7 Reasons To Reach The Lost For Christ

7 REASONS TO REACH THE LOST FOR CHRIST

Reading: Luke 19:1-10

Summary: Zacchaeus was like many other people around us. Smiling in the outside but hurting and crying in the inside. All the wealth, power and luxury cannot mend the broken heart cause by rejections and inadequacy.

Jericho was a very wealthy and a very important town. It lay in the Jordan valley and commanded both the approach to Jerusalem and the crossings of the river which gave access to the lands east of the Jordan. It had a great palm forest and world-famous balsam groves which perfumed the air for miles around. Its gardens of roses were known far and wide. Men called it "The City of Palms." Josephus called it "a divine region," "the fattest in Palestine." The Romans carried its dates and balsam to world-wide trade and fame.

All this combined to make Jericho one of the greatest taxation centers in Palestine. We already know about the taxes which the tax-collectors collected and the wealth they rapaciously acquired (Luke 5:27-32 (NIV)

JESUS CALLS LEVI AND EATS WITH SINNERS

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”).

Zacchaeus was a man who had reached the top of his profession; but he was the most hated man in the district.

Here is the first reason why we should go and reach the lost for Christ.

1. PEOPLE ARE HURTING AND INCOMPLETE INSIDE WITHOUT CHRIST

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

Zacchaeus was wealthy but he was unhappy. Inevitably he was lonely, for he had chosen a way that made him an outcast. He had heard of this Jesus who welcomed tax-collectors and sinners, and he wondered if he would have any word for him. Despised and hated by men, Zacchaeus was reaching after the love of God.

Zacchaeus was like many other people around us. Smiling in the outside but hurting and crying in the inside. All the wealth, power and luxury cannot mend the broken heart cause by rejections and inadequacy

1.• He might be a successful businessman but still the people ridicule him for being a short man

2.• He might be a rich man but still people hate him, curse him, ridicule him and even branded him sinner and

outcast due to the nature of his job

3. • He might be influential and he had many servants who obey him because of his position and money and yet

his heart is hungry for the real and genuine love and affection of his fellow human being.

4. • He might have all the luxury that the world can offer but still he is empty, lonely, insecure and miserable

5. • He might give some of his money for charity but without Christ in his heart everything are but useless, his

Heart remain hungry and starving and his soul still lost

Here is the second reason why we should reach the lost for Christ

2. PEOPLE CANNOT REACH OUT GOD BY THEIR OWN EFFORT

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

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

Zacchaeus determined to see Jesus, and would let nothing stop him. For Zacchaeus to mingle with the crowd at all was a courageous thing to do, for many a man would take the chance to get a nudge, or kick, or push at the little tax-collector. It was an opportunity not to be missed. Zacchaeus would be black and blue with bruises that day. He could not see--the crowd took an ill delight in making sure of that.

So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree. It is very easy to climb, with its short trunk and its wide lateral branches forking out in all directions." Things were not easy for Zacchaeus but the little man had the courage of desperation.