I want to invite your attention for a few minutes as we look at the subject, going out of your way to find God's way. Going out of your way. How many of you have ever been out of your way? Something pulled you out of your way. You were on a certain path, and then all of a sudden, you discovered that you were not going the way that you intended, but it worked out. It worked out.
[00:05:23]
As we look at this message today, there are several things I want to share with you, and one is developing what we call a holy appetite. A holy, everybody say holy. Holy. Appetite. Appetite. Some of you may not realize it, but as you get older, your appetite changes. Your taste buds change. They don't have the same savor, if you would. And so you have to develop an appetite for the things of God.
[00:05:52]
My question to you, do you want to find God's way? Are you that hungry that you want to discover something deep, something more, something powerful, something that will take you out of your own way and bring you into the fullness of who God is and what God can do for your life? I want that kind of appetite. I want that kind of desire in my life to be a God seeker.
[00:06:56]
People are hungry for money, hungry for prestige, hungry for all of these other things, but you need to hunger and thirst for righteousness. When you do that, I'm telling you some awesome things are going to happen with you. You're going to move to a level that you never thought you'd be able to get there.
[00:07:30]
There are two things that are essential if anyone is going to find God. Two things. Jesus said it when he introduced himself and he introduced the gospel. He said, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Two things in that verse that are critical if you're going to find the kingdom of God for your life. One, you have to leave what you're comfortable with. You've got to walk away from it. You've got to turn away. That word repent means to turn.
[00:08:17]
You've now got to turn to the kingdom. You've got to turn to God's domain. You have to turn in a direction that invites you into the presence and into the control of God himself. Repent. I'm simply going to turn. Now I'm going to be drawn to something that is outside of me. I'm going to be drawn to something that is more powerful than me. I'm going to be drawn to God Almighty.
[00:09:00]
But Jesus said, if you want to experience God, you've got to leave your domain, and you've got to enter into this new kingdom. And people in that day, believe it or not, Jesus said, the violent take it by force. They were rushing to hear what Jesus had to say. They were so hungry because they were under the Roman occupation.
[00:11:09]
That's what the kingdom of God is for. And even an unlike group called tax collectors, publicans. I didn't say republicans. I said, but publicans. They were hated. They were despised. By the way, if you label yourself by a political party, then you're probably missing out on the kingdom. I don't let anything qualify the kingdom. Are y 'all here? It's always kingdom first. It's always God first. It's always Christ Jesus. It's always his domain, not mine.
[00:12:59]
This world ain't my home. I'm just a passing through. Clap your hands, all you people. So Jesus is inviting people to come into the kingdom. And here comes this publican. And he says, I want to see who this man is offering this kingdom. I want to see who he is. But he had a problem. Now, not only was he a tax collector, he had grown rich. I mean, this dude was walking and talking in money. This man had it going on.
[00:13:43]
But his fellow Jewish members hated him. Thought he was a traitor. Even members of his own family called him everything but a child of God. You traitor. You got nerves. Stand up in my door and tell me you're doing this for Rome. You're doing this for yourself. After all, he was filthy rich. He had everything. But he was missing something. He didn't have God.
[00:14:44]
And you know why I'm all right? Because I'm in the kingdom. If I were in my own world, I'd be sweating. I'd have some problems right now. But, Larry, we got a different king, right? We've got a king called Jesus. And whatever I need, I'll tell my king about. And my king says, I'll supply all your need according to my riches in glory.
[00:15:38]
In our need, this generation, and every generation, if we're going to find God, we got to go out of our way. Three things about Zacchaeus that he had to realize. He had to be committed. And notice I said, see hyphen king. We would call it seeking, but it's not just an object that you're seeking. It's not just more money that you're seeking. It's not just acceptance that you're seeking. You are seeking a king.
[00:19:19]
What is it that would get us there to where we seek a king? Well, it's usually when our life gets out of control, right? You all would agree. When your life gets out of control, especially as you get older and you can't control your health the way you used to. Right? Some of you found yourself in situations, relationships, where things were going south, and you said, wait a minute, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's not the way I want it to go. And now you're looking for something.
[00:20:08]
In life, it's not about height. It's not about width. Things in life can become barriers to you. On your job, you're going to run into folk that you never thought you were going to run into. Sometimes in family situations, you're going to run up in what we call a brick wall. And you're trying to strain to see the king. That's all you want to do. To be able to say, I see the king.
[00:22:16]
But you know what? Here's what I want you to do before you leave here today. Vow to yourself, I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep stretching. I'm going to keep looking. I can't be tall, but I can be persistent. When you're standing on this side and you're looking at the need in front of you and you know that God is right there to meet your need, be persistent. Say to yourself, I'm committed that I want to see the king.
[00:22:56]
Second thing you've got to do, you've got to get past the embarrassment. How many of y 'all folks have ever been embarrassed? Let me tell you what embarrassment. Y 'all don't know embarrassment. One Christmas, my parents dressed me up. I was looking sharp, but I didn't have any two front teeth. So do you know what Ms. Blank's, my elementary school teacher, I ain't got nothing against elementary school teachers. I don't have anything against Ms. Blank. But she got me up on stage and had me sing this song, All I Want for Christmas is my two front...I ain't think I was running. Sure, I wanted a BB gun and a bicycle.
[00:23:31]
Life is going to put you in some places where you're going to have to go through some shame. I'm going to preach to you in just a second, but I want you to realize that life will put you in a place where people will make fun of you. I know a lot of the people, a lot of the younger people, you face that now. Even the thing about being on Facebook and you friend somebody, but next thing you know, you told a friend, now they're telling your business, and all of a sudden, you get embarrassed. It hurts, doesn't it?
[00:24:31]
You can't let shame and embarrassment keep you from that path and from where you need to go in life. Because God is a way maker. I said God is a way maker. Amen, somebody. Get out of your way. Get out of your way.
[00:26:49]
That holy appetite means that you've got a hunger for the things of God. Moses is a classic example of somebody who said, I want God. First it starts with what we call this curiosity. He saw a burning bush. Bush set on fire. Little did he know that God set the bush on fire. Some of us need a revelation in our life. Maybe the Lord needs to light us up and let us know he's there.
[00:27:08]
But you know how kind and how gentle Jesus is? He simply knocks on the door. Revelation 3 and 20, it tells us, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Whoever opens the door. I will come in and suck with him and he with me. But you've got to have an appetite. You've got to have a desire. And I'm telling you, I've got a desire to see Jesus. Do you have that same desire today?
[00:27:38]
Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. So he climbed the tree. Some of y 'all might not realize it, but you up a tree now. One thing ain't getting up a tree, another thing ain't getting down. But there he was. How do you get up a tree in life? You put yourself in a vulnerable position where if it doesn't work, you're going to look like a fool. That's what I call commitment.
[00:28:34]
Only you know what the Lord has done for you. Only you know how far he's brought you. Only you know how good he's been to you, how kind and gracious the Lord has been in your life. If you want to praise him, don't worry about who's looking. I'm up a tree called praise. I believe in giving God praise because he is worthy.
[00:29:30]
Everything that is in existence is because of the spoken word of God. God spoke in the beginning and said, let there be light. And guess what? There was light. But now God is wanting to speak to us individually and want us to not have just light but life. John 1 and 6 says, in him was life, and the light was the light of men. And the light shined in the darkness, but the darkness did not understand it.
[00:30:13]
Ladies and gentlemen, life is only found in Jesus Christ. And what I'm telling you right now, while Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus, Jesus came all the way to Jericho to go out of Jericho. Why did he do that? He didn't have to go through Jericho. It was considered a cursed town. But he went through Jericho because guess what? He was looking for Zacchaeus.
[00:30:56]
You can be doing so well today. And in a split second, your whole life changes. She suffered two strokes. Young people, don't say it never happened to me. It could. I pray it doesn't. But either way, if it doesn't happen to you, you're going to have your own problem to deal with. Now you see why Zacchaeus was so hungry. He was at one of those desperate moments.
[00:32:41]
You got to get to that place where you say in your own mind and in your own heart, only God can help me with this. I'm in trouble.
[00:33:32]
But it's not about how to fall. It's how to get back up. Won the 300 -meter hurdles. When she got to the end, she realized how far. Everybody say, how far? The Lord had brought her. He brought her from a mighty, mighty long way. And you can say to yourself, I was up a tree or I was in a valley, but God picked me up. The Lord turned me around. He placed my feet on solid ground. Shout yes, somebody.
[00:35:56]
If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side, where would I be? You wonder why I get so excited. I've been up a tree. I've been down in the valley. But God brought me out. I've been in trouble. I've been hurting. Almost gave up. But the Lord made her way out of nowhere. You can say the same thing in your life.
[00:36:47]
God wants to speak in your life. He wants to speak into your life. Not to tell you how bad you are, how cursed you are. Now, if he wanted to do that, he could easily take your life. He wants to give you life.
[00:37:50]
Jesus said to Zacchaeus. First he spoke to him and said, Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down. Hurry up and come down. I've got to stay at your house. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You ain't got to stay at this man's house. This is a sinner. This is a publican. Jesus said, it is necessary. Why was it necessary? He had to give him his identity back. He lost his identity. He said, this is the son of Abraham. And I came to give him back something that the world had robbed him of.
[00:38:10]
In our life, sometimes he'll do things to remove things, but then he'll give you back double for your trouble. I feel like shouting up here. What you've got to do, start reaching. Start climbing. Start saying to God, Lord, I'm not so much worried about people seeing me. I want to see you. I really, really need to see you.
[00:39:00]
For the son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Did you get that? Zacchaeus was seeking. But Jesus said, no, no, no, no, no, no. So, I'm seeking you. I'm trying to find you so that I can save you. Bring you out. Bring you to a safe place.
[00:40:00]
Are you in a good place right now? I'm not talking about inside this church. Mentally, spiritually, maybe even physically. Are you in a good place? Are you saying, Pastor, no, I'm struggling. I'm struggling. How many of y 'all like me would agree that you're struggling with something? But you're really trying to get to a good place. You're trying to get, not that everything would be easy. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about where you don't have in your mind, I want to give up. Anybody need that? God, you're in the best place that you could possibly be because Christ Jesus is looking for you.
[00:40:34]
He says, I'm looking for people who are brokenhearted. I'm looking for people who are hungry. I'm looking for people with tears in their eyes and have said, I've done everything I could. I don't know what else to do. Christ Jesus says that he's looking for you. He wants you to come over to his kingdom. Let him have that dominion in your life.
[00:41:21]
You may have been a Christian for dozens of years. I'm not talking about becoming a new believer. I'm talking about trusting God's work. That he can help you. Go out of your way. Go out of your way today. And simply tell him yes.
[00:41:48]
