Why did Jesus call Levi, a despised tax collector, to follow Him? And why did He eat with tax collectors and sinners while the religious leaders looked on in judgment?

In Week 8 of Prepare the Way, Pastor Kevin M. Kelley examines Mark 2:14–17, revealing the radical difference between merely being part of the crowd surrounding Jesus and becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

When King Jesus called Levi (Matthew), he left his old life behind and followed Christ. But when the scribes of the Pharisees condemned Jesus for eating with sinners, the LORD declared, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus didn't come to affirm sinners in their sin, accommodate religious self-righteousness, or make people comfortable in their rebellion against God. He came to rescue and redeem everyone (because we all come into this world as sinners) through the Gospel, calling us to repentance, spiritual regeneration, and newness of life.

This expository Bible sermon confronts superficial Christianity, religious hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and the difference between admiring Jesus and actually following Him. Discover what it means to be born again, abandon your old identity, and become a faithful disciple and partner in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The question is simple: Are you merely part of the crowd—or are you LIKE LEVI?

Scripture: Mark 2:14–17

Series: Prepare the Way — The Gospel of Mark, Week 8

Speaker: Pastor Kevin M. Kelley

Church: Big Island Christian Church | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii