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Feb 23, 2020

Wee Little Man

Wee Little Man

Passage: Luke 19:1-10

Speaker: Chip Reed

Series: House Calls

Jesus was perpetually surrounded by three categories of people: The Fascinated that were intrigued by Jesus; The Furious that were offended by Jesus; The Followers that worshipped Jesus. We can each likely find all three in our hearts as we 1) believe and follow Jesus, 2) only want to know “about” him rather than actually obey him, and 3) are angry that Jesus demands to be our sole Lord. Within Zacchaeus we can find ourselves as we all have “treasures” we withhold from God, thinking that they will give us life, joy and hope, without realizing that these things are only found in Jesus and offered for free in infinite measure. It’s not about what we own, it’s about what owns us. In this story we will also find outrageous grace as we realize what a deplorable outcast Zacchaeus was, yet he was pursued, forgiven and brought to a new standing with the Lord for “salvation has come to this house...the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Order of Worship

PRE SERVICE: Luke 19:1-3
CALL TO WORSHIP: Matthew 11:28-30 & Proverbs 8:17
PRAYER: Refuge (from The Valley of Vision)
OLD TESTAMENT READING: Jeremiah 29:11-13
MESSAGE: Wee Little Man
CENTRAL TEXT: Luke 19:1-10
BENEDICTION: Romans 11:33-36
POST SERVICE: Luke 19:10

Readings & Scripture

PRE SERVICE: Luke 19:1-3
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.

CALL TO WORSHIP: Matthew 11:28-30 & Proverbs 8:17
LEADER: 28 Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

ALL: 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

PRAYER: Refuge (from The Valley of Vision)
ALL: O Lord, Let me dwell in thy most secret place under Your shadow; where is safe impenetrable protection.

LEADER: I am entirely dependent upon You for support, counsel, and consolation. Uphold me by Your Spirit.

ALL: Strengthen me inward for every purpose in life. Anew each day in the finished work of Christ.

LEADER: Take my body, soul, talents, character, success, family, friends, work, and future. My very end.

ALL: Take them. They are Yours. I am Yours. Now and forever.

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Jeremiah 29:11-13

LEADER: 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

CENTRAL TEXT: Luke 19:1-10
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

BENEDICTION: Romans 11:33-36
LEADER: Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.

ALL: To him be glory forever. Amen.

POST SERVICE: Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES:

  • Deuteronomy 4:29
  • 1 Chronicles 29:14
  • Proverbs 10:22
  • Proverbs 22:2
  • Malachi 3:8
  • Matthew 7:7
  • Matthew 6:19
  • Matthew 19:21
  • Mark 12
  • Luke 5:31
  • Luke 18 (another tax collector that turned to Jesus)
  • Luke 18
  • 1 Corinthians 6:12
  • Revelation 2:4
  • Revelation 3:17-18

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. The Crowds
    We see three reactions to Jesus. Go through and describe how you see each one in different parts of your life. (for instance, I am a “consumer” with Jesus regarding my finances, “critical” when it comes to sexuality, “contrite” when it comes to my career).
    a) Curious / Consumer - I keep Jesus at arm’s length. Interested, but not too sure. Not ready to commit/trust.
    b) Critics - I disagree with and are offended by Jesus and some of the things he says / demands.
    c) Contrite - I am melted at the beauty and Truth of Jesus, and convicted of how I’ve fallen short; hopeful, not in despair. “Desperate” to see and hear from Jesus.
  2. The Calling
    How have you heard/senses Jesus’ calling in your life?
    How is it that it was Jesus looking for Zacc more than Zacc looking for Jesus? How is this true in our lives?
    Jesus wasn’t interested in a simply “meet and greet” but wanted to “abide” (go stay with) Zacc. What is the difference? How would it impact us if Jesus really came over fully to the house of our hearts and stayed (without having “off limit” areas)?
  3. The Confession
    AFTER (not before) Jesus’ engages Zacc’s life, Zacc’s heart and behavior was transformed. Explain his behavioral response with money, payback etc.
    What MUST have happened in his heart for that to happen?
    How are finances usually an accurate gauge of our hearts/faith?
    Why can it be such a struggle? Why do we withhold giving?
    How can you ask Jesus to help loosen money’s grip on your heart?
    How can resting in Jesus giving up His “treasures” while securing us eternal treasures by paying our eternal debt be a freeing and faith-based (vs. guilt based) motivation toward generosity?

QUOTES:

  • “My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and that I have done nothing to earn or deserve it.” - Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel)
  • “If you want God’s grace, all you need is need, all you need is nothing.” - Tim Keller
  • “Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” - Charles Spurgeon
  • “We must become convinced that Love has to be a person to us before it can become a verb.” - Scott Sauls
  • “This whole ‘happiness from the inside’ thing…where's it coming from? What am I feeling good about? You have to have some sense of accomplishment...Because I knew that you need two things. You need money and you need a girlfriend. With no money, there's no girlfriend. Of course, I hated myself deeply, but that's because I didn't have the money and the girlfriend. If I had the money and the girlfriend, I knew I would hate myself a little less.” - Larry David (GQ, February 2020)
  • “I have been a scoundrel all my life, I’ve been selfish. I’ve been cruel at times, hard to work with, and I’m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance….I think that’s when we’re at our best: when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for our past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow. When we educate each other; when we guide each other to redemption.” - Joaquin Phoenix (Oscars Acceptance Speech 2020)
  • “Success is a beast. And it actually puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. You get away with more instead of looking within.” - Brad Pitt
  • “To live for yourself is to rob yourself of your own humanity. It is only in living for Christ that we actually begin to become what we were meant to be.” - Paul David Tripp

BOOKS / DOCS

 

SERMONS / TALKS