God Has Joy!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
God has feelings
God has emotions
People seem to only associate God with grace and mercy.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
People associate God with obedience
People associate God with wrath
People associate God with anger
People associate God with judgement
People associate God with what they want
No one ever considers that God has feelings and what God wants
No one ever considers that God has feelings and what God wants
God is jealous
(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
God does not take pleasure in the destruction of the wicked
Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?
Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
God takes pleasure in repentance and reconciliation of mankind to him.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But God has standards and many will perish because God is the rewarder of those who seek him as he seeks them.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
And this is why Jesus was receiving the sinners
And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Because Jesus wanted to bring God joy!!!!
Parable of the 100 Sheep
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
God Has Joy!
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
Calls together the neighbors
Saying rejoice with me
Saints should rejoice!
Luke 15:7 (NKJV)
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Let’s make a note here that the 99 sheep here is representative of the Pharisees and there self righteousness
Similar to the older son we will get to next week who has not joy in repentance.
Parable of the Lost Coin
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
God has joy!
And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’
Notice the pattern!
Calls here friends
The Rejoice together!
Saints should rejoice when sinners repent!
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Who is in the presence of the angels? God
And so as we recap and get to the reaction of the Father repenting let’s see the joy of God!
God Has Joy Over The Repentant
God Has Joy Over The Repentant
“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.
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
We Should Confess Our Sins to Those Who We Have Wronged
We Should Confess Ours Sins to God When We Sin Against Him
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
But God is looking more at the changed mind and the behavior than the lip service.
God Has Joy And Restores The Repentant
God Has Joy And Restores The Repentant
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
The robe was usually reserved for the guest of honor!
The robe was usually reserved for the guest of honor!
esteem
honor
Not Just any robe would do!
No one can cover us like God!
The ring signified authority!
The ring signified authority!
Trust of God
Trust in God
The sandals were for sons and not slaves
The sandals were for sons and not slaves
Freedom from the bondage of slave!
Every peace he puts on him is a sign that he accepts him back as a son!
Every peace he puts on him is a sign that he accepts him back as a son!
God in his grace and mercy will give us more than we deserve when we repent!
God in his grace and mercy will give us more than we deserve when we repent!
And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
The calf was always being fattened up for the time of a special feast!
The calf was always being fattened up for the time of a special feast!
What is more special than a repentant sinner?
What is more special than a repentant sinner?
God Has Joy When He Revives The Repentant
God Has Joy When He Revives The Repentant
for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God Has Joy When People Turn Back to Him