New Day Christian Church - Weston, WI

Levi's Gospel: Great Joy

When Jesus was baptized, God proclaimed that Jesus brought Him great joy.  What about us?  What would it take for God to say the same of us?  The truth will give you more to celebrate this Father's Day.

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT) 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Connecting Jesus and John’s Ministry

The Trinity is Seen

Fulfilling Old Testament Prophecy

Expanding what Baptism Means

Be Holy

Disciples are continuously maturing. We learn to think and act more like Christ. But if none of us can be perfect, what did the Apostle Peter mean when he told early disciples, “you must be holy in everything you do”?

I Peter 1:13-16

Live For The MOMENT You Will SEE Jesus FACE To FACE!

  “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we shall be like when Christ appears. But we do know we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.”  I John 3:2-3

 Understand How We GROW in CHRIST LIKENESS.

  “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it is not looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives WITH you now and will be IN you later on.”    John 14:15-17

Understand the CALL of God to HOLINESS!

  “For God saved us and CALLED us to live a HOLY LIFE. He did not do this because we deserved it, but because that was His plan before the beginning of time---to show us His grace through Jesus Christ.”      II Timothy 1:9

Levi’s Gospel: Real vs. Religious

Some people say, “I am spiritual, but I’m not religious.” Maybe that’s because we expect “religious” people to be judgmental hypocrites. Or maybe it’s because “spiritual” is very vague, so it can mean whatever we want. At New Day, our goal is not squishy spirituality or rigid religiosity; our mission is to make disciples. Disciples are real people who really follow Jesus. Levi, a disciple of Jesus, recorded some events that show us just how important it is to God that we get real.

Matthew 3:8 (NASB)  Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

Matthew 3:8-9 (NLT) 8  Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9  Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.  

BIG IDEA: Religion without real repentance is not at all impressive to God.

Questions for Consideration and Discussion

What are some of the ways we tend to use religious busyness to feel safe from God?

Why do you think confessing your sinfulness is an important part of repentance?

What are some ways real repentance shows in your attitude and your actions?

Levi’s Gospel: Some Trust in Chariots

Joseph and Mary were put in a position of danger when the military that was supposed to protect them was instead directed to hunt them. Even as humans and human institutions are unreliable, God is at work. His purposes will not be undone. God invites us to trust Him through times of fear, danger and uncertainty.  

Psalm 20:7 (NIV)  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Matthew 2:13 (NLT)  After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

Levi's Gospel: Pocket Change

While people in the first century didn’t agree on what the Messiah would be like, they agreed that He would bring change. Some of the important changes Jesus makes are in our own hearts. Levi (a disreputable tax collector who became a disciple) challenges us to consider whether or not we are open to to the renovations He wants to make in us.

Matthew 2:11 (NLT)  They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Levi’s Gospel: Tune Your Heart

There are voices all around us that influence our perspectives and our decisions. If that was not true, companies wouldn’t spend billions of dollars on advertising. In Levi’s Gospel we see that God ushered in Good News for the whole world through people whose hearts were tuned in to listen for His voice.    

Matthew 1:24 (NLT)  When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife

Levi’s Gospel: I Am Not a Committee

It takes more than human efforts to bring the Kingdom of God; His Spirit has to move. Levi’s Gospel shows us how God confounds collective human wisdom by His Spirit moving through individuals who are not all that different from you and me.   

Matthew 1:18 (NLT)  This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Levi's Gospel: Hope for Stumps

We are all on a search for purpose and hope. Sometimes we fail and sometimes we fall. Sometimes we feel like we are absolutely cut down. The Gospel of Matthew (AKA Levi) was written as Good News for individuals and groups who don’t see much hope. We see Jesus inviting us to come to Him just as we are, and to go out to out to the world as changed people.   

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. --Isaiah 11:1 (NLT)

Levi’s Gospel

Before Matthew became a disciple, he was a disreputable sinner. Back then people called him Levi. He recorded his experiences with Jesus in the book of Matthew, Levi’s Gospel. It’s the account of someone far from perfect who encountered perfect Love, good news for us all. We’ll also get a progress update on New Day’s Backyard Missions initiative.

Mark 2:14-15 (NLT) 14  As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15  Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

Resurrection Sunday! He is Risen!

This is the Sunday when disciples of Jesus worldwide remember that death is not the end. Christ is risen! This is at the core of our hope for today and our promise for eternity. Let’s celebrate together!