WEBVTT 0 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:07.910 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons podcast. This is 1 00:00:07.942 --> 00:00:10.550 where you can find audio from Sunday morning, messages and 2 00:00:10.582 --> 00:00:13.414 more. Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss 3 00:00:13.454 --> 00:00:15.914 future episodes. And thanks for listening. 4 00:00:21.214 --> 00:00:24.206 Well, good morning. If you've got 5 00:00:24.230 --> 00:00:27.206 your bibles, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join us in Luke, 6 00:00:27.310 --> 00:00:30.022 chapter 15. That's where we're going to be this morning. A couple 7 00:00:30.078 --> 00:00:32.916 things we just want to emphasize, parents, for our 8 00:00:32.940 --> 00:00:35.620 kids camp. Early bird registration does end 9 00:00:35.652 --> 00:00:38.060 today, and so please make sure you go and get your 10 00:00:38.092 --> 00:00:40.946 kids, registered for that. But then also, we got our 11 00:00:40.970 --> 00:00:43.706 new set of studies that are starting next week. M heard 12 00:00:43.770 --> 00:00:46.394 wonderful things. Ah, Robert Stevens was able to 13 00:00:46.434 --> 00:00:49.402 share his testimony and share with everybody this 14 00:00:49.418 --> 00:00:52.354 morning our discipleship hour and had multiple people 15 00:00:52.394 --> 00:00:55.330 coming up to me and tell me what a blessing that was. So thank you, 16 00:00:55.362 --> 00:00:58.328 Robert, for being willing to share. But, next week, we're back 17 00:00:58.376 --> 00:01:01.312 into our studies that we offer as a church. We got 18 00:01:01.328 --> 00:01:03.882 some descriptions on those in the cards around. 19 00:01:04.048 --> 00:01:06.718 Would love to have you join us during our discipleship 20 00:01:06.766 --> 00:01:09.470 hour at 09:00 and be a part of that. 21 00:01:09.582 --> 00:01:12.478 Well, it is summertime. It's a little weird, 22 00:01:12.526 --> 00:01:15.150 right? Cause usually I think we're used to schools letting 23 00:01:15.182 --> 00:01:18.016 out, at least here in South Carolina, in the Lexington 24 00:01:18.080 --> 00:01:20.872 area in June, and now everybody's 25 00:01:20.928 --> 00:01:23.672 out in May. And so our summer season is 26 00:01:23.728 --> 00:01:26.664 starting. And with that, I think somebody told me it's hitting 27 00:01:26.744 --> 00:01:29.624 like 92 tons of humidity. So we're gonna 28 00:01:29.664 --> 00:01:32.520 feel the summertime starting today. All right? And 29 00:01:32.552 --> 00:01:35.394 with that, we are starting our new summer series. 30 00:01:35.584 --> 00:01:38.486 We're pausing on our genesis study that we've been 31 00:01:38.510 --> 00:01:41.478 doing for a while, and we're going to start a new one called 32 00:01:41.526 --> 00:01:44.262 the Jesus stories, and we'll explain why we're doing that. 33 00:01:44.278 --> 00:01:47.238 We're doing a little different format as we have 34 00:01:47.366 --> 00:01:50.022 most of our elementary kids in here with us 35 00:01:50.038 --> 00:01:52.950 today. So I want to welcome our 3rd, fourth, and fifth graders. 36 00:01:52.982 --> 00:01:55.854 Right. There's a high standard that I'm holding to 37 00:01:55.894 --> 00:01:58.790 because I know the level of teachers that you guys have, 38 00:01:58.862 --> 00:02:01.782 and I feel a little pressured this morning. I want to be honest with you 39 00:02:01.798 --> 00:02:04.790 as we, as we walk through this, but excited to 40 00:02:04.822 --> 00:02:07.812 have you join us for the entirety of worship 41 00:02:07.868 --> 00:02:10.684 over the course of the summer. And it was wonderful 42 00:02:10.724 --> 00:02:13.596 having our kindergarten, first and second graders with us 43 00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:16.564 through worship and excited to see what they're going to be doing with our 44 00:02:16.604 --> 00:02:19.196 students and with our youth workers as they 45 00:02:19.260 --> 00:02:22.260 invest in them over the course of 46 00:02:22.412 --> 00:02:25.332 this summer. Ah. But as we look at 47 00:02:25.348 --> 00:02:28.348 this. We're going to do something a little bit different. We're 48 00:02:28.396 --> 00:02:31.030 walking through during this summer series, the 49 00:02:31.062 --> 00:02:33.960 parables, and we're calling them, the Jesus 50 00:02:34.112 --> 00:02:36.976 stories because they are on a simple layer of the 51 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.922 stories that Jesus told. Now, going back, I was thinking 52 00:02:39.938 --> 00:02:42.906 about this this morning. I remember as 53 00:02:42.930 --> 00:02:45.874 a family, there was a day that 54 00:02:45.914 --> 00:02:47.934 my dad purchased something, 55 00:02:48.674 --> 00:02:50.890 and I thought, wow, we're 56 00:02:50.922 --> 00:02:53.874 fancy. My 57 00:02:53.914 --> 00:02:56.614 dad bought. I'm, Depending on the age demographic you're 58 00:02:56.654 --> 00:02:59.446 in, I'm either old 59 00:02:59.510 --> 00:03:02.302 enough to remember or young enough 60 00:03:02.358 --> 00:03:05.154 to remember, either how you want to look at it? 61 00:03:06.314 --> 00:03:09.266 I remember when my family got a 62 00:03:09.290 --> 00:03:12.170 color tv. It was 63 00:03:12.202 --> 00:03:14.494 the second heaviest thing in our house. 64 00:03:15.634 --> 00:03:18.250 We had a piano, and then we 65 00:03:18.282 --> 00:03:20.214 had our color tv. 66 00:03:20.954 --> 00:03:23.850 Our color tv. It had all of the 67 00:03:23.882 --> 00:03:26.134 electronics that a tv needed, 68 00:03:26.634 --> 00:03:29.534 set in 500 pounds of wood, 69 00:03:30.894 --> 00:03:33.878 that was not mounted on a wall, that 70 00:03:33.926 --> 00:03:36.334 wasn't even sitting in a home entertainment 71 00:03:36.374 --> 00:03:39.350 center, but set on a 72 00:03:39.382 --> 00:03:42.358 mounted stand on our living room 73 00:03:42.406 --> 00:03:44.774 floor. And it could 74 00:03:44.854 --> 00:03:47.774 turn so that wherever your dad was 75 00:03:47.814 --> 00:03:50.634 sitting, he could see the tv, 76 00:03:51.254 --> 00:03:52.634 and you could not. 77 00:03:54.214 --> 00:03:56.434 It did not come with a remote control. 78 00:03:57.194 --> 00:03:59.850 So my name turned into remote 79 00:03:59.882 --> 00:04:02.546 control, and I would run up to the 80 00:04:02.570 --> 00:04:05.450 box. Right? Y'all are tracking with me now. Some of you generationally, this 81 00:04:05.482 --> 00:04:08.306 hits, and it had that box on top of 82 00:04:08.330 --> 00:04:11.058 it, and it started at channel two. 83 00:04:11.186 --> 00:04:13.994 Why there was no channel one, I don't know. And 84 00:04:14.034 --> 00:04:16.874 click. And my dad would watch. I don't want to watch 85 00:04:16.914 --> 00:04:19.906 that click. I don't want to watch that click. And 86 00:04:19.930 --> 00:04:22.894 that's how we would go through. And I remember that tv, 87 00:04:23.334 --> 00:04:26.206 and I remember that day when I 88 00:04:26.230 --> 00:04:29.154 was in high school that that tv died, 89 00:04:30.254 --> 00:04:33.182 and it was like having to get a government permit to throw it 90 00:04:33.198 --> 00:04:35.624 away anyway, right? not really sure what was in all 91 00:04:35.648 --> 00:04:38.592 that. I tell you that story because that 92 00:04:38.632 --> 00:04:41.144 tv is surrounded by some of my most fond 93 00:04:41.208 --> 00:04:43.812 memories that we had together growing up as a family. 94 00:04:44.312 --> 00:04:46.732 My dad was very busy. He worked very hard. 95 00:04:47.152 --> 00:04:49.874 I was very busy with activities that I had. 96 00:04:50.048 --> 00:04:52.774 My mom was a schoolteacher, and oftentimes had to 97 00:04:52.798 --> 00:04:55.774 stay very late after school. But 98 00:04:55.798 --> 00:04:58.726 on nights when we'd get together at our house on Fox Hill Drive 99 00:04:58.774 --> 00:05:01.764 in north Augusta, and we'd have the opportunity to sit down together as 100 00:05:01.788 --> 00:05:04.272 a family to have a meal, 101 00:05:04.732 --> 00:05:06.792 my dad wanted to watch tv, 102 00:05:07.652 --> 00:05:10.652 and so the tv, the living room, and where we ate 103 00:05:10.732 --> 00:05:13.188 were in the same room, and we would turn that tv on at 104 00:05:13.220 --> 00:05:16.172 530 and on TBS 105 00:05:17.312 --> 00:05:20.240 at 530. Every day, there was a 106 00:05:20.256 --> 00:05:23.052 tv show that came on this little 107 00:05:23.512 --> 00:05:26.232 q and a. Now, all right. I want to see if you can get this 108 00:05:26.272 --> 00:05:29.096 right. What tv show do you think came on 109 00:05:29.184 --> 00:05:31.942 at, TBS, at 530? That my entire family watched 110 00:05:32.762 --> 00:05:35.370 the Andy Griffith show. Right. 111 00:05:35.506 --> 00:05:38.210 We'd watch Andy Griffith show, and my 112 00:05:38.266 --> 00:05:41.098 memories of going back and remembering 113 00:05:41.250 --> 00:05:44.108 the episodes of Andy Griffith. And still to 114 00:05:44.140 --> 00:05:46.988 this day, I love to watch the Andy 115 00:05:47.020 --> 00:05:49.828 Griffith show, but we would sit down at the table together. 116 00:05:49.940 --> 00:05:52.932 We would watch the tv show together. And I think 117 00:05:52.972 --> 00:05:55.748 back in the fondness of those memories of 118 00:05:55.780 --> 00:05:58.452 being gathered around at the table now 119 00:05:58.572 --> 00:06:01.524 in full transparency with how I was as a kid. I know that I've 120 00:06:01.548 --> 00:06:04.492 told you guys this before, but, our table was round, 121 00:06:05.592 --> 00:06:07.372 and so one chair, 122 00:06:08.658 --> 00:06:11.140 the back of it, faced the living 123 00:06:11.196 --> 00:06:14.112 room. And that's typically where my mom sat. 124 00:06:14.572 --> 00:06:17.324 I say that's typically in an ideal 125 00:06:17.388 --> 00:06:20.268 world, that's where my mom sat, unless 126 00:06:20.340 --> 00:06:22.876 I was grounded, which was quite 127 00:06:22.924 --> 00:06:25.380 often. And then I would 128 00:06:25.436 --> 00:06:27.872 sit with my back to the tv 129 00:06:28.452 --> 00:06:30.932 so that I would be reminded that, guess 130 00:06:30.972 --> 00:06:33.876 what? I couldn't watch tv, right? And 131 00:06:33.884 --> 00:06:36.836 so that's where we would find ourselves. But I remember this tv 132 00:06:36.884 --> 00:06:39.842 show. I remember it was wholesome, it was funny. 133 00:06:40.542 --> 00:06:43.454 It crossed, at least during that time, and I still think 134 00:06:43.478 --> 00:06:46.382 today, because my kids love this show generationally, it 135 00:06:46.422 --> 00:06:49.278 crossed age groups. And what was 136 00:06:49.310 --> 00:06:52.242 great, kind of looking back on this now as a dad, 137 00:06:52.742 --> 00:06:55.670 on every single episode, there 138 00:06:55.686 --> 00:06:58.606 was a very simple, powerful 139 00:06:58.774 --> 00:07:01.774 lesson to be learned. Over the 140 00:07:01.798 --> 00:07:03.842 course of the summer, we're going to look at these 141 00:07:04.282 --> 00:07:07.258 stories. The Bible calls them parables, what we refer 142 00:07:07.290 --> 00:07:10.290 to them as, and we're gonna think that these are 143 00:07:10.306 --> 00:07:12.746 just simple, easy 144 00:07:12.914 --> 00:07:15.818 lessons to learn. And if we 145 00:07:15.850 --> 00:07:18.794 do that, there's a bit of truth to this, of what 146 00:07:18.818 --> 00:07:21.394 God does in his teachings, 147 00:07:21.498 --> 00:07:24.418 where he breaks this down so that the 148 00:07:24.450 --> 00:07:27.434 people around him could understand the setting and 149 00:07:27.458 --> 00:07:30.414 the story that he tells. But they're 150 00:07:30.478 --> 00:07:32.990 powerful, powerful 151 00:07:33.166 --> 00:07:35.642 implications of the gospel. 152 00:07:36.262 --> 00:07:38.678 Parable literally means to be cast 153 00:07:38.750 --> 00:07:41.582 alongside. And so Jesus, 154 00:07:41.622 --> 00:07:44.382 as he navigates throughout his life, would 155 00:07:44.422 --> 00:07:47.254 find himself in situations where he 156 00:07:47.278 --> 00:07:50.246 needed to communicate the truth of the gospel. 157 00:07:50.414 --> 00:07:53.166 And what he would do was literally cast 158 00:07:53.254 --> 00:07:56.110 alongside one of these, 159 00:07:56.148 --> 00:07:59.048 stories to tell that would help 160 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:01.994 illustrate the truth that he was trying to teach. 161 00:08:02.178 --> 00:08:04.938 It's about 35 parables found in the 162 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:07.682 gospel. And for a season 163 00:08:07.842 --> 00:08:10.554 in life in the ministry of Jesus, 164 00:08:10.738 --> 00:08:13.450 this was largely the way that Jesus 165 00:08:13.506 --> 00:08:14.222 taught. 166 00:08:16.602 --> 00:08:18.978 The theme of the 167 00:08:19.010 --> 00:08:21.826 parables was always carried 168 00:08:21.874 --> 00:08:24.302 with it, gospel implication, 169 00:08:24.842 --> 00:08:27.462 or as I've heard them describe before, 170 00:08:28.002 --> 00:08:30.552 and maybe you have as well. They were 171 00:08:30.592 --> 00:08:33.172 earthly stories with heavenly meanings. 172 00:08:34.312 --> 00:08:37.200 Jesus wanted them to see and 173 00:08:37.216 --> 00:08:40.152 to understand, and for so many people, like we said, these 174 00:08:40.192 --> 00:08:42.992 were simple, but they weren't simple at all. And, in 175 00:08:42.992 --> 00:08:45.736 fact, oftentimes there would be some 176 00:08:45.784 --> 00:08:48.552 confusion about what in the world is 177 00:08:48.592 --> 00:08:51.520 Jesus actually saying? And 178 00:08:51.536 --> 00:08:54.144 he'd pull his disciples, he'd pull those closest with him 179 00:08:54.168 --> 00:08:57.072 to the side, and he'd explain to them 180 00:08:57.152 --> 00:08:59.782 the meanings of these parables. 181 00:09:00.242 --> 00:09:03.170 So, as we have our third through fifth graders in here, we got our 182 00:09:03.186 --> 00:09:06.050 youth in here. We got our adults in here. We're all in here this summer. This is going to 183 00:09:06.066 --> 00:09:08.858 be our journey that we go on, our kindergarten through 184 00:09:08.890 --> 00:09:11.818 second graders. By the way, they're going to be studying the exact same parable 185 00:09:11.930 --> 00:09:14.858 every single morning. And what I want us to wrap our 186 00:09:14.890 --> 00:09:17.382 minds around is the power of the truth of the gospel 187 00:09:17.722 --> 00:09:20.282 and in the revelation, as the Holy Spirit speaks to 188 00:09:20.322 --> 00:09:23.250 us, so that we can grow in knowledge 189 00:09:23.386 --> 00:09:25.742 and love and application 190 00:09:26.192 --> 00:09:27.704 of the gospel in our lives. 191 00:09:27.768 --> 00:09:30.552 All right, so let's read. We're going to the first one, the parable of the lost 192 00:09:30.592 --> 00:09:33.432 sheep, Luke 15, verses one through 193 00:09:33.472 --> 00:09:35.848 seven. It says, now the tax 194 00:09:35.920 --> 00:09:38.768 collectors and sinners were all drawing 195 00:09:38.800 --> 00:09:41.712 near to him, and the pharisees and 196 00:09:41.752 --> 00:09:44.464 scribes grumbled, saying, this man 197 00:09:44.528 --> 00:09:47.488 receives sinners and eats with them. 198 00:09:47.680 --> 00:09:50.520 So he told them this parable, what 199 00:09:50.576 --> 00:09:53.568 man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost 200 00:09:53.640 --> 00:09:56.536 one of them, does not leave the 99 in 201 00:09:56.544 --> 00:09:59.342 the open country. Go after the one that is 202 00:09:59.382 --> 00:10:02.230 lost until he finds it. And when he 203 00:10:02.246 --> 00:10:04.758 has found it, he lays it on his 204 00:10:04.790 --> 00:10:07.590 shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes 205 00:10:07.646 --> 00:10:10.166 home, he calls together his friends and his 206 00:10:10.214 --> 00:10:13.022 neighbors, saying to them, rejoice with 207 00:10:13.062 --> 00:10:15.430 me, for I have found my sheep that was 208 00:10:15.486 --> 00:10:18.350 lost. Just so I tell 209 00:10:18.406 --> 00:10:21.278 you, there will be m more joy 210 00:10:21.350 --> 00:10:23.798 in heaven over one 211 00:10:23.870 --> 00:10:26.494 sinner who repents than over 212 00:10:26.558 --> 00:10:29.216 99 righteous persons 213 00:10:29.344 --> 00:10:31.772 who need no repentance. 214 00:10:32.312 --> 00:10:35.088 It's a very interesting parable that we 215 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.848 see. There's some context 216 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:40.600 that's important for us to know, which 217 00:10:40.656 --> 00:10:43.264 sparks Jesus to tell this 218 00:10:43.328 --> 00:10:45.012 story of 219 00:10:46.152 --> 00:10:49.016 this gathering, this flock of sheep, 220 00:10:49.184 --> 00:10:50.568 and the one that wanders. 221 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:53.332 So let's look at the people who are here 222 00:10:53.852 --> 00:10:56.604 in this mix of people that we 223 00:10:56.628 --> 00:10:59.232 find in Luke chapter 15. 224 00:10:59.408 --> 00:11:00.322 are this 225 00:11:02.542 --> 00:11:05.246 very gathering of 226 00:11:05.334 --> 00:11:08.270 different groups of people that would have 227 00:11:08.326 --> 00:11:10.842 created during the time of Christ 228 00:11:11.302 --> 00:11:13.926 a, very religious, complex 229 00:11:14.054 --> 00:11:16.526 dynamic and a complex 230 00:11:16.694 --> 00:11:19.162 social dynamic as well. 231 00:11:19.462 --> 00:11:22.270 The Bible tells us that gathered there were 232 00:11:22.366 --> 00:11:25.326 tax collectors. All right, tax collectors. 233 00:11:25.374 --> 00:11:28.110 These are not just people who go to work for the IR's. 234 00:11:28.206 --> 00:11:30.750 The tax collectors were jewish men 235 00:11:30.926 --> 00:11:33.310 hired by the roman government to collect 236 00:11:33.366 --> 00:11:36.262 taxes. And you think, well, that's normal. That's what governments 237 00:11:36.302 --> 00:11:38.358 have to do. But remember, Rome is the 238 00:11:38.390 --> 00:11:41.014 oppressor. And so these 239 00:11:41.078 --> 00:11:43.366 jewish men were betraying their 240 00:11:43.414 --> 00:11:46.218 countrymen in order to partner 241 00:11:46.250 --> 00:11:48.618 and make a living this way. It was 242 00:11:48.650 --> 00:11:50.906 considered dishonest, it was considered 243 00:11:50.994 --> 00:11:53.458 shady, it was considered being a 244 00:11:53.490 --> 00:11:55.898 traitor. And what these tax 245 00:11:55.970 --> 00:11:58.746 collectors would do is they had the percentage 246 00:11:58.834 --> 00:12:01.738 that they would have to collect for Rome. And then they had 247 00:12:01.850 --> 00:12:04.450 what they would determine to be in 248 00:12:04.506 --> 00:12:07.274 themselves, a percentage that they would 249 00:12:07.298 --> 00:12:10.258 collect for themselves. So this is for 250 00:12:10.290 --> 00:12:13.288 Rome. This is for me. And as they 251 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:16.264 collected that number, there was 252 00:12:16.328 --> 00:12:19.128 equal legal ramifications if you did 253 00:12:19.160 --> 00:12:22.080 not pay that number. So tax collectors 254 00:12:22.136 --> 00:12:24.648 were responsible for all sorts of 255 00:12:24.680 --> 00:12:27.320 punishments that would happen to the jewish people 256 00:12:27.416 --> 00:12:30.344 of that time who would not pay their taxes, 257 00:12:30.408 --> 00:12:33.372 as were determined. Oh, and by the way, 258 00:12:34.352 --> 00:12:37.288 if you ever ask yourself, how did Rome, how did 259 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:40.272 this empire, which in and of itself seems to 260 00:12:40.312 --> 00:12:43.208 be very small as far as a group of 261 00:12:43.280 --> 00:12:45.774 people who begin to spread out and 262 00:12:45.878 --> 00:12:48.558 conquer much of the known world during that 263 00:12:48.590 --> 00:12:51.494 time, how were they able to do this? Well, they 264 00:12:51.518 --> 00:12:53.918 were able to do this through the taxes they 265 00:12:53.950 --> 00:12:56.790 collected. So what would happen 266 00:12:56.846 --> 00:12:59.598 is imagine being oppressed, feeling almost 267 00:12:59.670 --> 00:13:02.670 imprisoned in your home, and you have to pay 268 00:13:02.766 --> 00:13:05.326 a tax for this. And the tax that you are 269 00:13:05.374 --> 00:13:08.174 paying is going to the tax collector who collects 270 00:13:08.198 --> 00:13:10.702 it, and it's going to the army who oppresses 271 00:13:10.742 --> 00:13:13.558 you. So tax 272 00:13:13.630 --> 00:13:16.190 collectors, in and of not great reputations, 273 00:13:16.326 --> 00:13:18.542 considered traders in many 274 00:13:18.622 --> 00:13:21.446 instances, those who would be 275 00:13:21.534 --> 00:13:23.974 excluded from the normal, 276 00:13:24.078 --> 00:13:26.652 functioning, respected people of 277 00:13:26.692 --> 00:13:29.604 society. And then the Bible says that there 278 00:13:29.628 --> 00:13:32.236 were tax collectors and sinners that had 279 00:13:32.284 --> 00:13:35.004 gathered near to Jesus. So what do they 280 00:13:35.028 --> 00:13:37.724 mean with sinners? Well, if you've been around 281 00:13:37.748 --> 00:13:40.124 church, here's what you know, man. We're all sinners saved by 282 00:13:40.148 --> 00:13:43.112 grace. We're all sinners saved by grace. 283 00:13:43.232 --> 00:13:46.090 I'm, a sinner, you're a sinner, everybody's a sinner. And it's the 284 00:13:46.106 --> 00:13:48.702 grace of God that saves us from our sin. 285 00:13:49.402 --> 00:13:51.946 Oftentimes, though, when we see 286 00:13:52.114 --> 00:13:55.082 sinners like this context listed 287 00:13:55.202 --> 00:13:57.502 in the scripture that we see here in the gospel, 288 00:13:58.042 --> 00:14:00.978 what they're trying to imply in 289 00:14:01.010 --> 00:14:03.690 this moment is that these are a group 290 00:14:03.746 --> 00:14:06.498 of people who don't just simply 291 00:14:06.570 --> 00:14:09.516 commit sins, okay? But they are 292 00:14:09.564 --> 00:14:12.444 people who choose sinful 293 00:14:12.508 --> 00:14:15.204 lifestyles and who are known for that 294 00:14:15.228 --> 00:14:17.996 sinful lifestyle. So their sin 295 00:14:18.084 --> 00:14:20.948 has become to use them or been 296 00:14:20.980 --> 00:14:23.508 used for them, to define them and to 297 00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:26.244 describe them. This isn't your 298 00:14:26.308 --> 00:14:28.900 everyday. I just need to get a few things figured 299 00:14:28.956 --> 00:14:31.472 out, buttoned up. people that the Bible has 300 00:14:31.512 --> 00:14:34.064 said has drawn near or 301 00:14:34.168 --> 00:14:36.112 gathered around 302 00:14:36.412 --> 00:14:39.316 Jesus. But we do find that this is 303 00:14:39.324 --> 00:14:42.260 a typical reaction from these people. That 304 00:14:42.276 --> 00:14:45.044 there is something about Christ, there's 305 00:14:45.068 --> 00:14:47.980 something about his message. There's something 306 00:14:48.036 --> 00:14:50.592 about him that would 307 00:14:50.932 --> 00:14:53.932 cause offense to some. But 308 00:14:53.972 --> 00:14:56.756 would cause others, in their 309 00:14:56.804 --> 00:14:59.348 brokenness, to draw near 310 00:14:59.380 --> 00:15:01.672 him. Then there is another 311 00:15:02.022 --> 00:15:04.814 dynamic of the group that was there. The Bible says that there 312 00:15:04.838 --> 00:15:07.494 were scribes and Pharisees that were 313 00:15:07.518 --> 00:15:09.934 there. Two very similar 314 00:15:10.118 --> 00:15:12.958 groups of people, but very different, 315 00:15:13.030 --> 00:15:16.014 in essence, in some things that they did. The scribes found 316 00:15:16.038 --> 00:15:18.990 in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. And the 317 00:15:19.006 --> 00:15:21.734 description of them would be that they 318 00:15:21.758 --> 00:15:23.882 were educated men. 319 00:15:24.422 --> 00:15:26.646 Who would study scripture, 320 00:15:26.774 --> 00:15:29.256 transcribe scripture. And 321 00:15:29.304 --> 00:15:31.864 oftentimes write commentaries on 322 00:15:31.928 --> 00:15:34.864 scripture. So that people would understand what 323 00:15:34.888 --> 00:15:37.680 the scripture was talking about. In essence, their job 324 00:15:37.736 --> 00:15:40.456 was to know and preserve God's word. 325 00:15:40.544 --> 00:15:43.488 And encourage others to use it. Right. Like, 326 00:15:43.520 --> 00:15:46.384 sounds like a good group of people to have around. You can say 327 00:15:46.408 --> 00:15:48.976 like they were the academic theologians 328 00:15:49.104 --> 00:15:51.752 of the day in the time of Christ. 329 00:15:51.872 --> 00:15:54.732 But however, many of them would have 330 00:15:54.772 --> 00:15:57.580 aligned themselves. With these religious 331 00:15:57.676 --> 00:16:00.660 rulers, the Pharisees of the day, who had 332 00:16:00.716 --> 00:16:03.374 moved from preserving, the 333 00:16:03.438 --> 00:16:06.222 authenticity of God's word. And what God had 334 00:16:06.262 --> 00:16:08.894 communicated. And instead began to build 335 00:16:08.958 --> 00:16:11.894 in man made expectations. For 336 00:16:11.918 --> 00:16:14.890 those who, would follow God. So they were taking what they were 337 00:16:14.946 --> 00:16:17.682 educated in. And then manipulating that 338 00:16:17.762 --> 00:16:20.742 for an uneducated crowd that did not know, that 339 00:16:20.782 --> 00:16:23.454 did not understand. So that they could gain for themselves 340 00:16:23.558 --> 00:16:26.158 some type of personal piety that they were striving 341 00:16:26.230 --> 00:16:29.042 for. And this is what we found with the scribes. 342 00:16:29.662 --> 00:16:31.602 And then we find the Pharisees. 343 00:16:31.982 --> 00:16:34.578 Right. these influential 344 00:16:34.878 --> 00:16:37.294 jewish leaders within the time of 345 00:16:37.326 --> 00:16:40.118 Christ. Mostly came from a middle 346 00:16:40.158 --> 00:16:42.286 class businessman. And leaders in the 347 00:16:42.302 --> 00:16:45.254 synagogue. And in their love. 348 00:16:45.366 --> 00:16:47.938 But misunderstanding of the law, 349 00:16:48.448 --> 00:16:51.160 they added to it. And they are known 350 00:16:51.224 --> 00:16:54.024 throughout scripture as hypocritical, as, 351 00:16:53.986 --> 00:16:56.794 self righteous. And the proud opponents 352 00:16:56.826 --> 00:16:59.642 of Christ. They will be at the 353 00:16:59.690 --> 00:17:02.370 center of most of the conflict. That we 354 00:17:02.394 --> 00:17:05.194 find with the teachings of Christ. And 355 00:17:05.226 --> 00:17:07.658 placed within this group is 356 00:17:07.698 --> 00:17:10.106 Jesus. Not a tax 357 00:17:10.162 --> 00:17:11.078 collector, 358 00:17:12.858 --> 00:17:15.420 not a sinner, not a 359 00:17:15.444 --> 00:17:18.248 scribe, not a Pharisee. 360 00:17:19.388 --> 00:17:21.248 The deity and the fullness 361 00:17:22.188 --> 00:17:24.324 of God and the 362 00:17:24.356 --> 00:17:26.768 humanity of JeSus. 363 00:17:27.348 --> 00:17:29.844 Standing amongst this group of 364 00:17:29.876 --> 00:17:32.756 PeoplE, to see 365 00:17:32.772 --> 00:17:33.488 the peoplE. 366 00:17:33.828 --> 00:17:36.636 And there's a problem that arises. It's a 367 00:17:36.652 --> 00:17:38.848 problem that comes up. Look back at verse two, 368 00:17:39.588 --> 00:17:42.088 says in the Pharisees. And the scribes 369 00:17:42.468 --> 00:17:44.980 grumbled, saying, this man receives 370 00:17:45.044 --> 00:17:47.328 sinners and eats with him. 371 00:17:47.908 --> 00:17:50.500 This man receives sinners and eats with 372 00:17:50.524 --> 00:17:52.888 them. So what's the problem? 373 00:17:53.588 --> 00:17:56.436 What's the problem with this? Why are they 374 00:17:56.572 --> 00:17:58.868 so worried about 375 00:17:58.948 --> 00:18:01.924 Jesus and who he's gathered 376 00:18:01.956 --> 00:18:04.836 with and who he associates himself with and 377 00:18:04.892 --> 00:18:07.862 who is drawn to them. Well, Jesus was 378 00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:10.930 considered a rabbi, and 379 00:18:10.954 --> 00:18:13.818 a rabbi is a member of the clergy 380 00:18:13.898 --> 00:18:16.474 and the religion of Judaism. And 381 00:18:16.506 --> 00:18:19.314 rabbis often function as leaders of 382 00:18:19.346 --> 00:18:22.106 the synagogue to provide instruction 383 00:18:22.242 --> 00:18:25.122 on JEwish traditions And hebrew 384 00:18:25.250 --> 00:18:27.770 scriptures. And so rabbis would preach Sermons, 385 00:18:27.874 --> 00:18:30.258 interpret the Old Testament, perform other 386 00:18:30.378 --> 00:18:33.074 functions similar to what you would see of 387 00:18:33.106 --> 00:18:35.900 what, what I do as a christian pastor. This 388 00:18:35.924 --> 00:18:38.780 is what largely, they would do. Now, 389 00:18:38.884 --> 00:18:41.628 Jesus was never a part of the 390 00:18:41.668 --> 00:18:44.516 official temple leadership, but he 391 00:18:44.532 --> 00:18:47.388 was still considered a rabbi and called 392 00:18:47.508 --> 00:18:50.444 rabbi and responded to that in his day 393 00:18:50.476 --> 00:18:53.196 to day ministries. So they see 394 00:18:53.332 --> 00:18:56.060 this man who others refer to, 395 00:18:56.124 --> 00:18:58.788 who others look at as a teacher of 396 00:18:58.868 --> 00:19:01.868 God's word of the scriptures, and they see this 397 00:19:01.948 --> 00:19:04.508 group of people, of tax collectors and 398 00:19:04.548 --> 00:19:07.474 sinners coming to him. And not only 399 00:19:07.586 --> 00:19:10.138 coming to him, but he's receiving 400 00:19:10.218 --> 00:19:13.178 them. He said, yeah, yeah, yeah, 401 00:19:13.218 --> 00:19:16.038 yeah. You come, you come, 402 00:19:16.538 --> 00:19:19.466 you come. And 403 00:19:19.482 --> 00:19:22.438 their issue is this. These people, 404 00:19:22.898 --> 00:19:25.610 these sinners, these tax collectors, 405 00:19:25.754 --> 00:19:28.602 are not worthy people of 406 00:19:28.650 --> 00:19:30.798 the knowledge and the blessing of God. 407 00:19:31.398 --> 00:19:34.350 And that Jesus, this man of 408 00:19:34.414 --> 00:19:37.406 faith, should not be 409 00:19:37.462 --> 00:19:40.238 someone who welcomes them, 410 00:19:40.398 --> 00:19:43.374 should not be someone to receive 411 00:19:43.446 --> 00:19:44.058 them. 412 00:19:45.598 --> 00:19:48.054 Jesus should 413 00:19:48.126 --> 00:19:51.014 not, because they're 414 00:19:51.206 --> 00:19:54.190 unworthy to be 415 00:19:54.254 --> 00:19:57.018 someone who enters into 416 00:19:57.718 --> 00:19:59.298 relationship with him. 417 00:20:00.998 --> 00:20:03.630 And this is the problem where we 418 00:20:03.654 --> 00:20:06.526 find, and so scripture tells us in 419 00:20:06.542 --> 00:20:08.790 chapter two that they begin to 420 00:20:08.814 --> 00:20:11.618 grumble. This is the question they have. 421 00:20:12.318 --> 00:20:14.978 Nobody stands up. Sometimes they do. 422 00:20:15.278 --> 00:20:17.678 Sometimes they question Jesus. 423 00:20:17.838 --> 00:20:20.614 They directly address him. Sometimes 424 00:20:20.646 --> 00:20:22.998 scriptures say that they grumbled or they talked amongst 425 00:20:23.038 --> 00:20:25.930 themselves. Sometimes they don't even do 426 00:20:25.954 --> 00:20:28.914 that. They begin to think thoughts. And what I 427 00:20:28.946 --> 00:20:31.874 love in these interactions, and we'll see some of these, 428 00:20:31.986 --> 00:20:34.954 is that Jesus either hears 429 00:20:35.066 --> 00:20:37.958 their grumble, which we see, 430 00:20:38.658 --> 00:20:40.962 or he just 431 00:20:41.050 --> 00:20:43.874 knows the 432 00:20:43.906 --> 00:20:46.118 divinity and of God, of who he is. 433 00:20:46.658 --> 00:20:49.118 He knows the condition of their heart. 434 00:20:49.798 --> 00:20:52.318 And so he addresses their 435 00:20:52.358 --> 00:20:55.294 complaint. But he does throw 436 00:20:55.366 --> 00:20:57.338 so through a story. 437 00:20:58.078 --> 00:21:00.578 He does so through this parable. 438 00:21:01.118 --> 00:21:03.630 And Jesus here gives them the 439 00:21:03.654 --> 00:21:06.178 solution. Jesus says, you got a problem 440 00:21:06.958 --> 00:21:09.494 with what I'm doing? You got a 441 00:21:09.526 --> 00:21:11.738 problem with who? Huh? I receive. 442 00:21:12.518 --> 00:21:15.458 Jesus says, well, let me explain to you what's 443 00:21:15.498 --> 00:21:18.002 happening. The parable that Jesus 444 00:21:18.050 --> 00:21:20.962 tells would be a common problem that everyone 445 00:21:21.050 --> 00:21:23.842 there would have known about in a world where 446 00:21:23.930 --> 00:21:26.770 we don't necessarily live in a world where 447 00:21:26.794 --> 00:21:29.618 there's lots of shepherds, right? In 448 00:21:29.658 --> 00:21:32.578 that sense, this would have been a 449 00:21:32.618 --> 00:21:35.394 culture that understands. So Jesus says, there's 450 00:21:35.426 --> 00:21:38.370 this shepherd, and he has 100 sheep, 451 00:21:38.514 --> 00:21:40.518 and one has wandered off. 452 00:21:41.358 --> 00:21:44.102 What would happen during the time these shepherds, 453 00:21:44.190 --> 00:21:46.990 they would have their sheep they would take them around, they would let 454 00:21:47.014 --> 00:21:49.934 them graze, and then they would bring them back into 455 00:21:49.966 --> 00:21:52.926 a field where they would pasture them, where they would keep them 456 00:21:52.982 --> 00:21:55.926 at night. And when the shepherd would be there with all of 457 00:21:55.942 --> 00:21:58.838 the workers who were around at night, they would go, 458 00:21:58.918 --> 00:22:01.298 and they would count every single sheep 459 00:22:01.878 --> 00:22:04.822 so that they could be, so that they could know, did one 460 00:22:04.870 --> 00:22:07.750 wander off? Did multiple wander off of where we need to 461 00:22:07.774 --> 00:22:10.694 go and what we need to do? So Jesus says that there's the 462 00:22:10.726 --> 00:22:13.316 shepherd, and at night, and he 463 00:22:13.372 --> 00:22:15.636 notices, man, I had 100 464 00:22:15.772 --> 00:22:18.688 sheep, and there's one gone. 465 00:22:19.148 --> 00:22:22.068 And what he decides to do is to go 466 00:22:22.108 --> 00:22:24.996 find out where the problem is. And 467 00:22:25.012 --> 00:22:27.900 so the shepherd would leave the 99. And there's 468 00:22:27.924 --> 00:22:30.684 been a lot of debate about this. Does the 469 00:22:30.716 --> 00:22:33.556 shepherd not care about the 99? And I just want to say 470 00:22:33.572 --> 00:22:36.408 this. No, the shepherd cares about the 99. 471 00:22:37.388 --> 00:22:40.388 But see, the 99 are being cared for. 472 00:22:40.468 --> 00:22:42.964 The 99 have been pastured. The 473 00:22:42.996 --> 00:22:45.730 99 have been. But there's 474 00:22:45.794 --> 00:22:48.130 one. There's 475 00:22:48.194 --> 00:22:50.826 one. And so the shepherd 476 00:22:50.882 --> 00:22:53.642 says, I'm gonna go. It's not that I don't 477 00:22:53.690 --> 00:22:56.562 care about this group, but I'm gonna go out, and I want 478 00:22:56.570 --> 00:22:59.546 to find this, and I want to be willing to find this 479 00:22:59.682 --> 00:23:02.610 sheep. Sheep 480 00:23:02.634 --> 00:23:05.306 could be hurt. The sheep who could be 481 00:23:05.322 --> 00:23:08.314 dehydrated, the sheep who needed 482 00:23:08.346 --> 00:23:11.270 to be taken care of. And when he 483 00:23:11.294 --> 00:23:13.854 finds the sheep, the 484 00:23:13.886 --> 00:23:16.458 shepherd picks the sheep up 485 00:23:17.238 --> 00:23:20.086 and carries the sheep back. You 486 00:23:20.102 --> 00:23:22.774 see, this sheep, for this shepherd 487 00:23:22.926 --> 00:23:25.638 represents something. You see, these 488 00:23:25.678 --> 00:23:28.390 sheep are the reason that the 489 00:23:28.414 --> 00:23:31.326 shepherd is in the field. You 490 00:23:31.342 --> 00:23:33.878 see, for the shepherd, the sheep 491 00:23:33.998 --> 00:23:35.218 have value. 492 00:23:36.698 --> 00:23:39.338 A shepherd would be willing to 493 00:23:39.378 --> 00:23:41.758 fight for his sheep. 494 00:23:42.338 --> 00:23:45.074 A shepherd would be willing to lay down 495 00:23:45.146 --> 00:23:48.034 his life for the sheep. The shepherd 496 00:23:48.106 --> 00:23:50.410 are willing to go find a lost, 497 00:23:50.554 --> 00:23:53.266 wandering sheep, because that's 498 00:23:53.402 --> 00:23:55.958 who the shepherd is. 499 00:23:57.178 --> 00:23:59.818 The shepherd is the one 500 00:23:59.978 --> 00:24:02.826 that is responsible for and 501 00:24:02.882 --> 00:24:05.038 cares for the sheep. 502 00:24:05.858 --> 00:24:08.518 God as our shepherd 503 00:24:09.218 --> 00:24:12.218 is an illustration and is a picture that's 504 00:24:12.258 --> 00:24:15.090 common in scripture. Jesus in the 505 00:24:15.114 --> 00:24:17.394 New Testament is referred to as the good 506 00:24:17.426 --> 00:24:20.370 shepherd. Many times in the Old 507 00:24:20.434 --> 00:24:22.770 Testament, God is referred to as our 508 00:24:22.794 --> 00:24:25.450 shepherd. 23rd psalm being one of the 509 00:24:25.474 --> 00:24:28.158 most common ones that we think of. 510 00:24:28.868 --> 00:24:31.412 The Bible both refers to the 511 00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:34.356 Israelites as sheep and 512 00:24:34.412 --> 00:24:36.892 all those who come to faith in 513 00:24:36.940 --> 00:24:39.924 Christ as sheep. And 514 00:24:39.956 --> 00:24:42.568 in our world, sometimes 515 00:24:44.268 --> 00:24:47.248 being called sheep 516 00:24:47.708 --> 00:24:50.660 is not positive. But in the 517 00:24:50.684 --> 00:24:52.916 time of Christ, in the context of 518 00:24:52.972 --> 00:24:55.908 scripture, it is a beautiful image 519 00:24:56.488 --> 00:24:59.328 about our relationship with our 520 00:24:59.368 --> 00:25:01.920 creator, with our savior, 521 00:25:02.104 --> 00:25:04.668 with our messiah, with our God. 522 00:25:05.448 --> 00:25:07.908 He is the good shepherd, 523 00:25:08.208 --> 00:25:10.508 and we follow him. 524 00:25:11.688 --> 00:25:13.948 He protects us. 525 00:25:14.528 --> 00:25:16.968 We go after 526 00:25:17.128 --> 00:25:19.856 him as he has found us 527 00:25:19.952 --> 00:25:22.746 as he has rescued us, as 528 00:25:22.802 --> 00:25:25.522 he has given his life for 529 00:25:25.570 --> 00:25:28.234 us. We are the 530 00:25:28.266 --> 00:25:30.318 sheep that follow him. 531 00:25:32.178 --> 00:25:35.004 But, the climax 532 00:25:35.076 --> 00:25:36.328 of this story 533 00:25:37.748 --> 00:25:40.620 is not just that the 534 00:25:40.644 --> 00:25:43.556 sheep has been found. The 535 00:25:43.572 --> 00:25:46.172 climax of the story that Jesus 536 00:25:46.220 --> 00:25:49.098 tells. Doesn't end 537 00:25:49.178 --> 00:25:50.638 out in a pasture. 538 00:25:52.058 --> 00:25:54.362 Where he is grateful and 539 00:25:54.410 --> 00:25:57.298 excited that this sheep that 540 00:25:57.338 --> 00:26:00.078 he loves has now been gathered. 541 00:26:00.978 --> 00:26:03.598 But it ends in a party. 542 00:26:04.498 --> 00:26:05.838 Look at verse six. 543 00:26:07.698 --> 00:26:09.358 And when he comes home, 544 00:26:11.138 --> 00:26:13.478 he calls together his friends 545 00:26:14.648 --> 00:26:17.608 and his neighbors, saying 546 00:26:17.688 --> 00:26:20.616 to them, rejoice with 547 00:26:20.672 --> 00:26:23.096 me, for I have 548 00:26:23.152 --> 00:26:26.028 found my sheep 549 00:26:26.808 --> 00:26:27.988 that was lost. 550 00:26:31.768 --> 00:26:33.668 Why does everyone rejoice 551 00:26:34.688 --> 00:26:36.148 when the sheep was found? 552 00:26:37.408 --> 00:26:40.212 They gather with him. They 553 00:26:40.260 --> 00:26:42.940 celebrate. You see, they don't 554 00:26:43.004 --> 00:26:45.648 look at the sheep 555 00:26:46.948 --> 00:26:49.740 as a problem. They 556 00:26:49.764 --> 00:26:52.508 don't look at their tendency to 557 00:26:52.548 --> 00:26:55.516 wander too much and say, well, they get what 558 00:26:55.532 --> 00:26:56.448 they deserve. 559 00:26:58.308 --> 00:27:00.604 They don't look at the 560 00:27:00.636 --> 00:27:03.008 sheep that wanders 561 00:27:03.548 --> 00:27:04.508 and say, you know what? 562 00:27:04.548 --> 00:27:06.548 That's just what, sheep like that do. 563 00:27:08.168 --> 00:27:10.428 They don't say, you know what? It doesn't matter. 564 00:27:11.288 --> 00:27:13.896 I've got enough sheep back 565 00:27:13.952 --> 00:27:16.508 here. They say, no, 566 00:27:16.968 --> 00:27:19.824 there's value in that one 567 00:27:19.856 --> 00:27:22.424 that's gone. And so the 568 00:27:22.456 --> 00:27:23.268 shepherd 569 00:27:24.568 --> 00:27:26.948 sees what's his. 570 00:27:27.768 --> 00:27:30.628 He goes and gets. And they 571 00:27:30.668 --> 00:27:33.568 celebrate. Verse seven. 572 00:27:35.148 --> 00:27:38.084 Jesus says, just so, I 573 00:27:38.116 --> 00:27:40.476 tell you. There will be 574 00:27:40.532 --> 00:27:43.408 more joy in heaven. 575 00:27:43.868 --> 00:27:46.288 Over one sinner who repents. 576 00:27:47.948 --> 00:27:50.660 Than over 99 righteous 577 00:27:50.724 --> 00:27:53.476 persons who need no 578 00:27:53.572 --> 00:27:54.448 repentance. 579 00:27:56.288 --> 00:27:57.748 Remember? Let's go back. 580 00:27:59.008 --> 00:28:00.388 What is the problem 581 00:28:01.648 --> 00:28:03.548 that Jesus is addressing? 582 00:28:05.488 --> 00:28:08.148 Why does Jesus 583 00:28:09.768 --> 00:28:12.688 allow fellowship with 584 00:28:12.728 --> 00:28:13.948 these types of people? 585 00:28:15.568 --> 00:28:18.068 Why does Jesus 586 00:28:18.768 --> 00:28:21.228 receive people 587 00:28:21.598 --> 00:28:23.578 like this? 588 00:28:24.958 --> 00:28:27.750 Who says that? It's the 589 00:28:27.774 --> 00:28:30.766 Pharisees and the scribes. Let me ask you 590 00:28:30.782 --> 00:28:31.538 this question. 591 00:28:33.078 --> 00:28:36.018 Who is worthy 592 00:28:37.078 --> 00:28:39.018 to have fellowship with God? 593 00:28:40.598 --> 00:28:43.566 Who's worthy? I 594 00:28:43.582 --> 00:28:45.498 think my answer may surprise you. 595 00:28:47.258 --> 00:28:49.918 You see, the Pharisees and the scribes, 596 00:28:51.218 --> 00:28:53.238 they thought that they were worthy. 597 00:28:54.658 --> 00:28:57.558 They thought they deserved fellowship with God. 598 00:28:58.778 --> 00:29:01.122 Look what they had done. Look what they had 599 00:29:01.170 --> 00:29:03.798 accomplished. Look what they had achieved. 600 00:29:04.658 --> 00:29:07.578 Look how obedient they are. Look at what they've 601 00:29:07.618 --> 00:29:10.162 done. Look at what they made themselves into. 602 00:29:10.330 --> 00:29:12.578 Look at their good religious 603 00:29:12.618 --> 00:29:15.594 understanding, especially compared to 604 00:29:15.626 --> 00:29:18.626 all those others. And their 605 00:29:18.682 --> 00:29:21.530 fellowship with God was 606 00:29:21.594 --> 00:29:24.354 found in themselves of 607 00:29:24.426 --> 00:29:26.838 what they've made themselves to be. 608 00:29:29.698 --> 00:29:32.538 But then, but 609 00:29:32.578 --> 00:29:35.258 then there are 610 00:29:35.298 --> 00:29:36.718 those, Jesus says, 611 00:29:38.718 --> 00:29:41.574 who repent. Who 612 00:29:41.606 --> 00:29:44.578 repent. And in 613 00:29:44.958 --> 00:29:47.798 their repentance, here's what they 614 00:29:47.838 --> 00:29:50.750 understand. They understand who 615 00:29:50.774 --> 00:29:53.302 they are. They're a 616 00:29:53.350 --> 00:29:55.058 lost sheep 617 00:29:55.958 --> 00:29:57.738 wandering in a field, 618 00:29:58.958 --> 00:30:01.734 certain to die in a 619 00:30:01.766 --> 00:30:04.098 situation that they've gotten themselves 620 00:30:04.488 --> 00:30:07.008 into because of what they've 621 00:30:07.048 --> 00:30:07.828 chosen. 622 00:30:10.168 --> 00:30:12.388 They understand that that's who they are. 623 00:30:13.528 --> 00:30:16.520 But they understand that there 624 00:30:16.544 --> 00:30:19.368 was a shepherd who came and got 625 00:30:19.408 --> 00:30:22.296 him. They understand that there 626 00:30:22.312 --> 00:30:24.784 was a shepherd who said, no, that's my 627 00:30:24.816 --> 00:30:27.784 sheep. And that in their 628 00:30:27.856 --> 00:30:30.632 response, they know who 629 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:33.252 they are. They know 630 00:30:33.340 --> 00:30:36.300 who he is. And their 631 00:30:36.364 --> 00:30:39.172 response is, Jesus, 632 00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:42.220 I'm not worthy. Jesus, I'm 633 00:30:42.244 --> 00:30:44.508 not worthy. I 634 00:30:44.548 --> 00:30:47.208 repent of who I am. 635 00:30:48.068 --> 00:30:50.908 I repent of who I've done. Of 636 00:30:50.948 --> 00:30:53.796 what I've done. I repent 637 00:30:53.932 --> 00:30:56.812 of who I've become. That in all 638 00:30:56.860 --> 00:30:59.288 of me. Consumed with 639 00:30:59.328 --> 00:31:02.328 sin. And Jesus, through his work 640 00:31:02.368 --> 00:31:05.064 on the cross and the power of the 641 00:31:05.096 --> 00:31:07.576 resurrection, forgives 642 00:31:07.632 --> 00:31:10.148 them, saves them, 643 00:31:11.208 --> 00:31:13.904 puts them on his shoulders and 644 00:31:13.936 --> 00:31:16.336 carries them back. And we 645 00:31:16.392 --> 00:31:18.656 celebrate. And we 646 00:31:18.712 --> 00:31:21.256 celebrate because of the 647 00:31:21.312 --> 00:31:24.128 work that he has 648 00:31:24.168 --> 00:31:24.748 done. 649 00:31:26.928 --> 00:31:28.828 I wish I could tell you. 650 00:31:29.608 --> 00:31:32.480 I wish I could tell you that 651 00:31:32.504 --> 00:31:34.828 I haven't thought the thought 652 00:31:35.608 --> 00:31:38.068 that some of these Pharisees carried. 653 00:31:39.248 --> 00:31:42.240 I wish I could stand up here. But it 654 00:31:42.264 --> 00:31:44.668 would be in lies and self righteousness. 655 00:31:45.648 --> 00:31:48.548 And say that those thoughts have never crossed my mind. 656 00:31:49.268 --> 00:31:51.928 But it's the beauty of what God brings us to. 657 00:31:52.668 --> 00:31:55.540 So I want to ask you this. How do 658 00:31:55.564 --> 00:31:58.476 you come to Jesus? How do you come to 659 00:31:58.492 --> 00:32:01.308 Jesus? Is it through your 660 00:32:01.348 --> 00:32:04.084 works and through who you are? Or is it 661 00:32:04.116 --> 00:32:06.408 through who he is? 662 00:32:06.988 --> 00:32:09.568 And when it's found in who he is, 663 00:32:10.108 --> 00:32:13.020 our worth is in him, and we 664 00:32:13.044 --> 00:32:15.728 can come to him. But then 665 00:32:15.768 --> 00:32:18.548 also, how do you see others? 666 00:32:19.648 --> 00:32:22.632 How do you see others? Do we see 667 00:32:22.680 --> 00:32:24.108 others in categories? 668 00:32:25.408 --> 00:32:27.708 Those who don't deserve and those who do? 669 00:32:28.568 --> 00:32:31.520 Or do we see the mission field that 670 00:32:31.544 --> 00:32:34.170 God, has for us. And the call 671 00:32:34.362 --> 00:32:37.174 that God has placed on our lives. 672 00:32:38.114 --> 00:32:40.934 To spread the message of the shepherd 673 00:32:41.654 --> 00:32:44.590 to pharisees, to scribes, to 674 00:32:44.622 --> 00:32:47.486 tax collectors and sinners just like you and 675 00:32:47.510 --> 00:32:49.754 me. Would you pray with me, 676 00:32:54.294 --> 00:32:56.834 God? I come to you this morning, Lord, and just 677 00:32:59.254 --> 00:33:02.234 in the goodness and grace, Lord, of who you are, 678 00:33:06.054 --> 00:33:07.874 of understanding 679 00:33:09.244 --> 00:33:12.004 of your heart. To 680 00:33:12.084 --> 00:33:14.548 see men and 681 00:33:14.596 --> 00:33:17.020 women come into relationship with 682 00:33:17.052 --> 00:33:19.748 you. To 683 00:33:19.796 --> 00:33:22.424 see men, women and children. 684 00:33:22.764 --> 00:33:24.904 To repent before you. 685 00:33:25.684 --> 00:33:28.508 To understand that it is not through their work, through 686 00:33:28.556 --> 00:33:31.236 their ability, through their righteousness, 687 00:33:31.300 --> 00:33:34.220 Lord, that relationship is 688 00:33:34.252 --> 00:33:37.028 found, but is found in 689 00:33:37.076 --> 00:33:39.264 who you are. And in what you've done. 690 00:33:41.124 --> 00:33:42.664 God. And I thank you. 691 00:33:44.284 --> 00:33:46.684 I thank you for your work that you did in my 692 00:33:46.724 --> 00:33:47.304 life. 693 00:33:50.764 --> 00:33:52.864 Where you captured the heart 694 00:33:53.684 --> 00:33:55.704 of this sinful rebel. 695 00:33:59.764 --> 00:34:01.344 And turned him into 696 00:34:02.604 --> 00:34:04.544 a child of the living God. 697 00:34:05.644 --> 00:34:08.124 God, I pray if there's anyone here this 698 00:34:08.164 --> 00:34:08.744 morning. 699 00:34:11.124 --> 00:34:13.828 And, Lord, they're standing as 700 00:34:13.876 --> 00:34:15.584 found in anything else 701 00:34:16.924 --> 00:34:19.424 other than in their relationship with Christ, 702 00:34:21.564 --> 00:34:24.452 Lord. That they would know that 703 00:34:24.468 --> 00:34:27.180 it is insufficient for 704 00:34:27.212 --> 00:34:28.024 salvation. 705 00:34:30.044 --> 00:34:31.384 God help us. 706 00:34:32.924 --> 00:34:34.624 We live in a world 707 00:34:36.634 --> 00:34:38.778 consumed with 708 00:34:38.826 --> 00:34:41.682 lostness. Hey, God. It 709 00:34:41.698 --> 00:34:44.594 is easy. It is easy 710 00:34:44.634 --> 00:34:47.506 to look and to have the heart of a 711 00:34:47.530 --> 00:34:49.954 pharisee, to have the heart of a 712 00:34:49.994 --> 00:34:52.714 scribe and think, no, no, no, Lord, not them, 713 00:34:52.794 --> 00:34:54.174 not them, not them. 714 00:34:56.954 --> 00:34:59.402 Instead of yes, 715 00:34:59.458 --> 00:35:01.986 Lord, how was 716 00:35:02.050 --> 00:35:02.654 them? 717 00:35:05.474 --> 00:35:07.374 Lord, help us see 718 00:35:07.794 --> 00:35:10.424 people the way that you see 719 00:35:10.464 --> 00:35:13.088 them. Have us 720 00:35:13.216 --> 00:35:16.080 share with them the message 721 00:35:16.112 --> 00:35:17.284 of the gospel 722 00:35:19.224 --> 00:35:22.192 and Lord, too, may we 723 00:35:22.248 --> 00:35:23.124 celebrate. 724 00:35:27.424 --> 00:35:29.324 May there be sounds 725 00:35:30.664 --> 00:35:32.284 of great joy. 726 00:35:33.984 --> 00:35:36.768 May there be hearts of 727 00:35:36.816 --> 00:35:39.792 great joy in 728 00:35:39.848 --> 00:35:42.350 one, one of one 729 00:35:42.422 --> 00:35:45.352 sinner who repents. God, I 730 00:35:45.368 --> 00:35:47.920 thank you that we are all 731 00:35:47.952 --> 00:35:50.728 unworthy, that we are made 732 00:35:50.776 --> 00:35:53.644 worthy by the blood of the lamb 733 00:35:54.744 --> 00:35:57.152 found in you and in you 734 00:35:57.168 --> 00:35:59.712 alone. It's in Jesus name we 735 00:35:59.728 --> 00:36:00.324 pray. 736 00:36:05.324 --> 00:36:08.308 Thanks again for listening and be sure to check back next 737 00:36:08.356 --> 00:36:11.212 week for another episode. In the meantime, you 738 00:36:11.228 --> 00:36:14.180 can visit us@willowridgechurch.org or by 739 00:36:14.212 --> 00:36:17.092 searching for Willow Ridge Church on, Facebook, Instagram and 740 00:36:17.116 --> 00:36:17.300 Twitter.