Pastor's Sermon Notes
January 1, 2012
Scripture Reading: Romans 10:1-13
Luke 5:27-32
And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of
custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 29And
Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and
of others that sat down with them. 30But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his
disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 31And Jesus answering
said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32I came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus does not mind being with those viewed as sinners. If Christ couldn’t be with sinners He
wouldn’t have come! But Christ is not here to let people stay in sin but to call sinners to repent.
Luke 5:33-35
And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and
likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? 34And he said unto them, Can
ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
35But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall
they fast in those days.
Now is the time to fast that the bridegroom is gone. You almost feel bad for Pharisees, they’re
like the Indians and Mexicans in old Westerns.
Luke 5:36-39
And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old;
if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new
agreeth not with the old. 37And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine
will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38But new wine must be put
into new bottles; and both are preserved. 39No man also having drunk old wine straightway
desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Parables have to do with change. Pharisees are flipping out over the change that Christ is
bringing to the understanding of law keeping. People get used to the old and the new rankles
immediately.
Luke 6:1-4
And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields;
and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2And
certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath
days? 3And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did,
when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
4How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to
them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
Jesus takes some liberties with Scripture to explain his freedom to do stuff on the Sabbath
because Hey, David got away with unlawfulness too!
Luke 6:5-11
And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. 6And it came to pass
also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man
whose right hand was withered. 7And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he
would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8But he knew
their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the
midst. And he arose and stood forth. 9Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it
lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 10And
looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so:
and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11And they were filled with madness; and
communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
They don’t like Jesus messing with their Sabbath traditions. This means everything they did in
the past to establish their own righteousness by Sabbath keeping is worthless. Result is anger.
Don’t mess with people’s pasts!
James 1:21-25
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the
engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24For he beholds himself, and goes
his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the
work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Lay aside the junk of the past, hear God’s Word and do it. Don’t forget what God said, forget
who you were. Doing what God says is liberty!
Philippians 3:12-14
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may
apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Forget the old you, the old man is crucified, put on the new, press forward toward Christ, lay
aside the weight of sin. Follow Christ into glorious liberty.