Zacchaeus: Repentance Leads to Transformation

Good morning. What a wonderful week this past week was and it is SPRING BREAK!!!!! I dont know who is more excited the kids or us teachers

If today is the first time you have been with us or maybe you have been with us a few times but have not filled out an information card please do so. They are in the pews and once you fill that out please place it in the offering plate as you leave or you can hand it to me after service......we are thrilled you are here!!!!!!!

I am looking for someone or a couple someones to do the announcements each Sunday. I wear many hats on Sunday mornings and I do like the announcements but need someone to take that over. I will have them typed and printed you just need to read them

This morning is week 2 of our Turn: The Heart of Repentance sermon series

Last week we looked at David and Repentance leads to confession

This morning we will look at Zacchaeus: Repentance leads to transformation

if you truly meet Jesus you cannot leave the same

you will be changed for eternity

Repentance leads to transformation

Let’s Pray

How does one leave an interaction with Jesus???

Transformed

Zacchaeus met Jesus and left completely transformed

confessing and professing a changed life

I pray when you leave here this morning you can trust that God will offer transformation when your heart is truly repentant

Luke 19:1-10.

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King James Version Chapter 19

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

What a beautiful story of repentance leading to transformation

Zacchaeus was chief publican.

What was a publican?

Rome needed lots of money to finance the empire

they raised a large part of that money by levying heavy taxes on the people they conquered

The Jews hated the taxes and hated how Rome spent the money but they paid them anyway

Now for Zacchaeus....Jewish by birth but collecting taxes for conquering Rome

As much as the Jews hated taxes they hated the Jewish born tax collectors even more

Rome set the amount that needed to be collected and allowed the tax collectors to collect whatever they wanted above that for their own income

You can imagine how well that set with the Jews

The Jews considered the publicans....tax collectors traitors

why

1st they collected the taxes for Rome

2nd because they were getting rich by overcharging their own countrymen

Zacchaeus was head publican

The most hated of the hated

Everyone knew Zacchaeus and everyone hated Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus was undesirable

Zacchaeus was unloved

Zacchaeus was unwanted

Maybe you can relate to Zacchaeus

maybe you do things you shouldn’t

maybe you take advantage of people

maybe you use people for your own gain

maybe you even steal from others

Maybe you relate to Zacchaeus because you are also hated

you are undesirable

you are unloved

you are unwanted

Zacchaeus heard Jesus was coming

Jesus was famous by this point not because He promoted Himself

not because He was a social media influencer on tiktok or Facebook

no He was famous because wherever He went people were healed and transformed

Authentic love changes people and changed people attract people

I want to say that again as I want to make sure you hear it

Authentic love changes people and changed people attract people

Do you want this body

CCC to attract people

then you must live a transformed life!!!!!!

Zacchaeus heard Jesus was coming and he didn't just want to see Him

Luke 19:3

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“And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.”

Zacchaeus wanted to know who Jesus was...much more than see Him

This was driven by the Holy Spirit

Zacchaeus was seeking Jesus

Zacchaeus was wanting to know Him

Zacchaeus was drawn to Jesus because the Holy Spirit had opened his eyes

Do you truly want to know Jesus.......

Do you truly want to know who Jesus is......

Not in a casual way but in a transformative.....life changing way

Luke 19:5

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“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”

Jesus knew Zacchaeus

Did you catch that........Jesus was not introduced to Zacchaeus....He already knew him and called him by name

Jesus knows your name and is calling you by name as well

Jesus knew Zacchaeus was seeking Him

If you are feeling

undesirable

unwanted

unloved

Jesus knows your name and is calling it this morning

Those of us who are saved this morning

Jesus knows you as a brother or sister and is calling your name before God the Father in intercession for you right now

The most hated man in town was who Jesus knew and invited Himself to eat with

Get out of that tree I am coming to your house!

Now you and I have to be careful not to put ourselves in places where our sinful, evil desires will tempt us and overtake us

if you are a delivered alcoholic you may not be able to go to an alcoholics house to minister to them because of the alcohol that would be present

What we have to watch for is heart.....do i refuse to go to that person’s house because i hate them

because i don't want them saved

because i might embarrass my friends and family

if that is the case you need to get with Jesus because you are wrong....dead wrong

Now notice the crowd’s reaction

Luke 19:7

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“And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”

Doesn’t He know that Zacchaeus is a bad man

Doesn’t He know that Zacchaeus is hated by the Jews

Doesn’t He know that Zacchaeus hangs out with thief

Can you believe He would go there

murmured

maybe you relate to the crowd

who is Zacchaeus

He is a sinner

he is a loser

he is a thief

Jesus is going to hang out with him and his thug friends

As transformed Christians you and I are not to murmur

Philippians 2:14

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“Do all things without murmurings and disputings:”

James 5:9

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“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.”

When you murmurer you judge

when you judge in this sense you sin

you and i are to judge fruits not hearts......here the crowd is judging Zacchaeus as worthless and a sinner and Jesus wrong for going to his house

Are you a murmurer?

Do you hold grudges?

Can you relate to the crowd?

this is important church

you and I must be transformed as Christians

murmuring and holding grudges have no place in the hearts and minds of Christians

I don’t care if you like that statement it is Biblical truth

murmuring and holding grudges have ZERO place in the hearts and minds of Christians

I struggle with this stronghold.......however that doesn’t make it less of a sin

it doesn’t matter how you feel about it

you are called to not be a murmurer or hold grudges

Zacchaeus got it

Zacchaeus repented

notice he didn't say a sinners prayer

no one led him down the Roman road

Nothing wrong with either of those things but repentance leading to salvation and transformation is an inside job

sinners prayer and Roman road help get out what is happening inside but it is an inside job

Holy Spirit convicted Zacchaeus of his sin and Zacchaeus repented and was transformed

how do you know he repented and transformed

he took action

Zacchaeus got rich off of sin......he gave half his wealth away

Zacchaeus got rich ripping his countrymen off

he paid back fourfold to those he ripped off

Jesus never said Zacchaeus you must give half your wealth away and repay those you stole from fourfold to be saved

no repentance drove Zacchaeus to be transformed and that transformation forced Zacchaeus to take action

those acts didn't save Zacchaeus but were the fruit of salvation in his life

Are you transformed this morning?

How will you know......by your fruit

Psalm 139:23–24

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“Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

Church a repentant heart cries out these words on a daily basis

Search me O God and know my heart

You cannot search you

you cannot know your heart

Jeremiah 17:9

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“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Not my words but God’s Word

your heart will lie to you

your heart is wicked

you cannot know it

only God can know your heart

You have to ask God to show you your heart

You must ask God to search you

This is part of your secret place

this is part of your prayer time

this is part of your meditation time

you will justify

you will glorify

you will defend all the evil in your heart and mind

you must ask God to search you and know your heart so He can lead you and guide you in what to do next

What about thoughts

Boy there is a can of worms

Transformed people have transformed thoughts but it doesn't just happen

It takes work

2 Corinthians 10:5

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“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

as thoughts come you must take them captive and make them obey God’s Word

that takes work

that takes commitment

that takes Jesus!!!!!

Last week we looked at repentance leads to confession

it is time to ask God to search you

to show you your heart so you can repent

confess

be transformed

this morning we are going to do things a little bit different

first you will notice a cross down here

this is here for you

as you come to the altar and pray over things and talk with God about things sometimes it helps to write them down and nail them to the cross

i have some paper a pen and some push pins.....next week we will have a hammer and nails

write down what it is you are giving to Jesus and pin it to the cross

I will take them down and pray over each one.....I will not read them but will pray about them before I destroy them each week

we are going to play some soft music and I am going to give you a lengthy time to reflect

This may be difficult for some of you

some may find it hard to silently reflect in a room full of people

that is okay

Jesus is bigger than your feelings

settle in and pray Psalm 139:23-24… I will leave it on the screen if you need it

I don’t want you to just go through the motions

you sure can

you can feel that this is a complete waste of time

you can feel that this is stupid

but those who are truly seeking Jesus

those who are truly praying search me O God

you will be transformed as a result of this morning

dive into this

give this your full attention

give this your all

Once you have had some time to pray I am going to ask you some questions that I want you to reflect upon.....i have also put those questions in the notes

at any time you need to come to the altar feel free

at the end of the questions I will play a song for a more “formal” invitation and if you need to come.....come!!!!

PRAY FOR JAMES AFTER INVITATION

Questions

What is one things that stood out to you from this morning?

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What part of Jesus are you curious about in this season of life?

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As God is searching your heart this morning what is He finding?

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Do you expect God to shame you when you have sinned?

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How does your life look different now from before you met Jesus?

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reflection music

invitation High Tide.....not sure if it will be me or canned