Are you willing to go out on a limb for Jesus?
Are you willing to go out on a limb for Jesus?
Luke 18:10-14, Luke 19:1-10
1. We get in a rut of rationalize and repeat.
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.” -Luke 19:1-10
2. Long before Zacchaeus needed it, God planted that tree.
3. God knows you by name.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— -John 10:14
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, -Romans 3:22-23
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -Matthew 6:21
- What is your treasure? _____________________________
- Where is your heart? _______________________________
- What do you give all your time to? _______________________________
4. Faith = Risk – You must be willing to take risks to follow Jesus.
5. If we are willing to take the first step, God is waiting for us.
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” -Luke 18:1-14
6. Jesus has come to seek and save the lost
- Will you step out on a limb for Jesus?