Topic: Grow up
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was a very successful, corrupt tax collector. He wanted to see Jesus but when Jesus arrived the crowds blocked his view. He was short man and could not see past the crowds so he climbed into a tree to see Jesus and was blessed. Jesus looked up, called for him, and he came joyfully. Zacchaeus repented and The Lord blessed him.
Luke 19:2-4
"And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way".
Where Are You?
We spend too much time making excuses for why we do the things we do, and why we behave the way we behave.
We blame our parents, our children, our spouse, our culture, "the streets", society, men, women, the school, our boss, the government, our looks, our height, "the system", abuse, neglect...... the list goes on and on. Rarely do we take a moment and blame ourselves for our lack of maturity to stand by faith do what we need to do to move forward. We lack the maturity to trust God and know he is bigger than our list of hurts.
We must trust God more than we trust the people or things we "think" is holding us back. If God be for us who can be against us (Rom 8:31).
Some of us may have achieved all or most of our superficial dreams and do not think this word is relevant. I must ask, where are you in your walk with Christ are you still making excuses of why you haven't given your life completely? Are you allowing God to make changes or are you directing God where you are willing to change?
Some of us aren't where we would like to be spiritually or naturally; to get there we need to grow up, have faith in God and start allowing God to make changes in our lives. We have to repent and allow God to heal us.
The Tax Collector
Zacchaeus was a rich man. He was a chief tax collector employed by the Roman Empire. Tax collectors had to place a bid to be considered to obtain the position of a tax collector. The bidder would pledge the amount they were certain they could raise and any amount over that amount were their personal profit.
1. We know the Romans were smart in business and would take the highest bidder to ensure their profit. Which means Zacchaeus was one of the highest bidders.
2. We understand to become a wealthy tax collector he had to greatly multiply what he promised to collect for his profit.
It also says he was the chief, which means he was possibly the Vice President of collections. Zacchaeus reached that level by training many others under him, how to be great extortionist.
Some of us are making choices to disobey God and are teaching others to do the same. Some of us are so consumed with personal desires that we justify our unrighteousness. We must be careful bringing others to sin by displaying our unrighteousness and teaching unrighteousness. We all have something we have done that wasn't right but we either tagged along or we convinced others to partake. We are teaching our children by our actions. They do what they see not what we say. If we are teaching others to sin we must repent and ask God to change our ways.
Zacchaeus was a short man. The average height of a male Jew in ancient times was ~5'6 inches. The bible makes emphasis on his height which means he was much shorter than the average. Standing on his tippy toes would not have helped him see Jesus in the crowd. Which would make him probably around 5 feet or less.
He was probably ridiculed as a child and as a man for his height. He probably chose that profession to get back at all those that stared and laughed when they saw him. He probably used that as an excuse when he was extorting his own people. It was probably seeking revenge for his insecurities.
One day Zacchaeus decided to grow up, he stopped making excuses, and started making changes. He heard Jesus was coming and was determined to see him. He didn't want to just hear him, he wanted to see him.
Although, he was blocked by the people in front of him he didn't allow his height to block his blessing. He climbed the sycamore to receive his salvation. Some of us have obstacles blocking our blessings. Are we making excuses or are we climbing the sycamore tree?
Luke 19:5-6
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.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
Zacchaeus received his blessing because he made up his mind that he was ready for The Lord to change him. He wasn't surprised when Jesus called him, he responded with Joy because he came seeking. He was ready to stop making poor choices and start making changes.
Luke 19:8-10
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.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Zacchaeus came with a repentant heart. He didn't make excuses for his sin, he admitted his fault, offered up restitution, and was blessed.
If you have been living a less than righteous life come to Jesus with a repentant heart and watch him change you.
If you have allowed people, places and things to hold you back or keep you bound, trust God more than you trust what's oppressing you. Watch God work. He specializes in what we believe is impossible.
Choices
Some of us are making choices to disobey God and are teaching others to do the same. Some of us are so consumed with personal desires that we justify our unrighteousness. We must be careful bringing others to sin by displaying our unrighteousness and teaching unrighteousness. We all have something we have done that wasn't right but we either tagged along or we convinced others to partake. We are teaching our children by our actions. They do what they see not what we say. If we are teaching others to sin we must repent and ask God to change our ways.
Zacchaeus was a short man. The average height of a male Jew in ancient times was ~5'6 inches. The bible makes emphasis on his height which means he was much shorter than the average. Standing on his tippy toes would not have helped him see Jesus in the crowd. Which would make him probably around 5 feet or less.
He was probably ridiculed as a child and as a man for his height. He probably chose that profession to get back at all those that stared and laughed when they saw him. He probably used that as an excuse when he was extorting his own people. It was probably seeking revenge for his insecurities.
One day Zacchaeus decided to grow up, he stopped making excuses, and started making changes. He heard Jesus was coming and was determined to see him. He didn't want to just hear him, he wanted to see him.
Although, he was blocked by the people in front of him he didn't allow his height to block his blessing. He climbed the sycamore to receive his salvation. Some of us have obstacles blocking our blessings. Are we making excuses or are we climbing the sycamore tree?
Luke 19:5-6
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.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
Zacchaeus received his blessing because he made up his mind that he was ready for The Lord to change him. He wasn't surprised when Jesus called him, he responded with Joy because he came seeking. He was ready to stop making poor choices and start making changes.
Luke 19:8-10
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.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Repent
Zacchaeus came with a repentant heart. He didn't make excuses for his sin, he admitted his fault, offered up restitution, and was blessed.
If you have been living a less than righteous life come to Jesus with a repentant heart and watch him change you.
If you have allowed people, places and things to hold you back or keep you bound, trust God more than you trust what's oppressing you. Watch God work. He specializes in what we believe is impossible.
No more excuses!
Fauja Singh ran a marathon at age 101. Stop making excuses and start making changes!
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the US in 1849.
Stop making excuses and start making changes!
Wenseslao Moguel was captured while fighting in the Mexican revolution. Without trial he was sentenced to be executed by firing squad and was shot 9 times once in the head. He managed to escape. He made a choice to live and not die.
Stop making excuses and start making changes!
Paul Templar's head was swallowed by a bull hippo, he could have accepted death but he leveraged himself out losing his arm and survived.
Stop making excuses and start making changes!
Sudha Chandran is an amputee and one of the most accomplished and acclaimed dancers of the Indian Subcontinent.
Marla Runyan is a three time national champion in the women’s 5000 meters. She won four gold medals in the 1992 summer Paralympics. In the 1996 Paralympics she won silver in the shot put. Marla is legally blind.
Beethoven created his greatest works when he was completely deaf. He completely lost his hearing the last 25 yrs of his life.
Helen Adams Keller was deaf and blind an earned a bachelors degree.
Jean-Do suffered a heart attack which left him with locked-in syndrome. His mind was perfect but his body was paralyzed from head to toe. He had function only in his left eyelid. He wrote a book by blinking his left eyelid when the correct letter was reached.
Stop making excuses and start making changes.
You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you (Phil 4:13).
Pray:
Holy Father, Holy Redeemer. You are the great and powerful Most High God. You are most holy and everlasting. Forgive me for worshiping my pain more than you. Forgive me for giving my circumstance more power than you. Forgive me for not realizing you created me for your glory and any thing less is living outside of your will for my life. I am seeking to change my life and live a more abundant life in you Christ Jesus. Take me, I am yours, remove all fear from my heart and give me the courage to submit to you. I want today to be the last day I make excuses. Today I am climbing the sycamore tree so that you will see me and call my name, and come into my house, and bless me and my house. I repent of my sins and offer up a sacrifice of praise.
In Jesus name I pray.
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