October 27, 2019
Morning Service

Today’s message is an important message with a reason behind the title. God sent Jesus to us because He loved us as said in the scripture….

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Now, if we do not truly understand why Jesus came to the earth, we can be guilty of all kinds of misdirection of our faith. Jesus did not come to simply be a model of good manners and living well on the earth. Nor did He come to just teach us morals through His many parables and conversations, or the whole intent of coming would be about ethics. He did not come to fix our environmental problems or His life here would have been about plants and trees and flowers and things of the earth. Let us look in the Holy Bible for the reason Jesus came to earth from His own words. This story is about Jesus and Zacchaeus written in the book of Luke.

Luke 19:1  Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 

Luke 19:2  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 

Luke 19:3  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 

Luke 19:4  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 

Luke 19:5  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 

Luke 19:6  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 

Luke 19:7  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." 

Luke 19:8  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." 

Luke 19:9  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 

Luke 19:10  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

Zacchaeus had just been saved by faith! He had been brought from out of the darkness and into the light - he has been brought forth from death and into life! Through the testimony of Zacchaeus, he has turned from a life of living for money and wealth to giving away his wealth and has become a new person in Christ Jesus. Also, we see that Zacchaeus was willing and openly made a commitment to restitution of those he may have taken something from by false accusations. In the words of Jesus Himself, He said that He has come to seek and save that which was lost! The phrase, “that which was lost” is me and it is you! Jesus came seeking us to save us from the devil’s hell and to give us life eternal through His blood spilled on Calvary’s cross. God our Father and the Father of Jesus too made this divine plan of redemption to make a way for us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven by sending His perfect Son to be the Lamb of God sacrificed for all of mankind’s sins.

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

Another place in the bible where Jesus was speaking to His followers about sins in their lives and what manner of their life’s purpose they should model for non-believers to be witness of and this was to follow His life.

Matthew 20:25  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 

Matthew 20:26  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 

Matthew 20:27  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 

Matthew 20:28  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." 

The apostle Paul said this about what our life’s image should look like when viewed by anyone who is looking our direction.

1 Corinthians 11:1  Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 

It is important for us to make notice of the wording of the previous scripture. It is not simply imitating me, but imitate me as I imitate Christ. This tells us imitation of another man should only come as a direct imitation of Christ Jesus Himself! It is a very dangerous road to venture down when we admire another man and follow the example they live.

Luke 6:39  And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 

In another scripture of the bible, Jesus was calling men to repent of their sins and believe on Him for eternal life. He made it very easy to understand this is why He came to earth.

John 12:44  Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 

John 12:45  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 

John 12:46  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 

John 12:47  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 

John 12:48  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 

John 12:49  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 

John 12:50  And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." 

Once you hear the invitation of the Lord Jesus to live in your heart, you will never be the same again. You will either accept Him and begin a walk with God first in your life and forever changed with the Holy Spirit in your heart and soul. Or you will hear the message of invitation and reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior and then you will be grieved because of this choice. One of the main reasons people never find peace in life is because joy cannot be found in people, places, or things! Peace cannot be bought or bartered and true joy comes only from knowing you are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for our sins on Calvary and applied to our hearts and souls. Jesus did not have to go to the cross for us, but chose to go to the cross for us out of love and compassion for us. We are the lost that Jesus came to seek and save!

Romans 5:6  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

Romans 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 

Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Romans 5:9  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Jesus came to this world to provide a way of redemption to our Father in heaven and without Jesus blood applied to our hearts and souls, we will be condemned in the great Day of Judgment. When Jesus comes again, the time to repent and be born again will be no longer and it will be too late. The bible tells us there is only one way to God the Father and that is through His Son Jesus, He is the Way, Truth, and the Life! No one will come to the Father except by the avenue of Jesus and His sacrifice made in our place.

Mark 13:24  "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 

Mark 13:25  the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 

Mark 13:26  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 

Mark 13:27  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

There was a great deal of mockery and judgment coming from the Jewish leaders of the days when Jesus was on the earth. They were always trying to trap Him and ridicule Him, but they were never able to pull off any of the devices man was putting together for their glory. In fact, in every instance Jesus was able to refute their accusations and continued to live a sin free life as the great example in God the Father’s great plan for us!  The bible has another thing to say about the coming of Jesus to this world that has major relevance in our lives today as we go about our busy lives. It is something with great significance to us as sinners and the lost in this world.

Mark 2:16  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" 

Mark 2:17  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." 

Today is the day of salvation and you can have the great and precious gift of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit living within you to be a pleasing vessel to our Father in Heaven! The promise of life eternal is within your grasp today and it is here at this altar of prayer for the taking and acceptance thereof.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the love and kindness you have shown us and for your longsuffering so none should perish. Please help us to decide the path to redemption and the narrow gate by which few shall enter!

In Jesus Name we pray - Amen