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Luke 15
Luk 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners
for to hear him.
Luk 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth
sinners, and eateth with them.
They still didn't get it. Jesus came to such as this. Not to excuse their sin
and agree with their sin but to take their sin away. He came to offer them
something much better than bondage to sin. How can one save a sinner from
eternal death if we never has anything to do with sinners? True we are not to
pal around with someone who continually sins to give them the impression that we
are agreeing with their sin. The reason we may want to show them friendship is
to get them out of their sin. That is love. Love is to save a soul from eternal
death and see them inherit eternal life in the process. Love is telling the
truth, not agreeing with sin. So many of us want to warn again being Pharisees
and being judgmental and we should be warned against that. Religion with no
compassion for the lost is just as deadly as being what we think is a sinner.
But in warning against legalistic Pharisees, we have forgotten to warn against
sin which people still need to be saved from. That is why Jesus came to save all
that will repent and turn to Him for salvation. Whether we commit the sin of
self-righteousness or commit the open sin of breaking the laws of God, both are
still sin that needs to be forsaken and cleansed.
Luk 15:3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
Luk 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth
not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is
lost, until he find it?
Luk 15:5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luk 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours,
saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance.
Luk 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece,
doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find
it?
Luk 15:9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours
together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner that repenteth.
God wants to save. Let us not miss the important message Jesus was trying to say
here. God wants to save, the angels want to see us saved. Jesus wanted to see us
saved or else He wouldn't have gone all the way to the cross to save us. We may
weep over a lost loved one but our sorrow is never as great as God's sorrow when
a sinner dies without finding Jesus Christ and repenting of sin. When we repent
that means we change. That means that we turn around, stop sinning and turn to
God. We become "born again" by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit stays with us to
help us not to return to the sin we were saved from. God wants this more than we
do. The angels rejoice to see us find eternal life. God is not sitting in Heaven
just waiting for us to sin so that He can have an excuse to send us to hell.
He is doing all He can to save us from hell. He doesn't desire to kill and
destroy but to save.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that
they might have
more abundantly.
Luk 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the
portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Luk 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and
took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous
living.
Luk 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land;
and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he
sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luk 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine
did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my
father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I
have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy
hired servants.
Luk 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way
off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and
kissed him.
Luk 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and
in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luk 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and
put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be
merry:
Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is
found. And they began to be merry.
Luk 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to
the house, he heard musick and dancing.
Luk 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
Luk 15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed
the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
Luk 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out,
and intreated him.
Luk 15:29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve
thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never
gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
Luk 15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living
with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
Luk 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have
is thine.
Luk 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy
brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Let us also rejoice with the angels when one sinner finds His way to God. Let us
not be as the brother who was jealous. He felt like all his faithfulness was for
nothing. Not so. Had this son had a right relationship to God, he would have
been rejoicing along with the father for his brother who was lost but now found.
God sees our faithfulness but true faithfulness is rejoicing along with God when
just one sinner repents. A soul saved from death unto life is the greatest
miracle we may ever see. When a church loses sight of this desire to save the
lost, all they become is a social club. This is the greatest mission and
is the mission Jesus instructed us to fulfull.
Luke 16
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