1
00:00:07,370 --> 00:00:11,890
Open your Bibles as we're in the
series on the parables and in 

2
00:00:11,930 --> 00:00:16,329
we're in Luke 15. 
I have sent myself an enormous 

3
00:00:16,329 --> 00:00:21,530
task and I probably won't 
complete it as there are so much

4
00:00:21,530 --> 00:00:24,370
information in in these 
parables. 

5
00:00:25,370 --> 00:00:31,960
Title of tonight's 3 parables is
our Search and Rescue in Luke 

6
00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,160
chapter 19. 
So I open your Bibles to Luke 

7
00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:35,600
15. 
That's where we'll be. 

8
00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,760
But in Luke 19, verse 10, it 
says for the Son of Man has come

9
00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,320
to seek and to save that which 
is lost. 

10
00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,800
To seek and to save that which 
is lost. 

11
00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:53,040
That's you and me. 
The essence of Christianity and 

12
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,800
of the gospel is this, to seek 
and save that which is lost. 

13
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:06,040
For the Son of man, God in the 
human flesh has come and refers 

14
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,560
to his birth. 
He was born in Bethlehem. 

15
00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:14,120
This Sunday will be, I think, 69
days away from when we celebrate

16
00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:19,440
his birth, His incarnation, God 
putting on the body of a man His

17
00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,040
entry into the world. 
And why did he come? 

18
00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,400
He came to seek to save that 
which is lost. 

19
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:30,600
Jesus came for you and I that 
that should make you just 

20
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:37,440
astounded, astounded that God, 
the God of the universe came and

21
00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:42,400
considers you. 
The word seek means to pursue. 

22
00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:44,760
It means to look for, to watch 
for. 

23
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:49,960
It means to strive for. 
It took effort to search after 

24
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,080
God became a man Incarnate, born
into this world for the purpose 

25
00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,480
of pursuing. 
And then comes another 

26
00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,560
infinitive of purpose and to 
save. 

27
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,120
Jesus Christ came into the world
with the purpose of pursuing out

28
00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:11,400
the lost. 
Devastated we are, ruined, we 

29
00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:17,360
are destroyed, men and women we 
all are, in order to save us 

30
00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:24,680
from danger, to rescue us from 
harm, to save us from our sin 

31
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,040
and from ourselves and from 
death and hell. 

32
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,200
In fact, in Matthew 121, the 
message was given you, you shall

33
00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:40,720
call his name, the child born in
Bethlehem, Jesus, for He shall 

34
00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:46,040
what He shall save his people 
from their sins. 

35
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,000
Jesus Christ today can save you 
from all your sins. 

36
00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,480
I look at the World News, I look
at the situations and the 

37
00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,560
problem isn't politics. 
The problem isn't Trump or Gaza 

38
00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,160
or Hamas. 
The problem is sin. 

39
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,000
Sin has come into the world and 
we see it wreaking havoc in our 

40
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,560
world. 
It's what causes us pain and 

41
00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:13,200
sorrow. 
Jesus came to save us. 

42
00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,280
He came to call sinners to 
repentance. 

43
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:23,280
In one Timothy 115, Paul wrote. 
It is a trustworthy statement 

44
00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,840
and worthy of all acceptance 
that Christ Jesus came into the 

45
00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,680
world to save sinners. 
That's why the church is here. 

46
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:36,640
He came to save us and the 
church is where groups of saved 

47
00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:38,080
people get together and thank 
him. 

48
00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,400
Now I want you to understand the
setting of our passage of 

49
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:50,560
Scripture tonight and Luke 15. 
The setting is found in the 1st 

50
00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,560
2 verses. 
That's let's read Luke 15. 

51
00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,000
Then all the tax collectors and 
the sinners drew near to him. 

52
00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,400
There's Jesus to hear him. 
Notice who came to hear him. 

53
00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,480
Tax collectors and sinners drew 
near to him to hear him. 

54
00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,320
And the Pharisees and the 
scribes complained about him 

55
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:16,600
saying, this man receives 
sinners and eats with them. 

56
00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:21,040
And then verse 3, it tells us 
why we have these three 

57
00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,800
parables. 
So he spoke parables to them, 

58
00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,680
saying, and he's speaking to the
Pharisees. 

59
00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,120
All the tax gatherers, 
collectors, and the sinners were

60
00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:40,400
coming near to hear Jesus speak.
Church is for sinners. 

61
00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,560
Church is a place where if 
you're broken, if you shattered,

62
00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,760
come to church, come and hear 
what Jesus says because you've 

63
00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,080
tried everything else in the 
world and it's failed you. 

64
00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,360
Then it says in verse 2, and 
almost without explanation, it's

65
00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:58,160
apparent to us this is a typical
reaction. 

66
00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,920
And both the Pharisees and the 
scribes, the religious leaders 

67
00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,200
began to grumble saying this man
receives sinners and he eats 

68
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,120
with them. 
Terrible notice back in verse 

69
00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,480
one, it says that all the tax 
gatherers and sinners were 

70
00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,480
coming near to him. 
All of them, not some of them, 

71
00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,520
not a few of them, but all of 
them. 

72
00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,800
You know, sometimes I wonder 
what is the problem with people 

73
00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,200
not coming to church? 
Is it they think that church is 

74
00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,920
about church or is it a place 
where you can come like I did 

75
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,760
when searching for Jesus and I 
went to church and all they'd 

76
00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:34,880
spoke about was fights and 
jumble sails. 

77
00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:42,480
I didn't hear about Jesus 
parable #1 and they all have the

78
00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,680
same basic point. 
Verse 3. 

79
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,000
And he told them this parable 
saying, what man among you, if 

80
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,880
he has 100 sheep and has lost 
one of them, does not leave the 

81
00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:57,840
99 in the open pasture and go 
after the one which is lost 

82
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,320
until he finds it. 
Notice it's relentless. 

83
00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:08,600
And when he has found it, when 
he has found it, he lays it on 

84
00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:13,320
his shoulders, rejoicing. 
And when he comes home, he calls

85
00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,160
together his friends and his 
neighbours, saying to them, Hey,

86
00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:22,000
rejoice with me, come gather, 
for I have found my sheep which 

87
00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,720
was lost. 
I have found not our sheep the 

88
00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,040
sheep. 
I have found my sheep which was 

89
00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,320
lost. 
The idea of verse 4 is the 

90
00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,920
phrase What man among you? 
If the idea is that no one would

91
00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,200
do anything other than this to 
go out to look for the lost 

92
00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,720
sheep, you all know you would do
this. 

93
00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,320
Jesus said to the scribes and 
the Pharisees, if you were a 

94
00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:51,120
shepherd and you had 100 sheep, 
but you lost 1, you would leave 

95
00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,440
the 99 safely. 
They were safe in the fold. 

96
00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,000
You would go out to find that 
one lost sheep. 

97
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,560
Every shepherd would do that. 
It was not only a matter of 

98
00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:08,040
duty, it was a matter of 
affection and of ownership. 3 

99
00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,440
things. 
Over a period. 

100
00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,720
Those sheep known by the 
shepherd would be so well known 

101
00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,680
by the shepherd he would call 
them individually by name. 

102
00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,320
Bible says we're going to get a 
name, doesn't it? 

103
00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:27,040
Each night as they came into the
fold, where he laid across the 

104
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,080
gate of the fold to protect them
from the wolves, He examined 

105
00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,800
them as they came in. 
When they came back into the 

106
00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,240
fold, He would come to know each
and every one of them. 

107
00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:37,280
I'll look at him. 
Look at him. 

108
00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,320
Look, he's had a tough time. 
Look what's going on. 

109
00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,320
I need to groom him. 
I need to fix him. 

110
00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,600
He's hobbling that one. 
And when one was lost, the 

111
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,040
shepherd would go to find that 
one to seek it out. 

112
00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,120
Then in verse 5, after having 
found it, what does he do? 

113
00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,400
He lays it on his shoulders. 
Now I worked with sheep for a 

114
00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,240
number of years learning to be a
livestock buyer. 

115
00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:07,600
And so you get the sheep down 
and they would put the both leg,

116
00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,080
grab the front legs, fore legs 
and the behind legs. 

117
00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,920
And then they would tie a little
rope around them, point them 

118
00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:17,960
over and it's like a a woollen 
cravat, but backwards. 

119
00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,960
You got it over your shoulder. 
And that's how you walk, Walk 

120
00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:27,680
back with the shepherd's staff, 
the sheep over his shoulder, and

121
00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,920
the valley of the sheep was up 
against the neck of the 

122
00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,760
shepherd. 
Carry the sheep back to the 

123
00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,320
fold. 
It says in verse 6. 

124
00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,919
When he came home, he called 
together his friends and his 

125
00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:44,039
neighbours in order that they 
might have a celebration, saying

126
00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:46,520
to them, rejoice with me, hey, 
come with me. 

127
00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,440
I'm happy, for I found my sheep 
which was lost. 

128
00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,640
These are parables of great 
heavenly joy, the three of them.

129
00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:57,840
The parable only has one basic 
point. 

130
00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,320
Remember, it's a it's a, an 
earthly story with a heavenly 

131
00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,640
meaning. 
The joy of the shepherd. 

132
00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:09,120
That's the point of the parable.
The joy of the shepherd who 

133
00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,920
sought and found the lost sheep 
is the point of the parable. 

134
00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,440
His friends are called into the 
picture in order that you and I 

135
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,440
might understand the tremendous 
breadth of joy and depth of 

136
00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,360
emotion the shepherd is feeling.
You don't just go. 

137
00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:25,680
Oh, that's great. 
Now close up. 

138
00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,760
Oh man, that was tiring. 
And have a wash and go to bed. 

139
00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:34,400
No party time. 
He can't celebrate alone. 

140
00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:38,200
It's too big. 
He's so overjoyed. 

141
00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,400
It's too wonderful. 
It's not something he can 

142
00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,840
quietly say in his heart, well, 
isn't that nice? 

143
00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,480
I've got my sheep home. 
Isn't that wonderful that that's

144
00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,400
happened? 
He's safe now he has to call 

145
00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,520
together a large group of people
for a great celebration because 

146
00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,120
his joy is so profound, so 
explosive. 

147
00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,760
And so the sum of it all comes 
in verse 7. 

148
00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,320
And here's the application, 
verse 7. 

149
00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:10,400
I tell you that in the same way,
here's the reason for the story.

150
00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,800
I tell you that in the same way 
there will be joy. 

151
00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,520
And I think it's best not to say
more joy. 

152
00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,640
It's best to translate it 
without the word more which was 

153
00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,600
added. 
If you're going to add a word, 

154
00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:24,560
then add the word rather at the 
end of the phrase. 

155
00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:29,720
I tell you that in the same way,
there will be joy in heaven over

156
00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:35,960
1 Sinner who repents rather than
over 99 righteous persons who 

157
00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:40,080
need no repentance. 
In other words, there is joy in 

158
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:45,160
heaven over 1 Sinner who repents
to the extent that God calls for

159
00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:47,000
a celebration. 
Think about that. 

160
00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,240
The moment you got saved, you 
made an impact in heaven. 

161
00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:56,080
You made an impact with God. 
Question is, what does this mean

162
00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,000
to you? 
And I listening tonight this 

163
00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:04,600
parable that God is the seeking 
shepherd whose desire is to find

164
00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:06,840
his sheep. 
You don't find God. 

165
00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:08,920
Well, I I found God. 
No, you didn't. 

166
00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,640
No one's ever found God. 
God found you. 

167
00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:18,800
God sought you out. 
God is fulfilled in the finding.

168
00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:24,880
God is fulfilled in the finding,
but the joy is so great with God

169
00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,120
that he can't contain it in 
Himself and it must be shared 

170
00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,480
and it becomes the joy of 
heaven. 

171
00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,680
What an amazing truth. 
The emphasis again is on the 

172
00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:39,320
seeking heart of God who seeks 
until he finds. 

173
00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,600
That one that is lost in those 
who's rejoicing cannot even be 

174
00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,600
contained until it is spread 
throughout the angels of heaven.

175
00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:52,480
What a tremendous thought. 
God in the deepest part of his 

176
00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:57,600
nature so longs for the soul of 
a lost man, and I find this 

177
00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:02,480
astounding. 
And a lost woman that he pursues

178
00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,920
you. 
He went after you to the degree 

179
00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:11,640
that having found you the 
celebration heaven itself is 

180
00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,680
barely big enough that we might 
say to contain God's joy. 

181
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,880
In Isaiah 53, verse 6, the 
prophet Isaiah wrote these 

182
00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,440
words. 
All we all we like sheep. 

183
00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:29,000
What got stray, we're lost. 
We have turned everyone to his 

184
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:33,560
own way. 
Sheep wanders off and the second

185
00:12:33,560 --> 00:12:38,240
parable starts in verse 8, the 
lost coin in each of the three 

186
00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:43,600
parables, something was lost 
also in being lost, the sheep, 

187
00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,920
the coin, and we'll see two 
prodigal sons are lost. 

188
00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:52,600
They could do nothing in and of 
themselves to change their being

189
00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,320
lost. 
They were lost and what asked 

190
00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,320
what else is it? 
When you're lost, you're 

191
00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,640
hopeless. 
You know when you're lost, you 

192
00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:03,120
don't know where to go. 
How often have you gone into the

193
00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,760
car park trying to find your car
and you go, I don't know. 

194
00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,600
Here's a funny story. 
I'm not going to do parable 3. 

195
00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:12,840
It's not going to happen, so 
I'll leave that story. 

196
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:20,320
So I need to keep one. 
They were lost and considered 

197
00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:26,760
extremely valuable to the owner 
or what woman next parable. 

198
00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,600
This is just an an obvious 
thing, something that's 

199
00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:35,560
axiomatic. 
What woman, if she has 10 silver

200
00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:40,800
coins, and in those days that 
would be one day's full wage, 

201
00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,480
about equal in value to the 
Roman denari. 

202
00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:50,520
If she has 10 silver coins and 
loses one coin, doesn't light a 

203
00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:55,560
lamp and sweep the house, the 
whole house and search what 

204
00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:00,440
carefully until she finds it, 
There's no stopping. 

205
00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,600
Notice the shepherd went out and
he wasn't coming back until he 

206
00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:09,200
found the woman's not not 
stopping sweeping and searching 

207
00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,240
until she gets that coin. 
Think about that. 

208
00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,280
You know, you and I, we pray 
about our loved ones or God's on

209
00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:20,200
their case. 
When a Jewish girl married in 

210
00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:25,040
these times, she began to wear a
headband of 10 silver coins to 

211
00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:30,360
signify that she was now a wife.
It was the Jewish version of a 

212
00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:34,120
modern wedding ring in those 
days, and it would be considered

213
00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:38,800
a calamity for her to lose one 
of those coins. 

214
00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:44,240
It was the value of a full day's
wage, one coin. 

215
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,560
Now the floors were made of 
dirt, and that coin could easily

216
00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:52,160
find its way under some surface 
dirt. 

217
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:59,800
Our lives without Christ we're 
covered, and we're hidden under 

218
00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,080
the filth of the world. 
When the priests would go to the

219
00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,280
temple, before they could go in 
and serve the temple, the 

220
00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:12,400
Levites there was the liver and 
they had to wash before they 

221
00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:13,440
could go in. 
Why? 

222
00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,040
Because they get covered with 
the the filth of the world, 

223
00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:23,080
their bare feet doing the things
of the Lord without Christ. 

224
00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,080
We are covered and we're hidden 
and we get covered with, you 

225
00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,800
know, we sit in a car and or you
go catch a train and you hear 

226
00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,440
language. 
You go to the shop, you hear and

227
00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,880
see things that you go, oh, why 
do I hear that? 

228
00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,800
How come I you see a bumper 
sticker? 

229
00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:40,800
So that's revolting. 
That bumper sticker. 

230
00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:47,360
They cover us. 
She would be sweeping this 

231
00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:51,480
woman, moving that dust and dirt
around until she found that 

232
00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:53,760
coin. 
And it was such a wonderful 

233
00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:56,880
thing to find it. 
It was so valuable. 

234
00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,480
Notice verse 9, when she found 
it, what does she do? 

235
00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,480
Go to the band gate. 
Oh my goodness, I found it. 

236
00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,280
Sleep. 
No, she calls together her 

237
00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:14,880
friends and neighbours, saying, 
Rejoice with me, for I have 

238
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,800
found the peace which I had 
lost. 

239
00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:24,200
There's a connection, 
similarity, another word. 

240
00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:28,400
She can't contain the 
celebration in her own heart. 

241
00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:34,080
She has to pull her friends in 
because the joy is so unbounded.

242
00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,120
That's the same idea, isn't it? 
That's the first one, is it not?

243
00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,760
The shepherd found the sheep 
because he sought the sheep. 

244
00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,400
He rejoiced with all who would 
rejoice with him. 

245
00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:51,200
The woman found the coin because
she sought the coin, and 

246
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,560
rejoiced with all who would 
rejoice with her. 

247
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,960
The application again comes in 
verse 10. 

248
00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:04,119
In the same way I tell you Jesus
has now told the story. 

249
00:17:04,319 --> 00:17:09,280
Now here's the meaning. 
Now follow this. 

250
00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,680
There is joy in the presence of 
the angels of God over 1 Sinner 

251
00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,200
who repents. 
Why such rejoicing? 

252
00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,400
Why does Jesus mention this for 
the second time? 

253
00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:29,640
Now in two parables, verse 7 and
verse 10, Luke 15, verse 7, I 

254
00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,520
say to you that likewise 
there'll be more joy in heaven 

255
00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:36,560
over 1 Sinner who repents than 
over 99 just persons who need no

256
00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,960
repenting. 
Speaking of the sheep, because 

257
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,440
the heart of God is powered, is 
driven to seek to to save you, 

258
00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,080
you who are lost. 
That's why verse 10. 

259
00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,240
Likewise, I say to you, there is
joy in the presence of the 

260
00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:56,280
angels over of God over 1 Sinner
who repents notice. 

261
00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,000
Are you getting the message? 
Are you getting the story? 

262
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:08,280
Even though the sheep had run 
away, even though the coin was 

263
00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:13,840
lost, they both remained 
valuable. 

264
00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:23,240
You note that they're lost. 
That doesn't mean, oh, they both

265
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:33,440
remained valuable in the mind of
the owner, the shepherd, the 

266
00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:39,520
woman, and they remain valuable 
in spite of their lost 

267
00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,600
condition. 
When you see someone now, I pray

268
00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:45,400
that God has changed your 
eyesight. 

269
00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,320
I know that happened to me. 
I will drive along around the 

270
00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:53,720
city when I was in my old work 
job and I'd go through some bad,

271
00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:55,760
bad parts, a lot of homeless 
people. 

272
00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,800
As I pull up, I begin to pray 
because I see them now. 

273
00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:02,560
God would tell I've died for 
that person. 

274
00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,320
I hung on the cross for that 
person I hung on the cross. 

275
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,200
I died. 
I took the nails for that 

276
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:13,680
person. 
And so I see them now as he sees

277
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,320
them. 
And what does it actually mean 

278
00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:19,880
but joy in the presence of the 
angels of God? 

279
00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:26,680
And notice with me carefully, it
doesn't actually say joy among 

280
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:30,600
the angels. 
There's a difference. 

281
00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:37,440
It says there's joy in the 
presence of the angels of God. 

282
00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:44,760
Whose joy is it? 
It's none other than the joy of 

283
00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:51,080
the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Spirit who exists in the 

284
00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,840
presence of the holy angels. 
I see God. 

285
00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,600
I can't fathom this. 
God rejoicing. 

286
00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:02,960
The angels go, wow, you really 
loves them because they can't. 

287
00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:08,680
God beyond this. 
It's the joy of God. 

288
00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:13,080
It's the joy of the seeking. 
God who dwells in the presence 

289
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:17,480
of angels and of course the 
angels share in the celebration.

290
00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,560
I've got 8 minutes. 
Verse three, third parable. 

291
00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,480
We won't finish it. 
We'll have a good cut out and 

292
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:33,680
it's the parable of the lost 
sons, not lost son. 

293
00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:39,520
Get that? 
It is not the prodigal son, as 

294
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:44,440
if this is a story of one. 
It is two sons here. 

295
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,200
And Jesus makes that clear in 
verse 11. 

296
00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:51,720
And he said a certain man had 
two sons. 

297
00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:54,920
This is not the story of one 
son. 

298
00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,720
This is the story of two sons 
and this is the lost sons, both 

299
00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,840
of them and the younger of them 
said to his father, father, give

300
00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,080
me the share of the estate that 
falls to me. 

301
00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,640
Notice this and he divided his 
wealth. 

302
00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:12,280
Notice read it between them. 
So the oldest son, he got the 

303
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,920
goods too. 
We always think, Oh well, he 

304
00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,000
just the young bloke, he just 
went off and he took him. 

305
00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,760
Meanwhile the the oldest 
brother, he's home, he's just 

306
00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,120
working. 
He hasn't got any money in the 

307
00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:23,480
bank. 
No, no, he divided amongst them 

308
00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:27,800
both. 
Now what that tells me is that 

309
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,560
son #2 who doesn't speak, the 
oldest son is also there, and 

310
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,320
he's getting in on this as well.
The older brother was in this 

311
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,400
story as well as the younger, 
though the younger does. 

312
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,280
The talking of the younger is 
the focus of the first half of 

313
00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,160
the parable. 
The father divided the wealth 

314
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,320
between them. 
Verse 12 tells us that so both 

315
00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:48,880
of them got what was coming to 
them. 

316
00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,160
Verse 12 and the younger of them
said to his father, Father, give

317
00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,280
me the portion of goods that 
falls to me. 

318
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,720
So the father divided to them 
his livelihood. 

319
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,280
Now what you need to know is 
that this is completely unheard 

320
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,800
of in the Middle East. 
In that culture then and even 

321
00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:10,280
today, for a son to go to his 
father and demand his 

322
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:14,240
inheritance on the spot is 
tantamount to verbalising your 

323
00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:15,840
wish. 
Dad, I wish you were dead. 

324
00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,240
You'd be better off there. 
Just give me what I just give. 

325
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:21,080
Die. 
Just just give me my. 

326
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:26,160
What's do you mean? 
But it's incredible to see the 

327
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:31,160
grace of the father here. 
He's a loving father, and he 

328
00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,880
does an unprecedented thing. 
He gives them their inheritance.

329
00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:39,520
He says, OK, here it is. 
They got it early and then the 

330
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,320
narrative of the parable 
follows. 

331
00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,520
The youngest son, verse 13. 
They have received their 

332
00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,480
inheritance and it says are not 
many days later, some period of 

333
00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:52,600
time passes, the youngest son 
realises he's got all that he's 

334
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,720
got and so he gathers everything
together, decides to go on a 

335
00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,800
journey into a distant country. 
There he squandered his state 

336
00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,320
with loose living. 
He takes all that he has and 

337
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:06,520
goes on to live his wildlife. 
And when he had spent 

338
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:11,120
everything, verse 14 says now 
when he had spent everything, a 

339
00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:14,920
severe famine occurred in that 
country and he began to be in 

340
00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,240
need. 
The Lord constructs the parable.

341
00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:22,280
Now young man goes off, spends 
his entire fortune, then a 

342
00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,280
famine hits. 
The best he could do was feed 

343
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,760
pigs. 
Of course, this would be 

344
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:31,600
absolutely horrendous to a Jew 
to imagine, to having to work 

345
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,080
with the most unclean of all 
animals in Jewish ceremonial 

346
00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,440
law. 
And yet that where is where this

347
00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,840
young man winds up. 
From the Father's house, through

348
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:46,120
riotous living out on the end 
into absolute poverty, and now 

349
00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:50,200
into the pig's house. 
A graphic picture again of our 

350
00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:55,040
lives when we rebel and we want 
run away from our loving 

351
00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,840
Heavenly Father. 
You and I end up, we end up in 

352
00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,480
the Pigsville. 
And he was longing to fill his 

353
00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,400
stomach with the pods that the 
swine were eating. 

354
00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,280
And no one was giving anything 
to him. 

355
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,560
He was on his own. 
When he came to his senses, he 

356
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:15,040
said, how many of my father's 
hired men have more than enough 

357
00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:17,880
bread? 
But I'm dying of hunger here. 

358
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,680
The first thing he does is 
express the sorrow of his human 

359
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,480
circumstance. 
But he doesn't stay with just 

360
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,960
his situation. 
Out of his situation comes the 

361
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:34,280
beginning of repentance because 
he takes the responsibility for 

362
00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,200
being in that situation. 
Verse 18. 

363
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:41,560
Oh, get up, I'll, I'll get up 
and, and he plans his speech. 

364
00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:43,840
I'll get up. 
I'll go to my dad and I'll say 

365
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,640
to him, Dad, I've sinned against
heaven and in your sight he 

366
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,080
rehearses, He says I'm going to 
go back. 

367
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,720
I'm going to confess my sin 
against heaven. 

368
00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,120
That means I've sinned against 
God. 

369
00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:59,560
He's aware of his degeneracy. 
He's aware of his condition. 

370
00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:01,720
That's what you need to do to 
get saved. 

371
00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:03,200
You've got to realise you're 
lost. 

372
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,320
And he's aware that it was 
caused by his sin, nobody 

373
00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:10,320
else's. 
He has sinned against his 

374
00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:12,760
Father. 
When he says, in your sight, he 

375
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,600
repeats, He has sinned against 
his Father with his 

376
00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,120
thanklessness and his 
ingratitude. 

377
00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,640
He's sinned against his Father 
with his righteous living, 

378
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,080
violating the way that he had 
been raised. 

379
00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:27,840
But more than that, he has 
sinned against heaven. 

380
00:25:28,120 --> 00:25:31,800
He has sinned against God, but 
notice verse 20. 

381
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,680
He got up, came to his father. 
He put feet to that resolution. 

382
00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,440
Now a lot of people say they're 
going to do something, but they 

383
00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:42,200
don't do it. 
I see this as the real action of

384
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,560
repentance. 
Repentance means to turn around 

385
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,800
about turn. 
He says, and he says in verse 

386
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,560
19, I'm not worthy to be called 
your son. 

387
00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,640
Dad. 
He manifested humility. 

388
00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:59,760
It's just what Jesus said, you 
remember in chapter 18, the 

389
00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,160
public and beating on his breast
who was so humble he wouldn't 

390
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,720
lift his eyes up and the 
Pharisee saying God, man, man, 

391
00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:13,760
I'm glad I'm not like him. 
But here's the heart of the 

392
00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:17,040
whole parable. 
And this often gets missed 

393
00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,280
because we focus too much on the
sons. 

394
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,800
We ought to focus on the father 
because this whole parable is 

395
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:26,480
illustrating the seeking God, 
just as parable one and two did.

396
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,320
Notice this. 
But while he was still a long 

397
00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:34,160
way off, you see, no Sinner on 
his own can approach near to 

398
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,880
God. 
In fact, in the terms of Romans 

399
00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:41,000
chapter 3, verse 11, it says no 
man even seeks after God. 

400
00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:45,400
It's not until God begins the 
work and the heart that the 

401
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,680
Sinner even begins to initially 
seek. 

402
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,560
And while a Sinner is still a 
long way off, his father saw 

403
00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,240
him. 
How did he see him? 

404
00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,680
I tell you how I believe the 
Father was out there every day 

405
00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,240
doing what? 
Looking for him. 

406
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:02,600
You know, God is looking out 
every day for the lost here. 

407
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,760
And here's the picture of the 
seeking Father. 

408
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:11,320
He sees that son a long way off.
And a father knows his son even 

409
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,440
at a distance, and he feels 
compassion and he runs to him. 

410
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:20,440
And here is the heart of God. 
It's not a dispassionate God 

411
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,640
that we serve. 
It's a God of great passion and 

412
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,400
his heart is wrenched for his 
son and he doesn't stand there 

413
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,000
coldly saying, well, when he 
gets there, I'm going to give 

414
00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,160
him just the talent off. 
No, he ran. 

415
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,720
He embraces him and he stinks. 
He smells like a pig. 

416
00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:39,480
And he kept on fervently kissing
him. 

417
00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:44,080
This is God. 
This is the seeking God who 

418
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:49,560
sought you and seeks you. 
The coin didn't seek the lady, 

419
00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:53,680
the sheep didn't seek the 
shepherd, the Sinner can't seek 

420
00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:57,000
God in and of himself. 
There's a degree in which this 

421
00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,520
parable gives us a full picture 
than the first two, because the 

422
00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,760
son does respond to the 
prompting work of the Holy 

423
00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:07,280
Spirit and the parable. 
This is the heart of the 

424
00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,000
parable. 
So while he's hugging and 

425
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:14,440
kissing his son, the son said to
him, Dad, and he's about to give

426
00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,040
him his speeches reserved. 
I have. 

427
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,760
I've sinned against heaven and I
violated God in your sight. 

428
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:21,840
I'm no longer worthy to be 
called your son. 

429
00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,960
And apparently before he can say
any more, I will come one of 

430
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,600
your hired servants. 
The father said to the slave, 

431
00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,600
hey, quick, quick, get to kill a
fatted calf. 

432
00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,520
Bring out the robe, bring out 
the ring, bring out the sandals.

433
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:39,080
He takes over the conversation. 
Notice that you see, I see 

434
00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,440
confession of sin here. 
I see a humble heart. 

435
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:45,760
I see a mourning over sin, but 
the father stops him. 

436
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:48,960
I love this. 
He says. 

437
00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:52,600
I got my plans for you. 
He doesn't say first you're 

438
00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,000
going to be flogged and then 
you're going to be, you know 

439
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,200
this and, you know, come back 
and work hard and sort some 

440
00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,520
things out. 
You got to prove yourself now. 

441
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,880
No, he's not only a seeking 
father, he is a loving. 

442
00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:09,320
And here's the other part. 
He's forgiving, gracious, 

443
00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:14,200
generous. 
This joy is like the joy of the 

444
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,400
shepherd who found the sheep, 
the joy of the woman who found 

445
00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,720
the coin. 
So the father says we got to 

446
00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:24,080
have a party. 
Notice it's all three. 

447
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,560
We got to celebrate. 
Forget about the fact he want to

448
00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:30,520
be dead. 
Forget about the fact that he 

449
00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:35,120
wasted what I what I gave him. 
Forget about the fact that he 

450
00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,280
lived in sin and immorality. 
Forget about the fact that he 

451
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,360
wound up feeding unceremonly 
pigs. 

452
00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:45,320
Forget about the fact that he 
came back empty handed with 

453
00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,760
nothing to offer but he's sin 
and regret. 

454
00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,520
Forget about that. 
We're going to have a party. 

455
00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,560
This is the heart of God, the 
God of the Bible. 

456
00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:58,360
Forget what he did in the past. 
That's what God does with you 

457
00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:00,520
and I. 
He forgets what you did in the 

458
00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,120
past. 
He knows it no more. 

459
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:07,400
He says in verse 22, Bring out 
the best robe, put it on him. 

460
00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:09,760
Put a ring on his hand. 
Sandals on his feet. 

461
00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:11,240
The fatted calf. 
Kill. 

462
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,600
Let's eat and be merry. 
Why? 

463
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,880
For the son of mine was dead. 
It's come to life again. 

464
00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,680
He was lost and been found. 
And they began to be merry. 

465
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,240
You see the point? 
The parables all have the same 

466
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:27,040
common theme. 
A seeker who finds and rejoices.

467
00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:30,480
OK, the oldest son. 
Do I have time now? 

468
00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,640
I'll stop. 
We'll pick up the oldest son 

469
00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:36,920
next week because he's he's lost
too. 

470
00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:42,120
He's lost and he doesn't know 
his father loves him. 

471
00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:48,520
I want to tell you, don't ever 
say to yourself, well, no, I 

472
00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,000
feel alone. 
God doesn't love me. 

473
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:53,440
Don't ever say that because 
that's a lie. 

474
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,520
You cannot say no one loves me. 
I'm alone. 

475
00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,200
If you're a believer, that's not
true. 

476
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,640
If you're lost and wandering 
away, you can't say that because

477
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,360
it's not true. 
It's a lie because the Bible 

478
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:11,920
says that God loves you. 
He sent his Son to die for you. 

479
00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:15,080
He's come to seek and to save 
you. 

480
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,160
And don't say, oh, you don't 
know what I've done. 

481
00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,320
He doesn't care about what 
you've done. 

482
00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:23,360
That's why his son came to wipe 
that away. 

483
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:30,000
And he has a plan for you, and 
he rejoices when you come home. 

484
00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:36,320
I pray that each and everyone of
you know God loves you, that he 

485
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,440
found you, that you were lost, 
that you were hopeless. 

486
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,760
Then It's all His work.