose that Matthew left what he had first believed. His belief was transformed into something else and Matthew moved toward the new conviction. I want us to understand that there had to be something very special that moved Matthew to change his belief. What was is about Jesus Christ that had such a powerful effect on a man? I propose that this same power and that this same impact is on human beings even today. Many of us can testify that this man Jesus had a similar impact on you. Give God Praise!! As Jesus stood and told Matthew to follow Him, Jesus stood as the only hope that man has. Jesus stood up as the Son of God. Jesus stood up as the only one who will judge the earth. Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow Me”. Jesus was not saying it as an ordinary man. He was saying it as part of the Godhead. He was saying it as God who came down as flesh. Jesus was saying it as the one who conquered. Jesus was saying it as the one who would be on Calvary’s cross. Jesus was saying it as the one who would conquer death.

Jesus said follow me as the One who was from the beginning. Jesus was saying it as the Alpha and Omega. He was saying it as the conquering Lion of Judah. Jesus was saying it as the one who sits on His throne on the right hand of God Almighty, The Father. Jesus Christ is alive and well. What was it that Matthew was thinking about? And what was it that moved inside of Matthew that caused him to get up from his position? Brothers and sisters let us talk for a minute about the position that Matthew was in. He was a wealthy man. Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors back then is like the IRS now. When you get a letter and you see its from the IRS, your heart goes boo-bump. When you read the letter you then understand whether you are to die or to live. IRS is one of those places that can make you very happy or make you very sad.

Back then in Matthew’s time, the taxing system had many tax collectors in different regions, locations and communities. The Roman government estimated what the taxes for the community should be. The tax collector would have to pay it in advance. Then it was his job to find that money in the community. He often overcharged people in order to re-coup the money that he gave to the Roman government. After he got the quota, he would keep taking money from the people anyway. Matthew was seen as an enemy of the community. Away from his tax collector friends, Matthew would have had feelings of loneliness and isolation because he was seen as an enemy. And he was.

Brothers and sisters there are many of us who after we have evaluated our belief system and evaluated what people think of us, we then feel isolated. Have you ever felt alone in your life or felt that the things you believe in are not the things that others believe in? Have you ever felt that you are missing out, not in the community because the way you think is not the way others are thinking? The way Matthew was thinking was that the more I make money, the better off I will be. Matthew’s way of thinking is that I will get as much as I can get from other people. Matthew’s old way of thinking was that it was all about him and not anybody else. But when Jesus came, Matthew was reminded that it is not about ourselves, but it is about others.

A magnet will pull things from it’s environment. But it will only pull things that have particular properties in them. I want us to see Jesus Christ as a magnet. Matthew needed to have something inside of him that Jesus could pull on as a magnet. Matthew must have heard about Jesus Christ and had a longing for a community that would accept him for who he is. When Jesus said come and follow me, that was all Matthew needed to hear. I want to say to somebody here right now, Jesus is saying come and follow me. Come just as you are. You may feel like an enemy of your community or you may feel worthless. But come just as you are and follow Jesus. You may not understand everything but come just as you are. You may be rejected by others but just come as you are.

Brothers and sisters why did Matthew respond to Jesus? He responded because he had a need. Matthew responded because there was something missing from his life. He found it in Jesus and began to develop a different belief system. Matthew heard about Jesus’s healings and he heard about others being accepted. Matthew said he wanted to have that experience too. As Jesus was passing by, He saw a man sitting at the tax office and Jesus said “Follow Me”. Then Matthew arose and followed Him. Matthew started a new belief system that says I want to serve a God who will not only accept me but a God who will change me. Matthew was saying he wanted a relationship with God even though he knew it would be challenging. Matthew was going to change his belief system and follow God and His Son Jesus Christ.

 

AMEN