Transforming Grace
Luke 19:1-10
April 14, 2019
When I’m joking with people, I will admit that one of my spiritual gifts is sarcasm and cynicism. Now, let me be clear . . . these are not spiritual gifts. But, I do believe I am pretty gifted in both of these areas.
I believe many of us are sarcastic and cynical about the things we see and hear in this world. I can add, many of us are skeptics. We’re not always a very trusting people. We doubt a lot of things, and one of the things that we doubt is transformation.
When someone is changed, when they are transformed, we tend to doubt the reality of their transformation. We think they are just saying a lot of the right things in order to get something from us. One of the things that is interesting is to watch videos which detail the transformation of people.
There was a man named Nicky Cruz. He was born and raised in Puerto Rico where his parents practiced withchcraft and his mother mentally abused him; calling him "son of satan." The neighborhood in which he lived was one of the worst in Puerto Rico and Cruz was always getting into trouble. When he was 15, his parents sent him to New York City to live with his borther. But Cruz ran away and joined the Mau Maus gang, eventually becoming the leader.
Eventually, he heard David Wilkerson preaching in the neighborhood and the first two times, Cruz heard Wilkerson preach he slapped him and threatened his life. But Wilkerson told Cruz, "Jesus loved him and would never stop loving him."
Later, Wilkerson organized an evangelistic meeting in the neighborhood with the intent of converting the Mau Maus. Wilkerson sent a bus to pick up the gang and after arriving Cruz explained he began to feel guilty about the things that he had done and began to pray.
Wilkerson asked the Mau Maus to take up a collection. After the collection, the gang wanted to steal the money, but Cruz convinced the group to give the money to Wilkerson on stage. When Wilkerson gave an altar call, a large number of gang members went forward, including Cruz who asked God to forgive him.
Afterward, Cruz and some of the gang members who believed in Jesus went to the police and turned in all of their weapons - - handguns, knives and more. In the end, Cruz went to Bible College and started his own ministries.
We may not have a story like Nicky Cruz’s, but we all have a story. We all have a story to tell about how Christ came into our lives and how His presence changes us today and will tomorrow.
We are on Week 5 of our look into Grace. And as we look at GRACE, we’re looking at how God transforms us into new creations, people who are transformed because we believe Jesus came into this world and died for us and as we celebrate next week . . . rose again to show us that He broke the power death has on us.
One of the beautiful and powerful aspects of the transforming power of Jesus is the fact that He can take a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh.
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.
And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. – Ezekiel 36:26-27
This is true transformation. You go from being angry and mean to being kind, from being greedy to being generous, from being self-obsessed to being others-centered, from bitter and unforgiving to becoming gracious. This type of transformation is available to every follower of Jesus Christ ... if you'll take the first step and recognize your need for change.
Jesus said...
31 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” – Luke 5:31-32
The problem is the fact that most of us go through life believing we’re not the sick ones. We point to others, and say, “Oh, they need to hear that message.” The signs are all around us; we’re trapped in bad habits, destructive behavior, imploding relationships, sinful activities - - - yet we think, “I'm OK, you’re not!!”
Jesus said, "I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," and the truth that goes along with that statement is what Paul said in Romans 3:10 - - that there is nobody who is righteous, not even one.
We've all sinned, just not everyone is ready to admit it. And if you can’t admit it, then you can’t get help from the Great Physician. Once we recognize we are sinners and broken, then we can come before God and experience the power of His transforming grace.
Today we're going to look at the story of a man who experienced radical transformation. He was notorious, he was very, very disliked - - - YET he experienced transformation - - not only of his sin, but his character was changed. He had a complete transformation of heart and soul.
Luke 19, tells us the story of a man named Zacchaeus. And we will see his dramatic life change after receiving the grace of God.
1 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.” – Luke 19:1-10
Do you wonder how many people heard this from Zacchaeus and reacted with skepticism and sarcasm? You can hear them saying, “Sure, once Jesus leaves town watch him go after all the people again and try to get more money. I never trusted that guy!”
This is such a great story and this shows the power of the gospel at work. So, what can we learn about the transforming power of God's grace.
We can certainly know that God hasn't given up on you, even if everyone else has.
To put it mildly, Zacchaeus was not a popular person. He was a tax collector, specifically, the chief tax collector. He was a Jewish citizen whose job it was to collect taxes from the Jewish people for the Roman government.
That was bad enough, but the Romans took more money than was due them, add to that the fact that Roman tax collectors had a notorious reputation for bullying the people and forcing them to pay more than the required amount. As long as taxes were being collected, Rome looked the other way; it was just considered one of the perks of the job.
Tax-collectors had a reputation for extorting all they could from the people and they were despised. Zacchaeus was at the top of chain; he was the boss. All the tax-collectors of the city worked for him, and gave him a cut of what they took. So he was very wealthy and very much despised.
When he heard that Jesus was passing through the city, he went out to see Him, but he couldn't because (Zacchaeus was a wee little man and wee little man was he.)
He wanted to see Jesus, so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree and as Jesus was approaching, He saw Zacchaeus invited Himself to Zacchaeus' house.
Of course the crowd began to complain. Jesus was a respected rabbi and teacher and no good, honorable rabbi would enter the home of a man like Zacchaeus. To share a meal with Zacchaeus was considered an endorsement, a stamp of approval.
The people believed Zacchaeus was beyond redemption. But Jesus didn't. Jesus saw something that only Jesus can see in someone. He didn't see the man Zacchaeus was, He saw the man Zacchaeus could be.
When Jesus looks at you, He doesn't merely see who you are today. He sees the person you can be. He doesn’t dwell on the past sins and mistakes and mess ups. The rest of the crowd may see only your faults and screw ups. Maybe they have given up on you. BUT . . . Jesus hasn't. Maybe you're ready to give up on yourself. BUT Jesus isn't.
Even if no one else sees your potential, Jesus does. If you want to experience God’s transformational grace, then you cannot give up on yourself. God doesn’t give up on you. It is possible to change.
When you read this story, we hear phrases like ~
Jesus said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
So he came down at once.
Zacchaeus stood up and said "Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor..."
Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house..."
I can sense urgency in this story. It was like this was Zacchaues' one big chance, and he couldn't afford to let it pass by.
Jesus wasn't pressuring Zacchaeus to make a decision he didn't want to make. Jesus was giving Zacchaeus an opportunity to take a step in his spiritual life that he long wanted to take, but thought could never happen.
Too many people think that the possibility of transformation is either a long time away - - - or it’s just not going to happen for me. We have a hard time trusting in God’s power and grace.
That change that you’re wanting to experience can begin today. Jesus wants to come into your life so that you can be the very person He is calling you to be. It’s true for the person who is on the verge of saying yes to Jesus, as well as the person who has known Jesus for 10, 20, 30 years.
Today's the day. Your transformation can begin right now. Jesus is saying, “Come down from that sycamore tree. Get involved. Let me come into your heart . . . today!!”
The final thing I want us to grasp from the story is that we need to take action.
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, I’m going to pay back all I have taken from the people. I will give half of my possessions and will pay back 4X the amount I took.
And 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house..."
Let me make this clear, Zacchaeus wasn't saved because he gave his money to the poor; he gave his money to the poor because he was saved. He experienced the acceptance, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ, and it changed the way he lived. His personal experience with Jesus resulted in his generosity toward others. The change of heart leads to a change of behavior.
Paul said,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9
James would agree adding, if you have been saved through faith, then you will demonstrate your faith through good works, because 26 faith apart from works is dead. - James 2:26
To which Paul would respond, exactly –
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.
– Ephesians 2:8-10
You are saved through faith. Not because of your goodness but because of God's goodness. He loved you in spite of your sin, in spite of your selfishness. He said, "If you will receive me, I will come into your life and I will make a new person." That happens because you believe.
We should respond saying - - God, you promised to make me a new person, so I'm going to be a new person. I'm going to be different and act different. I'm going to change what I can, and trust you to change the rest."
So Zacchaeus took the first step, and it was a big first step. Zacchaeus' first step was very personal. He dealt with a subject very dear to his heart: his money, and the fact that he hadn't come by all of it honestly.
It was public. He said it in front of everyone.
Your transformation can begin now, because you belong to Jesus, He has accepted you, He has forgiven you, He has come into your home and your heart, and He's ready to change your life. Only IF YOU’RE READY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE will this happen.
What do you need to change? What do you want to change? There's something very close to you, very personal, that’s standing between you and the person God created you to be.
Take a step toward dealing with it. Do it in a public way, so that you have accountability. Do as much as is possible — don't promise more than you can deliver, just commit to doing as much as you can do. And make it a priority.
Do it now.
Start today.
And you will begin to see the transforming power of God's grace at work in your life.
The one who said, "Behold, I make all things new," is extending the offer to you today.
"Come immediately," he says. "I must stay with you. I have good news for you. Today salvation can come to your house, to your life, to your heart."
Today, you can start over.
Today you can take the first step toward transformation.
