Luke 19, verse 1, And Jesus 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 the publicans were Jews.
They were Jews whom the Romans used as tax collectors. They
collected taxes, exorbitant, from the Jewish people. And the
Jews despised them. They hated these publicans. You
see, Israel was a proud nation. And they were resentful and restless
under the Roman yoke. They boasted that they were never
in bondage to any man. that they were the Lord's people,
God's people, and that they were born free. They were the people
of God. You remember when one of the
Pharisees asked him, is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar? They
resented paying taxes, and they resented these publicans who
collected taxes, especially one like Zacchaeus. It says here
in verse 2 that he was the chief among the publicans. Someone
wrote there's a good possibility that he didn't dirty his hands
at all collecting taxes, he had people do it for him. And he
took a cut from everybody. And these publicans, especially
this one, were looked upon as moral lepers by the Jews. to
be avoided on the street, to be avoided in the synagogue,
and no Jew would ever enter the home of a publican. And yet our Lord, our Lord Jesus
Christ, set aside all of this prejudice. He disregarded their
rules and their traditions, and he went to the house of this
publican. You see, he said in verse 5,
and when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw Zacchaeus,
and he said, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down. Today, I
must dwell and abide at your house. And verse 7, and when
they saw him, they were so upset, these Jews began to murmur, saying,
Why, he's gone to be the guest, to be guest with a man that's
a sinner. He's gone to the home of this
sinner. These people called our Lord
the friend of publicans and sinners. And when they said that, oh,
what a mass of contempt was contained in those words. A winebipper. a gluttonous man and a friend
of publicans and sinners. What contempt they had for the
master who was a friend of publicans and sinners. And yet while they,
when they said that, he's a friend of publicans and sinners and
they meant that he contempt upon him. I think about the importance
of that title to you and me. I thank God he's the friend of
publicans and sinners. I praise God that he's the friend
of publicans and sinners, like you and me. And another thing
I think about, when they said that, he's the friend, they said
it's going to be the guest of a man that's a sinner. He's a
friend of publicans and sinners. They meant that to carry contempt. And yet to us, it carries good
news. Because without Christ being a friend of public and
sinners, we don't have any gospel. I ask you to consider this. Of
what value is a Savior to a man who's not a sinner? Of what value is a Savior to
a man who's not a sinner? Of what value is a seeking shepherd
to a sheep who's not lost? The well do not need a physician. Innocent men do not seek pardon. Who needs a kinsman redeemer?
Someone who sold everything and is in bondage and debt. I'm glad
he's the friend of publicans and sinners. And I'll give you
four reasons why I rejoice that our Lord, he said here in verse
10, the Son of Man, He's come to seek and to save the lost.
And I'll give you four reasons why I rejoice that He came to
seek and to save the lost. That He came into the world to
save sinners, that He died for the ungodly. That He came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I'll tell you
why I rejoice. Four reasons. Number one, it
gives me hope of being saved. It gives me hope because I'm
a sinner. I'm a sinner by association with Adam. I'm a sinner by birth.
I'm a sinner by nature. I'm a sinner by deed. I can cry
with Saul or Paul when he said, oh wretched man that I am. And with David who said, my sins
are ever before me. So I rejoice he's a friend of
sinners because it gives me hope. It gives me hope for you and
those to whom I preach. I never met a man who merited
God's favor, did you? I say with Isaiah, I'm a man
of unclean lips, but I dwell among a people of unclean lips.
So I rejoice that he's the friend of publicans and sinners, that
he will go to be the guest of a sinner because I'm a sinner.
It gives me hope for myself and for you. And thirdly, it gives
me assurance that our salvation will not one day be revoked because
of our sins. In other words, if God loved
me when I was a sinner, and elected me when I was a sinner, and Christ
died for me when I was a sinner, and He called me when I was a
sinner, my present Nature will not change that love. That's
what he said. Turn to Malachi 3 and listen
to our Lord here. Malachi chapter 3. He says in
chapter 3 verse 6, I am the Lord. For I am the Lord, I change not.
Therefore, because I do not change, you sons of Jacob are not concerned.
And then over here in Romans chapter 4, listen to this. What
I'm saying is that Christ being the friend of publicans and sinners
assures us that our salvation will not be revoked because we
remain sinners. Sinners are saved by grace. In
Romans 4.16, listen to this verse. Therefore it is a faith that
it might be by grace. Salvation is a faith that it
might be by grace, listen, to this end, that the promise might
be sure. It's got to be by pure, sovereign,
undeserved grace that it might be sure, to all to see, to every
believer. It has to be by grace. And then,
fourthly, I rejoice that he's the friend of sinners. because
it gives hope to this center and gives me hope for the centers
to whom I preach and assures me that it will never be revoked.
God will never change. And then fourthly, it assures
me that heaven will be populated by people who shall forever give
God all the glory for Satan. Turn to Revelation chapter 5.
Heaven will be populated by people, sinners, who will always eternally
give God all the glory. Turn to Revelation 5 and listen
to verse 9. Talking about that multitude
in glory. Verse 9 says, And they sung a
new song, saying, Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every nation, every kindred,
tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God
kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.' And I beheld,
and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne,
and the beast And the elders and the number there was 10,000
times 10,000 and thousands of thousands. A definite number
for an indefinite. Saying with a loud voice, worthy
is the Lamb. That was slain to receive power,
riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessings. They'll praise Him forever and
ever. Forever and ever. One of the elders said in another
verse, who are these? And which came they? And I answered
and I said, sir, you know. And he said, yes, these are they
that have come out of great trouble, great tribulation, and washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Let's
look at Zacchaeus' call. Study this call of Zacchaeus
and learn how God is pleased to save all of his elect. Let me give you several points
here. Number one, this call of this
publican was a gracious call. A gracious call. You see, it
keeps telling us Zacchaeus was a bad man, in a bad country,
in a bad business. And yet, The grace of God reached
down and called that guilty sinner to Christ. I don't know why we
should be amazed that our Lord would call a man like Zacchaeus,
because he went to the land of Samaria, and the first one he
called in Samaria was an oft-married woman, married five times, living
with a man who was not her husband. When he went to the land of the
Gadarenes, he called a man a madman in the tombs. And far as I know,
that's the only person that was saved in that whole time. I don't
know of any other, but that madman. And when he went to the house
of Simon, the Pharisee, there were plenty of people there.
But our Lord only forgave one person, the harlot, who washed
his feet with tears, and dried them with her hair, her head,
and kissed his feet. And he said to her, Our sins
are forgiven. That's the only one I know. And
then when he went to the hill of Calvary, how many thousands
of people do you suppose witnessed that crucifixion? When they crucified
three men, particularly this notable person, Jesus of Nazareth. How many people do you reckon
were there? It was a special peace day for the Jews. People
were there from all over the world, around that cross, multitudes. One person, as far as I know,
one man. And that one man was a thief
on the cross. So when our Lord calls Zacchaeus,
it ought not surprise us in this Wicked city, he saves Achaeus. The hymn writer wrote this, come
ye sinners, sinners poor and needy, sick and sore, Jesus ready stands
to save sinners. He's full of pity, love and power. He's willing, doubt no more. Let not conscience make you linger,
nor fitness fondly dream. All the fitness Christ requires. to feel your need of him. Come
ye weary, heavy laden, bruised and mangled by the fall, if you
tarry till you're better, you'll never come at all." Oh, what
a gracious call. What a gracious call. Such a
bad man of a bad town and a bad business. He's the one my Lord
called. It was a personal call. In verse
5, when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him. He
said, Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus. There was a multitude of people
there too. That's the reason Zacchaeus was up in the tree,
because there was so many people. He wanted to see the Lord Jesus,
who he was, but he couldn't. He couldn't see him for all the
people, so he climbed up in a tree, knowing he would pass that way.
And when he came to that place, there was no doubt whom he called. No doubt at all. He looked up,
he said, let me read it again. And when Jesus came to the place,
he looked up and saw him. He saw him. And he said to him,
Zacchaeus, come down. He said, I know my sheep. I know
my sheep, and have known of mine. And my sheep will hear my voice.
And they'll come to me. There are a lot of calls. There
are a lot of calls in the Bible. People are called. Many are called.
Many are called. Few are chosen, but many are
called. I'll show you two or three calls over here in Romans
1. There's the call of nature. You know, Psalm 19 tells us that
creation declares the glory of God. And the words of creation,
the things God's made are heard in every language. There's no
language in which the voice of creation is not heard. Now listen
to Romans 1, 20. The invisible things of God from
the creation of the world are clearly seen. Being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse. It's the call of nature. Because
when they knew God, when they knew this Creator, and had revealed
through creation His power and Godhead, they didn't glorify
Him as God. Romans 2.15, look at this. Here's another call. Everybody
uses this term conscience. Conscience. What do you mean
conscience? It means an inner voice that jumps on us when we
think evil or do evil or speak evil. It's conscience. Even little
children have a conscience. They know right from wrong. They're born knowing these things
early in life. And this is what it says in,
and that's a call. Most folks aren't very true to
their conscience. In Romans 2, verse 14, when the
Gentiles, which have not the law, these Gentile nations that
do not have the Ten Commandments, when they do by nature the things
contained in the law, these having not the law are law unto themselves,
which shows the work of the law written in a man's heart. It's
a light that lightens every man that comes into the world, their
conscience. Also bearing witness in their thoughts, their thoughts,
the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. Conscience,
that's the call of, it's the call of providence. You ever
read Amos 4? You should drive down the highway and you see
these signs, prepare to meet thy God, prepare to meet thy
God. I haven't seen them in years, but years ago, drive down, prepare
to meet thy God. That's from Amos 4. But when
Amos said that, he said a whole lot of things before that. A
whole lot of things before that. He said, God speaking, he said,
I have sent famine into the land and yet you haven't repented
and returned to me. He said, I've sent wars and killed
you young men and you haven't repented and returned to me.
He said, you planted your crops And a month before the harvest,
I sent a drought, and all your crops died, but you haven't returned
to me." These acts of judgment, acts of providence. God says,
I brought all the blastings and mildew and diseases. I sent diseases
among you, and slain multitudes, but you didn't repent. Therefore,
prepare to meet thy God. Isn't that where that is? Aimless
forth. So therefore, get ready. to meet an angry God. So that's
a call. It's a call to preaching. Paul
said in Romans 10, he said, have they not heard? Have they not
heard? The people in the Old Testament,
did they hear? The gospel was preached to them.
That's what it says, but it didn't profit them. Not being mixed
with faith in them that heard it. So they could not enter because
of unbelief. There's a call of nature, there's
a call of conscience, law written in the heart, there's a call
of judgment and providence, there's a call of preaching, there's
a call of grace, personal. And that's whom he foreknew,
he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son, and
whom he predestinated, he called Zacchaeus. Paul said in 2 Thessalonians,
I'm bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit, belief of the truth,
whereunto he called you by our gospel. Is that to you? If he had called the name of
anybody else, they would have come. But it was Zacchaeus he called.
And thirdly, listen, it was an imminent call. It was an imminent
call. Look at the text again, Luke
19. When Jesus came to the place,
verse 5, he looked up and saw him, he said, Zacchaeus, make
haste. Make haste. You know, I thought
when I read that, right now is what he's saying. Right now.
Zacchaeus, come down. Make haste. You know, sinners
hear my message, preachers' messages. Sometimes they show no interest.
Sometimes they show a little interest. Sometimes they show
a whole lot of interest. But they react in several ways
through the years. Some people, when they hear our
message, they show concern and get interested for a while, and
soon it disappears. doesn't last. It's like the seed
sown on the fallow ground and the birds pick it up. Others
hear us and they begin to show an interest, but then the cares
of the world, deceitfulness of riches and other things go up
and choke the world. Choke the world. They can't be
interested in the world, interested in these other things. Others
like the The king had heard Paul preach and he said, tell you
what I'm going to do, I'm going to think this over and when I
have a really convenient time, I'm going to send for you. But
he never did. Never did. Some people hear you
and they want to argue. They want to see if they can
match wits with you, you know. Preacher, I want to come by and
ask you some questions. Oh, don't bother. Don't bother. We'd better just sit and listen
to the gospel. I can't answer all the questions. But they want
to argue, they want to discuss doctrine. But let me tell you
something. When a man hears Christ speak
through his word, when sinners are confronted not
by a preacher, not by a pastor, not by a soul winner, but when
they're confronted by the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, with
the Word of God, and the voice of Christ, they lay hold on Christ. They don't want you between them.
They don't want to argue with you or discuss with you. They
want to get to Him. Go look to Him. Look to Him. Is that to you? Make haste. Right now. Right now. He met the Lord one night, and
the Lord was going to leave him. He said, let me go. The dawn
is breaking. Jacob got a tighter grip. He
got a tighter grip. He knew who that was. And he
said, I'm not going to let you go. You bless me. I ain't turning
loose. This is no fad. This is no passing
fancy. This is heaven or hell, this
is life or death, this is salvation or judgment. And I'm not going
to turn loose. Wouldn't that be great to preach
to people and that be the response? Right now. Right now. Make haste, right now. Oh, when
you hear a man, you'll quibble and argue and decide whether
or not you want to cast your lot or hear him again. I've got time, I'll listen. I tell you, when you get sins,
you'll listen. When you get lost, you'll listen. When you get aware
of the sins that separated you and God, you'll listen. And here's
another thing about this call. He said, Zacchaeus, make haste,
watch this now, and come down. This is a hard thing. Come down. Come down. Come down. There's not going to be any call
to come up until we hear a call, come down. Come down. Zacchaeus, come down. God always slays a man before
he gives him life. He always strips a sinner before
he clothes him. He always humbles a man before
he exalts him. He always deals in judgment before
he deals in grace. That's right. Saul of Tarsus,
he said, I was alive without the law once, but when the law
came, I died. I came down. He said, I was a
Pharisee of Pharisees concerning the law. I was blameless. I was
a Hebrew of Hebrews. I exceeded many of my equals.
I was somebody. But I count all that but dumb.
Garbage. That I may win Christ and be
found in Him. I've gone from everything to
nothing. I've gone from somebody to nobody. I've gone from a high-ranking
scholar to a man who knows nothing of myself. Come down. Come on
down. Well, I came down till there
were few worse than I am. Come down, the Lord said. Well,
I came down till I was on the level with everybody. Come down,
He said. I came down till I was lower
than any son of Adam. Come down, He said. I came down until I despaired
of any hope for such a sinner." He gave up, and then he spoke
peace. Down. Zacchaeus, come down. This old flesh chafes against
that. God doesn't save the somebodies,
he saves the nobodies. He doesn't save good people,
he saves sinners. That's the reason He's doing
this right here, to show us His grace is for the guilty. And
He showed all those people, oh, oh, how they hated this. How they hated that man in that
tree. How they hated that man. And our Lord chose to walk under that tree and look
up at that despised moral leper and say, Zacchaeus, come back. I'm going to your house. It just
can't be. And that shows me, fifthly, what
an affectionate call it was. Listen to him. He said, Jackie
has come down. Today, I must abide at your house. Today, I must abide, dwell at
your house. He doesn't say now you can come
to the temple. He doesn't say now you can be
a church member. That's what they say today. Confess
Christ and you can join with us. Confess Christ, we'll put
you on the road. Confess Christ, we'll let you
tithe and help support us. Confess Christ, we'll let you
associate with all us Christians. Confess Christ, we'll give you
a job. Our Lord said, come down, I'm going to your house. I'm
going to your house. I'm going to abide at your house.
He said, if any man love me, my father and I will dwell with
him. The Lord himself enters into
our houses, our homes, not to visit occasionally, As we go
down to the church and visit, he comes in to my house, to my
heart, and it becomes a different house. Where he abides, he regenerates. Where he abides, he influences.
Where he abides and where he lives, he rules. Folks would be amazed sometimes
when we have company how we put on our best airs. We know company is coming, we
clean up the house. I had a little boy tell me one
time, he said, I sure like it when you come preach a meeting
for us and we get the house cleaned up. Preacher is coming. Kind of speak
more softly with one another when the preacher comes. But I'll tell you this, when
the Lord comes to dwell, a house of hate will turn to a house
of love. A house of unkindness will turn to a house of kindness. A house of jealousy and envy
will turn to a house of forgiveness and grace. Things are different
where He dwells, because when He comes in, He rules. He reigns,
he regenerates. Zacchaeus, oh how we turn that
thing around. You can go up to the temple now.
You can give your tithe. I'm going to your house. This
is not going to be some social relationship you have with a
bunch of people. This is going to be salvation. I'm coming. I'm going home with you. Well, look at Verse 6, this call
was an affectionate call and it was an effectual call. Effectual. Verse 6, I told you, my word
doesn't carry much weight but his does. My word doesn't carry
much power but his does. Zacchaeus made haste. Zacchaeus
came down. Zacchaeus received him. But the
key word, joyfully, willingly, happily. That's the key word. Thy people,
thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. He'll hear
you when God speaks. He'll come down when God speaks.
He'll receive him when God speaks, and he'll receive him with all
his heart, joyfully. When he speaks, our people shall
be with him. Let me tell you, the Lord didn't
come down as Zacchaeus did. Zacchaeus did. The Lord didn't force him to.
He didn't reach out and yank him down. He said, you come down. He came down. I know we are given ears to hear,
but we hear. I know we are led to repent,
but we repent. I know we are led to believe,
but we believe. I know God gives faith, but we
do believe. I know God gives us eyes to see,
but we see. And I know He chose us, but we
choose Him too. I know He receives sinners, but
sinners receive Him too. Willingly, joyfully. All that
my Father giveth me shall come to me. That's true. It wouldn't
be without it. All that my father giveth me
shall come to me. But, the next line says, and
him that cometh. I'm coming, attached as I can,
as willingly as I can, as joyfully as I can, as committed as I'm
a coming. Lord, I'm coming home. The father
received the prodigal son, but he did come home. Didn't he? And I tell you, he came home
willingly. Father didn't send a posse after
him. He came home knowing that he'd be received, willingly. Zacchaeus came down and received
him joyfully. Joyfully. And you know something,
verse 8, and this call was a converting call. Zacchaeus became a changed
man. He didn't just adopt a doctrine.
Zacchaeus had a new heart and a new nature. He stood and he
said, Lord, the whole Lord. He called him Lord. He was his
Lord. Half my goods I give to the poor. I've taken anything
from any man by false accusation, and you can bet he did. I'll
restore him fourfold. He's a changed man. He thinks
of others now. Prior to this time, he just thought
of himself. He'd lived for himself. Now he
has a new heart and a new nature, a new motive, new direction.
He's thinking of others. Converting. This is a converting
call. Our Lord said to Peter, when
you're converted, when you're converted, you strengthen your
body. When you're changed. And then in closing, this call
was a covenant call. I want you to notice something
here in verse 9. And the Lord Jesus said unto
him, This day, his salvation come to this house, for as much
as he also is a son of Abraham." Well, we know he's a Jew, and
he's a son of Abraham, naturally speaking, but all those other
people around there were sons of Abraham in the same way, naturally. But that's not what our Lord's
saying here. He's saying he's the son of Abraham because he's
a believer. And he's a believer because he's
the son of Abraham. What's this? Turn to several
scriptures. Romans 9. Let's look at Romans
9. In other words, this day salvation's
come to this house because he's one of God's elect. Because he's
one of those given to Christ. Romans 9. Romans 9, verse 6 through 8,
watch this, Romans 9, verse 6. Not as though the word of God
had taken none effect, these Jews didn't hear the gospel,
wouldn't believe it, they heard it, didn't believe it, for they're
not all Israel which are of Israel. Neither because they are the
seed of Abraham are they children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. That is, they which are of the
children of the flesh. These are not the children of
God, but the children of the promise accounting for the seed.
Our Lord's saying about Zacchaeus, he is a child of promise. He's
a child of God. He's a true seed of Abraham through
Isaac, through Christ. Galatians 3 verse 7. He's not a child of Abraham because
he believed. He believed because he's a child
of Abraham. That's what our Lord is saying. This day of salvation
come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham. Also, also a son of Abraham. If he's called me and you, we're
sons of Abraham. Look at Galatians 3 verse 7.
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are children
of Abraham? Verse 16, Now to Abraham and
his seed were the promises made. He saith not to seeds as of many,
but as one to thy seed which is Christ. Verse 29, And if ye
be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to
promise. A converting call and a covenant
call. I come to do thy will, O God. This is my Father's will, that
all which he has given me I will lose nothing, but raise it up
at the last day." Zacchaeus, come down. Salvation has come
to this house because he also is a son of Abraham. Sons we
are through God's election who in Jesus Christ believe. By eternal
predestination, sovereign grace, we have received. Pause my soul,
adore and wonder. Ask, oh, why such love to me? Grace has put me in the number
of the Savior's family. And then the last verse, and
I close, Luke 19. All of this is to declare this
truth, verse 10, verse 10, for the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save that which is lost. Thank God he's the friend of
sinners, the friend of sinners.