Prophet Isaiah said, Who hath believed our report? To whom is the power, the saving
power of God revealed? For he shall grow up before him
as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. This Savior
has no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, there's
no beauty that we should desire him. He's despised. He's despised. He's rejected
of men. He's a man of sorrows. He's acquainted
with grief. We hear, as it were, our faces
from him. He was despised and we esteemed
him not. Everything about him offended
these religious leaders that we just read about. Everything.
Let me show you a few things from the book of John. John chapter
6. His family offended them. Mary,
Joseph. The family down there in Nazareth
offended these people. In John chapter 6 verse 41, then
the Jews murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which
came down from heaven. And they said, is not this Jesus,
the son of Joseph, whose mother and father we know? How is it
then he said, I came down from heaven? Turn to chapter 7. His education, or lack of it,
by their standards, offended them. In John 7, verse 14. Now, about the midst of the feast,
Jesus went up to the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled,
saying, I knew of this man learning letters, learning. He never learned. answered them and said, My doctrine's
not mine, it's his that sent me. And if any man will do his
will, he'll know the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether
I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh
his own glory. But he that seeketh his glory
that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in
him." Look at verse 40 of that same chapter, John 7, his home
country. Galilee. That offended them.
John 7, verse 40. Many of the people, therefore,
when they heard this saying, said of a truth, This is that
prophet. This is the prophet. Others said,
This is the Christ. But some said, Well, shall Christ
come out of Galilee? Had not the scripture said that
Christ cometh of the seed of David out of the town of Bethlehem
where David was? So there was a division among
the people because of him. John 10. They hated his doctrine. John 10, verse, they hated his
family, his education, they were offended by his home country.
They were offended by his vocation. They said, is not this the carpenter? Is not this the carpenter? A
wine-bibber, gluttonous man. Look at John 10, verse 30. And Jesus said, I and my Father
one. Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him. And he answered, Many good works
have I showed you from my Father. For which of these works do you
stone me? The Jews answered, Saying, For
a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy. And because
thou being a man makest thyself God. They were offended, everything
about him offended these people. Now go back to my text. But perhaps
one of the things, they were offended by his family, his education,
his home country, his vocation, his doctrine, everything about
him, his followers. But perhaps one of the things
which offended these self-righteous religious people was the people,
the people who came to our Lord. sat at his feet and heard him
preach, feasted on his word. They were sinners. And that's
what we read here in the first part of Luke 15 verse 1. Then drew near unto him publicans
and sinners to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes
murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners and eats with them. They asked his disciples in Matthew
9, they said, Why does your master eat with publicans and sinners?
That's when our Lord turned to them and said, The well don't
need a physician but those that are sick. I didn't come to call
the righteous but sentenced to repentance. In Luke chapter 7
they said this, Behold a gluttonous man, a wine-bigger, a friend
of publicans and sinners. In Luke 19, when he went to be
the guest of Zacchaeus, all these people murmured and they said,
he's going to be the guest of a man that's a sinner. He's the
friend of sinners. The very worst thing they thought
that they could accuse him of is the best news you and I can
hear. He came to save sinners. he receiveth
sinners, and eateth with them." He's the friend of sinners. I want to make, in your hearing
this morning, four powerful statements. And I want you to think about
them. Consider them very carefully. Four powerful statements. Here's the first one. which keep you from the heavenly
calling. It's not your sins. All of us
worry about our sins. We're concerned about our sins.
We're embarrassed because of our sins. We are just dragged
down in spirit because of our sins. But it's not your sins
that keep you from this heavenly calling. It's our righteousness. You know a man said to Spurgeon
one time, he said, I tell you Mr. Spurgeon, our greatest enemy
is our sinful self. Spurgeon said, oh no my friend,
our sinful self is not our greatest enemy, our righteous self is
our greatest enemy. Christ said, I didn't come to
call the righteous, I came to call sinners. Christ died not
for the righteous, he died for sinners, Paul said, of whom I
am the chief. So it's not your sins that keep you from the heavenly
calling, it's your righteousness. That's true now. Here's a second
statement. The people who were turned away
from Christ, the people to whom our Lord said at the judgment,
Depart from me. Remember in Matthew 7 he said,
Depart from me you that work of iniquity. The people who were
turned away from Christ at the judgment were not turned away
because of their sins or because they were sinners. They were
turned away because they claimed to be holy and righteous. Let's turn to Matthew 7 and see
if that's not true. Everybody thinks, when I get
to the judgment, my sins are going to turn me away from heaven. No, no, no. He delights to show
mercy. The life to forgive sin. What
will turn you away, cause you to be turned away, is the same
thing that caused these people to be turned away. Matthew 7
verse 21. It's not everyone that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. That's
what we want to do, enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he's
at the door of the well of my father, which is in heaven. Many
will say unto me on that day, Lord, we preached in your name. In your name we've cast out devils
and you know we've done many wonderful works. We're good people.
We're religious people. We're devoted church members. I will profess unto them, I never
knew you, depart from me." Their sin did not turn them away. Their righteousness. Their claim
to righteousness. Their claim to their merits. for a reward. Third statement. The Pharisee in the temple, in
Luke 18, the Pharisee in the temple, I hear people say, I'm just too
fleshy, I'm just too fleshly, I'm just too human, my human
nature is just so domineering, I'm like everybody else. Well,
this man in the temple was not, didn't go home condemned because
he was not, because he was like other men. He went home condemned
because he wasn't like other men. That's what he said, listen,
in Luke chapter 18. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with him and said, God, I thank you I'm not, I'm not
as other men are. I'm not like other people. I'm
not an extortioner. I wouldn't dare do anything wrong.
I'm not unjust. I'm not an adulterer. I'm not
like this publican." And our Lord said he went home condemned.
But he didn't go home condemned. He went home condemned because
he wasn't like other men, not because he was. But the publican,
look down here at verse 13, "...and the publican standing afar off,
with not so much as lift his eyes to heaven, but smolder on
his breast and say, God, be merciful to me." I'm just like all the
rest of us. I'm a sinner. Isn't that something? The man who was turned away was
turned away because he wasn't like other men. He was different. He was self-righteous. He was
religious and boasted of it. That's staggering. Here's the
fourth statement. In fact, most people are reluctant
to admit the one thing which makes them eligible, which makes them an
object of God's redeeming grace and love and blood of Christ
Jesus, and that is their sinners. He was just so reluctant to admit
I'm a sinner. I hear people talk about, well,
back when I was a sinner, I did this, that, and the other. I
preached this morning on television on God. Are God's people still
sinners? They sure they are. Paul said
he was a Jew. But I read Romans chapter 5. Let's read Romans
chapter 5. In Romans 5, beginning with verse
6, I'm saying that people are reluctant to admit the one thing
that makes them an object of God's grace in Christ, and that
is, we're ungodly sinners. That sounds terrible, doesn't
it? But it's so. We're ungodly sinners, born that way. That's right, by nature that
way. By grace, children of God, by grace, changed, new creatures
in Christ. In verse 6, Romans 5, for when
we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. Scarcely for a righteous man
would one die, yet for a good man some would even dare to die.
commended his love for us in that while we were yet sinners.
Sinners. Not quicken sinners, awaken sinners,
interested sinners, seeking sinners, just plain old sinners. When
we were sinners, Christ died for us. And this is what I love
dealing with here now in chapter 15 of Luke, and I want us to
look at it together. Luke chapter 15. Then drew near unto him publicans
and sinners, folks just like folks. And the Pharisees and
the scribes, these religious scholars, they murmured, saying,
this man received sinners and eateth with them. And then he
spake this parable. This is, let me say, three parables.
I really believe that if you try to preach this, these parts,
as individual parables you mess up. Preach it like Christ preached
it. Three parts of one parable. Three
parts of one story. Spurgeon said this, these three
stories make up one parable. And they're like the three sides
of a giant pyramid. And the distinct inscription
on each side is this, the Eternal Father. the eternal Son and the eternal
Spirit. Here in this parable you have
the work of the Son, the work of the Spirit, and the work of
the Father, or the glad reception of the Father. We'll take the
first one this morning and the last two tonight. In verse 3,
verse 4, this is known as the lost sheep. But I want
you to look at this as I read it and tell me who is the leading
character in this part of the story. Pick out, when I read
these next verses, who to whom our Lord is referring. Who the
focus is upon, the spotlight is upon. The story is all about
somebody, some leading character. Now you listen and tell me who
it is. What man of you, having a hundred sheep If he lose one
of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and he goes
after that which is lost, and he does it till he finds it.
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing,
and he comes home. And he calls all his friends
and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, I have found
my feet. which was lost. This is about
the shepherd. This is about a wonderful, loving
shepherd. I read about a while ago, Jesus
Christ. He's the good shepherd. He is,
Paul said in Hebrews, the chief shepherd. He is the good shepherd
of the sheep. And the only thing you can say
about the sheep is he was lost. Everything here is about the
shepherd. That's the only thing you can say about this sheep
is he's lost. But here's what I say about the
shepherd. Number one, the sheep are his sheep. All hundred of
them. They're his sheep. He says here
in verse 3, What man of you hath him? Hath him? A hunted sheep. They're all his. They're his. In John chapter 10, Let's go
over that just a minute, John chapter 10, verse 24. John 10, verse 24. The Jews came
round about him and they said to him, How long dost thou make
us doubt? If you be the Christ, tell us
plainly. And Jesus answered and said, I told you, I told you,
and you didn't believe me. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because
you do not have my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give
them eternal life, and they'll never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. And my sheep, I love them, I
lay down my life for my sheep. Where do you get them? gave them
me. My Father gave them me." When
he prayed that prayer in John 17, six times he made this statement,
those that the Father gave me, those whom he has given me. My
Father gave them to me. And no man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand. Now he's seeking his lost sheep,
and let me tell you something about this search. The search
was personal. He came into this world. And
he sought the sheep. The search was costly. He gave
his life. The search was successful. What
does it say here in verse 4? Which man in you, having a hundred
sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave them, neither
in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost? How long
does he go till he finds it? That's what Mike was saying.
The shepherd went out to search for the sheep. He found him and
brought him home. That's where he finds him. The Church is persevering, the
Church is successful, and listen, he didn't tell the sheep to follow
him home. He says, when he found him, he laid him on his shoulders,
rejoicing, and came home. His grace finds us, his power
keeps us. Over here in 1 Peter 3, turn
over there a minute. It says here in 1 Peter 3 that
he brings us home, brings us to God. Let's look at it, 1 Peter
3, verse 18. For Christ hath once suffered
the sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. brings us to God. All right,
back to my text. I want to ask and answer some
questions here now concerning the sheep and his shepherd. He personally came, the search
was costly, he gave his life, he persevered till he found it,
he was successful, laid it on his shoulders and brought it
home. Now, let's ask some questions. In verse 4 it says, What man
of you having a hundred sheep? Who are the hundred sheep? It
says he has a hundred sheep. Well, I'll tell you who they
are. They're the whole number of God's elect, whether in heaven
or whether on earth. The whole number of God's elect.
Christ said, All the sheep I have which are not of this folk. Abraham
was a sheep. Moses was a sheep. David was
a sheep. All the prophets were sheep,
the disciples, all the way down to this day. So the hundred sheep
are all that the Father gave him. Turn to Ephesians 1, Ephesians
1, verse 10. He talks about here in verse
10 of Ephesians 1, that in the dispensation of the fulness He
might gather together in one all things in Christ, which are
in heaven, which are on earth." When our Lord came to this area,
there were many sheep already in heaven. Old Testament believers, all
of them were in heaven. There were sheep on this earth,
there were sheep yet to be born. So this hundred is a definite
number which represents an indefinite number. It's like in Revelation
chapter 7, let me just read it to you. It talks about, Our Lord,
I beheld a great multitude, which no man can number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne
and before the Lamb. They are his sheep. For when
he says a man has a hundred sheep, these are all the elect. All that my Father giveth me
shall come to me. and him that cometh to me out
of no wise cast out. I came down from heaven not to
do my will, but the will of him that sent me, and this is the
will of him that sent me, that of all that ye have given me
I lose nothing, but raise him up at the last day." So this
man who has a hundred sheep, that's Christ alone, all ages,
generations, nations. Second question, who's the one
sheep down the street? It says here, if you have a hundred
sheep, lose one of them, one of them. Who does this represent? All of us. What did Paul say? What did Isaiah say? Isaiah said,
all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way. Every sheep that goes in heaven now while they were
here on this earth, they were lost. They went astray. All the sons of Adam, in Adam
all die. By one man's disobedience we
are all made sinners. This signifies every one of his
sheep who by nature are children of wrath even as others. But
this signifies also the infinite love of the shepherd for each
one of them. And I'll tell you why he used
one sheep instead of saying a whole crowd of them went out there,
a whole ten of them were lost, fifteen of them were lost, twenty
of them were lost, forty of them were lost. He said one was lost.
One was lost. All of them had been lost, but
just one lost. And this signifies this. The
infinite, indescribable, unlimited, unchangeable love of the shepherd
for each one of them. Each one of them. If only one
had been lost, he'd had to come to Satan. If only one had gone astray,
he'd had to die for Satan. If only one had strayed from
the fold, he would have had to come down from heaven as a man,
do everything that he did to redeem that one lost sheep. And that's why he said, I got
a hundred, one of them is lost. And I'll tell you, he's going
to find that one and bring him home. That's right. Well, it says in verse 5, when
he found him, he laid him on his shoulders and jostled him. And when he came home, he called
together his friends and neighbors. Who were his friends and neighbors? Answer. It says when he comes
home to his house, two meaning things. The first one is this,
the church. That's the first place he brings
his sheep when he finds them. Brings them to the house of God.
Brings them to his friends. Turn to John 15. Who are his
friends? Who are his neighbors and friends?
John 15. Let's look at that. Verse 14. Had his disciples around
and said, you're my friends. You're my friends. If you do
whatsoever I command you, At this point I call you not servants,
for the servant knows not what his Lord doth, but I call you
friends. For all the things that I have heard of my Father I have
made known to you, my friends." And when the Lord, loving his
sheep, died for his sheep, sends his gospel, his Holy Spirit,
to find his sheep, turns him, brings him home, he brings him
to the place of worship where his friends are. place of praise
and the place of prayer, and the place where the sheep will
be taught, where they'll learn about Christ,
where the Holy Spirit will take the things of Christ and show
them the way of growing grace and the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
Turn to Acts 2. Is not this what happened at
Pentecost? Acts 2. The Lord saved those people at
Pentecost. Three thousand. Three thousand
sheep brought home. And with many words did he testify
and say, save yourselves from this untoward generation, this
crooked generation. Then they that gladly received
his word were baptized, and the same day there added to them
about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers, And
fear came upon every soul, many wonders and signs were done to
the apostles, and all who believed were together. And they had all
things common. He brings them home to my house. My house is called the house
of prayer. Brings them home. Among his friends, where he knows
his sheep will be cared for, where he knows his sheep will
be blessed and be taught. But there's another place. When he comes home, he calls
together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with
me, I have found my sheep which was lost. And I say unto you
that likewise there is joy in heaven. Joy shall be in heaven
over one sheep, one sinner that repented. Who dwells in heaven? Well, God dwells in heaven, the
angels dwell in heaven. You remember over there in Matthew
18, turn over there just a minute. In chapter 18 of Matthew, when
he talked about offending one of these little ones, he said
in verse 10 of Matthew 18, take heed, you despise not one of
these little sheep, these little I say unto you in woman that
angels do appear before the face of my Father which is in heaven.
It's joy. He'll give his angels charge
over thee. If this little one has an angel
in heaven who appears before the Father, it's joy in the presence
of the angels. Who else is up there? What, God?
The angels? And I'll tell you, a whole lot
of folks. whole lot of folks. In Hebrews
chapter 12, it tells us about these folks. In Hebrews chapter
12. In Hebrews 12 verse 22. But you, you are come under Mount
Zion, under the city of the living God. not just to this local church,
but to the City of the Living God, heavenly Jerusalem, to an
innumerable company of angels. Not only angels, but to the General
Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. How is the Lord's Church? From
Abel, from the first believer, and
to God the judge of the to the General Assembly and Church of
the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men over any lay person."
Which way you say it? I'm saying this. That the Lord Jesus Christ, before
this world began, was given to the Father as sheep. He was made
the shepherd. He was made the surety and shepherd
of the everlasting covenant. Moses was one of those sheep,
Abraham, Abel, Isaac, Jacob, David, name them, all the way
back then, thousands, millions, infants, children of God's children. Down through this age, there
is sheep. But he didn't come to this earth
until 2,000 years ago and those people died and they went to
glory. That's where Samuel was when Saul asked him to come back
to earth. He said, why have you disturbed
my rest and brought me back here? He was in glory. Moses was in
glory. Elijah, they came down. I preached
on this a few days ago. An enormous company of the souls
and spirits of just men, righteous men, just in themselves, knowing
Christ. They put it. When our Lord left
heaven 2,000 years ago and came to this earth, He left a host
of redeemed sheep around him up there. He came down here to
get the rest of us, and to die for them too. You see what I'm
saying? If you turn to Romans 3, it's
made so clear there. There's joy in heaven! Oh boy! There's joy in heaven! Think of it! When our Lord died
on that cross and redeemed his people, there was joy in heaven. Joy among the angels. God rejoiced. He was never satisfied with any
offering made here until his Son made that perfect offering.
God's satisfaction. He rejoices. Angels rejoice that
his will is accomplished, his glory is accomplished, his people
are redeemed. And bless your heart, Moses said,
glory. Abraham said, Glory. Every redeemed
person in glory said, Glory. Look at Romans 3, verse 25. God
set him forth, whom God set forth to be a perpetuation through
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are polished through the forbearance of God, through
the long-suffering of God. Whose sins are those? The folks
who sinned before Calvary. Sins of the past. Sinners of
the past. Sinners that lived on this earth
and died and went where? Went to glory. Just men made
perfect. When all their lives were left
here, he didn't go down, he went up. Isn't that right? Chariot
took him up. That's right. He didn't go down. He grew out
in a place called Hades. Compartment somewhere where they
kept him trapped. Went up. And when Christ came down, he
left him up there. He came down here to redeem him.
But in the mind of God he is already redeemed. In the heart
of God he is already redeemed. It's joy in heaven. And that
brings me to the next question. Who are the ninety and nine?
That's who they are. What man having a hundred sheep,
one's lost, does not leave? You'll be all right. You'll be all right. I'm leaving
here. I'm going down after that one, and that one, and that one,
and that one. He left the 99. They're all his. And he left them. He left glory.
These are the glorified believers, the company Christ left in glory
when he came down here to accomplish our redemption. That's the 99. The 100 are all
his. who is elect of all generations,
whose name is written in the book of life, for every sheep
I have which another has foal." He talks about here verse 7. Let's look at verse 7, here is
my last question. I say unto you that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than
over ninety-nine just persons. Need no repentance, they have
already repented. They are just men made perfect.
You read about them in Hebrews a minute ago, the spirit of just
men made perfect. They need no repentance, they
have already repented. They don't need to come to Christ,
they have already come. Moses embraced Christ, Abraham
embraced Christ. They are just. This is an interesting question.
How can one rejoice over one sinner that repents? More and
more of those people who are already in glory. Ninety-nine
that already attended, already been brought to Christ, already
saved. I can't even rejoice over one. Well, I'll give you an example.
You got four children. All of them, three of them are
well and healthy. One's lost in the woods. The three here at home sitting
around the fire, all fine, one's lost in the woods. The heart's
heavy, broken. You go out and seek him. And
you find him. And you bring him home. And boy, I tell you, he
gets the ice cream. They don't get it. He gets it.
He gets the cake. He gets the kitchen. He gets
to sleep with Mom and Daddy that night. The rest of them have
to sleep by themselves. You make over him. You rejoice over him.
You're so glad to see him. That's the reason. The joy in
heaven over one. Christ loved one. He died to
save one. But the same thing's true of
all. Yet, when God's pleased to bring him, he's special. He gets the ice cream. He gets
the cake. He gets the hug. That's right. More than the rest of them. More
than the rest of them. All right. One more thought and
I close. One more thing in conclusion. I read this while ago. He said,
I give them eternal life. When he finds his sheep, they're
found, they'll never ever again be lost. I give them eternal life. He
himself is the life. His righteousness is their righteousness. He gives them a foretaste of
eternal life, his own spirit. They shall never perish. They
were lost once and now they'll never be lost again. After conversion
they may stumble, they may stumble, but they'll never finally fall.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life, and I'll dwell in the house of my Lord forever. And no man
can pluck them out of my hands. They're put in my hand by my
Father. They were in my hands before they were in Adam's loins.
They're engraven on the palms of my hands. and they're at my
disposal because the Father loves his Son and has given all things
into his hand. That's the shepherd. Tonight
we're going to look at the Holy Spirit and the work of the Father. I pray God will bless it to your
heart. Let's sing number 268. Affirm
a foundation you say to the Lord and lay for your faith in his
excellent way.