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1st June 2026
MonReflection
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Dr. Andrew M. Davis
is the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church
of Durham, North Carolina
"The Kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace, joy, and worship."
.... Romans 14 v 17 - 18
Romans 14 an incredibly important chapter. To come out and be separate.
So how do we come out from the world and be separate? 2 Corinthians 6.
And at the same time be all things to all men, so that by all possible means we may save some? 1 Corinthians 9.
As I looked at Jesus, I looked to him as our ultimate example in this.
How can we be evangelistically fruitful and at the same time, pure and holy in this world?
That's the question.
There's a very poignant scene right at the beginning of the call of the apostles, when Jesus works with the newly converted Peter, this big, burly fisherman who is filled with all kinds of whim and vigour and energy, and he doesn't understand why his brother Andrew, is running after all these holy men like John the Baptist.
And now here comes another one. He says, "What, another holy man, another one who tells us to wait for the future time and all that?"
He said, "Show me a holy man that can put some fish in the sea, and then I'll listen to him."
And then Jesus looks him right in the eye and says, "Go back out again."
And he goes out and he catches that miraculous catch of fish and then Peter is incredibly humbled.
Problem is, Peter has a, what he calls a "blood-sucking enemy."
His blood-sucking enemy is Matthew the tax collector.
And Matthew comes to his house where Jesus is there, and there's a huge group of people there, and Matthew enters Peter's house and says, Peter, I heard you had a large catch of fish. We'll talk about it later, shall we.
He wants his back-taxes, and so Peter is irate that Matthew would come into his house.
And Matthew says, "What about this new teacher, a rabbi whatever he is, Jesus?"
And Jesus looks up at him and says, I think that we'll have to meet at some place where we're both more welcome.
And he says, "Is your house far from here?"
And Matthew looks suspicious and surprised, said, "Why do you ask?" he said.
"Because I should like to have dinner with you tonight."
Well, Peter and John and James, and Andrew spend the rest of the day trying to persuade Jesus not to go to the house of a defiled tax collector.
If you just go there, those people will pollute you, it will be a scandal, you'll be defiled.
And Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
It's not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick.
And so they go right ...
All of his apostles, disciples, they go right to the threshold of Matthew's defiled house, and they will not enter in, but Jesus walks right in.
Well, there's a party going on, it's that low-flickering lights, the oil lanterns, not immoral things going on, but a little bit seedy.
You can tell that the first concern of those tax collectors and the women that are there and all that is not holiness, and Jesus comes right into that situation and they're all shocked, they never expected that he would really come.
They thought it was just idle words, but he came and he said, Peace be on this house.
And then Matthew said, Thank you for honouring my house.
Jesus has already done a number of miracles, and they know that he's an extraordinary person.
They never expected him to come.
Well Matthew doesn't know what to do and there's a woman reclining there, and he says, "Get out of the way."
He's speaking very sharply to her and Jesus speaks gently, says, "No, no, I'll sit over here."
Well, someone offers some drink, he can have a drink and somebody offers a toast,
"I drink to you in the name of all here" it's a real party atmosphere.
And Jesus said, "I'd like to tell a story."
And all of a sudden, the place becomes quiet and he tells the story of the prodigal son,
and it becomes clear as the story unfolds, that the prodigal sons and daughters are those tax collectors that are there celebrating and eating and drinking.
And they're drawn into the story, because they've never seen anyone like Jesus with that kind of love and that kind of compassion, and that kind of power.
He would come to their house and yet their hearts are being laid bare as the prodigal son waste all of his father's resources on riotous living.
Meanwhile Jesus' apostles are standing right at the threshold of the door.
Not a toe on the threshold, but they're right there listening also to the parable of the prodigal son.
And you know how it ends, Jesus stands up and he's really into telling the story, he's very powerful in his telling of the story.
And you can just see the passion as the father sees the prodigal son from far off, and he runs, and he embraces him and he hugs the prodigal son, welcomes him back in and says,
"Quick, bring a robe for my son, put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet, kill the fatted calf and let's celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost, and is now found."
But he doesn't stop there, he then goes on to the second part.
Now the older brother at that time, heard the celebration, wondered what it was and called one of the servants and he was told.
Meanwhile Jesus' disciples are listening very carefully to this right on the edge of the threshold.
And that older son is angry, that the father would throw a party for this wayfaring wicked son, who wasted all of his father's living on ...
Money on riotous living.
And the father goes out and talks to him, says,
"Please son, listen to me. You are always with me and all I have is yours."
And at this moment in the movie, Jesus turns and looks right at Peter,
"You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
But it was right for us to celebrate, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
And at that moment, Peter crosses the threshold comes into Matthew's house and Jesus takes him and puts his arm around his shoulder, welcomes him, but then turns him toward Matthew and the two of them embrace.
From then on in the movie they were friends.
Now, my question to you is, how does the church do that?
How do we go into the party, and immediately become the centre and focus?
Tell a story that cuts to the quick of the sinners that are there, makes them feel their need for God, not defiled in any way by the evil things that are going on and then producing, effecting a transformed life as a result.
How do we do that?
Churches are struggling with this all across this country.
They're trying to be seeker sensitive,
they're trying to set up programs
or other things that will be relevant and connect with people.
They want to find some way to cross the gap between church people and non-church people.
And they're doing it in the name of leading people to Christ, but there's a danger of defilement and I think Romans 14, especially verses 17 and 18 gives us the answer.
How do we advance the kingdom?
What is the nature of life, in the kingdom and how can we serve God in the kingdom.
And so it says in verses 17 and 18,
For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives.
And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others.
Now, that's it.
><(((°>
This is an edited version.
The full article is avaiable on request
'Dr. Andrew M. Davis'
is the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina,
and the founder of Two Journeys Ministry.
He holds a bachelor's degree from MIT,
a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary,
and a Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He is also a visiting professor of church history at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
and a Council Member of The Gospel Coalition.
He and his wife, Christi have five children and four grandchildren.
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