Simpang Borobudur no 27 Malang
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Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 5:27-32 is about 'Levi the tax collector follows Jesus'.

Luke 5:27-29
5:27. After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me."
5:28. So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
5:29. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.


Genesis 29:34
29:34. She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi.

The name of "Levi" means to attach firmly.
Of the twelve tribes of Jacob's sons, only tribe of Levi may attach and serve God.
Or, just the tribe of Levi may be present in the Tabernacle or temple of God.

But, in Luke 5, Levi is sitting at the tax office. It means he attaches to money that he cannot be present in the temple of God to minister to Him, but separated from Him.

There are three kinds of attaching or being bound to others that we cannot minister God as follows:

  1. Attaching to money or love of money.
    1 Timothy 6:10
    6:10. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

    The practices are stinginess and greediness.
    Stinginess means we cannot give to God and others in need.
    Greediness means we rob others' right and God’s (tithes and special offering). It also means hunting money by legalizing all ways.

    The consequences of being bound to money are as follows:

    • Deviating from the faith. It means that his life is incorrect, unbelieving, and he falls from faith.
    • Piercing themselves through with many sorrows and one cannot minister to God.
    • Perishing forever.

  2. Attaching to the worldwith all its rush, happiness, trouble, et cetera, so we cannot be faithful in ministry.
    James 4:4
    4:4. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the worldis enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

    Matthew 25:26, 30
    25:26. "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
    25:30. 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’


    Being unfaithful= lazy and wicked= useless.
    Consequently, one is cast into the outer darkness, dark future up to perdition forever.

  3. Attaching to sins up to the peak of sin, namely sin of eating-drinking (smoking, getting drunk and drugs abuse) and sin of marrying-giving in marriage (sexual sins with all its kinds, sexual deviation, mixed-marriage, and marrying after divorce).
    1 Corinthians 6:16
    6:16. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."

If we do not attach to God, but money, world and sin, we will surely perish forever.

Luke 5:27b-28
5:27 .... He said to him, "Follow Me."
5:28. So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

The way out isJesus says "follow Me". It means Jesus calls Levi by the power of the Word of God, especially the teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword to break our bond.

Levi accepts God's calling. It means to hear and obey the true teaching Word, no matter how hard it is.
The results are as follows:

  • Levi rose up and left all. It means as follows:

    • The power of teaching Word shows our sins that we realize, regret, and confess sin to God and others. If we are forgiven, do not sin anymore.
      We repent and live in righteousness and holiness.
    • The power of teaching Word is able to release us from the bond of money, world and sin, that we repent and live in righteousness and holiness and attach to God.

  • Following Jesus, which means as follows:

    • The power of teaching Word brings us to shepherding, that we are always present in the sheepfold.
      In the Tabernacle, the sheepfold is pointed by the Holy Place. Inside it, there are three kinds of tool that refer to perseverance in three main services as follows:

      • The golden candlestick= perseverance in General Service (including youth service)= fellowship with God the Holy Spirit in His gifts.
      • The table of showbread= perseverance in Bible Study and Holy Communion Service= fellowship with Son of God in teaching Word and His sacrifice.
      • The golden altar of incense= perseverance in Prayer Service= fellowship with God the Father in His love.

      Through three kinds of service, our body, soul and spirit attach to God the Trinity.

    • The power of teaching Word encourages us to serve God faithfully and fervently.
      John 12:24-26
      12:24. "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
      12:25. "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
      12:26. "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and
      where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

      To be shepherded and serve God faithfully and fervently, we have to experience suffering in the flesh with Jesus.
      But, the result is "where I am, there My servant will be also".
      We firmly attach to God which means as follows:

      • God is always with us that we live in the caress of God
        God takes care our life magically, gives victory to us and finishes all our problems up to the impossible one.

      • We are glorified by Father in Heaven.
        We are never humiliated and left lying by God.
        We are lifted up in successful, beautiful and happy future in His time.

      • Our name is listed in the Kingdom of Heaven. We are as perfect as Him to inherit eternal life with Him.
        In the book of Revelation, Levi becomes Matthew and his name is written in New Jerusalem.

God blesses us.

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Transcript
  • Prayer Service in Malang, January 31, 2017 (Tuesday Evening)
    ... of the Holy Bible are as follows It leads us to the salvation by faith in Jesus. It is called the Gospel of Salvation or Gospel Word. It teaches reproves corrects and instructs us in righteousness. It is called the teaching Word. We are equipped with good work or the ...
  • General Service in Malang, February 27, 2022 (Sunday Morning)
    ... kind of flesh which must be destroyed Egoism must be destroyed. Genesis . And the LORD God said It is not good that man should be alone I will make him a helper comparable to him. 'It is not good that man should be alone' It does not mean that all ...
  • Youth Service in Malang, December 03, 2011 (Saturday Evening)
    ... similar drink he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink neither shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine from seed to skin. All ...
  • Prayer Service in Malang, January 24, 2017 (Tuesday Evening)
    ... will decrease in spirituality like a child who was an epileptic and fall in sin. Proverb - The leech has two daughters--Give and Give There are three things that are never satisfied four never say Enough The grave the barren womb the earth that is not satisfied with water--And the ...
  • Bible Study Service in Malang, December 12, 2024 (Thursday Evening)
    ... the will of God or the building of the physical Tabernacle. John - . Jesus answered and said to them Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. . Then the Jews said It has taken forty-six years to build this temple and will You raise it ...
  • Bible Study Service in Malang, December 08, 2022 (Thursday Evening)
    ... the sea are those who work at the sea. The spiritual meanings are as follows Men and the servants of God who are busy to look for the physical need in the world so they forget God. They do not minister and worship God. The servant of God who ministers to ...
  • Prayer Service in Surabaya, November 12, 2014 (Wednesday Evening)
    ... one say when he is tempted I am tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil nor does He Himself tempt anyone. nbsp But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. nbsp Then when desire has conceived it gives birth ...
  • Bible Study Service in Malang, March 10, 2020 (Tuesday Evening)
    ... righteousness or salvation is the result of the work of the Gospel Word that brings the sinners to believe Jesus and repent or die to sin and get the renewal by the water and Spirit. We get the new life namely in righteousness so we are saved and blessed by ...
  • General Service in Malang, February 16, 2020 (Sunday Morning)
    ... the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song saying You are worthy to take the scroll And to open its seals For You were slain And have ...
  • Prayer Service in Malang, August 13, 2020 (Thursday Evening)
    ... to get the eternal life. Daniel - Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke saying to Daniel Daniel servant of the ...

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Sermon transcript from church service in Malang and Surabaya, preached by Pastor Widjaja Hendra.

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