God Recycles People

GOD RECYCLES PEOPLE

Lk. 19:1-10

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A man was driving his bossy sister around & she told him he was driving too fast. Just to show who was in charge, he stepped on the accelerator.

2. Just then a police car pulled behind him, lights flashing. A 6’6” policeman towered over his door, “What’s the hurry, sir?” His sister shouted, “Officer, you need to give him a ticket! He’s always speeding, I mean ALWAYS!”

3. The officer said, “Sir, step to the rear of the vehicle.” The man got out thinking, “He might take me to jail!” The huge officer looked him in the eyes and whispered, “I’ve got one at home just like her. Go on & drive a little slower!”

B. TEXT

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

C. THESIS

1. Everybody knows what recycling is; it’s taking something that’s already been used for one purpose, tearing it down and then reforming it for a new purpose.

2. God has been doing that a long time – with people! Some people are thought to be useless for any good, but God knows how to remake us into something very valuable for His kingdom.

3. Today we’re going to see an example of that. The title of this morning’s message is: "God Recycles People."

I. REASONS WHY ZACH DIDN’T SEEK SALVATION?

A. GOD’S PEOPLE DIDN’T LIKE HIM

1. Just like today, even back then, almost nobody liked the tax man. This was even more so among the Jews.

2. Because the Romans had invaded their country, the Jews regarded those who gathered their taxes as not only oppressors, but as traitors.

3. JEWISH TAX COLLECTORS WERE:

a. Quarantined as "Moral Lepers," Rejects.

b. The Pharisees (Church crowd) wouldn't acknowledge them on the streets;

“ enter their houses;

c. They were turned away from the synagogue and Temple.

4. There are many Untouchables Today: drug addicts, Prostitutes, HIV Carriers, ex-convicts, strippers. THE CHURCH WORLD REJECTS THEM.

5. How quickly we who've been washed get an air of superiority. Without grace we’re no better than they.

6. Alex Haley, the author of Roots, has a picture in his office of a turtle sitting atop a fence. It's there to remind him; "If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help getting there." Alex says, "Any time I start thinking, "Well, isn't this marvelous what I've done," I look at that picture and remember how, like the turtle, I had a lot of help getting to where I am."

B. THOUGHT: “GOD DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ME”

1. HOW COULD HE?

a. I'm in the wrong profession.

b. I'm part of the wrong crowd.

c. God's people don't like me.

d. And I’m short (inferiority complex). It's one thing to be short, but when Jews start calling you short -- that's short! Have you ever heard of a Jewish basketball star? No!

2. HOW WRONG HE WAS! God DID care about him.

a. God predestined that meeting with Jesus that day, from all eternity.

b. He was chosen;

c. God knew His name.

d. God knew he had a house and said, "I want to come and stay (forever) at your house."

3. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you" Jeremiah 31:3.

4. 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command” John 15:13-14. Jesus demonstrated His love on the Cross.

5. POINT: OTHERS MAY HAVE GIVEN UP ON YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE GIVEN UP ON YOURSELF – BUT GOD HASN’T GIVEN UP ON YOU!