7/19/12. Luke 15:1-10. REJOICING OVER REPENTANT SINNERS-devotional

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF    Thursday, July 19, 2012

Luke 15:1-10
Key Verse: 15:10

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Dear Lord Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and your grace in our lives. Thank you that we can entrust our lives to you and you take care of us. Thank you for caring for me last night and giving me the opportunity to work. I also thank you for granting me the time to finish my theology homework and helping us to spend some time with the Procek’s camping. I pray that you may help me and my whole family to grow in faith. Help us to reveal Christ to NIU students and the people of Dekalb. I pray that you open my eyes to see your wonderful work in Uganda. Make me into a source of blessing to the people there. Please grant me one word of God in my heart as I meditate on this passage. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: The Parable of The Lost Sheep (1-7).

Verses 1-7, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Tax collectors and sinners gathered around Jesus to listen to him. The religious officials were dismayed that Jesus, a man of God, would welcome and eat with such people. I really like Jesus. He reached out to those who were despised and rejected and was their friend. He ate with them and spent time with them. Jesus is truly great and wonderful. Jesus is the good shepherd. I need to befriend all kinds of people in the name of Jesus. I need to hang out with them and be their friend. I need to forgive others and bear with others differences. In short I must grow to be like Jesus.

Jesus told the religious officials a parable about finding a lost sheep. If one of their sheep wandered away, even if they still had ninety-nine other sheep, they would go look for the lost one. They would also be very happy to find it and would call their friends and neighbors to rejoice with them. In the same way, Jesus came into this world to find sheep that are lost in sin and to help them repent and have a right relationship with God.

How easy it is to be content with the 99 others sheep and not even care about the lost one. After, the 99 will produce more offspring. But we need to care for the one person. We need to go out and find that person and aid in their spiritual rescue. There is a trend in the church, when a church gets so many members that they become satisfied and they slow down in their outreach.

In , “A Prescription for Reaching America Five reasons why church planting is the best methodology of evangelism.” , Steven M. Pike writes….

“Many existing churches have achieved a level of income and attendance that produces congregational satisfaction. This sense of satisfaction minimizes their desire to do anything that might rock the boat. Congregants on Sunday mornings see a decent crowd and feel good about their church. After all, the treasurer pays the bills, the worship leader selects good music, the pastor preaches respectable sermons, and, occasionally, someone responds to the weekly call for salvation and baptism. The resulting ministry routine provides little motivation to reach the lost.”

http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200802/200802_096_ChurchPlanting.cfm

Jesus set out to find me when I was lost. I was lost in the sins of hedonistic lifestyle. I lived for pleasure and “good times”. I was totally lost and my future would have been very dark indeed. I would eventually face the judgment of God. But Jesus sought me and found me. He worked through Ruth Hwang, a Korean missionary, who also sought the lost, for she reached out to me. Several months later, I accepted Jesus. Praise God. I need to revitalize my desire to reach the lost. I need to make and effort to preach the gospel. I need to renew my passion to help others become disciples of Jesus.

Part 2: The Parable of The Lost Coin (8-10).

Verses 8-10, “8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

A woman who has lost one of her silver coins does not forget about it. She will light a lamp, sweep her house, and carefully search for it. She is so happy when she finds it that she calls her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. Likewise, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents.

We need to be really happy over one person who repents of their sins and comes to Jesus. How easy it is to have a “ho hum” attitude. How easy it is to think that it is not that serious. How easy it is to cast off a conversion, as if it is nothing. But it is truly a wonderful think. I like the Dialogue Church’s Baptism Parties. On their website they say, “According to the Bible, all of heaven throws a big block party whenever “one sinner turns to follow Jesus.” A Baptism Party is our way of celebrating with all of heaven those who’ve decided to follow Jesus and be baptized!”

http://www.thedialoguechurch.com/?page_id=2762

I repent that I have not opened my heart to realize the immensity of one person repenting and coming the Jesus. I am praying for Hope and Mark and Steve’s baptism. I pray that their baptisms may be a celebration of their commitment to Jesus and to live in him and through him and for him. I pray that Rob may be found in Jesus. I pray that my passion to seek and to save what is lost may be rekindled.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for finding me when I was lost in sin. Help me to share your joy in finding lost sheep and bringing them to you.

One Word: Rejoice when one sinner repents