Jesus Is Greater Than Religion
Sermon Notes
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
- Luke 19:1-9
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
- Luke 19:4
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
- Luke 19:8
Table Group Resources
Mixer
Time Change is this Sunday, March 12 - do you prefer Fall Back, or Spring Ahead?
Neighborly - Daily Devotional
To get the Daily Devotionals delivered to you every morning, text ‘dailydevotional’ to 97000.
In the 2/27/23 entry, Your Mistakes Do Not Define You, Pastor Heidi encourages us to look at our mistakes as precious moments that allow you to gain wisdom, and to share what you have learned with the world around you. What is one past mistake where God has reminded you that He was with you and brought you through it? He allowed it - what do you think He wanted you to do with it? Hone in on something this week, pray about it, forgive yourself for it, and intentionally plan to share it with someone that can benefit too.
In the 3/2/23 entry, Overflow Of The Heart, Ethan Rounds addresses what we store up in our hearts by pointing us to an enlighting passage in scripture (James 3:8-10) that describes our tongues... To what degree does this passage describe what’s in your heart - even as a Christ-follower? What tends to overflow from your heart out through your mouth when you are angry, upset, disappointed, etc - and what are some ramifications of those words? What would you like to change, and how will you start? Spend some time meditating on Philippians 4:8 this week and come up with one action step you can take today to change something in your heart.
Sermon Questions
Scriptures: Luke 19:1-9
Zacchaeus was a powerful man in Jericho. What made him powerful? Citing both their words and their actions, how was Zacchaeus viewed by the people? Are there people in our society we harbor such feelings about? Why?
When Jesus spots Zacchaeus, where are each of them in relationship to one another? Who is seeking whom? How do you know?
In verse 5, what does Jesus ask? Do you think a powerful man such as Zacchaeus was accustomed to being talked to in this way? In verse 6, how does Zacchaeus respond? Is this the typical response of a powerful man? What is different? Why?
The people in the crowd mutter about Zacchaeus being a sinner. Pastor Jared addressed how our “religious impulses” create false hierarchies in an attempt to elevate our own standing in the world and lower others. If you’re honest with yourself, would you have been a part of the muttering crowd? Why or why not?
In verse 8, Zacchaeus makes a Go First declaration. Do you think it was a spontaneous response or one that had been brewing for a while? This interaction could have occurred privately at Zacchaeus’ house later in the evening, but instead, it occurs there on the road in Jericho. How does this become significant for all parties – for Zacchaeus, for the muttering people, and for Jesus?
In verses 9-10, Jesus speaks. Who is He addressing in verse 9 and what message is He conveying? How about verse 10? Who is He addressing and why? If we also desire Jesus’ approval, what can we learn from Zacchaeus’ example?
Serve
Youth Wellbeing | Meal Packing | Mar 11th
Come join us for a family-friendly meal packing event benefiting the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program.
Head here to Serve in the Community.
Pray
Jesus reminds us there will be times we can literally serve God by serving those around us with a meal, clothes, and other basic necessities. Use this scripture (below) to pray over our Community Meal Packing event this Saturday, benefitting the Food 4 Kids Food Bank. Because 1 in 5 people in California are living close to the poverty line, or are one life event away from a financial crisis, we want to collide with the issues of our city in 2023 and know of no better way to start than with feeding the families of our next generation. Pray that our efforts will serve God through providing for basic needs of others, especially the most vulnerable youth across our county.
“‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”
Matthew 25:35-36
