Alright, I ask you to turn again
to the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 9. The Gospel according to Matthew
chapter 9. I'll begin in verse 9 as was
last Sunday. And as Jesus passed forth from
thence, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom,
and saith unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus
said it, meet in the house. Behold, many publicans and sinners
came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees
saw it, they said unto his disciples, why eateth your master with publicans
and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he
said unto them, they that be whole need not a physician, but
they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that
meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice,
for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. As I said last time, there is
so much glorious truth here in this one brief account. Understand that this is just
a brief snapshot. A lot took place here. But Matthew
is called. And probably within the same
day, although we do not know, there is this some short lapse
of time possibly, and then Jesus is now sitting down to eat in
a house. But notice this whole account
takes up just three or four verses. So much glorious truth here.
Last time when I preached from this text, I preached on called
to repentance. Now in this brief account of
the call of Matthew, we also see another glorious truth. Paul
expressed it this way to Timothy. This is what Paul wrote to Timothy.
We have it recorded in 1 Timothy 1 and verse 15. This is a faithful
saying. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. The title of my message this
morning is Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners. This truth is the touchstone
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This truth is the pinnacle of
the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus came into
this world not to teach men how to live, though he taught men
how they ought to live. But the pinnacle of that coming
was to save sinners. This is, as I said, the touchstone
of the Gospel. But before I look at that, which
may even be later, I have a couple questions. Who are the whole
and who are the righteous in our text? You see he mentions
them? The whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick. And I've not come to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance. Two things are clear here. First,
it is clear the whole need not a physician. Because that's what
he said. Second, it is clear that Christ
did not come to call the righteous. Now is that profound? Or is that
just what that says? It's profound, but it's exactly
what our Lord Jesus Christ said. And who did Christ refer to here
when he said these words? Let's read it again, starting
at the second phase of this, and it came to pass. As Jesus
sat at meat in the house, behold, think about that. This was different
for the Jews than what they had been previously used to with
the Pharisees. But look at what he said, behold,
many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his
disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it,
and when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples,
why eatest your master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard
that, you see that? So who's he talking about here?
He's talking about these Pharisees. He's talking about these Pharisees Now listen to what I'm about
to give you here there is I said there is a wholeness and There
is a righteousness That does not honor God You hear what I
just said Now there are two wrong opinions about this text,
and they are held by the majority of those who profess to be Christians. One is this. It's along this
line. It's not a quote from anyone, but it's the general consensus.
I know people. I've been preaching this gospel
for 31, 32 years. I used to be in false Christianity,
so I know what I'm talking about. But there is one side that says,
Yes, God is saving whole people, righteous people, but isn't it
nice that he saves a few bad people? That's what they see in this
text. That's what they think Jesus is talking about. Well,
yes, the righteous are going to be saved, Joe. Those that
are whole, they don't need a physician. They're okay. Some people are
okay, but isn't it good? Isn't it nice? Isn't it sweet
that Jesus is going to save some bad people? That's the way some
people see this when they read this account. Am I right or wrong?
That's what they think. That's nothing of what Christ
is talking about. But there's another camp here
that thinks Christ is speaking in hyperbole. That he is exaggerating. That he is calling people whole
when they're not or righteous when they're not. No, he's not. Our Lord Jesus Christ never exaggerated. When he said, when he said, if
these keep silent, the stones would cry out. You know how I
know he meant that? How I know that was true? Because
he has power over the stones. He gave an ass the voice to speak
verbally in human language one time. He can do that for a rock,
Mason. No. Listen to what our Lord had
just previously said. These are His words from what
men call the Sermon on the Mount. And listen to this one phrase
He gave in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 20. For I say unto you
that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Now some would point out, well,
the second righteousness is interpolated into the text, but it's still
valid in the Greek. And I also tell you this, remember
what Isaiah the prophet said? That even our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags in God's sight. What I'm saying is, what Christ
was saying is that there is a wholeness and that there is a righteousness
that does not honor God. There's a righteousness that
don't cut the muster with God. That's what he says right here.
For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed
the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in
no case No exceptions will be given for this. Ye shall in no
case enter into the kingdom of heaven. And then, right near
the end of this message, he says in chapter 6, listen to what
he says, verse 33. When he's beginning to sum this
thing up, he says, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and
His Righteousness you see that now to show that there is validity
are our Lord's words even the Apostle Paul who Formerly before
he was converted by the free and reigning grace of God. He
was a Pharisee He spoke of a legal righteousness and called it his
own righteousness He said, I don't want to be found having my own
righteousness, which is of the law, but I need that righteousness,
which is of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Christ is not speaking hyperbole
here. I heard a man say this. He said,
there's a prominent preacher, something along this line. There's
a prominent preacher who says, Jesus never called anybody a
sinner. And I thought, well, he's right about that. You know,
the guy is wrong. Jesus Christ did call people
sinners. But you know who he said Christ
called sinners? He said he called sinners snakes
and vipers and people full of dead men bones. And that's a
lie. He called the Pharisees those things. And the Pharisees
had their own religious wholeness. And the Pharisees had their own
legal righteousness. But it does not cut the muster
with God Almighty. You see, most people, when they
hear the word of God, our corruption by nature is so great, we can't
even understand clear English. when it presents the truth of
God in clear English. We can understand all kinds of
great things in science and geology in English, but we can't comprehend
the truth of God even in English in our natural corruption in
Adam. They that be whole, they don't
need a physician. And Christ said, I didn't come
to call the righteous. Somebody said, but even the Pharisees
were sinners. If you could have been back then,
I would tell you this, ask one of them if they were. Paul said, when it come to the
righteousness of the law, I stood what? Blameless. Why? Because his conscience had no
light. He thought this was the righteousness
God demands. And all over this country, yea,
all over this world, and on the airwaves, you have men trying
to tout legal human righteousness as acceptable before God. And
it's not. They that be whole need not a
physician. And Christ said, I didn't come
to call the righteous. But I came to call sinners to
repentance listen to the words of God manifest in the flesh
Listen to what he says in Luke chapter 18 as he was preaching
one time And he he's summing up a statement
here Look at Luke chapter 18 in verse 8. I tell you I that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of
Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? And men and women,
even myself, in our natural state, we hear that and we begin to
philosophize in our minds. What does that really mean? and
it's especially intriguing to our Adamic nature because it
helps us to shove everything off into the future. What about
the future? What about then? Well, Christ
explains exactly what he's talking about. The faith that Jesus Christ
will find when he, what? Comes back. When he comes, will
be the same kind of faith that is already present on the earth. And there's two kinds of faith.
There's a faith that trusts in oneself and there's a faith that
looks to God for mercy. Look at what he says. And he
spake this parable unto certain which trusted, there's their
faith. Do you see it? Which trusted
in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple
to pray. The one a, wait a minute, a Pharisee. Isn't this the same group we're
talking about back in Matthew and I? The one, a Pharisee, the
other, uh-oh, what, a publican? Isn't one Matthew a publican?
A collector of taxes for the Roman government, huh? He set
it the receipt of custom? Yes! The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men
are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. Boy,
isn't it easy to point your finger at somebody else. Almost every
one of us, when we're looking at self, can find somebody else
that looks a little worse than we are. Even as this publican, I fast
twice in a week, I give tithes of all that I possess. I'm going
to tell you folks, that man's got me beat. He's got me beat. What about
you? Look, and the publican. standing
afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,
but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. There's the second kind of faith.
That's a God-given faith. That's a faith that recognizes
what I am by nature, and my only hope is mercy from God. But look, I tell you, Christ
said, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other. He didn't say, well, the other
guy was lying. No, he meant everything he said. He was doing what he
said he was doing and wasn't doing what he said he wasn't
doing. But I tell you, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other. For everyone that exalteth himself
shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. This thing of trying to justify
yourself before men, Christ said, that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in God's sight. The wholeness of
human goodness The righteousness of human deeds is an abomination
in God's sight. As I already pointed out, Isaiah
the prophet says, the best that we could offer to God, even our
righteousnesses, are as filthy rags in God's sight. In this
religious world of do-gooders, of so-called Christians, do not
get that whatsoever. Go to the radio, go to the TV,
and listen to it, and you will hear exactly what I'm telling
you. They will say, God says you ought
to live holy because he is holy. That's not what God said. God
said, be ye holy. Amen. That's it. And that's the
way it has to be done. Exactly. Be ye holy, for I am
holy. That's a pronouncement. That's
right. Amen. That's not a call to act. Let
me tell you something. You and I, when it comes to God
as the standard, have not done a holy thing, not one holy thing
in our entire lives. We may have done many a holy
thing in other men's sight. We may have done many a righteous
thing in other men's sight. But we have done nothing righteous
and nothing holy in God, the thrice holy God, Joe's sight. Now hear me now. All human righteousness
based upon human comparativeness is an affront to God. You hear
what I just said? Not because I'm smart, but I
worked on this for a little bit. Think about this statement. All,
A-L-L, all human righteousness based upon human comparativeness
is an affront to God. It may well be a righteousness,
but it's an affront to God. It may well be wholeness, but
it's an affront to God. In other words, a human standard
of righteousness based upon one's moral superiority to another
human being is by default flawed. And it's even damning. That was
the difference Christ was pointing out between the faith of the
Pharisee and the faith of the publican. That's where it's at. Again, let me say it. A human
standard of righteousness based upon one's moral superiority
to another human is by default flawed. And it's damning. There are men I can look at,
there are women I can look at in this world, and I know I stand
morally above some of them. But there are other men I look
at and other women I look at, and as far as what I can see,
I stand morally below them. But we ourselves are not the
standard. As a matter of fact, the truth
is this. I can't even meet the standard of God's law for men. Exactly. Let alone meet God's
righteousness itself as the standard. Amen. The righteousness of the
law is not the righteousness of God. It's God's demands for
men. Yes, sir. Christ said, I'm Lord
of the Sabbath. Amen. We are told to remember
the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Are we not? How many really do? Those who say they do are liars.
They are liars. Yet thousands upon thousands
upon thousands who call themselves Christians operate under these
very standards. They think wholeness and righteousness
is based upon what they compare amongst themselves. And remember,
Paul said, we're not like some people. They're unwise. They,
by comparing themselves amongst themselves and judging themselves
amongst themselves, they are not wise. Exactly. That's what
it said. It's easy to say, well, at least I'm not like that person. There you go. You're right. Could make you feel pretty whole
when you find some poor old sinner that's worse off than you are.
Exactly. Go up and down the street and
find that gal that's walking the street selling her body for
money, huh? May be easy, Joe, to feel pretty
whole when you see her. See that drunk laying under the
bridge somewhere in a drunken stupor? Pretty easy to feel pretty
whole and pretty righteous when you go to work every day, pay
all your bills, take care of your family, and even help out
your neighbors. David Wright makes you feel pretty
whole and pretty righteous, but they're not the standard. That
gal out there on the street, she's not the standard. That
man laying under the bridge, he's not the standard. One, God's
law is the standard, and you ain't met that. And even beyond
that, God himself is the standard, and we can never touch that. But Christ came to heal. He is
the physician he's talking about. The whole don't need me, he said.
And they'll tell you that. The whole don't need me, but
he's a physician, he's a healer. Who did he come to heal? The
sick. Does my state equal God's holiness? There's a question of all the
things. Remember what God said when it comes to standard. He's
talking about Israel. Yes, I know he was talking about Israel.
But if you look at what Paul said in Romans three, and verse
started in verse nine, he said, what, are we better, or is the
Jew better than the Gentile? Are we better than they? No and
no wise, because we before proved that they're all under sin. He didn't just, he didn't say
we're all sinners. We're all what? Under sin. But here's the question, Isaiah
said this of Israel, you are rotten from the top of your head
to the soles of your feet. And all in between is nothing
but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. That's the kind of people
Christ came to save. Because he's the great physician.
That's no cliche. He is the great physician. He's
the great healer. My wholeness shrivels into dust
before the wholeness of God Almighty. Compare yourself to God. Can
you? Can you? Wait a minute. Compare yourself to God. Can
you? Yeah, you can. And you know what happens? This
is the thing. Most people don't want to do that. I'm saying you
ought to. Well, so that's one of the only
ways you're gonna figure out how bad you really are. Exactly. Compare yourself to God. And
if you have truly eyes to see, you will fall far short. Amen. You see what I'm saying?
Sick! When I look at God in the, Joe,
even in that small glimpses that it seems to be, I know myself
to be sick. I see to some degree, not like
he sees it, as Joe said, but I see to some degree all of these
wounds and bruises and these putrefied, these smelling, rotting
sores that is what me down in here. But you're a preacher. I thought preacher were good
men. No. The only good preachers that
there are will go to hell. The whole name, not a physician.
for they that are sick. Well, I thought preachers live
righteously. They say they do. They think
they do, and they may compared to somebody else. But somebody
else is not the standard. God is the standard. Does my
righteousness equal that of the thrice holy gods? Do I have the
constitution to compare myself to God and his righteousness?
If you do, if you really do, then you'll see how short you
are. Joe, you guys said it? When Isaiah was given the ability
to see God for who he really was, he cried out, this is Isaiah
the prophet. Woe is me. Woe is me. Am I willing to compare
myself to God? It's a good thing to do. Don't
be afraid to do that. But when I do, I see my corruption.
The sick need a physician. When you realize how sick you
are, there's a healer. There's a physician who can take
care of that sickness. But when I look at God's righteousness,
I see how unrighteous I am. Oh, think about it. Christ said
I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. You
see, until God Almighty ever shows you what you really are
in light of Him, you will never be saved. Even Saul of Tarsus,
in his proud, boastful religious righteousness, was brought down. Was he not? And he said, all
of that was before. All of that legal righteousness,
I count it as done. That's strong language, Jack
Mattis. All of that is dung. So his wholeness, Joe, was what?
Dung. His legal righteousness was what?
Dung. And yet thousands boast upon
that as their acceptance before God in this day. They're whole. They're righteous. They sure
are. But it won't cut the muster with God. Am I willing to compare
myself to God? Are you able to see God as He
is? There's a question. A lot of
people think they've seen God and they ain't really seen God.
They've seen a figment of their own imagination. They've heard
a false God proclaimed or a false Jesus, another Jesus, and they
have a false standard. There are people who actually
believe that God in Christ lowered the standard to make it easier
for us to be saved. Christ had to die under the judgment and
wrath of God to save us. He had to be made flesh That's
a coming down. But even then he was still, what
did we see last week, holy? Separate from sinners. Undefiled. And yet he was also at the same
time made sin. Made a curse. Made a little lower
than the angels. All of these things. Why? To
save sinners. You know, there's very few sinners
nowadays. Did you know that? They're very
free. I mean real bonafide, true God,
God's word centers because most everybody thinks they're whole.
Most everybody thinks they're righteous. You know why? Because
they're comparing themselves to other fallen creatures or
they're comparing themselves with this imagination of who
they think God really is. And God is, as Joe has already
pointed out, holy, holy, holy. you can't even approach the light
that he dwells in. Isn't that what Paul said to
Timothy? He dwells in a light that no man can approach. Are you able to see God as he
is? If you do, if you can, you will fall short and mercy will
be your plea. You'll be shut up unto the mercy
of God. As Tim James once pointed out,
You don't let God have mercy on you. That's an insult. And he pointed out this way.
He said, if I offended you and I come to you and told you, I'm
going to let you have mercy on me. That'd be even more of an
offense. Would it not? I'm gonna let you
have mercy on me. No sir, God says I have mercy
on whom I'll have mercy. And I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion. You know what? Thank God he will. He will. What is my stake compared
to God's? I'm talking about me. I'm confessing
before you. What is my stake compared to
God? I'm sick. Neil, I'm sick. from the top
of my head to the bottom of my feet and all in between them,
wounds and bruises and putrefying rotten sores. What is my righteousness
compared to God's? I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. Do you see that? Do you feel
that? Do you know your absolute lack
compared to God and you know you don't even know that to its
fullness? I mean, you know your absolute lack, but you still
know you don't even know it to its fullness. Exactly. Do you
see that? That's the kind of people Christ
came to save. Amen. You know that? Yes, sir.
Again, I quote it. This is a faithful saint. And note the words, and worthy
of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came into this world
to save sinners. And then I left this out on purpose.
And then he said, of whom I am chief. I am the prototype. Look at Paul the Apostle and
what he used to be. He used to be one of them whole
fellas. He used to be one of them righteous fellas until God
brought him down and made him sick, Mason. Or more appropriately,
maybe I should say God made him to know his true sickness. Made
him to know that it's not my legal righteousness that is of
any value. Because it really doesn't cut it with God. Do you
see that? Do you feel that? Do you know
that? That I say to you, seek Christ. That's all I can say. Seek Christ. Beg Him for mercy. Beg Him for it. Believe him for
it. Amen. Believe him for it. He
says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord. But what?
Only sick folk though. Yeah. Only sick folk though. Only folks that are sinners.
That's the whosoevers. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord. What did he say? Yeah. Shall.
Amen. You see that? Believe him in
it. Shall be saved. Why? Because he's already reconciled
the people to God. Amen. He's already done that
work. You know, Christ could call millions to repentance.
Had he already not reconciled them to God, it would have been
of no value. We still had to perish in a devil's hail because
justice had to be satisfied. Even the repentance that God
calls sinners unto does not atone or reconcile them concerning
their sins. Repentance doesn't cancel out
sin. Only blood does. Only blood does. And that blood was shed once. And it purged sins once. Now believe Christ for it. Believe
Him for it. Father, as we continue together
here, give us sweet fellowship. Keep us safe in our journey home
and we thank in Christ's name. Amen.