WEBVTT 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:08.720 This podcast is a ministry of Grant Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:14.320 For more information about Grant Parkway, visit Grantparkway.org. 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:20.480 Lord Jesus, we're mindful today when we sing phrases like, soon shall pass thy pilgrim days. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.559 We're reminded that we're pilgrims here, that we're we're just passing through. 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:25.760 This is enjoyable. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:29.839 There's a lot of things to enjoy in this life, but this life is not all there is. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.000 That's why the Bible says, if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we're to be pitied above all men. 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:44.479 So if there's anyone here in this room this morning that thinks this is all there is, eat, drink, and be merry, because when we die, it's over. 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:48.479 We should feel sorry for them more than we feel sorry for anybody else. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:51.200 Because the gospel transcends this life. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:54.240 This is enjoyable, but it's also missional. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:55.600 We're here on a mission. 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:57.119 We're here for a purpose. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:05.359 And so when we open up the Bible this morning, we're going to see a very purposeful, missional Jesus intentionally relating to the world around him. 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:07.760 Let us take our cues from that this morning. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:08.480 We pray. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:10.079 Speak now, Holy Spirit. 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:12.319 We pray in a language we understand. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:13.599 We ask this. 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:15.040 We desire this. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:18.239 And we uh we we steward this in Jesus' name. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.000 And everyone said, Amen. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:20.799 You could have a seat. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:24.640 If you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open it up to uh Luke chapter 19. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:27.920 And if you don't have a Bible, I'm on page 878. 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:30.079 Uh there's a Bible on your row there. 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:32.239 If you pick it up, I'm on page 878. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:35.599 If you're our guest today, let me say, welcome to Grand Parkway. 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:37.760 Thanks for having the courage to look into a church. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:39.519 Just relax, make yourself at home. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:47.599 At the conclusion of our service, myself and some of our staff and elders will be available down front if you have any questions or if you're we'd like to just meet you and put a name with a face. 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:49.599 We're entitled, let me tell you what we're gonna do today. 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:58.480 We're in a series entitled Encounter, where what we're doing is we're just looking at different encounters that people in the Bible had with God, and we're asking ourselves, what do we take away from that? 00:01:58.560 --> 00:01:58.799 Okay? 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:00.719 There's two things I want you to know about this church. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:02.879 Number one, we take the Bible very seriously. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.439 We don't add to or take away from what it says. 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:11.919 I gotta be careful every word I say because this sermon may be subpoenaed, and I want to make sure they get the whole truth. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:16.319 And so somebody asked me, What are you gonna get subpoenaed? 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.479 Oh, please subpoena me. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:22.960 Whoa! I would be like a monkey on crack up in there. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.039 But anyway, I digress. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:27.520 Stop laughing, you're gonna startle the visitors. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:31.120 Second thing, so we believe that doesn't mean we're gonna beat you over the head with it. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:32.560 That doesn't mean we're gonna yell at you. 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:36.719 We're gonna we're gonna just open it up and we're gonna read it and tell the truth about it. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:37.520 That's the first thing I want. 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:38.400 We take it seriously. 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:44.479 Second thing, I want you to know that you're sitting in a room with people, but if this is zero, and that is ten way over there. 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:47.520 Zero is I'm an atheist, I don't believe a word of this. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:50.080 You're sitting in a room that's got some people in it like that. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:57.439 And ten is I'm full, I'm all in, I'm not just a Christian, I'm a passionate God follower, whatever happens to me. 00:02:57.520 --> 00:02:59.599 You're sitting in a room with people like that as well. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:08.080 But you're also sitting in a room with people that are like a two, they're like, well, as one guy said, I started coming because my old lady made me, but you're kind of enjoyable. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:10.000 Well, thank you. 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:13.680 And you're sitting in a room with people that are like a seven. 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:19.280 They're like, yeah, there was a time I was there, I was I was just burning hot, but I've kind of cooled off, okay? 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:20.800 Why do I tell you that? 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:25.759 Because I don't want you to look around and think, there's probably not anybody in this room that feels like I do. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:27.039 Yeah, it probably is. 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:34.400 You're sitting around people that are wearing shorts and blue jeans, and some people are wearing uh slacks, and you won't see many people wearing a suit. 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:36.479 My friend Bob Rosicki down here wears a tie. 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:38.400 If you wonder who that is, that's who that is. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:40.800 Uh somebody's got to keep it real, right? 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.599 Y'all are like, where is that guy? 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:45.360 Uh Bob's not here, actually. 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:48.400 But but here comes a man in a tie right here. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:49.759 This is my friend Gary. 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:52.639 He believes the Bible and he's serious about it. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:55.039 All kinds of people. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:55.840 Now look at me. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:59.360 Some of y'all are kind of like, he just called that man out right there in the middle of the sermon. 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:01.199 Gary is my friend. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:02.639 At least he was, right, Gary? 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:03.759 We're still friends? 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:05.840 Uh but here's the thing. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:08.080 Here comes that, you're not alone, okay? 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:09.360 So just relax. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:13.360 I'm gonna read the Bible, and then we're gonna ask, what do we take away from this encounter? 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:28.560 This is Luke chapter 19, verse 1, the Bible says he entered Jericho and was passing through, and there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich, and he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:34.800 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:41.519 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:44.959 So he hurried and he came down, and he received him joyfully. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:50.399 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:59.600 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:05.920 And Jesus said to him, Today salvation is come to this house, since he is all since he also is a son of Abraham. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:10.240 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:16.319 I'm gonna talk to you this morning about God the Seeker, God the Seeker, or the missional Jesus. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:17.279 You say, What do you mean? 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:19.439 Five things we take away from this encounter. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:22.240 Number one, we take away that money will not make me happy. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:23.759 Money will not make me happy. 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:24.720 You say, What do you mean? 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:29.040 The Bible tells us very quickly, kind of in reverse pyramid order, like a newspaper. 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:31.759 It gives you all the details and then unpacks the details. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:34.720 Tells us three things right off the bat about Zacchaeus, okay? 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:37.920 Number one, it says he was a chief tax collector. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:39.519 Number two, he was rich. 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:41.519 And number three, he was seeking. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:42.000 Okay? 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:43.360 Let's just go back to the top. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:43.920 What do you mean? 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.279 He was a chief tax collector. 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:49.839 That means tax collectors, uh, the people that they were occupied by the Romans. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:52.240 And so the Jews could not stand the Romans. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:06:02.879 The Romans came in, occupied, and they got people from their own uh own kind, their neighbors and stuff, made them tax collectors, people that uh that that uh got the tax collected taxes. 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:07.040 Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, so he had other tax collectors under him. 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:09.360 Most tax collectors were rich, and here's why. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:13.600 If the tax was 4%, they would charge 6 and keep the two. 00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:15.279 Did you follow that? 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:17.759 And so their neighbors despise them. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.279 They're like, you're just a sellout. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:20.480 Are you kidding me? 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:21.759 How could you do this? 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:26.399 But Zacchaeus has just gotten used to it because hey, he lived in a big house, had a lot of stuff. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.759 The Bible says, number one, he was a chief tax collector. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:34.240 People did not like tax collectors, and so multiply that by four. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:37.439 That's how they felt about the chief of tax collectors. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:39.759 Secondly, the Bible tells us he was rich. 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:42.160 Do I need to explain to you what that means? 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:45.839 Some of you are like, I've never had that sensation. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:47.040 Please tell me about it. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:49.839 Uh by the way, there's nothing wrong with being rich. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:55.040 We've got to stop trying to make people who have money feel bad about having money, okay? 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:59.199 The Bible says he was rich, and we have this tendency to kind of downplay our life. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:06.480 I'm not saying if you're if you're wealthy or if you're blessed, whatever the church term is, you should go around telling everybody because then everybody hits you up for a donation. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:07.519 And that gets old. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:11.040 Here's the hardest thing about being rich it objectifies you. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:12.800 People turn you into a thing. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:14.319 You become like an ATM. 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:16.879 You get all the letters, you get all the missionaries. 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:18.399 Hey, I'm going to the mission trip. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:19.439 Can you support me? 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:22.639 All the, you know, people, it's just, and you get turned into a thing. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:25.040 But the Bible just says he was rich. 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:26.240 Now, let me just say this. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:34.319 I'm not saying tell people all your business, but I am saying, hey, don't downplay it so much that people don't know how good God's been to you. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:36.240 Do you hear the difference? 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:40.959 I mean, you can go into work tomorrow and say, How is it, man, I'm riding a gravy train with biscuit wheels? 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:42.160 It couldn't get any better. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:46.319 Something like that is just vague enough just to let them know, hey, I'm doing okay. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:47.920 The Bible says he was doing okay. 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:49.600 Third thing, he was seeking. 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:50.879 He was saying, What do you mean? 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:54.720 It says right there in the Bible, it says he was a chip, he was a chief tax collector. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:08:02.480 He was and writ and he was rich, and he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd, he could not because he was small of stature. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:05.759 And that's where we get, we take away money will not make me happy. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:07.360 Well, how do you know money won't make me happy? 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:08.639 Let me ask you a random question. 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:10.399 Have you climbed a tree lately? 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:12.240 Thank you. 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:13.680 I'll take that as a no. 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:15.040 So, what do you mean? 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:16.959 This guy is, I mean, he's rich. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:19.040 It seems like he could he could hire that out to somebody. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:22.319 Hey, here's 50 bucks, climb that tree and tell me when Jesus gets close. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:26.639 Or at least hold up the sign, Jesus, this guy's over here, we'll write a check for your ministry. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:27.600 Come on over. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:34.320 No, Zacchaeus, he gets up in the tree because he wants to get this clear view of who Jesus is. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:38.159 One of the things I'll give you today is just some questions to kind of shape how you think about this. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:43.279 And the first one is this What are you willing to do in order to get a better understanding of who Jesus is? 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:47.360 What are you willing to do to get a better understanding of who Jesus is? 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:49.039 Are you willing to read a book? 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:51.120 Like now, I'm not talking like an outside book. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:52.000 There's books like that. 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:55.120 Like you can start just by reading like the book of John. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:03.120 I'm struck by how many people have such strong opinions about why they disagree and don't believe in God who've never read the Bible. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:05.360 Met one this week, came to sit in my office. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:13.679 By the way, I made a man so frustrated this week, he said to me, I can't, I can't decide if you're one of the more brilliant people I've ever met or you're just an idiot. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:19.519 Depends on the day and the time of the day. 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:21.679 Uh but I asked him, I said, You have a lot of opinions. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:22.639 I said, What if you're wrong? 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:23.600 He goes, I'm not wrong. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:25.440 I said, Well, that's why I said, What if? 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:29.200 I couched it in the language of possibility, because I'm sure you're not wrong. 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:32.559 And I said, What parts of the Bible do you find compelling? 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:34.639 Apparently he's not been asked that. 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.679 He was like, Oh, oh, oh, oh. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:39.440 I'm like, you got a hair ball? 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:40.559 What are you doing? 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:43.039 What kind of question is that? 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:47.200 And because what I sensed was true, I said, What parts of the Bible when you read it, do you just think? 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:48.879 I mean, where's the of course in you? 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:51.600 When you read the Bible, do you have this of course? 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:53.600 Of course the Bible says that. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:55.919 And he said, Well, I've never really read the Bible. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:10:02.240 How could you formulate so many strong opinions about God when you've never read the primary source material on God? 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:12.080 I'm not, I'm I'm just trying to kind of figure out where you're coming from. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:13.840 Some of you in this room are like that. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.600 You got these strong opinions. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:19.360 What are you willing to do and get a better understanding of who Jesus really is? 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:22.399 You're willing to maybe go join a small group, join a community group. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:24.320 That's groups in our church that meet twice a month. 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.639 They sit in someone's living room, eat dessert, and people just come and kind of process questions about the sermon. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:29.759 They're sermon-based. 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:31.679 No one's going to give you a Jesus pop quiz. 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:33.600 Hey, Tom and Mary, thanks for coming. 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:34.080 Sit down. 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:35.279 Tell us about your life. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:37.200 No, you can just sit and observe. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:40.799 Maybe for you, the next step is to maybe come to a Bible study. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.440 We have Bible studies that meet right now, during this hour. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:47.759 Right up here, it's about 30-something women in a class being taught on forgiveness. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:50.159 There's a class on what it means to follow Jesus. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:52.879 There's a class on marriage that meets right over here at the end of this hallway. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:54.399 So we have all different opportunities. 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:57.200 If you're curious about taking another step and kind of going, you know what? 00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:59.039 I want to get a better view of this. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:01.919 One thing, let me encourage you not to let happen. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:07.600 The Bible says Zacchaeus climbed a tree because he wanted to see Jesus, but he couldn't because of the crowd. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:09.120 Because of the crowd, he couldn't. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:14.399 Don't let the crowd of people around Jesus skewer your view of Jesus. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:15.679 Does it make sense? 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.039 Church people are we're going to get it wrong. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:20.240 People in church are going to get it wrong. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:22.720 Some of you have been in business with Christians. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:27.679 The guy had a fish on the back of his truck and still owes you$7,000. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:30.639 That's not Jesus. 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:33.759 I just want to say that's that's not who God is, okay? 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:39.360 And so just be careful that the crowd around you doesn't keep you from seeing who who Jesus really is. 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:42.159 First thing we take away, money will not make me happy. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:43.120 Money's not bad. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.840 We're not dissing on money, it just won't make us happy. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:46.240 Why? 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:49.120 Money makes rich men climb trees. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:52.000 Because they're seeking. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:53.679 Something's gnawing at them. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:56.159 Something's just kind of won't leave them alone. 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:00.320 Men, we should look at our wives tonight before we go to bed and go, what's gnawing at you these days? 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:05.039 Some of you are like, I ain't got that much conversation in me. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:08.000 Maybe you should. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:12.320 Second thing we take away from this encounter is that Jesus calls us with friendship in mind. 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:14.240 Jesus calls us with friendship in mind. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:15.120 Look at verse 5. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.919 Zacchaeus runs up and climbs up a sycamore tree. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:30.240 And verse 5, and when Jesus, and when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must tell you what a crooked, crooked tax collector you are, and how you're gonna burn in hell for it. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:34.559 Y'all are like, that's not my translation. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:35.519 No. 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:38.639 I mean, here's the thing he climbs a tree to see Jesus. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:41.600 Jesus comes to the base of the tree, looks up, and calls him by name. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:42.559 Rutro. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:45.759 Uh oh, mmm. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:49.279 By the way, later this afternoon, when you're all taking naps, I'll be at M.D. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:53.200 Anderson serving communion to a man who's battling cancer for the second time. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.080 And they were in our services last week in the third service. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:12:59.519 Tom Syek is his name. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:01.440 He goes to a church in Gastonia, North Carolina. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.559 I preached that years ago. 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:03.840 He said, I was at M.D. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:04.159 Anderson. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:06.879 I Googled your church and it was not that far. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:08.879 You drove down here from M.D. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:10.799 Anderson battling cancer twice? 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:11.919 Why is that a big deal? 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:14.720 Because I got some people, if it sprinkles, ooh, we better stay in. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:16.480 Looks like it's gonna be a hurricane. 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:22.480 But but but enough about my wife. 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:26.399 Anyway, uh you go without us, honey. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:30.799 But here's a and people ask me all the time, what do you say to people in those situations? 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:32.480 You know what I'm gonna say to my friend Tom? 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:38.000 I'm gonna look Tom and Debbie right in the face, and I'm gonna say the boundary lines have fallen for you in pleasant places. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:41.120 God has been so good to you. 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:47.200 And then I'm gonna tell them, hey, the Bible says in Psalm 139 that God saw your unformed substance. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:49.200 And they're gonna go, huh? 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:52.080 Because I told my friend Betty Thompson that last week. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:53.759 Betty Thompson used to go to this church. 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:56.720 She moved over to Pasadena to be closer to her daughter. 00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:01.919 Betty is 87 and she's been diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma, brain tumor. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:04.000 It's got it's kind of grown into her brain. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:09.360 They did surgery and got as much as they could, but they were like, it's just, you know, this is not gonna end well. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:16.159 So I walked in, half her head is shaved, the other half is permed and it's purple, kind of magenta looking. 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:18.000 I'm like, I love Jim Blue's clues. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:19.440 You shut up. 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:21.840 She's like a snapping turtle, boy. 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:22.559 She'll get you. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:24.559 And I walked in, she says, What are you doing here? 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:26.080 I said, I just come to see the pretty ones. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.399 I let Wade visit the ugly ones. 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:31.279 And the nurse said, Who is this man? 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:32.960 And she said, He's my pastor. 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:34.720 I said, No, you moved to Pasadena. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:36.399 And she goes, You're still my pastor. 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:38.480 And I told her what I'm going to tell Tom today. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:41.120 Hey, you know, God's been very good to you. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:43.759 He saw your unformed substance. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:49.679 And then the Bible says this in the 139th Psalm, before anyone in your days came to be, all the days were ordained for you. 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:52.000 God set aside before one of them came to be. 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:56.639 So I tell Tom today while I serve him the Eucharist, by the way, God saw this day coming. 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:58.879 He starts transfusing transfusion tomorrow. 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:01.039 That's the second time he's gone through this. 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:03.759 Why do I tell you that? 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:08.480 Because when I say that God relates to us with friendship in mind, he calls us with friendship in mind. 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:13.519 When you have a bad day, it doesn't that that day didn't like pop up and surprise God. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:20.159 Matter of fact, the better friends you are with God, the more you can absorb the bad days without shaking your fist at God. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:22.399 He calls Zacchaeus. 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:28.320 He says, Zacchaeus, come down, for I must stay at your house today. 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:29.440 Come down. 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:31.120 What's the big deal? 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:32.559 I'll tell you what the big deal is. 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:35.279 Go into someone's home for a meal is an act of friendship. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:36.639 Why is it such a big deal? 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:39.679 Because Jews did not associate with unclean people. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:42.000 They were all about being ceremonially clean. 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:47.200 And so for Jesus to come down, and the people said, Oh, he's gone to be the guest of a man who's a sinner. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:48.960 Are you kidding me? 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:49.679 Why? 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:53.039 Because Jesus relates to us, he calls us with friendship in mind. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:53.840 What does that mean? 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.480 That means he sees who you are, he knows who you are. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:57.919 You're not going to tell him anything. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:00.080 And by the way, you can't hide anything from him. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:01.759 So just knock it off. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:05.919 But he sees past who you are to who you can be. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:08.320 So he calls you with friendship in mind. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:13.840 Third thing we take away from this encounter is simply this is that forgiveness must be scandalous. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:17.200 Forgiveness must be scandalous. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:19.200 You say, I don't get what you mean. 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:21.279 Look at the people's reaction in verse 7. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:23.519 He says that when they saw it, they all grumbled. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:24.480 Now who is they? 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:30.639 It's the people, all that crowd that was around Jesus, and so many of them that Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to see Jesus. 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:32.399 It's all those people. 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:35.279 It's all those people who kind of cried around. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:36.720 When they saw it, they grumbled. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:39.919 He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:42.000 Oh, can you believe this? 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:43.279 Forgiveness. 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:46.159 We've got to stop acting like forgiveness is not scandalous. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:48.480 Matter of fact, ask yourself this question this week. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:54.159 Who is it that you need to forgive that if you forgave them, it would feel scandalous to you? 00:16:55.679 --> 00:17:00.639 Because that puts you in touch with what it was like for God to forgive you. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:04.000 Because that's at the heart of this whole thing. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:11.359 Some of you had a first marriage where your spouse was unfaithful. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:15.599 And it it it'll feel scandalous to forgive that person. 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:25.039 And yet the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 32, be kind, tenderhearted to one another, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:31.440 The standard of your forgiveness is not whether or not they deserve it, but it's whether or not you've experienced it. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:38.079 And if you and I have experienced it, then we have no basis upon which we we can withhold it from other people. 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:42.720 That's why the people say he said, He's gone to be the guest of a man who's a sinner. 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:43.440 It's one thing. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:45.119 How many in this room know you're a sinner? 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:46.079 Could I see your hand? 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:47.920 Put your hands down. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:52.960 It's one thing for you to know you're a sinner, it's another thing for everybody else to know that you're a sinner. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:55.839 How big of a sinner do you think Zacchaeus had to be? 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:59.200 Because everyone's like, he's a sinner, and we all know it. 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:03.119 It's kind of like one time early in Luke's gospel, Jesus went to the house. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:03.759 You can read about it. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:05.119 This is like in Luke chapter 7. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:06.160 Don't turn there now, though. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:10.559 Jesus goes to this man, this Pharisee, very religious man named Simon's house for dinner. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:20.240 And Jesus is there, and this woman bursts in the door, and she's got this jar of this alabaster box of perfume, and she begins to anoint Jesus' feet and wipe it with her hair, and she's just sobbing. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:30.480 And Simon and all the religious people are standing there and they're like, thinking to themselves, the Bible said, if he knew what kind of a woman this was, then the Bible said, Jesus knowing their thoughts. 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:34.640 Has it dawned on you that Jesus knows your thoughts? 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:37.920 People say, Well, I didn't say anything. 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:39.680 You don't have to. 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:43.119 See, that what that that's what makes God so great. 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:47.359 He knows his thoughts, and he just, Jesus is very gracious, even with religious people. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:51.039 Sometimes, do you ever wish Jesus was more harsh with religious people? 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:54.480 Maybe that's my own personal fantasy. 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:56.480 I'll leave you alone now. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:59.839 Y'all are kind of like, no, because I'm religious. 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:02.400 I'm gonna get some gold stars. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:06.000 Jesus says, Simon, let me tell you a story. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.559 And he tells them a story about a man that owed$50,000 and was forgiven. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:14.960 And the guy that owed$5 and was forgiven said, Who would love more? 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.400 Oh, the guy who's forgiven much. 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:21.599 And then Jesus kind of points at the woman who's still back here weeping and kind of says, Then this makes sense. 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:29.440 There is behavior that only makes sense in light of great forgiveness, what I would call scandalous forgiveness. 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:36.400 What is it about your life that only makes sense because of the scandalous nature of forgiveness? 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:42.640 The Bible says you love much because you've been forgiven much. 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:46.079 You say, why must you say forgiveness must be scandalous? 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:46.720 Here's why. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:48.640 Here's why forgiveness must be scandalous. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:50.400 Because sin is scandalous. 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:52.240 Think about it for a minute. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:57.359 God puts Adam and Eve, the first people ever created, in the Garden of Eden, in paradise. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:01.119 He says, You're free to eat of any tree in the garden, but of this one tree, don't eat. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:01.920 And what do they do? 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:04.640 They do exactly the one thing God asked them not to do. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:05.839 Are you kidding me? 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:07.200 And then what does God do? 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:11.200 Remember, I told you a minute ago, Jesus calls us with friendship in mind. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:16.720 Remember, after they sinned, God comes in the cool of the evening in the garden and he says, Adam, where are you? 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:20.240 Because he's relating to them again out of the context of friendship. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:23.519 And they said, Hey, we were naked and we hid ourselves. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:26.960 And Jesus, and God says, Who told you you were naked? 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.160 How gracious does God have to be? 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:38.160 See, forgiveness has to be scandalous because sin is scandalous. 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:43.440 I remember when I was in seminary, I had the same professor for three different classes, and he started every class. 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:50.160 The class was old had him for Old Testament, had him for the minor prophets, and then I had him for a class on the inter-testamental period. 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:52.480 That was very stimulating. 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:55.920 And he started every class, the first day of class the same way. 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:59.599 He would open his Bible to Proverbs 26, 11, put these glasses on. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:02.240 They're like a hoodowl, and they look like Coke bottles. 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:04.799 I mean, he would burn a hole in you with those bad boys on. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:08.000 When he put them on and look at maps, he saw people waving back at him. 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:10.880 I was like, and he would lean over and he would read. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:19.599 Proverbs, he would hold on to the edge of his desk, and he had these big, gnarly, look like octopus fingers, and he would read Proverbs 26.11. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:22.720 Anybody got an idea what Proverbs 26.11 says? 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:23.599 Thank you. 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.720