Sermon Tone Analysis

"Jesus

and my mistakes"

Luke 19:1-10

September 10, 2006

 

 

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\\ When internal alarms start going off, when sirens of the soul start sounding.

When everything you thought might bring you happiness leaves you unfulfilled and thirsting for something else, when at the end of the day you look in the mirror and you don’t like who you see, you don’t like where you’ve been, you don't like where you’re going.

You get very confused about, “How can my life possibly change?

How can I face myself, my family, and my God, considering the mistakes I’ve made?”

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*/Luke 19:1-10/**/, “Jesus entered Jericho and made His way through town.

There was a man there named Zacchaeus; he was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax collecting business and he had become very rich.

He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.

When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name, ‘Zacchaeus!’

He said, ‘Quick, come down for I must be a guest in your home today.’

Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

But the crowds were displeased.

‘He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,’ they grumbled.

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said, ‘Lord, I will give half my wealth to the poor and if I  have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’  Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham.

And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.”’/*

/ /

/ /

*Why Is It Hard For Succesful/Self-Reliant People to Establish a Relationship with God?*

/ /

            1.

_________________

*Pride will keep all people from God.

Because we won’t say we need God.

The Bible says that if we’re to enter the presence of God, we must have the simplicity and the humility of a child.*

            2.

False Sense of ___________________

Here’s the temptation if I'm way prosperous and all is going well.

I start thinking, “My money can buy me out of trouble.

My ability can work me out of trouble.

My mind can think me out of trouble.

My insurance can pay my way out of trouble.

I'm covered.

Why should I need God?

I'm secure.”

3.

False Conclusion About ____________________

Here’s the thinking: “If I'm so bad why is life so good.

What do you mean I need something fixed in my heart?

Look at my life.

Let’s just eat, drink, and be merry.”

The day must have begun like most days for him.

Zacchaeus rolled out of his satin sheets, slipped a robe over his silk pajamas, walked across the marble floor of his bathroom, stepped up two or three rungs on a stepladder to see himself in a highly polished mirror.

And he didn’t like what he saw.

Because of years of stealing, years of being an outcast in society, years of spiritual hunger, all these had left him a little ragged around the edges.

He must have gone, “Huh!” thinking about his own name, Zacchaeus.

It’s a noble name, a thoroughly Jewish name which means “righteous one.”

But a tax collector in those days being named “Righteous” would be like the town hooker being named Chastity.

The name and the character didn’t match.

This is maybe where we need to push the pause button.

Ponder and reflect for a few more minutes trying to break this encounter down point by point to get some clear thinking how a heart like the heart of Zacchaeus could change and how a heart like yours or mine could change.

In those days for a Jew to be a tax collector made him both a thief and a traitor.

!

/For Heart Change To Occur// . .

./

 

*1.

**  I Must Be Open to the ____________________of God.*

*/ /**/When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name, ‘Zacchaeus!’

He said, ‘Quick, come down for I must be a guest in your home today.’/*

*/ /*

This is the miracle of grace.

Before you ever thought to go on a search for God, God was searching for you.

We watched Zacchaeus, childlike, climbing up that tree.

I wonder how long it had been since that man had climbed a tree?

A little risky I would think.

But I’ve noticed that a spirit of risk accompanies the spirit of those who want to find out more about Jesus.

For some of you, just being here this weekend, is a risk.

It’s a huge risk.

It took a lot of courage on your part just to show up and to check this church out and try to discover more what Christianity and Jesus Christ could mean for you.

I want you to know that I applaud your courage.

I'm glad you’re here.

Beyond that I think Jesus was proud, proud of Zacchaeus’ quest.

He walks over to the tree and says, “Zacchaeus hurry down.

I need to go to your house today.”

This has been called the Divine Initiative.

That’s how it is with the Lord.

This is the Jesus you need to know.

When you decide that something in your life needs to change, that a few things that need to be shifted within your heart and you discover like Zacchaeus did that God already knows your name, He knows your need, He’s ready to go home with you and start this internal reconstruction, this soul re-creation.

*/ /*

/ /*/“God moves near to you in Jesus Christ with /*

*/   welcoming arms.

No matter who you are or what you /*

*/   have done.

God comes to you, keeps coming to you,   /*

*/   keeps extending His love to you, until you come out   /*

*/  of the tree and bring Him home.”

--  Brad Johnson/*

This is how heart change will be for you too.

God moves near to us in Jesus Christ with welcoming arms.

No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, God comes to you and He keeps coming to you and He keeps extending His love to you until you come out of the tree and you bring Him home.

Have you sensed that God might be doing that within you?  Drawing you to ask Christ into your life?

Into your home?

Into your business?

Into your classroom?

Into your relationships?

Have you felt the gentle tugging going on at the heart level?

Have people around you perhaps even been trying to point the way?

Do you think the reason that you’re here this weekend is because God brought you here?

Zacchaeus was surprised that Jesus would make him His */agenda./*

*2.

**  I Must Believe that God ____________________ Sinful *

*     People.*

Look at this crowd!

v.

7 says, /“The crowds were displeased and they grumbled.”/

It’s a very ugly picture.

When Jesus walked towards Zacchaeus, the rich crook, I think right before Jesus spoke His first words the crowd leaned forward licking their lips in anticipation waiting for Jesus to give this sinister man a little hellfire and damnation preaching.

A whole lot of “woe unto you” and finger pointing.

A whole lot of the “turn or burn” preaching that some of us were raised with.

When the crowd heard Jesus say, “Friend, I'm staying at your house.