The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son

Well, good evening again. It's a privilege to speak once again.

We are partway through a series in Luke, where we've been looking at the parables on the Sunday evenings.

And tonight I would like to deal with Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

Now, we're not just going to deal with one parable, or even two, but all three that Alistair has read to us tonight.

And I'm hoping in the time that is available that we will get through them.

Now, a quick recap of what a parable is.

I think if you've been through Sunday school, we might have recited to the kids that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

Now, Roy Zuck in his book, Basic Bible Interpretations, he puts it like this.

He said it's a true-to-life story to illustrate or illuminate truth.

In other words, a short picture message that can help us to understand, that we can relate to and understand in order to grasp a truth that God intended us to comprehend.

Now, I have a headed section on Luke chapter 15, Repentance, Restoration and Rejoicing, which helpfully starts with the letter R.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

And I'm hoping that's something that you'll be able to remember.

Now, the three R's once used to refer to reading, writing and arithmetic in the 19th and 20th century.

That was the kind of curriculum for education.

I think as we've gotten to the 20th century, the three R's might stand for, I guess for us, if somebody was to ask you what the three R's are,

then you might say that it's reduce, reuse or recycle.

Either way, the helpful letter of R will help us remember the key points.

Whether that was the agenda for education or the agenda for living sustainably,

I'm hoping tonight that these three R's you will be able to take away and it will help you remember the message that is contained within Luke 15,

which is repentance, restoration and rejoicing.

It's one of the most important truths, and I think it's largely forgotten and ignored probably by the majority today.

How good it is then when we come to the word of God that we have the confidence that what is said in Scripture is truth.

And it's true.

And it's as relevant for us today as it was when the Lord spoke it.

So the big idea in Luke 15 is this, that it is something or someone that is lost and is found,

and the celebration and the joy for those involved that comes afterwards.

When we talk about the word lost, we're referring to someone or something that is not in its rightful place.

It's not with the person to whom it belongs, and therefore it is of no use to the owner.

We know this, if you take a £10 note and you lose it, it is of no use to us when we're at the supermarket checkout.

Or a train ticket, when we lose it, it's of no use to us when we go to board the train.

We should note, however, though, that the value, it still has a value, right?

So the £10 note still has a value, the train ticket still has a value for the proposed journey.

As we move on to this idea of being found, we are thinking of the opposite.

We're thinking of something being back in its rightful place, back with its owner, back in service, right?

Fulfilling its purpose, reconciled, restored.

I'm sure there's many other things that you're thinking as I go through a list like that of what it means to be found.

Restoration is a magnificent concept.

We often think about, and probably you watch programmes of houses and furniture and things that are restored.

Maybe in a modern way, when your phone's software has gone a bit skewiff, a bit wonky, you might restore it back to its factory settings.

So you take it back to where it started from and it's in a state now that can be of use and it has a value to the owner.

Similarly, this is the same with us and God.

You see, man was created by God and in his image and we were created to belong to him and to have a relationship or have a friendship with him.

We'll see over these three parables what it means to God.

And I think if you've kept your Bibles open, you'll see this phrase repeated, for a sinner who repents.

When they're found, when they're restored, when they're reconciled, when they are, we use a word that we use in a Christian context often as a word saved.

When they are saved and we'll see what the outcome of that is.

Now, just to put into a bit of context, the teaching ministry of the Lord in Luke chapter 14 seems to have attracted despised tax collectors and sinners.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

People who were outwardly sinners.

We see that when we get to chapter 19 with Zacchaeus.

Somebody who was despised and he lived outwardly different from the Jews of that day.

Even though Jesus' message was clear, right?

The way that he taught, the way that he preached, the way that he went out of business, it reproved their sin.

Even though that was the case, many of them acknowledged that he was right.

And they took sides with Christ against themselves.

In true repentance, they acknowledge him as their Lord.

And we find that whenever that happens, Jesus is willing and he gravitates towards them.

And he bestows spiritual help and blessing upon them who act in this way.

The difference is the Pharisees and the scribes resented this fact that Jesus fraternised with people who were avowedly sinners.

And they did not show the grace and the humility that they should have shown to these people.

And they resented Jesus for doing so.

In fact, at the beginning of our passage, Alistair read that they hurled this charge at him.

That he came to eat, he received sinners and eats with them.

And they meant that as a kind of a slight against him, as a bit of a slur.

But in actual fact, this was the fulfilment for the very purpose that the Lord Jesus came into the world.

We read that elsewhere in scripture, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

You see, God seeks out sinners.

You see that right the way at the beginning of the book of Genesis, when God sought out Adam and Eve in the garden.

Right through to the words that we have quoted probably today about the Lord Jesus.

In fact, I'm sure that Colin said that this morning.

The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Whereas the Jews, they kind of operated in a different way.

They operated and they worked on their obedience to the law and modern personal purity to try and gain favour with God.

And they were angry with Jesus and his actions for acting in this way.

I wonder if you can remember back to the beginning of July.

On the 3rd of July, I spoke on the Good Samaritan.

The Pharisees had totally forgotten that they were not able to gain favour with God in this way.

And so the Lord Jesus goes on to then speak these three parables to illustrate the truth of repentance and restoration and rejoicing.

The first of these parables is a parable about the lost sheep.

It's a clear picture story to the men and women in that day that they would easily have related to.

Now, I think probably for us in Edinburgh, it's probably somewhat removed, right?

For us city dwellers, we don't tend to keep these kind of animals in our flats and our houses.

So it's probably maybe slightly removed, but I'm sure that you can get the picture as to what the Lord is speaking about here.

This is a picture of these publicans and sinners who had become separated from the flock.

The people who the Pharisees and the scribes despised.

They were looked down on and they had become outcasts.

As it was clear from their lives, right, that they lived in a very sinful way.

As the story progresses, we read the question about the man to whom the sheep belonged, right?

And it's written as a rhetorical question.

And I think this is a key thing to note.

It's written as a question as this, that as if there was no doubt that the shepherd to whom they,

or the one whom the sheep was lost, there's no doubt that he would go out

and he would seek the lost sheep until he finds it.

You see, this sheep has been lost in its own foolishness.

I don't know if you've seen sheep, but quite often if you're driving in the countryside,

a sheep will have found a little gap in a fence and in its own wisdom it'll have gone through

and it gets itself lost.

It's lost in its own wisdom and its own recklessness.

In Isaiah we read the words, all have sinned and gone astray.

We have turned, every one of us, to our own way.

But the shepherd knows the value of the sheep.

Just like, as I mentioned, with the tempo note and the rail ticket,

the sheep still has a value and the shepherd has a deep care for and an interest in its well-being.

And so he sets out to look for the sheep.

Now, I've already mentioned this in a Sunday school context.

For those who have grown up in the Christian circles and gone to Sunday schools,

you remember your Sunday school teacher would have really dramatised this type of story.

And, you know, maybe we can do that tonight.

When we think about the shepherd who would have went out to look for the sheep

and it would have been a long, hard journey, maybe even into the night,

across hills and mountains.

And depending on how theatrical your Sunday school teacher might have been,

you might have mentioned the fact that, you know,

it faced the danger of meeting a lion or a bear,

which is not outside the imagination of, you know,

what we can think about what happened to that sheep.

The sheep itself, and I think we can appreciate this,

the sheep itself would have been hungry and thirsty.

It would have been distressed and in danger.

And that is the point of a shepherd looking after a flock of sheep.

It keeps it safe.

We often quote Psalm 23, but it keeps it safe.

It looks after it.

It leads it where it can get food and water.

The sheep, on its own folly, has gotten itself into this position.

Not able in its own strength, not in its own wisdom,

to be able to return itself or make its own way back home.

So the shepherd seeks until he finds it.

And he lovingly lifts the sheep and he puts it on his shoulders

and he carries it home.

Now, as we've been through these parables,

we have lifted out some of the picture language

that the Lord is trying to present.

And in this story, it's a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus right here.

That he would search for lost sinners and carry them home.

Not on our own might or our strength or by our own understanding or our wisdom,

but by his love and his grace.

And upon reaching home,

the shepherd calls his friends and his neighbours and he rejoices.

Now, this is not some kind of cheap party

where we go to forget our worries and our woes.

But this is a deep satisfaction.

That the sheep that was lost is now back in its rightful place.

It is now restored to the one to whom it belongs.

Jesus makes it clear that this speaks of the joy that is found in heaven

over one sinner who repents.

Actually, Scripture says that there is more joy

over one sinner who repents.

Who realises that they are wrong

and that by repenting agrees with God

over their sin and the way that they live.

And also the way to be right with God.

Not by our works or wisdom,

but by the saving power of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus refers to himself in another place in Scripture

of the good shepherd.

As far as he's concerned,

the journey of the shepherd includes his descent into this earth,

his public ministry,

his rejection,

his suffering,

his death.

And how true...

This might be an old one for some people in the audience.

I'm sure most of you will know it.

But how true is the lines from the hymn,

the 99.

We don't sing it anymore,

but it says this,

But none of the ransomed ever knew

how deep were the waters crossed,

nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through,

ere he found his sheep that was lost.

I think the lesson is clear.

There is joy,

and this is one of the key points of Luke 15

that we often gloss over,

but there is joy in heaven over one sinner who depends.

But there's a small section just at the end of that in verse 7.

There is no joy over the 99 sheep or the sinners

who are not convicted of their lost condition.

That verse doesn't actually mean that there are some people

for whom need no repentance.

For we understand well in other places

that all of us are sinners

and that we all must repent in order to be saved.

The verse instead describes those,

as far as they see themselves,

who need no repentance.

That kind of leads us on to verse 8,

which is the next parable that the Lord speaks about.

And it's similar to the first.

We find a story that the hearers would have known well.

And I've done a little bit of research.

I don't think it particularly matters,

but this coin would have been belonged to as part of a set.

It appears in the Jewish tradition

that as part of an engagement arrangement

or a wedding necklace,

there would have been a necklace

or some kind of headband

that would have had 10 coins in it.

And the person to whom it belongs loses one.

Now, as I was preparing for this,

I was remembering a story

a good number of years ago,

probably back in 2005,

when my sister,

yeah, 2005,

we were going through my cousin's baptism

in East Ayrshire,

and she'd taken off a ring

and she'd popped it in her hat

with other bits and pieces

and she had moisturised her hands

on the journey,

as I'm sure some of you guys will know.

And then when she'd finished,

she'd popped her hat back on

and we'd gone into the hall in Galveston.

And only when she was sitting in the seat

did she realise that she had

lost her engagement ring.

And I'm sure that you can all

just imagine the panic

and the distress that ensued.

Well, it's similarly

as part of this story as well.

Palestinian houses

would have been fairly dark,

not like what we have today

with electric lights

and smooth walls

and level floors

and all such like.

It would have been

a completely different house.

And the same rhetorical question

is asked,

who wouldn't do this?

If you had lost a coin,

who wouldn't do this?

And Jesus,

in asking that question,

Jesus is explaining

the concern and the care

that he has

for those who are lost.

And therefore,

that he would then seek

those who were lost.

Now remember,

this is in the context

of the Pharisees

who are looking on angrily.

Jesus is explaining

these parables to them.

So the woman lights the lamp

and she searches

until she finds that lost coin.

And we can just imagine her joy,

like my sister Gwen,

finding that in the street later.

In fact,

she actually found it

in her hat that was on her head.

But she had searched

up and down the street

and it was only until

she took her hat off

that she found this engagement ring.

Well, similarly for the woman,

verse 8 says

that she swept her house

and looked diligently.

And this kind of gives us

an idea as to the value

and the worth of the coin.

She searches really carefully

and I think that also

gives us the idea

of just how far

she was willing to go

and to the extent

and desire that she wanted

to find that coin

that was lost.

Now,

again,

like the point

in the first parable,

she too calls her friends

and her neighbours

and rejoices

once she has found that coin.

Now,

I think

in both of these stories

and both of these parables,

it's easy for us

to take them granted

because I don't necessarily think

that we are that invested.

Maybe in the second story

for the women in here

that have lost

or maybe the men

that have bought the ring

but certainly

if you've lost your engagement ring,

you might be a bit more invested.

But in terms of the sheep,

we might not be invested as much

because I don't suppose

there's any farmers in here tonight.

But the people in them days,

the Pharisees described

and all of the people

that would have been gathered there

listening to the Lord Jesus

would have known the impact

of these stories

quite acutely.

As lost,

both of these items

have no value

to the owner

but they're not worthless

as we mentioned previously.

But they're not useful, right?

To the owner,

there is dead.

And Jesus was actually saying

that God searches out

for sinners

who are in this condition.

No wonder that the Pharisees

and the scribes

are offended by this, right?

There's no place

in their legalistic theology

for a God like this.

And as I mentioned

as we opened up,

God searches for sinners.

We see that right away

from the beginning of our Bibles

in Genesis chapter 3

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

for Adam and Eve

when they had sinned

and they had hidden themselves

from God.

God comes out

and searches for them.

And in spite of their

supposed knowledge of scriptures,

the scribes and the Pharisees

forgot that God actually

is like a father

who pities his wayward children.

Now there are a few joys

that match those,

that match the joy

of finding the lost

and bringing them

to the saviour.

A quote from John Wesley

says this,

that the church

has nothing to do

but to see souls saved

and therefore we should spend

and be spent in this work.

Now that brings me on

to the biggest section

in Luke chapter 15

Luke 15:11–32

verses 11 to 32

where Jesus really elaborates

on the message

that he is communicating

about the need for repentance

and the need for restoration

and the joy

and the rejoicing

that this brings

to those involved.

I think quite often

when we look at these parables

we quite often focus

on the repentance part.

We may focus a little bit

on the restoration

but I really think

that quite often

we miss the fact

that there is real

deep satisfaction and joy

over one sinner

who repents.

Now I'm sure,

in fact Alice

had already mentioned this

but I'm sure

if you've been around

in Christian circles

you might have heard

this parable

being referred to

as the parable

of the lost son

or the parable

of the lost

of the two sons

but I think it could also

be called the parable

of the loving father.

I think it emphasises

as you look at it again

I think it emphasises

the graciousness

of the father

more than it does

the sinfulness

of the son.

But unlike the shepherd

and the woman

the father

in this parable

does not go out

and seek the son

but it is instead

the memory

of the father's goodness

that brought the son

to repentance

and forgiveness.

Romans chapter 2

Romans 2:4

verse 4

says this

So let's have a look

at some of the details

within this part

of the chapter.

From the start

we see that the son

did not understand

the father.

He did not want

to work for the father

he did not want

to live by his rules

and he didn't want

to, I don't think

this is pushing

it too far

from the context

of his mourance

but I don't think

he actually wanted

the father to be alive

that's why he goes on

then and asks

for the portion

of goods

that would have

come to him

in the event

of his father's death.

I think as sinners

we have all been

in this situation

at some point

that we have

not wanted to live

in that environment.

When the son

comes and asks

for the portion

of goods

I think again

from a little bit

of research

that this could

have been

allowed in kind

of Jewish law

whether it was

common or not

it was certainly

allowed.

I don't know

at what point

in a father's life

that he would

have accepted it

but certainly

this would have

happened before

so I don't think

this is too unusual.

Now in Jewish law

which is probably

not similar today

but the elder son

would have received

a bigger portion

maybe even double

a portion

to the son

or other sons

that his father

would have given

his estate to.

The father divides

the estate

and gives to the son

as we read

both sons actually

as we read in verse 12

and then as you come down

if you've still got

your Bibles open

into verse 31

you'll see that

the father reminds him

of this when he says

all of this

that I have

belongs to that elder son

but we'll leave him there

for the time being

and I just want to focus

on the younger son

just now.

See the younger son

imagined that

this would allow him

to go and enjoy

and live

as he wanted

by his own rules

and enjoy the freedom

and all that

that this would bring.

He kind of shunned

his father

and it shows

that his heart

was far away from him.

He rejected the safety

and the joy

that that provided.

The son had the choice

once he had received

the portion of the goods

that were going to

befall him

he had a choice to make

but as he has

considered this

and I guess

through the story

you can see this

that the perspective

the son's perspective

of the father

was skewed

and this is why

he acts in this way

he doesn't understand

his father

he wanted to live

separated from him.

Now I think

we need to probably

understand some of

the kind of cultural

differences of that day

and

I think when we start

to look at a bigger

picture in scripture

you see this

that

they would have lived

much more in

familial settings

so

they would have lived

in large family circles

and we only read

about two sons here

but they would have lived

in large family circles

servants and workers

would have been part

of that domestic situation.

I think in this day and age

we're probably removed

somewhat from that

kind of familial setting

we live in relative

affluence

we've got

social safety

and welfare

and if you look

even in Edinburgh

there's many homes

that are just occupied

by single people

so we're a little bit

removed

but what we're not

removed from

is children

who do not want

to live under

the guidance

of their parents

nor are we removed

from people

who want to live

recklessly.

The son goes off

and he lives

as he wants

the word prodigal

means exactly that

it means wasteful

one who spends

money wastefully

who lives

recklessly extravagant

and

you know

similar today

we see people

living in that same way

who just want to live

with reckless abandon

we

smiled as

I was putting this

together with this quote

that probably

many of us have used

YOLO

you live as you want

you live as you please

you only live once

so

let's go and do it.

Well

the younger son

he ends up in a situation

that this extravagant

living

exhausts

the resources

that he has

and in addition to this

there's a depression

that comes over the land

and the fun

and the friends

and all that he enjoyed

comes to an end

and evaporates

right

times are tight

and he finds himself

forced to do

for a stranger

what he wouldn't do

for his father

and that is to go to work

to live

and to work

in that

way

I think this is

I think this scene

in the parable

is the Lord's way

of emphasising

what sin

really does

in the lives of those

who reject the father's will

sin promises freedom

but it brings slavery

it promises success

but it brings failure

it promises happiness

but it brings misery

it promises life

but we read that the wages

of sin is death

and for most of us

that know

who have repeated that

many times

we know that that is

that word for separation

when God is left out

of our lives

enjoyment becomes

enslavement

and we become slaves

to this world

and the master

and its masters

instead of the one

who created us

the man finds himself

in a pigsty

feeding pigs

and the Bible

and Alice has read this

but the Bible reminds us

that he would have

filled his belly

with what he was feeding

to the pigs

it tells us

that the money

that he was receiving

for this job

that he was doing

wasn't even enough

to buy him food

and he is

he's just brought low

and in his misery

his mind is taken back

to his father's home

and as he thinks

about home

and about his father

he sees his father

in a new light

he sees his father

as the father

always was

and continues to be

and we'll see that

as we move on

no longer just the guidance

right

you can appreciate this

not just the guidance

and the rules

that are part and parcel

of living at home

but also the peace

and the joy

and the stability

that that affords

and the better conditions

that he

as he's sitting there

in the field

feeding the pigs

he

it comes to mind

that even the

even his

even the servants

that work for his dad

have enough

to eat

and to live comfortably

they make enough money

for them to buy

food

but as he's sitting there

he doesn't just pity himself

feel sad

and then

go on his way

regardless

as many of us do

when we are

in a kind of situation

like that

and I think this is

I think this is where

it gets to the kind of

absolute thrust

of the message

that Jesus is teaching

he wanted them

to understand

what it is

to be truly repentant

in this parable

about the son

who sees his father

in a new light

it's in the right light

with clarity of mind

and he agrees

with himself

in that

when he was sitting there

considering his father's home

and all that was

all that he could enjoy

in his father's home

he saw his father

in this

in this

in the right light

so it wasn't

it wasn't that his father

had changed

but just in his mind

he sees his father

in the right light

and he acknowledges

and agrees

within himself

that the father's way

was best

the son is repentant

and what do I mean by that

well it means that

he changes his mind

about his father

and not only does he

change his mind

but he goes on

to show that

in his response

a complete change

right

had he just stopped here

he would only have

he would only have

experienced regret

and remorse

but true repentance

true repentance

involves

not just the will

but it involves

the will

as well as just

the mind

and the emotions

the son resolves

and I think this is part

of it

the son resolves

and he says this

he says

I will arise

and I will go

and I will say

and this is what

our response

needs to be

verse 18

he says this

I will arise

and I will go

to my father

and I will say to him

father

I have sinned

against heaven

and before you

see the young man

he just can't remain

he cannot remain

this is what he's saying

to himself

I can't remain

here as I am

in this condition

he recognises

that he has wronged

his father

and he has failed

to live up to the

standards of his son

and he is truly sorry

he changes his mind

not only about himself

and about his situation

but he admits

that he's a sinner

when he goes back

he says

father I have sinned

against heaven

and before you

in that

and I never finished

the rest of the verse

but in that

he recognises

and I think this is key

for us

he recognises

that his father

was a generous man

and that service

at home

is far better

than freedom

in the far country

you see

for us

I think it's God's goodness

not just man's badness

that leads us

to repentance

you know

if the young man

had only thought

about himself

about his hunger

about his loneliness

about his homesickness

he would have despaired

there's no hope

in that situation

but his painful circumstances

helps him see his father

in a new way

and this

this is what brought

about him hope

if the father was good

so good to servants

then maybe he would be

willing to forgive a son

and this

this is the part

of the story

that brings joy

to your heart

as the man

as the young man

approaches home

his father sees him

in the distance

and I got a text

this morning

just to remind me

that the father

runs

and greets him

and kisses him

and brings him home

and he asks

for the best

to be done

for his son

we see that the son

didn't even get

to finish his confession

and yet the father

is ready

to act

and receive him

with joy

in fact

it's this

in the same text

a good friend

that texted him

this morning

just to encourage me

he had quoted

a line

that my grandfather

used

and I'm sure

there's a few lines

that will come out

but one of the lines

that my grandfather

used

he said this

he said

he kissed him

when he still

had the smell

of pigs

upon him

now

you know

when we think

about us

God receives us

as repentant sinners

not as polished Pharisees

but as repentant sinners

in the condition

that we

repent to God

now the son

did not deserve

this

given the way

that he had

spurned his father

he disrespected him

he disappeared

from him

and yet we see

the goodness

and the kindness

in the fact

that the father

still loved

the wayward son

and he too

like the first two

in the first two parables

he too is filled

with joy

and he invites

his family

and his friends

to rejoice

and to celebrate

with him

for he says this

for my son

was dead

and is alive again

he was lost

and is found

now

the Pharisees

listening to this

and I asked you

earlier on

just to park

the older brother

but the Pharisees

that were listening

to this

are shown

as the older brother

they claim

to have served God

all this time

but in reality

their hearts

are far

from the father

note

you'll see that

in the verse there

that the older son

actually wants

the same

as the younger son

as he asks

he says

you never give me

a fatted calf

so I could go off

and enjoy it

with my friends

and not with his father

and that is why

Jesus' parable

is fully understood

when we see

that each one of us

are in this parable

somewhere

now for the majority

of us

it would have been

in this prodigal son

but there might be

some of us

who are

who are sitting here

like a Pharisee

just not

considering the fact

that there are people

Jesus came to seek

and to save

that were lost

the Pharisees

were annoyed

at the fact

that the Lord Jesus

was eaten

that he was received

as sinners

and eaten with them

and that is the

extent

that the Lord Jesus

tells these three parables

and there might be

some of us

that sometimes

act in this way

that we are just

a little bit annoyed

that there are people

who live

an outwardly sinful life

and yet

God

is willing

as the loving father

in this story

to receive them

when they are

truly repentant

but we can see

ourselves

all of us

in this room today

can see ourselves

in this parable

none of us

have been living

as we should

and that is why

the Bible says

and reminds us

that we've all sinned

and we've fallen short

of the standard

that God expects

we've already quoted

Isaiah

that all we like sheep

have gone astray

and we read elsewhere

in scripture

that there's a way

that seems right to man

but the end thereof

is destruction

so what does that

mean for us today

then

how do we

take this passage

and how are we

to apply it

do these three R's

that I've mentioned

resonate with us

the Bible tells us

that God

is the same

yesterday

and today

and forever

and so

we come to learn

that these principles

are indeed

relevant for us

you see as sinners

we must repent

if we are to be

accepted

by God

we must accept

that like sheep

we have disobeyed God

and we have

become lost

in the folly

of our own wisdom

like the coin

we are unable

to find ourselves

and you know

the far country

exists in our hearts

right

for we are

in a natural state

we are far from God

Colossians 1

21 says this

and you

who once were

alienated

and hostile

in mind

doing evil deeds

repentance

is about

changing our mind

and seeing

that the way

that we live

is an affront

to our maker

it's accepting

that by

that God's design

and desire

for our lives

is the only way

that we should

have been living

but

the point

one of the points

in this

the three R's

repentance

restoration

but there is

a piece in here

that reminds us

that we can be

restored

we can be brought

back into relationship

with God

through the death

and the resurrection

of his son

the Lord Jesus

he said

I am the way

that this can happen

he said

I am the life

he came to give

he came to give us life

John 10 10

reminds us

I am come

that they might have life

and they might have it abundantly

just following on

for that verse

that I quoted

in Colossians 1

and 22

it says this

but now he has

reconciled

in his body of flesh

by his death

in order to present us

holy

and blameless

and above reproach

before him

like the clothes

that the father

presented to the son

to demonstrate

that he was his son

as restored people

we are clothed

in Jesus righteousness

as we stand

before God

and our father

sees us

as righteous

as his son

Jesus

and that brings us

on to this

the last R

which is rejoicing

you see

joy is deep

satisfaction

and delight

both for the

seeking saviour

and for the

saved individual

and this is what

brings joy

to the waiting

father

if you are repentant

and have been restored

reconciled to God

then this parable

tells us

that the joy

that fills heaven

and should fill our hearts

the Christian life

as we probably all know

from what we think about

on our prayer newsletters

from Brunsfield

the Christian life

can be tough

but as a true believer

we experience that deep joy

when we are right with God

so as I finish

I want to encourage us

not to forget

about these three R's

repentance

restoration

and rejoicing

and if you have not found

that deep peace

and joy

that is afforded

by the Lord Jesus

then I just ask

that you consider

this message

that there is joy

over one sinner

who repents

and the father

is waiting

to forgive those

who come to him

now before I hand over

to Alistair

I just want to pray for us

and I just want us

to consider these

three R's

as we

think about

what's been said

tonight

our heavenly father

we

come before you

we thank you

that

in your word

we find stories

like this

simple stories

that we can

understand

and that we can

remember

and that we can

just see the truth

that you have

for us

our father

we thank you

that this

reminds us

that you are

a loving father

and that you have

our interests

at heart

and our father

even before

the dawn of time

you had

salvation's plan

and that you are

willing to send

your son

to come

and to seek

and to save

that which was

lost

our father

we thank you

for our salvation

for those

who have come

to put their

trust and faith

in the Lord Jesus

our father

we thank you

that you are

willing to

accept

and forgive us

our father

we just ask

that as we have

thought about this

that we might

just consider

our lives

and our father

that all of us

might just be

repentant

and how we live

that displeases you

and how that we

are often far

from you

and our father

we just ask

that as we

consider this

tonight

that your word

would speak

to us

that might

just ring

in our hearts

and our minds

and our father

we just pray

that as we

just consider

this message

tonight

that you

indeed

will be

glorified

in sinners

that seek you

and that are

saved

and so our father

we just commit

this time to you

we give you

thanks for it

and we do so

in the name

of our Lord

Jesus

Amen

Good

agen