Two Classes - The Zaccheus Encounter

A Sermon on Zaccheus

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 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 have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

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

1. The Lure of Money

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Time --> money

Effort --> money

Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

‎Luke 18:22

Our love for everything else is reflective of our love for Jesus.

2. Genuine Change

Matthew 12:33 a tree is recognized by its fruit.

Fruit is whatever a fully devoted relationship with Jesus produces.

The only way to effect genuine change is to have constant communion with Jesus.

I tried to kill the pain But only brought more I lay dying And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal

Do you remember me? Lost for so long Will you be on the other side? or will you forget me?

I'm dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming Am I too lost to be saved? Am I too lost?

I want to die My God, my tourniquet Return To Me Salvation

My wounds cry for the grave My soul cries for deliverance Will I be denied Christ Tourniquet My suicide.

Evanescence, Tourniquet, Fallen

3. Two Classes

Human Filter

God’s Filter

Photo by Greg Jeanneau on Unsplash