Today Salvation has come to this House
Introduction
Last week started with- Mtt 16:13-17
Peter- standing in the physical presence of Jesus- but his understanding- did not come by- natural senses.
His understanding- who Jesus was-came by revelation-
today, each person needs that same revelation.
Someone once said- Christ is Christianity-knowing Christ is where all faith begins/ends.
You can take Buddha out of Buddhism- system of beliefs and works still exist- Buddha is dead.
You can take Muhammad out of Islam- system of belief/works still exists- Muhammad is dead.
But if you take Christ out of Christianity- nothing left.
As a result- many call themselves Christians- understood principles- but not encountered Christ.
Jesus said- I am the way, the truth, and the life. Jn 14:6
He did not say- there is a way, a truth, a life-
He said He IS the ONLY way, the truth, the life.
Unlike Buddhism/Muslim faith- whose founders-dead-
Christianity depends upon the claims that-
God came down- heaven/became man Jesus Christ was crucified, dead, buried
He was resurrected and is alive today,
seated at the right-hand of God, and
He lives in us through-work/power of-HS.
Zaccheus- Lk 19:1-10
V1 Jesus- He had come from Samaria „³ Jerusalem.
He- passing through Jericho- as-passed through-world.
You/I came into this world with the desire to live-
He did not come to the world to stay- but to die.
He entered this world as the God-man, to die for our sins, so we could live eternally with Him in heaven.
V2 Jericho was a very rich town-
beautiful palm forests and balsam groves,
rich in trade/provided-wealth for-Roman empire therefore it was a great taxation center.
Tax collectors were Jews that collected taxes from their own people for the Roman empire.
They were the mafia of the day- hated by the people.
V3-4 Zaccheus was rejected by his own people- perhaps lonely and searching for something more-
he had lived his life at the expense of others,
he was wealthy but not necessarily happy,
he had worldly success- but not found peace.
He had heard that Jesus ate w/tax collectors/sinners.
Zaccheus ran to climb up a tree to see Jesus.
He may have been looking for that place of mercy-
a place where he could find acceptance/love.
V5 Through out the Gospels, Jesus became a guest in someone¡¦s home when He was invited-
walking on water- intended- pass by- cried out,
Emmaus- acted like going on- until invited in.
In most cases Jesus waits until He is invited in by us.
In this case He invited Himself for dinner/spend-night.
Zaccheus sought to SEE Jesus and Jesus sought to SAVE Zaccheus.
V6-8 After a private dinner w/Jesus-
Zaccheus was a changed man.
His giving exceeded- required under Jewish/Roman law- he was admitting he had stolen from people.
I would like to know the conversation over dinner.
Zaccheus did not just understand truth, He received Jesus- who was the truth- he received the Christ.
Jesus- on his way to Jerusalem to provide a mercy seat for Zaccheus- He would die for- sins of mankind.
V9 As a tax collector-Zaccheus-shut out of the temple.
Temple sacrifices- pointed to the coming Messiah.
And yet the one the sacrifices pointed to- came to him.
V10-Man is lost to God as long as he is enslaved to sin.
Jesus came to set mankind free for sin and death.
Have you ever lost something- looked hard to find it?
In the Bible- several stories of things lost- Lk 15-
the woman who lost a silver coin,
sheep that wandered from the flock, and
the prodigal son who left his family.
A man may be-
insensibly lost, like the lifeless coin, or
miserably lost like the dumb sheep, or
willfully lost like the prodigal son.
But he is still lost and needs God-
Jesus died for all those lost for whatever reason.
Jn 3:17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
God¡¦s search for man began in- garden of Eden after Adam disobeyed-God called-Adam, where are you?
Lost in the NT does not necessarily mean someone who is damned or doomed to hell.
It simply means to be in the wrong place.
When- find something lost- we put it where it belongs.
A man is lost when he has wandered away from God.
He is found when he takes up his rightful place as an obedient child in God¡¦s house.
2 Tim 2:20-21
The Lord is talking about the church.
Every vessel in the church has value- useful to God.
There are many places in God¡¦s household to serve.
However, the implication is that a vessel of wood and earthenware can become a vessel of gold and silver.
Zaccheus became a vessel- gold/silver that day.
I think it should be our goal to be the very best we can.
We are all in the house, but some are lost- misplaced- and God has a higher calling for you.
Jesus has come to seek and to save those who are lost-
those lost in an eternal sense, and those lost in the sense of not following God with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength,
not being in the place God has for you.
Zaccheus and Blind Bartimaeus (Lk 18)
Like blind Bartimaeus- Zaccheus was spiritually blind-
one- sitting beside the road- other up in a tree,
one was poor, the other was rich,
one sought for mercy- other sought to see Jesus,
one had to get up- be saved-other had-get down,
but both had an encounter w/Christ, both were changed,
one healed, the other restored spiritually.
Jesus is still looking to have dinner w/us today.
The story of Zaccheus reminds me of the reality that God has for my life.
Jesus was gracious to Zaccheus-
He was passing through Jericho, but He stopped,
His call to Zaccheus was personal- Zaccheus,
His call to Zaccheus was urgent- hurry
His call was humbling- come down,
His call- confronting- I will stay at your house.
God has come to seek/save, each and every one of us.
Prophetic Insight
Brett- sent an email to his House Church- 2008-
referred to a song- Breathe Today- by Flyleaf-
You can only move as fast as
Who’s in front of you
When I do things in my own strength I am limited to my 30 years of life and the limitations of my mind and body.
When I focus upon the world around me and its desires and wisdom I am limited to the clouded vision of man.
If I follow Christ, if I make Him first, if I keep Him in front of me, then I will move faster and farther than I have ever dreamed.
Who or what will we follow?
We can choose to put Christ out in front/follow Him.
