395: Andrew Bramhill – Exhortation: Parables of the Lord (Luke 15)

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Welcome to Good Christophian
Talks.

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Thank you for joining us this
week on this podcast.

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Each week we post a talk that we

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previewed from suggestions sent
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Then we record a short intro

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beforehand as a personalized
recommendation to you on why we

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are sharing the talk.
And now let’s talk.

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More about this week’s talk.
This week’s talk was an

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excitation given by Brother
Andrew Bramhill at the Riverwood

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Ecclesia in Sydney, Australia in
January 10th of 2023.

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I really enjoyed this excitation
based on the parables of the

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lost in Luke 15.
I thought it was pretty funny,

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Brother Andrew says right at the
beginning.

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I’m sure you’re worried that
you’re not going to learn

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anything new about this
exploration of Luke 15 because

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you’ve heard this, these stories
1000 times.

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But I did learn something new.
So I think he delivered on his

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promise.
I think something I’d never

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thought of before is the
difference in reaction to the

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father of the prodigal son when
compared to the shepherd and the

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woman in the house.
The shepherd and the woman in

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the house kind of immediately
jump into action once they’ve

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lost something, while the father
of the prodigal son kind of

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waits and his patient when his
with his son when he is leaving

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and only springs into action
once his son returns.

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Lots of wonderful lessons.
I personally feel always

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encouraged by Luke 15.
I think it’s, you know, like

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many of the words of Jesus, a
place where you can spend as

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many hours as you have in
meditation.

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And I really appreciate it.
Brother Andrew leading us in

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that on this one.
Thanks again to the person who

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sent in this decision as a
suggestion.

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We do appreciate your
suggestions.

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They are vital to the show now.
So please anything you hear,

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please send in to us.
And we here is Brother Andrew

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Bramhall, the parable of the
lost.

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We’re in Luke chapter 15 this
morning for our exaltation.

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If I can ask you to join me
there and you will have been

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extremely familiar with it as
we’ve read our way through and

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you’re going to think what’s
what are we going to say this

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morning?
That’s any difference that we

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haven’t heard already at the
Christadelphian office.

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I could probably sell you
countless books for five year

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olds called the lost sheep, the
Good Shepherd, all those things.

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We’ve known these stories of the
Lord Jesus, haven’t we, for many

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a long year.
And yet he wasn’t writing for he

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wasn’t speaking for five year
olds, was he?

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The Lord Jesus Christ is
speaking to thinking men and

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women who are interested in the
Kingdom of God.

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So let me ask you one or two
questions about Luke chapter 15,

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just to see what you think about
this.

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All these parables are very
similar, aren’t they?

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Something gets lost, someone has
to search, something is found,

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everybody’s happy.
It seems to be as simple as

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that, doesn’t it?
It’s a very straightforward

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message that you get from the
parables and they’re all the

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same, seemingly.
They’ve all got that same

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message.
Well, well, let me ask you this

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then.
Why does the Lord Jesus Christ

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have to give us 3 parables on
that particular theme?

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As far as I know, He doesn’t do
it for any other.

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You know, we get parables on all
sorts of themes and all sorts of

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subjects, but you get the
parables of the lost and it

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looks very simple.
And yet all of a sudden the Lord

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Jesus Christ is having to say it
in three different ways.

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Is, is, is that because it’s
just really important and he

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wants to say it three times?
Well, well, if that’s the case,

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why don’t the other Gospels say
it?

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I, I know you can find a parable
about a lost sheep in Matthew,

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but it’s slightly different to
the one here in Luke.

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We won’t look at the
differences, but it is a

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different context, the one we’ve
got here in Luke.

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Generally, the other Gospel
writers don’t mention it.

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So if it’s really, really
important, why only Luke?

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And we’re going to see whether
or not they are in fact all the

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same or whether or not there’s
something here which is a little

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bit different.
Luke’s is the appropriate gospel

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for these.
I, I, I think because Luke

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presents to us the Lord Jesus
Christ in his role as a priest.

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We, we know that from the
opening of the gospel because

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the Gospel begins with a priest
who is a failure.

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You remember that he’s
Zacharias.

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He’s in the temple, the Angel
appears, he doesn’t believe he’s

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an old man, he can’t have
children with his wife, He’s

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something of a failure.
And when he doesn’t believe,

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he’s not allowed to talk or to
hear.

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And he’s turned into a mute for
nine months.

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And then in Luke chapter 2,
along comes a 12 year old.

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He’s in the temple.
Boy, can he speak?

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Boy, can he answer questions?
Boy, can he deliver the the

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blessing?
And it’s, it’s as if the

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priesthood has moved from the
old priesthood to the new priest

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who’s arrived and it’s the Lord
Jesus Christ and, and all

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through the gospel.
Interestingly, Luke’s the only

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gospel where Jesus gets lost or
the parents think he’s lost at

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least as a 12 year old.
Luke is the only gospel that

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tell us they can’t find his body
when it comes to the

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resurrection.
They’ve lost his body.

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They don’t know where it is and
it’s Luke.

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If you just turn over to chapter
19, it’s Luke who tells us in

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verse 10 that the Son of Man is
come to seek and to save that

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which is lost.
It’s a great theme in the Gospel

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of Luke, and the high priest’s
role is one of recovery of the

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things that are lost.
I’ll just read to you a verse

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from Hebrews which says every
high priest can have compassion

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on the ignorant and on them that
are out of the way.

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It’s the job of the priest to
find those that are lost, and

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this Gospel is going to be all
about finding those who are

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lost.
Just think about one or two

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common things about these
parables.

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Then we said that they’ve all
lost something.

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There’s always someone doing
some searching and some looking,

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and The thing is found.
And then there’s great

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rejoicing.
And sometimes we’re clever and

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we say in parable #1 something
has got lost outside the house.

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And in parable #2 the coin has
got lost inside the house.

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And in parable #3 you’ve got
both those aspects because

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there’s a son who wanders off
and gets lost, and there’s a son

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who stays at home and gets lost.
And, and we piece it together in

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that way, and it seems to fit
quite nicely.

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And I think that works.
But, but is there any

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significance in the numbers, do
you think Brothers and sisters,

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parable #1 one sheep out of 100
wandering off?

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Is it feasible that from the
truth, from the Gospel message,

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1% will wander off Sposa that,
that sounds reasonable, doesn’t

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it?
That, that, that amongst our

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community of believers, 1% over
time could, could drift away?

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That sounds OK.
What about parable #2 where the

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thing gets lost inside the house
and it’s one in 10?

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Now, if parable #1 works, does
parable #2 work?

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If it does, it’s saying that on
average, 10% of our ecclesial

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members are here, but they’re
lost.

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It’s not astonishing if that, if
that’s right.

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If so, how do we find them?
Who are they?

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What are we going to do about
recovery?

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I think that’s quite an
interesting dilemma.

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From parable #2 and parable #3
there are only two sons.

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One is lost outside, one is lost
inside.

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Everyone’s lost in parable #2
then #3 and maybe that’s right

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as well because we are all need
in need of being found by the

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Lord Jesus, aren’t We are all in
need of being recovered and

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brought back to Him.
So let’s have a look at these

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three parables then, and just
draw one or two lessons as we

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prepare to remember our Lord.
If you’ve got Luke 15 open,

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you’ll just notice how Luke
chapter 14 ends.

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The Lord Jesus Christ finishes
with these words he that hath

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ears to hear, let him hear the
Lord Jesus Christ is emphasizing

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there isn’t.
I want you to pay attention to

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the things I’ve got to say I’m
speaking here words that will

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make a difference to you.
Pay attention.

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Forget the chapter break then
because in verse 1 of chapter

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15, then drew near unto him.
All the publicans and sinners

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fought to hear him.
He’s been saying come and listen

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to my words.
And the people that are coming

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to hear him are the publicans
and sinners.

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And those are the ones who who
are in need of listening to the

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Lord Jesus.
Those are the ones who came to

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hear what he had to say.
And around the edge are the

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others.
Because in verse 2, we see that

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there were Pharisees and scribes
that they’re not drawing near.

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They’re that they’re sort of
around the Pharisees and the

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scribes and they’re murmuring
and they’re criticizing and

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they’re saying this man receives
sinners and eateth with them.

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And they’re, they’re, they’re
criticizing the Lord Jesus for

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being with the publicans and
sinners in their view.

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And maybe our ecclesial life is
a little bit like that.

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There are those of us who are
here and we want to know, we

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want to understand the Lord
Jesus.

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We want to listen to what he has
to say.

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And then there are those of us
who stand on the edge sometimes,

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and often those on the edge are
the ones who criticize more and

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aren’t in the heart and aren’t
wanting to contribute, but they

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are wanting to be on the edge
and criticize a little bit.

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Maybe you experience that we we
certainly do from time to time.

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But here we’ve got these people
who are eager to hear what the

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Lord Jesus Christ has to say,
and he’s going to tell them this

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parable about the lost sheep.
You know the parable extremely

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well.
This man who has 101 wanders off

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and quite how you know you’ve
got precisely 100 sheep, I’m not

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sure.
I go walking on the Yorkshire

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Dales or the Welsh hills in
England and there’s hundreds of

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sheep and they’re all over the
place.

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And quite how you would count
them to know you’ve got 100,

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I’ve no idea.
And how you would identify that

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one was missing, I’m not sure
how you do that.

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And this shepherd seems to know,
he knows exactly who his sheep

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are.
And he doesn’t just know that

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now there are 99.
He knows that one is missing and

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he knows which one is missing.
This is the the Good Shepherd,

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isn’t it?
Who knows his flock And come

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back me to Isaiah, would you
please?

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You can always find Old
Testament references which

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support the parables and look
like a foundation.

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We’re going to Isaiah 40 please,
to start with Isaiah chapter 40.

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This is God with his people.
Isaiah 40 verse 11, and you can

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find plenty of references like
this in the Old Testament.

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He shall feed his flock like a
shepherd.

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He shall gather the lambs with
his arms and carry in his bosom

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and shall gently lead those that
are with young.

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And you could turn over to
chapter 49 and verse 22 and find

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something very similar.
This is a picture of the Good

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Shepherd who gathers together,
who collects, who brings them in

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his arms back to where they
should be.

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And that’s the idea that comes
out in this parable in Luke

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chapter 15.
So, so, so the shepherd has

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identified that one is missing
and he’s going to leave.

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He’s 99.
I don’t think he’s abandoning

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them.
I think he’s leaving them in the

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care of others, but he’s off to
find the one.

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And and I want you to note the
determination of this shepherd

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because he will search until he
find it at the end of verse 4.

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And nothing is going to stop
this shepherd finding his sheep.

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Now the big question is why is
the sheep missing?

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And that’s that’s a big question
that we need to ask for each of

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00:13:09,240 –> 00:13:11,400
these parables.
And when we ask that question,

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00:13:11,400 –> 00:13:13,800
we’re going to unlock something
different for each of these

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00:13:13,800 –> 00:13:16,320
parables.
Now, why is this sheep missing?

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00:13:16,320 –> 00:13:19,680
And now I suggest to you that
sheep don’t wake up in the

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00:13:19,680 –> 00:13:22,840
morning and think, I’m fed up
with this flock.

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00:13:23,080 –> 00:13:27,000
I don’t want to be here anymore.
I’m going to grace somewhere

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00:13:27,000 –> 00:13:28,800
else.
Sheep don’t think like that.

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00:13:28,800 –> 00:13:31,520
Sheep don’t behave like that.
That’s not how they work.

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00:13:32,280 –> 00:13:35,360
I, I, I think I’m speculating a
bit.

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00:13:35,400 –> 00:13:39,360
I think that sheep just kind of
wander a bit.

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00:13:39,960 –> 00:13:43,000
You know, they’re happy grazing.
They don’t really intend to

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00:13:43,000 –> 00:13:45,240
separate from the rest of the
flock.

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00:13:45,800 –> 00:13:49,760
And somehow this sheep has just
found itself separated.

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00:13:49,760 –> 00:13:52,680
It didn’t choose particularly,
but it’s, it’s been a bit

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00:13:52,680 –> 00:13:55,400
foolish, it’s been a bit
mindless and it’s just found

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00:13:55,400 –> 00:13:59,240
itself separated and, and it’s
absolutely certain that wherever

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00:13:59,240 –> 00:14:01,800
the sheep is, it cannot find its
way back.

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00:14:02,560 –> 00:14:05,040
It it cannot find its way back
to the flock.

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00:14:05,960 –> 00:14:08,240
So it needs a shepherd to go and
find it.

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00:14:08,960 –> 00:14:13,000
Just maybe, brothers and
sisters, the sheep has been

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00:14:13,000 –> 00:14:18,320
listening to the wrong voice.
John tells us that his sheep

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00:14:18,320 –> 00:14:22,520
know his voice and sheep
certainly know the voice of the

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00:14:22,520 –> 00:14:24,200
shepherd.
Well, maybe they’ve just been

239
00:14:24,200 –> 00:14:28,280
listening to the wrong one and
they’ve just found themselves

240
00:14:28,280 –> 00:14:31,080
wandering down a different path
because they’ve been listening

241
00:14:31,080 –> 00:14:37,320
to the wrong shepherd.
Whatever they reason, this is

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00:14:37,320 –> 00:14:39,680
going to need some intervention
by the Good Shepherd.

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00:14:39,960 –> 00:14:42,560
And of course the Lord Jesus
Christ, who presents himself to

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00:14:42,600 –> 00:14:46,400
us as the Good Shepherd, is
going to be the one who will go

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00:14:46,400 –> 00:14:51,960
out there and search and find,
and he will make sure this this

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00:14:51,960 –> 00:14:57,240
individual sheep is recovered.
Verse 6, when he cometh home,

247
00:14:58,320 –> 00:15:01,000
notice he brings the sheep to
his home, not back to the

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00:15:01,000 –> 00:15:02,840
wilderness where the others
were.

249
00:15:03,200 –> 00:15:05,640
He called together his friends
and neighbors, saying unto them,

250
00:15:05,640 –> 00:15:10,160
Rejoice with me, for I have
found my sheep which was lost

251
00:15:10,640 –> 00:15:12,560
and there’s great joy, isn’t
that?

252
00:15:13,320 –> 00:15:15,920
And the Lord Jesus Christ
finishes that parable by saying,

253
00:15:16,600 –> 00:15:19,800
I say unto you that likewise joy
shall be in heaven over once

254
00:15:19,800 –> 00:15:24,400
Sinner that repenteth this lost
sheep more than over 90 and 9

255
00:15:24,440 –> 00:15:27,840
just persons which need no
repentance.

256
00:15:28,000 –> 00:15:29,840
Those who don’t think they’re
lost.

257
00:15:30,400 –> 00:15:33,240
You lot around the edge.
He’s I’m sure he’s pointing at

258
00:15:33,240 –> 00:15:37,080
the scribes and Pharisees, or at
least he’s got them in his gaze.

259
00:15:37,320 –> 00:15:39,200
They’re the ones who thought
they were justified.

260
00:15:39,200 –> 00:15:41,040
They didn’t think they needed to
be found.

261
00:15:42,000 –> 00:15:43,720
And Jesus is saying, I don’t
need to go looking for you

262
00:15:43,720 –> 00:15:45,440
because as far as you’re
concerned, you are the

263
00:15:45,440 –> 00:15:48,400
self-righteous.
You’re not lost.

264
00:15:48,520 –> 00:15:52,400
I’m going to go and I’m going to
invest my time in those who need

265
00:15:52,480 –> 00:15:55,720
recovery.
So the Lord Jesus Christ sets

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00:15:55,720 –> 00:16:01,200
that principle for us in parable
#1 and we then come to parable

267
00:16:01,200 –> 00:16:06,480
#2 which isn’t now about a a
shepherd, but it’s now about a

268
00:16:06,480 –> 00:16:09,520
woman.
I think that’s significant

269
00:16:10,160 –> 00:16:14,280
whenever we read of particularly
Christ’s interactions with women

270
00:16:14,280 –> 00:16:18,760
or Christ’s involvement with
women or use of women as as a

271
00:16:18,760 –> 00:16:23,640
symbol, it’s always the bride,
it’s always the ecclesia.

272
00:16:24,920 –> 00:16:28,000
So in parable #1 he set the
example.

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00:16:28,480 –> 00:16:32,160
He said, this is what I do when
someone’s lost, I go and find

274
00:16:32,160 –> 00:16:34,720
and I’m going to bring back.
I’m going to search until I

275
00:16:34,720 –> 00:16:39,000
recover.
Now, it’s the job of the woman,

276
00:16:39,000 –> 00:16:42,040
it’s the job of the ecclesia.
And this is all happening in the

277
00:16:42,040 –> 00:16:45,320
house, isn’t it?
So this woman has got 10 pieces

278
00:16:45,320 –> 00:16:49,600
of silver, and if she loses one,
what’s she going to do?

279
00:16:49,600 –> 00:16:52,560
Well, she’s going to light a
candle, sweep the house and seek

280
00:16:52,560 –> 00:16:59,520
diligently until she find it.
Now, one in 10 coins.

281
00:16:59,880 –> 00:17:01,360
You could look at symbolism
here.

282
00:17:01,360 –> 00:17:04,200
You could look at symbolism
about 10 Jews making up a

283
00:17:04,200 –> 00:17:06,079
synagogue.
And if one is missing, it

284
00:17:06,079 –> 00:17:10,359
affects the fellowship of that.
There was an idea that 10 coins

285
00:17:10,359 –> 00:17:13,359
were something to do with bridal
ornaments.

286
00:17:13,720 –> 00:17:17,560
And if one is missing, maybe the
the wedding can’t take place or

287
00:17:17,560 –> 00:17:21,400
the wedding won’t be right.
Maybe it’s just money that’s put

288
00:17:21,400 –> 00:17:25,240
aside for a reason.
These 10 coins losing one out of

289
00:17:25,240 –> 00:17:29,760
those 10, well, this is
economically significant, isn’t

290
00:17:29,760 –> 00:17:32,880
it?
10% is lost.

291
00:17:33,880 –> 00:17:38,400
But let’s ask the question, why
is the coin lost?

292
00:17:40,120 –> 00:17:43,520
Now?
I’m not a coin, but I know coins

293
00:17:43,520 –> 00:17:48,200
can’t lose themselves.
This, this coin hasn’t made any

294
00:17:48,200 –> 00:17:54,200
decision to get lost, has it?
So somehow someone in the house

295
00:17:54,200 –> 00:17:58,720
has mislaid the coin, maybe the
woman herself, maybe someone

296
00:17:58,720 –> 00:18:02,800
else in the house, something has
happened and this coin is lost.

297
00:18:02,800 –> 00:18:07,200
It’s not gone, still there, but
it’s lost.

298
00:18:08,280 –> 00:18:10,440
And, and, and some of our
members, brothers and sisters in

299
00:18:10,440 –> 00:18:14,320
our community will be like that,
that they’ve not gone, that they

300
00:18:14,320 –> 00:18:16,800
might, they might still be
attending, that they might still

301
00:18:16,800 –> 00:18:21,080
be sitting in their seats week
in, week out.

302
00:18:21,080 –> 00:18:24,720
But spiritually, their
relationship with the Lord Jesus

303
00:18:24,720 –> 00:18:29,840
Christ is broken and, and, and
they are lost and they’re among

304
00:18:29,840 –> 00:18:31,120
us.
Maybe it’s you.

305
00:18:31,280 –> 00:18:34,840
And this is quite sobering,
isn’t it?

306
00:18:35,040 –> 00:18:39,400
Now, the kind of houses that
this, this woman would live in

307
00:18:39,400 –> 00:18:42,080
will be very simple.
Before walls, there would be a

308
00:18:42,080 –> 00:18:44,120
door.
There may possibly be a window

309
00:18:44,120 –> 00:18:47,240
in the far wall, but it will be
dark, it will be dingy, and it

310
00:18:47,240 –> 00:18:52,720
will be a sandy or an earthy
floor, maybe with some reeds to

311
00:18:52,720 –> 00:18:55,480
drop a coin on that it’s going
to be hard to find.

312
00:18:56,480 –> 00:18:59,160
So this woman is going to look
and she’s going to look hard to

313
00:18:59,160 –> 00:19:01,920
find this coin.
And what does she do?

314
00:19:01,920 –> 00:19:06,000
There are two things she does to
find the thing that’s lost.

315
00:19:06,440 –> 00:19:11,320
One is she lights a candle and
the other is she sweeps.

316
00:19:12,520 –> 00:19:15,800
Now those two things aren’t just
chosen to embellish the story.

317
00:19:15,800 –> 00:19:18,200
When you think about it, the
Lord Jesus Christ is making a

318
00:19:18,200 –> 00:19:23,400
point there, that the light,
well, the Word of God is the

319
00:19:23,400 –> 00:19:25,840
light, isn’t it?
A lamp unto our feet, a light

320
00:19:25,840 –> 00:19:28,280
unto our path.
That’s what the Word of God is.

321
00:19:29,240 –> 00:19:31,480
And maybe therefore, brothers
and sisters, if we’re looking

322
00:19:31,480 –> 00:19:36,560
for the lost in our ecclesia,
introduce more Scripture.

323
00:19:37,160 –> 00:19:39,920
Find a way of doing that.
Find a way of talking about

324
00:19:39,920 –> 00:19:42,360
Scripture a bit more.
We’ll all be very good at

325
00:19:42,360 –> 00:19:44,960
talking about holidays and cars
and this and that, but it’s just

326
00:19:44,960 –> 00:19:49,200
introduce a bit of Scripture and
and talk to brothers and sisters

327
00:19:49,200 –> 00:19:51,720
and see where you’ll see where
their faith is.

328
00:19:52,400 –> 00:19:55,120
If they can’t talk about the
scriptures and the things that

329
00:19:55,120 –> 00:19:58,960
are meaningful to them, then
maybe they’re becoming lost.

330
00:19:59,440 –> 00:20:03,960
So this woman introduces more
light, and then she sweeps.

331
00:20:04,840 –> 00:20:07,920
And it’s a it’s a Passover type
symbol, isn’t it?

332
00:20:07,920 –> 00:20:11,160
Sweeping for the leaven?
That might not be a pleasant

333
00:20:11,160 –> 00:20:14,360
process.
You sweep A dusty floor, dust

334
00:20:14,360 –> 00:20:16,680
flies, furnitures all over the
place.

335
00:20:17,120 –> 00:20:20,840
This could cause trouble.
But this woman is going to find

336
00:20:20,840 –> 00:20:25,200
the coin that’s lost.
Coin hasn’t lost itself.

337
00:20:25,920 –> 00:20:29,640
Coin isn’t to blame.
I suggest it’s just missing and

338
00:20:30,240 –> 00:20:35,240
needs to be found.
So parable #2, I suggest to you,

339
00:20:35,640 –> 00:20:39,520
is a great symbol about
ecclesial life.

340
00:20:40,120 –> 00:20:43,480
We ought to be looking for that
which is lost.

341
00:20:44,280 –> 00:20:46,800
Which brings us then to parable
#3.

342
00:20:47,160 –> 00:20:52,000
Parable #3 begins in verse 11,
Parable of the Prodigal Son.

343
00:20:52,000 –> 00:20:56,320
You know it extremely well.
He said a certain man had two

344
00:20:56,320 –> 00:20:57,960
sons.
The younger of them said to his

345
00:20:57,960 –> 00:21:01,560
father, Father, give me the
portion of goods that falleth to

346
00:21:01,560 –> 00:21:04,400
me.
And he divided unto them his

347
00:21:04,440 –> 00:21:08,320
living.
So you, you know this story.

348
00:21:08,920 –> 00:21:12,320
Here comes the son.
He looks very demanding.

349
00:21:12,760 –> 00:21:18,520
He looks very uncaring.
In rather blunt language, he

350
00:21:18,520 –> 00:21:23,760
says, Give me my inheritance.
You’re going to die one day.

351
00:21:23,760 –> 00:21:25,560
It’ll all come to me and my
brother.

352
00:21:25,560 –> 00:21:30,600
I’ll have it now, please.
It’s rather uncaring,

353
00:21:30,600 –> 00:21:35,080
unthoughtful, isn’t it?
It’s, it’s also implying more

354
00:21:35,080 –> 00:21:38,840
than that.
It’s also implying I don’t want

355
00:21:38,840 –> 00:21:43,920
to live in your house anymore.
And if this is a picture of of

356
00:21:43,920 –> 00:21:48,480
God, as I think it is, and his
children, here is someone

357
00:21:48,480 –> 00:21:52,320
saying, I don’t want to live in
God’s house anymore and I

358
00:21:52,320 –> 00:21:55,840
certainly don’t want to live
with my brother anymore.

359
00:21:56,160 –> 00:21:58,200
Give me my share.
And I’m off.

360
00:21:59,520 –> 00:22:04,320
And it’s a very unpleasant
attitude that’s presented here

361
00:22:04,720 –> 00:22:08,520
in the sun.
But let me just let me just ask

362
00:22:08,520 –> 00:22:12,240
you this.
If the shepherd had known that a

363
00:22:12,240 –> 00:22:16,960
sheep was about to wander off,
don’t you think he’d have been

364
00:22:17,440 –> 00:22:21,160
very careful to make extra
precautions to make sure that

365
00:22:21,160 –> 00:22:25,440
the sheep didn’t wander off?
And don’t you think that if the

366
00:22:25,440 –> 00:22:29,320
woman knew a coin was in danger
of being lost, she’d be extra

367
00:22:29,320 –> 00:22:32,800
careful to make sure they were
all locked away safely and she

368
00:22:32,800 –> 00:22:36,320
knew exactly where they were?
I’m, I’m speculating, but that

369
00:22:36,320 –> 00:22:40,720
sounds right, doesn’t it?
When you get to parable #3 and

370
00:22:40,720 –> 00:22:47,000
it’s about God and his children,
one of the children say, I want

371
00:22:47,000 –> 00:22:52,560
to leave.
The father doesn’t raise one

372
00:22:52,560 –> 00:22:56,240
word of opposition.
Don’t you think that’s

373
00:22:56,240 –> 00:23:00,160
interesting?
No, not, not only that, arguably

374
00:23:00,160 –> 00:23:03,120
the father makes it easy because
he says, OK, you want your share

375
00:23:03,120 –> 00:23:05,000
of the inheritance.
Here it is, off you go.

376
00:23:06,680 –> 00:23:11,160
Isn’t that interesting?
And then when the when the

377
00:23:11,160 –> 00:23:14,320
shepherd realizes that a sheep
is missing, he’s off out there.

378
00:23:14,320 –> 00:23:17,120
He’s looking through highways
and byways until he finds his

379
00:23:17,120 –> 00:23:20,000
sheep and brings it back.
When the woman realizes a coin

380
00:23:20,000 –> 00:23:22,520
is missing, she’s lighting
candles, she’s sweeping the

381
00:23:22,520 –> 00:23:25,800
floor, she’s creating turmoil in
order that she might recover it.

382
00:23:26,240 –> 00:23:31,320
When the sun goes missing,
Father does absolutely nothing.

383
00:23:33,200 –> 00:23:35,440
This isn’t the same parable at
all, is it?

384
00:23:35,440 –> 00:23:39,080
This is, this is interesting.
Now we’re beginning to see that

385
00:23:39,080 –> 00:23:43,160
the Lord Jesus Christ is telling
us different things here.

386
00:23:43,840 –> 00:23:47,560
And I’d like to suggest in
parable #3 we’re seeing insights

387
00:23:48,000 –> 00:23:50,400
into how God works with his
children.

388
00:23:50,560 –> 00:23:53,840
This isn’t about Christ going
and looking for that one thing

389
00:23:53,840 –> 00:23:56,640
that’s lost.
This isn’t about the ecclesia

390
00:23:56,640 –> 00:23:59,480
and needing to be spiritually
strong and helping all our

391
00:23:59,480 –> 00:24:02,680
members come together.
This is how God deals with his

392
00:24:02,680 –> 00:24:06,240
children, how he deals with you,
and how He deals with me.

393
00:24:06,240 –> 00:24:10,840
And it’s very insightful.
And here he is letting the sun

394
00:24:10,840 –> 00:24:13,880
go.
And we should be alarmed by

395
00:24:13,880 –> 00:24:17,080
that.
And the reason God is letting

396
00:24:17,080 –> 00:24:23,600
the Son go is because this Son
has made a deliberate decision

397
00:24:23,840 –> 00:24:28,000
to go.
This would be a godly house.

398
00:24:28,440 –> 00:24:32,480
Godly principles will be there.
This Son will be brought up with

399
00:24:32,560 –> 00:24:35,640
a good understanding of the
things of God, and he is making

400
00:24:35,640 –> 00:24:39,800
a deliberate choice to leave.
And the Father won’t stop him.

401
00:24:39,800 –> 00:24:42,240
I’m sure the Father will have
had conversations in the past

402
00:24:42,240 –> 00:24:45,360
about what’s right and what’s
wrong and where it’s best to be.

403
00:24:46,160 –> 00:24:48,520
But the son is saying, I’m not
interested.

404
00:24:48,760 –> 00:24:51,360
I, I want out of here.
I’m going to live in a different

405
00:24:51,360 –> 00:24:54,880
house and he’s going to leave
and he’s going to enjoy his

406
00:24:54,880 –> 00:24:57,880
money and he’s going to move to
a different country, to a

407
00:24:57,880 –> 00:25:00,920
Gentile country.
He’s going to serve a Gentile

408
00:25:00,920 –> 00:25:04,000
master.
And God is allowing the

409
00:25:04,080 –> 00:25:08,080
principle of free will here.
If you want to leave, you can

410
00:25:08,080 –> 00:25:10,040
leave.
He’s not physically going to

411
00:25:10,040 –> 00:25:15,000
stop you.
And then in the parable, we have

412
00:25:15,000 –> 00:25:18,560
the principle of free will.
But then Providence kicks in

413
00:25:18,560 –> 00:25:23,600
because when this man is at his
lowest point, a famine comes.

414
00:25:23,720 –> 00:25:26,120
You know, it couldn’t get worse
for him, but it does.

415
00:25:26,840 –> 00:25:31,240
And he’s in a Gentile land,
serving a Gentile Lord without

416
00:25:31,240 –> 00:25:36,560
any friends, feeding swine,
unclean animals.

417
00:25:36,720 –> 00:25:39,280
You know this, this man is
brought low, isn’t it?

418
00:25:39,280 –> 00:25:43,120
And maybe that’s maybe that’s
how God works with his people.

419
00:25:43,120 –> 00:25:47,960
You can choose to leave, but
maybe Providence is trying to

420
00:25:47,960 –> 00:25:51,000
bring you back.
And maybe that bringing back

421
00:25:51,000 –> 00:25:54,640
process isn’t a pleasant one,
but perhaps it would have been

422
00:25:54,640 –> 00:25:56,680
better to stay put in the first
place.

423
00:25:57,880 –> 00:26:00,160
And it’s remarkable, isn’t it,
that when this man comes to his

424
00:26:00,160 –> 00:26:04,840
senses, verse 18 you know it, I
will arise, go to my father and

425
00:26:04,840 –> 00:26:07,760
we’ll say unto the Father,
Father, I have sinned against

426
00:26:07,760 –> 00:26:10,720
heaven and before thee.
I am no more worthy to be called

427
00:26:10,720 –> 00:26:13,360
thy son.
Make me as one of thy hired

428
00:26:13,360 –> 00:26:15,480
servants.
So, so this man has a change of

429
00:26:15,480 –> 00:26:17,080
heart.
We know that he’s going to

430
00:26:17,080 –> 00:26:20,520
confess his sins to his father.
He’s going to come go back and

431
00:26:21,040 –> 00:26:24,200
and he’s going to be like you
and me because when he gets

432
00:26:24,200 –> 00:26:29,800
back, he’s effectively saying
I’m going to earn your respect,

433
00:26:30,320 –> 00:26:34,200
make me a servant and I’m going
to earn your respect.

434
00:26:34,200 –> 00:26:38,760
I’ll work for you.
And we all need to realise that

435
00:26:38,760 –> 00:26:41,160
that’s not how our relationship
with it is with God.

436
00:26:41,640 –> 00:26:43,760
You, you could sit here this
morning, brothers and sisters,

437
00:26:43,760 –> 00:26:46,360
and you can make your vows and
make your commitment that you’re

438
00:26:46,360 –> 00:26:49,920
going to be better and stronger
and a more dedicated disciple.

439
00:26:50,480 –> 00:26:54,480
And you will go out and you will
fail and you’ll come back next

440
00:26:54,480 –> 00:26:56,440
week and you’ll have to make the
same vows again.

441
00:26:57,040 –> 00:26:58,720
And you’ll go out and you’ll
fail.

442
00:26:58,760 –> 00:27:01,640
And eventually we get to the
point where we realise it

443
00:27:01,640 –> 00:27:07,320
doesn’t work like that, because
this man needs to learn

444
00:27:07,320 –> 00:27:11,840
something and he’s about to
learn it from the Father now,

445
00:27:12,640 –> 00:27:15,640
the father who’s been waiting
for the son to come back.

446
00:27:15,680 –> 00:27:19,320
I wonder if he knew how bad
things had got.

447
00:27:20,360 –> 00:27:23,960
The older brother seemed to know
what kind of lifestyle his his

448
00:27:23,960 –> 00:27:28,600
younger brother was having.
I wonder if news filtered back.

449
00:27:29,000 –> 00:27:34,040
If it filtered back.
The father doesn’t send any food

450
00:27:34,040 –> 00:27:36,680
parcels, does he?
He doesn’t send a bit of money

451
00:27:36,680 –> 00:27:40,000
to help.
He doesn’t send any messages

452
00:27:40,000 –> 00:27:43,960
saying come home son.
All is forgiven that the

453
00:27:43,960 –> 00:27:48,880
Father’s still at the point
where he is doing nothing, and

454
00:27:48,880 –> 00:27:53,760
he will do nothing until the
original decision is reversed.

455
00:27:53,760 –> 00:28:00,960
As soon as the Son said I want
out of here, God can’t do any

456
00:28:00,960 –> 00:28:06,480
more and he let him go.
Soon as the Son says I want back

457
00:28:06,480 –> 00:28:10,840
in, then the Father just leaps
into action, doesn’t he?

458
00:28:12,000 –> 00:28:15,720
Maybe he’s waiting for you to
say, I want to come back.

459
00:28:16,560 –> 00:28:20,320
And the Father, we discover was
there and he was watching and he

460
00:28:20,320 –> 00:28:22,600
was looking for the earliest
sign.

461
00:28:22,600 –> 00:28:25,960
And as soon as he sees the sign,
he’s out there running.

462
00:28:25,960 –> 00:28:27,600
Isn’t it?
We, we often comments, don’t we?

463
00:28:27,600 –> 00:28:30,320
This is the only example in
Scripture of God running.

464
00:28:30,560 –> 00:28:32,960
And he’s doing it in haste to
bring back this Son who’s

465
00:28:32,960 –> 00:28:36,760
changed his mind and wants to be
back in the Father’s house.

466
00:28:37,120 –> 00:28:40,560
And you’ll notice when the when
the son gets back to the Father,

467
00:28:40,760 –> 00:28:43,040
he’s got his prepared speech
ready, hasn’t he?

468
00:28:43,040 –> 00:28:46,120
He’s going to say his words.
And he does in verse 21.

469
00:28:46,120 –> 00:28:49,800
Father, I have sinned against
heaven and in thy sight notice

470
00:28:49,800 –> 00:28:53,360
it’s that way round.
He’s sinned against God and in

471
00:28:53,360 –> 00:28:55,680
his Father’s sight.
That’s always, it’s always that

472
00:28:55,680 –> 00:28:58,160
way round.
And I’m no more worthy to be

473
00:28:58,160 –> 00:29:02,480
called thy son.
And the rest of the bit is make

474
00:29:02,480 –> 00:29:04,680
me a hired servant.
But God intervenes.

475
00:29:04,680 –> 00:29:07,040
The Father intervenes at that
point and doesn’t let me say

476
00:29:07,040 –> 00:29:11,480
that you can’t work your way
back into my respect.

477
00:29:11,480 –> 00:29:14,920
You can’t earn it.
It’ll be my gift.

478
00:29:15,120 –> 00:29:19,680
Here, have clothes, have shoes,
have this fattered calf, welcome

479
00:29:19,680 –> 00:29:22,040
back into my house.
It’s my gift to you.

480
00:29:22,800 –> 00:29:25,120
You can’t earn it.
You will be a failure if you try

481
00:29:25,120 –> 00:29:27,480
and earn it.
But you can receive it as a

482
00:29:27,480 –> 00:29:30,360
gift.
And that’s what God is doing.

483
00:29:31,680 –> 00:29:34,040
And it’s, it’s going to work its
way through in the other son,

484
00:29:34,040 –> 00:29:35,440
isn’t it?
Because as the parable

485
00:29:35,440 –> 00:29:39,640
continues, there’s another son.
And this other son has now gone

486
00:29:39,640 –> 00:29:43,000
out of the house.
And he’d been there and he’d

487
00:29:43,000 –> 00:29:46,200
served and he’d followed all the
commands and he’d done it out of

488
00:29:46,200 –> 00:29:51,960
a very cold, clinical kind of
response to the things of God.

489
00:29:51,960 –> 00:29:54,440
And he was serving, but there
was no love in it.

490
00:29:54,480 –> 00:29:57,720
I he, he wanted the inheritance.
He wanted to have the lifestyle

491
00:29:57,720 –> 00:29:59,840
of his brother.
And he certainly wasn’t coming

492
00:29:59,840 –> 00:30:01,520
back into the house if his
brother was back.

493
00:30:01,520 –> 00:30:03,360
You, you, you know how the story
goes.

494
00:30:03,960 –> 00:30:07,720
And, and you’ll notice, brothers
and sisters, that it ends with

495
00:30:07,720 –> 00:30:11,640
an invitation, The father saying
your brother’s back, come into

496
00:30:11,640 –> 00:30:15,360
the house.
The father’s saying that and the

497
00:30:15,360 –> 00:30:19,400
parable isn’t concluded.
It’s it’s famous, this parable

498
00:30:19,400 –> 00:30:22,320
for not having an ending.
You know, we’re all saying,

499
00:30:22,320 –> 00:30:23,880
well, what happens to the older
brother?

500
00:30:23,880 –> 00:30:27,280
Does he come back or doesn’t he?
And the answer is we don’t know

501
00:30:27,280 –> 00:30:29,760
because what the Lord Jesus
Christ is doing to all these

502
00:30:29,760 –> 00:30:33,080
Pharisees and all these scribes
on the edges saying, you are

503
00:30:33,080 –> 00:30:35,200
that older brother.
They knew he was talking about

504
00:30:35,200 –> 00:30:37,160
them.
Do you want to come back or not?

505
00:30:37,960 –> 00:30:40,880
And if the Lord Jesus Christ had
said, but the older brother

506
00:30:40,880 –> 00:30:44,440
didn’t listen and he never came
in, He’d have given them their

507
00:30:44,440 –> 00:30:47,840
answer, but he’s actually
extending an invitation and they

508
00:30:47,840 –> 00:30:51,520
could come back.
Now, there’s one last thing I

509
00:30:51,520 –> 00:30:53,720
just want to point out.
I finished now, brothers and

510
00:30:53,720 –> 00:30:56,400
sisters, I’ve tried to draw to
your attention some lovely

511
00:30:56,400 –> 00:31:00,400
pictures here, particularly in
parable #3 about how God is

512
00:31:00,400 –> 00:31:01,800
working.
He’s waiting.

513
00:31:01,800 –> 00:31:06,320
And as soon as you show a desire
to return to Him, He will leap

514
00:31:06,320 –> 00:31:11,000
into action and be pleased to
give his gifts to us.

515
00:31:11,000 –> 00:31:15,560
But I just want to show you the
transformation that he’s looking

516
00:31:15,560 –> 00:31:19,280
for in you and me.
Because when this young man

517
00:31:19,280 –> 00:31:27,200
started out in verse 11, his his
demand to the father was give

518
00:31:27,200 –> 00:31:30,800
me.
Maybe in our relationship with

519
00:31:30,800 –> 00:31:35,600
God, that’s where we start out
with, I meant maybe not as as

520
00:31:35,600 –> 00:31:40,040
bleakly as this, but we do say
in our prayers, it would be good

521
00:31:40,040 –> 00:31:42,120
if you did this for me.
Could you help me with that?

522
00:31:42,120 –> 00:31:44,880
Could I pray to you about this?
And we ask God for lots of

523
00:31:44,880 –> 00:31:46,160
things.
Maybe that’s where our

524
00:31:46,160 –> 00:31:50,800
relationship starts.
But as you look a little bit

525
00:31:50,800 –> 00:31:55,320
further on and this man has
changed completely.

526
00:31:55,320 –> 00:32:00,320
In verse 19, he says I am no
more worthy to be called thy

527
00:32:00,320 –> 00:32:03,680
son.
Make me.

528
00:32:05,480 –> 00:32:06,960
Those two words are very
different.

529
00:32:07,320 –> 00:32:11,400
There was a time when we might
have been saying, give me our

530
00:32:11,400 –> 00:32:13,200
prayer.
Now has to be very different.

531
00:32:13,200 –> 00:32:18,080
We need to be saying to God,
make me, make something of me,

532
00:32:19,080 –> 00:32:23,480
that this is all I am, but in
your hands you can make

533
00:32:23,600 –> 00:32:28,240
something of me.
And I’m throwing myself on your

534
00:32:28,240 –> 00:32:31,880
mercy and your grace.
And that’s where this man came

535
00:32:31,880 –> 00:32:33,600
to.
And that’s where we are,

536
00:32:33,600 –> 00:32:36,720
brothers and sisters now as we
come to break bread, to remember

537
00:32:36,720 –> 00:32:39,640
the one who looks after those
who are lost.

538
00:32:40,080 –> 00:32:45,440
Our prayer is that in his hands
he might make something of us

539
00:32:45,760 –> 00:32:48,640
fitted for his Kingdom.
Thank you for listening.

540
00:33:03,280 –> 00:33:05,400
Thank you for listening to the
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541
00:33:05,400 –> 00:33:08,000
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We hope this talk helped you in

542
00:33:08,000 –> 00:33:09,520
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543
00:33:10,680 –> 00:33:12,720
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558
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559
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