The Great Commission
Part 22 – Jesus Speaks to Zacchaeus
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
6:00PM Evening Service at the church –
“Seminary Students will be preaching”
June 15th – Deacon Kurt Ulman
June 22nd – Grace Steadman
June 29th – Lori Ulman
July 6th – Lynnette Higgins
July 13th – Walker Spriggs
WHERE WE ARE AT
† Jesus Blesses the Children
† Jesus speaks again of His Death
SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 19:1 – 10 Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
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."
INTRODUCTION
I. ZACCHAEUS LET NOTHING PREVENT HIM FROM SEEING THE LORD
a. Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was.
i. Zacchaeus was a tax collector AND wealthy…
ii. Money never satisfies the spiritual thirst of the human heart.
iii. A hungry, seeking heart will always find the Lord.
b. When other people (crowds) prevented that, he went ahead and climbed a tree.
i. He did not allow people to stand in his way
ii. He didn’t give up when he met opposition
iii. He was determined, and did what it took to see Jesus
c. Let nothing stand between you and seeing the Lord.
i. We come against negative family members
ii. We come against negative friends
iii. We meet opposition when seeking the Lord
iv. Jesus tells us as much in the parable of the sower and the seed
II. TO REACH THE LOST WE MUST BE AMONG THE LOST
a. Jesus told Zacchaeus He must spend the day at his house.
i. Jesus commanded as a King
1. The Word of Jesus is all it takes
ii. Jesus spoke to him personally…saying his name.
1. He knows us by name
iii. Jesus humbled him…Come down.
1. Jesus seeks the humble, but resists the proud
iv. It was immediate…today.
1. Today…Jesus wastes no time when it comes to salvation
v. Vs. 6 says, “So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly”
1. Proper response to the Lord’s call
vi. Moral effect of conversion…
1. Conversion has a moral effect on us
b. The people murmured (as always) that “Jesus has gone to be a guest of a sinner.”
c. We need to see to the “Higher Good” and ignore earthly instruction.
d. Jesus NEVER catered to public whim, prevailing opinion, or conventional wisdom.
The kingdom of God is not a democracy.
Many churches loose their way because of the installation of voting into the Church which is not biblical.
Prevailing opinion changes, and is moral only on the condition of what society accepts at that moment in time.
The kingdom of God is a theocracy, led by one King, one God and ruler of all.
III. AN OUTWARD SIGN OF AN INWARD DECISION
a. Zacchaeus STOOD (represents action) and SAID (all we can achieve first takes place inwardly, then we speak it into existence)
b. LOOK LORD… His actions were for the pleasing of one person and one person only…Jesus Christ.
c. HERE and NOW Zacchaeus did not wait, he responded here and now.
d. I give ½ my possessions to the poor…unlike the rich young ruler who was saddened at the thought when he spoke to Jesus.
e. And if I have cheated anyone out of anything I will payback 4 times the amount! – Roman law required Fourfold Restitution, but Levitical law demanded the principal and 1/5th added (Numbers 5:7). So he gave FAR MORE than God required of him!
f. Too often God’s people so the least that is required of them instead of the most they could possible do.
g. Zacchaeus imposed a severe measure (Exodus 22:1) thus, he judged himself, and this resulted in true repentant acts!
h. We are told to judge ourselves so that the Lord will not have to judge us. Zacchaeus did just that.
The acts themselves are not repentance…
The acts were outward signs of repentance that has taken place in the heart.
i. An outward sign of an inward decision.
i. Baptism
1. Water Baptism – The water does not wash anything away.
ii. Communion
1. Taking the bread and wine – Jesus told us it’s not what you put into your mouth that defiles you, it’s what comes out…therefore it’s not what you put into your mouth that makes you clean, but what comes out.
2. Life and death are in our tongue, and those who speak will eat the fruit thereof.
iii. Holy Spirit
1. Spiritual Gifts – Spiritual gifts are evidence of the Holy Spirit within us.
iv. Follower of Christ
1. Spiritual Fruits – Spiritual fruits are evidence of our salvation, because we begin to show characteristics of our Lord.
CONCLUSION
Jesus said: “Today salvation has come to his house, this man who is also a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man came to SEEK and SAVE what was lost.”
Jew and gentile, man and woman, free and slave, Jesus has come to seek and save what was lost to sin. And He continues this today through the Body of Christ, which all followers of Christ are part of.
