WEBVTT 00:00:00.110 --> 00:00:02.209 Hey everybody, my name's Jeff. Everybody say 00:00:02.209 --> 00:00:05.570 hi, Jeff. Hi, Jeff. You guys are so kind, so 00:00:05.570 --> 00:00:10.390 kind. So my name's Jeff. I've been married for 00:00:10.390 --> 00:00:13.910 around 30 years, been a pastor for that same 00:00:13.910 --> 00:00:18.350 period of time. Got three kids, 26 married, 23 00:00:18.350 --> 00:00:21.510 just got married, and I have a 16 -year -old 00:00:21.510 --> 00:00:23.530 daughter still in the game, still playing the 00:00:23.530 --> 00:00:29.039 game, but so grateful to be here. I run a non 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:31.500 -profit called, a parachurch non -profit called 00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:34.420 Phoenix One, and we help church staff and spouses 00:00:34.420 --> 00:00:35.960 get healthier. I don't know if you know this, 00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:39.570 but it's not easy being a church staff. working 00:00:39.570 --> 00:00:41.990 for a church sometimes because all of you all 00:00:41.990 --> 00:00:44.369 have so many wonderful needs and we want to care 00:00:44.369 --> 00:00:46.310 for you and they want to care for you. And sometimes 00:00:46.310 --> 00:00:48.969 they need a safe place to go away and they need 00:00:48.969 --> 00:00:50.630 to go like, hey, I need some help. I need to 00:00:50.630 --> 00:00:52.310 talk to somebody. So that's what we do. It's 00:00:52.310 --> 00:00:54.450 a weird job, but I love that I get to do it for 00:00:54.450 --> 00:00:57.009 all intents and purposes. I'm like a pastor to 00:00:57.009 --> 00:01:00.429 pastors and their spouses. But really, really 00:01:00.429 --> 00:01:03.229 grateful to be here. We're going to be in Luke 00:01:03.229 --> 00:01:06.689 19. So if you have your Bibles, go to Luke 19, 00:01:06.870 --> 00:01:10.010 verse one. love for you to stand as we read the 00:01:10.010 --> 00:01:13.829 word of God. Luke 19, verse 1, if you're able 00:01:13.829 --> 00:01:21.629 to stand. Luke 19, verse 1. He entered Jericho, 00:01:21.689 --> 00:01:25.450 he being Jesus, and was passing through. And 00:01:25.450 --> 00:01:27.530 behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was 00:01:27.530 --> 00:01:30.489 a chief tax collector, and he was what? He was 00:01:30.489 --> 00:01:36.370 rich. And And he was seeking to see who Jesus 00:01:36.370 --> 00:01:38.609 was, but on the account of the crowd, he could 00:01:38.609 --> 00:01:41.989 not because he was small in stature. So he ran 00:01:41.989 --> 00:01:44.909 ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree to see 00:01:44.909 --> 00:01:47.769 what he could see. Remember that one? Okay. For 00:01:47.769 --> 00:01:50.650 he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:54.230 came to the place, he looked up and he said to 00:01:54.230 --> 00:01:59.950 him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down for I must 00:01:59.950 --> 00:02:04.250 stay at your house today. house today. So he 00:02:04.250 --> 00:02:06.370 hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 00:02:06.469 --> 00:02:08.909 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, they 00:02:08.909 --> 00:02:11.729 being the people. He has gone to be the guest 00:02:11.729 --> 00:02:14.770 of a man who was a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood 00:02:14.770 --> 00:02:17.449 and said to the Lord, behold, Lord, the half 00:02:17.449 --> 00:02:19.889 of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have 00:02:19.889 --> 00:02:23.689 defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. 00:02:23.909 --> 00:02:27.949 And Jesus said to him, today, salvation has come 00:02:27.949 --> 00:02:32.219 to this house since he also is the son of Abraham. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:36.099 Everyone read verse 10 with me. For the son of 00:02:36.099 --> 00:02:40.219 man came to seek and save that what was lost. 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:42.960 This is the word of God and everyone said, amen. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:48.000 Grab a seat. 2010, I went on my first trip to 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.740 India. I got the opportunity to lead a pastor's 00:02:51.740 --> 00:02:54.520 conference for a thousand Indian pastors. One 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:57.789 of the most incredible experiences. of my life. 00:02:57.930 --> 00:03:01.830 I say often that I felt like I met Jesus again 00:03:01.830 --> 00:03:04.949 in India amongst the poor, the watching them 00:03:04.949 --> 00:03:08.370 worship. I mean, we went to a leper colony and 00:03:08.370 --> 00:03:11.189 we got to worship together and lepers don't, 00:03:11.189 --> 00:03:13.189 many of them don't have fingers. So they just, 00:03:13.310 --> 00:03:16.069 and they're worshiping God and they're weeping 00:03:16.069 --> 00:03:18.349 and crying. And I'm like, who am I? Like they 00:03:18.349 --> 00:03:22.379 just, I was so humbled by the people. of India, 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:27.000 pastors who are coming up with whip marks, cane 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:29.180 marks on their back because they preach the good 00:03:29.180 --> 00:03:31.060 news of Jesus Christ. And here I am in my... 00:03:31.340 --> 00:03:34.219 cozy church here in America. I was just really, 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:36.620 really grateful for the work that they were doing, 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:38.500 the work we get to do here in the States. But 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:40.840 through that process, got to do a lot of work 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:43.879 with that organization. And then my wife and 00:03:43.879 --> 00:03:45.580 I had talked before we went that we might want 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:48.240 to sponsor a child, like this place, this organization 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:50.300 had an orphanage. So we thought, let's sponsor 00:03:50.300 --> 00:03:52.319 a child. My wife and I have always had this desire. 00:03:52.890 --> 00:03:55.550 since we were first married of adoption. So that's 00:03:55.550 --> 00:03:58.229 always been an open thing. But so we found this 00:03:58.229 --> 00:04:00.289 little girl, her name was Wasunta. They started 00:04:00.289 --> 00:04:02.949 telling us her story. And what had happened is 00:04:02.949 --> 00:04:06.150 two weeks prior to her showing up, which is when 00:04:06.150 --> 00:04:10.030 we showed up, her mom and her father had left. 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:13.900 and what they had done is they had abandoned 00:04:13.900 --> 00:04:16.939 their two kids. And Wasunta was taken in by a 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:20.000 neighbor and they were raising her to sell her 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:23.300 on the black market. She's what's called a black 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:25.060 beauty in the Indian culture, which means she 00:04:25.060 --> 00:04:28.379 goes twice as much money on the black market. 00:04:28.540 --> 00:04:31.000 And so they were raising her as a slave in the 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:33.120 home and they would lock her in a closet and 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:35.279 she would scream. Well, one of the other neighbors 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:37.879 that was next door to them heard her screaming, 00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:40.730 this neighbor was a believer. and went and rescued 00:04:40.730 --> 00:04:43.110 this little girl and took her to the orphanage. 00:04:43.110 --> 00:04:46.329 Two weeks later, I show up and I meet this little 00:04:46.329 --> 00:04:48.750 one. Her name was Wasunta and she was very squirrely. 00:04:49.149 --> 00:04:51.889 Very squirrely, very angry. And I was like, that's 00:04:51.889 --> 00:04:55.470 our girl, right? So sponsored her. But through 00:04:55.470 --> 00:04:57.370 the time that I was there, started feeling like, 00:04:57.410 --> 00:04:59.129 well, maybe the Lord would want more. And so 00:04:59.129 --> 00:05:01.060 I... I met with the man and said, hey, is there 00:05:01.060 --> 00:05:03.600 an opportunity for adoption? And they were like, 00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:07.279 I don't know, maybe. And so I went home and we 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:09.240 hired an international adoption attorney at the 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:11.829 time. India was a closed country. go through 00:05:11.829 --> 00:05:14.170 that whole process. We're Skyping her. We've 00:05:14.170 --> 00:05:16.430 actually like, we're helping a family to be able 00:05:16.430 --> 00:05:18.569 to raise her. You know, she's going to a different 00:05:18.569 --> 00:05:20.610 school, like all the things, going through doctor's 00:05:20.610 --> 00:05:23.930 appointments and everything. And so a year later, 00:05:24.029 --> 00:05:26.250 I come back. I was so excited to be with her. 00:05:26.329 --> 00:05:29.250 She's sitting on my lap. And there's a couple 00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:31.550 of things you eat in India a whole lot. One of 00:05:31.550 --> 00:05:34.069 them is curry. The other one is chicken. Eat 00:05:34.069 --> 00:05:36.230 a lot of chicken, right? And so she's sitting 00:05:36.230 --> 00:05:39.740 on my lap and we're eating chicken. and finish 00:05:39.740 --> 00:05:42.060 it off the bone. And then she starts eating chicken 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:45.000 bones. And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:47.120 No, no, no, no, no. And then she gets mad and 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:50.040 she finishes eating the chicken. She shoves them 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:51.920 in her mouth and chewing them, eating them and 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:54.759 storms off. And I go to the guy who's like, she's 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:56.779 living with, and I'm like, hey, what's the deal 00:05:56.779 --> 00:05:59.740 here? Like, what's going on? All right, why is 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:01.319 she doing this? Why is she not living? He goes, 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:05.139 look, your little slave girl is still living 00:06:05.139 --> 00:06:09.279 like a slave. She steals mangoes. She runs away. 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:11.699 She makes herself sick. She hides food. It goes 00:06:11.699 --> 00:06:16.839 bad. She still hasn't come to understand that 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:21.300 she's a daughter. And it broke our hearts. And 00:06:21.300 --> 00:06:24.160 I think what Luke is trying to do in his gospel 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:26.160 and all the gospel writers are trying to do is 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:28.500 this. They're trying to go, look, a lot of us 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:31.779 are living that way. Jesus now enters into that 00:06:31.779 --> 00:06:35.160 narrative, into that culture with a people that 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:39.370 are really feeling, alone. And so Luke, especially, 00:06:39.790 --> 00:06:43.769 he's known, his gospel is known as the winged 00:06:43.769 --> 00:06:46.790 ox because he starts off in the temple with the 00:06:46.790 --> 00:06:49.649 sacrifice. And then he's going to pull that all 00:06:49.649 --> 00:06:51.790 the way through because what he wants to show 00:06:51.790 --> 00:06:55.009 you is who Jesus is. That Jesus doesn't just 00:06:55.009 --> 00:06:59.509 talk, he does. He cares. He loves. And so what 00:06:59.509 --> 00:07:02.629 we see is Jesus moving in and through the villages. 00:07:03.640 --> 00:07:06.500 caring and loving people. In fact, in this section 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:09.600 of scripture, which is chapter 915 through 1944, 00:07:10.100 --> 00:07:12.860 it's called the gospel of the outcasts. Because 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:15.639 what Luke wants you to pay attention to is look 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:18.600 at all the people that didn't, the society saying 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:22.100 you don't deserve anything. And yet Jesus meets 00:07:22.100 --> 00:07:24.759 them. And what Luke wants you to do is to be 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:28.920 introspective. He wants you to go, how many of 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:33.040 you feel that way? Look what Jesus does. How 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:37.379 many of you feel outcast, alone, lost? And watch 00:07:37.379 --> 00:07:40.240 what Jesus does. Look and watch what Jesus does. 00:07:40.300 --> 00:07:42.939 Look at the ministry he does. And one of the 00:07:42.939 --> 00:07:45.480 people he wants you to pay attention to is a 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:48.339 man named Zacchaeus. In verse one, it says he 00:07:48.339 --> 00:07:50.860 entered Jericho and was passing through. Anybody 00:07:50.860 --> 00:07:52.899 know where he was passing? He's passing through 00:07:52.899 --> 00:07:55.519 Jericho to where? Anybody know? He's going to 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.519 Jerusalem. Anybody know why he's going to Jerusalem? 00:07:58.339 --> 00:08:02.199 To die for the sins. Past, present, and future. 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:05.899 So he's on his way. He's at the height of his 00:08:05.899 --> 00:08:09.319 popularity. Jericho is like a resort town. It's 00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:12.060 like Palm Springs, highest levels of taxation, 00:08:12.300 --> 00:08:15.259 lots of wealth in that particular area. Jesus 00:08:15.259 --> 00:08:18.000 is passing through here. There's a huge crowd 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.720 that's around him because they found out this 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:23.560 guy gives a dinner and a show and he heals people. 00:08:24.170 --> 00:08:26.610 And so they're like, I want that. So they keep 00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:29.470 following him from town to town, kind of wanting 00:08:29.470 --> 00:08:32.090 his attention. And here's what we find in verse 00:08:32.090 --> 00:08:36.350 two. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus 00:08:36.350 --> 00:08:40.850 and he was a chief tax collector and he was very 00:08:40.850 --> 00:08:42.889 rich. We learned two things. He was what kind 00:08:42.889 --> 00:08:45.629 of tax collector? Chief tax collector. And he 00:08:45.629 --> 00:08:50.889 was also rich, right? What had happened was Zacchaeus 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:55.039 tax collectors would get hired by Rome. So Rome 00:08:55.039 --> 00:09:00.940 is captured, kind of is over oppressing the Jews. 00:09:01.659 --> 00:09:06.460 Rome's over them. Rome hires a Jew to then collect 00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:10.080 money for them. As you can imagine, the Jews 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:13.700 are not too happy about this. Now Zacchaeus has 00:09:13.700 --> 00:09:15.799 made a pretty good business out of this because 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:19.080 not only was he a tax collector, but he's now 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:21.759 the chief tax collector, which means he's got 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:23.980 a great business model, got a bunch of other 00:09:23.980 --> 00:09:26.379 tax collectors underneath him. And what Rome 00:09:26.379 --> 00:09:29.659 had said was this, look, you can take the tax 00:09:29.659 --> 00:09:32.759 for us, but then anything you wanna charge above 00:09:32.759 --> 00:09:35.080 and beyond, go for it. I want you to imagine 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:39.490 this for a moment. that you show up to your tax 00:09:39.490 --> 00:09:42.690 person and they say the US government is charging 00:09:42.690 --> 00:09:46.169 you this amount of tax. And your response always, 00:09:46.289 --> 00:09:51.309 every spring is like, ugh, right? Then your tax 00:09:51.309 --> 00:09:54.330 collector, prepper, whatever, accountant goes, 00:09:54.490 --> 00:09:57.409 and then I'm going to take an additional 15 % 00:09:57.409 --> 00:10:01.570 just because, because I want it. You hate that 00:10:01.570 --> 00:10:05.039 guy, right? You were like, no, no, no. If I see 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.860 you out in public, I am going to take you down. 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:11.080 Now you find out that guy has a boss and he's 00:10:11.080 --> 00:10:14.080 the chief tax collector. I really hate that guy. 00:10:14.139 --> 00:10:19.259 That's Zacchaeus. They hate him. In fact, if 00:10:19.259 --> 00:10:20.980 you read through all the gospels, you'll come 00:10:20.980 --> 00:10:24.620 to find out tax collectors are very hated. And 00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:27.860 here's the really interesting thing about Zacchaeus. 00:10:27.980 --> 00:10:30.120 How many of you, when you named your kids, kind 00:10:30.120 --> 00:10:31.960 of had a purpose behind it? The name was important. 00:10:32.179 --> 00:10:36.279 Raise your hand. right? We named our child Cooper, 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:40.100 which means barrel maker. No reason at all. We 00:10:40.100 --> 00:10:43.500 just thought the name was cool. So it wasn't 00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:45.820 that important to us. But for the Jews, very, 00:10:45.899 --> 00:10:48.500 very important. It was about legacy, heritage, 00:10:48.779 --> 00:10:53.019 land, future, who we believe. They're like praying 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:55.659 to Yahweh and going, listen, you've given us 00:10:55.659 --> 00:11:00.059 this son. And we feel like we need to name him 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:04.000 Zacchaeus. And guess what Zacchaeus means? Clean 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:09.980 and pure. Clean and pure is Zacchaeus' name. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:15.120 Here is a man who has gone so far away from his 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:21.139 namesake. So far away from his namesake to pursue 00:11:21.139 --> 00:11:26.330 after what I'll call the American dream. Up and 00:11:26.330 --> 00:11:31.049 to the right, money, power, influence. He's in 00:11:31.049 --> 00:11:37.110 cahoots with Rome. How has he drifted so far 00:11:37.110 --> 00:11:43.029 away from his namesake? I think many of us are 00:11:43.029 --> 00:11:48.929 the same way. I think many of us have been trying 00:11:48.929 --> 00:11:54.600 our whole lives to be something or someone. hoping 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:58.919 to show up and make a thing, make a name in this 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:04.080 world only to find ourselves desperate and alone. 00:12:04.519 --> 00:12:07.360 And what Luke wants to say is Zacchaeus is an 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:10.679 archetype for humanity. And he wants you to see 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.559 yourself as Zacchaeus. He wants you to see like, 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:17.440 what have you been striving for that's so pulling 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:21.480 you away from who God has created you to be? 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:26.159 That now you're kind of alone, lost, depressed. 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.039 In verses three through four, we find this. And 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:35.320 he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on the 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:37.639 account of the crowd, he could not. Remember, 00:12:37.659 --> 00:12:41.320 the crowd, they don't like Zacchaeus because 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:44.399 he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:48.240 climbed up into the sycamore tree to see him, 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:53.200 for he was about to pass that way. Zacchaeus 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:58.700 has everything you could ever want. And yet something's 00:12:58.700 --> 00:13:04.100 not right. Something is disconnected. He is objectively 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:09.559 alone and he is completely obsessed with trying 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:12.940 to figure out, look, this is not working. I have 00:13:12.940 --> 00:13:16.440 pursued after this my whole life and it's not 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:21.590 working. Maybe, just maybe this man who loves 00:13:21.590 --> 00:13:24.269 sinners, maybe I could just get a look at him 00:13:24.269 --> 00:13:29.830 because this is not working. I feel alone. I 00:13:29.830 --> 00:13:32.889 feel depressed. I am tired of living this way 00:13:32.889 --> 00:13:35.470 and I need to do something about it. I want you 00:13:35.470 --> 00:13:38.789 to see the movement. He recognizes something's 00:13:38.789 --> 00:13:42.230 off in his heart, soul, and mind, and life. How 00:13:42.230 --> 00:13:46.649 about you? Are you aware that there is a disconnection 00:13:46.649 --> 00:13:51.309 that is happening in your spirit? that has moved 00:13:51.309 --> 00:13:54.450 you away from who God has really called you to 00:13:54.450 --> 00:13:58.669 be. I was listening recently to a podcast from 00:13:58.669 --> 00:14:01.330 a lady named Dr. Lisa Miller. She's at Columbia 00:14:01.330 --> 00:14:03.789 University, I believe. And she's a researcher, 00:14:03.889 --> 00:14:07.789 psychologist. And she was talking about this 00:14:07.789 --> 00:14:11.409 diagnosis called dysthemia. Dysthemia impacts 00:14:11.409 --> 00:14:14.909 about 5 million Americans. And here's what dysthemia 00:14:14.909 --> 00:14:19.210 is. It's a low -grade depression. It's this feeling. 00:14:19.269 --> 00:14:20.870 And by the way, you can only get the diagnosis 00:14:20.870 --> 00:14:23.389 if you've been feeling this way for two years. 00:14:23.830 --> 00:14:28.110 And here's the feeling, meh. Kind of wake up 00:14:28.110 --> 00:14:31.629 and it just kind of feels gray. Kind of feels 00:14:31.629 --> 00:14:33.889 like, man, something's not right. She described 00:14:33.889 --> 00:14:37.809 it like it's a hole in the heart. It's a hole 00:14:37.809 --> 00:14:40.690 in your soul. You're just kind of feeling off. 00:14:42.490 --> 00:14:46.250 And I think that describes a lot of us. Just 00:14:46.250 --> 00:14:52.129 something's. Not right. Something's off. Zacchaeus 00:14:52.129 --> 00:14:56.149 is like, something's off. I've run and pursued 00:14:56.149 --> 00:14:59.169 after this and something is disconnected in me 00:14:59.169 --> 00:15:02.009 and something is just off. And here's what she 00:15:02.009 --> 00:15:06.009 found. What most Americans do to fix that feeling 00:15:06.009 --> 00:15:08.870 of meh, that low grade depression, grayness in 00:15:08.870 --> 00:15:15.049 their life is achievement. Influence, power. 00:15:16.699 --> 00:15:21.519 stuff, hobbies. It's the brochure that our culture 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:23.860 has pitched to you that said, listen, if you 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:29.299 feel that way, we can make it all go away. We 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:33.700 can make you better. And they are making billions 00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:37.679 of dollars off of convincing you that you can 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:43.120 fix that thing in your soul, in your heart with 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:47.120 stuff. With an identity, with a friend group, 00:15:47.259 --> 00:15:55.279 with a zip code, with a politician. Literally, 00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:58.519 culture has convinced us that a politician will 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:04.100 fix stuff. This is insane. And it's not working 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:09.679 and we're getting sicker. Here's what they desire 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:13.019 and what I think so many of you desire is a deep 00:16:13.019 --> 00:16:17.100 yearning. for a deep connection in your life. 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:21.220 There's something inside of us that knows something's 00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:23.860 wrong and we don't know how to fix it. And so 00:16:23.860 --> 00:16:26.620 the culture just goes, hey, here you go. Here's 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:29.820 a shiny gift. And if you open it up, how many 00:16:29.820 --> 00:16:32.080 of you love when that Amazon package shows up 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:33.899 to your door and it's like Christmas morning? 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:38.960 Something inside of you, that dopamine hits and 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:42.960 you're like, everything's gonna be okay. And 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.419 it's lying to you. This is a part of what we 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.399 call the postmodern complex. Here's the lie that 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:51.860 was pitched to you. Here's the lie that Zacchaeus 00:16:51.860 --> 00:16:54.899 at some point in his life bought into. If I have 00:16:54.899 --> 00:16:58.340 all this stuff, if I have money, power, the right 00:16:58.340 --> 00:17:00.360 social group, I know we got a lot of teens in 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:02.700 here. If I just accomplish what mommy and daddy 00:17:02.700 --> 00:17:06.160 want in my life and that my friend group will, 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:08.200 I just have to do this and this and I can fit 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:11.480 in. then everything's going to be okay. If I 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:14.599 get accepted to the right college, if I move 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:16.400 to the same ZEPCO, if I have enough money in 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:19.500 my 401k, I'm going to be fine. And it's lying 00:17:19.500 --> 00:17:22.700 to you. We are getting sicker and sicker and 00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:28.599 sicker. The aloneness, the isolation is at an 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:33.660 all -time high. And yet we keep biting on that 00:17:33.660 --> 00:17:37.509 algorithm. That it's making them billions of 00:17:37.509 --> 00:17:39.769 dollars and the local church needs, Christians 00:17:39.769 --> 00:17:44.349 need to say, no. No, it's not working. We need 00:17:44.349 --> 00:17:49.609 to say, no, it's not working. It's not fixing 00:17:49.609 --> 00:17:53.369 the problem. And we're drowning in our insecurity 00:17:53.369 --> 00:17:57.250 and our aloneness and our stuff and our status. 00:17:57.589 --> 00:18:00.170 And we become very sick. We don't look like the 00:18:00.170 --> 00:18:03.089 Acts 2 community. Acts 2 community, Acts 4 community 00:18:03.089 --> 00:18:06.049 was free. Because here's what happened. They 00:18:06.049 --> 00:18:08.130 encountered the spirit of God and they went like, 00:18:08.190 --> 00:18:11.029 none of it's mine. I don't really care. We share 00:18:11.029 --> 00:18:14.450 all things in common. I just want Jesus. I just 00:18:14.450 --> 00:18:16.890 want to know that he loves me and he sees me 00:18:16.890 --> 00:18:18.769 and he knows me and I've accepted that in my 00:18:18.769 --> 00:18:21.170 life. And so what I can't help but do is just 00:18:21.170 --> 00:18:23.509 give it away. See, our culture just goes like 00:18:23.509 --> 00:18:25.829 this. How do I keep all this stuff to myself? 00:18:26.049 --> 00:18:28.670 Because if I give it away, then I won't have 00:18:28.670 --> 00:18:31.559 anything. But when you meet Jesus and you fill 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:34.299 that hole in your soul with his gospel truth 00:18:34.299 --> 00:18:44.400 in your life, you are free. You are free. And 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:48.420 what Zacchaeus is wondering is, what does it 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:54.420 look to be free? Because I'm not free. I'm lost. 00:18:54.680 --> 00:18:56.740 And so the movement he makes is so interesting. 00:18:57.390 --> 00:18:59.490 He does something about it. Here's what I want 00:18:59.490 --> 00:19:02.250 to say to you. Are you tired of feeling this 00:19:02.250 --> 00:19:07.589 way? Do something about it. Here is a man that 00:19:07.589 --> 00:19:10.750 everyone hates and he shows his face in public 00:19:10.750 --> 00:19:13.769 and he sees a problem and he goes, I don't really 00:19:13.769 --> 00:19:17.190 care. I just need to get in a tree because I 00:19:17.190 --> 00:19:19.230 just need to see him. Some of you just want to 00:19:19.230 --> 00:19:21.769 see Jesus. Maybe that's why you're here this 00:19:21.769 --> 00:19:25.829 morning. You just want to see him. Get a little. 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:30.400 Taste the glory. Just get a little picture of 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:34.740 him. And that's what Zacchaeus does. But I want 00:19:34.740 --> 00:19:37.960 you to see how absolutely and utterly bizarre 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:41.940 this is. Imagine for me for a second, there's 00:19:41.940 --> 00:19:45.240 a giant tree outside of this church and Elon 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:51.480 Musk is in it. Because he heard that Pastor John 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:54.589 can bring the thunder. can bring the word. And 00:19:54.589 --> 00:19:56.849 he's like, I want to know about that. Like, what 00:19:56.849 --> 00:20:00.309 are you doing as you're walking past that tree 00:20:00.309 --> 00:20:02.289 when Elon Musk is up there? You're like, are 00:20:02.289 --> 00:20:05.569 you joking? Is that Elon Musk? Do you know how 00:20:05.569 --> 00:20:08.470 embarrassing that would be for Zacchaeus? Do 00:20:08.470 --> 00:20:12.410 you know how embarrassing that would be for Zacchaeus? 00:20:13.349 --> 00:20:17.410 They're like, what's he doing in that tree? How 00:20:17.410 --> 00:20:22.180 desperate are you to be loved? that you risk 00:20:22.180 --> 00:20:25.440 everything to see Jesus. He's desperate. Are 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:30.259 you desperate? Are you desperate to finally go, 00:20:30.339 --> 00:20:33.720 hey, look, none of this stuff is actually solving 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:37.000 the problem for me and I'm done with it and I 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:39.839 don't care what anyone thinks. I don't care what 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:42.740 my partners think. I don't care what anyone thinks. 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:46.519 I just want to see Jesus. He is willing to literally 00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:51.130 humiliate himself to see Jesus. The son of Korah 00:20:51.130 --> 00:20:54.230 in Psalms 42, one says, as the deer pants for 00:20:54.230 --> 00:20:59.230 the water, so my soul longs for you. The vision 00:20:59.230 --> 00:21:01.029 he wants to give you is that this is what it 00:21:01.029 --> 00:21:03.450 feels like. It just feels like I'm like a deer 00:21:03.450 --> 00:21:06.849 and I'm in the woods and there's no water and 00:21:06.849 --> 00:21:09.190 I need to find out or I'm gonna die. Do you feel 00:21:09.190 --> 00:21:12.809 that way in relationship to Jesus? Like literally, 00:21:12.910 --> 00:21:15.970 I'm gonna die without him. Like literally, nothing 00:21:15.970 --> 00:21:21.250 is satisfying my soul. Nothing, I've tried. And 00:21:21.250 --> 00:21:24.329 it's not feeling it. And I just need Jesus. Paul 00:21:24.329 --> 00:21:28.589 in Philippians 3 says this, I've done everything. 00:21:28.690 --> 00:21:31.089 He literally says, if you want to see a Jew, 00:21:31.269 --> 00:21:36.779 I'm a super Jew. I've done everything. But he 00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:40.539 goes, I give it all up just to know. That word 00:21:40.539 --> 00:21:43.779 is from the Hebrew word translated into Greek. 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:46.960 The Hebrew word is yada. The first time we find 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:49.759 that showing up is Genesis 4, 1, when it says 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:55.839 this, that Adam knew his wife. Not just know 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.700 about his wife, he knows his wife intimately. 00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:04.059 Paul is saying, That's the kind of relationship 00:22:04.059 --> 00:22:08.180 I want to have with Jesus. Nothing matters. I 00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:10.740 don't wanna just know about him. I wanna know, 00:22:10.740 --> 00:22:16.180 know him intimately. You know, I get to teach 00:22:16.180 --> 00:22:18.619 in a lot of different churches and I'm so grateful 00:22:18.619 --> 00:22:20.779 I get to do that. And I ask the question all 00:22:20.779 --> 00:22:24.599 the time, what are we all doing here? What are 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:26.619 we all doing here? Is this just some religious 00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:31.539 impulse? We just doing this because it feels 00:22:31.539 --> 00:22:33.900 good that hopefully in eternity we get to heaven 00:22:33.900 --> 00:22:35.980 and the Lord's like, okay, let's talk to your 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:38.940 church attendance here. Okay, we missed a few. 00:22:39.019 --> 00:22:41.299 I know Lord, I got to excuse. Is that why you're 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:45.259 here? Are you here to encounter Jesus? To hear 00:22:45.259 --> 00:22:47.700 about how he loves you? He cares for you. He 00:22:47.700 --> 00:22:51.539 knows you. To not just know about him, but to 00:22:51.539 --> 00:22:56.240 intimately. Know him. Yadah him. This is what 00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:58.819 Zacchaeus is beginning the process of going. 00:22:59.019 --> 00:23:02.940 None of that matters anymore. It's not working. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:05.420 I'm tired of being alone. I'm tired of being 00:23:05.420 --> 00:23:09.539 in this dysthymia that has clouded my life. I 00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:12.299 want to be free. And I think that guy has the 00:23:12.299 --> 00:23:16.000 answers. I think he knows something that I don't 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:18.299 know and I need. Verses 5 through 6. And Jesus 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:22.220 came to the place. And he looked up and he said 00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:27.599 to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:32.539 must stay at your house today. So he hurried 00:23:32.539 --> 00:23:38.440 and came down and received him joyfully. Can 00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:43.819 you even begin to feel what Zacchaeus feels? 00:23:45.539 --> 00:23:50.190 In the midst of a crowd. Jesus looks up in the 00:23:50.190 --> 00:23:57.670 tree and he knows his name. He knows your name. 00:23:58.450 --> 00:24:04.829 The people call him sinner, but Jesus knows your 00:24:04.829 --> 00:24:10.279 name. He sees you. He is intimately involved 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:13.220 in your life. He says in the Psalms that you 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:16.019 were fearfully and wonderfully made, that he 00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:19.319 has numbered the hairs on your head, that you 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:22.480 are not just some cosmic accident that shows 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:26.160 up in this world, that you belong and you matter. 00:24:26.279 --> 00:24:31.079 And he sees you. He sees you and he knows your 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:35.700 name. You matter to him, the King of Kings and 00:24:35.700 --> 00:24:44.430 the Lord of Lords. You're not obscure. I think 00:24:44.430 --> 00:24:47.170 so many people go, Jesus is for all those other 00:24:47.170 --> 00:24:49.630 people, but I got to earn my way to the table. 00:24:50.569 --> 00:24:57.150 False. He knows you. And some of you have been 00:24:57.150 --> 00:25:00.170 working your whole life to be known, only to 00:25:00.170 --> 00:25:05.069 this morning, maybe just realize that he intentionally 00:25:05.069 --> 00:25:11.279 knows you. And if you believe that, that changes 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:16.980 everything. Because I think a lot of us are just 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:19.480 up in some tree and we just want to get a peaky 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:22.539 peak of Jesus. We hear he's good. Maybe that's 00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:23.940 why you're here and I'm grateful you're here. 00:25:24.539 --> 00:25:29.099 But Jesus wants something so much more. He wants 00:25:29.099 --> 00:25:33.839 this yada relationship with you. He wants intimacy 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:39.690 with you. That's why in John 15, I in you and 00:25:39.690 --> 00:25:44.109 you in me. John 17. John 15, I'm the vine, you're 00:25:44.109 --> 00:25:48.150 the branches. He's trying to say, abide in me. 00:25:48.230 --> 00:25:51.869 Again, in the Greek, abide means intimacy, union, 00:25:52.029 --> 00:25:55.789 wedding night language is abide. He wants so 00:25:55.789 --> 00:25:59.470 much more from you, for you, than you just to 00:25:59.470 --> 00:26:01.730 know a bunch about him or to get a peek about 00:26:01.730 --> 00:26:04.930 how glorious he is. He wants you to get out of 00:26:04.930 --> 00:26:08.339 the tree. Because what he does next is so beautiful. 00:26:08.460 --> 00:26:10.380 He looks at Zacchaeus and he goes, I know your 00:26:10.380 --> 00:26:14.740 name. I know your name. And then he says, but 00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:17.160 I want something more. I want to come to your 00:26:17.160 --> 00:26:21.579 home. I want to be with you. Here's what I want 00:26:21.579 --> 00:26:26.200 you to hear. God is not offended by your humanity. 00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:32.180 God is not at a distance. from you. He knows 00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:34.839 you. Hebrews 4 says this, what a great high priest 00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:40.640 we have who sympathizes with our humanity. So 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:42.500 many of the reasons why you're still stuck in 00:26:42.500 --> 00:26:45.200 a tree is because you believe that God has got 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:47.420 his finger in your chest instead of his hands 00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:51.140 wide open to receive you. In Revelation, it says 00:26:51.140 --> 00:26:55.859 this, the Spirit says this, I stand at the door 00:26:55.859 --> 00:27:00.559 and I knock. I think in our minds, sometimes 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:04.680 we have Jesus as like a CIA operative and just 00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:07.680 waiting for him to kick down the door into our 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:09.740 lives and come in and rescue us. He already did 00:27:09.740 --> 00:27:14.660 that. What he's now waiting is for you to actually 00:27:14.660 --> 00:27:20.019 believe and receive it. Do something about it. 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:23.940 Because it's an open invitation, Zacchaeus. You 00:27:23.940 --> 00:27:25.740 can stay in that tree if you want, but I'd like 00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:29.599 to come home with you. I'd like to have dinner 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:35.019 with you. Andrew Murray wrote one of my favorite 00:27:35.019 --> 00:27:37.359 books called Abide in Christ. It's out of John 00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:42.279 15. And he says this, abiding in Christ is meant 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:47.359 only for the weak. Anybody feel weak? And so 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:49.460 beautiful suited for their feebleness. Anybody 00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:52.920 feel feeble? You should. You should feel weak. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:58.160 You should feel feeble. Does not the demand of 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:00.779 something great or thing that we lead a holy 00:28:00.779 --> 00:28:04.839 and devoted life. No, it's simply weakness entrusting 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:08.079 itself to the mighty one to be kept. The unfaithful 00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:11.519 one casting self on the one who is all together 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:14.839 trustworthy and true. He is not offended by your 00:28:14.839 --> 00:28:17.940 humanity. He is not offended by your humanity. 00:28:18.099 --> 00:28:20.819 He knows, you know, God's never like caught off 00:28:20.819 --> 00:28:23.339 guard by your sin nature. Do you know that? He's 00:28:23.339 --> 00:28:26.789 not like, what? I can't believe that. That's 00:28:26.789 --> 00:28:29.869 why he sent Jesus. He's fully aware that you 00:28:29.869 --> 00:28:37.470 and I are hot messes. You're a hot mess. I'm 00:28:37.470 --> 00:28:41.049 a hot mess. And he's like, I'm knocking at the 00:28:41.049 --> 00:28:43.869 door of your heart going, I know you're a hot 00:28:43.869 --> 00:28:45.470 mess. And I think here's what a lot of us are 00:28:45.470 --> 00:28:48.009 doing. Lord, hold on one second. I got to clean 00:28:48.009 --> 00:28:51.309 it up in here. I'd love to hang out with you. 00:28:51.660 --> 00:28:53.880 I got to clean up this place before I even let 00:28:53.880 --> 00:28:55.460 you come in. He's like, I just want to come in 00:28:55.460 --> 00:28:57.380 and help you with the mess. That's what he's 00:28:57.380 --> 00:28:59.000 saying. He's like, kids, I know you're a sinner. 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:03.000 I'm going to come in to your home and eat with 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:04.700 you and be with you because I'm not offended 00:29:04.700 --> 00:29:07.180 by your humanity. And guess what happens as a 00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:09.579 result of that? Verse seven. And then the crowd 00:29:09.579 --> 00:29:13.900 saw it and they grumbled. He has gone to be a 00:29:13.900 --> 00:29:16.869 guest and a man. of a man who was a sinner. You 00:29:16.869 --> 00:29:19.750 see, what the crowds love to do is continue to 00:29:19.750 --> 00:29:24.269 keep you in your box. What Satan would love nothing 00:29:24.269 --> 00:29:28.170 more is to keep you in your shame. Those secrets 00:29:28.170 --> 00:29:32.230 that you hide in your heart, what Satan would 00:29:32.230 --> 00:29:37.069 love you to do is just to stay there. Oh, that's 00:29:37.069 --> 00:29:40.210 right, I am a notorious sinner. Oh, that's right, 00:29:40.230 --> 00:29:43.130 I'm undeserving. The crowds are always. going 00:29:43.130 --> 00:29:46.329 to do this. The people are always going to, they're 00:29:46.329 --> 00:29:50.089 not going to understand the grace that he gives 00:29:50.089 --> 00:29:52.750 to you, that all of your good deeds that you 00:29:52.750 --> 00:29:56.289 keep bringing, Isaiah says, are filthy rags before 00:29:56.289 --> 00:29:59.029 a holy God. And yet we keep bringing them. We 00:29:59.029 --> 00:30:01.890 keep thinking like, if I just do more, if I just 00:30:01.890 --> 00:30:03.630 show up to church more, if I just serve more, 00:30:03.670 --> 00:30:07.710 if I just do more, then I'll eradicate this feeling 00:30:07.710 --> 00:30:10.809 that I have in my heart. And God's like, stop 00:30:10.809 --> 00:30:14.519 it. You can't do it. You're a sinner saved by 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:17.319 grace through faith. It's not because of anything 00:30:17.319 --> 00:30:19.640 you've done. It's the gift I want to give to 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:24.559 you. And the culture will not allow for this. 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:28.200 They do not understand this. The illogical grace 00:30:28.200 --> 00:30:32.000 of Jesus will always, always be offensive to 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.039 people who can't understand the extreme love 00:30:34.039 --> 00:30:37.640 of Christ. Always. Here's what I say. Let them 00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:42.220 talk. Let them talk. You know, Zacchaeus is finally 00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:43.980 at a place where he's like, just keep talking. 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:47.900 Call me whatever you want, but he knows my name 00:30:47.900 --> 00:30:51.980 and he wants to be with me. And that's enough. 00:30:53.500 --> 00:31:01.259 That's enough. At 41, I really had become everything 00:31:01.259 --> 00:31:06.000 that everybody wanted me to become. Led big things, 00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:10.660 gone around the world. When I was a... Sophomore 00:31:10.660 --> 00:31:13.259 and senior in Christian high school, I won best 00:31:13.259 --> 00:31:19.579 Christian in the school. I have two plaques that 00:31:19.579 --> 00:31:23.480 acknowledge this goodness in me. Anybody got 00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:30.400 plaques in here? I got that cheddar, okay? You 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:32.539 know, I've been a pastor my whole life, most 00:31:32.539 --> 00:31:36.119 of my life, but I didn't know how much he loved 00:31:36.119 --> 00:31:40.609 me. And at 41, I finally went. this isn't working. 00:31:41.829 --> 00:31:44.710 Zacchaeus is going, this isn't working. The invitation 00:31:44.710 --> 00:31:46.509 to you is like, this isn't working. And I've 00:31:46.509 --> 00:31:49.730 been trying to figure out what it is to take 00:31:49.730 --> 00:31:51.950 Jesus at his word that he says he's knocking 00:31:51.950 --> 00:31:54.730 and he wants to be with me. And I want that for 00:31:54.730 --> 00:31:57.390 you too. I'm not perfect, I mess up all the time, 00:31:57.470 --> 00:32:03.869 but I feel it now. Zacchaeus feels it. Verse 00:32:03.869 --> 00:32:05.670 eight, and Zacchaeus stood and said to him, behold, 00:32:05.990 --> 00:32:09.920 Lord. The half of my goods I give to the poor, 00:32:10.019 --> 00:32:12.500 and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I 00:32:12.500 --> 00:32:14.619 restore it full forward. You see, received grace 00:32:14.619 --> 00:32:17.339 turns to repentance, generosity, and restitution. 00:32:17.539 --> 00:32:19.420 Here's what happens. All the stuff that defined 00:32:19.420 --> 00:32:22.759 him, the house, the power, the business, everything, 00:32:22.900 --> 00:32:26.140 he's just like, I'll just give it all up because 00:32:26.140 --> 00:32:29.920 it doesn't matter anymore because I have you 00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:33.450 and you know me. And I've been living this lie 00:32:33.450 --> 00:32:35.970 my whole life, trying to fill this hole in my 00:32:35.970 --> 00:32:39.029 heart, and it hasn't worked. Whatever I've done, 00:32:39.089 --> 00:32:42.869 have it all. I don't care anymore. What would 00:32:42.869 --> 00:32:46.130 it look like for you to love Jesus so much to 00:32:46.130 --> 00:32:48.210 look at your bank account and go, it's not mine? 00:32:52.829 --> 00:32:58.109 That's reckless. That's gospel. It no longer 00:32:58.109 --> 00:33:01.140 has a bondage over you. no longer controls your 00:33:01.140 --> 00:33:05.380 life. The market no longer controls the way you 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:06.980 think because you're like, I'm loved by Jesus, 00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:11.420 he's in control. How can I bless? And if I've 00:33:11.420 --> 00:33:13.759 done anything, I just wanna make it right because 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:16.500 you saw me, you know my name and you came home 00:33:16.500 --> 00:33:19.539 to me and I wanna do whatever I can to make up 00:33:19.539 --> 00:33:21.839 for it. And here's the really cool thing, Jesus 00:33:21.839 --> 00:33:23.640 actually doesn't even come and say, hey, listen, 00:33:23.779 --> 00:33:26.470 real quick, I'd love to come to your home. I 00:33:26.470 --> 00:33:27.910 think it's gonna be a great time, but you're 00:33:27.910 --> 00:33:29.569 gonna have to make up for a bunch of stuff that 00:33:29.569 --> 00:33:31.849 you did wrong. So you're gonna have to pay this. 00:33:31.950 --> 00:33:33.569 You're gonna have to make up for this. And then 00:33:33.569 --> 00:33:35.769 I'll come. He doesn't do that. You understand 00:33:35.769 --> 00:33:38.390 when the prodigal returns home, the prodigal 00:33:38.390 --> 00:33:40.430 returns home with a prayer. Father, forgive me. 00:33:40.450 --> 00:33:42.289 I've sinned against heaven and earth. I'm not 00:33:42.289 --> 00:33:45.250 worthy to become your son. Take me on as a slave. 00:33:45.329 --> 00:33:47.150 He stands in front of the father and the father 00:33:47.150 --> 00:33:50.230 does not even acknowledge it. He just says, you're 00:33:50.230 --> 00:33:53.630 home. This is what happens with Zacchaeus. You're 00:33:53.630 --> 00:33:57.400 home. verses nine and 10. And Jesus said to him 00:33:57.400 --> 00:34:00.160 today, salvation has come to this house since 00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:03.039 he also is the son of Abraham. And this is the 00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:07.500 linchpin of Luke's whole gospel. For the son 00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:11.559 of man came to seek and to save that which was 00:34:11.559 --> 00:34:15.460 lost. But here's the thing about it. You gotta 00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:19.199 know you're lost. You gotta know you need Jesus. 00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:21.579 You gotta know you can't fix it on your own. 00:34:21.659 --> 00:34:24.219 You gotta recognize that all of that is gonna 00:34:24.219 --> 00:34:27.179 do nothing for you. And you have to finally go, 00:34:27.260 --> 00:34:31.739 I need you. I need your rescue. I need your kindness. 00:34:31.820 --> 00:34:34.460 I need your grace, your mercy that covers a multitude 00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:40.079 of sins. I'm done doing it my way. So year three, 00:34:40.199 --> 00:34:44.380 I go back to India. And we've been Skyping her, 00:34:44.519 --> 00:34:48.179 Wasunta, the whole time. She sits on my lap. 00:34:48.670 --> 00:34:50.389 And we eat two things. What are those things? 00:34:51.949 --> 00:34:56.349 Nailed it. You guys listen. Thank you. She eats 00:34:56.349 --> 00:34:58.489 her chicken. I'm eating my chicken. And she puts 00:34:58.489 --> 00:35:01.250 the bones down on the plate and she runs off 00:35:01.250 --> 00:35:05.070 and she goes and she plays. I looked to the man. 00:35:05.130 --> 00:35:07.090 I said, what happened? He said, oh, my friend, 00:35:07.269 --> 00:35:11.210 your little slave girl finally came to understand 00:35:11.210 --> 00:35:14.670 that she's a daughter and it's changed everything. 00:35:18.030 --> 00:35:20.909 I think most people are still living like slaves 00:35:20.909 --> 00:35:25.570 when he knows your name, that you're a son and 00:35:25.570 --> 00:35:29.190 daughter of the most high God, that you are fearfully 00:35:29.190 --> 00:35:31.530 and wonderfully made, that he says that he knit 00:35:31.530 --> 00:35:33.730 you together. Students, I really want you to 00:35:33.730 --> 00:35:36.550 hear this. He knit you together in your mother's 00:35:36.550 --> 00:35:39.670 womb, and the culture is going to try to continue 00:35:39.670 --> 00:35:41.849 to rob you of that. They're going to tell you 00:35:41.849 --> 00:35:44.409 you have to do a bunch of stuff in order to be 00:35:44.409 --> 00:35:48.809 a somebody. But he knows you don't live like 00:35:48.809 --> 00:35:52.489 a slave. You're a daughter, you're a son of the 00:35:52.489 --> 00:35:55.269 most high God beloved. And he is knocking and 00:35:55.269 --> 00:35:58.789 saying, I wanna be with you. I know how sinful 00:35:58.789 --> 00:36:02.550 you are. That's why I sent my son, Jesus, that 00:36:02.550 --> 00:36:08.489 he who knew no sin became sin so that we all 00:36:08.489 --> 00:36:11.329 might become the righteousness of God. I want 00:36:11.329 --> 00:36:15.650 you to hear this. When God looks at you, He sees 00:36:15.650 --> 00:36:20.750 his son, Jesus. You don't have to prove. You 00:36:20.750 --> 00:36:23.750 don't have to pretend. You just get to live into 00:36:23.750 --> 00:36:26.389 the grace and mercy and then reciprocate that 00:36:26.389 --> 00:36:29.250 back out to the world. You are not in bondage 00:36:29.250 --> 00:36:33.170 anymore. You are free, free indeed in Jesus Christ. 00:36:34.050 --> 00:36:37.789 Zacchaeus knows this, feels this. And what Jesus 00:36:37.789 --> 00:36:41.809 does next is he said, I don't just talk, I do. 00:36:41.969 --> 00:36:46.050 And he went and died for our sins. And he resurrected 00:36:46.050 --> 00:36:48.650 three days later as he promised. And he stands 00:36:48.650 --> 00:36:52.730 in victory. And he looks to you and to me and 00:36:52.730 --> 00:36:55.489 said, receive this grace, receive this mercy, 00:36:55.630 --> 00:36:57.949 receive this gift, not because of anything you've 00:36:57.949 --> 00:37:00.889 done, but because I love you. And I know your 00:37:00.889 --> 00:37:04.349 name. Get out of the tree and come home. Let's 00:37:04.349 --> 00:37:09.349 pray. Father God, we love you. We're thankful 00:37:09.349 --> 00:37:12.329 for this gospel truth that we get to live into. 00:37:14.440 --> 00:37:17.000 Who are we that you are mindful of us? The son 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:19.360 of man that you would care for us, the psalmist 00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:26.840 says. We stand in absolute wonder of your goodness 00:37:26.840 --> 00:37:29.980 and your love and your grace and your mercy. 00:37:31.059 --> 00:37:35.960 Help us, Lord. Spirit, you are helper and we 00:37:35.960 --> 00:37:40.139 need help. Many of us are caught into deep bondages 00:37:40.139 --> 00:37:46.280 and we feel so ashamed. Help us to get out of 00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:49.920 the tree, to come home, and for you to receive 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:52.840 us, to receive the free gift of grace that you 00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:56.380 offer to us through faith. We bless you. We thank 00:37:56.380 --> 00:37:58.219 you. We celebrate you. In the name of the Father, 00:37:58.280 --> 00:38:00.519 Son, and Spirit, everybody said, amen.