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Pure In Heart?
Psalms 73
May 31, 2020

In some ways it almost feels to me like we could skip this Psalm
Because I feel like we reference it so much.

It is such a great Psalm, specifically in the way it addresses
What is such a common temptation in most of us.

• It addresses thoughts that perhaps we have all had at one time or another.
• It addresses the bitterness that at times we may feel.
• It addresses the perception that gaining Christ is too costly & not worth it.

This is a real issue and a real tension in Scripture.
Even men and women of God wrestled with this.

• For we hear Christ telling us to forsake it all to follow Him.
• And we clearly see some people who are not willing to do it because it seems too costly.

Most recently in Luke’s gospel we’ve looked at the Rich Young Ruler
And saw him “do the math”.

He weighed the offer of Jesus in one hand and the value of his wealth in the other
And determined that Jesus demanded too high of a cost.

This rejection actually led the disciples to ask:
Matthew 19:27 “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”

It’s a fair question.
In order to follow You, we’ve lost jobs, we’ve lost relationships,
we’ve lost our reputation, we’ve lost possessions.

Did we make the right decision?

Matthew 19:28-29 “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

Jesus said, “Yes, you absolutely made the right decision.”

And this was a constant battle Jesus seemed to fight in His preaching.
• He talks a lot about money.
• He talks a lot about earthly treasure vs heavenly treasure
• He talks a lot about valuing tomorrow more than today

You can feel Him struggling to get people to let go of what they can see and grab ahold of what they can’t see.

It’s the very essence of the faith that He routinely calls for.

Because it’s the very faith God desires.
Hebrews 11:13-16 “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

God is looking for those who will let go of this country to seek a better one, and that is the same struggle Jesus faced in His ministry.

So Jesus went about preaching.
• He called men to lose their lives.
• He called men to leave their fortunes.
• He called men to abandon their relationships.

And He called them to do it with a promise that
The treasure He had was far more valuable and worth it.

We read them even this morning, but I love them.
Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

• He is absolutely honest in those parables about the cost of the kingdom.
• Both of those men gave all that they had to obtain the kingdom.

And yet, His real point is about the value of the kingdom,
Because both of those men (who had seen and were able to assess the value)
Quickly made the deal because they knew it was a good one.

AND THAT IS WHAT JESUS IS PREACHING.

But from a human perspective, as those who have never seen heaven,
SOMETIMES IT’S A HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL.

• Sometimes we get caught wondering if we’re on the right path.
• Sometimes we wonder if we’ve made the right decision.

And so we love Psalms 73
Because here Asaph voices that complaint
That if we’re honest we’ve actually thought before too.

Most of the time we talk about Psalms 73 under the heading that
“All That Glitters Isn’t Gold”

That’s a good heading because Asaph was reminded of that very truth.
By the end of the Psalm he learns that everything he was assessing value too
Wasn’t worth nearly as much as he thought.

But in reading the Psalm and preparing to preach it again,
The verse that struck more than the others this time was verse 1.

“Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart!”

We have a similar promise to that in the New Testament.
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Well Asaph begins this Psalm
By making sure you and I understand that
The underlying issue he is discussing is that of being “pure in heart”

The point of the Psalm is that Asaph wants you to know
That God desires those who are pure in heart,
And yet he’s going to tell you of a time when he wasn’t.

And he’s going to tell you
How God brought him back to the place where he was.

To help us understand it better.
Asaph here directly links being “pure in heart”
To our mindset regarding worldly wealth.

Asaph is going to reveal that he was not “pure in heart”
Because God was not his one true and genuine love.

If he were forced to be honest, he also loved the world.
How do we know?
Because he was so embittered about not having it.

His lack of contentment demonstrated his lack of purity in heart.

Now, that’s a tough application to make out of the gate.

• To say that if you’re discontent…
• To say that if you envy the pleasures and possessions of the wicked…
• To say that if you want your fair share of the world…
• Then you are not pure in heart.

That is a harsh reality.
And yet, it is a true reality.

All throughout Scripture we are warned that perhaps the
Greatest idol we have in our heart is the idol of loving the world.

Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

Paul says that greed “amounts to idolatry”

That is because desiring the things of the world
Indicates a heart that is not purely and wholly devoted to God.

It denotes a heart that is not pure.

Remember the parable of the soils?
Matthew 13:22 “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

• That was the man with a divided heart.
• The gospel wasn’t the only seed planted there, he also had “the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth.”

In fact Jesus Himself said:
Matthew 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Asaph echoes that by telling us is that
When we crave the things of the world,
It is an indicator that we do not have a pure heart.

And in truly humble fashion he’s going to tell you that
There was a time when he was right there with you.

But he’s also going to show you
How God delivered him from it and purified his heart.

That’s what this Psalm is about, and it is a classic gem.

We’ll break it down into 4 points tonight.
#1 THE ILLUSION OF EARTHLY PROSPERITY
Psalms 73:1-9

You see the basis for the Psalm
Asaph wants to talk about being “pure in heart”.

David has already mentioned it as well.
Psalms 24:3-4 “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.”

Being “pure in heart” is important.

But Asaph is going to be honest and tell you
How that wasn’t always true of him.

(2) “But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped.”

And incidentally, by “stumbling” he is referring to apostasy.
• He nearly left the faith.

His issue wasn’t just momentary discontentment,
He almost reached the point where he said “I’m out of here”.

What happened that nearly caused Asaph to turn away from the faith?

(3-9) “For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth.”

Asaph took a look at GODLESS PEOPLE.
• People who in verse 6 “pride is their necklace”
• People who in verse 6 “violence covers them”
• People who in verse 8 “mock and wickedly speak of oppression”
• People who in verse 8 “speak from on high” (boast)
• People who in verse 9 “set their mouth against the heavens”
• People who in verse 9 “their tongue parades through the earth”

In short, he started looking at godless people.
• He started watching people who gave no thought to God.
• He started watching people who boast and curse God.
• He started watching people who mock and cheat and lie.

Certainly all those things are expressly forbidden by God.
• He’s opposed to the proud…
• He calls for justice of the afflicted…
• He tells us not to boast…

Asaph looked at people who did exactly what God said not to do
And wondered how life was going for them.

And you know what he discovered?
THEIR LIFE IS GREAT!

(4) “There are no pains in their death, and their body is fat.”

• That is to say they’ve got plenty of food, and their body never seems to be in pain or struggle.

(5) “They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind.”

• They’ve never had to sit and wonder where their next meal would come from.
• They’ve never had to sweat the car payment.
• They’ve never had to skip a medical appointment because they couldn’t afford it.

LIFE IS EASY
And this easy life only causes them to be more bold and outlandish
Against the commands of God.

And Asaph says (3) “I was envious”
• I wanted that easy life.
• I wanted that fat body
• I wanted the freedom to have whatever I imagined
• I wanted that pain free life

Now understand him here.
He saw 2 obvious truths.
1) There is a lifestyle that allows for earthly riches.
2) That lifestyle is not obtained through obeying God.

He knew that. He wasn’t trying to figure out a way to have both.
He could see that THE LINE WAS CLEARLY DRAWN.

And yet, he was about to cross it.
In fact he says “my feet came close”.

2 Peter 2:15 “forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”

That was nearly Asaph.

He was captivated by the illusion of earthly prosperity.
#2 THE IGNORANCE OF GLAMORIZING THE WORLD
Psalms 73:10-16

I mention ignorance here because in a minute Asaph is going to tell you that when he was in this state of mind, that’s exactly what he was.

(21-22) “When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.”

That is to say, I didn’t realize what I was talking about back then.

But none the less you’ll see that Asaph was on quite a rant.

He mentioned all the godlessness and prosperity of the wicked
And notice now HIS ASSESSMENT.
• In verses 1-9 we got what he noticed.
• In verses 10-14 he’s going to tell you what he thought about it.

(10) “Therefore his people return to this place, and waters of abundance are drunk by them.”

He simply speaks of how alluring they are.
• There they are boasting
• There they are bragging
• There they are living it up
• And they keep returning to it because it’s fun!

Asaph sees that people are flocking to them, and joining in the revelry!

It’s sort of like the great gold rush.
• One guy runs out there and cries “Eureka!”
• And Asaph is watching more and more go out there too.
• And more and more are hollering “Gold!”

And he’s just sitting here, not going,
Watching people one by one run to them and enjoy life,
And it’s tearing him up.

The whole reason he won’t go is because God forbids it.

And maybe he’s even tried to talk some sense
Into some of these people who are running after the world,

But no sooner does he warn them that they are angering God,
Then do those people fire right back at him.

(11) “They say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?”

He tells them not to run after the world and thus offend God.
They say, “What does God know? His way is stupid!”

And it is apparent that Asaph watched these people
Walk off into their greedy desires
And he waited for lightning to strike them dead, but it never did!

AND SO HE LAMENTS.
(12) “Behold, these are the wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth.”

Day in and day out he’s waited for his decision to pay off
And for God to make them regret what they did,
But it never seems to happen.

And so Asaph,
(In the ultimate moment of frustration)
Has a little conversation with himself.

(13-14) “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning.”

That is close to stumbling isn’t it?
• He calls his commitment to God “vanity”
• He calls his attempts at being pure in heart “vanity”

All it has produced is struggle and hardship and difficulty every day.

He is saying, “I don’t think being pure in heart is worth it”
I don’t think being fiercely loyal to God is worth it.

That’s how close he came to stumbling.
And he just nearly made the confession.

But one thing stopped him.
(15) “If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.”

Now understand, he still doesn’t get it,
But the one thing that kept him from running off with that crowd
WAS THE CHURCH.

He saw that he wasn’t alone in his commitment to God and in his struggles.
There were others who were also clinging to God in the midst of hardship.
And he didn’t want to betray them.

But he still doesn’t get it.
(16) “When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight.”

That is to say that he has no answer.
He’s not going to follow them, but he doesn’t know why.
• He’s embittered
• He’s envious
• He’s angry
• And he wants answers.

The illusion of earthly prosperity, The ignorance of glamorizing the world.
#3 THE INTERVENTION OF HOLY GOD
Psalms 73:17-24

What a great word… “Until…”

• He was confused and angry.
• His only recourse was to stick with God’s people.
And it just so happened that in his fellowship
He ended up at “the sanctuary of God”

Instead of following the gold hunters,
He decided to accompany his friends
And go to church one more time.

And it was there that God opened his eyes and explained the truth.

“Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end.”

All of a sudden he looked at the part of the equation he had yet to see.
In his previous assessment all he had looked at was their present,
He never thought to look at “their end”.

And on this day God showed him where they were headed.

(18-20) “Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.”

They’re happy today, but they won’t always be.
• They are “in slippery places” and they don’t even know it.
• They are headed to “destruction” and are totally unaware.
• It will come “in a moment!”
• And they will be “utterly sept away by sudden terrors”

Asaph said it’s like waking up from a dream.
• At one moment you’re happy in some sort of paradise reality.
• It’s not real, but it feels real.
• And then you wake up to find it was all just a dream.

Do you hear what he is saying?

Their present comforts and joys aren’t real, they’re an illusion.
These people will soon awaken
To find themselves in hell and in torment.

And there are any number of passages
Asaph could have heard in church that day.

Psalms 37:12-15 “The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken.”

Psalms 49:16-20 “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself — And though men praise you when you do well for yourself — He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding Is like the beasts that perish.”

Psalms 52:5-7 “But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah. The righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, saying, “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire.”

Psalms 62:11-12 “Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God; And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work.”

Psalms 92:5-7 “How great are Your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless man has no knowledge, Nor does a stupid man understand this: That when the wicked sprouted up like grass And all who did iniquity flourished, It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.”

In the New Testament we remember those stories of Jesus.

Luke 12:16-21 “And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘ You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 16:19-26 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said, ‘ Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’

• Or we could even talk about that prodigal who thought the inheritance was the secret to happiness but how quickly it was over.
• Or we could talk about Lot’s wife or the rich young ruler.

We could listen to James:
James 5:1-6 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”

I don’t know what sermon Asaph heard in the sanctuary of God that day, but clearly it showed them truths such as these.

Worldly prosperity doesn’t last, and only a fool
Would seek that at the expense of godliness.

God opened Asaph’s eyes with the truth.

And if you’ll notice Asaph is filled with REMORSE and REPENTANCE.

(21-22) “When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within, Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.”

• I was like a dumb cow.
• I was like a stray dog.
• I can’t believe I was so dumb.

But his tune has changed now.
(23-24) “Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory.”

He has now decided definitively to stay with God’s people.
All that glitters isn’t gold.

But notice there’s more there.
“You have taken hold of my right hand”

Asaph credits God with saving him from himself.
“I was about to leave, but You grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go.”

That is a great testimony to the preservation of the saints.
Jesus said no one can snatch them out of My hand,
And that is what we see here.

God would not let him go.

Do you see what Asaph realizes?

His poverty and his struggle was not about the cruelty of God.
It was about the salvation of God!

God didn’t give him all those worldly comforts
For the same reason you don’t let your toddler drink Mr. Clean.

It would’ve killed him!

Oh I know it looks good,
And people who have it sure seem like they’re having fun,
BUT THE END IS DEATH.

And while everyone was running happily too destruction,
Asaph realizes that God was holding him back from it all.

God refused to let Asaph run into that which would kill him,
Even though for a time it made Asaph angry at God.
THAT IS LOVE!

God was saving him.

• Asaph said you “hold” me.
• Asaph said you “guide” me.
• Asaph said you will “receive” me.

In God he has everything that the wicked in the world do not.
He has a FUTURE, he has a HOPE and he has SECURITY.

All of a sudden the joys and pleasures of the world
Don’t look so appealing.
God intervened and saved him from his foolishness.

And now Asaph understands.
#4 THE INVENTORY OF TRUE WEALTH
Psalms 73:25-28

He starts with a question:
“Whom have I in heaven but You?”

And the answer is: NO ONE & NOTHING.
• That is to say that nothing he could obtain in this life can go with him.
• Everything he could earn or collect here will stay here when he is gone.

Why spend a life gathering stuff that can’t go with you into eternity?

And since that is true, the second part of that verse makes so much sense.
“And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.”

Psalms 16:5-6 “The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.”

Psalms 17:13-15 “Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring him low; Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes. As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.”

He simply says that I’m going to pursue here what I can also enjoy there,
And that is only 1 thing. You.

And listen to his new declaration.
(He nearly made a bad one)

THIS IS HIS FINAL WORD.
(26-28) “My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

All I want is You.
All I need is You.

Asaph now rejects anything
That might pull his heart away from God
For God is his only treasure.

It’s a great Psalm.

But now let me ask you.
Do you now see what it means to be pure in heart?
• It is to have one true genuine love.

And it is important because only the pure in heart see God.

Psalms 24:3-4 “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.”

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

This is a requirement for salvation.
And as you’ve seen in Scripture;
As you saw this morning in Zaccheus.

This was the evidence of the saved life.
They believed Jesus and so they let go of the world and ran to Him!

They removed the idols and cast out the weeds.
And they cried, “Take this world, but give me Jesus!”

That must be our cry too!

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Seeking Salvation
Luke 19:1-10
May 31, 2020

Here we come across a familiar story,
Even though Luke is the only gospel writer to include it.
It is the story of the “Wee Little Man” named Zaccheus.

There is little doubt why Luke included the story.
Zaccheus is the perfect example of everything
Luke has wanted to reveal in regard to salvation.

As we have said from the beginning, no one put more emphasis on the overlooked and rejected of society than Luke.
• No one else mentioned Elizabeth or Zacharias
• No one else gave such attention to Mary
• No one else mentioned Simeon or Anna

And no one gave as much attention to Tax Collectors as Luke.
The story today marks the 6th time Luke has mentioned them.

Zaccheus fits Luke’s objectives because, like the prodigal son,
Zaccheus doesn’t appear to be someone who is worth saving.

So this morning we look to Luke’s second great illustration of salvation.
And we talk about SEEKING SALVATION.

But let me go ahead and head you off at the pass.
• If you’ve got that children’s song stuck in your head
• And you think this sermon is all about how Zaccheus climbed that tree
• Because he was seeking salvation then you’ve got it all wrong.

While it is true that Zaccheus did want to see Jesus…
While it is true that Zaccheus did climb that tree…
The seeker of the story is not Zaccheus.
The seeker in the story is Jesus.

Luke concludes the story with this statement:
(10) “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

We don’t hear the terminology too much anymore (and with good reason since it was a faulty premise), but 15 years ago the modern church was fascinated with the concept of “seekers”.

These people who were supposedly seeking God but who apparently needed a culturally relevant and non-traditional church to do it.
(Biblically speaking it was a false assumption.)

Romans 3:11 “THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;”

Jesus was clear in His Sermon the Mount that no one remains a seeker.
Because He declared that all true seekers quickly become finders.

Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

• There is no such thing as one who is seeking God, who does not find Him.
• That is because God is a loving Father who gives “what is good to those who ask Him”

What we really have in the world today is
Suppressers who disguise themselves as seekers.

What do I mean?
Romans 1:18-21 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Paul lays it out.
• What man is seeking is a god of their own creation.
• Sinful man wants a god, just not a holy one.
• Sinful man wants a god, just not one who judges sin.
• And so, having ignored the revelation of creation, they are now on this journey for a god who does not exist.

They are seeking, but not for God.

Fortunately for us, we have a God seeks for sinners.
• He is like that shepherd in search of the lost sheep.
• He is like that woman in search of the lost coin.
• He is like that father in search of the lost son.

HE IS THE SEEKER, AND HE IS THE SAVIOR.

This story, more than anything is about a divine appointment
Made before time began
When God chose to save a sinner named Zaccheus.

And on this day the Shepherd found His lost sheep.

5 points
#1 THE ELIGIBLE CANDIDATE
Luke 19:1-4

Last time we talked about Bartimaeus
• And how he was a candidate for salvation,
• Namely because he checked all those boxes that Luke had revealed throughout chapter 18.

• He had faith and persistence like that widow
• He was humble like that tax collector
• He was dependent like those children
• He was desperate like the disciples

Well here we get another candidate for salvation,
Though the intangibles and characteristics of his life
Are not the primary focus of Luke’s story.

One could certainly argue for desperation or persistence
When you see Zaccheus climbing that tree.

However the focus here is not on the attitudes of Zaccheus
So much as it is on the fact that Jesus can save anyone,
Even a man like Zaccheus.

He is a candidate BECAUSE,
As you will see, THE LORD DETERMINED TO SAVE HIM.

So we follow our story
(1) “He entered Jericho and was passing through.”

• We already discussed last week about the tremendous journey that Jesus is making from the dead sea up to Jerusalem.
• In the 20 mile journey it is a 5200 feet elevation climb.
• Jericho is 14 miles from Jerusalem and the Lord still has 3000 feet to go.
• As He was entering the city Jesus has just stopped and healed Bartimaeus of his blindness and declared him saved.
• Bartimaeus is now following as part of that giant entourage that is with Jesus on the way to the triumphal entry.

Meanwhile, as Jesus is passing through,
There is a divine appointment in the works.

(2) “And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich.”

Interesting man here.
• His name is “Zaccheus” which interestingly enough means “innocent; pure; righteous”
• That’s funny since tax collectors were not allowed in synagogues since they were considered to be unclean.
• But Zaccheus was no ordinary tax collector, “he was a chief tax collector”

He was on top of the pyramid scheme.
Other tax collectors worked under him
And no doubt he made a living off of their commissions.

This business had been good for him for Luke adds “and he was rich”

And I hope you pick up on that IMPORTANT DISTINCTION,
Because it wasn’t too long ago that we read:

Luke 18:24-27 “And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

• It was just 2 weeks ago that we read those verses where Jesus said it was
impossible for rich people to be saved.
• And of course He wasn’t just referring to the financially rich, but even the
spiritually rich like that young man perceived himself to be.

But rich is rich and how we read that Zaccheus “was rich”

So we’d have to say that it doesn’t look good for Mr. Zaccheus.

However, there is something going on in the heart of this man,
Because like the blind man just a few moments earlier,
Zaccheus also has an intense desire to see Jesus.

(3-4) “Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.”

Now it is not evident yet, but it will soon become so, that
• The reason Zaccheus is all of a sudden so driven to see Jesus is because God has already done a work in his heart.
• Today this rich man, who has spent his life in extortion and greed all of a sudden has a desire to see this traveling Rabbi
• Today, this rich man isn’t avoiding a religious crowd he is running to make sure he sees it.

• What is it that causes a life-long sinner to all of a sudden feel the urge to go to church?
• What is it that causes a hardened sinner to all of a sudden feel the need to listen as someone speaks about Jesus?

It is grace at work in a life.
For some reason, today Zaccheus knows Jesus is coming
And he knows he needs to see Him.

Zaccheus is now an eligible candidate.
#2 THE EFFECTUAL CALL
Luke 19:5-6

You may recognize the term “effectual call”
As one of the historical points of Calvinism.

In Calvin’s Tulip it is actually the “I” which stands for “Irresistible Grace”.
• Noting that when God foreknows someone and then calls them to salvation, they will in fact come.

John 6:37-39 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”

What you need to see is that this is exactly what is happening here.

This is as clear of a picture in Scripture as you will find
Of Jesus announcing God’s sovereign prerogative
And ushering an effectual call.

(5) “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

Don’t blow past that statement,
For there are some remarkable things you need to see there.

First, notice that Jesus called Zaccheus BY NAME.
It reminds of:
John 1:47-48 “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

This is more than just a simple occurrence of omniscience.
What you have here is Jesus specifically entering this city
In search of one of His lost sheep.

Jesus knows who the sheep is,
And when Jesus sees that sheep up in a tree,
He calls that sheep by name and says “hurry and come down”.

That statement alone drips of sovereign election and effectual call.

But there is even more than that.
Notice what else Jesus says: “for today I must stay at your house.”

Pay special attention to the word “must”.
It is used several times by Luke, but it is never used lightly.

DEI (die) in the Greek and it speaks of that which is absolutely necessary.

Luke 2:49 “And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

Luke 4:43 “But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”

Luke 9:22 “saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

Luke 13:33 “Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.”

Luke 17:25 “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”

These things Jesus has spoken of
Are not just things that should happen or ought to happen,
But things that God has sovereignly determined will happen.

In the eternal decrees of God, there are things that God has determined.
• Things like the coming of Christ.
• Things like the preaching of Christ.
• Things like the suffering of Christ.

And on this day, it is word used of the salvation of Zaccheus.
This has been sovereignly decreed.

In our daily devotions we’ve discussed
Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

Can you see these realities working themselves out in Zaccheus’ life?
• It was by no coincidence that he was compelled to see Jesus.
• It was by no coincidence that he was up that tree.
• This was no happenstance meeting between him and Christ.

THIS WAS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT.
God had initiated this desire in Zaccheus’ heart.
Christ had purposely gone that way.

On this day they met.
Zaccheus had been found.
And Jesus told him he must come with Him.
It drips of God’s sovereign election and God’s effectual call.

You’ve seen these types of things before:
Acts 18:9-10 “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

“many people”?
Who are they?
• They are the chosen yet lost children of God.
• They aren’t saved yet, but they will be.
• Paul was to stay in Corinth until he called them all home.

We already read John 6, but consider now this passage.
John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

You can actually see that verse playing itself out
Right before your eyes here in Luke 19.

Or look again at:
Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

• Zaccheus had been foreknown
• Zaccheus had been predestined (that’s why he’s up that tree)
• And now Zaccheus is called

It’s just the sovereign work of Christ.

And look at this now, it’s remarkable!
(6) “And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.”

But I thought it was impossible for a rich man to be saved?
• I thought rich people didn’t come to Christ.
• I thought it was easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle.

That’s all true.
But it’s also true that
What is impossible with people is possible with God.

Right here you are witnessing the impossible.
This rich tax collector is answering the call of Jesus.

The Eligible Candidate, The Effectual Call
#3 THE EXPECTED COMPLAINT
Luke 19:7

We certainly saw this coming.
• People didn’t like it when tax collectors got saved.
• To the typical Jewish observer, tax collectors didn’t deserve mercy.
• They grumbled when Matthew was saved and they grumble here as well.

They are clearly unhappy about Jesus’ selection.

Notice
• There is nothing said about how despicable Zaccheus is for coming down.
• The COMPLAINT IS NOT that Zaccheus was willing to entertain Jesus.
• The COMPLAINT IS that Jesus would call him.

But let’s pay special attention to what they say.
“He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

That’s absolutely true.
That’s exactly what Jesus did.
He offered mercy and grace to a man who did not deserve it.

What the crowd failed to realize is that Jesus had no other option.
Where was He going to find a non-sinner to lodge with?

The crowd’s response is the very FULFILLMENT of the point
Jesus was making in that infamous “judge not” passage.

Matthew 7:1-3 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

The problem is not the propensity to call out sin.
The problem is the refusal to see your own sin.

Greed is sinful and greedy people must repent.
But greed isn’t the only sin.

Yet these people were totally unaware of their own sin.
• All they could see was that Zaccheus was sinful and yet Jesus did the
unthinkable by entering his house.

But there’s a reason Luke includes this complaint.
There’s a reason Luke wants you to know what the crowd said.

Namely this: Zaccheus heard what they said.
• He heard them yelling, he heard them complaining.
• Zaccheus heard their accusations.
• Zaccheus heard what they called him.
• Zaccheus certainly realized that this posed a threat to the reputation of Jesus.

Common sense would tell you that something had to give.
Zaccheus had to know that if this relationship was ever going to work,
One of them (he or Jesus) was going to have to change.

To that we see the next point
#4 THE EVIDENT CONVERSION
Luke 19:8

Zaccheus heard what they said, and “Zaccheus stopped”

You can see the realization on him.
He knows this is no normal visit.
The scene is too volatile.

And look at his decision.
“Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will gave back four times as much.”

That response demonstrates
Everything you’d want to see of a repentant man.

• He clearly is done cheating people.
• He certainly is done with greed since he’s going to instantly part with half of what he owns.
• And he’s going to make restitution for the sin he’s committed.

Now, to be fair, one might ask why the rich young ruler had to give up all, but Zaccheus got off with half?

It’s as we said when talking about the rich young ruler.
It’s not that Jesus has something against possessions.

But remember the call to the rich young ruler was “follow Me”
And, as we said, he could not do that and keep all his possessions.

You can’t follow Jesus and bring your dinette set with you.
Since Jesus didn’t want the money, that man was told to sell it, distribute it, and follow.

But the call to Zaccheus was different.
• Jesus didn’t ask Zaccheus to accompany Him.
• Jesus instead said he was going to Zaccheus’ house.

And I remind you that the Lord has this prerogative.

We remember when the Lord told Peter that following Jesus would ultimately lead him to death.
John 21:19 “Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

And then of course you’ll remember that Peter pointed at John:
John 21:21-22 “So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

The issue here is not amount given or even percentage.
THE ISSUE IS WILLINGNESS.

Zaccheus has it.
• He is repenting.
• He is turning around.
• He is making restitution.

But more than that,
Zaccheus is identifying a new valuable priority in his life.

The rich young ruler looked at Jesus and then looked at his wealth
And viewed his wealth as more valuable.

Zaccheus did the opposite.
He saw more value in Jesus,
And he was here willing to do whatever it took to keep Jesus.

He is sharing Paul’s passion.
Philippians 3:8 “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,”

He reminds us of the treasure hunter and the merchant
Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

More than the cost of Christ, those parables illustrate the value of Christ.
ZACCHEUS CLEARLY SAW THAT VALUE.

Whatever the cost, Zaccheus wanted to gain Christ.

The crowd made it clear that
Jesus had no business staying with a sinner like Zaccheus,
So he determined to stop sinning.

If repentance was required to gain Jesus, then so be it.
He’d give up half immediately and anything else that was needed
If he could simply be a friend of Jesus.

This is a genuine and evident conversion.

Far too often in our day WE SEE SUPPOSED CONVERSIONS
Because someone walks an aisle or prays a prayer or gets in a baptistery.

• But where is the repentance from sin?
• Where is the new life?
• Where is the actual conversion?

Zaccheus came down out of the tree,
But ARE WE TO ASSUME that this act alone indicated salvation?

Of course not, and neither does walking an aisle.

It was Zaccheus’ total break from his former of life of sin that evidenced his salvation.
• This man was a new man.
• Once concerned only about wealth, now only concerned about Christ.

We would do good to ask
What happened after you came down out of the tree?

Did you return to your old life of sin?
If so, how are we to assume that salvation genuinely occurred?

Ephesians 5:5-8 “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light”

Zaccheus certainly passes that test.

It was an evident conversion.
#5 THE ESSENTIAL CLARIFICATION
Luke 19:9-10

Well if there was any doubt whether Zaccheus was really redeemed,
Jesus puts an end to it.

Like Bartimaeus last week,
Jesus also officially declares that Zaccheus is a saved man.

“And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house”

• Zaccheus is no longer an enemy of God.
• But having been chosen by God.
• Having been predestined to confront Christ.
• Having been effectually called to salvation.
• Zaccheus has been redeemed.

Jesus declared him saved.

But Jesus doesn’t leave it at that.
Here, there is given an explanation.

Jesus tells everyone why he is saved.
“because he, too, is a son of Abraham.”

Well what does that mean?
• Are we to assume that Jesus meant that because he was Jewish he was
saved?
• Is Jesus telling the crowd to get off his back because he’s a Jew like them, and
so he’s automatically saved on this account?

Of course not.
• The rich young ruler was a Jew too, but it didn’t save him.
• The Pharisee boasting about himself at the temple was clearly a Jew and
Jesus declared him to not be justified.

What does Jesus mean that “he, too, is a son of Abraham”?

We simply need to remind ourselves of something:
Romans 9:6-8 “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.”

Paul there taught us that the lineage we are speaking of is not a physical one.
• Abraham had more sons than just Isaac.
• He also had Ishmael.

Those promises of salvation did not include Ishmael, only Isaac.
(We could go farther into Isaac’s sons; Jacob and Esau)

What was the defining difference between the two?
• One of Abraham’s sons was a son of the flesh (Ishmael/Haggar)
• The other son was a son of the promise (Isaac/Sarah)

• Ishmael represented human works and ultimately legalism.
• Isaac represented God’s supernatural work and ultimately grace.

So clearly not all of Abraham’s descendants are saved,
But only those who are sons through grace not works.

But that isn’t all.

Abraham is also known as the father of faith.
Romans 4:1-5 “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”

• Specifically there Abraham believed that God would do for him what he could not do for himself.
• And when Abraham believed God, God imputed righteousness to him.

And incidentally, the righteousness Abraham received
Was the very righteousness of Christ.

Remember the sacrificing Isaac story?
Genesis 22:7-8 “Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.”

Genesis 22:13-14 “Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”

Abraham believed that
God would accomplish all of His promises by grace
And that God would provide any payment that was needed.

That is why Jesus said:
John 8:56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

What Jesus is saying here regarding Zaccheus
Is that he is saved because, like his father Abraham,
He saw God’s grace and provision for salvation in Jesus.

And when Zaccheus saw that Jesus was God’s means of salvation,
He pushed everything else aside to obtain it.

And that is why Jesus also says:
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus didn’t say, “because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For all children of Abraham are automatically saved.”

Rather Jesus said, “Zaccheus is saved because he, like his father Abraham, looked to Me for salvation, and salvation is what I do!”

This man is saved because I seek for the lost, and I save them.

What a tremendous reality!
• We have a God who has decreed to save His flock.
• We have a Savior who came to this earth to search for them.
• And when the Savior finds them He calls them out and saves them.

Jesus is the One who seeks salvation!
Jesus is the One who seeks for the lost.

And as we said at the beginning,
It’s a good thing He sought us because Scripture teaches us
That sinners don’t naturally seek Him.

ZACCHEUS IS A TESTIMONY TO
God’s sovereign grace and Christ’s loving passion.

AND I WOULD REMIND YOU THAT THIS GRACE IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU.
• Have you ever sat in a service or heard the gospel and felt Christ calling you out of that tree?
• Have you ever been compelled that Christ desired to come and dwell with you?
• And have you felt the tension because you knew that in order for him to come, some things in your life would have to change?

WELL THIS MORNING I’D TELL YOU TO RESPOND!

Furthermore, I am confident that all those who are Christ’s will respond.
John 6:37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”

Do you want to be one of His sheep?
• Then come on.
• And if you are, you will.

AND THIS IS WHY WE TALK ABOUT GOD’S EFFECTUAL CALL.
Because we rejoice in the fact that
The desire for salvation is not simply a desire in the sinner.

The ultimate desire for sinners to be saved comes from God.

Sinners aren’t just begging to be delivered to some apathetic God.

QUITE THE OPPOSITE.
• God is reaching out to apathetic sinners.
• Christ is seeking to save the lost.
• He is choosing, He is calling, He is saving.

• Why do you think you were compelled to be here this morning?
• Why do you think there is conviction in your heart?
• Why do you think you are compelled to follow Christ?

BECAUSE:
“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Download here:

A Prayer For The King
Psalms 72
May 24, 2020

Tonight we come upon the 72nd Psalm.
A Psalm that is pretty easy to grasp and understand.

The one confusing aspect comes from the sub-title
Which calls it “A Psalm of Solomon”

Some translations have easily picked upon the fact that this title is difficult because Solomon clearly didn’t write it.
• The last verse even says (20) “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are
ended.”

Clearly David is the author.

• This has led some translators to translate the sub-heading “A Psalm For
Solomon”
• And yet all the Hebrew experts in the commentaries I read say there is no
grounds for that translation.

Spurgeon says it, I think, best when he asserts that
This is David’s prayer, heard and recorded by Solomon
Who not only heard it, but adopted it for his own kingly reign.

But aside from that it is clear to us that it is a prayer for the King.

And this is good for us,
Because we are also called to pray for our leaders.

Certainly we understand the calling
To submit to our governing authorities.
Jesus was clear that we should “render to Caesar that which is Caesars”

Paul EXTENDED THAT COMMAND beyond taxes when he wrote:
Romans 13:7 “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

Paul reminding us that we give more than just taxes,
We also give fear and honor to those whom God has placed in authority.

Peter certainly echoed this, even with the evil Nero on the throne, he wrote:
1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

So the submission to the governing authorities is clear to us.
God is the ultimate sovereign, and all authority comes from Him,
Therefore to rebel against any authority
Is ultimately to rebel against His authority.

And as I have shared with you, my belief in this
Has certainly been put to the test over the last few months.

I still believe it, but I have been given a taste of how difficult it can be,
And certainly have had to seek the Lord’s help to respond correctly.

But that is regarding our submission.

IN ADDITION to submission we are also called to pray for our leaders.

Paul wrote:
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

• That verse is actually the basis for why we pray for the lost every Sunday night.
• God has called us to pray in that way, and especially for our leaders in this prayer.

To be specific Paul told us to pray for our rulers “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

The idea is that
• If you desire a culture that values righteousness…
• If you long for a society that finds evil repulsive…
• If you want a country that walks in moral integrity…

You do not achieve this
Through activism or protesting or social media debate.
Honestly, you don’t even achieve it through voting.

After all, there have been many nations to whom the Bible was also written who did not have the luxury of democracy or a vote to cast.

But rather, the weapon and tool of the believer for a righteous land is PRAYER
• Paul didn’t say to organize…
• Paul didn’t say to protest…
• Paul didn’t say to vote…
• Paul didn’t say to lobby…
• Paul said to pray.

If you want an example of that prayer, we simply look at Psalms 72.

If Spurgeon is correct then as David gave his final admonition to Solomon, this was the prayer he also prayed on his behalf.

1 Kings 2:1-4 “As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. “Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’”

David’s charge to Solomon was clear.
Obey God so that God is free to bless you.

THAT IS GOOD ADVICE.
It is a foolish thing to seek to force the Lord to bless your wickedness.

And accompanied with that advice, must have been this prayer.

Now, as we said, it is clear that Solomon adopted this advice
And took it to heart for we see clear evidence of that in his life.

It wouldn’t be long before Solomon would become King and we remember his prayer to God.
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 3:3-14
• Solomon wanted wisdom.
• This pleased God and God granted it to him.

And of course we have famous stories of Solomon exercising that wisdom.
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 3:16-28

It wouldn’t be long before Solomon would build God’s temple and in dedication he would pray:
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 8:25-26

And when the prayer was over, God would reiterate the advice of David by saying:
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 9:1-9

And even though Solomon’s life would have some severe hiccups,
(mostly due to the influence of his many pagan wives,)
Solomon held to his understanding of what David had taught him;
Namely that he should not expect God to bless a wicked life.

And in the last book that Solomon wrote, as an old man giving advice to a younger man, Solomon completed his wisdom with these words:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

And I just remind you of that to show you that
THIS PRAYER HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT UPON HIS LIFE.

And it is a prayer that is preserved for us
That we may also know how to pray for our leaders.

At the same time, it is also a tremendous Messianic Psalm
Since the only King who will ever fully live up to the standards set here,
Or see its truest fulfillment will be King Jesus.

So
• We pray this in faith for our worldly leaders
• And we sing this in hope as we wait for the One who will finally live up to it.

With that in mind, let’s look at this 72nd Psalm
And learn how to pray for the King.

There are 4 prayer requests here.
#1 REGARDING HIS GUIDE
Psalms 72:1-4

To put it plainly the request goes like this:
“Instruct his mind to judge justly”

David begins his prayer by saying, “Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.”

First you notice that the prayer here is for BOTH the king and his son.
• David, even though near the end, still prays that God would grant him His judgments,
• And that God would also extend that to Solomon.

In short, David is praying that both the current king and the coming king
Would be one who is guided by the judgments and righteousness of God.

It speaks of the importance that
The one who sits in authority over a nation
First be one who sits under the authority of God.

• God’s judgments are perfect wisdom.
• God’s word is perfect truth.
• God’s judgments are perfectly accurate.

Psalms 19:7-10 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”

Time would certainly fail us if we referenced every passage in Scripture about the perfection of Scripture.

But the idea is clear.
There is no greater counsel on earth than the counsel of God’s word
And THEREFORE no wise ruler could do better
Than to know God’s word and submit to it as his guide.

In fact in the book of Deuteronomy Moses actually gave a small piece of instruction regarding any future king Israel might have.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘ I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ “He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.”

The point is again clearly made.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS for any king in Israel
Is to first hand write his own copy of God’s word
So that he might be well versed in the wisdom of God.

That is David’s prayer both for himself and Solomon.

And WHEN the king so values the word of God,
THEN the effects become obvious.
God’s judgments become the king’s judgments.

(2-4) “May he judge Your people with righteousness And Your afflicted with justice. Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor.”

When the king internalizes God’s judgments
Then one priority will rise above them all.

HE WILL JUDGE WITH JUSTICE.
• He will not cater to the ruthless, but rather will defend the weak.
• He will certainly know that God is a God who father’s the fatherless and who defends the orphan and the widow.
• He will certainly learn that God does not take a bribe, nor does He honor those who do.

By reading God’s word, he will be in touch with God’s heart
And will thus judge according to God’s will.

Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”

Psalms 82:1-3 “God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.”

Many of you are familiar with Proverbs 31
• As the chapter about the Virtuous Woman.
• Most people begin studying that passage in verse 10.
• But it was written by King Lemuel’s mother and she had other advice for him besides what wife to choose.

Proverbs 31:1-9 “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him: What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more. Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”

Her advice was filled with wisdom, clearly as a woman who understood God’s judgments and encouraged her son to follow suit.

Certainly you get the idea.
The first prayer for the king was that
He would be filled with and know what God’s will is.

• It is a prayer that God would enlighten the king with His truth and instruct the king with His wisdom.
• With the expectation that, having learned God’s will, the king would rule with God’s wisdom.

Do you want to pray for our leaders, this is a great place to start.

Incidentally, when King Jesus returns, this is precisely how He will rule.
Isaiah 11:1-5 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”

We pray for our current rulers to lead like this,
But we certainly rejoice that One is coming who most certainly will.

Regarding His Guide
#2 REGARDING HIS GOAL
Psalms 72:5-7

And if we were to state this a little more precisely, our prayer would be:
“Captivate His Heart To Encourage Righteousness.”

If you’ll notice verse 5, the request is for the fear of the Lord.
(5) “Let them fear You while the sun endures, And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.”

Who is “them”?
• It’s the king and the king’s son who were identified back in verse 1.

The second prayer request here is that the king would fear God.
And that he would fear Him forever (“while the sun endures”)

And we also understand the necessity of the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.”

Proverbs 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.”

Proverbs 14:27 “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.”

Proverbs 15:16 “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.”

Proverbs 22:4 “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.”

The understanding here is that when a man fears God,
It dictates his behavior and his decisions and saves his life.

A king cannot condone evil if he fears God
And understands that one day
He will answer to God for his decisions.

You want a leader to have fear of God.

For when he does, he will crush evil and encourage righteousness.

(6-7) “May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.”

That’s really the kind of ruler you want.
A ruler who fears God and so he judges justly
And the righteous can flourish.

• A ruler who fears God is far more valuable than a ruler with military expertise.
• A ruler who fears God is far more valuable than a ruler with economic strategy.

For those men may make a country secure or even financially strong,
But far more valuable is a king who elevates righteousness.

We certainly don’t desire a king who is corrupt.
We don’t desire a king who allows the wicked to flourish.
A king like that is one who clearly does not fear God.

So we pray for our rulers to fear God
That they might encourage the righteous and stop the wicked.

Let me remind you, that this is their job.
It is actually one of the few legitimate jobs of government according to Scripture.

• We know that we are not to take our own revenge.
• We know that we are not to deal out judgment.
• But God has appointed the governing authorities for this very purpose.

Romans 13:1-4 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”

Scripture teaches that God has entrusted the sword to the government
For the punishment of evil.

Our world has sort of been lost in this notion of not governing morality.
You hear that sometimes, “You can’t govern morality”.

Well what else are they supposed to govern?

The Bible says that the government is there to
“bring wrath on the one who practices evil.”

Since that is true we certainly pray that
They have a good grasp on what is evil and what is good.

Since they have the sword, we certainly pray they will know when and where to use it.

So we pray not only that they know God’s will,
But that they also fear God so that they will judge accurately.

We pray that they will punish the wicked and encourage the righteous.

And the very history of Israel will indicate how important this was.
For the king on the throne made all the difference for the nation.

In fact, the books of The Kings are two of the saddest books in Scripture
Because they lament how king after king after king
Led Israel away from God until they were finally destroyed.

Of particular notice would be Jeroboam
• Who was the first king of Israel after the kingdom split.
• He is the one who set up the golden calves and told Israel they no longer had
to travel to Jerusalem for worship.
• Every evil king after him reads with this distinction: “he did not turn away
from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat…”

One by one the kings led Israel into idolatry.
Having a king who doesn’t fear God is a tragedy.

But then how wonderful
When a king who feared God would step on the throne.

Consider Josiah.
2 Kings 23:19-25 “Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking the LORD; and he did to them just as he had done in Bethel. All the priests of the high places who were there he slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem. Then the king commanded all the people saying, ” Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.” Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.”

WE PRAY FOR A KING LIKE THAT.

And again, as we pray for this now, WE LOOK FORWARD TO the day when Christ returns.

We already read about Him:
Isaiah 11:3 “And He will delight in the fear of the LORD…”

But we also understand that in His day
Peace will abound and righteousness will be encouraged.

Isaiah 11:6-9 “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”

When you have a righteous king who knows God’s word and fears God,
Then the result is justice, righteousness, and peace.

We pray for that now, we look for that at the return of Christ.

His Guide, His Goal
#3 HIS GOVERNMENT
Psalms 72:8-15

We might more specifically state this request as:
“Increase His Influence Across The World.”

Of course this request is predicated on the fact that the first two are fulfilled.
• But IF he is a king who knows God’s word
• And IF he is a king who fears God
• And IF justice and righteousness and peace are his goal

Then by all means, give him a global platform.

We saw that with Solomon, even as the Queen of Sheba came and was breathless at his wisdom and splendor.

But this is the prayer here.
Take this wise king and let the whole world listen to him.

(8-11) “May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, And his enemies lick the dust. Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him.”

• That speaks of his global influence.
• That his wisdom is so amazing that God grants him global influence.
• Let this king be a king who changes the world.

And again, his credentials are listed.
(12-15) “For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight; So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And let them pray for him continually; Let them bless him all day long.”

What a great description of the passions of a godly king.
• “he will deliver the needy”
• “he will have compassion on the poor”
• “he will rescue [the needy] from oppression and violence”
• “their blood will be precious in his sight”

• He cares about the shedding of innocent blood.
• He cares about injustice.
• He cares about the poor and the helpless.

When you have a king like that,
Then the prayer is for the whole world
To come and hear what he has to say.
Let this king’s government spread across the world.

And again, while we don’t see kings that live up to that billing today, we certainly pray for the One who will.

Isaiah 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 11:10 “Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.”

We certainly look to the coming of King Jesus
And pray for His global reign.

His guide, His goal, His government
#4 HIS GLORY
Psalms 72:16-17

And again to more specifically state the request we would pray:
“Reward His Faithfulness With Prosperity”

• When we have a king who knows God’s word and fears God.
• When we have a king who defends the helpless and cares about the shedding of innocent blood.
• When we have a king who crushes evil and encourages the righteous.

Then we pray that God blesses and honors that king
With prosperity and peace throughout his kingdom.

This is above all why David prayed this for Solomon.
• David knew that the only way in which Solomon could ever hope to have his nation blessed by God
• Was if Solomon was first filled with the knowledge of God and the fear of the Lord.

That was the pathway to a prosperous nation.
The right king would make all the difference.

And you see that prosperity spelled out here.
(16-17) “May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains; Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon; And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth. May his name endure forever; May his name increase as long as the sun shines; And let men bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed.”

It is just two verses that speak of the glory of the king.

In fact we read about the response of his people.
(17b) “let men bless themselves by him;”

It’s not men running around shouting, “Not my king”,
It’s men honored to associate themselves with him.
We pray for a ruler like that.

And again, one day we will have Him.
Isaiah 65:17-25 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. “They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. “They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. “They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them. “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.”

One day we will have a king who will be so blessed.
And in the meantime, this is how we pray for our rulers.

We pray:
• God instruct his mind to judge justly.
• God captivate his heart to encourage righteousness.
• God, when he walks uprightly, increase his influence across the world.
• God, when he follows you, reward his faithfulness with prosperity

That is how David prayed for Solomon.
• That is how Israel was called to pray for their king.
• That is how we pray for our leaders.

In fact (15b) “And let them pray for him continually; let them bless him all day long.”

We are called to pray for our rulers.

And then we come to the closing of the second book of the Psalms.

David closed book 1 with a doxology.
Psalms 41:13 “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”

And David closes book 2 with a doxology.
(18-19) “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen.”

And the reminder is that regardless of LIFE, and regardless of STRUGGLE, and regardless of what we face (as so many Psalms address),
Ultimately we have a great God who we always turn to and worship.

For
• He “alone works wonders”
• And “His glorious name” is blessed forever.
• And “the whole earth” will be filled “with His glory”

He is always the focus of the Psalms.
He is always the focus of the worship.

The very point of each book of the Psalms is that we would focus upon God as our only source of hope.
• Rather that be deliverance from evil.
• Rather that be avenging of our foes.
• Rather that be encouraging us in distress.
• Rather that be molding our rulers.

Ultimately we lift all things to this great God who alone is to be glorified.

And if this indeed is the last Psalm David ever wrote,
WHAT A FITTING WAY TO END IT.

“The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”

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A Candidate For Salvation
Luke 18:35-43
May 24, 2020

Luke 18 has been quite an interesting chapter.
We have seen contrast after contrast and picture after picture.

Examples of those who are prime candidates for salvation
And examples of those who are not.

And that may seem like a strange way to put it.
Isn’t every lost person a candidate for salvation?
• Every lost person is in need of salvation.
• Every lost person has the opportunity of salvation.
• But not everyone is a candidate for salvation.

WHY?
Because they don’t see themselves as one who needs salvation.

Take for example Jesus warning in Matthew 7
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

• This of course is on the heels of Jesus message about not judging.
• He says to first “take the log out of your own eye so that you will see clearly to take the spec out of your brother’s eye”.
• However, He also gives this warning about casting your pears before swine.

The idea is that not everyone will hear it.
Not everyone will value the truth simply because it is the truth.
And you cannot argue people into the Kingdom of Heaven.

We studied the Old Testament prophecy last week in which Isaiah asked:
Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”

John referenced that same verse as a fulfillment of the people of Jesus’ day:
John 12:37-38 “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?”

What we have learned is that there are certain attitudes
That make a person a prime candidate for salvation
And there are attitudes that make a terrible candidate for salvation.

Those attitudes are clearly laid out for us in the Beatitudes

Matthew 5:3-8 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Jesus showed us there who is a candidate for salvation.
• Those who know their spiritual poverty.
• Those who hate the sin that made them that way.
• Those who are submissive to whatever is required for salvation.
• Those who long and hunger for salvation.
• Those who understand the value of mercy.
• Those who have no ulterior motives.
• Those who understand the necessity of peace with God.

Those are the attitudes of salvation.

But
• A person who thinks themselves to be spiritually rich
• A person who does not hate their sin
• A person who is rebellious to the call of God
• A person who doesn’t desire righteousness
• A person who sees no need or value in mercy
• A person who is hypocritical in their religion
• A person who is worried about peace with God

That person is not a candidate for salvation
Simply because they do not think the need it.

And Luke 18 has been a chapter that
Has really SHOWN US THE DIFFERENCES between the two.

We can think of that PERSISTENT WIDOW
• Who wanted justice so bad that she continued to return to the judge even though he was unrighteous.

And at the end of that story, Jesus drove His point home by asking:
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

That widow was a picture of the type of attitude Christ was looking for.
SHE HAD FAITH.

We can think of hat HUMBLE TAX COLLECTOR
• That contrasting story of the two men who went up to pray.
• The Pharisee however was not a candidate for salvation because he thought himself to be spiritually rich and had no need for mercy.
• The Tax Collector was a picture of spiritual poverty and humility as he could only beg for God’s mercy.

Again Jesus made the point:
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

That Tax Collector had the attitude Christ was looking for.
HE HAD HUMILITY

We can think of those PARENTS BRINGING THEIR CHILDREN
• The parents wanted their children blessed.
• The children were helpless.
• The disciples didn’t like it.
• But again we saw candidates for salvation.

In fact Jesus said:
Luke 18:16-17 “But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

But those children demonstrated the attitude Jesus was looking for.
They were DEPENDANT

It is the person who understands that they need someone else
To do for them what they cannot do on their own.

And then we saw the story of that RICH YOUNG RULER,
• He was not a candidate for salvation.

WHY?
Because he was rich.
(And he put far too much value not just on his earthly riches,
But also on his spiritual accomplishments)
He wasn’t willing to leave it all behind for Jesus.

Luke 18:24-25 “And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

However Luke contrasted him with THE DISCIPLES who did leave everything to follow Jesus.
They were DESPERATE

But again I remind you of this journey Luke has taken us on.

Really throughout his gospel,
Luke has continued to draw this hard line
Between those who see the need for Christ and those who do not.

Now I remind you of all those stories here in Luke’s gospel because
Luke is about to give you one of his greatest examples.
(Really he’s about to give you two great examples)

• The first is the blind man who Mark calls Bartimaeus
• The second is a rich man you know as Zaccheus

This morning we look at the first.
This blind man.

He is one of, if not the best, description
Of a salvation candidate that we see in the Bible.

In fact, those attributes that we highlighted in the stories in Luke 18;
THIS MAN HAS THEM ALL.

He serves as a living picture and illustration
Of precisely the attitude needed if one is to be saved.

And we are grateful for such pictures.
• For if you don’t come to Christ like that widow, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like that tax collector, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like those children, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like the disciples, you can’t come.
• And if you don’t come like this blind beggar, you can’t come.

So let’s look now at this new illustration of salvation in Luke’s gospel.

5 observations we can draw out of this text.
#1 HIS PITIFUL STATE
Luke 18:35

“As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.”

Just to understand all that’s going on here in Jesus’ life,
Let’s develop this story a little.

• We saw last week that Jesus had determined to make His final trip to Jerusalem.
• They’ve tried to stone Him the last two times He was there.
• Recently He raised Lazarus from the dead, and that event sealed the deal and they are plotting His death.
• But none the less, motivated by love, our Lord is heading to Jerusalem to give Himself up for us.

He is on that journey, and He is “approaching Jericho”

When you moved from Galilee toward Jerusalem,
• Typically the Jews would travel on the East side of the Jordan river (so that they didn’t have to go through Samaria)
• And cross back over just north of the Dead Sea.

From there it was about a 20 mile walk to Jerusalem, but it was hard.
• The Dead Sea is over 1,400 feet BELOW sea level.
• Jericho is 800 feet ABOVE sea level.
• Jerusalem is 3800 feet ABOVE sea level.

• In short, you’d clime around 2000 feet in a 6 mile walk to get to Jericho
• And you’d clime about 3000 feet in a 14 mile walk to Jerusalem.

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem was intense.
It was filled with rocky crags narrow paths.
It was dangerous as the story of the Good Samaritan makes clear

But for Jews coming south for the Passover it was a well-traveled area.

And that is why this blind man is here.
• Both Matthew and Mark mention two blind men
• Mark names one of them as Bartimaeus (probably prominent in the church)
• No doubt Bartimaeus is the main character and thus the only one Luke mentions.

But Bartimaeus is here by the road in Jericho.
• First because it was a high traffic area and good for begging.
• Second because travelers often had more money on them than those at home.
• Third Because Jericho was a lower elevation it was often warmer than Jerusalem.
• Fourth because a certain bush grew in the region that was believe to help with blindness.

It makes sense why he’d be here.

But in order to grasp the pitiful state
You also need to understand the cultural perception towards the blind.

The blind were not cared for, they were considered cursed.
The general consensus was that their blindness was a result of sin.

This would have especially been true in Bartimaeus’ case
For in a moment he will ask, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”
Indicating that he was probably not born blind, but rather became blind.

Remember the disciples discussing the blind man in Jerusalem?
John 9:1-2 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

And remember after Jesus healed that man that he got into an argument with the Pharisees about Jesus.
John 9:34 “They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.”

Bartimaeus was in a pitiful state.

He was a blind beggar.
“a blind man was sitting by the road begging.”

And just so we are clear, you need to understand that
Bartimaeus is a perfect illustration of every lost man.

• We are all born entirely in sins.
• Apart from Christ we are all spiritually blind.
• And we are all totally helpless to do anything about it on our own.
• If we are to receive anything it will only be through begging.

That was Bartimaeus.
But on this day, grace is about to arrive.

His Pitiful State
#2 HIS PERCEPTIVE CRY
Luke 18:36-38

What a day this would prove to be, for we read:
(36) “Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.”

No doubt he had heard plenty of travelers,
• Especially during this time as people were headed to Jerusalem for Passover.

But on this day, the crowd was much larger, much louder,
And presumably much more excited.

WHY?
They were with Jesus and Jesus was fresh off of raising Lazarus from the dead
And the crowds were at fever pitch levels.

Let me just give you a glimpse of the scene from John’s gospel.
John 12:17-22 “So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.” Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.”

• His popularity is through the roof.
• Excitement regarding Him is at an all-time high.
• Even the Pharisees seem deflated that the “the world has gone after Him”
• In the next day or two He’s about to have the Triumphal Entry where they
proclaim Him king.

The buzz of this crowd is different and Bartimaeus notices it.
“he began to inquire what this was.”

(37) “They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.”

It is interesting that Jesus is introduced to Bartimaeus with this title
Because in the very next verse we read:

(38) “And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

I’m sure you recognize the difference.
• They told Bartimaeus this was “Jesus of Nazareth”
• Bartimaeus calls Him “Jesus, Son of David”

The first title is accurate. Jesus was a man from Nazareth.
But the second title sees beyond the physical. It is a Messianic title.
Bartimaeus sees Him as God’s King.

And this is why we say that Bartimaeus had a perceptive cry.
In fact, it is apparent that this blind man saw what others did not.

Perhaps it was even his blindness which helped his perception.

For Isaiah also said:
Isaiah 53:2 “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”

• But Bartimaeus was not influenced by such physical evidence.
• What Jesus looked like meant nothing to him.

But not doubt Bartimaeus had heard about the mighty works of Jesus, AND THE EVIDENCE WAS CLEAR.
Jesus was no mere man. He was certainly the Messiah.

The crowd with physical eyes couldn’t see it.
This blind beggar saw it perfectly it.

You might ask, WHY he could see it when no one else could?
• And the answer is the same for him as it is for every other human.
• God revealed it to him.

Remember when Peter first confessed Christ?
Matthew 16:15-17 “He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

And that is true for every man.
You don’t see unless God shows you.

Clearly, God had revealed to Bartimaeus what no one else could see.
• Jesus was the “Son of David”.
• Jesus was sent by God.
• Jesus was the Messiah.

Bartimaeus perceived that.

BUT THAT WASN’T ALL BARTIMAEUS PERCEIVED.
• Notice his request: “have mercy on me!”

Bartimaeus also perceived himself.
And he sees himself as one at the mercy of another.

• How different that is than the perspective of the Pharisee.
• How different that is than the perspective of the Rich Young Ruler

There is perception and desperation here that is necessary for salvation.
He can’t do this on his own.
He is totally helpless and dependent.

He’s in the same boat as those children who were being brought to Jesus.
• He’s got nothing to offer…
• He’s got nothing to give…
• He’s got no ability to help…

AND HE KNOWS IT.

In short, he knows who Jesus is, and he knows who he is.
Very important if a person is going to be saved.

His Pitiful State, His Perceptive Cry
#3 HIS PERSISTENT REQUEST
Luke 18:39

“Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

You have to love this don’t you.
• It illustrates that blind beggars were viewed as a nuisance; cursed by God.

And so the leaders of the caravan “were sternly telling him to be quiet”
They weren’t messing around
They were serious.

This man was not getting to Jesus.

But don’t you love him…
“but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The word there is KRAZO
It is an onomatopoetic word (defined by how it sounds)
It means “to squawk like a bird”

• It was a shrill, loud, almost obnoxious cry like that of a raven.
• It was actually used to describe the cry of an insane person.
• Or the cry of a woman in labor.

It is how the Canaanite Woman (another salvation candidate) responded to Jesus.
Matthew 15:22 “And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”

The point is that this man is not to be denied.

Do you recognize his desperation? (of course you do)
Luke 18:3-5 “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'”

Do you not also see the same mentality in those parents who kept bringing their children even though the disciples were rebuking them?

It is more than desperation, it is FAITH.

It is the belief that Jesus can and Jesus will.
No one could silence him.
No one could stop him.

He was a man in need of what only Jesus could offer
And Jesus was currently available.
This moment was not passing him by.

As noted,
• This was that Canaanite Woman.
• This was those 4 men who lowered their friend through the roof.
• This will be Zaccheus climbing that sycamore tree
• This is that woman fighting the crowd to touch the hem of His garment
• This is that synagogue ruler bowing down in front of everyone because his
daughter was sick

Do you see the faith here?
He’s all in

He is a pitiful man, who perceived that Jesus was near,
And he’s not about to let Jesus get away.

That is all of those characters we’ve seen in Luke 18 rolled up into one.
• It is that persistent widow who won’t quit coming
• It is that tax collector beating his breast and begging for mercy
• It is those parents and their dependent children coming despite a rebuke
• It is those disciples who left everything to follow Jesus

You see them all right here in this blind beggar.

And his faith, humility, dependence, and desperation pay off for him
Just as it did for all those other people in this chapter.

#4 HIS PARDON AND HEALING
Luke 18:40-42

“And Jesus stopped”
• That is certainly good news for a blind desperate beggar.
• He had gained the attention of the Son of God!

“and commanded that the he be brought to Him”
• Matthew’s gospel gives those familiar words: “moved with compassion”
• Of course He was; He always was
• It is the selfless love of our Savior.

• He is not so distracted by His mission of the cross…
• He is not so tired from His climb up the hill…
• He is not so puffed up by the crowds who are following Him…

HE HAS TIME FOR THIS BLIND BEGGAR BY THE ROAD.
And we are not surprised.

We remember the woman at the well
John 4:27 “At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?”

We remember that woman at the Pharisee house
Luke 7:39 “Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”

We remember Matthew and his friends
Matthew 9:11 “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

We’ll see Zaccheus next week
Luke 19:7 “When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

But just because it is common for Jesus
Does not mean that it’s not still remarkable.

Kings don’t mingle with commoners
Kings don’t answer the requests of beggars

Even modern day leaders make sure their perimeter is protected by their guards and the only time they are going to talk to a blind beggar is if the TV cameras are rolling.

Jesus was the King, and He had every right
To send His heralds ahead of him
To clear the streets of this type of nuisance, BUT HERE HE IS.

BARTIMAEUS HAD FAITH, AND JESUS RESPONDED.

(41) “What do you want Me to do for you?”
Another remarkable thought.

“And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”

Now, I know there will be some DETRACTORS who say,
• “Nope, Bartimaeus got it wrong. If he was truly humble he would have asked for forgiveness or salvation.”

They would say the fact that he asked for sight
Only indicates that he is no different from the rest of the crowds
Who also only wanted healing.

But that’s not Bartimaeus and you’ll see why.

Bartimaeus was described in verse 35 as “a blind man was…sitting by the road begging.”

What do you think he was begging for? (just on a normal every day basis)
• Do you think he was asking everyone who came by for sight?
• Of course not! He was asking for money, possibly food.

But that’s not what he asked for from Jesus.
His request indicates that He knows Jesus is different from everyone else.

But perhaps even that is not enough for us to declare his motives pure.
After all, plenty of others requested healing from Jesus
Who were not saved.

But Jesus’ response to Bartimaeus does show us the truth.
(42) “And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

First Bartimaeus gets his sight.
• Clearly a miracle.
• Clearly a indication of Jesus deity.
• Clearly a Messianic proof

But that isn’t all Jesus gave him.
• Jesus also said, “your faith has made you well.”

“made you well” translates SOZO
Which is the Greek word for “saved”.

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Jesus verifies the purity of Bartimaeus’ faith
By not only granting him healing,
But by ultimately giving him salvation.

Like the tax collector from the earlier story, “this man went away justified…for everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This man’s faith paid off.

But if you want further indication of the genuineness of his faith,
LET’S LOOK AT THE LAST POINT.

#5 HIS PASSION FOR CHRIST
Luke 18:43

“Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God;”

Bartimaeus did what the Rich Young Ruler would not do.
Bartimaeus did what the disciples had earlier done.
He followed Jesus.

Some might say,
• “Yes, but it’s not like he had anything to lose. He was a beggar.”
• It would have been way easier for him to follow than the Rich Young Ruler.

But to make that judgment is to not see the whole picture.
• It is true that he had nothing to leave at the moment
• And in that sense his cost was far less extreme than that of the Rich Young Ruler.

But let me ask you.
• Do you think as a man who had formerly seen, and then gone blind, he might not have a few things on his list that he’d like to do if his sight was ever restored?
• Do you think he might not have some memories of things he like see again?
• Do you suppose there’s a life he’d like to return to?
• Do you suppose there’s a “bucket list” of sorts?

His cost to follow Jesus was not in possessions,
His cost was in dreams and in ambitions and in future plans.

And let me tell you, that is a real cost too.

Laying your future at the feet of Jesus
Is every bit as much of a cost as laying your past there.

AND BARTIMAEUS DOES.
He found Jesus, and He was all in.

And as you look at his life you see a wonderful picture of salvation.
He encompasses all the attributes of all the other examples put together.

Faith – Humility – Dependence – Desperation
He had it all

The question this morning is what about you?

Luke has clearly laid it out for us over the last several weeks.
• There are those who have no faith.
• There are those who are not humble.
• There are those who are self-reliant.
• There are those who are not desperate.

AND THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT CANDIDATES FOR SALVATION.

Salvation is for the pitiful, it is for the perceptive, it is for the persistent.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Let me show you one other text that would fit well with this story.

After Jesus healed that blind man in John 9 and the debate broke out.
John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

Jesus just laid out exactly what we’ve been talking about.
• There are those who are blind and the know it and Jesus came to give them
sight! He came to save them.
• And then there are those who are blind who do not know it, and there’s
nothing Jesus can do for them because they don’t think they need Him.

Which are you?
The necessary attitudes of salvation are clearly defined in Scripture,
And they must be yours if you are to be saved.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT
If you know you are blind
And you know you need help
And you know Jesus is that help,
Then you can cry out to Him and He will save you too!

He always did, and He always does.
So if you are blind, and by God’s grace you know it,
Then follow the lead of Bartimaeus and cry out to Jesus.

• Don’t worry about the crowd…
• Don’t worry about their scorn…
• Do whatever it takes to get the attention of Jesus…

Romans 10:13 “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

OUR 8TH ANNUAL COED SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT IS SET FOR JUNE 5-6

We currently still have room for 1 more team to sign up.  It’s a $100 entry fee, due before play.

We will also have an air up waterslide on Saturday.  Wristbands allow for all day access to the slide (available in the concession stand for $10) a piece.

 

FBC YOUTH ARE EXPECTED TO WORK SHIFTS IN THE CONCESSION STAND / WATER SLIDE.

WE NEED PARENTAL HELP AS WELL SINCE THERE NEEDS TO ALWAYS BE AT LEAST 

ALL FBC YOUTH AND/OR PARENTS NEED TO SIGN UP FOR 3 SLOTS AT THE TOURNAMENT

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