Faith that Transforms

Rev Gideon Lee

What was my message last week? "Faith that leaves a Legacy." About Paul who poured out his life as a drink offering. And he said three important things. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." And the week before that was "Faith that Heals." About the ten lepers that were healed and only one came back with gratitude. All the ten received physical healing but the one that came back was saved. Salvation came to him. 

This morning I will talk about a "Faith that Transforms." 

Luke 19:2-10

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.”

It is not often we see a grown man up a tree. How many of you have climbed a tree when you were young. To climb a tree to steal fruits. I used to climb to pluck rambutans. Didn't know there were bees. We came down so quickly. 

He was not just a grown man but Zacchaeus was vertically challenged. He was a short man. What would drive a grown man to climb a tree? Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. The desire was so great that he went through great lengths to see Jesus. He climbed the tree to see Jesus. 

The bible said he was a chief tax collector. The first and last time it was mentioned in the bible. Luke was a doctor and very precise in his description of this person. As chief collector he was wealthy. In spite of his wealth, there was an emptiness in his heart until Jesus came his way. 

Would you climb a tree to see someone? Zacchaeus was apparently empty and lonely within. He was a short man so it was challenging. When we describe a good looking man we say he is tall, dark and handsome. Being short, even in school, short students are teased. Nothing wrong with being short but it was a setback. 

There must be a stirring in his heart to do that. He wanted to see Jesus and knew that only Jesus can fill his heart. 

You can fill it with money but it doesn't work. It only lasts a while. As he proceeded to climb a tree, Jesus looked up and called him by his name. Zacchaeus, I want to come to your home. 

As hard as Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus, Jesus notices him. Likewise with you. Jesus noticed and knows what you are going through. And He knows you by name. Jesus said now, today. Today is the day that Jesus wants to be involved in your life. 

Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. He wants you as you are and is the only one who can set your mess into a masterpiece. 

When the people heard that Jesus was going to his house, they muttered why Jesus goes to the house of a dinner. They were what I call the self righteous. 

CS Lewis wrote that religious people are most scandalized by the sins of the flesh. Jesus was most scandalized by sins of the spirit. C.S. Lewis put it this way, The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing the pleasures of power and hatred. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. You see, what is so insidious about sins of the spirit is that we barely can see them in ourselves. 

So you know what Jesus said at the end of the verse? The son of man came to save all that was the lost. 

Look at how Zacchaeus was transformed. 

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.”

He had power from the Romans to collect taxes. Not just a tax collector but the chief tax collector. The people don't like them because they were Jews but worked for the Romans. Remember during the Japanese occupation? It's the same. There were people who decided to work for the Japanese and they were called the Japanese dogs. 

He said he will pay back four times. How many of you are accountants. He said he will pay half his wealth to the poor and four times to those he cheated. By the end of the day he would be a bankrupt. 

What drives him to do that? He must have found something of better worth. What did he find? He found Jesus. That was all that matters. Jesus said "today salvation has come to your house." 

Can you remember a time when you did not know Jesus and the time now that you know Jesus. Was there a transformation? There must be a change in your life. 

I want to end with this story. 

There was a Los Angeles gangster who became a Christian through Billy Graham's ministry. He did not change his business and life. One day they asked him why he called himself a Christian but did not change his life. He said when I became a Christian I didn't know I had to change my business and connections. He said he saw a singer that became a Christian and so he thought he can be a Christian gangster. He was still a gangster. 

Do you have a faith that transforms? Otherwise you need to consider who this Jesus is. 

Students taking their SPM being prayed for by Bro Jason Teh