Multiplication of Miracles

Let there be Multiplication.

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel.

We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

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Today, is a very special day for me. As you all know today is my 40th birthday. I am so thankful that this year my birthday falls on a Sunday. Today, I get to share the word of God with the people that God has so graciously allowed me to shephard. I can not imagine a better birthday present than this.

The title of today’s message is:

Let there be Multiplication

Luke 19:1–10 ESV

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 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.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 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.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

If you grew up in kids church you probably remember the song. Zacchaeus was a Wee little man and a Wee Little man was he.

But who was Zacchaeus

In 63 BC (About 2100 years ago) a civil war had broken out in the land of Israel between Pharisees and Sadducees, a Roman general named Pompey saw this as an opportunity to conquer Isreal and helped the Pharisees defeat the Sadducees in Jerusalem. Then, Rome helped itself to the land of Israel, incorporating it into the Roman Empire. This caused the rise of the Zealot group a nationalistic group within the Hebrew nation that wanted freedom from the oppressive nature of the Roman Government. Freedom from taxation, freedom from Ceasar, and freedom from the worship of foreign God.

By the time that Jesus enters the scene the Hebrew religion was deeply divided in the expression of thier faith. However they were deeply divided in their hatred for thier Roman overseers.

Thus we come to Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector.

Zacchaeus was a Hebrew .

Not only was Zacchaeus a tax collector he was the Chief Tax Collector. Probably one of the greediest guys in all of Jericho.

Zacchaeus was considered a trader to his nation due to his affiliation with the Roman Government. Tax collectors in the Roman Empire had to collect a certain amount for the maintenance of the state. However, they were also permitted to collect more and then keep the proceeds. Tax collectors were hated for their tendency to abuse their power for their own gain.

Zacchaeus had betrayed his country, his religion, and his people all for the sake of mammon. (an opportunity to gain wealth.)

Then Jesus enters the scene.

Zacchaeus had not seen or heard Jesus yet.

Zacchaeus had seen and heard the affects of Jesus.

1. Miracles are Contagious.

Through out the gospel writings Jesus flocked to Jesus because everyone was talking about what he was doing.

Luke 19:1–3 ESV

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.

2. Miracles begin at the point of interest.

Luke 19:4–6 ESV

4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 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.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

Luke 19:7 ESV

7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

3. Miracles are not biased.

Luke 19:8 ESV

8 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.”

4. Miracles transform those that were lost.

Luke 19:9–10 ESV

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

5. Miracles become Infectious.

The greatest miracles that the Church should be looking for are lives that are being transformed by experiences with Jesus.

According to legend Zaccheaus would go on to travel with Peter and that he was established as the overseer of the church in Caesarea.

Church would you stand with me this morning.

Look around for a moment. Standing around you today are walking Miracles.