Jesus Comes: Jesus Seeks and Saves
A new year starts and many folks are already worried about the promises they made just before the new year began.
It’s safe to say… we break promises; not because we want to, but because we simply do not have the fortitude to endure through the challenges and changes which mount up day after day.
We face insurmountable obstacles which tend to dismount our stance upon more meaningful moments in 2015.
Again, we break promises… please note… God does not.
The proof of God is found in the formidable promises He has made which have not been forsaken, nor forgotten.
Those promises prove the practical nature of the Divine.
Those promises prove the practical nature of mankind as well.
John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
John 13:17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
2 Peter 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s not about us promising ourselves or promising God anything… it’s about God’s promises to us for which we cling to by faith and grow in this faith supplied by God through the grace given by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Shows Up
When Jesus showed up on the earth, He traveled about making old lives new.
Many of those He touched were not expecting the freedom or newness brought to them by the Lord Jesus, but He was on a mission.
Jesus came for many reasons, but ultimately, He came…as
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Zaccheus
I want to start with the story of Zaccheus – a conniving, cunning, concern when it came to collecting taxes from his kinsman.
His story is found in Luke 19
Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich.
3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.
5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.
7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Zaccheus was a Jew, a child of Abraham, but most thought he was a traitor because he cheated them by taking more than necessary as a CHIEF TAX Collector in Jericho.
Zaccheus was rich… and even influential within the circles of wealthy individuals of his day, but he was not faithful and thereby found himself coming up short in the eyes of the people – you see he was a short man.
BUT GOD…
Jesus came… people flocking around Him and wanting to touch Him, hear Him, capture His favor… except a short man named Zaccheus who could not see through the crowd.
TWO NOTES ABOUT THE CROWD – usually the majority…
The crowd always blocks the view of Christ
The crowd always grumbles about the things of Christ too
So you know the story… Zaccheus went up a sycamore tree nearby and waited…
Jesus came to the tree.
for Jesus came to Zaccheus.
Upon entering Zaccheus’ home, ole Zack found himself repenting and confessing before the Lord, turning his life around and giving fourfold in return for those he cheated.
NOTE:
An unlikely character to receive grace.
All the more likely to find the Grace-Giver come and show him, a cheerful giver is more at peace when they give above and beyond their ability because the Grace-Giver gave His all for him.
Zack heard about Jesus coming…and he wanted to capture a glimpse of His grace.
Another enemy to the Jews, a Samaritan, was also in need of grace.
Woman at Well; Sychar
John 4:5 So Jesus came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;
6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
Now, really, Jesus did not come to get a drink from this woman, unnamed, but He came to give her freedom.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
An intellectual conversation began between the God of the Universe and the slim of Sychar.
An unlikely person, an unlikely conversation, and an unlikely outcome.
John 4:21 Jesus said to her…
23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
It was at this point in the conversation that disciples returned, surprised to see Jesus speaking to a woman, much less a Samaritan woman…
But notice the woman’s reaction
The woman had fled but not in fear… leaving behind the very things she had brought to the well in order to get from the well what she thought she needed, only to obtain what she never thought would come to her… salvation.
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
She left quickly to become an evangelist to her city.
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”
30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.
Ridicule and Shame…
Can you imagine the ridicule and shame which once possessed her, and now she is possessed with a greater gift of grace.
Once we leave behind our worldly collection of thirst, we will find a spring which comes from within unto living-satisfying-water.
It’s almost as if we must be emptied of ourselves in order to see that Jesus has come…
John 4:39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified…
41 Many more believed because of His word;
42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”
NOTE: Many will come to the Lord based upon the word you share
Many will come to the Lord based upon the word He imparts to them
Regardless, it all boils down to the word of Christ being imparted and the imparted word going forth into all the corners of our community.
Illustration for Poetry Baptist: AWANA
I wish you could hear the stories I hear from parents about their children who get so excited about coming to AWANA.
1.] One set of siblings kept irritating their parents over the holiday eagerly expecting the AWANA ministry to start up again.
2.] One precious little girl exclaimed… “This is home.”
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Luke 18:16 But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
17 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
11 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
Back to our storyline:
Two so called enemies of grace found grace…
Barriers…
But what about those who have been searching for grace, just unable to obtain it because of barriers.
Let me introduce you to a couple of more characters… non-Jews.
Syrophoenician Woman
Mark 7:24 Jesus … had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice.
25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.
26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
Matthew tells us a bit more info at this point…
Matthew 15:22 …she began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”
23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”
Mark shares that Jesus
Mark 7:27 …was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
28 But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”
29 And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
Mark 7:30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.
NOTE: Listen to me…
You may not believe in demon possession today. I do.
I believe that Jesus cleanses hearts, lives, marriages, homes, and even communities by the power of His resurrection and command over all creation.
Revival can come… but will it.
Luke 18:8 “…when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
One thing I want you to notice… Jesus did not get up and go to the house where the woman lived…
He healed that young girl with just a word… based upon the faith of the mother.
Praying Mother…
A fervent-praying mother can change the course of her child by imploring to Jesus.
Jesus is willing…
Matthew 8:3 Jesus comes and touches each searching soul, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” …
Centurion
How about another non-Jew who searched for Jesus
Matthew 8:5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him,
6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.”
7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 “For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
11 “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.
Great faith results in great reward.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
As a Playoff Game begins at noon today…(I’m aware of the severity of our plight… it just seems the church is losing in this particular fourth quarter rather than our favorite team…)
Time runs short… I’m in my own fourth quarter…
I wish I could tell you of those who had faith on behalf of their friends… bringing them to Jesus.
Time is not on my side…
Four Friends Bring: Still Jesus comes…
Mark 2:2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.
3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.
4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.
Luke 5:19 But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.
Mark 2:5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus saw the four men’s faith… and healed the paralytic.
Luke 5:20 Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”
Matthew 9:2 … Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus sees us… He knows our needs… still Jesus comes to us…
No Friends Bring to Jesus – Jesus Comes Still…
Pool of Siloam…
John 9:1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
John 9:6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,
7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.
The paralyzed man could not come to Jesus… his friends brought him.
The blind man could not come to Jesus… Jesus came to him.
When questioned about wretched condition…
John 9:25 He answered, “…one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
Pool of Bethesda
Another whom Jesus came to… at pool of Bethesda
John 5:3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters;
John 5:5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”
9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
It had nothing to do with the Pool of Bethesda or truly the Pool of Siloam, nor the friends or lack of friends… but FAITH.
Faith in the One Who came…
Faith in the One Who heals…
Faith in Jesus who seeks to save…
Faith acts upon the promises of the One Who provides… and rewards with Grace...
He comes to seek and save!
NOW: What will you do?
