Raiders Of The Lost

I. The Sight of the Sinner

A. Text: Luke 19:1-10

B. Whether they realize it or not, the lost desire to see Jesus! (Verse 3)

C. They want to see Him but do not know where to look.

D. It is important for us to realize that they can only see Jesus in us!

II. The Purpose of the Pursuit

A. In order for the sinner to desire to see Jesus, they must get ‘sick’ of their circumstances!

B. Zaccheus (Zack) ran up into a sycamore tree (Verse 4).

C. The sinner must get ‘sick-of-more’ sin in his life in order to see Jesus!

D. Jesus said, back in Luke 17:6, Jesus said to His disciples that we can have faith the size of a mustard seed and say to the ‘sycamine’ tree ‘be removed and cast into the sea – and it has to obey!

E. You see, not only does the sinner need to be ‘sick-of-mine’ sin enough to seek more of Jesus, we too must be ‘sick-of-mine’ sin, ‘sick-of-mine’ sickness, ‘sick-of-mine’ depression – enough to seek more of Him!

F. Zack was a rich man, a chief tax collector. A modern day IRS agent – but he was also an evil, wicked man. And yet, He sought to see Jesus!

G. It doesn’t matter how wretched the sinner is, he/she must seek to see Jesus – and will eventually – but will only see Him in you and me!

H. Zack was in hot pursuit of Jesus – and your lost loved ones are as well – they just don’t know it yet!

III. The Call of the Christ!

A. When any sinner cries out for Jesus – or goes out of their way to seek Him – He will call them to Himself. (Verses 5, 6)

B. Even right now, through His precious Spirit – He is calling your loved ones! While I preach right this minute, I believe if they would simply listen to His voice, He’s calling them to Him!

C. But, they must ‘see’ Him in order to hear Him! Until they see Him, they’ll never hear Him!

D. And, remember, they can only see Him through us!

E. Romans 10:14 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

IV. The Murmur of the Mob!

A. Others will always ridicule you for reaching out to the least, the last and the lost (verse 7)!

B. But, we must keep reaching!

C. If the church ever gets to the point where we can’t accept the sinner – no matter how vile, no matter his/her appearance, no matter how they smell – then we will become just as lost as they!

D. Jesus was ridiculed for eating with the publicans, the sinners, the prostitutes, those down-and-out!

E. However, we must be like Him and go to where they are! We should go to their home if invited!

V. The Salvation of the Sinner

A. That day Zack’s entire household was saved (Verses 9-10)!

B. What a great promise to you and I today – as Christians – our household has the promise of salvation too!

C. Jesus said, Zack deserved the gift of salvation because, he, too, was the seed of Abraham.

D. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:7 that those of faith are all sons of Abraham.

VI. Raiders of the Lost

A. Raider – a person…that makes a raid…making a quick, unexpected attack or a sudden invasion!

B. We are going to raid/invade the devil’s territory and take back our lost loved ones for Jesus Christ!

C. Raze – to tear down completely, to level to the ground, to demolish.

D. We’re going to ‘raze’ hell!!!!

E. We are going to go out and ‘spy out the land,’ – the “Land of the Lost!”