In Matthew 9 we read the account of Jesus inviting a lowly tax collector to follow him. Without hesitation nor reservation, up jumped the sinner and joined his life to Jesus. He left everything behind knowing that nothing he had could compare to the One to whom he now joined his life.
We want to be like that man, don’t we? We want to be Christians that freely and excitedly follow after our Saviour with joy and gratitude in our hearts and fuelled by the knowledge of the grace he has, is, and will lavish upon us. We want to pursue holiness in this life as the privilege it is, in the power God has provided, and for the glory he is worthy of receiving.
Unfortunately, other things often distract us from filling up our Christian tanks with premium grace. Instead, we sometimes are tempted to settle for low-grade tradition, hollow habits, and rote routine. Today Andrew and Josiah talk about how to better ensure we’re getting the good stuff when we’re at the pump.
If you missed the sermon being discussed in this episode, it can be found here: “Feasting, Fasting, and Following Jesus (Matthew 9:9–17).”
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Josiah has served the Oakridge Bible Chapel family as one of its elders and one of its pastoral staff members since September 2018, before which he ministered as an associate pastor to a local congregation in the Canadian prairies. Josiah's desire is to be used by God to help equip the church for ministry, both while gathered (edification) and while scattered (evangelization). He is married to Patricia, and together they have five children—Jonah, Henry, Nathaniel, Josephine, and Benjamin.
Andrew is the Associate Pastor at Oakridge Bible Chapel. He grew up in a Christian home, and spent time serving in churches of varying sizes and denominations before landing at Oakridge with his wife in 2017. He likes to verbally process theological issues he finds challenging and is always ready to learn something new. He has a passion for teaching the Bible, and seeking to explain confusing passages in a clear way, preferably with a good illustration or two.
