April 23, 2025 • 28 mins
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask, But
first here's the message.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
He Knows My Name, Luke, Chapter nineteen today a well
known story about a man named Zachieas. I've been knowing
this story for really all my life, since I can remember,
(00:36):
because it's a Sunday School story for those who grew
up in church or in Sunday school.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It is the story.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
About a little song, a little jingle we used to sing.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Zachieas was a wee.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Little man, and a we little man was he He
climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he
wanted to see. And as the same pass that way,
he looked up in the tree and he said, for
I'm going to your house today. We could just clap
(01:10):
along the way and sing that song and.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Is a happy song.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
And of course it's a fun story to be thinking
about this little man who climbed up in a tree
just to get a glimpse of Jesus who was passing by.
The author Luke of the Gospel gives us a great
summary of what happened in the first ten verses of
Luke nineteen.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
He entered Jericho, that is, Jesus entered Jericho.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And was passing through. And let me say, Jesus is
passing through today. And behold, there was a man named Zachius.
His parents named himed Zachias or zach It means pure
one or righteous one. But he was anything but pure
and righteous, because the scripture says he was a chief
(02:02):
tax collector, and it's noted that he was rich. Now,
tax collectors had a terrible reputation, close to what we
would surmise to be a crack dealer in our time.
Someone said that Zachias was a half pint kingpin of
the Jericho tax machine. He was a kind of godfather,
(02:24):
chief tax collector of the extortionist, the scam artists that
the Jewish people knew as tax collectors because they were
skimming and scamming off the top off the backs of
the people for the Romans. And so Zachias was a
despised individual, and he had earned his reputation, no doubt,
(02:49):
and so he was rich. But Verse three says he
was seeking to see who Jesus was. Just a glimpse
but on account of the crowd, he could not.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Can you see it?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
The crowds elbowing the little guy in the face, get back,
zach Kias not hear zach kis not on MySpace.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Za Kias he can't see over the crowd. So what
did he do?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
He ran ahead verse four and climbed up into a
sycamore tree to see him.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
For he was about to pass that way.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The moment was coming, and Zachieas knew that it wouldn't
last for long. He just had to see Jesus. Who
he was and what he was about. The reputation of
Jesus was well known by this time. Everyone virtually everyone
in Israel knew about Jesus, the promised Messiah, some said.
(03:50):
And Jesus performed miracles and called disciples and spoke words
like no one had ever heard. And the common people
heard him gladly kiss along with the citizens of Jericho,
which was no small town. It was a resort type
area known for its palm trees and its beautiful fragrance,
as Jericho actually means perfume, and so it was a
(04:13):
beautiful place with many citizens.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He's Zachias is.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
The chief tax collector of this town, so he probably
had the biggest house in town. He's living in luxury,
and yet he's little, he's lonely, he's lost. And Jesus
of Nazareth is passing by. So he pulls up his
little robe, his little skirt, and catch you just see
(04:37):
his little hairy legs run in, run in, running ahead
of the crowd, and he sheinnes up this sycamore tree,
gets out on a limb and is looking for Jesus,
just to see him pass by.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Verse five.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up
and said to him, Zacheus, hurry and come down, for
I must stay at.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Your house today.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
I wonder how long it been since Zachias had smiled
like this. No stack of money had ever made him
this happy. He's smiling from.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Ear to ear.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Jesus had invited himself to his house, so he received
him joyfully.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Verse seven.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
The religious snobs, of course, when they saw it, they
all grumbled. The crowd was saying, what.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
He has gone to be the guest of a man who.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Is a sinner. One of the reasons that Zachias may
have known of Jesus was because of Matthew, also a
tax collector at the first of Our Lord's ministry on Earth,
heard the call of Christ and left his tax collecting
job and followed Jesus. He said, here, my Lord, you
(06:11):
can have it all. And he began to follow Jesus
so much so that while Jesus was there in his hometown,
he said, Jesus, I've got some tax collector friends.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
It's a bad crowded.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
But would you come over to my house and talk
to my friends about how they can know you, how
they can know God, and do in you what you've
done for me, to do in them what you have
done for me. And Jesus went to the party, and
he was accused of being hanging out with bad people
tax collectors and winebibbers and drunkards in the like. Was
(06:50):
it Matthew's testimony that somehow influenced this man Zachias to
pay attention to want to see gis Jesus when it
happened Jesus the friend of sinners? Aren't you glad that
Jesus is a friend of sinners? Because we all are
(07:14):
in that group, for all have sinned and come short,
we're all little in the eyes of God. We have
sinned and broken God's commandments. And so he wants to
see Jesus. He runs to see Jesus. He climbs this tree,
he comes down. He went up that tree lost, He
(07:38):
came down that tree found. He went up that tree
a great sinner. He came down that tree, trusting in
a great savior.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
He went up lost.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
He came down saved because Jesus said, today, look at it,
today salvation verse nine. Today salvation has come to this house.
Since he also is a.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Son of Abraham. This is a Jewish man who is now.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Receiving the Messiah Jesus in his life, now a true
son of Abraham. What a story, this sinner who is
saved by the power and the presence of the Savior.
Because the mercy in Jesus is greater than the sin
(08:31):
in you and me Zachs the wee little man, the
wicked man, whose life is forever changed like yours and
mind when we follow Jesus. Doesn't matter how wealthy or
successful you are. Jesus came for the down and out.
(08:51):
He also came for the up and out. Whether you're
down and out or up and out. Every person is
empty without God, without Christ and their lives. Every person,
like Zachias, is lonely and lost. Every person is guilty
of sin and needs a savior. We can try to
(09:12):
cover our sin, but only Jesus by his blood, can
cleanse our sin. And the guilt is always going to
be there until we meet God's grace in the person
of Christ. Jesus died on the cross, and his blood
covers our sin and gets us through and over our
guilt and our regrets and we can know redemption restoration
(09:34):
in Christ. Every person is empty, Every person is lonely.
That's why there's this kind of cosmic loneliness that exists
in so many people. You can be at the mall,
you can be in your own home, you can be
at a party, you can be at church, and yet
there's this sense of being all alone and afraid. And
(09:56):
then there's that fear of death. Every person, regardless of
the bravado that some express, every person is afraid to die.
There's a bondage. The Bible says to death. Jesus defeated
the power of death. But until you meet Jesus the resurrection,
you live in this bondage, that you're facing death and
(10:16):
an eternity without God.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
And is there an afterlife? And where will I be
in the afterlife? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell?
People are afraid to die?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
All people, just like Nicodemus, need a savior. And this
man who was so successful in his own eyes, he
had a lot of money and lived in luxury, but
he was lost. And the scripture says in verse ten
(10:49):
of Luke nineteen that Jesus came to seek and to
save the lost. That is the mission statement of Jesusesus
Luke nineteen ten. The son of Man, son of God,
Jesus came. Why did God leave heaven to come to
(11:11):
this earth to seek and to save the lost?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
He was on a mission of love.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten son. The Father sent the son to be the
savior of the world. That's the mission of Jesus Christ,
and therefore it is the mission of his church.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
It's the mission of the Christian.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
His mission, his passion is our mission, our passion to
seek to save the loss.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
He Knows My Name in his powerful book Ask. Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus' teaching to ask, seek, and knock. As
you fall. Of these three simple commands, you'll completely transform
how you pray. We want to help you discover a deeper,
(12:06):
more meaningful, and more powerful prayer life by sending you
a copy of Ask as our thanks for your gift
of ten dollars or more. Call now to request your
copy of this powerful resource. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
(12:27):
text the word ask to five nine seven eight nine.
Don't let stress rob you of peace. It is possible
to break the destructive grip of stress on your life
and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires for you.
That's what doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet
Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a digital download
of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign up for
(12:48):
email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot
org slash stress and sign up today. Now let's get
back to today's message, He knows my Name?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
What does it mean to be lost? It's not to
be misplaced.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
We lose things often, and we lose it, we misplace it.
But that's not what the word here lost is really
talking about. Loss is the idea of not fulfilling a purpose.
It is when something loses its meaning, or its value
or its purpose. Its purpose is losts its value is lost.
(13:32):
I have in dresser drawers and drawers that my study.
I have all kinds of technological stuff, wires and plug
in stuff. I don't even know what is there for anymore.
I don't know what it plugs into. You know it
has no purpose. Or maybe you have a pen that
(13:52):
won't work. You know it won't work. It's lost, it's
not fulfilling it's purpose. I've got in my dresser drawer.
I got single socks. One because I keep thinking that
the other one's gonna show up.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But what used is a single sock? Where do they go?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
By the way, I don't know, But a single sock,
it has no purpose.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Well, that's the idea.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
When a human life is lost, When a person is lost,
it means you have no purpose. There's no fulfillment, there's
no being what God intended for you to be and
to do for him. You're you're You're just lost. Jesus
came to seek and to save the lost. To be
(14:52):
lost means you are therefore lost to God, and you
are lost really to people, and you are lost forever
apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
That's what hell is.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
It is eternal lostness and separation from God. Every person
without Jesus Christ is lost. That is the crime of
the damned in hell, lost, lost.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Forever lost.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. That's
our mission.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
So what do we.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
See in this story? God knows your name. Jesus knows
your name. When zach Kis is up in that tree,
maybe kind of hiding behind a branch or a limb,
he's out on a limb without him. When Jesus stops
(16:01):
and looks up and locks eyes with Zachias.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
He then calls his name, Zacheus.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I cannot help but believe that a beautiful smile creased
the face of our blessed Lord Zacheus. He called his name,
And in this think about it, we see God's grace.
Here was a man whose name meant pure, righteous, just.
(16:30):
He was anything but until Jesus came along. And called
him by name. He didn't say hey you orr hey,
bad guy in the tree. Zachias, righteous one. When Jesus
calls your name and calls you to himself, he calls
(16:52):
you by what you can be righteous in him. We
are not righteous in ourselves, but we are righteous in Him.
He makes a what we aren't. Our identity is now
secure in Christ. Call me anything. Zachieas had been called
a lot of names. When he passed by. It wasn't
(17:15):
mister Zachias. It was bleeping Zachias going by. But now
he's called in love to Christ. He calls his name,
and he's calling your name today. You're not a number.
You're not a nameless face in the crowd. You're someone
that Jesus knows. He knows your name, he knows your need,
(17:37):
He loves you, and he's calling your name today. Jesus
calls our name, and Jesus also welcomes us as friends.
So far as we know, this is the only time
this happened exactly like this in the Bible. When Jesus
invited himself over to someone else's house, he said, zach
(18:00):
he is hurry down, come right now, because I must come.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
To your house today. There's that word again, must, when
it has.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Said when he was chasing down the heart the soul
of that woman in Samaria, he must go through Samaria.
There's this missionary must in the heart of God, I must.
And he says now to Zak, he is, I must.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Come to your house today.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
And he welcomed him as a friend, as he welcomes
you as a friend. I preached my first sermon when
I was fifteen years of age. I was invited to Forward, Texas,
to go across town to speak at the South Cliff
Baptist Church. A member the name of Frank Minton was
the pastor. He pitched at the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. He
(18:48):
liked young baseball players. I was one had a few
chances to speak around as a kid giving my testimony.
So I was invited because I've given my life. I'd said, Lord,
here's my life, you can have it all. I'm gonna
follow you. And I began preaching as a teenager. And
I was invited over and what are you going to
preach for your first sermon? And I preached from John fifteen,
(19:13):
Chapter fifteen and verse five. I are fifteen rather no
longer do I call you servants, but I have called
you my friends. It was always mind blowing to me
as a kid to this day as well, that God
would call me his friend, that I could be a
friend of God, that Jesus would welcome me. That's why
(19:35):
we're always saying Christianity is not a religion. It's a relationship.
It is a friendship, is fellowship with God. Jesus said,
zach Is, I'm coming.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
To your house today.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
And oh, by the way, I'm bringing my buddies. They're
thirteen of us in all, and we're coming for dinner.
Jesus said, I stand at the door and knock, and
if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I
will come. In the Book of Ephesians tells us that
Christ is at home in our hearts. You know what
(20:09):
home is is where you're comfortable. It's where you're with family,
with friends. Home is home. Heaven is described as not
a distant star in the galaxies, but a home, the
Father's house, and home is where we are welcomed and accepted,
and Christ is invited into our homes. We are accepted
(20:29):
in the Beloved, says the scripture. Accepted in the Beloved,
This man, Zacha is like all of us, rejected, now accepted.
I'm coming to your house. I'm gonna abide with you,
I'm gonna stay with you. We're gonna hang out together
for the rest of your life, and then we're going
(20:52):
home together in heaven. This story teaches us that great
truth that Jesus knows your name, and he welcomes you
and invites himself and welcomes you into your life. One
(21:13):
final thing, not only does he know your name and
he welcomes you as a friend, but he changes your life.
Zachias was changed just like that. Jesus said it in
verse nine. Today, today salvation has come to this house.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
And you know my faith. You know I believe. Not
only was zach he has saved. His whole household came
to Christ.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Who knows they might have planted a church there in
Jericho as followers of Jesus.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
But we know that Zachias was saved.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
By the presence of Jesus Christ now in his life.
He says he received him gladly, joyfully. The greatest day
of your life is when you come to Jesus. The
best day of your life is the day you say
yes Lord Jesus, come to my home, come to my life.
(22:18):
And then he said, since he got up and he
stood up, so he must have been on his knees
in worship of the Lord. But he stands up, having
surrendered his life to the Lord.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
He stands up.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
And he said, half of everything I own, I'm going
to give it to the poor, to hurting people and those.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
I have defrauded.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
If I have cheated, defrauded, stolen from anyone, I'm going
to pay back fourfold.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
This little guy who had a little heart, it's.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Now got a huge heart, a big heart for God forgiving.
He's no longer greedy keeping his stuff. He's saying, Lord,
here I am you can have it all. It all
belongs to you. When we're saved, we're surrendered to the
lordship of Christ.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
He is our master.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Everything we are, everything we have belongs to him. We say, Lord,
I surrender all all to Jesus. I surrender. That's salvation.
He wasn't buying all or paying out his salvation. Salvation
is by grace, but he is demonstrating the great work
(23:40):
of grace and salvation in his life. He's saying, Lord,
I want to now live my life for others, not
just myself. And that's where true happiness is found, loving
God and loving people. And so he changed his life.
This little man is now living large because Christ has
(24:03):
changed him, and he will change you. He's calling your name.
He died on the cross for you. If you're lost, lonely,
you're the least the laugh.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
He's calling your name.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
he Knows My Name. Nothing lights a fire in your
faith like experiencing the power of prayer firsthand. As you
begin to see God as a personal, loving father who
desires to hear and answer your prayers, it transforms your life.
And thanks to friends like you, more people all around
(24:42):
the world are hearing about their loving God and his
son Jesus through the TV, radio and online outreach of PowerPoint.
That's why your support of this ministry is so vital.
We'll say thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more by sending you a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask.
This is a great resource to help you strengthen your
own prayer life and teach you to approach God with
(25:04):
boldness and confidence. So call now to request your copy.
When you give call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word ask to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where you can
(25:26):
shop our eastore, give a gift online, or sign up
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham dot org. Pastor what is your PowerPoint
for today?
Speaker 2 (25:40):
God's grace is greater than all of our sin. God's
love expands beyond any sin that you've committed against him,
and his love on the cross when He died for you,
makes it possible for you, no matter where you've been,
what you've done, how much you have sinned, or how
little you've sinned, to know and love and experience His
(26:02):
grace and salvation. The good news is that Jesus Christ
came to save sinners, and we're all sinners, and He
promises to work in every life who trust in Him
and turns to him in repentance and faith. So don't
whatever you do, don't limit God's love, and don't fail
(26:22):
to receive God's promises. Because you have feelings of regret
or remorse or guilt. Get by your guilt and get
into grace. For by grace are we saved. And that
means gift is the gift of God. For by grace
or you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God, lest anyone should boast.
(26:43):
So God has a wonderful plan and purpose for your life.
And your past doesn't define you because in Christ you
have a new identity. Realize He sees you right where
you are right now. He values and loves you so
much that He gave his life for you. He chose
to receive you. So now respond to that great love
(27:03):
and receive Christ into your life. And if you're already
a Christ follower, if you're already a believer, then give
him your best by asking His spirit to fill you
every day and to live for His glory, to honor Him.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Ask as Our thanks Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ask to five nine
(27:38):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can be
defined by your repentance instead of your sin. That's next
time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham
is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministry
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask, But
first here's the message.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
He Knows My Name, Luke, Chapter nineteen today a well
known story about a man named Zachieas. I've been knowing
this story for really all my life, since I can remember,
(00:36):
because it's a Sunday School story for those who grew
up in church or in Sunday school.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It is the story.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
About a little song, a little jingle we used to sing.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Zachieas was a wee.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Little man, and a we little man was he He
climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he
wanted to see. And as the same pass that way,
he looked up in the tree and he said, for
I'm going to your house today. We could just clap
(01:10):
along the way and sing that song and.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Is a happy song.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
And of course it's a fun story to be thinking
about this little man who climbed up in a tree
just to get a glimpse of Jesus who was passing by.
The author Luke of the Gospel gives us a great
summary of what happened in the first ten verses of
Luke nineteen.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
He entered Jericho, that is, Jesus entered Jericho.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And was passing through. And let me say, Jesus is
passing through today. And behold, there was a man named Zachius.
His parents named himed Zachias or zach It means pure
one or righteous one. But he was anything but pure
and righteous, because the scripture says he was a chief
(02:02):
tax collector, and it's noted that he was rich. Now,
tax collectors had a terrible reputation, close to what we
would surmise to be a crack dealer in our time.
Someone said that Zachias was a half pint kingpin of
the Jericho tax machine. He was a kind of godfather,
(02:24):
chief tax collector of the extortionist, the scam artists that
the Jewish people knew as tax collectors because they were
skimming and scamming off the top off the backs of
the people for the Romans. And so Zachias was a
despised individual, and he had earned his reputation, no doubt,
(02:49):
and so he was rich. But Verse three says he
was seeking to see who Jesus was. Just a glimpse
but on account of the crowd, he could not.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Can you see it?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
The crowds elbowing the little guy in the face, get back,
zach Kias not hear zach kis not on MySpace.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Za Kias he can't see over the crowd. So what
did he do?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
He ran ahead verse four and climbed up into a
sycamore tree to see him.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
For he was about to pass that way.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The moment was coming, and Zachieas knew that it wouldn't
last for long. He just had to see Jesus. Who
he was and what he was about. The reputation of
Jesus was well known by this time. Everyone virtually everyone
in Israel knew about Jesus, the promised Messiah, some said.
(03:50):
And Jesus performed miracles and called disciples and spoke words
like no one had ever heard. And the common people
heard him gladly kiss along with the citizens of Jericho,
which was no small town. It was a resort type
area known for its palm trees and its beautiful fragrance,
as Jericho actually means perfume, and so it was a
(04:13):
beautiful place with many citizens.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He's Zachias is.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
The chief tax collector of this town, so he probably
had the biggest house in town. He's living in luxury,
and yet he's little, he's lonely, he's lost. And Jesus
of Nazareth is passing by. So he pulls up his
little robe, his little skirt, and catch you just see
(04:37):
his little hairy legs run in, run in, running ahead
of the crowd, and he sheinnes up this sycamore tree,
gets out on a limb and is looking for Jesus,
just to see him pass by.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Verse five.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up
and said to him, Zacheus, hurry and come down, for
I must stay at.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Your house today.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
I wonder how long it been since Zachias had smiled
like this. No stack of money had ever made him
this happy. He's smiling from.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Ear to ear.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Jesus had invited himself to his house, so he received
him joyfully.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Verse seven.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
The religious snobs, of course, when they saw it, they
all grumbled. The crowd was saying, what.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
He has gone to be the guest of a man who.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Is a sinner. One of the reasons that Zachias may
have known of Jesus was because of Matthew, also a
tax collector at the first of Our Lord's ministry on Earth,
heard the call of Christ and left his tax collecting
job and followed Jesus. He said, here, my Lord, you
(06:11):
can have it all. And he began to follow Jesus
so much so that while Jesus was there in his hometown,
he said, Jesus, I've got some tax collector friends.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
It's a bad crowded.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
But would you come over to my house and talk
to my friends about how they can know you, how
they can know God, and do in you what you've
done for me, to do in them what you have
done for me. And Jesus went to the party, and
he was accused of being hanging out with bad people
tax collectors and winebibbers and drunkards in the like. Was
(06:50):
it Matthew's testimony that somehow influenced this man Zachias to
pay attention to want to see gis Jesus when it
happened Jesus the friend of sinners? Aren't you glad that
Jesus is a friend of sinners? Because we all are
(07:14):
in that group, for all have sinned and come short,
we're all little in the eyes of God. We have
sinned and broken God's commandments. And so he wants to
see Jesus. He runs to see Jesus. He climbs this tree,
he comes down. He went up that tree lost, He
(07:38):
came down that tree found. He went up that tree
a great sinner. He came down that tree, trusting in
a great savior.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
He went up lost.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
He came down saved because Jesus said, today, look at it,
today salvation verse nine. Today salvation has come to this house.
Since he also is a.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Son of Abraham. This is a Jewish man who is now.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Receiving the Messiah Jesus in his life, now a true
son of Abraham. What a story, this sinner who is
saved by the power and the presence of the Savior.
Because the mercy in Jesus is greater than the sin
(08:31):
in you and me Zachs the wee little man, the
wicked man, whose life is forever changed like yours and
mind when we follow Jesus. Doesn't matter how wealthy or
successful you are. Jesus came for the down and out.
(08:51):
He also came for the up and out. Whether you're
down and out or up and out. Every person is
empty without God, without Christ and their lives. Every person,
like Zachias, is lonely and lost. Every person is guilty
of sin and needs a savior. We can try to
(09:12):
cover our sin, but only Jesus by his blood, can
cleanse our sin. And the guilt is always going to
be there until we meet God's grace in the person
of Christ. Jesus died on the cross, and his blood
covers our sin and gets us through and over our
guilt and our regrets and we can know redemption restoration
(09:34):
in Christ. Every person is empty, Every person is lonely.
That's why there's this kind of cosmic loneliness that exists
in so many people. You can be at the mall,
you can be in your own home, you can be
at a party, you can be at church, and yet
there's this sense of being all alone and afraid. And
(09:56):
then there's that fear of death. Every person, regardless of
the bravado that some express, every person is afraid to die.
There's a bondage. The Bible says to death. Jesus defeated
the power of death. But until you meet Jesus the resurrection,
you live in this bondage, that you're facing death and
(10:16):
an eternity without God.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
And is there an afterlife? And where will I be
in the afterlife? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell?
People are afraid to die?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
All people, just like Nicodemus, need a savior. And this
man who was so successful in his own eyes, he
had a lot of money and lived in luxury, but
he was lost. And the scripture says in verse ten
(10:49):
of Luke nineteen that Jesus came to seek and to
save the lost. That is the mission statement of Jesusesus
Luke nineteen ten. The son of Man, son of God,
Jesus came. Why did God leave heaven to come to
(11:11):
this earth to seek and to save the lost?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
He was on a mission of love.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten son. The Father sent the son to be the
savior of the world. That's the mission of Jesus Christ,
and therefore it is the mission of his church.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
It's the mission of the Christian.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
His mission, his passion is our mission, our passion to
seek to save the loss.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
He Knows My Name in his powerful book Ask. Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus' teaching to ask, seek, and knock. As
you fall. Of these three simple commands, you'll completely transform
how you pray. We want to help you discover a deeper,
(12:06):
more meaningful, and more powerful prayer life by sending you
a copy of Ask as our thanks for your gift
of ten dollars or more. Call now to request your
copy of this powerful resource. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
(12:27):
text the word ask to five nine seven eight nine.
Don't let stress rob you of peace. It is possible
to break the destructive grip of stress on your life
and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires for you.
That's what doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet
Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a digital download
of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign up for
(12:48):
email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot
org slash stress and sign up today. Now let's get
back to today's message, He knows my Name?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
What does it mean to be lost? It's not to
be misplaced.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
We lose things often, and we lose it, we misplace it.
But that's not what the word here lost is really
talking about. Loss is the idea of not fulfilling a purpose.
It is when something loses its meaning, or its value
or its purpose. Its purpose is losts its value is lost.
(13:32):
I have in dresser drawers and drawers that my study.
I have all kinds of technological stuff, wires and plug
in stuff. I don't even know what is there for anymore.
I don't know what it plugs into. You know it
has no purpose. Or maybe you have a pen that
(13:52):
won't work. You know it won't work. It's lost, it's
not fulfilling it's purpose. I've got in my dresser drawer.
I got single socks. One because I keep thinking that
the other one's gonna show up.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But what used is a single sock? Where do they go?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
By the way, I don't know, But a single sock,
it has no purpose.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Well, that's the idea.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
When a human life is lost, When a person is lost,
it means you have no purpose. There's no fulfillment, there's
no being what God intended for you to be and
to do for him. You're you're You're just lost. Jesus
came to seek and to save the lost. To be
(14:52):
lost means you are therefore lost to God, and you
are lost really to people, and you are lost forever
apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
That's what hell is.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
It is eternal lostness and separation from God. Every person
without Jesus Christ is lost. That is the crime of
the damned in hell, lost, lost.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Forever lost.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. That's
our mission.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
So what do we.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
See in this story? God knows your name. Jesus knows
your name. When zach Kis is up in that tree,
maybe kind of hiding behind a branch or a limb,
he's out on a limb without him. When Jesus stops
(16:01):
and looks up and locks eyes with Zachias.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
He then calls his name, Zacheus.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I cannot help but believe that a beautiful smile creased
the face of our blessed Lord Zacheus. He called his name,
And in this think about it, we see God's grace.
Here was a man whose name meant pure, righteous, just.
(16:30):
He was anything but until Jesus came along. And called
him by name. He didn't say hey you orr hey,
bad guy in the tree. Zachias, righteous one. When Jesus
calls your name and calls you to himself, he calls
(16:52):
you by what you can be righteous in him. We
are not righteous in ourselves, but we are righteous in Him.
He makes a what we aren't. Our identity is now
secure in Christ. Call me anything. Zachieas had been called
a lot of names. When he passed by. It wasn't
(17:15):
mister Zachias. It was bleeping Zachias going by. But now
he's called in love to Christ. He calls his name,
and he's calling your name today. You're not a number.
You're not a nameless face in the crowd. You're someone
that Jesus knows. He knows your name, he knows your need,
(17:37):
He loves you, and he's calling your name today. Jesus
calls our name, and Jesus also welcomes us as friends.
So far as we know, this is the only time
this happened exactly like this in the Bible. When Jesus
invited himself over to someone else's house, he said, zach
(18:00):
he is hurry down, come right now, because I must come.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
To your house today. There's that word again, must, when
it has.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Said when he was chasing down the heart the soul
of that woman in Samaria, he must go through Samaria.
There's this missionary must in the heart of God, I must.
And he says now to Zak, he is, I must.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Come to your house today.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
And he welcomed him as a friend, as he welcomes
you as a friend. I preached my first sermon when
I was fifteen years of age. I was invited to Forward, Texas,
to go across town to speak at the South Cliff
Baptist Church. A member the name of Frank Minton was
the pastor. He pitched at the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. He
(18:48):
liked young baseball players. I was one had a few
chances to speak around as a kid giving my testimony.
So I was invited because I've given my life. I'd said, Lord,
here's my life, you can have it all. I'm gonna
follow you. And I began preaching as a teenager. And
I was invited over and what are you going to
preach for your first sermon? And I preached from John fifteen,
(19:13):
Chapter fifteen and verse five. I are fifteen rather no
longer do I call you servants, but I have called
you my friends. It was always mind blowing to me
as a kid to this day as well, that God
would call me his friend, that I could be a
friend of God, that Jesus would welcome me. That's why
(19:35):
we're always saying Christianity is not a religion. It's a relationship.
It is a friendship, is fellowship with God. Jesus said,
zach Is, I'm coming.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
To your house today.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
And oh, by the way, I'm bringing my buddies. They're
thirteen of us in all, and we're coming for dinner.
Jesus said, I stand at the door and knock, and
if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I
will come. In the Book of Ephesians tells us that
Christ is at home in our hearts. You know what
(20:09):
home is is where you're comfortable. It's where you're with family,
with friends. Home is home. Heaven is described as not
a distant star in the galaxies, but a home, the
Father's house, and home is where we are welcomed and accepted,
and Christ is invited into our homes. We are accepted
(20:29):
in the Beloved, says the scripture. Accepted in the Beloved,
This man, Zacha is like all of us, rejected, now accepted.
I'm coming to your house. I'm gonna abide with you,
I'm gonna stay with you. We're gonna hang out together
for the rest of your life, and then we're going
(20:52):
home together in heaven. This story teaches us that great
truth that Jesus knows your name, and he welcomes you
and invites himself and welcomes you into your life. One
(21:13):
final thing, not only does he know your name and
he welcomes you as a friend, but he changes your life.
Zachias was changed just like that. Jesus said it in
verse nine. Today, today salvation has come to this house.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
And you know my faith. You know I believe. Not
only was zach he has saved. His whole household came
to Christ.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Who knows they might have planted a church there in
Jericho as followers of Jesus.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
But we know that Zachias was saved.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
By the presence of Jesus Christ now in his life.
He says he received him gladly, joyfully. The greatest day
of your life is when you come to Jesus. The
best day of your life is the day you say
yes Lord Jesus, come to my home, come to my life.
(22:18):
And then he said, since he got up and he
stood up, so he must have been on his knees
in worship of the Lord. But he stands up, having
surrendered his life to the Lord.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
He stands up.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
And he said, half of everything I own, I'm going
to give it to the poor, to hurting people and those.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
I have defrauded.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
If I have cheated, defrauded, stolen from anyone, I'm going
to pay back fourfold.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
This little guy who had a little heart, it's.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Now got a huge heart, a big heart for God forgiving.
He's no longer greedy keeping his stuff. He's saying, Lord,
here I am you can have it all. It all
belongs to you. When we're saved, we're surrendered to the
lordship of Christ.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
He is our master.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Everything we are, everything we have belongs to him. We say, Lord,
I surrender all all to Jesus. I surrender. That's salvation.
He wasn't buying all or paying out his salvation. Salvation
is by grace, but he is demonstrating the great work
(23:40):
of grace and salvation in his life. He's saying, Lord,
I want to now live my life for others, not
just myself. And that's where true happiness is found, loving
God and loving people. And so he changed his life.
This little man is now living large because Christ has
(24:03):
changed him, and he will change you. He's calling your name.
He died on the cross for you. If you're lost, lonely,
you're the least the laugh.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
He's calling your name.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
he Knows My Name. Nothing lights a fire in your
faith like experiencing the power of prayer firsthand. As you
begin to see God as a personal, loving father who
desires to hear and answer your prayers, it transforms your life.
And thanks to friends like you, more people all around
(24:42):
the world are hearing about their loving God and his
son Jesus through the TV, radio and online outreach of PowerPoint.
That's why your support of this ministry is so vital.
We'll say thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more by sending you a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask.
This is a great resource to help you strengthen your
own prayer life and teach you to approach God with
(25:04):
boldness and confidence. So call now to request your copy.
When you give call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word ask to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where you can
(25:26):
shop our eastore, give a gift online, or sign up
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham dot org. Pastor what is your PowerPoint
for today?
Speaker 2 (25:40):
God's grace is greater than all of our sin. God's
love expands beyond any sin that you've committed against him,
and his love on the cross when He died for you,
makes it possible for you, no matter where you've been,
what you've done, how much you have sinned, or how
little you've sinned, to know and love and experience His
(26:02):
grace and salvation. The good news is that Jesus Christ
came to save sinners, and we're all sinners, and He
promises to work in every life who trust in Him
and turns to him in repentance and faith. So don't
whatever you do, don't limit God's love, and don't fail
(26:22):
to receive God's promises. Because you have feelings of regret
or remorse or guilt. Get by your guilt and get
into grace. For by grace are we saved. And that
means gift is the gift of God. For by grace
or you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God, lest anyone should boast.
(26:43):
So God has a wonderful plan and purpose for your life.
And your past doesn't define you because in Christ you
have a new identity. Realize He sees you right where
you are right now. He values and loves you so
much that He gave his life for you. He chose
to receive you. So now respond to that great love
(27:03):
and receive Christ into your life. And if you're already
a Christ follower, if you're already a believer, then give
him your best by asking His spirit to fill you
every day and to live for His glory, to honor Him.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Ask as Our thanks Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ask to five nine
(27:38):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can be
defined by your repentance instead of your sin. That's next
time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham
is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministry
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!