Marks of the Messiah
Defying Expectations
Pastor Kirk, January 27, 2019

Scripture: Mark 2:13-17

Summary: Jesus sees you, knows you, accepts and is inviting you to follow him and live with him in a growing relationship.

Main Thought: Jesus wants you to live in relationship with you.

Getting to Know Each Other (Start Here):

• • Have you ever met someone but they weren’t what you were expecting?

• • What do you think Levi expected when he saw Jesus coming towards him?
  • What do you think the Pharisees expected of Jesus?

Going Deeper:

1. 1. Have you ever been in a crowd and felt like the person who was speaking to the crowd was looking right at you? What happened? How did it make you feel? How do you imagine Levi felt when Jesus spoke to him in a crowd?
   2. Read Psalm 139:7-12, what does this passage reveal about God and about you?
   3. If you are a follower of Jesus, share your story of that moment when you first accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow him. 
   4. Pastor Kirk said that the structure of verse 15 in the original language conveys the idea that Jesus was the host of the party. Are you surprised by the idea that Jesus was not just a guest at a party with tax-collectors and sinners, but he may have thrown the party specifically for them? What does it reveal about Jesus? How does it make you feel?
   5. Pastor Kirk presented the idea that this passage contains two ways to pursue holiness and relationship with God. Jesus and Levi represent the pursuit of holiness through a relationship while Jesus and the Pharisees represent the pursuit of holiness through rules. What is the difference between pursuing holiness through relationship vs. pursuing holiness through rules? Which do you most naturally gravitate towards?
   6. The statement was made that “holiness flows out of a relationship with Jesus, it is a by-product of being in the presence of Christ.” What does this mean? Do you agree with that statement? Has this been your experience?

Apply it:

1. • Who do you identify most with Levi or the Pharisees? Why? What are you being invited to do?
   • What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?

Pray without ceasing:

We recently sent a team to the Island where they led the national leadership team of the C&MA through Soul Care. Please pray for the national leadership team that they would continue to grow in relationship with the Holy Spirit and each other.  Our Seamless Link Partner writes:

“It is hard for Islanders to open up and trust one another at a deep level. This is largely due to the mistrust and deception that is prevalent within the broader national culture. I believe this past week was a real breakthrough for many of our leaders to begin to open up to one another in significant ways. Please pray that this seed would continue to grow and that these leaders would courageously keep pressing into deeper and deeper freedom through transparent relationships and times of prayer for one another. Pray that they would take this vision back to their local churches as well.”