Cedarville Magazine
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27
Even right here at Cedarville, it’s
easy to fake it. You can blend in and
camouflage your spirituality — do all
the right things in the right place with
the right people. It’s easy to coast through
this season of life and miss a genuine
relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the story of Zacchaeus, we see aman
steeped in a religious culture. He’dmade all the money he could ever
want to make, but still he wasn’t happy. He was curious to see what
Jesus looked like and who He really was. I understand how that
feels. Growing up in a religious background, I was always around
religious people and things. My dad was my Sunday school teacher.
My mom sang in the choir. I went to church all the time. I went to
a Christian school. We memorized Bible verses and catechisms. I
watched people, including myself, coast through.
I love academia, but in this environment — as wonderful as all
the spiritual opportunities are — it’s easy to just play a game. I know
what it’s like to have Jesus in your head but not in your heart. All
the academic training and intellectual information in the world can
never change a heart.
Luke 19:5–6 says, “When Jesus reached the spot, He looked
up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must
stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed
Him gladly.”
If Jesus has never changed your life, Jesus
is not in your life. It is a biblical and spiritual
impossibility to encounter the Creator of
the universe in His majesty, power, and
grace, and walk away the same person
while claiming He is your Lord and Master.
When you meet God, He changes you and
makes you a new person. Zacchaeus had a
face-to-face encounter with Jesus and was
so profoundly affected that he desired to
make things right.
Luke 19:8 says, “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.’”
Our problem is not that we’re bad people
that need to be good; our problem is we’re
dead people that need to be raised to life.
That only ever happens when you have a
Zacchaeus moment with Jesus. He will
change you from the inside out.
Clayton King
is an evangelist and Founder
of Crossroads Worldwide. Learn more at
by Clayton King
Changed by a
Zacchaeus Moment
The following is an excerpt from Clayton King’s chapel presentation on February 19,
2014. King presented a two-day series called “A Tale of Two Gods,” and more than 25
students responded to his powerful call to pursue a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
Listen to King’s full remarks at
Watch or listen online at
to hear these engaging speakers:
Aug. 18–21
Fall Bible Conference
Bryan Loritts
Lead Pastor, Fellowship Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Sept. 2–3
Wayne Grudem
Research Professor of Theology
and Biblical Studies, Phoenix
Seminary
Phoenix, Arizona
Barry Asmus
Senior Economist, National Center
for Policy Analysis
Phoenix, Arizona
Chapel Notes
Sept. 18
J. Ligon Duncan III
Chancellor and CEO, Reformed
Theological Seminary Jackson
Jackson, Missouri
Sept. 24–25
Erwin Lutzer
Senior Pastor, The Moody Church
Chicago, Illinois
Oct. 9–10
Religious Freedom Summit
Full speaker list:
Steve Green
President of Hobby Lobby
Emporia, Kansas
John Stonestreet
Fellow, the Chuck Colson
Center for ChristianWorldview
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jennifer Marshall
The Heritage Foundation,
Vice President for the Institute
for Family, Community, and
Opportunity
Arlington, Virginia
Oct. 14–15
Will Graham
Executive Director of the
Billy Graham Training
Center at The Cove
Asheville, North Carolina
Oct. 20
Gary Thomas
Author and Speaker
Houston, Texas
Oct. 30
Staley Lectureship
Philip Ryken
President, Wheaton College
Wheaton, Illinois
