0932 Embrace Grace - From Trying to Transformation

Message: Stop Trying. Start Trusting. (Or FROM TRYING TO TRANSFORMATION)

Series: Embrace Grace

Scripture: Luke 19

1. TRYING (when you try to reach God on your abilities)

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. Luke 19:1-3

A. We are all born short. STORY OF TWO CLIMBERS (see below) We don’t have a behavior problem, we have birth. We are not sinners because we have sinned. We sin because we are sinners.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

B. We can’t change. Because of the crowd I can’t see Jesus, thats an excuse - the real reason is we are too short spiritually.

C. Don’t join the “crowd” in your attempt to reach Christ. When Zacchaeus couldn’t see Jesus, he didn’t settle for being in the crowd that followed him. Being in Church but missing Christ is like being in airport but missing your flight.

2. TRUSTING (climb on the tree)

So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, Luke 19:4-5

A. Religion is you trying to see God. Gospel is trusting Jesus. It says that Jesus saw him, before that he was trying to see Jesus, now on the tree - Jesus sees him.

B. Trust what Jesus did, instead of trying to do better. Stop trying to become a better person, trust Jesus’ death to make you a new person. WHEELBARROW!

C. Jesus called him a Zacchaeus (which means in original language, “pure, innocent”), people called him a sinner. The devil knows your name but calls you by your sin, Jesus knows your sin but calls you by your name.

3. TRANSFORMATION (when u bring Jesus home with you)

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:5-10

A. Don’t leave JESUS where you met him. Jesus said come down from the tree, lets go to your house. Salvation came to this house, not just to his person. Trusting in Jesus brings you to heaven but transformation happens you bring Jesus home. (Means reading, praying, fasting, going to life group)

B. Don’t focus on changing, focus on hosting Christ. When your focus changes, your behavior will.

C. “Christian life is not changed life, it’s an exchanged life.” Watch Man Née Let Jesus not just die for you but live through you. Paul said, no longer I but christ lives in me. We believe in Jesus’ death in our place on the cross for SALVATION but we must also embrace Jesus’ live in us for our TRANSFORMATION.

In other words, it’s not you living for Jesus but Jesus living through you. WOW WOW WOW>

STORY OF TWO CLIMBERS:

They had two guides a guide in the back and a guide in the front they were all tied by the same robe. As they were climbing the guide in the back slipped and fell. When he fell he rolled off the edge of the mountain and yanked the two man in the middle. The guide int he front took the axe and dug itto the ice. The gripped and held on…the two men in the middle were able to climb back up in the middndle because of the guide in the front who didn’t let go.