R1645 Finding Zacchaeus

God has an encouraging word for you today.

I will be free to Dr. Don Wilton about the story is perhaps you've heard the school even as a child was wonderful stories of the Bible talks about what it's like to pursue Jesus and then to have Jesus call you out with you talk about that will study that together with Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher on The Encouraging Word well-known pastor, author, seminary professor, and in these few moments are for you. Just allow him to be your teacher.

19 is where were headed and what we do so take a look at our website you haven't been by lately to some wonderful resources there for you. Especially the book Dr. Charles Stanley about courageous faith, and of course the latest Dr. Wilton as well on his time with Dr. Billy Graham Hall at tewonline.org large tewonline.org no RG finding that keeps going to be in Luke the 19th chapter, and I invite you to take your Bibles and follow along with me. Needless to say, this is quite a remarkable story. It's an encounter where in Luke chapter 19 and I'll begin reading at verse one. Bible says that Jesus entered Jericho and was parsing through a man was there by the name of Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector and was very wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus walls but being a short man he could not because of the crowds so he ran ahead and he climbed a sycamore fig tree in order to see Jesus. Since Jesus was coming that way. And when Jesus reached the spot he looked up and said to Jackie us come down immediately.

I must stay at your house today so he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people sold this, they began to monitor signing he's going to be the case of a sinner but Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord. Look, Lord, here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor and if I've cheated anybody out of anything. I will pay back four times the amount. Jesus said to him, Zacchaeus today salvation has come to this house because this man to his son of Abraham. For the son of man came to see and to save those who are lost by the Lord brought that word upon our hearts. This story here is not a fable. Jesus didn't make up things he never had any need to do it is very interesting about the story of Zacchaeus, because Zakia's and the encounter with Zakia's was the final stop that Jesus made outside of Jerusalem before he entered Jerusalem and would never leave again. He knew he was on mission.

He was headed to Jerusalem and the triumphal entry and then all the events that led up to Jesus giving his life on the cross for people like Zacchaeus, so you can ask yourself a question if you knew that you were going to die in the next little while, and you had one more stop to make in your life yet one more person to speak to what would you say to them, would you address the crowds. Would you be impressed by the numbers of people would you have somebody in mind, would you would you be very focused. Would you lazy you think about your son and your daughter, your husband or your wife that based frame that neighbor is very significant.

Why would Jesus have stopped in the desert in Jericho and this happened and this was not the only thing Matthews gospel tells us that they were big as they Jesus encountered them a lot went on, but essentially this issue. Findings that keep us connects with my heart and will connect with your heart very very much and you can understand why what happened here shows us how God brings a city a day is it a tree rich people, poor people, and one very unhappy searching man together to show how just one encounter with one Jesus can bring such happiness and such change your not listening today by accident. Did you know that God has positioned you. God is inviting you to get out your tree right as he wants to talk to you once to change your life show you what real happiness is. This is not an accident today. God does this. This story here in the Bible is is is so riveting it happened because Jesus wanted it to happen. This is the story how God brings together a city, a town is decent where there's nothing a tree. One tree comes into the picture. Rich people, poor people, and one very searching, seeking unhappy wealthy man together to meet Jesus and back in Jesus time there was a huge population of very affluent, very affluent people. They rarely they associated with King Herod and and and with government leaders and they were in the upper but they also had babies everywhere. The streets were lined with people back. Matthew 2029 tells us about to the blind. Big is that Jesus encountered and so right there in this in this town in the city we find a tree.

One of our favorite stops when we go there is to stop at the Sycamore tree. It's a it's an amazing tree. It's every child's dream because that's the kind of tree you want to build a tree house and a lot of sycamore trees were planted in parks, ending in goggles are probably one of the strengths is that they very tolerant of wooden enter and a very interesting thing about a sycamore tree is they are very pollution tolerant trees so they were very appropriate to line the streets which I know is something we don't commonly identify with, but the streets especially back in the time of Jesus, and you still see that today can become terrible places of little and back in the days when they didn't have proper plumbing and things they were very polluted areas. The main streets of these towns like Jericho and they were very pollution tolerance so they will ID you trees for shelter for food. There's a lot of usages and so into this comes Zacchaeus, Zakia's Zach Pierce comes one man, what about it. We could say a lot about Zacchaeus.

He was obviously very smart man. He had to be had a lot of savvy.

He made an a in math and science. He was an economist to be this and this man was appointed the chief tax collector for the Roman Empire in that region, which means you can also say he was a government ally. He was a government stooge which made he was seriously despised by the population they didn't like him one bit. In fact, they despised him. He would've been in cost because he worked for the Romans. Not only that he took money from people and there was a free-flowing, he became very wealthy at the expense of taxes, unfair taxes in the way that they went about it. He was hated he was he was feeding people avoided him. He was shunned so he was probably a very lonely man.

Most likely he was a very isolated, even though he he he made a lot of money.

In fact, the very system that he worked in in courage, the corruption of his trade. It was a corrupt system and here comes Jesus into this Jesus Jesus comes to town on.

I love the story, all of a sudden Jesus comes to town in the midst of the political strife in the midst of the queries in the midst of the division in the midst of the loneliness in the midst of the search and in the midst of all the feeding in the midst of the day is it the midst of the blowing winds, the heat waves in the midst of the oppressive Roman government and Herod, whom I hated in the midst of all of these things Jesus shows up and he showing up right now he's speaking to Ronnie just showed up. He just come into your life. He's appearing before you might be right there in the midst of your hangover baby in the midst of your addiction and your struggles may be in the midst of hurting your pain might be grieving and he showing up in the midst of your heavy heart. Please forgive the interruption will be back in just a moment with the rest of today's message finding Zakia's, but as you were listening is what I was listing to Dr. time thinking about the times that I'm in that heavy heart. Perhaps that you right now you need to know that we're here for you love to pray with you were connecting right now on our phone at 86689.

Take a minute just that town are stored in yourself available 24 hours to pray at 866-899-9673 or online@twonline.org affect online tewonline.org you, you will discover a number of great resources will help you grow in your faith. The Encouraging Word sale prices will start at $6.06 dollars online tewonline.org largely to the store had located at the top of the page. We appreciate your support. The Encouraging Word February listener supported Street thank you for listening today. Now back to today's great teaching on finding Zakia with Dr. Don Wilton and Jesus shows up. He suddenly walks into Yorktown and when Jesus came to town. Essentially, there were three reactions. First of all the antagonists and rated him. They hated it and they were going to just prove their point. Just a short while later, when the marauding mobs would've gone howling and screaming for the blood of Jesus. Even when given an opportunity to take a convicted terrorist and criminal like Barabbas, they said let's go and kill Jesus crucified him. That's what the mom said that's what they say this is a world in which we live back through that we don't want any part of this Jesus, you're right on cue. You been listening to the voices listening to the blasphemy you're watching you watching the antagonism you listening, you see government legislate one thing off for another trying to remove Jesus and God's word from everything that we hold dear. You're watching a cure that you're part of it and Jesus suddenly shows up yesterday antagonists that granted him all right but the followers by followed him that I knew he was there. They knew all about Jesus. They love them and they followed him there was 1/3 group there was seekers. One of the seekers do well. I climbed trees for him. You know his Zakia's it's a it's a lovely story. It really is upset that many a time, even on our bus. Looking out the window like in my little mind you know I see Zacchaeus sitting up on one of those branches and we know all the reasons they were a lot of people and he was a man of raw. The small stature and he couldn't see through the crowds and we get.

That's why I enjoy watching the Masters golf tournament on TV just as much as I do if someone invites me to go. In fact, I seem to see it better on television because I'm just so incredibly tall and of great stature. We we understand this man. So what happened to Zacchaeus, what happened, well, here's a few things. First of all, Jesus found that just think about this for a minute. A lot of people and a lot of people bottle tells us they were crowds.

I mean they were lots of people Jesus found Zacchaeus do you know that's what he does.

Do you feel a little lost in the crowd, sometimes maybe today you feel as though he's like forgotten where you are. Maybe you've gone through something. Maybe you've lost your marriage. Maybe you've lost your life. Maybe you feel diminished Jesus found him. God is the great initiator you know that he knows exactly where we are.

He's sovereign in all his ways. He sees you eat.

He's been watching you all the time. He has lost sight of you, Jesus found Zakia's. The second thing that happened was Jesus called out to him.

I love that you not love that part in in in the Bible in verse five when Jesus looked up there so much that we could say he looked up into the tree, you know, forgive me, folks, I'm just really I bet all Zakia's nearly had a heart attack brought up the right you think he was little, you know I've seen Jesus stopping in the crowd and they had Zacchaeus with all the stuff up. He knows the crowd that he wants to be out of it. He's not too sure about having Jesus stopped and says excuse me Zakia's rhyme watching your Disney you know how do you describe when God calls your name.

I wish I could tell you what that sounds like what that looks like, but I don't really because that's the work of the Holy Spirit you know he's knocking at your heart stores and this man with old Eddie had in her back there in his own private residency was probably just as comfortable as it had everything, probably many times see you and I don't care about anybody else. I'm okay, but he wasn't.

Jesus called out to him, but there's 1/3 thing that happened here.

Jesus not only found them and called out to him that I really want you to get a hold of this Jesus repositioned him going invite you to do business with God right now seems to me somewhat interesting and very important. God speaking to me about this. The Lord Jesus looked up, I say to myself, could Jesus have done everything that needed to be done right there on this absolutely charming, could Jesus of climbed up the tree and poked him up absolutely but he didn't. He repositioned me sit Zakia's get out of that tree come down. In fact, already come down, go to your home, I'll meet you there, he repositioned do you need to be repositioned is God telling you to reposition yourself first.

Maybe today you looking at me and you all living with someone who is not your wife or your husband. God says it's wrong. It's an and Jesus has just told you to re-position yourself get out of your tree, stop doing what you doing and watch what happens. Story did Zacchaeus do you know my friends that God teaches us that we are to meet God on God's terms, not God. Meet us on outer we because we human beings we we tend to say you know what I tell you what I'll do you come up my tree and meet me where I am all do business with you. God says we going to do it my way friend Bob. I want to encourage you today. I just want to encourage you to just get audio tree. Sometimes we climb up trees with the intended purpose of seeing Jesus.

But that's not where he says will meet it's what we determined to do is not what he tells us to do and you will go through life sitting up your tree, but until you come down and meet Jesus on his turn your life. One change you know you can carry that analogy and a lot of things in life. That's hard for us hard for me. It's hard for you because we are people of modern habit, but most of our slits could we be honest with each other.

Most of us say listen, this is what I think as far as I'm concerned. I don't think Jesus is.

I don't see Jesus standing in the street looking up into the tree, condemning executives, not from an but in order for Zakia's to be totally changed and to receive the salvation of the Lord for him and get out of that tree again.

I'm reading into this and beg my pardon. I don't intend to do that if Zacchaeus might be like us and said now wait a minute, look, you don't know who I am, God would've said I know exactly who you are, in fact, in many ways I think Jesus was being very kind to this man.

He took him into his own home into the sanctity of his own home. He actually took him away from the very crowds that despised him but I wish that I could've heard the whole conversation but I do know this. Jesus found him in Jesus called out to him and Jesus repositioned him and then Jesus changed. He said today you received salvation. You've made me and as a result of that. Everything about this man changed.

I don't think he lost anything. I think I gained everything, just off Q4 personal question cannot do this malice Q4 personal question, yes. Question number one. Are you seeking are you are you perhaps looking you still engaged in that argument are you still putting your superior knowledge up against Jesus. Are you still determined to plow your own field, go your own way. You know better than that. You know better stop it because you seeking are you seeking you on so that before the Lord. Yes. Question number two.

Are you up a tree out of the house to Oscar are you sitting in a tree.

Can you define your tree right now you can and up that tree is not what Jesus wants you. We are a strong-willed people folks in America today. We we are determined to show each other just out right. I am Jesus said get audio tree.

Are you up a tree. Number three you willing to come down to a Jesus wants you to be number four you ready to say yes you bow your heads with me today is Dr. Don instructs that you're in a place where you can bow your head and begin to take in what God has taught through his servant Dr. Don Wilton today word of God but also pray to you to open your heart to a Dr. Don Wilton share with you next. You know I love this opportunity to be able to share with you like this and I want to thank you for tuning in and for listening. God is speaking is even in our day and age today, and he sees and he loves Jesus died for you Sunday DOS. The question you read to give your life to Christ. Do it right now. I'd love to be able to help you know, pray can save you.

God can you pray this prayer.

Make it your own. Pray dear God, I know Jesus died on the cross for me.

I believe I accept site and I'm hearing you speak to me today. I repent of my sin. By faith in Jesus name that amazing you know what God has just heard the phrase because of Jesus. You know my friend José. Your name is being written God in heaven is a fantastic site. Here's what I'm going to ask you to do. You can visit me.

Visit us@tewonlineorpwonline.org there's another one you might want to write it down. Make note, you can call us at 866-899-9673 this people tell me numbers all the time and I can't write them down quick and so here it is again, 866-899-9673. I'd love to hear from you. We are on standby with. Therefore, you are part of the same family. God bless you my friend perhaps you were praying along with Dr. Wilton. Moments ago to give your life to Christ or we dedicate your life to Jesus. We are so excited for the way God is working Encouraging Word for some of you to welcome to the family. Some of you it's welcome home. Either way, Dr. Don is prepared wonderful resources he once you have absolutely free if you give us a call at 866899 word, that number is 866-899-9673 jotted down stored in your cell.

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