Our first item of worship is Psalm 65. We sing to his praise in Psalm 65, and that's on page 82.
And Zion praise awaits you, Lord, to you our vows will pay. To you all people will come near,
do you hear us when we pray? When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay,
you pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away. Psalm 65, these verses 1 to 5,
the tune is done firmly to God's praise.
Amen.
In Zion praise awaits you, Lord, to you our vows will pay.
To you all people will come near, you hear us when we pray.
When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay, you pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.
We are blessed, our love, to you to the rain, with a new force of grace.
We're filled with blessings in your heart, in your most holy place.
With awesome deeds of righteousness, you answered us, O God, our Savior, hope of earth's ease, and of the earth abroad.
Amen.
Once again, let's join together in prayer to God.
O Lord, our God, our gracious and eternal God, we thank you again that we can gather here this
evening as worshipers around your Word, and that we can engage in these aspects of worship
that we are so familiar with. We pray, Lord, that you would keep us from a mere familiarity
or a mere sense of routine. Give us, we pray, Lord, when we call upon your name that we may do so,
conscious that we are speaking with the God of whom we have been singing,
and conscious that you have reminded us in these words of your readiness to answer us.
We ask, O Lord, that you would help us as we study your Word and as we come to sing your praises,
that we will do so with a thinking heart, the mind ready to receive these aspects of your truth,
and to use your Word as we sing your praise. We give thanks, Lord, tonight that we are reminded
once again of your greatness, of your claim over the whole of your creation,
for you are the God of the whole universe, the God who has reminded us that you uphold all things by
the Word of your power, and that it is to you that all human beings are answerable ultimately.
Help us, Lord, we pray, to come in that holy fear by which we would, with awe and reverence and love
for you, fall down before you now in the quiet of our hearts, and come, Lord, to give ourselves anew to you
in a willing service. We thank you that your Word has already guided us today
to those issues to do with the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, to that which he accomplished
by his death at Calvary. And we do give thanks, O Lord, for your presence with us, for the way in which
you use both word and sacrament to edify your people. We pray that we may carry these things
with us from this Lord's day, both then and now, so that they may indeed form in our minds throughout
this coming week, the basis of our thoughts. We thank you, O Lord, for all the goodness we receive
from you. Lord, we come before you each Lord's day at the beginning of each week, reflecting upon the
many aspects of your goodness, and yet we confess that throughout each week we fail to take account
properly and tellingly of these aspects of your goodness that meet us in our daily living.
For your goodness extends to us not only in the gospel, but in the course of life that you provide
us with so much that we are given to enjoy and benefit from throughout each day. And we thank you
that you remember us with plenty for our bodily needs, that you remember us in such a favorable
situation as you've placed us in, so that we have access to medical resources, access to good
education, access to so many things down through the years, O Lord, that you have provided us with
in your providence and kindness. And we give thanks for that, and we pray that these may continue with
us. For by our own neglect, O Lord, it would be all too easy for you to withdraw them and to teach us
of our dependability, of our dependence upon yourself and on your dependability as our God.
We pray tonight, Lord, as we consider aspects of your Word anew, that you might draw us to yourself
as we do so, and that we may be conscious that you are here. Lord, we remember Solomon's great
declaration as the dedication of the temple took place, that the heavens of heavens could not contain
you, much less this building that he had erected. And so it is, O Lord, with this building, this place of
worship, this place we are so familiar with and so precious to us. We confess that it is but small,
tiny in your own presence compared to your greatness. Yet we thank you that you're pleased
at times to fill it with your presence, that you're pleased to use it in such a way as to gather us
together so that we experience more of your blessing. We pray that you would enable us to speak and to
hear in a way that we truly be aware that you are speaking to us, that you are giving us the ability
to speak and to hear. We ask your blessing to be with us as a congregation following our communion this
morning. We thank you, Lord, for every occasion when the death of the Lord is remembered by us,
and when you enable us to gather in such a fashion. We pray for all today who were at your table.
We ask that you would bless us as we seek your strengthening for that journey of life through
which you take us. And we pray that you would strengthen us to be your own living and consistent
disciples in the world. We pray that you would protect us and keep us, that you would direct our
steps each day in the ways of your truth. We pray especially, Lord, for Anna, who was there at the
table for the first time today. We pray for Anna, and we ask that you would bless her as she begins
her life as a professing Christian. We thank you for her presence with us. We pray that you would
encourage her, O Lord, as she has taken this step. We pray for any who may have been at your table today
for the last time. We know not, Lord, what a day or a week or months may actually bring to us.
We have already, Lord, come through years when things happened that we were not expectant of,
and yet you brought us safely through, and you enabled us, Lord, to look to you. We pray that that
will be the case in these days and weeks and months to come. We pray that you bless again our children,
those who are witnesses of the sacrament today, and those who are not, or those who were at home.
We pray that you bless them, bless those, and bless them as they receive the teaching of your word and
those who teach them. We thank you, Lord, for every encouragement you give us with regard to our
young people. Bless us in the fellowship again this evening. Help us, Lord, as we take an interest in
the work of camps, that you would enable us, Lord, to do so prayerfully and meaningfully as we remember
the young people that anticipate being at camps this coming summer. And we pray for those who have
given of themselves to help with camps as leaders, those who are giving practical help as cooks,
those who are helping with transport. In every way, Lord, those who help with the running of our camps.
We thank you for the encouragement it gives us to see so many children and young people coming
to attend the summer camps. We pray that they will return much blessed in their souls,
and that you would encourage, oh, Lord, those who seek to teach them and to give them guidance
during that time. We ask your blessing, Lord, to be with us in all the activities that are listed for
this week in our bulletin. We pray that you would bless these, whether they be formal times of worship
or fellowships or times when we meet with others informally. Bless everything that's done in your
name, we pray, and help us as we seek to go on serving you as a congregation, that you would continue,
Lord, to encourage us and to provide us with further evidence that you are blessing your word amongst us
and that you are taking us as your people as we take you as our God. Bless the world in which we live.
Lord, we are so conscious of so many different aspects of need in our own society and throughout
the world. We pray, Lord, for those who are seeking to uphold your truth in different contexts
in our own land, whether it be in our schools, other aspects of our community life.
We pray that you would bless every effort made to show the love of God and the authority of God
and the gospel of God in our society. We pray for those who rule over us in Parliament.
We ask that you would bless them, and we pray that our prayer and our remembrance of them may not
simply be a matter of form, but that in our hearts we will sincerely seek their good and seek for them
the wisdom that you alone are able to impart. We pray that that may be their portion during such
difficult times as we face. We pray tonight for those who are ill, those of our own number especially,
and commend them to you again, as well as those who mourn the passing of loved ones who are always with
us from week to week. Grant them your comfort. Grant them your upholding and your strengthening.
And graciously bless throughout the world, O Lord, people in such diversity and sometimes in such great
need. We pray tonight again for those facing the terror of war and terrorism of different kinds,
those who are fearful for their lives as they declare their faith in the Lord, those who face such
opposition for having turned to the Lord and left whatever religions or lack of religion they had.
We ask, Lord, that you would be pleased to bless them and encourage them in the way.
We pray too for those who have come to face the difficulties of disaster. We pray again for those
in India who have lost loved ones in this terrible train crash. O Lord God, we commend them to you and to
your grace and to your own compassion. And we pray that you would remember them from your throne on high
and give to them the way with all that they need to deal with such a calamity. And so, Lord, we ask that
you'd continue to bless us as we live out our lives in this world. And Lord, whatever we may think of
ourselves, help us at all times to be concerned to present you to the world as a God who is faithful,
a God who is just, a God who is loving and kind, but will by no means clear the guilty.
Hear us, we pray, forgiving your sin for Jesus' sake. Amen.
We'll sing again to God's praise this time, Psalm 63. Once again, let's sing Psalms in Psalm 63.
Tune is Cresselius, verses 1-8. That's on page 80.
So, verses 1-8.
O God, you are my God alone. I seek your face with eagerness.
My soul and body thirst for you in this dry, weary wilderness.
Psalm 63, and verses 1-8.
O God, you are my God alone. I seek your face with eagerness.
My soul and body thirst for you in this dry, weary wilderness.
I seek your face with eagerness.
Upon my bed I lie away, and in my thoughts remember you.
I meditated throughout the night, and he knew constant love in view.
Because you are my help alone, in shadow of your wings I'll sing.
You hold me up with your bright hand, to you, O God, my soul will gain.
Amen.
Son of David, have mercy on me.
And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him.
And when he came near, he asked him, What do you want me to do for you?
He said, Lord, let me recover my sight.
And Jesus said to him, Recover your sight.
Your faith has made you well.
And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God.
And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
He entered Jericho and was passing through, and there was a man named Zacchaeus.
He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
And he was seeking to see who Jesus was.
But on account of the crowd, he could not, because he was small of stature.
So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him,
for he was about to pass that way.
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him,
Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.
So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
And when they saw it, they all grumbled,
He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord,
Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor.
And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.
Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house,
since he also is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Amen. May God bless again a reading of his word.
Once again, we'll praise him this time from Psalm 51.
Psalm number 51 in the Scottish Psalter,
and singing verses 6 to 10.
And the tune is St. Kilda.
Behold thou in the inward parts, with truth delighted art.
In wisdom thou shalt make me know within the hidden part.
Do thou with hyssop sprinkle me, I shall be cleansed so.
Yea, wash thou me, and then I shall be whiter than the snow.
Of gladness and of joyfulness make me to hear the voice,
that so these very bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
All mine iniquities blot out.
Thy face hide from my sin.
Create a clean heart.
Lord, renew a right spirit.
Me within.
Singing these verses 6 to 10 on page 281,
and the tune is St. Kilda.
Behold thou in the inward parts.
With truth delighted art.
Behold thou in the inward parts, with truth delighted art.
And wisdom thou shalt make me know within the hidden part.
Do thou with hyssop.
Hear ye may know within the inside.
耳
and of joyfulness
make me to hear
the voice
that's all these
very poems
which thou
hast broken
Mary
rejoice
all my
iniquities
slaughter
thy face
I
from my
shame
create
a
in
our
for
we
you
arise
let
me
with
him
now please turn with me to Luke chapter 19
Luke chapter 19 the first part of the chapter there that we read a minute ago
where we find the account here of change in the life of Zacchaeus
a very well known Bible incident I'm sure to most of us but one of continuing interest
as we look to ourselves and our relationship to the Lord
well we're told here that Zacchaeus was small of stature he was a little man and I'm sure as would have been the case in most of these instances and still the case as a little man and he was obviously quite small he couldn't see over the crowd
that he would have been
Zacchaeus would have been the case in the case in the case in the case in the case in the case in the case of the Lord and Zacchaeus would have met with that sort of comment many times in the history in his own history in his own experience
but we're told here not only was he small in stature
but he was big in terms of
his riches
he was rich he had plenty
of money
he was a chief
tax collector
and Jericho
was a very lucrative place for tax collectors especially for the chief tax collector
because I'm sure you know that chief tax collectors especially
not only could gather in the taxes that were set by the government of the time
but they very very often extorted extra money
from the people just to fill their own pockets
and for many reasons but that especially was a reason why they were hated by the public
because that's the kind of ruthless attitude they had to people's lives
and to people's money
they were there to just make a packet
they were there to fill their own pockets to make themselves rich
and undoubtedly
Zacchaeus fell into that sort of thinking
and practice in his own life
because as we'll see after the change
that had come on him
was made obvious
he said to the Lord
if I've defrauded anyone of anything I restored it
fourfold
and you certainly get the impression from that
that Zacchaeus knew very well
that he had defrauded people previously
and was now making restitution
as something that followed on
from the change in his life
but however rich he was in monetary terms
this was a day that made him rich beyond measure
made him rich spiritually
a day that he could look back upon and say
that's the day that I came really to possess
true and lasting treasure
that's the day I came to know Jesus
that's the day I met him
that's the day he changed my life
that's the day when I realized
that all my riches
were of no avail to me
if I didn't have the treasure of eternal life
and that's where he was made rich beyond measure
through what happened to him
on this occasion
and I want to just take the fact
that he was a little man
small of stature
and just use that in our headings tonight
to just work our way through this passage
and we'll look first of all
at the little man's big effort
the effort he went to
in order to come to see Jesus for himself
secondly the little man's big change
because the change that came over him
is obvious from the way that he then speaks
about himself
and the way that he now sees things
compared to how he once lived
the little man's big change
and thirdly the little man's big heart
because the change that Jesus brought about
in his life
meant that it opened his heart
to remember the needs of others
and instead of lining his pockets
he was actually opening up his pockets
and saying Lord
here is what I give
I give half of my goods to the poor
and if I have defrauded anyone
I restore it fourfold
in other words
he was going beyond
the accepted level of restitution
that was in society there at the time
and he was saying
yes I'm going beyond that
I want to restore it fourfold
not just twofold
so these are the three points
that we want to follow out briefly tonight
the little man's big effort
the little man's big change
and the little man's big heart
now the effort he made was
very clear from the passage
his interest in Jesus
is itself of significance to us
there was a man named Zacchaeus
he was chief tax collector
he was rich
and he was seeking to see
who Jesus was
he had a certain curiosity about Jesus
he'd heard about him no doubt
he maybe had seen him
or heard about his miracles
or his teaching beforehand
but for whatever reason
he was keen to see him
he was seeking to see
who Jesus was
maybe he had heard about him
maybe he had heard some of the remarkable things
that Jesus had done
and that had quickened his interest
and quickened his curiosity
so when he heard that
Jesus was on this journey
and that he came through Jericho
he actually made a point
of going to see who he was
despite the handicap
of his littleness of stature
and many people begin
their spiritual journey
from an interest in Jesus
because Jesus evokes your interest
you can hardly read the gospels
especially
without being taken up
in some way or other
by how remarkable this person is
and was at the time
when you actually read through the gospels
and you begin to realize
just what a unique person Jesus was then
and is
it surely piques your interest
to actually find out more about him
and to come to know him for yourself
it certainly was for this man Zacchaeus
he was seeking to see who he was
so he went to a great effort
to actually find a vantage point
where he could see him
and you see the description there
that Luke gives is quite detailed
he was too small to look over the crowd
so what did he do
he ran on the head
and climbed up into a sycamore tree
to see him
for he was about to pass that way
he made that sycamore tree
his vantage point
that he could see over the crowd then
and see Jesus
and see who he was
and finally catch a glimpse
if he had not before
of this remarkable person
and that was a considerable effort
for a little man
to actually make his way
into a sycamore tree
to see Jesus
and he was not embarrassed
to read
to run on ahead
of the crowd
to climb up into this tree
not necessarily
the most dignified thing to do
but that's what he did
because he was determined
to see this Jesus for himself
and surely that
impresses us
with the question
that we have to put to ourselves
what sort of effort
are we making to see Jesus
because our vantage point
you really might say
is the gospel
the tree
if you like
from which we see Jesus
is the gospel
and the accounts we have
in the gospel
about this Jesus
that's our vantage point
that's the point
from which we look down
and see Jesus
if you like
as he's described for us
in the gospel
in the Bible
the point is tonight
for you and for me
how much of an effort
how much of a concern
was it on our part
to come here tonight
and to see Jesus
for ourselves
to see him spiritually
I mean
to see him in the gospel
to see him passing by us
in the gospel
as it were
has it been of such significance
to us
that we really
like this man
would go to every possible effort
to see Jesus for ourselves
or are we just here
because it's something
we're used to be doing
we're used to doing
something that we're familiar with
something of a ritual for us
something of a habit
well it's a very good habit
I don't want to decry that
but are we not here
making every effort
to see the Lord
and concerned above everything else
to meet with Jesus
to see him
for ourselves
are we happy
tonight just to stay put
where we are in our lives
and not make an effort
to use every means
that God has given us
and made available to us
whether it's in the word preached
or in the sacrament
that we had this morning
which are themselves
as we say
vantage points
from which to see Jesus
I'm not suggesting
that it's by your effort
or by my effort
that we come to be saved
that we somehow gain
or build up a store
of merit
by which God is then
obliged to bless us
that's not what I'm saying
but I'm saying
that it's so important
to know Jesus
for yourself
to actually see him
with the eyes of your soul
with the eyes of faith
that's important
to see him
from the eyes of trust
to see him
from the vantage point
of the gospel
and say yes
now I see him
now I know who he is
is that your burden
is that your concern
tonight
to actually see Jesus
for yourself
Zacchaeus
used this opportunity
and despite
the handicap he had
he made every effort
to overcome that
in order to come
to see Jesus
for himself
the little man's
big effort
secondly
the little man's
big change
and the first thing
you find in that
is the way that
he was addressed
by Jesus
and it's so significant
that when Jesus
came to the place
he looked up
and said
Zacchaeus
hurry and come down
for I must
I must stay
at your house today
it becomes obvious
straight away
as you read that
that the Lord
knew this
this man
and he knew his name
and he knew all about him
and he knew
what was going to
what was going to happen
to him that day
and he knew his situation
and he was calling him
to do something about it
he gave him
his individual attention
and that's one of the most
remarkable things
about the Lord
that through the gospel
the Lord deals with us
so personally
so individually
so much concern
with our individual
personal needs
that it's as if
nobody else exists
in the world
but ourselves
because when Jesus
speaks into your soul
you're very conscious
that he's focusing
on you
and he's focusing
on you
with an intent
and a concern
that really is all
about your well-being
it's not something
in which he takes
a passing interest
it's not something
that he does
just because he thinks
there's a need to do it
he does it because
his concern is
to do you good
to actually come
and bless you
and for you to come
and receive him
as this man did
it's interesting isn't it
the previous
incident as well
the blind beggar
Bartimaeus
we're told
his name is elsewhere
very similarly
to Zacchaeus
when Jesus came
and when he was told
that it was Jesus
who was passing by
he cried out
Jesus son of David
have mercy on me
and then you find
that Jesus
stopped
and commanded him
to be brought to him
and so
he was brought to him
and there's so much
theology
and so much
spiritual importance
attached to these words
Jesus stopped
he did the same
here with Zacchaeus
he looked up
into the sycamore tree
where Zacchaeus
had placed himself
in order to see Jesus
and as soon as Jesus
reached the spot
he actually stopped
and looked up
into that tree
and called Zacchaeus
where he was
aren't you amazed
at these words
aren't you amazed
that the son of God
would actually make
the time
to stop over
a human life
in order to do
that life good
aren't you amazed
as you read that
that such a person
as you know yourself
to be
a needy sinner
who has rebelled
against God
who doesn't deserve
the eternal life
that Jesus died
to secure
that as he comes
to speak to you
through the gospel
not only does he speak
to you
as if you're the only
person in the world
but he stops
over you
he makes it known
to you
and makes it clear
to you
I am really
intensely interested
in you
and in your salvation
and in your well-being
and where you will
spend eternity
he stopped
and looked up
to where Zacchaeus
was
he gave him
his individual
attention
and divided
attention
as if nobody else
existed in the world
but then you see
he called him
he looked up
and said to him
Zacchaeus
hurry
and come down
for I must stay
at your house
today
and you can see
that that's in the form
of a summons
the authority
of Jesus
is packed
into these words
the way Luke
records them
for us
he didn't just
come to Zacchaeus
and look up
and say
would you like
to come
down from the tree
please
I've got something
to say to you
he said Zacchaeus
hurry and come down
it's a summons
it's a command
it's an imperative
because when Jesus
speaks
he speaks
with the authority
of God
the God
he is
it's no ordinary
man
and when God
has a dealing
with your soul
and with mine
you very soon
become conscious
that he's speaking
to you in a way
that no one else
can
and he's not
speaking here
to condemn him
he's speaking here
towards his salvation
but he's speaking
towards his salvation
to draw him
into that knowledge
of himself
by showing Zacchaeus
I am the king
I am the Lord
I'm the one
who has authority
over your life
I'm the one
that's calling you
now
to come down
from where you are
and come and see me
and it's the same
exactly the same
in the gospel
the call of Jesus
in the gospel
for you to come
and to know him
if you're here tonight
and you haven't yet
closed in
in your heart
with him
and received him
as Zacchaeus did
that call
is coming to you
with the full
authority of heaven
with all the authority
of the son of God
that's why it's such
a really serious thing
to actually not comply
with that summons
from God
that summons
where God is calling you
to himself
it's such a deep
and serious sin
just to bypass that
or let it go
and not reckon
with it seriously
because that's really
what's happening
in this building tonight
I'm being addressed
by God
you're being addressed
by God
I know you're hearing
a human voice
in this pulpit
but it's not the human voice
you're listening out for
though you're listening
to it
it's the voice
of God
in his word
the voice of God
in the exposition
of his word
the voice of Jesus
as he looks up
up to your vantage point
and as you look down
on him
as it were in the gospel
with the authority
of God himself
he is saying
hurry up
and come down
respond
to the fact
that I'm here
and you see
he's saying
hurry
go to it now
he's saying to Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus
hurry and come down
Jesus didn't come
to this sycamore tree
and look up
at Zacchaeus
and say there
look Zacchaeus
you really ought to
come down from there
and if you want to do that
that's fine
but you can leave it
until tomorrow
if you like
Zacchaeus
hurry
and come down
for today
I must abide
at your house
Jesus is saying
I must abide
at your house
not just saying
I'd like to do it
if you actually
will have me
I'd like to do it
if you feel
it's right
for me to come
and spend time
in your house
no this is
the same Jesus
the same authority
the same summons
the same voice
saying
I must abide
at your house
and because I must
abide at your house
hurry and come down
because I must do it
today
and so it is
the way he's addressing
you and I tonight
and especially
those of you
who have not yet
responded positively
to his call
on the gospel
who are still not saved
who have still not come
to yield obedience
to Christ
and he's saying
to you tonight
today
I require of you
to do this
today I need
to spend
time in your house
today I must
stay at your house
really rich again
in spiritual imagery
that isn't it
because
when he says here
I must stay
at your house
today
as you turn that
into what the gospel
is saying to you
what Jesus is saying
through the gospel
what he's really saying
amounts to the same thing
I actually need
I am
I'm calling on you
to respond
so that I can make
a home for myself
in your soul
Jesus is not asking us
to actually give ourselves
to him
in a part time fashion
as if
his living in your life
was just on a
B&B basis
Jesus doesn't do
B&B
in a spiritual sense
when he comes to
call us in the gospel
to open up our heart to him
to give him a home
in our hearts
he's saying
that's where I want to be
that's where I want to live
that's where I want you
to know me
as the occupant
of your soul
not just now and again
not just part time
but all the time
and forevermore
today
I must abide
I must stay
at your house
and what's the next thing
you read
so he hurried
and came down
and received him
joyfully
see the correspondence
with the manner
in which Zacchaeus
responded
and the call
of Jesus
the summons
that Jesus gave him
the summons said
hurry and come down
the response was
he hurried
and came down
he didn't say to Jesus
I'd like to
but can I leave it
till tomorrow
can I leave it
until I feel better
about it
can I feel
can I leave it
until I feel sure
about my bearings
he said
he hurried
and came down
and received him
joyfully
there is no delay
on the part
of Zacchaeus
the kind of delay
that you and I
know of in our own lives
the kind of delay
that perhaps is
right now
in your mind
in your exercise
where you're saying
well I hear the call
of Jesus
in the gospel
I know what he's saying
to me
but I'm not ready yet
no Jesus is saying
today
it's so important
that you don't say
tomorrow about it
it's so important
that you don't put it off
it's so important
that you respond now
while you hear
his voice
echoing in your heart
while you're aware
of his summons
calling you
to himself
you may not hear
that tomorrow
you may find
tomorrow
that it's gone
you may find
tomorrow
that there is
no sense
of his summons
left in your soul
and you go on
with your life
and you die
without him
today I must
so he hurried
and came down
and you see
he received him
joyfully
if you are delaying
tonight
and coming
to know the Lord
and you're saying
well it's
it's my intention
to come
I do want to come
it is my intention
I will do it
well it's not
just the case
that you may
never have
the opportunity
again to do it
but just think
of what you're
doing in that
very moment
of saying
yes I intend
to do it
because intention
by itself
means present
delay
and present
delay
equals
refusal
have you
have you ever
thought about
delaying
and coming
to Christ
is actually
a refusal
of him
of his summons
on your life
but that's
what it is
what is
your reason
if you're
delaying
tonight
coming to
the Lord
what is
your reason
why are you
doing that
would you go
to himself
tonight
and say
Lord
I hear
your summons
I know
that I
ought to do
it
that it's
my intention
to do it
but here is
why I cannot
do it now
though you're
calling me
to do it
now
can you
say that
to the Lord
of course
you can't
because you
know he
knows better
than that
and that as
he's calling
you to
himself
and as
he's calling
you to
himself
today
here and
now
so he's
impressing
upon you
you cannot
afford to
leave this
beyond today
because the
delay is
equal to
a refusal
and a
refusal
to the
offer of
the king
to the
claim of
the king
to the
summons of
the king
is the
most serious
thing you
can do
it's the
most serious
thing you
can do
in your
life
and you
see he
received him
joyfully
I love that
word and
you love
that those
of us who
know the
Lord love
that emphasis
there we
can relate
to it
he received
him joyfully
Zacchaeus
didn't climb
down from
that tree
and hurry
down to
meet Jesus
reluctantly
he didn't
come down
from that
tree and
said well
I have
to do
it I
suppose I
have to
do it
so I'll
just go
through with
it he
came down
from that
tree and
received
Jesus you
see that's
what it's
saying he
came down
and received
him joyfully
there's such
an emphasis
there on an
embrace by
Zacchaeus of
Jesus the
person of
Jesus and
all that came
to him in
Jesus he
received
Jesus the
summons was
really a
call to
receive Jesus
as his
savior and
he came
down and
he hurried
and came
down and
he received
him joyfully
you had
asked Zacchaeus
years after
this if he
was still
living
Zacchaeus if
you look back
over your
life what
was the most
important day
in your life
what was the
thing that gave
you the greatest
joy there
might have
been many
things that
gave Zacchaeus
great joy in
his life
much satisfaction
but he would
undoubtedly have
said oh I
can tell you
easily what
day is the
most important
in my life
and I can
tell you
equally easily
what it is
that gives me
and gave me
the most joy
and it is this
to have Jesus
as my savior
to have come
to receive him
as he offered
himself to me
the most joyful
day for me
Zacchaeus would
say is the
day I did
not let Jesus
stand and
just go away
without me
responding
the most joyful
day for me
was the day
that Jesus
summoned me
and I responded
and gladly came
to receive him
and surely
that's how it
will be for
yourself
surely
to look back
over your
life
and even
tomorrow to
look back
and say well
I know now
what happiness
really is
because I
received Jesus
I responded
as he called
upon me to do
and hurried
to take him
to myself
I received
him
joyfully
gladly
with relief
that's what
this teaches
us friends
the little
man's big
effort
and the
little man's
big change
he was addressed
by Jesus
and he
accepted Jesus
and you can
see before
your eyes
the change
taking place
Jesus
is addressing
you and
addressing me
tonight
will we
also add
the sub
paragraph
subheading
that's true
of Zacchaeus
not only was
addressed by
Jesus
but he
accepted
Jesus
he received
him
joyfully
and so
thirdly
you see
the little
man's
big heart
now it's
important
that you
actually see
that as soon
as he received
Jesus
joyfully
they all
saw it
and grumbled
he has
gone in
to be
the guest
of a man
who is a
sinner
because
receiving
Jesus
doesn't
make for
an easy
life
and the
Lord is
not saying
this to
us so
that it
will put
you off
receiving
him
or responding
gladly
to his
call
his summons
to come
to receive
him
to accept
him
but he's
putting this
in here
for us
so that
we will
have that
realism
that realizes
that the
world is
going to
be in
many ways
a different
place for
us
when we've
come to
receive Jesus
and people
have come to
realize that
he has
changed our
lives
that we've
become his
disciples
his followers
that we've
become people
who love
him and
follow him
and want
to obey
him and
commend him
to the
world around
us
but then you
see you have
to say well
yes that
makes me
question whether
I should
do it or
not
that's going
to be a
real challenge
for you
yes of course
it's going to
be a real
challenge
but who's
going to be
beside you
who's going
to strengthen
you
who's going
to assure
you as you
go through
with life
from that
point on
that you
receive Jesus
that all is
well with
your soul
he is
he's going
to be the
one beside
you
and you
can have
the whole
of the
world beside
you
and in
your support
but if
Jesus is
against you
what good
will it do
and if
you have
Jesus
with you
what harm
is it
going to
do
if the
whole world
is against
you
because it's
all about
being true
to him
and coming
to know
that he
will never
leave you
he will
never forsake
you
he'll never
be untrue
to his
promises
he'll never
do anything
other than
what he's
promised to
do and to
be for
you
so as
he received
him gladly
he met
with this
opposition
but he
was not
diverted
and he
was not
intimidated
into undoing
what he
had just
done
he came
and the
proof of
change
is in
the words
that he
said
Lord
behold
Lord
I
half of
my goods
I give
to the
poor
and if
I have
defrauded
anyone of
anything
I restore
it
fourfold
there's the
proof of
the change
just see
the way
the passage
began
he was a
tax collector
he was
rich
he gleaned
from people
as much as
he could
for his
own benefit
but he's
a different
man now
Christ has
changed him
inwardly
and what
he's saying
here about
what he's
going to
do
outwardly
in giving
away
half of
his goods
to feed
the poor
and
restoring
fourfold
to anyone
that he has
defrauded
he would
never have
said that
before he
ran up
the sycamore
tree
what's
happened
to this
man
well
Jesus
has given
him the
kind of
heart
we were
singing
about
and praying
for in
the prayer
of
Psalm
51
create
Lord
in me
a clean
heart
change
my heart
make it a
generous
heart
make it a
heart that
reflects your
generosity
to me
he showed
that the
change was
real
because of
his vow
to be
generous to
the poor
and make
restoration
the change
that Jesus
brings
is a
total
change
not just
a change
of mind
not just
a change
in the
resolutions
you make
to yourself
it's a
change
of heart
it's a
new
view
of life
it's a
new
way
of living
it's a
new
way
of
ordering
your
life
it's
an
entirely
new
behavior
because
even if
we were
very
civil
and
decent
people
all the
way
through
our
lives
that
doesn't
mean
we
don't
need
a
new
heart
when
God
gives
us
that
new
heart
takes
on a
whole
new
perspective
the way
it
looks
at
the
world
the
way
it
looks
at
the
poor
the
way
it
looks
at
the
disadvantaged
the
way
it
looks
at
people
with
a
desire
to
support
them
the
way
it
doesn't
belittle
people
the
way
it
doesn't
disparage
people
who
are
not
so
well
off
us
ourselves
the
way
it
refuses
to
look
down
upon
people
thinking
that
we
somehow
are
best
these
are
the
evidences
of
a
new
heart
that
shows
itself
outwardly
in
behavior
the
faith
that
does
not
lead
to
our
doing
good
really
isn't
faith
the
whole
epistle
of
James
is
an
exposition
of
that
great
principle
that
point
faith
without
works
is
dead
if
Zacchaeus
had
come
down
from
that
tree
gone
back
into
the
house
and
entertained
Jesus
and
said
well
it's
been
good
having
you
thank
you
for
your
attention
but
I'm
just
going
to
go
on
the
way
that
I've
always
lived
I'm
still
going
to
rake
in
the
taxes
I'm
going
to
be
an
extortioner
I'm
going
to
take
as
much
as
I
can
for
myself
it's
a
complete
opposite
it's
a
turnaround
isn't
it
if
he
had
come
and
still
been
determined
to
live
as
he
lived
it
was
a
sign
that
he
had
never
given
his
heart
to
the
Lord
but
he
did
the
little
man
who
made
the
big
effort
the
little
man
who
experienced
the
big
change
and
the
little
man
who
had
come
now
to
have
the
big
heart
today
Jesus
is
saying
today
I
must
abide
at
your
house
hurry
don't
waste
time
come
down
let's
pray
Lord we
thank you
for the
way in
which you
address us
in your
word
forgive us
we pray
any
mishandling
of your
word that
takes
place
in our
attempt
to
give an
exposition
of its
teaching
forgive us
Lord we
pray for
the many
times that
we do
refuse to
hear your
voice
and although
we hear it
refuse to
comply
forgive us
Lord for
our delays
forgive us
for the many
times that
we have
heard your
voice and
not
complied
forgive us
Lord even
tonight
if we have
not been as
we should be
in your
presence and
responded as
we should
to your
claim upon
us
make us
thankful
Lord that
we heard
your voice
make us
thankful for
your promises
that are
true
make us
thankful for
the provision
you make
for us
in the
abundance of
life that
we have
in knowing
our Lord
Jesus Christ
and we
ask that you
would bless
this word
to us
and enable
us Lord
from this
day forth
to go
forth with
that new
resolve
to be
your people
to be
known as
your people
to make
you known
to those
around us
and to
walk
closely
with you
as our
God
hear us
we pray
for Jesus
sake
Amen
well our
final psalm
this evening
is Psalm
119
the Scottish
Psalter
version
that's on
page 404
we're singing
four verses
from verse 57
down to
verse 60
tune is
Belmont
now my
sure portion
art alone
which I
did choose
O Lord
I have
resolved
and said
that I
would keep
thy holy
word
with my
whole heart
I did
entreat
thy face
and favour
free
according
to thy
gracious
word
be
merciful
to me
I
thought
upon
my
former
ways
and
did
my
life
well
try
and
to
thy
testimonies
pure
my
feet
then
turned
I
did
not
stay
nor
linger
long
as
those
that
slothful
are
but
hastily
thy
laws
to
keep
myself
I
did
prepare
these
four
verses
in
conclusion
are
iph
oh
The Lord is home, and set the time to give Thy holy word.
With my whole heart I descend thee, Thy grace and favor free.
According to Thy gracious word, He menscheeful to me.
I thought upon my former ways, And did my life well die?
Until Thy testimonies pure, My feet then turneth I.
I did not sin nor linger long, As those that sorrowful are.
But history I lost to keep, Myself I did prepare.
We'll give thanks for the food prepared at the fellowship,
and then after the benediction I'll go to the side door here to my left.
Lord our God, we give thanks for all the provision You make for us.
And at this time we thank You for the food prepared.
We thank You for those who have prepared it for us.
And we pray that You would bless it to us,
and help us, Lord, to wait upon You,
even for our ordinary course in this life,
that we may live and move and depend on You with our being.
We ask that Your blessing from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God,
may be our portion now and evermore.
Amen.