The Parable of the Lost Sinner — Luke 15

0:01 Wow, Lord. You're beyond awesome. True, you are holy, holy, holy. You alone are holy. Everything about you is holy.

0:18 Lord, there is no love like yours. Your love is holy. Your mercy, your grace, or who has mercy like you set apart completely separate from any other kind of mercy? Grace, there's no grace like yours, Lord. Your grace is holy.

0:43 Jesus, you had the spirit right in your scriptures in Ephesians that salvation is all for the praise of the glory of your grace. Wow. Or like Sam said, the breaking of bread service at the end there, Lord, we know how much we deserve. We don't deserve heaven because we keep sinning and we're worthy of death and even as he said judgment in hell. Lord, us who have repented and put our faith in you will never gonna see the place.

1:20 Thank you, lord. Lord, help us all to see fresh. Lord, we need your holy spirit. He's the teacher. He's the guide.

1:29 Lord, he wrote the scriptures. He inspired them. And so we're gonna read them. You're gonna speak to us. Would you open our hearts that we would receive your word?

1:40 Lord, and then that you would overwhelmingly teach us afresh the great, amazing, holy love that you almighty god have for sinners. Wow, lord. Thank you for this assembly that celebrates that every Sunday morning with the lord's supper. And, Lord, again, we we do that every Lord's day, and it's been mentioned many times, the danger that it becomes just ritual or just common. Lord, please refresh us with your spirit.

2:14 Help us to see you hanging on that cross in order to save lost sinners like perhaps we've never seen the depths of your love before. We love you. We praise you. You get all the glory. Lord, speak.

2:29 Your servant listens. Would everybody say amen? Amen. To that last statement. Speak, Lord.

2:37 Your servant listens. That's a great prayer in it. Luke 15. And, I just saw the email that you sent out, Devin. I...

2:47 I'm doing the whole chapter. I'm not sure about the next guys. So, it's a a chapter we've... How many have never heard, read chapter 15 of Luke, the prodigal son? Never.

3:05 Everybody here has. That's what my assumption was before I was assigned this task. And so it's not gonna be... There's no new information. It's a real simple story.

3:17 Three different parables, which a parable is a earthly story to help us understand and spiritual truth. The spiritual truth is the truth. Not everything in the parable can we say this is that, that is that, 100%. That's important. But it's a spiritual...

3:41 It's an earthly story. The sower went to plant the seed. Right? He compares that to, the word of God and the Lord and our hearts as the soil. So there's three parables here, and each of the parables encompasses one spiritual truth that in heaven, when one sinner is found, when one sinner repents...

4:11 I didn't write it. God said there's more joy in heaven in the presence of the angels. It doesn't say the angels. Doesn't say that. I'm sure the angels, I guess maybe the angels are rejoicing.

4:25 But in the presence of the angels in heaven, there's more rejoicing over one sinner who was lost, dead, lost, found alive because he repented and put his trust in Jesus Christ. And who gets the who's having... Who's throwing the party in each one of these three parables? The shepherd, the woman lost her coin, and the father lost his son. Who's doing the rejoicing?

4:56 Who's doing the celebrating? It's the one who lost what was theirs, but it was found. The father, the father, our god and father gave his son Jesus to hang on the cross so we could be found, so we could be saved. And when one of us did get saved, when another one does get saved, there's more rejoicing in the heart of almighty God the father. I gave my son for this.

5:26 And Romans eight teaches us it's not even all about us. This is a time period, a time frame when the father is making, choosing, giving a bride to his son. Romans eight says, all things working together for good to those who love God called according to his purpose. Because those whom he foreknew, he what? He predetermined a destination that they would be conformed to the image of his son.

5:56 That's not the last statement. In order that his son would be protodocus, the preeminent one, the firstborn among many brothers sisters. Jesus himself said, I'm going to prepare a place for you. My father's house, my daddy's house, one house, but there's many rooms, many dwelling places. And Don taught last week, the invitation's going out.

6:23 Come. Come. There's room in my daddy's house. There's room at the banquet. Come.

6:30 Come. Please come. All that the father what? Gives to me will come to me. Jesus in heaven preparing a place for us.

6:44 Why? He says, and if I go and prepare a place, I will what? Come again. To what? Receive you unto myself.

6:53 Why? So that where I am, you may be also. God has done everything because he loves us. Jesus loves us. He wants his bride so desperately, so wantingly, so much to be with him where he is.

7:16 And one day we will be. When he closes the invitation, when the list is full, when the last sinner repents, and the trumpet sounds, and God calls his bride. I kind of picture the father telling the son, son, Jesus, go get your bride that was bought with your own blood. Wow. A day is coming.

7:50 And so Jesus tells this story. The whole book of Luke is about God seeking and Jesus being that seeker to come and seek and what? Save that which was lost. The whole Bible is that. The whole reason for creation is that.

8:11 To put himself on display, to put his glory on display through creation. The heavens declare the glory of god, but his ultimate glory. Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son. Why?

8:24 So that your son may glorify you. Wow. The glory the father gets right from us. We know that us who are saved. I was on the car crying, lord, I wasn't seeking you.

8:39 You sent your son to seek me, your spirit, convicting me, drawing me. Jesus, you said nobody comes unless the father draws. Father, you are drawing me. I'm one of the bride, and the invitation is still going out. So now, I'm praying to the lord as you heard in my prayer even now again.

9:01 I was praying to God. I wasn't praying to you. And I know you were praying with, and I... Many of you have been praying. We need a fresh vision, understanding of how much God's holy...

9:15 How much god has a holy love for sinners. That word holy means set apart. There... Here's the best definition of holy from the lips of Jehovah himself. Isaiah 40.

9:26 God says, to whom then will you liken me that I should be as equal? There's none like me, says the holy one, says the completely distinct set of... I mean, who's like God? What is like God? Anything that can come into our mind was created except God.

9:45 He's the creator, eternal, no beginning, no end. I am. Amen? So we're going to read the text and just walk through it. And somebody once said, simply teach the word of God, comma, pause, simply.

10:10 That's all we have to do. We're going to read. We've read this before. Perhaps make a point or two, something that the Lord's impressed on my heart through this. I've been listening to it I don't know how many times.

10:22 Reading it how many times. I listened to it two, maybe three times on the way here. I have CDs of the bible. And just listening to the Lord speak this story. So before we actually start, that was my pre introduction.

10:51 What's your soul? Your soul... You're not looking at my soul. You're looking at my temporary automobile that's driving around carrying my soul. It's the real you.

11:02 It's the inner person that's going to last forever. Your body's not going to last forever. We die, we take our last breath. Soul separates from the body. The real me leaves.

11:14 I don't even get to take my body with me. I get a new one, praise the Lord. But the real you is the soul. What's the value to God? He created the soul.

11:25 Wow. Think about that brother. He created you inside the body. Yeah, He created the body, of course, but He created you. Interesting.

11:34 Awesome. So Mark eight thirty four, Jesus tells us, and Jesus summoned the multitude, notice that multitude, not just his disciples, with his disciples. And he said to them, if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Why? For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it.

12:04 But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels shall save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit or lose his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of man will also be ashamed of him, her, when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels. Verse 36, how valuable is one soul to almighty God?

12:49 More valuable than all of creation. I didn't write it. Now he's applying it to the lost soul that you're going to try and get everything in this life, this world. No, no. Your soul is way more valuable than anything that's out there.

13:07 Think that. Isn't that what he did? Isn't that why he sent his son Jesus? Is there anything more valuable to the father than his son Jesus? Only begotten?

13:19 The word begotten means one of a kind, eternal son, equal with God. Right? And yet he gives his son to come and rescue one lost soul, one at a time. That's how the whole... That's how everybody gets saved, whether it's 2,000, 3,000 got saved at Pentecost, one at a time.

13:42 God saved each one. The value of a soul to God, more valuable than the whole world. What's the value of one soul? We sang the song on page three sixteen. Interesting.

13:59 Page number. Blessed redeemer for God. And I looked it up in the Greek, and I've studied it. I'm no expert, but the word s o is in the original. It wasn't saying God loved.

14:13 God agape. He did agape. No. No. No.

14:16 He agape agape grandiose. He so loved the world. Of course, that's the people in the world. What did he do? He gave his one and only of a kind eternal son Jesus.

14:32 Yes, father. I'm going to send you down to the lost world. You created it. You created Adam from the dust. You were there and he disobeyed you, us, and we see what it's caused.

14:54 And I'm going to send you as the father sent me, Jesus said, right? So, send I you. That the world might know that I always, that I love the father, Jesus said, as they're leaving the upper room to go to the cross, the garden first, but then the cross. As the world... That the world might know that I love the father, I always do as he commands me.

15:20 Arise. Let us go. Father commanded Jesus. And that was Jesus's demonstration that the world might know that I love the father. I always do as he commands.

15:33 Wow. John three sixteen, god so loved the world. Andy, you're a dad. So many dads in here. Don, you're the dad of Andy.

15:48 How many grandchildren now? 18. 19. Horses are taking that... Some of those commandments literal.

15:57 Make disciples. Praise the lord. We've talked about this, Don, and I'm sure you've thought about this. I've mentioned it before. If the father would have given his own life, that would have been awesome.

16:12 He's holy. He's righteous. Scripture doesn't say it was never God's plan. But for illustration's sake, he could have become flesh, the father, and died on the cross. It's not written that way.

16:28 It was never God's plan because why? His love is even greater than that. Devin, you got a brand new little boy. You would never give your son to die for anybody to save them, probably not even your mom or dad. That's not belittling your love for them, but there's no greater love in the human heart than a father and a mother for their child.

16:58 Of course, that's distorted with sin, but God so loved the world, he gave his one and only son. That's what he said also. Rarely would someone die for a good man. Perchance, someone might die for a righteous man, but God demonstrates his own. I love that.

17:36 We have an every... An hour every Sunday for the Lord's Supper. We've heard it so many times, but may God help it to become fresh to us. What's the value of one soul to God more than the world? And that God would sacrifice his one and only son.

17:55 I know we don't need visuals, but I've been thinking this morning, I would have loved to have seen... To put up on the screen in one sense. Just to remind us, there's there's a... We've seen different movies of the Christ being crucified, but there's one picture keeps flashing in my mind, and and it was even worse than that, Isaiah says, from the passion movie of Christ on the cross. His face was marred beyond any human form.

18:24 His beard was plucked out of his face all Thursday night till they threw him on the cross at nine in the morning and Friday beaten by the soldiers whipped. All written before the foundation of the world that God would demonstrate his love in such a way. So why did Jesus come? A few verses, and then we're gonna read our text. First Timothy one fifteen, Don has a beautiful Christmas sign that he puts out in the front lawn every winter.

18:52 Christmas time, it's got beautiful lights. It's awesome. Christ Jesus came into the world. Why? Why To save did he come?

19:06 To save sinners. And that gives the father glory. The greatest glory of the father is that he would give his son to us for all eternity, us who are his are going to glorify him most. Sure for his creation. Sure for who he is, what he is when we first see him.

19:26 And for all eternity we'll see him and serve him. Glorify your son that your son might glorify you, father. The hour has come. Let's go to a few verses in Luke chapter five verse 31. Why did Jesus come?

19:46 Holy Spirit says through the apostle Paul is the pen. He came to save sinners. Somebody has to take the judgment of God or else we do. Somebody has to drink the cup of God's wrath for our sin or we have to. And what does that look like if we drink it?

20:08 We'll find that out next week in Luke 16. Flames, a lake of fire, eternal torment. I'm in agony in this flame, in torment, separated from God. Weeping and gnashing of teeth, darkness. That's how holy God is.

20:25 Again, we can't comprehend that. Some true Christians even said, no, no, no, no. God is not going to punish sinners forever. That doesn't seem like an equal punishment for somebody who just sinned a little bit, not like Christian Ikeli. But God's righteousness, God's holiness is holy.

20:48 His... We can't comprehend. And one day he will, his holiness will consume with fire. Won't consume. I'm sorry.

20:59 Will torment, it says. I didn't write it. Jesus said it himself, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Whoever's name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Luke chapter five verse thirty one and thirty two.

21:25 And Jesus answered and said to them, it's not those who are well who need a doctor or a physician, but those who are sick. There's the parable. I mean, that's simple. Right? Only sick people need a doctor.

21:38 Same way. Now here's the truth. Verse 32. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Now some would wanna add in that phrase there, I've not come those who think they're righteous.

21:53 Doesn't say that. He's come to call sinners. Right? That's how we came to Christ. Now I'm not saying that there's plenty of sinners who think they're righteous.

22:03 We're gonna see that in the chapter we read, The Pharisees thought they didn't need salvation, didn't need God's righteousness. But the text literally says, I've not come to call the righteous, and the emphasis isn't even there, but the emphasis, I have come so that sinners would hear my call to repentance. Luke chapter 19. Maybe by the end of the year, we'll get there. But just one verse, familiar verses, but may God, like Peter says, I'm reminding you of these things.

22:47 We need it, right? Verse 10. Zacchaeus gets saved. He's up in the tree. Jesus calls him down.

22:58 Today, so verse nine, today's salvation has come to this house, the house of Zacchaeus because he too is a son of Abraham. Why? For the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Two parts, seek and then save them. He did both.

23:57 They heard. They comprehended a little bit the love that this Jesus has. We're out in the college campuses, down at Edgewater, and other places, and you're a witness too many times I know. And, just the Lord has raised up down in Edgewater some different... Some Christians from different assemblies, and they don't all believe exactly the way we believe.

24:22 And and many of us, including starting with myself, we're just growing. We're learning every day how to better biblically share the gospel with people. And some of the guys, I used to be the same, you'd stand out there, judgement, you know, here, Jesus love you. And if you don't receive him, judgment's going... And they don't...

24:43 They're not interested. That wasn't Jesus' approach. Yeah. He taught more of... He's...

24:49 Jesus spoke more about hell than anybody in the New Testament. I know that's a fact because Google told me that. Apparently, there's some 230 plus times in the New Testament that gives reference to the judgment of hell. Wow. Important subject.

25:10 Jesus came to seek and to save. And the sinners look at it, get the picture. Tax collectors, the sinners were coming. This is already chapter 15. So the crowds had been growing, right?

25:21 Coming near. I love that near to Jesus to hear him. They saw him heal people. Maybe they themselves were healed. And he's so loving.

25:31 He's so kind. Right? Humble and gentle of spirit, Jesus describes himself. Verse two. And both the pharisees and the scribes began to grumble saying, it's about the only true thing that they ever understood about Jesus.

25:48 This man receives sinners and eats with them. Of course, I'm adding my intonation, but that's really what they were thinking. So again, there's great truth here, but I think the Lord wants us to focus on some application. He always does. Right?

26:05 Be a doer of the word, not a hearer only. So we hear the word. What do we learn about Jesus here? He's got a lot of sinners in his life. He's not hanging with them, talking about their sports, their jobs.

26:23 It's not recorded at least. Not that those aren't always some conversation with a sinner, but he's teaching them about the kingdom of god. He was sitting down and eating them. Question for all of us. How many sinners, unsaved, unrepentant sinners, are your friends?

26:51 Having them over for a meal. Taking them out to a restaurant for a meal. See, the application here is this is God's heart. And we're Christians, and he's in us. And he's given us the same calling as the father sent me to seek and save.

27:10 Now we don't do the saving, obviously. But to seek after sinners, god wants us to do the same, so send I you. Different capacities in We're not all supposed to go down to Edgewater and stand up and preach per se. Anyway, interesting question. Right?

27:30 I hope it's said of me as the people, the unsaved, unrepentant sinners are trying to bring an accusation against me that the accusation is, man, that guy was always with the sinners talking about Jesus. Wow. That's what Jesus did. Right? He left heaven.

27:52 Everybody was a sinner who needed Jesus. That's why he came to save sinners, to seek, to say that which was lost. Verse three. So who's in the crowd now? You got sinners, tax collectors, and pharisees.

28:12 It doesn't say there's saved people there, but there's probably some that were believers in him, the disciples at this time, at least. But the masses of the crowd, including the pharisees, were unrepentant sinners. They're all on the same page. The sinners besides the pharisees had some understanding they needed Jesus. They wanted to be...

28:35 That's a key phrase there. They wanted to be with Jesus. Are we living our lives in such a way that sinners... Again, not that we give in to what they're doing. That's not what I'm saying at all.

28:46 Jesus didn't. Says he was... I didn't come. I came to preach about the kingdom, and he did everywhere he went. And yet sinners were attracted to him through his life, through his love, oozing out of him.

29:21 He owns the sheep. They're his. Special love and concern about them. Does not leave the 99 in the open pasture and go after action. I'm going after seeking.

29:35 Right? Going after the one which is lost until he finds it. The title of today's little teaching is God's holy. That means no other love like this. God's holy love for sinners.

29:54 God's holy love for sinners. And this shepherd, fictitious. The parables are fictitious in the sense that it's a story Jesus made up in his mind using earthly things to make a point. The point is true a 100% word for word. Sometimes the parables, we gotta be careful not to take everything quite so literal, but there's so much truth in it.

30:21 Which man among you got a 100 cheap? One is lost. You're gonna leave. There's only one thing that's so important to me. I have to go out and find my lost sheep.

30:34 And here's the key point throughout the whole chapter. And when he, the shepherd, has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, what? Rejoicing. Rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me for I found my sheep which was lost.

31:00 That's the story. End of the story. Now Jesus says, here's the application. I tell you that in the same way, in the same way, what? The rejoicing when the lost one is found.

31:14 That's the whole theme of this entire chapter. I tell you that the same... In the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Now, again, it's probably understood. I've kinda always understood.

31:37 Well, that's because the pharisees are there. They think they need no repentance. And that's definitely true. I know the Lord was trying to get them to see that they need repentance and I'm not rejoicing over you and all your religious activity. No.

31:52 My joy comes when one sinner repents. We'll pause for a moment because we see this word a lot. Repent, repent, repent. Jesus said, we learned in chapter 13, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Repent is a change of mind to turn from your sin and turn to God.

32:14 That's what Peter preached. Repent then and turn to God. Turn from yourself, Love himself. Your sinful way but you can't, right? So, but at least in your heart, you're saying, god, I want to turn from my sin.

32:31 I confessing my sins. John the baptizer, he was baptizing, it says, and confessing their sins, they were baptized. Why? Because John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. Repentance is very closely linked with confessing your sins, saying the same about your sins that God does.

32:52 God be merciful to me, the sinner. That man went home justified. Thief on a cross, one's in glory, one's not. They both started out. Matthew and Mark says they were both mocking Jesus.

33:05 But the man repented while he's on the cross. He... God gave him the gift. Repentance is a gift from god. It's not something we can muster up but he's working in our hearts so much that we're willing to do anything and especially we see that we've been going the wrong way.

33:18 God, I'm turning that, and I'm gonna receive Jesus Christ. I'm putting my faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Paul said, we went everywhere. Repentance toward God and what? Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

33:32 And God says, in the same way, verse seven again, Jesus says, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven. More joy in heaven. Some of the translations say in the presence of the angels. Over one sinner who repents and over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. How many of us really want to make the father rejoice?

33:55 Sure we do. And that comes from, it says, learn how, what pleases the Lord in Corinthians, right? While we're here, we're learning what pleases the Lord. Well, apparently the greatest joy in heaven is when that one sinner repents. And it makes sense when you think about the gospel.

34:14 God so loved the world. He gave his only son. And again, we're all, we got different gifts and different parts in the body, but none the same. The head Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, and he invites us to join arms, link arms with him, follow me and I will what? Make you fishers of men.

34:48 Does not lay the lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. She is just sweating, just sweeping the house. I gotta find this lost coin. It's so valuable to me. The value of a lost soul.

35:04 Jesus said, the value of the lost sheep, the shepherd left everything to go and find him. The same way in heaven, more rejoice in more rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents. Until she finds it, verse nine. And when she found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, rejoice with me for I found the coin which I had lost. Same application every time.

35:28 Right? Something that was mine, I lost it. I went out and found it. And when I found it, there is rejoicing, even inviting all celebration to celebrate with me. Right?

35:42 In the same way. So here's the biblical application from our Lord Jesus. In the same way, I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Again, I'm not saying the angels aren't rejoicing, but they don't even understand it. Right?

36:02 There's a dear friend of mine who was a missionary in New Zealand with me. This is back when I was early thirties, my age. I'm double that now plus. And art chips, he and his wife had served the Lord on short missions trips for so long. He was self supportive.

36:18 He was a construction worker, well-to-do, owned his own construction company. And, he decided he's gonna retire. He's already been doing a number of short mission trips to help. He's a construction worker mostly. And so many work, so much work you can do to help the gospel go forth by encouraging and supporting the workers, the missionaries.

36:39 So he comes to New Zealand, he's gonna live the rest of his life there, and he did. He actually passed away out there. And our chips, little short guy, no hair on his head, and probably, I think he was 60. No. No.

36:56 He was 68. His wife was a few years younger, Norma. And they're both just... She was the best cook in the world, besides Kathy Morris, of course. But just just a beautiful couple who loved the Lord, serving the Lord with everything they possibly could.

37:13 And he wasn't a great preacher. He'd stand, you know, because we're assemblies and he would stand and share the word occasionally. Oh my gosh. He'd be in tears. He'd have every one of us in tears.

37:25 He got saved at five years old. So similar, Don got saved at four. Five years old. And he put his arm around me, he's a little shorter than me, and he was like my grandpa back then. He'd say, Christian, listen to this.

37:40 Christian. And he'd get teary eyed. Definitely. First thing I'm gonna do when I get to heaven, you know what I'm gonna do? What's that heart?

37:49 He loved the outdoors, fishing, all that stuff, hunting. He says, I'm gonna find me an angel. Set him down under a tree. I I still see him. He's crying.

38:02 Tears. I wanna sit him down under a tree and tell him how wonderful it is to have your sins forgiven. Angels never understand that. We do. Father does.

38:18 Jesus does. There's joy in the presence of the angels. The father is rejoicing. And we know that from the next story. It's the father who's got all the joy.

38:28 Somebody's received my son. Another one, a brother and sister to add to my family. Jesus, the firstborn among many brethren. Jesus, not ashamed to call them all his brothers and sisters because Jesus, you became sin who knew no sin and now they're the righteousness of god and they're with us forever. Purchased by your own blood, by your love for me, obeying me even to the point of death, even death on the cross.

38:57 Verse 11, third story, final story. And he said a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me. And the father agreed, and he divided his wealth between them. So basically, the the the kid was like, just so disrespectful.

39:24 He didn't care about any... He's lost. He's not saved. He's not saved. He's lost.

39:28 He's already lost. All he cares about is himself. Daddy, you're going to die one day. And, it doesn't say this, so I'm not going to say that, but some have said he's almost, come on, dad, hurry up so I get your inheritance. It's not in the text, but, anyway, he wanted the inheritance.

39:48 Right? And the father gave it to him before he passed away. Verse 13. And not many days later, after the father gave, the the two boys are still at home. Now the younger son has his half.

40:05 Younger son gathered everything together. Adios, dad. See you. Went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate, his inheritance with loose living. That's where we get the title, the prodigal son.

40:21 I looked up prodigal. It just means wasteful. It doesn't mean I always used to picture. It means a believer who went astray and you call him back. Well, includes that group, but this one he's not saved.

40:35 He's going out squandering his wasteful, his inheritance with wasteful living. At the end of the story, the son, the second son tells us he was actually using that money for prostitutes. And I looked at that word. It's the word pornos. It's the female version of porno.

40:55 He was out there wasting his money and with adult, with adulteress and prostitutes. Wow. So many days later, he packs it up and he does that. Verse 14. Now when he had spent everything, it's all gone.

41:10 A severe famine. I'm gonna add the word also because he was broke, totally broke, and he's also living in a country where there was a great famine. There was a great need occurred in that country, and he began to be in need. He was always in need, but the physical sometimes. That's why James says, didn't God choose the poor in this world for salvation?

41:37 Don't make distinction. Love the rich more than the poor. No. No. No.

41:43 God actually chose the poor. There's gonna be more who had poor material possessions, poor... Right? Blessed are those poor in spirit when they finally see. And this young man, he's not poor in spirit yet, but he's poor in dreams of this world.

41:59 That was my testimony. You've heard my testimony before. Had everything, but I was empty inside. He began to be in need. Verse 15, and he went and attached himself to one of the citizens.

42:12 Basically, went and got himself a job, but there was no paycheck because the whole country's in famine. And he sent him into the fields. The the manager that he hired under sent him into the fields to feed the pigs. This is... Whoo.

42:28 The pharisees are there, and, of course, swine pigs are unclean in the old testament to the Jews. And he was longing to fill his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to himself. So it's pretty clear. He was just, no food. Go and feed the pigs.

42:49 If you wanna eat some of their food, go ahead, but we ain't giving you anything. Wow. When he came to his senses... Aren't you glad Ryan came to his senses? Your dad was here.

43:03 I was gonna use him as an illustration last week at the baptism. Jim's crying. Mason probably was teared up. Ryan's crying. Why?

43:12 Because his son of mine once was dead. Now, he's alive. He was lost but now he's found. We're continuing to pray for the rest of your family, Mason. Verse 16, I just read that.

43:25 Sorry. 17. But when he came to his senses, he he said, how many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread? But I'm out here dying with hunger? And he literally was.

43:40 There was... He he was... I guess he was just eating some of the scraps he was feeding to the pigs. 18. I'll get up.

43:48 I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna get up. I'm gonna go to my father, and I'm gonna say to him, he didn't do it yet, but he he's he's coming to his senses. He understands what has to happen. I'm gonna go back to my father.

43:58 Father, I've sinned against heaven and in your sight. Key. There it is. Confession of sin. I've sinned.

44:04 I've been selfish. I've only thought about myself. I've done so many things because of that. Prostitutes squandered your money, spit in your face, dishonored my parents. Verse 19, I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

44:17 Make me as one of your hired men. And he got up and came to his father. It's not enough to just think about repenting and coming back to the lord and receiving Christ. No, no. You have to do it.

44:31 By faith, you come to Christ. Jesus, heavenly father, I've sinned. I've gone astray from you. I'm lost. I'm dying in sin.

44:39 I'm guilty. I've heard the message again and again and again, and I'm ready to leave everything and follow you and put my hope and trust. I'm ready to confess that Jesus Christ is lord. If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that god has risen from the dead, you'll be saved. Father, I'm ready.

44:59 I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your higher servants. And he got up and he came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, here's the theme, god's amazing love for lost sinners. The father had been waiting for him, just watching.

45:17 Didn't go chasing after him, but he's... I'm sure you're sure... We can be sure he's praying. He's crying out to God, and he's waiting and longing for his for his son to come back home. His father saw him while he was a long way off.

45:31 He felt compassion for him. That's that word mercy, loving kindness, grace, love for this young son. No matter how bad he was and he ran. There's a... Was an old Christian song, contemporary, but a little bit older.

45:48 It says the only time God ran. God's so powerful. He never runs from anything, but he runs to when one of those sinners is underway coming to him because he has compassion. He ran to them and him and he embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, he began to go through his true speech that he was gonna say to his father, which included what two things.

46:13 I'm a sinner. I'm guilty. Just make me one of your higher servants. Two parts. I'm guilty, and I'm ready to surrender.

46:20 I wanna be your servant. Look at what happens. The son said to him, father, I've sinned against heaven and in your sight, I'm no longer worthy to be called your servant. I'm a sinner. I'm not even worthy but the father interrupts him.

46:36 Does he even let him finish? Lord, just make me one of your hired servants. He's just so enamored, so overwhelmed with the joy that's in heaven like Jesus said. When the sinner repents, his father just interrupts and maybe put his finger his finger on his lips and said, no. No.

46:52 No. It's okay. It's not in the text, but maybe that's what it was. But the father said to his slaves, quickly bring out the best robe, put it on him, put a ring on his hand, sandals on his feet, bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and be be merry.

47:09 The same as the first two parables. Right? This is just a fictitious story to make the point. Why? Why are we gonna just celebrate and be merry?

47:19 Have us feast because this son of mine was dead. Now some people try to to force into the story, well, he was saved. He just kind of fell away. There's never a a time when a... You'll see this when a lost...

47:36 When a a true Christian is considered dead. No. Ephesians says we were dead in our sins. This son of mine was dead and has come to life. There it is, salvation.

48:05 And he summoned one of the servants and says, hey, what's going on? Inquiring what things this might be. Verse 27, he said to him, your brother, probably he was excited and celebrating too, your brother's come, and your father's killed the fatted calf because he's received him back safe and sound. The son, definitely a picture of the pharisees, but also just the other son. He became angry.

48:32 What? And he wasn't willing to go in, and his father came out. I ain't going in there celebrating. And he began... The father entreated his son.

48:42 Come on. Come on in. But he answered and said to his father, look, for so many years, I've been serving you. I've never neglected the command of yours. Yet you've never given me a kid, a goat, that I might be merry with my friends.

48:59 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots, there it is, the prostitutes, the pornos. You killed the fatted calf for him. And the father said to him, my child, you've always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. Last verse, but we had to be merry and rejoice. For this brother of yours, here it is again, was dead and has begun to live.

49:30 He was lost and has been found. We know that that's just... The guy was unsaved because that's the whole theme throughout the the the the actual application is god rejoices over one sinner who repents, and the parable is finished. The story is over. So the application is that father sent me, so I send you.

49:57 May god help us to put in the forefront of our every thought first thing in the morning, last thing at night to pray that God would get his glory and his joy that he deserves. That Jesus would get his glory and the joy that he deserves when one sinner repents. Amen? Amen. Let's pray then I wanna close with a song that's, we're all gonna sing to the lord.

50:44 No beginning. No end. Three in one. Who has holiness like you? Completely set apart.

50:52 There's nothing comes in our mind that's like you apart from what you've revealed through creation, through our conscience, and finally through the precious Lord Jesus and the gospel. Your scriptures. Lord, praise you. Praise you. Praise you.

51:06 Thank you. Thank you for dying for me, Jesus. Thank you, father, for sending your son to come and to rescue this lost sheep. Lord, in Jesus' name, I pray. We pray.

51:19 Lord, put that same compassion, that same passion in my heart. Would you pray that in your heart to the lord with me? Lord, please. My heart has become perhaps cold, lukewarm. Refresh me, Lord.

51:36 I wanna please you. You save what you entrust us to go out and seek and share and love and give and let our light shine. Lord, would you change my heart? Give me your heart of compassion to reach the lost at any cost. Father, did.

52:00 Jesus, you did. We worship you in closing with this song, In Jesus' name. How deep the father's