Sermon Tone Analysis
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This has been our verse throughout our series on attitude.
This series has focused on making… the change from our former way of life to the new self, created to be like God is true righteousness and holiness.
How many in the room are big fans of change?
There are some changes I do like… for instance, when something is broken finally gets fixed… that’s a good change.
Or how about when something you need or really like… gets lost.
You cannot remember where it is, you’ve retraced your steps and it doesn’t appear to be anywhere you can recall being.
Then… that item reappears and you experience that HUGE sense of relief.
WHEW!
Having something go from lost to found is a good change!
But then… what about changes that are difficult to come by or changes that we don’t really want.
Those changes might include walking out to your workbench in your garage only to find someone has changed the placement of your tools!
Or what about when a change happens in a relationship you didn’t see coming.
These kind of changes can be hard to walk through.
Change isn’t always easy… and that is why many times we don’t like walking through it.
But when it comes to moving from our old or former way of life into the new life that Jesus has for us… there is NO GREATER change that we could possibly want!
BUT RIGHT THERE IS THE KEY - YOU HAVE TO WAN THIS CHANGE.
So far we have talked about our attitude toward God, our attitude toward others, our attitude toward ourselves and even if our attitude matters.
We talked about how it is we can guard our attitude… and tonight… we are going to talk about making the change.
But NONE of this matters UNLESS we are willing and ready to make this change.
WE HAVE TO WANT A BETTER ATTITUDE!
So tonight, we are going to talk about wanting and obtaining not just a better attitude… but an attitude that is Christ-like.
How do we move from where we are to where Jesus wants us to be?
How does a desire to change begin to take hold?
Who or what is the key in all of this?
We are going to look at a story in the gospels that reveal a remarkable change in the life of a man… who wasn’t liked very much by the rest of society.
This guy… he had it all!
The nice house, the fancy shoes, the car everyone wanted but couldn’t afford (if cars were a thing back then), the clothes that made people turn and look, the lifestyle that most everyone else could only dream of having.
This guy also had a couple of other things most of the rest of the crowd didn’t have.
He had… a height problem.
This guy was a bit… vertically challenged.
In other words… HE WAS SHORT!
He had a greedy attitude.
The reason he had it all was because… in a sense… he took it all from others!
This guy was a tax collector.
Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were known to be corrupt.
They would collect taxes for the government… but they would also take some for themselves.
So you might owe the government $60 in taxes.
The collectors might tell you that the number is actually $100.
$60 would go to the Romans and the rest would go to the collectors fancy camel fund.
Everybody knew this was going on but there was nothing they could do about it.
Tax collectors had wealth, but no friends because of their greedy bad attitude.
Based off this information, can anyone tell me the name of this particular tax collector?
Zacchaeus!
And for some reason, every time I think or talk about this guy, I imagine he looked a lot like Danny DeVito.
(DANNY DEVITO IMAGE ON SCREEN) Anyone know how tall this guy is? Danny DeVito, at the age of 77 years old, is 4’10” tall!
Zacchaeus was a short little guy with a big attitude problem.
He was full of greed, full of wealth, and empty purpose and satisfaction.
He had it all but he gained it by burning others.
You don’t make many friends as you take their money and wealth away from them!
So… why are we talking about Zacchaeus?
Because we see an interesting story that I believe… shows a desire for change AND shows the pathway through which that change happens in his life.
The Desire Revealed.
So this guy wasn’t just an average tax collector… he was the CHIEF tax collector.
He was WEALTHY.
This guy “had it all” but then we see him in somewhat of an odd story.
What would a man with everything be doing climbing a sycamore-fig tree for?
Why would he be trying to see over the crowd that had gathered?
Scripture makes it clear - HE WANTED TO SEE WHO JESUS WAS.
Now… take note of something interesting here.
The crowd doesn’t cut Zacchaeus any lack.
They show him no mercy or grace.
What do we do or what should we do when someone is behind us who is trying to see over the top of us?
Hopefully, we allow them to stand in front so they can be a part of the action as well.
What I am talking about is consideration of others.
NO ONE moves for Zacchaeus.
NO ONE.
How sad is that?
They had all been burned by the corrupt system so badly that the crowd gives him a very cold shoulder.
I don’t think that in this situation he could have even paid his way to the front… and I bet he even tried!
Yeah, I know… it is an assumption… but this would be like Elon Musk climbing a tree… wealthy and well to do people don't typically do stuff like that!
Yet Zacchaeus runs ahead of Jesus and he climbs a tree because he wanted to see who Jesus was.
I believe this is a two-fold statement.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus - he wanted to know Jesus’ identity.
They didn’t have internet or pictures or newspapers, etc. Zacchaeus had never seen Jesus before therefore he didn’t know who He was!
Zacchaeus wanted to know what Jesus was about.
This is a statement of character.
Zacchaeus wanted to know if Jesus was the real deal… if His character was good if His walk matched His talk… Zacchaeus wanted to see the heart of Christ.
Some might say that’s a stretch… but I don’t think so.
Zacchaeus longed for something different… he was looking for change.
He was looking for something new.
He was willing to go to great lengths just to physically see Jesus.
How bad do you want it?
A better attitude?
A change in life?
How bad do you want to move from your former ways into the ways of Christ?
And change will require effort… but a change in attitude will require not only effort but also discipline, desire, and didication.
It’s easy to slip back into what we know… but it’s a whole different story to reach for something new.
Zacchaeus… was reaching for Jesus.
He was reaching beyond the crowd, beyond his past greedy attitude, and even beyond his physical limitations.
Zacchaeus was reaching beyond his circumstance in hopes of something… or rather becoming someone new.
And in this moment… Jesus takes notice of the short guy in the fig tree.
Jesus calls him out.
The Call Received
Jesus calls out to Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus responds.
He gets out of the tree and goes to Jesus.
Verse 6 tells us that Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus gladly.
Zacchaeus let Jesus into his house.
And that right there is the key - Zacchaeus let Jesus in.
Interestingly enough, there were some people who were not happy with Jesus going to the house of the chief tax collector.
Yet there He was.
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