Upturn

We began a new series of messages last week called "Turning Points"—those intersections of life where God can turn us in a new direction.

Sometimes those turning points come unexpectedly. They're like God's surprises that sneak into the course of a very ordinary, routine day.

Other times, however, God brings us to a turning point—revealing his will to us because we're actively seeking for God's leading in our lives.

Either way, when a turning point presents us with the opportunity to make a change or to go a new direction, what happens next depends on how we respond to the moment. We have a decision to make, and God is looking for people who will choose to follow him.

There are several kinds of turning points, and we'll be looking at several of them in the next few weeks. Last week we talked about "U-turns"—where God turns our lives completely around. We're going our way, doing our own thing, and that's when God steps in and calls us to make a "180" and go his way.

Today we're going to look at "Upturns"—where God gives us new opportunities by bringing good things into our lives. These are the happy events, the treasured moments of life. Upturns are when we experience God's undeserved blessings.

An upturn can be about something material (pay raise, new job, special gift), but it doesn't have to be. An upturn may be one of those "priceless" experiences that money can't buy: Romantic Valentine card for your wife—$3.95; romantic dinner for two in Duluth—$69; finding the right one to be your wife—priceless.

In Proverbs we read, The man who finds a wife finds a treasure... (Prov 18:22, NLT).

Either way, whether material or not, we enjoy the upturns of life. We are glad when things suddenly take a turn for the better!

What we need to remember (and what we can easily forget) is why God does good things in our lives so we can pass the favor along to others.

God doesn't just save us from punishment for our sins; he changes us so we can be better. He saves us so our lives can have purpose and meaning.

When life takes an upturn and suddenly starts looking up, it is God calling us up higher. When God helps us, it's so we can help others.

So when an upturn comes along, it means you are being stretched in new ways—to share, to encourage, to help, to bless others.

If God brings an upturn into your life, there's a reason for it. You are blessed to be a blessing!

If God brings an upturn into your life, it's because he wants to use you as an instrument in his hands. He wants you to be a pipeline through which his blessings and gifts can flow to others.

When Enbridge began building the 990-mile pipeline from Alberta, Canada down to Superior, Wisconsin, they didn't do it just because they thought it would be a nice construction project. They didn't do it because they thought it would be good to provide jobs for people. They built the pipeline to move oil from Point A to Point B. A pipeline has a purpose—to allow something to flow from one end to the other, in this case, to allow Canadian oil to flow to consumers in the U.S.
You are like that pipeline. You have a purpose like that pipeline—God pours his blessings into your life so those blessings can flow through you to others. Some people want to be a reservoir—a storage tank, holding all the blessings for themselves. That's not right! We're to be pipelines, not storage tanks!

The Bible tells us plainly that God gives us blessings and gifts (special abilities and resources) so we can help others:

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Cor 12:7); ...so we can help each other (NLT); ...a special way of serving others (CEV).

If God brings an upturn into your life, it's not just to make your life easier or more comfortable. You are blessed to be a blessing!

Last week we talked about Matthew, the tax collector who made a U-turn. He was a "sinner" whose life took a dramatic turn—whose life, in fact, turned completely around when Jesus interrupted his everyday routine.

This week I want to talk about another tax collector Jesus met, a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus had a terrible reputation as a tax collector. In fact, he was more than a tax collector. He was a supervisor over a number of tax collectors—a "chief" tax collector. The people saw him more like a mafia don—the guy in charge of a whole bunch of liars, cheats, and thugs.

If the people despised tax collectors in general because they sold out to Rome and got rich by cheating their own people, the people loathed Zacchaeus. He was the man in charge, the "chief" over multiple tax collectors. He was exponentially worse than the other liars, cheats, and thugs.

People knew that Zacchaeus could not have gotten where he was unless he had no scruples, no conscience. He would run over his own mother to get what he wanted.

I'm guessing (although I have no way of knowing for sure) that Zacchaeus may have been even more ruthless and hard-hearted than most because he was a short man. Not all short men are ruthless, of course, but perhaps you've heard of what some people call a "Napoleon complex" (named after the French Emperor, who was thought to be short)—an inferiority complex that affects some men who are short in stature.

The theory applies to anyone driven to overcompensate for what they see as some kind of personal disadvantage. Some call it "Short Man Syndrome" or "Little Man Syndrome."
Nobody, to my knowledge, calls it a "Zacchaeus Complex." But whether his short stature motivated him or not, Zacchaeus climbed to the top of his dastardly profession over all the other tax collectors because he was a driven and determined man.

Zacchaeus was not only small in stature, however, he was also small in heart.

He was a stingy, selfish man—the opposite of a person you'd call "big-hearted." Zacchaeus was "small-hearted."

Remember Dr. Seuss's story about the Grinch?

 

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

 

His heart was "two sizes too small." Some people are like that—stingy, tight-fisted, selfish, guarded, suspicious, and uncharitable. They are "small-hearted." They don't share. They don't help others. They think only of themselves. Do you know any Grinches? Zacchaeus was like, only worse.

Zacchaeus was a small-hearted man, but one day something happened that turned him into a big-hearted person! One day Zacchaeus came to a turning point.

When Zacchaeus met Jesus and encountered God's love, grace, and forgiveness, his life took an upturn. Like Matthew, who left everything behind to follow Jesus, Zacchaeus also experienced a major change in his life.

Let's read the story as Luke tells it in Luke 19:1-10.

¹ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
   ⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
   ⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.'"
   ⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
   ⁹ Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Last week we saw how Matthew had been sitting at his tax booth, involved in his regular routine when God presented him with a turning point.

Zacchaeus was different. He was trying to find out about Jesus. He was curious. And he was determined to see what he could.

Even though he was a short man who could not see over the taller people crowding around him, he ran ahead and pulled himself up into the branches of a tree where he'd be able to see Jesus as he came by.

Zacchaeus came to a turning point because he was looking for something. God did something spectacular in his life because he made himself available.

Improving the Upturns in your life...

1. Put yourself where you can see God. (God responds to those who seek him.)

Zacchaeus was handicapped by his height. He was "vertically challenged," but he didn't let that stop him. In fact, he became all the more determined to compensate for his short height by climbing the tree.

Turning points come to those who make themselves available to God, to those who put themselves where they can catch a glimpse of God, to those who draw near to God, to those who seek his will, to those who are looking for a change in their lives.

Zacchaeus didn't know how much things were about to change, but climbing up into the tree was only the start of his upturn. God was able to do something in Zacchaeus because he was seeking something more.

Are you a seeker? Are you hungry for God? Are you eager to see God do something new in your life? Are you seeking him?

I urge you to spend time in God's presence. Quiet your heart and your spirit before him. Talk to him. Listen to his Word. Be open to what God wants to do in you.

For some, that may mean escaping from the regular schedule and obligations. Some may need to get away alone. I know one guy who would put on worship music in his workshop. I heard about one woman who would leave the kids playing and lock herself in the bathroom with her Bible where she wouldn't be interrupted.

For Zacchaeus, it was getting away from the crowd and climbing a tree. Whatever it is for you, put yourself in a position where you can see God.

Maybe you feel like Zacchaeus did—not because you're short, but because somehow you still feel handicapped. You feel challenged in some way.

Maybe you feel like your limitations make you unable to get through to God. You feel like you can't experience his blessings because you live with some problem or difficulty.

Don't let your disadvantages discourage you or defeat you! Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a tree. He was short, but he wasn't going to let that keep him down.

If you're dealing with a difficult situation, maybe you need to run on ahead. Maybe you need to make an extra effort. Maybe you need to climb a tree. Don't let your problem keep you down.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12).

God responds to those who diligently seek him.

2. Seize God's offer quickly. Don't delay! Open doors will close, and sometimes they close sooner rather than later. Opportunities will not last forever.

Turning points can come quickly—and they can go just as quickly!

Jesus looked up at Zacchaeus and said to him: "Come down immediately." So Zacchaeus came down at once.

It didn't take him long to decide. In a split second, he realized this could be the biggest moment of his life, and he couldn't let this opportunity pass him by.

Some people miss what God wants to do in them because they procrastinate. They put off their decision because of all they've got going on. They delay their response because they're consumed with other activities, worries, fears, obligations, or problems.

Zacchaeus, for instance, could have let the crowd discourage him from accepting Jesus' offer! He could have listened to all their negative comments: Who does he think he is? He's nothing but a no-good, dirty, rotten sinner. What right does he have to take a great rabbi—a prophet—like Jesus into his home?

If Zacchaeus had been self-conscious or intimidated by the opinion of others, he would have felt ashamed or embarrassed. He knew he wasn't worthy to have someone like Jesus in his home. He knew others would criticize and condemn. If he'd allowed public opinion to influence him, Zacchaeus would never have responded to Jesus' request.

But he didn't let those things delay his response. He came down "at once" (other versions say "hurried down" [CEV] or "quickly climbed down" [NLT]) and "gladly" received Jesus into his home.

When God presents you with a turning point—when you know for certain that God is directing you a certain way—there may be only a short window of opportunity for you to respond to his offer.

If you know God is calling you, don't delay by worrying about all the "what ifs" or the "what thens." If God is calling you, let him work out the details. But you, for your part, take decisive action. God's opportunities may not last for long.

When Jesus says, "Come down immediately," then you'd better come down at once.

For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2, NLT).

3. Use your upturn to bless others.

Some people act as though they're God's secret agents. They're undercover Christians. In private they say they believe, but there's nothing displayed in public as proof.

When you experience God's turning point, however, there will be dramatic evidence—your life will touch others. You will bless others.

There certainly was no doubt about Zacchaeus. His turning point was dramatic and convincing.

Something happened between verse 7 and verse 8. In verse 7, Zacchaeus is called a "sinner." In verse 8, Zacchaeus does exactly the opposite of what they would expect a sinner to do. He stops cheating, stealing, and embezzling. He stops taking things for himself. Instead, he begins to make restitution for all he has stolen (giving back four times as much as he took). Even more, he starts giving away his wealth to the poor and needy.

Luke doesn't fill in all the details for us, but we can make an educated guess as to what happened based on the results. Zacchaeus was touched by Jesus. He was blessed and came to a spiritual awakening. The focus and goal of his life shifted.

In verse 7, he is known as a "sinner," but in verse 9, Jesus calls him a "son of Abraham." There has been a dramatic turning point.

Before he was a taker—now he is a giver. Before he was a cheat and a thief, always trying to take as much as he could for himself. Now he's become generous and big-hearted. The taker became a giver.

Zacchaeus view of wealth and blessings was turned upside down. Suddenly, it didn't matter any more how rich he was in worldly things. After his turning point what mattered was how rich he was in spiritual things. In fact, his physical possessions became worthless alongside his newfound spiritual blessings.

Zacchaeus discovered that he was blessed so he could be a blessing. He realized that his possessions and wealth were not really his any longer. Now that he had surrendered his life to the Lord, all those things belonged to God.

God wanted Zacchaeus to manage those possessions, not own them.

When you come to a turning point and God pours spiritual blessings into your life, you have experienced an upturn. God wants you to use your blessings—your upturn—to bless others.

We're to become like Jesus: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Cor 8:9).

If Jesus gave so generously to us, then we know we're to follow his example. We are blessed so we can be a blessing to others.

...just as you excel in everything... see that you also excel in this grace of giving (2 Cor 8:7).

You are rich in everything... In the same way, be strong also in the grace of giving (2 Cor 8:7, NCV).

When life suddenly starts looking up, it's not so we can sit back and relax, enjoying the good life.

An upturn in our lives is God calling us to live on a higher plane. When God helps us, it's so we can help others.

When an upturn comes along, it means you are being stretched in new ways—to share, to encourage, to help, to bless others.

If God brings an upturn into your life, there's a reason for it. You are blessed to be a blessing!