Sermon – “Let Him Reign”

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. ⁵ 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.” ⁶ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ⁷ But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

⁸ 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.”

⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

¹¹ Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. ¹² Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. ¹³ So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

¹⁵ “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. ¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ ¹⁹ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

²⁰ “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. ²¹ For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. ²³ Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’

²⁴ “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ ²⁵ (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) ²⁶ ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ²⁷ But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”

¹⁷ Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰ And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

²¹ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

²² But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

This morning I titled my message let him rain last week we had to him saying but us read a scripture from Luke an awesome believe I’m going to use that for next week we need to let him reign in every area every aspect of our lives I actually hadn’t pre-war day but I’m going to break the scripture up it’s quite a long reading Luke 191 through 27 we’re going to read one through 10 to begin with I’m going to work on that number go back and get the rest of it before we begin let’s just go ahead and write

Heavenly Father we thank you and praise you thank you for Emmanuel Well God with us we thank you Father for your Son Jesus Christ who came to this service took on flesh became one of us that he would know that you would know what we deal with on this life the temptations and all those things that come upon us but yet he was without sin we thank you for that and thank you for your faithfulness we thank you for your amazing redemption that you have reconciled manage to yourself through your Son Jesus Christ and we thank you for your Holy Spirit to guide us and leads us to work up whenever we call upon you we know that you Center Spirit to help us pray your spirit would be present in this place today that your word would be proclaimed that Hearts would be touched and moved and if your kingdom would be exalted in Jesus’ name we pray Amen

All right so we begin with verses one through 10 Luke Chapter 19 told there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector

and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus 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 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 received him joyfully but when they that’s the crowd when they saw it they all complained saying he is going to be a guest with a man who is a sinner there is a key is stood and said to the Lord look Lord I give half of my goods to the poor in 5 taking anything from anyone by false accusation I resort fourfold and Jesus said to him to day salvation has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost

so I’ll ask you if he has come to seek in save that which was lost how could he say them if he did not go in to them

they looked and complain but not knowing that he must go into them go be with them if he’s going to see can say that which was lost they men you know that the name Zacchaeus they one know what it means it means righteous one

a kind of amazing isn’t it Zacchaeus means righteous one but I know that there is no doubt that the religious community in Jericho and probably most of the citizens there would not have considered Zacchaeus to be a righteous man would

as a matter of fact said look at him he’s went to be in with center he want to be with this sooner. You know not only was he a tax collector he was a chief tax collectors what the the word said so he was a supervisor over the tax collectors tax collectors publicans in those days they were notorious for collecting more taxes then was required so let’s say for example Rome says we’re going to tax a people 5 percent 5 percent of the ring common this you throw numbers out there I don’t know what the actual numbers was but let’s say Rome says all right I meant we are all these tax collectors and we’re going to charge everybody 5 percent tax and anything over an above that you get is yours so the tax collectors and they might charge 7 percent or even 10 percent who knows because anything above and above what Rome would charge would be money in their pocket so imagine that So let’s say our nation’s being run by China they send in these tax collectors we’re not going to like it we’re not going to like given money to them you know the religious leaders are really all opposed the taxes that were imposed on them by the Roman authority because they know that that it was a secular government that supported heathen gods so they knew that their money was going to be used to support things that they did not condone that they were opposed to so that’s one reason that the religious leaders oppose the taxes that were imposed on them you know we as believers

hopefully most of us we have things that we are strongly opposed to don’t we I mean I know that I’m strongly opposed to abortion because it is taking the life of an innocent baby so I’m opposed to that but I know that the taxes I pay that there’s probably a small percentage of that goes it actually supports abortion door government.

I know that you know they’re really drawn back the money that’s gone into Planned Parenthood but we know that still part of it goes to pay for things that we don’t support morally that we are opposed to you know wouldn’t it be a nice you know when you get your tie them Lopes on the free room below but you can just put General giving or you can put for a building fund or you can put for missions or you can put whatever on there and in the church if you put it to go to a certain thing that’s where your money’s gone what in the b. lice of our tax forms came and we could earmark were money would go to maybe we ought to send that suggestion and I wonder if they’ll accept that but it would be nice that way we would know their money is not going to support something that we were strongly opposed to

but we had Lector officials and we just given faith hopefully we’ll spend it in a in a in a right way right

but you know we do per taxes because we like to have nice roads to drive one we like a lot of the programs that help support those that have a heart can support themselves to help the elderly so we do they have a lot of good programs but we are opposed to some right so back to my point so these people were thinking how could Jesus go in and be in the home of such a traitor Amanda takes taxes from his own people

how could he associate with such people

you know there was a lot of discrimination in those days

a lot of criticism about the things that Jesus did in people that he kept company with the times but Jesus did not concern himself with the criticism of the people or the religious community.

You know they all complain but he did not let that deter him and my friends neither should we allow what others think of our ministry or think of us to deter us from sharing the gospel message for doing the work of the kingdom we should not let what others think deter us from doing that Jesus said the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost and my friends Zacchaeus was lost he was a sinner just as they claimed he was he was a center but here’s the key he sought Jesus the Word said he sought Jesus he sought to see him the Greek word is Zeke towed it means literally to seek to seek out why was he seeking out Jesus was obviously you know he’s a tax collector he’s out among the people and he’s here and all of the wonderful reports of this man that is teaching with authority like they’ve never heard before this man that is open blinded eyes and making the lame walk he’s heard of the wonderful things he is doing in teaching so he’s wanting to find out about him he’s wanting to see this Jesus that everyone is so amazed with

but there’s something about this passage in Jesus’ interaction with Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus his words that I find so amazing and it’s the few nys of words there’s not a word I just make that up is the few words that are spoken at least that is recorded in a scripture.

Jesus said to Zacchaeus Zacchaeus make haste and come down for today I must stay in your house now love my red letter bible because that way you know exactly what Jesus said right 14 words is all that was there so I can make haste and come down then Luke records so he made haste came down and received him joyfully So that was what Luke put in there now remember Luke is always paying attention to a lot of detail so then Zacchaeus stood up and said 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 25 words

that’s all 25 words there and then at the end of that passage Jesus said to day so they should has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham for the Son of Man has come to see can say that which was lost so you think Ok Were there more words were there more exchange them what was actually recorded here possibly yes it is very possible it could be that Luke decided he would only record the most important part of the the whole conversation or event were Jesus went to be exact is this home that could very well be but all we have is this those 14 words from Jesus 25 from Zacchaeus and then another 31 from Jesus

there could have been more conversation but we don’t know that so I’m not going to say that they’re absolutely was but I can’t say that there wasn’t Jesus might have been teaching him about the cane of God and repentance and all that I don’t know but after he gets into the house Zacchaeus stands up and says Lord I give half of my goods to the poor. And you know what but I can also say this it could very well have been just by the presence of Jesus being there that Zacchaeus was moved that is heart was softened his heart was broken that he knew that he was in the presence of almighty God

in it’s obvious that there was a change in the smart because he stood up in there was repentance there there is repentance anything that I may have done anyone that I may have wronged I’m going to make it right so my friends it begins 1st with seeking and then we see the next step don’t we it’s repentance in fact he has repented and I’m sure they did not they is in the crowd did not like to hear that he too was a son of Abraham

but Jesus said He is he is a son of Abraham Jeremiah 2913

says and you will seek Me and find me when you search for Me with all of your heart

my friends I like to look at that as a promise that’s a promise to any who do not know God and do not know his son Jesus Christ that if you seek Him you will find him when you seek Him with all of your heart He will be found he can be found

so that he is we can see its repentance but you know there was another story told of Jesus encounter with another rich man Zacchaeus being a rich man I Here was another one with another rich man it’s in Mark chapter 10 for 17 through 22.

Now as he was going out on the road one came running knelt before him and asked him good teacher what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life so Jesus said to him Why do you call me good no one is good but one and that is God why you know the commandments do not commit adultery do not murder do not steal do not bear false witness do not defraud honor your father and mother and he answered and said to him Teacher all these things I have kept from my youth then Jesus looking at him loved him and said to him one thing you lack go your way sell whatever you have and give to the poor and you will have trays are in Heaven and come take up the cross and follow me but he was sad at this word and went away sorrowful for he had great possessions you know both saw Jesus

one climbed a tree to be able to see Jesus the other came running down the road and even knelt before him but why the different outcomes you know one decided to cling to the good.

Cling to his goods one decided I can’t give up all these things I can’t go sell these things so he decided to cling to his great possessions but the other decided that he found something that was of greater value than all the things of this world

didn’t.

He sit up and give half to the poor and our store for photo anyone that I be for audit he knew that nothing in this world is of greater value than Jesus’ love than his salvation that he freely gives to all who will receive him

the forgiveness of our sins my friends the hope of eternal life. It is God’s reconciliation of man

so now I’m going to move to the 2nd story if you will this passage and I believe that there’s a little bit of a connection between these 2 although that is 2 very different stories believe that there could be a little bit of a connection which I’ll get to

so I want to read verses 11 through 27

now as they heard these things he spoke another purple so as Jesus is speaking in the crowd heard these sayings he’s going to speak a parable to the people so I guess he spoke another parable because he was near Jerusalem because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately so more pause for a moment so those that were listening those in the crowd and maybe even the disciples they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear immediately they thought they were going to take Jesus put him on the throne and he was going to deliver them from the Romans deliver them from the Roman rule and that he was going to rule so that’s what they were thinking that the Kingdom of God would come immediately verse 12 so therefore because of knowing your thoughts he says Therefore he said a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return so he called 10 of his servants delivered then to them 10 minus and said to them do business till I come but his citizens hated him and Senate delegation after him saying we will not have this man reign over us and so it was that when he returned having received the kingdom he then commanded the servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him that they might know how much every man had gain by training then came the 1st saying Master Your mind has earned 10 minus. And he said to him Well done good servant because you were faithful with very little have authority over 10 cities and a 2nd came saying Master Your mind has earned 5 minus Likewise he said to him You also be over 5 cities then another came saying Master here is your mind which I have kept put away in a handkerchief for I feared you because you are an a steer man you collect where you do not deposit and reap what you do not so and he said to him out of your mouth I would judge you you wicked servant you knew that I was in a steer man and that means to be severe to be stern or morally strict collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not so why then did you not put my money in the bank that at my coming I might have collected it with interest and he said to those who stood by take the Mynah from him and give it to him who has 10 minus but they said to him Master he has 10 minus for us say to you that to everyone who has will be given and from him who does not have even what he has will be taken away from him but bring the bring here those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and slay them before me

you know Jesus in His ministry talks a great deal about money

and we know because the word says it out of the treasures of your heart

out of the treasures of the treasures of your heart so it’s what’s in your heart what do you hold dear to your heart and he knows that a lot of people hold their possessions their money their things so dear to their heart

is what will be revealed in our lives reveal it but this message is that Jesus shared here this parable is more than just about the mind is about the money it’s about faithfulness. It’s about faithfulness because in this passage

the nobleman is Jesus

because they’re thinking that Cain is going to come immediately so he say in. This nobleman will go into a far country and receive a kingdom for himself so Jesus is the nobleman and he’s trying to explain to them it’s not going to happen immediately my friend it’s been over 2000 years has been over 2000 years ago Jesus went into the far country words up for country heaven Jesus went to happen to be at the right hand of the Father and he has been given power and authority all power and authority has been given to him so Jesus is the nobleman he is the one that represents the nobleman in this passage so Jesus gives them the Mynah So he calls 10 servants he gave each of them one Myna now mine is approximately they say approximately 6 could be $40.00 to $50.00 some shekels and you might well why is it approximate

Well archaeologists have discovered the weights that they would use to measure because you’ve all seen the scales that you would use to measure things out and they found weights and they’d be marked maybe a minor when it would be a minus supposed to be 571.2 grams so they’ve taken these sayings and they’ve actually put them on today’s good modern scales and determine that they are not always accurate off a little bit some because off a lot and the reason that some of them is off is because they would take the backside of them inches away out some of the weight so that they would be cheating the people people wouldn’t know it so they’d chisel the back side out so they’ve discovered this. Through the archaeological digs. So that’s why it’s. Approximately So that’s how I’m going to see these 2 stories tied together because here the 1st passage Zacchaeus tax collector who knows whether he chiseled out the backside of some of his weights and cheated the people and now Jesus has given the servants minus to see how they do how they do in their service of the kingdom

so the servants in this passage represent professing Christians those who believe in Jesus Christ he’s giving them a mind it says to them what did he say do business while I am gone why the nobleman is gone why Jesus is going he say and do business but they’re not to do business for their own gain

as a story reveals he gave them the mind of the mind it belongs to the nobleman he’s going away you do business for the kingdom

my friends professing Christians we are to do business for the Kingdom of God not for ourselves but for the Kingdom of God So he goes away and comes back

the 1st man says your Myna which is only 50 shekels that’s not a great amount of money that’s something to think about it’s not like he gave them millions of dollars he gave them a little bit of money because what did he say to them you have been faithful with a little now will put you in charge of a lot so my friends whether we’ve been given a little or a great amount of this it’s all about the faithfulness the faithfulness of what we are doing with that which he has given to us which actually belongs to him all that we have actually belongs to him Are we being faithful with it the professing question do we do in the kingdom work and what is a kingdom work.

The story also reveals that they were given a minor there to bring more in right there to take it in do business the one produced 10 Jesus says Well done good servant the one only produced 5 but again Jesus said Well done you see it’s not about the amount

it’s not about the amount that he has given us

not one is greater than the other then the Manas could even represent the talents the gifts that God has given us in the we’re all different but he say and do business be you be who you are don’t try to be the guy that has got 10 because he received the same reward to God He got 5 well done you be faithful with what God has given you whether it is a great amount or a little amount whether it is an amazing talent or a little talent you are to be faithful with who you are with what he has given you be you don’t be somebody else but the most important thing is that we do business for the Kingdom of God to bring in to increase to multiply the only one that didn’t here well done is the one that did nothing

are you doing nothing with what God has given you are you doing nothing to advance to expand the kingdom of God because even the 3rd one that did nothing was a professing Christian professing Christian is what he represented he’s too was a servant of the nobleman Jesus is a nobleman So are you that one does nothing my friends we want to hear well done. I was listening to of a sermon in the guy spoke of a thing I did remember I didn’t write it down write it all down but he said there was a a Captain James so and so in 776 that was shot by the accidental discharge of his rifle there was in the hands of his beloved servant in Below is the inscription John 19 well done by good servants

hopefully that they didn’t mean that the servant did well by shooting his master

well done by good servant we all want to hear well done that good and faithful servant

my friends what is the kingdom of God We are Jesus teach so much about the Kingdom of God the kingdom of God is that hand we’re still waiting for that kingdom of God right we are still in that time period while he is away while he is with the father but what is the kingdom of God It is where everyone is living 100 percent for God

Everybody that’s what the Cain of God is where everyone is living 100 percent for God in God’s ways my friends evil will be removed in God’s kingdom in God’s kingdom there will be no evil there will be no need to have locks on our doors there will be no need to have police officers there will be no need to have doctors even

but evil will be completely removed in God’s Kingdom

we are to work for God’s kingdom preparing bringing in waiting for the master to return the nobleman Jesus to me to return but what are we going to hear

what are we going to hear when he returns are we going to hear Well done

good and faithful servant

John Wesley wrote.

Get all you can without hurting your sold your body or your neighborhood save all you can cut it off every needless expense give all you can be glad to give and ready to distribute laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come that you may attain eternal life

1st Timothy 617 and 19 says command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God to trust in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy let them do good that they be rich in good works ready to give willing to share storing up for years their selves a good foundation for the time to come that they may laid hold of eternal life

my friends Jesus wants to reign over every area of our life everything that we say everything that we do everything that we have he wants to reign over and over he wants us to be faithful with all that he has given us That’s surely what this whole passage the 2nd half is about faithfulness faithfulness to him faithfulness to the kingdom of God bringing into the kingdom that we may hear well done good and faithful served a man.