Follow Me

Matthew 9 verses 9 - 13

"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith unto him, follow me.  And he arose and followed him."

The name Matthew means gift.  He was a tax collector by profession.  One day he received the greatest gift of all - the gift of eternal life.  Was there a day that you can point to, a special time and place when you sought the Lord as your own and personal Saviour?  That is what it boils down to.

A meeting that was different.  It was different in the sense that we are not told anything of Matthew`s thoughts as Jesus passed by nor the condition of his heart.  We don`t see him falling at Jesus` feet like the leper who recognised Jesus as the great physician and said "Lord if thou wilt you can make me clean."  We don`t read of Matthew doing that nor looking up as Jesus passed by.  Not like blind Bartimaeus who heard the crowd and cried out for the Lord.  We are told that Matthew was simply asked to follow Jesus.  How different it was for the rich young ruler.  He realised he was not right with God, that he did not possess eternal life.  We need to come to that place of realisation, that we know not the Lord as Saviour.  The young ruler said to Jesus "good master what must I do to have eternal life?"  He realised he didn`t have it.  How different it was for Zacchaeus.  He realised that Jesus was coming to his very town.  His heart was overwhelmed because he wanted to see this particular man he had heard so much about.  He wanted to make sure he could see Jesus.  He ran down the street and climbed into a sycamore tree.  He got himself in a position to see Jesus passing by.  How different it was for the souls on the day of Pentecost.  They cried out "men and brethren what shall we do?"  We don`t read that of Matthew.  He was sitting at the receipt of custom.  It was just a normal day for him gathering taxes for the Roman government as Jesus passed by.  Jesus looked into Matthew`s face and said "follow me".  Perhaps tonight you have come along with no intentions of getting saved.  I am sure it is the last thing on your mind.  It was the last thing on Matthew`s mind that day but he came face to face with Christ himself.  Maybe you are not ready to be saved.  You believe that your heart needs to be crying out for the Lord.  Yes sometimes that must happen but not always.  God can speak to you wherever you are at in this moment in time.  You have a decision to make - salvation is of the Lord the bible says.  It is all of grace.

This is a message that was direct.  Jesus walked by where Matthew was, he looked a him and said "follow me."  It was a direct message reaching into the very heart.  He was beginning to change his attitude.  If the message doesn`t reach the heart it will not prevail.  Paul came to Corinth "not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God ... And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man`s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."  When the Holy Spirit takes the word and applies it to the heart then there is a difference.  It was a direct message.  He asks you to do the same tonight.  Will you follow him tonight?  Take him as Saviour and Lord?  Leave your sins at his feet?  Maybe you have a leaning towards God tonight.  "Every soul not already won to Jesus is already lost."  Did you realise that?  If not won to Christ you are already lost.  As Paul opened up the word of God in Phlippi God had already opened up Lydia`s heart to receive it.

A message that was decisive.  Matthew heard the voice of the Lord and stood to his feet and followed him.  There was decisive action.  He was doing exactly what the Lord said he should do - following Jesus.  This is the part of man that must respond, it is man`s responsibility.  As you hear the call of God you must respond to that call.  Jesus didn`t lift Matthew up himself.  Matthew had to make the move.  It was decisive.  You need to let go tonight, to take Jesus as Saviour and Lord.  He calls through his word.  You have got to decide to follow him.  If there is no conviction without conversion then nothing will change.

A mission that is determined.  He arose to where Jesus was and followed after him.  He has taken the Lord with him.  He goes into the house and prepares a meal with Jesus.  Plenty of people came to eat with him.  He had a mission now.  He wanted to see others receive what he had received.  He wanted them to hear what he had heard.  Like the Philippian jailer who asked Paul to come back to his house and tell his family.  There are many today who profess salvation but there is no mission in their lives.  They can take church or leave it, there is no hunger to see souls saved.  Maybe they follow afar off.  If the microphone was put your way tonight could you point to the place, the time when you were convicted of your sins?  Are you saved by God`s grace, on your way to heaven and home that you might follow Jesus wholeheartedly?  If not will you come and be saved, will you follow after the Lord and make him your Saviour?