Article.10 Effectual Calling Series

BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH 10TH ARTICLE.

EFFECTUAL CALLING LUKE 19: 1-10.

GODS EFFECTUAL CALLING IS WHEN GOD CALLS A PERSON TO SALVATION AND IS BORN AGAIN, THROUGH HIS WORD AND BY HIS SPIRIT, IT IS ALL OF GOD AND NONE OF MAN BECAUSE THE BIBLE TEACHES WE ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES AND SINS (EPH 2: 1,5) AND THAT IT IS GOD WHO CALLS US AND MAKES US ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST – AND BY HIS GRACE WE HAVE BEEN SAVED.

TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT LUKE 19. 1 -10 WHICH IS THE CALL OF ZACCHAEUS TO UNPACK THIS DOCTRINE OF EFFECTUAL CALLING A LITTLE BIT MORE. AS IT IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF EFFECTUAL CALLING IN OPERATION.

• THE STORY OF ZACK RETOLD TO CONGREGATION. ZACK WAS - RICH – CORRUPT BUT CURIOUS.

FROM THIS REAL LIFE STORY WE SEE THAT GODS EFFECTUAL CALLING IS

1. A GRACIOUS CALL .

GODS EFFECTUAL CALL IS ALL ABOUT GRACE NO MORE IS THIS ILLUSTRATED THAN IN THE LIFE OF ZACH (V2) A CHIEF TAX COLLECTOR WHO WAS RICH. YOU WOULD THINK HE WOULD BE THE LAST TO BE SAVED BECAUSE HE WAS A VERY DUBIOUS CHARACTER IN THE REALM OF MONEY KNOW THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH RICHES, BUT IF RICHES GET A HOLD OF YOU, RATHER THAN YOU GETTING A HOLD OF THEM AND USING THEM IN A CORRECT MANNER , THE LOVE OF MONEY WILL BECOME THE ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL (1TIM 6:10).

ZACK LOVED AND LIVED FOR MAKING MONEY, IF IT MEANT WALKING OVER, OVER’S TO INCREASE HIS INVESTMENT, HE DID IT! HE WAS YOUR CHARLES PONZI CHARACHTER (PONZI SCHEME 1910 ) OF 1ST CENTURY JERICHO, YET WORST HE DIDN’T GIVE ANY RETURNS.

• IMAGINE ZACK BEFORE THE DRAGONS DEN , A CORRUPT ENTREPRENEUR MAKING A PITCH. DUNCAN BANNATYNE AND CO ARE NOT GOING TO INVEST IN SUCH A DUBIOUS CHARACTER (RIP HIM APART) AFTER ALL HE IS CORRUPT IN HIS DEALINGS WITH THE POPULACE OF JERICHO ...RIPPING THEM OFF. NO HE WASN’T THE SORT OF PERSON YOU WOULD WANT TO MAKE ANY SORT OF INVESTMENT IN. LOOK WHAT THE PEOPLE THOUGHT OF HIM (V7) A MAN WHO IS A SINNER.

APPLICATION - BUT DO YOU KNOW THAT’S EXACTLY THE SORT OF PERSON THE GOD IS PREPARED TO INVEST IN AND CHANGE HERE WE SEE THE GRACIOUSNESS OF GODS EFFECTUAL CALL. SALVATION CAME TO HIS HOUSE (V9). THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE WHO? SINNERS.

GODS GRACIOUS EFFECTUAL CALL SAVES SINNERS AND WHO QUALIFIES TO BE A SINNER WELL NOT JUST THOSE SO CALLED BAD PEOPLE IN OUR PRISONS AND THOSE WHO BREAK THE LAWS OF OUR LAND, BUT ALL OF US FOR WE’VE ALL BROKEN THE LAW OF GOD. WE’VE ALL SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF GODS GLORY (ROM3:23).

JUST PAUSE FOR A MOMENT CONSIDER YOUR OWN LIFE - WHERE GOD HAS CALLED YOU FROM - RECOLLECT YOUR OWNS SINS. KING DAVID SAID AS HE MEDIATED UPON THE WORK OF GOD IN HIS OWN LIFE. PSALM40:2 HE LIFTED ME OUT OF THE SLIMY PIT, OUT OF THE MUD AND MIRE; HE SET MY FEET ON A ROCK AND GAVE ME A FIRM PLACE TO STAND.

YET GODS EFFECTUAL CALL OF CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION IS SPOKEN THROUGH HIS WORD AND BY HIS SPIRIT AND HE SAVES US FROM OUR SINS. FOR IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED. (EPH 2:8). SO ITS A GRACIOUS CALL.

2. PERSONAL CALL

IN JERICHO ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LINING THE STREETS TO SEE JESUS FOR ONE REASON OR THE OTHER MANY HOPING TO CATCH A GLIMPSE, OTHER WANTING TO KNOW MORE, OTHERS WHO COULDN’T REALLY CARE LESS AND ARE SIMPLY GOING ABOUT THEIR EVERYDAY BUSINESS.

IT APPEARS AT FIRST GLANCE THAT JESUS IS JUST PASSING THROUGH (V1) AS WE MIGHT PASS THROUGH A CITY ,TOWN A VILLAGE TO GET TO ANOTHER LOCATION. BUT ITS HERE IN JERICHO HE BRIEFLY STOPS (AS YOU WOULD AT THE SERVICES ON ROUTE FOR REFRESHMENTS) (V5- 6) JESUS BEGINS TO SPEAK PERSONALLY TO ONE INDIVIDUAL ZACK AND CALLS HIM TO COME DOWN AND INVITES HIMSELF TO HIS HOUSE. THOUSANDS LINED THE STREETS - SURE OTHERS WERE UP TREES THAT DAY AND ON TOP OF BUILDINGS BUT IT WAS ONE MAN THAT JESUS PERSONALLY CALLED THAT DAY IT WAS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT.

• I WONDER IF YOU HAVE EVER SEEN THAT ADVERT THAT USED TO RUN FOR THE NATIONAL LOTTERY WHEN IT FIRST STARTED IT HAD PEOPLE WALKING DOWN A STREET THEN OUT OF NOWHERE A BIG BLUE FINGER CAME OUT OF THE SKY AND IT POINTED AT AN INDIVIDUAL AND SAID IT COULD BE YOU ..... OF COURSE IT COULD BE YOU, IF YOU DID THE LOTTERY. INDIVIDUALS WIN THE LOTTERY AND ITS PERSONAL TO THEM ITS SOMETHING WE CANT SHARE IN AND EXPERIENCE UNLESS WE WIN IT.