Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Luke. Luke chapter 19. Luke 19. I'd like to speak for a moment
or two on this subject that Brother Neal was just reading about.
Salvation. The Scriptures declare the words
of our Lord in Luke 19 and verse 9. And it says, And Jesus said unto
him, This day is salvation come to this house. for as much as
he also is a son of Abraham." Now make no mistake, I know we
speak of salvation, and I do too, as something that happens
to God's elect, and that's true. And as Brother Neil read, it's
forever. For that I'm thankful. But you know when we get to the
heart of it, salvation is a person. It's a person. That's what old
Simeon said there in the temple. He said, mine eyes hath seen
thy salvation. And we see by faith the salvation
of our God. We see him and we want to know
him. and be found in him. There was a story that's recorded
in the scriptures about God's mercy to a man named Zacchaeus. Verses 1 and 2 of Luke 19 says
this, and Jesus entered and passed through Jericho Behold, there was a man named
Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was
rich. This man obviously, based upon
these scriptures right here, he was a businessman. He was
the chief among the publicans. That means he was the boss. He was the head publican. He had the top position, then
he had the rank and file under him, but he was the top one of
the publicans in that place, in that town, in that province,
wherever. He was the boss. And he was rich. He had become
rich in his business, but his wealth had come at a great price.
Publicans were tax collectors. Normally they were Jews. Didn't
have to be, but normally they were Jews that had the job of
actually taking the taxes. from the Jewish people for the
Roman government. That was their job. And they
were very often very underhanded. Your taxes were whatever they
said your taxes were. And they were despised. And this
particular man, Zacchaeus, The scripture says he had a desire
one day. Verse 3, he sought. He desired. He had a longing. The only way
that we know that he had a desire, that he sought, is that the Spirit
of God told us that he did. How would we have known that?
That he desired. He sought to see Jesus. Listen to this. who he was. I wonder who this really is.
Without a doubt, he had heard some things, heard the stories
about, heard about the healings, he heard about, he just, so he
desired to see, the scripture says, and I thought this was
very revealing, he sought to see Jesus. It doesn't say he sought to see
the Christ. He sought to see this man that
he'd heard about. And he endeavored to see him,
but he had a problem. Scripture says he could not for
the people that was all around him. Everybody was standing around
and he couldn't see because he was little of stature. He was
short. And, you know, I don't enter in often, I know, to having
a problem with not being able to see over. I mean, I've always
just kind of looked over everybody, you know. We'll go someplace,
we'll go to the grocery store, and Glenda will say, would you
get that can, you know, up there? And I just reach up there and
just grab it, you know. He said, I wish I could do that.
He was little. He was short. So he couldn't
see for the press. So he did what was the logical
thing in his mind to do. The scripture says, he ran before
and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. For he was to
pass that way. This was obviously the road through
Jericho. This was the road coming out
of Jericho. Scripture says the Lord entered and passed through
Jericho. There was another man dealt with
in another part of Scripture, Blind Barnabas, that was there
in Jericho. But this is the only other record
of what happened. concerning the Lord's visit to
a place called Jericho. There was a road. If somebody
told me they're going to have a procession, they're going to
be coming out of Fairmont, they're going to be heading to Farmington,
and they're going to be on the main road. Well, I pretty well
assume that it's going to be this one. This is the road right
here. So he was to pass that way. Now that might appear to most
people to be just nothing more than an afterthought. He's short. He wants to see Jesus. He can't see him because of the
press. People are too tall and they're
in his way and so he just ran forward. He climbed up into a
sycamore tree. Happened to be a tree there,
you know. Well, I know this. Though the world, and maybe even
Zacchaeus, because as far as he knew, all he wanted to do,
he's not trying to do anything, I just want to see this man named
Jesus. And to Zacchaeus, what he did
was I'll climb up in a tree, I'll be there, and I'll just
kind of, I just want to watch him when he goes by. But the
scripture reveals, as we just read a minute ago, this day is
salvation come to this house for as much as he also is a son
of Abraham. This was one of God's elect. Here's one chosen before the
foundation of the world. Here's one that was given to
the Lord Jesus Christ by the Father's election, predestinated
to be conformed to the image of His Son, predestinated unto
adoption by Jesus Christ to the Father, to Himself. And knowing
that the Father has given power to the Son, that's what the Scripture
says, over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
many as the Father has given him. This act of climbing into
a sycamore tree was no accident. It wasn't luck. Zacchaeus was
born short of stature by God's good pleasure. He was a tax collector in that
city of Jericho by God's decree. And Almighty God had planted
a sycamore tree right there by the road years before. And that tree grew up, and as
far as we know, that was that tree's purpose in this life. God Almighty put that tree right
there because he was going to pass by that tree on this day,
and he was going to see Zacchaeus. You know we read the scriptures
says that he worketh all things after the counsel of his own
will. You know if we only knew what was really going on around
us. And we saw, I mean we look at
these things and that That car just passed. Just a car. That car passed by exactly according
to God's will and God's purpose. What was that purpose? I don't
know. Suffice it to say that the Lord worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. Our Father gave this man to the
Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus knew him before
the foundation of the world. Almighty God had given Zacchaeus
to the Son. And the Son, who knows as the
Father and the Spirit, the end from the beginning, came to this
place on this day. And the Scripture says that Zacchaeus
sought to see Jesus. You know why? Because the Lord
Jesus Christ, whoever possessed Zacchaeus in electing grace,
moved on Zacchaeus and put a desire in Zacchaeus' heart to want to
see him. Because the Lord was going to
meet him. On that day, pervenient grace,
grace before grace. I think of so many times, how
many times have I heard different ones say, you know, Mark told me he started coming
to this church, Renee, because he was dating you. I believe that. I don't doubt
that for one second, but almighty God. put a desire in his heart
because God was going to cross his path. Prevenient grace. Grace before grace. Here was the grace and power
of God Almighty being unfolded before all of Jericho. And by
and large, Jericho didn't see it. Well here was the Lord passing
through Jericho and the scripture says in verse 5 Now here's Zacchaeus
sitting up a tree and he's just watching Short of stature Climbing
up there to see Jesus when he passed by That's all he wanted
to do. All I want to do is just look
at him. I just want to see him I just want to tell somebody
later, I saw him He walked right up under me And the scripture
says, when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and he saw him and he said unto
him, Zacchaeus, can you imagine that man that
a moment before never even dreamed, the scripture does not reveal
that the Lord had ever met Zacchaeus before this day. Here's the first
thing I know concerning salvation has come to this house. Here's
the first thing I know about salvation. Salvation is according
to God's timing. When Jesus came to the place,
the word when there, as soon as. When the Lord Jesus Christ, no sinner ever comes to Christ
until the Lord Jesus Christ in power by His Holy Spirit comes
to that sinner first. And when He does, we come. When does the Lord come to His
people in salvation? Well, the scripture says, according
to Paul the Apostle, who was called out of darkness on the
road to Damascus, when it pleased God. When it pleased God. Ezekiel 16 6 says and when I
passed by thee Ezekiel 16 8 says now when I
passed by thee and looked on thee behold thy time was the
time of love when I passed by When the Lord came to the place When he came to that place in
timing, in power, that's when God's people know it. When it
pleases the Lord. So I know this, salvation is
going to come in God's timing. The second thing I know about
salvation is this. Salvation, the Lord Himself,
comes to God's particular people. He looked up, and the scripture
says, He saw him and said to him. You notice that? It doesn't say that He looked
around and said, I'm available. Anybody got any time this afternoon,
I'll be glad to come by. No, sir. He looked up and saw
Zacchaeus and he said to Zacchaeus, Our Lord said in John 10, 14,
I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. He is the good shepherd, good
in mercy, good in word, good in provision to His people. There's only one good shepherd. I am the good shepherd. The shepherd of the sheep and
He knows them. Knows them that are His because the Father gave
them to Him. before the world began, and he
knows all of them. They're his body. He knows his body. I have a hand. Mitchell, you
got a hand. That's a hand, I know that's
a hand. This is my hand. I know this hand. This hand,
I know my hand. I know my sheep. I know them. I'm the good shepherd. I know
them. And to all thirdly, that salvation
comes. Not only does the Lord know them,
but the scripture says he calls them by name. That's what we
just read. I'm the good shepherd, know my sheep, known of mine.
I know them. Calls them by name. Zacchaeus, as I said a moment ago, this
is the first time, as far as I know, that the Lord ever known
him, ever met him. What did the Lord say on the
road to Damascus? I wrote an article in the Bulletin
today after studying for this message. And I got to thinking
about, I know my sheep, I know them by name. Saul, Saul. Samuel, Moses, take your shoes off, for
your standing is holy ground. When Almighty God calls His elect
out of spiritual darkness, He calls them by name. He speaks to them. Fourthly, when salvation comes
to a particular object of God's mercy, He calls them with irresistible
and urgency. Irresistible grace, urgent grace. He looked up, verse 5, saw him,
said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today
I must abide at thy house. Make haste. Speedily, diligently,
urgently, right now, make haste, come down. And the scripture
says, speaking of irresistible grace, and he made haste, verse 6, and
came down and received Him joyfully. The Lord had just told him, he
said, I must abide at thy house. Now I know, without a doubt,
I'm sure that Zacchaeus not only had he heard of the Lord Jesus,
but he probably heard all the resentment the animosity and
the doubts of all of the Pharisees and the publicans. He was despised
and hated. But when the Lord Jesus Christ
came to him in power and called him by name and told him, he
said, Zacchaeus, you hurry up and you get down here. Make haste,
right now. make haste. And he made haste
and came down and the scripture says he received him joyfully. Now I always read, I always thought,
I always thought when he said he received him, it just, you
know, in my thinking, he received him in his heart, he was willing,
and that's true. No doubt in my mind that he received
him joyfully in his heart. But that word received, what
it means is He admitted under his roof, hospitality was shown
in his house. He welcomed him into his house. The Lord had told him, today
I must abide in thy house. And the scripture said, Zacchaeus
said, my house is your house. He received him with hospitality. And I'm telling you, it didn't
matter to Zacchaeus what everybody else thought concerning this. This was the Lord. This was the
Lord of glory. Almighty God had done something
for this man. Our Lord had said, this man right
here, this man Zacchaeus, is a son of Abraham. The Lord knew him. He was the
Lord's. This was one of the Lord's sheep
that He had come to seek and to save. He was a bran plucked
out of the fire by sovereign grace and mercy. This is one that a new heart
had been imparted, one made willing in the day of God's power. And
how do we know that? How do we know that Almighty
God had given this man a new heart? How do we know? Well,
number one, we know two ways in closing. Number one, we know
because the Lord had said, this day is salvation. And here again, I looked that
word up to make sure I know what it means. It means made evident. It's not talking about that the
Lord walked that way. It's made evident. This day is
salvation made evident to this house, this man. He's the son of Abraham, spiritually. The Lord gave Zacchaeus faith
to believe. How do we know? The Lord said
he did. So that settles it. That settles it. The Lord said
it. The Lord gave him life. The Lord knew. He knew him and
gave him life. I give unto them eternal life. They're never going to perish.
Zacchaeus is never going to perish. The Lord gave him life. But there
was something that happened as a witness to everybody else in
that city. Zacchaeus was a known man. They
knew who he was. They knew that he was the chief
of the publicans. They knew that if they're going
to be anybody we're going to blame, I'm going to blame the
top. You know the problem we've got in this town in Jericho,
Zacchaeus? You scoundrel, you stole money,
you're two-faced, you've lined your pockets, you're rich, and
you've taken from us, and you're a traitor. They knew who he was. But something happened to this
man. That loved money, the love of
money was the root of all evil. And this man, everybody has the
love of money. He was rich. And something happened that evidenced
a new life. The scripture says in verse 8, Zacchaeus stood. Now they'd said
in verse 7, when they saw it, he received them into his house,
they saw it, all murmured, saying, he was gone to be guests with
a man that was a sinner. That's Zacchaeus, a sinner. Dirty. And Zacchaeus stood and said
unto the Lord, behold Lord, and no man calls him Lord but by
the Spirit of God. Here was Zacchaeus's Lord. He
knew it. The half of my goods I give to
the poor. And if I have taken anything
from any man by false accusation, you think he'd ever cook the
books? You think he ever, you know,
kind of swayed things his way? I've taken anything from any
man by false accusation. I'll restore him fourfold." He was a man that Almighty God
gave a heart of love. Mr. Spurgeon said this. concerning the generosity of
regenerated sinners. He said the Lord saves typewads,
but they don't stay that way. True faith, true faith. Turn to James 2 in closing, James
2, 19 and 20. If you want to know the evidence
of true faith. It's always evidenced by what
a man does. A man doesn't believe what he
says. A man does not believe what he
says. I'll tell you what a man believes, what he does. James 2, 19 and 20. Thou believest that there is
one God. Thou doest well. The devils also
believe and tremble. People say, I believe that God
is sovereign. Devils believe that. I believe that Almighty God sent
the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to save his particular
people. The devils believe that. Devils believe that. But wilt thou, O vain, empty
man, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without the evidence
of that faith is dead, dead, dead. Was not Abraham our father
justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the
altar? This man right here said, Lord,
God saved him. And this man loved money. That
was his God. He had enough money for everything
else, but not for this. Not for this. He said, Lord, Everything I've got, I'm going
to take it right down the middle and half of it I'm going to give
the poor. They need it a whole lot more
than I do. And he said, if I've lied by false accusation, if
I've taken anything from anybody, I'm going to give him fourfold
back. Fourfold back. Almighty God got
right to the root of this man's problem. He loved this world. He loved the things of this world
and didn't love God. And when God gave him a new heart,
this man that was formerly all for me said, Lord, what would
you have me do? What would you have me do? This man gave. He gave. Almighty God sent his salvation
to this place on that day for one of his sheep. On this side of the city, old
blind Barnabas on the other. One of them was an old, stinking,
blind beggar. The lowest of the low. sitting on the side of the road
eating dust. And he heard, couldn't even see. And he heard that Jesus of Nazareth,
Jesus thou son of David, and the Lord saved him. And on the
other side of the street, on the other side of the town, He
was probably the most affluent, if not the, probably one of the
most affluent money-wise. Oh, he had the money. A rich businessman named Zacchaeus. And God Almighty saved him. My friend, we never despair that
God Almighty might be pleased to show mercy to whomsoever he
will. Lord, bless these words to our
heart, for Christ's sake.