Looking Outward

Notes:

• • Today we’re discussing looking outwards as we join in on God’s mission to make His salvation through the death & resurrection of Jesus known in our city. But if we are going to look outwards and engage, we have to do it God’s way.

• Matthew 9:35-38

• • • Noticing the state of the lost – seeing beyond the material into the real problems of their lives.
      • Jesus notices their spirits – sad, distressed. 
      • They are lost with no leader: Sheep don’t know how to take care of themselves, they need a shepherd. 
    • From this being driven by compassion and love to see their condition change. 
  • What Jesus shows in His response to the crowds is how He would also see Matthew:

• Matthew 9:9-13

• • • Jesus sees that Matthew as “sick” – He sees Matthew’s needs.
• Jesus models noticing others for us. Not to get stuck in our own busyness, our own lives, or our judgementality, but to see into a person and how they are hurting. 
• Jesus also models sharing life with others.
  • He calls Matthew to Himself. Its an invitation to live alongside Jesus and learn from Him. Jesus will invest His time, and His heart into Matthew. 
  • Jesus accepts Matthew’s invitation to share life as well by attending His banquet.
  • Jesus, in incarnating human flesh, is God incarnating human life, the life of broken people. Jesus, (holy God) eats with sinners. 
    • We are to follow in these incarnational footsteps and meet other people where they are at and live life with them as we pursue their good through the gospel. 
• A dose of realism about Matthew:
  • He is a seedy criminal, and a crook. Yet Jesus called him, and invited him into life.
  • Jesus dines with other criminals, and seedy rejects of society in entering Matthew’s life. He doesn’t immediately demand Matthew change, or keep Matthew at a distance. 
  • Jesus models real love and acceptance of others as He disciples them into salvation.
• We are to follow this model of Jesus.
  • We often don’t notice others. 
  • We often are not motivated by compassion but rather pride or zeal. 
  • We often choose to connect with people most like ourselves (our comfort and pride).
  • We keep people at a distance – we do not invest or invite others into our lives.
  • We also treat people judgmentally, we’re okay to share the gospel, maybe have dinner, but only so long as they hide their sins from our vision. 
• Jesus, fueled by compassion for Matthew’s lostness and sin, invites Matthew in and even goes into his house, immersing himself in Matthew’s broken life. He does this to save Matthew out of it. Jesus doesn’t intend to keep Matthew there, but out of godly love will meet him where he is at and journey with him to wholeness with God. 
  • In due time Matthew will understand more deeply His sin, repent, and understand that Jesus will have died for Him and that through faith in what Jesus does, have forgiveness and reconciliation with God. 
    • This is the journey of discipleship we are all to lead others into. 

Reflection:

This week start noticing people in your life and pray for their salvation, cultivating compassion over them not knowing God.