Make haste and come down

Sermon notes from 2 April 207

Luke 18 verses 35 - 37, 19 verses 1 - 7

We have read of Jesus entering into the city of Jericho.  Passing through the city he met with 2 individuals - Bartimaeus a blind poor man and Zacchaeus a rich man and a sinner.  Jesus entered into this mission 2 weeks ago to give men and women an opportunity.  He is still passing by.  The poorest man of Jericho got saved and so did the richest man.  Everyone in between has the same opportunity.  We have a God of mercy and love, not willing that any should perish but that all shall come to salvation.  Everyone who came to Jericho had the same opportunity to call and seek the Lord.  Isaiah 55 verse 6 "seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon the Lord while he is near."  In chapter 18 we see one seeking for the Lord and one calling for the Lord in chapter 19.  

The rich man in Luke 19 Zacchaeus - some commentators say he was so crooked he could hide behind a corkscrew.  He must have been an upright man because how could he pay back 4 times what he owed.  Whatever you think of him he was a sinner - verse 7.  That is why the Lord left the splendours of heaven.  He came down into this world to save sinners.  I want us to think of this man, something said of this man that is not said of any other man in scripture - this man wanted to see Jesus.  What a desire.  I wonder are you here tonight because you really want to see Jesus?  He is a tax man.  The first thing that could come into your head is he wanted money.  In Matthew 17 verse 27 the Lord said to Peter "go down to the seashore and cast in a line, when you catch a fish in its mouth will be a coin.  I want you to pay my dues and your own."  Jesus paid his taxes.  Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar`s and unto God the things which be God`s." (Luke 20 verse 25)  There are people buying lottery tickets to get a bit of cash.  The Lord never left the splendours to make us rich.  Maybe wasn`t cash at all but curiosity.  Remember the other tax collector Matthew who sat at the seat of custom.  The Lord walks past and says `Follow me`.  He closed the book up and followed Jesus.  Why could such a man give up such a lucrative job to follow Jesus?  What kind of man was he?  Maybe he had heard about the wonderful miracles Jesus performed, the people raised to health and strength even perhaps Bartimaeus being healed of his blindness.  People today do not understand why people give up lucrative jobs to go out and serve the Lord in a foreign land, suffer persecution, all kinds of torture, maybe possibility of being thrown into prison.  Does that not fill your heart with curiosity?  He wanted to see Jesus.  Maybe there was concern in this mans heart.  He had a lucrative job, could see this multitude of people following after Christ.  He was the Son of David.  Bartimaeus called this name out.  This multitude now are talking about rebellion against the Romans.  I will lose my job, not be able to earn the same money I have.  There are many concerns today with the political situation in our land.  People are concerned and maybe rightly so.  This man could have been concerned.  What brought this man to Christ?  He was convicted about his soul.  Where would it be in eternity?  You would think for such conviction it would be made easy for them to find Christ.  Certainly not for this man.  He couldn`t get through because of the press and he was little of stature.  The hindrances - the old devil comes at that particular moment when someone has a desire to meet with Christ.  Sometimes in this mans case it was the crowd, the multitude of people.  He couldn`t see through them.  Maybe you can`t get beyond the crowd.  Sometimes the crowd can be our friends that would hinder us from coming to Christ.  If I got saved my friends wouldn`t speak to me again.  The friends you lose are nothing to the friend you will gain.  He will never forsake you, never let you down in any circumstance.  This man got beyond the crowd.  It could be friends or family or foes.  People can be a hindrance.  Pilate as he tries Jesus knows in his heart of hearts he wants to let Christ go.  The crowd says you cannot be a friend of Christ and be a friend of Caesar.  He chose the wrong one, chose the relationship with Caesar rather than with the God of heaven.  It might even be family that keeps you from Christ.  It was his circumstances.  He was a small man and he couldn`t change that.  He said "if i could get above the circumstances."  He is now taller, way beyond the crowd.  If you want to go on as a Christian you will still need to stay above and beyond the crowd, to be close to the God or heaven.  Don`t get involved with them.  Not only says this man wanted to see the Lord.  He waited to see the Lord.  Don`t know how long this man waited.  He came into Jericho to see Christ.  He wasn`t going home without him.  Suddenly he could see the multitude of people coming down the street.  Then he gets his eyes fixed on Christ.  Even at the end of the meeting or this mission would you be willing to wait, to go through for Christ?  Sometimes waiting can be dangerous, putting it off.  Man somehow put off what God is saying to them.  In the Old Testament you will read the story of Moses going down into Egypt to bring the children of Israel out.  He comes to Pharaoh and tells him God had sent him and he wanted him to let his people go.  Pharaoh says "who is the Lord that I should listen to him."  Pharaoh refused to let the people go.  Different plagues then came on Egypt.  Pharaoh sent for Moses "would you pray that God would take this away."  Moses prayed and God took the plague away then Pharaoh hardened his heart, wouldn`t let the people go.  God sent even more plagues and each time Pharaoh asked Moses to take the plagues away.  Seven times he hardened his heart and when it came to the eighth and ninth plagues God hardened his heart.  God gave him his last opportunity of mercy.  "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy." (Proverbs 29 verse 1)  In Daniel 5 Belshazzar threw a party with over 1000 guests.  They were drinking and Belshazzar commanded the vessels from the temple be brought to drink out of.  Suddenly a hand appeared writing on the wall.  His very knees were knocking and rightly so because God was speaking and challenging him.  Daniel was sent to interpret and he told him "thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting. The kingdom will be taken from you."  The last meal he has enjoyed.  In Luke 12 there is a rich fool, a farmer.  Can see him standing out in the front garden watching the harvest of wheat.  He thinks to himself "God has been good to me, I need to build bigger barns."  He made great plans for the future.  Thinking of the pleasures of life.  He was thinking of the prosperity.  Nothing wrong with any of that.  This man forgot about God.  God said of him "thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee." (Luke 12 verse 20)  That man received his last message.  What would happen if God said that to you tonight?  Everything you have will always be left behind.  Nothing will be taken with us.  Pharaoh`s last offer of mercy.  Belshazzar`s last meal.  The rich farmer`s last message.  Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus.  He was enjoying the last supper with Jesus and the disciples, listening to the final message Jesus would give to them.  How he would go to the cross, lay down his life, rise again.  He is attending his last meal.  You would think tonight that if the preacher was none other than the Lord somehow people would listen.  That man Judas, when Jesus took the sup out of the dish and handed it to him it was his last offer of mercy.  The one he gave the sup to is the one who will betray me.  He could have changed his mind.  This man we are thinking of tonight waited for the right reason, waited because Jesus was passing that way.  He wasn`t going home without Christ.  It didn`t matter who saw him, who laughed at him, didn`t matter, all he wanted to see Christ.  He is welcomed by the Lord.  When Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him and said unto him "Zacchaeus make haste and come down for today I must abide at thy house."  A Saviour that still welcomes us today.  He invites you to come.  In speaking to this man he knows his name.  He knows your name tonight.  He doesn`t mix you up with anyone else.  He knows your nature, whether you are a shy person or up front.  He knows your need tonight, he knows the very number of hairs on your head.  The Lord knows everything about us and he loves us just the same.  He says "come".  we have always got to come to the place called Calvary.  There is always an urgency.  He told Zacchaeus "make haste".  Surely he would have had 5 minutes to climb down the tree.  When it comes to salvation there is always an urgency because we are not guaranteed the next moment.  "Boast not thyself of tomorrow." (Proverbs 27 verse 1)  We are here one moment and gone out to eternity the next moment.  That is why the Lord says "make haste and come down."  Tomorrow could be too late.  You are not guaranteed a tomorrow.  Tomorrow might never come your way.  There is the urgency but also the simplicity - "come".  In simple repentance and faith.  Confessing his flaws and failures in life.  Things he has done wrong he is sorry about them, willing to turn his back on them and make them right.  Repentance is not just being sorry for sin but being sorry enough to leave them behind.  "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him" (John 6 verse 44) "for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11 verse 6)  That is faith.  This man believed that this man was God manifested in the flesh.  There are 700 invitations in the bible.  Genesis 7 "come now and all thy people into the ark."  In Revelation 22 verse 22 there are 3 invitations just before God closes time and scripture - "the spirit and the bride says come", "let him that is thirsty come", "come for all things are now ready."  "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden", "Come now and let us reason together."  You don`t have to change anything.  If you come to Christ he will do the saving.  He was welcomed by the Lord.  There was an urgency, a simplicity but also a humility.  "He made haste".  He didn`t take time to come down.  He jumped down, scrambled down but he made haste and he came down to the feet of Christ.  He falls down at the feet in humility.  He was acknowledging something of the holiness of Christ.  It says in verse 7 "he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner."  He went home with the Saviour.  He came to Jericho without the Lord that morning and he went home with the Lord that night.  Psalm 23 "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."  If we have Christ with us he will take away the fear of death.  He will take us through and safely home.  Would you recognise his voice tonight?  "Today if you hear his voice harden not your heart." (Hebrews 3 verse 15)  God wants you to be saved.  He is pleading with someone here tonight.  "Make haste and come down" God is saying.  Do you have that same determination Zacchaeus had?  Would you come and trust Christ?