Last time I spoke I focussed on a passage from Zephaniah 3 and we discussed how God is delighted in you.
Today I want to come back to a simple thought that God is crazily in love wth you. In fact, you're the focus of His attention.
Jesus describes the Kingdom of God in several ways. In Luke 15 He gives us, in response to the disapproval of the Pharisees, the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son.
Today I want to focus on the Parable of the Lost Coin.
Luke 15:8-10 (NKJV): "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? [9] And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' [10] Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Lost
Being lost is no fun! I can recall being separated from my mum in a huge department store. It's a horrible feeling.
Being lost is frustrating. The aim is to be found, but sometimes we can be powerless to find ourselves. It's strange the language we use to describe when we need time along, or our journey, we will talk about 'finding ourselves.' What happens when we make this self discovery if we do not like who we are when we find ourselves?
Lost also means there is no direction, no clear pathway, not clarity in the fog. I think Jesus uses the analogy of a lost coin, in the middle of two living things (sheep and the Prodigal Son) deliberately. A coin is an inanimate object; it is not a sentient and therefore does not know it is lost.
How many of us before we met Jesus did not realise that we were actually lost?
Paul describes this for us in 8 little words:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV) Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders [10] nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And that is what some of you were....
Once were, but something has changed! You are not the same anymore.
When you are found the status changes.
The Shepherd takes the lost sheep back into the fold.
The woman puts the coin safely back in the purse with the others.
The Father welcomes the prodigal son back into the family.
God places us in His safe keeping.
Psalm 68:6 (NIV) God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing...
Found!
Being found is brilliant! Being found changes everything. Being found is wonderful!
I guess we've all played hide and seek at some point in our lives? It's the anticipation of being found that makes the game so much fun.
After meeting Barbie we spent 10 months communicating through letters - no emails or Skype in those days - and the anticipation of meeting again grew by the day. Eventually the day came to get on my flight to fly overseas. When I arrived early she was no where to be seen. I waited and saw her come into the airport. So I hid behind an advertising pillar for fun. She looked around and eventually saw my canvas shoes - fluorescent green ones! She looked up and saw they belonged to me! The joy of being found was worth it!
My friends we should rejoice daily, every moment, that we are not lost any longer, but are found! We are not abandoned! We are not lost! We are found!
Being found means there's a fresh beginning.
If we were lost, what are we now?
1 Corinthinas 6:11 (NIV) continues: But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
What you were is not what are are now. Through repentance, accepting Jesus into your heart, you've become:
Clean - washed in Jesus' blood. You're no longer dirty!
Sanctified - in the general sense means something is reserved for the state of its designed purpose. When we are sanctified we become set aside for God's purposes that we were designed for! The word translated 'sanctified' is hagiasmos = holiness! When you were found you were made holy by the Holiness of God. This is not something you can do for yourself, it is the work of the Holy Spirit within you.
Justified - means declared not guilty. It is a legal term meaning acquittal. God's justice is satisfied by Jesus dying on the cross; you're not guilty anymore!
You are found!
Not found in self-help.
Not found in self-sufficiency.
Not found in your good looks or body image.
Not found even in your career.
Found by Jesus and identified by God as His by the seal of the Spirit and the blood of the Lamb ( 2 Cor. 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; Rev. 7:14).
Party!
I began by mentioning God's delight in you once more. All three parables in Luke 15 end with a party!
Luke 15:9-10: [9] And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' [10] Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
Have you ever wondered how long the celebration in heaven continues for over the one sinner that repents? I used to think it was just for a few minutes; a bit like feeding a fire with a log that needs another and another to be added to keep it going.
I don't think that any more. I think the rejoicing in heaven never stops over your salvation and mine. In our temporal timeframe we celebrate and move on but there is nothing that Father God is more passionate about.
Instead of heaven ebbing and flowing with praise to God as someone gets saved, could it be that heaven's rejoicing is increasing and increasing each time someone becomes a Christian?
Could it be that heaven's rejoicing is reaching a crescendo when Father will say, "Go get my children!" Could it be that heaven is reverberating with louder and louder melodies of salvation as each new harmony of music is added to the rejoicing over each sinner saved.
If heaven rejoices over one salvation, what a noise of praise to the Father must there be by now?
In the orchestration of all of that, is the song that the Father sings over you! (Zephaniah 3: 17).
Wrapping this up:
The joy of God's heart He shares with His children. Psalm 16:11 reminds us that in His presence there is fullness of joy!
As you enter His presence hear the rejoicing of heaven.
Hear the wonders of His love celebrated across the eons.
Hear His song over you!
Rejoice in your salvation (Luke 10:20)
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