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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. God willing, 
we'll return to our studies in the book of Acts in a few weeks. 
This morning, we're looking at another book that Luke, the author 
of Acts, wrote. Our focus will be on chapter 
19, verses 1 to 10, the salvation of Zacchaeus, but I want to read 
beginning in chapter 18 at verse 18. So Luke 18, 18, now a certain 
ruler asked him, saying, Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit 
eternal life? So Jesus said to him, Why do 
you call me good? No one is good but one, that 
is God. You know the commandments. Do 
not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. 
Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother. 
And he said, All these things I have kept from my youth. So 
when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, You still lack 
one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute 
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, 
follow me. But when he heard this, he became 
very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that 
he became very sorrowful, he said, How hard it is for those 
who have riches 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. And those who heard it said, 
Who then can be saved? But he said, The things which 
are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, See, 
we have left all and followed you. So he said to them, Assuredly, 
I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents 
or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of 
God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time 
and in the age to come eternal life. Then He took the twelve 
aside and said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, 
and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the 
Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the 
Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They 
will scourge him and kill him, and the third day he will rise 
again. But they understood none of these things. The saying was 
hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were 
spoken. Then it happened, as he was coming near Jericho, that 
a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude 
passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that 
Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, 
Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. Then those who went before 
warned him that he should be quiet. But he cried out all the 
more, Son of David, have mercy on me. So Jesus stood still and 
commanded him to be brought to him. And when he had come near, 
he asked him, saying, What do you want me to do for you? He 
said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. Then Jesus said to 
him, Receive your sight, your faith has made you well. And 
immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying 
God. And all the people, when they 
saw it, gave praise to God. Then Jesus entered and passed 
through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named 
Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And 
he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the 
crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up 
into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that 
way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, 
and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today 
I must stay at your house. So he made haste and came down 
and received him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all 
complained, saying, He has gone to be a guest with a man who 
is a sinner. Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Look, Lord, 
I give half of my goods to the poor. And if I have taken anything 
from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus 
said to him, Today salvation has come to this house because 
he also is a son of Abraham. For the son of man has come to 
seek and to save that which was lost. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
You for the written Word of the living and true God. We thank 
You that You've not left us alone in the world, but You've given 
us this sure Word, this inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word. 
And not only the Word of God, but the Spirit of God. And we 
pray that He would come now, that He would illumine our minds 
and hearts, that You would open our hearts to receive the good 
things that the Word of God has for each one of us. Encourage 
your saints with a fresh view of the glory and the excellence 
and the majesty of Jesus Christ as the one in whom alone there 
is forgiveness. And God, I pray that you'd open 
hearts of those unbelievers. I pray that the Spirit of God 
would do that which is impossible with men, but is obviously possible 
with you. Open hearts and give the graces 
of faith and repentance that today may in fact be the day 
of salvation. Forgive all of us of all of our 
sin and unrighteousness and cleanse us in that precious blood of 
the Lord Jesus. And it's in his name that we 
pray. Amen. Well, last week we considered 
the salvation of that thief on the cross in the 11th hour. And 
this morning we're going to look at the salvation of this man. 
Zacchaeus, and I read the extended sort of context because I think 
there is a connection between what Jesus teaches in chapter 
18 and with what we see displayed here in chapter 19. So I want 
to look at two things, two main concerns this morning. First, 
the object of God's mercy in verses 1 to 4, and then secondly, 
the mission of Jesus Christ in verses 5 to 10. So let's look 
first at the object of mercy, and I want to consider two things 
here. First, a description of his person, and then a demonstration 
of God's power. As we meet this man Zacchaeus, 
Luke tells us a lot about him. In the first place, his occupation, 
he was a tax collector. As I'm sure all of you have discovered 
as you read through the gospel records, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 
and John, you will see that tax collectors were not the most 
favored among society. They were oftentimes looked at 
as traitors by the Jews, because oftentimes Jews functioned in 
that capacity. You see them castigated. You 
see them used as illustration, even by our Lord Jesus, as being 
very bad sinners. And with reference to being tax 
collectors, they collaborated with Gentiles. They functioned 
on behalf of the Roman Empire. As well, they handled currency 
with pagan inscriptions and even icons of civil authority that 
were deified and worshipped. They took money from fellow Jews 
to give to an oppressing government, and as well, they were often 
greedy and corrupt themselves. So they had several strikes against 
them in terms of society at large, and with reference to a holy 
God, they had nothing to commend themselves to Him and everything 
before Him to be condemned for their sin and rebellion against 
a holy God. In the gospel narratives, they 
are linked with sinners in Matthew 9-10. They are linked with heathen 
Gentiles in Matthew 18-17. They are linked with harlots 
in Matthew 21-31. And they are linked with extortioners, 
unjust, and adulterous men in Luke 18-11. So when we come to 
consider the case of Zacchaeus, we're not dealing with a polished 
man. We're not dealing with a good man. We're not dealing with a 
man who is worthy of the grace of God Almighty. There is none 
righteous, no not one. There is none of us who is worthy 
of the grace of God. That's why it is called grace. It is God's benefit, God's conference 
of blessing upon those who are undeserving. Notice his economic 
standing. The text tells us that he was 
rich, and this again indicates most likely some misgivings in 
his dealings. In other words, he got rich being 
a tax collector, and as we trace out his repentance and the fruits 
of his repentance later on, he pledges to give back those things 
that he had taken. So he was a rich man, and then 
as well, his stature. He was a short man. Some say 
it was Jesus that was short, based on this passage, and that 
Zacchaeus had a tough time seeing him as a result of that. But 
I think the text indicates that it was Zacchaeus. So Zacchaeus 
goes up into this sycamore tree so that he can get a view of 
the Lord Jesus as he passes there through Jericho. And in terms 
of his spiritual state, he is a sinner. He is condemned before 
God. He is, again, not righteous. 
He has no works to offer up to God, and there is nothing about 
him that should solicit from God blessing and benefit. Now, that's a description of 
his person. Second, under the object of mercy, I want to consider 
the fact that he is a demonstration of God's power. Now, go back 
in the context to Luke 18. In Luke 18, at verse 18, we have 
this certain ruler, and verse 23 tells us he was very rich, 
asks Jesus, saying, Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal 
life? Jesus is not prescribing to him 
an alternate way to obtain heaven. Rather, Jesus is preaching the 
law of God to him to show him his sin and to show him his need 
for the Lord Jesus Christ. So this man is able to boast, 
at least with some external compliance, that all these things I have 
kept from my youth. So Christ then takes that 10th 
commandment, you shall not covet, and he presses the man's conscience 
with that specific mandate. That's what we have in verse 
22. So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, you still 
lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute 
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, 
follow me." Again, this is not a prescription for an alternate 
way of finding eternal life, but it is rather bringing that 
tenth word to bear upon the young man to show him his sin. Verse 
23 indicates, when he had heard this, he became very sorrowful, 
for he was very rich. Now, on the heels of that, Christ 
makes this statement in verses 24 and 25. And when Jesus saw 
that he became very sorrowful, he said, So what do we have with 
Zacchaeus? We have an example of a camel 
entering through the eye of a needle and entering into the kingdom 
of God. Jesus makes this declaration. It is harder for a rich man, 
based on his status before a holy God, to enter into the presence 
of that holy God than it is for a camel to shimmy through the 
eye of a needle. Now this provokes from the apostles, 
or Christ's disciples, who then can be saved. there was this 
prevailing idea that men that were blessed economically were 
blessed by God. And having been blessed by God, 
then they were good positionally before that God. So on the heels 
of that, Christ says, with men it is impossible, but with God 
all things are possible. In other words, how does a camel 
get through the eye of a needle. It is because God is sovereign, 
God is gracious, and God is able to make it transpire. In the 
same way, a rich man won't be able to enter into the kingdom 
of God based on his ability, based on the abilities of others, 
because with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. This is an encouragement for 
all of the people of God, that as we pray for those on our list 
that are unconverted, we don't have the power to change them, 
we don't have the power to convert them, we don't have the power 
to confer upon them the graces of faith and repentance. but 
the God to whom we pray does, and He delights in it, and He 
rejoices in it, and this God is in Christ, reconciling the 
world to Himself, according to the apostle Paul. When we see 
those blessed pictures in Revelation 5 and 7, where there are men 
from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation gathered before the 
throne, and they are proclaiming that salvation belongs to our 
God and to the Lamb who sits upon the throne, They're not 
faking it. That is precisely what obtained 
in their lives. It wasn't their goodness, it 
wasn't their accomplishment, it wasn't their ability, it wasn't 
their so-called righteousness, but rather it was the sovereign 
grace of God Almighty, of whom our brother just read. It does 
not depend upon him who wills or upon him who runs, but upon 
God who shows So, this Zacchaeus is a demonstration of the grace 
of God, and similarly, with reference to a camel passing through the 
eye of a needle. That is precisely what we have 
in the case of Zacchaeus before us. So let's look secondly now 
at the mission of Christ in verses 5 to 10, and we see the invitation 
given and then the mission stated. Notice in the first place, with 
reference to this invitation, it's an invitation not like we're 
typically used to. We make invitations like this. 
We'd like for you to come over to our house. Jesus says to Zacchaeus, 
I'm going to come over to your house. There is irresistible 
grace. He doesn't give Zacchaeus the 
weasel room to say, no, I don't want that. No, I will have nothing 
of that. Christ tells him what he is going 
to do. You have perhaps seen that sort 
of famous painting of at least what's supposed to be Jesus. 
He's an ancient Near Eastern man. He looks a bit effeminate. 
He's got the long flowing hair and he's knocking at the door 
of sinners hearts. And if you look closely, well, 
you don't have to look too closely at that particular image. There's 
no doorknob on Jesus' side. It is Arminianism through and 
through. The idea is that the sinner on 
the other side, as Jesus knocks gently upon the door, must exercise 
his or her free will and open that door so that the Savior 
can come in. That's not what the Bible says. 
It doesn't depend upon him who wills or upon him who runs, but 
upon God who shows mercy. A better sort of conception, 
if we were to put it into a visible representation, is kind of like 
a SWAT team when they're going to serve a felony warrant, or 
they're going to arrest a drug dealer, and they take that big 
battering ram, and they knock down the door, and then the officers 
run in, and they conduct their business. That's more akin to 
what we have with irresistible grace. Now, mind you, He makes 
us willing in the day of His power. We don't try to rebuff 
Him, we don't try to say no, but rather we see His prerogative, 
as He spells out in verse 10, to seek and to save that which 
was lost. not to help men save themselves, 
not to sort of finish something that they themselves began, but 
rather to open the door, to invade our personal space, to forgive 
us of our sins, and to confer upon us a righteousness that 
avails with the Father. We ought to praise God for this 
account of Zacchaeus because it ought to afford great hope 
for all of us that the Zacchaeuses of our lives are subject ultimately 
to a sovereign God who is in the business of saving sinners 
by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So notice the invitation proper. 
Verse 5, it says, In the first place, you see his 
condescension. Christ stops at the base of this 
tree, and he looks up to this man Zacchaeus. Again, in the 
previous section, with blind Bartimaeus, the crowd tried to 
rebuff him because Jesus was too busy to pay attention to 
a blind beggar man. Well, that same argument might 
be made with reference to this man Zacchaeus. Jesus is too busy, 
but he stops at the base of the tree and he looks up to this 
man. Secondly, you'll notice his omniscience. He understood 
and knew that this was, in fact, Zacchaeus. unless he had been 
briefed by people, hey, that little fellow sitting up in the 
tree is a man by the name of Zacchaeus. No, I think Luke is 
underscoring something concerning our Lord, not only in his humanity, 
but in his divinity. And he speaks to this man and 
knows his name. And then we see, obviously, his 
grace. He says, make haste and come 
down, for today I must stay at your house. Now, pay attention 
to what our Lord says, make haste. Don't tarry. Don't wait. Don't sit in the top of the tree 
and figure out your options. Don't try and, you know, work 
yourself out of it. I think that oftentimes sermons 
meant by the Spirit of God to affect change in the people of 
God are oftentimes forgotten because we so little concern 
ourselves with the truth as it is in Jesus. We considered last 
Sunday, with reference to that thief on the cross, I mentioned 
that passage in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Today is 
the day of salvation. Don't tarry, make haste and come 
down, is the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. John Gill says 
in light of this, the dangerous estate and condition of sinners 
requires haste. It requires haste. So don't think 
that you always consider what your state is outside of Jesus 
Christ. You're liable to God's wrath 
and curse, both in this life and that which is to come. You're 
liable to every bad thing that the law of God specifies in terms 
of disobedience to those who disobey. You're liable ultimately 
to hell and abandonment from the living and true God. You 
are liable to those things that Scripture speaks of in such a 
way that it ought to evoke from all of our hearts horror and 
fear and terror. This is why Paul says, knowing 
therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. It is a terrifying 
thing, Paul says in the book of Hebrews, to fall into the 
hands of a living God. And if you don't ponder this, 
and you don't consider this, and you think that everything 
that you see right here and right now is all there is to it, then 
you are sorely mistaken. There is a heaven to be gained 
by God's grace, and there is a hell to be gained by our own 
sinfulness. And so he says to this man, make 
haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house. And 
there I think he's speaking in terms of covenant. Later he'll 
identify this man as a son of Abraham. Not according to the 
flesh. Not all Israel is Israel. Again, 
as our brother read in Romans chapter 9. It isn't physical 
attachment to Abraham that the Bible alights on to show us God's 
grace. Rather, it is the spiritual connection. 
It is the Galatians 3, 26 to 29 connection. It is the reality 
that those who are in Christ Jesus, by God's grace, through 
faith in Him, are what? Their Abraham seed. And when 
Christ says that he must, and when Christ highlights that he 
is a son of Abraham, I think that Christ has in his mindset 
the very covenant of God in the salvation of sinners by Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Matthew Poole says, Zacchaeus 
is the first man we read of to whose house Christ invited himself. And in it did more for Zacchaeus 
than he expected. Oh, the freeness and riches of 
divine grace, which seeks not a worthy object, but makes the 
object worthy and therefore loves it. Grace doesn't seek the worthy 
objects, grace makes worthy objects, and then grace loves those worthy 
objects that are made. Christ comes to deal graciously 
with this man Zacchaeus. Now notice his response in verses 
6 and 8. In the first place, I would suggest 
he was initially curious. Why does he shimmy up that sycamore 
tree? Is that preparation? Has he been 
feeling the pangs of his sin? No, he hears that Jesus is in 
Jericho and he wants to get a view of this. Again, kids, I don't 
know how wee little he is, but he's a short fellow if he can't 
see Jesus because of his stature. So he climbs up into this tree 
first out of curiosity. He just wants to see what's happening. 
He just wants to know what's going on in terms of Jericho 
on that particular day. But then notice he comes down 
the tree in response to Christ. Verse 6, so he made haste and 
came down and received him joyfully. Again, Matthew Poole says curiosity 
carried Zacchaeus up, but love to Christ bringeth him down. 
There is this great power of our Lord Jesus that when He issues 
the command, He gives the enablement to comply with the command. Remember 
at the gravesite of Lazarus, He says to that man who had already 
gotten to the point where he was stinking, where he was smelling, 
and Jesus says, come forth. Well, that's a horrible command 
if Christ does not have the power to enable compliance with the 
command. It is most blessed in that instance, 
and therefore, Christ, the giver of the command, is able to enable 
this man. Lazarus to comply with the command 
and come out of the tomb. Well, the same thing is true 
here. Curiosity carries him up into that tree and love brings 
him down from that tree because Christ has changed his heart 
by the power of his word and spirit. And then notice he receives 
Christ joyfully. Isn't that the case with sinners 
when they come to the Savior? Now, it may be in varying degrees. There are, you know, different 
dispositions among people. Some people cry more than others. 
Some people laugh more than others. Some people have a natural disposition 
that is joyful over others. I get that. There's a whole host 
of differences among image bearers of the true and living God. But 
this one thing is true among those who find this pearl of 
great price. They are joyful. They rejoice 
in the reality that they are now found in Him. Not having 
a righteousness which is of their own from the law, but rather 
they are found righteous in and through Jesus Christ the Lord. 
They are forgiven, they are blessed, and as a result, they are joyful. 
That doesn't mean every single day they're going to be skipping 
and hopping and leaping. If they're thinking spiritually, 
they at least will be internally. But with reference to this reality, 
a reception of Jesus Christ brings joy to the heart of sinners. 
That's what brings ultimate joy. See, we in this world think it's 
this or this or this or that that will produce joy in our 
hearts. That's not it. It is the peace 
of Jesus Christ that surpasses all understanding. Such when 
we engage in or receive or experience even hardship and loss and affliction, 
trial and difficulty, there is nevertheless a peace that abides 
in the hearts of God's people. The reality that our sins are 
forgiven. The reality that we have a righteousness 
that avails with God. The reality that when we breathe 
our last, we will enter into the presence of God most high. That brings joy to those in Christ 
Jesus. And this man, Zacchaeus, receives 
him joyfully. John Gill says, he not only received 
him into his house, but into his arms and heart. Christ was 
a welcome guest to him as he is to every sinner, who by faith 
receives him as the Father's free gift, as the alone Savior 
and Redeemer, as the great mediator in all his offices. of prophet, 
priest, and king, and in every relation and character he bears, 
and embraces his doctrines, and submits to his ordinances, and 
that with the greatest joy. As there is reason for it, since 
with him he receives the free and full forgiveness of his sins, 
a justifying righteousness, an abundance of grace, and a right 
unto and meekness for heaven. I don't know that Zacchaeus had 
all that worked out the way that John Gill explains, but it was 
certainly there in seed form. The reality is, he not only received 
him into his house, but he received him into his arms, and even more 
importantly, into his heart. And that's what produced joy 
in this man. And again, brethren, I don't 
think any of us will discount the sorts of things that we face 
in this world. We live in a world that is in 
opposition to our God. We live in a world where it's 
okay to blaspheme the name of the Savior, but boy, you better 
not ever speak ill of the prophet in Islam. We live in a world 
where it's okay for pornography to go unabated or murdering babies 
to go unabated, but churches are being chased out of towns 
or chased out of their buildings because of this particular virus. 
There are a lot of horrific things that obtain in this world, but 
there's one thing they can never take from us, and that is our 
joy in the Lord Jesus Christ. wherever we are, whatever our 
circumstances, whatever our experiences may be, we have something that 
no man can ever deprive us of, and that is our salvation in 
Christ the Lord. This idea of a salvation that 
is on again and off again, this idea that a salvation can be 
lost, is an idea that is from the pit of hell. Praise God Almighty 
that He who begins this good work in us will complete it unto 
the day of Jesus Christ. Praise God Almighty that in Romans 
chapter eight, he ends that blessed chapter celebrating the glory 
of the love of God for his people and that which nothing shall 
separate us from. Brethren, be encouraged, be strengthened, 
be joyful because we have the same God that Zacchaeus saw when 
he came down that sycamore tree and he received the Lord into 
his life. Notice, he confesses Jesus as Lord. Again, this is 
an expression of his faith. Verse six, so he made haste and 
came down and received him joyfully. Verse eight, then Zacchaeus stood 
and said to the Lord, look, Lord, that is always a great sign that 
God's work is in the heart of a sinner. We confess him as Lord. We don't see ourselves as Lord 
anymore. Isn't that the fundamental sort 
of default response of all image bearers that are in opposition 
to God? We think that we're the captains of our own destiny. 
We think that we're kings of kings and lords of lords. We 
think that we're all that. Brethren, when God by grace teaches 
us to see Jesus as Lord, that is a happy day. That is a glorious 
day. That is a wondrous day. Because 
again, our Lord is better and bigger and stronger and more 
glorious than any other Lord out there. I remember back in 
the service, we had a staff judge advocate. That was the base lawyer. 
He was a big black fellow, and he had a coffee cup, and it said, 
my lawyer can beat up your lawyer. I've always thought as Christians, 
our Savior can beat up your Savior. Our Savior is God most high, 
glorious, wondrous, excellent, immutable. able to save to the 
uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through Him. You see, why 
Zacchaeus is doing this is because he's experienced and tasted the 
grace of God. Notice he manifests his faith 
through repentance. He owns his sins and he deals 
with his sins. Look at verse 8. I give half 
of my goods to the poor, and if I have taken anything from 
anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. He's not doing this 
as payment to the Lord for salvation. He's not doing this in a bartering 
system with the Lord in order to secure benefit. He is doing 
this as a recipient of benefit. He is doing this as a saved sinner. He is doing this as one conquered 
by grace, and this is consistent with it, to evidence that grace 
by fruits of repentance. Our Confession says these good 
works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits 
and evidences of a true and lively faith. How do we know what happens 
to Zacchaeus is real? How do we know it's true? Well, 
you can take the effect and go back to the cause. The cause 
is the grace of God, changing this man's heart, giving him 
the grace to confess Jesus as Lord, receiving him joyfully. What's the effect of that when 
persons so receive? They repent of their sins. They 
get rid of those things that at one time enamored them. They 
get rid of their wealth, they get rid of their money, they 
get rid of whatever it is that had been an idol prior in their 
lives. The Geneva Bible captures it 
well. The example of true repentance is known by the effect. It is 
cause and effect. It's not the case that we repent 
and therefore we are saved. We're saved and therefore we 
repent. It's not by words, lest any man 
should boast. It's not what we do. It's not 
how we perform. It's not what we accomplish. 
Our soul and whole righteousness is Jesus Christ alone. It is 
most glorious and most wondrous for us to ponder this. But before 
we go to the mission stated by our Lord, we got to go back to 
verse 7 and just see how the crowd responds to this. What's 
the crowd do when God manifests His grace? Do they praise? Do they worship? Do they celebrate? No, that's what heaven does. 
In Luke 15, we learn that heaven rejoices over one sinner who 
repents. Earth, on the one hand, couldn't 
care less, but on the other hand, rages with even further enmity 
to the God of grace who does such things for such undeserving 
people. You can always tell persons that 
don't understand grace, because they talk in terms of what's 
fair. They talk in terms of what's right. They talk in terms of 
merit. They talk in terms of goodness or perceived badness. You don't understand grace then. 
Because grace is God's saving, miserable, hell-deserving sinners 
that could never save themselves, could never help Him save themselves, 
who don't even want to be saved without the power of the Spirit 
working in their hearts to show them their sin and to show them 
the glory of another world. So let's see what these persons 
do. Verse 7, But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, 
He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner. This is 
the same response that's found in Luke 5. You can turn there. 
Luke 5 at the salvation or conversion of Matthew. That apostle and author of the 
first gospel. Luke chapter 5 at verse 27, after 
these things, he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi. 
This is Matthew. He had two names, two first names. 
I have James and Peter. Some of you have whatever your 
name is, and then a middle name. Sitting at the tax office. And 
he said to him, follow me. So he left all, rose up, and 
followed him. I love Luke's comment that he 
left all. In the parallel in Matthew 9, 
Matthew doesn't say, I left all. Because I think that Matthew 
wouldn't want people to say, oh, what a wonderful guy. You 
left everything for Jesus. What a wonderful example of repentance. Matthew doesn't boast. Matthew 
doesn't indicate that. Luke certainly can. The reality 
is, is that he left all. Why wouldn't we leave all for 
Jesus? Why wouldn't we put off those things that are detrimental 
to our souls? Why wouldn't we put off those 
things which hinder communion with God, the God who made us, 
the God who created us for worship of Him and communion with Him? 
So Matthew leaves all and follows Jesus. Now notice in verse 29, 
Then Levi gave him a great feast in his own house, and there were 
a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with 
them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against 
his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors 
and sinners? Then Jesus answered and said 
to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those 
who are sick I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners 
to repentance. Same sort of thing. Why would 
he go and eat dinner at the house of Zacchaeus? Doesn't he know 
what kind of man Zacchaeus is? Or that woman which was a sinner 
in Luke chapter 7? When she comes and she weeps 
on his feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee, and Simon's meditating 
in his own mind thinking, doesn't he know what kind of woman this 
is? Doesn't he know the degree of wickedness that this woman 
possesses? Doesn't he know how degraded 
she is because of her own chosen profession, perhaps in harlotry 
or some other form of sin? The grace of God is not something 
that everybody appreciates. They say things like, it's not 
fair that that guy's saved, and I'm not. It's not fair that that 
guy's going to heaven, and he's not. It's not fair that the thief 
on the cross, who was perhaps guilty of insurrection and murder 
himself, is now at the marriage supper. It's not fair. To that 
I say, it isn't fair. It's amazing grace, how sweet 
the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but 
now I'm found, was blind, but now I see. It's about grace. If it was fair, every single 
one of us would be in hell for an eternity of eternities. That's 
what fairness brings. That's what justice demands. 
That's what God's righteousness rewards to those who break his 
law. It's amazing grace, we say, not 
amazing fairness. And then notice in Luke 15, Luke 
15, verse one, Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew 
near to him to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes 
complained, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with 
them. So he spoke this parable to them, saying, See, these men 
are grumbling. These men are whining. These 
men are complaining. But these men, unbeknownst to 
them, are preaching the very sum and substance of the gospel 
itself. Isn't that our good news? This 
man, this Jesus, receives sinners and eats with them? That's absolutely, 
positively the best news any sinner could ever hear. And I 
guarantee you that the tax collectors and the sinners and all those 
who had come near to hear him wanted to hear how he was going 
to respond to this charge. What's he going to say when these 
Pharisees and when these scribes are stroking their beards and 
looking down in their judgment and wagging their fingers and 
saying, this man received sinners? They want to know. They want 
to understand. Does He, in fact? Because they 
had at least an understanding of their sinfulness before God, 
and want to know if He's the sort of man that's going to receive 
them and eat with them. So what does Jesus say? He says, 
Yes, I do. I do it like a man who loses 
one sheep, leaves 99, and goes and finds that one. And then 
there's rejoicing in heaven. I do it like a woman who loses 
one coin and doesn't just count her losses and write it off at 
the end of the year, but she moves the furniture, she sweeps 
up, she finds that coin, and there is rejoicing. just like 
rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. And then 
he says, I do it like that father who had the son, the prodigal 
son, who said to the father, you're better off to me dead 
than alive. Give me my share of the inheritance 
so I can go do what I really want to get about. So that young 
man goes, he squanders it all in prodigal living, he comes 
to himself not in repentance, he comes to himself as a mercenary. 
He comes to himself and he reckons, well if I go and I cast myself 
upon my father's mercy, then he will receive me as a hired 
hand and I can at least not eat pig slop or crave pig slop each 
and every day. He wasn't converted. He's converted 
when the Father, who sees him from a long way off, runs to 
him, falls on him, kisses him, grabs him, brings him back to 
the household, puts a ring on his finger, puts a robe on his 
back, and orders the execution of the fatted calf or fatted 
animal so that they can eat and feast and rejoice. That's how 
Jesus receives sinners and eats with them. Again, we consider 
this last week. We have taken the beneficence, 
the goodness, the graciousness, the ocean fullness of God's grace, 
and we have turned it onto its head and said, it's just a small 
little pond. It's just efficacious for just 
this small little handful. There's just this few that's 
gonna populate heaven. For most of you, there's no hope 
at all. That is contrary to the written word of the living and 
true God. There is mercy to be found for 
great multitudes from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Disavow, 
disabuse, get it out of your head, this mindset that Christ 
isn't a real Savior for real sinners. Because He most surely 
is, and we see it displayed here in the case of Zacchaeus. So 
this is similar to previous instances where Christ saves. But as well, 
it is the default setting of man. It is. What do you think Paul tells 
us in Romans 12? Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with 
those who weep. Is that natural dispositionally 
to us? Not usually. We rejoice when 
we get good. We don't typically rejoice when 
others get good. Someone comes and says, I got 
a great raise at work. What's the default setting? Well, 
I didn't get a great raise at work. I didn't get any benefits 
from my employer. I didn't get... Brethren, we 
have to be told, even as God's people, who have grace in our 
hearts, to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with 
those who weep. What's the default setting of 
man? Just the opposite. And we see that here. The grace 
of God comes to a needy sinner in the person of Zacchaeus, and 
instead of saying, praise God for that grace, Praise God for 
justification by faith alone. They say to themselves, or they 
say amongst themselves, this man is going to eat at his house? How scandalous, how reprehensible, 
how vile, how wicked. They don't rejoice in the goodness 
of Jesus. They get upset that he's going 
to be with the badness of Zacchaeus. It is a failure to grasp the 
saving power of God in the gospel of Christ. Listen to Calvin. 
He says, it is thus that the world disregards the offer of 
the grace of God, but complains bitterly when it is conveyed 
to others. You're not happy. You don't want 
it. It's preached to you. We call on you to believe. We 
call on you to look and live. You reject it. You despise it. 
You forsake it. You want no truck with it whatsoever. 
And then you have the wherewithal to complain about those who do. 
Those who by God's grace respond, those who by God's grace come 
to know Him as Lord and Savior, that is a horrible default. We 
should want the best of our fellows. We should want their productivity. 
We should want their benefit. We should want their goodness 
and their wholeness and their health. That is a legit response 
from image bearers of the true and living God, because we are 
to participate in who God is, not in some divinity sense, but 
God is good and rejoices to do good for people. And so we see 
these miserable wretches complaining about the grace of God in verse 
7. And that brings us finally to 
Jesus' statement in verses 9 and 10 concerning His mission. Notice 
in verse 9, He says, Today salvation has come to this house. See, 
this is what Jesus brings, salvation. not moral reform. Jesus doesn't 
now wag his finger at Zacchaeus and say, all in all you're a 
decent fellow, just don't extort people and try to be better. 
No, that's not what Jesus brings. Telling sinners to try and be 
better is a futile task. Isn't it? Tell sinners, be better, 
do good. That doesn't work. We need empowering 
grace. We need the spirit of the living 
God. We need the inspired word of God to inform our minds and 
our hearts and our consciences. He says today, salvation has 
come. That's what Christ brings. Not 
even, you know, revolution in terms of the political sphere. 
Brethren, as bad as it is right now, I don't want to scare you. I'm not a prophet or the son 
of the prophet. It can get a lot worse. We shouldn't expect heaven 
on earth. We shouldn't expect the eschaton 
in this futile world. We can be salt. We can be light. We can be faithful. We can be 
prayerful. We can do all the things that 
God Most High calls us to do. But brethren, I don't want you 
to think that we're going to see heaven on this earth. we 
will see hopefully some prosperity, we will hopefully see some small 
victories from here to there, but ultimately after Christ is 
done, he ushers in the eschaton wherein righteousness dwells. 
Again, I don't wanna scare anybody and I'm not suggesting we shouldn't 
pray God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, but when 
we try to take the eschaton and infuse it into this world, more 
often than not, what happens is that we become discouraged 
We become disenchanted and disenfranchised. We need to be faithful. We need 
to be full of courage. We need to stand fast, come what 
may. But brethren, Christ brings salvation. He doesn't bring moral reform. He doesn't bring sort of a behavior 
modification. He doesn't bring sort of salvific 
benefit on human society. He brings salvation, salvation 
from sin. Matthew 1.21, you shall call 
his name Jesus, for it is he who will save his people from 
their sins. He brings salvation from the effect or from the penalty 
of God's law. Galatians 3.13, God made him 
a curse. to receive in himself the punishment 
due for us, for us having been cursed by the law for not fulfilling 
its terms and its mandates. And he ultimately brings salvation 
from the wrath of God. You have that bit in Romans 3, 
25 and 26, where the apostle Paul, starting with justification 
by faith alone, before he gets to the effect upon the persons 
justified by faith alone, he shows how this scheme answers 
to the righteousness of God. In other words, the gospel does 
not compromise the perfections of God. In the gospel, in the 
cross specifically, we see the demonstration of God's righteousness, 
that he may be both just and the justifier of the one who 
has faith in Jesus. See, for Paul that mattered. 
I'm not sure we're like Paul in that respect. We need to think 
first and foremost about God's glory, and that's precisely what 
Paul does. But in that bit, in 325 and 326, 
he speaks of Christ being set forth as a propitiation by His 
blood. For those who understand that 
word, it has to do with the wrath of God. Because of our sin, because 
of our rebellion, because of our transgression, we're justly 
liable to God's wrath, His punishment, His curse. This is where Paul 
begins the gospel exposition in chapter 118. For the wrath 
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Well, what 
do we do with that wrath? How do we avert the wrath? How 
do we deflect the wrath? Well, the blessed provision of 
God in the gospel is the second person of the Trinity who assumed 
our humanity with all the essential properties and the common infirmities 
thereof and yet without sin. And that one went to the cross 
as a propitiation. He doesn't deflect the wrath 
of God. Rather, he exhausts the wrath of God in himself that 
was due for each of us. That is glorious. That is beautiful. That is something that Christians 
should celebrate each and every day. When you're lacking in that 
joy of the Lord, consider the fact that you are deserving of 
God's wrath and curse, and Christ took it in Himself. Christ drank 
the dregs of God's wrath to the very end drop. He exhausted it 
for us, and that's the point in Romans 3. Notice, he moves 
on in his statement concerning Zacchaeus, again to covenant. Verse 9b, because he also is 
a son of Abraham. He was a son of Abraham not because 
he was an Israelite. He was a son of Abraham not because 
he was a Jew. He was a son of Abraham because 
he's a believer. He's a Christian. He is one for 
whom Jesus died. That's the point in Galatians 
3, 26 to 29. Remember those Jewish leaders that opposed Jesus in 
John 8. They were prizing or parading themselves or priding 
themselves on being connected to Abraham. And he says, if you're 
the sons of Abraham, why are you trying to kill me? Before 
Abraham was, I am. They pick up stones to throw 
at him. They were Jews, but they weren't converted. Not all Israel 
is Israel, as we see in Romans 9. It's not somebody that's circumcised 
outwardly, but it's the inward circumcision of the heart. And 
that's why Jesus refers to him as a son of Abraham. So not only 
men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, which we 
see in Genesis chapter 12, in you, all the nations of the earth 
will be blessed. But among those tribes, among 
those tongues, among those peoples, among those nations, are sinners! Wretched, hell-deserving, Zacchaeus-like 
sinners! Wretched, hell-deserving, thief-on-the-cross-like 
sinners! People that violate the law of 
God! People that transgress it! People 
that lack conformity unto it! We have this delusion that Christ 
came to call the righteous. We imitate the Pharisees and 
the scribes in that. Oh, he comes to a certain class 
of people, people that are like him and people that want him. 
That wasn't me, and I doubt it was you. You didn't want him. 
You weren't seeking after him. The implications of Romans 3 
touch all of us. There is none righteous. No, 
not one. There is none who seeketh after 
God. There is no fear of God before 
our eyes. So if that is going to be fixed or remedied, it's 
not going to be fixed or remedied by us. It is going to be by virtue 
of Christ, the executor of the new covenant, the surety of a 
better covenant who brings to make these blessings flow. And 
that brings us to his mission stated so specifically in verse 
10. Really bizarre how persons in 
the history of the world have missed this, have missed the 
implications, have missed the significance of Jesus, have missed 
the whole idea behind the coming of the Son of Man. It is this 
simple. It really is! What's your fascination 
or your love for Jesus? What is that founded upon? Well, 
it's His mission, you see. He came to seek and to save that 
which was lost. And I'm not going to kid you, 
I was lost. I was dead. I was blind. I was 
destitute. I rightly deserved every bad 
thing God could bring upon a sinner because I had violated His law. 
But I see, by God's grace, this reality. Four. The Son of Man 
has come to seek and to save that which was lost. I love that 
seeking and saving. It's not just saving, but there 
is the seeking. And I know for those of you who 
have been with us for any time, you know where I typically go 
when I speak of God's seeking. I go to the beginning. Because 
when Adam and Eve sinned, they didn't go to God. God came to 
them. When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to hide themselves 
from God. That's just a fool's errand, 
right? They make these fig leaf coverings and they hide among 
the trees. Hey, genius, do you know that God made those trees? 
He can certainly see between them and find you out. But it's 
God who seeks. It's God who saves. It's God 
who kills the animals and takes the skins and covers Adam and 
Eve. It's God who calls Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans in 
Genesis chapter 12 to remedy the situation that we see in 
Genesis 3 to 11. If there's hope for this world, 
it's not going to come by virtue of man. It's going to come from 
on high. And as the prophets move forward, 
and as we go through the contours of redemptive history, we see 
at the very foundation is the promise of God of Genesis 3.15, 
that He will put enmity between the seed of the woman and between 
the serpent himself. In other words, it is going to 
be a man, not the men, that have rebelled and transgressed, but 
the man of God's own love. He will send him, he will clothe 
him in our humanity, and that one will live, and he will die, 
and he will be raised again. And that to seek. Again, brethren, 
this concept where you can never encourage a sinner to seek God, 
When all through Scripture we have a God who seeks out sinners, 
why would we turn that on its head? Of course we bid sinners 
come. Of course we call sinners, believe. 
Of course we tell them to seek. Of course we tell them to come 
because God has said so. And because God himself seeks 
and saves that which is lost. That's the salvific or salvation 
intention of the Lord Jesus. Again, he came to seek and to 
save. Not seeking to subjugate the Roman Empire. That's the 
Jewish popular idea of Messiah at the time of Jesus. There was 
a messianic expectation. There were contenders. There 
were persons or claimants to the messianic sort of crown or 
throne. There were Jews that were looking 
for that, but not this kind. They didn't want this one. He 
was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He had no former 
comeliness that when we saw him, we would esteem him. Rather, 
he was stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God Almighty. See, 
they didn't have that conception because they didn't have this 
category, not because it wasn't in Scripture, but because in 
their foolishness, because in their hard-heartedness and their 
obstinance, they didn't see themselves as sinners before a holy God. 
And so their concept of Messiah was a a civil political ruler 
that would put down the Roman Empire and elevate the Jews to 
earthly geopolitical prestige. No, that's not why he came. He 
came to seek and to save that which was lost. Lost because of sin, lost because 
of rebellion, lost because of an inability to make themselves 
found, lost because of their connection covenantally ultimately 
to Adam. For in Adam all died. But in Christ, all shall be made 
alive." If anybody ever asks you, why did Jesus come into 
this world? Luke 19.10 will serve you very, very well. To seek 
and to save that which was lost. Well, in conclusion, with reference 
to the object of mercy, this man Zacchaeus, the scripture 
is clear. Jesus came to call sinners to 
repentance. There was nothing in Zacchaeus 
to commend him to God. There was everything in Zacchaeus 
to be condemned by God. The fact that Zacchaeus not only 
went home that day and had communion with the Lord, but the fact that 
when we get to heaven, should we be so blessed to actually 
bump into the thief on the cross or bump into Zacchaeus, we will 
marvel at God's sovereign grace in the same way they'll marvel 
when they see us. See, it works both ways. For 
everybody we're surprised to see in the Eschaton, there's 
going to be a lot of people that are surprised to see us there. 
It's grace. It is grace. Secondly, we ought 
to appreciate the glory of Christ. The Lord Jesus demonstrates in 
this passage that all things are possible with God. Again, 
reminder, Luke 18. 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. And those who heard it said, 
who then can be saved? But he said, the things which 
are impossible with men are possible with God. A camel went through 
the eye of a needle on that day in Jericho, and instead of the 
people around it marveling, praising God for such wonderful feats, 
they complain and they grumble and they snivel that he went 
to stay at the house of one so wretched as this man Zacchaeus. As well, we learn what Paul will 
later tell the Corinthian church, that our Jesus is a real Savior 
for real sinners. In 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9, 
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom 
of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor 
adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor 
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will 
inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. Brethren, 
we condemn sin when we see it, and while we should. But we always, 
always, always tell the remedy. We always point sinners to Jesus. It's not just law that this wicked 
generation needs, but it's gospel. And the law shows them their 
need for the gospel. So let it not be the case that 
we are imbalanced. Let it not be the case that we 
stand on the street corner condemning every sinner for their vile activities. But may we point all men everywhere, 
every man, every woman, every boy, every girl, from every tribe, 
every tongue, every people, every nation, to that Jesus who saves 
to the uttermost. So he mentions all of these sins. 
He says with reference to the Corinthians, and such were some 
of you. but you are washed, but you are 
sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus 
and by the Spirit of our God. It is most glorious. Our Christ 
is a seeking God. Our Christ is a saving God. And our Christ comes to those 
who desperately need it. who are destitute without it, 
who are hell-bound without it. Those are the ones for whom Jesus 
came. And I want to point out one final 
thing, comparing Luke 5. We already looked at that. You 
can turn back there in the calling of Matthew, because the emphasis 
is the same. Luke chapter 5. The scribes and 
the Pharisees, they complain, Luke 5.30, against his disciples, 
saying, which I've always thought was cowardice. You got a problem 
with Jesus? Take it up with Jesus. You going 
to complain to the disciples? That doesn't show manliness, 
that doesn't show courage. If your axe to grind is with 
Jesus, Jesus can take care of things himself. Don't complain 
to the disciples, rather take your complaints straight to Christ. 
Christ has no problem receiving all kinds of people with whatever 
it is they have to say. So these chickens, they complained 
to his disciples, and this is the nature of their complaint. 
Complained to his disciples saying, why do you eat and drink with 
tax collectors and sinners? Do you know what's implicit in 
that? That they're somehow better. that the Pharisees and the scribes 
are a bit better. They're like the animals on animal 
farm. All animals are created equal, 
but some are a little bit more equal than others. That was the 
final commandment that lasted in that tent on the barn door. 
These are the same sorts of men, the same sorts of Pharisees are 
alive and well today, wagging their fingers, acting as if they're 
somehow better than everybody else. Christ tells us just the 
opposite. It's the harlots and the publicans 
entering into the kingdom of God when this Son of God comes, 
and it's the Pharisees and the scribes that are consigning themselves 
to the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing 
of teeth. This is a mindset that is rampant among the sons of 
men, this pride and arrogance and this desire to look down 
on others. And brethren, it ought not to 
be that way. If by God's grace, we are possessors of God's grace 
and we own the spirit and the spirit owns us, let it be our 
prayer. to kill any seeds of self-righteousness, 
to kill anything that ever gets into our hearts where we think 
we're somehow better than others, where we pray with that man in 
Luke 18. Thank you, Lord, that I'm not like other men. Thank 
you, Lord, that I pray and I fast and I tithe. Thank you, Lord, 
that I'm not like this fellow, this publican right here. May 
God keep us from that. May it not be the case that we 
offend sinners by a self-righteousness or by an attitude wherein we 
think we're better than you. No, we're miserable, hell-deserving 
sinners that God reached down and loved, picked up, cleansed, 
and fit for heaven. That's what separates us. It's 
not our goodness. It's not our accomplishments. 
It's the grace of God. So these men complained. They 
tell Jesus, and look at his twofold response. Jesus answered and 
said to them, those who are well have no need of a physician, 
but those who are sick. Don't you love the brilliance 
and the simplicity of our Lord? Isn't that every... even Pharisees 
and scribes follow that logic. You're not going to call the 
doctor tomorrow if you're feeling well. You're just not going to 
do it. You're going to call the doctor 
tomorrow if you're sick. You're going to go to the hospital 
if you're injured. You're going to go to the hospital 
if you have some issue. You don't just show up there 
willy-nilly. And doctors don't just visit your houses and say, 
wow, it's good to see that you're healthy and well. That wouldn't 
be the right use of his time. He comes not for the healthy. He comes for the sick. He comes 
not for those who are polished and those who are perfect as 
far as it goes and in their own thoughts and minds. He comes 
for the Zacchaeuses. He comes for the thieves on the 
cross. He comes for the likes of you and I. Everybody should 
understand that particular emphasis. And then he underscores it again 
with the same emphasis from Luke 19.10. I have not come to call 
the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Now, Jesus doesn't 
suppose there's actually a class of righteous persons. He doesn't 
think that, say, over there in, you know, whatever part of the 
world, there's this enclave of righteous people. I didn't come 
for that. No, it's the self-righteous. It's the deluded. It's the wise 
and prudent, according to Matthew chapter 11. It's those who are 
pretty satisfied in their accomplishment. It's the kind of guys like the 
Pharisees and the scribes that complain that this man receives 
sinners and eats with them. He didn't come for them, but 
He comes for sinners. He comes for those who understand 
the holiness of God. He comes for those who understand, 
again, by God's grace, not only His holiness, but their own sinfulness 
and their own unholiness. He comes for the likes of you 
and I. And brethren, that is the gospel 
that we preach. That is the gospel that we proclaim. 
And that is the gospel we can have a confident expectation 
that God most high will bless. This blessed Savior came into 
this world to save sinners. Paul says, of whom I am chief. So if you ever think you're too 
sinful to be saved, ask Paul. If you think you're too wretched 
to be saved, ask Zacchaeus. If you think you're too filthy 
to be saved, ask the thief on the cross. The answer is, God 
is in the business of saving sinners. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for 
your word. We thank you for this blessed account of our Lord's 
gracious dealings with Zacchaeus. And God, thank you for your gracious 
dealings with us. We know that we are worthy of 
punishment. We are worthy of rejection. We are worthy of abandonment 
because of our sin and transgression against a holy God. But lo and 
behold, you've shown us our sin. You've shown us our Savior. You've 
given us an interest in Him. And we rejoice in your goodness, 
we rejoice in your grace, and we rejoice that you are in the 
business of saving sinners to the uttermost, all that draw 
nigh unto you through your beloved Son. May this word be proclaimed 
throughout the earth today. May it run swiftly and be glorified. 
May it encourage our brothers and sisters in the persecuted 
church. May it be a means of encouragement not only for their 
own state, but for their persecutors as well. And in our own context, 
God, we know we live in a day and age where there is much need 
for our Lord Jesus. There is much sin at a wholesale 
level. And God, we pray that faithful 
pulpits all over this country would be proclaiming the truth 
of Christ and Him crucified. And we ask this through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, let's stand and sing 
the doxology of praise to God number 570, hymn number 570 in 
the hymn book. ♪ Bless his foe ♪ ♪ Praise to your 
creatures here below ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Praise to God on the heavenly 
host ♪ ♪ Praise to our good star and holy host ♪ Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Now when He had taken the scroll, 
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down 
before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full 
of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang 
a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open 
its seals, for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by 
Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 
and have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign 
on the earth. Amen. Father, thank you for this 
blessed Redeemer. Thank you that it was through 
His blood. We know without the shedding of blood there is no 
remission, and you sent the Lamb of God to take away the sins 
of the world. We give praise to you for making 
us benefactors of this. Thank you for that grace that 
taught our hearts to fear, and we pray that grace would go out 
profusely among sinners that we know and love, among sinners 
throughout this earth, and that you would change men, women, 
boys, and girls to be from Christ-haters to Christ-lovers, to those who 
joyfully receive Him. And God, in our own context, 
for any and all who are not in Christ, we pray they'd make haste 
and by grace would come and know that He is good. And we ask in 
Jesus' blessed name, Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.