Make A Forward Move
“ 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” —Matthew 9:35-36
“ 37 Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest fields.’” —Matthew 9:37-38
“ 1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’ 8 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.’ 9 Jesus said to him, ‘Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.’” —Luke 19:1-10
“ 31 We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, 33 flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” —Luke 18:31-33
“ 20 Jesus said, ‘I stand at the door and knock, and if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.’” —Revelation 3:20
Big Idea: Jesus moved towards Zacchaeus—a man who was lost and lonely—and it changed his life.
(1.) Reach is about moving toward the lost
“ 1 Now the tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” —Luke 15:1-2
“ 14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” —John 1:14 (MSG)
(2.) Reach is about moving towards the lonely
“ 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” —Romans 10:14-15