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Loving people who already love Jesus isn't difficult. The harder question to answer is whether that same love travels with us the moment we leave the church and meet someone we'd rather classify, avoid, or write off. The story of Zacchaeus forces us to grapple with that question: if Jesus already knew everything about the man in the tree and loved him anyway, what does His example require of us? Find out why the crowd grumbled, how Jesus responded, and what it means when we plant a seed instead of trying to save a soul.
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/the-man-everyone-hated
#mlcc #church #churchonline
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/the-man-everyone-hated
#mlcc #church #churchonline
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LearningTranscript
00:00Last week we talked, Pastor Mark talked about the fact that we have a very friendly church.
00:03I would totally agree with that.
00:06I've been through lots of churches in my time.
00:09And without a shadow of a doubt, this is by far the friendliest church that I have ever had the
00:14privilege to attend.
00:16If you come to this church, there's a good chance that next week people are going to remember your name
00:22and they're going to ask how your week went.
00:24It's just a nice place to feel involved.
00:27It's a nice place to feel like it's a church family.
00:30And it's easy, right?
00:32It's easy to love people here.
00:35Because when you look to your left and you look to your right, what you see is other people who
00:40love Jesus just like you do.
00:43You know, once in a while you're going to get somebody that comes in off the street that's like, what's
00:46this building for?
00:47But for the most part, if you're walking in here, you're coming in here because you know it's a church.
00:52So when we look at each other, we go, this is my brother in Christ.
00:55This is my sister in Christ.
00:57And it's easy for us to go, I can talk to you and I can fellowship with you and I
01:02can love you.
01:02Why? Because just like me, you love Jesus.
01:08When we were a couple of, I actually talked about it on the microphone thingy a while ago.
01:13I had the opportunity to take Emma to Portland for a Forrest Frank concert.
01:19I was talking to you guys about that.
01:20It was awesome.
01:20But who knows the motto in Portland?
01:24Keep it weird.
01:25Keep it weird.
01:26Keep Portland weird.
01:27When we were there, it lived up to its motto.
01:32On the way to the concert, we saw a couple that were walking, looked like on a date.
01:38And for the most part, they looked really nice, except for the fact that, you know, she wasn't wearing a
01:43top.
01:44So it was a little awkward.
01:45And so Emma was just kind of like, you know, we were just kind of looking at each other like,
01:48this is bizarre.
01:49And then we kept driving.
01:50And then we saw a guy that was yelling at somebody on his cell phone, except it wasn't a cell
01:54phone.
01:54It was a sandwich.
01:58And, you know, we, again, we just kind of looked at each other.
02:01And then, you know, we got to the Moda Center and it was fine.
02:05And it was weird, you know, and it's just kind of like, just drive, just drive, focus, get there.
02:09And it made me go, you know, and as I'm sitting there and as I'm looking at these, you know,
02:12that was just a couple of examples.
02:14But as I'm sitting there and I'm looking at these people, you know what I kept thinking?
02:17Man, thank God for Medical Lake.
02:19And I mean that, you know, I'm a small town guy.
02:21This is, you know, this is awesome and fantastic.
02:24And I love the concert and I loved worshiping with all these people and it was fine.
02:28But at the same time, man, thank goodness for Medical Lake.
02:30I love Medical Lake.
02:33But it's easy to love people here, right?
02:35It's easy to love people in the church.
02:36It's easy to love people inside these walls.
02:39But what happens when we walk outside these walls?
02:42Then what happens?
02:44I don't know about you, but I still love Jesus when I walk outside the walls.
02:47I mean, that doesn't change.
02:48You know, I walk to my car, I drive home, you know, I live in Spokane.
02:52You know, it's got its own little version of weird up there and it's fine.
02:55And I like Spokane and all, but I still love Jesus.
02:58That doesn't change.
02:59But do I show the same love to people in Spokane or the people outside these walls that I show
03:04to the people inside these walls?
03:10The problem was in Portland, when I looked at people that I was like, you know, that's kind of strange,
03:16you know, that's bizarre.
03:18I didn't look at them and go, man, you know what?
03:21That's kind of weird, but I wonder if they need Jesus.
03:22I wonder if they know Jesus.
03:23I wonder if they've heard of Jesus.
03:25I wonder if they've, you know, go to a church at all or anything.
03:28You know what I thought?
03:30Man, these people are weird.
03:31I got to get out of here and I got to get home.
03:33I want to go to my safe spot.
03:35I want to go in these walls.
03:38We need to change our way of thinking.
03:40We need to stop seeing things from the outside in and start looking at things from the inside out.
03:46This morning, we're talking about Zacchaeus.
03:48And this is a man that people didn't like.
03:50This was a man that was an enemy to most Jews.
03:53And in order to see things the right way through the lens of Jesus, we have to understand first things
04:01first.
04:02And that first thing is that God calls his children and we don't.
04:07Turn with me, if you would, to Luke chapter 19.
04:10We're going to start with verses one through six.
04:13It says,
04:13He entered Jericho and was passing through and behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus.
04:17He was a chief tax collector and was rich and he was seeking to see who Jesus was.
04:22But on account of the crowd, he could not because he was small in stature.
04:26So, he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him.
04:30For he was about to pass that way.
04:31And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him,
04:34Zacchaeus, hurry and come down for I must stay at your house today.
04:37So, he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
04:41Let me explain what's going on right now.
04:42Jesus is on a tour to Jerusalem.
04:45He's passing through all these big cities and he's performing miracles and people want to see him.
04:50And Jesus is, I mean, everybody wants to see Jesus.
04:53This is the guy that everybody's talking about.
04:55This is the guy that when he preaches, thousands upon thousands show up.
04:59And when he touches lepers, it just, you know, their sickness goes away and blind people see.
05:05And it's amazing what this man can do and everybody wants to see him.
05:10So, wherever he goes, people want to see him.
05:12And he's passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem.
05:15Later on in the chapters, when he actually has the triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the donkey.
05:21So, we're at that point in his ministry.
05:23And as he's walking through Jericho, everybody wants to see Jesus.
05:28Everybody wants to hear from this amazing teacher who has these amazing things to say,
05:33who can do amazing things.
05:35Now, we enter Zacchaeus.
05:36Something you need to know about Zacchaeus.
05:38Zacchaeus was a wee little man.
05:40In fact, you could say a wee little man was he.
05:45I was getting grief in the first service from Michael Trout that, yeah, I didn't get stuff
05:51because I'm a second service guy.
05:52I don't know.
05:52I'm just saying.
05:54Even made a joke about devices, but I won't go there.
05:57So, Zacchaeus was small.
05:59He wasn't very tall.
06:01Needless to say, in a crowd, you'd probably miss him.
06:04He was a tax collector, but he wasn't just a tax collector.
06:06He was a high tax collector, which means that he had power, he had authority, he had stature,
06:13and he was rich.
06:15He was like loaded rich.
06:16He had all the money.
06:18In fact, they compare him to the rich young ruler in Luke 18, verses 18 through 23.
06:22It said,
06:50But when he heard these things, he became very sad.
06:53For he was extremely rich.
06:58This is the same type of person that Zacchaeus was.
07:01He was loaded.
07:02He was rich.
07:04So, Zacchaeus had a lot against him already.
07:07Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and if you were a Jew, being a tax collector and a Jew was a
07:12bad thing
07:13because that means you were a traitor.
07:14That means you turned your back on your people.
07:16That means you were charging your own people money.
07:20Zacchaeus wasn't very tall.
07:22I mean, for the Bible to actually mention how short he was, he must have been short, you know?
07:28I mean, we're not talking, we're not talking, you know, he was like 5'10".
07:31No, I mean, he must have been short.
07:34And to even go and see Jesus, you have to understand that Zacchaeus could have been, you know,
07:40could have risked serious bodily harm because the Jews hated tax collectors so much that they see this guy
07:45walking on the street and they want to take him out because he's a traitor.
07:50Zacchaeus is a bad guy.
07:52There's nothing good about him.
07:56But Zacchaeus wanted one thing and one thing only.
07:59Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus.
08:02Zacchaeus needed to see Jesus.
08:05Zacchaeus was willing to go out in the crowd that might beat him up.
08:09Zacchaeus was willing to go out and be mocked and jeered.
08:12Zacchaeus was willing to do anything, even climb a tree just in order to see Jesus,
08:17to maybe touch Jesus, to hear what he has to say.
08:20He was willing to do whatever it took just to be in Jesus' presence.
08:27Zacchaeus needed to know Jesus, but what he didn't know was that Jesus already knew him.
08:34Jesus knew that Zacchaeus needed him and Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was his even before time began.
08:40And I can prove it.
08:41Jeremiah 1.5 says,
08:48Ephesians 1.4 says,
08:50Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
08:54that we should be holy and blameless before him in love,
08:57he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,
09:01according to the purpose of his will.
09:03And Psalms 1.39.13-16 says,
09:30Before anything was there,
09:32before planets,
09:33before stars,
09:34before dirt,
09:35before anything,
09:36Jesus knew who Zacchaeus was.
09:39Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was going to climb the tree.
09:41Jesus knew that Zacchaeus wanted to see him.
09:44Why?
09:44Because Jesus knew Zacchaeus.
09:47Jesus knew his heart.
09:48Jesus knew what he needed.
09:50Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was going to accept Jesus.
09:56Now,
09:57no one else would believe that someone like Jesus would want to talk to Zacchaeus.
10:01I mean,
10:01why would they?
10:02He's a bad guy.
10:05I think if I asked you all to picture a bad guy,
10:07it wouldn't take you very long to go,
10:09yeah,
10:09okay,
10:09that,
10:09yeah,
10:09uh-huh.
10:10You know,
10:10you could probably have a list of guys that you would consider bad guys.
10:13This guy was like the worst of the worst.
10:16When it came to being a Jew,
10:17there wasn't much worse than being what he was,
10:19but that's who he is.
10:21And yet Jesus,
10:23seeing him in the tree,
10:24has the audacity to talk to this guy.
10:29What this means is that we need to change our way of thinking.
10:32And instead of seeing things the way we do,
10:34instead of seeing things through our human eyes,
10:36we need to understand that we need to see things through Jesus' eyes.
10:43Look at verses six through eight.
10:44It says in Luke 19,
10:46it says,
10:47so we hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
10:50And when they saw it,
10:51they all grumbled.
10:52He has gone to be the guest of a man who was a sinner.
10:55And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord,
10:56behold,
10:57Lord,
10:57the half of my goods I give to the poor.
10:59And if I've defrauded anyone of anything,
11:01I will restore it four or fourfold.
11:05Now there's three people that we need to look at here real fast,
11:08or three groups,
11:09two people in one group.
11:10And we're going to focus on the group first.
11:12And that group is everyone that's not Zacchaeus and Jesus.
11:16Because it says right here,
11:18it says,
11:19so he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
11:22This is Zacchaeus accepting Jesus joyfully.
11:24Oh my goodness,
11:25Jesus is talking to me.
11:26I want to see him.
11:26It says,
11:27when they saw it,
11:28they all grumbled.
11:34There's lots of people here.
11:36Remember,
11:36there's lots of people that want to see Jesus.
11:39There's normal people.
11:40Then there's Pharisees,
11:41right?
11:41And the Pharisees are those guys that we know.
11:43These are the bad guys.
11:44These are the guys that aren't there to hear what Jesus has to say.
11:47These aren't the guys that are there to go,
11:48Ooh,
11:49Jesus is here.
11:49I want to hear him.
11:50I want to see him.
11:51These are the guys who are like,
11:52what can we nail Jesus on today?
11:53What can we hear him say?
11:54What can we,
11:55what can we catch him doing that we can get him in trouble for?
12:00But the Bible doesn't say that the Pharisees grumbled.
12:04It says they all grumbled.
12:08Now they might not have said it out loud,
12:09but you know,
12:10there's got to be that.
12:12Really?
12:13This guy?
12:14Like,
12:14aren't you supposed to be like the King of Kings?
12:16Aren't you like the Messiah that was promised us?
12:18I mean,
12:18that's why we're here,
12:19right?
12:19We're not here because,
12:20you know,
12:21just some guys walking down the street.
12:22We're here because we heard Jesus is coming through.
12:25This Jesus,
12:26this is the Jesus that we've heard of.
12:27And as you're walking through,
12:29all these good people are here.
12:31All these sick people are here that you can heal.
12:33All these people are here that,
12:34that really need you.
12:35And you're going to waste your time on this guy.
12:40I mean,
12:41aren't you a Jew?
12:42I mean,
12:42Jesus was a Jew.
12:44You're going to waste your time on this guy.
12:51As soon as he talked to someone that the people did not deem worthy to talk to,
12:57they started to grumble.
13:01Why would he waste his time with such a man?
13:05What they didn't see was Zacchaeus wasn't just the chief tax collector.
13:11Zacchaeus wasn't just the guy that was,
13:12you know,
13:13kind of short in stature.
13:15Zacchaeus wasn't the rich guy that the Romans liked because he collected their money.
13:19Zacchaeus was a man that Jesus said,
13:21look at his heart.
13:23That's what I see.
13:24You guys are focused on the wrong thing.
13:27Look at his heart.
13:30Zacchaeus said that he was willing to give half of his goods to the poor.
13:33Now,
13:34this is something above and beyond.
13:36This is not Zacchaeus saying,
13:39you know,
13:40I'm going to give back,
13:42you know,
13:42just what I collected.
13:43He's saying,
13:43I'm a rich guy.
13:45I mean,
13:45a rich,
13:46rich guy.
13:47And half of what I own,
13:49half I'm willing to give to the poor.
13:51And on top of that,
13:52he says,
13:53if I cheated anybody,
13:55I mean,
13:55anybody,
13:56I'm going to give back what I cheated fourfold.
14:02You know what it doesn't say in Luke 19,
14:0416 or six through eight.
14:05What it doesn't say is,
14:06uh,
14:08Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down.
14:10And then Jesus said,
14:11now let's talk about how you can fix how bad of a person you are.
14:16Now let's talk about what you can do to make things right.
14:19Now let's talk about what you can do to be the type of person you're supposed to be.
14:26He went up to Zacchaeus and he said,
14:28I need you to come down from the tree because I'm going to come stay with you today.
14:40This traitorous scum who turned his back on his people who Jesus acknowledged.
14:48This is the,
14:48this is the Messiah.
14:49This is the guy that's been promised to him for all these,
14:51you know,
14:51all these centuries.
14:52This is the guy that's going to come save them.
14:55They just didn't get it.
14:56And it's not even the first time they didn't get it,
14:58especially the Pharisees,
14:59the,
14:59the,
15:00uh,
15:00spiritual leaders,
15:01so-called of these people that are there to,
15:03to help guide them in the word that was written.
15:06Uh,
15:06Matthew nine verses nine through 13 says,
15:08as Jesus passed on from there,
15:09he saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax booth.
15:12And he said to him,
15:12follow me.
15:13And he rose and followed him.
15:14And as Jesus reclined at the table in the house,
15:17behold,
15:17many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
15:22And when the Pharisees saw this,
15:23they said to his disciples,
15:24why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
15:27But when he heard it,
15:28he said,
15:29those who are well have no need of a physician,
15:31but those who are sick go and learn what this means.
15:34I desire mercy and not sacrifice for I came not to call the righteous,
15:37but sinners.
15:39Uh,
15:39there's one really important phrase here that I really think we need to look at for
15:43I came to call the righteous or for I came not to call the righteous,
15:47but the sinners.
15:50I don't know about you.
15:52I fall in the second category,
15:54I fall in the second category,
15:54not the first.
15:55I would love to say that I do my best to be as righteous as I can be.
15:59I try my best to,
16:00to live out of the word and follow Jesus's example.
16:03And I try to,
16:04I try to do my best to be as much like Christ as I can be.
16:08But every single day,
16:10time after time,
16:11after time,
16:12I fall short and I sin.
16:16And these so-called spiritual leaders are sitting there going,
16:19why are you wasting your time on,
16:20on these tax collectors and sinners?
16:22You,
16:22you notice they don't say like,
16:24you know,
16:24they're not specific with anything else.
16:26Other,
16:26other,
16:26uh,
16:26references might say,
16:27uh,
16:28tax collectors and prostitutes,
16:30but it's tax collectors and sinners because they're pretty equal at this
16:33point.
16:34You know how bad they are.
16:36What are you wasting your time with these guys for?
16:40Jesus is like,
16:41these are who I came to save.
16:43How do you not get that?
16:47We're human.
16:48And as unfortunate as that may be,
16:51it's not going to change.
16:53We don't see Zacchaeus.
16:55What we see is the sinner.
16:56We see the tax collector.
16:58We see the criminal.
16:59We see the homeless person.
17:02We see the people that we don't want to see instead of the people that we're
17:06supposed to see.
17:09That leads me to my final point.
17:13We plant the seeds.
17:15And Jesus,
17:16Jesus harvests the crops.
17:19Listen to what Jesus says,
17:20not to the Pharisees,
17:21not to the people,
17:22not even to his disciples,
17:23but look what he says to Zacchaeus in verse nine.
17:25It says,
17:26and he said to him,
17:27today,
17:27salvation has come to this house since he is also a son of Abraham.
17:35Not because,
17:36you know,
17:36not because he's,
17:37he,
17:38you know,
17:38because he's,
17:39he got saved because he's a tax collector.
17:41He got saved because of anything.
17:42He got saved because he's also son of Abraham.
17:44He got saved.
17:46He's one of us guys.
17:48How do you not get that?
17:49You're looking at him the wrong way.
17:51He's one of us.
17:54We're called to talk to people about our savior,
17:56nothing more and nothing less.
17:59But there's something that's very important that I need to point out here.
18:02That's something that I honestly think that we as Christians miss a lot of the times.
18:07It's not our job to save people.
18:12I went to a church before that we would give numbers once a month.
18:20X amount of kids got saved this,
18:22this month.
18:23X amount of kids got,
18:24we saved X amount of kids this month.
18:27Do you know how many kids we saved?
18:30Jesus did all the saving.
18:32It's our job to plant the seeds.
18:34It's our job to go out there.
18:35And share Jesus with every single person we see.
18:40Now it might look different for every person.
18:41It's not like one size fits all.
18:43It might be smiling at somebody as they walk through a door.
18:46It might be saying,
18:47God bless you to the barista that you just bought your coffee from.
18:50It might be when you,
18:52I used,
18:53anybody bought a bag of burgers at Dick's?
18:56Yeah, right.
18:58I know not me because I'm so,
18:59you know,
19:00thin and trim.
19:01But,
19:02you know,
19:02I don't know the last time I went to McDonald's about like,
19:05you know,
19:05a regular cheeseburger and a small fry.
19:07And that's,
19:08you know,
19:08that's what I ate.
19:09You know,
19:09if I'm,
19:09if I'm going through the drive-thru,
19:10I'm making it worth my while,
19:12you know,
19:12do you know how hard it is to press on that gas pedal?
19:14You know,
19:14it's rough.
19:15So,
19:16but,
19:16but then you drive by and you see somebody with a sign that says,
19:20I'm hungry.
19:20We'll work for food.
19:21And you're like,
19:21I'm not giving you money.
19:22If I give you money,
19:23you're going to spend it on who knows what.
19:25Well,
19:25I could reach in and grab one of the six,
19:27two cheeseburgers I bought and,
19:29you know,
19:30and give them a cheeseburger and say,
19:32God bless you.
19:33And then the seeds planted and then God can take the seed and God can,
19:38can water and God can fertilize and God can make it grow.
19:40And then who knows later on that seed that was planted by me telling somebody
19:45about Jesus might be harvested because Jesus says,
19:48this is what salvation is.
19:49I'm offering it to you.
19:50And they say,
19:51thank you,
19:53but we have to plant the seeds.
19:54That's what we're called to do.
19:56God gave us salvation.
19:57God gave us,
19:58God gave each one of us the most amazing gift we could ever have,
20:02which is salvation.
20:03He did all the hard work.
20:04He died on the cross.
20:05He rose from the dead.
20:06He took our sins on his shoulders.
20:08And all he asked us is he said,
20:11Hey,
20:11will you take that?
20:12And will you share it with other people?
20:16Well,
20:16I'm not pastor Mark.
20:18Are you nuts?
20:19I can't do that.
20:21I mean,
20:22I,
20:22you know,
20:23I don't even,
20:24I don't even have John three 16 memorized.
20:26Is there even a John three 16?
20:28That's crazy.
20:30You don't have to be pastor Mark.
20:31You don't have to have a theology doctor.
20:35You don't have to,
20:35you don't know the Bible inside and outside.
20:38Sometimes all you need to do is go up to somebody and say,
20:43God bless you.
20:43Or do you know Jesus or have a good day or something to show them Jesus's love.
20:53We can't do anything but plant the seed and God does all the growing.
20:58I don't do a lot of Facebook stuff at this point anymore.
21:00I just don't got the time,
21:03but I like the theological groups because then we get into theology discussions and I like the theology discussions.
21:09You know,
21:10you get somebody in there that likes to argue about,
21:11Oh,
21:12have you looked at this?
21:13You know,
21:13then,
21:13you know,
21:15nevermind.
21:15Okay.
21:16Let's be real.
21:17I do voice texting a lot.
21:18I don't type.
21:19But I'm in a group call.
21:21I'm in a group of theologians.
21:23And this picture came up on my post.
21:26Right.
21:26And,
21:27and I looked at it and,
21:28and this is the question that came up with the post.
21:32Would you welcome this person into your church?
21:35I was like,
21:36duh.
21:38I mean,
21:38not only would we welcome them in,
21:39we'd bring them into the front row.
21:41We'd hug them.
21:41You know,
21:42we'd say,
21:42glad you're here.
21:43Can we do anything to help out?
21:45Hope you come back next week.
21:47Of course we would.
21:48Right.
21:49Do you know how many quote unquote theologians,
21:52and this is a pastor group.
21:54Do you know how many quote unquote theologians said no?
22:00It was crazy.
22:02And I'm sitting there going,
22:03and I,
22:03you know,
22:04I try not to argue,
22:05but I'm like,
22:06really?
22:06Like,
22:07why not?
22:09Well,
22:09what if they think differently or,
22:10or,
22:11you know,
22:11she's not really dressed appropriately or,
22:13or,
22:15I'm going,
22:16man.
22:17And I,
22:17and in my head,
22:18I'm like,
22:19thank goodness for medical community church.
22:21Cause I know without a doubt that she'd be welcome here.
22:23Right.
22:26And then I looked at,
22:27and I'm thinking about that and I'm,
22:28and I'm getting ready.
22:29And then I thought,
22:30maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way.
22:31Maybe this is the question we need to ask.
22:35Would you tell this person about Jesus?
22:37If you pass by them on the street,
22:40or would you see them and go,
22:43I'm going to,
22:43you know,
22:44look over here for a second.
22:45There's no way she thinks like we do.
22:47There's no way that she can,
22:48you know,
22:49that,
22:49that she would want me to talk to her about Jesus.
22:51Of course.
22:52Right.
22:52Cause she thinks differently or she,
22:54maybe she dresses differently or,
22:55or she believes differently or,
22:57you know,
22:58God forbid,
22:59she,
22:59you know,
22:59doesn't agree with me,
23:02you know,
23:02politically or something.
23:03I can't talk to her about Jesus.
23:05We just,
23:05there's no way.
23:06And we don't.
23:10I had the opportunity to play with,
23:13I don't,
23:13I don't really know a lot about AI,
23:17except that you can play around and they can make pictures,
23:19which is really fun.
23:20So this is actually a picture I made.
23:22This is as far as I could go on.
23:24Yeah.
23:25Made.
23:26I typed in,
23:27this is what I want.
23:27This is what came out.
23:28I was even told after the first service that that's not a sycamore tree.
23:31And I went,
23:32it's a tree.
23:33Let's call it a day.
23:36But I made this picture and I just said,
23:41make me a picture of Zacchaeus in a tree looking down at Jesus.
23:44Now,
23:44I think that when we read the Bible and we think about Zacchaeus,
23:47we think about Jesus,
23:48we think about this,
23:50right?
23:50And we go,
23:50well,
23:51you know,
23:51of course,
23:52if I was around,
23:53I'd welcome Zacchaeus down.
23:54And I'd say,
23:55you know,
23:56I'd say,
23:56hey,
23:57you know,
23:57that's great.
23:57I'm so glad that Jesus talked to you.
23:59And I wouldn't be one of those people that were like offended that Jesus was talking to
24:03Zacchaeus,
24:04even though he's a tax collector or,
24:06or,
24:06or,
24:06you know,
24:07he,
24:07he's just that guy that we all hate because he went against the Jews.
24:10Right?
24:11I think we can all agree with that.
24:13But what if we tweak the picture?
24:16Can we go to the next picture?
24:19What if that was Zacchaeus?
24:22Would you have the same attitude?
24:24Could we still walk down the street?
24:26Could we still see that person and go,
24:29yeah,
24:30no problem.
24:30I don't,
24:31I don't care what's going on in their life.
24:32I can absolutely stop and talk to them about Jesus.
24:35Or would we go,
24:37just,
24:37I can't do it.
24:43God's not saying that if you talk to somebody,
24:46if you tell them about me and they say,
24:48no,
24:48you failed,
24:48that's not your job.
24:53Your job is to look past the outside onto what's on the inside.
24:57Your job is to sit there and go,
24:59Jesus would love this person no matter what.
25:03No matter if they agree with me or disagree with me.
25:06No matter if I like what they're doing or don't like what they're doing.
25:08No matter if I think they're quote unquote weird or not.
25:13My job as a believer,
25:15my job as someone who has had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ,
25:20salvation,
25:21the gift that he so amazingly gave to me.
25:25My job is to go to people,
25:26no matter what I think and say,
25:29do you know my Jesus?
25:33My job is to plant the seeds and then take a step back and watch while God
25:39makes it grow.
25:41Let's pray.
25:45Father God,
25:46I thank you for this day.
25:47I thank you just once again for the opportunity,
25:50to be in a place surrounded by a church family that,
25:53that just loves you father.
25:55And that loves each other.
25:56And that would welcome anybody in here father.
25:59And I thank you that we have this amazing place father.
26:02But I pray that as we leave this building,
26:04I pray that as we go out into the,
26:06into the world,
26:07that,
26:07that we look at people and we say,
26:09how can we plant the seeds?
26:10And father,
26:11give us the wisdom,
26:12give us the ability,
26:13give us what we need to be able to plant those seeds.
26:15Father,
26:16help us to make the harvest so big that,
26:19that it changes not only medical lake,
26:22that it changes Spokane,
26:23that it changes Washington,
26:24that it changes the world father.
26:27You are so amazing.
26:30You have such,
26:32the ability to change everything and everything that's wrong with the world
26:35today.
26:36You can change with a snap of your fingers,
26:39father,
26:40but people need you.
26:42People need you so bad.
26:43And I just pray that you give us ways to spread the seed,
26:46give us ways to,
26:47to,
26:47to let everybody know who you are so that the world can change.
26:51We thank you.
26:52We praise you in your name.
26:52We pray.
26:53Amen.