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[music]

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People in general,
but men in particular,

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are prone to worship
money and power.

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Money and power.
Right, men?

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If you had to vote, would
you want money or no money?

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Money.

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Power or no power?
Yeah, no need to take a vote.

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It's unanimous.

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People in general,
but men in particular,

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when given the option,
prefer money and power.

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And oftentimes what's motivating
that is an underlying idol:

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we want control,
we want an identity of success,

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we want status, we want
comfort, we want security,

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we want people to fear us.

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Money and power can contribute
to the achieving

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of those pursuits.

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And what happens is
some men and women

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achieve that objective.

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They receive, over the course
of time, money and power.

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And what happens is
it's not always pretty.

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You may be well known,
but not well loved.

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You may be very rich,
but not very generous.

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People may fear you,
but not really know you.

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And people talk about you,
but they don't really have

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a relationship with you.

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And this happens
in every generation.

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Every generation has some
of the most note-worthy

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and notorious examples of people
who worshipped money and power

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and how it did not
end well for them.

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Perhaps our generation's most
tragic example is Bernie Madoff.

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You know the story, the greatest
Ponzi scheme perhaps

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in the history of the world,
where he reportedly,

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allegedly billed people out
of billions of dollars.

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And it was set up to where there
were people who would lose

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their money, and the money would
essentially come to the top

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of the pyramid scheme.

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And at the top
was Bernie Madoff.

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Well, there's a guy
like that in the Bible.

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He was a crook and a thief
of a different sort

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with his own kind
of Ponzi scheme.

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And he ripped people off and he
was very rich and very powerful.

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And his name is Zacchaeus.

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And today you're going to see
him meet Jesus and how his life

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changes with his relationship
beginning with Jesus Christ.

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And today we just wanna
thank Luke--actually,

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the story of Zacchaeus is only
found in the Gospel of Luke.

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So had Luke not faithfully
recorded this by the power

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of the Holy Spirit for us,

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we wouldn't know
the story of Zacchaeus.

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Some of you are familiar
with this story.

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Others of you, perhaps,
are not.

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We'll launch in, Luke 19, we
learn about Jesus and Zacchaeus.

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The first thing we learn is that
Zacchaeus was a wee, rich man.

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He was a little guy.

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Luke 19:1-4, "He," that is
Jesus, "entered Jericho,"

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that's a town he's passing
through on his way to Jerusalem

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where he's gonna die on the
cross in our place for our sins.

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"He entered Jericho
and was passing through.

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"And there was a man
named Zacchaeus.

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"He was a chief tax collector
and was rich.

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"And he was seeking
to see who Jesus was,

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but on account of the crowd
he could not" see,

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because he was
a wee little man.

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"So he ran on ahead

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"and climbed up into
a sycamore tree to see him,

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for he," that being Jesus,
"was about to pass by."

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So here's the story:

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Zacchaeus, we learn of him, as
being both wealthy and powerful.

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He's not just a tax collector,
he's the chief tax collector.

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So, again, in this Ponzi scheme
that the Roman government has

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set up--and the Roman government
at this point had overtaken

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God's people and they
were ruling over them.

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And so then they would take
some of those who were Jewish,

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they would appoint them
to be tax collectors.

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These were traitors.

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We would put them today
in the same category

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as pimps and
those who are in

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sex trafficking
and drug dealers.

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This is the worst of the worst.

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These are people who betrayed
their own--their own nation,

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they betrayed their own God,
they betrayed their own family

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to become tax collectors.

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And the way this
Ponzi scheme worked,

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you would collect money for
the godless Roman government,

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anything you could extort
beyond that was yours.

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So your job was extortion.

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And you would have to pay
a percentage up the pyramid

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to the guy at the top, the head
of the Ponzi scheme.

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Who is it?

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Zacchaeus.

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He's not just a tax collector,
he's the chief tax collector.

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He's a very powerful man.

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He's bankrupted people,
he's defaulted on loans,

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he has seized people's
possessions.

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Today he would be the kind
of guy who's very rich,

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that's what the Bible says.

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He's very rich.
He is loaded.

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Multimillionaire.

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Billionaire.

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This is a guy with private
jets, vacation homes,

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a staff to serve him, only
eats the finest of foods,

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only drinks the finest of wines,
and he lives the life of a god.

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He is essentially
worshiped by people.

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And nonetheless, he's seizing
homes and assets and cars and

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bankrupting people and taking
their retirement account

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and taking their
children's college fund

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and he is ripping people off.

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That's who he is.

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Now let me say this: sometimes
actions are legal and sinful.

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What Zacchaeus is doing is
not illegal, but it is sinful.

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It is acceptable in
the eyes of the government,

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but it is unacceptable
in the sight of God.

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And this is important because
you and I need to know that

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we are to submit to
the government, Romans 13.

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But beyond that there
are the laws of God.

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And the laws of God will say
that things are sinful that are,

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in fact, legal.

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Adultery, it's not illegal.

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Sinful.

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Gossip is not
illegal, it's sinful.

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Coveting is not
illegal, it's sinful.

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Therefore, let's say, for
example, you have a child,

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3-year-old kid, and they
are disobeying the Bible;

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they're dishonoring
their father and mother.

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They don't obey, they're
throwing their food at dinner,

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they call their dad a booger.

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Alright, they're just
horrible, small people.

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As a parent you cannot pick up
the phone, dial 9-1-1,

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"Hello, 9-1-1, what is it?"

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"My child is violating one
of the Ten Commandments.

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"They are dishonoring
their father and mother.

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"We heard the 'b' word.

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"They called us a booger.

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"You need to send out an officer
with a Taser immediately.

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We need to Taser
the 3-year-old."

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They will say, "This
is not an emergency."

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Because it's not illegal,
it's just sinful.

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And sometimes you and I, we get
away with things in the eyes of

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the government that we don't get
away with in the eyes of God.

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And so we need to take our
morality beyond the law,

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to the law of God.

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And here, what Zacchaeus
is doing, is not illegal,

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but it's sinful.

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You couldn't call
the police on him,

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but God is going to deal
with him, and here he is,

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Jesus Christ.

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This is very important
to recognize.

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Sometimes what is legal
is simultaneously sinful.

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Now here's what we know about
this man: he's very rich,

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he's very powerful,
he's very little.

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I see Danny DeVito.

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I just do.

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Maybe Woody Allen.

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He's a little guy.

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I don't think
Jeff Bezos is that big,

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maybe he's like a Jeff Bezos,
Amazon.com kind--

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he's a little, rich man.

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You see him?

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I need you to get
a picture of him.

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And here comes Jesus.

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And he really
wants to see Jesus.

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So he does two things that are
not supposed to be done

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by a man in that day
or a man in this day.

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Number one, he runs.

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And men don't run, right?

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Unless we wanna get fit,
we stole something,

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or there's a dog
involved, right?

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Those are the three exception
clauses in the male behavioral

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contract by which you can run.

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This is athletic,
defense, or thievery;

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those are the clauses
by which a man can run.

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But a businessman
does not run, right?

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He was wearing,
probably, a robe.

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But in our day, it'd be
a guy in a really nice suit.

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And Jesus is coming
and he wants to see Jesus,

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but he's such a wee little
man he can't see him,

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so he runs ahead and
not only does he run,

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number two, he climbs a tree.

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Now, how many of you growing up
as a kid, you heard this story,

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and it's a pretty awesome story
because just the thought

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of Danny DeVito climbing
a tree is fantastic, right?

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I mean,
it's just fantastic.

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So it would be like there's
a famous person come to town

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and he's traveling
with an entourage

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and there's a large crowd.

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And you're walking along
trying to look at him,

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you look up in a tree and
there's Bill Gates in a suit,

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up in a tree.

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That's fantastic.

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And that's exactly what
happens here with Zacchaeus.

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He does what a respectable,
dignified businessman would not

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do: he runs and he climbs a tree
'cause he's a wee little man.

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And then as Jesus passes
by, the question is, well,

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what is Jesus gonna
do with Zacchaeus?

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How will he respond?

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What will he do?

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And it's funny because
Zacchaeus' name literally means

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"the righteous one."

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So if your name's
Zac, like my son Zac,

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your name means
"the righteous one."

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And everybody would've
thought, "that's not true."

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That's like calling
Charlie Sheen "the sober one."

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It's like, really?

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Really?

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And so, his name
betrays his character,

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but we're gonna see Jesus
change everything, and by grace

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through faith, make
him a righteous man.

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So you gotta see him.

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You see him, Zacchaeus
up in the tree?

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I think a short, chubby, older,
perhaps balding, well-dressed,

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rich man, who maybe got a boost
from all of his bodyguards

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up into the tree, right?

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So you gotta see him.
There he is.

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Now Jesus comes by.

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Luke 19:5, Jesus
called Zacchaeus.

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"And when Jesus
came to the place,

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"he looked up and said to him,
'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down,

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for I must stay at
your house today.'"

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There's a sense of urgency.

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So Jesus looks up in the tree
and it's kind of this funny

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moment, this huge crowd is
around following Jesus as

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he's passing through Jericho,
on his way to Jerusalem,

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during the feast of Passover,

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where he's ultimately
gonna be crucified,

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die and rise in our place
for our sins as our Savior.

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He looks up in the tree
and there's Zacchaeus.

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And here's what
he does, friends.

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He calls Zacchaeus by name.

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That's really important.

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We don't know how he
knew Zacchaeus' name.

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Maybe the Holy Spirit revealed
that to him, I don't know.

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Maybe Zacchaeus was so notorious
that everybody kind of knew

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who he was.

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We don't know.

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But Jesus sees him,
calls out, "Zacchaeus!"

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Friends, Jesus always,
always does this.

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He's always calling
people out by name.

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When I was 19 years of age,
he called for me, "Mark."

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And the Holy Spirit changed
by heart, changed my life,

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00:12:08,375 --> 00:12:10,708
I became a Christian.

242
00:12:10,792 --> 00:12:15,625
Those of you who are
Christian, Jesus called you.

243
00:12:15,667 --> 00:12:17,875
He called you by name.

244
00:12:17,958 --> 00:12:20,500
Yes, there are billions
of people on the earth,

245
00:12:20,542 --> 00:12:24,083
but the Bible says he knows your
name, every day of your life,

246
00:12:24,167 --> 00:12:25,625
and every hair on your head.

247
00:12:25,667 --> 00:12:28,125
For some of you,
it's not a lot of work.

248
00:12:28,167 --> 00:12:29,708
But he knows them all.

249
00:12:29,792 --> 00:12:31,167
He knows those things.

250
00:12:31,250 --> 00:12:34,333
And Jesus still calls by name.

251
00:12:34,375 --> 00:12:36,833
And if you're here today
and you're not a Christian,

252
00:12:36,875 --> 00:12:38,208
let me say this:

253
00:12:38,292 --> 00:12:41,083
Perhaps Jesus is
calling you by name.

254
00:12:41,167 --> 00:12:43,125
He's calling you
unto himself.

255
00:12:43,167 --> 00:12:45,625
He's calling you
to know him.

256
00:12:45,667 --> 00:12:50,208
And when Jesus calls Zacchaeus,
he calls him to a friendship.

257
00:12:50,292 --> 00:12:52,000
And he does it
openly and publicly.

258
00:12:52,042 --> 00:12:54,833
He says, "Zacchaeus, I'm
going to your house."

259
00:12:54,875 --> 00:12:58,833
Now this may seem rude at first,
Jesus invites himself over

260
00:12:58,875 --> 00:13:02,208
with his disciples, so it's
gonna be a big event.

261
00:13:02,292 --> 00:13:05,667
"Hey, the 13 of us are
coming to your house.

262
00:13:05,750 --> 00:13:08,292
We like to eat."

263
00:13:08,333 --> 00:13:10,625
I mean, "Fix us
something to eat."

264
00:13:10,667 --> 00:13:14,000
And here's what Jesus is doing:
Jesus is telling Zacchaeus,

265
00:13:14,083 --> 00:13:17,833
"I want to be your friend."

266
00:13:17,875 --> 00:13:20,667
Because going to someone's home
and having a meal with them,

267
00:13:20,750 --> 00:13:24,792
in that culture, as ours,
that's an act of friendship.

268
00:13:24,833 --> 00:13:26,792
How many people do you
think had gone

269
00:13:26,833 --> 00:13:29,333
to Zacchaeus' house
for dinner?

270
00:13:29,375 --> 00:13:30,708
Not a lot.

271
00:13:30,792 --> 00:13:34,333
He eats well alone.

272
00:13:34,375 --> 00:13:39,000
Furthermore, Jesus does
this in front of the crowd.

273
00:13:39,083 --> 00:13:42,125
Those who would have been
friends with Zacchaeus,

274
00:13:42,167 --> 00:13:45,292
had spent time at his home and
perhaps eaten a meal with him,

275
00:13:45,333 --> 00:13:48,208
they wouldn't put this on
their Facebook wall, right?

276
00:13:48,292 --> 00:13:50,833
"Going to Zacchaeus'
house for dinner tonight,"

277
00:13:50,875 --> 00:13:53,625
'cause the trolls
would just go crazy.

278
00:13:53,667 --> 00:13:57,125
It's not a very popular thing to
be friends with Zacchaeus, so if

279
00:13:57,167 --> 00:14:01,333
you are friends with Zacchaeus
you don't really tell anyone.

280
00:14:01,375 --> 00:14:03,292
And Jesus is telling everyone,

281
00:14:03,333 --> 00:14:06,833
"Zacchaeus is as of this moment
my friend.

282
00:14:06,875 --> 00:14:08,500
"I'm going to his house.

283
00:14:08,583 --> 00:14:10,125
"We're gonna eat
a meal together.

284
00:14:10,167 --> 00:14:12,333
I love Zacchaeus."

285
00:14:12,375 --> 00:14:14,500
That's amazing, isn't it?

286
00:14:14,583 --> 00:14:17,708
This is what Jesus
does for sinners.

287
00:14:17,792 --> 00:14:22,833
He calls us by name, he
invites us to a friendship.

288
00:14:22,875 --> 00:14:26,125
John 15, Jesus says
he's our friend.

289
00:14:26,167 --> 00:14:27,625
Don't overlook this.

290
00:14:27,667 --> 00:14:31,333
Jesus is Lord, God, Savior,
King, Sovereign,

291
00:14:31,375 --> 00:14:34,917
Christ, and friend.

292
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,875
He's not just a theological
position we adhere to;

293
00:14:38,958 --> 00:14:41,917
he's a person we get to know.

294
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,000
Jesus is alive and he
wants to eat with you,

295
00:14:46,042 --> 00:14:49,292
he wants to speak with
you, he wants to help you.

296
00:14:49,333 --> 00:14:51,000
Jesus is a friend.

297
00:14:51,083 --> 00:14:54,708
He's God and our friend.

298
00:14:54,792 --> 00:14:56,125
Isn't that amazing?

299
00:14:56,167 --> 00:14:59,917
That God would become a man, and
that he would invite his enemies

300
00:15:00,042 --> 00:15:05,000
to be his friends and be willing
to eat with us and to spend time

301
00:15:05,083 --> 00:15:08,875
with us and through the presence
and the power of the Holy Spirit

302
00:15:08,958 --> 00:15:11,667
to never leave us
nor forsake us.

303
00:15:11,750 --> 00:15:15,792
And that's exactly what's
happening here for Zacchaeus.

304
00:15:15,833 --> 00:15:21,250
Now, there are two responses,
and the question to you is this:

305
00:15:22,167 --> 00:15:25,917
What would your
response have been?

306
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,333
Jesus looks at Zacchaeus,
"Zacchaeus, today,

307
00:15:28,375 --> 00:15:30,917
"come down from
the tree right now.

308
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:32,417
"I wanna be your friend.

309
00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:33,833
Let's eat together."

310
00:15:33,875 --> 00:15:35,208
Here are the two responses:

311
00:15:35,292 --> 00:15:36,625
Zacchaeus and the crowd.

312
00:15:36,667 --> 00:15:38,000
Luke 19:6,

313
00:15:38,083 --> 00:15:40,500
"So he hurried and came down
and received him joyfully.

314
00:15:40,583 --> 00:15:43,000
"And when they saw it,
they all grumbled,

315
00:15:43,083 --> 00:15:47,417
'He has gone in to be the guest
of a man who is a sinner.'"

316
00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:49,208
Two responses.

317
00:15:49,292 --> 00:15:52,125
Zacchaeus' response:
"Yes, Jesus!

318
00:15:52,167 --> 00:15:54,000
"I'd love to be your friend!

319
00:15:54,083 --> 00:15:55,708
"You wanna eat with me?

320
00:15:55,792 --> 00:15:58,625
Let's go right now."

321
00:15:58,667 --> 00:16:03,833
Zacchaeus is really glad
that Jesus cares for him.

322
00:16:03,875 --> 00:16:05,917
And so he receives
the love, the grace,

323
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,708
the mercy of Jesus Christ.

324
00:16:08,792 --> 00:16:12,125
He's not just undeserving,
he's ill-deserving,

325
00:16:12,167 --> 00:16:16,583
as we are, as I am.

326
00:16:16,667 --> 00:16:18,125
That's his response.

327
00:16:18,167 --> 00:16:20,917
The crowd, not really joyful.

328
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,000
They're not all Tweeting,
"Yay! Zacchaeus got saved!

329
00:16:24,042 --> 00:16:26,000
We're so excited!"

330
00:16:26,083 --> 00:16:28,500
They are grumbling.

331
00:16:28,583 --> 00:16:32,625
This means they're talking about
Zacchaeus, but not to Zacchaeus.

332
00:16:32,667 --> 00:16:35,792
They're talking about
Jesus, but not to Jesus.

333
00:16:35,833 --> 00:16:37,917
They're gossiping and grumbling.

334
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,167
Some of you will
call this prayer.

335
00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:43,292
So in your Community
Group or your friendships,

336
00:16:43,333 --> 00:16:45,792
you'll be like, "So and
so's a such and such.

337
00:16:45,833 --> 00:16:47,167
Pray for them."

338
00:16:47,250 --> 00:16:48,708
Well, have you talked to them?

339
00:16:48,792 --> 00:16:50,125
"No."

340
00:16:50,167 --> 00:16:55,333
Okay, then you're in sin because
you're grumbling and gossiping.

341
00:16:55,375 --> 00:16:57,917
So they don't walk
up to Jesus and say,

342
00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,625
"We disagree with
your leadership."

343
00:17:01,667 --> 00:17:03,917
They don't walk up
to Zacchaeus and say,

344
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,917
"We don't think you
should be the one

345
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,875
to have lunch with Jesus."

346
00:17:07,958 --> 00:17:10,208
They say that
amongst themselves.

347
00:17:10,292 --> 00:17:14,292
And friends, let me say this:
this is common whenever

348
00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:16,917
God's grace is poured out.

349
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:18,917
People grumble.

350
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,208
Sometimes every questioning
the leadership of a church,

351
00:17:21,292 --> 00:17:24,125
a ministry, and organization.

352
00:17:24,167 --> 00:17:25,583
Should they make that decision?

353
00:17:25,667 --> 00:17:27,000
Should they love those people?

354
00:17:27,042 --> 00:17:30,208
Should they be that kind
and that accommodating?

355
00:17:30,292 --> 00:17:32,500
"That's just not acceptable."

356
00:17:32,583 --> 00:17:33,917
What do they say?

357
00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:35,333
"He's a sinner!"

358
00:17:35,375 --> 00:17:40,792
Do you understand those smug,
religious, underpinnings here?

359
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,333
What they're saying is,
"We're better than he is."

360
00:17:45,375 --> 00:17:47,417
That's what they're saying.

361
00:17:47,500 --> 00:17:50,500
"Well, of course God loves
us, we're pretty loveable."

362
00:17:50,542 --> 00:17:54,375
And "Of course God could forgive
Us, our sins aren't that bad.

363
00:17:54,458 --> 00:17:57,333
But Zacchaeus?"

364
00:17:57,375 --> 00:18:00,833
Who, if God saved
and forgave them,

365
00:18:00,875 --> 00:18:03,333
would cause you to grumble?

366
00:18:03,375 --> 00:18:07,208
The person who abused you,
ripped you off, harmed you,

367
00:18:07,292 --> 00:18:11,792
betrayed you, cheated on
you, divorced you, hit you,

368
00:18:11,833 --> 00:18:15,833
lied about you, fired you?

369
00:18:15,875 --> 00:18:19,167
Who would it be that if God
loved and saved them

370
00:18:19,250 --> 00:18:20,625
you would be grumbling?

371
00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:22,917
"That just really frustrates me.

372
00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,833
"So what?
They just get forgiven?

373
00:18:25,875 --> 00:18:30,292
It's just fine and
now it's all over?"

374
00:18:30,333 --> 00:18:32,000
They grumble.

375
00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:33,833
They grumble.

376
00:18:33,875 --> 00:18:37,125
And the key, friends, is to
know this: in the sight of God,

377
00:18:37,167 --> 00:18:39,208
we're all guilty.

378
00:18:39,292 --> 00:18:42,417
And that God would call any
of us and love any of us

379
00:18:42,500 --> 00:18:45,500
and forgive any of us,
well that's a miracle.

380
00:18:45,583 --> 00:18:49,208
And at any point that we
struggle for God to love, seek,

381
00:18:49,292 --> 00:18:53,583
save, serve someone,
we are saying,

382
00:18:53,667 --> 00:18:55,875
"I deserve salvation,
they do not."

383
00:18:55,958 --> 00:19:00,833
And we have missed the
gospel of Grace altogether.

384
00:19:00,875 --> 00:19:03,292
Altogether.

385
00:19:03,333 --> 00:19:08,375
So we wanna be a people who
rejoice when anyone responds to

386
00:19:08,458 --> 00:19:12,000
the invitation from Jesus to be
friends with him

387
00:19:12,083 --> 00:19:14,375
and have their sin forgiven.

388
00:19:14,458 --> 00:19:17,375
And some of you are here today
and you may be wondering,

389
00:19:17,458 --> 00:19:20,625
"Could Jesus really call me to
be a Christian and his friend?"

390
00:19:20,667 --> 00:19:23,417
Some of you are keenly aware
of the things you've done

391
00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:27,125
and failed to do and the way
you've lived and how really

392
00:19:27,167 --> 00:19:29,417
in the sight of God
it is dishonoring.

393
00:19:29,500 --> 00:19:31,333
Even if it's not
illegal, it's sinful.

394
00:19:31,375 --> 00:19:34,500
And some of you have that
which is also illegal.

395
00:19:34,583 --> 00:19:37,583
And from Zacchaeus we get
so much hope and encouragement.

396
00:19:37,667 --> 00:19:39,125
It doesn't matter who you are,

397
00:19:39,167 --> 00:19:41,125
it doesn't matter
what you've done.

398
00:19:41,167 --> 00:19:44,833
Jesus calls out to you and he
will welcome you as a friend

399
00:19:44,875 --> 00:19:48,875
and he will forgive you
of any and all sin.

400
00:19:48,958 --> 00:19:51,333
That's exactly what
he does for Zacchaeus,

401
00:19:51,375 --> 00:19:54,333
that's what he does for me,
that's what he does for all

402
00:19:54,375 --> 00:19:57,333
who are Christian.

403
00:19:57,375 --> 00:19:59,708
But here's the underlying
problem with those

404
00:19:59,792 --> 00:20:01,583
who are grumbling.

405
00:20:01,667 --> 00:20:04,375
They are thinking that of
all that's going to happen now,

406
00:20:04,458 --> 00:20:08,000
Jesus is going to forgive him,
and all of the evil, atrocity,

407
00:20:08,042 --> 00:20:12,500
and injustice that he's done
will just be swept away

408
00:20:12,542 --> 00:20:16,667
and there will not be
any justice brought.

409
00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:23,833
So, here's the key.

410
00:20:23,875 --> 00:20:26,625
Here's what happens
with Zacchaeus.

411
00:20:26,667 --> 00:20:29,208
It's a little equation:
repentance plus restitution

412
00:20:29,292 --> 00:20:32,000
equals rejoicing.

413
00:20:32,083 --> 00:20:35,333
Luke 19:8-10, "And Zacchaeus
stood and said to the Lord,

414
00:20:35,375 --> 00:20:38,375
'Behold,'" what
does he call Jesus?

415
00:20:38,458 --> 00:20:41,000
"Lord," so he's
become a Christian now.

416
00:20:41,042 --> 00:20:42,917
Jesus is his Lord.

417
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,667
"'The half of my goods
I give to the poor.

418
00:20:45,750 --> 00:20:47,708
"'And if I've defrauded
anyone of anything,

419
00:20:47,792 --> 00:20:49,375
"'I restore it fourfold.'

420
00:20:49,458 --> 00:20:52,500
"And Jesus said to him, 'Today
salvation has come to this

421
00:20:52,542 --> 00:20:57,333
house, since he also is a son
of Abraham,'" that is, by faith.

422
00:20:57,375 --> 00:21:01,208
"'For the Son of Man came to
seek and to save the lost.'"

423
00:21:01,292 --> 00:21:02,708
Now here's what happens.

424
00:21:02,792 --> 00:21:05,875
Zacchaeus is guilty.

425
00:21:05,958 --> 00:21:08,500
He's guilty.

426
00:21:08,583 --> 00:21:10,875
And Jesus forgives him.

427
00:21:10,958 --> 00:21:14,417
And those who are present
grumble, "That's not fair."

428
00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:18,667
Now the truth is this: Jesus
not only forgives people,

429
00:21:18,750 --> 00:21:21,708
he changes them.

430
00:21:21,792 --> 00:21:23,583
Religious people don't get that.

431
00:21:23,667 --> 00:21:25,333
"How could he just
forgive them?"

432
00:21:25,375 --> 00:21:27,417
Well, he's also
going to change them.

433
00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:30,708
So here Zacchaeus indicates that
he's come to saving faith

434
00:21:30,792 --> 00:21:32,125
in Jesus Christ.

435
00:21:32,167 --> 00:21:34,500
He calls him his Lord.

436
00:21:34,542 --> 00:21:37,417
And in that day, when you were
under the leadership of

437
00:21:37,500 --> 00:21:40,917
the Roman government, you were
to say, "Caesar is lord.

438
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,292
He's the highest
authority in my life."

439
00:21:44,333 --> 00:21:49,917
And he here says, "No,
Caesar is no longer my lord.

440
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,667
Jesus is my Lord."

441
00:21:53,750 --> 00:21:59,000
The shortest doctrinal statement
in the Bible, "Jesus is Lord."

442
00:22:00,875 --> 00:22:05,833
Above all people, above all
kings, above all kingdoms,

443
00:22:05,875 --> 00:22:08,708
Jesus Christ above all.

444
00:22:08,792 --> 00:22:13,333
Our Creator God, our
Savior, and our friend.

445
00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:17,292
So he looks at Jesus,
he says, "Lord."

446
00:22:17,333 --> 00:22:21,917
This indicates that something
has changed in his heart

447
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,292
and in his allegiance.

448
00:22:24,333 --> 00:22:26,500
He now serves Jesus.

449
00:22:26,583 --> 00:22:28,500
He now belongs to Jesus.

450
00:22:28,583 --> 00:22:30,333
He now knows Jesus.

451
00:22:30,375 --> 00:22:32,583
He now loves Jesus.

452
00:22:32,667 --> 00:22:34,500
Above all.

453
00:22:34,583 --> 00:22:39,125
And so Jesus forgives
him and that changes him.

454
00:22:39,167 --> 00:22:41,792
See, Christianity is not
"do whatever you want,

455
00:22:41,833 --> 00:22:44,375
"God will forgive you, keep
doing whatever you want,

456
00:22:44,458 --> 00:22:46,917
and God will keep forgiving
you."

457
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,208
Christianity is you do what
you want, you meet Jesus,

458
00:22:50,292 --> 00:22:53,167
you realize it's sinful and
wicked, you realize that he,

459
00:22:53,250 --> 00:22:55,500
in fact, is Lord.

460
00:22:55,542 --> 00:22:58,667
You don't want to continue
sinning because something

461
00:22:58,750 --> 00:23:02,083
happens deep in you--you change.

462
00:23:02,167 --> 00:23:04,500
The Bible calls it
being born again.

463
00:23:04,542 --> 00:23:06,917
You become a new person.

464
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,500
You now have a new power
through the Holy Spirit.

465
00:23:10,542 --> 00:23:12,792
You now have
a new Lord in Jesus.

466
00:23:12,833 --> 00:23:15,000
You now have a new
authority in Scripture.

467
00:23:15,083 --> 00:23:20,000
And you now have a new
nature that has new desires.

468
00:23:20,083 --> 00:23:23,000
You don't wanna keep
living the way you used to.

469
00:23:23,083 --> 00:23:25,167
You want to change.

470
00:23:25,250 --> 00:23:26,833
You want to be different.

471
00:23:26,875 --> 00:23:29,083
You want to be like Jesus.

472
00:23:29,167 --> 00:23:32,000
Not so that he'll love you,
but because he already has.

473
00:23:32,083 --> 00:23:35,875
Not so that he'll forgive you,
but because he already does.

474
00:23:35,958 --> 00:23:38,667
Not so that God would
be pleased with you,

475
00:23:38,750 --> 00:23:44,000
but because Jesus has
already called you a friend.

476
00:23:44,083 --> 00:23:48,583
And so the result of this is
not religion, it's rejoicing.

477
00:23:48,667 --> 00:23:51,917
And so he here repents; he
publicly, in front of a crowd,

478
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,000
he acknowledges,
"Yes, I have sinned.

479
00:23:56,042 --> 00:23:58,333
I have sinned."

480
00:23:58,375 --> 00:24:00,583
And repentance, there's
a constellation of words in

481
00:24:00,667 --> 00:24:03,667
the Bible, Old and New Testament
that speak of repentance,

482
00:24:03,750 --> 00:24:07,417
but they all essentially
communicate the same big idea.

483
00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:10,500
There is Jesus and sin.

484
00:24:10,583 --> 00:24:13,875
And you can only go one
direction at one time.

485
00:24:13,958 --> 00:24:17,583
And so sin is when we
turn our back on Jesus,

486
00:24:17,667 --> 00:24:19,500
we walk toward our sin.

487
00:24:19,542 --> 00:24:21,667
For him it was money and power.

488
00:24:21,750 --> 00:24:25,417
Repentance is where we have a
change of mind and a change of

489
00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:29,500
heart and a change of desire by
the presence and the power of

490
00:24:29,542 --> 00:24:33,125
the Holy Spirit, we become
born again spiritually,

491
00:24:33,167 --> 00:24:35,208
and we literally repent.

492
00:24:35,292 --> 00:24:37,417
It's a turning.

493
00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:41,417
We turn our back on our sin and
we turn our face toward Jesus

494
00:24:41,500 --> 00:24:44,500
and we begin walking with him.

495
00:24:44,583 --> 00:24:48,625
In its simplest understanding,
that's repentance.

496
00:24:48,667 --> 00:24:52,708
Back on Jesus, face toward
sin, turn around, back on sin,

497
00:24:52,792 --> 00:24:55,000
face toward Jesus.

498
00:24:55,083 --> 00:24:57,083
He here repents.

499
00:24:57,167 --> 00:25:02,625
And it culminates
in restitution.

500
00:25:02,667 --> 00:25:06,208
He has sins of omission:
he's not helped the poor.

501
00:25:06,292 --> 00:25:09,708
He has sins of commission:
he has defrauded others.

502
00:25:09,792 --> 00:25:12,167
That's exactly what he says.

503
00:25:12,250 --> 00:25:15,708
And immediately as a brand-new
person he does something he's

504
00:25:15,792 --> 00:25:19,000
never done: he publicly
confesses his sin,

505
00:25:19,083 --> 00:25:21,500
he publicly
practices repentance,

506
00:25:21,583 --> 00:25:25,500
and he also guarantees
restitution.

507
00:25:25,583 --> 00:25:27,833
Now let me say what
restitution is not.

508
00:25:27,875 --> 00:25:30,625
Restitution is not penance.

509
00:25:30,667 --> 00:25:33,708
Penance is the false teaching
that you have done something

510
00:25:33,792 --> 00:25:37,000
and you need to pay God
and others back so that you

511
00:25:37,042 --> 00:25:38,625
can be forgiven.

512
00:25:38,667 --> 00:25:40,333
That's not true.

513
00:25:40,375 --> 00:25:45,583
It's not karma or reincarnation
where you gotta pay off the debt

514
00:25:45,667 --> 00:25:48,333
so that you can be forgiven.

515
00:25:48,375 --> 00:25:51,208
This has actually nothing
to do with being forgiven

516
00:25:51,292 --> 00:25:53,333
in the sight of God.
This is evidence

517
00:25:53,375 --> 00:25:57,375
that you've received
God's forgiveness.

518
00:25:57,458 --> 00:25:59,833
Let me say it this way:

519
00:25:59,875 --> 00:26:01,292
God forgives you,

520
00:26:01,333 --> 00:26:04,000
but what if you've really harmed
other people?

521
00:26:04,083 --> 00:26:07,708
Your new nature, your new heart
as a new person should be to do

522
00:26:07,792 --> 00:26:10,625
all you can to
right your wrongs,

523
00:26:10,667 --> 00:26:12,417
to help those you've harmed,

524
00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:14,917
to pay back those
you've ripped off.

525
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,000
Not so that you would be
acceptable in the sight of God,

526
00:26:18,042 --> 00:26:21,125
but because Jesus has called
you a friend and you wanna be

527
00:26:21,167 --> 00:26:24,417
a friend to others as he's
been a friend to you.

528
00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:27,000
That's restitution.

529
00:26:27,042 --> 00:26:29,667
And very few evangelical
Christians

530
00:26:29,750 --> 00:26:31,708
understand restitution.

531
00:26:31,792 --> 00:26:37,625
It's not works, again, it's not
karma, again, it is not penance.

532
00:26:37,667 --> 00:26:40,000
It's justice.

533
00:26:40,083 --> 00:26:42,083
It's doing the right thing.

534
00:26:42,875 --> 00:26:46,000
It's doing the right thing.

535
00:26:46,083 --> 00:26:50,708
And so he says, "For my sins of
omission, not helping the poor,

536
00:26:50,792 --> 00:26:55,500
I'm going to give half
of all my assets."

537
00:26:55,583 --> 00:26:57,125
That's a lot.

538
00:26:57,167 --> 00:26:59,625
That's a 50% tithe.

539
00:26:59,667 --> 00:27:01,208
That's a lot, right?

540
00:27:01,292 --> 00:27:06,208
Even if he's a multimillionaire
or a billionaire, this is a lot.

541
00:27:06,292 --> 00:27:09,708
And he says, "Now, regarding
those I have defrauded--"

542
00:27:09,792 --> 00:27:12,625
he's essentially saying, "You're
welcome to meet with me.

543
00:27:12,667 --> 00:27:15,917
Tell me how I've ripped you off
or what of my employees has,"

544
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,125
and he has many, "and I
will pay you back," how much?

545
00:27:20,167 --> 00:27:23,000
"Fourfold."

546
00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:25,625
Is that restitution?

547
00:27:25,667 --> 00:27:28,125
Yeah.

548
00:27:28,167 --> 00:27:30,167
This is like a friend of yours

549
00:27:30,250 --> 00:27:34,833
borrows your Hyundai
forever, right?

550
00:27:34,875 --> 00:27:37,500
You're like, "They never
brought my Hyundai back."

551
00:27:37,542 --> 00:27:39,583
For some, maybe
that's a blessing,

552
00:27:39,667 --> 00:27:42,500
but for most it
would be a curse.

553
00:27:42,583 --> 00:27:46,833
You say, "I lent them my
car and they stole it!"

554
00:27:46,875 --> 00:27:49,083
Then you get a text,
"Hey, I met Jesus,

555
00:27:49,167 --> 00:27:52,292
"I feel terrible about
stealing your Hyundai,

556
00:27:52,333 --> 00:27:54,875
"so I parked my BMW
in your driveway.

557
00:27:54,958 --> 00:27:56,708
"The keys are under the mat.

558
00:27:56,792 --> 00:27:58,292
Please forgive me."

559
00:27:58,333 --> 00:28:02,333
Yay team Jesus!

560
00:28:02,375 --> 00:28:04,708
Right?

561
00:28:04,792 --> 00:28:07,208
That's what's happening here.

562
00:28:07,292 --> 00:28:10,667
See, Zacchaeus comes down and
he has a party at his house and

563
00:28:10,750 --> 00:28:13,167
Jesus and the disciples come
over and they're rejoicing.

564
00:28:13,250 --> 00:28:15,208
And in making this
statement publicly,

565
00:28:15,292 --> 00:28:19,625
would you anticipate that
others would be rejoicing, too?

566
00:28:19,667 --> 00:28:21,292
"Sweetheart, you
remember Zacchaeus?"

567
00:28:21,333 --> 00:28:24,417
"Yeah, the guy who ripped us off
and he took all the money

568
00:28:24,500 --> 00:28:25,917
out of our kids'
college account."

569
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:27,333
"He got saved.

570
00:28:27,375 --> 00:28:29,625
He said he's gonna give
us four times more."

571
00:28:29,667 --> 00:28:31,000
"Really?

572
00:28:31,083 --> 00:28:33,375
Well, that's, that's amazing."

573
00:28:33,458 --> 00:28:38,125
There was just a ripple effect
of rejoicing in the community.

574
00:28:38,167 --> 00:28:40,000
"What?"

575
00:28:40,083 --> 00:28:43,000
And the poor were rejoicing.

576
00:28:43,042 --> 00:28:45,208
"Zacchaeus is gonna feed us all!

577
00:28:45,292 --> 00:28:48,000
"He's so rich we're
gonna get fat.

578
00:28:48,042 --> 00:28:50,833
Yay team Jesus!"

579
00:28:50,875 --> 00:28:54,167
So it's not enough to
receive the grace of God,

580
00:28:54,250 --> 00:28:58,000
we need to be agents
of the grace of God.

581
00:28:58,083 --> 00:29:01,208
See, it's not enough to say, "I
want Jesus to forgive my sin,

582
00:29:01,292 --> 00:29:04,167
"but I'm really frustrated when
he forgives the sin of someone

583
00:29:04,250 --> 00:29:05,875
who's sinned against me."

584
00:29:05,958 --> 00:29:07,417
Friends, we can't receive grace

585
00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:09,292
without rejoicing
when others receive it.

586
00:29:09,333 --> 00:29:13,000
And we can't receive the grace
of God without sharing it.

587
00:29:13,042 --> 00:29:15,625
So Zacchaeus realizes that
God has been generous to me,

588
00:29:15,667 --> 00:29:18,125
I need to be
generous with others.

589
00:29:18,167 --> 00:29:21,375
'Cause he just met the most
generous person in the history

590
00:29:21,458 --> 00:29:24,500
of the world, Jesus Christ.

591
00:29:24,583 --> 00:29:27,417
Jesus is generous.

592
00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:29,667
What did he just give Zacchaeus?

593
00:29:29,750 --> 00:29:33,208
Forgiveness of sin, eternal
life, and a new nature.

594
00:29:33,292 --> 00:29:35,500
What did Zacchaeus do?
Nothing.

595
00:29:35,583 --> 00:29:37,375
What did he pay?
Nothing.

596
00:29:37,458 --> 00:29:41,125
Zacchaeus just got
the gift of salvation.

597
00:29:41,167 --> 00:29:45,583
And that generosity changed
him to become a generous man.

598
00:29:45,667 --> 00:29:48,708
See, you need to see
Jesus as generous.

599
00:29:48,792 --> 00:29:50,792
For God so loved
the world he, what?

600
00:29:50,833 --> 00:29:52,167
What's the Bible say?

601
00:29:52,250 --> 00:29:56,917
For God so loved the word he
gave his only Son that whoever

602
00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:02,625
believes him shall not perish,
but receive everlasting life.

603
00:30:02,667 --> 00:30:04,625
Our God's a giver.

604
00:30:04,667 --> 00:30:07,333
The greatest gift that's ever
been given is the gift that

605
00:30:07,375 --> 00:30:11,167
in this story Jesus is on
the way to Jerusalem to give.

606
00:30:11,250 --> 00:30:14,000
He's gonna die in
your place, my place,

607
00:30:14,042 --> 00:30:17,500
his place for our sins
as our substitute,

608
00:30:17,542 --> 00:30:24,000
canceling our debt and giving us
forgiveness of sin, new nature,

609
00:30:24,083 --> 00:30:30,000
new desires, new life, new Lord,
new community, new eternity.

610
00:30:31,250 --> 00:30:32,708
He's a giver.

611
00:30:32,792 --> 00:30:36,500
And Zacchaeus just met
the Giver of givers.

612
00:30:36,583 --> 00:30:38,833
And he knows that his
sins are forgiven,

613
00:30:38,875 --> 00:30:42,292
but he is immediately practicing
the works of discipleship.

614
00:30:42,333 --> 00:30:45,708
He's becoming like his teacher.

615
00:30:45,792 --> 00:30:47,667
He's becoming,
by the grace of God,

616
00:30:47,750 --> 00:30:49,417
through the power
of the Holy Spirit,

617
00:30:49,500 --> 00:30:51,625
he's becoming more like Jesus.

618
00:30:51,667 --> 00:30:54,833
"Well, if Jesus is gonna be so
generous, I wanna be generous,

619
00:30:54,875 --> 00:30:57,125
'cause he's now my Lord."

620
00:30:57,167 --> 00:30:59,500
It's beautiful, isn't it?

621
00:30:59,542 --> 00:31:02,500
How do you think the
grumbling people felt?

622
00:31:02,583 --> 00:31:06,208
Probably a little embarrassed.

623
00:31:06,292 --> 00:31:09,917
Don't grumble when
people get saved.

624
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,833
Don't grumble when God
is working in their life.

625
00:31:12,875 --> 00:31:15,500
Wait and see what he does.

626
00:31:15,583 --> 00:31:20,833
Repentance plus restitution
equals rejoicing.

627
00:31:20,875 --> 00:31:23,708
And this man,
he moves very quickly.

628
00:31:23,792 --> 00:31:26,417
This is his first day as
a Christian and we see

629
00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:30,417
immediate work in his heart
and in his life.

630
00:31:30,500 --> 00:31:34,417
And now I think it's noteworthy
that this is a rich man.

631
00:31:34,500 --> 00:31:38,500
We read earlier in Luke's
Gospel, it's easier for a camel,

632
00:31:38,583 --> 00:31:41,083
fairly large, to go
through the eye of needle,

633
00:31:41,167 --> 00:31:43,917
particularly small, than for
a rich man to enter

634
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:45,708
into the kingdom of heaven.

635
00:31:45,792 --> 00:31:48,500
Here Jesus gets a camel
through the eye of a needle.

636
00:31:48,542 --> 00:31:50,833
He saves a rich man.

637
00:31:50,875 --> 00:31:54,333
And this is important because
Jesus talks a lot about money,

638
00:31:54,375 --> 00:31:56,000
wealth, possessions.

639
00:31:56,042 --> 00:31:59,083
Roughly 25% of his teaching in
the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark,

640
00:31:59,167 --> 00:32:02,792
Luke, and John, is about
money, wealth, possessions.

641
00:32:02,833 --> 00:32:05,083
Because they are
an indicator, not the only,

642
00:32:05,167 --> 00:32:07,208
but an indicator
of the human heart.

643
00:32:07,292 --> 00:32:10,333
And here we see that Jesus
really is Zacchaeus' Lord

644
00:32:10,375 --> 00:32:15,625
because he is willing to do away
with his false gods, his idols,

645
00:32:15,667 --> 00:32:18,333
that he has given his life
to and received his identity,

646
00:32:18,375 --> 00:32:21,833
comfort, and security
from money and power.

647
00:32:21,875 --> 00:32:25,833
He's willing to let them go
because Jesus is his Lord.

648
00:32:25,875 --> 00:32:29,500
Now, Jesus talks a lot
about money, status,

649
00:32:29,583 --> 00:32:32,000
wealth, and possessions.

650
00:32:32,083 --> 00:32:35,083
And I want you to see that God
loves both the rich

651
00:32:35,167 --> 00:32:39,417
and the poor, that God saves
both the rich and the poor,

652
00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:42,333
and that in the kingdom of
God and in the church of

653
00:32:42,375 --> 00:32:45,917
Jesus Christ, we need both
the rich and the poor--

654
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,167
that God loves all people and
we're all sinners and we all sin

655
00:32:49,250 --> 00:32:53,792
in different ways and we all
need to come to the same Savior.

656
00:32:53,833 --> 00:32:57,208
And so I don't care here if you
showed up on a skateboard

657
00:32:57,292 --> 00:33:00,208
or were dropped off by a limo.

658
00:33:00,292 --> 00:33:03,500
Jesus loves you, he
calls you by name,

659
00:33:03,583 --> 00:33:07,125
he invites you into friendship,
he wants you to turn from sin,

660
00:33:07,167 --> 00:33:10,125
trust in him, repent,
and, as is appropriate,

661
00:33:10,167 --> 00:33:13,208
practice restitution.

662
00:33:13,292 --> 00:33:18,292
And this is important to get our
theology of finances correct.

663
00:33:18,333 --> 00:33:22,292
Because in our day, there
are two polar, divided,

664
00:33:22,333 --> 00:33:26,125
competitive teachings among
Bible preachers and pastors

665
00:33:26,167 --> 00:33:28,792
and writers and leaders
when it comes to

666
00:33:28,833 --> 00:33:30,792
money, wealth, and possessions.

667
00:33:30,833 --> 00:33:33,500
One, you've heard me say this,
but because Jesus keeps talking

668
00:33:33,542 --> 00:33:36,583
about money I wanna
continually re-emphasize this.

669
00:33:36,667 --> 00:33:40,000
There is a prosperity theology
and a poverty theology,

670
00:33:40,083 --> 00:33:42,917
and both are very popular and
very critical of one another

671
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:44,333
in our day.

672
00:33:44,375 --> 00:33:46,500
The prosperity theology
says the more you love God,

673
00:33:46,583 --> 00:33:48,583
the more he will give you,

674
00:33:48,667 --> 00:33:52,333
that Jesus is basically
a get-rich-quick scheme.

675
00:33:52,375 --> 00:33:55,500
That Christianity is like a
stick and Jesus is like a piñata

676
00:33:55,583 --> 00:33:58,708
and if you have enough faith you
can whack him in the middle

677
00:33:58,792 --> 00:34:02,583
and stuff will fall out of the
sky to make your life easy.

678
00:34:02,667 --> 00:34:05,625
The opposite of that is
a poverty theology, which some

679
00:34:05,667 --> 00:34:08,625
are promoting, even some
people that I know and love

680
00:34:08,667 --> 00:34:11,000
but disagree with on this point.

681
00:34:11,042 --> 00:34:14,500
And that is that the less you
have, the closer you are to God,

682
00:34:14,583 --> 00:34:17,000
that money, wealth, and
possessions for the Christian

683
00:34:17,042 --> 00:34:19,833
is like kryptonite
for Superman.

684
00:34:19,875 --> 00:34:23,083
Stay far away.

685
00:34:23,167 --> 00:34:27,000
And God does not want us to
pursue a prosperity or a poverty

686
00:34:27,083 --> 00:34:31,333
theology. He wants us
to be good stewards,

687
00:34:31,375 --> 00:34:35,000
whether we have much or little.

688
00:34:35,083 --> 00:34:40,417
He wants us to be generous,
whether we have much or little.

689
00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:45,125
He wants us to practice
restitution if we have stolen,

690
00:34:45,167 --> 00:34:48,375
whether we have much or little.

691
00:34:48,458 --> 00:34:51,000
And he wants us to know that
our righteousness is

692
00:34:51,083 --> 00:34:56,625
in Jesus Christ, not in
riches or in poverty.

693
00:34:56,667 --> 00:35:01,000
And so there's a taxonomy that I
like to share with you and I'll

694
00:35:01,083 --> 00:35:04,500
share it again because I really
want you to think biblically

695
00:35:04,542 --> 00:35:07,333
about wealth, money,
possessions, credit,

696
00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:09,333
and the like.

697
00:35:09,375 --> 00:35:12,125
And in our day there
are two categories.

698
00:35:12,167 --> 00:35:16,000
Those who hold a prosperity
theology will read the Bible

699
00:35:16,083 --> 00:35:20,167
and pull out all the people who
love the Lord and are rich.

700
00:35:20,250 --> 00:35:23,292
Those who hold a poverty
theology will read the Bible

701
00:35:23,333 --> 00:35:27,875
and pull out those who are
poor and love the Lord.

702
00:35:27,958 --> 00:35:31,125
And the truth is, there's
not two kinds of people,

703
00:35:31,167 --> 00:35:33,833
there are four kinds of
people, economically speaking,

704
00:35:33,875 --> 00:35:36,125
in the Bible.

705
00:35:36,167 --> 00:35:39,083
Now, I'll share them with you.

706
00:35:39,167 --> 00:35:41,333
It's about riches
and righteousness.

707
00:35:41,375 --> 00:35:43,500
So first category,
there are those who are

708
00:35:43,583 --> 00:35:45,625
unrighteous and rich.

709
00:35:45,667 --> 00:35:48,625
Would you agree to me that
prior to his conversion here in

710
00:35:48,667 --> 00:35:51,375
meeting Jesus and responding to
his invitation of repentance

711
00:35:51,458 --> 00:35:56,500
and friendship, Zacchaeus was
both unrighteous and rich?

712
00:35:56,583 --> 00:35:59,500
How he got his
money: unrighteous.

713
00:35:59,583 --> 00:36:03,208
Maybe legal, but sinful.

714
00:36:03,292 --> 00:36:07,833
How he used his
money, unrighteous.

715
00:36:07,875 --> 00:36:12,167
He wasn't generous to the
poor, he didn't give to God.

716
00:36:12,250 --> 00:36:14,625
Furthermore,
he defrauded people.

717
00:36:14,667 --> 00:36:17,083
He's rich,
but he's unrighteous.

718
00:36:17,167 --> 00:36:21,500
And he, himself, openly,
publicly confesses that.

719
00:36:21,583 --> 00:36:24,000
Some of you are like that.

720
00:36:24,083 --> 00:36:26,417
You're rich, but unrighteous.

721
00:36:26,500 --> 00:36:29,667
The way you got your wealth and
the way you use your wealth,

722
00:36:29,750 --> 00:36:33,917
it's not honoring to the Lord,
it's not helpful to others.

723
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:39,208
Number two, there are those
who are righteous and rich.

724
00:36:39,292 --> 00:36:43,583
Zacchaeus, in this act of
repentance and restitution,

725
00:36:43,667 --> 00:36:47,208
he went from category one
to category two, right?

726
00:36:47,292 --> 00:36:50,000
He's still rich, but now
he's acting in a way

727
00:36:50,042 --> 00:36:52,167
that is righteous.

728
00:36:52,250 --> 00:36:54,875
Through his restitution,
"Fifty percent of everything

729
00:36:54,958 --> 00:36:56,917
"I own goes to the poor.

730
00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:01,833
And if I defrauded anyone,
I'll pay them back fourfold."

731
00:37:01,875 --> 00:37:06,292
That is very generous; that's
above the requirements

732
00:37:06,333 --> 00:37:10,333
of even the law of God.

733
00:37:10,375 --> 00:37:13,208
He becomes, by the grace of
God, in an act of repentance

734
00:37:13,292 --> 00:37:16,292
and restitution,
righteous and rich.

735
00:37:16,333 --> 00:37:17,917
Some of you are like that.

736
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,375
Now, he didn't get his
money in a godly way,

737
00:37:20,458 --> 00:37:23,083
but some of you have worked
hard, you've got an inheritance,

738
00:37:23,167 --> 00:37:26,000
you've invested well, you're
a good steward of your money,

739
00:37:26,042 --> 00:37:28,708
the way you receive your money,
you're generous first to your

740
00:37:28,792 --> 00:37:32,333
family, which is important,
you give to the cause of God,

741
00:37:32,375 --> 00:37:34,875
you help the poor,
you look for those in need.

742
00:37:34,958 --> 00:37:38,000
You're rich and righteous.

743
00:37:38,083 --> 00:37:39,708
God bless you.

744
00:37:39,792 --> 00:37:41,792
Don't feel guilty
about being rich,

745
00:37:41,833 --> 00:37:45,000
just be a good steward of the
wealth that God has given you.

746
00:37:45,042 --> 00:37:47,333
Some of the godliest people
I know, quite frankly,

747
00:37:47,375 --> 00:37:49,000
are some of the richest.

748
00:37:49,042 --> 00:37:54,500
Some of the most bighearted,
generous people who are looking

749
00:37:54,542 --> 00:37:57,625
for others in need
and like to quietly,

750
00:37:57,667 --> 00:38:02,000
humbly seek those who are
suffering and hurting,

751
00:38:02,083 --> 00:38:04,625
and to serve them--because
you know what?

752
00:38:04,667 --> 00:38:08,625
Money can be a way
that we love people.

753
00:38:08,667 --> 00:38:12,333
Money can be--rather love
rather can be our words,

754
00:38:12,375 --> 00:38:15,625
but it also can be our works,

755
00:38:15,667 --> 00:38:18,208
and sometimes it
can be our wealth.

756
00:38:18,292 --> 00:38:21,667
So love can come in
words or works or wealth.

757
00:38:21,750 --> 00:38:24,792
And sometimes when we
give a gift to somebody,

758
00:38:24,833 --> 00:38:28,917
or we help somebody,
that's love.

759
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:30,667
That's love.

760
00:38:30,750 --> 00:38:33,333
Some of the godliest,
most loving people I know

761
00:38:33,375 --> 00:38:34,875
are righteous and rich.

762
00:38:34,958 --> 00:38:38,875
This is where, quite frankly,
I do get tired of the economic

763
00:38:38,958 --> 00:38:41,417
discussion in our culture,
"Give it to the rich!

764
00:38:41,500 --> 00:38:43,917
Give it to the rich!
Give it to the rich!"

765
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,333
Why?

766
00:38:45,375 --> 00:38:48,125
"'Cause they're all unholy and
the poor people are all holy."

767
00:38:48,167 --> 00:38:51,708
It's not that simple.
It's not that simple.

768
00:38:51,792 --> 00:38:56,333
Number three, there are some
who are righteous and poor.

769
00:38:56,375 --> 00:38:59,500
Who, in the story, is
both righteous and poor?

770
00:38:59,583 --> 00:39:02,000
Jesus.

771
00:39:02,042 --> 00:39:06,583
He's righteous, never sinned,
he's God, and he's poor.

772
00:39:06,667 --> 00:39:08,708
He's homeless.

773
00:39:08,792 --> 00:39:11,417
He's not homeless 'cause
he won't work a job.

774
00:39:11,500 --> 00:39:14,667
He left his job to go atone
for the sin of the world;

775
00:39:14,750 --> 00:39:16,625
he had another job to do.

776
00:39:16,667 --> 00:39:19,333
It's not that he's lazy, it's
not that he was gambling,

777
00:39:19,375 --> 00:39:22,000
it's not that he
drank it all away.

778
00:39:22,083 --> 00:39:26,375
He didn't leave it
all at the casino.

779
00:39:26,458 --> 00:39:29,917
He's giving it away as a single
man without a family to care

780
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,167
for, he's decided to live
absolutely minimally

781
00:39:34,250 --> 00:39:36,917
on the generosity of others.

782
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:41,208
He is both righteous and poor.

783
00:39:41,292 --> 00:39:43,375
Some of you are like that.

784
00:39:43,458 --> 00:39:44,792
You're poor and righteous.

785
00:39:44,833 --> 00:39:46,708
You didn't sin.
You're not late.

786
00:39:46,792 --> 00:39:48,833
You're college students,
you just lost your job,

787
00:39:48,875 --> 00:39:51,000
you're single mom trying
to make ends meet.

788
00:39:51,083 --> 00:39:55,417
You're poor, but we don't have a
rebuke for you. You didn't sin.

789
00:39:55,500 --> 00:39:58,375
You're just in a hard place.

790
00:39:58,458 --> 00:40:01,667
There are some, however,
who are both, category four,

791
00:40:01,750 --> 00:40:03,625
unrighteous and poor.

792
00:40:03,667 --> 00:40:05,792
We don't see any in
this particular story,

793
00:40:05,833 --> 00:40:08,500
but they are in the Bible,
particularly in Proverbs.

794
00:40:08,583 --> 00:40:11,167
The sluggard who won't get
out of bed in the morning.

795
00:40:11,250 --> 00:40:14,167
Alright, the guy who can't get
up by the crack of dinner

796
00:40:14,250 --> 00:40:15,708
so he keeps losing a job.

797
00:40:15,792 --> 00:40:17,125
That guy.

798
00:40:17,167 --> 00:40:18,917
The people who chase
get-rich-quick schemes,

799
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,792
their whole goal is to retire
by the age of 30 or 40,

800
00:40:22,833 --> 00:40:27,292
so they leverage everything and
the roulette wheel of their life

801
00:40:27,333 --> 00:40:30,000
spins and they lose it all.

802
00:40:30,083 --> 00:40:33,500
The people who can't control
their substance addiction

803
00:40:33,583 --> 00:40:37,375
and they eat and drink and
smoke and they get themselves

804
00:40:37,458 --> 00:40:40,875
into this position where through
drugs and alcohol and the like,

805
00:40:40,958 --> 00:40:43,417
they just lose their job,
they lose their home,

806
00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:46,333
they lose everything.

807
00:40:46,375 --> 00:40:48,375
I'm not saying we
shouldn't help such people,

808
00:40:48,458 --> 00:40:52,625
but I'm saying it's mercy to do
so because they've shipwrecked

809
00:40:52,667 --> 00:40:55,500
their own life and to help
them is to treat them

810
00:40:55,542 --> 00:40:57,333
as God in Christ
has treated us.

811
00:40:57,375 --> 00:40:59,875
We shipwrecked our life
and Jesus helps us.

812
00:40:59,958 --> 00:41:02,208
And when others shipwreck their
life, we wanna help them.

813
00:41:02,292 --> 00:41:06,417
But it's not saying
that they're righteous.

814
00:41:06,500 --> 00:41:10,625
The guy who won't work,
the Bible says, shouldn't eat.

815
00:41:10,667 --> 00:41:14,000
Now, I tell you this because,
again, over and over and over,

816
00:41:14,083 --> 00:41:17,208
Jesus keeps talking about money,
status, wealth, and possessions,

817
00:41:17,292 --> 00:41:21,708
and some of us think culturally,
some of us think politically,

818
00:41:21,792 --> 00:41:23,917
some of us think economically.

819
00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,917
Oftentimes we don't
think biblically.

820
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,667
Which category are you in?

821
00:41:30,750 --> 00:41:39,083
Be a good steward, be generous,
practice repentance as required,

822
00:41:40,167 --> 00:41:44,125
practice restitution so
that for you and others

823
00:41:44,167 --> 00:41:46,667
there might be rejoicing.

824
00:41:46,750 --> 00:41:51,125
Now, I was curious, was this
just a big day for Zacchaeus,

825
00:41:51,167 --> 00:41:55,333
or was this a true,
heartfelt life change?

826
00:41:55,375 --> 00:41:58,208
Was this a day where he got
really motivated and Jesus

827
00:41:58,292 --> 00:42:01,083
is there and there's a crowd
and the press is there

828
00:42:01,167 --> 00:42:04,500
and he's thinking, "If I say
I'm sorry and make a big plea,

829
00:42:04,583 --> 00:42:06,625
"this could be really helpful.

830
00:42:06,667 --> 00:42:08,625
"People will like me,
I'll get some friends,

831
00:42:08,667 --> 00:42:11,000
"I could run for
political office.

832
00:42:11,042 --> 00:42:16,125
Maybe the believers will
embrace me and take me in."

833
00:42:16,167 --> 00:42:18,000
Did he really change?

834
00:42:18,083 --> 00:42:21,500
Or was this just a photo
opportunity to write a big check

835
00:42:21,583 --> 00:42:24,375
and make the news?

836
00:42:24,458 --> 00:42:27,500
So I did a little work
and it's not in the Bible,

837
00:42:27,583 --> 00:42:29,500
but in the history
of the church,

838
00:42:29,583 --> 00:42:33,208
Clement was the bishop of
Alexandria, and in a homily,

839
00:42:33,292 --> 00:42:36,125
a sermon of his, he says that
this man Zacchaeus

840
00:42:36,167 --> 00:42:39,500
actually went on to become
bishop of Caesarea,

841
00:42:39,583 --> 00:42:44,208
possibly appointed
by Peter himself.

842
00:42:44,292 --> 00:42:48,125
He really did change,
by the grace of God.

843
00:42:48,167 --> 00:42:50,875
He went from
a thief to a pastor.

844
00:42:50,958 --> 00:42:53,708
He ultimately then,
it would have required,

845
00:42:53,792 --> 00:42:58,667
him quitting his job, walking
away from employment at

846
00:42:58,750 --> 00:43:01,667
the Roman government, having
a complete alteration

847
00:43:01,750 --> 00:43:03,583
in his standard of living.

848
00:43:03,667 --> 00:43:05,667
Jesus as Lord,
he learns the Bible.

849
00:43:05,750 --> 00:43:07,083
He learns theology.

850
00:43:07,167 --> 00:43:09,083
He learns how to
preach and teach.

851
00:43:09,167 --> 00:43:14,208
He becomes a pastor, not just a
pastor, but a pastor to pastors.

852
00:43:14,292 --> 00:43:17,417
This infers, for the rest of
his life, he was very generous.

853
00:43:17,500 --> 00:43:20,167
He's still giving to the poor,
still giving to the church,

854
00:43:20,250 --> 00:43:21,667
still giving to the ministry.

855
00:43:21,750 --> 00:43:23,208
He's still giving to others.

856
00:43:23,292 --> 00:43:27,625
This led to a deep,
profound change in his life.

857
00:43:27,667 --> 00:43:31,917
Let me say this: don't
timestamp people.

858
00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:35,167
Don't look at someone and
say, "That's who they are

859
00:43:35,250 --> 00:43:38,000
and that's who
they'll always be."

860
00:43:38,083 --> 00:43:39,417
In the grace of God,

861
00:43:39,500 --> 00:43:42,125
they could become someone
completely different.

862
00:43:42,167 --> 00:43:44,375
They could change.

863
00:43:44,458 --> 00:43:46,500
If you're a Christian, that's
what you've experienced.

864
00:43:46,542 --> 00:43:49,167
As a Christian, that's
what I've experienced.

865
00:43:49,250 --> 00:43:51,583
And as Christians, we would
say we're not perfect,

866
00:43:51,667 --> 00:43:54,375
but we're in progress
by the grace of God.

867
00:43:54,458 --> 00:43:56,917
And who we were
is not who we are.

868
00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:01,000
And by the grace of God, in the
future it is not who we will be.

869
00:44:01,042 --> 00:44:03,500
And this man changes.

870
00:44:03,583 --> 00:44:08,500
He becomes, insofar as we can
tell, a pastor to pastors.

871
00:44:08,583 --> 00:44:10,000
Isn't that amazing?

872
00:44:10,083 --> 00:44:13,417
Can you imagine what
his testimony was like?

873
00:44:13,500 --> 00:44:16,667
How 'bout you?

874
00:44:17,583 --> 00:44:19,583
How 'bout you?

875
00:44:19,667 --> 00:44:21,833
I wanna close with
a few questions for you.

876
00:44:21,875 --> 00:44:24,375
What does it look like
for you?

877
00:44:24,458 --> 00:44:27,333
What is your repentance
plus restitution

878
00:44:27,375 --> 00:44:30,333
that would result
in rejoicing?

879
00:44:30,375 --> 00:44:33,083
We can't just look at
the story of Zacchaeus and say,

880
00:44:33,167 --> 00:44:34,500
"That's amazing!"

881
00:44:34,542 --> 00:44:36,500
We have to look at
Zacchaeus and say,

882
00:44:36,583 --> 00:44:39,208
"That could be amazing
for me, as well."

883
00:44:39,292 --> 00:44:41,708
So I'm gonna give you some
questions to think about

884
00:44:41,792 --> 00:44:43,500
personally, to talk
about with your family,

885
00:44:43,583 --> 00:44:45,708
to discuss in your
Community Group:

886
00:44:45,792 --> 00:44:49,625
Number one, what have you taken
that you need to give back?

887
00:44:49,667 --> 00:44:51,625
Have you stolen anything?

888
00:44:51,667 --> 00:44:53,917
You can't say,
"Jesus forgives me."

889
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:57,917
You gotta say, "Jesus forgives
me, and I gotta give it back."

890
00:44:58,000 --> 00:44:59,958
Some of you,
the people you stole from,

891
00:45:00,083 --> 00:45:01,875
they don't even know.

892
00:45:01,958 --> 00:45:04,375
Some of you would say,
"It's not illegal!

893
00:45:04,458 --> 00:45:07,500
It was called bankruptcy."

894
00:45:08,875 --> 00:45:11,500
But you intentionally were
fraudulent in your dealings with

895
00:45:11,542 --> 00:45:15,000
people, if you're intentionally
trying to find a legal way to

896
00:45:15,083 --> 00:45:19,208
take money out of someone's
pocket, it may be legal,

897
00:45:19,292 --> 00:45:24,000
but it might
still be sinful.

898
00:45:24,083 --> 00:45:27,333
What have you taken
that you need to repay?

899
00:45:27,375 --> 00:45:30,625
See, if this sermon does its
job,
hundreds of thousands of dollars

900
00:45:30,667 --> 00:45:32,625
are gonna come out
of Mars Hill Church.

901
00:45:32,667 --> 00:45:34,625
Some of you say,
"I can't afford it."

902
00:45:34,667 --> 00:45:36,375
You may need to sell your car.

903
00:45:36,458 --> 00:45:38,375
You may need to
downsize your lifestyle.

904
00:45:38,458 --> 00:45:42,292
You need to make some serious
changes as an act of repentance

905
00:45:42,333 --> 00:45:44,500
and restitution.

906
00:45:44,583 --> 00:45:47,333
And the Holy Spirit for each of
you is gonna highlight

907
00:45:47,375 --> 00:45:49,500
one of these questions, or more,
something that is

908
00:45:49,583 --> 00:45:51,625
an action item for you.

909
00:45:51,667 --> 00:45:53,917
Yes, Jesus forgives.

910
00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:57,833
But what about that
which you've stolen?

911
00:45:57,875 --> 00:45:59,917
Wouldn't it be good
to pay it back?

912
00:46:00,042 --> 00:46:03,500
And let me ask this: if you were
in the position of the victim,

913
00:46:03,583 --> 00:46:05,792
isn't that what you would want?

914
00:46:05,833 --> 00:46:08,292
If someone called you,
said, "I became a Christian!

915
00:46:08,333 --> 00:46:09,792
"He forgave all my sin!

916
00:46:09,833 --> 00:46:11,625
Thanks for letting
me rip you off!"

917
00:46:11,667 --> 00:46:13,625
You would say, "You
know, as the victim,

918
00:46:13,667 --> 00:46:15,708
that doesn't sit quite right."

919
00:46:15,792 --> 00:46:19,417
Now, as the victim, you could
say, "I forgive you, as well.

920
00:46:19,500 --> 00:46:21,000
"The debt is forgiven.

921
00:46:21,083 --> 00:46:22,417
I do not want repayment."

922
00:46:22,500 --> 00:46:24,000
You have that right.

923
00:46:24,083 --> 00:46:27,667
Or you could say, "Yes,
I appreciate that offer,

924
00:46:27,750 --> 00:46:30,917
and I will receive it."

925
00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,333
See, we want to treat others
as we would want to be treated,

926
00:46:34,375 --> 00:46:36,167
Jesus says.

927
00:46:36,250 --> 00:46:40,417
Number two,
how have you defrauded

928
00:46:40,500 --> 00:46:42,708
and what should you pay?

929
00:46:42,792 --> 00:46:44,500
I'll give you an example.

930
00:46:44,583 --> 00:46:49,333
Are you the person at work who
shows up late, leaves early,

931
00:46:49,375 --> 00:46:53,917
in the middle spends a lot of
time on Facebook and Twitter,

932
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,375
watches a lot of YouTube videos,

933
00:46:56,458 --> 00:46:58,167
returns a lot
of personal e-mails,

934
00:46:58,250 --> 00:47:01,167
takes a lot of
personal phone calls?

935
00:47:01,250 --> 00:47:04,667
That's defrauding your employer.

936
00:47:04,750 --> 00:47:06,583
You say, "Everybody does it!

937
00:47:06,667 --> 00:47:08,708
It's not illegal!"

938
00:47:08,792 --> 00:47:10,583
But it's sinful.

939
00:47:10,667 --> 00:47:14,125
Have you billed clients
for hours you didn't work?

940
00:47:14,167 --> 00:47:16,333
Have you padded all
of your billing?

941
00:47:16,375 --> 00:47:18,875
You're just like Zacchaeus.

942
00:47:19,375 --> 00:47:22,708
You're just like Zacchaeus.

943
00:47:22,792 --> 00:47:25,083
Who have you defrauded?

944
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:28,208
Who have you defrauded?

945
00:47:28,292 --> 00:47:32,167
Are you that person who had that
car that was a total piece of

946
00:47:32,250 --> 00:47:37,083
garbage, you totally knew
it, somebody came to buy it,

947
00:47:37,167 --> 00:47:39,833
they saw the fish on
the back, they asked you,

948
00:47:39,875 --> 00:47:41,500
"How does it run?"

949
00:47:41,583 --> 00:47:44,208
You're like, "Great."

950
00:47:44,292 --> 00:47:48,000
Alright brother...

951
00:47:48,042 --> 00:47:50,792
Oh, you know, hey, lemon
laws, it's not illegal.

952
00:47:50,833 --> 00:47:53,000
But were you defrauding?

953
00:47:53,083 --> 00:47:54,417
Were you dishonest?

954
00:47:54,500 --> 00:47:56,792
You said, "If I tell
'em it's a lemon,

955
00:47:56,833 --> 00:47:58,167
they're not gonna buy it."

956
00:47:58,250 --> 00:48:00,333
I know.
Maybe you shouldn't sell it.

957
00:48:00,375 --> 00:48:02,292
"But I won't get my money back."

958
00:48:02,333 --> 00:48:08,167
True, but you also wouldn't
be defrauding someone.

959
00:48:08,250 --> 00:48:11,500
Alright, it would be really
cool, I think, if we just put,

960
00:48:11,542 --> 00:48:14,667
some of us on our vehicles,
"This car is a lemon,

961
00:48:14,750 --> 00:48:19,667
and so I'm gonna sell it
cheap to the glory of God."

962
00:48:19,750 --> 00:48:22,167
At least you know
what you're getting.

963
00:48:22,250 --> 00:48:24,667
How many of you
have been defrauded?

964
00:48:24,750 --> 00:48:29,000
Somebody sold you something,
they didn't tell the truth.

965
00:48:29,083 --> 00:48:32,667
Somebody billed you for
something that wasn't honest.

966
00:48:32,750 --> 00:48:36,667
They charged you for
something and they padded it.

967
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:43,500
We wanna treat others
the way we want to be treated.

968
00:48:43,542 --> 00:48:46,000
Number three, when
have you been lazy

969
00:48:46,083 --> 00:48:48,833
and what does it look like
to change?

970
00:48:48,875 --> 00:48:51,333
Have you really not done
what you're supposed to do

971
00:48:51,375 --> 00:48:53,125
for your family?

972
00:48:53,167 --> 00:48:55,500
Have you not done what
you're supposed to do

973
00:48:55,542 --> 00:48:56,875
for your employer?

974
00:48:56,958 --> 00:48:59,083
Have you not done what
you're supposed to do

975
00:48:59,167 --> 00:49:00,500
in your school work?

976
00:49:00,583 --> 00:49:02,708
Whatever your "job,"
quote unquote, is?

977
00:49:02,792 --> 00:49:07,500
Just lazy, not doing your
best, defrauding others

978
00:49:07,542 --> 00:49:09,333
of good service.

979
00:49:09,375 --> 00:49:11,667
What does it look like
for you to change?

980
00:49:11,750 --> 00:49:13,875
That's why some of you,
you don't work hard,

981
00:49:13,958 --> 00:49:16,583
you don't work a lot,
you can't keep a job.

982
00:49:16,667 --> 00:49:19,708
Some of you, you don't
work toward progress,

983
00:49:19,792 --> 00:49:21,583
you just sort of settle in.

984
00:49:21,667 --> 00:49:24,583
You've learned at your job, "If
I just don't get in trouble,

985
00:49:24,667 --> 00:49:27,083
"don't do anything crazy,
hide over here in the corner,

986
00:49:27,167 --> 00:49:29,625
I can sort of just
milk this job."

987
00:49:29,667 --> 00:49:32,167
Number four, whom have you
neglected and what does

988
00:49:32,250 --> 00:49:34,167
your restitution require?

989
00:49:34,250 --> 00:49:35,583
See, we steal from people.

990
00:49:35,667 --> 00:49:40,000
We steal memories, we steal
friendship, we steal joy.

991
00:49:40,083 --> 00:49:43,208
Gracie and I just finished
the marriage books and sent off

992
00:49:43,292 --> 00:49:46,208
the final edits, it'll be out
at the end of this year,

993
00:49:46,292 --> 00:49:49,333
and we tell a story in there
from a counseling appointment

994
00:49:49,375 --> 00:49:51,708
a long while ago.

995
00:49:51,792 --> 00:49:54,708
And the story was a husband
and wife who had been married

996
00:49:54,792 --> 00:49:57,500
for a long time, and there
hadn't been adultery or divorce,

997
00:49:57,583 --> 00:50:00,292
but there hadn't
been friendship.

998
00:50:00,333 --> 00:50:02,292
I asked her, "What do you want?"

999
00:50:02,333 --> 00:50:05,792
She said, "I want him to sit
on the couch and talk to me

1000
00:50:05,833 --> 00:50:07,167
"20, 30 minutes a day.

1001
00:50:07,250 --> 00:50:08,583
Is that unreasonable?"

1002
00:50:08,667 --> 00:50:10,917
"No. How long you been waiting?"

1003
00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:13,500
"Forty years."

1004
00:50:13,542 --> 00:50:15,500
"You've been waiting on
the couch after dinner

1005
00:50:15,583 --> 00:50:17,208
every day for 40 years?"

1006
00:50:17,292 --> 00:50:21,833
"Yes, and he never sits
down and visits with me."

1007
00:50:21,875 --> 00:50:24,292
And he might say,
"That's not illegal!"

1008
00:50:24,333 --> 00:50:26,000
But it's sinful.

1009
00:50:26,042 --> 00:50:28,917
And you've stolen thousands
of hours from your wife.

1010
00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:31,083
Some of you,
you don't have date night,

1011
00:50:31,167 --> 00:50:34,083
you don't court your spouse, you
don't spend time with your kids,

1012
00:50:34,167 --> 00:50:37,292
you don't go to their events,
you don't do a lot of things

1013
00:50:37,333 --> 00:50:40,000
that no one would arrest you
for, but you've stolen memories,

1014
00:50:40,083 --> 00:50:41,792
you've stolen hope, you've
stolen encouragement,

1015
00:50:41,833 --> 00:50:43,500
you've stolen joy.

1016
00:50:43,583 --> 00:50:45,833
Some of you have intentionally
sabotaged birthdays

1017
00:50:45,875 --> 00:50:49,333
and holidays, made
vacations miserable.

1018
00:50:49,375 --> 00:50:51,500
You've stolen.

1019
00:50:51,583 --> 00:50:55,167
You've stolen joy and friendship
and community and life.

1020
00:50:55,250 --> 00:50:57,000
And what does
restitution require?

1021
00:50:57,042 --> 00:51:00,208
What does it look like to
say you're sorry and try to,

1022
00:51:00,292 --> 00:51:05,083
in as much as you're able, do
it right and make up for it?

1023
00:51:05,167 --> 00:51:08,583
Number five, which sinner
have you not called out,

1024
00:51:08,667 --> 00:51:10,833
but only grumbled about?

1025
00:51:10,875 --> 00:51:13,292
Zacchaeus is a sinner,
everybody knows it,

1026
00:51:13,333 --> 00:51:14,833
they're all talking about him.

1027
00:51:14,875 --> 00:51:18,417
And Jesus calls out to
him and they grumble.

1028
00:51:18,500 --> 00:51:20,417
Who do you gossip about?

1029
00:51:20,500 --> 00:51:22,417
Who do you talk--
"They drive me crazy.

1030
00:51:22,500 --> 00:51:24,417
They're driving me nuts.
They're so horrible."

1031
00:51:24,500 --> 00:51:25,833
Have you talked to them?

1032
00:51:25,875 --> 00:51:27,208
"No."

1033
00:51:27,292 --> 00:51:29,000
Well, maybe you
should call them out,

1034
00:51:29,083 --> 00:51:30,417
like Jesus called Zacchaeus out.

1035
00:51:30,500 --> 00:51:34,083
"Look, I love ya, I'm frustrated
with ya, here's the truth.

1036
00:51:34,167 --> 00:51:36,292
"We need to deal with this.

1037
00:51:36,333 --> 00:51:37,833
"I'm calling you out.

1038
00:51:37,875 --> 00:51:39,208
"I'm calling you
into friendship,

1039
00:51:39,292 --> 00:51:41,708
"but a friendship in which
you're gonna make some changes

1040
00:51:41,792 --> 00:51:43,792
thanks to Jesus."

1041
00:51:43,833 --> 00:51:45,625
Who do you need to talk to?

1042
00:51:45,667 --> 00:51:48,417
It may be fear of man or
laziness on your behalf,

1043
00:51:48,500 --> 00:51:51,500
but how have you acted like the
crowd instead of like Jesus?

1044
00:51:51,583 --> 00:51:53,625
Everybody knew
Zacchaeus had a problem.

1045
00:51:53,667 --> 00:51:56,583
Only one person talked to him.

1046
00:51:56,667 --> 00:51:59,833
Number six, what joys have
you stolen and need to repay?

1047
00:51:59,875 --> 00:52:03,417
Sort of back to
my earlier point.

1048
00:52:03,500 --> 00:52:05,708
I know parents who have
missed their kids' birthdays.

1049
00:52:05,792 --> 00:52:09,500
I know parents who have missed
important seasons and moments

1050
00:52:09,583 --> 00:52:11,125
and opportunities
in their kid's life.

1051
00:52:11,167 --> 00:52:14,333
Not 'cause they had to,
just 'cause they chose to.

1052
00:52:14,375 --> 00:52:17,208
Anniversaries, birthdays,
"I'm not organized,

1053
00:52:17,292 --> 00:52:21,000
I'm not sentimental, I'm not
romantic, I'm not considerate."

1054
00:52:21,042 --> 00:52:24,083
What you should say
is, "I'm unrepented."

1055
00:52:26,042 --> 00:52:28,500
Number seven, what sins have
you tolerated and what does

1056
00:52:28,583 --> 00:52:30,125
repentance look like?

1057
00:52:30,167 --> 00:52:33,333
Zacchaeus had tolerated the sin
in his life for a long time.

1058
00:52:33,375 --> 00:52:35,500
It takes more than
a few years to become

1059
00:52:35,583 --> 00:52:38,125
the chief tax collector
and very rich.

1060
00:52:38,167 --> 00:52:40,292
What have you
accommodated, accepted,

1061
00:52:40,333 --> 00:52:42,000
tolerated for a long time?

1062
00:52:42,083 --> 00:52:44,833
And today's the day you say,
"Yeah, that needs to die.

1063
00:52:44,875 --> 00:52:49,375
My back needs to turn on it, my
face needs to turn toward him."

1064
00:52:49,458 --> 00:52:52,792
And number eight, have you been
greedy and if so what does it

1065
00:52:52,833 --> 00:52:54,292
look like to be generous?

1066
00:52:54,333 --> 00:52:57,625
Have you been greedy?
Have you been greedy?

1067
00:52:57,667 --> 00:53:00,167
When you get, do you increase
your standard of giving

1068
00:53:00,250 --> 00:53:01,875
or just your standard of living?

1069
00:53:01,958 --> 00:53:05,083
Have you played that myth that
as soon as I get out of

1070
00:53:05,167 --> 00:53:06,917
this hole, then I'm
gonna be generous?

1071
00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:09,917
And you get out of that hole
to get into another hole?

1072
00:53:10,000 --> 00:53:12,583
Because you've not
had repentance.

1073
00:53:12,667 --> 00:53:15,833
You've not practiced
restitution.

1074
00:53:15,875 --> 00:53:17,583
Have you been greedy?

1075
00:53:17,667 --> 00:53:19,917
Generosity, friends, should
start with our family,

1076
00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:23,375
should extend from there to the
work of God, and to the poor.

1077
00:53:23,458 --> 00:53:26,375
Some of you say, "I knew
this is where it was going.

1078
00:53:26,458 --> 00:53:27,792
He wants my money."

1079
00:53:27,833 --> 00:53:29,167
I don't want your money.

1080
00:53:29,250 --> 00:53:31,083
I want you to have joy.

1081
00:53:31,167 --> 00:53:34,833
Zacchaeus was a miserable
man and then he met Jesus,

1082
00:53:34,875 --> 00:53:36,625
then he changed.

1083
00:53:36,667 --> 00:53:38,500
And he rejoiced
and his generosity

1084
00:53:38,583 --> 00:53:40,833
enabled others to rejoice.

1085
00:53:40,875 --> 00:53:44,083
And the Bible says that we are
more blessed--this is from

1086
00:53:44,167 --> 00:53:48,500
the lips of Jesus--it is more
blessed to what than what?

1087
00:53:48,583 --> 00:53:50,333
To give than receive.

1088
00:53:50,375 --> 00:53:55,417
See, Jesus is the biggest
giver; Jesus is the most joyful.

1089
00:53:55,500 --> 00:53:59,333
And Jesus wants us to receive
from him the gift of eternal

1090
00:53:59,375 --> 00:54:05,208
life, the forgiveness of sins,
and to participate with him

1091
00:54:05,292 --> 00:54:07,792
and his work on the
earth of being generous

1092
00:54:07,833 --> 00:54:10,125
that we might share in his joy.

1093
00:54:10,167 --> 00:54:14,792
That's why the Bible says that
God loves a cheerful giver.

1094
00:54:14,833 --> 00:54:17,375
If you're here today and
you say, "You know what?

1095
00:54:17,458 --> 00:54:19,417
"I am unwilling to have
any alteration

1096
00:54:19,500 --> 00:54:22,625
in my standard of living,
my financial security."

1097
00:54:22,667 --> 00:54:25,333
Tragically, what
you're saying is,

1098
00:54:25,375 --> 00:54:28,125
"I choose my idol
and I reject Jesus."

1099
00:54:28,167 --> 00:54:30,292
We don't want that
for any of you.

1100
00:54:30,333 --> 00:54:32,625
Jesus says to him,
"Today, salvation

1101
00:54:32,667 --> 00:54:34,500
has come to your house."

1102
00:54:34,583 --> 00:54:36,625
Let me invite you,
today salvation

1103
00:54:36,667 --> 00:54:38,417
could come to your house.

1104
00:54:38,500 --> 00:54:41,625
Receive Jesus as
Savior and friend.

1105
00:54:41,667 --> 00:54:45,583
And Jesus says,
"For the Son of Man came to seek

1106
00:54:45,667 --> 00:54:47,625
and to save the lost."

1107
00:54:47,667 --> 00:54:49,667
Some of us are lost.

1108
00:54:49,750 --> 00:54:51,292
Some of you are lost.

1109
00:54:51,333 --> 00:54:52,917
At one point I was lost.

1110
00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:55,333
And Jesus comes today
to seek and save you.

1111
00:54:55,375 --> 00:54:57,583
Jesus comes to call out to you.

1112
00:54:57,667 --> 00:55:01,083
And in the story he's on his way
to the cross where he's gonna

1113
00:55:01,167 --> 00:55:05,083
pay your debt and give you
the gift of God as a friend.

1114
00:55:05,167 --> 00:55:07,125
That's our Jesus.

1115
00:55:07,167 --> 00:55:10,917
Father God, thank you for an
opportunity to study your Word.

1116
00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:14,083
Lord, we acknowledge that there
is currently nothing perfect

1117
00:55:14,167 --> 00:55:17,208
on the earth
except the Scriptures.

1118
00:55:17,292 --> 00:55:21,000
And Lord God, we thank
you for your perfect Word.

1119
00:55:21,042 --> 00:55:26,625
And that God, it does show
us how sinful we are

1120
00:55:26,667 --> 00:55:30,208
and how wonderful Jesus is.

1121
00:55:30,292 --> 00:55:33,625
God, I pray for my
friends and for myself,

1122
00:55:33,667 --> 00:55:36,875
beginning even with the
stewardship of my own family.

1123
00:55:36,958 --> 00:55:40,500
That God, we would not hear
this as a word of condemnation,

1124
00:55:40,542 --> 00:55:44,417
but a word of conviction that
would lead to repentance

1125
00:55:44,500 --> 00:55:47,625
and restitution and rejoicing.

1126
00:55:47,667 --> 00:55:52,667
Jesus, thank you for the joy and
thank you that we don't have to

1127
00:55:52,750 --> 00:55:57,000
worship our money, but we
can worship with our money.

1128
00:55:57,083 --> 00:56:01,125
Please help us to be wise,
good, generous stewards,

1129
00:56:01,167 --> 00:56:04,000
and to have the kind of joy
and fruitfulness

1130
00:56:04,083 --> 00:56:06,500
that Zacchaeus experienced.

1131
00:56:06,542 --> 00:56:09,917
I pray this would be the course
of our life as seemingly it was

1132
00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:12,833
the course of his new life.

1133
00:56:12,875 --> 00:56:14,917
God, I pray for
those who are rich.

1134
00:56:15,000 --> 00:56:16,667
I pray for those who are poor.

1135
00:56:16,750 --> 00:56:19,167
And I pray that by your
grace, through your Spirit,

1136
00:56:19,250 --> 00:56:21,500
because of your Son,
whether rich or poor,

1137
00:56:21,583 --> 00:56:25,125
we would act in a way that
is righteous to your glory,

1138
00:56:25,167 --> 00:56:27,292
others' good, our joy.

1139
00:56:27,333 --> 00:56:29,583
In Jesus' name, amen.