Seeking the Lost
Luke 19:1-10 – Victory Fellowship
June 13, 2021 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. Introduction
a. Have you ever wanted something so badly
that you'd do almost anything to get it?
i. (Elaborate)
b. We can come up with ingenious ways to get what we want. (Good or Bad)
c. Invest money or time
d. Even risk life or limb
II. What is it that motivates people to pursue their hearts desire – things they are seeking for?
a. Whatever the reasons, it has a lot to do with their preconceived notion of what the results will be.
i. Anticipation fuels desire
III. Relating the Text:
a. Zaccheus comes up with an ingenious way
to get what he wants.
b. Zach has seeking what he didn’t know was lost.
i. (What are his preconceived notions?)
c. But Jesus also seeking Zaccheus
i. Jesus also had motive.
ii. Even when Zach was “lost in the Crowd”
iii. Even when they grumbled that Jesus was to be the guest of a sinner.
d. Jesus had nothing to do but Save Souls (v 10)
IV. Application
Have you ever known someone who was so spiritually hungry, who needed Jesus so badly, that they would do practically anything to meet Him? (Probably not often enough)
a. WHY NOT?
i. Lost in the crowd? Not focused on Jesus?
ii. SOCIAL MEDIA danger – don’t need to search all internet – just need to focus on our child to see who reaches out to them.
b. In same way, if we focus on Jesus we can see who is reaching out to Him.
i. What’s easier – sharing our faith with someone willing to climb a tree to meet Jesus OR imposing on someone to listen to us as we witness?
c. Our challenge is not in witnessing to unknown others as much as it is in recognizing when God puts a tree-climber in our path. A person who is seeking answers related to the faith.
i. People need help with finances, health, relationships, moral dilemmas, spirituality.
d. Faith in Jesus Christ and knowing and living God’s word provides practical solutions to the issues we face in life.
V. As Christians, the foremost priority of our faith is expressed in seeking out those who are seeking Jesus.
a. We won’t see them unless we are focused on Christ and intentionally looking. Then we can offer salvation to their house today.
PRAYER
SONG: When the God-Man Passes By
Luke 19:1-10: (NASB) 1 And He entered and was passing through Jericho. 2 And behold, there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; and he was a chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich. 3 And he was trying to see who Jesus was, and he was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 And 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 And 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 And 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 And 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."