The following is a manuscript of the sermon presented by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at our West U Baptist campus. To view the sermon in full, check out the link below.

Do you believe that the Gospel really has the power to transform lives?

I want to begin today by telling you briefly  about one of our mission trips to the Dominican Republic.  My entire family, along with 48 others spent time doing some amazing things.

Here are just some brief highlights from the trip —  On this trip, our team did a number of ministry activities…

• VBS Ministry – where we saw 89 salvations!
• Medical Ministry – At two sites over three days we saw a total of 252 patients, where 9 patients were saved!
• English Classes and Sexual Purity Seminars –
• Construction –To finish the week of construction, we built a 20 X 20 covered cabana for a church so that they can now have bible study in the shade!

It was an incredible week of ministry with an incredible team of people.  We saw a total of 104 people receive Christ as their Savior that week.

But there was a man named Arsenio that I want to tell you about.  Arsenio is like the man in our story today.  He is short in stature and for many years, lived a life of corruption.

Arsenio was a police officer for the national police force in the Dominican Republic.  I asked our friend and Dominican staff member, Russell Jimenez about the police and whether or not they were respected.

He said, “No…people become police officers when they have failed at everything else.”  You see, the police are very corrupt.  Those in higher command positions expect the lower level officers to bring them some of the money that they take off of the people.

Arsenio is the grandfather of Nelson.  On our first trip to the Dominican Republic, we went to Arsenio’s home for dinner and we sat around his table.  His wife made us a lovely meal and Nelson and his brother and our translator joined us for the meal.  But Arsenio did not.

Instead, Arsenio went and sat out on a chair across the street, barely saying hello and barely making eye contact with us. 

We did do a Marriage emphasis night that week, and Aresnio and his wife were there, but it was clear that Arsenio was not at all interested in Jesus.

Fast-Forward two years.  When we arrive to the church where we stay, and Sunday morning services were about to begin, I saw Nelson, his grandmother, and coming into the church with them was Arsenio.  He was still a police officer, but now he was coming to church and had made a profession of faith.

We had a brief greeting, and that was about all of our interaction that week.

Now two years later…on our third trip, I am up early on Sunday morning sitting in the sanctuary, having my coffee.  One of the first people to arrive to church that day was Arsenio.  And his countenance was completely different.  He had his Bible in hand and when we saw each other we had a great hand shake and big smiles for one another.

As I observed him on this trip, Arsenio was ingesting everything he could.  He had his Bible open, he was following along and he was looking Scriptures up when we went another direction.

Everything had changed for Arsenio. 

Today, I want us to see in the story of how everything changed for a man named Zacchaues – a man whose name means Righteous One, who had everything, but lacked something. Ultimately, it was at the Table where He had a life changing encounter with Jesus.

Let’s read Luke 19:1-10.

Luke 19:1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through. ² And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. ⁴ So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. ⁵ 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.” ⁶ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. ⁷ And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” ⁸ 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.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Now what we know about Zacchaeus we probably learned in preschool Sunday School.  Do y’all remember the song?

Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he!  He climbed up in the Sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see….

And it finishes…Zacchaeus, you come down, for I am going to your house today…I am going to your house today!

So, Zacchaeus was a small man.  Short in stature.

He was a CHIEF TAX COLLECTOR.  He was a lot like Arsenio.  You see, Arsenio was a short man, but a high ranking police officer.  And not only could he extort money from the citizens on the streets, but his officers that worked for him were expected to bring something to him.

So, Zacchaeus wasn’t only getting money from the people, he was getting money from the other tax collectors.  He was in tight with Rome and they had given him authority to hire and fire other tax collectors.  He had influence. He had responsibility.  He was crazy rich!

But he wasn’t satisfied.

The first thing I want us to see today is this…

Six Principles for the Missional Table

I. We have the opportunity to Table with People far from God who are seeking to know who Jesus really is.

Luke 19:3

And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.

Like I told you, when we first met Arsenio, he gave the appearance of not wanting anything to do with the Christian faith.  We were going to his house to have a meal at his table, and he got up and left.

But when we offered the marriage seminar on Thursday night, he was there.  He looked like a fish out of the water, but he came because we were offering something that he and his wife needed.

Was Zacchaeus just curious to see who this Jesus was, or was he longing to have his deepest needs met?  I would imagine that on the outside looking in, you would think that Zacchaeus had it all together.  He was filthy rich.

Had a bunch of Jesus’ disciples come to his home for dinner a year or two prior to Jesus’ visit to Jericho, I imagine Zacchaues would have gotten a chair and sat out on the street while they visited his wife and children.

Zacchaeus was a man of authority and power.  He had everything that the world had to offer.  But Zacchaeus knew that he lacked something and he wondered if Jesus had what he needed. 

Did you know that when you have everything and you still feel empty inside, you are ripe for an encounter with Jesus?

When Jack Higgins, well-known and successful author of many novels, one of the best known being The Eagle Has Landed, was asked for a bit of wisdom he was asked the question…

What is it that you now know that you wished you had known as a younger man?

Higgins responded, “I wish I had known then what I know now…that when you get to the top, there is nothing there.”

Did Zacchaeus know this?  Did he discover it?  We don’t know.  But we do know that he was filthy rich and he was seeking!

And friends, let me tell you, it is often these people who are the ripest to come into the kingdom!  There are people in your life…people at work, on the ball fields, in your clubs, or your next-door neighbors…who are seeking to know who Jesus really is.

The question is, will we allow them to see Jesus?  Look at the second thing I want us to see…

Six Principles for the Missional Table

 

1. We have the opportunity to Table with People far from God who are seeking to know who Jesus really is.
2. I have the capacity to keep people from the Table where they will meet Jesus.

Luke 19:3

And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.

But notice that he couldn’t get close enough to see Jesus.

Why is that?

The Scripture gives us a simple, surface explanation…he was short.

But what it doesn’t say, but I think is implied, is that no one would give him access to the front of the lines that were receiving Jesus.

Consider that Jesus is coming through the city gate.  Just outside the gate, he has healed the blind beggar, Bartimeus.  And we see from that story that there was a large crowd around Jesus.  So, this parade is coming into town and the chief tax collector of that town is at his station at the intersection of commerce, the city gate, and no one will let him get up close and see Jesus.

Do you see it in the text?

It says, “but on account of the crowd he could not…”

Maybe it is just a big crowd, but maybe Zacchaeus is reaping a bit of what he has sown.

Think about it. Folks, this is the tax man and I am almost certain that people are probably so indignant about Zacchaeus getting a glimpse of Jesus, that they are probably working hard to keep him away.  He had control over the people.  And this was their one opportunity to have control over him.

And I am pretty sure that they didn’t believe that Zacchaeus was worthy of meeting a rabbi like Jesus!

In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So, one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned, “If Christians have caste differences also, “ he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” That usher’s prejudice not only betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior.

People in the crowd have a way of keeping people from coming to Jesus.

Notice further in verse 7 the grumbling of the crowd.

Luke 19:7

And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

Who is doing the grumbling? it is the crowd around Jesus.

We see a little bit more about them in the previous story when Jesus heals the blind beggar, Bartimeus.

Let’s read Luke 18:35-43.

Luke 18:35-43

As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸ And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰ And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” ⁴² And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” ⁴³ And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Notice the crowd – the noise they made indicated to Bartimeus that something different was happening.  He begins to ask, “Hey what is this?”

And look again at verse 39.

Luke 18:39a

And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

There is a lot of power in the voice of the crowd.  But this didn’t stop Bartimeus and it didn’t stop Jesus.  They both ignored the crowd.

Let me stop there for just a moment.  Whether you feel like a blind beggar who desperately needs a touch from Jesus, or a rich man who has a hole deep in his heart, don’t let the crowd keep you away from calling out and climbing up to see Jesus.

You see, what strikes me here is that we have men on the opposite ends of the spectrum.  One who has to sit and beg for daily bread and the other who runs a complex system and has all that he could ever need.  These stories are placed one after the other and the crowd has it wrong both times.

Friends, isn’t it true that most of the time, we are that crowd?  We judge who we will show Christ to.  We deem who is or isn’t worthy of hearing the message of Jesus, when Jesus is on an all-out SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION.

And this is the thing that we must grasp.  You see the third thing that I want to share with you this morning is that…

Six Principles for the Missional Table

1. We have the opportunity to Table with People far from God who are seeking to know who Jesus really is.
2. I have the capacity to keep people from the Table where they will meet Jesus.
3. At the Table, there are no perfect people allowed.

The crowd didn’t deem Bartimeus or Zacchaeus worthy.  You see, we often make the mistake that Jesus responds to the moral, put together, perfect on the outside person who is pulling themselves up from the bootstraps.

But the truth of the matter is that he resists that pride.  You see, Zacchaeus was a prime candidate to meet Jesus, not because of his wealth, his position, or what he had achieved in life.  He was a prime candidate to meet Jesus, because in spite of his sins and shortcomings, he was seeking to know him.

Notice in Luke 18 the parable that Jesus tells.

Luke 18:9-14

⁹ He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

You see, Jesus responds to humility, not pride.

• Pride says, “Hey God, look what I have done for you. And I am so glad I am so much better than those people.”
• Humility says, “God I need your mercy.”

What does the Pharisee do here?  He compares himself with a subjective standard…others.  He credits himself for being so religious…in Bible study…in worship services…a giver!  And being better than those outsiders!

Pride cares a whole lot about what everyone else thinks.

Humility doesn’t care one bit.

And that is what we see with Zacchaeus.  He doesn’t care what people think about him.  Instead, he humbles himself and positions himself to meet Jesus.

Luke 19:4

So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.

Jewish men wore long clothes.  They didn’t wear shorts like you, and I do today.  And they probably didn’t run all that much.  That was for the children and for the athletes.

So, imagine this.  This wee little man hikes up his long tunic and holds it near himself and runs ahead of the crowd.

Zacchaeus did something that day he hadn’t done since he was a kid.  He ran and then he climbed a tree.  Maybe it was a tree that he had climbed when he was a little boy.  Maybe it was a tree that his tax booth sat under.

Whatever the case, this act of running and climbing to see Jesus was an act of child-like faith and humility that forever changed the trajectory of his life.

But what we are about to find out is that, though Zaccheus was running and climbing and seeking, here is what is true:  Jesus is the true seeker in the story!

You see, the 4^th principle I want you to see is this:

Six Principles for the Missional Table  

1. We have the opportunity to Table with People far from God who are seeking to know who Jesus really is.
2. I have the capacity to keep people from the Table where they will meet Jesus.
3. At the Table, there are no perfect people allowed.
4. As the seeker, Jesus already had reservations for a Table for 2 with Zacchaeus.

Notice verse 5.

Luke 19:5

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.”

Do you make plans to intentionally reach out to those you want to see come to know Christ?

Do you invite them to your home? Do you take them to dinner?

You see, we need to be seeking these opportunities just like Jesus did.  Notice what Luke 19:10 says…

Look at verse 10 and let’s see this intentionality with which Jesus is seeking Zacchaeus.

Luke 19:10

“…For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Q:  Who is the real seeker in this story?

A:  Jesus!

And because he knew his mission… to seek and to save the lost and because he spent time with the Father, he knew that he would go to Zacchaeus’ home that day.

Did you know that Jesus is still seeking?  These moments revealed his heart.  His training of the twelve started a global movement of seeking.  As a matter of fact, we have been sent into all of the world to join his mission.

As a result, we must understand that He has divine appointments for us as his representatives.  And we must be fully bought into his mission and in tune with His Spirit in order to keep these appointments. It is often around a meal where we open up and where we can share our faith.

Think about how your daily routine and relationships would change if you asked the Lord each day, “Lord, who am I supposed to have a divine encounter with? Lord, who do you want me to share a meal with so that I can share about you?”

What else can we learn today about the work that Jesus does in our lives?

Six Principles for the Missional Table 

1. We have the opportunity to Table with People far from God who are seeking to know who Jesus really is.
2. I have the capacity to keep people from the Table where they will meet Jesus.
3. At the Table, there are no perfect people allowed.
4. As the seeker, Jesus already had reservations for a Table for 2 with Zacchaeus.
5. When the seeker finds out he is sought, there is great joy.

Notice this in verse 6.

Luke 19:6

So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

Can you imagine how cool it must have been for Zacchaeus to be singled out of that entire crowd?

Remember, it was a large crowd and there was a lot going on.  And Zacchaeus, because of the crowd, could not see Jesus, so he humbly hiked up his tunic and went running and climbed a tree.

Remember, running and climbing a tree was an act of a child and Jesus responds to child-like faith.

And Jesus goes to him and says, “Zach…I’ve made reservations for us at your home today.  Let’s go!”

So, Zacchaeus hurries down and receives Jesus with joy.

Make no mistake, folks, for Jesus to enter into Zacchaeus’ home could be seen as an endorsement of his sin.  And this is often one of the things that keeps us out of the lives of those Jesus is seeking.  We wonder if others will think we are endorsing their sinfulness.

But Jesus didn’t let this keep him from his mission…his divine appointments.  And his presence conveyed his forgiveness that he was extending to him.

And once the seeker realizes that he is being sought, it radically changes him.

The last thing I want us to see today is the total transformation of Zacchaeus.

You see, when Jesus comes into your life, He transforms you from a taker into a giver.

Six Principles for the Missional Table 

1. We have the opportunity to Table with People far from God who are seeking to know who Jesus really is.
2. I have the capacity to keep people from the Table where they will meet Jesus.
3. At the Table, there are no perfect people allowed.
4. As the seeker, Jesus already had reservations for a Table for 2 with Zacchaeus.
5. When the seeker finds out he is sought, there is great joy.
6. When Jesus comes into your life, He transforms you from one who takes from to one who gives unto.

Notice verse 8.

Luke 19:8

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.”

What I want you to see here is this transformation of this man.

So, what is Zacchaeus doing here?

First, he is making restitution for what he has stolen. You see, the law required that someone caught stealing not only restore what was taken, but that he give it back four times.

Look at Exodus 22:1.

Exodus 22:1

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.”

Depending on the offense, the restitution was either 4 or 5 times what was taken.

In the story of Zacchaeus, we see that Zacchaeus doesn’t need someone else to render judgment on him.  When he is in the presence of the righteousness of Jesus, he is convicted of his sin.  And he, himself, conveys judgment upon his sin.  His first action was to get right what was wrong.

You know, this is often how it works when we come to the Lord.  Before we can move forward in our faith and as a testimony to being made new, the Lord will convict us to make right what we made wrong.

Has the Lord been prompting you to make something right?  Go and be obedient to him.

Darrell Bock, in the NIV Application Commentary states…One of the most painful things we can do in a relationship is to commit a wrong and then pretend it never happened or did not do any damage.  Such blindness builds up resentment and eats away at the relationship.  Admitting wrong, asking for forgiveness, and trying to make restitution are like a spring shower that can open up the possibility of a fresh start.

Zacchaeus sees in Jesus this opportunity for a fresh start.

But Zacchaeus doesn’t stop there.  He also declares that he will give up to 50% of what he possesses to the poor.

Why?

Because he doesn’t want his old life to have dominion over him.  He doesn’t want greed to have its way in him like it has had up to this point.  His giving of up to half of his possessions is a recognition of God’s ownership of what he has.

So, we see this radical transformation from one who takes from to one who gives unto.  We see this transformation of one who hasn’t felt any remorse from shaking people down to one who now realizes that what he has done is wrong and he must make it right.

Friends, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.  Behold, the old has gone and the new has come!

I told you about Arsenio and his change from our first visit until this one.

But what I didn’t tell you is how it happened.

I was curious, so I asked Russell, “What changed in him?”

Russell answered, “Everything.”

You see, as I inquired more about his story, I realized that Jesus simply hunted Arsenio down.

With a woman at home who was praying for him and with a church in the neighborhood loving on his wife and providing for his grandsons in unique ways, he began to feel convicted about the corruption on the streets.

But, like a gang, once you are in, it is hard to get out.  You see, the Dominican police are known for dealing severely with those who stop lining their hands with money.  Often, and supposedly accidentally, police officers turn up hurt, disabled or dead.

Given his desire to no longer participate in the corruption and concerned that he might get hurt or killed by his fellow officers, Arsenio humbly turned to Christ and shortly thereafter, Arsenio had two accidents on his motor bike.

1. The first accident gave him a broken leg that had him off the streets for many months.
2. Soon after he returned, still trying to find his way out, Arsenio had another accident on his bike where he hit his head.…not severely, but enough to get him to take an early retirement and such that his fellow officers understood his decision.

Russell told me that Arsenio was convinced that God allowed him his accidents to both protect him and motivate him to go ahead and leave that life and follow him whole heartedly.

In the meantime, let me ask you to consider two simple questions:

• Do you recognize that there are people all around you looking to know more about Jesus?

Maybe that describes you?  Like a beggar, or an empty rich man, I want you to know that you can cry out to Jesus and he hears you.

• Are you a part of the crowd that can keep people from coming to Jesus? It doesn’t take a lot of thought or intentionality to be in the crowd, you just have to make some wrong assumptions about people and about God.  If you are convicted of that, ask the Lord to show you his heart and give you his heart.