Words Are Cheap

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Luke 19:1-10 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Words are cheap!Who was Florrie Evans?

Let me tell you a little story.

. In a Sunday morning prayer meeting for young people, Pastor Jenkins asked for testimonies of spiritual experiences. Several tried to speak on other subjects but the pastor stopped them. At last a young girl named Florrie Evans, who had been gloriously converted just a few days before, stood and with a trembling voice said: "I LOVE JESUS CHRIST - WITH ALL MY HEART"! With these simple words the sparks that God had planted in so many hearts burst into flame and the great Welsh Revival began. The fire quickly spread to Blaenanerch, New Castle-Emlyn, Capel Drindod, and Twrgwin. Streams spread abroad like lava from a great volcano - soon multiplied thousands were aflame with the Holy Spirit's testimony of the glorious Son of God. As the blessing in New Quay was quickly noised abroad, doors began to open on every hand. Led by their pastor, this group of young people, most of who were between sixteen and eighteen years of age, conducted meetings throughout the south of the country. The fire continued to increase and lept over every boundary that tried to contain it. Conventions and conferences sprang up all over Wales, emphasizing holiness of heart and life in the Spirit.

Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold

In settings of silver.

Words are cheap – but when the Holy Spirit speaks it is like Gold.

What was so special about Florrie Jenkins?

Something was special because it sparked a revival.

Jesus is travelling through a village in Jericho crowds gather around to see him – can’t you imagine it the popular and important, the learned and the pompous, and yes the spiritually eager all keen to hear the gems that would come from this great teacher – the marginalised, the poor, the broken the crafty and the elite and Jericho was a prosperous centre powering forward in the economic climate of it’s time. But words are cheap.

What a great season to be a tax collector, money was plenty, and the law was on his side to take and to take again. Here in Riversdale people are always passing through - What would it take for someone passing through Riversdale to draw great crowds who were pushing and shoving to see him what kind of person would get such attention?

A wealthy person like Bill Gates – A famous performer like cilice dion – A great Sportsperson like Kieren Read All black captain – I guarantee in our towns if a great preacher walked through carrying the truth as Jesus did – in this time – I don’t think he would get much attention – but in those days when someone carried the recognisable truth of God – in fact the person who called himself the truth gathered huge crowds – The truth is Jesus said No one comes to the Father except by me. In fact when Pilot who stood before Jesus – World power versus truth – and Pilot asks Jesus What is truth?

That is the question and the answer to what is truth is Jesus.

You see there are people today who are seeking truth but they find cheap imitations that continually are proven to be inadequate.

But Jesus was carrying the real thing – this was the moment of truth -

There was something special about Jesus – he was passing through the village of Jericho – People recognised that he was carrying the truth – but truth presses in and demands an answer. Many scream yes – but only a few are prepared to answer yes not just with their lips but with their lives as well. Talk is cheap.