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.
WELL GODS EFFECTUAL CALL IS LIKE THAT IT COULD BE YOU, WE HAVE KNOW PRIOR KNOWLEDGE TO THE CALL OF GOD IT HAPPENS THROUGH GODS SOVEREIGN GRACE. BUT WHEN IT COMES WE KNOW BECAUSE WE RESPOND ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL AND WHEN WE DO ITS BEYOND WINNING THE LOTTERY (V6,8) . ZACK IS FILLED WITH JOY – HE HAS A CHANGED LIFE!
GOD SPOKE TO YOU PERSONALLY: THE EFFECTUAL CALL OF GOD IS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IF YOU ARE SAVED PERSON YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REMEMBER THE TIME THAT GOD CALLED YOU... MAYBE IT WAS THROUGH A PARTICULAR PREACHER - OR A FRIEND – A FAMILY MEMBER – MAYBE AT A CHRISTIAN CAMP OR CONFERENCE OR A COMPLETE STRANGER. BUT IT WAS A TIME WHEN GOD PERSONALLY SPOKE TO YOU AS IF THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD - THE MESSAGE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE HEART – AND STILL AS BELIEVES WHEN WE SIT UNDER HIS WORD GOD SPEAKS HIS WORD IT PENETRATES.
• DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF POUNDS UNCLAIMED FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY THESE PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN PART , YET HAVE FAILED TO RESPOND TO THEIR WINNING NUMBERS AND HAVE FORSAKEN MILLIONS. MANY HEAR THE WORD OF GOD ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL (THE GOOD NEWS) THEY HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE THEM, GREAT RICHES IN CHRIST AWAIT THEM, THEY ARE PERSONALLY CALLED, YET THEY FAIL TO CLAIM THE PRIZE.
• JESUS SAID, MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN (MATT22:14) AND SO ARE NOT CHOSEN.
(LIKE THE RICH YOUNG MAN AND MANY OF THE PHARISEES ) THEY WERE CALLLED, THEY FAILED TO RESPOND TO IT, OTHERS (LIKE ZACK THE DISCIPLES ) HEAR THE VOICE OF JESUS PERSONALLY AND RESPOND IN OBEDIENCE AND FOLLOW JESUS. WHY IS THAT SOME FAIL TO RESPOND?
3. HUMBLING CALL (V5)
A MAJOR ISSUE IS THAT PEOPLE FAIL TO RESPOND BECAUSE ITS A HUMBLING CALL THE PHARISEES WILL FILLED WITH SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS (THEY KNEW BETTER) AND THERE ARE ALWAYS OTHERS WHO KNOW BETTER........FOR THE RICH YOUNG RULER HE HAD ANOTHER LOVER IT WAS (HIS WEALTH) SO OFTEN ITS OTHER THINGS LIKE THIS WHICH PREVENT US FROM PERSONALLY RESPONDING TO THE CALL OF JESUS IN A SPIRIT OF HUMILITY AND WHOLE HEARTED OBEDIENCE, WERE NOT PREPARED TO LET GO AND SUBMIT OURSELVES IN OBEDIENCE TO THE CALL OF JESUS UPON OUR LIVES.
THE EFFECTUAL CALL OF GOD IS A HUMBLING CALL ZACK HAD TO COME DOWN FROM HIS HIGH VANTAGE POINT OF THE TREE (V5) HE HAD TO COME CLEAN OF ALL THAT WAS WRONG IN HIS LIFE AND PUT IT RIGHT (V8) . JESUS CALLED HIM TO COME DOWN.
THIS IS TEACHING US THAT THE CALL OF JESUS UPON OUR LIVES WILL ALWAYS BE A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE THERE IS NO GETTING AWAY FROM IT ... WHOEVER HUMBLES HIMSELF SAID JESUS WILL BE EXALTED BUT WHOEVER EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED. WHEN ZACK HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS HE WAS HUMBLED, HE WAS REPENTANT OVER HIS LIFE BEFORE GOD.
WE TOO MUST COME DOWN (STEP DOWN) FROM THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HOLDING US BACK WHETHER ITS OUR OWN SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS – OUR PRE CONCEIVED IDEAS OF WHAT GOD ACCEPTS - OUR OWN GOOD WORKS – BEING MERELY RELIGIOUS - THE SIN OF PRIDE - OUR SINFUL LIFESTYLES - WE ALL MUST HUMBLE OURSELVES BE REPENTENT AND SIT UNDER THE INSTRUCTION OF JESUS. IF JESUS IS TO DINE AT OUR HOUSE. (POINTING TO THE HEART). JESUS SAID, REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR ! REPENTANCE IS HUMBLING BUT A NESSECITY.
4. LIFE TRANSFORMING
THE EFFECTUAL CALL OF GOD IS FINALLY A LIFE TRANSFORMING EXPERIENCE , YOU CANNOT ENCOUNTER THE CALL OF GOD UPON YOU LIFE AND CLAIM TO BE SAVED AND REMAIN THE SAME, ITS JUST NOT POSSIBLE WHEN GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES TO LIVE IN YOUR LIFE.
YOUR GOING TO KNOW ABOUT IT ... YOU BECOME A NEW CREATION. THE POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD LIVES IN YOU – YOU ARE HOOKED UP TO THE GREATEST POWER ON EARTH.
YOU ARE ASSURED OF ALL YOUR SINS BEING FORGIVEN - YOU POSES A PEACE WITH GOD, THE HOPE OF HEAVEN AND THE JOY OF LIVING FOR HIM TODAY. YOU LIFE IS TRANSFORMED YOUR DESIRES ARE TRANSFORMED - ZACK DIDN’T GO BACK TO HIS OLD WAYS - HE WAS TRANSFORMED.
• HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE CARS THAT KIDS HAVE THEY LOOK SIMPLY LIKE CARS BUT THEN THEY ARE TRANSFORMED INTO THESE HUGE DYNAMIC ROBOTS... SOMETHING COMPLETLY DIFFERENT. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME FRIENDS A CHRISTIANS OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN (AND IF YOUR LIFE IS JUST THE SAME YOU HAVE GOT TO ASK YOURSELF HAVE I EVER RESPONDED TO THE EFFECTUAL CALL OF GOD?)
• YOU MAY WELL OF HEARD IT AND SEEN OTHERS TRANSFORMED BY IT, BUT YOU PERSONALLY HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED THIS LIFE TRANSFORMING POWER IN YOUR LIFE. ( REPENTANCE AND FAITH) YOU SEE YOUR LIFE CANNOT BE THE SAME... SO MANY PROFESSING CHRISTIANS SEEM TO JUST MUDDLE ALONG AS THEY ALWAYS WERE, IT CANNOT BE CHANGE IS INEVITABLE....
A) ZACK TRANSFORMATION BROUGHT AN INWARD JOY (V6) ....
ANYBODY WOULD BE FORGIVEN AT LOOKING AT SOME CHRISTIANS AND THINKING BEING A CHRISTIAN IS A CHORE. AND I THINK WE CAN ALL GET LIKE THIS WE FORGET WHAT WE HAVE RECIEVED AND POSESS.......LOOK AT ZACK HE CAME DOWN FROM THAT TREE AND RECEIVED JESUS WITH JOY INSIDE! CAN YOU REMEMBER JOY (JESUS HAS WASHED ALL OUR SINS AWAY) . GOD IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY!
INSTEAD SO MANY PROFESSING CHRISTIANS BECOME LIKE THOSE IN THE CROWD RELIGIOUS GRUMBLERS (V7). BECAUSE JESUS ISN’T TOWING THE LINE WITH THE RELIGIOUS FOLK - GRUMBLING THAT JESUS IS INTERESTED IN SINNERS – THAT JESUS IS SINGING FROM A DIFFERENT HYMN SHEET. MANY OF US CAN SPEND OUR LIVES S GRUMBLING AT OTHERS AND AS A RESULT WE LOSE OUR REAL PURPOSE AND JOY!
FRIENDS THE GOD OF ALL CREATION, THE UNIVERSE AND OF ALL ETERNITY DESIRES TO DINE WITH US AND ABIDE WITH US IN OUR HEARTS AND LIVES..... GOD CALLS US TO BE WITH HIM (V5) ZACK CAME DOWN AT ONCE – HE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY HE WAS FILLED WITH JOY .... “JESUS WANTS TO BE WITH ME!” NO WONDER HE WAS FILLED WITH JOY. WE ARE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE POWER AND NATURE. (2PET1:3- 4)
HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THE JOY OF THE LORD PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE? IF SO LIKE ZACK THIS TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOD WHICH HAS BROUGHT JOY WILL OVERFLOW OUT OF YOUR LIFE TOWARDS OTHERS. IN DIFFERENT WAYS .....
B) ZACK TRANSFORMATION WAS OUTWARDLY DEMONSTRATED.
ZACK GIVES HALF OF HIS WEALTH TO THE POOR AND ANY HE HAS DEFRAUDED HE PAYS BACK FOUR TIMES. ZACK S INWARD TRANSFORMATION IS RUBBER STAMPED OUTWARDLY. HIS OUTWARD ACTIONS CONFIRM HIS INWARD CONVERSION.
AS JOHN THE BAPTIST SAID TO THE CROWDS BEAR FRUITS IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE (LUKE3:8). A TRANSFORMED MAN/WOMEN WILL BE SEEN OUTWARDLY BY OUR WORKS (EPH 2:10) AND OUR FRUITS IF YOU HAVE NO WORKS IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU HAVE NO FRUIT IN YOUR LIFE .... IF YOU ARE NOT PRACTICING WHAT THIS BOOK TEACHES THEN YOU’VE SIMPLY GOT A DEAD RELIGION.
JOHN 15:8 THIS IS TO MY FATHER’S GLORY, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, SHOWING YOURSELVES TO BE MY DISCIPLES . ZACK’S FRUIT AND WORKS ARE SEEN IN HIS OPEN HEARTED GENEROSITY , A ONCE CLASPED HAND HAS BEEN MADE INTO AN OPEN HAND . A ONCE GRASPING PRACTICE IN REGARD TO MONEY HAS BECOME A GIVING PRACTICE.
HIS WORKS ARE SEEN IN GIVING HALF HIS WEALTH TO THE POOR AND TO BRING RESTITUTION TO ALL THOSE HE HAD WRONGED WITH INTEREST. FRUIT AND WORKS CHARACTERISES A CHRISTIAN. THE EARLY CHURCH (ACTS 2:44 -45) .
FRIENDS ARE WE LIVING TRANSFORMED LIVES? THEN IT WILL BE SEEN BY OUR FRUITS AND OUR WORKS....... (V9) JESUS CONFIRMS HIS SALVATION - TODAY SALVATION HAS COME TO THIS HOUSE, SINCE HE ALSO IS A SON OF ABRAHAM.
THIS MEANS WE SHOULD BE LIVING TRANSFORMED LIVES AROUND US - WHEN WE DO WE WILL BEGIN TO MAKE AN IMPACT.
SO GODS EFFECTUAL CALL IS WHEREBY HE BRINGS SPIRITUAL LIFE INTO A LIFE THAT IS SPIRITUALLY DEAD AND THESE ARE A FEW OF THE SIGNS OF THAT EFFFECTUAL CALL TAKING PLACE IN AN INDIVIDUALS LIFE.......
1. GRACIOUS CALL
2. PERSONAL CALL
3. HUMBLING CALL
4. LIFE TRANSFORMING CALL
AUBREY VAUGHAN www.cbcommuity.co.uk
