God’s love and grace extend to all, even those who have strayed far from Him. The parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son illustrate God’s relentless pursuit of the lost and His joy when they return. While we may identify with the prodigal son in our need for forgiveness, we must also guard against the self-righteous attitude of the older brother. God’s grace is abundant, and He invites us to rejoice with Him when others turn to Him, remembering our own salvation and seeking to share this good news with those around us.

Automatically Generated Transcript

[00:00:00] all right well good evening everybody it’s nice to be preaching at Salisbury it’s been a little while and I have a bit of a deal for you so I’m I feel like the people here don’t care about what I’m about to say but it has to be done on this evening I am acutely aware that there’s something happening this evening and if you’re unaware the grand final of the NRL is on tonight Okay? So that’s the National rugby league competition, if you don’t know, you might have to check your Queensland citizenship, if you’re unaware of what I’m talking about. And so I am a footy fan, and I’ve got the distinct inkling that there’s quite a few people, or at least a few people,

[00:00:44] that would be here if it wasn’t this evening. But they’ve missed out, because I would’ve made them a good deal. So I’m a footy fan, but my team isn’t in the grand final this year, so I have less skin in the game and less care factor than I would have otherwise. I’ll grant you that for 100% certain. But nine years ago, on the final of the NRL, my team was playing. And apologies for anyone who this is going to bring up traumatic memories of, because that was the greatest grand final,

[00:01:12] but my team won, and that was nice for me. But I was preaching that Sunday as well, and so, I’m going to make you the same deal that I made on that day, okay? And that is basically barring unforeseen circumstances. I don’t know what they would be. But barring unforeseen circumstances, we will definitely be done before kick-off. There’s probably something else I should mention here, and that is that kick-off is at 6.30 p.m.

[00:01:34] It’s gonna be a rollicking good sermon if we’re still rocking at that point, I can tell you. The other thing I probably will mention is that a foremention day nine years ago when I made that deal, I was preaching during the morning service, and so I had about eight hours up my sleeve, So I kept good to my Word then, and I will tonight as well. So tonight we are in Luke 15. And we are going to use the Bible

[00:02:01] despite how that may have sounded to me when Alan said what he said earlier. I wasn’t meaning that we weren’t going to use the Bible, I just have a thing about. I think Alan was doing the leading the night that Ken was preaching, and I think Ken gave you a chapter. Yeah, I’m reading the chapter. So I didn’t think I could do that to him a second time so soon,

[00:02:20] so there we go. So we’re in Luke 15, we’re gonna read that, we’ll pray, and hopefully God will have something for us in here tonight, okay? So Luke 15, verse one, all the way through to 32. So, buckle up. Now, the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, that’s to Jesus, and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled

[00:02:40] saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them. So, he told them this parable, he said, what man of you, having 100 sheep, if he’s lost one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he’s 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 that was lost.

[00:03:04] Well, just so I tell you there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman having 10 silver coins, each worth like a day’s wage if she loses one of those coins, doesn’t light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it. And when she’s found it she calls together her friends and her neighbour saying rejoice with me for I have found the coin that I had lost and just so I tell you there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. And he said, there was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father,

[00:03:48] father give me the share of property that is coming to me. And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the young son gathered all he had and he took a journey into a far country and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country and he began to be in need. So he went and he hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into his fields to feed disgusting pigs.

[00:04:17] And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread but I perish here with hunger? I will arise and go to my father and I’ll say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” And he rose, and he came to his father, but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and he felt compassion,

[00:04:49] and he ran, and embraced him, and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him. And put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate for this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found and they began to celebrate now his older son was in the field and as he came and drew near to the house he heard music and dancing

[00:05:27] and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant and he said to him Your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back, safe and sound. But he was angry and he refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father. Look these many years I have served you and I never disobeyed your command. The perfect child. I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes,

[00:06:08] you killed the fattened calf for him. And he said to him, Son you are always with me, and all that his mind is yours. It was fitting to celebrate, and be glad, that this your brother was dead and is alive, he was lost and is found. Would you pray with me? Oh I mean, Dear Lord, we thank you for your word and we could probably go home now now because it is so good, great, marvelous. And, Lord, I pray that you would speak to us now, Lord, would you speak to each heart here, Lord, would you convict us, would you challenge us, and if there’s anyone here who doesn’t yet know you, I pray that you might even convert someone tonight.

[00:06:51] Lord, we do pray that you would encourage your hearts to love you more and to know you better and to love those around us. Please speak to us this evening, we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen so tonight we’re looking at this great passage in Luke 15 and even reading it again i feel like an imposter like sometimes when you preach there’s a point at which you go there’s no way i can do this passage just as and so i have to confess I’m feeling a bit like that already um so whilst you’ve almost certainly heard this um story and probably even you’ve probably almost certainly heard a sermon on it before i just as i was considering what to speak on tonight and praying about it and asking God to give me something and

[00:07:32] trying to figure out what He would like me to speak on I seem to be drawn here so I hope that there is something for us and for you in particular tonight so we’ve got chapter 15 of Luke which is this great chapter with these three fantastic stories okay we’re told something about our lostness and the love of God in these stories okay. Jesus tells us that there is rejoicing, there’s rejoicing in heaven right over one sinner who repents which is great news for all of us. It’s a fantastic thing to think of the fact that when someone turns back to God he’s not there going, I cannot believe it took this nitwit this long. He’s rejoicing which is pretty cool and pretty amazing and that’s great. How good is heaven going to be? And that is very much the

[00:08:21] theme in all three of these stories, right? In all three of these stories we see this rejoicing over a sinner who repents, like the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son representing that sinner who comes back, who comes to know their Heavenly Father. So first of all we’ve got this shepherd who’s got the 100 sheep and while he’s with the 99 sheep he realizes he’s lost one and he doesn’t he goes out he seeks out that sheep. Then he shares his great news, right? So he doesn’t keep it to himself, he shares that great news and he says to his friends and his neighbors rejoice with me. I found the lost sheep. There’s a party over that. Then we’ve got that woman who’s got her ten coins, just ten coins. They’re worth a fair bit, but there’s only ten of them and she loses

[00:09:06] one. Now she doesn’t sit down, she doesn’t mope around, have a pity party. Instead She gets things in order. She searches out her house until she finds a lost coin Okay, and when she finds it she says to her friends and neighbors rejoice with me for I’ve found my lost coin There’s this celebration over the finding of the thing that was lost Then there is this wonderful famous story of the lost son the prodigal son Which of course is also really about another character. I mean it could be called the loving father couldn’t We’ve got this son, this One Son who is this foolish, selfish guy that just makes a complete mess of things, and he says to dad okay here’s the deal dad when you’re dead I get half of the gear I’d like that stuff now because I really don’t care about you. In fact I’m kind of saying at this point I wish you

[00:09:57] were dead because I just want the stuff more than you. So he gets given the stuff and he goes away treating his dad like dirt and he squanders the gifts he’s been given right and over time he uses them up and finally after using up everything after trying all these different things he comes to his senses and he repents and the dad is there and we see this picture of this dad who is loving and caring and gracious and generous and merciful towards him okay so the reality is for us if you are apart from God in this world if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and your Saviour you are that lost son that’s a really simple conversion for us to see ourselves in this story right that’s me I’m the guy I’m the girl I’m the person who has been given this opportunity by

[00:10:49] God and I’m squandering what he’s given me I have despised him and I’m essentially acting as if I want him dead or out of my life permanently that’s that’s what we do when we’re without God we convey a lack of love for God this kind and generous God, but we have this opportunity to turn back and receive grace, this amazing grace, the grace that doesn’t get angry and doesn’t write you off at your first failure, a grace that doesn’t seize you in anger and destroy you, I mean imagine how different this story could have been, right, like the justifiably angry dad. Like, you know, just imagine the son comes back, and dad’s like, oh, I remember you, here’s a can of wh Heather, you know, it’s, it’s not like if you read that story you’d be like, ooh that dad was harsh. You’d be like, yeah he had a coming,

[00:11:33] you know what I mean. So it’s quite amazing when we think about the level of grace that we are extended here, so this is the grace that gives us the opportunity to see how hollow the things of this world are. If you think about the Old Testament King Solomon, right, this is a guy who had a lot going for him in a lot of different ways, he thought I’m gonna try as many pleasures in this world as I can. I mean what an aim in life, and the thing is he had the resources to do it, so he literally like he just goes from thing to thing trying out as many different pleasures as he could think off and he doesn’t come at the end of it and go, that was worthwhile, I’m so glad I did, like he comes up and he says it’s meaningless. I mean most of us at some point have had a moment when we

[00:12:20] thought, if I just had… and it doesn’t really matter what you put there, because Solomon tried them all. So I’m telling you now, whatever you’re… if I just had, I think I’d be happy thing is, have a little bit of a read through Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etc. and realise that no, that thing’s not going to solve the problem that you think you’ve got. Okay? So, a bit more money. Solomon had more money than we can figure out. Okay? Just think of that. money than we can figure out what he had okay not happy okay okay so bit more money is not gonna do it for me a possessions okay well every great thing that that ancient world knew he he was loaded up on it people brought it to him as like a gift not happy that’s a bummer oh if I could just have better food I’m sorry that’s a funny one but I couldn’t help myself ah no fail ah I know what my

[00:13:13] my problem is, I’m single if I just had a spouse hey Solomon did you have a significant other 1 or 2? I think you can see what I’m saying Solomon went well maybe one’s not the answer maybe another one or another one or another one I won’t do that to you for the next hour but you get the point he tried as many different things as we could possibly think of and it failed he even built great structures like some of us think oh I could just do something remarkable that would even, you know, lasting impression. Turns out, meaningless… I love that he describes it as a… a vapor, as a wind. Like it’s wind… how nothing does it have to say to you to describe it as wind. Have you even tried to describe wind? That’s a nightmare in a sandwich isn’t it? Well

[00:14:02] wind is like… no. I can’t think of it… actually, in preparing for tonight tried to figure out a good way to describe wind. And you can see the fruit of that because I’m not sure how to describe when to you. I teach science so when something that you can’t grasp that’s the idea of this right the thing that’s gonna make you happy isn’t something that you can just grasp it’s actually someone isn’t it these pleasures are fleeting they have the appearance of lasting satisfaction but outside of God’s understanding being understood by him they prove to do one thing and that is to show the lack of purpose in someone’s life apart from God. Which is a remarkable and gracious thing. I have a bit of a life theme to just

[00:14:46] try and spot grace as often as I can. I’m not good at it but that’s probably why I have to do it and forcefully think about it. But that’s a crazy good grace to realize that your life has no purpose apart from him. Right so when people are chasing things and they can’t find a purpose, that’s God being gracious to him because they’re gonna keep looking and hopefully they’ll realize he’s the thing they’re looking for. So God allows this Son, this folly right, these fleeting pleasures of a season of foolishness, of debauchery, of selfish revelry, He’s doing whatever He wants thinking this is the greatest thing ever. And eventually the Son realizes this is pointless and He’s tried the best food, He’s tried the best fun, He’s perhaps had the most outrageous central delights He could

[00:15:32] think of. And in a moment they may have brought him some sort of high or emotional connection. It’s brief and he finds he is worse off than ever at the end of it all. And in God’s grace he sometimes does this for us and lets us actually reach rock bottom, which is a great place to be, because then you’re looking up. So the Sun gets there and he considers these things and he comes to to his senses and he repents and he changes his mind and he moves his feet right and he gets going, he humbles himself before his dad as he should. He’s come to his senses, he’s realized that even as the lowliest one in his dad’s house he’d be vastly better off than in his current state, right, as the lowliest person in his dad’s house it’d be better off than he is and of course we

[00:16:25] see what he does, he goes back he repents and the dad is generous and he’s gracious and he’s waiting for him. He loved him even in his folly and disgrace. And that’s our God but that’s our God. He is amazing. He is waiting for us. He waited while I wandered and he looks for us and he doesn’t treat us as we deserve. He doesn’t wipe us out. He doesn’t chastise us repeatedly. He doesn’t beat us half to death for our insolent behaviour. He runs to meet us. He meets us when we turn to Him. So know this today, if you don’t know Jesus is your Lord and Savior you are that son. You are that son you are the prodigal son wandering in a foolish way. You’ve offended this kind and gracious loving Father, God the Father, but He is that loving,

[00:17:18] kind, gracious Father as well. And if you turn to Him He won’t turn your way and that is really good news. And then you can have a place in the Father’s house and how does he greet us? He has a party, right? He will celebrate you turning to him. It’s a remarkable thing. In place of all our failure, he’s willing to accept us, loves us, and will celebrate. He’s gonna have a party to celebrate this fool who’s finally come to his senses. That’s fantastic! And if you recognize that’s you tonight, you need to be humble and wise enough to seek out help, talk to myself or someone else tonight, do it immediately, do it first. Anything else can wait. But there’s also another character in here as well. There’s this curious other character,

[00:18:12] the older brother, and he doesn’t get center stage. He doesn’t get as much attention. There’s not some rich character development, right? We don’t get to find out all about his education. What was his junior sporting career like? Did he break some records? The exam where he had the right answer, but then he crossed it out. We don’t find out about the difficulties

[00:18:35] that he put up with because of his younger brother and any other things that might shape our view further. There’s just this brief yet important interaction between the older brother and his evidently generous, gracious and merciful father. Is this brother, is he proud, or is he distracted? Has he missed the bounty in front of him? I mean, maybe you’re like me. Do you have some of those tendencies? I can forget whose house I live in.

[00:19:05] I forget whose house I live in. I’m too busy looking at other stuff. forget who’s provided me with everything I could ever need. I can forget that there’s more than enough for others and that He loves me and shows me kindness and goodness daily! Whilst I’m looking at what others have, the party or the fat and cast, so to speak, I can miss the glorious grace that I’ve been offered, that I’m getting. I can forget that I can ask and receive, I can seek and find, I I can knock and the door will be opened. Now I’m not suggesting, I don’t wanna suggest a blank check faith

[00:19:40] where God’s like a cosmic vending machine, you don’t put a prayer in, and out pops a pony, a Porsche, or a promotion, or whatever. Well, I should have said, our partner, that’s 4th P, that’s good baptisting. But he is able, like God can do anything. So perhaps like me, you can at times Oh, so slow to put up real requests or to bask in the grace that is ours. Sometimes I don’t really talk to God as deeply as I could, but we’ve got this Father there. We’ve got a good Father

[00:20:15] who’s loving and generous. And there’s times we somehow can feel as if we’re owed something above others. Perhaps you’ve had that feeling that God owes you something. Perhaps you have those that you look down on. Is there someone that you can think of that you’ve maybe got very little or even basically no respect for? And it might be with good reason, someone who’s hurt you or who hurt others that you love or someone who has seemingly no morality at all. So they might have cheated you, or someone you love out of something, perhaps they’ve stolen money from you or your family, or that they’ve caused you damage by gossip, or perhaps something even worse than that. Legitimate things, not nothing. This is the sort of person who’s done the sort of things that we could all agree are terrible, and we could all agree are deserving of some sort of punishment. They’re very much

[00:21:17] like this prodigal son. A real person has done real bad things. Are we willing for God to bring them to himself? And are we willing for him to forgive and save them? Maybe today we need to ask God to save us from that idea that they’re not deserving. Maybe we need to ask God to change our hearts towards those who’ve wronged us and to be people who desire that they would turn to him and repent to actually love others to care to understand where we’ve been saved from and to see that yes there are others who need it and want him to do that work it’s great to remind ourselves what he has given us he’s given us salvation through Christ we have forgiveness of our sin all of those awful things that we’ve ever thought and done, the attitude that we’ve held to Him in the past He

[00:22:16] forgives us in Christ. He gives us peace with God, relief from the debt of damnation and eternal judgment and separation, the guilt that hung over us deservedly gone in Christ’s name. He gives us the Holy Spirit, our advocate, our helper, our guide in this life. He gives us eternal life, the assurance of a reconciled eternity with him in a perfected heaven forever in his presence with the sin and sorrow and the stain removed from us so in this life we have peace and we have help for each day and an eternity with him forever the blessings of God is what we have in Christ and if we go back to the start of chapter. Those first two verses. It says that the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to Him and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled

[00:23:13] saying this man receives sinners and eats with them. That’s what this is in relation to, right? Kind of like this jealousy that the outcasts and the Yaki people are getting in with God. So, if you’re one of those outcast Yaki people, turn to Him. He’s here, ready to love you and save you. Do it tonight. And for those of us who know Him, let’s rejoice when those who are lost are turning to God, realizing and remembering that we too were lost without Him. Sometimes we forget where we’ve come from and what He’s saved us from. Let’s desire that our brothers and our sisters

[00:24:00] and our parents and our friends and our workmates turn to the Lord before it’s too late. Even the one who leaves the microwave dirty. May God give us hearts to bring them to Him and Him to them, and everything that we do and everything that we say. Look for ways to have the chat with them. Look for things to invite them to. and this week let’s try to remember how blessed we are right we’re in the father’s house all he has made available to us perhaps you haven’t realised that in a while perhaps you’ve forgotten about it perhaps you haven’t been talking with him deeply closely perhaps there’s things that you could be asking him for that you haven’t do we actually take everything to him in prayer, do we seek Him? I’m gonna pray. Dear God, we thank you for your goodness

[00:24:55] and grace and God I ask that you would show us through your word, through what we’ve just heard, through those stories Lord. Help us to see that we are like those lost items. And we’re in need of finding. Help us to see that you love us enough to seek us out. That you’ve, perhaps, had someone to ask us here tonight or perhaps had someone speak to us. I thank God, help us to hear your voice speaking to us, calling us to you. God, we also pray for those that we love who don’t yet know you our our friends and family our co-workers law we asked that this week you’d help us to be praying for them and Lord if there’s a chance to share the gospel to speak kind words to point them to you or maybe to invite them to something you help us to see that’s that opportunity and we pray

[00:25:55] that you to open their hearts maybe shock us when we ask them and think they’re going to say no, that they might say yes and just shock us into doing something great but God we do thank you so much that you are this kind and loving father and you have all the storehouse that you have given us so much blessing we pray that you would help us to be wise enough to avail ourselves of it, to to understand what is ours, to seek the spirit and to live in the spirit. God we ask that you do work in us this week. Pray these things in Jesus name, amen.