Too Good to be True?

Luke 19:1-10 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+19%3A1-10&version=NKJV

Why do we go to church?

Like Zacchaeus, do you want to see Jesus?

Do you want to hear Jesus?

Do you hope to encounter Him here?

Why do we go to church?

Are you guilty or ashamed of something and need forgiving?

Are you broken or hurting and need healing?

Are you sad or lonely and need genuine love?

Are you in the wilderness looking for “the way out”?

Why do we go to church?

Do you believe it is possible that Jesus sees you in the crowd?

Do you believe that He could want to go home with you?

Do you really trust that Jesus wants to abide with you?

The Gospel message is “emmanuel” God is with us!

Jesus came to seek the lost and save them…Jesus came to abide with us. Healing, forgiveness, new and abundant life are all fruits of that abiding.

I know Jesus wants to go home with you today.

I know Jesus wants to abide with you today.

And so do you.

You believe it because you come up for communion. In communion literally Jesus abides in you. He truly stays in your “home”—your body and soul!

 Maybe we take it for granted.

Maybe we don’t ponder it or meditate on it.

He comes to us as surely as He went to Zaccheus.

Why do we go to church?

• To see Jesus and hear Him speak His word
• To receive Jesus in communion and invite Him to abide within us

So what is our response to this gift of salvation?

Zaccheus was overjoyed and excited. He had a genuine conversion.

He saw everything differently: new eyes, new mind, & new life!

• He had been accepted and he wanted to live a life worthy of the Lord who accepted him…
• He had been called and set apart and he wanted to live a life that was holy…
• He had been set free from sin and he wanted to live the life of perfect freedom as a servant of Christ…
• He was lost and had received the gift of salvation so he wanted to give to others with outrageous generosity.

Zaccheus gave half of what he had away and he did so with joy.

That is our goal to be a Zaccheus parish, to give half our budget to outreach.

But I want you to know it is in response to God’s grace.

First, we must understand God’s love and mercy in Jesus.

First, we must experience salvation.

Then we can give.

And the giving will be a joyful celebration and not a duty or burden. My prayer is that we can open ourselves to the life and love which God pours out into your heart; see everything from a new perspective and become very generous with gratitude