go to our Father in prayer together. Heavenly Father, we come to you with great thanks. We come to you with thanks for the blessing of not only hearing your word, but having hearts and minds and eyes and ears that can actually understand it in a way where it is the beginning of salvation for our souls.

We are so blessed to even have the eyes to see our sinful nature. That is only, that is only an aspect that is among your people. And to see that truth is what turns our eyes to you. And that is such a wonderful blessing. Lord, we are so grateful that you've chosen a people to be able to see the truth. And we don't understand your will, your wise, how you've chosen those people, but we are so grateful that you have chosen us. to understand the depths of our situation and the heights of your glory.

We thank you, Jesus, for being everything we need, for being all that we need, and for making us yours. We pray, Lord, that our message this morning is simply about Christ and what he has done for his people. We pray that for all your churches. And we pray this in His name. Amen. We're gonna be hopping around the Gospels today. We'll actually be in Luke and Matthew.

But before we go to the Scriptures, there are basically two, there are two types of people in the world. And this can be split as in believers or non-believers. It can also be split in those... It can be said there are sinners who know they're sinners and there are sinners that don't know that. That is everyone. Everyone in the world falls into one of those two categories. Not good people and bad people. Not religious people and irreligious people. not church members and pagans. There are sinners who have been made aware and sinners who have not. Dividing line in salvation is not how sinful you are. It's whether you've been shown your sinful nature and then who do you go to for salvation.

Jesus did not come to reward the righteous. And we know that. But it actually has to be said because it's quite often portrayed that way in this world. That there's some sort of reward system for being a good person or for improving yourself throughout your life. Jesus didn't come to reward the righteous.

There is no one deserving of reward. Of all of our moralities, which we love to hold on to in this world, every one of our moralities is deserving of death. So Jesus didn't come to reward anyone, Jesus came to save. And who did he come to save? Sinners. We are all sinners.

But if you don't believe that you're sick, you will not look for a physician. If you feel great, you're not gonna go to the doctor. If you don't believe you're lost, you're not gonna cry out for help. If you don't believe you're a sinner, the idea of Christ, who he is and what he's done, will simply not make sense to you.

So today we're gonna look at three different scenes that show us this. There's a dinner table, sycamore tree, and a prayer at the temple. And in all three, the message is unmistakable, and the message is unmistakable throughout the entire scriptures. Christ came to save the worst, vilest of men and women. The bottom of the barrel. And we're all there. It's just a matter of do you know it? Have you been shown?

So we can turn to Matthew right now, and we'll just read Matthew 9, verses 10 through 13. It's very short. Actually, we can do 9 through 13. Matthew 9, 9 through 13. As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew. sitting at the tax collector's booth, and he said, follow me, he told him. And Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? On hearing this, Jesus said, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

So Jesus is reclining at a table at Matthew's house. Matthew is a wonderful character. Matthew is a tax collector. Tax collectors were the dredge of society. They were literally hated by everyone. They were hated by their own people. The Jews hated them because they worked for Rome. The Romans hated them because they were still Jews. And quite often they were very dishonest. They stole a lot of money. They would charge more for taxes and keep a lot for themselves. So they're horribly looked down individuals.

And that's where Christ is sitting at this tax collector's house with other tax collectors and sinners. And the Pharisees say, why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? And I've heard this specific event used in modern day society as a way to affirm sin. You hear this a lot. I probably see it more than some people, because I have a bad habit of being on the internet. But the common way to affirm sin nowadays is to say, well, Jesus ate with them. He, like the fact that he sat with them was saying that that sin was okay.

That is not what's being said here. God does not tolerate sin. God despises sin, every single one of them. Man has an incredibly good talent of making sin small. And I, we do the same. This is not just meant for the world, this is meant for us. Sin is not small. Sin is not cute. Sin is not funny. It is, every single sin is a complete and full rebellion in the face of God. Because it is he who made the rules. So when you sin against those rules, you're sinning against him. He is the offended one. And we humans love to throw the word offended around, especially in 2026.

We throw it around like it's nothing, but we don't understand the true depth of offended, the offense that sin is to God. God hates sin so deeply that the only way he could do away with it for his loved ones was to put his own son to death. How can we then take sin lightly? If sin were small, the cross would not have been necessary. If sin were tolerable, our Savior would not have been crushed.

So when Jesus sits with sinners in this story, he's not lowering God's standards and saying, I love you guys so much, what you're doing, it's cool. And he says this specifically, he says, they're the sick ones. He's not lowering God's standards, he's moving towards those who cannot meet God's standards. And he says, those who are well have no need for a doctor, no need for a physician, but those who are sick, I came to call the righteous, or not the righteous, but the sinners. He says, he doesn't deny what the Pharisees are saying. The Pharisees are saying, you're sitting here with the worst of society, the tax collectors and sinners.

He doesn't stand up and say, well, look in the mirror. He says, yes, they are, and that's why I'm here. He affirms their sickness. And he says, I am here because I am the only physician. Grace through Christ is not an approval of sin. Grace through Christ is the only cure for sin.

Back to the tax collector. They were despised by everyone. Again, Jews hated them. They worked for Rome, who was basically an occupying country ruling over the Jews. They extorted from their own people, They were viewed as traitors. Rome didn't like them either because they were still Jews. They were just used as tools to bring in money. So they were rejected by their own nation and despised by the empire they worked for.

So when scripture talks about tax collectors, and it's no It's not an accident that the Scriptures keep referring to tax collectors. We're gonna look a little bit later at Zacchaeus, who Scott read about. He's a tax collector. We're gonna look a little bit later about when the Pharisee and the sinner are praying next to each other at the temple. That sinner was a tax collector. There's a reason.

Because tax collectors were morally corrupt. They were bad people. They only cared about themselves. They were willing to get rid of every aspect of their lives for money. Because their family was no longer their family. They were completely alone. It's socially rejected. They were looked at as spiritually unclean. The reason tax collectors are continuously used to show the depravity of sin is because that morally corrupt, socially rejected, spiritually unclean individual is every single one of us.

That's who we are. God goes to great lengths to make sure we understand you aren't just kinda bad, you are the bottom of the barrel. and you have no hope without me. Every man and woman that has ever taken breath, that is who they are. Modern day tax collector. And Jesus intentionally came here to save each one of his chosen people from exactly that spot.

Jesus says in this scripture, he says, those who are well have no need for a physician. Think about this, imagine you're home, you're at your house. It's a normal day, you feel completely fine. And a guy comes and knocks at the door. You open it up and he says, I am the doctor and I've got what is needed to save your life. I feel fine. You'd probably laugh. Probably slam the door in his face. What is wrong with this guy? There's nothing wrong with me. Why would I need a cure? Because you don't think you're sick.

That is the world. without the Holy Spirit. And that is something we need to be so grateful for, that we have been shown the truth. Because if you're not shown the truth, you cannot discover it on your own. It is beyond comprehension of a worldly being. The gospel only makes it, excuse me, It says, where was I?

Yeah, okay, so that is the world without the Holy Spirit. Scripture says we are dead in sin, but we feel alive. We are terminally ill, but if you haven't been shown that, you have no idea. Unless the Spirit of God opens your eyes to your condition, Christ sounds unnecessary. The gospel only makes sense to the sick.

Grace to the righteous, quote unquote, is pointless. And I love how Christ even says that in the scripture. He says, I have not come to call the righteous. No one is righteous. It says in Romans, there is none righteous, no, not one. So Christ is not contradicting himself.

He's being almost sarcastic. to these Pharisees, saying, I haven't come to call you who think you're righteous. I have come to call sinners. I have come to be the physician for the sick. So grace to the Pharisees was actually offensive. I don't need grace.

So then we turn a few pages over to Luke What Scott just read, the story of Zacchaeus. It's Luke 19, one through 10. Zacchaeus isn't just a tax collector, he's actually a chief tax collector, so I guess that's even worse, which isn't possible, I understand that. But they're making a point here, a chief sinner. Paul called himself the chief of sinners. He's supervising corruption. He's built his wealth on injustice.

And Jesus stops beneath the tree that he's sitting in and says, Zacchaeus, hurry, come down. I'm going to your house today. Well, this is shocking to everybody that was watching. Just like earlier when he's sitting at the table with sinners and tax collectors, the Pharisees are like, why? What's he doing? Same thing happens here. The crowd murmurs. He's going to be the guest in the house of a sinner? Yes. That's exactly what he's doing.

And listen carefully to what Jesus says to him later in this story. He says, today, this is after they're going to Zacchaeus' home, he says, today salvation has come to this house. That's a statement. That's not merely saying that Zacchaeus is going to improve. It's a declaration of who just showed up Who just walked in his door? Salvation did not simply happen in that house. Salvation had arrived in that house. Salvation is not an act. Salvation is not a way for us to morally improve. Salvation is a person. Salvation is Christ.

And salvation had come to that house that day. Earlier in Luke's gospel, we talked about this earlier around Christmas time, Simeon, as he was holding the child, Christ, made a very similar comment. He held him in his arms and said, my eyes have seen your salvation. He was holding salvation. He was holding Christ. So when Jesus says salvation has come to this house, he means I have come to this house. The Savior himself has crossed the threshold. And Zacchaeus says, here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor.

And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay four times the amount. is not evidence of how we will improve upon salvation because, well, we all know from personal experience that's not the case. This is fruit, this is the evidence of the Holy Spirit.

Salvation does not mean we stop sinning. Salvation does not mean we become better people. We are still flesh in this world. Believers will battle sin until we're done here. We will struggle and we will contain that nature. But what changes is not that sin disappears.

What changes is ownership. Zacchaeus no longer belonged to greed. He no longer belonged to Rome. He belonged to Christ. Salvation is not sinless perfection. Salvation is a new master. in the presence of Christ where he was not before. Salvation has come into this house, and that is what happened in Jericho. Salvation walked in to a sinner's home.

Now let's turn, mine's on the exact same page actually, so just back a page, Luke 19, nine through 14. Another example. Let's read it. It's the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. To some who were confident of their own righteousness. So this is a parable. The other two that we just read were actual events. This is a parable told by our Lord Jesus. And I love how he starts it. To some who are confident in their own righteousness. This is meant for you, us, anyone confident in their own righteousness. and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. God, I thank you that I am not like any other man, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector, who stood at a distance, He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Again, Luke tells us exactly why Jesus is explaining this parable. It says, to some who trusted themselves for their own righteousness.

These two men go to the temple to pray. And don't miss the fact that they're both praying. They're in a temple. They're doing religious activities. They're using religious language. This Pharisee, he's not cursing God. He's not being blasphemous outright. To the human eye, to the fleshly eye, what he's doing is a good thing. He's addressing God. But listen to his prayer. It starts, I thank you that I am not like other men. He still uses the language of gratitude, but in a way that congratulates himself. He mentions fasting. He mentions tithing. He compares himself to lesser individuals.

This is morality. Morality is the crutch of the worldly church. That is what they lean on. Morality is the savior. of men's church. And it has no power to save. Morality only has the power to condemn. So he is praying, but the center of his prayer is himself and what he can do, what he can offer, and what he can provide. Often evil is not allowed rebellion.

And blasphemy isn't, well it's quite often it's dressed up like religion. You can use religious language and worship yourself. That's what he's doing. You can be in the temple and be completely lost. When morality replaces Christ, it's basically polished unbelief.

And then meanwhile, you have the tax collector, and they go out of their way to mention that he was standing far off. He won't even come close to the temple. He won't lift his eyes. He can't pick his eyes up off the dirt. Beats his breast in agony, shame.

And then he prays, and I love this prayer. If you ever have a tough time figuring out what to pray for, here you go. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And Jesus says, that man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. The religious man leaves condemned. The confessed sinner leaves justified. The dividing line is not temple attendance, it's not religious words or vocabulary, it's not morality or discipline. Are you approaching Christ for salvation? That is why he came. That is why he died. And that is why he rose again and ascended to the throne, simply for the salvation of his helpless people. So don't go to him for anything else.

I mean, we're told that we can go to God for all of our troubles, and that's absolutely true. But what do you really need? You need help as you get through your day-to-day life? Sure, we do. Or do you need salvation from the forthcoming judgment of God?

Go to Christ. and say the exact same thing that this sinner said, this tax collector, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Christ came to save sinners and you are a sinner. Whether you know it or not. And this is why they call it the gospel. This is why it's the good news. You're a sinner, and that's who Christ came to save. Is there anything for you to do? Nope. Christ already did it. To someone that's hearing this for the first time, they would have to be like, really? Can it be that simple? Yes, it has to be that simple. We can't have a part in this.

Are you a sinner? Do you need salvation? Are you sick? Do you need a doctor? There is only one doctor. There is only one savior. Are you the tax collector at the temple? Are you standing far off? You have a hard time lifting your eyes to heaven. Do you have times where you beat your chest in shame and agony?

Perfect. You're exactly like him. Sinful, guilty, according to the law, abhorrent. Exactly like him, so exactly like him, Pray, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And then exactly like him, Christ doesn't say no. If you go to him for salvation, he'll turn no one away. So if you go to him just exactly like this tax collector and pray to him, God, Be merciful to me, a sinner. Exactly like him, you will be blessed to go home justified. Justified before God.

Christ came to save the vilest of sinners, and by our nature, we do not believe that is the case for us. And even, I still struggle with that. There's times when I can't get out from under my sin, and then there's times when I have no problem getting out from underneath my sin. We have that dual nature. But having that dual nature is proof that you've been given spiritual life. The battle is proof.

And just keep looking to Christ in those situations. Looking at yourself, you will either get proud of who you are or get weighed down in what you are. And either way, that's not good for you. It does nothing. Look to Christ, look to who is perfect, look to who is loving, look to who has already completed the perfect work for salvation for all of his people. Pray to him, God, be merciful to me, I'm a sinner. And it is guaranteed that you will go home justified before God because of the perfect work of Jesus Christ.

It's scary to talk about. You are a sinner. You are this tax collector. Human nature's like, we get prickly. I don't wanna hear that. It's the good news. That is who receives salvation. So go to Christ and exactly like this tax collector, pray God be merciful to me and you will go home justified before God.

Our Father, we thank you for another beautiful morning. We thank you for being with us this morning. We thank you for these wonderful words for showing us over and over in scripture that we need you and we have you. That we are hopeless sinners and yet we are loved by God because of what you have done. It is the perfect gospel, the perfect good news, and Lord, we ask that you help us to hold on to it through our daily lives. And we pray this in Jesus' name, amen.