Called from the Crowd

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

- Dismiss children and Special Friends

- Wednesday Night Meal

Introduction of passage

Stories of life change

Jesus came to call lost people to himself.

The Spirit’s calling in a person’s life

Situation of each. our situation

one is poor, the other rich

one is blind, the other is short

Bartemaues, you can picture him standing outside the city gates, dressed in rags, hungry, needing a bath and a haircut. Zachaeus you can picture with his fancy clothes, fine foods, living a life of luxury.

both alienated from God

The crowd vs. the called.

The called...

The crowd may surround Jesus, but the called...

seek Jesus.

Romans 3:9–12 HCSB

What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.

1 Corinthians 2:14 HCSB

But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 HCSB

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit,

Beyond Curiosity

Someone who is truly seeking Jesus will overcome obstacles.

There is a real difference between the interest of the crowd and the intensity of Bartemaeus and Zacchaeus.

They overcame obstacles and pressure

Obstacles in today’s world…

The cultural christianity.

hypocrisy.

The culture.

The noise around Jesus.

Personal pride- foolish. v. 38-39 v. 3-4-5

I am legend… all humanity has a plague.

They find

they are not lost in the crowd - compassion.

a Jesus who meets them right where they are.- compassion.

What would you think of a Dr. that only wanted to hang out with healthy people?

The Crowd may rally around Jesus, but the called...

respond to Jesus...

respond to Jesus.

Moreover, true repentance never exists except in conjunction with faith, while on the other hand, wherever there is true faith, there is also real repentance. The two are but different aspects of the same turning—a turning away from sin in the direction of God…The two cannot be separated; they are simply complementary parts of the same process. Louis Berkhof.

Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

in Faith

We show faith is who you go to for Life…

he followed.

in Repentance

Zacchaeus went beyond the requirments of the law.

The law requires restoration of the amount wrongfully taken, plus a fifth as a penalty (; ). In his joy over Jesus’ gracious initiative (v. 6), Zacchaeus goes far beyond what the law demands.

Luke 19:9 HCSB

“Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham.

Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 1826). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

Today, Salvation has come to this house

Saved from what?

Today,

2 Corinthians 6:1–2 HCSB

Working together with Him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.” For He says: I heard you in an acceptable time, and I helped you in the day of salvation. Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.

If we put off repentance another day, we have a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent in. - Mason

The objective realities of what Jesus did must meet you in life.

Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

The objective realities of what Jesus did must meet you in life.