Let's go back to the gospel of
Luke, chapter 19. Now, every story has a moral to it,
or a lesson to be learned from it. Jesus Christ tells us the moral
to this story of the man named Zacchaeus. In verse 10 is the
moral to this story, the lesson that he is imparting. Verse 10,
he says, The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which
was lost. That's the moral of this story. And the fact is, That's the moral
of every story in this book. That's what this whole book was
written about. You know, from Genesis to Revelation, this whole
book is about the Lord coming to this earth to seek and to
save the lost. That's what it's all about. He has lost sheep, they're called. Go back there quickly before
we get into the actual story. In chapter 15, he just told a
three-part parable that illustrates this. He came to seek and to
save that which was lost. In chapter 15, he tells a three-part
parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin. and the lost son. Most of you know that parable,
don't you? Look at verses 4 and 5 of chapter
15. He says, What man of you, having
a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety
and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost,
until he find it? Verse 5. And when he hath found
He layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing." He doesn't say if
he finds it, does he? He says when he finds it. It doesn't say the sheep found
him. Now, what could be plainer? The sheep is lost. Who did to
find him? Who did to seek him? Why, the
Good Shepherd did. the good shepherd. And in the
story of the lost coin, look at verses 8 and 9. What woman,
having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not
light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until
she find it? And when she hath found it? Not if. And a coin sure wasn't
looking for her. But she was looking for it. You know, notice it's the shepherd,
he had whatever belonged to him. And if one of them is lost, he's
not going to lose it forever. He's going to find it. He's going
to find it. And all of this, this parable,
and then the story of the son, the prodigal son. Nothing could
be plainer, could it? This is the story of salvation.
This is the story of how God has a people that he owns. He's elect. He said, I know my
sheep. I know them. The foundation of
the Lord, the scripture says, standeth sure. The Lord knoweth
them that are him. And by his purpose, they're lost. According to his purpose, they
become lost until Christ The Good Shepherd comes and finds
them. Does he find them? Every one
of them. He said none of them is lost,
didn't he, in his prayer in John 17. Father, I've kept them. None of them is lost. I give
unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Why? He's the Good Shepherd. A really
good shepherd never loses a sheep. Never. Christ never loses woman. In the end, the scripture says
that Christ is going to stand before the Father and say to
him, Behold, I am the children which thou hast given me. All
here. Everyone present and accountable. Why? Because I went and found
them. I found them. I'm the good shepherd. Well, here in Luke 19 is the
story of one of Christ's lost sheep. One of Christ's lost sheep,
and he finds him up a tree. Brother John Chapman from 13th
Street entitled this message when he preached it, Up a Tree
on Purpose. Up a tree. And this is where
our Lord finds him, because this is where he put him. It says that in chapter 19, Jesus
entered and passed through Jericho. Now, Jericho is a large city,
a very large city. Now, the Lord had just gone through
there, and there's no record that he saved anybody in that
city. There's no record at this time
that he dealt with anybody in that city. huge city. He passed
through there. But now, verse 35 of chapter
18, look up there, chapter 18, when he was coming near the city,
there's a blind man sitting on the side of the road, begging,
named Bartimaeus. You know that story? The Lord
saved that fellow, an old blind beggar, before he got into the
town full of all these people. He saved that one beggar on the
side of the road before he got there. But then when he came
to Jericho, he passed through it. And on the way out of town,
no. He deals with another one. A sorry fellow. A pretty sorry
fellow. Well, that's the way the Lord
deals. He saves whom he will. He saves whom he will. Saves
an old blind man, and on the way out of town he's going to
save a publican. That's who the Lord saves. Verse
2, it says, He entered and passed through Jericho, and behold,
there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the
publicans, and he was rich. Now, if you and I had known this
man named Zacchaeus, we would have despised him. as all the
Jews did, as all the people that knew him did. He was a despicable
fellow. We don't have publicans today. The closest thing to a publican
we have today is a politician. A politician, a lawyer, a loan
shark, and on and on. A used car salesman. And all
of this wrapped up in one fellow. It says a man, he was a man named
Zacchaeus, chief among the public, a man, and I just have to stop
right there a minute, I thought about this, a man, he's a man.
Now most women in here would concur that most men are despicable
in themselves. It's so. I know them. I'm one.
I know what's in man. You know, it said that about
the Lord. It said he did not commit himself to man. He knew
what was in him. And the vast majority of the Lord's disciples,
while he was on his servant, were women. Because men are so full of pride. And most of the time it's so.
In a congregation of people, you'll see more females than
men. The men are so full of pride,
so full of self, unwilling to bow, to bend. They don't need
that little woman's religion. They sure don't need to be taught
anything. They can provide for themselves. They don't need anybody
or anything. Well, I'm the man of the house. If Christ is going to deal with
you, you're going to become a weaker vessel. You're going to become
a dependent, as it were, woman, and the Lord is going to be your
provider and your husband. You're going to bow to and submit
to him. You're going to come to him as knowing nothing, having
nothing, you are nothing. All prides have got to be obeyed.
That's significant. A man. A man. But the Lord does
save some men. And he turns them into real men.
Real men. Well, he was a chief publican.
And I told you a publican was a, well, he was a tax collector. A tax collector who extorted
his own people, cheated his own people, hired by the Roman government
to cheat his own people. This is a guy that would cheat
his own mother. A despicable fellow. Everybody
hated him. Rich, it says he was rich. Very
rich. He had everything and everyone
that money could buy. You ever known anyone like that?
He doesn't need anybody or anything, I have everything. And everybody
hated him. A rich man. Look at chapter 18.
A rich man. Look at verses 25. Our Lord just
said this. Chapter 18, verse 25 through
27, the Lord said, It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's
eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And they
that heard it said, Well, who then can be saved? And he said,
the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. This is impossible with men.
So this man, Zacchaeus, was impossible. His case is impossible. If you'd
have known this man, and somebody would have told you, well, he's
going to end up one of the Lord's own. No, it's impossible. This
man is hopeless. He's impossible. He's absolutely
despicable, there's nothing good about him, no way. He's impossible. You know the Lord only saves
impossible cases? You know that? The Lord will
only save you and me when we reach the state of being, it's
impossible with us. With man, it's impossible. That's what we're going to see
in ourselves. It can't be possible for God
to love me. It can't be possible for Christ to have died for me.
It can't be possible. Then it's certain that that's
who you want to hear. He only saves the impossible.
If you'd have known him, you'd have thought, no way, no way. Well, chapter 19, it says in
verse 3, This publican, this chief publican,
this rich man, named Zacchaeus, verse 3, he sought to see Jesus,
who he was, and could not for the crowd, for the press, because
he was short, a little of stature. Zacchaeus heard of Jesus, as everyone had. Everyone
had heard of Jesus, and he went out to see him. There were many
followers. Stay with me now. There were
many, many Jesus followers. The whole world followed after
him. That's what the Pharisees said, didn't they? The whole
world has gone after him. Did they? Did they believe him? No. Our Lord several times turned
and said, you follow me because you've got your belly full. He
turned to them and said, you follow me because you saw the
miracles. You're just amazed at my power. Many Jesus followers today, the
world's full of Jesus followers. Certainly not lost sinners. Certainly not poor and needy
sinners. Most people go to church, so
to speak, go to church, attend church for the first time or
several times just for the reason this man did. He went out of
curiosity. That's the only reason. Roy,
that's the only reason Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. He wasn't
a sinner. He didn't need anything. He just
wanted to see him. He was curious about it. He heard
about this teacher, this healer, this miracle worker, and he was
curious. And most people do that. That's
what most people go out of curiosity. You've heard my story. I've told
you time and again why I started going to church, so to speak. As a girl that I had my eyes
on, I wasn't lost. Or at least, I didn't, I sure
didn't know it. I wasn't seeking the Lord. I wasn't interested
in Christ. I was interested in getting me
a wife. Finding me one of these good Christian girls. I had my
eye on her. That's why I went. I don't know what your story
is. Everybody in here. began to attend, or maybe here
today, or whenever, started coming out of curiosity, whatever the
circumstances are. But perhaps, like this man, it
is in God's purpose that you are one of the sons of Abraham.
I hope that is so. He heard of Jesus, and he came
out of curiosity, and it says he was little of stature, a little
I can sympathize with this fella. Most of you can't. Dan Ogle's
never been short in his life. He was born tall. Gabe, Mac,
all these fellas, I can sympathize with this fella. He couldn't
see anything. He never could. In any crowd he was in, he couldn't
see. But I bet you he didn't think
he was. I bet he didn't think he was little. He wasn't little
in his own eyes. You know, down through the years,
the most notorious criminals on earth have been little fellas.
Jesse, Jane, Napoleon Bonaparte. Don't you call me little! These
guys, because they were so little, had to be meaner than everybody
else, either meaner or smarter. Steve had to be either meaner
or faster or smarter or nicer or something, or quicker with
a gun. Big guns. But he didn't think he was short.
Why, he's a rich man, you know. He's somebody. Big man. Big man in his own eyes. You
know, the fact is, though, that God only saves little people. That's right. God only saves
little people. God only saves those that are
small in their eyes. God's going to have to bring
us down, down from our high horse, down from our pride and thinking
we're something, we are something, know something, have been something,
can do something, to bring all that down at his feet as being
little in our own eyes. He's going to have to show us.
He's going to have to show us that. Well, verse 4, it says,
"...he ran before the crowd was coming." And he ran in front
of the crowd, and there was a sycamore tree. It says a sycamore tree
was there, and it was obvious the Lord was going to pass right
by that sycamore tree. The direction the Lord was heading,
out of town, right in the path of where our Lord was going,
was a tree. And Zacchaeus saw it. He said,
if I'm going to see him, there's a way I can see him. And he ran
and climbed up that sycamore tree. This one tree was right
there where Christ was going to pass through it. How many
trees were in and around Jericho at the time? But this one tree
just happened to be where Christ was going to walk under. and
deal with it. I think it was Brother Tim James
one time that said, every man, every one of God's people has
a tree, has a sycamore tree, where Christ must pass on it,
a place that he puts them. It was no accident that that
tree was there. I know how old it was, sycamore
tree, we have them down on the big river there everywhere. And
most of them are pretty old to get where you can climb it, probably
40 or 50 years old. Years before, in the trees down
on the river, I don't think any man planted them. I think God
did. But perhaps God led some man
to plant this tree. I've got to plant a tree. Where?
Well, right here. Ah, there's no accidents with
God. No mere circumstances with God. Just like Ruth just happened
to light on the field belonging to Boax. How many fields were
throughout the land that day that Ruth went looking to glean? And she just happened, or half
was, to light on one field that belonged to the one man who could
redeem her from all her troubles. And this fellow just happened
to climb up this one tree where Christ was coming through. So
here this man sits in a tree, and what I'm trying to say is
that nothing, there's no exodus with God. God sovereignly purposes
all things. He brings his people, he puts
them where he will meet them. A woman at a well, an Ethiopian
out in the desert, a eunuch out in the desert, and so on and
so forth. of a trip, on purpose, a particular
trip. Well, here he sits up this trip, and here comes the crowd, a huge
throng of people. Now, think about them. The Jews, people back then, all
dressed alike, didn't they? Not like today. They all dressed
alike. They all had robes on, And women
had hoods on, and some of the men, they wore them, too, in
the heat of the day. Everybody looked just alike.
Everybody wearing these robes, looking alike. And Zacchaeus
is looking. He's looking. He wants to see
Jesus. And he's looking in this crowd,
and he can't see Him. He can't see Him. Everybody looks
alike. They all look the same to him. He's looking. He's watching. He's hoping to get a glimpse
of Jesus. In verse 5, when Jesus came to
the place, he looked up. The Lord walked right under that
tree, Zacchaeus still hadn't seen it. But it says when the
Lord came to the place, when Christ came to where Zacchaeus
walked, when Christ came to where Zacchaeus walked, it says Christ
looked up, looked at him. The Lord spotted him first. The
Lord looked on him first before Zacchaeus saw the Lord. Listen
to me. Before Zacchaeus saw the Lord,
the Lord saw him. He's looking for Jesus. Curiosity
seeker. But the Lord, Jesus, comes walking under that
tree where he's put on purpose, and the Lord looks right into
his eyes. He still hasn't seen it, but
the Lord sees him. The Lord saw him first. This
is the way it is, the way it always has been. You remember
the story of Nathanael? Nathanael, over at John chapter
1, sitting under, of all places, a fig tree. Sitting under, under,
this man's under a tree. sitting under a fig tree. And
he literally came to the Lord, and the Lord said, Behold, as
he was coming, behold, an Israelite in whom is no guile. And Nathaniel
said, You know me? And the Lord said, Before, when
you were sitting under the tree, I saw you. Now this tree was
way out of sight, out of view, way far away from where the Lord
was, and Nathaniel knew it. Out of the view of the human
eye. And the Lord said, when you were
sitting under the tree, I saw you. And Nathanael said, my God,
you're my God. My Lord and my God. This is the
Son of God, the Christ of Israel. Oh, people. Does he know his
people? Does he know his sheep? He said,
I know my sheep. The Lord Jesus Christ looked
on in eternity past, before the world began, before we had any
existence, before we were created in our mother's womb, the Lord
saw us. That's what David writes in Psalm
139 all the way through. I saw you before you had any
existence or any substance. I looked upon you. I purposed
you. I predestinated all things concerning
you. I looked upon you. and purposed
everything to work together for your good for the rest of your
life. Why? Because I saw you. I looked upon
you in love, in purpose, in my covenant, in grace. I determined that you're mine,
you're my sheep. I set my eye upon this one. That's salvation, people. It
began with God Almighty looking on his people as his people.
Brother Gabe was telling me about, he went to a play that Amber
was in. Amber was a monkey, was a monkey. That's fitting, that's the way
the Lord first saw us, acting like monkeys. Anyway, Gabe went
to see this precious niece of his, and he said, there was lots
of children in that play, lots of children in that play, all
over the stage, little monkeys. Oh, it looked the same, didn't
it? Bunch of little monkeys, but Gabe said, I was looking
at one little monkey. Like tunnel vision, one monkey.
In love, in affection. That's exactly what God Almighty
does to his people, for his people, how he purposed this whole thing. Look to us, oh yeah. God sees
all that God sees all. God knows all. Scripture says,
His eyes behold His eyelids try the sons of men. God knows all. Yet, God says in several places
to some people, I never knew you. But He says to all His people,
I know you. I foreknew you. I foreloved you. I saw you. I had my eye on you. Yes, the Lord came unto this
tree before Zacchaeus knew who it was, Jesus. Before he knew
it was the Lord, before Zacchaeus saw or made any distinction between
him and the rest of these people, the Lord looked on him, saw him. This is my favorite story in
Scripture today. And if this is you, if this is
every son of God, every Christ-bought son of God, this is their spirit. They weren't looking for the
Lord, they were mere curiosity seekers, looking for a bride. But God, for his great love,
what was he loved them? Even when they were dead, he
said, looked on them. It was a day I was sitting there
and only had eyes for this little girl beside me, and listening
to this preacher and couldn't see any beauty, and I don't see
any difference in any of this religion. I've heard it all before.
I don't see anything. But one day, he's looking right
at me. I don't mean the preacher. I
mean the Lord through his Word. He's talking to me. He's looking
at me. Now, it's impossible for me to
describe what happened here. The only way I can describe it,
the only way you can understand it is if it happens to you. You
know that? You can't describe salvation. The only way you can understand
it is experience it. The Lord, through this look, Stephen, did your dad ever look
at you? I mean, you know, look on you. And you said, he's looking through
me. Sam, I know you. You walk in the house, you know,
you've been guilty of something. Guilty of something. Because
you're just guilty. You're a boy. And you walk in
the house and, Dad, I'm caught. I'm caught. He knows. He knows
me. That's what happened here. The
Lord looked on old Zacchaeus, and with this look, exposed him. With a look. Looked right through
him. Exposed him. His innermost thoughts,
the scripture says the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart. Before Zacchaeus, he didn't have
any guilt, he didn't feel anything was wrong with him before this,
but now the Lord's looking at him and his heart's convicting
him, his conscience is smiting him. He thinks everybody out
there is looking at him now. He's up a tree, and now the Lord
is stopped and looking on, and everybody else is looking at
him too. And he feels totally exposed. I'm a nun. I'm a publican. Everybody, I don't deserve—oh,
I've been found out. My guilt, my sin is ever before
me. With a look. And how the Lord looks on his
people is through this preaching of the word. That's exactly how
he does it. Right now, this is how the Lord looks on guilty
publicans and sinners. That's what every sinner that
comes to first hear the gospel thinks. Everybody in here knows
what, they know me now. I've been exposed. I don't deserve
to be here. I'm guilty. They're looking at
me. But with the same look, with
the same look, I wish I could preach that. I
wish I could preach it in such a way that the Lord would actually
look on the heart of somebody with the same look that created
guilt and conviction and exposing everything about the past life
as wicked sin. With the same look, the Lord
said, I don't condemn you. You're mine. I came for you. You're lost. You're now found. You're blind, now you see me,
not just Jesus. You came here out of curiosity,
I came here on purpose. You came here lost, you're going
home found. You came here undone, you're
going home complete. I'm telling you this is how it
happens to every son of God. With the same look, The same word that convicts us,
comforts us. The same word that breaks our
heart, heals the heart. The same word that renders us
totally guilty, sets us free, justifies us. Isn't that a wonderful
joke, Joe Terrell? Only the Lord can give that look.
And he looked on him. Well, it says in verse 5, he
said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste. Right now. Hurry. Don't put it off till
tomorrow. There may be no tomorrow. Make
haste. Right now. Today is the day.
Come down for today. Today. I must abide at thy house."
I'm going home with you today. How often does the Scripture
say, today is the day of salvation? Today. I must. Remember the story of the lost
sheep? The Lord said, I must abide at
thy house. The lost sheep, our Lord said over in John chapter
The story about him, he said, I'm the good shepherd, and I
know my sheep, and I've known of mine. A good shepherd layeth
down his life for the sheep. And he said, other sheep. He said, I have some sheep. And
they were sitting right in front of him, all his sheep, when he
was telling that. And he said, other sheep I have,
which are not of this fold. And them also I must bring."
I must. He prayed to the Father in John
17. He said, Father, bless those that shall believe on me through
their one sheep. And when our Lord said that,
talking about his sheep, he was thinking 2,000 years in the future
of John I've got a sheep, a black sheep. All God's sheep are black
sheep, when he finds a lost sheep. I've got one. I must bring him. I'm the good shepherd, because
of the Father's purpose, because of the Father's covenant, because
the Father gave him to me, because he's mine, because I paid the
price for him. The price of his redemption,
I paid for all of his, I must bring him. I must. The Lord must
bring his people. People, this is not a form of
doctrine. This is not a doctrine to argue. This is concerning the glory
of the good shepherd. The shepherd's glory is at stake.
His power is at stake if he doesn't bring every single sheep home. He's a failure. He said, I must
bring it. He said to Zacchaeus, today I
must abide at your house. Why? Because I purposed it before
the world began. And everything I spoke will come
to pass. Everything I purposed, it shall
be done. I must. Today I must abide at thy house. I must. Oh boy. Read on. It says in verse 6,
what did Zacchaeus do? Well, he made haste. He came
down, and he received him joyfully. He came down and received Christ
joyfully, it said. Now, he didn't invite Jesus home
with him, did he? Let's deal with this honestly,
people. Did Zacchaeus invite Jesus into his life? Well, how did he get there? The
Lord gave the command, didn't he? The king gave the command. As I've said so many times, kings
don't ask their subject permission to do anything. Sovereigns never
did that before. Zacchaeus didn't invite him home
with him. The Lord said, I'm coming. Aren't you glad, Kelly? Aren't
you glad the Lord came in the gospel one day and didn't ask
your permission, but violated your free will? The Lord said,
you won't, you will not come unto me. That's what the Lord
said of you and me and every single son of you. You will not
come unto me that you might have life. But he said, I will come
to you, and you will have life. I must abide at your house. I purposed it. I'll do it. I
passed by you in your blood, and this is what I'm going to
say. You who were dead and trespassed
in sin, have He quickened. You who were lost, have He found. You who were up a tree, have
He brought down. This is the God of the Bible.
Don't you love this? Same old, same old. Same old
story. Pick a story, anywhere, it's
the same story. The Son of Man has come to seek
and to save the Lord. Call His name Jesus. He shall
save His people. That's what His name means, and
by God, that's what He did. By God's glory, by God's Word,
by God's purpose, by God, that's what He did. He saved His people. He came and found them. But he'll never find that one.
He's a lost one. That's exactly how he saves the
chief. There's a thief now. He's about to die. He's on his
last breath. He couldn't save him. He's a
hopeless case. Lord. He didn't invite the Lord. The
Lord commanded. But he received him. It says
he received him joyfully. Oh, but didn't John say? Didn't
John say in John 3 that a man can receive nothing except he
be given him from above? Didn't John say? He came to his
own, his own received him not, but as many as received him,
to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, which
were born. Not of blood, not of the will
of the flesh, not of man, but born of God. They received him
because God said, receive me. Born of God, born again, born
from above. They received him. Look at verse
7. And now the people saw this.
All these murmurers, all these Jesus curiosity seekers, they
saw this. They saw this happening. They
heard what Christ said. And they murmured and said, Why,
he's gone to be the guest with a man that is a sinner. Why,
he's gone to be the guest. Now, they said guest. You get this? They said he's
gone to be a guest. But no, Zacchaeus didn't ask
him to be his guest. Zacchaeus didn't ask him anything.
He's not going home, as they say, to be his guest. He's not going home to be this
man's guest. I've got to holler this, people.
He's going home to be his master, not a guest in his home. He's
going to live with him. I must abide in thy house. I
own your house now, Zacchaeus. I own you. I own everything about
you. You're mine. Guest." They don't know, do they, Steve?
They just don't know. Guest? Zacchaeus, a guest? I didn't invite him. Don't you
invite a guest? I didn't invite him. He commanded
me. He came home with me, and just
came in like he owned the place. Sat in my chair. Told me to bring
him something. Never asked me a thing. But you
know what? I love it that way. He was his own man before, you
know. Somebody, everybody waited on him. Now, he's glad to be
his guy. Who's the guest? Who's the guest
here? Zacchaeus. At the bidding of
the master. And look what he called him now.
Verse 8, Zacchaeus stood. I believe he did this before
everybody. He had a confession to make. Are you with me? Everybody,
I want you to listen to this now. This is important. Everybody. You better hear this. If God's
done something for you, if God's looked on you like Christ looked
on this man, it says, Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord
before everybody, Behold, Lord, Lord, then call him Jesus. He calls him Lord. And he says,
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have taken
anything from any man by false accusation, I restore it forthold." When God truly saves somebody,
when God truly makes a new creature, Scripture says, all things pass
away, all things become new. And that person, new life's there. I mean the life of God. The law
of God written on their heart. A new heart given. It's tender
and loved of God shed abroad in the heart. It's kind and endureth
all things, beareth all things, hopeth all things, believeth
all things, and so on and so forth. A new creature in Christ. They want to right every wrong
that they've done. They're going to right every
wrong. They want to. Yes, sir. To whom the Lord has
shown mercy, they then become merciful. They weren't before.
Zacchaeus had no mercy on anybody before. But boy, now that the
Lord dealt with him, he's the one who realizes, I'm the problem. I've been the problem from the
beginning. I've been the problem. And now, I want to make it right. Now, the Lord didn't tell him
to do this, did he? The Lord didn't tell him to do
all this. But that's what he felt like doing. Does that make
sense? Sure it does. When the Lord really
reveals himself to somebody, he wanted to repay everything
he'd stolen. He wanted to undo everything
he'd done. He wanted to restore everything that he'd messed up.
He wanted to forgive everybody that he hated. He wanted to love
everybody that he hated. He wanted to show mercy on everybody
that he'd been hard on. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. A new creature. He's a new man.
I mean, with a look. With a look. Scripture talks about people
who come and look at the Word as in a looking glass, and then
go away and forget what matter of man they were. Forget. That's not the Spirit
of God. That's not what He does. That's
not what happened. They don't forget. They remember. They're a new creature. Eyes
to see. A membrane. Well, the Lord didn't
tell him he had to do this. And you know what? He couldn't.
Now take comfort, people. Everybody here has got a past
life that you are so ashamed of. A lot of wrongs. Mostly, if you're like me, mostly
wrongs. But you can't do anything about
it. Some we can. But most of them,
you can't do anything about it. And when the Lord really Deals
with somebody. They want to. They want to. But the Lord didn't tell him
to do that. And the Lord didn't require it of him. But that's
what happened. And he couldn't, but he wanted
to. He wanted to. That's repentance. That's what
that is. That's change. That's a real
change. A real change. He's a new man. Verses 9 and 10, the Lord said,
it's evident, this day is salvation come to this house. And that's how you'll know it
in every one of these sons of Abraham. He's a son of Abraham.
That's how you'll know it. You'll see it. Turn from a curiosity
seeker to a Lord worshiper. guilty, forgiven, a publican,
to a lover of men, and a charitable fellow. He was
a cheat and a miser and lived for the buck. From here on, he's
going to serve everybody else, even if it costs him everything
else. He's not going to pay for his
past. Christ did that. He's not going to pay for it.
Christ did that. Christ didn't require it of him. But he's a
new man. In verse 10, the Lord says, because
this all happened the way it happened, because the Son of
Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Is that
key? Is he out there? I hope so. All right. Let's sing a hymn
and close.