R1645 Finding Zaccahaeus

Sometimes you can have everything you want and still be unhappy exactly as this is The Encouraging Word the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton well-known author Rivera's pastorate, and we discover as we are finding that we can gain insight from God's word to bring is the happiness you want in the New Testament were going to be in chapter 19 when you open up you going to immediately see the name Zach keeps and I'm not making an assumption here today by any stretch of the imagination, but automotive executives we grow up, singing great songs about human he's been popularized and he's just about being bold today.

We will know many of us know about Zach keeps God showed me something today about this encounter that takes place in the Bible so I want to just read it to you without saying too much to read to you what happened here with the man by the name of Zach Kier send out subject today is finding Zach keeps alright so Luke chapter 19 Jesus entered Jericho and he was parsing through and a man was there by the name of Zach Keirsey was a chief tax collector, and he was a very wealthy man. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not see who Jesus was, because of the crowd, so he ran ahead and he climbed a sycamore fig tree in order to see Jesus.

Since Jesus was coming that way when Jesus reached the spot he looked up and he said.

Zach yes, come down immediately, stay at your house today so he came down at once and he welcomed him gladly.

All the people sold this and they began to monitor and movement citing Jesus.

He's going to be the guest of a certain, but Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord look bold 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 that amount. So Jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house because this man to his son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost because right story. By the way, Jesus never had any reason to make up stories is not a made up story. This actually happened. Everything in the Bible is 100% true.

So this actually happened.

Jesus didn't have to try and impress us with make-believe stories so guess what I want you to get a hold of because this is going to be very good this picture this. Zach is in a tree in the place.

This place called Jericho. And Jesus comes by and this fantastic story about Zakia's shows us how God brings a city I desert a tree all the rich people all a lot of very poor people and one very unhappy man altogether. At the same time to counter the Lord Jesus Christ and to see such a dramatic change take place in just one person. So right there in Jericho. There was a tree we notice the sycamore tree. By the way, there is a sycamore tree in Jericho.

Every time I take all our people there. We will we stop look at the sycamore tree. If I was a recommending man I'd tell a lot of people go get yourself a sycamore tree if you got children you love the sycamore tree because it's great place to build tree houses kids coming when you can have a serious tree house in the sycamore tree so you need to talk to your dad. Okay, maybe we can talk about shipping some sycamore trees over here. Sycamore trees that were cold sycamore fig trees they found in a lot of the parts of Africa, especially south of the Sahara desert and they very distinctive trees. They like big trees, but they produce a yellowish brown delicious dry fruit that the people live very nourishing dry fruit, and so they would take these and they would plonk them in strategic places to my injuries okay quick quick quick two major reasons.

Number one, they were so big that they served as windbreakers.

Alright, so if I was to our skinny view of you being in desert sobbing in the nonmember and the Kalahari and the sarin visit and the Arabian deserts you go to these deserts. It's all fine and dandy when it's calm and store but I'm tiny that wooden can get up guys when the wind gets up in the desert. Guess what comes with the wind, sand you ever been on the beach. You just having a good time finding your own business that wooden gets up and it's like out at that sand is blowing across you and hitting you on your legs and you try to run umbrellas and flying all over the place. Well, in the desert. Those winds get up and they pack a punch boy they bring sand sycamore trees served as a kind of a barrier so a lot of you will more capable wealthy people would plonk sycamore trees around to Barry act as barriers for their homes because another thing this is a great sword. They were very pollution resistant trees you say pollution. Yeah by the way back in Jesus time there wasn't a lot of sanitation that you can still go. I mean, these are not very clean places is a lot of garbage that lies around using garbage powered up all over the place. You see that all of Asia to just powered up.

You know, in parts of Africa powered up all over the place parts of India piled up, listen, sanitation, and everything was not good. There was a lot of pollution. They didn't have plumbing like we have a you when you have to go and let's get on the next subject.

Okay. All right.

That's why trees were very useful, so they would plonk these trees down the main streets, so to speak where massive crowds were because they were pollution resistant class. They provided what shade okay. I could go on and on. So into all of this comes one little fella. He was short, we know that and he's name was that Kia's so what can we say about Zakia's. I'll tell you one thing, he was one sharp dude.

He was a smart cookie. Yet a lot of savvy. He was probably very good at math like algebra and geometry arrived.

He had to be.

He was an economist, he could count. He understood how to balance payments. He was the chief tax collector number one. So what did that mean if you think every now and again.

The IRS gets unpopular in America. This noon was less than popular. I can tell you that. So I tell you this, but I didn't like Zakia's because he worked for the Roman government. You know what this system promoted corruption. You don't read balance books, the chief tax collector could do anything he wanted, he would skim off the top and the bottom and a little bit in the middle he could walk up to anybody and tell them that I owed the government taxes he would send people to prison and by the way. Back in those days you didn't want to go on one of those prisons. You'd never come out alive so he was smart he was savvy. He had a lot of my Bible says he was very wealthy, but the people hated him. Man, so don't you suppose he was very lonely. You know sometimes you can have a private condo. Sometimes you can have a nice house be the loneliest person in the world did you know that sometimes you can drive a nice motorcar. Sometimes you can have a good job. Sometimes you can be married to a very very fine person and not be happy and you know that not be happy that you today again, understanding, happiness, not as the world would have it, as we understand it in Scripture you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton and The Encouraging Word forgive the eruption will be back in just a moment with the rest of today's message on finding Zakia's Dr. Wilson. Once you know they were here for you. Perhaps you'd like to give us a call anytime day or night. 866-899-WORD will connect with one of us happy to talk and listen and pray a connection to resources that will help you grow in your faith is a wonderful resource right now about the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Find the details on our website at tewonline.org, by getting your copy at 866-899-WORD 9673. Now back to today's great teaching Dr. Don Wilton know the Bible just tells us about one town, one bunch of people some rich and some poor tells about tree desert winds Holmes lives in just one lonely man. You and I would say wow. You know, I looked at my buddy who played quarterback at Clemson University the other day and he just signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars and I'm going to be rooting for him 100%. When I looked at the contract.

I thought to myself, trash house again ever beheld to put these kids to school with that so you know he's a wonderful man and I believe that he's going to serve the Lord and honor the Lord in every way but my say this and if Trevor is a very fine man would stand in front of me privately.

Do you think I could say to him.

Trevor man you just incredible quarterback and I love watching you. I wish you all the best Trevor cannot let you know none of those things necessarily will bring you what only Jesus can give you. So Jesus came to tell and really three groups of people responded.

I think you got to know that the antagonists granted hated Jesus presence. You can take that one to the bank America you can live in the greatest country.

You can have the most of everything. I promise you people who done like Jesus. I don't want him around.

In fact, you know what's really interesting about this. This was Jesus lost mission stop before he got to Jerusalem for the final time you keep reading you get to verse 26 the Bible says often this, he went up to Jerusalem. Bob explained why he went up he went up to Jerusalem, you know it if you had one stop to make today. Who would you talk to if you had one more stop you not happened often Jesus. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. We have the triumphal entry, the antagonists got them. They didn't like it they hated him you not they did. He even had an opportunity to jump on the bandwagon and sentence a terrorist today. I was Barabbas. I mean, they had Osama bin Laden put up in front of them. These people, they turned down Osama bin Laden and they said they'll Jesus hind leg to the floorboards. We don't warning crucify him. He will either. So when Jesus arrived in Jericho first group of people you go to see a lot of people.

A lot of them were people of great influence they legislated this note, Jesus man get them out here but there was a second group of people that were followers of Jesus like you and me. Maybe not perfect people, but they they followed Jesus.

So what did they do when Jesus came, they followed him. Have you noticed that you know why I listen hey, can I just say don't something here. I'm not ingenuous fan. Not even a little bit jet Jackson where what Jan use.

I know this God bless you, if you all you know I'm gonna watch them. I just told you what is I really like Trevor Lawrence.

Sorry, I meant to tell you something.

There was a lot of people in Jericho like the government that like the storekeeper. I definitely didn't like Zacchaeus, but they love Jesus boy can you. That's when the crowd came from. By the way, crowds make a difference when you follow the right person. So there was 1/3 group of people and they were the seekers they were just a bunch of people that had everything were about it, but they were missing something. It was an emptiness.

You know it's like that guy you looking you say how can you be unhappy when you married to her or how can she be unhappy when she's married to him or how can you be unhappy when you've got children like you got, you know you can have little the cutest little children in the world and be unhappy. You know that you you know you can have a really good job and be unhappy. Did you know that I mean really just be unhappy you couldn't, you can this is that kiss me. What's the matter with the boy.

I mean I look at him and citing the last man you got the condo man.

He probably winning these Army just down the road to the Dead Sea every Saturday for us from an affluent, but he was miserably unhappy, and he heard Jesus and he'd heard what this man I wish I could explain to you what it is that gets you but something you are feeling that Brock now is not a lightning bolt shake. It's not about the preacher at the end it's all of this. It's just like it's just likely something in you that sighing man I II just these got to be more to this life just got to be more to life.

I got to find peace.

Man I don't want to go through life like us. I keep looking.

I'm just perpetually got this emptiness.

I'm okay when I'm in the middle of when I'm out there when I'm doing this when I'm watching the game, but man it's just it's a goes away so quickly and I'm back to the emptiness. So what happened yet. Here's the bottom line what happened what happened is that kids can we just consider this what happened what happened is that one-on-one Jesus founded.

I love that pay Zen of the most profound thing that you've ever heard me say Jesus found him. Now you get this guys this is with a lot of people out there that crowds Bible says they crowds everywhere and Zacchaeus who was somewhat short in stature and he heard many had emptiness.

Jesus. Jesus found him.

Do you know Jesus finds you because he knows you.

You know how well he knows you. He made you he loves you man, I would love to be in a like a fly on the think there is something I don't know but go up to Zach Pearson have a have a little conversation with how is all of this, how does it work.

It's the spirit of God.

Jesus found him, but the second thing that happened is that Zacchaeus was that Jesus called out to him. Jesus didn't just stand there with all of these people around. He Bible says he looked up into the tree and he said you I'm noticing Jo I don't know what what how Jesus yelled, but to me, Zach.

I don't know. But Jesus did it.

He called out to him.

I'm just explaining you because right now you know that that's why you hear but I'm going to show you the most fantastic thing about this good thing that happened is that kiss Jesus repositioned him alright so now I want to get the strike with everybody. Could you all agree with me, Jesus had just settled all things standing right there looking up, and citing Zaki us. I love you I'm coming in your heart today. I'm changing absolutely yes another one using Jesus could have climbed up the tree. Of course, why, why not.

These are big trees. They easy to climb. Jesus could've said man I'm climbing up. He didn't know Jesus did. He re-positioned Zaki us. He said to him, Zaki us get down from the tree.

In fact, don't only get down from the tree. Go to your house and I will come to your house I will meet you there. That is the kindest thing Jesus ever did. I promise you I did. I don't know this but if I'd been a fly on the fig. I guarantee you, Zaki us was sitting up in the tree. He knew everybody hated him. They despise them. Can you imagine when all the limelight was put on him. I would some friends in our church that I love. They my best friends in a little but I'm not some friends you periodically every now and again.

Let me know that Don I just love you and love playing golf with you love being out, they love doing this love being around but don't ever call on me to come up there and say something in public rhyme. I respect that we all do different things. We all got our own roles in life.

I promise you something in all likelihood, Zaki is thought he was about to have a heart attack sitting up there. Jesus said everybody Zaki asked heart attack Downey wind blow didn't happen to him evidently didn't fall out the tree but I can just imagine he probably wanted to for landlocked know know you're doing it to you that put me on television.

Everybody's looking at me yeah well Mahwah whatever our imagination might want to do with Zacchaeus you know Jesus said to him, Zaki us. I love you so much I want you to understand something you are going to meet me on my terms, not on yours and for Zaki us, he had to get down from the tree you get that seminar secure? Which tree are you sitting in right now without challenge? You've been listening to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher on the Encouraging Word for the preaching from Luke 19 about fighting sexiest.

Perhaps you've heard more than our South African pastors broke heard the voice of God speaking to you, perhaps.

After all, you've heard that he's taught this to Dr. Wilson want to share from the studios. The most important. 30 seconds of the day.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why didn't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news.

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