Meeting Jesus – Jesus Calls Sinners

The opening section presents Jesus' call to Levi, a tax collector, as recorded in Mark 2:13-15, Luke 5:27-29, and Matthew 9:10-13. Jesus' call to Levi was not merely a simple invitation with the words "Follow me," but rather a summons that required complete abandonment of his former life. Levi "left everything, rose up, and followed Him" and subsequently prepared a great feast to publicly acknowledge Jesus and invite his former friends—other sinners—to meet the Savior.

The second section develops the theological argument concerning humanity's sinful nature and God's redemptive call. Scripture teaches that "there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10, 23) because "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Jesus does not call those who consider themselves righteous or the Pharisees, but rather He calls "sinners"—those who acknowledge their sinfulness. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and notorious sinners, He responded: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick," demonstrating that sinners are precisely those He came to redeem.

The third section applies this message to the practical life of believers and calls for genuine faith commitment. Following Jesus is not merely spiritual belief but requires complete self-denial: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). The sermon emphasizes that a true Christian is one who "acknowledges that among the many conflicting voices in the world, there is only one voice that conquers the full force of his will, mind, and emotions toward self-surrender and service" (Elton Trueblood). When one chooses to heed Jesus Christ's call, even amid much uncertainty, the believer experiences great joy in being used by God for a grand purpose, giving true meaning to an otherwise small life.