Making More Of Jesus

Introduction

1. In our first session together, we said that a four-letter word is usually a reference to an expletive, a curse word, or a swear word. Yes, THOSE words. The no-no words. Foul language. The words that can quickly get you in trouble at school with your teachers or at home with your parents.

2. We were clear from the start that this series is NOT about THOSE kinds of four-letter words, even though our world and our current culture often encourage, promote, and even celebrates their use.

3. However, as we live in a world and within a culture that has such an ever-widening gap between the things it promotes, celebrates, or says are true versus what God’s Word promotes, celebrates, and says is true; there are four particular four-letter words that our world (our culture) considers to be foul or offensive language because they are so counter-cultural.

4. This series is about those four-letter words: VIEW, MORE, LESS, and HOPE.

5. In our four sessions together, we are digging into God's Word and seeing what it has to teach us about each of these four-letter words and just how crucial each is to our faith, our worldview, and our following Jesus. Each of these four-letter words will challenge everything we are seeing or hearing concerning what our worldview should be and challenge us to take bold steps in our faith by making more of Jesus and less of ourselves. 

1. We live in a world and within a culture that teaches us to put ourselves first. We are told often and loudly that it is OUR wants, OUR desires, OUR truth, and OUR happiness in the moment that should be our focus and should take priority over everything else.

2. The Bible, however, teaches a very different way of living life, one that is entirely counter-cultural to this type of thinking. According to the Bible, it is Jesus who should always be our focus and priority.

A. If we are going to be unapologetic followers of Jesus Christ who are living in a world and within a culture that considers what God’s Word promotes, celebrates, and says is true as foul or offensive language, our VIEW of everything has to be grounded in and driven by a worldview that Jesus is always the priority. And for Jesus to always be the priority, we must seek to live lives that make MORE of Him and less of ourselves. That brings us to session two.

B. In this second session, we are going to look at the four-letter word MORE and a story about a guy who was very short in stature. Even though this name named Zacchaeus was small, his acknowledgment of Jesus was very big. In one encounter with Jesus, this man began to quickly understand that there was more to this life than what was directly in front of him. He found out that by making MORE of Jesus, his faith became MORE of his priority.

Words to Live By

If you have a Bible turn with me to Luke Chapter 19

1. All throughout the Gospels, we get to see the ministry of Jesus in action. We see example after life-changing example showcasing Jesus’ power from God to heal the sick, make the blind see, bring the dead to life, or feed thousands with mere scraps. All of these miracles had to be amazing to watch!

2. And even as Jesus is performing these miracles, teaching crowds of thousands about the love and grace of God, He still takes time to speak directly to those who come looking for Him. He still takes the time to not only notice but also give His Holy attention to those who need Him.

3. Zacchaeus was one such person, someone who desperately needed a Savior. And when he realizes that this Jesus is coming to his town, Zacchaeus wants to see for himself if the rumors about this promised one are true. 

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.”

1. There is a lot that is happening in this story, a lot of details that we need to be sure not to overlook. Remember, we are looking at the four-letter word MORE and digging into God’s Word to see what it has to tell us about making MORE of Jesus in our lives.  

2. Just like we talked about in John in session one, Jesus is out doing ministry in the countryside and in the towns of the area. His reputation is growing. People are hearing about the miracles Jesus is performing, they are hearing about this Gospel teaching that He is spreading around, and droves of people, huge crowds are coming out to meet him, see who this Jesus is and if He is for real.

3. Jesus is passing through the city of Jericho. And a guy there named Zacchaeus wants to see if the stories are true. He wants to see who this Jesus is that he’s heard all this talk about. Zacchaeus was a tax collector. The Bible says that he wasn’t just any tax collector; Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector.

a) Something you should know about tax collectors in that day is that tax collectors were the worst.

b) No one liked the tax collectors except the tax collectors. By today’s standards, they’d be like the kid in your class that reminded the teacher about the test she forgot to give you. No one likes that guy, right? That’s the tax collectors here, but they’re even worse. They worked for the enemy, took your money, and often forced you to give them extra for themselves, leaving you broke and hungry while they lived extravagantly off of the money they stole from their own people.

4. So Zacchaeus, an unpopular guy in the city of Jericho, wants to meet Jesus too, but he’s too short to see over the crowds in front of him. Remember, Jesus is gaining popularity in the area; large crowds are wanting to see Him. But Zacchaeus, who was short but not dumb, runs ahead of the crowd and climbs up into a sycamore tree to get a better view.

1. As Jesus is passing by, He sees Zacchaeus in the tree and calls him out, saying something like, “Hey man, hurry down out of that tree. I noticed you trying to see me, so I’m coming to your house today to stay and eat with you.” The people in the crowd who heard this interaction between Zacchaeus and Jesus grumbled and took offense. They said something like, “Hang on a minute! Why is Jesus going to be the guest of a man as dirty and crooked as that guy? Doesn’t He know that guy is a sinner, like a really bad sinner? That’s the guy who steals from everyone and works for our oppressors. That guy is the worst of the worst.”

a) You might be wondering why staying with or even eating a meal with a tax collector would have created such backlash with the crowd. In Jesus’ day, rabbis and other spiritual leaders were viewed with a great amount of respect and were held in high esteem by Jewish society. The other religious leaders the people knew (the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees) were strict followers of their religious laws and traditions. This included them following a set of laws and ‘sacred traditions’ they created themselves. They actively avoided anyone they believed to be a sinner. They viewed engaging with or eating with a sinner as something that made themselves ‘spiritually dirty.’ This would be especially true for a tax collector who was hated for stealing from his own people and working for the Roman enemy. No religious leader or teacher would ever lower themselves or risk getting ‘spiritually dirty’ to eat with someone like this.

b) But here was this Jesus, the one who they have all heard could be the promised one, and He is not only talking with a tax collector IN PUBLIC, but He is also asking to go stay and eat with the guy. Who is this Jesus that He would show a tax collector this kind of decency, human dignity, grace, and risking getting Himself ‘spiritually dirty’ in the eyes of the people in doing so?  What is Jesus up to?

c) Jesus is turning everything upside down. He has come as Savior for all because all need salvation. This includes the tax collectors, the unclean, and even the religious leaders who Jesus is continually exposing for their hypocrisy. These religious leaders are worshipping the rules and looking to the law for salvation. Jesus comes to say they have it twisted. The law only points to how much they (and we) need a savior. Jesus is showing the crowds that all people matter to God because all people are created in the very image of God. Jesus would go on to not only eat with multiple versions of cultural outcasts and sinners, but He would die on a cross for them (and in between two of them).

d) We are told everything that went on as Jesus met with Zacchaeus. Here is what we do know-- Jesus notices this sinner up in a tree. Jesus acknowledges this sinner. Jesus breaks the expected religious norms by calling out to and spending time with this sinner. Zacchaeus is so overwhelmed, overcome, and changed by his interaction with Jesus’ grace and time with Him that he stood (an act of respect), acknowledged Jesus as Lord, pledged to give away half of his possessions to the poor, and promised to right any wrong he’s done by paying it back times four.

e) Whatever was discussed over their meal together, Zacchaeus found Jesus’ salvation in those moments, and it forever changed him.

Application

A. If we are going to make MORE of Jesus and put Him first in our lives, we have to take a page from the playbook of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus gives us great examples of what our devotion to Jesus should look like. So how do we make MORE of Jesus?  

A. WE FIRST HAVE TO SEEK HIM OUT.

1. Notice what Zacchaeus does. He goes out to Jesus. He doesn’t sit at home, binge-watching Disney+ or Hebrews+, whatever they had back then, while he waits to hear secondhand accounts from those in the crowd. When Zacchaeus hears Jesus is coming to town, he doesn’t stay complacent with where he is. Zacchaeus goes out to Him; he seeks Him out. Zacchaeus does whatever it takes to see Jesus no matter how foolish it makes him look.

2. Think of it like this. If you want a job to make some money to afford to go get ice cream every week after church, do you just sit at home waiting for someone to come offer you a job? Do you just sit there and wait for someone to bring you a paycheck you haven’t worked for? No! You go out, you actively seek after the job you want, you actively fill out the application, you go to the interview, and you get the job. Then you get paid for working and are able to buy ice cream!

3. In the same way, we have to actively, not passively, seek out Jesus. He will graciously and astoundingly meet us right where we are at, but we have to turn our posture towards Him and choose to follow after Him. If we are going to make more of Jesus in our life, if we are going to have Him be the loudest and greatest influence and priority, we are going to have to actively listen for His voice and follow where He is leading.

4. We can’t make Jesus the priority if we don’t know him. We can’t focus on listening to Jesus if we don’t recognize His voice. We can’t follow Jesus if we aren’t willing to go where He says go and when He says go.

A. WE MUST SEEK TO REMOVE EVERY OBSTACLE BETWEEN US AND JESUS.

1. What did Zacchaeus do? He was too short to see Jesus, so the man climbed a sycamore tree to see Him. Which, I can’t imagine, climbing a tree being a short guy was easy either. It definitely wasn’t a dignified thing to do. The crowd was large, and I’m sure Zacchaeus had to push and fight through them all for a better view? But Zacchaeus pushed past all of that. He did what he needed to do to see Jesus. And better yet, his effort to see Jesus is noticed by who, by Jesus!

2. There are times as we seek to follow Jesus that we will need to be like Zacchaeus. There will be times that we have to be willing to push every obstacle standing in our way out of the way so we can see where Jesus is, hear Jesus’s voice, and be able to listen to or respond to what Jesus wants us to do.

3. You have countless things fighting for your attention right now. Popularity – social media – grades – sports – schoolwork – jobs and making money – boyfriends and girlfriends – parents – family – friends – news – fear – anxiety – depression – anger – doubt – sin – culture – doubts – sexuality – this whole world – fighting to be the focus of your attention. But it’s imperative; it’s crucial for us to push those things aside so that our eyes, our minds, and our hearts are focused on Jesus. And through Jesus, we now have the wisdom and capacity to deal with all that other stuff because in Him, we know what’s right and true.

4. I love how Jesus notices Zacchaeus. He’s fighting just to get a view of Him, and Jesus notices. Jesus comes to Him. When we make Jesus a priority, when we put our focus on Jesus, when we make more of Him, Jesus meets us where we are at.

A. WE HAVE TO SUBMIT TO HIS WILL.

1. Notice what happens when Jesus notices Zacchaeus. He looks up at him, tells him to get down from there, and asks Zacchaeus to take Him back to his house. And what does Zacchaeus do? He listens. He responds. He does exactly what Jesus asks. He climbs down and takes Jesus back to his home, and makes room for Him to be the center of attention. He submits to the will of Jesus at that moment.

2. Keep in mind that Zacchaeus’ home and the food he shared with Jesus were all gained through his theft, betrayal, and mistreatment of his people. This thought couldn’t have been lost on Zacchaeus. He had to know that Jesus was fully aware of how he had acquired everything he had. But not even the potential embarrassment or shame of his past actions or sin would keep Zacchaeus from inviting Jesus in.

3. Zacchaeus, after meeting Jesus and getting to share a meal with Him, realizes the stories are true. He realizes Jesus is the real deal, and he submits to Him. Zacchaeus confesses his sin to Jesus. He says everything I’ve done wrong I’m sorry for. But Zacchaeus doesn’t stop there; he goes on to promise to give half of his ill-gotten gains to the poor and says that he will pay back all he stole times four.

4. Let’s be clear here that Zacchaeus isn’t trying to bribe Jesus or earn forgiveness and salvation. There is no way to do enough good things or undo enough bad things to earn forgiveness and salvation. What Zacchaeus is doing instead is acknowledging who he is (a sinner), who Jesus is (the savior), realizing that he needs this Jesus to save him and change him. And at that moment, Jesus says, “Today salvation has come to this house.” The works of paying back wrongs and giving to the poor were the actions of a man who was saved. The acts of making up for past wrongs didn’t provide salvation; Jesus did.

Gospel Call

A. We all need Jesus to make Jesus our number one priority just as Zacchaeus did. The first step we can take to make him a priority is to start a relationship with Him. Each week of this series, we are going to walk through God’s amazing plan for our redemption. This is so important for us to reteach ourselves each week. If we are going to make MORE of Jesus, we have to first make Him LORD of our life.

1. Every person on this Earth shares the same great need. We all need a Savior in our lives, and His name is Jesus.  

Teacher’s Note: Take a moment here to walk students through the Gospel.

Conclusion

In closing I want everyone to close their eyes and bowl their head.

A. Zacchaeus is the story of a flawed and sin-filled person who decides to see what this Jesus is all about. In doing so, he encounters the Savior of the world, and his life is forever changed.

[Skip to page 25 if theres no one who hasnrt respoinded to the Gospel.]

1. For those here who are still not so sure about this Jesus, the story of Zacchaeus should give you yet another reason to see if everything you hear about Him is for real.

2. My challenge to you is to ask the Lord to notice you like he did Zacchaeus. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you in a very real way. Ask Him to show you that He is exactly who He says that He is.

B. Through this life-changing interaction with Jesus, Zacchaeus removes himself from first place in his heart and puts Jesus at the forefront. He changes from focusing on himself and his sin to focusing on Jesus.

1. For those here who would say they are Jesus followers, the story of Zacchaeus should challenge and encourage us to make more of Jesus and less of ourselves.

2. My challenge to you is to ask yourself and be honest in answering the questions:

a) Am I doing or willing to do whatever it takes to encounter Jesus?

b) Am I willing to point out and actively take the necessary steps to remove any obstacles that are coming between Jesus and me? (Even the obstacles I like, enjoy, or might be addicted to?)

c) Am I responding to what Jesus is asking me to do?

d) Am I still in the same place I’ve always been, or am I growing more to look like Him?

C. Whether we are still uncertain about surrendering our lives to Jesus or we have experienced His salvation and are seeking to follow Him, this truth rings true--For Jesus to always be our priority, we must make more of Him and less of ourselves.

Lets close in prayer…