Sixth Sunday of Easter (4)

Norman Unsworth

Easter • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago

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Opening Prayer:

Lord we are here to worship you.

Would you meet with us through your Spirit,

Teach us through your Word,

Show us where we need to change,

And give us all we need to serve you in the world.

For the glory of your name. Amen.

Song 1

Waymaker

Song 2

Bless the Lord O my soul

Warm Up

Today I want to think about transformation.

Does anyone know what that means?

Yes, it’s another word for change.

How many of you enjoy watching “make-over” programmes on television or on YouTube?

Some programmes show the changes that can happen to an overrun garden when a professional gardener is let loose on the garden,

whilst others show the changes that can happen to a dilapidated old house when an interior designer teams up with a builder.

Still other programmes show the changes that can happen to people when they spend time with professional make-up artists, or personal trainers, or hair stylists. I have a couple of “before” and “after” photographs to show you today.

This is a picture of a young lady before she had make-up applied and her hair styled,

(Project picture)

and this is the picture afterwards.

Doesn’t she look simply amazing? What a transformation.

This is a picture of a young man before he went on a diet.

(Project picture

and this is the picture afterwards. (Project picture

It is hard to recognise it is the same person, isn’t it? What a transformation.

We can all change the way that we look in so many different ways can’t we, but what about our hearts?

Who can change our hearts?

Who can help us become more loving, kind, and generous?

Who can give our hearts the “make-over” that we all need?

Zacchaeus was a man who needed a “heart make-over”.

He lived in a place called Jericho and he wasn’t a very nice man at all….

One day someone came into town and Zacchaeus’ life was completely changed:

Bible Reading 1:

Video

Zacchaeus’ life was changed dramatically after meeting Jesus, wasn’t it?

The Bible doesn’t tell us a huge amount about Zacchaeus, but there are a few clues about what sort of man he was in the video.

So, thinking back to what you have just seen and heard, what was Zacchaeus like BEFORE he met Jesus?

Show 1st Heart BEFORE

Greedy

selfish

lonely

sad

emptiness

Zacchaeus had a lot of bad stuff in his heart, didn’t he?

He might have had riches, position, and power as chief tax collector,

but his life would have been pretty empty…. as none of these things can really satisfy a person.

And then Jesus came into town.

I wonder what Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus that made him want to see him?

Perhaps it was his own sadness, loneliness, and emptiness that drew him to Jesus, or perhaps Zacchaeus had heard about the change in other people’s lives after they had met Jesus.

Whatever it was, Zacchaeus was desperate to see Jesus and when he couldn’t see Him because of the large crowd, he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so that he could get a good view of

Jesus.

Can you imagine Zacchaeus’ shock when Jesus stopped at the foot of his tree, looked up and said to him: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today!” (Luke 19:5)

Isn’t it amazing that with all the crowds around him, Jesus knew and called Zacchaeus by name?

Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was a cheat, greedy and a very selfish man, but Jesus accepted him and loved him as he was.

Jesus knew that Zacchaeus’ life was empty and that he needed a “heart makeover,” and so Jesus invited himself to stay at Zacchaeus’ house.

Nobody else would want to go to Zacchaeus’ house as a guest…..they all hated him…they knew that he was a “sinner,”

but Jesus wanted to go to his house and spend time with him.

I wonder how Zacchaeus must have felt when Jesus called him down from the tree and then they went off together to his home?

I wonder how you would have felt.

The Bible doesn’t tell us what Jesus said to Zacchaeus when he stayed with him, but a little later it was very obvious to everyone that Zacchaeus had changed.

Listen to this:

“Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”” (Luke 19:8)

Zacchaeus has had a change of heart….

Jesus did for Zacchaeus what Zacchaeus couldn’t do for himself…..

He gave him a new heart.

Let’s get out our second heart. (Display the second heart with the word “After” above it. Ask

generous

loved

happiness

joy

forgiveness

So, what was Zacchaeus like AFTER he met Jesus?

Zacchaeus had a lot of bad stuff in his heart, didn’t he?

He might have had riches, but his life would have been pretty empty…..as none of these things can ultimately satisfy a person.

And then Jesus came into town.

After he met Jesus, Zacchaeus was a completely different man wasn’t he?

His heart had been transformed, and so his life from this point on would be different. (Put down the two pieces of paper with the hearts on them)

Now Jesus is the same today, as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

He knows each one of us by name and loves us.

We may not be sitting up in a tree like Zacchaeus, but Jesus knows where we are.

He knows what we have done and how cold and hard our hearts can be, yet He says to each one of us:

“I must stay at your house today, and not just today – but every day. Let me offer you a new life. Let me give you a new heart too.”

Jesus reaches out to us with great kindness.

He reaches out to us from the place of having paid the price for our sin.

So how will you respond?

Will you, like Zacchaeus and welcome Jesus into your life, or will you stay in the tree, just watching from a distance?

Song 3

I am a new creation.

We have just heard how Zacchaeus’ life was dramatically changed after meeting Jesus, and how our lives can also be changed by Jesus today.

Once we have met Jesus, we become part of God’s family….

Here in this Church.

So, let’s hear what St Paul says our church is to look like.

Bible Reading 2:

The second Bible reading is Romans 12:1-21.

12: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,

5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith.

7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach.

8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.

11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap, burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

Can you imagine what our church would be like if we all acted on what we have just heard from these verses from Romans 12…..

if we were willing to allow what God says to change how we think, and then how we behave?

Can you imagine what it would be like if we all loved one another so much that we never said unkind things to each other?

Can you imagine what it would be like if we were all willing to use the gifts that the God has given us, so that no-one in the church family had too much to do?

Can you imagine what it would be like if we all gave to those who didn’t have as much as we have so that no-one went short?

A church family that allows the words of Romans 12 to change it by putting them into practice brings glory to God and is a great family to belong to.

People outside looking in will believe that Jesus is Lord when they see His people acting differently from those around them,

it takes God’s Holy Spirit to enable us to be loving and generous.

I have an outline picture of a church building here as a way of showing our church family. (Produce outline of church)

We are going to stick onto our church the words from Romans chapter 12 that will help to remind us how God wants us to live in our church family together.

I need a couple of adults and children to come and help me with the sticking…

(Receive a few volunteers)

We are going to do this in a prayerful way…..

As I read out the words and we stick them onto the church building, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us, so that our church family can bring glory to the Lord.

Romans 12:3 Be Humble

Romans 12:4 We are all different

Romans 12:5 We belong to one another.

Romans 12:6,7,8 Use your gift(s)

Romans 12:9 Love genuinely.

Romans 12:10 Love and honour others

Romans 12:11 Serve passionately.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful, patient, prayerful.

Romans 12:13 Share generously

Romans 12:14 Bless the persecutors

Romans 12:15 Be sensitive.

Romans 12:16 No arrogance

Romans 12:17 No repaying evil

Romans 12:18 Live at peace

Romans 12:19 No revenge

Romans 12:20 Be kind to enemies.

Romans 12:21 Do good.

Confession

As we have allowed the words of Romans 12 to speak to us as a church family, let’s ask the Lord’s forgiveness for the times where we have not obeyed these words and so have not brought him glory.

Father, thank you for calling us into your family,

where we belong to one another and to you.

We are sorry when we haven’t loved each other,

Father, forgive us and help us to change.

We are sorry when we have failed to use our gifts to serve you,

Father, forgive us and help us to change.

We are sorry when we haven’t been prayerful.

Father, forgive us and help us to change.

We are sorry when we have put ourselves first,

Father, forgive us and help us to change,

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s invite the Holy Spirit to come and help us change so that we can be the people God wants us to be.

Holy Spirit of God,

Please come and fill us afresh with your life.

Change us and mould us so that we might bring you glory.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Song 4

Spirit of the living God

Bible Reading 3:

The Bible reading is Matthew 5:13-16

Today we began our service by talking about how Jesus can change our hearts and lives, as He did for Zacchaeus.

We then talked about how we are changed as a church family when we are willing to listen and act on what God says to us, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, in this last part of the service, we are going to spend a couple of minutes thinking about how Jesus sends us out from here, to change the world we live in with His love.

Can anyone remember the two everyday things Jesus talked about to help us understand how we are to change the world? (Receive answers)

That’s right Jesus talked about salt and light.

Salt makes food taste better, doesn’t it? (Hold up a tub of salt)

How many of you really enjoy a packet of chips or a bag of crisps without salt?

They are a bit tasteless, aren’t they?

In the same way as salt makes food taste better, Christians can “make life taste better” for other people.

So how can we make life taste better for people we know?

For the other children we meet at school,

For the people we work with, PAUSE,

Is there something that you could do to show Jesus’ love and make someone’s life better this week?

Salt also stops food from going bad....and in days before fridges that was really important.

Christians are meant to speak up for God’s ways of doing things, so that our society doesn’t go bad.

Think about where you have an opportunity to speak up for God’s ways?

As well as being salt, Jesus also calls us to be light….(Hold up a candle)

Being light in a dark world is about living differently from those around us who don’t yet know Jesus.

According to Jesus the light that people will see in us is the good thing we do, and those good things are not simply our actions, but also include our godly character and what we say.

One Christian can make a huge difference in the life of their community.

You don’t need much salt to make food taste good,

and you don’t need much light to show up in darkness.

Let’s go out from here today ready to change the communities we live and work in for His name.

PRAYERS

Final Song

Lord the light of your love is shining.

Blessing

As Jesus has changed your life,

go into the world and change it.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be among

you and remain with you always. Amen.

Romans 12:3 Be Humble

Romans 12:4 We are all different

Romans 12:5 We belong to one another.

Romans 12:6,7,8 Use your gift(s)

Romans 12:9 Love genuinely.

Romans 12:10 Love and honour others

Romans 12:11 Serve passionately.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful, patient, prayerful.

Romans 12:13 Share generously

Romans 12:14 Bless the persecutors

Romans 12:15 Be sensitive.

Romans 12:16 No arrogance

Romans 12:17 No repaying evil

Romans 12:18 Live at peace

Romans 12:19 No revenge

Romans 12:20 Be kind to enemies.

Romans 12:21 Do good.

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.