Jesus calls you by name. Billy Graham explains how you can come to know the Savior in this 1979 message from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Watch more #MondayNightClassics every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
from our archives the Billy Graham
classics now tonight I want you to turn
with me to the 19th chapter of Luke’s
Gospel the 19th chapter Jesus is passing
through Jericho at this point in
Scripture and a blind man screamed out
and said Jesus thou son of David have
mercy upon me and Jesus touched him and
he was healed and now he’s passing right
through the middle of Jericho and
another incident happens at the same
time and Jesus entered and passed
through Jericho and the whole there was
a man named Zacchaeus which was the
chief among the publicans and he was
very rich and he sought to see Jesus who
he was and he could not for the press
that means the press of the crowd that
doesn’t mean the media because he was
little of stature and he ran before and
climbed up into a sycamore tree to see
him for he was to pass that way and when
Jesus came to the place he looked up and
saw him and said to him Zacchaeus make
haste come down for today I’m going to
abide at your house and he made haste
and he came down and he received him
joyfully and when they saw it they all
murmured and saying that he was gone to
be the guest with a man who’s a sinner
and Zacchaeus stood and said unto the
Lord the whole Lord half of all my goods
I’m going to give it to the poor and if
I’ve taken anything from any man by
false accusation I restore fourfold and
Jesus said unto him this day this day is
salvation come to this house for as much
as he also is a son of Abraham for the
Son of Man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost the son of man has
come to seek and save that which was
lost
and there are thousands of people here
tonight that are lost you’re not lost
from your parents so much a loss from
your
your loss from God you are separated
from God and Jesus has come to seek you
out and he sought out Zacchaeus and I’ll
tell you the story as Jesus was passing
through Jericho now you see Zacchaeus
was a publicly that meant that he was a
tax gatherer and he worked for Rome
he was rich he was despised he was a
social outcast the people didn’t like
the tax gatherers gathering taxes for a
foreign country that dominated them and
if Jesus had considered public opinion
he would have never once glanced at
Zacchaeus but Jesus never considered
public opinion the scripture says that
on all occasions Jesus made of himself
no reputation and I mentioned had been
many months since anyone had ever
crossed voluntarily into Zacchaeus his
house a man of great riches but he was a
lonely man he was a hated man he was
avoided by almost everybody in town but
his curiosity got the best of him he
wanted to see Jesus he had possibly
heard about Jesus and it heard them call
him many names some people had called
Jesus a devil some said he was a fanatic
some said he was a blasphemer some said
he was a heretic some said he was a
prophet some said he was imposter and
many said that he was actually the son
of God so naturally Zacchaeus had a
tremendous curiosity to see Jesus but
you see to see Jesus he had some
obstacles in the way to get to Jesus
there was the press of the crowd a big
crowd and he was a little fella and to
try to push his way through that crowd
was very difficult and he was also small
of stature he was a very small man and
to get through the crowd was almost an
impossibility because everybody wanted
to get close to Jesus and many of you
would like to know Jesus and you’d like
to get close to Jesus and you’d like to
have Jesus in your heart and you’d like
to have salvation but you face many
giggles what are they let’s just list a
few of them that you face first is pride
the Bible teaches that pride keeps more
people from Christ than any other sin
the sin of pride the Bible says God
resisteth the proud but giveth grace
unto the humble the Bible says if any
man among you seemeth to be wise in this
world let him become a fool that he may
be wise jesus said we had to become as
little children to be converted and if
you’re to get close to Christ and have
Christ in your heart you may be wise but
you must become a fool you must become
as a child you see we’re all proud and
we don’t like to humble ourselves and
then the second thing that keeps us from
Christ is idolatry and idolatry is
another sin all the way through the
scriptures that is mentioned is keeping
more people from God than almost any
other sin and our idolatry is very
unique in our day because we worship
ourselves we worship man whether we
realize it or not we’re worshipping
ourselves the things that we’ve created
the things we’ve made with our hands
whether it’s a television set or a new
automobile materialism all of these
things have become gods and goddesses
sex has become a goddess just as much as
it was in the days of Ephesus on the
days of Rome these are the modern gods
and the scripture says idolatry those
that commit it shall have their part in
the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone which is the second death in
Revelation 21:8 God hates idolatry and
then the third thing that may keep some
of you from Christ is world in his for
what is a man profited if he shall gain
the whole world and lose his own soul or
what shall a man give in exchange for
his soul said Jesus in Matthew 16 there
are many of you that are selling your
soul your eternal spirit for a little
bit of this world but jesus said suppose
you
all the oil of the middle-east all the
gold in South Africa all the diamonds in
Holland all the wealth of the whole
world and you had it all all the music
all the culture all the philosophy all
the psychology of the world you had it
all and lost your soul it wouldn’t be
worth it and yet you are losing your
soul for just a little bit of it now
that doesn’t mean that you’re not to
have money nowhere in the bible does God
condemn a wealthy man unless he misuses
it or unless he got it the wrong way
then he’s condemned but the Bible says
know ye not that friendship with the
world is enmity with God whosoever
therefore will be a friend of the world
is the enemy of God now what does that
word world mean it’s cosmos it means a
world system dominated by evil that evil
part of the world system in which we
live
friendship with that means enmity with
God and God says come out from among
them and be ye separate saith the Lord
and touch not the unclean thing world
and it’s in the New Testament meant the
relationship that people had with their
social environment we’re to be separated
from the evils of the world now perhaps
you saw those huge pictures on
television a few months ago of some
forty quails who for some unknown
biological reason beats themselves and
died they left their living environment
for one of death and died and many of
you have left the environment of living
in the Scriptures and living for God and
gone out into the world and your soul is
dead toward God it’s like the lemming in
Scandinavia they band together and for
some unknown reason walk down into the
ocean and die you deliberately bring on
your own spiritual death you promote
your own eternal death by going with the
evils of the world round about you and
the world round about you squeezes you
into its mold and it becomes a hindrance
to you coming
to Jesus Christ because the Bible says
you’re going to have to give up the
wrong things that are in the world the
lust and the greed and the hate and the
prejudice and the materialism part of
the world that’s wrong you have to turn
from when you come to Christ and that’s
the reason it’s so hard to follow Christ
in the modern day it’s not easy to be a
Christian I’m not going to fool you I
would think it’s more difficult to be a
Christian right now in modern America or
what modern Western world than any other
part of the world you see to be a
Christian in some parts of the Orient or
some parts of the world you have to
really stand for Christ and you have to
suffer but in a country where there’s no
suffering and no physical persecution
it’s rather easy just to slide along
really not knowing Christ calling
yourself a Christian but not really
being a Christian not a New Testament
Christian and there thousands of people
like that that had gone to church all
their lives and been baptized and
confirmed but still not knowing Christ
and then another obstacle of secret sins
the Bible says the psalmist prayed
cleanse thou me from secret Falls and
Paul wrote to the Romans the day when
God shall judge the secrets of men by
Jesus Christ
you can keep no secrets from God your
friends don’t know anything about them
your family may not even know but you
know and God has been speaking to you
about them it’s like the Incredible Hulk
on television I think I’ve seen it once
maybe twice but I read about it
and if I understand it correctly it’s
trying to get rid of the person inside
of him always and perhaps you’ve been
battling with the hidden man in your
heart with your secret sins confess them
to Christ tonight come to the cross and
bring those secrets of your heart and
lay them before him in
say Lord here they are I surrender and
then self-righteousness is another thing
that keeps people from Christ there is a
generation the Bible says that a pure in
their own eyes and yet they have not
been washed from their filthiness pure
in our own eyes patting each other on
the back saying we’re good when actually
we’re bad saying we’re good
when actually we’re sinning and breaking
God’s laws that cheats us from Christ
self-righteousness now we’ve seen the
obstacles let’s look at Jesus it’s a
personal call
Jesus turns to Zacchaeus and calls him
by name he sees Zacchaeus up the tree
you see Zacchaeus had climbed a sycamore
tree and was out on the limb sitting
there watching Jesus and all of a sudden
the most unpopular man in town the most
hated man in town the most sinful man in
town here’s his name call by the great
prophet Jesus and Jesus says Zacchaeus
can you imagine how startled he was that
out of all that crowd and those
religious leaders he the worst sinner in
town called by his name the Bible says
Jesus is the Good Shepherd he called it
his own sheep by name and leadeth them
in Genesis we read that God came in the
Garden of Eden personally to call Adam
he said Adam Adam / earth thou and later
he called Abraham he said Abraham Jacob
Moses Joshua get in Samuel David Solomon
he called them all by name Isaiah
Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel he called him by
name and then when the Lord Jesus Christ
came he called his disciples by name he
went down by the seashore and he called
out Simon Peter
Andrew James John and from the receipt
of custom another man like Zacchaeus a
tax gatherer Matthew come and follow me
and he arose and followed Jesus
immediately and on the Damascus Road
he said soul soul soul why do you
persecute me and on the Isle of Patmos
he said John he called you by name what
is your name Jim Mary Susie Peter he
called you by name
tonight he knows your name he knows all
about you and he called you
and he says Mary get up out of your seat
and come and receive me tonight I want
to come into your house and into your
heart Jim you need me you know you need
me to help you to forgive you to take
you to heaven get up out of your seat
and come he called you by name he looked
up in the tree and said Zacchaeus and it
was an urgent call
he said Zacchaeus make haste hurry we
don’t have long and that’s what he says
to you hurry
make haste if you’re going to come to
Christ come now you may never have
another moment like this nowhere does
the Bible promise tomorrow you can be
saved it’s today today is the day of
salvation
now is the accepted time there may not
be a tomorrow for you there’s a little
verse in your national anthem that
sometimes it I miss when I hear it sung
and it’s a beautiful thing o Lord our
God arise on thee our hopes we fix god
save us all tonight that would be my
prayer for you god save us all and
that’s what the Lord Jesus came to seek
and to save that which is lost
today he’s urgently calling you by name
and it was a successful call because
Zacchaeus did make haste you
what he did he didn’t wait to climb down
the tree he jumped and deal moody the
Evangelist of the last century said that
Zacchaeus was converted from the limb to
the ground and I expect that’s about
truth the rich young ruler came to Jesus
he fell down before Jesus he was running
to Jesus making haste to get to Jesus
and he got to Jesus but he couldn’t pay
the price and he was lost even though
Jesus loved him in Jesus tried and Jesus
talked with him and gave him precious
time yet that young man never came to
Jesus but Zacchaeus the great sinner did
come to Jesus and Jesus went to
Zacchaeus home and you know what I think
I think that Jesus probably took Matthew
with him and I expect that Matthew and
Zacchaeus got into a conversation late
into the night and Matthew told him
about his own experience how he’d been
also a tax gatherer now he had been a
sinner and how Jesus had called him by
name and he said follow me and Matthew
said I got up right then and followed
him and I’ve never regretted one minute
of it he changed my life he’s given me
assurance he’s blessed my family he’s
brought our family together
oh I’d die for him I’ve given him my
life and Zacchaeus heard that and I
imagine that Matthew told him that night
you know Zacchaeus if you come to Christ
if you come to Jesus you’re going to
have to make some restitution you’re
going to have to change your whole way
of living and you’re going to have to
declare openly your allegiance for Jesus
Christ we’re to be in the world but not
of it we live in two worlds we live in
this world but we’re also citizens of
another world the kingdom of heaven and
our first allegiance is always to the
kingdom of heaven yes I imagine
you told him all of those things what
was the result
the result was that Zacchaeus received
Christ now receiving Christ involves an
act of faith beyond mere human reason
the Bible says the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God for
their foolishness under him neither can
he know them because they are
spiritually discerned in other words a
natural person like you just cannot come
and reason his way to the kingdom of God
you cannot reason your way to Christ I
don’t imagine Zacchaeus sat down and
went through all the philosophy and all
the theological debates about Jesus he
just joyfully received him by faith
simply like a little child and Jesus
received him and forgave him you see
Christ is knocking on our hearts door
tonight he’s asking people like you to
receive him and they accused him of
saying they accused him by saying this
man receiveth sinners are you a sinner
have you broken God’s law I’m a sinner
are you sure you are he receiveth
sinners it not a wonderful thing that he
receiveth sinners and when I stand and
if they should ask me at the gates of
heaven when I die what is the password
I’m going to say I’m here by the grace
and the mercy of God because of what
Jesus Christ did on the cross I’m not
here by any good works Billy Graham ever
did I’m not going to heaven because I’ve
preached in a big stadium full of people
like this tonight
I’m not going to heaven because I’ve
read the Bible I’m not going to heaven
because I prayed I’m not going to heaven
because of a wonderful Christian wife
and five Christian children I’m going to
heaven because of the Grace and the
mercy of God I’m a sinner I deserve
judgment I deserve hell I’m going
because of Christ and I have received
Christ I’ve let him come into my heart
and I’ve come to the cross he’s forgiven
my sin I have eternal life I know I’m
tonight I know where I’ve come from I
know why I’m here I know where I’m going
and if he should come tonight I’m ready
do you know that are you sure about that
this man receiveth sinners but as many
as received him to them gave he power to
become the sons of God even to them that
believe on his name you receive him and
let him come into your life and you’ll
find what it means to be joyful without
Christ to fill that empty void in your
life nothing else satisfies sex doesn’t
do it drugs doesn’t do it
power popularity all of that is nothing
Christ is everything and then when you
have Christ you’re ready to live here
and now life with a capital L when you
really know Christ as your Savior yes
Zacchaeus received Christ joyfully and
notice another thing
Zacchaeus openly confessed Christ
publicly he stood in front of all of his
friends in the whole town and he said
I’ve been wrong I’ve been a sinner I’m
ready to restore everything I ever did
if necessary
whatever it takes from now on I’m
following Jesus Christ he is my Lord and
he is my Savior he came to seek and to
save me in this town of Jericho he came
to Halifax in the form of this crusade
to seek and to save you and he called
you by name and he says make haste come
while there’s time because you see the
scripture says who suffer denied the son
the same hath not the father
he that confesseth the son openly hath
the father also also the scripture says
who service shall confess that Jesus is
the Son of God dwelleth in him and he in
God and Jesus said if you deny me before
men if you deny me publicly
I’ll not confess you before my father
which is in heaven you say Jesus Christ
hung on the cross publicly in front of
hundreds of people dying bleeding
you and he asks you to publicly receive
him and I’m going to ask you to do that
in a moment there are three things you
have to do first listen to this so you
can never stand at the judgment say I
never knew first you must repent of your
sin how do you repent the word repent
means to change your mind it means to
turn your going in this direction in
your life you turn around and start in a
new direction now you may not be able to
turn by yourself in fact you can you
have to say lord help me to turn help me
to repent it means that you’re willing
to let Christ come into your life and
help you change your whole pattern of
living your lifestyle everything if
necessary and then the second thing by
faith you receive it
now that word faith may cause you to
stumble it means that you commit that
you surrender your total life to Jesus
Christ you’re not trusting any other God
you’re not trusting any other religion
you’re not trusting anything but Jesus
Christ and him alone to save you that’s
faith total commitment to Christ and
then thirdly you’re willing to follow
him you’re willing to be his disciple
now the word disciple means learner or
discipline it means discipline learning
you’re following him growing in the
Grace and knowledge of Christ by
studying the Bible by prayer by
witnessing by attendance at church you
say well Billy you know most of those
things huh I’m already doing but do you
really know Christ are you sure of it if
you’re not sure if you’re not certain
that Christ is in your heart tonight and
that your sin is forgiven he’s calling
you by name he sees you and he says make
haste and come I’m going to ask you to
get up out of your seat right now
hundreds of you from everywhere as we’ve
seen every night get up out of your seat
and come and stand in front and say by
coming I want to come to the cross by
faith tonight and I want my sins
forgiven I want to know that I have
eternal life I want to know I’m going to
you get up and come right now quickly
and stand here if you’re with friends or
relatives they’ll wait and after you’ve
come I’m going to say a word to you and
have a prayer with you and we’ll give
you some literature to help you in your
Christian life and then you can go and
join your friends but I’m going to ask
no one to leave the stadium now at this
holy moment everyone in an attitude of
prayer as people are already coming you
get up and come right now – God is
calling you by name Jesus is looking in
your direction and he knows your heart
and he says come you get up and come
quickly we’re going to wait
[Music]
as hundreds are responding to mr.
Graham’s invitation to make a public
commitment to Jesus Christ you can make
that same commitment right where you are
just pick up the phone and call the
number you see on your screen special
friends are waiting to talk with you and
pray with you about this most important
decision
[Music]
you that are watching at home or in a
bar or in a hotel room wherever you are
by television you have been able to see
that there are hundreds of people here
in Halifax Nova Scotia coming to commit
their lives to Jesus Christ you two are
like Zacchaeus and Jesus is calling you
by name
and he’s saying come make haste make
your commitment where you are now and be
sure and go to church next Sunday
god bless you if you just prayed that
prayer with my father or if you have any
questions about a relationship with
Jesus Christ I’ll just call that number
that is on the screen there’ll be
someone there to talk with you pray with
you and answer those questions and
remember God loves you
if you would like to commit your life to
Jesus Christ please call us right now
toll-free yet one eight seven seven
seven seven two four five five nine
that’s one eight seven seven seven seven
two 45:59 or you can write to us at
billy graham one Billy Graham Parkway
Department C Charlotte North Carolina
two eight two zero one or you can
contact us on the web 24/7 at peace with
God TV will get the same helps to you
that we give to everyone who responds at
the invitation on behalf of Franklin
Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association thank you for watching and
thank you for your prayers
[Music]
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