"Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them."
So He told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has one hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome you to worship this Resurrection Sunday in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us today, whether it's your first time or you are a faithful member of our family in Christ, your presence is acknowledged and truly appreciated. If you have recently received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, whether through this ministry or some other, please contact us so that we can include you in our prayers. If you haven't yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, won't you consider crying out to Him today, while there's still time? We are still continuing to experience major growth in areas I would have never believed possible, which I believe is clear evidence of not only just how critically important your prayers are but that we humbly serve a God, Who not only hears but faithfully answers our fervent prayers according to His will and good purposes. To God alone be glory for the increase in salvation of the lost!
If we're going to talk about sin, we need to go back to the beginning so that we can get a better understanding of how Satan seduces the human heart, preying on his desire to be like God, by exploiting man's desires—specifically the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, then. manipulating his mind by suggesting God was withholding good things from him, then appealing to that pride by implying that eating the fruit that God had forbidden would make him—mankind—"like God," laying not only the historical foundation but a theological understanding of the human condition. Before Adam and Eve sinned, according to Genesis 1:31, the world was "very good" free from death, decay, and moral corruption. During that time, we learn that God walked and talked with man in the cool of the day as seen in Genesis 3:8. This was not a physical literal walking as a man, because God is Spirit, but an image of the Divine Presence of God, described by using human-like actions and form—to make God's presence more relatable to man's finite understanding to convey the intimate fellowship between God and humanity before the Fall. The Hebrew phrase "cool of the day" suggests a time for rest and communion. However, by the time we get to Genesis 3, Adam and Eve had sinned and when God came into the garden to talk with them, who were hidden, and God said "Where are you?" thus marking the moment that sin fractured the fellowship between God and mankind. I'd like you to notice it was God, not man, Who did the "seeking" and from that moment forward God has always and ever been seeking those who are spiritually lost in accordance to His nature as a Savior, asking man "Where are you?" Many theologians believe this "appearance" is a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ, Who later became visible, coming down from Heaven into the world, taking on the form of a man, to seek and save sinners. Salvation has always been initiated by God to reconcile humanity to Himself. Paul affirms this in 2 Corinthians 5:19, when he states, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself," highlighting that salvation is divine in origin, not a response to human merit or action. Therefore, grace, faith, and salvation all begin with God.
I believe that I safely say, as an under shepherd and as a Christian, that I've have had enough experience with church to know that it doesn't take very long, even for good churches, to become infected with sin. We're living in a dangerous time in our church history. We don't want church in the traditional sense, we want entertainment, people come to church today for the ultimate Christian experience. That's why most church platforms today resemble a concert, people want to "feel" they want to "experience," they don't want to worship. If you don't believe me, take away the "feel good" Christian music of today and sing only the old hymns and Psalms and you'll find a lot of empty seats. We only throw in a 12-15 minute sermon to ease our conscious, which is considered to be the sweet spot, with 20 minutes being the maximum before their attention begins to wane, with people checking their social media, emails and texts. Christians rarely open up a Bible today, they want to open up an app. I'm not sure whether you've noticed or not, church isn't like it was 40 or 50 years ago. I'm often criticized for my "long-winded sermons" lasting upwards of 45 minutes to an hour, and bluntness in unpacking the text. I usually remind my critics that Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount was likely much longer than the 15 minutes to read it. However, I believe that ultimately, the goal is not length, but the spiritual impact is has on the hearers, especially if the preacher is just rambling about topics irrelevant to the message. That said, obviously I have made no effort to deliberately shorten my sermons based on the downward trend in audience interest and engagement, but instead treating each message more like a teaching lesson, rather than a sermon. I believe it is imperative to read it over and over, praying for the Holy Spirit's illumination, until my perception aligns with God's Word, rather than trying to make God's Word fit my perception, lest I find I have been self-deceived. Those who repeatedly make sinful choices or live in habitual sin, please test yourselves to be sure whether or not Christ truly dwells in you. Matthew 6:24 states "No one can serve two masters." Sinful desires are entertained in the mind, nurtured through imagination and made manifest through the body. Continual indulgence in sinful desires, whether through imagination or action, reveals a heart not fully surrendered to Christ. (James 1:15) Through genuine repentance, complete reliance on God’s grace, and the continual renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), as believers, the habitual cycle of sin can be broken. It doesn't matter how you were born, all mankind was born into sin and therefore, must be born again. When I began to realize God takes sin so seriously that He sent His only Son to die in my place, a wretched sinner, I started re-reading the Scriptures, over and over and over, and over again, asking for the Holy Spirit to reveal the deeper meanings, did I begin to give up everything for the privilege of truly knowing Christ, and the salvation that comes with Him. To borrow Paul's words, compared to possessing Christ, everything else is dung. When God began to show me so clearly the glories of Jesus Christ, I started asking myself, "What am I willing to give in exchange for my soul?" I willingly got rid of everything that kept me from gaining Christ. Realizing that no matter where I am in my journey, I'm not there yet, there is still so much more to learn, so I chase after knowing Christ more and more with every thing in me, hungering and thirsting for Him, that I may lay ahold of the very thing for which Christ died for me, Christ-likeness, which has become the goal of my life. I concentrate on nothing else, trusting that when I fail and I fail daily, that He will reveal to me the error of my ways and believe that He will move me forward.
To willfully sin after redemption is like taking a shower then going outside and wallowing in the mud. Think about that. As Christians, we are to live every moment in anticipation of Christ's return, embracing a life of readiness through active faithfulness and purpose by proclaiming His coming to those who are yet lost, with both a promise of salvation and a warning of judgment. Knowing that every day is a gift from God, not a given, we must live with urgency to share the good news while there is still time, as we live like Christ, love like Christ, and forgive like Christ, that others might see Christ in us. The Apostle John said that if you belong to Christ, then you ought to walk as Christ walked. And, the apostle Paul said "Be followers of me, as I am of Christ." But the most significant to me, and perhaps to all of us, is Christ Himself. My life has been influenced so much by the Word of God, by Christ's example, that I hope that my life will one day become an inspiration to others, to understand that if the Holy Spirit can transform my life, it had to be Him. And, He can surely transform the life of anyone. To God alone be the glory.
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, accept our humble thanks to You for the richness of Your Word, we are grateful that in our weakness Your strength be perfected, so that when others look at us, Your power to transform lives will be seen. Lord, we ask that You would fill our hearts with the wondrous goal of pursuing Christ-likeness, we are so thankful for those You have given us, who are not perfect, but who are always obediently walking the way that we should walk, in pursuit of the high calling, Christ's likeness. It's not enough to want to be like Christ, we need those imperfect human examples to show us the path on how to get there, as they overcome sin and temptation, so we can pattern ourselves after them. Help us to recognize our ongoing need for grace, mercy and forgiveness, and in loving others, as You have loved us, may we freely extend that unmerited grace, mercy and forgiveness to others. All for Your glory and for Christ's sake, we ask and pray these things in His most precious name.
Amen.
Today's Message: The Savior Who Seeks Sinners
Open your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Luke, Luke chapter 15. Luke chapter 15, verses 1 through seven. I hope and pray that you will follow along with me as I read these ten verses with an open heart to set the text in minds. Luke 15:1-7.
"Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them."
So He told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has one hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
Let's look at verse 1, "Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him." This verse sets the scene for one of the most profound
chapters in the New Testament, where Jesus introduces a series of parables about loss and redemption. Luke begins with "Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near." it's a Greek verb which expresses continual action "extreme closeness." Notice Luke says that the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him, not just some of them. People were always gathering around Jesus, coming near Him, pressing in on Him. You will recall this was vividly illustrated in Mark 5:24, where a large crowd followed Jesus and pressed around Him as He traveled to Jairus’s house, creating a chaotic yet spiritually charged environment where the woman with the hemorrhage for twelve-years reached out and touch Jesus’ garment and immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she knew she had been healed of her affliction. And, back in Luke 5:1–3, where Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd pressed in so closely that He could not move, forcing Him to get into the boat owned by Peter. Tax collectors were considered to be traitors, they were Jews who were widely despised for their collaboration with the Roman Empire and frequent extortion of the Jewish people. Sinners is a broad term encompassing all of those who had bad reputations, such as adulterers, prostitutes, thieves and murderers who were excluded both socially and religiously, for having no regard for Jewish religious observance. Yet, Luke emphasizes that they are now coming near to Jesus to listen to Him. I believe they sensed His seeking heart.
Verse 2, "And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." The scribes and Pharisees, who were always dogging His steps looking for anything to trap Him, saw this and were grumbling, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." To associate with those who were considered to be ceremonially "unclean," let alone to eat with them was absolutely unthinkable. It was contamination by association. Their complaint was not merely about etiquette; it's a theological accusation, seeking to strip Him of honor, implying He lacks Divine Authority. They held a view of God that emphasized holiness was exclusive, and divine joy was found in the judgment of the lost. However, Jesus reveals they fundamentally misunderstood God’s character, He rejoices not over the condemnation of sinners, but in restoration of those who were lost. Heaven's rejoicing over repentance underscores that God’s greatest joy is not in punishing sinners, but in restoring those who turn to Him in genuine repentance —rather than a divine response to human perfection. No one recognized their sinfulness and need for God's mercy and grace better than tax collectors and sinners. The self-righteous, believe they have no need for repentance, because they fail to recognize their own need for grace. I believe Christ is calling us as Christians, to carefully examine who we exclude—where consciously or unconsciously—from our religious communities. I've often heard seasoned believers, declare, "We don't want those people coming to our church!" Friends, allow me to remind you that exclusion based on appearance, background, financial status is not biblical. Our Lord consistently reached out to those who marginalized, excluded by the self-righteous "holier than thou."
Verses 3-4, "So He told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has one hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?" Salvation is inclusive in grace, exclusive in terms. Jesus uses familiar imagery—shepherds and sheep—that His audience would easily relate to, to impart deep spiritual truths, confronting the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes, the religious elite who prided themselves on strict adherence to the Law and oral traditions, while re-affirming the purpose of His mission, which was to seek and save the lost. You can’t do anything with people who refuse to acknowledge they’re spiritually sick, that's why it's so difficult to evangelize those who think they're saved, in spite of their lives giving to clear evidence to the contrary according to what Scripture teaches. Jesus repeatedly and openly disregarded the scribes and Pharisees’ religious standards and man-made traditions, particularly those concerning ritual purity and Sabbath observance. In first-century Jewish culture, sharing a meal together symbolized fellowship and acceptance, which they believed should be reserved only for the righteous. God doesn’t grumble about sinners, He goes after the sinners seeking to bring them near. That's the idea here in this parable, the shepherd found the sheep because he sought after the sheep. The rhetorical question assumes that any responsible shepherd would go looking for one of his lost sheep that was lost until he found it. By the way, the number one hundred signifies completeness; losing even a single soul represents a soul estranged from God. Enough to cause the shepherd to leave the ninety-nine not neglectfully, but purposefully—to seek after the one until he finds it, emphasizes seeking with persistence and determination, mirroring God's own effort in initiating salvation, which begins with divine pursuit.
Verse 5, "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing." The act of carrying the sheep on the shoulders is deeply symbolic, because there is no option, indicating that the sheep contributed nothing to its rescue. Unlike the Pharisees who avoided sinners, a shepherd cannot be indifferent. Jesus draws near to them, seeking restoration. Carrying the sheep on his shoulders emphasizing the shepherd carries the burden of the triumphant return, which is cause for celebration with those who will celebrate this joyous occasion with him when he finds it, because every sheep has value, much in the same way every soul is valuable, and a redeemed soul is a testament to God’s grace and perseverance. It is God, Who rejoices and all the angels around Him gather in His joy and all the saints in glory are added to that joy when one sinner is brought home. This is why God proclaims the message of salvation throughout the world, He finds immense joy in finding the lost sheep. We need to understand heaven's joy, it's an eternal celebration of the recovery of the lost soul once headed for eternal damnation. It should also be our joy. His audience certainly would understand the shepherd's joy and they would've wanted to hear the lost sheep was found, they would have also wanted to share in the celebration when he came back.
Verse 6, "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!" This is in contrast to the Pharisees, who viewed sinners as untouchable and irredeemable. Jesus redefined holiness, not as a maintained separation but as missional love, reversing the narrative on the religious leaders, emphasizing that the lost sheep, rather than the ninety-nine, was worthy of the effort. A shepherd does not sit and wait for the lost sheep to return; he relentlessly goes after it, risking his safety, continuously seeking "until he finds it." The lost are not to be excluded, unworthy of fellowship as the Pharisees thought, they are merely lost, separated from God because of sin, in desperate need of being sought, a profound change in position from death to life.
That brings us to verse 7, "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." The implication here is very, very clear, nobody would have missed it, no one is truly beyond repentance. The ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance represent the religious leaders, who wrongly believe they are secure in their own righteousness. Ecclesiastes 7:20 states, "Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins." Paul echoes this same sentiment in Romans 3:10-11, "There is no one righteous, not even one. There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God." How does this apply to us today? I believe the church has been given a missional mandate, not limited to evangelism alone, we are not to sit around waiting for people to come to come us but to go into the world and seek the lost, embracing every sinner, rather than excluding them and rejoicing with all of Heaven over every conversion, no matter how unlikely.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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