April 26, 2010

Luke 19:11-27
Once, I misplaced my cell phone. I couldn't find it anywhere. I remembered having it when I bought my lunch at Wal*Mart. But when it came time to go home, I couldn't find it anywhere. I remembered having left it on. So, I called the number from my office phone. I couldn't hear it ringing anywhere. I thought it might be out in the van. I called the number again as I walked out to the van to hear it ringing. I couldn't hear it. I had that sinking feeling that I must have laid it down somewhere at Wal*Mart or the bank, which meant, there is a good possibility that it is gone for good. Traveling home, I reported my loss to Laura. She said, "Are you sure it’s not in the van?" I decided to check the van one more time. There it was. It apparently had fallen out of my pocket down into the step inside the door. I wonder why I couldn't hear it ring. I was delighted to find my lost phone.
Jesus delights in finding those who are lost. Walking underneath the tree of Zacchaeus, with great joy He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house!" Zacchaeus became a new man because of that encounter. His life was filled with a new righteous lifestyle. Jesus delights in making our lives ring with righteousness. When others hear the ring in us, some of them are also drawn to Him, and He finds other lost ones. Zacchaeus was one of those that He found and made him to ring with righteousness. The ringing of the new righteousness of Zacchaeus brought others to the Lord.
Jesus delights in having gone to receive a kingdom. What are the basic elements of a kingdom? There are three, a king, a realm and subjects of the realm. Jesus is the King of kings. Jesus has the power to take the realm anytime that He wants to take it. Currently it is His glory to find those lost ones through us, causing us to ring with His righteousness. We are the way that He calls lost ones in order to find them. Are we letting Him ring through us so that He may call others? That is part of His glory. He makes His glory to ring through us in order to draw others. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John