GOD RECYCLES PEOPLE
Lk. 19:1-10
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A man was driving his bossy sister around & she told him he was driving too fast. Just to show who was in charge, he stepped on the accelerator.
2. Just then a police car pulled behind him, lights flashing. A 6’6” policeman towered over his door, “What’s the hurry, sir?” His sister shouted, “Officer, you need to give him a ticket! He’s always speeding, I mean ALWAYS!”
3. The officer said, “Sir, step to the rear of the vehicle.” The man got out thinking, “He might take me to jail!” The huge officer looked him in the eyes and whispered, “I’ve got one at home just like her. Go on & drive a little slower!”
B. TEXT
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.”
C. THESIS
1. Everybody knows what recycling is; it’s taking something that’s already been used for one purpose, tearing it down and then reforming it for a new purpose.
2. God has been doing that a long time – with people! Some people are thought to be useless for any good, but God knows how to remake us into something very valuable for His kingdom.
3. Today we’re going to see an example of that. The title of this morning’s message is: "God Recycles People."
I. REASONS WHY ZACH DIDN’T SEEK SALVATION?
A. GOD’S PEOPLE DIDN’T LIKE HIM
1. Just like today, even back then, almost nobody liked the tax man. This was even more so among the Jews.
2. Because the Romans had invaded their country, the Jews regarded those who gathered their taxes as not only oppressors, but as traitors.
3. JEWISH TAX COLLECTORS WERE:
a. Quarantined as "Moral Lepers," Rejects.
b. The Pharisees (Church crowd) wouldn't acknowledge them on the streets;
“ enter their houses;
c. They were turned away from the synagogue and Temple.
4. There are many Untouchables Today: drug addicts, Prostitutes, HIV Carriers, ex-convicts, strippers. THE CHURCH WORLD REJECTS THEM.
5. How quickly we who've been washed get an air of superiority. Without grace we’re no better than they.
6. Alex Haley, the author of Roots, has a picture in his office of a turtle sitting atop a fence. It's there to remind him; "If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help getting there." Alex says, "Any time I start thinking, "Well, isn't this marvelous what I've done," I look at that picture and remember how, like the turtle, I had a lot of help getting to where I am."
B. THOUGHT: “GOD DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ME”
1. HOW COULD HE?
a. I'm in the wrong profession.
b. I'm part of the wrong crowd.
c. God's people don't like me.
d. And I’m short (inferiority complex). It's one thing to be short, but when Jews start calling you short -- that's short! Have you ever heard of a Jewish basketball star? No!
2. HOW WRONG HE WAS! God DID care about him.
a. God predestined that meeting with Jesus that day, from all eternity.
b. He was chosen;
c. God knew His name.
d. God knew he had a house and said, "I want to come and stay (forever) at your house."
3. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you" Jeremiah 31:3.
4. 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command” John 15:13-14. Jesus demonstrated His love on the Cross.
5. POINT: OTHERS MAY HAVE GIVEN UP ON YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE GIVEN UP ON YOURSELF – BUT GOD HASN’T GIVEN UP ON YOU!
6. Even if you think someone doesn’t have a purpose, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t see a purpose. God is the Master Recycler! He takes worthless stuff and makes them into priceless treasures! God sees you as priceless!
II. ZACH GOT A NEW PERSPECTIVE OF GOD
A. VISUALIZE THIS COMICAL SCENE:
1.This short guy running around the edge of the crowd – JUMPING – trying to see Jesus!
2. This short rich man, dressed up like a King, sitting up in a tree, like a bird!
3. Then sliding down the tree like a fire pole.
4. What made him do it? He wanted to know God! We have as much of God as we want! If we want more, we can have more.
B. NATURE OF JESUS
1. Jesus was different than all the religious crowd; He was even labeled/ridiculed as "the Friend of Sinners" by them, as a ‘put-down.’
2. Jesus routinely met society’s “rejects” and saw in them the best material for His purpose. You see – it’s not what we already are that Jesus wants, but He wants those who are ready to be changed into something new! That’s why Jesus went to the marginalized.
3. Almost the first thing He did (in ministry) was speak to a woman who'd had five husbands and was a half-breed Samaritan, and the last thing He did was to hang between two thieves and pardon one of them!
4. He likes to hang around people who are ready to change! Are you?
C. NATURE OF HIS MISSION
1. The whole nature of Jesus’ mission is redemptive: to transform that which is contrary to God into that which is pleasing to Him.
2. Paul said, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am chief" 1 Tim. 1:5.
3. Jesus said, "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" Matthew 9:13.
4. Since this is true, this church should not be a museum or a monument, but a mission station to rescue the perishing!
5. Verse 10 has sixteen monosyllables -- they tell the story of God’s eternal mission; “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Don’t give up on people!
D. WASN’T A CHANCE MEETING
1. Zach had pursued the world's priorities, made it to the top, and found it EMPTY!
2. It happened Mike Singletary: “I had everything: gone to college, become an All-American (college football), got drafted to the NFL, become an all pro, and won the Super Bowl. It was right after the Super Bowl, and I realized that I was really, really empty.” Football glory left him unfulfilled.
3. “I just remember, one day, breaking down. I remember saying, ‘Lord, I’m supposed to be Your son, and You don’t talk to me, use me.’ God spoke, ‘I want to use you, but there are some things that you gotta clean up first.’ Second, you need to forgive your father.” That day Mike turned his life over to God and began a new life.
4. Many people feel like there’s something missing. Only Christ can make a person's life what it can be.
5. Zach was up that tree because he became a SEEKER. He stood out to Jesus (from the crowd) because he had become a SEEKER.
6. Have you begun to seek after God?
a. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
b. "Those that seek Me early shall find Me."
c. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these other things will be added to you as well."
d. "He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
7. Like a kid, Zach climbed a tree. Zach had to quit worrying about his image; he had to stop worrying about being in control. So do we.
E. ZACH’S SURPRISE: JESUS ACCEPTED HIM!
1. He suddenly saw that he WAS important to God! YOU are important to God!
2. God smiles when He thinks of You. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it!
3. Zach found acceptance in Jesus Christ. God accepts us just like we are. And GOD KNOWS OUR NAMES! Wow!
III. ZACH’S CHOICE: SALVATION
A. EVIDENCE OF THAT CHOICE
1. He gave half his goods to the poor.
2. If unjust, He gave four times what he had taken. That was the same amount required by law for the "Restitution of a Thief" (Exodus 22:1).
B. IF YOU TRUST, YOU’LL OBEY
1. We’ve all heard of the Boeing 737Max being grounded due to door plugs. Technical problems always occur in new models.
2. The same thing happened in 1958 when Boeing came out with its first jet engine. A traveler on a propeller-driven DC-6 airliner struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger. That passenger turned out to be a Boeing engineer. The traveler asked the engineer about the new jet aircraft.
3. The engineer talked at length about the extensive testing. He recounted Boeings experience with engines, from the B-17 to the B-52.
4. Finally, the traveler asked him if he had flown on one of the new 707 jet airliners and the engineer replied, "I think I'll wait until it's been in service awhile."
5. It’s easy to talk about our faith, but are we willing to step out and trust God?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. W. E. Nelson tells the true story about a ship that was wrecked at sea. When they let down the life boats, they realized that there wasn't room in them for all of the crew.
2. They agreed “draw straws” to see who’d be left to die. The short straws was drawn by a young, wild, and very lost sailor. Faced death, he began to cry, "Oh God! I'm going to hell!"
3. Suddenly he was picked up and bodily thrown into one of the boats. The old sailor who did so, called to him, "You aren't ready to die, but I am, and I'm willing to die for you. My only condition is that you get your heart right with God so that someday you will make it to heaven."
4. The old sailor had often witnessed to him about the Lord, but he’d laughed him off. Now he saw the important of the death of Jesus for him. He watched from a distance as the ship finally sank and the abandoned sailor died.
5. Later, the young man received Jesus as his personal Savior and testified in church, "Two men died for me!"
6. Just as certainly as that sailor died for him, Jesus died in your place, so that you could go to heaven!
B. THE CALL
1. Are you willing to trust God...
a. With your life?
b. With your healing?
c. With your marriage?
d. With your son/daughter? Raise your hand.
2. PRAYER
3. LORD’S SUPPER
