Being A Friend To Everyone
When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”
Luke 19:1-10 MSG Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.
Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”
Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.”
When Jesus shows up at your house transformation happens. This story reminds us of the power of reaching out to the one. Every single soul matters to God.

We are called to share the good news. He loves us when we are unloveable. He loves us when we are at our worst. He wants to see lives changed. Sharing the gospel of Jesus is our main mission. Let’s get serious about it. Souls are at stake.

Everyday we encounter people who don’t know Jesus. We are liable when we know and stand by and do nothing. It’s not only our duty to share, it is our honor. We are ALL called.

John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Have you ever noticed that in every transition of the Bible the SO remained? It’s an empathetic transition. SO is an adverb. Love is a verb. An adverb intensifies and magnifies a verb.

An emphatic position requires an extravagant action to follow. We are not just called to love. We are called to be obedient. This is the extravagant action. Our obedience.

Mark 16:15 NIV He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

He is telling us to GO. This is the great commission. Not the great suggestion

Acts 1:8 NIV But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We can be assured that we don’t GO alone. The Holy Spirit goes with us.

Mark 6:7 NIV Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

We need community. We are called to do His work together. Did you know His word does not come back void? All we have to do is share. So, let’s cast our seeds.

We go out in the world with our community to share our testimony. We need a witness when we share. In this way, He sends us out into the world when we have accountability.

Have you ever asked, “why me?” Well, Why not you? No one else has your story. God has orchestrated you to be in this place and time. To be a vessel to share Him. Our prayer must be, “help me to see the opportunities to share You.”

Luke 15:4 NIV “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

82% of people who are unchurched said if they were invited by a friend or relative to church they would come.