Sermon delivered October 5, 2002 by Dr. Carlos Martin McDonald Road Seventh-day Adventist Church

Biblical quotations are translated from the Spanish Bible - Valera Version unless otherwise noted. Divine pronouns and titles are capitalized.

Zacchaeus

Luke 19

Please open your Bibles to Luke chapter 19. Last Sabbath I shared with you a message focused on Bartemaeus, a man who lived in Jericho, and today I will share with you the story of another man who lived in Jericho. Luke 19:1. Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

Many times, Jesus had to pass through Jericho just because it was the way in the way to the north between Jerusalem and Capernaum. There was a major highway the kings rode going from Egypt in the south to Damascus in the north. And there was another main road going from east to west and Jericho was in the intersection of these two main roads. Because of its strategic location, Jericho was a station for travelers. It was an oasis in a very hot, hot area. About eight hundred meters below sea level. The name, Jericho means, "Fragrance," a sweet smell. Maybe because of the palm trees. It was also known as the city of roses. Well, maybe someone, some entrepreneur had decided to establish a flower business, I don't know. The fact is that Jesus went through Jericho. Then He met a man named, Zacchaeus. Luke 19:2, (NAS). And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and he was rich. And he was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd for he was of short stature.

Zacchaeus had five impediments, hindrances, obstacles to go to where Jesus was. First of all, Zacchaeus had four or five problems. He was a tax collector, a publican. I don't like paying taxes, but I have to do it. But in a special way in those days, tax collectors were not the most popular people in town because they were known to be collaborators with the enemy. They were considered to be traitors to their nation. And they were hated very much. Just for you to have an idea in the Talmud, which is the collection of Jewish traditions and teachings. There is an instruction: "If you see a tax collector falling in a pit, you should not help him out of the pit." That was a clear instruction. Let him die, otherwise you will be a traitor to our nation. That was what the Talmud, the collection of traditions instructed to Jewish people.

But, Zacchaeus had another problem. He was the chief tax collector. He was the head of the I.R.S. in this important city. As I said last Sabbath: until today, Jericho is a very well known city. The chief tax collector. Somehow, Zacchaeus had managed to climb the social ladder. He had reached the top. But he was lonely at the top. And this is very common among sucessful people. Zacchaeus was a lonely man. He did not have friends.

There was another problem. He was rich. Nothing wrong with money. Well, money is the root of all evil (see 1 Timothy 6:10) according to the Bible. Love of money - that's the problem. And that was Zacchaeus' problem. He had become rich at the expense of others, because publicans were known as thieves. Everybody knew that tax collectors charged more than they should and they kept a good portion of the money they got from people. And his money did not make him happy. He was not a happy man.

For several years I lived in the Philippines, for six years, and I had a vehicle. It did not have a window. When they got broken in Manila, I had to abandon the car. I left the car. Three days later I returned the car was still there. Who would want to touch that old car of mine? Nobody was interested in a car, fifteen years old in the third world. Nobody was interested in touching ... But imagine if I had a Mercedes-Benz! How could I watch day and night, making sure that nobody would approach my car? I don't have, today, the problems that Zacchaeus had. I don't have much that thieves can take from me. But, Zacchaeus was a rich man. And he was not able to sleep well. And in his nights of insomnia, Zacchaeus dreamed, thought about how to secure, how to have peace of mind.

He had learned about Jesus. Jesus was in town and the news had spread in Jericho that Jesus was coming. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus because the news had spread among tax collectors that one tax collector in Capernaum, named Matthew, had become a disciple of Jesus. Matthew had abandoned his office just to follow this carpenter. There was something in this carpenter, now a preacher. There was something that had caused Matthew to change his career. Money was not a priority in his life. Now, Matthew was a smiling preacher. "I envy him. I wish, I wish I could know what changed my fellow worker, my fellow publican." And he wanted to see Jesus as Jesus moved slowly through main street. And he attempted many times to see Jesus. He wanted to see Jesus, but more than that, he wanted to know what this Man was. He was something very different.

It is one thing to know things about someone. For instance, I know about a man named Bill Clinton. I know many things about him. But, you know what? I don't know him and he doesn't know me. He's not my friend. He never calls me. He never says, "Hi, Carlos. Happy Sabbath." - never, never! He doesn't even know there is a little known man named Carlos. Of course he doesn't. We are not friends.

It's one thing to know Jesus, to know things about Jesus, and another thing is to be His friend, to know Him. Zacchaeus wanted to know Who this Man was. He already knew things about Jesus, but he wanted to know Him.

But there was another problem. The crowd. There was a crowd surrounding Jesus. It happened very often. Even His mother tried to approach Him, but she could not because of the crowd. And you know what? It happens with me. Sometimes I am too crowded. I am doing too many things. My schedule is too crowded. I don't have time for Jesus.

But Zacchaeus had another problem. He was very short. And people made fun of his stature. The people also make fun of his name. Zacchaeus means righteous or pure, and everybody in town knew that Zacchaeus was not righteous nor pure.

Then we read in verse four, So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him for he knew He was going to pass that way. Zacchaeus got a crazy idea. You know the story--he ran ahead, climbed a tree--you do crazy things only in very special circumstances. You need a strong motivation. You see this man who usually walked very slowly because he was an officer, an important man. Now he was climbing a tree. Maybe there were some children there booing. And there he was perched on the tree. Now he could see Jesus because he knew that Jesus was going to pass this way. But there was something that Zacchaeus did not know--that this was the last time that Jesus was passing this way because the story took place on a Friday and one week later Jesus died on the cross. It was the last time that Jesus was passing that way and Zacchaeus did not know it.

Finally Jesus approached and Zacchaeus' heart missed a beat when Jesus stopped just under the tree. Zacchaeus was a little afraid that someone would notice him, but suddenly his fears became a reality. When Jesus looked up, everybody looked up and they saw Zacchaeus perched on a tree. Now everybody began to laugh. Zacchaeus had climbed a tree trying to find a solution to his problem. Now he had become the laughing stock of Jericho. "Look! Zacchaeus what are you doing there so ridiculous." Zacchaeus was red faced and he didn't know what to do. But Jesus transformed that uncomfortable situation into a victory when Jesus said, "Zacchaeus, I have arrived. Zacchaeus (verse 5). He said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down for today I must stay at your house." How could Jesus know Zacchaeus by name? They have never met. Of course, Jesus knows much more than your name. Jesus knows many things about you that you don't know about yourself. How many hairs do you have in your head? You don't know? Jesus knows. Jesus does. Jesus knows you much more than you can even imagine. "Zacchaeus, I know you, I know your heart. Come down Zacchaeus, make haste. You don't belong up there."

Many people feel that they are above the others. And even from this high platform, I am tempted to look down on you. You are the preacher. "No, Carlos, come down, you don't belong there. The only one who belongs up there is and sitting on a throne is God. You come down. Humble yourself. Come down. Zacchaeus, I need to go to your house." Jesus invited himself.

And this is where salvation begins. If we love Him it is because He first loved us. Salvation is God's initiative. "Zacchaeus, make haste, come down. I cannot wait." Sometimes children say to their parents, "Wait a minute, I'm busy." "Mary, come, hurry up." "Wait a minute." And she is playing with her dolls. Imagine if angels would obey that way. A child is falling off a cliff. And God says to an angel who is playing the harp and singing praises, "Help that boy." And this angel says, "Wait a minute, I will sing the stanza." Imagine the ridiculous situation. No, no angels cannot wait. Angels obey quickly, immediately. And Zacchaeus (verse six says), he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. And this is how angels obey. Angels obey with a smile. This is how we need to obey our mommy and our father, with joy because our parents want our best for us and this is why we should obey our Father who is in heaven joyfully. Jesus always demands joyful obedience. Jesus never leads us to disobedience. He wants us to obey immediately--to apply what we are learning, what we know.

I have to finish. When they saw that--all complained. "Oh look, Jesus has gone to be a guest with the man who is a sinner. And they murmured and they criticized Jesus. And I have not yet arrived to the main point of my sermon. But I will do it in two minutes. To shorten the story, Jesus spoke a long time with Zacchaeus that afternoon. Mrs. Zacchaeus was preparing the food for 13 hungry people--13 hungry men. While Mrs. Zacchaeus was busy, Jesus spoke with Zacchaeus. And Zacchaeus stood up and said, "I will follow You." And He stood up so that everybody could see him. There was a crowd in his house. He stood up and made the decision to follow Jesus. And Jesus, with a smile, said, "Today salvation has come to this house." Ellen White, commenting on this phrase, says, "Many think that salvation is a matter of the future. Just because the Bible says, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." But, she explains, you shall be saved when you do what Zacchaeus did. At that moment when a sinner receives Jesus, he is saved." And you will be saved as long as you maintain a personal relationship with Jesus.

This is something that many Seventh-day Adventists should be reminded of. If I ask you the question, "are you saved?" Meaning do you have a meaningful relationship with Jesus. I hope that all of you would say, "Yes." Otherwise, if you are not, you are in trouble. Because the other option is that if you are not safe in Jesus' hands, you are lost. Even if you are a church member. You are lost in the church. Another question that many Seventh-day Adventists feel difficult to answer. "Do you already have eternal life?" 1 John 5:13. I have written these things unto you that you may know that you already have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. If you have accepted Jesus as Zacchaeus did, if you have received Him, your name is already written in the Book of Life, and you already have eternal life. You are a citizen of God's kingdom.

And another last question that many Seventh-day Adventists cannot answer is, "Are all your sins already forgiven?" The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If all your sins are not yet forgiven, you are in trouble. Not because God is not able and willing to do it--just because you have not asked for it. 1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteous.

Facing Your Giants

Facing Your Giants

 

Homiletical Idea:  In this life we face many trials and troubles that lead us to cower in fear and discouragement.  However, when we walk with the Lord and give our weaknesses to Him then it is possible to face any "giant" in our life.

 

Deathly Quiet

It was a quiet morning in the valley of Elah.  The dew was beginning to burn off as the heat from the morning sun grew more and more intense.  Around the camp you could hear the usual bustle of soldiers as they prepared their morning meal, but apart from that there was an eerie silence that hovered over the valley.  The warriors from Israel had been camped along the valley wall for about 40 days now. 

 

As each one in the camp went silently about their duties, King Saul was in his tent with a troubled heart.  He would walk back and forth wondering how to resolve the monumental task that faced him and his army.  The answer had not come in the last 40 days and there seemed to be no hope in finding it that morning.  Although Saul was a tall, handsome, stately, warrior of a man, he could not seem to find to courage to go out against the one who called from the other side of the valley.

 

Howls of the Infidel

Then it happened just like each day prior.  The eerie silence of the new day was broken by the howling laughter and cursing taunts of the Philistine giant.  Goliath of Gath walked from within the Philistine camp and made his way to the edge of the valley.  His voice and words were as frightening as his appearance.  To call him a giant seemed almost an understatement as he towered above the earth at 9'-9". 

 

It was amazing to behold the amount of armor that he wore.  It was enough metal to cover three normal sized men, yet Goliath seemed to walk with ease.  The morning sun glistened off of his highly-polished bronze helmet and armor.  Rumor around the camp said that his armor weighed 126 pounds.  An average man could not move in battle under that weight.  And that's not even counting his spear and javelin.  His spear looked more like a weaver's beam than a spear, and the head of his spear weighed 15 pounds by itself.  What a horrible death that would bring.

 

Sadly, his menacing appearance was not the worst part.  The vile things that flew from his mouth made the Israelites wonder why God Himself did not strike Goliath where he stood.  Day after day he came and shouted curses and hateful things about God and the army of Saul.  When Saul and his men heard Goliath, their blood felt chilled and their breath seemed stolen from their nostrils.  Yes, even the mighty Saul trembled and became greatly afraid when Goliath roared from across the valley.

 

 

Oblivious to the Cause

Not everyone knew about the giant from Gath.  Most of Israel had no idea that this Philistine had stood at the edge of the valley taunting the army of God for so many days.  The young, shepherd boy, David was among them.  David had gone home before the army marched to Elah because his elderly father needed him to help with the sheep from time to time.  Normally, David was close by Saul to play the harp and soothe him when he called but not for the past 40 days. 

 

Even though David was home, three of Jesse's sons had followed Saul to battle.  And it seemed the older Jesse got, the more he worried for his sons when they left to fight.  Jesse longed to know how the battle was going so he decided to send young David to take some food and check on them.  David was very courageous and he did not hesitate to run to Elah and check on his brothers.

 

Not What He Expected

As David arrived at the valley he saw the men of Israel forming into their battle positions and across the valley he could see the Philistines doing the same.  He was excited to catch them just as they were readying to fight.  David left his belongings with the baggage keeper and ran to the rear of the battle line.  Just as he neared the line, he saw him.  Goliath emerged from among the ranks of the Philistines and began his usual tirade of cursing and mocking the army and God of Israel.  When Goliath stepped forth the army of Israel turned and ran.  David was amazed at what he witnessed.  Never in his life had he seen the armies of God turn and run for fear of one man.  David knew the stories of how God had led His people into battle against the craziest of odds and those who stood with God always stood victorious.

 

In his bewilderment David asked the men about the reward for the one who could put an end to the ranting of the Philistine giant.   He was told a man would receive great riches and the king's daughter would be thrown in to boot.  David was shocked that no one was stepping forward to squelch this matter.  David even asked the question, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"  David could not figure out why the mighty men of Israel cowered in fear at the mere sight of Goliath. 

 

Sibling Rivalry

Although some answered David, not everyone was happy with all the questions he raised.  In fact, his eldest brother, Eliab, was real irritated with David and asked him why he was not back tending the sheep where he belonged.  It was obvious David was used to holding his own around his seven brothers because he wasted no time in popping right back at his brother.  David said, "I just asked a question.  Is there any harm in just asking a question?"

 

 

 

Called by the King

Eliab's ears were not the only ones to hear David's questioning.  The report spread quickly to Saul's tent and he sent for David.  In the king's tent, the air was thick with fear and doubt.  Sensing the problem, David quickly said to the king, "Don't worry.  I'll go out and fight the Philistine for you."  But at this point in his life Saul still liked David very much and he told him there was no way that he could prevail against the giant from Gath.  But David pleaded his own defense and told the king how he had fought a bear and a lion while attending his father's sheep and David promised that the Philistine would fall just like the animals whom he had fought before.

 

The King's Armor

Reluctantly, Saul agreed to let David go out to meet the giant.  Since Saul was not using his personal armor he took it and placed it on David.  King Saul was no ordinary man when it came to physical size so the king's armor swallowed David whole when it was draped upon him.  David knew in an instant that Saul's armor was not going to work at all.  Instead of Saul's armor David chose to wear the armor of the King of kings. 

 

He left Saul's tent, and David knelt down and chose 5 smooth stones from the brook that ran through the valley floor.  With a sling in hand and God in his heart, David did something that no man had dared to do in over 40 days: he rushed out to meet Goliath on the field of battle. 

 

The Dogs of War

Goliath was as arrogant as he was loud and large.  When he saw David running out to meet him he could not believe his eyes.  He called out and said, "Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?"  Goliath then cursed David with a promise to tear him in pieces and leave him for the birds.  Goliath's taunting did not sway David in the least.  He ran swifter than before and he called out to the giant, "You come with the weapons of war, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts and the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted."

 

In disbelief Goliath pushed back his helmet and waited for this little twerp from across the valley to approach within striking distance.  As David ran forward he loaded one of the smooth stones in his sling and he began to twirl it above his head.  After several rotations, David released one end of the sling and the stone went whistling through the air.  It all happened so fast Goliath never knew what really happened.  That stone smashed into his forehead with a cracking thud.  Almost instantly the giant lost consciousness and the towering man of war crashed to the ground.  The eerie silence from earlier in the day was suddenly back as both sides waited with hearts pounding wildly. 

 

The Final Blow

David never missed a step.  Even after the giant fell, David kept running toward his now crumpled body.  When he reached the huge heap of a man David drew Goliath's sword.  With all his might he raised it above his head and brought it down across the giant's neck.  In one pass Goliath's head fell from his body.  The eerie silence was broken by the cry of war from the armies of Israel.  The men of Israel charged across the valley in pursuit of the Philistines who turned and ran when they saw their champion fall.  That day saw the fall of many Philistines and the restoration of glory to the God of Israel.

 

Mild Irritation

I know that none of us have ever faced a Philistine giant.  It would probably be very safe to say that many of you have never even seen combat.  However, I know that there are those among us who have faced the giants of war in their lives.  Next week our country will close banks and government centers in honor of all who have served our great nation in both times of war and peace.  I find it ironic that when we celebrate the lives of the men and women who have fought to give us our freedoms that we close businesses and throw sales at car dealerships and variety stores.  I cannot see how any of that honors those brave souls.  It seems much more appropriate to me to honor those who have given us our freedoms by living our lives in such as way as to say, "Thank you" for that freedom.  Instead of closing banks, why not hold events that celebrate and promote the cause of freedom? 

 

I know that any suggestions that I could offer here today that would better honor those who have served will likely go no further than wherever copies of this sermon may end up after the service today.  But friends, what troubles me more than banks closing for Veteran's Day is the fact that too many of us cower in fear when we face the giants in our lives.  As I meet with people every day I see fear in their eyes.  I see discouragement and I see heartache.  I see so many people who are being pressured and taunted by the giants that they have to face. 

 

Many Forms, Same God

Modern-day giants come in many forms.  They come in the form of financial turmoil.  They come in the form of unemployment.  They come in the form of incurable disease and illness.  They come in the form of broken marriages and unruly children.  The giants we face today may look very different from the one from Gath, but they are no less formidable and they are no less frightening to God's people.  But friends, the same God who guided David's stone that day is the same God who stands ready to slay the giants in your life.  He is the same God who wants you to have peace knowing that He will take care of you.   Friends, David was not the only one who knew how the Lord had led Israel in the past, but David was the only one who still believed that God was in control.

 

The Heart of God

David was a shepherd; not exactly the most noble of professions in his day.  He likely smelled like the sheep and was apparently not cherished by his brothers.  But despite all of that we are told in 1 Samuel 13:14 that the Lord wanted a man after His own heart and David was that man.  To have the heart of God means to have a heart that is willing to trust God no matter what.  It means trusting God when your finances seem to be failing.  It means trusting God when your job is lost.  It means trusting God when you are not healed from either physical or mental disease.  Having the heart of God means that you trust God to slay the giants in your life.

 

But as we recall from the story, David did not sit hiding in the tent.  Saul had that taken care of and for 40 days that had not worked.  Saul's heart was filled doubt and fear because he knew that the Spirit of God had departed from him.  He knew that if he ran out to meet Goliath that he would have to do it in his own might.  His failure to follow God in the past kept him a prisoner within his own tent, and far too many of us do the same thing.  We let Satan beat us down and constantly remind us of our past failures, but God wants us to turn away from evil and look forward to a brighter future.  He wants us to be willing to stand up and fight when He calls us to do so.

 

 

A Very Personal Giant

As think back to times in my life when I have faced things that seemed impossible to overcome, I remember how lonely I felt.  One of those time occurred when I was overseas in Iraq.  As many of you have heard me say before I served as a chaplain's assistant with the Army.  You may not know that a chaplain's assistant is required to carry a weapon.  In fact, the only position in the Army that does not require carrying a weapon is that of the actual chaplain.  When I joined the Army I had no qualms with bearing arms in the defense of my nation and my family.  I always had the idea that I could not hide behind the freedoms that others had died to secure for me.  So I enlisted as a combatant.

 

I excelled at my training and quickly caught the attention of my leadership. In fact, I was the top marksman within our headquarters detachment and I loved being a Soldier.  When I got to Iraq I did my duties within the best of my ability to perform them.  One day when my chaplain and I visited mortuary affairs so that my chaplain could have prayer over the body of a fallen U.S. Soldier, I stood just a few feet away waiting on my chaplain and was not really thinking about a whole lot.  As I stood there the strangest thing happened to me.  I could audibly hear within my head a voice say, "Throw down your weapon."  At first I was not sure what had just happened and then I heard it again. 

 

To say that I was confused would be a huge understatement.  I was very content with being a Soldier and I loved my job as a chaplain's assistant.  I was the last person I would have ever seen as a conscientious objector so I tried desperately to put it out of my mind.  But it seemed that the harder I tried to forget about the incident the more it plagued me.  I got to the point where I could not sleep and I could not eat.  The internal struggle began to show in my physical appearance.  My buddies asked me if I was feeling Ok and if I was alright.  I told them to just give me so space and that I would be fine.  This went on for about two weeks.  I was miserable inside and I refused to listen to God. 

 

The Stone of Prayer

Finally, I could not take it anymore and I decided to pray and give in to God.  I knelt in the floor of my little room and I poured my heart out to God.  I told the Lord that I did not want this for my life, but if He was calling me to put down my weapon then I would follow Him.  My giant was not the enemy on the other side of the fence friends.  My giant was my own selfishness.   My giant was being more concerned with what others would think of me than doing what God wanted me to do.  My giant was dreading the ridicule and scorn that I was sure to face from the other Soldiers who were there putting their lives on the line too.  I am so happy to tell you today that my prayer of submission to God became the stone that took down my giant. 

 

Were there some who caused my deepest fears to be realized?  For sure there were.  I was scorned and shunned by many of my buddies.  There were some who refused to even shake my hand.  But day after day I prayed and I asked God to help me be the very best chaplain's assistant in the theater of operations.  I prayed each day that the Lord would help me to reach at least one Soldier and to be a blessing to them.  I praise God today that He answered that prayer and over time many who had initialed shunned me came around and restored their ties with me.

 

Not a Respecter of Persons

Friends, I am not going to stand here today and tell you that all of your giants will go away with just one prayer.  Mine certainly didn't.  It took me being willing to run where the Lord led me before He took down my giants.  All of my giants did not fall at one time.  Some took longer than others to overcome, but one by one I kept giving them to God and He was always faithful to slay them for me.

 

And I know that the same God who helped me and who helped David is the same God who stands ready, willing, and able to help each of you today.  Since I have been home from Iraq there have been a few more giants that the Lord has helped me overcome, and by His grace each giant that pokes its big, old, ugly head into my life will feel the swift hand of The Almighty come crashing against it.  We are told in Acts 10:34 that God is no respecter of persons.  So if He helped David, and He has helped me and countless thousands of others then He will help you as well.  He may choose to help you in a way that you have not thought of and He may do it in different timing than you desire, but He will help you.  If you fully trust in the Lord He will slay the giants that you and I face today and in the future.

 

Sermon

Wycliff Mokua
I am.
And jesus said I am tha light. And when the light shines it chases the
darkness away.. And thus we should also be luke the moon which gets
its ight from the sun and shines it to the earth during the night. We
as xtians should get our light from the source who is Jesus christ and
shine it to others.
I am the bread of life.
I am the good shephered. A gud shepherd gives his life for his flock.
And even when they go astray he goes out of his way to find them.. And
so Jesus died for us all, whether we were good or bad.
We shuld follow the example of our lord Jesus and be gud shepherds to
our brothers and bring those who have gone astray. Back to the lord.
I am the way the truth and the life john 14*6,
We have great challenges in life which sometimes make us to loose our
hope bt jesus assures us that he is the way the truth and the life and
no one goes to the father but through him we get to the father.
John10*16
I am the true vine.
He is the vine and we are the branches, and if the branches do not
bear fruits then they are cut and burnt down. So as branches we must
have a personal relationship with jesus. We should have a connection
with christ as the branhes are connected to the vine. As paul says in
philipuans I can do all things through christ who gives me strength.
I am the resurection and the life., the story of lazarus is given
here. How he was sick and how he died and that Jesus visited his place
after he died.
As long as we believe in jesus christ we should not be worried about
death, death makes us sad when we loose our loved ones that is when we
behin to ask questions as to where God was when it happened... But
jesus tels us that if we believe in him and have a personal
relationship with him although we die we will rise up to go and
receive him when he comes back the second time..
Jesus the great I am. And God answered moses tha I am who I am. We
could have done so much bad in our life but the big querry is do we
know who we are. And do we know jesus, if we acknowledge that jesus is
Lord and He is our savior, if we acknowledge that he is the light0he
is the bread of life and he is the way the truth and the life and that
he is the great I am he sure will forgive us and accept us.
Blessed is the man who belives in the lord. Jeremiah
If we believe in the lord we shall be like a tree planted by the water
side and that we shall not be moved, we shall not dry, we shall not
lack hope, and even though we will face challenges the lord will be
with us and he will strengthen us in our times of need.
If we trust in jesus he will come in to our lifes and he will
transform us. He wil change our destiny, and all will be well with us.

05-03-11 sermon

Douglas Agoga
Key text; Mark 5:21-43
In this book the writer starts by giving us a story of Jesus on a boat
by the sea where there was a large multitude of people, among being
Jarius..
When he saw Jesus, Jarius went to his feet and begged Jesus to come
see his sick daughter.
They were on their way to see Jarius' daughter,when a servant came and
said to them not to bother proceeding since her daughter was already
dead
.
Jesus said they should continue on and on arriving found people
including professional mourners wailing for her passing.
Jesus enters the house with Jarius and his disciples.
He tells the kid to arise and she does so, much to the amazement of
the individuals in the room.
Theme of the day is never to give up.. Life can give you a battering
in form of sickness some of which are threatening,financial
crisis,marriage on the rocks ,relatives who are just difficult to live
with.
The message today is that don't loose heart no matter the burden on your back.
On that congregation, there was a lady who was suffering from a
disease of bleeding for 12 years .She had sold her properties in
search for a solution, but her condition grew worse with every doctor
she met..
She made a decision that her last option was going to be Jesus..
Looking at the book The Great Controversy which points out that those
who show little faith now are at risk of falling into traps that the
evil one may set..
The moment she touched His cloth"s hem , she received
healing,instantly stopping the bleeding in her body..
Instantly Jesus felt the movement of power and turned to his disciples
asking them who had touched Him......................
Continuation ..........video available.

29-01-11 sermon

Sabbath School Department
Speaker :Elder Paul Ndegwa
Main verse-Mat. 28:18-20
Song 46: 'miguuni pake yesu'
Tithes and offering-Romans 11:36
Senior youth for a song
Song 9- ' muumbaji mfalme'
Church choir for a song to welcome the speaker.
SPEAKER: SURMON
Our speaker was from the county of Kiambu.
He pointed out that one day will move to a place with no barriers like
counties,provinces or even countries.
Preachers theme for the day was to Feel at home in the Sabbath School.
Born 60 years ago and 3 years later lost his father our speaker was
brought up by a different father from his own. After 32 years past,he
went out to look for his own father,this was in 1986.
In his pursuits for looking for him ,one day the sun lit on his way
and finally had a break through.
He was told he was drinking at a pub near where he was searching.
The first time he saw him he saw himself in him and felt at home ever since.
He asked him 'do you want me' because after 32years he wasn't sure he
cared of him.
Was asked to give his father his hand and his father spit.
His father said that they should go home. 'Those were wonderful words' to him.
The speaker further pointed out that 'There is nothing as good as
feeling at home'.that is by finding his father. It changed the way he
delt with his wife with his children and his society at large.
When they arrived at their house,Paul's mother exclaimed asking if she
could prepare all the eggs.
Pastor Paul further pointed out that
'The sabbath school is a home'.
We continued by singing the 2nd verse of that song number 46.
Verse 2 reminds him of his life because he feels at home with brothers
and sisters while he is in the sabbath school.
The speaker continued to tell us of the first time he was introduced
to his brother. They didn't greet other I.e shaking hands they just
stared at each other and after a moment broke into laughter.
When we came to the sabbath school and we get the opportunity to meet
new people who we get to experience brotherly love to levels beyond
what is experienced else where.
The sabbath school should blend us into a family.
From 'standard nursery' to standard 7he did the process in 10years
and in 7 different Primary Schools.
He was able to do his CPE (certified primary education) and passed.
Reading from a written text, 'The pioneers of the church established
the sabbath school to teach us of the Bible truth and about Christ'.
He posed a Question to the congregation
How much you can sacrifice for your spiritual schooling?
You can not just up and leave the sabbath school in the middle of the
year,due to some excuses .
He openly pointed out that some of us are very poor students of the
sabbath school.
Going back to the key text,he pointed out that the sabbath school
helps to compete the great commission forwarded to us by Jesus Christ.
He stated that 'No child is too young or too old to attend this world
wide school'.
Also that 'no person knows too much or knows too little to enjoy the
exercises of the sabbath school class'.
A Question - how do you gauge your schooling in the school of christ?
He pointed out that there is no graduation from this school known as
the sabbath school.
Our speaker for the day works with an NGO that deals with girls who
have only managed to attain the minimal schooling of primary level.
He was called to St Patrick High School but was unable to join
because of fees of KSHS 500. He then went to look for a scholarship.
In the 1970, he went to ask for bursary and was not successful.
He is currently awaiting for results of forth form which he did last
year as a private student.
Verse 3-'unibariki mwokozi niko miguuni pa yesu'.
In our sabbath schools we have problem of members want to insist on
classed with some teachers.
He stated that real teacher is Jesus Christ.
He challenged us that if we invite him again he would speak on the
righteousness of christ.

26-02-11 family life

Speaker: Andrew Mocha
Key verse-Genesis 35:1
Song-184 'panapo pendo'

Sermon based on the theme of revival and reformation.
After jacob was running away from his brother afer stealing his
blessings on his way to his uncle laban he fell asleep on the desert
and saw stairs leading up to heaven and angels going up and down
When he went back home from working getting rachel he did not found
his parents but found his brother esau who took him .
In Shekem
His sons later after hearing news of a raping of his daughter, they
got up and slaughtered all the men of the area. Now when the people of
the area wanted revenge he looked at his life.
Genesis 35:1
When God told him to head to Bethel.
He told his sons that when he schemed against his brother he did not
wish for much of the wealth that followed but rather for Gods favor.

Genesis 28:13

He went to make a a sanctuary at the location of the stairs he saw in his sleep.

But for him to go back to Bethel there were conditions
Genesis 35:2

One of the conditions was to put away all the strange Gods they
had,change their clothes and be clean so that he could go to make a
sanctuary for the God who was with him in times of his despair.

Question-are there issues in our families today.

All these problems require us to go down memory lane.

When problems get tough in our families we should revisit Jacob's story.

We want to have revivals in our family.

Steps should be followed
Put away all the gods we keep. Eg
Gossip,

Question. -What is the ladder John 1:51-
The ladder is Jesus Christ
2-purify your selves from all the sins you committed through your
killings at Shekem.
Today using our words and our tthoughts we have done the same as.
3-arise we wake up and go to bethel

We should take the step personally
John 4:14
We should ask God to speak to us,bless us,change our names from Jacob
meaning liar ,and promises to Abraham of flowing blessings ,those who
want to have their families with them in heaven.
Song 138

THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD - 5th Feb 2011

THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD

Theme verse Daniel 7:25

Speaker – Esther Moenga

To have to win the battle there must be a war/ fight, with all the problems in the world- sickness, financial crisis, family problems, problems with children as Christians these are the battles we encounter each and every day of our life,

Amidst all this we should remember that the battle belongs to the lord. The plan the good Lord has for us is to be a winner. And these are good plans from God.

If you commit your will to the lord you will win..

There are certain points that will help us get the victory we so desire.

1.  Determine to seek God, ask a word from Him and acknowledge that you can’t live without Him for he is the Vine and we are the branches and the branches do not exist alone without the vine they depend on it.

2 Set your self in the right position an example is when a country has heard that its enemies are going to strike it they prepare for the attack. And the same case to all other people and not just the country alone. We should be prepared

3. After doing all the above wait for the Lord – 2^nd Chronicles 20 When you trust in God, there is no need to fear.. 

There was a pending attack on Jehoshaphat’s kingdom from the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites but Jehoshaphat’s did not allow fear to overcome him instead he sought word with the Lord above set himself in the right position and waited for the Lord to act this is because he knew that with the Lord by his side he would succeed

As Christians we should be reminding ourselves about what God has done for us.  And the salvation that God had planned for us will be worth all the sacrifices we make when we all meet in Heaven.

Bless you all

Amen

Theme :- Feel at home in the Sabbath School 29/01/2010

Sabbath School Department
Speaker :Elder Paul Ndegwa
Main verse-Mat. 28:18-20
Song 46: 'miguuni pake yesu' (Sitting at the feet of Jesus)

Our speaker was from the county of Kiambu.
He pointed out that one day will move to a place with no barriers like
counties, provinces or even countries.
Born 60 years ago and 3 years later lost his father our speaker wasbrought up by a different father from his own. After 30 years passed, he went out to look for his own father,this was in 1986. In his pursuits for looking for him ,one day the sun lit on his wayand finally had a break through. He was told he was drinking at a pub near where he was searching. The first time he saw him he saw himself in him and felt at home ever since.
He asked him  'do you want me' because after 30 years he wasn't sure he cared of him.
Was asked to give his father  his hand and his father  spit on it and he felt at home. His father said that they should  go home. 'Those were wonderful words' to him. The speaker further pointed out that  'There is nothing as good as feeling at home'.that is by finding his father. It changed the way he dealt with his wife with his children and his society at large. When they arrived at their house,Paul's mother exclaimed asking if she
could prepare all the eggs.
Pastor Paul further pointed out that
'The sabbath school is a home'.
 We continued by singing the 2nd verse of that song number 46.
Verse 2 reminds him of his life because he feels at home with brothers and sisters while he is in the sabbath school. The speaker continued to tell us of the first time he was introduced to his brother. They didn't greet other I.e shaking hands they just stared at each other and after a moment broke into laughter.

When we came to the sabbath school and we get the opportunity to meet new  people who we get to experience brotherly love  to levels beyond what is experienced else where.
The sabbath school should blend us into a family.

From 'nursery school' to standard 7 he did the process  in 10years
and  in 7 different Primary  Schools.
He was able to do his CPE (certificate of primary education) and passed.

Reading from a written text,  'The pioneers of the church established
the sabbath school to teach us of the Bible truth and about Christ'.

He posed a Question to the congregation
How much you can sacrifice for your spiritual schooling?
You can not just get up and leave the sabbath school in the middle of the
year,due to some excuses .

He openly pointed out that some of us are very poor students of the sabbath school. Going back to the key text,he pointed out that the sabbath school helps to complete the great commission forwarded to us by Jesus Christ. He stated that 'No child is too young or too old to attend this world wide school'.Also that 'no person knows too much or knows too little to enjoy the exercises of the sabbath school class'.
A Question - how do you gauge your schooling in the school of Christ?
He pointed out that there is no graduation from this school known as the sabbath school. Our speaker for the day works with an NGO that deals with girls who have only managed to attain the minimal schooling of primary level. He was  called to St Patrick High School but was unable to join because of fees of KSHS 500. He then went to look for a scholarship. In the 1970, he  went to ask for bursary and was not successful. He is currently awaiting for results of forth form which he did last year as a private student.

Verse 3-'unibariki mwokozi niko miguuni pa yesu'.

In our sabbath schools we have problem of members want to insist on classed with some teachers.
He stated that real teacher is Jesus Christ. He challenged us that if we invite him again he would speak on the
righteousness of Christ. Let it be our prayer that we Stay at the feet of Jesus Christ and feel at home at his feet.. Amen.

Speaker Jessee Maina - The SDA church on church-state relations - 22/1/2011

Elder Jesse Maina Gitau

Main theme-The SDA church on church-state relations

1peter 2:13-17
Without submision no relationship can be able to be maintained.
The speaker also referred to the months' lesson on association.
 The verse
That God is love and he gave us ability to make a choice.

'Patriarch's' book page 35- that our father does not take no pleasure
in a forced obedience. Which can be translated that God could easily
make us worship Him,but He prefers willful worship.

In the book of Ezekiel he talks about hardening of the heart.the
prophet of the lord goes on to say that
13 without love whatever you do is considered nothing before  God's
eyes as nothing.

Adam being put on the garden was given a choice of good and bad.

Talking of religious liberty where one has a choice on paths to take.
The path one takes is up to ones discretion.

Jesus never forced anyone to follow Him, it was all by choice that all
His followers took the path that they did.
If anyone had the ability to force people to follow him, it would be
Jesus, but He was all about freedom (choice)-stating that His kingdom
was not of this earth.

As the church's obligation towards its members increase so is the
pressure to recognize the state church relationship. Tremendous
pressure is placed on church at large to ensure this occurs.

Freedom of conscience
An obligation has been bestowed upon us as a church  to ensure legal
and religious freedom in the environment in which our church operates.

As per the church, we(church) should obey the local authority and all
its modalities  as no leadership can exist without Gods approval.
Hence pointing that whatever leadership exists on the land arise out
of God's discretion.

Looking at Romans13-christians should obey local authorities(roman tax
authorities)

But in cases of conflict between the state and God's laws we should
opt for the God's door. We ought to obey God rather than men.

Adventist have been called

Case for Participation in the governments:
Examples like  Joseph come to light here. He was a member of that
Egyptian administration(coming up with awesome ideas like saving food
in times of surplus for times of drought,until other countries came to
Egypt to borrow-Joseph's brothers)

Illustration of Cuba's president being one of the union directors
before his appointment.

Daniel became a part of the administration of Nebukadnezza and persian
and Medo Persian government.
Looking at the book of Fundamentals of .....
Which points out that everyone of us makes a mark...but we must remain
mindful of civil affairs....

Principles like the Golden rule should also be taken into consideration
Math 7-.....do unto others as you'd want them to do unto you.

Should take part in the election procedures with good conscience
We have a responsibility of building our communities.
Daniel and Joseph participated in the administration but didn't go
against God's will.

They should not use the church forum to forward your own agenda

Advents who are  leaders in the church should hold the believes at
heart to inspire the community around them.

Representation of government:
In Genesis Abraham and Joseph and Moses went head to head with the
pharaohs of their time.

Many of the reformers stood against the administration to express
their christians values.

Governments are expected to deal with the dealings of the governed
example security,ensuring basic human rights,discrimination both
gender race
For example
Women in kenya didn't have national identifications until 1978s

There has been a long debate on funding from government. Here he
stated that  the church should not create barriers.

We should have strict accounting programs in regards to the financial
handouts received.

There in no problems with these funds as long we account  for them as required.

Referring to the book:
Testimony to leaders pg 107-203
We should follow the government guidelines with regards to funding.

In exceptional circumstances the church needs to lias with the
government in order to minister in that particular State ,we should
seek for serious prayer when joining with governments in their
dealings so as to avoid associating the name of christ with
administrations that are retrospective to human rights in their
conduct.

The SDA conduct of its relations has a world wide impact that
reverberate through its surrounding society as a result we should fast
and pray

In summary we the church should strive to champion for the freedom of
conscience.

Saturday 15th, January 2011, Sermon by Pastor Lazarus

WORKERS SEMINAR

Testimonies vol 2,
where were the God fearing men, in times of test, and those who uphold the standard.
The work of God calls for men, of strong purpose who can lay down selfish interest for the cross and the
crown.  
Luke 17 vs 7 - 10- Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
In Israel there was slavery,
In the verse Jesus spoke on what was happening in Israel, but as Christians we are privileged for the son of God came down served us and gave us the honor of dining with him, but we should also work and do the work that we have been instructed to do..
Our God is the cross of Christ and the crown of Christ.

Workers in the city should read the 10th and 11th chapters of Hebrews
and understand how work is.
Because of our selfishness our prayers fail to be answered. Therefore we as the people who do work for the Lord to take His message to all people and Nations we should lay our own selfish interests aside and do the work of the Lord our God as we are directed to do

We are the Salt of the world

 

Kahawa West SDA Choir 

Song title - Vilindini 

awesome perfomance by the church choir followed By a Lovely sermon

Sermon title : We are the Salt of the world
Speaker : Elder Joseph Mburu

Key Verse : Math 5:13 - You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. - NIV

SERMON: WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH

MAIN TEXT: Genesis 1:4
 'God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light
from darkness' CEV

Salt is an agent without which food has no flavor.
Looking at the science salt is sodium plus chlorine. Each component in
its self is poisonous,but combine them together you obtain a substance
that excites our pallets when in stews.

Genesis 14:24-29
 ' Let my share be the food that my men have eaten. But Aner, Eshcol,
and Mamre went with me, so give them their share of what we brought
back.'CEV

Since salt is a major influence in what we enjoy as food,and we being
the salt of this earth we influence every thing we get into contact
with.
With such power so responsibility in a similar measure,which in this
case means this power should be used for the greater good.

Mathew 5:9
'God blesses those people
 who make peace.
 They will be called
 his children!' CEV

Proverbs 16:7
'When we please the  Lord  ,
 even our enemies
 make friends with us.'CEV

James 3:18
'When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.'CEV

From the above verse the decisions we take to choose the path of peace
has very profound effects .

Mathew 8:11-13
' 11 Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the
kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  12 But the ones who
should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They
will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”  13 Then Jesus said to the
officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.”
 Right then his servant was healed.'CEV

Salt as a  preserves

the speaker spoke more on the preservation function of salt-

as christians we should be like salt but when salt loses its taste it

is thrown out and people walk on it. So we become useless when we
don't maintain our christian values.

We should put our best foot forward in ensuring that we maintain our
values so as to serve as example to others, in effect being like
salt.(Adding flavor to their lives),

We should all be peace makers whenever we stay,we work etc

SUMMARY...

As Christians we should be like salt but when salt loses its taste it
is thrown out and people walk on it. So we become useless when we
don't maintain our christian values. We should put our best foot
forward in ensuring that we maintain our values so as to serve as
example to others, in effect being like salt.(Adding flavor to their
lives)
We should all be peace makers whenever we stay,we work,people we meet etc.

Speaker: Elder Joseph Mburu

Zacchaeus 31st December 2010

Zacchaeus

Luke 19

Please open your Bibles to Luke chapter 19. Last Sabbath I shared with you a message focused on Bartemaeus, a man who lived in Jericho, and today I will share with you the story of another man who lived in Jericho. Luke 19:1. Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

Many times, Jesus had to pass through Jericho just because it was the way in the way to the north between Jerusalem and Capernaum. There was a major highway the kings rode going from Egypt in the south to Damascus in the north. And there was another main road going from east to west and Jericho was in the intersection of these two main roads. Because of its strategic location, Jericho was a station for travelers. It was an oasis in a very hot, hot area. About eight hundred meters below sea level. The name, Jericho means, "Fragrance," a sweet smell. Maybe because of the palm trees. It was also known as the city of roses. Well, maybe someone, some entrepreneur had decided to establish a flower business, I don't know. The fact is that Jesus went through Jericho. Then He met a man named, Zacchaeus. Luke 19:2, (NAS). And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and he was rich. And he was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd for he was of short stature.

Zacchaeus had five impediments, hindrances, obstacles to go to where Jesus was. First of all, Zacchaeus had four or five problems. He was a tax collector, a publican. I don't like paying taxes, but I have to do it. But in a special way in those days, tax collectors were not the most popular people in town because they were known to be collaborators with the enemy. They were considered to be traitors to their nation. And they were hated very much. Just for you to have an idea in the Talmud, which is the collection of Jewish traditions and teachings. There is an instruction: "If you see a tax collector falling in a pit, you should not help him out of the pit." That was a clear instruction. Let him die, otherwise you will be a traitor to our nation. That was what the Talmud, the collection of traditions instructed to Jewish people.

But, Zacchaeus had another problem. He was the chief tax collector. He was the head of the I.R.S. in this important city. As I said last Sabbath: until today, Jericho is a very well known city. The chief tax collector. Somehow, Zacchaeus had managed to climb the social ladder. He had reached the top. But he was lonely at the top. And this is very common among sucessful people. Zacchaeus was a lonely man. He did not have friends.

There was another problem. He was rich. Nothing wrong with money. Well, money is the root of all evil (see 1 Timothy 6:10) according to the Bible. Love of money - that's the problem. And that was Zacchaeus' problem. He had become rich at the expense of others, because publicans were known as thieves. Everybody knew that tax collectors charged more than they should and they kept a good portion of the money they got from people. And his money did not make him happy. He was not a happy man.

For several years I lived in the Philippines, for six years, and I had a vehicle. It did not have a window. When they got broken in Manila, I had to abandon the car. I left the car. Three days later I returned the car was still there. Who would want to touch that old car of mine? Nobody was interested in a car, fifteen years old in the third world. Nobody was interested in touching ... But imagine if I had a Mercedes-Benz! How could I watch day and night, making sure that nobody would approach my car? I don't have, today, the problems that Zacchaeus had. I don't have much that thieves can take from me. But, Zacchaeus was a rich man. And he was not able to sleep well. And in his nights of insomnia, Zacchaeus dreamed, thought about how to secure, how to have peace of mind.

He had learned about Jesus. Jesus was in town and the news had spread in Jericho that Jesus was coming. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus because the news had spread among tax collectors that one tax collector in Capernaum, named Matthew, had become a disciple of Jesus. Matthew had abandoned his office just to follow this carpenter. There was something in this carpenter, now a preacher. There was something that had caused Matthew to change his career. Money was not a priority in his life. Now, Matthew was a smiling preacher. "I envy him. I wish, I wish I could know what changed my fellow worker, my fellow publican." And he wanted to see Jesus as Jesus moved slowly through main street. And he attempted many times to see Jesus. He wanted to see Jesus, but more than that, he wanted to know what this Man was. He was something very different.

It is one thing to know things about someone. For instance, I know about a man named Bill Clinton. I know many things about him. But, you know what? I don't know him and he doesn't know me. He's not my friend. He never calls me. He never says, "Hi, Carlos. Happy Sabbath." - never, never! He doesn't even know there is a little known man named Carlos. Of course he doesn't. We are not friends.

It's one thing to know Jesus, to know things about Jesus, and another thing is to be His friend, to know Him. Zacchaeus wanted to know Who this Man was. He already knew things about Jesus, but he wanted to know Him.

But there was another problem. The crowd. There was a crowd surrounding Jesus. It happened very often. Even His mother tried to approach Him, but she could not because of the crowd. And you know what? It happens with me. Sometimes I am too crowded. I am doing too many things. My schedule is too crowded. I don't have time for Jesus.

But Zacchaeus had another problem. He was very short. And people made fun of his stature. The people also make fun of his name. Zacchaeus means righteous or pure, and everybody in town knew that Zacchaeus was not righteous nor pure.

Then we read in verse four, So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him for he knew He was going to pass that way. Zacchaeus got a crazy idea. You know the story--he ran ahead, climbed a tree--you do crazy things only in very special circumstances. You need a strong motivation. You see this man who usually walked very slowly because he was an officer, an important man. Now he was climbing a tree. Maybe there were some children there booing. And there he was perched on the tree. Now he could see Jesus because he knew that Jesus was going to pass this way. But there was something that Zacchaeus did not know--that this was the last time that Jesus was passing this way because the story took place on a Friday and one week later Jesus died on the cross. It was the last time that Jesus was passing that way and Zacchaeus did not know it.

Finally Jesus approached and Zacchaeus' heart missed a beat when Jesus stopped just under the tree. Zacchaeus was a little afraid that someone would notice him, but suddenly his fears became a reality. When Jesus looked up, everybody looked up and they saw Zacchaeus perched on a tree. Now everybody began to laugh. Zacchaeus had climbed a tree trying to find a solution to his problem. Now he had become the laughing stock of Jericho. "Look! Zacchaeus what are you doing there so ridiculous." Zacchaeus was red faced and he didn't know what to do. But Jesus transformed that uncomfortable situation into a victory when Jesus said, "Zacchaeus, I have arrived. Zacchaeus (verse 5). He said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down for today I must stay at your house." How could Jesus know Zacchaeus by name? They have never met. Of course, Jesus knows much more than your name. Jesus knows many things about you that you don't know about yourself. How many hairs do you have in your head? You don't know? Jesus knows. Jesus does. Jesus knows you much more than you can even imagine. "Zacchaeus, I know you, I know your heart. Come down Zacchaeus, make haste. You don't belong up there."

Many people feel that they are above the others. And even from this high platform, I am tempted to look down on you. You are the preacher. "No, Carlos, come down, you don't belong there. The only one who belongs up there is and sitting on a throne is God. You come down. Humble yourself. Come down. Zacchaeus, I need to go to your house." Jesus invited himself.

And this is where salvation begins. If we love Him it is because He first loved us. Salvation is God's initiative. "Zacchaeus, make haste, come down. I cannot wait." Sometimes children say to their parents, "Wait a minute, I'm busy." "Mary, come, hurry up." "Wait a minute." And she is playing with her dolls. Imagine if angels would obey that way. A child is falling off a cliff. And God says to an angel who is playing the harp and singing praises, "Help that boy." And this angel says, "Wait a minute, I will sing the stanza." Imagine the ridiculous situation. No, no angels cannot wait. Angels obey quickly, immediately. And Zacchaeus (verse six says), he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. And this is how angels obey. Angels obey with a smile. This is how we need to obey our mommy and our father, with joy because our parents want our best for us and this is why we should obey our Father who is in heaven joyfully. Jesus always demands joyful obedience. Jesus never leads us to disobedience. He wants us to obey immediately--to apply what we are learning, what we know.

I have to finish. When they saw that--all complained. "Oh look, Jesus has gone to be a guest with the man who is a sinner. And they murmured and they criticized Jesus. And I have not yet arrived to the main point of my sermon. But I will do it in two minutes. To shorten the story, Jesus spoke a long time with Zacchaeus that afternoon. Mrs. Zacchaeus was preparing the food for 13 hungry people--13 hungry men. While Mrs. Zacchaeus was busy, Jesus spoke with Zacchaeus. And Zacchaeus stood up and said, "I will follow You." And He stood up so that everybody could see him. There was a crowd in his house. He stood up and made the decision to follow Jesus. And Jesus, with a smile, said, "Today salvation has come to this house." Ellen White, commenting on this phrase, says, "Many think that salvation is a matter of the future. Just because the Bible says, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." But, she explains, you shall be saved when you do what Zacchaeus did. At that moment when a sinner receives Jesus, he is saved." And you will be saved as long as you maintain a personal relationship with Jesus.

This is something that many Seventh-day Adventists should be reminded of. If I ask you the question, "are you saved?" Meaning do you have a meaningful relationship with Jesus. I hope that all of you would say, "Yes." Otherwise, if you are not, you are in trouble. Because the other option is that if you are not safe in Jesus' hands, you are lost. Even if you are a church member. You are lost in the church. Another question that many Seventh-day Adventists feel difficult to answer. "Do you already have eternal life?" 1 John 5:13. I have written these things unto you that you may know that you already have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. If you have accepted Jesus as Zacchaeus did, if you have received Him, your name is already written in the Book of Life, and you already have eternal life. You are a citizen of God's kingdom.

And another last question that many Seventh-day Adventists cannot answer is, "Are all your sins already forgiven?" The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If all your sins are not yet forgiven, you are in trouble. Not because God is not able and willing to do it--just because you have not asked for it. 1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteous.

Speaker - Job Moenga 

Welcome All

Its a new year and We at the church are  wishing you all a Prosperous new year filled with Gods Blessings, and this time around we are committed to change the way we work, we are going to try out our best and put the work of God online. for those who will miss the sermons on Saturday we will give you a chance to get the sermons online on the following week.
we are changing the way we operate from the usual to the new age way.


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thank you and God Bless..