Luke 19:1-10
“Fulfilled Purpose”
“Jesus has the desire to bring those who are far off back to him.”
Sunday Morning Sermon
04.01.07
Intro: (Start with Title and text)
There’s a story about a local fitness center, which was offering $1,000 to anyone who could demonstrate that they were stronger than the owner of the place. Here’s how it worked. This muscle man would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and then hand the lemon to the next challenger. Anyone who could squeeze just one more drop of juice out would win the money.
Many people tried over time other weightlifters, construction workers, even professional wrestlers, but nobody could do it.
One day a short and skinny guy came in and signed up for the contest. After the laughter died down, the owner grabbed a lemon and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains to the little man.
The crowd’s laughter turned to silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the manager paid out the winning prize and asked the short guy what he did for a living. “Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, or what?”
The man replied, “I work for the IRS.”
Discussion:
It’s hard to see people as a new creation sometimes. When they come to Christ, and accept Jesus as Lord – they are made new. It’s easy to, in our minds point out some of the things they’ve done in the past. It’s even easier to bring those forward and almost get a self-righteous joy from their not being able to let whatever it is go. Because the truth is – we all struggle with something.
Our scripture this morning takes us to a very familiar story. The story is about a wee little man. A short guy. Horizontally challenged.
Turn with me if you have your Bibles to (Advance) Luke 19:1-10 (read)
This story is set as Jesus entered Jericho going to Jerusalem for the final week of his life.
We first see a: (Advance)
I. Searching Sinner (1-4)
a. Zack
i. A wee little man (and a wee little man was he)
ii. The Hebrew name that lies behind it uses a root word meaning “clean/innocent”
He wasn’t living up to his name. He was a: (Advance)
1. Chief Tax Collector
Imagine all the love you feel for the IRS, and multiply it by 100. The unique thing about their tax system is they had people who actually collected taxes, we do too, and they are called auditors, I understand that. It was common practice in their day to add several percent on to actual amount owed, and for the collector to keep it. (Advance)
a. People didn’t like tax collectors (Advance)
b. He wasn’t the kind of man you’d bring home to mom and dad. (Advance)
c. He wasn’t just a tax collector – he was the chief tax collector.
The house that he owned, the cars he had, the white picket fence in his yard – all paid for by taking a little off the top. It’s the idea that he was so rotten – he taught others to cheat, and make their living by cheating.
Luke adds the fact that he was:
2. Wealthy
Jesus mentioned the fate of the rich in dealing with a young ruler – he said
(Advance)
Luke 18:25 – Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
He didn’t say it was impossible – remember Jesus’ response to the disciples – “With God all things are possible”.
b. He was a searching sinner
i. He knew that he was missing out on something
ii. He knew that he wasn’t experiencing “life”
My guess is that this is probably NOT the first experience he had with Jesus. Maybe he was in the crowd when he was speaking to the rich young ruler. Maybe he heard their dialogue. Maybe he saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, maybe he saw Jesus heal the sick, tell the lame to get up and walk, cure the blind. We don’t know for sure what experience Zack has had with Jesus. Maybe he was like many in that time – who had just heard of Jesus, and didn’t have any experience with him at all. He just heard from a distance.
c. He wanted a distant relationship with Christ
A wee little man – he climbs a fig-sycamore tree. Although he is rich, he couldn’t get a place in the front of the line. It seems that not only was he physically short – he was also short in social standing, people didn’t like him. Kinda like the kid that picks his nose, I’m talking about the kid that gets caught picking his nose – it’s hard to be friends with someone like that. It was hard to be friends with Z
i. You might be a lot like Zacchaeus – he wanted
1. A relationship with Christ from a distance
a. It’s easy
b. It doesn’t cost anything
c. It won’t involve your time, or your attention
You can simply climb up the spiritual fig tree, get a peek of Jesus – and not allow him to impact your life. The people didn’t see Zacchaeus up in the tree – and Jesus wasn’t suppose to. You can grab just enough mindless religion that you confuse it for the real thing.
Can I encourage you this morning – seek a personal relationship with Christ. Allow him to be everything he is. Allow him to be the prince of peace, Conquering savior, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, allow him to be Father. For those who are far off – Jesus has the desire to bring them back to him.
So many times the Biblical stories parallel our own lives. If we have a Searching Sinner. We must to see a:
(Advance)
II. Seeking Savior (5-6)
The crowd might not have known Zacchaeus was in the tree – It says he “ran ahead” of the crowd to climb this tree.
a. Jesus knew where he was
i. Physically – up the tree
ii. Spiritually – he wanted to know Jesus
Jesus knew. In fact it’s common in the Gospel of Luke to have Jesus know the thoughts and feelings of those around him.
b. Jesus reached the spot – right under the tree
i. He looks up and says –
ii. COME DOWN
iii. I am going to stay at your house.
Jesus gives an invitation to get to know him. There were many well qualified followers of Christ, in that crowd. There might have been doctors and lawyers and business owners, religious leaders, teachers of the law, in the crowd. Jesus doesn’t go to them. Notice this – he meets Zacchaeus where he’s at. He simply calls him to COME. Zacchaeus comes down from the tree – and welcomes Jesus, gladly.
Church, listen – Our ability to make this body of Christ all it can be is centered around meeting people where they are at. Showing them we care, showing them they have a place with us, showing them the love of Christ that lives within us. We must remember the wonderful things Jesus has done for us – how he had compassion and kindness on us.
Isaiah says: (Advance)
Isaiah 63:7 -- I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD , the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us- yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
When we make the love of Christ that lives within us, real to those around us – the church grows, the church is united, the church fulfills its purpose. It’s about taking someone from where they are – to where you are and growing together.
c. The reaction from the crowd
i. Wasn’t a good one.
When God moves, people talk – and not all of the talk is good. Gossip is spread, rumors are repeated…when God moves people talk.
1. Jesus is a guest of a sinner
By the standards of today – our culture, our society says that Zacchaeus would be on the same level as the former CEO of Enron. He’d be right up there with the greedy bosses of large companies who receive huge bonuses while cutting the salaries of deserving people below them. He would be everything you hate in a boss or a neighbor.
The Bible says Jesus went to his house. I could be a guest in someone’s house without staying over night. In the time of Jesus – this word “Guest” brings the idea that Jesus was an overnight guest.
How can we be friends with sinners and not friends with the world – The Bible clearly says that you can’t love God and love the world – Love of the world equals hatred towards God.
a. Jesus didn’t participate in Zack’s sin.
b. He didn’t go over there to encourage him to keep sinning, or to somehow try to justify his sin.
When we have the chance to be around those who don’t come to church, and don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ – My pray is, we’ll act just like Jesus. My hope is that we’ll instead of helping them in their sin, we’ll encourage them to know who Jesus is, in other words encourage them to stop sinning. And show them that He cares about, who they are, and who he wants them to be.
We shouldn’t be scared to do this either -- Will people talk – maybe, will people say things that aren’t true – they might. Will they judge – possibly. If we are building a church that only pleases men – shame on us. God builds the church.
(Advance)
Ephesians 1:22 (NIV) – And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church
God blesses the church – you and I are simply instruments he chooses to use. We should be willing instruments for him – to bring people in, so that those who are far off can be brought back into his loving arms.
I want you to notice something else in our text this morning:
(Advance)
III. Spectacular Salvation (7-10)
When people come face to face with Jesus Christ – they change. Everyone in the NT who came met Jesus on a personal level – who came in contact with him was Changed. You should not be the same person you were before you gave your life to Christ.
a. The reaction of Salvation
i. Make right that which is wrong
The best thing you can do for those you don’t agree with – is bring them into the church. The best thing you can do for those you have something against – is bring them into the church. Renew your relationship with Jesus Christ and give them the chance to do the same. Christians should work at making the wrongs in their lives (regardless if they did anything or not) right again. Through Jesus you can do it. For Zacchaeus righting the wrong meant.
ii. He had to give back the money.
He’s willing to give back 4 times what he has taken – that’s way beyond what he had to give back. According to the Old Testament restitution required only the addition of a fifth. (Advance)
Leviticus 6:2-5 (MSG) – "When anyone sins by betraying trust with GOD by deceiving his neighbor regarding something entrusted to him, or by robbing or cheating or threatening him; 3or if he has found something lost and lies about it and swears falsely regarding any of these sins that people commonly commit-- 4when he sins and is found guilty, he must return what he stole or extorted, restore what was entrusted to him, return the lost thing he found, 5or anything else about which he swore falsely. He must make full compensation, add twenty percent to it, and hand it over to the owner on the same day he brings his Compensation-Offering.
iii. He gave ½ of what he had to the poor
For some, salvation means being told over and over – “You can’t do that” – “You can’t do this.” So that kind of salvation where it’s boxy and full of rules and regulations – it’s not very inviting. For some salvation is just something they received one time and they are done – nothing else is required, the deeper the level of sin the deeper the level of grace and they will live their lives however they choose.
For Zacchaeus it meant everything! He was on the outside looking in – and now he’s on the inside. He sees that God loves him, and sees that God is ready to bless his life. He wanted to make the wrongs in his life right again. When we have a grip on God’s grace in our lives – we do the same. It doesn’t matter if you were a choir boy, a thief, or anything else – God has the ability to take you as you are, and make you into his child again.
1. He pledged to give back – he hadn’t done it yet.
I assume that’s why he kept the other ½ of the money – because the line of people who were going to want their money back would be LONG.
b. Salvation has come
Jesus declared himself to be the way to salvation.
John 14:6 (NIV) – Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
This is the exception not the rule. Jesus wanted to declare that salvation had come to him – that should be fine with us. Certainly salvation for Zacchaeus and us for that matter is based on grace, he just happened to have grace standing in front of him.
Listen, When you are on the journey of salvation – when you are walking hand in hand with Jesus, knowing that he will walk in front and lead you – you become a better person. The problems don’t all go away – the stresses in life won’t always die at the root. But I can testify that in my life and in the lives of countless others around me at various times – you can handle most of what gets handed to you. Not by your strength – we fail when we handle situations past or present by our own strength.
Conclusion:
In verse 10 Jesus makes a declaration of his purpose. Jesus declares the reason why he came in the form of a tiny baby to a carpenter and his future wife. Jesus makes sense of all those parables of people who lose stuff, and then they find it. It says in verse 10 – “For the son of man (that’s what Jesus called himself) came to seek and to save what was lost.”
He came for you and for me. He came so that we, who were far off could be brought back. He came to suffer and die – literally carrying my sickness and shame to make me whole. Jesus Christ came to make you complete. And he wants you to be complete, he wants you to have joy in your heart. He wants so much to do for you what he did for the short, tax collector in Jericho – he wants to take you from having just a knowledge of God, to knowing Jesus Christ as Lord.
Does Jesus Christ has a fulfilled purpose in your life? Is he Lord of who you are? Have you surrendered everything to him? You know if you are living the life, or not. You know if his purpose has been and is being fulfilled in your life or not.
If you want to make Jesus Christ Lord come this morning as we stand and sing.
