Luke 15 -- How do you prepare for the Lord’s return?
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
This is a valid point. The Lord has made a very definite point of the need to hear his word and obey. How is it that the servants of the Lord who do not obey His word will be judged strictly and yet he is welcoming sinners and eating with them when they don’t pay any attention to God’s word?
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
The Lord is comparing them to a lost sheep. The 99 are doing what they are supposed to, that is good, but one gets lost it is the shepherd’s duty to find it. The Lord is doing what he is supposed to do. Remember, Jesus is setting a pattern for the 12, for the 70 others and for the 500 witnesses. As a disciple we need to listen and obey. However, if you are put in the position of a shepherd then you have greater responsibility to seek out a lost sheep. Not everyone should do this, you would not send a lamb out to look for a lost sheep, but this is why we have shepherds.
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
Why include this? Have you ever noticed that many testimonies and many meetings concerning evangelism focus on this experience of finding a lost sheep and bringing them home? Maybe the saints who were born into Christian homes and who were never “lost” may mutter a little. Why are the meetings always about former drug addicts and gang members? The Lord is explaining why.
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
What is going on in this age? The Lord is seeking the lost sheep, He is getting his flock of sheep together. We are not sitting in judgement over lost sheep, instead we are rejoicing with each one that repents and returns to the flock. Five years ago people may have felt they didn’t need the church, now they see how powerless and puny they are without the church. We are seeing people repent and return as the church is the only counterweight to the Satanic system. Over and over again I am continually bothered by the Lord’s charge to “watch” and to “prepare”. He says we don’t know the day or the hour so therefore we need to watch, we need to prepare. What does He mean? When you find these lost sheep you are preparing. We need every member for this battle. If you watch football you know the name David Tyree. He was a lost sheep, the coach rescued him, and when they needed it most it was David Tyree who delivered. He won't be in the hall of fame, and yet anyone who truly appreciates football will never forget him.
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Right now we are praying for the Lord to shine His light. Yes, it will expose corruption but it will also enlighten the lost coin, that one who is in a position to take a stand for the Lord. If an elected official or election official or judge repents we will all rejoice. This is what it means to prepare, we need that coin, the storm is about to hit, so right now while there is still a chance find it.
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
I am reminded of Hunter Biden. Can you imagine if he comes to his senses? Suppose he takes a sober look at his life, the way his dad and the rest of the family used and abused him. Suppose he repents, confesses his sins, and turns to the Lord! It would be stunning, millions would be rejoicing. This is the difference between keeping in power through the fear of death and having a kingdom built on righteousness where we all stand on the blood of Jesus Christ. These ones that we are seeking they are not just “sheep” in the Lord’s flock, they are not just “coins” with a like precious faith, they are sons. What we need in order to watch are “sons” of God. What we need to be doing to prepare for the coming storm are sons of God. Sons who have repented of their sins, confessed, and rededicated themselves to the Lord. If you are a shepherd, or a woman over a household or a father, you will be held accountable for how you took care of that which was entrusted to you. Maybe Hunter Biden won't repent, but what about Donald Trump? Perhaps he has made a serious repentance to the Lord and will be used by God like David Tyree.
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
This is a valid point. The Lord has made a very definite point of the need to hear his word and obey. How is it that the servants of the Lord who do not obey His word will be judged strictly and yet he is welcoming sinners and eating with them when they don’t pay any attention to God’s word?
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
The Lord is comparing them to a lost sheep. The 99 are doing what they are supposed to, that is good, but one gets lost it is the shepherd’s duty to find it. The Lord is doing what he is supposed to do. Remember, Jesus is setting a pattern for the 12, for the 70 others and for the 500 witnesses. As a disciple we need to listen and obey. However, if you are put in the position of a shepherd then you have greater responsibility to seek out a lost sheep. Not everyone should do this, you would not send a lamb out to look for a lost sheep, but this is why we have shepherds.
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
Why include this? Have you ever noticed that many testimonies and many meetings concerning evangelism focus on this experience of finding a lost sheep and bringing them home? Maybe the saints who were born into Christian homes and who were never “lost” may mutter a little. Why are the meetings always about former drug addicts and gang members? The Lord is explaining why.
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
What is going on in this age? The Lord is seeking the lost sheep, He is getting his flock of sheep together. We are not sitting in judgement over lost sheep, instead we are rejoicing with each one that repents and returns to the flock. Five years ago people may have felt they didn’t need the church, now they see how powerless and puny they are without the church. We are seeing people repent and return as the church is the only counterweight to the Satanic system. Over and over again I am continually bothered by the Lord’s charge to “watch” and to “prepare”. He says we don’t know the day or the hour so therefore we need to watch, we need to prepare. What does He mean? When you find these lost sheep you are preparing. We need every member for this battle. If you watch football you know the name David Tyree. He was a lost sheep, the coach rescued him, and when they needed it most it was David Tyree who delivered. He won't be in the hall of fame, and yet anyone who truly appreciates football will never forget him.
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Right now we are praying for the Lord to shine His light. Yes, it will expose corruption but it will also enlighten the lost coin, that one who is in a position to take a stand for the Lord. If an elected official or election official or judge repents we will all rejoice. This is what it means to prepare, we need that coin, the storm is about to hit, so right now while there is still a chance find it.
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
I am reminded of Hunter Biden. Can you imagine if he comes to his senses? Suppose he takes a sober look at his life, the way his dad and the rest of the family used and abused him. Suppose he repents, confesses his sins, and turns to the Lord! It would be stunning, millions would be rejoicing. This is the difference between keeping in power through the fear of death and having a kingdom built on righteousness where we all stand on the blood of Jesus Christ. These ones that we are seeking they are not just “sheep” in the Lord’s flock, they are not just “coins” with a like precious faith, they are sons. What we need in order to watch are “sons” of God. What we need to be doing to prepare for the coming storm are sons of God. Sons who have repented of their sins, confessed, and rededicated themselves to the Lord. If you are a shepherd, or a woman over a household or a father, you will be held accountable for how you took care of that which was entrusted to you. Maybe Hunter Biden won't repent, but what about Donald Trump? Perhaps he has made a serious repentance to the Lord and will be used by God like David Tyree.