What Does Real Conversion Look Like
Philadelphia Baptist Church
9/16/2007 Sun. a.m.
What Does Real Conversion Look Like?
Luke 19:1–10
verse 10… For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
“Zacchaeus was a wee little man”
Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed that way, He looked up in the tree,
And he said, “Zacchaeus, you come down; For I'm going to your house today,
for I'm going to your house today.”
Introduction: The story of Zacchaeus demonstrates for us some clear aspects of authentic conversion. We need to know them, as God’s will is for us to enter into them. Authentic conversion means:
1. You Must Successfully Overcome the Barriers Keeping You from Christ (Luke 19:1–4). For every person, there are barriers that stand between them and a dynamic relationship with Jesus. There are no exceptions to this. Until those barriers are overcome, authentic conversion is impossible. Zacchaeus had some barriers to hurdle.
| Before He Met Jesus, What Was So Wrong with Zacchaeus? Jericho, a famous Old and New Testament city, was about fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. It was a major stop on a trade route. Taxes were imposed on commerce as well as on real estate. Zacchaeus was a turncoat Jew. He held his job as an agent of the Roman government, which was oppressive to the Jews. He was collecting excessive taxes even from his own people, giving the required amount to Rome, and pocketing the rest. He loved his money but he was a hated man. |
A. Means of Wealth. Zacchaeus was a rich chief tax collector. Being a chief tax official is a neutral line of work, and there’s nothing wrong with being a man of means. The problem was his approach to the job. He was known as a thieving tax collector. He lived life for what he could get, with no compassion for others. He was a crass opportunist. An authentic conversion would mean that all of this would need to change.
B. Stature. Zacchaeus was a short man. According to historians, Zacchaeus might have been somewhat less than five feet tall. This story occurred about a week before the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. He was popular among the people and wherever He went He drew a crowd. Zacchaeus was too short to see Jesus in the crowd, so he ran ahead to climb a sycamore tree along the path Jesus surely would take.
Application: Until conversion, every one of us has barriers that stand in the way of seeing Jesus like we need to see Him. You may think yourself unworthy to be loved by Jesus. Maybe you think you’re not good enough or that you don’t really need the Savior. We have to get over hurdles like these if we are going to have an authentic conversion to Christ.
2. Jesus Must Intersect Your Life in Some Fashion (Luke 19:5–6). It’s important to be able to see Jesus, but you can’t be converted unless Jesus has made an evident entrance into your life. When Jesus came to the tree, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.” This verse is loaded with meaning.
A. Jesus Knew His Name. Jesus knew his name just like He knows every star by name and just like He knows you and me by name. He knew all about Zacchaeus and loved him in spite of his sin. He knows everything about us and loves us as well.
B. This Meeting Wasn’t by Chance. Jesus said, “I must abide at thy house.” (v. 5). The key word here is “must.” The Greek word for “must” means “necessity.” Jesus had to meet Zacchaeus if he was going to be converted. Nobody is ever converted without this “divine must.” Jesus must intersect our lives in some fashion in order for us to respond to Him. If we have no encounter with Jesus, we cannot be converted.
Application: Jesus, though headed to the Cross, had time to stop for Zacchaeus. Often our days are busy. We have plans. We are working on a specific thing or needing to go to a specific place. We meet someone along the way. The phone rings. It’s not part of our plans. It may even seem like an intrusion. But guess what? It may be a divine “must.”
| As we gather today, we are extremely fortunate. You see, in this country most every church has the means to provide pews or chairs, microphones and speaker systems, and seating arrangements so that everyone can be comfortable and see everything going on as we worship together. You see, our culture is one of convenience where it’s not so hard to get to church and be comfortable here. What if it just wasn’t so? What if, like Zacchaeus, we had to climb a tree just to see a glimpse of Jesus? Consider other countries, where services are standing-room only. Some members literally climb trees to see in the windows or to see the service in an outdoor setting! Poorer congregations meet in non-air-conditioned, smelly rooms to study the Scriptures and hear the Word of God. |
3. Your Life Must Be Radically Changed (Luke 19:8–10). Zacchaeus opened his life to Jesus and Jesus changed him from the inside out. Zacchaeus promised half of what he owned to the poor; he saw their plight for the first time. He went on to promise restitution according to the Old Testament standard (Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:7; Ex. 22:1; 2 Sam. 12:6) to those he defrauded. It was going to cost him a bundle! When Zacchaeus was finished, Jesus said, “And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.” (v. 9).
The proof of salvation is not that we do what we must to make things right, but that we gladly do more!!
Application: The problem we face today is religion without changed lives. When Jesus truly saves immoral people, they stop sleeping around. When He saves drunks, they leave their booze. When He saves people who mistreat others, they become kind. When He saves people with money, they become generous. True conversion does not mean that we become perfect. We will fail in our walk with Jesus until we die. But we won’t live the way we used to.
Have you been truly converted??
God's Plan of Salvation
The Bible says there is only one way to Heaven
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
Good works cannot save you.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Trust Jesus Christ today! Here's what you must do:
- Admit you are a sinner.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10)
- Be willing to turn from sin (repent).
Jesus said: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
- Receive Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour.
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)