Matthew and Jesus

Sermon notes———Who was Matthew?1. Writer of the gospel bearing his name2. Tax collector3. Gospel is silent as to what Matthew said and did except for chapters 9-10———This gospel is the story of Jesus through the perspective of Matthew———Jesus saves us from not only our SIN, but also from our RELIGION“TORAH”: from a root word used in archery, Yareh (ירה)But over time, the rules began to rule.1. You follow a set of laws teaching you how to follow God.2. You patrol the boundaries to see whose in and whose out.3. Your ability to follow rules became your———When Jesus came, everything changed.The new wine is here, but where are the new wineskins that are going to carry it and expand with it?Good enough?• How do we know what the right standard is?• How do you know if you’re achieving that standard?• Can you actually achieve the standard?• Do you have time or energy the achieve the standard of goodness?———Jesus is about to inaugurate a new way of relating to God.What are the structures of our lives that cannot coexist with the new wine of Jesus?Is the fabric of your life built on the grace and mercy of God?