If you would, turn back with
me to Luke 15. Luke 15. Luke 15, I'm gonna read verses
eight through 10. 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?
And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors
together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece
which I had lost. Likewise I say unto you, there
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth. The last time we looked at this
parable, we looked at the sheep and the shepherd. You know, and
the parable speaks of a man having 100 sheep and one was lost. We
know this is speaking of Jesus Christ as the one performing
these actions. Jesus Christ came to save that
which was lost. He came and found his lost sheep
and placed it on his shoulders. His people have gone astray with
their hands and feet. We went our own way, and because
of that, we are lost, and we're lost in that wilderness with
no hope, at least by our actions. But then the shepherd comes and
finds his sheep and places them on his shoulders and carries
them all the way home. His sacrifice has borne us to
God on his shoulders. That is where we see his strength.
is the cross. We continue to need His power,
His might, and His ability to get us where we're going, because
our hands and feet take us astray. And I say it that way for a reason,
because the first part of the parable we see the sheep could
do something on their own, but the result of what they could
do left them totally lost. All we are are dumb sheep. But
here we have 10 pieces of silver and one is lost. This is a coin. It has no hands and feet. We're
talking about an object that has no ability to do anything. It may as well be dead. In fact,
that's what we see here. Someone who is dead in trespasses
and in sin. All this coin can do is stay
right where it is unless another does something to change that
state. Keep in mind here, it says the woman is doing all the
work. The coin is doing one thing,
and that's being lost. So there are three things I want
to look in a little detail today, and that's the woman lights a
candle, the woman sweeps the house, and the woman seeks diligently. So first, the woman lights a
candle. There is an order here that is spoken of, and I believe
this is talking about specifically here, the Spirit of God and His
gospel. And that's the title of my message,
is the gospel and the Holy Spirit. The gospel of Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. But as we see it here, this is
the woman lighting the candle to find that which is lost. We
are told in 1 Corinthians 121, it says, for after that in the
wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God
by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The
one thing I do want to make sure and point out here in this verse
in 1 Corinthians, it is mankind that preaches, yes, but it's
not man that does the saving by the preaching. You can read
it this way and it means the same thing. It pleased God to
save them that believe by the foolishness of preaching. God
is the source here. Those who preach the gospel must
be sent by him or else it is of no value if he's not sent.
Romans 10, 14, we know it very well. How then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? There in Romans 10, we see that
they cannot preach unless they are sent. It is God who is the
source of them that are preaching as well. But they are preaching
a specific thing or person. Because verse 14 says, how shall
they call on him in whom they have not heard? How can they
call on Jesus Christ if they have not heard of him? How shall
they believe him whom they have not heard? How can they believe
Jesus Christ unless they hear of him? Then the last part of
it, it says, how can they hear without a preacher? How can they
hear of Christ unless God sends them forth to preach Jesus Christ? Of course, if someone else is,
Being preached, God did not send them because God sends men and
women forth to proclaim Jesus Christ. But Paul goes even further
in 1 Corinthians 9, 16. He says, for though I preach
the gospel, I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is laid
upon me. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach
not the gospel. Paul says it is needful for him
to preach Christ because God sent him forth for that one thing.
And a second thing is, as we've read, that it pleases God to
save them through the preaching of the gospel. Woe unto me if
I preach anything else. But we see here that this woman
lights a candle. The Spirit of God must attend
the message, as Walter just mentioned earlier. The message preached
or the message will be of no value. Lydia would not have heard
anything unless God had opened her heart. But we also read in
2 Corinthians 4, 6, we read this. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. It is the Spirit of God which
gives the light, the Spirit of God who lights the candle that
shines in our hearts. We have to be clear here. This
does not say here in 2 Corinthians 4, 6 that he hath shined into
our hearts as if something outside is shining into it to enlighten
it. It says has shined in our hearts. It enlightens that one God has
done something for. This is something outside of
themselves that has invaded us in that new heart created by
God. And this something without is
the Spirit of God, who invades us and then lights the candle
of that gospel we are hearing. When this is done, that light
gives us the knowledge of God's glory, which is Jesus Christ. That spirit that invades us has
fruit. And what is this fruit? I've
used this a lot, but it's still there. So Galatians 5, 22 and
23. But the fruit of the spirit is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
This fruit which is of the spirit of God has love. That is the
love of God. That means His love, which is,
by the way, love to God as well. It has joy that is a calm delight. It is a satisfying joy, knowing
what Christ has done is complete. It has peace, peace to us and
peace toward God because of Christ. These are the fruit of the spirit.
Long-suffering. We have that which has invaded
us which gives us long-suffering toward those who have this same
fruit. We also, I suppose, have long-suffering
toward Godward, knowing that he does all things right and
that he does them when he is pleased to do them. Gentleness. We have a useful demeanor. That
is, we are kind one to another, having this fruit. Goodness,
we actually have a goodness that has invaded us because of this
fruit of the Spirit. Then we have faith, and this
is the last one I'm gonna mention here, but the faith of Christ,
as Walter has been talking about. We believe because the Spirit
of God has invaded us and has given us his fruit, which includes
the faith of Christ. Not everyone has this, but having
this fruit, which includes the faith of Christ, we can believe
him. Because the spirit must light
the candle. We read in Hebrews, Hebrews 4,
2, for unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them,
but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith in them that heard. We must have faith for without
faith it is impossible to please God. And it is pleasing to God
when we believe the record God gave of his son. We can see from
scripture that the gospel being preached in and of itself cannot
do anything. It must be mixed with faith in
them that hear it. The spirit of God must enlighten
the soul by invading that one which he has intended to give
knowledge of himself to. the spirit invading having this
fruit which has faith and much more enabling that one for whom
it was intended to hear that glorious gospel. So how did we
get to this point? There has to be something that
is done to change us because we are born the children of wrath
against God just like everyone else. The woman sweeps the house. So next we have the woman sweeps
the house. So we see in this part of this
parable that the woman lights the candle and then it says the
woman in order to find this lost coin, she sweeps the house. All the dirt and dust over time
will cover everything up so that even if you have a lighted candle,
you cannot even see it because it's covered with dust and dirt.
The object that has Affection set upon it by this woman is
unclean and the house must be swept in order that the light
of the candle might shine and expose this lost coin. This is
the Holy Spirit doing this and it's to cleanse one of his. The
Holy Spirit breathes life into that one which is lost, cleansing
them just as he did with Cornelius. Turn with me to Acts 10. Very
familiar to you all, but Acts 10. and stay there for a minute
because I'm going to come back to it. Acts 10 verses 9 through 15. I think Walter even mentioned
this passage the last time we were here. So Acts 10, 9 through
15. On the morrow, as they went on
their journey and drew nine to the city, Peter went up upon
the housetop to pray about the six hour. And he became very
hungry, and would have eaten, but while they made ready, he
fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel
descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet, knit at the
four corners, and let down to the earth. wherein were all manner
of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping
things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him,
Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord,
for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And
the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common. So what does it mean here when
God tells him to slay and eat? We know this from the account,
how it goes on, but he is telling Peter here to go to this Gentile,
Cornelius, and preach the gospel to him. The Gentiles were considered
unclean to the Jews, of any other nation was considered unclean
to the Jews. If they were to be in any way
a part of the Jews, they were supposed to do certain things.
Evidently, this was not true of Cornelius. I know some have
said he was a proselyte, but it nowhere says he was. But be
that as it may, being a proselyte never saved anyone. If it did,
and I think we all should be trying to be a proselyte of the
Jews. But also, Peter would not have
went to him to preach the gospel had God not told him to, had
God not seen him. If he was a proselyte, then it
would have been okay in that line of thinking. But being a
proselyte, as I said, has never saved anyone. So even if he was
a proselyte, what good does that do him? I know there were many
a proselyte, and maybe there are many Jewish proselytes today
that are not saved because they have never heard the gospel of
Jesus Christ from one scent of God. We must hear the gospel,
else we have nothing to believe in. or anything that's worth
believing in, and that's namely Jesus Christ and him crucified.
But God tells Peter specifically here that he has cleansed Cornelius. And you can look at the context.
Peter going to Cornelius is not just a coincidence with what
happened where he was in this house. This is who God was talking
about because of this account of God coming to Peter in the
vision. He sent men from Cornelius. This he did before he had the
vision. This God started before he even
shows Peter the vision. But God in his almighty wise
counsel was pleased to cling, that is to give a new heart to
this one who was one of his and was sending someone to proclaim
the gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified to him. And you
know how I know that's what he purposed? Because that's what
happened. Go back to Acts 10 in verse 22,
and I'm going to read this. It's a little lengthy, but 22
through 24. Acts 10, starting in verse 22. And they said, Cornelius the
centurion, a just man and one that feareth God and of good
report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God
by an holy angel to send for thee into his house and to hear
words of thee. Then called he them in and lodged
them, and on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain
brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they
entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius waited for them, and had called
together his kinsmen and their friends. And as Peter was coming
in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped
him. But Peter took him up, saying,
Stand up, I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he
went in and found many that were come together. And he said unto
them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that
is a Jew to keep company or come into one of another nation. But
God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without
gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for. I ask, therefore, for
what intent you have sent for me. And Cornelius said, Four
days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour
I prayed in my house. And behold, a man stood before
me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard,
and thine alms are. had in remembrance in the sight
of God. Send, therefore, to Joppa, and
call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the
house of one Simon of Tanner, by the seaside, who, when he
cometh, shall speak unto thee. Immediately, therefore, I sent
to thee, and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now, therefore,
are we all here present before God, to hear all things that
are commanded thee of God. Then Peter opened his mouth and
said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons,
but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness
is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is
Lord of all. That word, I say, ye know, which
was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee
after the baptism which which John preached, how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went
about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things
which he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem,
whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him, God raised up the
third day and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink
with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to
preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was
ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. To him give
all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake
these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words. God said he had cleansed Cornelius,
so he was cleansed. He had not heard the gospel as
of yet, though. Yes, he heard of Jesus and the
works that he had done and knew of the preaching of John the
Baptist. That's what it says there. But he had not yet heard
the gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified. This is what Peter
was sent to do, to preach the gospel to him and all those gathered
around with him. We see in this passage that the
Holy Spirit fell on all of them. The Holy Spirit confirmed to
those individuals specifically that the word Peter was speaking
was the truth of God, and they believed. They believed with
all their heart, Walker. They were then baptized. Being
a proselyte does nothing. He did have a good report of
the Jews, for sure, but without the cleansing of God, that means
nothing. Without the hearing of the gospel,
we are left to think men and women are something they are
not. Acts 10 verses 25 through 26, we read that. And as Peter
was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet
and worshiped him. But Peter took him up saying,
stand up, I myself am a man. Cornelius did not know Christ
yet, because he had not heard of Christ yet, because Peter
had not yet began to speak. Cleansing alone will not do it.
You must hear the gospel. But being cleansed, you must,
or you will not be able to hear the words. The light must shine
in your heart. The Holy Spirit must accompany
those words, and he will with those he has cleansed. This results
in the knowledge of the glory of God, which is Jesus Christ. There's one other thing we're
told here, though. Who seeks diligently for those
lost? Not us. We don't know who was
lost and who was not. It was this woman. This word
for diligently does not mean that it was looked frantically
for. It wasn't a frantic kind of thing.
The word means careful. You don't wanna start cleaning
up and then knock the coin somewhere you can't find it again. No,
it's careful. It means that the spirit of God
carefully searches out the lost coins. Ones that can do nothing
to change their plight. As I've already said, those are
born the children of wrath, even like everyone else. They do not
have it within themselves to change what they are or where
they are. It takes the spirit of God to
come down to cleanse us and to cleanse or make a way for us
to hear the gospel of God's dear son. There's great care taken
by the spirit of God in Christ to find and cleanse and to convert
those who were his from the foundation of the world in Christ. Those
who have been born on his shoulders having put away the sins of the
flesh by his death on that tree. Him sending the Comforter to
enlighten them that are His. He hisses for His people, as
it says in Zechariah 10, 8. I will hiss for them and gather
them, for I have redeemed them, and they shall increase, and
they have increased. When we were growing up, we had
a stray dog called Cheyenne. And she was an outside dog. We
didn't keep her inside. But when we'd go somewhere, she'd
go off by herself. But when we returned, we'd whistle
for her. Here, Cheyenne. Here, Cheyenne.
And she'd come running. That's what we're talking about
here. That's what hissing is. And God's saying, come on. God,
by his gospel and by his spirit, he calls for his people, diligently
searching them out, knowing they are there. He calls out to his people. Come
here. Hear this, and to receive this,
that which I have sent for you to hear and to consume. There's
much more here than what I'm giving for sure. But the beginning
of this parable, we see that the son has borne us on his shoulders. He is our strength and we are
brought home by him. Knowing our hands and our feet
have carried us away so that we are lost, dead in a waste
howling wilderness. But we also see that us not being
able to affect our situation, being dead in trespasses and
in sin, God sending his spirit and sending his gospel to save
our soul. Second Thessalonians 2.13, we
read, you know it, but we are bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Salvation comes about
through the spirit sanctifying us in all that means, in all
that that means. believing the gospel of Jesus
Christ and him crucified. Christ, when he was on this earth,
he told us of the Comforter, John 14, 26, we read, but, this
is Christ speaking, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things
and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have
said unto you. We see right there that it is
the Spirit of God that will teach us all things. Yes, he uses men
to preach. He uses the preaching of the
gospel, but it is the Holy Spirit of God, the Comforter, that will
teach us all things. We know that he will teach us
of Jesus Christ, too. We know that specifically because
we read in John 15, 26, this is Christ speaking still, but
when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceeded from the Father,
he shall testify of me. By the spirit of God and the
inner working of God by his spirit enlightening our souls, we will
learn of Jesus Christ and him placing us on his shoulders to
take us all the way home. You know, it can seem to get
pretty dark in this world, but we have his spirit which enlightens
us and causes us to see his son. We see the glory of God and it
is found in the face of Jesus Christ. I pray for his spirit. I don't want to presume on God. I pray for his spirit to guide
me in this world. What do we read in Luke 11? Luke
11, starting in verse nine. And I say unto you, ask and it
shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock
and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth. And he that seeketh, findeth.
And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. If a son shall
ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him
a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he
for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will
he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
him? God will comfort those who ask
of Him. If you ask for salvation, is
He going to give you death? No. No one who is not a child
of God will ever ask for the salvation that He gives. But
all those who are His will ask, and He will give it to them.
I pray God send you His Spirit, and maybe Maybe you do too, and
maybe there's some out there that will ask of Him to save
their soul. He says, if you ask, He will
give it to you. All the honor and praise and
worship go to Him, for He does all the work. What do we read
here again when the lost coin is found? A gathering together
and a rejoicing, but listen how it says it back in verse nine.
Verse nine. And when she hath found it, she
calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with
me, for I have found the peace which I had lost. This rejoicing
is done over what God has done. God has found his lost sheep.
We do not find God on our own, he finds us. When he does, what
do we do? in what is done in heaven. Rejoice
him. Let us all rejoice in what he
has done and does. Amen. Dear old God, we need your spirit,
Lord. We need guidance. We have no power of our own.
Please apply these words of Jesus Christ to our hearts, seal them
to our hearts, dear Lord, and all these things we ask in Christ's
name, amen.