Encounters with Christ - When Christ Meets the Broken

Resistance often looks like control, pride, or protecting our image. Jesus meets us there.

In this message, John Gunter walks through the story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector who was wealthy but isolated. Though rejected by others, Zacchaeus was also holding onto a life shaped by power and gain. Yet his curiosity led him to seek Jesus, and in a moment that defied cultural expectations, Jesus called him by name and chose to stay at his house.

This encounter reveals that transformation does not begin with perfection. It begins with surrender. Zacchaeus responds not because he was forced, but because his heart was changed in the presence of Christ.

This sermon also challenges the listener to consider the posture of the crowd. While Zacchaeus moves toward Jesus, others resist through judgment and pride. The question becomes personal. Are we drawing near, or are we holding back?

Key Themes:

• The danger of pride and protecting our image
• Jesus seeks those others have written off
• True change flows from an encounter with Christ
• Grace invites surrender, not performance

📖 Scriptures: Luke 19:1–10, John 10:3, Luke 5:31–32

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