Good evening. It is great to be here. And I
mean that. I was just sitting here thinking
about the fact that we all have come into this house and gathered
in His name to worship Him. So we can all forget about ourselves.
Concentrate on Him and worship Him. And I was just sitting there
looking around the room These are my brothers and sisters.
I'm going to Lord willing spend eternity with. And glad to be
with you right now. I appreciate being invited here
and. Humbled by the opportunity. Turn
with me if you would to Luke chapter 15. You know, when the Lord of glory
gives a command. When he gives a command. Everything
he says is a command, isn't it? It's not an option. And when
he gives a command, his people. His followers, his believers. Have a heart to obey that command,
don't We do. We have a heart to obey
whatever he has to say, whatever he commands. Well, here is our
Lord's command for us this evening. Luke 15 verse 6. And when he cometh home, he calleth
together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with
me. That's his command. Rejoice with
me. Not an option. Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. Why? Verse six, he said, for
I have found my sheep, which was lost. That's why he said,
be happy. Be cheerful. Celebrate with me. Verse 7 says, I say unto you
that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. Absolute joy over one sinner
that repents. Inside the pages of this book
is the greatest news a sinner has ever heard. A real sinner. the greatest news
a sinner has ever heard in his life. And if you are a sinner
this evening, if there happens to be any sinners in here with
me this evening, rejoice with me. Now look at verse 1. Luke 15 verse 1 says, Then drew
near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. Do you know who will come for
bread? Not the full. You've been to
eat at somebody's house and they cook and cook and cook and serve
and serve and serve and then they say you want any more? No.
Not the full. The hungry will. And you know
who will come for water? Not the satisfied. The thirsty. Do you know who will come for
help? Not the strong. The weak. Do you know who will
come to Christ? Not the righteous. Sinners will. Sinners will. Verse one, then
drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. This message, this gospel is
for publicans and sinners. This Christ, the Christ of Scripture,
is for publicans and sinners. Verse one says, then drew near
unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. They were drawn to him. They
were drawn to him. And the reason they came was
to just hear him. They just wanted to hear him.
They all gathered around just to hear him. What were they hearing? Words of life. That's what's
in these pages right here. Words of life, beautiful words. Wonderful, Paul said, too wonderful
for me. Wonderful words, they all came
saying, sing them over again to me. Lord willing, we're going
to hear six preachers this weekend and Lord willing, they're all
going to preach the same message and Lord willing, we're all going
to come back every time saying, sing it again. Sing it again. Sing him over again to me. What
were the words? What were they hearing that was?
Drawing them to him. Look at verse 2 and the Pharisees
and scribes murmured saying this man receiveth sinners. That's what they were hearing.
This man receiveth sinners, this man. This man. This man that was born king,
isn't he the one that was born king? This man that astounded the scholars
with his wisdom at the age of 12 in the temple. This man that literally heals
the sick. This man that literally cures
the blind. This man that literally feeds
thousands with a couple of fish and a few loads of bread. The
one that literally raises people from the dead, this man. This man receiving sinners. And verse two says. Edith with
them. This man doesn't only receive
sinners, He's the friend of sinners. He has dinner with him. He doesn't
just give him what they need and send him home. He communes
with them. He walks with me and he talks
with me and do you know what he tells me? I am his own. Turn with me to Exodus 33. Exodus 33, verse eight says. And it came to pass when Moses
went out unto the tabernacle that all the people rose up and
stood every man at his tent door. And look after Moses until he
was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses
entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and
stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy
pillar stand at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose
up and worshipped every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake
unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Isn't
that wonderful? We all have somebody we consider
to be a great friend. We spend time with them, we talk
with them, we confide in them face to face. That's how God
spoke to Moses, face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Turn with me over to Isaiah 41. Isaiah 41 verse 8 says, but thou
Israel art my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen the seed of
Abraham, my friend. Verse 10, he said, fear thou
not for I'm with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee. Yea,
I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed
against thee shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be
as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou
shalt seek them and shalt not find them, even them that contended
with thee. They that war against thee shall
be as nothing and as a thing of naught. For I, the Lord thy
God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, I
will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and
ye men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord,
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One. of Israel, all of those publicans
and centers drew near to him to hear him just to hear him. Tell me that again. I love this
song right here. It says centers. The Lord Jesus
will receive. Sound this word of grace to all
who the heavenly pathway leave. All who linger All who fall. Do you hear what that's saying?
Sinners. Real sinners, the Lord Jesus
will receive. Sound this word of grace to all.
All who the heavenly pathway leave. All who linger, come on,
come on. All who fall. Come and he will
give you rest. Trust him for his word is plain.
He will take the sinful list. Christ receiveth sinful men. Now my heart condemns me not,
pure before the law I stand. He who cleansed me from all spot
satisfied its last demand. Christ receiveth sinful men,
even me with all my sin. Purged from every spot and stain,
heaven with Him I enter in. Sing it o'er. And o'er again,
Christ receiveth sinful men. You know who loves to hear the
good news of the finished work of Christ? Sinners do. Sinners do. Go with me back to
Luke 15. Luke 15 verse 1 says, Then drew
near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth
sinners and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto
them. Our Lord preached the gospel
to them. That's what he did. This is our gospel. What he's
about to say is our gospel. Verse 3, And he spake this parable
unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep,
if he lose one of them? And I can just go ahead and tell
us all, we're the one that was lost. If you want to know which
one was lost, that was us. That was me. That was you. And
we were not just misplaced for a short time. When you lose something,
you know it's still there. You just can't see it right now.
We were not just misplaced for a little while. The word lose
in this verse means to destroy fully. To perish. To die. Ruined. That's what the word means. And
that's me and that's you. Ruined. Separated. Lost. Lost. We just read where that song
said who the heavenly pathway leave. When man sinned in that
garden. And when man left that heavenly
pathway, man did not just become lost. So kick him out of the
garden. Where is he going to go? I don't
know. He's just going to be lost. He did not just become misplaced. He became fully destroyed. Dead. Totally separated from God. Ruined. Ruined. Absolutely ruined. No ability to find his way back
because he's dead. And even if he could find his
way back, he couldn't be joined to God again. He's become infected with sin.
1 Peter 1 says all of these things
that God has done pertaining to man It says the angels desire
to look into them. That's an interesting statement.
The angels desire to look into them. They're curious about these
things. Can you imagine the reaction
of all of God's heavenly host when man sin? Can you imagine
that? God created light. He said it
was good. It was so good. He created the
ocean, the earth. The grass, the trees, everything
was so beautiful, so good. He created the sun, moon, stars,
galaxies. It was all so good. Fish, whales,
birds, cattle. It was all so good. And God said,
let us make man. And when he did that, when he
formed man from the ground, all the angels noticed he's made
in the likeness of God. God made him in his image. And God breathed life into him
and he became a living soul. And God made woman for man and
they became one and everything was so good. It was all so good. And all of a sudden, man sinned
against God. No. Why would man do that? Man is now dead. He's become
ruined, become defiled. Separated from God and there
is no hope for man. Then Jesus Christ stood up from
his throne. What's he going to do? The angels
desire to look into these things. Jesus Christ said, I'm going
to seek and to save that which was lost. As poor, wretched sinners,
no God and no hope, it seemed there was no one to help. But
God, in His mercy, salvation supplied. He emptied heaven and
came down Himself in a ransomless man. Verse 4 says, 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, fully destroyed, dead, ruined until he find it. Verse five says, And when he
hath found it, not if, when. When he hath found it, he layeth
it. This vile, dead. Not a pretty little napping.
This vile, dead, putrefying, stinking, ruined sheep. He layeth it on his shoulder. He takes that death. And he takes
that rebellion, that runaway rebellion. And he takes that
sin. Have you ever seen a dead animal
at the height of its decomposing? The rot. The smell. Verse five, and when he hath
found it, he layeth it on his shoulders. He takes all of that
sin and He takes all of that decay and He lays it on Himself. He bears their iniquity. Isaiah said, Surely He hath borne
our griefs and carried our sorrows. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his
own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. What does that mean for us? It
means with his stripes. We're here. Revival comes as soon as the
burden of that sheep, that dead, rotting, vile sheep is laid on
him. Life comes, the wages of sin
is death, and as soon as the sin is gone. Life comes. Redemption comes,
revival comes. He's brought back to the fold,
riding the shoulders of the one that saved him. Singing all the way, I once was
lost, now I'm found. Verse 5, And when he hath found
it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh
home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying
unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which
was lost. He didn't say my sheep came home.
He said, I went and got him. I went and got him. Why would
he do that? You know, we hear all the time
there was nothing in us that caused God to favor us. I can see a little lamb laying
there under a tree in the wildflowers. So precious. Let's go pick him
up. But in the state we were really in, why would he do this? Why would he do this? We were
already gone. Why didn't He just do away with us and create new
ones? Why would He do this? Turn with me to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12 verse 2 says, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. He
did it to rejoice. That's why he did it. He did
it for his rejoicing. He did it for our rejoicing. And now he says to everything
that hath breath. Rejoice in me, rejoice in what
I've done. What I've accomplished one more
time, go back to Luke 15. All of our Lord's heavenly host.
They know that man was ruined in the fall. They know he was. And all of his host lives to
just watch the Lord work. You know what we're going to
be doing in glory? Looking at the Lord. We're just going to
be listening to whatever he has to say. And we're going to be
watching whatever he does. He's going to be the centerpiece
of eternity. And that's what his whole host
does. They wait on his command. They just look at him. They just
watch him. They love to watch him work,
they desire, they love looking into these things. And every
time God's Holy Spirit, the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, stands
up from his throne. And goes down into this wilderness. And walks up to a dead sheep
and picks him up and lays him on his shoulders and causes that
sheep to cry, I've been found. Every time that happens, heaven
erupts. I believe it's so. Heaven erupts. Glory to God. Can you imagine
the celebrating that takes place? He said rejoice. Here's a commandment.
Rejoice with me. Could you imagine the king crying
out to all of heaven? Rejoice. It's time to rejoice. The victory belongs to the Lord.
He's led captivity captive. Verse 10 here in Luke 15 says,
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner that repented. Lord, come and
save us. Don't we want that? Here we are,
we're sheep and we're vile and dead and putrefying and worthless. Flesh, we're just flesh. Lord,
would you come do something for us? Would you reach way down
for me? Come and save us. And Lord, cause
our hearts to hear you say, Rejoice in the Lord. May He cause us
all to rejoice in our Savior. Alright, thank you.