The Shepherd, The Woman, The Father, The Love 08/29/2020

Greetings Brothers and Sister’s, Grace, peace, and love to you in the name of God our Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a wonderful privilege to come before you today. I thank God for the opportunity. I hope everyone is well. The enemy is still on the prowl, the world system of things want to convince you that the epidemic is over. Don’t let down your guard, the virus is morphing into something that can be more difficult to fight off. It is already very deadly we must remain prayerful, and diligent in following the directions closely. Do not waver. You here so many people talking about God today, That is good. Be cautious of what you here. God loves you and has a purpose for your life. That is one of the reasons that it is important that you understand the extent and the depth of God’s love for you so that you can receive from God all you need to please Him and be able to stand strong before the enemy.

Prayer

(Luke !5:1-32).Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gatherings around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable: “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? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 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.

In this parable, the shepherd is Christ himself. He asks you, suppose you had 100 sheep and lose one what would you do? He suggests that you would secure the 99 and go and look for the one that was lost. This would put you into danger, from wolves and other preditors. However, you would look for it’s if it was the only one you had. The one sheep represents 1% of his possessions and yet his love for that one was enough for him to suffer whatever he had to even death to save the lost sheep. And when he finds it he calls all of his friends and neighbors to celebrate with him. He says rejoice with me I have found my lost sheep.

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

Jesus turned His attention to another set of listeners who were listening to him attentively, The women who had little or none experience in shepherding sheep. The woman has feminine virtues that are needed for the deliverance of souls that have fallen, patience, diligence, and minute observation- this is no different from the manly qualities of courage, enterprise, and endurance. It is more natural for a woman to look for something lost in the house. If she was a poor woman then that coin one out of ten would constitute a considerable loss. A silver coin is less than a chilling in English money and a quarter in American money. If this were the case it wouldn’t be feasible for the woman to search. Women in that time wore upon their brow a frontlet called a semedi which is made up of ten coins. In themselves they were worthless, but the coins had stamped upon them the image of authority and signified the marriage relationship. Even if it had a monetary value or not it was priceless to the woman that wore it.  She diligently looked for it sweeping the house until she found it. The woman search for it was earnest and thorough She was anxious to recover that which perfected symbolism of her frontlet. These are the things that God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God (1Cor 2:10).

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and now is found.’”

The younger Son said this father give me my part of the estate. Because the father loves the son he gave it to him. This reminds me when we were growing up we couldn’t wait to be grown. So that we can leave from under the authority of our parents and go on our own. which is what this young person did. He packed his belongings to go into the world, to find out all he had been missing. Once he was there he lived lavishly off of his inheritance. He partied enjoyed strong drink and women. He was very popular. It wasn’t too long before he spent all he had. All of those new friends and women didn’t want to have anything to do with him. When they saw him coming they would say here comes that fool, and they would hide from him. Soon there came was a severe famine, The son got a job feeding swine. He was so hungry that he desired to have some of what the swine were eating, but no none gave him any. After all the hunger and embarrassment the young man came to his senses. He said to Himself that my father has servants that live better than this. I will go to my dad I will tell him that I sinned against him and God, I will ask him to hire me on as a servant.

The scripture says that when he was still a far way off his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. His father ran to him put his arms around him kissed and kissed him. The son said to him father I have sinned against you and I am no longer worthy to be your son. The father immediately called his servants and said Quick bring the best robe, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And kill a fatted calve, let’s celebrate for this son of mine was dead but now he is alive. He was lost but now he is found.

His brother had a problem with what his father was doing, instead of being happy that his brother had come home, he was jealous of the love expressed to his brother by his father. He was angry with his father and said I have been with you all these years and did whatever you wanted and you have not even given me a young goat to celebrate with my friends. but when this son of yours squandered your property with prostitutes you kill a fatted calf  The father replied son you are always with me and everything I have is yours, but we must celebrate your brother and be glad for he was dead but now he is alive, He was lost but now he is found

When the Lord appeared among men, He Claimed to be the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) The good Shepherd lay down his life for the sheep. The lost sheep was not regenerated, backsliders. The lost sheep was unregenerated sinners. He came to save those who were lost in sin.  The lost sheep wandered off. He left his home and the 99 to save the one that was lost.

The lost coin did nothing on its own volition it was lost because of carelessness or inattentiveness of its owner. Lost at home implies the possibility of the soul precious in God’s eyes being lost even though they are in a Christian Home. They even attend church as we do and they are not saved. They continue lost because of indifference on our part. Jesus was expressing to the Pharisees that if a woman can exert such diligence in finding a coin was he not justified in taking all care to win back to himself lost sinners whose souls were worth more than silver.

The Lost Sheep was 1%

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.

The lost coin was 10%‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Lost Son was 50%

The Father Represents God, The Father did not just patiently stand by He actively kept looking for his Son. He Actively kept looking for us. Even though we sinned against Him he had compassion on us and put His arms around us and put robes on us and ring on our finger and giving a banquet for us because we were lost and now we are found, we were dead but now we are alive. He is bringing us home and all of his friends are celebrating. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Father, Thank You Holy Spirit. Thank You, God.

Now if you are not saved if you don’t know God. He knows you and offers you the gift of eternal life. This is how you receive it.  God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life.(John 3:16)

If you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ is Lord and you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead thou shall be saved.

Lord I believe that you are the Son of God, I believe that you died on the cross for my sin, I believe you are alive right now at the right hand of the Father and I ask you to forgive me for my sin. Thank You, Lord Jesus, thank you.