Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sundays Sermon


2013.01.27                                             Zacchaeus    
                                       Luke 19: 1-10
Here at Calvary Chapel Wiesbaden we go through the Scriptures one verse at a time…..  and we are currently going through this amazing history of the Lord Jesus Christ called the gospel of Luke……. Jesus came preaching the kingdom……. The people were waiting for the long promised kingdom…..   We're nearing the end of the ministry of Jesus……  He's headed toward the cross……
Jesus´ message is always a call to repentance……. It's a call to come to Him….. to come into the kingdom of God……. to receive the forgiveness and redemption that He brings…..
His message is a call to the crowd…… Repent the Kingdom of heaven is at hand…… Jesus invited the people to embrace Him as Messiah…..   and receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life…..
He is calling people to follow Him…… to become His disciples….. And in paragraph after paragraph we hear the words of Jesus……..
We return in our Bibles to Luke chapter 19 to another familiar story, the  story of the tax collector named Zacchaeus…..   It is one of the great Sunday School stories…… It is full of great word pictures…. It is full of grace and Good news…..
Let´s read the story of Jesus encounter with Zaccheaus….  Luke 19…… beginning at verse 1…..

Luke 19: 1- 10                       NKJV
 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. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, [fn1] 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: 1- 10                       Schlachter 2000
1 Und er kam nach Jericho hinein und zog hindurch.
2 Und siehe, da war ein Mann, genannt Zachäus, ein Oberzöllner, und dieser war reich.
3 Und er wollte gerne Jesus sehen, wer er sei, und konnte es nicht wegen der Volksmenge; denn er war von kleiner Gestalt.
4 Da lief er voraus und stieg auf einen Maulbeerbaum, um ihn zu sehen; denn dort sollte er vorbeikommen.
5 Und als Jesus an den Ort kam, blickte er auf und sah ihn und sprach zu ihm: Zachäus, steige schnell herab; denn heute muß ich in deinem Haus einkehren!
6 Und er stieg schnell herab und nahm ihn auf mit Freuden.
7 Als sie es aber sahen, murrten sie alle und sprachen: Er ist bei einem sündigen Mann eingekehrt, um Herberge zu nehmen!
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!
9 Und Jesus sprach zu ihm: Heute ist diesem Haus Heil widerfahren, weil auch er ein Sohn Abrahams ist;
10 denn der Sohn des Menschen ist gekommen, um zu suchen und zu retten, was verloren ist.

Verse 10 tells us this most important truth……  the Son of man is come to seek and to save the lost…..

The universe exists so that God might for His own eternal joy and glory….. seek and save lost sinners……. This   reminds us that God is by nature a saving God……  In the New Testament we read over and over again the phrase…… God our Savior……   
God is our Savior…… It´s good news because we cannot save ourselves…. God has reconcilied us to himself…..
When we talk about the ministry of reconciliation…… we are reminded of the text in 2 Corinthians chapter 5…. Turn with me to  in 2 Corinthians 5……..
2 Corinthians 5: 18- 21                         KJV    
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  



Corinthians 5: 18- 21                  Schlachter 2000
18 Das alles aber [kommt] von Gott, der uns mit sich selbst versöhnt hat durch Jesus Christus und uns den Dienst der Versöhnung gegeben hat;
19 weil nämlich Gott in Christus war und die Welt mit sich selbst versöhnte, indem er ihnen ihre Sünden nicht anrechnete und das Wort der Versöhnung in uns legte.
20 So sind wir nun Botschafter für Christus, und zwar so, daß Gott selbst durch uns ermahnt; so bitten wir nun stellvertretend für Christus: Laßt euch versöhnen mit Gott!
21 Denn er hat den, der von keiner Sünde wußte, für uns zur Sünde gemacht, damit wir in ihm [zur] Gerechtigkeit Gottes1 würden

There is no truth more wonderful than this……
2 Cor 5: 19  NKJV  Schlachter 2000
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself
19 weil nämlich Gott in Christus war und die Welt mit sich selbst versöhnte
1. God himself seeks the lost
2. God himself saves us And reconciles us to himself (through Jesus Christ)
This ministry of reconciliation was initiated by God because of who He is……  He is a saving God…… He sent Jesus….. And Jesus has redeemed us…… In the perfect plan of God the Father……. Jesus is the Lamb of God slain from before the foundations of the World….. Revelation 13: 8….
The story of Zacchaeus is proof of God´s unfailing love……. His purpose is seen in everything that Jesus said and did…. Jesus came exactly for the least…. Like the blind beggar from last week and The worst….. Like Zaccheaus….. He was a hated and condemned tax collector…. Jesus came to redeem and reconcile those who have no hope in this world….
The one who is lost, in this case, is a man named Zacchaeus. He lives in Jericho….. Jericho one of the three regional tax centers in the land of Israel……. So here was the man who was the chief tax gatherer…….  he was the administrator of taxation under the Romans and because of that, he was very rich…….. Some of his money came from his legal tax work….. He received a commission on what he collectd…… But some of his money was really stolen from the people as he overcharged them….. He had become very rich…… He had also become despised because he was working for the Romans and he was a thief….  He can't go to the synagogue….. he can't interact with normal people, he can't go into the home of a self-respecting Jew……. And No self-respecting Jew would ever enter into his house…….
He is isolated….. from all normal society…..  In the eyes of godly people…. He is a terrible sinner…..

Jesus spent so much of His time with people like this that in Luke 7:34…… they called Him "the friend of tax collectors and sinners."
In Luke chapter 5 He says He didn't come to call the righteous, but He came to call sinners to repentance……. It was the so called righteous….. really the self-righteous who wanted nothing to do with Jesus…….. They wouldn't listen to His message…… It was the lowly….. the outcasts….. and the forsaken that listened to Him…….
So on this visit to Jericho….. Jesus has already healed and saved a blind beggar named Bartimeaus…..  as we saw back in chapter 18…….   the Theology of the day was that if you're blind and you're a beggar……. it's because you're sinful and God is judging you…….   That was an old, old, old theology……. It went all the way back to the friends of Job…..  All the adversity in Job's life came because God was punishing him for his sin…..
But below the   blind and the beggars  were the tax collectors…… They were even worse….. So here comes Jesus into a respectable town and saves these people….. the least and lowest of the low….. It is a perfect reminder of the purpose of God….. turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 1…..


1 Corinthians 1:26- 31            NKJV
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26- 31            Schlachter 2000
26 Seht doch eure Berufung an, ihr Brüder! Da sind nicht viele Weise nach dem Fleisch, nicht viele Mächtige, nicht viele Vornehme;
27 sondern das Törichte der Welt hat Gott erwählt, um die Weisen zuschanden zu machen, und das Schwache der Welt hat Gott erwählt, um das Starke zuschanden zu machen;
28 und das Unedle der Welt und das Verachtete hat Gott erwählt, und das, was nichts ist, damit er zunichte mache, was etwas ist,
29 damit sich vor ihm kein Fleisch8 rühme.
30 Durch ihn aber seid ihr in Christus Jesus, der uns von Gott gemacht worden ist zur Weisheit, zur Gerechtigkeit, zur Heiligung und zur Erlösung,
31 damit [es geschehe], wie geschrieben steht: »Wer sich rühmen will, der rühme sich des Herrn
You can unpack these verses for yourselves in your own times of Bible study….. but these verses show us…. V 26-28… The foolish according to this world….. and It shows us Jesus…
v 30….. Jesus is our wisdom and righteousness and our sanctification…
Jesus has always majored on outcasts and lowly people……. They're the ones who in their desperation  and in their alienation cry out to him……. They are without hope….. There is nothing for them in this life….. This tax collector was one of those….. He had money and power, lots of it……. But he had nothing in his heart…… nothing that satisfied his deepest needs…..  He has heard of the miracles….. He has heard about this great teacher……… He knew that he was kind and gracious…..
He wants to see Jesus…… back to Luke 19……  verse 2……
He had two big problems…….. this big crowd that followed Jesus….. but he was a very small man…….
He   can't see over them…….. . Remember there was a huge crowd moving through Jericho on the road to Jerusalem…... It's Passover season…… Lots and lots of people…. But this crowd would have been far bigger than any other group of pilgrims coming to the Passover because in the middle of this crowd was Jesus of Nazareth……..  
He wanted to see who Jesus was, so He ran ahead of the crowd…….. He knows the direction they're going to travel as they move toward the city of Jerusalem…… When He gets there, verse 4 says, he climbs into a sycamore tree…… Think of the picture here…… a dignified tax collector  sitting up in a tree looking through the leaves trying to see Jesus…. He's already hated and despised…… He wouldn't want to put himself in the middle of the crowd anyway…..
Look  at verse 5….. and with this verse we move our focus from the sinner to the Savior……. from the lost to the seeker……
Luke 19:5                          NKJV   Schlachter 2000
5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, [fn1] and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
5 Und als Jesus an den Ort kam, blickte er auf und sah ihn und sprach zu ihm: Zachäus, steige schnell herab; denn heute muß ich in deinem Haus einkehren!
Jesus comes to the place……. He reaches the place and it says, "He looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus,'"
What a  shock…… He had never met Jesus….. He was a perfect stranger to Jesus…… How could he know his name?
 Jesus knew his name….. he looked him in the eye and said….. Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
Jesus is commanding Him here…… He says, "I must," dei, in the greek it is used of divine necessity……. It is necessary, It is repeatedly used in the book of Luke for things that Jesus must do……. Why? Because it's a matter of divine sovereign purpose, divine timing. "I must stay at your house today."
As far as God's concerned…. We could say….. , Zacchaeus, you are the man and this is your day……. Come on down!
Hurry and come down for today I must stay at your house. Jesus  said that publicly……. and Jesus knew that that was a serious problem for the strict Pharisees…..…… If they thought maybe He was the Messiah…… if they thought He was holy and righteous……. A man of God….. this would shock them because you didn't go to the house of a man like that……. and you didn't say overnight at the house of a man like that…... That´s the implication of the words in the language there…... And you didn't eat a meal with a man like that because it was sharing in his corruption……. It was as if Jesus was giving a stamp of approval of the man and his deeds…..
Luke 19: 6,7    NKJV   Schlachter 2000
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.”
6 Und er stieg schnell herab und nahm ihn auf mit Freuden.
7 Als sie es aber sahen, murrten sie alle und sprachen: Er ist bei einem sündigen Mann eingekehrt, um Herberge zu nehmen!

And so they were stunned…… and  they complained and grumbled……  but Zacchaeus received Him gladly….. rejoicing….. Zaccheaus  responds with joy because he's got some things going on his heart……
 Now remember ……. He has no relationships with anybody that matters…..  His only companions  are the worst of the worst, the scumbags…… People like himself…. People like us before we knew the LORD….. Zaccheaus is a thief and a robber….. He has abused and   hurt people and stolen from them……   And he feels the guilt of that……
He is rich but he is lost…… He can't worship….. He can't go to the temple….. He can't have an atonement sacrifice offered for him…..
Jesus often ministered to tax collectors and sinners…… Remember back to Luke 15….. v1… says the tax collectors and sinners gathered near to Him to hear Him….. Sure!...
Jesus had the Words of life…..They were outcasts…… If a tax collector or another well known sinner went to the temple…… and they were discovered…. They would be thrown out through the Eastern gate…..
Zaccheaus was isolated from all hope……   And now to hear that a holy prophet of God…… with miracle power……. who may well be   the Messiah of Israel was going to come to his house?
WOW! Of course he rejoiced…..
It was  the unbelievable joy of lost and empty heart…….    
verse 7, they all began to grumble saying, "He's gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." This is what the Pharisees said whenever Jesus ministered to the ones who knew that they needed Him…..
Please notice "When they saw it, they all began to grumble." Everyone in this crowd was certain the Jesus has made a huge mistake…. No Jew with any sense of purity would ever go to his house, stay and eat…… But Jesus says, "I'm coming to your house." He hurried and came down and received Him gladly.
verse 8….
Luke 19: 8    NKJV    Schlachter 2000
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.”
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!
Wow, something dramatic has just happened…...   You've got a man who is a professional thief…… who has  now become an instant philanthropist……. You've got a man who spent his whole life taking from others…..  who now wants to give?
 Zaccheaus was  a man who was defined by greed and selfishness…… now he is acting in an absolutely unselfish way……. Something dramatic has happened here…... The text doesn´t tell us what jesus talked to him about that day….. But it doesn't need to….. We know what the conversation was…….
We know the many conversations Jesus has had about repentance and salvation….. Jesus always preached the Kingdom of Heaven and called all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel…..  
Jesus recognized the conviction of sin in his heart…..  the emptiness, the isolation, the lostness…… And Zaccheaus with all of his heart repented and responded to Jesus…… He is one of the lost which Jesus seeks…… It is true that he knows he has no eternal life, no relationship with God, no forgiveness of sin…..
 Zaccheaus bears a tremendous weight of guilt……
 Jesus talks to him about forgiveness, about repentance, about the Kingdom, and he embraces it……. by the power of God at work in his heart……. We know that he heard and repented and believed…..  How do we know that? Verse 9, 10
Luke 19: 9, 10    NKJV   Schlachter 2000
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.”
 9 Und Jesus sprach zu ihm: Heute ist diesem Haus Heil widerfahren, weil auch er ein Sohn Abrahams ist;
10 denn der Sohn des Menschen ist gekommen, um zu suchen und zu retten, was verloren ist.


verse 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house."
Jesus knows when salvation comes…... We might not when or even if someone is truly saved…….. know but Jesus knows…... In fact, verse 10 He says, "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost, and here's an illustration of saving one who is lost……..
 Today salvation has come to this house."
Jesus passes by the spoken conversations and goes right to the proof in Zaccheaus life….. Jesus moves right to the evidence of his transformation……..
Look at verse 8 again…….
Luke 19: 8    NKJV    Schlachter 2000
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.”
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!

Zacchaeus, stopped……  stethos, stothas(?) in the Greek. It really means he  took a stand.......  It could be used for a formal act……. It is really saying this, Zacchaeustakes a stand and makes this confession……. That's the idea…..  
And so he rises, takes his stand and said   "Behold, Lord," that's enough right there…… He's confessing Jesus as  Lord…… This is very important……
If you from your heart confess Jesus as Lord, you're saved, Romans 10:9 and 10……..
. "Behold, Lord,"
This is an exclamation……. a way to say something that speaks of the dramatic transformation that has taken place in this man's life……. First thing he says when he takes his stand is, "You're my Lord." Second thing, "Half of my possessions I will give to the poor." Wow that is a change……. This is self-denial……
Zaccheaus is responding to Jesus exactly as he said we all should……. Turn back to Luke 9….v 23
Luke 9: 23            NKJV  Schlachter 2000
23 Then He said to [them] all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, [fn] and follow Me.
23 Er sprach aber zu allen: Wenn jemand mir nachkommen will, so verleugne er sich selbst und nehme sein Kreuz auf sich täglich und folge mir nach.

He has affirmed that Jesus is his Lord and he says immediately…….
 "I'm going to give half of everything that I possess to the poor."
Now he possessed a lot. Remember back in verse 2...... The text says he was rich….. he was really very rich……. In one day he was so totally transformed that he went from being  selfish to being unselfish……….. that he went from being a taker to being a giver…………. It's stunning…….
 Zaccheaus is not at all like the rich young ruler back in chapter 18 verse 22…….. remember..?
Luke 18: 22-24               NKJV     
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.”
23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
24 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!


Luke 18: 22-24              Schlachter 2000
22 Als Jesus dies hörte, sprach er zu ihm: Eins fehlt dir noch: Verkaufe alles, was du hast, und verteile es an die Armen, so wirst du einen Schatz im Himmel haben, und komm, folge mir nach!
23 Als er aber dies hörte, wurde er ganz traurig; denn er war sehr reich.
24 Als aber Jesus ihn so sah, daß er ganz traurig geworden war, sprach er: Wie schwer werden die Reichen ins Reich Gottes hineinkommen!     

There was a man who wasn't about to give away his riches…… It's impossible, Jesus says, for rich men to give up their riches on their own…… Verse 24
How hard is it? "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."
Wow, that sounds impossible….. and it is impossible unless the Lord has transformed you life……. It is God himself who takes out our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh….. Verse 27 says…. "Things impossible with men are possible with God." Here's an illustration in the very next chapter of a rich man who immediately gave up his riches……. Why? Because he was sought and saved by a sovereign Lord…... True righteousness results in a transformed heart and a transformed heart produces new attitudes and actions….……
And so, immediately that transformation showed itself….. He became like the wonderful and  generous Macedonians…… They were generous even though they were poor….. They gave joyfully to others…….. Note takers….that´s  2 Corinthians 8…..
 The Apostle John writes about this in 1 John in about five different places, "Don't say you love God and then withhold what your brother needs." True righteousness that comes from a redeemed life……  results in unselfishness and self-denial……. Back to Luke 19…v8
Luke 19: 8       NKJV     Schlachter 2000
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.”
8 Zachäus aber trat hin und sprach zu dem Herrn: Siehe, Herr, die Hälfte meiner Güter gebe ich den Armen, und wenn ich jemand betrogen habe, so gebe ich es vierfältig zurück!
So he says, "I'm going to give half of it to the poor." Half of all of his money…..
You remember that James wrote, "Faith without works is dead."
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2: 10 that we were saved by grace through faith so that we can do the good works that God has planned for us….
Ephesians 2:10               NLT   Neues Leben
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
10 Denn wir sind Gottes Schöpfung. Er hat uns in Christus Jesus neu geschaffen, damit wir zu guten Taten fähig sind, wie er es für unser Leben schon immer vorgesehen hat.
That is a natural consequence of a supernatural transformation……. And here you see it…….
 This is the kind of obedience that marks the one who has denied himself……. taken up his cross and followed Christ……
Well what does this tell us? That here is a transformed heart and life….
This is transformation that is staggering……  a totally transformed heart……
Back to Luke 19… v 9
Luke 19:9,10           NKJV    Schlachter 2000
 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.”
9 Und Jesus sprach zu ihm: Heute ist diesem Haus Heil widerfahren, weil auch er ein Sohn Abrahams ist;
10 denn der Sohn des Menschen ist gekommen, um zu suchen und zu retten, was verloren ist.
Look at 2nd part of v 9….. because he also is a son of Abraham This is a very important statement……… Zaccheaus is showing himself to be a true son of Abraham…… What does Paul say in Romans 2:28? A Jew is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but is one inwardly…….. It is not about circumcision, and religion on the outside, it's about the heart……..
Here is a true son of Abraham…...
In Galatians 3, it would be worth a moment to look at it because this is an important subject, Galatians 3:6. "Abraham believed God," quoting Genesis 15:6, "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," that's justification by faith……..   

Well Zacchaeus became a true Jew, part of the Israel of God, the Jew who was one inwardly……. Not just the son of Abraham by race……. but a son of Abraham by faith in that he followed the same pattern of Abraham's faith…... He that day was justified. …..He who was lost was saved, delivered from sin and death and hell……. The Lord sought him…… the Lord convicted him of sin…... The Lord proclaimed to him the truth…… The Lord opened his heart to believe and repent…… and a miracle transformed his life….. and the transformation was massive......... I can imagine a very long line of people coming to visit Zaccheaus and receive their money back from this transformed man…… I think some of the became believers when they heard Zaccheaus tell the Good news that had transformed his life…..
V 10…..
This is the very reason Jesus came…… to seek and save that which was lost……. I'm come to seek and save the lost…….  To the religious and devout Pharisees……. to include this man in the community of salvation was outrageous…….. Remember they trusted in themselves that they were righteous….. They didn´t need or want a Savior….. especially one that demaned repentance and self denial…. But for us who have repented and believed…..  it is the most magnificent expression of the redeeming grace and love of God. ……Jesus came to seek and save sinners…… and then to totally transform them by giving them a new heart…..
We were  all in the same state that this man was……. spiritually dead, slaves of sin…….. full of guilt, living in sin and shame and  darkness…….. We need a savior to redeem us…. To save us….. because we cannot ever save ourselves….
Close
Ezekiel 36:25, 26                 NLT
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
Ezekiel 36:25, 26               Neues Leben  
25 Dann gieße ich reines Wasser über euch aus, und ihr werdet rein sein. Von allen euren Unreinheiten und von allen euren Götzen werde ich euch reinigen.
26 Und ich werde euch ein neues Herz geben und euch einen neuen Geist schenken. Ich werde das Herz aus Stein aus eurem Körper nehmen und euch ein Herz aus Fleisch geben.

Zaccheaus gave away a fortune but The significant thing is not what he did…. It´s why he did it…….. he wanted more….. He found Jesus!
As Zaccheaus repented and believed the Good News…… God gave him a new heart…… And with it …. The joy and peace and forgiveness that he so desparately needed….. It was easy to let go of his money then….. It´s always the heart that is the issue…….
The Lord Jesus Christ makes men alive……. cleanses them and frees them from sin…… All of this is for the great Joy of The Father…..
Maybe there are some Zacchaeus' sitting in the trees here today and you're curious enough to be here….. and you're trying to get a look at Jesus…… But just like Zaccheaus….. there are obstacles in the way…….. maybe it´s people….. maybe it´s career….. maybe it´s money…… Jesus is saying to you today……. Come here! I´m coming to your house today…… and you will never be the same again….. I´ll give you a new heart and a new spirit….   Today we will take communion together……. It is also totally about our hearts….. It´s our hearts and our sin and pride that the Lord wants to wash away….. The power of communion is not here in these things… the bread and the wine…juice…. It´s in the work of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts….. we examine ourselves and let Jesus wash our feet…..

Communion
1 Cor 11: 23- 26           NKJV
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

1 Cor 11: 23- 26           Schlachter 2000
23 Denn ich habe von dem Herrn empfangen, was ich auch euch überliefert habe, nämlich daß der Herr Jesus in der Nacht, als er verraten wurde, Brot nahm,
24 und dankte, es brach und sprach: Nehmt, eßt! Das ist mein Leib, der für euch gebrochen wird; dies tut zu meinem Gedächtnis!
25 Desgleichen auch den Kelch, nach dem Mahl, indem er sprach: Dieser Kelch ist der neue Bund in meinem Blut; dies tut, so oft ihr ihn trinkt, zu meinem Gedächtnis!
26 Denn so oft ihr dieses Brot eßt und diesen Kelch trinkt, verkündigt ihr den Tod des Herrn, bis er kommt.


Let's pray.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Fathers Joy


2012.09.23                                              The Fathers Joy  Part 1
                                    Luke 15: 1- 10
Here at Calvary Chapel Wiesbaden we go through the Scriptures one verse at a time…..  and we are currently going through this amazing history of the Lord Jesus Christ called the gospel of Luke……. Last time I was with you we studied the last paragraph in a long sermon that our Lord gave….  Jesus came preaching the kingdom……. The people wewre waiting for the long promised kingdom….. They were waiting for deliverance from Rome…. They hoped that Jesus was the one…….
   We're nearing the end of the ministry of Jesus……  He's headed toward the cross…… The unbelief and rejection of Israel is certain……. The religious leaders have rejected Him and already are plotting His death….. Soon The people will join in screaming for His blood……   
Jesus´ message is always a call to repentance……. It's a call to come to Him….. to come into the kingdom of God……. to receive the forgiveness and redemption that He brings…..
His message is a call to the crowd…… Repent the Kingdom of heaven is at hand…… Jesus invited the people to embrace Him as Messiah…..   and receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life…..
He is calling people to follow Him…… to become His disciples….. to come after Him……. And in paragraph after paragraph we hear the words of Jesus…….. In our text last week…. We saw a very strong call to discipleship……. And it was an example of how Jesus always called people to follow Him…... Just like the Father….. Jesus always calls for everything we have….. Total commitment……
We come this morning to an absolutely outstanding chapter in the gospel of Luke…..
I want to ask you a question…… What makes God rejoice?
 The  answer is when sinners repent….. when the lost are found…..
This is the joy of Heaven….. the joy of God the Father…..….. the joy of the angels…… the joy of the redeemed who are already in glory…… and it should be our joy…….
I hope that when we leave here today…… It will be our greatest joy …..to see men and women and boys and girls….. coming into the kingdom…..
What we learn in this chapter is how different Jesus was from the religious leaders of Israel……. Jesus rejoiced in the salvation of the lost……. because as God He possessed that same divine joy that belongs to God our  Creator and  Redeemer……. The joy that the Father has in the repentance and recovery of the lost…..  
Sadly, the religious leaders of Israel who have no interest at all in the lost…….
The great message of this chapter is Heaven rejoices greatly…… Heaven celebrates when a sinner is saved…… when a lost soul is found and recovered and restored…….  God himself rejoices….. And by the time we're done with this chapter you're going to see into your own heart….. We will all see where we are at…… Do we care about the lost? Really?
Sinners hearing and believing the GOOD News….. repenting of their sins….. Coming to The Lord Jesus….. being recovered….. found…. Is that our great joy?
Well we find our joy in this world in a lot of ways……. But if you want to get in touch with God…… and you want to share the joy of Heaven…… you're going to find your greatest joy in the salvation of the sinner….. in the recovery of the lost…….
As we look at this great text….. We can examine your own lives and test ourselves……
We need to ask ourselves these questions….  Am I closer to the attitude of Jesus andGod the Father?
 Or am I closer to the attitude of the Pharisees and the scribes….. Too proud and selfish to care about anything but me….. my stuff…. My plans….my needs….  My appearance of Christian perfection…. My pretending to care so that I can feel good about myself….

That really is the question here…... The Pharisees and the scribes who were the leaders of Israel found no joy in even spending time with  the lost…… let alone seeing them converted…….. They were terrible Shepherds…….  They were the worst kind of representatives of God……. And in contrast to them….. we see our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrating the priority of Heaven in saving the lost…..

We don't often think about God's joy…… When we think about God…… We look at His attributes….. We think about what we know about Him…. they fall into two general categories…… Typically, theologians have described them this way…… God has certain incommunicable attributes…….. That is, those are things that are true of Him and Him alone…... They don't get communicated to anybody else…… For example,
God is omnipotent…… He possesses infinite……limitless power……
God is omnipresent….. He is everywhere at the same time at all time…..
God is omniscient…... He knows everything that is, that has been, that will be….. God is never surprised….. He never needs us to tell or show him anything….
God is immutable…. that is, He never changes…… And
God is eternal…... He is from eternity to eternity the living God….
Those attributes of God are not communicable…… We don't receive those…… But there are other characteristics or attributes of God that are communicable attributes…….
He is righteous, He is holy, He is wise, He is loving, He is compassionate, He is gracious, He is merciful…… and He has communicated those to us in some small ways…  
As human beings we possess some elements of those communicable attributes…… All humans can understand somethings….. All humans can love….
 As believers we have received an even greater portion of those things by the work of the Holy Spirit in us…… We talk a lot about those attributes….. God's righteousness and holiness…… and wrath and judgment and justice…..
And on the other side, His wisdom, love, grace, mercy, compassion……. But one of the things that is true about God……. One that we don't often talk about is His joy……. We get caught up in the fact that Jesus is "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" as the prophet Isaiah said……. We never, in the New Testament, hear of Jesus laughing, although we have already learned in Luke there was a time when He rejoiced greatly in the 10th chapter of Luke…….
But here in this  chapter the theme is the Joy of God…...
Jesus tells three stories to illustrate the joy of the Father…. Let´s start with the first 2…..
Turn with me to Luke 15….. I will begin at verse 1…..
Luke 15:1 -10                                NKJV
1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,  if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:1 -10                                Schlachter 2000
1 Es pflegten sich ihm aber alle Zöllner und Sünder zu nahen, um ihn zu hören.
2 Und die Pharisäer und die Schriftgelehrten murrten und sprachen: Dieser nimmt Sünder an und ißt mit ihnen!
3 Er sagte aber zu ihnen dieses Gleichnis und sprach:
4 Welcher Mensch unter euch, der hundert Schafe hat und eines von ihnen verliert, läßt nicht die neunundneunzig in der Wildnis und geht dem verlorenen nach, bis er es findet?
5 Und wenn er es gefunden hat, nimmt er es auf seine Schulter mit Freuden;
6 und wenn er nach Hause kommt, ruft er die Freunde und Nachbarn zusammen und spricht zu ihnen: Freut euch mit mir; denn ich habe mein Schaf gefunden, das verloren war!
7 Ich sage euch, so wird auch Freude sein im Himmel über einen Sünder, der Buße tut, mehr als über neunundneunzig Gerechte, die keine Buße brauchen!
8 Oder welche Frau, die zehn Drachmen hat, zündet nicht, wenn sie eine Drachme1 verliert, ein Licht an und kehrt das Haus und sucht mit Fleiß, bis sie sie findet?
9 Und wenn sie sie gefunden hat, ruft sie die Freundinnen und die Nachbarinnen zusammen und spricht: Freut euch mit mir; denn ich habe die Drachme gefunden, die ich verloren hatte!
10 Ich sage euch, so ist auch Freude vor den Engeln Gottes über einen Sünder, der Buße tut.

 Verse 7 ends the first story that Jesus tells……  His words in verse 7 are "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
He's talking about joy in Heaven, God's joy……. At the end of the second story in verse 10, "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." And now we add to God's joy, the joy of holy angels……..
And then in verse 32 at the end of the third story……
Luke 15: 32   NKJV
"...we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found."
Luke 15: 32    Schlachter 2000
32 Du solltest aber fröhlich sein und dich freuen; denn dieser dein Bruder war tot und ist wieder lebendig geworden, und er war verloren und ist wiedergefunden worden!

And here the joy expands even more…… to all those who rejoice in the salvation of someone else…….

This is about joy……. This is about God's joy…… And  the joy of the holy angels that surround His presence and the redeemed and glorified saints that dwell in Heaven……. That God possesses joy is obvious……. Joy is a part of our lives…….. We know joy….. We experience pleasure, delight, joy, laughter, happiness……. Where did it come from? Well, it had to come like everything else, from God our Father….. the Creator….. He is  the source……. In
Romans 14:17 particularly, the apostle Paul says…..
Romans 14: 17    NKJV
 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14: 17                   SCHLACHTER 2000
17 Denn das Reich Gottes ist nicht Essen und Trinken, sondern Gerechtigkeit, Friede und Freude im Heiligen Geist;
That means that joy is an important part of the kingdom of God…… God´s joy is given by the Holy Spirit to those who are in the kingdom…… Turn to the next page….Romans 15:13…..
Here we read a blessing from paul to the Roman Christians…. Paul writes,
Romans 15:13                    NKJV
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13                    SCHLACHTER 2000
13 Der Gott der Hoffnung aber erfülle euch mit aller Freude und mit Frieden im Glauben, daß ihr überströmt in der Hoffnung durch die Kraft des Heiligen Geistes!

God couldn't fill us with joy unless He had some to give……. God, who is the source of joy, has joy in Himself to share……
Notice that righteousness peace and joy and hope are connected to each other in these 2 passages….
You remember in Psalm 51
 David coming out of his terrible sin….. Cried out to God for forgiveness……. He had committed adultery and then murder to cover it up…….  David asked God to restore to him the joy of his salvation…...
God rejoices….. God experiences joy…….
God delights in the recovery of sinners……. And God shares that delight with all the holy angels and all the redeemed and glorified saints….. And part of eternal rejoicing in Heaven is going to be this endless chorus of hallelujahs because we have been redeemed…… God finds His joy in the recovery of lost sinners……
In Deut 30….. God speaking through Moses warned the children Of Israel to turn from their sin and rebellion….. He said that he knew they would rebel……. He said there will come a day when you cry out to me again…… Then I will circumcise your hearts……
Deut 30: 6 Schlachter 2000
6 Und der Herr, dein Gott, wird dein Herz und das Herz deiner Nachkommen1 beschneiden, daß du den Herrn, deinen Gott, liebst von ganzem Herzen und von ganzer Seele, damit du lebst. so that you will love the Lord your God with all of your hearts and live…..
Then the Father say ….. I will rejoice!
listen to verse 9 and 10……
Deuteronomy 30: 9-10                NKJV
9 The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy  30: 9-10                Schlachter2000
9 Und der Herr, dein Gott, wird dir Überfluß geben in allem Werk deiner Hände, an der Frucht deines Leibes, an der Frucht deines Viehs, an der Frucht deines Landes zu deinem Besten; denn der Herr wird sich wiederum über dich freuen, zu deinem Besten, wie er sich über deine Väter gefreut hat,
10 wenn du der Stimme des Herrn, deines Gottes, gehorchst und seine Gebote und seine Satzungen befolgst, die in diesem Buch des Gesetzes geschrieben stehen; wenn du zu dem Herrn, deinem Gott, umkehrst von ganzem Herzen und von ganzer Seele.
We're not talking about external religion….. we are talking about a circumcised heart……. we're talking about transformation and salvation…….
What brings the Lord joy? It is the recovery of the lost…... It is the salvation of sinners……..
The prophets understood this…… Look with me, if you will, at some of the prophets…….
In Isaiah chapter 62 the Spirit of the Lord speaking through Isaiah…… says that in the future….. there is coming a day of repentance…….. That God Himself will rejoice…..  
Isaiah 62: 5b-6                NKJV
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.
6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,
Isaiah 62: 5b-6                Schlachter 2000
 und wie sich ein Bräutigam an seiner Braut freut, so wird dein Gott sich an dir freuen.
6 O Jerusalem, ich habe Wächter auf deine Mauern gestellt, die den ganzen Tag und die ganze Nacht nicht einen Augenblick schweigen sollen. Die ihr den Herrn erinnern sollt, gönnt euch keine Ruhe!

Here is the prophet seeing the future salvation of Israel…... This is what God looks for……  God rejoices to see sinners repent and come back……… He commands the watchmen to speak of the Lord….. and not keep silent……. We who know the Lord are able to participate in God´s joy….. by proclaiming the Good news……… There is hope…… Repent…. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand…… We are to encourage them to come back….. we are to be good under shepherds…… looking for lost sheep to rescue……
 Jeremiah echoes the same thing, Jeremiah, chapter 32…… This is wonderful news…..  I want to show you these passages….. I want you to  know the heart of your God……. Jeremiah also looked into the future restoration of Israel……. Turn to Jeremiah 32, verse 37…..
Jeremiah 32: 37- 41           NKJV
37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. 38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’


Jeremiah 32: 37-41    Schlachter 2000
37 Siehe, ich will sie sammeln aus allen Ländern, wohin ich sie in meinem Zorn und Grimm und in meiner großen Entrüstung verstoßen habe, und ich werde sie wieder an diesen Ort zurückführen und sie sicher wohnen lassen;
38 und sie sollen mein Volk sein, und ich will ihr Gott sein;
39 und ich will ihnen ein Herz und einen Wandel geben, daß sie mich allezeit fürchten, ihnen selbst zum Besten und ihren Kindern nach ihnen.
40 Und ich will einen ewigen Bund mit ihnen schließen, daß ich nicht von ihnen ablassen will, ihnen wohlzutun. Und ich werde die Furcht vor mir in ihr Herz geben, damit sie nicht mehr von mir abweichen,
41 und damit ich mich über sie freuen kann, ihnen wohlzutun; und ich werde sie einpflanzen in dieses Land in Wahrheit, mit meinem ganzen Herzen und mit meiner ganzen Seele.
We are commanded to love the LORD our God with all of our heart… and soul and strength……. Here God says I will rejoice over them with all My heart and all My soul…… What makes God rejoice?...
The salvation of the lost……   the rescue of those who are perishing…….

One other prophetic testimony to this joy of God is Zephaniah……  It´s near the end of the OT…..
The prophet Zephaniah writes in ch3…....
Zephaniah 3: 14- 17                          NKJV
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3: 14- 17                         Schlachter 2000
14 Jauchze, du Tochter Zion; juble, Israel! Freue dich und sei fröhlich von ganzem Herzen, du Tochter Jerusalem!
15 Denn der Herr hat die Gerichte von dir abgewendet, er hat deinen Feind weggeräumt. Der Herr, der König Israels, ist in deiner Mitte; du brauchst kein Unheil mehr zu fürchten!
16 In jenen Tagen wird man zu Jerusalem sagen: Fürchte dich nicht! Zion, laß deine Hände nicht sinken!
17 Der Herr, dein Gott, ist in deiner Mitte, ein Held, der rettet; er wird sich über dich freuen mit Wonne, er wird still sein3 in seiner Liebe, er wird über dich jubelnd frohlocken.
Something  good's coming as the prophet calls everyone to rejoice……… What is it? v15
Zephaniah 3: 15                  NKJV           Schlachter 2000
15 The LORD has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.
15 Denn der Herr hat die Gerichte von dir abgewendet, er hat deinen Feind weggeräumt. Der Herr, der König Israels, ist in deiner Mitte; du brauchst kein Unheil mehr zu fürchten!
God will rejoice with singing when people repent……This is the heart of God…….
Remember what Ezekiel said……. Three times the prophet Ezekiel says….. speaking for God:
"I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked."
He finds His supreme joy in the salvation of the wicked…... That's why in the wonderful teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25 in a parable about the kingdom…..  "Come, enter into the joy of your Lord."
Can you imagine being in Heaven and having God shouting for joy over the fact that you're there?
 Can you imagine, right now, because you're in His kingdom, He is shouting for joy and the holy angels are shouting with Him and the church triumphant around His throne is joining in the cry…… A party is happening in Heaven as we speak and it continues to grow and grow…..  every time a soul is saved…….
Our Lord was a "man of sorrows" and He was "acquainted with grief," but He also knew joy……….
In His high priestly prayer in John 17 and verse 13, He said….
John 13: 17      NLT
"Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.
 John 13: 17      Neues Leben
13 Jetzt aber komme ich zu dir. Ich habe ihnen vieles gesagt, während ich in der Welt war, damit sie von meiner Freude vollkommen erfüllt sind.
He knew joy…... He wanted us to share His Joy….. He knew joy even going to the cross because Hebrews 12 and verse 2 says…
Hebrews 12: 2       NKJV
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12: 2       Schlachter 2000
2 Dies tun wir, indem wir unsere Augen auf Jesus gerichtet halten, von dem unser Glaube vom Anfang bis zum Ende abhängt1. Er war bereit, den Tod der Schande am Kreuz zu sterben, weil er wusste, welche Freude ihn danach erwartete. Nun sitzt er an der rechten Seite von Gottes Thron im Himmel!

What was that joy?...... The joy of recovering the lost……. Heaven's joy comes in the recovery of lost sinners…... 

As we look at our own lives, we might ask the question "How important is that in my life, the recovery of the lost?"
 How Important is that to me? How do I find my greatest joy? Is it the perfect life…. The perfect wife……. The perfect man…… the perfect tan…….. Money…… pleasure……
 Or do I find  my joy and my  delight  in the knowledge that a sinner has been found and redeemed?
That should be our greatest joy…….. If seeing the lost come to repentance and Salvation is not our main joy……. Then why do we say we belong to Jesus….. Why do we say we believe this Book? That's exactly the point of Luke 15…… It's a very convicting chapter……  In it, our Lord tells three stories….. but really they're just one story….. It's the story of Heaven's reaction when the lost are found…… The first story is the story about a lost sheep…… The second story is about a lost coin…... And the third story is about a lost son……..
Close
Psalm 96: 1-3    NKJV
1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
3 Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

Psalm 96: 1-3    Schlachter 2000
1 Singt dem Herrn ein neues Lied, singt dem Herrn, alle Welt!
2 Singt dem Herrn, preist seinen Namen, verkündigt Tag für Tag sein Heil!
3 Erzählt unter den Heiden von seiner Herrlichkeit, unter allen Völkern von seinen Wundern!
In Zephaniah….. God rejoices over us……. Here David says to us….. Sing to the LORD a new song!......proclaim the Good news of his salvation from day to day……. That means tell the Good news everyday…..…… the psalm ends reminding us that God is coming to judge the earth….PS 96…. Verse 10-13
Psalm 96: 10-13    NKJV
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns;
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved;
He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice
13  before the LORD.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.

Psalm 96: 10-13    Schlachter 2000
10 Sagt unter den Heiden: Der Herr regiert als König! Darum steht auch der Erdkreis fest und wankt nicht. Er wird die Völker gerecht richten.
11 Es freue sich der Himmel, und die Erde frohlocke, es brause das Meer und was es erfüllt!
12 Es jauchze das Feld und alles, was darauf ist! Dann sollen alle Bäume des Waldes jubeln
13 vor dem Herrn, denn er kommt, denn er kommt, um die Erde zu richten! Er wird den Erdkreis richten mit Gerechtigkeit und die Völker in seiner Treue.