Jesus is Pursuing You

VBS- Jesus Pursues You

INTRODUCTION

- Panama- pursuing a sloth

Jesus loves you and pursues you.

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.”

4 Reasons Jesus Pursues You

1- He Pursues the Helpless (1-3)

Zacchaeus could not get to Jesus on his own.

We are not able to get to Jesus on our own.

We run and hide instead of pursue God.

He always comes to us first.

2- He Pursues the Willing (4-6)

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.

Climbing a tree was not dignified behavior in that day.

Me in a tree house - falling through trap door.

3- He Purses the Broken (7-9)

Luke 19:7–9 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.” 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.

Zacchaeus’ life was broken. He had messed up everything.

He was a sinner.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus is the answer for the broken.

He paid the price for our sin so that we do not have to.

4- He Purses the Lost (10)

Luke 19:10 ESV

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

This is not a story about Zacchaeus finding Jesus.

This is a story of Jesus finding Zacchaeus.

God knows where you are. He knows what you are going through.

He is pursuing you. He is got you here today to let you know what He loves you and cares for you. He knows what is going on.

Jesus deserved to be the one pursued.

Instead he came to us.

CONCLUSION

Are you ready to stop running from God?

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.