Lesson 6 – Action
Luke 19:1-10 …a point at which an important decision must be made
Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.
"Happy are the meek." Matthew 5:5a (TEV)
Step 3: We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.
"Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1
Accept
Commit
Turn it over
It's only the beginning
One day at a time
Next step
ACCEPT – The first step – Accept Jesus Christ as your Higher Power and Savior!
This is a once in a lifetime decision:
Rom 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Heb 13:5b – "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Rom 8:1 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
COMMIT – to seek and follow His will! Willpower becomes the willingness to accept God's power to guide your life. The tension between all about me or all about God.
2 Tim 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
1 Jn 4:4 – You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Ps 143:10 – Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
TURN- it over. "Let go and let God"
Proverbs 3:6 – in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
In everything you do…not just some things
Mt 11:28-30 – "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Eph 6:13 – Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING – The miracle doesn't happen overnight
Phil 1:6 – being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Recovery is not a 3 principle program – it's just the beginning of a new life lived….
ONE DAY AT A TIME – if we remain stuck in the yesterday or constantly worry about tomorrow; we will waste the precious time of the present. It is only in the present that change and growth can occur. We can't change yesterday and we can only pray about tomorrow.
Mt 6:34 – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own
2 Pet 3:8-9 – But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
NEXT STEP – to ask Jesus Christ into your life – a daily rededication
2 Cor 13:5 – Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and showed he was God by coming back to life – 1 Cor 15:2-4
Accept God's forgiveness for my sins – Rom 3:22
Switch to God's plan for my life – Rom 12:2
Express my desire for Christ to be the director of my life – Rom 10:9
Prayer:
Dear God, I believe You sent your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins so I can be forgiven. I'm sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from them and live the rest of my life the way You want me to live it. Please put Your Spirit in my life to direct me and guide me. AMEN.
A. Luke 19 - Jesus and Zacchaeus
A little bit of background:
The crowd:
uk 19:1-4) Zacchaeus climbs a tree and risks ridicule to see Jesus.
[1-4] Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
a. He sought to see who Jesus was: sought to see are two Greek words – zēteō and eidō = "crave to know," but could not because of the crowd. Sometimes the crowd we hangout with can keep us from Jesus.
2. (Luk 19:5-6) Jesus invites Himself to Zacchaeus' house.
[5-6] And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
a. Make haste and come down: If he did not lower himself he would never meet Jesus.
b. And received Him: Jesus would only come into the house of Zacchaeus and into his life if invited, if received. He received Jesus first, and then started a relationship with Him.
Step 3 – Turned our lives and our wills over.
3. (Luk 19:7-10) Zacchaeus renounces his sin and Jesus proclaims his salvation.
[7-10] But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
a. Look, Lord…I restore fourfold: In receiving Jesus and spending just a little time with Him, Zacchaeus knew he had to repent and make restitution. First he just sought after Jesus; but in seeking Jesus he also came to seek repentance.
b. Today salvation has come to this house: Jesus knew that the repentant Zacchaeus was saved, rescued from the bondage, power, guilt, and penalty of his sin.
