God's Will for You

What is God’s Will for Me? Series.

Through this series we will be going through various areas of our lives that

Luke 19:1–10 ESV

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

A Person

The first element of this story is a person. More specifically, a man named Zacchaeus.

Let’s talk about a man named Zacchaeus. Here is what Scripture tells us about him:

He was a chief tax collector.

This means that he was viewed as a traitor to his people.

He was working for an enemy occupying nation.

Taking the money of his people and giving it to the enemy.

Presumed (guilty or not) to be taking extra for himself.

He was rich.

If the job was not enough, likely his wealth added to it.

Especially seeing as his job was how he gained his wealth.

He was short.

A fact that far too many people seem to care about.

Somehow actually an important detail to this story.

Regarded as a sinner.

His reputation was such that those around him looked at Zacchaeus as a sinner.

The most important detail:

He was trying to see Jesus.

WHY?

Had he heard about Jesus?

Was he hoping to see a miracle?

Was he hoping to hear him teach?

Was he looking to gain something for himself?

We don’t know why, but we know that he was persistent.

He was trying to see Jesus, but couldn’t.

Instead of cutting his losses, Zacchaeus goes ahead of him, and climbs a tree so he can see Jesus as he passes by.

It can be easy sometimes to make excuses particularly when it comes to church. While there are certainly reasons to miss church. I have heard my fair share of frustrating excuses for why people miss church. Consider for a moment how silly these common excuses sound when applied to a different environment. From an article titled “12 Reasons why a Local Pastor Stopped Attending Sports Events”

1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.

2. The people with whom I had to sit with didn’t seem very friendly.

3. The seats were very hard.

4. The coach never came to call on me.

5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.

6. I was sitting with some hypocrites—they came only to see what others were wearing.

7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.

8. The band played some songs I had never heard before. 9. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things. 10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.

11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches, anyhow.

12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

Zacchaeus had every reason to make an excuse, but he didn’t and this is where we see

This is where we see a man’s interaction with the Savior.

The Savior

This is the second element of the story. The savior.

It is important to note that Jesus initiates all parts of this story.

His arrival into Jericho is what prompted Zacchaeus to seek to see him.

When he passes by Zacchaeus. He expresses that he must come to Zacchaeus’s house.

This word “must” is usually used by Jesus to express what must take place before he is crucified.

Jesus is the reason for this interaction.

Not Zacchaeus.

Jesus explained at the end of this passage that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. That is exactly what he is doing.

Jesus comes to town.

Jesus asks to stay at Zacchaeus’s house.

Note that this makes everyone mad.

Zacchaeus was not the type of person that people thought that Jesus should be hanging around.

Still Jesus says he must stay at Zacchaeus’s house.

This leads to Zacchaeus having...

His Response

He Hurries down.

Receives Jesus joyfully.

The sad reality is that many Christians have never responded to Jesus with the same level of excitement that they have responded to earthly things.

Be it a sporting event, a concert, an activity, whatever it may be for you, too often we find ourselves excited by things of the world, rather than God.

It is not that it is wrong to be excited by these things, but it shows a disconnect within us that we are not excited by the things of God in a greater way.

After receiving Jesus, at some point, Zacchaeus gives away half of his wealth to the poor, and four times what he defrauded anyone.

The question that we could ask is, “when did Zacchaeus get saved?”

We know that he did, because Jesus declared it.

DL Moody says this about Zacchaeus:

We have a good many people who write and talk against sudden conversions. But how long did it take to convert Zaccheus? When he went up the tree, nobody in Jericho would have told you he was a converted man, and yet he was a converted man when he came down, for he received the Lord joyfully. He must have been converted somewhere between the limb and the ground. You don’t believe in these sudden conversions. You say they are not genuine.

Wether it was then, or through conversation that happened that night, Zacchaeus left this interaction with Jesus a different person.

How do we know this?

The evidence!

He gave away half of his wealth to the poor.

He was giving restitution 4 times what he stole if he stole anything.

There was not a poor person, or person who had been defrauded by Zacchaeus that wondered if his conversion was genuine.

The Parralel

Those aspects of Zacchaeus’s story don’t operate in a vacuum.

His story makes the most sense, and provides the most power when viewed in response to what happens just a few verses earlier in Luke 18.

A rich young ruler comes to Jesus and asks how he may inherit eternal life.

Jesus tells him he ought to know, follow the law.

The man says I have done all of these things since I was young.

Here is where we pick up.

Luke 18:18-27

Luke 18:22–27 ESV

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Compare the two.

Your Response

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

We must understand that if we want to know God’s will for our lives we cannot start anywhere but here.

If you want to know the answer to the question, “What is God’s will for me?” You are in a similar situation to Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was looking for answers, but through all the things that had happened in his life to that point, and by the draw of the Holy Spirit, he came looking for Jesus.

Today you sit and listen to this story about a man seeking Jesus and being found by him.

Today I tell you that if you are looking for meaning, looking for purpose, looking for answers, and you have come to see what God would have to say about it, I would tell you that Jesus’s answer to you is the same answer he gave to Zacchaeus:

Let me dwell with you today.

Because you are lost, and the Son of man came to seek and save the lost.

Because Jesus has made a way for those who are far from God because of their sin, to be brought near to Him.

Because you can be forgiven.

This is no sinner to far gone to be redeemed by Christ.

We do this through acknowledging our sinfulness, believing in what Christ has done, and confessing him as our Lord and savior.

Ephesians 3:17 ESV

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

If you do not know Jesus today, my prayer for you is that you would respond to Him today.

Not that you find him. But that He finds you. That though you are lost, you might be found.

If you do know Him today…

God’s will is clear for you as well.

This should be a transformational encounter.

There should be real evident change in your life.

Zacchaeus - The greedy tax collector, became a generous follower of Jesus.

Peter - The one who denied Jesus, became one who died proclaiming him to the world.

Paul - The persecuting Pharisee became one who was persecuted for his faith.