You could also be receiving false teaching from someone who believes you can lose your salvation. I, the first-person pronoun. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.. Neither did the Pharisees, for their early protest to Jesus had to do with His celebrating (cf. I can envision Jesus audience sucking in their breath in shock and horror at what this man had done. I am not especially fond of artists pictures of Jesus, but I do like the one that shows the smiling shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders. Jesus said that whoeverbelieves in Him can receive eternal life (John 3:16). He cares about every lost sinner who needs repentance. As an Israelite, this young man would understand several things about the blessings which God promised His chosen people. When Jesus taught simply, He threatened to undermine the complicated, technical teaching of the Pharisees, and thus they opposed people pursuing Him to hear His teaching. He is a mirror of the Pharisees! Why should this be such an offense to the Pharisees and the scribes? The father granted the sons request, and shortly thereafter the son left his father, his family, his country, and departed to a distant country, where he squandered his possessions in a sinful lifestyle. Bible And search for her as for hidden treasures; Nor is there any among us who knows how long. I prefer, however, another view. (5) Both sons were slaves. We all sin, but believers dont deliberately seek out and practice sin. But, thank God, He lovingly took the initiative. Therefore they could not passively accept the opposing view of spirituality of our Lord, which enabled Him to have contact with sinners, and yet not be defiled by it. I fear the we often fail to experience the joy which God has for us because we are not participating in the grace of God as it is at work in the lives of others, as well as in us. What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? It showed the effort and danger that the shepherd went to in order to rescue his lost sheep. Even if he becomes aware of his condition, there is nothing he can do about it. On a cold night in England many years ago, a group of children slipped into a church to get warm. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. One might have to sell off or kill five sheep to celebrate the finding of one. No, the glad fact is, you are not secure in your salvation because of your grip on the Good Shepherd, but rather because of His grip on you. Many also cite Hebrews 10:26-29 which says, For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. One. Praise His Holy Name! Middle voice of archo; to commence. There is a marked contrast in this text between the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes and the great joy in heaven and on earth when the lost are found. (4) The Pharisees sought to protect and promote their own hypocrisy by concentrating on external sins, rather than inner attitudes and motivations (Matthew 23:13-14, 25-36). 2:12). Let us seek to enjoy our heavenly Father for who He is. I sit in a house that once resonated with life and laughter, but now sits as an empty shell of silence. The parable of the prodigal and his proud brother serve to instruct us in the area of worship. That is the way Gods grace worksit is bestowed on unworthy people, sinners, who do not trust in their good works, but in Gods grace. I am reminded as well by our text that our grasp of the lostness of men is, to a large measure, the degree of our involvement in seeking the lost and our rejoicing when they come to repentance. I stopped in the middle of the street, picked up this transmission, and put it in the back of my station wagon. The older brother was really a slave, too. But he could make gifts before he died and this gave him a freer hand (SB). For my son was dead and now he is alive again. This explains the Pharisees rejection of Jesus. (2) The Pharisees loved to restrict the saved to a select few, the elite of Judaism (Matthew 23:13). Great was the celebration which followed her recovery. The structure of the entire chapter can be summarized as follows: (1) The Pharisees Response To Jesus Association with SinnersVerses 1 & 2, (2) Mans Response to the Lost, Compared with HeavensVerses 3-10, (3) The Older Brothers Response to the Return of His Sinful Brothervv. As Jesus said concerning His sheep, I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand (John 10:28). The embrace would stop the prodigal from going to his knees. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 1999, All Rights Reserved. In response to the fathers words to the oldest son, My child, you have always been with me, the older sons response, though unstated, seems to have been, So what? or, Big deal!.. Would they not tenderly put the sheep on their shoulders, lovingly carrying it back to the fold, rather than kicking it back, scolding it all the way? We know from the recorded teaching of Jesus, along with the fact that His teaching attracted the common people, that His teaching was simple (e.g. He sternly rebuked them, thus precipitating His own execution. In the last decade or so, hundreds have contacted us to say they believe they have lost their salvation or blasphemed the Holy Spirit. And they all went to church every Sunday. I write this lesson on this Tuesday morning, October 22, 2012, in the lonely solitude of an empty house. WebWhen a sheep becomes lost, it stays lost. Grace, Wiersbe expounds: Every lost sinner is like a sheep gone astray; ignorant, lost, wandering, in danger away from the place of safety, and unable to help himself. and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. This is the final lesson in a nine part study for children on the parables of Jesus. One line in the familiar hymn Amazing Grace says, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. We may have sung it a thousand times without The celebration will undoubtedly be a banquet feast, with lots of meat served. As he tells his older son, We had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found (15:32). So many people think they can lose their salvation, but what does the Bible say about eternal security? Without help, it will forever remain lost. We all rejoice in finding lost things. (1) Both sons wanted a celebrationa banquet. Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular. Lets have a feast and celebrate. John Newton KJ21. It would seem that the loss of that one coin was equal to one days wages. I will also forewarn you that I will not be as sentimental in my interpretation of this parable as some have tended (wrongly, in my opinion) to be. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Second, let us look at the characteristics of the younger brothers repentance. We are very much the same way with God. Thats no better than what the world offers. He had hoped, at best, for a little bread; his father provided a banquet. The older brother was at work in the field when his younger brother returned home. The late Bible teacher, Harry Ironside, told of a new convert who gave his testimony at a church service. Luke 15:32 niv - But we had to celebrate and be glad, - Bible G From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. If you are saved, you know that it is not because you sought after God, but because God sought after you and kept seeking until He rescued you from your sin. When a person savingly believes in Christ, he turns from his sins and trusts in Gods mercy. Thus they are not at present in need of repentance. He calls them individually to come to Himself. As the apostle Paul states, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will (Eph. Should one abandon the 99 sheep, leaving them vulnerable to getting lost or to attack by wild animals? Lesson 19I Once Was Lost | Mars Hill Baptist Church (6) Both sons were materialists. They only got a taste or sample of it, so this is not about believers. Luke 14 ends with Jesus saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 15 begins with the notice that all the tax-gatherers and sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship. The problem of the Pharisees was that they were too good for their own good. I remember a picture my grandmother used to have on her wall of Jesus as the shepherd, reaching over a precipice and rescuing a lamb caught in a bush, ready to fall to its death. After a diligent search, would they not rejoice greatly at finding the one lost sheep? Bible Hub New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Is this not disobedience? The younger brother partied with the pagans in a foreign land. The message which these three parables brought home to the Pharisees and scribes is painfully clear: they had too much compassion on their own lost possessions, but they cared little for lost people. I am no longer empty and lifeless. Then they said, Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. How could he say that he had never neglected a command of his father when, moments before, his father had commanded that there be a celebration, and the older brother had refused to take part? 46-47.). They might have tasted the goodness of the word of God and shared in the heavenly gift (Jesus Christ! There are many such people in our neighborhood and in our nation. Her shopping would have to wait. The kids were never in trouble with the law. Repentance means turning to God from our sins. Jim Peterson, in his excellent book, Evangelism as a Lifestyle, indicts the church for its failure to reach pagan unbelievers, those who have little or no contact with or knowledge of Christianity. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. Parents who have or are presently struggling with wayward children will tend to identify with the father of the prodigal, and look at this text for guidance and comfort for them in the midst of their pain and adversity. eternal security, Blind, physically or mentally. Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail. The fathers words to this son are significant. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Jesus always looked at the heart. Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) / Life Is it not abnormal to notify all of ones neighbors as to the finding of but one sheep, and to expect them to celebrate this with him? If you are searching, call out to Him. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. Our concept of separation is the very thing that hinders us from evangelizing the lost, and it is one of the things which causes sinners to shun us, even as we do them. This man receives sinners, and [Steve] with them. If you will join the tax gatherers and sinners and draw near to Jesus and listen to Him, you will know the joy of singing, I once was lost, but now Im found!. all of Philippians). Amazing Grace > Lyrics | John Newton - Timeless Truths 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. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. The three parables which He spoke in response, were directed toward the Pharisees and scribes (cf. These parables show Gods concern and compassion for sinners, but not for sinners en masse, but for individual sinners. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? If, in the gospels we find Christ closely associating with sinners, then we can both have union with Christ and intimate association with sinners at the same time. But the inward attitudes and motivations of this older brother as just as evil, indeed, they are more evil, for there is much self-righteousness concealed behind his outward conformity to his fathers will and to his hard work. The Lord be with all of you. Today, it stands as a testimony of what was. My dear people of Mars Hill Baptist Church, my Shepherd reminds me today that I too am a testimony of what was. But unlike this special house, I have a different testimony; I once was empty, lost and undone, wandering aimlessly in my sin, but the Great Shepherd came and found me. Why are all of our righteous acts considered filthy rags? Jesus, by association with the masses, the hoi polloi, threatened to pollute this pure group of pious people. How different these two sons were, in some ways: (1) The younger son left home; the older stayed home. | Sing unto the Lord, John Newton, pub.1779v. Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in You Isaiah 35:4 Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and dont be afraid! He hopes only for mercy. The words of the older son are the key to understanding his desires and attitudes. But they were blind toward their own hypocrisy and pride. Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular. Than when we've first begun. What does John 9:25 mean? | BibleRef.com Verse 6 says, All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Before we continue with todays lesson, it would be wise to read again 1 Peter 2:21-24. The Lord had left unchallenged, at the beginning of this chapter, the assumption on the part of the Pharisees that while others might be sinners, they themselves were righteous. This included the necessity of living a life that was very distinct (holy) from that of the heathen. A Biblical Analysis. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. He could sell the capital if he chose, but the buyer could not gain possession until the death of the donor.4. For you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). And they began to be merry. Matthew 5-7). Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. If you dont, then you will have to face Gods judgment, either after death (Heb 9:27), or at Christs appearance, and without Him standing in for you, you will pay for your own sins and for all time. (6) The younger repented; the older resented. Not so with sheep. Anyone who has tried to read the instructions knows how complicated it can get. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 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 which was lost!. It would seem that this older brother thought that the basis for obtaining his fathers favor was his works. He has filled me with His Spirit and given me eternal life in Him. What matters is that you know you are a sinner, that you are unworthy of Gods favor, and that Christs death on the cross of Calvary is Gods gracious gift to you. A materialist cant stand to lose anything, and he (or she) would rejoice in finding what was lost. Suppose that someone were to come along with a one-paragraph explanation of all the rules (impossible as it seems), easily understood and applied by the masses. The father had to do it. in 1971. parables), and was not complex and complicated, so as to leave the masses in a fog. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, This man1 welcomes sinners and eats with them.. Q. Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. They would search for the lost coin, just as they would rejoice in finding it. They loved attention. This son of mine was dead. What Does the Bible Say About Lost? - OpenBible.info I will feed them with judgment. TESTIMONY: I ONCE WAS LOST BUT NOW I'M FOUND! 10 Bible Verses For When You Are Lost Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And all men began to eat [And all began for to eat gladly]. Sinners to the Pharisees were more a social category than they were anything else. (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse. Lets say, then, that five sheep and perhaps a couple of goats are slaughtered, not to mention the cost of the other food. Before I move on to the final point, I want to apply this point, that God goes to great effort to seek lost sinners. Luke 15:7,9 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Great sums of money and many hours of time were expended in trying to recover this lost child. He was lost and is found." Matthew 6:34 It was only when he ran out of money and friends, and when he began to suffer hunger pangs that the young man came to his senses. Repentance begins, then, with seeing things straight, with seeing things as they really are. They 8 It was fitting is not strong enough for his word edei, which means It was necessary. The welcome to the younger son was not simply a good thing which might or might not have occurred. Bible Verses When the shepherd found the lost sheep, he didnt get out his whip and drive it back to the fold. If you believe you have eternal life but then can lose it, then it was not eternal life that you received! One of my best finds was a C4 automatic transmission, laying right in the middle of the road. They failed to see themselves as unworthy sinners (like the prodigal did), and thus they not only rejected Gods grace, they disdained it. blind. WebThis is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. Esth 3;10; 8:2; Gen 41:42), the shoes a sign of a free manslaves went barefootand the feast a sign of joy Talbert, p. 150. Both sons loved money; they only differed in what they wanted to do with it, and when. Notice that he does not speak of my son but of your brother. Morris, p. 244. Why were they unwilling to seek to save sinners and unable to rejoice at their repentance? Without help, it will forever remain lost. As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. The younger son loved material thingsmoneymore than his father or than his family, because he asked for his portion at the expense and risk of his family. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. This young man went and lived among the heathen as a heathen. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. A person who says, I believe in Jesus, but who does not repent of his sins, has not truly believed in Jesus unto salvation. (6) In both cases, it is not men who are lost, but things, and it is man (generically speaking, for there is both a man and a woman) that seeks diligently to find what is lost. But if youre up for it, lets have respectful conversations. because this my son was dead, and did live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they began to be merry. The critical difference between Jesus and the Pharisees is that they cared about possessions, while Jesus cared about people. lost but now When the coin is found, she, like the sheep rancher, would rejoice greatly at finding it. Heavens joy at the salvation is surely appropriate, and, in one sense, it is like the joy of the woman who found her one lost coin. The things that make us happy reflect our values or what we consider important. The imagery of sheep is a common one in the Scriptures, primarily because they lived in a rural society , Great effort is expended in reaching the lost and when the sinner repents, the angels rejoice in seeing Gods purposes fulfilled. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. He was lost, and is found. Then they began to celebrate. Even after our Lords strong words about the cost of discipleship (if chapter 15 follows chronologically after the end of chapter 14), and the exhortation for those who had ears to hear, there are many coming to Jesus to hear what He was teaching (v. 1). The difficulty is of their making; let them explain it as they think best. Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. From apo and the base of olethros; to destroy fully, literally or figuratively. We have all heard stories of lost dogs or cats traveling great distances to get back home. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. If the first two parables reveal to us that the Pharisees did care (too) much about lost possessions, this parable exposes why they are not concerned about lost people. It is as though the angels were leaning over the rail of heaven, straining to see just one saint come to repentance and faith. A lost sheep in the Judean wilderness was doomed. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Let us seek the illumination of Gods Spirit as we approach this very important passage of Gods Word, so that we may learn what our Lord wanted His audience to understand.