Collector or receiver of the gift? – Part 3

Simon the sorcerer came to collect the gift. So, he thought it could be bought with money. Once you go to the market and pay for purchased items… you collect your goods. Unfortunately, a lot of charlatans are selling the gift today. You have to pay to see the man of God, pay for holy water, pay for oil and even pay for miracles! Why won’t buyers be collectors? There are many people, today, who think they can collect Jesus with money. How? By merely doing things for Him. Many people do things for Jesus, but they don’t do it IN Jesus. It’s only when you do things IN Jesus that you do things for Jesus that catch His attention.

Peter was so upset with the man as recorded in Acts 8:20, “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.”

As many as think they can buy this gift called Jesus, God is not pleased with them. Jesus is invaluable! So, receive Him first, so that He may receive you and your gift.

• Zacheus
Luke 19:5-6

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

Zacheus is a perfect example of a receiver of this gift called Jesus. Three things characterised his receiving of this wonderful gift.

(a). He made haste
For how long have we been persuading you to receive Jesus and you’ve been procrastinating?
To as many as been delaying the receipt of this gift, today is the day! Make haste!

(b). He came down
The greatest obstacles to receiving this gift are pride and ignorance. When people think they don’t need Jesus, they stay in their lofty height of self-sufficiency. In John 4:10, in his encounter with the woman by the well of Jacob, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” For as long as you keep Him away in your life, you’re proud. And this is how He deals with the proud – James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Zaccheus came down. Do you know that for Jesus to become gift to us, He had to come down. For us to receive Him, we also have to come down!

(c). Received him joyfully
If only you know the quality, cost and usefulness of the gift of God you’ve been offered, you will receive Him joyfully. There was no room for him in the inn when he was born. In John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Many today are as proud as the inn, full of themselves and as ignorant as the Jews that rejected Him. As soon as Zaccheus received the Gift, the Gift started working in his life as recorded in Luke 19:9-10; “And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

I pray for somebody who will accept this gift today, salvation comes to your house and you’re saved from every evil machination. The grumbling of the Pharisees could not stop what Jesus did in the life and house of Zaccheus… The move of God will be unstoppable in your life IJN

Be a receiver and not a Collector of the Gift of God.

Amen.

Pastor Seyi Adeyemi, Senior Pastor, The Worship Centre (Assembly of Sons & Daughters of Christ Apostolic Church). The Worship Centre, 1, Worship Centre Avenue, Off Kudirat Abiola Way, First Bank Bus Stop, Oregun, Lagos.