Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the word of God spread throughout all me know join is now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina and Jesus entered and passed through Jericho and behold, there was a man named Zach. He is which was the chief among the publicans and he was rich, and he sought and noticed these three words that we got for a message today. He sought to see Jesus who he was and could not for the press, because he was a little of stature and he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way and when Jesus came to notice this three letter word here.

It changes everything. When he came to the place done say that Jesus came to a place says that Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him, and said unto him, Zach ES. Now the Bible says one thing and the song says the other what you want to say when you say that PS you calm down. I know I know you want to form going to your house to talk a lot. Notice what he says is amazing how many children song were totally out of screwed notice joke Zach ES make haste, and come down for today I must abide at thy house, and he made haste, and came down and received him joyfully when they saw and who are they, they are the press, not newspaper press, but as the Bible said that Zaki is could not get to Jesus because of the press it's the crowd it's the people in the Bible says that they nets were talk about here and when they sought verse seven. They all murmured, saying that he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner and Zakia stood and said unto the Lord.

Behold, Lord. The half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Jesus said to him, this day is salvation come to this house for as much as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost. That's a great story and it this is not a parable.

This is a story. What are you superrich what is the difference well parables, we don't know if they actually happened or not they were illustrations that Jesus gave it doesn't mean that they didn't happen. It means that Jesus didn't give the names of the individuals there are times here. I would say well if I had an individual one time and I'll give you, I'll tell you what happened and I didn't give you the name use it as an illustration, but I don't mean it didn't really happen I just withheld the name and some of the parables that Jesus gave we don't know.

It might be that they actually did happen he just didn't give us the names but this one he gave us the names he gave us accreditation and we know that this actually happen. I want you to notice as before, we pray. It said that Zaki us and we'll talk about this, but at the end of the story.

When he got right with God.

He said that anybody that I have taken money from or taken from by false accusation, or had done it. Not legally or not correctly or not. Honestly, he said I will restore him fourfold. Now that's an interesting thing. Could you imagine if you are a businessman like like Zaki's was we'll talk about everything that he did and you had taken got quite a bit of money over the years. The Bible says he was a rich man and you decide that you're to restore everything that you ever took this honestly fourfold. That's major, isn't it. I am, I forget how long I had been back to Kerwin and I will withhold the names. This might be a parable. This actually happened but II had not been back here very long and I had a gentleman contact me and asked to meet with me in Winston saw it met with him and I would always and never share any names or anything like this and this gentleman happened to have attended our school in the past and I met with him and he said dumb years ago when I was at the school. I forget on probably. I think he might've said three or four occasions. I remember him as more or less but on three or four occasions he had taken money from the cafeteria lunch box them the money box that they would do. Kids would buy their lunch and he had taken money from that box and I thought maybe fees if he just met to try to you know get off his chest and obviously had been bothering him, and by the way, that's a good thing that that's been bothering you. The worst thing is when it doesn't bother you when you do things like that had been years ago and course I would been content to disable Bush are your forgiven brother, you know, kind of the thing. But he brought up the story and he said I want to make it right and does not go to this church so don't try to guess who it is. Doesn't go to the church or anything and he handed me a check for $25,000 is that I want to make things right with God. Now when you view have ever taken money from our I pray that the Holy Spirit will convict you today. He didn't give me. I was immediately gave that money to the church and part of that money as we added to Christmas offering redid most. Much of this back room, where we have Sunday school classes.

We first came to begin to try to reduce things and make it nicer and help her to some of this carpet in here that we try to make nice is the first time I never had that really happen to me any kind brought up this that we know when you get right with God. You don't want to just make things right. You want to make things really right. That's when you know that your sincere isn't it. Let's pray to see Jesus Lord we long today to see you, Lord, we are reminded here of an individual that wanted to see you so desperately that he did everything in his power to see you, Lord. I think if we are honest, there would be individuals, some of us sitting here this morning that would say it's been a while since I've seen Jesus, been a while since I seen him work.

Been a while since I felt him in my life Lord I pray that maybe through this familiar, literally childhood story that we all know, somehow, Lord, you would put in us the desire again today to see you for who you really are. In Jesus name, amen. Honest points of the anniversary before I get started in our outline today. You'll notice in verse three. The Bible says Zakia sought to see Jesus. And if you would a stop right there.

That would've been one thing and that would've been great.

The Bible says that Zakia sought to see Jesus, who he was. It was one thing to say what I like to I like to see and experience. Jesus is another thing to say. You know what I want to see who Jesus really is. I want to know him that closely and intimately that I know who Jesus is and I know what he can do. I want you to notice first off this morning as we can talk about this man Zaki is. If you're not familiar Zakia's was a tax collector, verse two tells us that he was chief among the publicans, whether you realize it or not. That means in tells us that he was the head tax collector. He was in charge and that means that he obviously could do just about anything he wanted to do.

People individuals in that community hated him because he had defrauded most of them out of their money you save a preacher.

How do you know that it's just common knowledge Rome at this time had a standard rate and men like Zaki is Rome would say this is what we want from our people and that's is the tax that they're going to pay and Zaki is as the head tax collector could charge them any amount over that for tax and keep it there were no checks and balance system in place. He had the ability to do that. There was no accountability. And so, in these days.

Tax collectors were despised because they would literally charge more than they probably needed to charge but you had to pay it or you obviously would be in big trouble. So Zakia said been a very dishonest individual. And let's be honest, he was no different probably than any other tax collector in his time because that's what they did. That's how they made their money and they made a lot of money. Many of them in the Bible says that he was very rich so you understand a little bit about Zakia's the people had no choice on the taxes that they were charged anybody else feel their pain.

I just wanted to bring that into play. This morning has nothing to do with the message I just wanted to say that now while Zaki has had wealth. The Bible says that he was a rich man.

He had prominence. He was chief tax collector. The Bible says he was rich so we know that he had authority.

We know that he had wealth, his financial, political and social connections. As great as they were.

We know from this story that for some reason there was still a need, and Zaki is his life that was not fulfilled. There was something still missing and Zaki us did not know what it was to look at me if Zaki's was 100% fulfilled happy and content with his life. Why would he have tried to run down and find out who Jesus is, dear friend. We always say it but I want you to know wealth material things.

All these things. There's nothing wrong with any of them, but I want you to know that they do not bring fulfillment in life as long as you know that everybody acts as if it's wrong to have things it is not wrong to have things and I've told you I am lucky to get on this hobbyhorse again but I am thrilled anytime one of our people that I know or even someone with that are Christians and they serve God. I am thrilled when God blesses them and gives them things and they they get a new car. They get a new house now. I am thrilled for them and there to be one place that they shouldn't people should be jealous or envious it to be in the house of God.

Amen.

Well understand that.

But Zaki us had found that he had everything that really money and position could get him but there was still something missing. Now I want you to notice if you would, in verse three. The Bible says he sought to see Jesus for who he was now in my mind.

I have often thought, why did Zaki is want to go find Jesus second question is this how did Zaki is even hear about Jesus. What was it about what he heard.

That made him interested to find out about Jesus. The only thing I could think up because he had not ever seen them before. We know from the story he had never been around Jesus he had never even been close to Jesus. So the only thing I can think of is that somehow and Zaki as his line of work through the individuals that he collected tax from somehow he saw a difference in some of those individuals and the connection was that they had a relationship with Jesus and that made him want to find out what he could about Jesus. I have thought my mind could you imagine in the God doesn't tell us all that happened, but could you just imagine the possibilities. I could see Zaki is walking through obviously town and he was busy about his day probably had his morning coffee and Danish or some like that and I could see them probably walk around and going by a house in it had been vacant and he sees that now there somebody living there at this house and I could see Zaki is realizing well somebody new is living here and I need to collect their taxes. They were living your before this was a vacant house. I don't understand.

I can see him, knocking on the door and this lady comes out to the door and and he looks at a recent will, ma'am, I see that you're living here now. She said yeah I haven't that I have been in this house for a long period of time but now my life is different and I'm back here at home and he said will will will man what you mean and she says well and to be honest with you I have been the kind of an individual that I had been with a bunch of different men been with married men and and I just really was going for one place. The other I was living with a man that wasn't even my husband at that time but I went to the well one day and I was sitting there at the well, and I was thinking about my life that you know something is missing out of my life and there's this man named Jesus and he came and sat down at that well and you know what he just somehow, I don't know how he knew everything about my life. He knew I had done wrong.

He knew that I was living with an individual he knew that I had at had had the promiscuous life but for some reason this man, I believe he was a prophet and and now I believe I know he was the son of God, and he told me everything that I did my life, but he didn't judge me and he didn't criticize me. He simply told me that he had water that would give me water that I would never thirst again and all of a sudden all these men showed up and they were going to criticize me and he drew in the sand.

I don't know what he said but they left me alone in my life been different ever since. And I've got my heart right now I'm in a house.

Now I want to do something for that guy. I can see Zaki is thinkable why goodness will lose what you owe on taxes and I'm sure he was used to people say wise is ridiculous. And we know what this you know he taught me that I need to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and here you go exhibiting me and ask him going to the next house you know and here's maybe a family that lived there for years, or some kids and maybe a wife.

We don't know, and it always gone there's never a man there like symbol in excess not on that door and all of a sudden a man opens the door he said yes or can I help you, and you can't take back is what you note for my name Zaki is on the chief tax collector. Okay so will Sir. I'm not used to seeing you here are are the same people delivery so yeah this my wife is my kids and I can seem salable will schools are where you know where you been, are you new visa magazines and oh no we solicit. I gotta tell you what happened to me is that I've had is disease and I have been sick for years and you know the pool of Bethesda down there.

You know how that every morning the Angels would come in, they would just touch that water in the first person in the water. They get healed and he said I was laying there by that pool had no II just live there my whole life and I was just waiting for the chance you have.

But because of my health. I couldn't get in the pool first and he said I I've never could get healed and he said here. I got kids and a wife, and I couldn't work I could provide for my could do anything so I just live there.

At that point I been there all these years. That's why have been home. He said, but the other day. There's a man named Jesus that came by and he said everybody always beat me into the pool when he said that he came up and he touched me when he touched resubmit.

I stood up for the first time in years. If he said I'm not lame anymore is that I rolled up at been through that battle ladies and I came back home, got a job now and am providing for my family reason Jesus changed everything in my life. I can see Zaki is in what will this what you owe in taxes. I can see them going to this other house and the knobs you knew that nobody lived there and as he went by and he saw that man also now there's shrubs in the front. Now there's curtains on the windows and now they got a flag you know hanging on the door some like that through biblical on the tell you right now. I had a Tar Heel flag hanging from the door. You know some like that.

I just lost half of you did. I'm sorry, I could see them walking up and literally thinking will manage them either lives in this house not seem kind of going up on the door and think I got a new customer and I can yo I can the money from this.

Also in this man opens the door and this man just clean-shaven and and and all put together and look in there like a sharp individual and become like to so will will Sir my name Zaki is on head tax collector and I can see them as it was good to meet you disable will Sir I see that you know you're new here of you just moved into the area and I could see the man is aware, you could say that Zaki is awarded talk about is that we not move it.

Shame to tell you this but I used to live in this little island called to Dara and and I what they called a maniac and he said I know you're not to believe this but I used to run around the graveyards and he said I was a ticket.

I didn't have any clothes on.

I cut myself and amuse myself is that I would run around. I had stuff here everywhere and he said I just was nuts and out of my mind. I was run around and he said people were scared of me in the state away from me and I can see Zaki is thinking will you knock on.

Remember that there was some strange guy on the island of your Dara and he said you know it was like that is about the taste of theirs is manning and he showed up there and he said that he says here I was, nobody had anything to do with me scared half to death because I was out of my mind and he said Jesus came up and he cast the demons that were in my life and controlling me city cast those devils out and he said as soon as he did that he said I was back in my right mind, and I knew what I was doing and he said I gave my heart to Jesus he said about my life. Cleaned up and he said would you believe what he cast those devils out. They said you know what we don't want to go into the sea. And Jesus said you get into the sea and the demons wouldn't go and so God is all right and so God, Jesus, the Bible says cast those demons into the pigs and the pigs went to the sea. See Zaki assist with anything. I moved here I'm get my life right got a job is that you know and go around telling folks about Jesus. Zaki is have you ever met Jesus as he changed my life completely. See Zaki is just forget the tax and everything is walking away. I don't know how many people he met.

I don't know how many stories he heard, but something along the way Zaki us realized they got something I don't have. I'm collecting their taxes and I'm get money from them and I got all the things I got the house and I got the things that they got something in their little house that I don't have in my big house and I got something in all their lack of things that I don't have it all my things I gotta figure out exactly what's going on.

So Zaki is said on the last few began to ask around. Where have you heard about Jesus where this Jesus guy going to beat him to go check them out and when he finally found out the Bible says he sought to see Jesus what you notice number one this morning. The difficulties of seeing him. If you notice in verse three.

The Bible says he sought to see Jesus who he was and could not for the press people were in the way you know how often life people are what's in the way for you to see Jesus.

Sometimes you can be set right in the church and you're worried about people you're worried about what they might think or what they might say so many times in our lives. We have influences in and friendships and relationships that are leading us down the wrong way and taking us down the wrong road and Zaki is as he was seeking to get to Jesus. Apparently he was kind of late showing up where Jesus was. Maybe it just found out that you know what he's about 10 miles down we hear that there's a thing going on there today I can see Zaki is getting there, but the Bible says the press was already there.

The crowd was already there and Zaki is going to got there, he couldn't see him, because people were in the way and I'm here to tell you in your life if you try to get to Jesus saying will always put people in the way will always be in the way dear friend you got to determine today whether you want Jesus more than you want people and if you been saved, you gotta determine that you know what if I'm not right with God and I'm not as excited about church as I used to be, and I'm not is convicted by preaching as I used to be and I don't get my Bible like I used to and I don't think about spiritual things like I used to. Will dear friend you better check your life and literature influences look at your relationships and say you know what maybe there's some people that I need to get away from so that I can get back to Jesus where I need to be the difficulty of seeing him. The difficulty number one under that of the crowds number two we see the difficulty of his condition. The Bible says here in verse three. Obviously, that he sought to see Jesus who he was. He could not for the press, because the Bible says he was a little of stature. He couldn't get to Jesus because of others and he literally felt he couldn't get the Jesus because of himself. This is something about him. He couldn't change. This is something that kept him from being able to see Jesus like you wanted to. But there's nothing he could do about this. You might be here this morning. You might say preacher. I would love to see Jesus and I would love to get close to Jesus. But I've done some things in my life and I can't change it and I got some things in my past that I wish it were different, if I knew better now. I made L1 number not done these things and in the way in dear friend you might have a condition or past your circumstances and your bringing that to the table and you think that's going to keep me from getting to Jesus, dear friend, it will. I believe when you desire to see the Lord.

You need to understand that there will always be obstacles that Satan puts in your way to use people, but even more importantly, he'll use you to use your guilt still use your shortcomings. He'll tell you hey don't you go don't you go volunteer to serve at this church and things of this church here know you're not you. You can't teach a Sunday school class. You can't work on a bus route. You can help you want is you can't coach upward. You can do all those things this thing about all they say there's is no way and listen.

Satan will put your self in the way if you can. All I'm saying is this, that when you go after Jesus Christ. When you develop a desire within your heart to see him. You can rest assured that there will be difficulties and you gotta decide even your to overcome those obstacles, or you're gonna let them stand in your way, you got two choices want you to notice number three. The difficulty of the critics, not just the difficulty of the crowd and the difficulty obviously of his condition, but if you'll notice in verse seven, the difficulty of the critics I thought this was interesting what you would verse seven and when they saw the very crowd that was keeping him away from Jesus. In the meantime, Zaki is meets Jesus and Jesus goes to his house with them will talk about that a minute and look what happens after Jesus does that. See Zaki S goes to Zaki is his house for seven and when they saw it, they all murmured, saying already. Zaki is heading got saved, yet in the critics are there no notice how they criticized first. They criticized Zaki us notice what they said in the verse seven that Jesus had gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner. All they are one to talk, by the way they were right. Zaki's was a sinner.

What they forgot to mention that there sinners to so they criticized Zaki us and and in the you have these people had to be religious. They had to be only religious people start criticizing sinners sinners don't normally criticize sinners religious people criticize sinners, what you know to secondly then they criticized Jesus, they criticized Jesus for going to Zaki as his house and nobody can make them happy. They criticized Zaki is because he's a sinner and then they criticized Jesus because he's trying to say that center they sent dear friend I'm learning there's always critics criticism is easy. It's just easy.

Makes you feel better if I tear them down.

I feel better, it justifies your laziness because if somebody is doing something to criticize them. You don't feel so bad for not being the one doing anything and not making an effort criticism. It is is easy limitation on that I found out that really there is not, as many critics as you think there are there's just a few in their loud limitations when you serve God you can't let critics get your way and you can let them discourage you because you know I Jesus has a job and his job was to get to that sinner and Jesus was going to get to that sinner. It didn't matter who said what God's people said Amen. The difficulties of seeing a number two I want you to see the dedication of seeing him, noticing he would verse four the Bible says that Zaki us ran before and climbed up into the sycamore tree to see him. So what is says here is that he got there and he couldn't see over the crowd. So, we realize that Jesus was traveling a certain direction to the Bible says that he is literally physically ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up in a tree not found that interesting a limited why I don't know if you've ever thought about this in the story, it should be enough that he ran ahead of the crowd you the first one line you think all right I got my spot but he was short of stature. So I think Zaki us wanted to see Jesus so desperately that even if you got ahead of the crown. He wanted to make sure he was in a high enough spot so at last minute, some I didn't come stand in front of him, or three or four people come stand in front of him and block his view again.

He got there ahead of time and he climbed up in the sycamore tree so that nobody could block his view, dear friend.

That's the only way you're going to get around.

The crowd is if you run away from them and you get yourself in a place high enough that they can't bother you, whether you know it or not that's good ability to burn his regular owing to notice under the dedication of seeing him number one, it required effort. The Bible says he ran before, and climbed ran and climb both of these things indicate that Zaki us wanted to see Jesus and he was willing to do anything. It took to be able to climbing into the tree is not the easiest thing for a man of short stature, outrunning a crowd is not the easiest thing for a man of short stature, but I've said it before and I'll say it again when you want something as a human being you do anything you can do to get it. You want Jesus that bad.

Do I want Jesus that bad. It required effort. It will cost you something to see Jesus.

Are you still with me got just a couple minutes it will cost you something to see Jesus, the price will be prayer, the price will be time in God's word, the price will be attendance to his house, the price will be turning away from your sin, the price will be sacrificing. Sometimes your pride and your will and your way. I'm here to tell you, for you and I to see Jesus it's going to cost us something and it's going to take effort, but it'll be well worth whatever you can you sacrifice and it will be worth whatever it cost you for listening to you received a blessing from our broadcast the Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Rd. in Kernersville, NC may also contact us by phone at 33699351924 Kerwin Baptist Church.com enjoy our services line all our media on her website and church.

Thank you for listening.

Kerwin broadcast God bless