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Click here to listen to the sermon. 9mins

Jeremiah 4v11-12,22-28    Judgement

1 Timothy 1v12-17            The Lord’s Grace upon one sinner

Luke 15v1-10                   The Lost Sheep and coin.

God rejoices over each person who turns and responds to him.

The Pharisees (religious lawyers) had lived all their lives faithfully keeping the religious laws and codes, according to the covenant.

Being right with God was for them a matter of keeping the law.

Unfortunately with anyone who emphasises the law and lives by a strict code of conduct or practice, they can become quite judgemental towards others who do not.

The Pharisees ended up rejecting the wayward and distancing themselves from the sinners.

You see the law was meant to be a guide to show the people the way to the Father, (like a sign post) but the Pharisees had turned it into a measure of judgement and sending people away.

Jesus notices this harsh attitude in the Pharisees.

Jesus however speaks in terms of God’s love, not judgement towards the lost.

·       Jesus suggests that God himself goes looking for the lost sheep personally, until he finds them! v4

·       When he finds them, he brings them home! v5-6

·       Jesus welcomes those who are ‘turning’ to God, perhaps after many years of ignoring or simply forgetting to give God space in their lives. v7

·       Further more Jesus emphasises just how delighted God is when any person turns to respond to God’s invitation to come closer.  .  I tell you the truth there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one person who returns than over 99 people who did not go away. 15v7.    Note the father of the prodigal son. Luke 15v20

We are often too busy to spend much time thinking about God. People often say they have lost God, or they are not sure if or what they believe any more.

The Pharisees had not been wrong in seeking to keep the law, but they had missed the most important point of recognising God’s intense love for each person.

On the other hand Jesus was not teaching that neglecting God did not matter, he really did mean it when he said, one person who ‘turns’ back to God. (Repentant sinner as the translation says) v7.

So what can we learn?

‘God loves each one of us and longs for every one of us to live in a right relationship with him.’

In the old days, the law was the guide and instruction for that relationship.

But now, since Jesus fulfilled the law and opened that way to God, God has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us, so that he can teach and prompt us from within, and enjoy life in Him, if we are willing to give time to listen and respond to his invitation to come closer.

Our communion is our expression of having accepted that invitation for us by faith.

God rejoices over each person who turns and comes to him.