father's Love

Luke 15 and I’m starting here with three points. Here’s the first one. You are precious. I think Luke 15 tells us some things that we need to know about ourselves. And I think that’s what Jesus is trying to communicate with these three parables in Luke 15, not just the parable of the prodigal. So Luke 15, verse 1. It says, Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 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

I just wanted you to notice those 2 words, my sheep, “‘which was lost!’ And I say to you that likewise there will be more joy shall be in heaven over 1 sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance.” So he tells three stories. We’re gonna read all three. The first one is about a shepherd that has 100 sheep and he loses 1. He leaves the 99, he goes after the 1. He finds it, puts it on his shoulders, and brings it home, and calls his friends and says, “Rejoice with me.” Obviously, the shepherd represents Jesus. John 10, verse 11, Jesus said clearly, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” Now, this is really simple. I’m saying the point is from this parable that I want you to hear, and I think the Lord wants you to hear, is you are precious. You, individually. I want you to think about this. This shepherd has 100 sheep. He loses one and he goes after that one. Just one sheep. See, we’re precious because Jesus knows all of his sheep. He says, “Rejoice with me because my sheep that was lost, I found.” And I also want you to notice that the shepherd doesn’t send someone to find the sheep. He comes himself. take notice of this phrase “He himself.” It’s in many places in the Bible. He himself. Let me just show you three in Hebrews. Hebrews 1, verse 3, “When he by himself.” In other words, no one helped him. “By himself he purged our sins.” Hebrews 2:18, “He himself has suffered.” Hebrews 13:5, you probably know this Scripture but look at this part of it, “He himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” He himself. Isaiah 59, verse 16. This doesn’t say, “He himself,” but I want you to notice. “He--” this is a Messianic Scripture, it’s talking about Jesus in the Old Testament. “He saw that there was no man, and he wondered that there was no intercession--intercessor.”

intercession is like the word intersection, it’s bringing two things together. He wondered there’s no one to bring God and people together. There’s no one to do it. “Therefore his own arm brought salvation.” Here’s what I want you to know about this first parable. Jesus himself came to get you. He didn’t send someone to come and get you. He himself. He left the 99 and he came to get you. And you personally. There is a book and this story was in the book, reminding me of what the Lord did for us. It says, “After World War I, the United States allocated funds for the orphans in Europe. At one of the orphanages, a very old and thin man brought in a very thin little girl and said, ‘I’d like you to take care and take in my little girl, please.’ They asked him if she was his daughter and when he said, ‘Yes,’ they said, ‘We’re very sorry but our rules are that we can’t take in any children if either of the parents are still living.’ He said, ‘But I’ve been in prison camps and now I’m too old and too sick to work. She’ll die if you don’t take care of her.’ They felt compassion but they told him they couldn’t do anything about it. Then the man said, ‘Are you telling me that if I die you’ll take care of my little girl? And she can live and have food and have clothes and have a home?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’ And the father reached down, pulled her up to himself, hugged her, kissed her, and then put her hand in the hand of the man at the desk, and then said to him, ‘I’ll arrange it.’ And he walked out of the orphanage and he hung himself.” The reason I read you that story is because I think that’s what Jesus did. I think he said to the Father, “You mean, if I die, they can live?” And the Father said, “Yes.” And he put my hand in the hand of the Father and said, “I’ll arrange it.” The shepherd left heaven to get you, to get one sheep. So you’re precious. Why else would a shepherd step in front of a wolf for each sheep? Here’s number two, you’re valuable. This is from the second parable that he tells in Luke 15, you’re valuable. Luke 15, verse 8. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Okay, I think the reason he uses a coin now is because he’s trying to show value. A silver coin showed value. And I think that he uses a woman because he’s trying to show the Holy Spirit. If you think about--the first parable is about a shepherd. That’s obviously Jesus. He said, “I’m the shepherd.” The third parable, the prodigal son, is about a father. This is about a woman. Now I know this isn’t always the case, but for the most part women are more in touch with their feelings than men are.

The fruit of the spirit is joy. Joy is an emotion. The Holy Spirit brings joy. Righteousness, peace, and joy. When you study Scripture about the Holy Spirit, you see that he’s grieved. Grief is an emotion. When a believer goes in the sea and it grieves the Holy Spirit. James chapter 4, verse 5, says, “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?” Jealously. Jealousy is an emotion. Now there’s a good jealousy and a bad jealousy. The bad jealousy is that you’re jealous because of what it means to you. The good jealousy is you’re jealous for what it does for the other person, how it affects that person. And we know there’s a good jealousy because the Holy Spirit feels it. This--the root word of silver in the Hebrew means desirable. See, think about this, she had ten coins but she yearned for the one she lost. The shepherd had 100 sheep. He still had 99 but he grieved for the 1 that was lost. Here’s the Holy Spirit turning the lamp on, turning the light on, so that we can find our way home. Something else you need to know about these silver coins is they always had an image on ‘em. They had the image of the ruler. You remember the story. They said, “Should we pay taxes?” I’d like to ask Jesus that still today. Should we pay that much, you know, Lord? So but Jesus said, “Whose image is on the coin?” Do you remember that? Whose image? They said, “Caesar.” He said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” or renders what, you know, the King James says, “and unto God what is God’s.” Okay, but there was an image on the coin. Listen to me, I’ve got a great question for you. Whose image is on you? You know. You were created in the image and the likeness of God. The value of anything is determined by what someone’s willing to pay for it. And God paid the blood of his Son for you. And he paid the same price for you that he paid for any leader you see in the body of Christ. There’s not one person that you’ve ever seen or read a book from that’s more valuable to God than you. These coins all had the same value. But she wanted to find the one because each coin has value and I think that’s why he told us this. So you’re valuable. And here’s the third one, you are unique. I never seen this before in the parable of the prodigal son. Look at verse 11. And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Now watch verse 20 carefully. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” Now, what I’m about to say is difficult to say because I’m gonna talk about something that is very sensitive. But it’s the way the Lord showed me this truth. I have never lost a child . Here’s what the Lord showed me. Each child is unique. If you lose a child, even if you have other children, you still grieve. It still breaks your heart because that child is unique. Please hear me. You are unique. You’re unique to God. See, it’s easy for us to think about that God loves us as a group but I’m telling you that God loves you as a person. Think about this, he created all the animals, all the shapes and sizes and colors of all the different animals. He created all the mountains and the valleys and the streams. He created all the stars and the planets and the solar systems. He created it all. So he has the ability and the knowledge to create every detail that we see around us. So you need to know, he has the ability and the knowledge to know you personally. If he can create every detail of every animal and every plant and they’re all so different, and they’re all so unique, he knows you. And see, that’s hard for us to believe but he knows you. As a matter of fact, he created you because there’s no one that’s living now or has ever lived that has the exact DNA you have. And God designed it. And there’s no one living now or that has ever lived that has the exact fingerprint that you have. And in your mother’s womb, God designed your fingerprint. That’s why the father was grieving for the son that was lost, because he missed that son. That’s why he grieves when a person who’s his sheep, who belongs to him, becomes a prodigal. Because that’s his child. His image is on that child.

Thats the father’s battle. Well, I saw something in these three parables I’ve never seen before. There’s one major difference in the third parable than the first two. The first one, remember, is a shepherd that loses a sheep. Second one, a woman that loses a coin. Third one, a father loses a son. Okay, here’s the thing that’s different. The shepherd goes and gets the sheep and brings it home. The woman searches the house and finds the coin and puts it back in her collection. But the father didn’t go get the son. You wanna know why? Because the son has a choice. You know what the father’s battle is? Waiting. Waiting for his kids to come home. See, the father--the reason the father didn’t go get this son and bring him home was because his body would have been home but his heart wouldn’t have been home. ‘Cause God created you in his image. We talk about God’s will, God’s will. Since God has a will, you have a will. So the father’s battle is waiting for his kids to come home. And you have to notice, all three of ‘em were looking. The shepherd was looking, the woman was looking, and the father was looking because he saw him when he was still a great way off. So he was still looking, he just couldn’t go get him and bring him home. Because the difference is the son is a person, he’s not a sheep and he’s not a coin. He’s a person and he has a will. He can decide whether he’s gonna come home or not.