Reaching the Unreachable
Luke 19:1-10
Spring Life Series
March 16, 2008
Morning Service
Spring Life is an annual emphasis on Church growth and Evangelism. This message is based on materials provided by Wesleyan Headquarters.
Introduction
T.H. Huxley, a well-known agnostic, was with a group of men at a weekend house party. On Sunday morning, while most of them were preparing to go to church, he approached a man known for his Christian character and said, "Suppose you stay at home and tell my why you are a Christian." The man, knowing he couldn’t match wits with Huxley, hesitated. But the agnostic said gently, "I don’t want to argue with you. I just want you to tell me simply what this Christ means to you." The man did, and when he finished, there were tears in Huxley’s eyes as he said, "I would give my right hand if only I could believe that!"
Huxley would seem to be a modern day example of people that we feel that we might never be able to reach. We feel like we are not able to provide the answers to the questions that so many are asking. In a generation that is screaming for answers, Christians remain silent. We mistakenly believe that most people are unreachable, so we stay silent and we stay stagnant.
Who would you say is unreachable in our society?
• Powerful Politicians
• The extremely wealthy
• The addict who wants to stay addicted
This morning I want to look at a familiar story about how someone who seemed unreachable was reached with the gospel of Jesus. If you have your Bibles with you open them to Luke 19:1-10
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." Luke 19:1-10
Seeing the Unreachable
Most people would assume that Zacchaeus could never be reached. The truth was simply that no one really wanted to reach Zacchaeus. The people around Zacchaeus hated his guts. He was the essence of everything that they hated about Rome. He represented the Roman government that was oppressing the people of Israel mercilessly. He raised an already heavy tax burden and collected extra taxes to make himself wealthy. Zacchaeus was viewed as a traitor to his country and to his faith. He was no longer considered a Jew. Zacchaeus was seen as unreachable and the thought of him returning to a place of faith was unthinkable.
Who do you think is unreachable?
Maybe you have a co-worker who is nothing short of foul
Maybe your spouse makes it clear they want nothing to do with church and faith
Maybe your family ignores your attempts to invite them to church
There are times when many people seem unreachable. There are times when we think that our efforts seem wasted and our words fall on deaf ears. There are times when we feel like giving up on ever being effective in reaching people for Jesus.
We need to remember that there are people who need to be reached and we may be the agent of change that God has chosen to reach them. There are people who you come into contact every day that need the love of Jesus.
Reaching out to the Unreachable
Many times we write people off thinking that there is no way that Jesus could ever reach them. We place a stamp on their life that says unreachable and we write them off. When we do this put limitations on the grace and power of Jesus that don’t exist.
Who do you think is beyond hope of coming to Christ?
Maybe it is a neighbor who is a drug addict
Maybe it is the convict sitting in prison
Maybe it is the family member who mocked your faith
Who is too far gone for the grace of Jesus?
There is no addict too far into drugs. There is no thief too long a criminal. There is no sinner too steeped in their sin. There is no person too far gone for Jesus to reach. There is no one beyond the grip of His grace. We see people as unreachable because we really don’t want to reach them. We are no better than the crowds that judged Zacchaeus.
Results of Repentance
If we are really being honest with ourselves, we are not that much different from Zacchaeus. We all have done things that have displeased God and some of us have done so even today. We don’t have to steal from people to displease God. We often act like the crowd surrounding Jesus. It has been said that Christianity would be easy without the people in the church. Why? Because we act more like the crowd than like Christ.
Each time that you speak unjustly about another person you become like the crowds
Each time that you spread gossip in a malicious manner, you become like the crowd
Each time you look down your nose at anyone, thinking you are better than they are, you become like that crowd
Each time that you think that someone is beyond reach of Jesus, you become more like the crowd.
The mission of Jesus is pure and simple. The church far too often makes it far more complicated than it should be. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost.
Jesus sought Zaccheaus that day so long ago in Jericho. The question is why? Jesus was headed to Jerusalem to die for the sins of the world. Jesus came to die for our failures, our sins and our mistakes. Jesus sought Zaccheaus that day because he was an outsider to the faith. Jesus is still seeking outsiders to draw inside the faith.
Zaccheaus was changed by his encounter with Jesus. People are changed today when they come face to face with the power of the risen Savior. People are changed when they encounter genuine faith shown through a genuine compassion for the lost. People are changed when they see the love of Jesus flowing in the church and in us.
Our mission is simple. We are here to reach those that everyone else says are unreachable. We are here to spread the love and mercy of Jesus to those who are lost. Our mission is so simple. Like one beggar showing another beggar where to find food.
How does Jesus see lost people?
Visible: Every person is seen by Jesus, He ignores no one. Jesus sees lost people not as they are but as they can become as a result of His grace. Jesus sees lost people in their transformed state. Jesus sees them all, even the people that we often fail to notice.
Jesus sees the co-worker that drives you nuts
Jesus sees the family member that ignores you
Jesus sees the neighbor that you don’t know
Jesus sees the check out person at Kroger that you barely speak to
Victims: People who are lost are in bondage to the power of sin. Sin makes us slaves to its power and influence. They are victims of spiritual slavery. Lost people are nothing more than slaves of Satan. Many times we forget what it means to be lost and so we forget the depth of the need of those around us.
Lost people are chained to their sins and the guilt of their stains. Make no mistake Satan loves to victimize lost people. Inflicting pain and torment on those who are helpless. We have the message of freedom and Jesus holds the keys that unlock the chains of sin.
Valuable: Jesus sees us as valuable because we are important to Him. We often think that we matter more to Christ because we are in the church. There is more rejoicing in heaven when a lost person is found than for all those who are in the fold. Heaven rejoices when lost people come to know Jesus. That places a high value on them doesn’t it?
Lost people are so important to Jesus that he would die in their place. Every person that you come into contact with matters to Jesus and they should matter to you also. We look at the outside and Jesus looks to the heart. We look at where they are and Jesus looks at where they could be.
Conclusion
Today’s date is 3 16 08. Palm Sunday has often been viewed as a day of grace because it signals the coming of Jesus into Jerusalem. It signaled Jesus taking the world with Him to the cross
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16
This morning I want to give you an opportunity to bring your own personal needs to the cross. Maybe you need to straighten some business out with god this morning. I invite you to make your way down to the altar and spend that time with God this morning.
You were given a sheet in your bulletin for people you wanted to see reached for Christ. I want you to make your way forward as we sing to lay those sheets before the cross. This morning we have postcards for you to use to invite those people to church this week.
