The Joy of the Lord

The Joy of the Lord

Luke 15:1-10
November 12, 2023

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‘There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.'

from Luke 15:7

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It is tempting to think that Jesus would hang out at our nice churches and with nice people, but are we ready for a Jesus who welcomes and hangs out with drunks, addicts, prostitutes, and felons?

The Pharisees were agast that Jesus would hang out with sinners.

Are we ready to welcome those kinds of people? Do we know or hang out with any of them ourselves? Can we even conceive of it?

God invites us to rejoice with him when the lost is found and even one sinner repents.

This is an amazing truth and great news. God’s great passion is to save the lost and we are invited to be part of his plan and his party, because we too once were lost, and the best we can say ourselves is, “now we are found.”