[0:00] Last week we ended talking about Zacchaeus, even though he's not in Luke 14, he's in Luke 19. But in Luke 14 we were looking at the cost of discipleship, contrasting it to the cost of non-discipleship.
[0:13] When Jesus said, take up your cross, follow after me, deny yourself, sometimes people wouldn't, sometimes people wouldn't. And we saw what the consequences of that were in their life.
[0:23] But in Zacchaeus, he chose, I can't imagine not following Jesus. He climbed up, he got a glimpse of Jesus, and when he did, he now wanted whatever it was.
[0:34] I'm going to pay back those people. I'm going to give. Whatever it takes, I want to follow Jesus, take that step in my life. And it was wonderful. In that passage in Luke 19, in verse 10, it says, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
[0:50] That's where that story ends. Jesus came to seek and to save. That's the emphasis in Luke chapter number 15, in verse number 1 and 2, we see that the Pharisees couldn't stand that about him.
[1:03] The thing that we love, they couldn't stand. That he came to seek and save. That he would have meals with sinners. People that they would not be seen with. They wouldn't attend a meal they were putting on.
[1:15] Jesus would host these people. I'm so ready to get to the story of the prodigal son. It's just one of the great parables of the Bible. And I expected to be there a few weeks ago. But I realized we have to look at verses 1 and 2 and these first two parables.
[1:29] There's three stories that are here. They're similar. But we can't miss the joy that's found in verse 1 and 2. And I use that word joy. If you'll look as we read, joy in the word rejoice shows up a lot.
[1:40] That's a theme of this chapter. What is it that the God of heaven rejoices in? What is it that the God of heaven says there's a joy that we can find? The kingdom of heaven is joy. That we find it in following and knowing him.
[1:54] Let me read verses 1 through 10. And then I'll pray. And then we get to hear a special today with Charlotte, Tracy, and Olivia. And that's special.
[2:04] All right. It really is. We have the sending off service for Tracy and I and Olivia next week. And they get to hear them sing together. Today should bring us great joy.
[2:15] To do that. Knowing that very soon they will be doing it in Spanish, in Chile, and in Pidgin, in Nigeria. Pidgin is just kind of like my cousins speak in Kentucky.
[2:26] All right. It's just a real mixed up version of English and some other things. Now it's going to take some work. But they will get to sing the same type of songs to the nations.
[2:37] And we get to be part of that. Luke chapter number 15 verse 1. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
[2:47] And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And he spoke this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he find it?
[3:07] And when he hath found it, he laith it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost.
[3:19] I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which needeth no repentance. Either what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, does not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently till she find it.
[3:37] And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the peace which I have lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
[3:54] Heavenly Father, I come today just thanking you for being the sheep that you came and you sought out and you found. Thank you, Lord, for the gospel coming to me. Thank you for it coming to my brothers and sisters in this room.
[4:08] And then, Father, I thank you that it's coming to people today. Lord, as I speak and as we have people all over this room building today and in other parts of the world and then traveling on the road that sheep are coming and being found today, people are realizing that they are lost and that they are meeting the shepherd.
[4:26] And I just so thank you for that, Lord. Thank you for teaching us and showing us how that is the greatest of all joys. And, Lord, we come today, Lord, as a people unlike the Pharisees who do not criticize and who understand and that are just so grateful that you would sit and that you would eat with sinners like us, that you would leave the ninety and nine who do not see their need and you would come and you would find us.
[4:51] And we rejoice. We rejoice in a day where we will get to be part of sending out someone that will go and that will be used of you to seek out sheep that are without a shepherd.
[5:02] Lord, I know that there's many in here today that have heavy hearts. And it wasn't easy for them, Lord, to sing it as well with my soul. They had to look to you to be able to sing that.
[5:13] Lord, today, Lord, I pray that you would help us from your word. Allow me the opportunity to bring joy and happiness and a cause of rejoicing to this church family. In Jesus' name I pray.
[5:24] Amen. Amen. How rich a treasure we possess in Jesus Christ our Lord His blood our ransom and defense His glory our reward The sum of all created things Is worthless in compare For our inheritance is Him Whose praise angels declare How free and costly was the love displayed upon the cross
[6:29] While we were dead in untold sin The sovereign purchased us The will of God the Father Demonstrated through the Son The Spirit seals the greatest work The work which Christ has done For yours is the kingdom And the power and the glory And the glory Yours is the kingdom And the power and the glory Amen Amen How vast and measureless
[7:29] The flood of mercy unrestrained The penalty was paid in full The spotless lamb was slain Salvation What a priceless gift Received by grace through faith We stand in rose of righteousness We stand in Jesus' name For yours is the kingdom And the power and the glory Yours is the kingdom And the power and the glory And the glory And the glory Yours is the kingdom And the power and the glory
[8:30] Amen Amen Salvation What a priceless gift Received by grace through faith We stand in rose of righteousness We stand in Jesus' name So let me give you a division of Luke chapter number 15 First two verses it gives a setup for it it's what Jesus is going to respond to Then we get a parable about a sheep and then we have a verse that gives an application Then we get a story about a parable of the coin Then we get another application and then verses 12 through 32 take us to the parable of the prodigal son And so it would be wonderful to preach this as one entire unit because all three stories have the same themes of repentance and the grace of God contrast and rejoicing from the Pharisees
[9:33] But I'll give you another option today Either you can promise to come back next week and we'll divide this into two parts or we're going to need a little bit longer Alright And so I'm going to assume you'll be back here because all of chapter 15 when you read it if you have a chance when you read chapter 15 read it all together But there's so much wonderful truth here that we need at least two weeks if not more We've looked at a lot of parables and we're in the middle section of the book of Luke with the parables and there's about 20 different parables and many are unique to the book of Luke and in so it's important I just kind of remind you when we look at parables the things we need to look at is there's a clarity how do we understand it and we must understand it as the original audience People would talk about taking the Bible and bring it in into modern terms and modern times and changing it so that people would have a better understanding so they'd understand the context what is much better and it's what we do not just in here but in other places we go back to the original audience we go back to where it's something that stays the same because if I was to think of a parable that would illustrate a point for each one of you
[10:39] I'd need different stories for you because you'd all have different understandings of whatever topic I would bring up but the Word of God gives us all the understanding we need for this parable inside of the historical context when we know about a woman that loses a coin what can we know we know a lot what would we know about when a shepherd looks for a sheep and then there's also complexity the parable has layers you have the simple one which we know about shepherds and we know about coins then you also have the ethical issues why would a shepherd leave the 99 and go after the other one and they could talk about that and that but Jesus is always moving them from what they don't understand from what they do understand to what they don't understand the theological nature of this and that's what he's getting them to do and the progression it's just incredible it's the way that Jesus is speaking to them the truth that is just laid right there in front of them you have to know that they're denying the fact that he is the Messiah does not come from the fact that not from the fact that he has not presented himself it just comes from they do not have faith and they deny the truth that's right there in front of them so we see sinners drawing near we'll see some Pharisees that are murmuring we see Jesus receiving sinners and then what is the Father doing but rejoicing in heaven and so today one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible it is made up of a parable that are spoken in response to this statement this man receives sinners and eats with them verse 1 then I drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to him and the Pharisees and scribes murmured saying and you got to think about that before you say this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them when I say it
[12:20] I always say it with a smile on my face because I'm happy about this this is good news that's not the way in which it would read here the Pharisees and scribes murmured saying this man he receives sinners and he eats with them and as I said the strong desire to move on to the prodigal but that statement alone is enough just to spend a lifetime rejoicing that God is a God who seeks lost men and women and Christ is a Savior who seeks lost men and women for Christ reveals God because Christ is God we come to the Bible to learn more about God that's the great pursuit of our lives and we see it so clearly in Jesus Christ and what he is doing just like John the Beloved had the wonderful opportunity to lay his head upon the chest of Christ and to hear his heartbeat in the Bible we get to hear the heartbeat of God in the very beginning God pursues Adam and he says where art thou and then in the Tower of Babel the people have rebelled against them and in Genesis 12 the Lord says unto Abraham get thee out of thy country which is to say you know those people that rebelled against me in chapter number 11 they didn't speak in references to the chapter back then right but you know what happened the chapter before
[13:35] Abraham go where are you going it doesn't matter I'm sending you to a people and I'm going to send you out there I'm going to bless you and you'll be a blessing to them in Ezekiel 5 we learn that he puts that family the children of Abraham in the middle of the nations and countries round about him because he's a God that is pursuing people he's a God who seeks and saves he's a God that eats with sinners and he reaches out to them he places people in situations like Pharaoh who says where is their Lord or Nebuchadnezzar or David before the giant and we continually hear the heartbeat of God Daniel would have heard it as he said in the lion's den he would have not been all alone as he wouldn't be able to sleep at night he would be able to hear the heartbeat of God which is that God loves all people testifying of his faithfulness Moses would stand before Pharaoh and he would say for this very deed and cause I want to declare his name among the nations and I ask you today do you hear it this morning Adam heard it when God came to him in his shame he heard the heartbeat of God as he heard him coming in the cool of the day
[14:41] Abraham heard it when he was called to go after rebellious people Solomon heard it as he lived a life of purpose Simeon will hear it as he will get the hold to Christ in his hand before he dies here at the beginning of Luke and then do you hear it this morning Jesus receives sinners this man receives sinners and eats with them that was the heart of our Savior that is the heart of our God that's this week as we will talk about and we will see Tracy tonight and then the Young's Graham and Olivia next week we will see people who want God to be glorified we see God's leading in their lives not just to go to another country but to God but for God who is going for sinners because it's the heartbeat of God why do we have a heart why do we have a sin off service to a sister in Christ that we love very much because Jesus receives sinners and he loves them and he pursues them and he sends his church after them and that's such a wonderful thing to be part of so the parable of the lost sheep verse 3 and he spake the parable saying what man if you have a hundred sheep if you lose one you're going to leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost and find them what a great example we know about sheep to see that we are like them no creature strays more easily than a sheep none is more heedless and none so incapable of finding its way back to the flock when once gone astray it will beat for the flock and shall run on an opposite direction to the place where the flock is this I've often noticed you ever seen the video where the shepherd works so hard to get the sheep out of this little ditch this little where water is going he works so hard and he gets the sheep out of it and the sheep gets excited jumps and he goes right back into the hole once again sheep they're like that right they're not helping the shepherd has so much work in caring for them these men when they would be compared to shepherds would not like that you know for us
[16:40] I see it and I see a picture and it looks like a nice job walking out walking after sheep it seems to be an honorable job there was an honor to them in that they would not like and they would not want to be likened to a shepherd this lost sheep would never save himself or find the shepherd himself the shepherd did not take action the sheep were doomed that's the Lord the Lord's favorite name for himself the one that refers to himself the most often that I said in Luke 19 10 is for the son of man just that name alone tells you that Jesus pursues sinners just the fact the son of man that he left heaven and he comes to earth and he was born among us that he would call himself the son of man would say well of course you ought to believe that he eats with sinners what other options are there here on planet earth right that's all there is the publicans and the sinners they consider them a separate class of people but that's the only kind of people that the son of man could have ever eaten with was sinners here and so sheep get lost in the thicket and we get lost in the thicket of sin in this world
[17:42] Matthew 1 21 and she shall bring forth the son that shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins 1 Timothy 1 15 he came to save sinners it says this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners of whom I am chief it's how the apostle Paul saw himself it's how you ought to see yourself because I can read a lot about what apostle Paul did but I know about myself completely nobody knows more about me except for God he knows me better than I know myself and I know myself and I should say he came as I saved the chief of sinners and I rejoice in that heard a testimony this week of a man who came to Christ because he met a co-worker at a racetrack and that brought him to some people and into a family and that he came to know Christ you know what William I am not surprised that Jesus would find you at a racetrack because he doesn't just pursue people in this building but he goes after and he pursues people wherever their story at wherever their life is the son of man came to seek and to save which was lost and that is such a wonderful truth so publicans and sinners sinners is a general category for people that are just bad right that just do wrong here these publicans a tax collector they are seen as traitors the Romans sold them their tax franchises if you will kind of to the highest bidder so the Jews that were willing to be tax collectors were people that were seen as traitors so I will start my tax franchise over here and here in
[19:19] South Forsyth I am supposed to get so many millions of dollars in taxes and as long as I get what they are expecting and I pay them I get everything on top of it so it is putting yourself at odds with your people that you became a traitor not just the gathering of the taxes but it was the way in which they would do it makes them a traitor against their people they would have been barred from the synagogue I would have to tell Lamar and Chuck alright when people come into this church I need you to make sure we don't have any publicans coming in here this is the Lord's day they are not going to come get taxes from us and also the group of sinners those were people that didn't they didn't go to the synagogue they didn't go to worship they were just the outcast they knew that they were so broken and out that they did not even participate they weren't at the festivals they weren't at the ceremony they weren't involved in anything they were just sinners one commentary by Rabbi on Exodus 18 said let not a man associate with the wicked not even to bring him to the law isn't that quite telling don't associate with sinners and publicans so much to not even bring them to the law for the
[20:28] Jewish people that would have been taking them the way to salvation right but he said don't associate with them even to bring them the law that gives you an idea hundreds of years later when that would have been written to steal what would have been in the heart of those Pharisees that when they said he eats with sinners their need not their sin is what they have in common in this story their need the publicans and the sinners their need for a savior it says that they drew near to him it wasn't that a few drew near it's that all of those people that saw themselves as sinners they would draw near to him those that knew they were in need would draw near Luke 5 31 and Jesus answering said unto them they that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick those that recognize they are sick make an appointment they go to the physician and so that's what we're talking about this group of people that saw themselves as sick they would want to meet with him and they would draw near the him thank God the day that you know that you are as a publican two men went up to the temple to pray the one a pharisee and the other a publican the pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself
[21:37] God I thank thee that I'm not as other men are extortioners unjust idolaters or even as this publican this man wasn't drawing near to the Lord he's hitting his chest and saying look at me that pride was making him very far but they drew near that Jesus was a publican that same story verse 13 it says and the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes into heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner God be merciful to me a sinner is a person that is drawing near to the Savior it is a person that recognizes that they need a position the Pharisees those people that said I'm not like the publicans I'm glad to tell you in here I am like the publicans I am the sinner that is in need of a Savior I'm thankful today in here in your testimony of brother sister in Christ you came to that knowledge as well that you were in need of a Savior and you drew near to him then don't you just love it remember hunting one time with my dad and some people and we killed a deer and we could have carried it that way and he says you don't want to do that during hunting season you don't want to carry a deer above your head during hunting season but that's okay with sheep you know because you find that sheep and you're going to tie it and you're going to make sure it's not going you're not going to just come to and say hey meet me back at the place and take off right the love that a shepherd would show the same in
[23:14] Romans 5 6 for when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly so Levi I expect that he is here Levi we saw him back in Luke chapter number 5 can you imagine Levi thoughts Levi sitting at the receipt of custom and said unto him follow me so Jesus asked them wouldn't you go get your sheep this is the reason that he receives sinners Levi has got to be like guys don't you know that he eats with sinners look I was in that spot I was a publican he came to my house and he found me without strength he died for me and as yes they knew that's what a shepherd would do it only makes sense because the shepherd loves his sheep and that's what he is teaching them the joy of finding the sheep and then in verse seven
[24:18] I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance the one publican that one Levi there's joy in heaven over this man but there is no joy there is no rejoicing God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked there is nothing out of the ninety nine that are bringing glory to God brother Ty said to me last week that he a man gave a testimony before him he scared I love that if you want to get somebody's attention in church say so and so said this and Paul said this man gave a testimony before me and he said well my testimony is this kind of vanilla and Ty said well if that's true then my testimony is rocky road right you might say that in church the other day it was a rocky road but there are no testimonies that are vanilla unless you like vanilla then in that case it is vanilla right there's no you realize that you were lost and you got saved and
[25:27] I can't emphasize this enough I know earlier when the kids screamed for VBS some of you got worried because it was a little scary it wasn't exactly what I had in mind it didn't sound like the angels rejoicing kind of like fallen angels in there right and they're screaming in that other room but to know that there's rejoicing in heaven when you got saved whatever the story is that there's rejoicing in heaven over that why because those around the throne rejoice on what God rejoices in and the father says I love my sheep I love my people and in the parable of the woman loses ten pieces of silver and some of you men that may seem more realistic to you all right me and my wife lose stuff all the time I should say she I would tell you she loses stuff more than me but it's not the case I know weekly what it's like to rejoice over finding something that you have lost and also know that when Stephanie can't find it it is really lost all right if I can't find it it's probably on a different shelf you know it's just like moved a little
[26:37] I was looking for this was it there's so many different ways to look at this but we don't even have to know the value of this coin was it a day's wages for her that's what it appears to be but does it mean that she would spend that in the day it's what she earns a bartering system but what we really look at the value to her that she rejoiced in it it mattered to her this was not a small amount this was something that would have been life altering to her if she didn't find it and she caused people in there so Jesus loved to assault the foolish pride as I said they imagine themselves as dirty shepherds they would not have liked that now he is asking them to imagine themselves as a poor woman and even he saw dignity in the work of the shepherd and a woman psalms 23 he calls himself a shepherd right pharisees wouldn't see themselves like that but he says he's a shepherd he's also the one who sets the table these pharisees and their pride they he's assaulting their pride when he says think yourself as a shepherd or as a woman who lost something here that's what he's going for and his love he comes after their pride so that desire to find a coin that is there a dirt floor where there was sweeping very easily you could see why something like that could have been lost as she goes about it we know they often keep it in a little pouch of something that would have been tied up there and now she has lost it and she says she sets out to find it diligently and when is she going to stop when she finds it diligently till she finds it she doesn't say I got a little bit of time and I'll just go about it she says this is going to be what my life is about until I find it it needs to be recovered that's what we're seeing of this is something lost and found and restored and then rejoiced over and so there's a joy in finding the coin here the same idea as the first one the shepherd found the sheep and rejoiced and we should rejoice with him verse 10 likewise I send you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth remember we started off the book of Luke with angels rejoicing at the birth of Christ Luke 2 10 it says I bring you good tidings of great joy then in verse number 12 it says that angels and a multitude the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest on earth peace goodwill towards men so much joy when things are being found so why do the angels rejoice and celebrate because when a Savior was being born they rejoice when the Savior was being born it says in Luke chapter number 2 because they know that this brings about salvation which brings joy to God the angels are rejoicing when Jesus is born here revelations 3 we learn that Jesus confesses our names before the father and the angels because they find joy and what the father finds joy and the father finds joy in the fact that we are his that we are saved that we have been restored to him the angels have great interest in redemption because they share in the joy of God 1 Peter 1 12 says it like this unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven which angels know this brings about salvation which brings joy to God they're interested in it they're interested in the things that bring joy to the father they want to know what's going on they want to hear about the redemption of mankind they rejoice when Jesus is born the same way that those other people rejoice when the sheep is being found or the coin is being found in a small manner I love it
[30:42] when somebody asks they'll text and they'll say hey how would how's VBS going you know how did this thing going on because they know that their personal joy in life is connected to the joy that the father receives this is not a sales pitch that Greg told me to get to get all of you signed up for VBS volunteers I believe we're doing pretty good in that area but it is coming this week but people I want to say it one more time that what is happening as the church that the angels of heaven see the manifold wisdom of God by the church working together that there is a great joy that is going to be brought as we have a VBS together as we send missionaries off to the field as we continue doing this work together that's where you ought to find your joy the joy of God is what this chapter is all about scripture says that when Christians arrive in heaven they will enter into the joy of the Lord there isn't many places that you walk in and everybody knows your name like that old tv show right you walk everybody knows your name and everybody rejoices when they see you and sometimes you just feel like a stranger or maybe a pilgrim in this world but you know that that says that in heaven that they'll be rejoicing the day that I get to meet my savior there that love why is it because it's going to be filled up with people that find their joy in what the father finds their joy in it is the very issue that causes Jesus to be in conflict with the religious leaders of Israel because Jesus came down for the joy of God and his joy and the joy of the Holy Spirit to redeem sinners in this life we spend a lot of time trying to produce an environment and a life that we enjoy a lady had a documentary where she taught you how to clean your home right I forget what her name was I've talked about this in my life group before but she would say you just take everything in your house and when you clean it you pick it up and say does this bring joy to me and if it doesn't bring joy to you you give it to goodwill you get rid of it you know everything in your life it brings joy to you you keep it if not say I'm glad that I had this but I don't need this anymore you know the older I get the more that I find that going in the gas station and Stephanie telling me I can get whatever I want doesn't bring me the same excitement as it does for the kids right because I have to pay for that trip now but I still appreciate it when she says that all right but there's just fewer things that I just pick up and I just say this brings me unspeakable joy that my taste for the things of this world are just they just kind of diminish that there's just I look and I try to create a life and I try to imagine and as David told that story in the offering devotion today I have spent billions of dollars imagining if I had that money how it would bring me joy but right here in this passage I found I've been made new my joy is not going to be found in these temporal things in this world that pass I am going to find it when I hear this week of young kids and moms and dads coming to know Christ I'm going to hear it not just in the hearing that they hear the gospel but when Jesus came not just hearing when people get saved in Chile but in Tracy going there because it's part of God's pursuit of sinners that he loves heaven is complete permanent eternal unending unminished joy because everything is as it should be the presence of God is joy unspeakable and full of glory but I want you to know we have a measure of this joy now we don't just live life saying woe is me until the day we meet him wherever our joy is not what it should be in the Bible we're commanded rejoice always and again I say rejoice one of the elements of joy in heaven comes from the salvation of sinners and that is what this parable is about and I just simply ask you do you share in the joy with the angels do we find our joy in that and I know as a believer you do and it's good just to take a moment and just to think about it how wonderful is it that we could hear that somebody is transformed from light from darkness into light
[34:43] your story how wonderful is it so how can you understand the joy of a village of this village of men and the joy of the village of women and not the joy of God how do you understand Pharisees that when the sheep was found everybody would rejoice because the sheep was found how do you understand this group of women that when the coin was found you they can rejoice how can you condemn Jesus for doing what brings God joy you understand that the shepherd's happy you understand that the woman's happy how do you not understand that I would eat with sinners and that I would call them the repentance this is what has brought our father joy it is God in Christ who searches intently who comes all the way down to the world all the way down to death all the way down to the horrific death on the cross it is God who sends his son way down all the way down turn on the light of the gospel to sweep the search search to pursue the center in every dark and hidden place the angels rejoice but the
[35:45] Pharisees murmur but what do you do I'd ask you in here today maybe we've just become a little bit indifferent and today is a chance for us to reset and to realize I've been pursuing this things of this world and picking it up and saying that this bring me joy and I'm just not finding it anymore and your cause of discouragement and distress and all these things are really coming down that you forgot as a believer where to set your heart and eyes for this rejoicing if the things that make heaven rejoice do not cause you to rejoice what makes you believe that there's any real interest in going there if the things they rejoice in heaven about a sinner finding his way does not cause you to rejoice here and now what makes you think that not only there is a place for you in heaven that you would even enjoy being there as a believer we find our joy in the things that the father finds his joy in and so we have so much joy available to us so I think about our missionaries you know I get missionary letters and they're available online every Monday when I send send out that email now we have to the very bottom we have a link to all of their websites and articles can I encourage you the next time you're finding discouragement and you think about taking out another loan or you think about trying to find it for me it's often found in the next the food adventure you're right that we're not going to find it and filling our bellies with something that come from this world when I think I'm I'm discouraged I'm sad I'm not finding life to be what it is don't be going among the things of this earth to find it look to the things of God read a prayer letter pick up your word find something call a friend call a friend and just say you call me I know exactly what's going on in your life and just say hey would you share your testimony with me would you tell me how you got saved can I hear something that is pure and wonderful and beautiful and perfect because we live in a world that doesn't provide much of that there's rejoicing but it's not in the things of this world but it's going to be found in the things of God so church family let's leave the day with just unspeakable joy let's rejoice let's have just a great anticipation of what God can do with our lives that our future is as bright as the promises of God this week is as bright as promises of God God is pursuing sinners and he wants to meet with them and how does a God who pursues sinners sit down and eat with them he does it by us sitting down and eating with them but allowing him to pursue their heart as we do that what a wonderful place to get to be in do you rejoice today or do you murmur like the
[38:24] Pharisees that's a question that only your heart can answer but if you find yourself here today and you say I do not find the joy and the salvation of others that you find a murmuring or you find yourself indifference find your place at an altar today call out the God tell him that you are that lost sheep and that he is looking for you because you know that you have never put your faith and trust in him but a room full of people that press to know Christ as we are as a church gathering together let us reset our what we consider to be the value of joy and know that regardless of your circumstances there are many things to rejoice in today and let's join the angels in doing so let's pray heavenly father I thank you for giving us so many incredible opportunities to rejoice and father I know as I look back over my week and over my life I have missed so many beautiful and awesome opportunities I've heard good news and I've read good news about things that should have made my heart leap with joy but I was so entangled with the affairs of this world I was so busy trying to find my joy in lesser things and father I thank you for a passage that calls me home for a passage
[39:34] Lord that brings me back to the father's house that tells me that there is much joy found in things that were lost being made found