How Jesus used a Tax Collector

I am blessed to have the privilege of working at Grace for the second summer in a row, this year as a resident for Synergy Kansas. In Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul explained how God gives every Christian spiritual gifts according to the Lord's will. And I believe a gift God has given me is teaching, which can be daunting, as we read in the book of James, chapter three, that not everyone should become a teacher because those who teach will be judged with greater strictness. But I am so grateful for the Lord and the life He has given me. I did not grow up in the Church and didn’t read the Bible until I was nineteen years old. Looking back at when I was saved, I would have never guessed that God would put it on my heart to shepherd and teach others about His word, but now I am working as a resident learning how to do just that. 

I preach my first sermon ever in a few weeks at Harvest Bible Church in Ellsworth, Kansas, and through my preparation, God has taught me so much. I am going to teach on Matthew 9:9-13, which is a special passage to me. Matthew 9:12 reads, “Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.” The first time I ever read that, I burst into tears, realizing that I was sick. I was one of the sinners that Jesus died on the cross for. It is what I call my life verse. It completely changed my perspective on life.

After studying this passage, I learned so much from looking at the call of Matthew. Matthew was an ethnic Jew who betrayed his people when he started working for the Roman Government. He was excommunicated from the synagogue and a disappointment to his family. At this point, the Pharisees and Jewish people would have hated Matthew and all the other tax collectors because he was taking their money from them, not for the church but for the Romans who were oppressing the Jewish people. Yet Jesus looked at him and said: “Follow me.” Jesus called this sinner and made him one of the twelve disciples. 

In the Gospel accounts of Luke and Mark, we see that Matthew’s name was Levi originally before he was called Matthew. The name Matthew means "gift of God." It's remarkable that Jesus gave such grace to a man who had spent his life taking from others. Christ didn't define him by his past but by what His grace would accomplish through him. Matthew was taking money from the Jews, not giving them anything. This name change is a great example of what Jesus does in our own lives.

If you think back to the time you realized Jesus was your Lord and Savior, and when you gave your life to Him, I bet you can see how He has worked in your heart. That is what happened with Matthew when he was called by Jesus. We see in Luke's account that the first thing Matthew did was hold a “Grand Banquet,” inviting a large group of tax collectors, whom the Pharisees deemed sinners, to his house to eat with Jesus. This made me think about my own life and if I do this. I am grateful to know that I have Jesus, who saved me, and I can lean on Him in times of need and praise Him when He blesses me. But there are millions of people out there who do not know Jesus. 

As believers, we have the privilege of reflecting Christ to people who may never open a Bible on their own. We can lead others to Christ through our actions, words, and life, yet I know that I fall short of this often. I want to be like Jesus and show mercy on those who are not saved. I want to be like Matthew and pull all the unsaved people around me towards Jesus, and I challenge you to do the same. Take a moment and think about the people in your life who are not saved, and pray for them. When you see them, encourage them and build them up. Show them the love of Jesus through your actions and show genuine interest in them.

You have the privilege of planting seeds that God alone can grow. Don't miss the opportunities He places before you.

Kainan Wade 

Be the Church

When I gave my life to Christ, I felt a drive to truly learn as much as I could and I found myself asking so many questions to mentors in my life. I started to develop my relationship with Jesus through reading my Bible, praying, and watching a lot of sermons online about how Jesus wants us to live. That led me to look deeply into the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew chapter 28, after Jesus had resurrected, He told His disciples, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

The Great Commission always stood out to me, but when I first read it, I wondered how to make disciples? Well after talking to some wise men I learned that you have to be a disciple in order to make disciples. That shifted my focus. I began to prioritize becoming a true disciple of Christ: a journey that never really ends. It’s a daily process of refining ourselves and deepening our relationship with Jesus. For me, that looks like regular prayer, reading God’s Word, and having intentional conversations with other believers I admire. Through those practices, I’ve felt more equipped to go and make disciples myself. I think everyone who is a follower of Jesus should make disciples and work on becoming a disciple. 

Just like a football team huddles before a play to strategize and encourage one another, church is the moment we gather as a team to get equipped and refocused. The Super Bowl is what happens Monday through Saturday. That’s when we go out into the world and make an impact. No matter what your week looks like, every person you encounter is an opportunity to reflect Christ through your words and actions. So here’s the challenge: don’t just go to church, go and be the Church. Live it out. Make disciples.

- Kainan Wade

When the Gospel Changed Everything

For the first nineteen years of my life, I wasn’t a believer. My parents told me early on that we do not believe in God, and that I should just try to be a “good” person. But being a “good” person felt impossible, and no matter how hard I tried, I failed. I lived a life that did not reflect Christ and I had selfish desires and wanted what was best for me. I was selfish, mean, and lost. Then one night in my dorm room a friend told me to read the Gospel of John, and I decided to read it, and that changed my life forever.

Once I became a follower of Jesus, I realized what I had been missing out on my entire life, and I was not living the life God called me to live. When I started my walk with Jesus, everything was new. I did not know how to pray, where to go to church, or the names of the books in the Bible. I knew nothing at all, and I found myself at a college that, like most of the world, was a dark place. Thankfully, I realized that the answers I needed were in Scripture and that Scripture was God's word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Paul let it be known that Scripture came from God himself, and it is beneficial in many ways, ultimately leading us to righteousness, maturity, and service. 

When I started following Jesus, I felt relief in my life. I no longer had to think about what happened when I died, or wonder what the purpose of life was. I learned in John 3:16 “For God loved the world in this way He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God, out of love, sent his Son to die for a believer like me who believes but still struggles with sin and temptation and lived many years away from my Lord and Savior. I now find my peace in Jesus and his love. My life has been changed because of Him, and I want to live out the mission He intends for us. To hear about what the mission is, tune in to my next staff journal.

- Kainan