5 Things We Must Do To Reach People With The Gospel

Last week we started talking about Fishing

• And we looked at Mark Chapter 4 where Jesus is walking by the shore

• And He calls out to Andrew and Peter and tells them to drop what they’re doing

• And follow Him

• And if their willing to do that, that He will make them Fishers of Men

Now these guys were professional fisherman.

• And Jesus was asking them to walk away from everything that they knew

• And to follow Him into a totally new way of life.

• Instead of fishing for fish – they would be fishing for the souls of men.

Howard Hendricks said, “In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.”

Bill Bright, Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said, "Millions of surveys which we have helped to take around the world indicate that approximately 98 percent of the Christians do not regularly introduce others to the Savior."

With so few believers today sharing their faith,

• We have to get back to the heart of Christ’s mission / Christ’s passion

• Because the Church has to be the voice of truth for those who are lost.

Today we are going to look at the Five Things We have to Do to Reach People

We’re gonna look at Luke 19:1-19:10

• And This is the story of the encounter of Zacchaeus and Jesus

• And through this story Jesus teaches us five things

• That we have to do today to reach people for Christ.

Luke 19:1-10

Lk 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.

Lk 19:2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich.

Lk 19:3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds.

Lk 19:4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.

Lk 19:5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today.”

Lk 19:6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

Lk 19:7 But the crowds were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

Lk 19:8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Lk 19:9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham.

Lk 19:10 And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.”

1 Now the first thing we notice is that Jesus Sought Him out(vv. 1-5)

• Review – He was in a tree- wasn’t expecting Jesus to talk to him- watching

• Jesus was looking for Zacchaeus more than Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus!

• What Jesus shows us is that He is looking for lost sinners more than lost sinners are look for Jesus!

• This is what He is referring to in verse 10 here He said

• And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.”

• Paul Harvey may have said it best when he said,

• "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium."

(Elab)

2 Next We see that Jesus Cared for Him (v. 5a)

• Jesus saw he had a need

• Something was missing in his life

• Zacchaeus was a rich man

• And as verse 2 tells us He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business

• Something would have had to seriously be wrong in this mans life to climb this tree (ELAB)

It’s the same in the world today, there are serious things wrong in peoples lives

• And we have to respond in the same way that Jesus did

• We have to care enough about these people to find out more about them.

• Jesus called Zacchaeus by name.

• He knew who he was

Bottom line is If we don’t care about the lost then we are sinning against God.

jas 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

A number of years ago President Bush

• Made a surprise visit to troops in Baghdad on Thanksgiving.

• The Commander in Chief serving his men!

• And this marries point 2 with point 3