Climb the Tree!
Scriptures: Isaiah 6:8; Luke 19:1-10
Luke 19:1-4 says, “(1) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. (2) Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. (3) And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. (4) So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” (Luke 19:1-4) The title of my message this morning is “Climb the Tree!”
To all of you who are viewing this service via live stream, I want to let you know that this will be our last broadcasted service. We have chosen to close our Church after our service on next Sunday. Now before your minds start wondering and rumors start I want to clarify that we did not lose our building nor are we being forced to close. Our Church building was paid off eight years ago so this decision was not related to finances. This decision was made after a year of prayer and seeking God to ensure we are in alignment with Him – and we are.
So New Light, today as we are enter the final stage of our transition as a Church body, I do not know about you, but I am getting very comfortable being in the dark and looking forward to what God is going to do next in my life. I know for some this is a time of reflection and even sadness and that is understandable. But remember, when you are walking with God and following as He leads, you can rejoice even in the midst of sadness as you reflect on past things that we all shared together. As I said though, and I can only speak for me, I am getting very comfortable being in the dark at this stage of my transition while also experiencing some excitement as I wonder “what is God doing now.”
New Light, we have been blessed to worship in a place with people who truly love God. We were able to worship in a place that we brought and paid for when some thought it could not be done. We got to worship in a place where for the most part we understood the hearts of those around us; realizing that none of us were perfect, yet we stood with one another in good times and the not so good times. We got to worship in a place where for a time we witnessed our young people not only participating in the service, but actually taking a leading role in conducting the service. Yes, we experienced times when we lost members for a variety of reasons, but we continued on until God said it was time to stop.
I have shared with you previously how I share my sermons for others ministers and/or lay people to use. I have had people come up to me and tell me that they found my sermons on that site and they have been using them. While I was home for my sister’s wedding a minister who was in attendance at the wedding that I did not know approached me and told me that she had been viewing my sermons on that site. Since pastoring here, I have shared 636 sermons and Bible study lessons on that site and to date I have had approximately 5 million views of my material covering the globe. These are things that are taking place outside of these four walls and will continue to be a part of my ministry going forward. I will continue to write sermons and post them and Barry and I will continue to write and record Bible study lessons. I am not in the dark about this part of my ministry going forward, but the other things that God has planned for me – I am eagerly waiting for them to be revealed to me. What about you? What are you going to continue doing when you leave here? What are you going to do with God when you walk out of these doors for the last time? Will your ministry gifts and service cease to exist when you walk out these doors or are you going to allow God to take you to a place where you can continue to be utilized and grow? What will your testimony be?
This morning I want you to know that my testimony to God and to each of you is this: “Lord, where is my next tree to climb because whatever you are doing in this season, please don’t do it without me!” In Isaiah 6:8 the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” (Isaiah 6:8) As I am standing here before you, waiting, just as you are, I am telling God that whatever He is doing right now, I want to be a part of it. So that means that I am available to go where He needs me. I am available to do what He wants me to do. Yes, I could profess that I have been in ministry leadership for thirty-eight years and pastoring for twenty-one years so I deserve some rest, but I want my testimony to be, “Lord, where is my next tree to climb because I want to be a part of what You are doing!” What is your testimony going to be when these doors close for the last time? Are you going to become an internet worshipper or a stay-at-home service of the day worshipper? Are you going to stay comfortable in your home and allow your gifts to go silent or are you going to find another place that need you? I hope and pray that your gifts do not go silent when you leave here.
There is a song by Bishop Paul Morton titled “Don’t Do It Without Me.” In that song it says, “Lord whatever You are doing in this season, please don’t do it without me.” In other words, whatever the Lord is doing right now we have a desire to be in the midst of it. We have a desire to be a part of it. We want to be involved, regardless of what those around us may be doing. It’s not about them; it’s about our own personal desire to be a part of what the Lord is doing in this season. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, there was an increase in the number of people enlisting into the military. People wanted to serve this country and fight against its enemies. There was also an increase in people attending Church. People felt vulnerable and they sought out the Church for peace. Years after this event, some people reverted back to their pre-9/11 ways as their desire to continue in worship of the Lord was over shadowed by their desire to go back to living the life they had lived previously. And, as we all have seen, in 2020 when everything was shut down due to Covid-19 many people never came back to Church. I point this out so that you can understand that our decision to serve the Lord is not a one and done decision. We do not make the decision and then change our minds when we go through a transition. Once that decision is made, then the work starts and this is what we must address within our hearts. Do our hearts say “Lord where is my next tree to climb so I can be in Your midst?” or is our hearts saying, “Lord I could use a break so let me check my schedule and I will get back with You.”
Isaiah wrote, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” (Isaiah 6:8) As you read this can you see God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit having a deep conversation about what They need done here on earth? Can you see them discussing the mission and going through all of the possible people they could call on to send and not settling on one person yet? Can you see the concern on Their faces when They do not have a top choice for this important work that needs to be done? Can you see Them pondering what to do and who to send? Those listening to the discussion are all wondering along with the Holy Trinity who would volunteer for the task at hand. No one raises their hand. No one steps forward. No one seems ready and able to take on this challenge. As they ponder the task at hand, God asks, “Who shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Can you see the consternation or dismay on the face of the Father as He ponders who would go and complete the work? Can you imagine what it feels like to see work that needs to be done but no one stepping forward to do it? As the Father ponders this, all of a sudden from the back of the room comes a shout. Someone decides that if no one else will come forward he would. Isaiah says, “Here am I. Send me!” Can you see the relief that comes over the Holy Trinity as someone steps forward to take on a monumental work that no one else wanted? Can you see this? Isaiah was saying, “Lord, whatever you are doing in this season, don’t do it without me! So show me that tree that needs climbing!” Are you saying that this morning? Are you wanting to raise your hand to be singled out for the task no one else wants or are you wanting to be amongst the crowd and just mingle in so you can’t be seen or called upon? In this transition season, what is your testimony?
Turn with me to Luke chapter nineteen. I want you to see an example of what it looks like to want to be involved; to be in the midst; to see Jesus at work. We will begin reading at verse one. “(1) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. (2) Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. (3) And he sought to see Who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.” (Luke 19:1-3) Jesus was passing through Jericho and there was a crowd of people around Him. While there were many in the crowd following Jesus, not everyone could see Him. I want you to see this. If you have ever attended a parade and stood on the sideline you did your best to find a place where you could actually see the parade. The best spot would always be right on the front line. If you had 5-6 people standing in front of you then you would not be on the front line but maybe in the middle. At that point if you were average height (or similar to those standing in front of you) you could see most of the floats in the parade by looking up as they went by. However, you could not see as clearly those walking in the parade because they would be at eye level. In this situation you would have two choices: move to a place where you could see better or just wait for the next float to pass by. Your decision would be based on why you were there. If you were there just to be a part of the celebration, then actually seeing the parade would not necessarily be as important to you as you enjoyed the moment with friends and family. But, if you had a child in the parade and you were there to support them, you would do whatever was necessary to find a place so that you could see your child and they could see you. In the first situation it did not matter if you saw the parade. In the second situation seeing the parade was all that mattered. Thus was the case with Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, meaning he was in charge of the tax office at Jericho. Tax collectors were not held in high esteem as they were seen as traitors by the Jews for collecting taxes for the Roman government. Also they would often defraud their fellow Jews and collect more taxes than was required by law and pocket the difference. This is the man who wanted to see Jesus. He was a sinner. He was someone who was rich and yet he was poor spiritually and on his way to hell. When he heard that Jesus was passing through Jericho, he like the others in the crowd came out to see Him. But he could not see Jesus because he was small in stature. In other words, Zacchaeus was a short man. Imagine if you will a large crowd of people around Jesus and this short man cannot see Him. He is within the crowd and close to Jesus and yet he still could not see Him. Imagine him jumping up and down trying to see over the heads of the others in the crowd to no avail. No matter what he did, he was not going to see Him. Can you see this? At this point Zacchaeus had a decision to make. He could go home disappointed at having not seen Jesus; he could just stay with the crowd and just be a part of it; or he could do something totally undignified for a rich man. He chose the latter because for Him seeing Jesus was all he wanted to do that day. He did not want to be left out. Let’s continue and see what he did.
“(4) So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” (Luke 19:4) Zacchaeus did the unthinkable for a rich man of those times. He ran ahead of the crowd so that he could get in front of Jesus. Then he climbed a tree so that his view of Jesus would be unobstructed. You must see this. His motivation to see Jesus was so strong that he refused to give up. He refused to give in. He refused to quit. He refused to allow the crowd to keep him from his goal. So this rich man found a sycamore tree and climbed it. After climbing the tree he waited for Jesus to pass by. But the story does not end with him just seeing Jesus. Let’s finish reading this story.
“(5) 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.’ (6) So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. (7) But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, ‘He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.’ (8) 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.’ (9) And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; (10) for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” (Luke 19:5-10)
When Jesus arrived at the spot where Zacchaeus was waiting in the tree, He stopped. He looked up, and in front of all the people there, spoke to Zacchaeus. Jesus told him to come down out of the tree because He was planning to stay at his house. Zacchaeus hurriedly came down from the tree to take Jesus to his home. Some of the people within the crowd immediately started complaining about Jesus going into the home of a sinner. Everyone knew who Zacchaeus was and how he had treated them. Everyone knew how he had raised their taxes. Everyone knew how he had stolen from them. And, what is important to understand is that Jesus knew this also. When Jesus saw him He told him he “MUST stay at his house!” Zacchaeus was important to Jesus! While others saw a man who was a sinner and deserved damnation, Jesus saw a sinner who needed to salvation.
As soon as Zacchaeus was in the presence of Jesus he immediately confessed. He told Jesus that he would immediately give half of what he owned to the poor and if he had taken anything from anyone by false means he would restore fourfold – he would give back four times what he took. Zacchaeus was saved that day, and not only him, but his entire family. How did this happen? It happened because Zacchaeus did not want to be left out. Whatever Jesus was doing on that day, he wanted to be involved in it. He did not want Jesus to do it without him. To that end when he could not see Jesus, instead of turning around and going home, he climbed a tree. Instead of just following the crowd and being a part of it he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree. Instead of looking at his dignified life as a rich man, he forsook all of it and became undignified and climbed a tree. Zacchaeus climbing a tree saved his life and the life of his whole family. And through his salvation he enriched those from whom he had stolen and he also supported those whom he did not know – the poor. Zacchaeus willingness to climb a tree impacted not only his life, but the lives of his family and the lives of his community!
New Light, we are transitioning as a Church. What is different this time though is that our journey and transition will not continue together – we started the journey and this transition together, but moving forward it will truly be an individual journey. Together we have seen some victories. Together we have seen God move in these walls. Together we have come a mighty long way, but this part of our journey is ending. As this part of our “together” journey ends, our individual journeys begin. What will your testimony be moving forward? Do you want to be involved in what God is doing in this season or do you need a break? What will your testimony be as you begin your journey? I want you to remember that God has never stopped empowering us even when we could not feel Him and that won’t change now. He has never stopped desiring to use us even when we did not want to be used and that won’t change now. He has never stopped remembering us even when we felt forgotten and that won’t change now. The Spirit has never left our side so what we needed has always been available to us and that won’t change now.
New Light, in this time of transition, it’s time to climb some trees! Do you want to be a part of what God is doing today? Are you ready to say, “Lord here am I, send me!?” Are you ready to get comfortable in the dark as you wait on your instructions from God as to your next steps? If you are scared of the days ahead, climb that tree! If you want to serve but don’t feel like finding another church home, climb that tree! If you’re been praying and praying about what’s to come, get up off your knees and climb that tree! If you think you are too old to work or are just too tired, use the last of your strength and climb that tree! If you’re ready to give up and give in on what God has anointed you to do, climb that tree!
Just as Zacchaeus’s life and the lives of those around him were changed because he climbed a tree to see Jesus, the same can happen for us. Climbing the tree will place us above the situation so we can see clearly in the dark – not actually seeing what is around us, but clearing seeing the Father Who is leading us! It’s only when we can clearly see Who is with us in the darkness that we can get comfortable being in the dark. Are you willing to climb the tree that is waiting on you? I hope so. My testimony is and always will be moving forward, “Lord, where is my next tree to climb because whatever you are doing in this season, please don’t do it without me!” What is your testimony? May “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
