The Tree of Life - Doug Batchelor

you I've been blessed by having so many of you come and say how much you have been blessed during this camp meeting and I really appreciate that but I would like for you to do me a favor when you see a pastor or your pastor or one of our departmental people some of them I've worked in places of obscurity some of them worked very hard behind the scenes many have worked very hard in the divisions some have been up all night long making sure radio and safety was taken care of we have EMT people we have young people who are cleaning restrooms and aren't you glad for the clean cleanness of the camp I'm very grateful for that their good work so when you see those people give them a little appreciation would you give them a hug or just tell them hey thanks so much for helping make camp meeting what it is and I want to thank all of them that are listening tonight for all the wonderful work and ministry that's gone on this week I also want to thank pastor Doug Batchelor aren't we grateful that he came to minister to us and we just want to say a big thank you tonight as you go back to California wherever you're going next we want you to know that you take our warmest affections as you go the ushers are getting ready to hand out some surveys we usually we don't do it every time but we do it every once in a while I guess we've done it just about every time but once so but anyway it gives us an opportunity to hear from you and help us and they've been very helpful to us and it gives us a measure of how the camp-meeting experience is coming I think they've already been handing out all right good thank you brother you've already got them the ushers will be at the door to pick those up tonight as you leave and of course we know you'll be helping us with the leaving you understand you'll probably leave with a chair or something like that before it's done but there'll be some instructions on that probably at the end I want to we're going to take a look at the at the DVD the DVD that amazing facts produce now it's going to be very short portion of it and then I'm coming back up to introduce I think you've heard about it but we want to introduce a very very exciting program it's going to originate right out of Michigan so we'll do that right now you'll see this portion small portion of this DVD on the final events I think it was providential the amazing facts released that when they did pastor Bachelor would you come forward and talk to us again about what you and Dwight Nelson gonna do at andrews university gonna be holding a week of prayer but you're also going to man holding an evangelistic series you're going to be launching something nationwide there's an opportunity here for churches and homes to participate in talk to us about it thank you very much Hilda Gallimore we are excited you've already heard me briefly mentioned the most amazing prophecy series that will begin September 15 that's not that far away we're doing something in faith that we've never done before amazing facts is buying a half an hour of prime time 7 o'clock at night across the country and on 911 the meeting begins four days later and during that program we're going to show excerpts of the final events DVD a lot of folks with the Left Behind series and The Da Vinci Code are very interested in the Bible I don't know how many of you have noticed but not only National Geographic History Channel Learning Channel Discovery Channel are all having religious based programs because people are interested right now they're very worried they're searching and so we think we're gonna have a great response we're going to tell people who watch this half-an-hour program to go to the website and find the location near them where they can go through the most amazing Bible prophecies we're hoping your church is one of those places you'll be so sad if they called say oh I want to go and the churches aren't using their satellite equipment it's only nine days coming from Andrews University Dwight and I have the great time ten years ago this is sort of a reunion when we did the new revelation series gonna do another week of Prayer there Plus this broadcast live every night it'll be on 3abn and the hope Channel so I hope that you will use those Flyers all you got to do is remember map seminar calm or most amazing prophecies come and it'll take you to the website register your church will send you all the information and let's get people ready for Jesus coming amen thank you very much and please be praying for this series and the half-an-hour broadcast that we're going to give away the final events DVD to a good farmer expecting to reap a harvest must also so wouldn't it be wonderful if all over Michigan these DVDs were going out in preparation for this series this fall wouldn't be hung wonderful every home in our neighborhoods we're able to have one of those DVDs available to them and you know how that's going to happen it's going to happen if you and I make it possible by taking them there ourselves we really want to encourage that all of the DVDs that we have available would go into your hands to make it possible to sow the seed that will reap a harvest in September but if we don't do it who will so the Lord is calling us and david asscherick has challenged all of us to do our part for the lord jesus christ this is our opportunity when this meeting concludes this evening over in the exhibit 10 these DVDs will be available there by the caseload and we encourage you to come and take advantage of them let the Lord Jesus Christ to use you as a tool for reaching people people as pastor bachelor has told us are anxious to know the truth may the Lord help us to do our part come and we'll help provide the tools that you need come and see us we have a work to do God will help us to finish it thank you please take your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Revelation Revelation chapter 22 last chapter in the Bible we read about the tree of life verses 1 and 2 Revelation chapter 22 verses 1 and 2 I'll give you just a second there to turn to it revelation 22 verses 1 and 2 God's Word says then the angel showed me the river of the water of life as clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb down the middle of the great street of the city on each side of the river stood the Tree of Life bearing twelve crops of fruit yielding its fruit every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nation's may God add his blessing to the reading of his word in the nude transformation when we behold the brightness of the Sun when by his brain and we see the King on his when the morning when the neutron is break with Buffalo transformation when we behold the brightness we see this when the new tour praise the Lord thank you for that song that was beautiful appreciate that and this doesn't happen very often that just before I stand up they tell me not to quit too soon that's all why this is a great camp meeting if you've got any food left I bet you do let's just keep going look a few minutes most people come to camp meeting they've got enough food to last the Millennium but just a couple of quick things I always like to get the announcements out of the way before we open the word but I forgot to mention if you want to tell your friends to tune in to this program that Pastor Nelson and I are doing we have postcards we can send you to let them know invitation cards we hope you'll utilize that and immediately following the message tonight you're gonna think that I've been raptured but it's not exactly that I am going to the ABC I will be there to greet you there and they figure if I don't get over there right away I mean I get there so I'll look forward to seeing you there at the ABC after the program I'd like to talk to you a little bit tonight about trees and if I was going to title this message I I suppose I titled it the tree of life now to begin with I'm gonna take you to the story of Zacchaeus so if you have your Bibles please turn to the Book of Luke chapter 19 and we're gonna look at a familiar story that has been a real blessing to me some of the stories in the Bible that are so simple we often relegate to the children David and Goliath and Zacchaeus and Daniel and the Lions Den I never heard these stories growing up I did not go to Sabbath school or Sunday School so when I first heard them I was just amazed at the beauty and so much good theology in these stories that we often reserved for the children as the kiyose is one of those in chapter 19 we read verse 1 Jesus entered and passed through Jericho now on a pause you can get so much out of that first verse Jericho in the time of Christ was something like Las Vegas in the American vernacular it was a town that had been cursed in the days of Joshua the man who rebuilt it was cursed for doing so is one of the oldest cities in the world it's the lowest city in the world as far as elevation it was on the main road for the caravans that went between three continents and so as a result of that there was a lot of traffic that went through there it was a place where you found Rahab the harlot uzuki is the publican a lot of beggars like bartimaeus were in Jericho it was a place that was known for ill repute and Jesus makes a journey through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem to die and he deliberately went that way because there was another route he could have taken it's something like the Lord coming through this world that is filled with the lost on his way to die because the Son of man has come to seek and save that which is lost it reminds me of the story where Jesus told the disciples across the sea after that storm at sea and he calms a storm he directs them to a cemetery saves one man who seems like the most hopeless man in the world and then leaves he deliberately went out of his way to go to this dark place of tombstones and swine and chains and demons and he saved someone there and then he leaves something like that is this final trip through Jericho and it tells us that verse 2 behold there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and he was rich now tax collectors publicans in the time of Christ were not loved and even less than we loved tax collectors today the reason being is some of the Jews would sometimes contract with the Romans and they would extort and embezzle money from their own people keep more than what their appropriate share would be and give some to the Romans and so they were seen as both traitors in thieves they were believed to be outcasts by God they could not be saved because of their treason and supporting the oppressors and being a tax collector in Jericho that main road between three continents good place a lot of caravans sort of like having a place of business at the intersection of several innocent interstates and he is the chief tax collector in the best place to be a tax collector he was very rich but evidently he's not very happy happiness does not come from the abundance of things a man possesses matter of fact earlier in the same chapter Jesus said how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven and by the way that's still true a lot of us would like to think that well there are exceptions in the Bible I mean what about Joe what about Solomon Abraham yeah there are exceptions they're very rare and I'm sorry you don't all get to be the exception it doesn't work that way what Jesus said is still true it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven because typically a lot of people sell their souls to get their riches not all but many do or they compromise their ethics or they get to where they trust in uncertain riches that make wings and fly away a man's life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses I've lived on both sides of the tracks me I've lived in a mansion and I've rooted around in a garbage bin and the people on the streets did more praying than the people in the mansion and you know what I didn't notice well I did notice seemed to me the people on the street were happier the street people that I used to hang out with than the people with all the possessions with the increase of wealth becomes an increase of trouble I just think it's important to share that because you know we're living in a time where the church has never been so materialistic I'm not trying to make you feel guilty maybe a little bit but and you know I can tell you how to deal with that guilt we'll take another offering but you know it is true you you you are constantly bombarded with messages to bye-bye-bye as though happiness is going to come through the acquisition of all these temporal things that we're they're gonna melt when Jesus comes Paul says if you've got enough to eat and drink you've got to learn to be content in whatever state you're in even Michigan right so here he's got all this wealth but he's not happy but he had heard about Jesus he'd heard that there was this revolutionary religious teacher he was a unique rabbi in that not only that he seemed to imply there was hope for a publican he invited a publican named Matthew Levi to be part of his inner circle that caused quite a scandal in Israel and then in the same book in the same chapter Jesus tells a parable two men went to the temple to pray one Republican the other Pharisee two opposite extremes on the scale of righteousness and unrighteousness in the eyes of the people and he went on to say and the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself lord I thank thee that I'm not his other man I pay tithes of all that I have I fast twice a week and I'm thankful I'm not like that publican back there but the publican would not so much as stuff his eyes and they heaven they bowed his head smote upon his breast and said lord have mercy on me a sinner and then Jesus shocked the crowd by saying the publican went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee so kids heard about this he thought there's a spark maybe there's hope for me I'd like to see this man he had heard about Jesus and he made up his mind to have a rendezvous maybe he heard that he was passing through town well we know that's what happened so it says that we're still in chapter 19 he sought to see Jesus who he was not what he was not what he looked like but who eternal life comes from knowing who God is not what God is it's having a relationship with him he wanted to know who he was what kind of rabbi is this that could love and accept even a publican and this was so important to him that he he had plans to somehow see him now the Bible teaches us that eternal life begins by seeing the Lord I believe you need to see the Lord now it doesn't mean you need to visibly see God because very few have done that and matter of fact the Bible says no man shall see God and live meaning God the Father but you could see him in another way how did Isaiah's conversion take place chapter 6 in the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord then he saw his sin he repented was accepted and sinned what brought about Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus he saw Jesus then knee the thief on the cross what brought about his conversion and salvation he looked to Christ lifted up he saw believed he was saved I believe the first step in salvation is we need to see the Lord when we see the goodness of God the Bible says it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance so before you can repent you must see the goodness of God best place to see that as Christ lifted up so Zacchaeus is on the right path he wants to see Jesus by the way you can still see him today hopefully you can see him in the lives of others you can definitely see him in his word we don't really know what Jesus looked like but you can read his word and see Christ and there you see the goodness of God that leads us through repentance we love him because he first loved us where do you best see his love at the cross jesus said as Moses lifted up the serpent why did Moses lift up the serpent so people could see it is that right is this good theology and if you turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full into his wonderful face if you can come to the place where you see the goodness of God then you'll be aware of your own badness you'll see the need for repentance and his love and acceptance that's why I appeal to you to look for Jesus Zacchaeus wanted to see him Bible says you'll search for me and you'll find me when you search for me with all your heart he made an effort to see the Lord are you seeking after God but there's a problem that's gonna prevent him to see the Lord what is it I don't like that Zacchaeus was too short you telling me he was vertically challenged would he have been too short if the crowd wasn't there then it's the problem that he's too short or the crowd is too tall really if it wasn't for the crowd his size would an event any problem at all now what kind of crowd was it well probably he's got the disciples around him right the apostles some of the believers maybe some of his enemies the scribes and lawyers and Pharisees but I think it's safe to say the crowd around Jesus was a religious crowd is that safe who was it that is an obstacle to seeing Christ it's a religious crowd around Jesus this is important Bart Timmy has called out in Jericho son of David have mercy on me and you know what the crowd said the crowd around Jesus be quiet don't call out Jesus name be quiet it's making a spectacle Jesus saved him because he kept calling some friends wanted to bring their buddy to Christ but the crowd around Jesus blocked the door and so they gave up and went home no they had to get above the crowd broke through the roof a woman wanted to tell Jesus about a very embarrassing problem but the crowd was in the way she had to push her way through the crowd instead of an audience all she could get was the hem of His garment you know I see a pattern in the Bible that often the greatest obstacle to Christ is the crowd around Christ now the reason I'm saying that is probably the single most common factor in why people get discouraged and stopped following the Lord or going to church is they say somebody or some group of people talked about me or hurt me or was inconsiderate or didn't accept me and they're looking at the crowd around Jesus I want to tell you you've got to get past that crowd you've got to get directly to Christ Zacchaeus had to get above the crowd the woman had to get through the crowd bar to me has had to cry louder than the crowd man had to get a on the roof and come down past the crowd don't let the crowd get in your way you got to get to Christ you need to have a personal relationship with Jesus I worry when I hear Christians say why I'm through I'm fourth generation as though God saves us by our genealogy or heritage now there are valleys value and having a good Christian heritage as long as you embrace the things they believe but God doesn't do a DNA test before he saves you and I heard someone say one time the Lord has no grandchildren or great grandchildren or great great-great grandchildren you must be his child must have that immediate connection with the Lord he'll say you are his beloved son or daughter not grandson or granddaughter in whom he is well pleased Zacchaeus wanted to see the Lord but he had to get above the crowd so what did he do well you know I hate to admit this and you maybe heard me say this before because it comes up a lot but one of the most common things that people say when I first meet them especially if they've been watching the TV program and it's almost like they're embarrassed that it they've learned it out you know hi oh you're short oh and I never think of myself as short you know I'm as tall as my dad was and he seemed big enough to me and my brother my grandfather we were all the same size 5 9 my wife tells me I'm not that anymore I'm probably shrinking but I think with my hair I was five nine and now but you know I'm not sure I tell people I'm concentrated but in reality we are all too short to see Jesus none of us measure up he had to overcome this obstacle of not being able to see Christ he had to rise above his handicap so what did he do he can read it here so he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree what a pause he knew where Jesus was going he probably looked at the narrow streets and he saw the procession noisily coming up I just thought inhaled a mustache here any of you ever had that problem right any of you ladies ever had that problem before but so he looked up the street and he saw where the procession was going and he calculated and he decided I'm going to intercept Jesus I want to be where he's gonna be so he thought and he ran ahead so they could rendezvous I'd like to also submit to you that if you want to see Jesus you've got to try to be where he's gonna be now I'm preaching to the choir now cuz you're a camp meeting you folks came I hope not just to see your friends and that's good to see our friends but I hope you're here because you came to see Jesus and you know the Bible says that he'll honor any efforts if you draw near to God if you'll draw near to you if you come to camp-meeting and you're looking for the Lord and you're looking for a blessing I believe that God will bless you I believe he'll speak to you I believe he'll encourage you I believe he'll guide you if you make an effort to be where he's gonna be that would also include church every week some come to camp-meeting for the social benefits but they're not real faithful about going to church Jesus says where two or three are gathered in my name I'm there and if you know that's where the Lord's gonna be you ought to run ahead and be there when he gets there amen and that includes Sabbath school you know I started a church years ago in New Mexico we did some church planting there on the reservation and we really did start a church from scratch and did a couple of evangelistic meetings back to back and we told folks starts at 9:30 and everybody came at 9:30 and after a year and a half of that church some of the visitors from other churches came and they saw how many people were were there for Sabbath school and they said hey this is great I guess you haven't told them that Sabbath school is optional yet so no they think they're supposed to be here just like the worship service but a lot of us kind of got this Laodicean attitude I'm gonna sleep through Sabbath school and often that's the best place to get the food right nothing against the preachers I'm sometimes firing Blanks myself but you need to come and study with each other right we need to come to Sabbath school if you know Jesus is gonna be there you should be there so he ran ahead and he found a tree a sycamore tree now the sycamore tree here is not like the American Sycamore that's got the spiny fruit that's unedible this was a type of fig tree it was something of an inferior fig that gave the poor Aidid or even the animals but it was a fig tree and I think it's interesting that Zacchaeus climbed a fig tree I'll get to that in just a little bit because he knew Jesus was going to pass that way what does it mean that he climbed a tree to see Jesus what is the tree you know the Bible tells us Acts chapter 2 Peter said that the Jews crucified Jesus whom he hung on the tree and the cross was not this beautifully sculpted piece of 6x6 that's not how they did it back then they would hack down a tree and strap it together and hang their criminals on it it was a little more than a tree made into an intersection Jesus died on a tree and that tree was a tree of life all of us are too short how does a man add a cubit unto his stature what should you by taking thought can add a cubit unto his stature how do we get taller I heard about a man Paul Harvey I just heard it on the radio I'd look for it in print I've never seen it again but I remembered it and I thought it was a great story that he shared on one of his radio broadcasts about this young man in Southern California and his life goal was to be part of the Los Angeles Police Department why anybody would have that as a life goal I don't know but that was his goal problem was they have a height requirement I'm not sure exactly what that is it's be at least five nine though right and so he was an inch too short they allowed him to go into police academy because he said I'm still gonna grow another inch I can grow an inch that won't be a problem they said no you realize we're very strict about the height requirement because we've got to draw a line somewhere and you know that makes sense it's hard to have midgets arresting people that are six feet tall so they had to have a height requirement and they said we draw the line and we can't make exceptions he says that don't no problem he thought to himself I can grow an inch that's gonna be too hard I'll go to the doctor I'll take some growth hormones or something well he went to the doctor he's already in police academy he's getting good grades every now and then he'd go and get measured but he wasn't growing anymore he's in his 20s doctor said you know these growth hormones have some effect but once you go through puberty it doesn't make any difference so doctor said sometimes you're a little taller in the morning when you first get up because through the course of the day your torso it compresses your vertebrae a little bit you might lose a little height get measured in the morning and so he'd run in the morning and get measured he gained about an eighth or a quarter of an inch but that wasn't enough he would hang he was so desperate he'd hang all night long made a device to strap himself up so he'd hang hoping to stretch himself out then he'd go hobble on into the doctor in the morning and get measured wasn't working well he's getting close to graduation and the doctor said look you know we can't make an exception if you're not the right height requirement you cannot be an officer and it was his life dream he discovered there's a surgery and sometimes dwarfs have this surgery where they actually break your bones in your legs and they put these very it's a little bit painful I understand they put these braces on and they stretch your bones apart so it grows and fills in and you can gain up to an inch doing that take some time and it's painful and it's expensive and he was willing to do that to get that extra inch but his mother said we don't have the money so she took a frying pan she whacked him over the head raised a bump about three quarters of an inch that plus the other things that he had done he just barely slid through and nobody wanted to challenge him from then on so I asked the question again which of you by taking a thought can add a cubit you know the cubit is it's a measurement between your elbow and your knuckle I think that's like 18 inches can you think and strain and grow how does Zacchaeus get tall enough how do you and I get tall enough jesus said if any man would come after me let him deny himself and take up his tree and follow me I believe that the cross of Christ is a tree of life and the only way for us to have that life is to take up our cross the only way to get tall enough is to take up our cross and to be crucified with Christ where did Jesus take his cross to his crucifixion if you take up your cross and follow Christ where do you go your crucifixion I am crucified with Christ yet I live not I Christ lives in me and you become a new creature you're dead to the old person you know it tells us well let's go back to our story here before he knew Jesus was going to pass that way and when he came to the place where he was he looked up and he saw him and he said Zacchaeus make haste and come to down today for I must stay at your house you know this is so wonderful that as this sea of people moves up the street and Zacchaeus you know he was rich he probably wore nice robes but he was willing to Humble himself one legend it's not in the Bible but one legend said he was not only rich and short but he was a little round which can happen if you're you know got too much money and it must have been something to see this fellow trying to shimmy up the tree so he could see Jesus red in the face going out on a limb there he is hanging there and sort of like an uncoordinated orangutan and the processions coming up the street and he's scanning this sea of faces wondering which one is Jesus and then he notices somebody seems to be getting the attention and they've got this majestic noble divine bearing and as they get closer stops right underneath the tree and he thinks oh great I'm gonna hear a sermon this is wonderful what a view and probably some in the crowd who knew Zacchaeus was her snickering and scoffing what a fool that publican up there sinner and then Jesus looks up and recognizes him and calls him by name now it could be that he fell out of a tree because you read a little further and it says Zacchaeus stood verse eight how do you go from Swasey standing in the tree know the in order for him to stand he had to be down I think that he probably lost his balance and just about dropped out of the tree when Jesus called him my name he knows me he sees us in the tree if you are taking up your cross Christ will see you he'll see you looking for him you draw near to God and he'll draw near to you how do we draw near to God well I told you come to camp-meeting tell you another way get on your knees you don't necessarily draw near by reaching higher as I said but you get it by kneeling lower and you humble yourself and you ask the Lord to take over your life if there's anything in your life that is an obstacle between you and God say lord save me lord have mercy on me a sinner do like that publican did Jesus said he went down to his house justified wouldn't it be wonderful if after everything that happens at camp-meeting if you don't go down to your house of justified then it wasn't a good week but no matter what happens it camp-meeting if you go down to your house justified oh praise God if you know that your sins are forgiven when you leave this place that's what it's all about how does it happen you got a climb a tree Jesus saw him at the tree you heard me refer earlier today we're talking about trees to Nathaniel Jesus saw in the fan you'll wear under the tree what kind of tree fig tree what was he doing there praying does Jesus see us they're praying you know the Bible tells us a lot about trees in the Bible the story of salvation begins and ends with a tree have you considered that first three chapters in the Bible tell how man was created in this paradise but because of sin he was evicted from the garden and he lost access to the Tree of Life the last three chapters of the Bible tell how the Tree of Life is restored access to the tree is restored in paradise is restored the story of the Bible is about how to get back to the tree the right tree Adam Eve got in trouble cos ate from the wrong tree amen sometimes I tell people that the Internet is something like a tree of good needle wonderful resources on the internet for Bible study I've got this list in my favorite places window on the left of my screen of just scores of Bible study resources and commentaries and things that are for free on the internet just incredible the the stuff that you can find there that's good not to mention of course all the amazing facts websites right but I think we all know internet is a tree of death for some people and if you know who you are and you're struggling with that you're better off cutting the cord what profit is it if you've got all those resources but you're going to the wrong places man aid from the wrong tree and he lost eternal life you know trees are fascinating to me when they went to conquer a land God told them he says you might tear down the cities you might burn the city but don't destroy the trees because the tree of the field is the life of man when they cut down too many trees trees is what keeps the mountains in place they erode my father was a pilot in World War two and he actually flew in the European theater but some of his friends have flew in the Pacific would get some basic training they told them if for whatever reason you have a power failure you're shot down you're in the Pacific if you can paddle towards or if you're at a lifeboat or like jacket find an island that has some coconut trees you can live a long time on the coconut and I've traveled a lot in the South Pacific I actually went to a summer camp where they dropped us on an island one time to survive and all my friends were so impressed with me because I knew how to open a coconut with nothing but my hands my dad had him in the backyard my Butler showed us how some advantages but it coconut trees called a tree of life you can get soap from coconut tree clothing from the coconut tree oil coconut milk food you can even make tools from the shells and you can live a long time on coconut no water on the island you can drink the coconut milk they called it a tree of life so many of the drugs and the benefits that we get you know I had some amazing facts here about trees I just completely forgot about I wanted to share with you come from trees that are pretty fascinating here it is not only of course are they homes for wildlife the air that you and I breathe comes from trees you've heard all the talk about the rain forests because they're concerned that they're gonna lose it the rubber comes from a tree aspirin comes from a tree maple syrup comes from a tree a lot of the most important drugs and medicines come from a tree the bark of the yew tree is the source of a drug called tax Hall which is used to make a drug for treating ovarian cancer trees are often where you'll find an oasis some of you remember the story in the Bible where children of Israel after coming out of the land of Egypt they're going through the wilderness pretty soon they run out of water eventually they make it to an oasis called Marah but there's a problem when they first taste the water the waters bad and they can't drink it I went camping with my friends in Nevada about once a year we usually go riding out into the hills in Nevada we found this one old spring called rabbit hole I mean we are 50 miles from the nearest town and they have an old historic marker there and they tell about a lot of the wagon trains dying of thirst they'd come to this spring and they'd drink the water and find out the water's poison and I know probably helped some of those people may have felt going through the wilderness and then God showed Moses a tree and he took that tree and he cast it into the waters and the waters were healed what does that represent the cross Jesus is a tree of life this waters represent multitudes in peoples and languages and tongues and the waters were bitter the sin in the world and what made it palatable they took the tree and they cast it in the water then they could drink turn those bitter waters into living waters and the Lord can do that for your life what made the difference the tree and what is the tree the cross it's a gospel something I'm thinking about and I don't want to take it too far but when you read that story in Daniel chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar has a vision whatsit of a great tree great tree that seems to fill the whole earth and it its shade provides comfort and relief for the beasts and and the branches find the birds find refuge in the branches and on this tree is fruit to feed all the world but then something happens a voice is heard saying cut it down and the tree is cut down and there's a band of bronze and a band of iron on the trunk and seven times pass over it and then it comes back to life now of course we know that historically this represents a Nebuchadnezzar right but something occurred to me I was reading in Daniel chapter 9 and it talks about in the midst of the week the Messiah will be cut down cut off isn't Jesus a tree of life wasn't he cut down for you and me but didn't he come back why we were thinking about trees I remember the story in the Bible about King David David made a terrible mistake with Bathsheba we all know that people love to talk about it because it's often used as an excuse for our sin get into trouble we say well after all never what David did people forget yeah David did sin but very few people who want to sin like David are willing to repent like David he spent seven days on his face weeping for his sin and because of his sin part of the judgment was from his own mouth David said the man that has done this thing will pay for full David lost four sons right away he lost the respect of some of his sons Amnon the oldest raped David's daughter Tamar David didn't do anything to chastise this son for this barbaric deed Absalom began to see inside that his father wasn't doing anything two years went by and he said if he's not doing anything I'll do it and Absalom killed his brother then he fled ultimately through the intercession of Joab Absalom came back now do you remember Absalom the word Absalom Abba Father Shalom peace of the Father it's good name good-looking boy he would have been the pride and joy visibly of any parent from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him you know in some respects he's a type of Christ and in other ways he's a type of the great rebel Absalom is a very interesting study ultimately Absalom steals the hearts of the people a war breaks out David is forced to flee his soldiers go into battle for David against Absalom his own son and in the battle David's forces who are well seasoned soldiers they turned the armies of Israel to run Absalom is fleeing on his mule and the mule goes underneath a terrible tree an oak tree probably his head is caught in the branches of this tree and the mule rides out from under him and leaves him hanging in this tree one of the soldiers runs to Joab and says you're never gonna believe what we just saw we saw Absalom stuck by his head hanging he's still twitching and alive in this tree now before I go any farther think about this the son of David hanging in a tree suffering does that bring up conjure up any memories of the New Testament for you and Joab said I would have given you a reward if you would have killed him and the soldier said not on your life that's the king's son Joab took three darts in his hand and he went why Absalom was still alive in the midst of the three of the tree and he pierced him in his heart something like the three nails we typically think of that Jesus died with and then ten soldiers of Joab stood around and butchered Absalom flumes threw him in a great pit put a pile of stones over word finally reaches David and you know even though that boy wanted to kill him even though his soldiers had put their lives on the line to rescue him from that rebel when David heard that his son died it just ripped his heart apart you know why it not only hurt because he lost his son David knew that in part Absalom died because of his sin you catching this the son of David dying suspended between heaven and earth in a tree because of his sin Chris Absalom you know he rebelled and he did his own things wrong but there's a message there there's a spiritual lesson there Christ became sin for you and I when he hung on the tree am i right why would you plant a tree in your yard what do you want from a tree don't you want fruit I've planted some trees before that were fruitless and it's sort of discouraging the Bible tells a story one time almost seems like Jesus had a tantrum on his way to the temple to teach in the morning he passes by a fig tree it has all the appearance that it's going to have fruit our next door neighbor has a fig tree in California there and hangs over the fence so we get to glean whatever is on our side of the fence so I get a first-hand record every year of how figs operate and at the same time the leaves are in full bloom the fruit is typically ripe but this tree had all the pretense of having fruit but no fruit just leaves something like the Jewish nation at the time of Christ all the forms and ceremonies of religion but no fruit something like the church of laodicea a form of godliness with no power all the trappings of religion without the holiness of Christ like living leaves no fruit so what did Jesus do he said no man shall ever eat from you again forever and it tells us in mark the next day the tree was withered I think Matthew is the one that said straightway maybe I'm getting him backwards mark is one who says right away it seemed to wither up but immediately that tree began to die at that moment it was very evident the next day was the Lord having the temper tantrum I'm hungry low blood sugar you're not gonna give me any fruit is that like Jesus or do you think there's a lesson there Jesus speaking of the second coming said behold the trees in other places had behold the fig tree and all the trees when it's branch is yet tender and it brings forth shoots you know that summer is nice so likewise when you see all these things come to pass know that it is near even at the door verily I say to you this generation will not pass away till all these things be fulfilled and a lot of people tried to figure out was that fig tree Israel was in 1948 was Jesus supposed to be raptured take place in 1988 and and I missed the whole point of the story there'd be a lot of outward religion in the last days putting forth shoots promise but he doesn't say there'd be fruit he tells another parable in the Gospel of Luke chapter 13 verse 6 you know they told me to make sure that I go until just about the Sabbath fending but they didn't tell me if that's Michigan or California because I've just I haven't even gotten past my first page of notes here yet so there's a lot I could share with you I remember somebody at back they said pastor Doug do you think you can preach an hour as frogs water proof like I'm sorry and I just spent about 45 minutes with the youth before I came here I go in there that was great he tells his parable Luke 13 verse 6 it's only in the Gospel of Luke a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and he found none then he said to the keeper of his vineyard look for three years how long for three years I have come seeking fruit on this tree and have found none cut it down why does it cover the ground but he answered and he said to him sir let it alone this year also until I dig around it and I fertilize it and if it bears fruit well but if not after that you can cut it down John the Baptist and his preaching he said now is the ax laid to the root of the tree every tree that does not bring forth fruit is what cut down and thrown on the fire friends how important is it that we have fruit is it optional in the parable of the vine of the branches those vines that do not bear fruit are good for nothing but to be cut down and thrown in the fire Christ wants us to have the fruit in our lives what is that fruit Galatians chapter 5 the fruit of the Spirit love joy peace goodness temperance meekness the characteristics of Christ and you know what if you've got the fruit of the Spirit you'll have the fruit of soul-winning did that make sense if we've got the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life we will also have the fruit of being able to witness that's where Jesus said wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father don't go out preaching until you get the Holy Spirit when you get the Holy Spirit the soul winning you can't stop it it's like trying to stop the grass from going when it's raining when the Holy Spirit is poured out they'll be fruit we need to pray for that in our lives now listen Becht is parable certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard what's the vineyard Isaiah tells us the vineyard is the house of Israel now I started doing a study one time because whenever I see times in the Bible I just say I wonder if you can apply a date for a year is this a prophecy it's a parable and so I played with it now indulge me think about this for a second well let's be laughs okay I don't have a screen if you got a pencil pull it out you might want to write some of these things down tell me if it makes sense to you how many years all together are in this parable let it alone it says after three years no fruit let it alone one more year total of how many years total of four years after three years still no more fruit he plants a fig tree that fig tree Jesus cursed it right out of Jerusalem right outside the temple let's say that it's Jerusalem his holy place the center of his presence his religion planted in Israel the vineyard the Holy Land when was when were the children of Israel planted in the Holy Land well there's a couple of variations but it's somewhere between 1406 it's right about 1406 BC all the Bible's I look in that have dates in it Joshua crossed over they did spin a number of years conquering the promised land from the time they first crossed over but stay with me if a day equals a year in prophecy and you use a Jewish measurement according to the Jewish calendar lunar calendar how many days in the year 360 how do we know that because the 1260 days the only way it can be a time a time in the dividing of times is if each year has 360 days it's the only way that works so the Bible teaches us 360 days to the Jewish year reckoning three years are four years rather would equal 4 times 360 I came up with 1440 okay by the way if you go the first three years you come to the time of the end of the Old Testament and it's like God is evaluating there and he gives them one more year if you add 1440 to 1406 that comes to 34 ad didn't anything happen in 34 AD Bible scholars out there that's when Stephen was stoned that's when the 490 year prophecy ended are you with me you checked my days because you know I used to live in a cave I want to trust me if I were you but suppose you want to use the date of 1370 that is a little earlier if you add 1440 to that 1370 BC keep in mind BC when you're counting backwards if you go to when they finally conquered the promised land some have pinned that at 13 70 you can read the commentaries you go 1440 from there that comes to 70 AD what happened in 70 AD temple was destroyed so I think I win either way because I think there's a message in this parable said let that give it as much time as possible you know what I think one of the most important lessons is in this parable you can hear the gardener pleading with the one who owns the vineyard it's almost like the son pleading with the father please don't cut it down please don't cut it down give me more time I'll dig around it I'll miracle-gro fertilizer all irrigated anything that it might have fruit can you hear Jesus pleading but eventually if it is a fruitless tree God has no alternative you know there's no reason and you know what something else you notice about this parable here in Luke he never tells you the end of the story because it varies from every person I believe you and I have a choice what kind of tree we want to be I believe you and I have a choice what kind of soil the seed falls on do you want to be a stony heart or do you want to be a fertile heart I believe we have an opportunity to receive what the gardener is offering us the Lord God planted a garden Jesus is that gardener amen and Jesus is the cross he is the tree of life God is calling us to be fruitful trees psalms 1 verse 1 blessed is the man who walks in the counsel of the ungodly who walks not in the counsel of the Godley sorry nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his delight he meditates day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water you know whenever I read this it's very visible for me because when I lived up in the canyon complete deserts surrounded us cactus sagebrush creosote bushes there's pretty barren fruitless stuff but by my cave was a creek that ran through a desert and trees grew there even grape vines grew there so when I read David's expression here of the one who does not walk in the way of the ungodly or sit in the seat of the scornful he's like a tree rooted and even though it might be scorching around him it still has a green leaf because of where the roots are are you rooted in Christ you know I remember hearing a a parable one time told by elder of Brizzy and it's a parable about a crabapple tree he said some boys were on their way home from school one day and they went through this orchard and the orchard was full of red delicious trees but just on the other side of the fence there was a crabapple tree and every now and then the boys would pluck one of these crab apples just to see if their cute little apples not realizing how bitter they were and they'd take a bite and go Kakui and they'd throw it as far as they could they just have crabapple fights but what they didn't know is how much that hurt the crabapple tree probably think I'm a tree hugger now I got sheet inches it's a true story and the crabapple tree was so disappointed so when the farmer was out working one day in the Red Delicious orchard crabapple tree was crying he came over and the farmer said what's the problem and he said I just want Red Delicious apples did nobody enjoys my apples they just fall on the ground they rock gather fruit flies and so the farmer said well how can I help you and he said crabapple tree said well I've noticed that you irrigate the Red Delicious apples but you don't irrigate my roots I'm sure if you would irrigate my roots I could have fruit and the farmers said well it's more work but if that's what you want me to do so he got his grub hoe and he dug a trench from the Red Delicious trees over to the crab apple tree and brought some water to the roots a year went by and sure enough that next year those crab apples were even bigger boys on their way home from school stopped thought they'd take a sample bit into those apples and bitter as their because bigger more bitter apples so the farmer was out working in the orchard and he heard the whimpering and he went over to the crabapple tree said what's the problem said my apples are still bitter so what do you want me to do crabapple said I've noticed that I'm on the wrong side of the fence if you would just move that fence a little bit so I'm inside the orchard I could be a Red Delicious tree like all the other Red Delicious trees in the orchard farmer said that's a lot of work but if that's what you want me to do so he moved the fence and the fence made this very obscure dogleg around the crabapple tree just so he could feel included in the orchard but it must have worked because the next year the boys on their way home from school they stopped and they said oh look a new Red Delicious and they grab one of these crab apples and they bit into it and they spit it and they threw him at each other and they threw him at the tree and and the farmer was out working in the orchard and he heard the crabapple crying again he's really crying loud now farmer came over what's the problem he said I just want to be a Red Delicious I just want to be sweet I want people to one my fruit and he said I'm out of ideas farmer said would you like me to help said could you please he said I thought you'd never ask so I'll be right back he came back with a little HomeLife chain saw and right about then the crab Elsa said well wait but it's too late he made one clean cut down by the trunk toppled the whole thing then he went off into the orchard that spring and got a couple of cuttings from the very best of the Red Delicious trees grafted them into the crabapple stump and even that very first year there were some blossoms and great big apples on those sprouts the moral of the story is it's not irrigation that gives us fruit some people think if I could just get baptized now that's important I mean even the Red Delicious need irrigation don't think others think if I could just be in the church that's going to give me fruit and I don't know how many people there are that think that we are saved by virtue of being on the church rolls one of my frustrations as a pastor can I talk frankly with you since it's my last meeting I'm leaving town thank you for inviting me back a couple of times in the last few years I won't be surprised if I don't get an invitation next year but one of my frustrations as a pastor is people who have this illusion that somehow having your name on the books is what saved you they'll misunderstand it is very important to join the church I don't know why a person wouldn't join the church there will be some people who are lost because they deliberately don't join the church because they're rebels just stubbornness Christ's plan is to join the church but being on the church rolls if you are not converted doesn't save you and it's frustrating for me as a pastor every now and then will try to clean up the books and you got to do that I've done evangelistic meetings before I remember this one brother I was preparing for baptism and as I brought the name to the pastor he said that name sounds familiar and he looked through his church rolls he said he's already a member I said really I went back to the fellow who've been coming to our meetings he said I'm a member he said what you know i-i've a glee remember before World War two I was a member back then but I left for the service and I've never been back to that church he's still on the books I've been to churches where they got people on the books who are dead I'm not talking about the ones who sit in the pew every week I'm talking about they've been buried in the cemetery and then every now and then you'll talk to the church board and you'll say you know we've done our very best brother or sister so-and-so has not been here in years they are not practicing the life they don't come we've made our best efforts and I think you should make your best efforts to reclaim people but if people are not coming and you've made your best efforts it really hurts the church to keep them on the books because it is a form of hypocrisy to say that this person is a seventh-day Adventist Christian and regular and good standing and they're not living the life it's hypocrisy and it's like you got Akins in the camp I think it restricts the potential for God to pour out his spirit but I'll tell you what happens you just wait until you mentioned to the board one of their kids that maybe is on the books or one of their relatives that's on the books and then all of a sudden they're supposed to be a dispensation that's made because it's like it's the last straw we still have this illusion that they're Christians cuz they're on the books even though they're in the bar every night we're not saved by moving the fence if we're gonna have the fruit tree yeah that's important to be irrigated you want to be fertilized and you want to have the you want to be in the church but ultimately we must be crucified with Christ God's got to get his chainsaw and cut us down to size and then he's got to create a new heart within us there's got to be a graft that is me and you become new creatures let's go back to Zacchaeus I could talk about trees for a while but turn back with me to Luke chapter 19 you thought I forgot about Zacchaeus we left him was he up in the tree still oh he's down on the ground now and when he verse 5 and when he came to the place he looked up any Psalm and he said Zacchaeus make haste and come down can I translate that when Jesus had come down you know what he's saying come to me is that fair to say how does he ask him to come make haste you know it's like in the book pilgrims progress we are to act quickly to flee from the city of destruction it breaks my heart and deeply concerns me the lackadaisical indifferent attitude that we have about the peril of our souls when Christ calls you to follow him have you noticed in the Bible that it's always an immediate call they left their nets immediately and followed him they forsook their family and followed him Matthew walked away from his business and followed him he didn't say when it's convenient follow me I've got news for you if you wait until you think it's convenient to make a total surrender to Jesus the devil will see to it that it is never convenient it will never be easy there will always be a cross there will always be a trial jesus said if you're gonna come after me you must deny yourself there'll always be something that self-denial involved but when he calls us to come come now one man said Lord I want to follow you but first you know I'm waiting for my dad to die and I'll need to take care of the family affairs and I mean that seems like a practical question and Jesus said no man putting his hand to the plow and looking back is worthy of the kingdom let the dead bury the dead you follow me now today is the accepted time the angel said to lot arise and flee for your life and Jesus when he calls us to come to him he says come now we have no promise of another moment another heart feed every gift every heartbeat and breath is a gift of mercy from the Lord Jesus said the Zacchaeus make haste and come to me now I've often thought one of Zacchaeus said will not now Lord kids like all these people are looking they don't like me very much they're gonna make fun of me I will see if we can get a private audience later Jesus was making his last trip through Jericho wasn't he come now now is the accepted time and the other thing I've noticed it says so what did he do he made haste he made haste and he came down the only way that you can make the most haste in coming down is to fall I don't think he could come down any quicker than that he made haste and he came down I can't prove he fell but I just picture it and you can't prove he did it so I say it and he received him how did he receive him joyfully how do we receive Christ joyfully you know so often it's often portrayed is there one who would like to come to the Lord and you can join our wine and pine ministries and the Christian life is a happy life now I'm not saying we should be frivolous and I often get criticized and forgive me if I ever am inappropriate you know you just had to know my mother but it I know I she really she had a tremendous sense of humor but and I just see funny things in life when nobody else sees them my wife tells me I have a warped sense of humor but Christians should be joyful it doesn't mean you're giddy there should be an abiding joy in the life and I think that we ought to exude that the the happier we are as Christians the better we advertise for Christ do you agree with that someone said one time we need more zip in our hip and pimp in our step and spunk in our trunk to go along with a fanatic in the Attic right Christians ought to be happy and I often think of what Spurgeon said when he was teaching ministers he told them that when you're preaching he told these young pastors he said have some expression he said show that people let them see what you're talking about and if you're describing the pearly gates your I should Sparkle and when you talk about the golden streets your face should shine and he said and if you should happen to be preaching about hell your normal everyday expression is probably gonna work just fine Christians are on their way to a feast not a funeral right and if you've gone from being dead to alive sick to well lost the found darkness to light look at that transition if you go through that incredible transition shouldn't you be happy about that Zacchaeus knew that he came to him joyfully and you know what really compels this mystery he's coming to the Lord joyfully and he demonstrates confession and repentance he received him joyfully and when they saw it who is the they that's the crowd around Jesus they all murmured why he's gone to be a guest with a man who's a sinner and it's like Simon if this man was a prophet he'd know who and what manner of woman this is that's touching him for she's a sinner last who Jesus came to save sinners anyone here qualify that's right that means he came to save you he's going to be a guest with a sinner listen to what Zacchaeus said Zacchaeus stood and he says Lord look I give half of my goods to the poor you know why he's keeping the other half he goes on and explains it and if I've taken anything from anyone by false accusation I'll use the other half to restore them fourfold and it's almost a little sarcasm in there because for a publican to say and if I've taken anything I shouldn't a of course he had that's how they made their money they took it on the side one of the signs that the Holy Spirit has changed his life is he's willing to give all for Jesus isn't he after coming out of that tree he says I don't own anything Lord I'm giving to the poor I'm giving it on righting the wrongs all that I am all that I have it's yours can you see the change he saw Jesus he repents he confesses there's a Reformation in his life and what does the Lord say jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house how long after he comes to Jesus does salvation come to his house today the Lord calls us today you can go down to your house justified today jesus said that if you see him passing by today and you come to him today salvation can come to your house if you're willing to climb that tree you might be thinking Doug I don't know how I'm too short I have fallen short so many times I can't see Christ the crowd is in the way if you and your heart would get on your knees or when you get off by yourself at the conclusion of this camp meeting and they say Lord you've spoken to me through the week and I believe that I haven't made a full sacrifice I want the fruit of the Spirit in my life I know that if I'm gonna win souls to you I need the fruit of the Spirit in my life will you forgive my sins I'm willing to take up my cross and if you're willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus that's when Zacchaeus saw the Lord when he climbed the tree that's where Jesus saw Nathanael that's where David wept when he saw his son in the tree and that's what Christ did for you and I he died on the cross so that you and I can have everlasting life Christ of course ends the story by saying today salvation has not will he didn't put him on probation today salvation has come to this house and he is also a son of Abraham don't forget what did Jesus say I want to abide at your house come down right now cuz I want to abide at your house what does that mean Jesus wants to abide here in your heart individually and he wants to live in your home not one day a week at church he wants to be a regular guest in your heart and in your home amen your body's a temple of the Holy Spirit he wants to abide in your house he wants to buy it in your house abide he wants to be a friend he wants to dwell with you and beyond that he wants to dwell in your homes and beyond that you collectively the church are the temple of God he wants to abide in your house in your church you with me he wants to abide in your house your heart he wants abide in your homes your family he wants to abide in your church Jesus wants to dwell with you he's just asking for us to look for him he's not very far from any one of us if we would grope for him all you got to do is climb a tree you know the Bible promises salvation comes from seeing God blessed are the pure in heart they will see God you know what the words the kiyose means I thought this was fascinating that publican that chief publican you know the word Zacchaeus means pure blessed are the pure in heart what did he want he wanted to see Jesus who he was blessed are the pure in heart they will see God there's a legend that I've heard that for years after that in the early church as people went through Jericho there was this short fellow that sat at the base of this big fig tree and he would every now and then look wistfully at this tree and Pat it and someone would figure that the old fella had lost it they'd say well man what are you doing and they look at the mean say this was the first place where he spoke my name this was the first place where I saw the Lord would you like to see the Lord eternal life comes from us accepting the sacrifice of Christ being willing to take up our cross and to follow him you know Jesus wants fruit he cursed the fig tree because there was no fruit what kind of treated Zacchaeus climb a fig tree did Jesus find fruit that day he found food in that tree to me and you know you can find fruit in a tree Christ is the Tree of Life the cross is the Tree of Life I'd like to ask you all for just a moment to bow your heads if you'd be good not please didn't close your eyes I know it may be awkward with people around you and this setting but see if you could just isolate and insulate yourself from anything else happening and just be listening to the voice of God speaking to your heart have you fallen short are there some areas in your life where you know you need to surrender to the Lord would you like to have that joy that God is offering Jesus wants to abide in your house even more than he wanted to be in the home of Zacchaeus he wants to live in your house now and he wants you to abide with him in his house through eternity you don't have to leave this place today without Christ he promises today if you will surrender your heart to him you can go to your house justified he'll give you a spirit you can live a new life but he accepts you if you'll come to him like Sookie is just like you are if you'd like to say in God's presence right now Lord I hear you speaking to my heart and I want to fully accept Jesus into my life I want to embrace Christ as the Tree of Life would you lift your hand in his presence just say Lord I'm gonna reach up for that fruit of life right now let's pray together father in heaven Eternal Father thank you so much for sending your son into this world and allowing him to die upon the tree to compensate for our eating from the wrong tree thank you Lord that while the tree of life has been taken out of this world you sent Jesus as a tree of life that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood might live forever Lord we want to avail ourselves of the life of Christ we want him to abide in our hearts and in our minds in our families in our churches I'd like to ask for your blessing and every person's life who's present here or listening on tape that you'll touch their hearts right now help them to really come to you fully let go of anything that might be an obstacle and to receive you joyfully to make haste right now and totally surrender and then as we go to our homes may we know that the blood of Jesus is covering our sins and we can go down to our house justified lord have mercy on us sinners we know Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost and that would be all of us thank you for the good news floor bless us as we go from this place that we might have the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and that others will be attracted to Jesus pour out your spirit on each person here the pastor's the leadership of this conference and we pray a revival will spring from this place and ripple through the country we also pray you'll bless the upcoming satellite meetings in September pour out your spirit above and beyond what we expect and thank you again for the Sabbath leadership we ask these things in Christ's name this meeting was produced by hope media ministry for this and other great witnessing material please visit our website at wwlp.com our addresses home media ministry P o box 750 - ADA Michigan 4 9 301 you can also email us at Hope at Hope video.com our media news DVD video CD audio and cassette you can also listen to much of our media at our online media center for free at wwlp.com that's whole menu you

Channel: hopemedia

Views: 8,721

Rating: 4.7368422 out of 5

Keywords: Doug Batchelor, Amazing Facts

Id: 3P6FkewS600

Length: 88min 37sec (5317 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 25 2011