Jesus, my Lord, today
should be a resurrected day, that he paid
death's debt to
these things, named Levi, sitting
at the receipt of Solomon.
And he left all, but
their scribes and Pharisees murmured, Why did he
leave me?
They that are whole need not a position.
I came not to call the righteous.
And they said unto him, Why did the
disciples, and likewise the disciples, but
the days will come when the bright day
shall come.
No man put at the peace of a
new, but
knew I must be.
No man also having drunk all the old.
In between our Lord's resurrection, he
gave his disciples, almost immediately after his resurrection,
he gave them the commission to evangelize, when
he said it behooved Christ to save
all nations.
Then just before his ascension, as recorded in
Matthew 28, he announced that all power had
been given to all nations.
And lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end.
Here are two commissions, which are sometimes not
very carefully distinguished.
But in the passage of Scripture which we
read tonight, I believe we get the Lord
giving us an example of what it means
to fulfill.
Not to be supposed that this was the
first time that the Lord Jesus and Levi
Matthew had met, but when our Lord saw
him, he was occupied in his burdens.
And I like the way the word saw
is rendered in the original language.
We have different words for seeing in the
original, just like we do in English.
For example, we get a glimpse of something,
a vision of something.
Then again we take a look at it.
Then again we observe it.
Then again we contemplate it.
And all these words have just a little
stronger meaning.
And the word for saw, in this 27th
verse, when he says here, after these things
he went forth and saw a publican, is
the word from which we get our word,
theater.
As it were, the Lord was taking a
real penetrating look at this man, Matthew Levi,
sitting at the receipt of custom.
As I said, I don't suppose for one
moment that this was the first time that
they had ever met.
You know, before the Lord says, follow me,
he says, come unto me, and in that
order.
And that is why we believe that commission
given in Luke 24, whereas that which is
sometimes referred to as the great commission, is
given just before his ascension, which is some
40 days later.
But these two are complementary.
And it's interesting that we have in our
own fellowship now, William McDonald, associated with Gene
Gibson, and Jack Davies, have what they call
San Leandro, which is a suburb of Oakland,
California.
And there they are giving training to these
young men to fulfill the commission given to
us in Matthew 28.
As I said, I believe the Lord gives
us an example here in this 5th chapter
of Luke.
It seems the emphasis is on evangelism.
These very recent years, I've known, stir the
people up to worldwide evangelism.
And again in 1973, now there'll be a
big meeting next month in Lausanne in Switzerland.
But it's always on a grand scale.
So big that it actually requires all the
details of it.
The whole thing computed.
But there it is.
We look at these things and they're giant.
Sometimes we forget that there's another way to
evangelize.
And that I believe also finds illustration in
this passage.
Because when the Lord Jesus looked and contemplated,
looked upon this man, Matthew, he saw Matthew,
the publican, didn't make any promises.
And we find that Levi left all, just
two words to describe everything.
But I dare say it took days, perhaps
even weeks, to really live all.
A man with a business like this, for
I suppose he had a pretty good sized
business.
He must have been one of the chief
publicans.
You can imagine he not only had a
little office for himself, but he probably had
quite an office staff as well.
And investments around and things to take care
of.
This leaving all must have been a tremendous
transaction.
But he did it.
And the scripture simply sums it up and
says, I can almost imagine the surprise of
some of his fellow publicans when he announced
to them that he was giving up business.
Just like when I gave up my business
as an engineer, an aunt of mine who
had been following me in my preparation for
the engineering.
So I can imagine how Levi would go
to his fellow publicans, maybe they had a
service.
The lost.
I'm going to follow one whose commission is
to seek and to save that which is
lost.
And this is what Levi is going to
undertake now.
And you can imagine the look on the
faces of those fellow publicans of his as
this man makes this announcement that he's quitting.
He left all, rolled up, and followed them,
as I said, with no promise of whatever.
He must have been a man of considerable
means, because we read here in verse 29
of our chapter, that he made him a
great feast in his own house.
Mrs. Levi is not his feast.
And he invites not only the chief publicans,
but the...
It is to celebrate the
call to discipleship.
You know, this to me is very interesting,
that we should have this picture.
And mind you, this thing is referred to
in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
And a thing that's repeated that often in
the word of God must have some very
great importance.
And so here's this man celebrating the fact
that the Lord Jesus had called him into
his service with two simple words.
Follow me.
Just as simple as that, isn't it?
Well, all of this, of course, arouses not
only, shall I say, an interest in it,
but also some criticism.
Because when they see what's happening here, they
notice, you notice, they say to his disciples
in verse 13, They can't understand this.
This is an entirely different enterprise.
Is this going out after people that nobody
else cared anything about?
But you know, that's the very genius of
the Christian commission, isn't it?
That we go out after people perhaps that
he has given up.
The story is told of George Whitefield, who
was a great evangelist in the days of
John Wesley.
That one morning as he was staying, where
he was staying as a guest, there was
a conversation.
And he himself came to the door and
saw the woman and immediately invited her.
And she looked at him and she said,
You said last night in your sermon that
the Lord Jesus would receive even the devil's
counsel.
Did you mean that?
What the Lord Jesus came to do.
And you can imagine the pleasure that George
had in bringing all these people together.
And I thought of this as I was
meditating on this passage of scripture and preparing.
I wonder if we have sometimes forgotten that
this is a very simple method of evangelizing.
It's true we do not all have the
same means and convenience and everything that Matthew
Levi had.
But perhaps we could do it on a
smaller scale.
To invite someone, say a person, to come
to our home, share a meal with us.
It might be that even giving thanks for
the meal will spark the conversation.
I had an illustration of this on an
airplane going from Chicago to Mexico City some
years ago.
I happened to draw a seat next to
a gentleman.
He was an engineer.
Say a little prayer for me while you're
at it, will you?
That you were trained to be an engineer.
When he said, you sound more like a
preacher.
Judging from some of the tapes that have
come out.
It led to a conversation before you.
But the superiority of the language that you
use.
King of kings.
But they were, on this occasion of course,
they were so separated in their thinking.
That any man of the status of our
Lord Jesus and his disciples sitting down to
eat with them.
It is in this connection that the Lord
Jesus announced his real mission in this world.
He says, but sinners.
This evidently stopped them.
And then they raised another objection.
They said, well now tell us.
We fast and the disciples of John.
Well said the Lord Jesus.
Can you make the children of the bride
chamber.
That's the guests with kind of bride groomers
with them.
And here our Lord Jesus is speaking of
himself in one of the happiest figures that
is possible.
You can see how my thinking is going
back 57 years tonight.
I'm sure that anybody looking at me 57
years ago.
As I led my bride forth.
And say there goes a happy man.
A real happy man.
The Lord Jesus was a happy man.
He was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief.
But on this occasion he introduces himself under
one of the happiest figures.
I've married a good many couples in my
ministry.
Unhappy bride groomers.
I've seen some nervous ones.
Those kind that were reported to have said
to the minister.
When do you put the thing on her
ring.
Well it's customary.
And here the Lord Jesus is introducing himself.
He says you can't make these wedding guests
of mine fast while the bride groomers will
be taken away from them.
And then shall they fast in those days.
That must have been a very sad note
here.
But as long as he's present.
And thank God.
Because of this we can live a happy.
Because of this.
The apostle and his companion Silas.
Yes.
Because of this.
Out of that same.
Out of that same prison he could write.
Rejoice in the Lord and again I say
rejoice.
This is one of the finest apologies.
Is that the Lord.
Enables us to be happy.
Even in the midst of adverse circumstances.
And here the Lord Jesus is giving us
the right to look at him.
Do you know when you think about a
bride groom.
You think about a wedding.
No man puts the
piece you take out of the new and
put on the old.
They forget.
Some years ago a great news reporter.
Christianity.
Muslim.
Was to be the ideal.
Putting all these things.
What you and I have beloved in the
Christian.
As you have already seen in this passage
of scripture tonight.
The Lord says I didn't.
In taking hold of those who were absolute.
When I was put into the picture as
we should.
Difficult for one.
Can imagine myself years later.
Being rocked in the.
Singing gospel.
To realize this.
Get comparing yourself to other people.
And think well.
I can't be so bad.
Remind me.
Of an incident.
But he was out.
And she was at home.
She listened to him for a while.
I said you don't need to talk to
me.
I'm too bad to be saved.
She was worse than.
All of us are worse.
But the Lord Jesus knows.
How bad he came.
Not to call the righteous.
If he's the bridegroom.
You may be sure.
We're not going to see him in his
royal robes.
And it'll be the best robe.
As we learn in the 50.
This same gospel group.
Bring forth.
And that best robe will speak to God.
Of his beloved.
Be the raising of sheep.
Had eight legs.
And I'd never seen a creature.
And its owner.
And you'd think it was a very simple
procedure.
But it isn't.
They sniff it.
And it's not there.
They don't want it.
But what does the owner do.
But skin the dead lamb.
Her baby.
And put its skin on.
This living plant.
Not slow to make the Ephesian epistle.
In the beloved.
So I like to think that this new
garment.
That the Lord speaks of here.
Oh to be dressed up in him.
How wonderful.
But then he also speaks of new wine
here.
He says.
When you have new wine.
Notice this.
You do
carry liquids in bottles.
38.
They go today.
All right.
His body is no longer in that skin.
Well in our Lord's day.
This was it.
He says.
But you don't put new wine.
Into old bottles.
The lesson is dear friends.
That in Christianity.
There's a new joy.
That meets new containers.
The story is told of Isaac Watts.
In his younger days.
When he complained to his father.
That they always had to sing the psalms.
Wonderful as they were.
What he would like to expect as a
Christian.
And so his father said to him.
Well if you can do any better than
that.
Go ahead.
And Isaac Watts.
Began that wonderful collection of hymns.
Known as the Watts collection.
He said.
Behold the glories of the Lamb.
Amidst the Father's throne.
Prepare new honors for His name.
And songs before them.
And how wonderful are these songs aren't they.
Yes.
As I conclude this meditation tonight.
I'm thinking of.
My early days of the mission.
And where previously.
She was teaching these little ones.
Just like my parents taught me.
Jesus loves me.
The people around came to us and said.
They're so different from what we sing.
They were not only different in content.
But they were different in music.
There was an equality about them.
Which was recognizable.
Even by the world itself.
And I've had men say this to me.
Meditation.
It was on a trip.
From Los Angeles down to Auckland New Zealand.
The purser of the ship came to me.
On Saturday evening.
He said.
Sir.
I understand that you are a minister of
the gospel.
He said.
There will be two services.
One has to repeat the service.
And he said.
There will be three musicians.
That will play anything that you would like
to listen to.
Choose for a subject.
Standard hymns of the church.
And having chosen them.
I said to these men.
At least to these.
I wondered what his reaction would be.
What we did last night.
We've got up to here.
But oh how they played those Christians.
The new wine.
Beloved.
All of this the result.
Of a man from the Lord.
And who had an evangelistic service.
And his own friend.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
An inspiration from this.
Perhaps to use your own.
In closing let's turn to hymn number 190.
Take my life.
And we're reminded.