May I please Almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in his holy word. Let's turn to the Gospel of Luke
chapter 19 and we'll read verse 40. The Gospel of Luke chapter
19 and reading verse 40. And he answered and said unto
them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out. We have here the response of
the Saviour to those who try to stop the people from praising
God. And we should recognize that
this is still prevalent today. How many people are not really
interested in God's name being praised. And yet what a wonderful
blessing and privilege it is that we can praise our God. And of course this was following
on from what had occurred. We've read this chapter and you
will remember that they brought this cult to Jesus and he got
on it and rode it. And as he went, they spread their
clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even
now, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude
of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice
for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, blessed
be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven
and glory in the highest. Well, we see there the wonderful
movement of the Spirit of God Upon the
whole assembly, we're told the whole multitude, it wasn't just
one or two strangers, it was the whole multitude of the disciples
began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the
mighty works that they had seen. Well, it's good for us today
to consider our situation You know, it's very easy to pass
over God's goodness and God's mercy and God's leading and God's
direction and God's faithfulness and just carry on with our little
lives. And the devil, our great adversary,
is always very keen to never allow us to say anything. It doesn't allow us to speak
the things of God, to bring honour and glory to His great and holy
name. And yet, you see, we are on the
earth for such a time as this. The Lord has caused us to be
born for this time, not past times, Not future times, but
today. And each one of us has a place
to play in the world. And we should not hide our light. The Lord Jesus Christ speaks
very much against that. And it's put in these terms to
hiding our light under a bushel. That means that nobody really
sees it. And the light is to be raised
up and show forth so that people do see the light. And the whole
purpose of that is to bring honor and glory to Almighty God. How often we tend to forget the
reason for our lives. Well, I wonder, you young people
here this evening, if I was to ask you, what's the purpose your
life and my life on this earth what's the purpose I wonder what
you would say well let me tell you the purpose is for the honor
and glory of God that's why the Lord has brought us into the
earth not to live to ourselves not to go about pleasing ourselves but to submit ourselves to God's
will, to His purpose for our never-dying souls and to speak well of Him. Indeed, you see, it's very salient
to realize what happened on this occasion. because the whole multitude
of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice
for all the mighty works that they had seen. So it wasn't something
that they whispered, they spoke with a loud voice so that people
would hear Sometimes it would seem that we are ashamed of the
Saviour. We're ashamed of His work in
our hearts. We're ashamed of His wonderful
mercy that we received. And yet we have so much reason
to praise and honour and to glorify our God. Generally speaking,
we lack in praising God and for all that he's done. Reminds me,
I may have told you this little story when I've been here before,
but I'll tell you again. A few years ago now, when we
were out in the Caribbean over Christmas, we worshipped in a
church, which I'd worshipped at quite a few times. Sometimes
I'd preach there. But the pastor at that time,
he said, we all sat round and we had lunch together. And after
lunch, he said, well, we've now spent 300 and whatever it is,
60 or almost 60 days of this year. And he said, I think it
would be good if we all went round and said and told what
God had done for us in this year to date. Well, everyone could
not be excused. Everyone had to speak and to
testify what God had done for them, perhaps in natural things,
perhaps in spiritual things. But it was a very beneficial
time. I often think it would be good
sometimes if that occurred today in our assemblies, that we all
sat around and everybody testified of what God had done for them.
Perhaps in that occasion, so far that year. And it would make
us think, wouldn't it? It would make us ponder. You know, tonight, if you were
to be asked, well, what's God's done for you this year? We've
just gone a few months into this year. Would you be able to say,
well, I can praise God for what he's done for me. with regard
to my soul's spiritual well-being. Perhaps he's correcting us. Perhaps
he's instructing us. Perhaps he's directing us. The
great thing is to know that God is dealing with us as sons and
daughters of the Most High God. You see, we have, God's people
have a Father in heaven. my friends, in a natural situation. Children have fathers today. What a blessing it is to think
that a natural father looks after his children. A natural father
is always available to listen to their needs, far more so. heavenly father and yet you see
how we fail in our lives so often to testify of his goodness and
his mercy toward us really we do almighty God an injustice
we find ourselves wrapped up in our little world we're only
concerned really about ourselves. What a blessing it is if you
and I are concerned about Almighty God receiving honour and glory. Well, again, come back to what
I said. Our lives are for the honour
and glory of God. It's important to realise that. And what a blessing, therefore,
if we come into the words of these great multitude. The whole
multitude began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice
for all the mighty works that they had seen. Well, what mighty
works have we seen? Well, perhaps it may be in our
spiritual life we've seen the mighty work of God in dealing
with our souls. And that'll be great cause to
praise and glorify God. If almighty God has brought us
to consider our ways, consider our situation, to confess our
sins before a holy God, to plead for his mercy, to plead that
we may have evidences of his amazing love toward us. See, they are the desires of
a true believer, one who desires to honour and glorify God. Well,
it's very clear that these people, this multitude, on this occasion,
this was their great desire. And we're told what they did. We're told they were saying,
blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace
in heaven and glory in the highest. Isn't it wonderful when you and
I have right views of the Almighty God. It's worth
sometimes just pondering how great God is. Amazing that God knows everything
about every one of us. And as he tells us, he knows
when even our hairs fall to the ground, they're all numbered,
You think of that with regard just to yourself. Then you think
of it with regard to the whole world. It gives you just a little
insight to the greatness of God. And then to think that that God
condescends to come and look upon us and bring to us spiritual life
so that we can say, like the Apostle Paul was able to say
to the Ephesians. And I always think it's a most
wonderful statement that the Apostle makes when he began that
second chapter to the Ephesians and he says this, and you hath
he quickened. And that means, you young people,
quickened to me means to be made spiritually alive. That means
that where as you and I were born spiritually dead, to know
that almighty God has made us spiritually alive. And it's very
clear in these couple of verses in this second chapter. And he
says, and you hath he quickened. What a mercy if you and I can
look into our life, our spiritual life. and realise that God has
given us a spiritual life. What if he has? That is great
reason to praise God. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sins. And just realise, a dead person
has no ability to make themselves alive. And that's just the same. You and I have no natural ability
to make ourselves spiritually alive. But Paul tells the Ephesians,
and you hath he quickened. The Lord had made them spiritually
alive, who were dead in trespasses and in sins. And then he describes
their past life. We're in, in time past. he walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath even as
others. Well, that describes the converted
person. That describes someone who God
has made spiritually alive. And my friends, all of us need
to know this truth in our own hearts, not something that we
just agree to in our minds. Many people can read the Bible
and agree to the things in their minds. A great blessing is when
the Holy Spirit of God convicts us and instructs us and tells
us where we are. reveals to us the great glorious
gospel of salvation remember he says here then he goes on
to say among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past all of us there's no one outside of that situation and
again what a blessing if you and I can come and agree yes
that describes my case that describes what I was like and if that is so surely you
can come in with this multitude and with a loud voice rejoice
and praise God for his mighty work his mighty work of salvation
there's no greater work than you and I can receive God's work
And so the apostle goes on and tells us then, having described
himself, having described the evil of people naturally, he
then says, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love,
wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ. This demonstrates, surely to
us, the greatness of God. This is not a little God. This
is a great God. This is a God who can do and
does do far more, exceeding abundantly, than we can ask or even think. Well, I wonder tonight, if as
you and I stand before God we can confirm but God who is rich
in mercy for his great love wherewith he had loved us even when we
were dead in sins to think of that there we were carrying on
in this world we're not a care for the things of God careless
pressing on Trying to find enjoyment in this world until a time when
God came. When God came and made us spiritually
alive. And what happened? We were a
new creature. We were a changed person. All
things became new. What a wonderful God we have. Well, we can just see, can't
we hear, Not surprising is it that this multitude then came
with this desire to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice
for all the mighty works that they had seen and all the mighty
works that had been done. Well have you and I praised our
God? We truly praise God. You know some people hide under
a cloud and say well of course I'm I'm not a person that says
very much and I don't like to say very things well you do got
a dishonor don't hide under such a situation
may all of our desires be in a day and age in which we live
to show forth his praise his praise you know the psalmist
in Psalm 126, he tells us this. The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad. And let's be quite clear that
true religion is personal. It's personal. You and I need
to walk in this path. You and I need to know this path. You and I need to know this God. And you and I need to bow down
and worship and praise and honor this great God. Sometimes, again,
it's just good having considered how great God is, what wonderful
majesty He is, And then to realize what it cost to save our souls. What it cost to redeem our souls. It wasn't anything trivial. The
demands of God the Father was that his only begotten son, and
don't forget that, his only begotten son, should live that perfect
life in this world and then die that death upon the cross in
order to take away our sins. We could never naturally free
ourselves from our sin. and therefore how wonderful it
is to realize that we have such a great and glorious Savior. We began this chapter, I'm sure
you noticed, with this lovely account of this man Zacchaeus. Well, we're told he was chief
among the publicans, publicans were tax collectors, not very
pleasant people usually, and he was very rich, But he sought
to see Jesus, who he was. We're not told really much more
than that. But he was a little man and he
thought the only way he could see Jesus was to climb up a tree,
knowing the way that Jesus was coming. But Jesus knew all about
him. Jesus knows all about you and
me. He no doubt thought he was up
a tree, Jesus would pass by underneath the tree and he'd be able to
get a good view of him. But he didn't expect Jesus to
stop when he came to the place where he was and to look up and
to see him. You and I perhaps, may not expect Jesus to come
where we are and to look at us but he did and he had a message
for Zacchaeus and the message was make haste and come down
for today I must abide at thy house and he made haste and came
down and received him joyfully. Well, there were lots of people
around, weren't there? On that journey. But you see,
the Lord gloriously singled out Zacchaeus. And he didn't make
any excuses. He didn't say, well, you can't
come to my home just yet. I better go home and tidy it
up and get rid of one or two things I'm a bit embarrassed
about. He didn't have to say anything like that. No, he was
quite happy for Jesus to come. We're told he made haste and
came down and received him joyfully. It might seem a very simple statement,
but again, it's good sometimes to align such statements with
our own life and see how, first of all, if we have a desire to
see the Savior, and secondly if he does look at us whether
we're pleased and if he then speaks to us and directs us whether
we're pleased and we don't start making excuses about why we shouldn't
but no he simply was pleased and we received him joyfully
well we know what the reaction was of course the people surprised
and they thought fancy Jesus going to be with such a character
well you and I would be thankful if Jesus comes to us and Jesus
Zacchaeus stood and explained what he did Jesus didn't make
any comment this is what he said this day is salvation come to
this house for as much as as he also is the son of Abraham,
for the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost. Will that be a glorious blessing
if that's true in your case and my case? That salvation, the
saving of our soul has come to us And we have the glorious evidence
of it in our hearts so that we know the Lord has looked upon
us. We know the Lord has spoken to
us. The Lord has instructed us. He has guided us. What a glorious
Savior we have. And how humbling to think that
this great God again let's go back let's not forget how great
God is this great God should look upon us should have mercy
upon us now you see with these evidences in our hearts in our
souls surely our response should be like these people they rejoiced
and praised God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that
they had seen. Well, if God's done mighty works
for you and me in this dark world in which we live, to realise
that that which has come into our hearts is the light of the
glorious gospel. And we can be sure that if that
light has shone into our hearts, it emanates from almighty God
and that light will not go out. It's an eternal light. And how
wonderful, therefore, to realize that Almighty God has looked
at us, looked at us. We only have to look around today,
don't we? Consider the world. Millions,
billions of people in the world, for the most part, they care
nothing about God. They have no desire to serve
Him. They have no desire to praise
Him. In actual fact, it's often the
very contrary. So it's a great and glorious
privilege to be found amongst those who could join with this
multitude who began to rejoice and praise God. There was a beginning. Perhaps you haven't begun. Bless
God if you do begin. They began to rejoice and praise
God with a loud voice. And the reason was for all the
mighty works that they had seen. Well, it's a wonderful thing
if we see the mighty work of God, not only in our own heart,
which of course is vitally important, but in other people's lives. We rejoice in it. I hope you
do. I love to see the work of God
appearing. I hope you do. It's the greatest
blessing. It's the greatest wonder. And
it's great cause to praise and to glorify Almighty God. And so the Pharisees turned against
the multitude. and asked the Lord to rebuke
what they were doing. Well, maybe the same today. The devil will try and stop your
mouth in one way or another. Be sure of that. Expect opposition. Expect opposition, but ignore
it. And they came and some of the
Pharisees among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke
thy disciples. And what did the Lord say? I
tell you that if they should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out. It's a very strong statement. You just think of that carefully.
To think that stones would cry out and they'll cry out if you
and I don't follow the pattern which is set before us here in
this account. What a great privilege to be
a child of God and if that is so what a great privilege to praise and to glorify his
great name for all that he's done. Sometimes we need to just
think. When we pass out of time into
eternity, we don't want to stand before the judgment seat of Christ
and the Lord come and say, depart from me, I never knew you. We want to come to that time,
having a good conscience, that by the grace of God, we have
honored him. We're told, those that honor
me, I will honor. And those that despise me, shall
be lightly esteemed. And really, the whole of the
human race falls into one of those two categories. Either
we are those who despise God or we're those who desire to
honor and to glorify his great and holy name. You see, we live
in this world, and my friends, this world is a battleground.
It's a battleground. The devil, he never sleeps. He's always active. He always
desires. Turn us away. from the truth
of God's word. Whoever bring before our eyes
excuses why we should not obey God's word. And what he normally
does is just what he did in the Garden of Eden to Eve on that
terribly sad occasion. What did he do? He sowed a seed
of doubt. And that seed of doubt was in
these words, hath God said. He still uses the same technique
today to turn us away. He comes and raises a question
mark when the God has spoken to us, when we do know. And yet
the devil comes. Remember you and I by nature
possess an evil heart of unbelief. That's our nature. But what a
great blessing it is when God gives us grace to stand firm
against all the onslaughts of Satan. And my friends, they will
be there. Satan will never give up this side of the grave. Don't
think that suddenly things will be so much easier. We're not
promised an easy life. We are promised it is through
much tribulation we shall enter the kingdom. But, be of good
joy, I have overcome the world. What a mercy to have a saviour
like that, my friends. And what reason, surely then,
to praise and to honour and to glorify our God. And to realise the wonderful
blessing and the wonderful favour that it is. And who are we? Far off from God by nature. Strangers
by nature in this world, indeed. The Apostle Paul, we read the
first couple of verses in this second chapter in Ephesians.
Let me just read a few more from the 12th verse. He again explains
about the true Church of God. And he tells us this, 12th verse,
2nd of Ephesians. that at that time ye were without
Christ all of us all of us there was a time in our lives when
we were without Christ without Christ being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise
having no hope and without God in the world. Well, can you look
back and say, that was me. That was me. But we see then,
the apostle goes on, because the apostle was in this path. He says, but now, in Christ Jesus,
ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ. made nigh through the death of
Christ, brought nigh. Oh, what an amazing, glorious
truth it is to think that the almighty God condescended to
die in our place, to shed his blood, his precious blood, as
the apostle Peter tells us, redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. Oh my friends, that sin atoning
death. For he is our peace. There's not peace in this world
really, naturally. For he is our peace. What a resting place that is.
Who hath made both one and has broken down the middle wall of
partition between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make himself
of twain one new man so making peace well we could go on it's
a wonderful chapter the second chapter in the Epistle of Paul
to the Ephesians. Do read it, my friends, and read
it. And again, we can go back through
the Word of God and see so many places where we can recognize
the relevance of these same truths. We go right back to Numbers,
one of the books that Moses wrote in the 23rd chapter and 23rd
verse. We read these words. What hath
God wrought? What has God done? Again, it's
good to be able to remember what God has done. And my friends,
God does do things for us. He does do things for us. And
so if I must ask you tonight, what has God wrought for you?
What are you gonna say? Nothing? or are you gonna better testify
what God has done? You know, it's not the quantity,
it's the quality. A little that a righteous man
hath is better than the treasures of many wicked. And what a wonderful
blessing if God has come and touched your heart and caused
you to consider your ways and cause you to come and to look
to Him. Oh my God, truly be honoured
and glorified. You see, we want in these things
to have a right perspective. The devil wants you to have no
perspective at all. But it's good to have a perspective
of what God has done. And it's good to be able to search
out what God has done for our souls, spiritually, in our life,
naturally. Often those things are linked
together. And it's good to observe God's
goodness and mercy. David tells us, goodness and
mercy hath followed me all the days of my life, and I shall
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Well, that was a good
testimony. My friends, can you and I join
hands with him and say that for the honour and glory of his
great and holy name. And so we have come again to
another anniversary occasion. Anniversary occasion. I wonder
if you've got spiritual anniversaries in your life. What if you've
got natural anniversaries of God's dealing with you? You can
look back and remember, perhaps not the exact date, but perhaps
the situation and the occasion when God met with you. Zacchaeus would never forget,
would he? That time when God met with him. And what a blessing
it is if God comes and blesses us and we won't forget it and
you and I won't want to forget it but what a blessing if we
go on to praise and honour and glorify his most holy name and
remember I tell you and if these stones should hold their peace
the stones would immediately cry out I don't know. I don't know much
about any of you really. I wonder whether there are those
who are holding their peace. Holding their peace. God has
done things for you. God has blessed you. God has
directed you. What are you doing? Holding your
peace. Why? Because you don't want to
Perhaps, as it were, and I use an expression, nail your colours
to the mast. You know that it might be costly.
You know that people might turn away from you. Well, there was
no greater cost than the Saviour paid for your salvation. And therefore, what a debt we
owe to Almighty God. And what a mercy, therefore,
if we do not hold our peace, realizing that the stones would
immediately cry out. My friends, we don't want to
have the Lord pass us by and leave us as it were as a cumber
of the ground. Oh, how glorious it is to have
the work of God revealed to us a work which by nature we could
never produce and never do but if God has come to us he came
to Jacob we're told he found him in a desert land in a wasteland
in wilderness he led him about he instructed him he kept him
as the apple of his eye and that is an exceedingly amazing truth
but it's true really of all the whole church of God and how wonderfully
humbling it is and a true realisation of that brings peace to our soul
but also it should bring with it that real desire to honour
and glorify and praise our God do we not come to have to say
he is worthy know there was that there's that word let us extol
his name together it's good and the Church of God
desires to extol his name he is worthy all my friends let
us not pass by such a statement these are the words of the Savior
I tell you And if they should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out. Well, my friends, let us not
hold our peace, but let us desire to honor our God for what he's
done for us. And truly praise his name, for
with that, that brings joy and peace to our souls to realize
that almighty God has loved us with everlasting love and with
loving kindness he's drawn us. Amen. Our closing hymn is from Gadsby's
hymn number 1139. O God our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast
and our eternal home. Hymn number 1139 to the tune
number 89. In ages past I hope for years
to come A shelter from the stormy blast And an eternal home o'er thy throne, thy saints have
dwelt secure. Self-sufficient is thy love alone,
and thy defence is sure. Before the hills in order stood,
Our earth received her frame. From everlasting thou art gone,
To endless years the same. Thy word commands of flesh to
dust, return ye sons of men. All nations rose from earth at
first, and come to earth again. A thousand ages in my sight are
like an evening gone, short as the wash that turns the earth
before the rising sun. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all its sons away. They fly forgotten as the dream
dies and they look noonday. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come. Be thou our guide, one life shall
last, and our eternal home. Now may the grace of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and
the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit, rest and
abide with us each, now and for evermore. Amen.