1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,389 , I'm excited for today, , to be able to preach God's word. 2 00:00:03,394 --> 00:00:06,960 Also excited about a football game, uh, that's coming up, Craig. 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,930 And so, , some have already accused me of, uh, trying to hurry up and end the service 4 00:00:10,930 --> 00:00:12,999 early so that I could go see the king. 5 00:00:13,149 --> 00:00:14,589 And that is partly true. 6 00:00:14,620 --> 00:00:15,640 That is partly true. 7 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:17,169 I want to be honest here. 8 00:00:17,169 --> 00:00:18,310 We're talking about the real Jesus. 9 00:00:18,310 --> 00:00:19,479 I better be real myself. 10 00:00:19,479 --> 00:00:19,959 Amen. 11 00:00:20,229 --> 00:00:23,839 All right, so, , let's go ahead and, let's get into it here again. 12 00:00:23,839 --> 00:00:26,149 So we're searching for the real Jesus. 13 00:00:26,419 --> 00:00:27,589 We're trying to discover. 14 00:00:27,589 --> 00:00:31,669 We're trying to maybe rediscover, maybe renew, maybe have something refreshed, 15 00:00:31,669 --> 00:00:36,469 maybe learn something that maybe never stood out to us about the real Jesus. 16 00:00:36,469 --> 00:00:39,109 And also observing, okay, well what does that. 17 00:00:40,069 --> 00:00:40,969 For my life. 18 00:00:40,969 --> 00:00:44,329 What does it mean to follow the real Jesus? 19 00:00:44,329 --> 00:00:49,669 And so last week we looked at how Jesus is powerful in Word indeed. 20 00:00:49,669 --> 00:00:53,329 And how if we follow him, he can give us what we call God confidence, 21 00:00:53,329 --> 00:00:58,189 really confidence in God in our daily lives, in our daily interactions. 22 00:00:58,339 --> 00:01:00,499 And so we also had a call for prayer. 23 00:01:00,504 --> 00:01:04,039 And if you weren't, uh, able to pray last week and you forgot God forgives 24 00:01:04,039 --> 00:01:06,079 you there, uh, I don't, but God does. 25 00:01:06,079 --> 00:01:06,589 Amen. 26 00:01:06,594 --> 00:01:09,499 And so, uh, but I wanna encourage you still, you can still pray for 27 00:01:09,504 --> 00:01:14,659 our church, pray for us to experience this God throughout the weeks here. 28 00:01:14,659 --> 00:01:17,329 And again, really, maybe it becomes part of your, your routine 29 00:01:17,539 --> 00:01:18,919 prayer, whatever the case may be. 30 00:01:18,919 --> 00:01:23,209 But I wanna encourage us, let's all engage in praying for each other. 31 00:01:23,209 --> 00:01:23,779 Amen. 32 00:01:23,869 --> 00:01:27,289 And if we're all, uh, uh, uh, solidified and on the same page about 33 00:01:27,289 --> 00:01:31,819 praying for the same thing again, Jesus promises that the Lord hears us 34 00:01:31,969 --> 00:01:33,949 in a very special and profound way. 35 00:01:34,128 --> 00:01:37,729 And I think we'll see God do some more incredible things in our lives. 36 00:01:38,314 --> 00:01:41,494 Here's what we're going to talk about today here, all right? 37 00:01:41,554 --> 00:01:45,753 Is that the real Jesus was not religious, but righteous. 38 00:01:46,834 --> 00:01:51,814 The real Jesus, not religious, but righteous. 39 00:01:52,414 --> 00:01:53,434 Let's go ahead, let's pray. 40 00:01:53,434 --> 00:01:55,114 Father, thank you, thank you, thank you. 41 00:01:55,119 --> 00:02:00,064 Thank you for giving us the scriptures, father, for Jesus coming on earth, 42 00:02:00,184 --> 00:02:01,774 and God living the life he lived. 43 00:02:01,774 --> 00:02:07,354 Not only was he sinless, and that is just incredible to understand, to fathom 44 00:02:07,594 --> 00:02:14,374 God, how he revealed you in fullness, but yet the character that Jesus 45 00:02:14,374 --> 00:02:19,534 had, The man that he was, the person that he was and how he interacted, 46 00:02:19,534 --> 00:02:21,394 how he revealed your true nature. 47 00:02:21,394 --> 00:02:24,964 God, it is so incredibly awesome. 48 00:02:25,234 --> 00:02:25,564 I know. 49 00:02:25,564 --> 00:02:28,564 I just, this whole week, God, I, you know, it, I, I I just been getting giddy. 50 00:02:28,564 --> 00:02:31,504 Every time I start thinking about the new things or things I'm being 51 00:02:31,504 --> 00:02:35,884 reminded of, I just get so excited and I fall more and more in love with you. 52 00:02:35,944 --> 00:02:40,454 And God, I pray that today, God, that as we look at Jesus, God that we will 53 00:02:40,454 --> 00:02:45,904 be inspired, God will be challenged, but God will be refreshed at the 54 00:02:45,904 --> 00:02:48,964 opportunity to follow the real Jesus. 55 00:02:48,964 --> 00:02:49,834 It's in his name. 56 00:02:50,164 --> 00:02:50,824 Amen. 57 00:02:51,904 --> 00:02:52,324 Amen. 58 00:02:52,324 --> 00:02:54,874 I was on campus, uh, uh, I was at U USC campus. 59 00:02:54,874 --> 00:02:56,554 We were leading the, the college ministry. 60 00:02:56,853 --> 00:02:59,014 And somehow, uh, I got into this conversation. 61 00:02:59,014 --> 00:03:02,704 We're out sharing our faith, and this guy walks by and I'm talking to him and 62 00:03:02,704 --> 00:03:06,424 I'm, I'm trying to engage him to have some type of spiritual conversation. 63 00:03:06,664 --> 00:03:09,574 And, uh, somehow the conversation turned to, he says, well, I 64 00:03:09,574 --> 00:03:11,284 don't really wanna be religious. 65 00:03:11,284 --> 00:03:13,894 And I said, well, what if God doesn't want you to be religious? 66 00:03:15,169 --> 00:03:17,359 and that ped that peaked his interest. 67 00:03:17,719 --> 00:03:21,319 And I believe as we study out Jesus here today, we're gonna see that 68 00:03:21,319 --> 00:03:26,959 Jesus doesn't want us to be religious and that he actually himself wasn't 69 00:03:26,959 --> 00:03:29,749 religious, but he was righteous. 70 00:03:30,228 --> 00:03:32,989 And we're gonna see and be able to determine what we mean by that. 71 00:03:33,019 --> 00:03:35,539 Cuz some are thinking, well that doesn't make sense, Jesus, 72 00:03:35,539 --> 00:03:37,069 isn't he a religious figure? 73 00:03:37,728 --> 00:03:40,579 So it seems like he would want us to be religious. 74 00:03:40,584 --> 00:03:45,409 But again, Jesus is righteous, not religious. 75 00:03:45,409 --> 00:03:49,399 So we're gonna go ahead and continue in the letter or biography 76 00:03:49,404 --> 00:03:53,539 of Luke, uh, that chronicles the life and ministry of Jesus Church. 77 00:03:53,539 --> 00:03:54,589 Are you still with me here? 78 00:03:54,859 --> 00:03:55,099 All right. 79 00:03:55,099 --> 00:03:59,059 I want you to turn over in your Bibles to Luke chapter five, Luke chapter five. 80 00:03:59,059 --> 00:04:02,209 But I want us to set up and have an understanding for 81 00:04:02,214 --> 00:04:05,449 many of us, this is gonna be a refresher course for some of us. 82 00:04:05,454 --> 00:04:09,709 This is gonna be new information in understanding the context. 83 00:04:10,249 --> 00:04:12,409 Of which Jesus and his ministry was in. 84 00:04:12,739 --> 00:04:17,839 Because if you can understand the context, you can get deeper truths from it, and you 85 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:22,039 can understand Jesus in a more profound way and really be in awe of Jesus. 86 00:04:22,189 --> 00:04:25,009 And so I want us to understand a little bit of the background here. 87 00:04:25,714 --> 00:04:29,164 Especially when it comes to following God and his commandments. 88 00:04:29,194 --> 00:04:32,734 And so first off, here we have God giving the law, right? 89 00:04:32,734 --> 00:04:33,514 It's called the law. 90 00:04:33,514 --> 00:04:37,084 So as you receive that, capital L that's referring to God, giving the 91 00:04:37,084 --> 00:04:39,394 law to his people through Moses. 92 00:04:39,394 --> 00:04:39,634 All right? 93 00:04:39,634 --> 00:04:41,254 Remember the Prince of Egypt movement, right? 94 00:04:41,259 --> 00:04:41,524 All right. 95 00:04:41,529 --> 00:04:45,274 So he gives the law to Moses, uh, to, to his people. 96 00:04:45,514 --> 00:04:50,044 Later on, we have God's people on and off and following, but they 97 00:04:50,044 --> 00:04:54,604 get to the point where they truly, as a general nation, have really 98 00:04:54,694 --> 00:04:56,584 left and been unfaithful to God. 99 00:04:56,584 --> 00:05:00,394 So he allows them to be conquered by the Babylonians and his Syrians. 100 00:05:00,394 --> 00:05:01,924 And so now they're exiled. 101 00:05:01,984 --> 00:05:02,824 You guys with me here? 102 00:05:02,854 --> 00:05:03,274 Okay. 103 00:05:03,394 --> 00:05:07,294 And so we're seeing this departure from following God's commands, 104 00:05:07,294 --> 00:05:10,894 but then God's people get called back and there's a renewal. 105 00:05:11,074 --> 00:05:14,044 As they return from captivity, they return from exile. 106 00:05:14,224 --> 00:05:15,544 The people decide, you know what? 107 00:05:15,544 --> 00:05:17,584 We're gonna live for God again. 108 00:05:17,929 --> 00:05:20,359 And we're gonna follow God's word. 109 00:05:20,359 --> 00:05:24,649 And honestly, to this day, the, the, uh, whether it's those who have, uh, become 110 00:05:24,649 --> 00:05:29,149 Christians or those who have, uh, been a part of Judaism, have never really been 111 00:05:29,149 --> 00:05:36,079 truly convicted of having idolatry in the same way after their return from exile. 112 00:05:36,229 --> 00:05:39,870 But then we get into the point here about second century bc you 113 00:05:39,875 --> 00:05:44,359 have this group that comes along and emerges, called the Pharisees. 114 00:05:45,169 --> 00:05:49,069 And the Pharisees were this group that were, so, their causes we're talking 115 00:05:49,069 --> 00:05:50,689 about the Jesus cause their causes. 116 00:05:50,694 --> 00:05:53,569 We gotta get God's people to be faithful to God again. 117 00:05:53,929 --> 00:05:55,999 So we need to obey the written law. 118 00:05:56,058 --> 00:06:00,319 But you know what, we have some things we call oral law or the tradition of the 119 00:06:00,319 --> 00:06:06,889 elders that are in place to ensure that God's people follow his commandments. 120 00:06:06,949 --> 00:06:10,789 And so over time, actually what happened is you would have, they 121 00:06:10,794 --> 00:06:16,189 created out over thousands of rules to ensure that God's people followed. 122 00:06:16,669 --> 00:06:17,419 His commandments. 123 00:06:17,419 --> 00:06:18,199 You guys with me here? 124 00:06:18,799 --> 00:06:20,119 Now, that's a whole lot, isn't it? 125 00:06:20,989 --> 00:06:22,849 We can't even remember the 10 commandments, some of us, 126 00:06:22,849 --> 00:06:23,509 you know what I'm saying? 127 00:06:23,689 --> 00:06:26,809 Let alone thousands to add to the commandments. 128 00:06:26,959 --> 00:06:30,859 And so this is the setting in which Jesus enters. 129 00:06:31,309 --> 00:06:35,529 So now this has been the setting, the, the, the, the uh, uh, the context 130 00:06:36,679 --> 00:06:43,039 for about 200 years of the Pharisees being the most influential group. 131 00:06:43,369 --> 00:06:46,909 And so people are becoming more and more familiar with God's word, but 132 00:06:47,089 --> 00:06:51,259 they're also becoming more and more familiar to adhering to all these 133 00:06:51,259 --> 00:06:56,269 rules that are in place to ensure that you obey God's word strictly. 134 00:06:56,269 --> 00:06:57,289 You guys get what I'm saying? 135 00:06:57,799 --> 00:07:01,819 So this is the context, and this will help us to understand that 136 00:07:01,819 --> 00:07:05,119 Jesus was not religious, but righteous brothers and sisters. 137 00:07:05,119 --> 00:07:05,689 Are you with me? 138 00:07:06,064 --> 00:07:06,724 Yes, sir. 139 00:07:06,729 --> 00:07:08,854 All right, let's go ahead and let's get into it. 140 00:07:08,854 --> 00:07:12,514 So in Luke chapter five, in verse one through 11, Jesus 141 00:07:12,514 --> 00:07:13,894 does something pretty radical. 142 00:07:13,924 --> 00:07:16,834 He calls these men to become his followers. 143 00:07:16,984 --> 00:07:20,674 And these were kind of, uh, your, your blue collar, uh, group there. 144 00:07:20,674 --> 00:07:26,674 And so even that alone really wasn't the religious thing to do because rabbis 145 00:07:26,674 --> 00:07:31,804 with, at the age of 13 or 15 called those who were qualified, Hey, Brian, 146 00:07:31,804 --> 00:07:33,454 lapel, you look like you're qualified. 147 00:07:33,514 --> 00:07:34,534 Come follow me. 148 00:07:34,714 --> 00:07:37,234 Uh, Travis, you didn't make the cut go with your family. 149 00:07:37,234 --> 00:07:37,564 Okay. 150 00:07:37,569 --> 00:07:38,044 All right. 151 00:07:38,104 --> 00:07:39,454 And so that's the way it was. 152 00:07:39,454 --> 00:07:40,054 I love Travis. 153 00:07:40,058 --> 00:07:41,104 I'm just using an example. 154 00:07:41,104 --> 00:07:41,764 Don't stone me. 155 00:07:41,764 --> 00:07:42,154 Okay? 156 00:07:43,504 --> 00:07:45,544 And so they would go here and they would call us. 157 00:07:45,544 --> 00:07:48,814 So you had to be qualified for a rabbi to call you with Jesus looks at some 158 00:07:48,814 --> 00:07:51,814 fishermen, some rough ragtag type guys. 159 00:07:51,814 --> 00:07:53,974 Hey, hey, hey, you know the Gary Torres type. 160 00:07:53,974 --> 00:07:54,814 I'm just playing with you, Gary. 161 00:07:54,814 --> 00:07:56,464 All right, but Gary, come on over. 162 00:07:56,464 --> 00:07:57,364 I want you to follow me. 163 00:07:57,484 --> 00:07:59,494 So this is radical in itself. 164 00:07:59,884 --> 00:08:01,804 He's doing something that's departing. 165 00:08:01,834 --> 00:08:02,924 Departing from. 166 00:08:03,859 --> 00:08:04,999 The religious norm. 167 00:08:04,999 --> 00:08:06,049 You guys see this here? 168 00:08:06,349 --> 00:08:08,599 And so unfortunately, we don't have time to go through every scripture, 169 00:08:08,599 --> 00:08:12,739 although I would love to be able to do that, but we weren't able to do that. 170 00:08:12,829 --> 00:08:15,379 So now we're in Luke chapter five in verse 12. 171 00:08:15,379 --> 00:08:16,669 Brother and sisters, are you with me here? 172 00:08:17,779 --> 00:08:18,109 All right. 173 00:08:18,114 --> 00:08:18,949 Luke chapter five. 174 00:08:18,954 --> 00:08:22,189 It says, while Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along 175 00:08:22,189 --> 00:08:23,479 who was covered with leprosy. 176 00:08:24,259 --> 00:08:25,969 Now, leprosy was a skin disease. 177 00:08:26,239 --> 00:08:29,869 And so when you had leprosy in, in, in, during this time 178 00:08:30,049 --> 00:08:33,169 that you were ex communicator, you had to be on the outcast. 179 00:08:33,169 --> 00:08:37,068 Unless you were cured or somehow relieved of your leprosy, you had to be 180 00:08:37,068 --> 00:08:40,698 on the outside and, and it made sense because if one person gets leprosy, 181 00:08:40,759 --> 00:08:42,289 the whole community could be infected. 182 00:08:42,289 --> 00:08:45,589 And now we could possibly have some serious death upon our community. 183 00:08:45,589 --> 00:08:46,819 You guys get this here, right? 184 00:08:47,029 --> 00:08:47,899 So here's the scene. 185 00:08:47,899 --> 00:08:48,079 All right. 186 00:08:48,079 --> 00:08:51,769 So when he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, Lord, 187 00:08:51,769 --> 00:08:54,289 if you are willing, you can make me clean. 188 00:08:54,949 --> 00:08:59,119 And immediately leprosy immediate leprosy left him. 189 00:08:59,239 --> 00:09:00,349 Then Jesus ordered him. 190 00:09:00,349 --> 00:09:01,129 Don't tell anyone. 191 00:09:01,594 --> 00:09:05,914 But go show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded 192 00:09:05,919 --> 00:09:08,164 for your cleansing as a testimony to them. 193 00:09:08,614 --> 00:09:11,704 Yet the news about him spread all the war said that the crowds of people 194 00:09:11,884 --> 00:09:15,224 came to hear em and he healed and to be healed of their sicknesses. 195 00:09:15,229 --> 00:09:19,234 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and pray. 196 00:09:19,474 --> 00:09:20,374 Let's just stop right there. 197 00:09:20,374 --> 00:09:22,424 Let's make a couple quick observations here. 198 00:09:22,434 --> 00:09:24,274 It says He reached out and touched the man. 199 00:09:24,274 --> 00:09:28,384 Now, this is incredible because again, if you were to touch somebody with 200 00:09:28,384 --> 00:09:31,024 leprosy, you put yourself at risk of what? 201 00:09:31,984 --> 00:09:33,304 Getting leprosy yourself. 202 00:09:33,544 --> 00:09:36,754 But also, again, remember for all this period of time, remember 203 00:09:36,759 --> 00:09:42,064 what was in place was, Hey, if you touch someone who's unclean, then 204 00:09:42,064 --> 00:09:44,734 you are now ceremonially, unclean. 205 00:09:45,664 --> 00:09:51,364 And so Jesus now touches someone who's unclean, and it's incredible 206 00:09:51,369 --> 00:09:55,924 because he doesn't become unclean, but he purifies the leper. 207 00:09:56,929 --> 00:09:58,609 . Isn't that true of us spiritually? 208 00:09:59,179 --> 00:10:00,409 We come in with all kind of mess. 209 00:10:00,409 --> 00:10:02,719 Well, God, if I come in, I might corrupt the church. 210 00:10:02,839 --> 00:10:03,739 No, no, no, no, no, no. 211 00:10:03,769 --> 00:10:07,309 You come in and Jesus purifies you. 212 00:10:08,299 --> 00:10:10,129 And so we see something profound. 213 00:10:10,309 --> 00:10:13,489 You know, I read this and I wanna read this, says, it is of the very 214 00:10:13,489 --> 00:10:19,639 essence of Christianity, to touch the untouchable, to love the unlovable, 215 00:10:19,819 --> 00:10:22,039 to forgive the unforgivable. 216 00:10:22,219 --> 00:10:23,479 Jesus did. 217 00:10:23,539 --> 00:10:29,389 And so must wee, but let's go on. 218 00:10:29,809 --> 00:10:32,269 It says here, Jesus told 'em, don't go. 219 00:10:32,299 --> 00:10:35,599 Don't go and tell anybody, but go to the priest and show them 220 00:10:35,899 --> 00:10:36,859 that you've been cleansing. 221 00:10:36,859 --> 00:10:39,349 So Jesus is telling him, Hey, you know what? 222 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,819 There's a command in Leviticus, actually Leviticus chapter 14, and you need to 223 00:10:43,819 --> 00:10:45,439 make sure you go ahead and follow this. 224 00:10:45,619 --> 00:10:49,729 And so I want you to go ahead and go and do what God's word commands you to do. 225 00:10:49,849 --> 00:10:52,759 Now this is a golden nugget that I need you to hold onto. 226 00:10:52,939 --> 00:10:53,209 Okay? 227 00:10:53,209 --> 00:10:53,899 You guys with me. 228 00:10:54,544 --> 00:10:58,084 Okay, so remember you have this scene and he tells them to what? 229 00:10:58,114 --> 00:10:58,984 Follow God's word. 230 00:10:59,824 --> 00:11:01,894 You need to follow the Old Testament. 231 00:11:02,164 --> 00:11:03,904 You need to go ahead and do this. 232 00:11:03,904 --> 00:11:09,604 So Jesus here upholds the biblical mandate and follows and even promotes 233 00:11:09,844 --> 00:11:11,524 following what the mosaic law. 234 00:11:12,484 --> 00:11:15,904 And so now we're gonna continue going here and in verse 17 through 235 00:11:15,904 --> 00:11:19,954 26, we don't have time to read, but Jesus heal, heals a paralyzed man. 236 00:11:19,954 --> 00:11:24,754 And oh man, I wish I had enough time to also do that, but then, uh, I, I, you 237 00:11:24,754 --> 00:11:26,104 know, we'd be missing the 49ers game. 238 00:11:26,134 --> 00:11:28,054 Okay, so, so, so here you go again. 239 00:11:28,059 --> 00:11:29,134 I'm just playing with y'all. 240 00:11:29,194 --> 00:11:30,064 Well, partially playing. 241 00:11:30,094 --> 00:11:30,334 Okay. 242 00:11:30,364 --> 00:11:30,814 Alright. 243 00:11:30,874 --> 00:11:32,524 So he goes and he does that. 244 00:11:32,524 --> 00:11:34,864 And maybe you could look at that in your small groups this week. 245 00:11:34,864 --> 00:11:36,394 It is a powerful, rich story. 246 00:11:36,544 --> 00:11:38,974 But we're gonna jump on down to verse 27. 247 00:11:39,454 --> 00:11:44,044 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name 248 00:11:44,044 --> 00:11:46,684 of Levi sitting at his tax booth. 249 00:11:46,714 --> 00:11:47,584 Follow me. 250 00:11:47,944 --> 00:11:48,814 Jesus said, Timmy. 251 00:11:48,814 --> 00:11:51,634 Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 252 00:11:51,634 --> 00:11:54,214 Now, this was radical. 253 00:11:55,474 --> 00:11:57,454 This was radical. 254 00:11:57,604 --> 00:12:01,234 Jesus sees a tax collector in almost every society. 255 00:12:01,474 --> 00:12:03,694 Nobody likes the tax collectors. 256 00:12:04,294 --> 00:12:06,094 You work for the I R S in America. 257 00:12:06,274 --> 00:12:07,564 You gotta say that on the download. 258 00:12:07,564 --> 00:12:08,854 Like, ah, I work for this company. 259 00:12:08,854 --> 00:12:09,544 You know what I mean? 260 00:12:10,054 --> 00:12:11,434 And so he says, Hey, look. 261 00:12:11,434 --> 00:12:14,644 He calls and he says, you tax collector, follow me. 262 00:12:14,644 --> 00:12:19,864 Now, this is radical for any Jew to even associate with the tax 263 00:12:19,864 --> 00:12:21,214 collector because they were hated. 264 00:12:21,814 --> 00:12:23,164 They were seen as traitors. 265 00:12:23,464 --> 00:12:26,564 They were seen as wicked, sinful people. 266 00:12:27,574 --> 00:12:32,194 And in fact, when we go, when we find out, uh, through Jewish writings from, 267 00:12:32,344 --> 00:12:36,574 uh, really after the first century on, we can see the attitude that 268 00:12:36,574 --> 00:12:38,224 people had towards tax collectors. 269 00:12:38,344 --> 00:12:41,224 I wanna show you some of these things so you can understand how 270 00:12:41,229 --> 00:12:43,594 radical Jesus is in this moment. 271 00:12:43,654 --> 00:12:46,984 Here's what it says, the tmu, which is a collection of Jewish writings 272 00:12:46,984 --> 00:12:50,764 and sayings and has the oral law that, that, that is mentioned throughout, 273 00:12:50,944 --> 00:12:55,114 it says, place tax collectors amongst, alongside murderers and robbers. 274 00:12:56,104 --> 00:12:58,984 Hey, uh, so we got murderers, robbers, and tax collectors. 275 00:12:59,824 --> 00:13:00,994 That's pretty intense, isn't it? 276 00:13:01,594 --> 00:13:05,134 Goes on and says the rabbis taught that tax collectors were disqualified 277 00:13:05,134 --> 00:13:09,874 witnesses in court, societal, outcasts, and utter disgraces to their own family. 278 00:13:10,534 --> 00:13:12,454 You can't have a task collector in court. 279 00:13:12,484 --> 00:13:14,074 We, we don't trust them at all. 280 00:13:14,524 --> 00:13:17,644 The rabbi's excommunicated task collectors from the Senegal. 281 00:13:17,644 --> 00:13:19,354 You can't come to our church service. 282 00:13:20,284 --> 00:13:21,424 You better be outside. 283 00:13:22,084 --> 00:13:25,564 Tax collectors weren't allowed to exchange their money at the Temple Treasury. 284 00:13:25,564 --> 00:13:26,494 Now that's intense. 285 00:13:26,734 --> 00:13:28,294 I'm not even gonna accept your money. 286 00:13:29,314 --> 00:13:31,084 My my kids are selling Girl Scout cookies. 287 00:13:31,174 --> 00:13:32,494 They'll accept anybody's money. 288 00:13:32,499 --> 00:13:33,214 You know what I'm saying? 289 00:13:34,084 --> 00:13:35,584 They said, we're not even gonna accept your money. 290 00:13:35,974 --> 00:13:37,924 Then it goes on and says, the rabbis listen to this one. 291 00:13:38,074 --> 00:13:43,894 The rabbis even considered it lawful to lie in almost any conceivable way to avoid 292 00:13:43,894 --> 00:13:49,294 paying task collectors now do not lie as part of the 10 Commandments, right? 293 00:13:50,044 --> 00:13:53,254 And so they're trying to uphold the 10 Commandments as strict as possible. 294 00:13:53,314 --> 00:13:56,914 But you know how you get outta that, that commandment when it 295 00:13:56,914 --> 00:14:00,184 comes to the task collectors, you can lie in any of your way. 296 00:14:00,514 --> 00:14:05,494 That's how much they hated and looked down upon tax collectors. 297 00:14:06,304 --> 00:14:08,284 So then we come back and he says, what? 298 00:14:08,374 --> 00:14:11,614 Follow me now? 299 00:14:11,614 --> 00:14:13,804 Everybody would've been like, whoa, this is crazy. 300 00:14:13,809 --> 00:14:14,794 This is radical. 301 00:14:15,289 --> 00:14:20,239 For Jesus, not only to associate, but then he goes and he invites them and 302 00:14:20,239 --> 00:14:25,039 he invites them to not only be around him, but to actually be his follower. 303 00:14:26,179 --> 00:14:27,349 This is radical. 304 00:14:27,979 --> 00:14:31,819 And then we go ahead here and it says here, and we want to just stop here, 305 00:14:32,239 --> 00:14:37,729 says that, that the tax collector Levi, excuse me, left everything and followed. 306 00:14:39,349 --> 00:14:41,299 This is a huge cost for Levi. 307 00:14:42,529 --> 00:14:49,189 Test collectors were overall wealthy and so now here he is leaving his occupation, 308 00:14:49,819 --> 00:14:55,609 his opportunity to continue having financial advancement to follow Jesus. 309 00:14:56,209 --> 00:14:57,079 Now think about this. 310 00:14:57,259 --> 00:15:02,809 All of the other followers of Jesus, they can go back to their old lives. 311 00:15:02,839 --> 00:15:07,429 If this Jesus thing doesn't really work out, I can go back to fishing. 312 00:15:07,669 --> 00:15:08,419 Not a problem. 313 00:15:08,419 --> 00:15:10,249 This Jesus cause didn't really work out. 314 00:15:10,579 --> 00:15:13,429 But Levi, he can't go back to being a test collector. 315 00:15:14,764 --> 00:15:17,434 He can't go back to his old lifestyle. 316 00:15:18,244 --> 00:15:19,084 So what did that mean? 317 00:15:19,744 --> 00:15:21,184 It was a true commitment, wasn't it? 318 00:15:21,664 --> 00:15:24,454 And so that's also a little side note for us, following the 319 00:15:24,454 --> 00:15:27,454 real Jesus is a true commitment. 320 00:15:27,694 --> 00:15:30,574 This isn't something we do and think, oh, let me just try it. 321 00:15:30,634 --> 00:15:34,354 No, it requires a full commitment to following Jesus. 322 00:15:34,354 --> 00:15:35,314 Can I get an amen? 323 00:15:35,704 --> 00:15:36,194 Amen. 324 00:15:36,334 --> 00:15:37,294 Let's continue reading. 325 00:15:37,594 --> 00:15:37,834 Then. 326 00:15:37,834 --> 00:15:42,364 Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house and a large crowd of tax collectors 327 00:15:42,369 --> 00:15:43,534 and others were eating with him. 328 00:15:43,744 --> 00:15:47,614 Not only does he have one, but now he's got a whole crew of sinful, 329 00:15:47,619 --> 00:15:50,464 wicked tax collectors and others people, and what are they doing? 330 00:15:50,674 --> 00:15:54,064 Eating it up, eating and having a good old time? 331 00:15:54,514 --> 00:15:57,844 It says, but the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belong to 332 00:15:57,844 --> 00:15:59,824 the SEC, complain to his disciples. 333 00:15:59,974 --> 00:16:03,034 Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? 334 00:16:03,039 --> 00:16:05,974 Let's stop right there again, we talked about the Pharisees. 335 00:16:05,974 --> 00:16:07,564 Again, this is a refresher course. 336 00:16:07,894 --> 00:16:10,204 For, for many of us, but some of us, this is new. 337 00:16:10,414 --> 00:16:13,744 Again, the Pharisees were the most influential group. 338 00:16:13,804 --> 00:16:16,774 You had the scenes, you had the sades, and you had the Pharisees. 339 00:16:16,984 --> 00:16:18,604 So they were the most influential group. 340 00:16:18,609 --> 00:16:22,834 Remember for about 200 years, they're the ones who have really dictated 341 00:16:22,834 --> 00:16:25,924 and determined in fashioned Judaism. 342 00:16:27,694 --> 00:16:31,834 And so here they are and, and their name actually means the separate ones. 343 00:16:32,104 --> 00:16:35,524 And so again, their call and their cause they felt was to 344 00:16:35,584 --> 00:16:38,734 build a fence around the law. 345 00:16:39,004 --> 00:16:43,174 We wanna make sure that nobody violates God's law. 346 00:16:43,774 --> 00:16:48,634 So that's why you get to all these different laws that are created to 347 00:16:48,634 --> 00:16:51,094 ensure God's law doesn't get violated. 348 00:16:51,094 --> 00:16:55,744 In fact, the Sabbath, uh, they, they had 39 categories of how you 349 00:16:55,749 --> 00:16:58,944 could possibly violate the Sabbath. 350 00:17:00,364 --> 00:17:02,044 I'm like, how'd you come up with 39? 351 00:17:02,104 --> 00:17:03,964 And then there's categories within those 39. 352 00:17:05,134 --> 00:17:06,624 And so they built this fence. 353 00:17:07,309 --> 00:17:10,638 Around the law and they wanted to be separate. 354 00:17:10,638 --> 00:17:14,179 Their name means separate one, just so they wanted to be separate from anything 355 00:17:14,299 --> 00:17:19,999 that was unclean and especially any person who was considered to be unclean. 356 00:17:20,628 --> 00:17:23,779 So now as Jesus is having a good time, man, we eating it up. 357 00:17:23,779 --> 00:17:26,358 Let's get some chicken wings, all that girl falafels, whatever they're 358 00:17:26,358 --> 00:17:27,769 eating, and fish right there. 359 00:17:27,769 --> 00:17:30,829 He sees them with all these sinners and they're like, hold on this. 360 00:17:30,829 --> 00:17:33,349 This doesn't make any sense. 361 00:17:34,159 --> 00:17:34,879 Wait, wait, wait. 362 00:17:34,939 --> 00:17:35,929 What is he doing? 363 00:17:36,349 --> 00:17:39,649 You're eating with tax collectors and sinners. 364 00:17:40,249 --> 00:17:41,749 Why does he do this? 365 00:17:42,019 --> 00:17:47,479 Because any religious figure would never do such a thing. 366 00:17:49,249 --> 00:17:52,639 If this is a religious leader, then he would know. 367 00:17:52,639 --> 00:17:57,049 You aren't supposed to be unclean because if you interacted with 368 00:17:57,049 --> 00:17:58,639 somebody who was unclean, guess what? 369 00:17:58,639 --> 00:17:59,209 That made you. 370 00:18:00,409 --> 00:18:01,129 Unclean. 371 00:18:01,489 --> 00:18:04,609 And again, they hated tax collectors because tax collectors, not only 372 00:18:04,609 --> 00:18:08,059 were they cheats and, and traders, but they were also mingling 373 00:18:08,059 --> 00:18:09,979 with the hated gentile Romans. 374 00:18:10,669 --> 00:18:12,049 And so again, they were hating. 375 00:18:12,054 --> 00:18:14,629 So this man, he accepts them. 376 00:18:14,649 --> 00:18:16,519 He, he, he's eating with them. 377 00:18:17,149 --> 00:18:19,669 And again, they're at this table, they're eating. 378 00:18:20,059 --> 00:18:22,849 And so what this communicate is what There's fellowship. 379 00:18:24,109 --> 00:18:25,579 I have fellowship with you guys. 380 00:18:26,029 --> 00:18:27,169 And guess what it also meant? 381 00:18:27,799 --> 00:18:29,299 There's acceptance. 382 00:18:34,279 --> 00:18:35,659 I have accepted you. 383 00:18:36,409 --> 00:18:43,339 I fellowship with you, the unclean, wicked, sinful person. 384 00:18:44,209 --> 00:18:47,359 And so again, the religious establishment can't stand this. 385 00:18:48,139 --> 00:18:50,299 And what does Jesus say in return there? 386 00:18:50,304 --> 00:18:53,659 He says it is the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 387 00:18:53,659 --> 00:18:57,529 I not come to call the righteous but sinners to repent. 388 00:18:59,194 --> 00:19:02,674 . Is this the righteous or the religious thing to do by Jesus? 389 00:19:03,784 --> 00:19:04,384 Let's go ahead. 390 00:19:04,384 --> 00:19:05,014 Let's continue. 391 00:19:05,014 --> 00:19:05,284 Church. 392 00:19:05,284 --> 00:19:06,034 Are you still with me? 393 00:19:06,364 --> 00:19:09,364 It says, they said to him, John's disciple, this is John the Baptist. 394 00:19:09,514 --> 00:19:14,554 Often pray and fast, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but 395 00:19:14,554 --> 00:19:16,174 yours going, eating and drinking. 396 00:19:16,179 --> 00:19:17,224 Jesus answered. 397 00:19:17,224 --> 00:19:20,314 Can you make the friends of the bride groom fast while he is with them? 398 00:19:20,314 --> 00:19:21,214 I just love this. 399 00:19:22,054 --> 00:19:24,184 You see something again about the real Jesus here. 400 00:19:24,784 --> 00:19:26,224 He says, Hey, hey, you know what? 401 00:19:26,254 --> 00:19:30,904 Here's what I'm gonna guys, when you follow me, it's like being at a wedding. 402 00:19:31,654 --> 00:19:33,154 Now think about your time at a wedding. 403 00:19:33,364 --> 00:19:34,624 Everybody's having a good time. 404 00:19:35,674 --> 00:19:38,284 Everybody's loving it, except for the parents of the bride and groom, 405 00:19:38,284 --> 00:19:41,854 sometimes because they're crying my baby. 406 00:19:41,854 --> 00:19:42,634 You know what I'm saying? 407 00:19:43,054 --> 00:19:44,344 I remember my mom, she was crying. 408 00:19:44,344 --> 00:19:45,334 I was like, mom, I don't see you cry. 409 00:19:45,334 --> 00:19:47,944 She was, oh, my baby's getting married, you know? 410 00:19:47,944 --> 00:19:49,144 And then she was like, you're so happy. 411 00:19:49,149 --> 00:19:50,374 I was like, I just got married. 412 00:19:51,574 --> 00:19:53,704 And she loves Karina, so I don't want you to get the wrong impression. 413 00:19:53,734 --> 00:19:54,004 Okay? 414 00:19:54,004 --> 00:19:54,304 All right. 415 00:19:54,304 --> 00:19:54,904 You know what I'm saying? 416 00:19:55,294 --> 00:19:57,814 But, but she, you know, but at a wedding, everybody's fired up and 417 00:19:57,814 --> 00:20:01,144 he says, when you follow the real Jesus, it's like being at a wedding. 418 00:20:02,314 --> 00:20:03,094 This is a good time. 419 00:20:03,094 --> 00:20:06,544 Now there's challenges, don't get me wrong here, but that's the analogy he 420 00:20:06,544 --> 00:20:09,214 first uses to respond to this question. 421 00:20:10,294 --> 00:20:12,514 And then we keep reading, he says, but the time will come when the 422 00:20:12,514 --> 00:20:14,494 bride groom will be taken from them. 423 00:20:14,494 --> 00:20:16,024 And in those days, they will fast. 424 00:20:16,054 --> 00:20:16,324 Okay? 425 00:20:16,324 --> 00:20:19,384 So he's alluding to the time that he's going to die, and 426 00:20:19,384 --> 00:20:20,374 then he'll be resurrected. 427 00:20:21,034 --> 00:20:23,644 He told him this parable, no one tears the peace out of a 428 00:20:23,649 --> 00:20:25,054 new garment to patch an old one. 429 00:20:25,264 --> 00:20:27,784 Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment and the patch from the 430 00:20:27,784 --> 00:20:31,624 new will not match the old, and no one pours new wine into old wine skins. 431 00:20:31,864 --> 00:20:33,304 Otherwise, the new wine will burst. 432 00:20:33,304 --> 00:20:36,874 The skins, the wine will run out, and those wine skins will be ruined. 433 00:20:38,209 --> 00:20:41,509 New wine must be poured into new wineskins and no other, and no one 434 00:20:41,509 --> 00:20:46,399 after drinking old wine wants the new for they say the old is better. 435 00:20:46,399 --> 00:20:49,789 Okay, let's go back and let's break this down a little bit here. 436 00:20:50,089 --> 00:20:52,459 It talks about fasting and praying. 437 00:20:53,659 --> 00:20:59,629 You see, the Pharisees had systematized sy systematized here. 438 00:20:59,629 --> 00:21:02,659 All right, I'm trying to say that word correctly, systematized. 439 00:21:02,659 --> 00:21:06,499 The fall, uh, the, the faith, they made it all systematic. 440 00:21:07,249 --> 00:21:11,479 And so what this idea of fasting in the Old Testament, there was 441 00:21:11,479 --> 00:21:14,509 a requirement of God's people to fast on the Day of Atonement. 442 00:21:14,514 --> 00:21:18,859 However, what the Pharisees did, the Pharisees decided, you know what? 443 00:21:19,129 --> 00:21:20,659 We're not gonna fast just on those days. 444 00:21:20,659 --> 00:21:21,589 We're gonna fast. 445 00:21:21,589 --> 00:21:23,329 And again, they're the religious leaders, right? 446 00:21:23,329 --> 00:21:24,079 Follow us. 447 00:21:24,259 --> 00:21:26,309 We're gonna fast every Monday and Thursday. 448 00:21:27,559 --> 00:21:30,079 . And then what they would do when they would fast, they would, you know, put 449 00:21:30,079 --> 00:21:33,589 whiten their face up and they would be able to be seen that they were fasting. 450 00:21:33,589 --> 00:21:35,269 So it was known to everybody. 451 00:21:35,479 --> 00:21:38,629 It's Monday and Thursday, there's go those pharisees, they're fasting again. 452 00:21:38,779 --> 00:21:42,409 And so they're trying to make it known how religious they are. 453 00:21:43,939 --> 00:21:45,769 And so they're asking, why don't you? 454 00:21:45,949 --> 00:21:49,009 And you're disciples are, why don't your disciples fast away? 455 00:21:49,069 --> 00:21:49,489 Ours do. 456 00:21:49,489 --> 00:21:53,059 Or even the way John the Baptist, uh, disciples do. 457 00:21:53,059 --> 00:21:55,129 And then prayer was systematized as well. 458 00:21:55,399 --> 00:21:59,389 Prayer was offered at 12 midday, 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM So there 459 00:21:59,389 --> 00:22:01,099 were set times in the day. 460 00:22:01,429 --> 00:22:03,409 Now praying three times a day, is that a bad thing? 461 00:22:04,489 --> 00:22:11,719 No, but it become rule, it become a systematic form of religion. 462 00:22:11,719 --> 00:22:12,829 You guys see what's going on? 463 00:22:13,579 --> 00:22:16,069 . And so this is what they're referring to. 464 00:22:16,069 --> 00:22:21,679 And now here's the interesting thing, Jesus, he actually doesn't dismiss or or 465 00:22:21,679 --> 00:22:23,929 discredit their, their, their practices. 466 00:22:24,169 --> 00:22:29,389 But he reveals he doesn't require that from his followers. 467 00:22:30,259 --> 00:22:34,819 He didn't make up a new rule and mandate that went beyond what 468 00:22:34,819 --> 00:22:36,799 God's desire was for his people. 469 00:22:37,489 --> 00:22:41,599 And so Jesus here then gives them a parable to let them know, Hey, his 470 00:22:41,599 --> 00:22:45,499 way is new and it's incompatible with their form of religion. 471 00:22:47,599 --> 00:22:50,059 And so I don't know about you, but did you see it? 472 00:22:50,089 --> 00:22:52,279 Did you catch it as we walked through? 473 00:22:52,279 --> 00:22:53,299 Did you catch it? 474 00:22:53,629 --> 00:22:55,039 Did you perceive it? 475 00:22:55,339 --> 00:23:00,049 Did you see that the real Jesus was not religious but righteous? 476 00:23:01,159 --> 00:23:05,089 He's in this form of religiosity, but that's not what he practiced and that's 477 00:23:05,089 --> 00:23:07,939 not what he required from his followers. 478 00:23:08,599 --> 00:23:11,059 You see, we gotta break this down a little bit more here. 479 00:23:11,059 --> 00:23:14,269 When we talk about being religious or religiosity, here's the thing 480 00:23:14,389 --> 00:23:19,489 with religiosity or what we, we what, what I'm defining as religious, what 481 00:23:19,489 --> 00:23:21,289 happens, it can become manmade rules. 482 00:23:22,069 --> 00:23:22,909 It's not the word of God. 483 00:23:22,909 --> 00:23:26,989 It's become practices, but they now are rules that you must follow. 484 00:23:28,879 --> 00:23:32,389 It become legalistic in our approach to following God. 485 00:23:33,019 --> 00:23:34,969 It's now about the appearance. 486 00:23:35,539 --> 00:23:38,509 It's based on how you look to those around you. 487 00:23:39,559 --> 00:23:43,759 But then it could lead to pride in being judgmental, thinking your better, 488 00:23:43,759 --> 00:23:48,199 and now looking down upon those who don't practice where you think or your 489 00:23:48,199 --> 00:23:50,029 rules or your habits or your beliefs. 490 00:23:50,629 --> 00:23:55,069 It also could be lifeless and just systematic and maybe the worst of all. 491 00:23:55,069 --> 00:24:00,889 It can lack true repentance and then justify sin because I do 492 00:24:00,889 --> 00:24:06,349 these things, so therefore there's no true change from within. 493 00:24:07,774 --> 00:24:09,754 Does any of this sound or look familiar to you? 494 00:24:11,614 --> 00:24:16,294 Some of us, this is what we grew up in, but think about this on 495 00:24:16,294 --> 00:24:17,614 a larger scale, what do we say? 496 00:24:18,424 --> 00:24:20,374 Orange County doesn't need more churches. 497 00:24:20,379 --> 00:24:21,514 They need the real Jesus. 498 00:24:21,514 --> 00:24:21,724 Why? 499 00:24:21,724 --> 00:24:27,964 Because a lot of people view this as Jesus, lifeless, manmade rules, 500 00:24:27,964 --> 00:24:33,384 legalistic, all about appearances, judgmental, but this isn't the real Jesus. 501 00:24:34,384 --> 00:24:36,364 We just saw it in chapter six. 502 00:24:36,454 --> 00:24:39,334 He wasn't religious, he was righteous. 503 00:24:41,164 --> 00:24:44,074 And so we see here that the real Jesus, when we talk about being 504 00:24:44,074 --> 00:24:46,864 righteous, we're talking about being right in the eyes of God. 505 00:24:46,864 --> 00:24:49,084 This is not perfection for you and me. 506 00:24:49,204 --> 00:24:51,104 This is being rights in the eyes of God. 507 00:24:51,904 --> 00:24:54,904 It's following the heart of God's command. 508 00:24:55,624 --> 00:24:59,344 It's talking about being from the heart and not just outward appearance. 509 00:24:59,374 --> 00:25:02,764 There's a desire for God's will in our lives. 510 00:25:03,289 --> 00:25:07,129 It's a desire to stay close to him and to please him. 511 00:25:07,189 --> 00:25:09,109 This is true righteousness. 512 00:25:09,109 --> 00:25:12,229 When the doors are closed and nobody's around, there's 513 00:25:12,229 --> 00:25:13,909 no accolades that await you. 514 00:25:13,999 --> 00:25:16,099 Nobody can give you a reward. 515 00:25:16,249 --> 00:25:18,169 What's your life like then? 516 00:25:20,209 --> 00:25:21,899 This is what Jesus lived out. 517 00:25:22,789 --> 00:25:24,229 This is what Jesus promotes. 518 00:25:24,229 --> 00:25:29,644 This is what Jesus calls his followers to, to be righteous from within and let 519 00:25:29,779 --> 00:25:32,979 that flow out to our outward behavior. 520 00:25:32,984 --> 00:25:34,309 Church, are you with me here? 521 00:25:35,419 --> 00:25:36,319 And what does he do? 522 00:25:36,679 --> 00:25:37,849 He called the people to what? 523 00:25:37,849 --> 00:25:41,329 He says, Hey, I'm not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 524 00:25:41,689 --> 00:25:42,709 Well, who does that apply to? 525 00:25:42,709 --> 00:25:43,999 Every single one of us. 526 00:25:44,989 --> 00:25:47,389 The problem with the Pharisees, they're religious, so I don't see it. 527 00:25:47,419 --> 00:25:48,499 Oh, I fast twice a day. 528 00:25:48,504 --> 00:25:49,609 How you gonna tell me I'm a sinner? 529 00:25:51,439 --> 00:25:52,699 Well, I go to church every Sunday. 530 00:25:52,699 --> 00:25:54,649 I, in fact, I go to church on Wednesday and Sunday. 531 00:25:54,679 --> 00:25:55,909 How you gonna tell me I'm a sin? 532 00:25:58,929 --> 00:25:59,419 Amen. 533 00:25:59,424 --> 00:26:02,929 But Jesus called them and he calls everyone to what? 534 00:26:02,929 --> 00:26:03,769 Repentance. 535 00:26:04,129 --> 00:26:05,359 That's change. 536 00:26:05,869 --> 00:26:08,839 Jesus is not inviting people to be a part of this new club. 537 00:26:08,839 --> 00:26:13,399 He's calling people to be changed and to find true salvation and to 538 00:26:13,399 --> 00:26:15,199 become what God created us to be. 539 00:26:15,259 --> 00:26:20,119 And that's righteous in a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. 540 00:26:21,019 --> 00:26:25,909 The real Jesus rejects manmade rules that become law, and he also rejects 541 00:26:26,749 --> 00:26:28,819 the justification for our sin. 542 00:26:30,059 --> 00:26:32,329 Hey, hey, I'm gonna reject these manmade laws. 543 00:26:32,479 --> 00:26:37,219 But you know, I also reject this idea that you justify your sin with all these laws. 544 00:26:38,869 --> 00:26:42,139 You see, Jesus raises the bar on true righteousness. 545 00:26:42,859 --> 00:26:46,759 This isn't about just how we might behave or religious activities. 546 00:26:46,849 --> 00:26:52,309 Jesus raises the bar to another level, and we see this all throughout. 547 00:26:52,309 --> 00:26:53,449 Luke chapter six. 548 00:26:53,629 --> 00:26:55,009 Brother and sisters, are you still with me here? 549 00:26:55,404 --> 00:26:55,824 Yes. 550 00:26:56,134 --> 00:26:57,034 Look at what he says here. 551 00:26:57,034 --> 00:26:58,414 These are several things he mentions. 552 00:26:59,164 --> 00:27:00,034 Love your enemies. 553 00:27:00,454 --> 00:27:02,044 Do good to those who hate you. 554 00:27:02,044 --> 00:27:04,534 Whoa, bless those who curse you. 555 00:27:04,534 --> 00:27:09,304 Pray for those who mistreat you due to others as you would have them do to you. 556 00:27:09,784 --> 00:27:10,534 Be merciful. 557 00:27:10,534 --> 00:27:12,304 Just as your father is merciful. 558 00:27:13,024 --> 00:27:15,904 Do not judge or you and you will not be judged. 559 00:27:15,904 --> 00:27:17,524 Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. 560 00:27:17,734 --> 00:27:19,954 Forgive and you will be forgiven. 561 00:27:20,224 --> 00:27:22,984 First, take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to 562 00:27:22,989 --> 00:27:24,844 remove the spec from your brother's eye. 563 00:27:24,844 --> 00:27:27,934 You see, Jesus took righteousness to a whole nother level, didn't he? 564 00:27:28,594 --> 00:27:32,554 This wasn't about following rituals and ceremonial cleansings. 565 00:27:32,734 --> 00:27:34,534 This was about righteousness from within. 566 00:27:34,534 --> 00:27:39,364 In that goes beyond what we're naturally accustomed to or even what 567 00:27:39,369 --> 00:27:44,464 we would naturally want to do, and so we see Jesus here is righteous. 568 00:27:44,524 --> 00:27:50,344 His standard is higher, but it brings true, authentic faith that 569 00:27:50,344 --> 00:27:53,044 starts from within and flows out. 570 00:27:55,579 --> 00:27:58,489 And so again, we're reminded Jesus was not religious. 571 00:27:58,909 --> 00:28:00,739 He was righteous. 572 00:28:01,009 --> 00:28:03,139 He obeyed the Old Testament law. 573 00:28:03,199 --> 00:28:04,219 Remember that gold nugget? 574 00:28:04,429 --> 00:28:05,059 What'd he do? 575 00:28:05,929 --> 00:28:10,009 He said, Hey, go see, just like the Mosaic law says, go see them after 576 00:28:10,009 --> 00:28:11,569 your cleansing of being of leprosy. 577 00:28:12,559 --> 00:28:13,729 He didn't dismiss this. 578 00:28:13,789 --> 00:28:18,859 He followed it, but he rejected all these manmade rules that were formed. 579 00:28:19,549 --> 00:28:21,619 And so we see again, he heals the leper. 580 00:28:21,709 --> 00:28:22,519 He touches them. 581 00:28:22,759 --> 00:28:23,699 Nobody would do that. 582 00:28:23,699 --> 00:28:26,389 He recruits a wicked tax collector to be his disciple. 583 00:28:26,394 --> 00:28:27,049 That's righteous. 584 00:28:27,079 --> 00:28:29,539 He ate what sinners, but yet called them the repentance. 585 00:28:29,659 --> 00:28:30,619 That's righteousness. 586 00:28:30,649 --> 00:28:34,729 He didn't call his followers to fast and pray like the religious leaders did. 587 00:28:35,719 --> 00:28:39,289 He revealed true, rich, righteous living in the kingdom of God. 588 00:28:39,499 --> 00:28:43,459 You see, Jesus radically oppose religion by rule. 589 00:28:46,099 --> 00:28:49,429 Jesus radically opposed religion by rule. 590 00:28:49,429 --> 00:28:53,479 So here's the question for every single one of us today, is, are 591 00:28:53,479 --> 00:28:56,389 we religious or are we righteous? 592 00:28:59,299 --> 00:29:01,129 And again, righteous isn't perfect. 593 00:29:02,329 --> 00:29:04,819 Are you religious or are you righteous? 594 00:29:04,849 --> 00:29:08,179 And you know what, this requires true humility in answering, 595 00:29:09,409 --> 00:29:13,009 because if you're like me, I wanna say no, I'm not like a Pharisee. 596 00:29:14,029 --> 00:29:14,869 That's not me. 597 00:29:14,869 --> 00:29:17,179 In fact, I see clearly what they did wrong. 598 00:29:17,959 --> 00:29:22,249 But any of you start to analyze, wait a second, where do I place my value? 599 00:29:23,239 --> 00:29:25,399 How do I judge how I'm doing spiritually? 600 00:29:26,569 --> 00:29:29,779 And so we have to be humble and hon and honest when we answer this question. 601 00:29:29,779 --> 00:29:32,509 Cuz I know I used to be religious in this way. 602 00:29:33,529 --> 00:29:35,569 I used to justify a whole lot of stuff. 603 00:29:35,839 --> 00:29:38,239 I was just telling, uh, uh, Isaiah there the other day. 604 00:29:38,239 --> 00:29:39,229 We, we got together. 605 00:29:39,409 --> 00:29:42,289 And I would justify, I would, I'd be like, yeah, you know what? 606 00:29:42,319 --> 00:29:45,829 It's okay for for me to be sexually immoral because you know what? 607 00:29:45,919 --> 00:29:48,409 I believe wholeheartedly that Jesus is a son God. 608 00:29:52,205 --> 00:29:52,354 Huh. 609 00:29:54,214 --> 00:29:54,755 Oh, you know what? 610 00:29:54,759 --> 00:29:57,784 I could get drunk every week and, you know, why could Jesus drank wine? 611 00:29:57,784 --> 00:29:59,344 I mean, that was some of the stuff I would say. 612 00:30:01,174 --> 00:30:02,464 And I would justify this. 613 00:30:02,464 --> 00:30:05,964 And I was religious and I would make sure I was like, oh, this is, you know, my, my, 614 00:30:05,969 --> 00:30:07,264 my roommates at college used to laugh me. 615 00:30:07,415 --> 00:30:08,915 Cause I was like, all, you know what? 616 00:30:08,974 --> 00:30:12,245 Uh, I gotta make sure I pray every day before midnight. 617 00:30:12,694 --> 00:30:15,364 So we'd be hanging out, be like 1158, and I'd be like, oh my goodness. 618 00:30:15,394 --> 00:30:16,415 Uh, I gotta go pray. 619 00:30:16,564 --> 00:30:17,974 And I was like, I don't have anywhere to go. 620 00:30:17,974 --> 00:30:19,114 And I'd like, Hey guys, excuse me. 621 00:30:19,114 --> 00:30:21,245 And I would turn over on my bed and I'd say you a quick prayer. 622 00:30:21,274 --> 00:30:22,594 And then I'd turn over, be like, all right guys. 623 00:30:22,654 --> 00:30:24,184 And they're like, uh, what's up with that? 624 00:30:24,574 --> 00:30:28,024 Because there was this religiosity that I had to make sure I prayed 625 00:30:28,024 --> 00:30:29,165 before midnight every day. 626 00:30:29,974 --> 00:30:32,464 But here I'm engaging in the moral conversations. 627 00:30:33,665 --> 00:30:34,894 Yeah, I was religious. 628 00:30:35,674 --> 00:30:36,184 And you know what? 629 00:30:36,644 --> 00:30:39,304 Honestly, I have to be careful not to fall victim of that today. 630 00:30:39,904 --> 00:30:44,585 Being a Christian of over 20 plus years, I have to make sure that I 631 00:30:44,585 --> 00:30:47,795 don't look down upon others either in or outside of our fellowship. 632 00:30:48,319 --> 00:30:50,269 Hey, do you study the Bible with people the way I do? 633 00:30:51,649 --> 00:30:52,699 How's your quiet time? 634 00:30:53,509 --> 00:30:54,859 You know, we've seen this in our church, right? 635 00:30:54,859 --> 00:30:57,109 We, we have a lot of great practices, don't we? 636 00:30:58,549 --> 00:31:01,339 But we've also seen how they can become rules on the same level 637 00:31:01,489 --> 00:31:04,759 of same playing field level, playing field as the word of God. 638 00:31:05,719 --> 00:31:07,939 Do you, your quiet time, do you have an hour? 639 00:31:07,939 --> 00:31:09,259 Is it at 6:00 AM every day? 640 00:31:09,319 --> 00:31:10,249 Half hour prayer? 641 00:31:10,249 --> 00:31:11,089 Half hour reading. 642 00:31:11,539 --> 00:31:11,929 Hmm. 643 00:31:11,989 --> 00:31:13,339 Sound kind of worldly to me, 644 00:31:16,729 --> 00:31:17,149 huh? 645 00:31:18,769 --> 00:31:21,979 Do you, you, you don't do that when you have bible studies with people. 646 00:31:22,459 --> 00:31:23,569 Is this guy even a Christian? 647 00:31:25,099 --> 00:31:26,239 We've done this, haven't we? 648 00:31:27,289 --> 00:31:28,819 We have many great practices. 649 00:31:28,819 --> 00:31:32,989 Hey, how did day properly and holy and all these different things are one another. 650 00:31:32,995 --> 00:31:33,769 Relationships. 651 00:31:33,830 --> 00:31:37,249 We have great practices and I'm for all these practices, but the 652 00:31:37,249 --> 00:31:41,959 problem could be or has been, is that they become systematic rules. 653 00:31:44,599 --> 00:31:46,080 And so now you're in violation. 654 00:31:47,044 --> 00:31:52,264 , if you don't follow the rule the same way I follow it again, 655 00:31:52,264 --> 00:31:53,194 all the practice is wrong. 656 00:31:53,194 --> 00:31:54,125 No, nobody's saying that. 657 00:31:54,245 --> 00:31:57,094 But they've now become equal and on par to the word of God. 658 00:31:57,094 --> 00:31:59,915 Wait, that reminds me of some people, uh, the Pharisees. 659 00:32:02,944 --> 00:32:05,854 So maybe, are you perhaps closer to the Pharisees than you think? 660 00:32:06,844 --> 00:32:08,375 I know this week I was convicted of that. 661 00:32:09,064 --> 00:32:09,604 Wow. 662 00:32:10,354 --> 00:32:11,344 That that could be me. 663 00:32:11,734 --> 00:32:12,694 I can fall into that. 664 00:32:13,174 --> 00:32:13,984 But here's the beauty. 665 00:32:13,984 --> 00:32:20,134 Knowing and following the real Jesus frees us from lifeless religiosity, knowing 666 00:32:20,134 --> 00:32:25,444 and following the real Jesus frees us and allows us to now enter a true relationship 667 00:32:25,504 --> 00:32:30,245 with the king of kings, and now live a life of purpose, impact, and authenticity. 668 00:32:31,714 --> 00:32:33,784 This is what the real Jesus enables for you and me. 669 00:32:35,104 --> 00:32:36,604 But religiosity won't do that. 670 00:32:36,604 --> 00:32:41,474 It'll keep us trapped, but fall in the real Jesus authenticity impacts purpose. 671 00:32:42,830 --> 00:32:44,659 and our true identity brother and sisters. 672 00:32:44,659 --> 00:32:45,649 I hope you're with me today. 673 00:32:45,649 --> 00:32:46,219 I'm sorry. 674 00:32:46,370 --> 00:32:47,389 I hope so. 675 00:32:48,649 --> 00:32:50,719 And so here's the call for every one of us here. 676 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:57,769 It's to be righteous and not religious, to be righteous and not religious. 677 00:32:57,769 --> 00:32:59,420 Well, how do, how can I do that, Marcel? 678 00:32:59,420 --> 00:33:00,679 I'm trying, and I, I believe that. 679 00:33:00,710 --> 00:33:02,809 Here's a little tip I wanna share with everyone. 680 00:33:02,809 --> 00:33:04,129 Can I share these tips here with you? 681 00:33:04,339 --> 00:33:04,580 All right? 682 00:33:04,580 --> 00:33:05,779 If you said no, wouldn't have mattered. 683 00:33:05,779 --> 00:33:06,830 I was still gonna do it anyway. 684 00:33:06,830 --> 00:33:07,819 All right, here we go. 685 00:33:07,939 --> 00:33:08,210 All right. 686 00:33:08,214 --> 00:33:09,139 Here's number one here. 687 00:33:09,319 --> 00:33:11,059 Recognize your legalism. 688 00:33:13,879 --> 00:33:15,319 You say, well, I'm not legalistic. 689 00:33:17,089 --> 00:33:17,960 Let me help you out here. 690 00:33:18,949 --> 00:33:23,239 When we talk about leg being legalistic, it's missing the point of God's command. 691 00:33:24,139 --> 00:33:25,729 That's what being legalistic is. 692 00:33:26,449 --> 00:33:29,569 It's missing the heart of God's command. 693 00:33:29,989 --> 00:33:32,059 And so there's really two ways. 694 00:33:32,449 --> 00:33:35,149 In which we can fall under this trap here. 695 00:33:35,479 --> 00:33:38,719 And so again, I don't want to, uh, trigger any people, but here's 696 00:33:38,719 --> 00:33:41,539 one way, and I just use this cuz we can all, uh, understand this. 697 00:33:41,599 --> 00:33:44,959 There's a conservative way, and that's which you go beyond 698 00:33:44,964 --> 00:33:46,999 God's word and you make it law. 699 00:33:48,259 --> 00:33:52,309 There's God's command, but you go beyond it and now it becomes law. 700 00:33:53,569 --> 00:33:54,949 That's the conservative route. 701 00:33:55,459 --> 00:34:00,169 So for example, like, uh, let's go back to to Judaism. 702 00:34:00,829 --> 00:34:03,769 The, the Bible says clearly don't use God's name in vain. 703 00:34:03,774 --> 00:34:04,339 So guess what? 704 00:34:04,339 --> 00:34:06,019 People decided, you know what, man? 705 00:34:06,024 --> 00:34:08,719 We gotta make sure that we never say God's word in vains. 706 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:09,589 Do you know what we're gonna do? 707 00:34:09,768 --> 00:34:11,119 We're never gonna say God's name. 708 00:34:13,458 --> 00:34:16,728 So in your bibles, if you have a physical Bible, more than likely, if you go 709 00:34:16,734 --> 00:34:20,418 through the whole Old Testament, when you see the word Lord, it's in all caps. 710 00:34:20,509 --> 00:34:21,018 Why? 711 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:24,469 Because for years they never say Yahweh. 712 00:34:24,708 --> 00:34:27,129 And so now that's even influenced your very Bible. 713 00:34:29,179 --> 00:34:32,449 . And so even to this day, if you read certain things, they put G 714 00:34:32,449 --> 00:34:38,659 dash d because you can't say God because you don't want to What? 715 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:42,500 I don't want to say God's name in va, so I just won't say it at all. 716 00:34:42,559 --> 00:34:44,839 And if you say God's name, ooh, you in trouble. 717 00:34:46,699 --> 00:34:50,529 See, that's being legalistic on a conservative route. 718 00:34:50,529 --> 00:34:51,529 You guys get what I'm saying here? 719 00:34:52,309 --> 00:34:53,989 And then there's the liberal route here. 720 00:34:54,109 --> 00:34:54,679 And what is that? 721 00:34:54,679 --> 00:34:59,000 Basically, I can do it as long as it doesn't explicitly say I can't do it. 722 00:35:01,219 --> 00:35:02,990 You all know what I'm talking about. 723 00:35:03,769 --> 00:35:04,939 What does the Bible say? 724 00:35:04,939 --> 00:35:07,099 I shouldn't be vaping and smoking it Sure does it. 725 00:35:07,099 --> 00:35:07,879 So guess what? 726 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:09,469 I'm choking it up. 727 00:35:11,450 --> 00:35:15,229 Well, you can't tell me The Bible doesn't say that you can't do this. 728 00:35:15,889 --> 00:35:16,429 You're right. 729 00:35:16,429 --> 00:35:17,299 It doesn't say that. 730 00:35:18,049 --> 00:35:19,819 But is that the heart of the command? 731 00:35:21,245 --> 00:35:24,484 You see both of us and many of us, we look at, oh no, I'm not like 732 00:35:24,484 --> 00:35:27,634 that first version, but are you like this second version of legalism? 733 00:35:28,714 --> 00:35:30,184 You see, they're both legalistic. 734 00:35:30,394 --> 00:35:33,934 They wanna make sure it's the letter of the law and not the heart of the law. 735 00:35:34,714 --> 00:35:38,674 You see, Jesus reveals it's about the heart of God's command and not just 736 00:35:38,674 --> 00:35:40,444 the letter of law or adding to it. 737 00:35:41,764 --> 00:35:44,764 And so in many ways, you and I can do this. 738 00:35:45,124 --> 00:35:46,415 Hey, you gotta do it this way. 739 00:35:46,415 --> 00:35:48,245 This is the way our church has always practice it. 740 00:35:48,365 --> 00:35:49,444 And it might be a great practice. 741 00:35:49,444 --> 00:35:51,124 Nothing's wrong with it, but it becomes command. 742 00:35:51,214 --> 00:35:52,264 Or you're on the other side. 743 00:35:52,294 --> 00:35:54,634 Hey, it doesn't say that I can't, so guess what? 744 00:35:54,639 --> 00:35:55,205 Hallelujah. 745 00:35:55,209 --> 00:35:55,594 I'll do it. 746 00:35:57,995 --> 00:35:58,955 You're legalistic. 747 00:35:59,705 --> 00:36:02,524 So here's the key for us to be righteous, is we have to 748 00:36:02,524 --> 00:36:04,584 identify what's our tendency? 749 00:36:06,035 --> 00:36:10,384 Which one do I tend to be like this conservative legalistic or 750 00:36:10,384 --> 00:36:13,084 this liberal legalism church? 751 00:36:13,084 --> 00:36:13,894 Are you with me here? 752 00:36:13,899 --> 00:36:14,104 Yeah. 753 00:36:14,929 --> 00:36:17,660 Because again, the point is to be holy and righteous in God's sake. 754 00:36:17,660 --> 00:36:20,450 Here's a couple quick scriptures that I think could be very 755 00:36:20,450 --> 00:36:21,769 helpful for every one of us. 756 00:36:21,769 --> 00:36:23,509 First one, uh oh man. 757 00:36:23,509 --> 00:36:24,319 I didn't put it on there. 758 00:36:24,319 --> 00:36:24,499 Okay. 759 00:36:24,499 --> 00:36:25,249 All right, here you go. 760 00:36:25,249 --> 00:36:25,819 Write this down. 761 00:36:25,819 --> 00:36:28,129 Ecclesiastes chapter seven verse 18. 762 00:36:28,370 --> 00:36:30,349 Ecclesiastes chapter seven, verse 18. 763 00:36:30,410 --> 00:36:31,249 Here's what it says. 764 00:36:31,490 --> 00:36:34,069 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. 765 00:36:34,069 --> 00:36:34,549 Here's the key. 766 00:36:34,549 --> 00:36:36,080 Here's the, here's here's the money right here. 767 00:36:36,259 --> 00:36:39,769 Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 768 00:36:41,809 --> 00:36:44,599 Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 769 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:46,009 Makes sense, right? 770 00:36:46,009 --> 00:36:48,109 If I avoid extreme, then I won't be legalistic. 771 00:36:48,799 --> 00:36:49,849 Then here's another scripture. 772 00:36:49,854 --> 00:36:50,389 Write this down. 773 00:36:50,394 --> 00:36:52,519 First Corinthians chapter 10, verse 23. 774 00:36:53,089 --> 00:36:55,160 I have the right to do anything. 775 00:36:55,279 --> 00:36:55,759 You say. 776 00:36:55,759 --> 00:36:57,410 This is Paul talking to the church and correct. 777 00:36:57,410 --> 00:37:00,349 He says, he quotes here, Hey, there's a saying that's going 778 00:37:00,349 --> 00:37:01,309 around in the community. 779 00:37:01,370 --> 00:37:05,059 I have the right to do anything you say, but not everything is beneficial. 780 00:37:05,479 --> 00:37:09,349 I have the right to do anything, but not everything is constructive. 781 00:37:09,859 --> 00:37:13,160 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. 782 00:37:13,909 --> 00:37:14,749 So what is this saying? 783 00:37:14,929 --> 00:37:19,819 Yeah, I maybe could do this, but should I do this? 784 00:37:20,899 --> 00:37:26,269 Yeah, you can do a whole lot of stuff, but should you do those things? 785 00:37:26,929 --> 00:37:30,649 Am I missing the heart and command of God with my behavior? 786 00:37:31,399 --> 00:37:36,019 And so again, this allows us to analyze our heart and see are we righteous 787 00:37:36,019 --> 00:37:40,189 from within or are we religious and outdoor appearance and behavior. 788 00:37:41,089 --> 00:37:46,009 So these scriptures can be very helpful for you and I to identify where we 789 00:37:46,014 --> 00:37:51,259 are in our legalism so that we can now aim for the heart of God and we 790 00:37:51,259 --> 00:37:53,479 can be righteous and not religious. 791 00:37:54,109 --> 00:37:55,669 So let's get to some action steps here. 792 00:37:55,669 --> 00:37:56,149 Amen. 793 00:37:56,929 --> 00:37:57,769 Here's the action step. 794 00:37:58,009 --> 00:38:00,379 My kids, uh, man, I, I don't know what's going on with the, the, 795 00:38:00,379 --> 00:38:02,929 the, the formatting here, but anyhow, here's what it says here. 796 00:38:02,929 --> 00:38:03,289 All right. 797 00:38:03,319 --> 00:38:05,839 My kids have had assessment tests, so that word's in my mind here. 798 00:38:05,839 --> 00:38:06,019 Okay. 799 00:38:06,019 --> 00:38:06,349 All right. 800 00:38:06,469 --> 00:38:08,959 So assess where you are currently. 801 00:38:09,649 --> 00:38:10,549 Assess where you are. 802 00:38:10,700 --> 00:38:14,419 Are you more religious right now in your faith, or are you more righteous? 803 00:38:14,809 --> 00:38:20,809 Again, take great pain to be humble and honest, because then God can work. 804 00:38:21,139 --> 00:38:24,769 If we quickly dismiss that, then God can't work and produce the 805 00:38:24,769 --> 00:38:26,359 good he wants to in our lives. 806 00:38:26,839 --> 00:38:29,240 And if there is righteousness, then hallelujah. 807 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:30,469 Praise God for that. 808 00:38:30,559 --> 00:38:35,689 And continue to be aware of where there's pitfalls in your legalism. 809 00:38:36,410 --> 00:38:39,979 And then even perhaps ask people in your life, Hey, what do you see? 810 00:38:40,339 --> 00:38:41,240 What do you think? 811 00:38:41,540 --> 00:38:44,899 I'm more alike right now, more religious or more righteous. 812 00:38:45,109 --> 00:38:47,540 And again, we love each other, so we'll help each other out. 813 00:38:47,689 --> 00:38:50,990 And then lastly here, here's the prayer I ask you to join with the 814 00:38:50,990 --> 00:38:54,979 rest of us in praying for the church to be righteous and not religious. 815 00:38:54,979 --> 00:38:59,179 This week, we wanna be a people that follow the real Jesus, where 816 00:38:59,179 --> 00:39:01,129 we're righteous and we're not. 817 00:39:01,700 --> 00:39:04,159 Religious and go ahead, write this down. 818 00:39:04,159 --> 00:39:07,999 You can read chapters Lukin eight some point in, in, in the week as well. 819 00:39:08,269 --> 00:39:08,869 Brother Sisters. 820 00:39:08,869 --> 00:39:13,549 Our aim is to see a revival in the cause of Jesus where we know, 821 00:39:13,579 --> 00:39:16,849 follow and show the real Jesus. 822 00:39:17,179 --> 00:39:19,700 And last week we learned the real Jesus is powerful. 823 00:39:19,700 --> 00:39:24,769 This week we see the real Jesus is not religious, but he's righteous and 824 00:39:24,769 --> 00:39:29,749 his followers too should therefore be righteous and not religious. 825 00:39:30,079 --> 00:39:33,769 And so I praise God and I pray to every single one of us that we'll know. 826 00:39:33,979 --> 00:39:34,729 We'll follow. 827 00:39:34,729 --> 00:39:40,729 We'll show the real Jesus, and we too will be righteous and not religious. 828 00:39:40,789 --> 00:39:41,629 Brother, sister, love you. 829 00:39:41,629 --> 00:39:42,049 Thank you. 830 00:39:42,049 --> 00:39:42,469 Amen.