The Friend of Sinners | Pr. Joseph Chisola

Pastor Joseph Chisola’s sermon from Mark 2:13–17 focused on “The Friend of Sinners,” showing that Jesus welcomes the outcasts and that the gospel is for sinners, not the self-righteous, revealing Christ’s heart for the broken. He explained that although there was a crowd, Jesus had a particular reason for being there because He was looking for one man, showing that Jesus seeks individuals and meets them at their point of need. Jesus is truly a friend of sinners, and in calling Levi, He showed the gracious call of Christ, seeing his need and calling him to follow. When Christ calls us, we must let go of what has been holding us back, and He opens our eyes to recognise those things. This challenges us to ask whether Jesus is someone we are constantly following. Jesus not only calls sinners but also communes with them, teaching that the circles we are in are our mission field. The sermon also highlighted the gracious explanation of Christ, that He calls us to leave everything and trust Him fully. In conclusion, Jesus is ready to receive us just as we are, and we do not need to perfect ourselves before coming to Him.