8-31-25 CCOG Sunday Service Follow Me: Leaving Everything Behind Changes Everything

We explore the transformative power of faith and the importance of believing not just that God can work in our lives, but that He will. Jesus meets people exactly where they are—whether in a tax office, on a street corner, or in a church pew—and calls them to follow Him without prerequisites.

• Faith requires believing that God is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him
• Jesus came primarily as a teacher and preacher, not just a miracle worker
• Everyone who genuinely encounters Jesus walks away changed
• Band-aid Christianity only covers problems temporarily without healing the cause
• The story of Levi (Matthew) demonstrates leaving everything to follow Jesus
• Jesus finds us where we are and accepts us as we are
• The difference between tax collectors and Pharisees was recognizing their need for healing
• Salvation happens "in the field" as well as in church buildings
• We must forgive others as we have been forgiven

If you're carrying burdens today, the Great Physician is here to make you whole. You don't need to clean up first—just commit to following Him, and He'll take care of the rest.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Power of Faith to Please God
• 6:51 Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places
• 15:01 The True Purpose of Jesus' Ministry
• 22:37 Levi's Complete Transformation
• 32:51 Dining with Sinners, Challenging Pharisees
• 42:34 The Healing Power of Recognition

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:05

When your burdens get real heavy and when old troubles troubles, get in your way.

Speaker 1: 0:23

Hey, you're listening to the Kablewood Church of God's live audio recording of the Sunday morning service on the 421 Show. Hey, go check out our website for more content and information at hor421showbuzzsproutcom. You can also stream the show on Apple or Spotify or any platform of your choosing. If you'd like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal slash hor421. Or you go through PayPal slash HOR421 or you go through the website at HOR421showbuzzsproutcom. For contact information, you can email at HOR421ministries at gmailcom.

Speaker 2: 0:59

Phone number is 239-849-1502 to have all of you here today. If you're a first timer, welcome home. If you're a second timer, welcome home. If you're a second timer, welcome home. If you've been here 30 years, welcome home. I hope this can be a place that you can call home.

Speaker 2: 1:40

If you have a Bible with you, I want to read my text to you today. It's found in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 6. When you find it, stand out of reverence for the reading of the Word of God. This world stands for all kinds of things. We might as well stand for the Word of God too, but without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is. I want you to get a hold of that right there. He that cometh to God must believe that he is. We don't come in here to dance and shout and rejoice for our health. We come in here and we dance and we shout and we rejoice because we believe that he is. I was taught as an infant that he is, and if you come to Him, you must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder. Of them that diligently. Seek Him, not casually. Seek Him Not every once in a while, seek Him, not skipping a few days in between seeking him. If you want the reward, you've got to be a diligent seeker. And what troubles me about this day and hour is I'm not sure how much diligence we have in the world and in the church. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. You can dress it up how you want to, but it's not going to please God unless there's faith tied to it, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is.

Speaker 2: 4:31

I hope there's some people in the room today that believe that he is. I'm taking my time. I'd love to be able to stand right here and deliver this to you today you today. And that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. Number one if you're lost, I want you to leave found. You're not here by any other reason, but divine appointment. God knew the day you were born that you'd be sitting right here today. This is not coincidence, this is divine.

Speaker 2: 5:20

So if you're here today and you're lost, my heart's desire is that when you get in your car to go home, you are a new creature in Christ Jesus, that old things somewhere between your seat and this altar pass away. You know what that word pass away means what happens when somebody passes away they die. I hope, somewhere between your seat and this altar, the old man dies, amen, and a new man is resurrected, or a new woman is resurrected. And I hope that if you're here today and you're saved a nominal Christian, you are a. Name it and claim it only. I pray, before you leave today, that you believe that he is and that you need Him in a way that you're going to set your heart today to diligently seeking Him. Lord, we thank you for your Word, we thank you for your church, we thank you for your people and Lord, you thank you for your word. We thank you for your church, we thank you for your people and Lord, you know the heart of every person in this room right now and I pray, lord you would read it, as only you can read it. You would convict it, as only you would convict it. You would manifest yourself as only you can manifest yourself, and it's in Jesus' name we pray and everybody said amen and amen.

Speaker 2: 6:51

I want to remind everybody a week from today, we will have our leadership meeting. I wish we could accommodate just everybody, but what I've done is folks have told me different reasons they can't be here, and there was more people who couldn't be here any other day but this coming Sunday. So Sunday at 7, or at 5, the 7th at 5, this coming Sunday, a week from today at 5 o'clock. If you have any inkling whatsoever that you want to be in a leadership role, you'll need to be here Now. I had thought about even having somebody certainly not live stream it, but to record it for those who couldn't be here, and I still may do that. I don't know, and then maybe even a make-up day that we can meet. But it's imperative that we do it and we have this meeting. So it'll be a week from today at 5 o'clock.

Speaker 2: 7:52

So we do ask for your prayers, ask you to be praying for JC. He will be preaching up in Greenup this coming Friday night for Sister Kim's cousin Deborah and her husband. They pastor a church there in Greenup and he'll be up there and we'll be going this Friday night to support him. So be praying for him as well. But I just want to share this continued thought that I had. I thought it was going to be on Wednesdays only, but God just kind of directed me in this way because I have felt the last few services that the saving, convicting power of God has been especially powerful and strong in the house. I have felt like that. The last few services that God has given me to preach has been more along the lines for those who need to be saved and those who need to come to know the Lord and to let them know that they can be changed by Christ, because anywhere you read in the Bible now I really need your help. I need your prayers and I need your reverence today because there are souls hanging in the balance in this room right now and we need their focus to be on Jesus Christ and what he can do. Amen, but you can be changed by Jesus Christ Anytime you read in the Bible where anybody had an encounter with Jesus, whether they met him, whether they spoke with him, whether they had an in-depth conversation with him, whether they sat and listened to him teach or listened to him preach and let me interject this right here, if you don't mind.

Speaker 2: 9:33

Jesus' primary purpose for leaving heaven and coming to earth was to teach and preach to the people. Now, it was not to perform miracles. A lot of people think we've got a miracle worker who would teach and preach a little bit along the way, but it wasn't that. What we had was a teacher and a preacher who performed a few miracles along the way, because everybody wants the miracle worker but not everybody wants the teacher and the preacher. Amen, that's evident in how we portray things in the house of God.

Speaker 2: 10:14

I can tell if you're locked in or if you're checked out in the congregation Don't worry, I'm not going to call you out, I don't think but you can tell when people are locked in and people are in and dug in and listening and understanding and taking in what's being said. And then you can tell the others amen, that just want the movement and they just want the emotions and they just want the fast beat and the hand clap. What would you do if we threw out all the instruments and all we had was our hands to clap and our feet to stomp and our voices to praise? Don't get me wrong, my God. I have prayed for years that God would assemble a worship team, just like he has, and I'm just going to go ahead and say under the authority and the unction and the power of the Holy Ghost, I believe we've got one of the best amen, who seek God and lead us into battle and lead us into worship. You might not like the song, but you don't gotta like the song when the anointing is in the words and it gets down into the mire of your soul. It'll help you, it'll bless you, it'll encourage you. But I'm telling you right now, when Jesus was a preacher and a teacher that's why he came you can read I've preached it to you for years he left Capernaum because the people wanted the miracle over the message. I've been preaching that to you for years. They wanted the miracle over the message. I've been preaching that to you for years. They wanted the miracle over the message. But you don't get the miracle without the message. Amen, amen.

Speaker 2: 11:53

So anybody that has an encounter with Jesus does not walk away like they were when they first came to Him. Amen. When folk had an encounter with Jesus, things changed what they were when they first came to him. Amen. When folk had an encounter with Jesus, things changed. Let me just list you a few if you don't mind the 12 disciples the man with the withered hand. Nicodemus Jairus. The woman with the issue of blood, mary Martha and Mary Magdalene. Lazarus the lawyer. The man born blind. The rich, young ruler. The woman with two minds, and the list goes on and on. But I can tell you, no one ever came to Jesus and walked away unchanged Amen. I've actually had. I told you this a couple Wednesdays ago. I've actually had the question posed to me, which doesn't bode well for the body of Christ. What about people I've met who say they've encountered Jesus but they remain unchanged? This might be a bring me down here message today. I might need that thing in a minute.

Speaker 2: 13:04

Folks, I love the altar. I love these tears. See that right there, that's a puddle of tears Right there. I love these tears we see in the altar. We need to utilize the altar. We need to dust off the old ashes, amen, lay down the new wood and ignite the fire, to keep the fire burning on the altar. But you can come lay on the altar for hours on end, but until you're ready to change, you got to be ready. You got to be committed, you got to be dedicated, you got to have a made up mind. Amen, even though cause, I'm going to tell you, every one of you, that diligently seek the Lord at some point today, when you leave this, this place, the devil is going to come at you, amen. Anybody want to attest to that. When you got saved, I want you to think back when he saved you, amen. If it wasn't, five minutes later, the devil came at you, amen. He wants to steal, kill and destroy and you're no different than the next person. So when you have an encounter with him 30 years ago I had an encounter and I've never been the same, because All things Died, passed away, all things Become new.

Speaker 2: 14:46

I told you a couple of weeks ago, a band-aid covers a cut, but it doesn't heal the cause. I'm afraid we got a lot of band-aid Christians. I'm getting my pulpit on wheels In case I need to come to you. Amen, we got a lot of band-aid Christians. Duct tape. Come on now. Come on, brothers. You just missed a chance. Duct tape fixes everything, don't it? We got a lot of duct tape Christians, a lot of band-aid Christians. They put a new band. You know when they change their band-aids Sundays and Wednesdays. You know what happens Monday, tuesday, thursday, friday and Saturday. And God forbids. You don't change it on Wednesday, oh preacher. Thursday, friday and Saturday, and God forbid. You don't change it on Wednesday, oh preacher. It begins to get dirty, the wound begins to get infected, it begins to fester.

Speaker 2: 16:01

Irritated, irritated Anybody get irritated. Hey, some of you live at irritated one, two, three irritated lane. Wherever you live, kentucky, 408. Whatever your zip code is, you live on irritated lane. Band-aids cover it. 4-0-8,. Whatever your zip code is, you live on irritated lane. Band-aids cover it, but it doesn't cure it.

Speaker 2: 16:33

Then I shared with you that ibuprofen masks the pain, but it doesn't solve the problem. When you take an ibuprofen, all that ibuprofen does is tells your brain that the pain is gone. But the pain is there and the problem is there. You just can't feel it because the pill has told your brain that it's gone. But eventually the ibuprofen wears off and your brain starts telling you again that the problem is still there. Come on, let me tell you about a man that you'll meet that can take the problem and give you a cure better than an ibuprofen and a band-aid ever could. Amen. He don't just take the pain, he takes the problem. He don't just cover the cause, he gives a cure, he roots down into your body and changes everything about you.

Speaker 2: 17:52

We learned in verses 12 and 13 of Luke 5 about the leper, the man with leprosy, flesh eating disease. You were not to go near the man with leprosy, any man with leprosy. You had to stay six feet away from people with leprosy. You couldn't go near them. Matter of fact, when they started coming near you, people started running from them because leprosy was very contagious and the only other thing worse than leprosy was death. Some people called leprosy the disease of the dying or the disease of the dead.

Speaker 2: 18:44

So here comes this man who, number one, knew his condition. He knew he had leprosy, he knew that he wasn't to mingle and mix with the people, but he also knew and heard that Jesus was in town and he knew if I'm ever going to have any hope of living or being healed, I've got to get to Jesus, even if Jesus is in the middle of a crowd. We always preach about the woman with the issue of blood and we should, because that was a miracle in and of itself but we never mention the leper, who was in a similar situation as a matter of fact, maybe even a worse one and the Bible says he fell at the feet of Jesus and said if you will, you can make me whole. I told you two Wednesdays ago. He knew that he could, but he needed to know that he would.

Speaker 2: 19:54

Everybody here knows what Jesus can do, but I'm not convinced everybody here's got the faith that he will. There's a difference in knowing that he can and believing that he will. That's why it is important that we stay in this book, because the more we stay in this book, the more we start believing this book. It gets you some scripture and learn them and quote them and recite them. It might take a few months or even a few years but I'm here to tell you, I'm living proof.

Speaker 2: 20:28

If you'll get some scripture and declare them every day, it will come to pass. It will. So what did Jesus do? Reached out and touched him and said I will. He didn't need to touch him To heal him. He could have spoke it from six feet away and healed him. To heal him, he could have spoke it from six feet away and healed him. But to show all the unbelievers that I will touch whoever I want. And leprosy has to die when I show up on the scene. I don't know what you're going through, but Jesus is gonna come in. He's gonna touch that situation you're in. It's gonna die on the spot. And the Bible says when Jesus touched him and said I will, immediately the leprosy left him and he was made whole. So for those of you keeping record, so far Jesus has healed a lame man. He cured a demon-possessed man and now he's healed a leper. Guess who's next? Go to Luke, chapter 5. I think it was verse 27. Oh, publican, somebody say publican, that's the King James Version for tax collector. Oh, he saved the best for last James' version for tax collector. Oh, he saved the best for last. So much so that I think later on.

Speaker 2: 22:28

Later on, we find where the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They wanted to know why Jesus was hanging out with the tax collectors and the sinners. They had a category all of their own. They were so bad that they couldn't even be in the category of sinners because they were extortioners. They were thieves, they were traitors. What do you mean? They were thieves, they were traitors. What do you mean? They were Jews collecting taxes for the enemy Romans. They would collect more than what was due and kept it for themselves. They were traitors because they were turning their backs on their own people to help the enemy people. So that's why a tax collector got a whole other column besides sinner. And after these things, after what things? A demoniac, a paralytic, a leper, and now Jesus, it says.

Speaker 2: 23:41

And after these things, he went forth and saw a publican or a tax collector named Levi, who is also Matthew. Where was Matthew sitting? At the receipt of custom? In other words, he was sitting in the tax office. Oh man, jesus, brother Brock has already called. I'm going somewhere. I need you to go with me. I promise I'm not going to keep you alone. For those of you that have so much more important things to do than be here. I hate the devil.

Speaker 2: 24:20

He had already called a few disciples, but here's the difference In the other disciples and Levi or Matthew. They could easily go back to what they were doing before fishermen Just grab a net and go back to the water, sister Sharon, and start fishing. I mean simple. If Levi or Matthew gives up his position as a tax collector, that means he has resigned his position and he may never get it back. And let me tell you this tax collectors made a whole lot more money than fishermen. Tax collectors made a whole lot more money than fishermen.

Speaker 2: 25:03

So now we've got Levi sitting in the tax office and Jesus said to him I can tell you what Jesus didn't say to him. Here's you a list of rules and regulations. Follow them. Here's you a list of this, that and another. Follow them. Here's you a list of this, that and another. Follow them. Here's the church times and here's the amount of money you have to give. Follow them. No, jesus just busted up into the IRS building and said follow me. I don't care who you are, I don't care what you've done. If you're as foul as a tax collector or whatever kind of sinner, you are the only call going out to you today is follow me. Jesus says follow me. You don't know where I've been, you don't know what I've been, you don't know what I've done. Yeah, he does, yeah, he does, but he still says follow me and look here, stop right here and Levi or Matthew left and look here, stop right here.

Speaker 2: 26:24

And Levi or Matthew left all rose up and followed him. Man, look at that, him. Man, look at that. He left all I can't give that. Oh yeah, you can. I can't quit do. Oh yeah you can, I've got to have. Oh no, you don't. No, no, no, no, no, no.

Speaker 2: 27:00

Let me give you a little back story right here, real quickly, if you don't mind. Matter of fact, one Christian apologist by the name of William Barclay said this, and I quote you ready An honest tax collector was such a rarity that when we did meet one, we erected a monument in his honor. You know what that means they built a statue of the only honest tax collector they ever met, because they were not honest, they were deceitful, they were extortioners, they were thieves, they were traitors, they were not good people. So when they did come across one, william Barclay says, they built a monument of him, one of these tax collectors, levi, also known as Matthew in other gospels. I'm going to let me give you the punchline first, but there are some things you need to pay very close attention to. Here Jesus finds him sitting at the tax booth or in the tax office. So while sitting in his tax booth, jesus says follow me. So guess what that means. No matter where you're sitting, jesus will come to you. Jesus will come to you right in the condition you're in. Think about the woman at the well. Jesus didn't say you got to follow all these rules and then I'll give you water. No, he gave her water and then she went to follow him.

Speaker 2: 28:29

Matthew didn't have to clean up first. Matthew didn't have to live holy first. Matthew didn't have to follow a set of guidelines and church teachings first. Amen. All Matthew had to do was say I will follow you and we'll take care of the rest later. I just need you to commit to following me now. I don't care if you snorted a line or drank a bottle before you walked in this room. You follow him. He'll take care of the rest later.

Speaker 2: 29:02

That's what these tears represent. That's what the struggle represents. Don't worry about cleaning up first. You give it all to Jesus and he'll take care of the rest. You've got a list of things you need to fix first. I rebuke those things. Just follow me. Just follow me.

Speaker 2: 29:32

And look what Matthew did. He didn't ask questions. He didn't say let me go, do this first and let me fix this up first. Let me take care of this first. He rose up, left it all and followed Jesus, because Jesus came to him where he was. Let me say this to you. Let me say this to you we're at the mercy of the master to have sinners pray in our altar, because this is all. Those sinners are always welcome and the altar never closes.

Speaker 2: 30:06

But the work of saving sinners should not be in the house, it should be on the field. It should be in the field. What if they never come into the house? And if this is the only place we offer salvation is in the house? There's going to be a lot of people lose out because it's to take place on the field. Well, I'll get fired from my job. Well, so did Levi. I'll lose my benefits. So did Matthew. I'll lose my benefits. So did Matthew. I'll lose my pension.

Speaker 2: 30:40

Matthew did, but it's all I've ever known. Peter didn't care. He threw down his nets and he followed him, left it all, rose up without hesitation if there was hesitation, I don't read about it but he left it all. What if this was the only place salvation was offered or salvation was told about? We would be a sad church because it's supposed to happen on the field now. It should happen here too, don't get me wrong. But what if they never come in here? This is good preaching, I don't care who you are. Levi immediately leaves everything behind, follows the teacher. Let me know right here, hear me now. When he called Levi, immediately, levi left the familiar for the unknown. We like to have it all figured out, don't we? We like to have it all mapped out, don't we? I'm preaching to me. I'm preaching to me. We like to have a great big plan and we lay it all out and we expect God to bless it because we made it. That's right. He left what was familiar for what was unknown, trusting having faith that he is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him.

Speaker 2: 32:13

Not only the tax collector, not only that, but Jesus took as His disciple a tax man that took money from Peter, james and John and the other fishermen, among the other disciples. What Levi took? Money from? Peter James, john and all the other disciples? You expect me to work alongside with somebody that did me like that? You expect me to work with a man that wronged me and lied to me and stole from me and extortioned me and lied to me and stole from me and extortioned me and proselyted me and did all these things to me. You expect me? Jesus is like, yeah, I kind of do.

Speaker 2: 33:12

Oh, it kind of got real quiet here today. We expect forgiveness but are slow to forgive. How on earth do we expect to be forgiven when we refuse to forgive? So you've got all these disciples and now here comes Levi, right in the middle of them, who they know he has stolen from us and he has wronged us. But that's who Jesus chose. Jesus chose the thieves and the robbers and the murderers and the extortioners and the traitors. That's who Jesus chose. And last I checked, he didn't ask me and he didn't ask you for permission on who he can use.

Speaker 2: 34:25

As a matter of fact, I'm going to go ahead and say that 100% of us sitting here today has been a Levi. We've been a Levi In somebody's life. We've been a Levi and he left it all and he followed him Verse 30. I'm only going to 32. That'll make you feel good, and Levi? So here we go.

Speaker 2: 34:50

It happened. Jesus met him where he was. Jesus accepted him where he was in the tax office, not in the church house. He'll accept you in the bar room. He'll accept you on the street corner. He'll accept you in your drunken cussing, lying, deceiving, drugging, prostituting, good moral failure way. He'll find you where you are and he'll take you just how you are. You go ahead and tell somebody today Jesus saved me in the tax office when they ask you what you're talking about. That gives you an open door to tell somebody what he did for you. He'll do for them, amen. I don't care if it's in the Mexican restaurant, I don't care if it's in Walmart. It's an opportunity for you to tell somebody what Jesus did for you. He saved me in the tax office. For you to tell somebody what Jesus did for you. He saved me in the tax office. Praise God, I got saved in a revival, in an altar at a church. But let me tell you he got a hold of me in the tax office.

Speaker 2: 36:10

he got a hold of me in the tax office. He got a hold of me on the street corner. He got a hold of me in that classroom, in that back row of geometry in 1996, my junior year of high school. He got a hold of me that day. I just decided to follow him at church in an altar, but he found me in the tax office. I'm telling somebody today he's finding you in the tax office, he's finding you at the bootlegger, he's finding you at the bar, he's finding you wherever you are. You might be in the church house today, but he found you on the field. He found you somewhere. He just led you on the field. He found you somewhere. He just led you to his house. He led you to his house to save your soul. But guess what? I got better news for you. He would have saved you in the tax office, just like he did Levi.

Speaker 2: 37:04

You don't got to be here to be saved. All you got to do is lay it all aside, rise to your feet and follow him and you shall be saved. All you gotta do is lay it all aside, rise to your feet and follow him and you shall be saved. So Levi is now saved, Levi, Levi. So in Bible times, when rabbis would select their understudies, there was a lengthy applying and interviewing process. Let me say that again. Let me say that again when rabbis of the Bible times were selecting people to come up under them, it was a lengthy application and interview and selection process.

Speaker 2: 38:15

It's like I tell some of my friends, especially some of these newer principals, hard to believe I don't have more years than most of them, but I've got more years as principal as most of them. So I'm now the principal with the most years in the district as a principal, not necessarily as years experience, but as an administrator. So one of the first things I tell them is and I've changed this tune, how many of you know, sometimes you have to change some things, You've got to delegate. You can't take it all, you can't micromanage everything. And I've told you before Leanne tells me all the time that you're the pastor of the church, the principal of the school not the principal of the church getting ready to be next Sunday at 5 o'clock. And you're not the pastor of the school, although sometimes I do take those babies in my arms and hug them and I might even say a silent prayer that the ACLU can't hear but heaven can.

Speaker 2: 39:28

That's the good thing about Jesus. Heaven can hear it when the government can't hear. But heaven can. That's the good thing about Jesus. Heaven can hear it when the government can't. Jesus can hear it when the ACLU can't. Hallelujah, and you can't stop me from praying. I can stop a lot of it, but you can't when I pat that baby on the back and I'm saying, father, in my spirit and in my soul, without words coming out of my mouth. In the name of Jesus, you raise this child up to be a warrior for the kingdom of heaven in Jesus, amen. Aclu can't hear that, but the Holy Ghost can. A-c-l-u can't hear that, but the Holy Ghost can. So I've changed that.

Speaker 2: 40:16

You do have to delegate still, but sometimes, well, all the time, when things go wrong, it always comes back on you. Even if you didn't do it and you didn't know about it, it still comes back on you. Even if you didn't do it and you didn't know about it, it still comes back on you. So that's why these rabbis had a long, lengthy application interview and selection process, because they were not picking people who were not what and who they needed to be for the kingdom. Now I don't care what it is. Kaywood Church of God is going to operate with excellence, and I might take it a little too far, I don't know, but you don't even know how bad it drives me crazy when I see cars turned every which way but loose out in the parking lot. Some of you need to learn how to park. Let me just give you a real quick lesson. We need the back row filled before the front row is filled, and if that offends you, find a place with a bigger parking lot Because it's easier to just put. And then you've got the first lady who you can't slide a piece of paper Between her car and mine. So I got to preach on it here. She can't get to me here. You're there. You're there.

Speaker 2: 42:07

Jesus bypassed the application. He bypassed the application, he bypassed the interview and he bypassed the selection process. He saw something in Levi that nobody else saw. I came to tell somebody today. Jesus sees something in you that nobody else sees and he's calling you to follow. Party time, tyler, come back.

Speaker 2: 42:42

So Levi made a feast in his own house and look who Levi invited. Look who Levi invited All the other not sinners. Sinners, tax collectors, publicans, you know, because there was tax collectors and sinners Because tax collectors were worse. Well, preacher, I thought one sin wasn't worse than the other. Somebody's made that up somewhere along the line and I mean, probably there's some truth to that. But all I know is there was tax collectors and there were sinners. There were two columns, two categories. So Levi slash Matthew, throws a party and invites all the other tax collectors and of others that sat down with them, 30. Now, these guys wasn't invited to the party. Y'all see who I'm talking about right here.

Speaker 2: 44:06

The scribes and the Pharisees were not invited to the party, but they showed up outside the door because they had a job to do and that was to catch Jesus in wrongdoing. I'm telling you right now, folks, we live in a day where I feel like that the Pharisees are about to be defended, people are about to defend the Pharisees. A Pharisaical spirit is straight out of hell and it's not of God. It's not of God. And the scribes and the Pharisees criticized to the disciples and they said to the disciples why do you and Jesus eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus interrupted the conversation and, in my own words, said if you've got a question to ask you, don't ask my disciples, you ask me. And Jesus looked at them and said they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick, I came not to call the righteous, but I came to call sinners to repentance.

Speaker 2: 46:00

Here's the difference between the tax collectors of this passage and the Pharisees of this passage. The tax collectors knew they were sick. The tax collectors knew they were sick. The Pharisees didn't know they were sick. The leper came to Jesus. Why? Because he knew he was sick and he needed a cleansing, and he needed a cleansing and he needed a healing. These tax collectors went to the party and to the dinner because they knew they were sick and they knew there was only one way to be well and to be made whole, and that was to come in contact with Jesus.

Speaker 2: 47:00

If you're a Christian in this house, I may not be talking to you at all, but if you're not saved and I'm not here to call you out I don't know where you stand with God and I'm not here to call you out. I don't know where you stand with God, but if you're not a Christian, the first thing you've got to do and I believe you do is you've got to recognize that you are sick. And I came to tell somebody today that the great physician is in this house to make you whole and to cleanse you and to heal you of your sickness today, come on, brother, if you've got to come to this altar 15 times. But it's time to change, brother. It's time to change. It's time to leave it there once and for all. Don't you dare pick it back up. Matter of fact, I'm coming to you. If you do, we're going to fight in the spirit. I guess I want to know you can. Will that, brother Ron? Would you will that back up?

Speaker 1: 48:07

I'm so glad I know I know the worth of prayer and when we kneel down. I'm so glad I know I know the worth of prayer and when we kneel down to pray. Hey, you've been listening to the Catewood Church of God's live audio recording of Sunday morning service.

Speaker 1: 48:25

Hey, if you're looking for a church and you're local, please come and visit us at the Catewood Church of God located at Catewood, kentucky. Service times Sunday school is 1030 am. Sunday school is 10.30 am. Sunday morning service is 11.30 am. Wednesday night at 6.30 pm hey, please go check out our website for more content and information at hor421showbuzzsproutcom. You can also find us on Facebook.

Speaker 1: 48:51

The show was recorded live, edited at 421 Studio. For contact information, you can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502. And been so disappointed, and when cares have made your hair turn gray, jesus knows.