Bible Study Series: Christmas At Your House, Luke 19:1-10

 CHRISTMAS AT YOUR HOUSE

                                                               Luke 19:1-10

 

V:1. He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. 7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." 8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

HIS LOCATION

Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world. Located in the valley 800 feet below sea level and 3500 feet below Jerusalem.

The climate is mild.  It was known for its palm trees. I planted several palm trees

In my backyard. If you ever had to dig one up you will find that they have hundreds of quarter-inch roots that spread out yards from the base that

Anchor them in the ground.  

I say this because they require lots of water to survive.

 

The first city to be conquered by the Israelites entering the promised land was Jericho.

 

 

HIS PROFESSION

He worked for the Roman government, the enemy of Israel

Tax collecting was a hated profession. Tax collectors were able to inflate the taxes due to Filling their pockets. Some were thieves.

 

John the Baptist alluded to the dishonesty of the profession

Luke 3:12-14

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"

 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.

 

Zacchaeus was the chief of thieves

He influenced others to be thieves.

 

Have you ever been the life of the party?

 

 

All of us have been thieves at some time

Malachi 3:8

 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.

"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'

"In tithes and offerings.

HIS PAST

He was a tax collector, considered a sinner by the crowd

 

We all have a past. We all used to be something other than a Christian

All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

 

HIS CONVERSION

V:3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.

The name Zacchaeus in Greek means pure, clean, and just.

We don’t always live up to our potential.  Time and life circumstance causes a

Change in us.

Like the prodigal son. He came to himself.

Do you remember when you came to yourself and decided that there must be

A better way to live.

 

God does not tell us, but for some reason, Zacchaeus came looking For Jesus

Isaiah 55:6

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

 

Anybody ever been there? Fed up with the life you are living. Broke, disappointed,

Down on your luck. In a hole so deep, that only the Lord can get you out.

 

Do you realize that that was a setup by the Lord to get you to change?

God has a way of stirring up your mind to force you to look for Him.

 

HIS RESOURCEFULNESS

You have to aim high to reach high

He had a plan to see Jesus.

He was short.  The crowd was large around Jesus.

He climbed a tree to elevate himself above the crowd before Jesus arrived.

 

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Sometimes you have been creative and do what others have not thought of.

Inventors see a need and create things that don’t exist to fill the need.

 

In the world when front doors are closed, you may have to find a back door or

A window to go through. What you accomplish in life depend on how important

Something is to you.

 

YOU MUST AIM HIGH TO REACH HIGH

 

JESUS IS MORE THAN YOU CAN HOPE FOR

V:5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.

Seeing Jesus was important to Zacchaeus. He positioned himself so he could

Look down on Jesus.

 

Jesus looked up and told Zacchaeus to  HURRY and come down

When Jesus gives you a command, don’t delay, HURRY

All we have is right now. Tomorrow may be too late.

Opportunities missed maybe opportunities lost.

 

Jesus sees you before you see Him

Jesus knows your heart, your motives, and your needs.

 

Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus

To see Jesus, you must come down. You must humble yourself before

Lord.

 Jesus brought him down amid the crowd

 Jesus wants to stay at your house.

Out of all the people who come to Jesus, He wants to stay at your house.

Jesus wants to fellowship at your house.

Jesus wants to bless your house.

Jesus knows the desires of your heart before you ask.

 

DON’T BE LIKE RELIGIOUS FOLK

V:7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.

Some folks religiously come to church.

Some folks come to church to see who come to church

Some folks refused to be changed by the message.

Some folks come to church messed up and  leave messed up

 

The crowd was following the greatest teacher of all time.

The crowd was in the midst of the WORD, The savior of the world.

The crowd came to hear the Word for entertainment.

The crowd points out all your faults.

 

Jesus saw the change in Zacchaeus.  The crowd saw his past.

Jesus saw a man ready for salvation. The crowd judged him not worthy

Of salvation

 

Jesus comes to be the guest in the house of sinners.

 

HIS CONFESSION

V:8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.

 

A.    There are times when you must speak for yourself.

1.     In the presence of Jesus is the time to speak for yourself.

2.     Nobody can confess your sins before Jesus but you.

3.     The crowd holds your past against you.

4.     Jesus sees your past as the reason for your change.

B.     HIS GENEROSITY

1.     Can you imaging giving the Lord half of what you own because you

Love him

2.     What you gained by taking from others is no offering to the Lord.

C.     Own up to your sins.

1.     There are sins of disobedience and sins of ignorance.

2.     Zacchaeus set the bar of reciprocity very high.

3.     If I defrauded anyone. I will pay back fourfold.

D.    Anytime you come in contact with Jesus, there ought to be a change

Your heart

Your character

Your actions

 

HIS ACCEPTANCE BY JESUS

V:9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.”

A.    Your confession of faith brings immediate salvation,

1.     Salvation is not based on what you have done in the past.

2.     Salvation is not based on what you will do in the future.

3.     Salvation is based on your present relationship with Jesus.

B.     You become a son of Abraham when you confess faith in Jesus.

1.     Abraham is the father of faith

2.     The promise of salvation was given to Abraham.

Genesis 17:3-6

3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

 

THE CHRISTMAS MISSION

V:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

A.    Jesus stepped down out of heaven, took on human flesh

And became man.

1.     Jesus came down from heaven to stay at your house

2.     Jesus came down from heaven to humble you before him.

3.     Jesus came down from heaven to save you from your sins.

4.     Jesus came down from heaven pick you up from the

An ordinary life to an extraordinary life.

B.     Jesus came down from heaven to walk with you.

1.     Jesus came down from heaven to talk with you.

2.     Jesus came down from heaven to comfort you

3.     Jesus came down from heaven to live in you.

4.     Jesus came down from heaven so you can see Him from

Where you are.

5.     Jesus came down from heaven to do away with your past.

6.     Jesus came down from heaven to give you a new future.

7.     Jesus came down from heaven to love you.

C.     Jesus came to be the tree in your life

1.     Jesus came to be the light in your life.

2.     Jesus came to decorate your life with His righteousness.

3.     Jesus came to be the STAR of your life.

4.     Jesus came to make you the light of the world.

 

MERRY CHRIST-MASS