The Joy of Repentance

Luke 15:8-10 “The Joy of Repentance”

Intro: Several years ago when Balen was about 4 he and I were left at home alone. I had paperwork to do and I got caughtup in doing in. After I finished I checked on Balen, but I couldn’t find him. I searched the playroom and the back yard but could not find him. Frantically I searched the house calling his name. I went to the front yard, the neighbors yard, and down the street yelling his name. I came back into the house and was about to call 911 when I walked into his room and he jumped out from hiding and yelled surprise! At first I didn't know if I was going to spank him or hug him, but jou overcame me and I picked him up and hugged him tightly.

The context begins in 15:1-3, Jesus received sinners and the religious began to complain about it. He tells three stories about three different objects that were lost object and the search for them. Each story ended with joy as the lost was found. The Pharisees and Scribes couldn't understand the great truth that God searches out the lost. What amazing love! This truth separates Christianity from all world religions. Religion teaches that you have to get to God which is absolutely impossible, but through grace motivated by love God comes looking for you.

CPS: To each lost person here today I want to tell you that you are valuable to God because you were created by Him and bear His image, and He seeks to save that which is lost. He is searching you out because you are out of place, out of purpose and, and in danger. When you are found Heaven is full of joy and celebration.

I. The Lost are Out of Place.

When something is lost it is out of place. A bowl belongs in the cabinet, a fork in the silverware drawer, a book on the bookcase, and when it’s not there and can’t be found it is lost. In our parable a lady has lost a coin. It was a valuable possession! The coin was a drachma, a small silver coin that weighs 4.3 grams. You may be thinking, “big deal that coin weighs just over 1/10 of an ounce.” But, it was equivalent to a full days wage ($75), and it was 1/10 of all her possessions. Some scholars say that it was part of her dowry. The gift she received by her husband to ensure her financial security if he died or left her. This elevates the value of the coin and shows her poverty. Other scholars say it was apart of her bridal headset. When Jewish girls married they began to wear a headband consisting of ten silver coins to signify that they were someone’s wife. It was the Jewish version of our wedding engagement and wedding ring. It would be a calamity for her to lose one of these coins!

Now, let’s say it was a part of her dowry. If you lost $75 dollars would you search for it! More over if you lost 1/10 of your life’s saving you would thoroughly search for it! Now let’s say it’s the diamond from your wife’s engagement ring! Ladies, that is rings valuable to you? Men, you bought it, so it valuable to you! Wouldn't you search for it!

ILL: Often I have customers that lose diamonds from their wedding rings. But once I had a lady that lost her center diamond, she searched frantically for it, As she told me the story of how she searcher for it she was in tears because it meant so much to her!

Likewise, you who are lost are valuable to God, He loves you and like that coin that bears the image of the king, you bear the image of God! And, just like the coin, it belongs in a certain place, either a money pouch or on a silver chain, and you belong in a certain place too, the family of God! You belong to the one who bore you, you are a child of God and a child belongs with His family!

II. The Lost are Out of Service.

Just as the lost are out of place they are also out of service. A coin buys a loaf of bread; a diamond symbolizes the preciousness of everlasting love. But a lost coin can’t buy anything and neither does the missing diamond serve its purpose!

God created you with a purpose but if you are lost you bring no use to His kingdom. Created in His image you were made to glorify Him and be of use to Him. People want to use their money and God wants to use you! In the 80’s and 90’s the Marines were looking for a few good men, but God has been looking for you to serve since the moment you were born!

We were made in His image yet marred by sin., but God wants us to look just like Him... in love, and righteousness so that all the world can know Him and His great love for mankind! Ephesians 2:10 teaches “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” If you are lost you are out of service and what happens to things that are not fulfilling their purpose.... they get destroyed.

III. The Lost are in Danger of destruction.

When something is lost and never found, when hat something doesn’t serve its purpose, it is destroyed. A few weeks ago my shed caught fire and burned up many things, my lawnmower, 4 wheeler, chainsaws…. all my man toys. These things no longer serve their purpose so a cleanup crew is coming to carry them off to the dump! Likewise the lost are in danger because of their unbelief (John 3:18) and will be taken to the trash dumps of Gahina….the pit of fiery hell as the payment for their sin. Hell is a real place for real people, a place of torment and pain but The pains of hell are not the greatest part of hell, its the loss of heaven! There the lost are separated from God for eternity!

ILL: One day, when Vice President Calvin Coolidge was presiding over the Senate, one Senator angrily told another to go “straight to hell.” The offended Senator complained to Coolidge as presiding officer, and Cal looked up from the book he had been leafing through while listening to the debate. “I’ve been looking through the rule book,” he said. “you don’t have to go.”

IV. The Lost are not without of Hope!

If you are lost you are not without Hope because God searches diligently for the lost! (Gen. 3:8-9). Notice that the lady takes every action to find her lost coin, she uses nearly every sense she has to find it, first she looks for it with a lamp down on her hands and knees, then she listens for it, as she sweeps the hard earthen floor hoping to see it shimmer or hear it clang against something (Silver has a distinct sound!), then she calls out to her friends for help. She uses all of her sense but the sense of smell and if she could have sniffed it out she would have put her nose to the ground and done that too! We are told she searched carefully! Carefully means diligently, thoroughly, and literally “in every corner”

ILL: The Lady who lost her diamond, searched her house, her plumbing, AC vents and her yard! She retraced her steps to the gas station and the grocery story! If a woman searched so diligently and carefully for a diamond, how much more will God search for you!

We must be careful not to assign allegorical interpretation, but this woman represents the Holy Spirit of God, the Hound of heaven who searches all things and knows all things and He searches until He finds you with the light of the Gospel, the truth that Jesus died for your sin and arose the third day to give you everlasting life! Here is something you may not understand, you are not lost because God has misplaced you and soesnt know where you are…. you are lost because you don’t know God. You are hiding in a dark corner with your hand over your eyes like a young child playing hiding go seek and it’s time to remove your hand from eyes and and see that God loves you and wants to save you! Repent of your sin and turn to God through faith and there will be much joy in heaven as the angels sing “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, worthy is the one who conquered the grave!

You know that lady found her lost diamond in the parking lot of Wal-Mart and she was so full joy, but it pales in comparison to the joy that God has when one sinner repents!

Conclusion: You see there is joy in repentance because what was out of place has been put in place (The family of God). What was out of service is now in service (your life will have purpose to it) and what was in danger is no longer in danger but now safe forever in the loving embrace of God!

Invitation: