God’s Joy in Salvation

Introduction

If you remember the introduction last week, I asked you to imagine receiving a gold-plated invitation to a royal banquet,

an exclusive celebration thrown by the King Himself.

And we talked about how ridiculous it would be to reject that invitation, or to demand a higher position of honor before you’d even accept it.

But let me paint a different picture for you today.

Let’s say you did accept the invitation.

You recognized the significance of the banquet.

You took your place, because, after all, you’ve lived a “good” life.

You’ve kept the rules.

You’ve served the king faithfully.

You know your way around the palace, or Church if you will.

You belong at this table.

You have worked hard for this seat for many years.

But then… they come in.

You see peasants,

filthy,

ragged people.

Some with a reputation.

Some who’ve made a mess of their lives.

Some who didn’t even know this banquet existed until a few hours ago.

And now they’re walking in with smiles on their faces, welcomed by the King with open arms, and given a seat at your table.

Oh your heart begins to burn.

You can feel yourself get warmer.

You’re not just confused, you’re offended.

You think:

“What is he doing here?

She doesn’t belong in the same room as me!

This is a mockery of everything I have worked for!

This is not fair.

How can they receive the same reward as me when I have served the King faithfully for so many years!

Well, If this is what the banquet looks like, maybe I don’t want to be part of it anymore.”

And then the Host looks at you.

He sees the anger on your face.

He hears the whispers of your heart.

And instead of rebuking the newcomers, He starts telling stories.

As the stories progress, you realize that it isn’t the Host doing wrong, it isn’t the guest who are in the wrong place, but rather your heart that is being rebuked.

That is similar to what we see happening in Luke 15.

We see in verse 1 that Jesus was eating and being with sinners and tax collectors.

These were people with bad reputations.

People who the Pharisees would never have allowed themselves to be associated with.

There were even tax collectors there!

These were people who collaborate with the Romans, who were occupying their nation.

Not only did they collaborate with the enemy, they took money from their own people to give to the enemy!

Not only that, they were notorious for taking more than what was required and keeping the excess.

These were the lowest of the low in Jewish society, and usually with good reason.

A little more modern example of who this would be in society would be the traitors of China during the Japanese occupation.

Even most of us non-Chinese know the horrible injustices done to the Chinese people during this time.

Maybe you even heard of the The big box office Chinese movie that came out in July called “dead to rights”. It tells the story of heroes who risked all to expose the deeds of the enemy.

But what of those who instead of being heroes, collaborated with the enemy.

If you have watched many old Chinese movies from this time period, you will recognize these actors, who often played the collaborator, or traitors.

These traitors of China were the lowest of the low.

Even us non-Chinese can hopefully see the anger and hatred society would have for these men and women.

You can imagine the shame.

You can imagine the outright anger everyone would have for them can you not?

Well this is how people viewed tax collectors, and Jesus was eating with them???!!!

I hope you can now understand the emotional response the pharisees would have here. We outside of their context often fail to see how serious this was.

How dare you eat with such horrible people!

Do you not know who they are Jesus?!

But Jesus does not rebuke the lowly with him,

He instead tells stories meant to expose the self righteousness of the Pharisees who instead of rejoicing at sinners coming to God, were angry at the very idea.

With that in mind, today’s main idea is…

When sinners repent, the humble rejoice while the proud become bitter.

We will see this main idea in both of our main points this morning, which are…

I. Joy of the Humble (vv. 2–24) II. Bitterness of the Proud (vv. 25–31)

So let us begin with the Joy of the Humble.

I. Joy of the Humble (vv. 2–24)

Jesus responds to the Pharisees bitter anger at receiving sinners and tax collectors with three parables.

As you have been hopefully reading the chapter this week, I hope you have caught the shepherd’s, the woman’s, and the father’s joy, because that is what we will examine here in our first point.

A. The shepherd’s joy (vv. 3–7)

The first image that Jesus uses is the parable of the lost sheep.

In this story, A shepherd has one hundred sheep.

But one sheep wanders off.

A sheep on its own is as good as dead.

So what does the shepherd do?

He leaves the ninety-nine in the open country and goes after the one.

He searches until he finds it.

He doesn’t quit halfway, doesn’t say,

“Well, I’ve still got ninety-nine. That’s good enough.”

He takes full responsibility for that sheep because every single one matters.

And when he finds it?

He joyfully puts it on his shoulders,

carries it home,

and then calls his friends and neighbors to celebrate.

The Pharisees could understand the shepherd’s joy over finding a sheep.

They could nod their heads and say, “Yes, of course that makes sense.”

So Jesus turns the story toward them in verse 7.

Luke 15:7 ESV

7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Do you see what Jesus is doing? He is basically saying

“If you can rejoice over an animal being rescued, why can’t you rejoice over a soul being saved?”

He’s also letting all listening around him know that this joy in heaven, this entering into the Kingdom of heaven, first requires repentance.

Jesus was not telling these sinners and tax collectors…

“It’s ok that you are sinners, I came to where you are, you can stay there.”

No, He’s saying yes, I have met you where you are but that does not mean you can stay there.

God rejoices over one sinner who REPENTS!

Simply acknowledging your sin isn’t enough.

By the Grace and power of God we must repent and turn away from our sins.

We see a similar story in verses 8-10.

B. The woman’s joy (vv. 8–10)

A woman has ten silver coins.

Each coin was worth a full day’s wage.

In a society where people often lived day to day, that was no small loss.

So what does she do?

She lights a lamp.

She cleans

And she does g stop looking until the coin is found.

And when she finds it?

She doesn’t quietly put it away.

She calls her friends and neighbors

“Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost!”

The whole community celebrates over a single coin!

With that celebration in mind, let’s read Jesus’ words in verse 10.

“Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Pharisees could nod and agree that of course a woman would celebrate finding her very valuable coin.

But Jesus is pushing an even greater truth,

if we can celebrate something as small as money being recovered,

how much more should we rejoice when a sinner is restored to God?

And this is not just angelic joy here guys, it is God’s joy.

The angels rejoice because God Himself is rejoicing.

Do we share in God’s joy when someone sees their sin, repents, and turns to God?

Do we celebrate?

I hope so!

We now move on to our third story, where we will learn of the father’s joy.

C. The father’s joy (vv. 11–24)

Jesus here tells the longest and most famous story of the three. A man had two sons.

The younger son comes with a shocking request in verse 12.

“Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.”

This would have been the same as saying,

“I wish you were dead. I don’t want you, I just want your stuff.”

The Pharisees would have expected the father to slap his son,

and send him away in disgrace.

Instead, he divides his property between them.

The son goes off to a far country,

wastes everything in reckless living,

and falls lower and lower until he is feeding pigs!

The situation is so helpless, that verse 16 says that he longed to eat the food they gave to the pigs,

and that nobody would give him anything.

This would be about as far as anyone could fall,

but for a jew,

who saw pigs as incredibly unclean, it would have been even worse.

But then, verse 17 says,

“he came to himself.”

He remembers his father’s goodness:

even the hired workers had more than enough bread.

And in verses 18 and 19, he prepares his confession:

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

This is humility.

This is repentance.

He knows he has no right to return as a son,

but can only rely on the character of the father, which he knows to be merciful.

And here is where the story turns. While the son is still a long way off, the father sees him,

And he runs to him.

For an old man in that culture to lift his robe,

show his legs,

and run would have been seen as humiliating and shameful.

But the father doesn’t care.

He is willing to take on shame Himself in order to quickly bring his son,

full of shame,

back into the home.

The Pharisees would have expected the father to demand restitution,

to make the boy sit outside in shame.

Instead, in verse 22, the father interrupts him and says ,

“Quickly, bring the best robe, put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet.”

These are details you might have missed in the past.

You see,

The robe shows honor , and was likely the father’s own robe.

The ring gives authority, it was the family signet, restoring him as a true son.

The sandals mark sonship, not a slave, not a servant, but family.

What is shocking here is The Robe and the Ring would typically go to the oldest son, not the youngest.

But the father says that it is you,

who know your shame and have humbled yourself before me that I give the honored robe to.

It is you that I give the authority and privileges of a son to.

but that’s not all the Father does.

The father kills the fattened calf , the rare luxury saved for the greatest of occasions.

Enough food for the whole village.

It is time to celebrate! Because, as the father says in verse 24,

“This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

Do we see our salvation in these words?

We who were once dead in our sins,

incapable of pleasing God,

who’s good deeds were like filthy wags before a Holy God,

can be alive in Christ!

Though I was lost, now I am found!

My Heavenly Father has joyfully saved me, and I am now alive!

He does not dwell on the sinner’s past.

He does not shame the sinner with a list of failures.

He runs to meet them,

embraces them,

restores them,

and celebrates their return.

I speak now to anyone in here who has not yet repented of their sins and turned to Christ.

I don’t care what you have done.

I don’t care what sins you have committed.

I don’t care not care how broken you are.

God will joyfully seek you, run after you, and celebrate with the angles at your repentance.

This is the joy of our Father in heaven.

And so here’s the question for us: Do we share in the Father’s joy?

When the broken,

the filthy,

the outcast come to Christ,

do we run to embrace them?

It is my hope that Hutong be a place where we come together and rejoice in our salvation, as well as the salvation of others.

We have seen here the great joy of the Father given to the Humble,

but now let’s continue the third parable by looking at the bitterness of the proud in the older brother’s reaction.

II. Bitterness of the Proud (vv. 25–31)

Verse 25 says,

“Now his older son was in the field.”

He had been out working,

and when he came near the house,

he heard music and dancing.

He calls one of the servants to find out what’s going on, and the servant tells him in verse 27....

“Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.”

This should have filled his heart with joy.

His brother had returned!

His father was honored again!

The family restored!

But instead, verse 28 says,

“he was angry and refused to go in.”

Think about that, he won’t even step inside his father’s house.

In that culture, the older son had a responsibility.

He was supposed to be the mediator,

the peacemaker,

the one who helped bridge the gap between the rebellious younger brother and the offended father.

But Where is he when his brother returns?

Outside, fuming.

His absence is its own shame.

I want you to notice something here.

He is just as far away from his father as the prodigal was, only in a different way.

The prodigal was lost in a far country of sin,

but the older brother is lost in a place of self-righteousness.

The father, once again, shows great Mercy and love.

Verse 28 says,

“His father came out and entreated him.”

Do you see the patience of the father here?

He doesn’t rebuke him.

He doesn’t say, “Fine, stay outside then.”

He comes out and pleads with him.

The father is willing to humiliate himself again,

leaving his own feast to reach out to his bitter son.

This is God’s heart, even toward the self-righteous Pharisees.

But listen to the son’s response in verses 29–30:

“Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!”

Do you hear the bitterness?

He doesn’t even call him “Father.”

He just says, “Look!”.

This is disrespectful and dishonoring.

He believes he’s earned something.

Did you catch his wording?

He said…

“You never gave me…”

He refuses to acknowledge his brother as family:

He says…

“this son of yours.”

This is the heart of pride.

Outward obedience, but inward rebellion.

Years of work,

but no love.

A cold heart is one that cannot rejoice when grace is given.

Jesus is aiming this directly at the Pharisees.

They are the older brother.

They thought they were righteous, that they had earned God’s favor by keeping the law.

But in reality,

they were bitter,

resentful,

and far from God’s heart.

Instead of rejoicing that sinners were coming home,

they crossed their arms and said,

“This is not fair.”

But lest we become too self righteous ourselves in judging the pharisees, I have seen this same attitude in churches today.

I once had a close family member tell me that he sees no reason to tell the gospel to homosexuals, because they are beyond disgusting and gross.

He was speaking from the same heart as the Pharisees.

For me, it is the idea of God saving those who abuse Children.

I honestly struggle with the idea of these people escaping eternal judgment.

I have personally had to repent of my self righteous pride and struggle to accept God’s grace for even these.

But notice the father’s tender reply in verses 31–32 as he spoke to the prideful son, the pharisees, and to us today.

“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”

That is where the story ends. We are left hanging. Will the older brother go in?

Will he share in the father’s joy, or will he stay outside in anger?

Jesus leaves the ending open because the Pharisees had to write it themselves.

And tragically,

we know how they did.

Instead of joining the feast, they hardened their hearts.

Instead of rejoicing at grace, they crucified the very Son of God.

The acceptance of God’s grace not only for ourselves, but also those we despise, has led to horrible injustice when denied, but it has also led to beautiful reconciliation when humbly accepted.

In more recent history, we’ve seen the very opposite of the older brother’s bitterness bring about incredible transformation. In Burundi, a nation once torn apart by the hatred between Hutu and Tutsi, the gospel began to do something remarkable.

As men and women came to Christ, many no longer saw one another through the lens of ethnic division.

They began to see each other through God’s eyes, as brothers and sisters, not enemies.

Instead of saying, “This son of yours,” they began to say,

“This brother of mine.

This sister of mine.”

And slowly, as so many of them began to humble themselves under the grace of Christ, whole communities were changed.

Even to this day, the church in Burundi bears witness to the power of God’s grace to reconcile people who the world thought could never be reconciled.

At various BICF Churches, we have had Russians and Ukrainians serving together on the same leadership teams.

We have Japanese and Chinese people worshiping God together.

Why?

Because we are all saved by the same Grace by the same God and the natural response to this is to come together in worship and praise.

So, here’s the question for us this morning.

What will we do? Will we stand outside,

clinging to pride,

arms crossed in bitterness at God’s grace toward others who we think are too far gone to be in the Kimgdom of God?

Or will we humble ourselves,

rejoice with the Father,

and welcome the broken,

the outcast,

the sinner,

just as He welcomed us?

Because in the end,

the greatest shame was not the prodigal’s sin,

but the older brother’s refusal to celebrate God’s amazing grace.

So let us go together in prayer this morning.

We will first do this with a minute of self reflection.

Have you accepted this invitation to salvation?

Are there any groups that you struggle to joyfully welcome into God’s kingdom?

Repent and ask for Grace in overcoming.

We will then go into our groups for prayer.

Here, let us…

1. Rejoice for each other’s salvation.

2. A heart for the lost.

3. The Salvation of those who have not accepted this invitation.