I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.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.I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance.
10 sermons cite this verse
… he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons if they had quotation marks back then that's what they would have put around it. Luke said, 99 so-called righteous persons who feel like they need no repentance. You know what sets off the fireworks in heaven? What gets God excited? It's not some legalist who checks off his to-do list of things he has to do to please God. No. What causes heaven to explode in joy is that prostitute who kneels at the feet of Jesus, weeping and repenting and asking for forgiveness. It's that thief on the cross who says, Lord, would you remember me when you come into your kingdom? That's what causes heaven to rejoice. Verse eight, or what woman, if she has 10 silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? …
… about your personal mission. Did you know that the Bible says every time somebody accepts the Lord, they throw a party in heaven. Did you know that? It's right there in Luke 15, verse 7, where the Bible says there's more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life than over 99 who don't need to turn to Christ, who are already there. The day that you accepted Jesus Christ, there was a party in heaven for you. And by the way, the day that you helped somebody else come to know the Lord, there's going to be a party in heaven, but there's also going to be a party in your heart, I want to encourage you today to look outward, to look around you and see the people who need to hear about the love of God, about the message of Christ, about the purpose of life, about the daily hope that we have in our hearts. The Bible says, always be ready to share the hope that is within you. Could I pray for you? And as we bow in prayer, you might want to pray this prayer with me. Say, Father, I want the joy that you've given me to be shared with other people. And a lot of times I'm afraid or hesitant to talk about you to others. Would you give me so much love for other people that the love overcomes my fears and gives me the right words to say as I share the hope that's in me. Allow me to help others find you, to find real …
… about your personal mission. Did you know that the Bible says every time somebody accepts the Lord, they throw a party in heaven. Did you know that? It's right there in Luke 15, verse 7, where the Bible says there's more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life than over 99 who don't need to turn to Christ, who are already there. The day that you accepted Jesus Christ, there was a party in heaven for you. And by the way, the day that you helped somebody else come to know the Lord, there's going to be a party in heaven, but there's also going to be a party in your heart, I want to encourage you today to look outward, to look around you and see the people who need to hear about the love of God, about the message of Christ, about the purpose of life, about the daily hope that we have in our hearts. The Bible says, always be ready to share the hope that is within you. Could I pray for you? And as we bow in prayer, you might want to pray this prayer with me. Say, Father, I want the joy that you've given me to be shared with other people. And a lot of times I'm afraid or hesitant to talk about you to others. Would you give me so much love for other people that the love overcomes my fears and gives me the right words to say as I share the hope that's in me. Allow me to help others find you, to find real …
… finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and his neighbors together and says, rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way that there will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. Aren't you glad that he's willing to go after the one? The one is you. The one who has wandered. The one who thinks their way is better. That is trying to take control of the situation. We are the sheep. I don't know if you know this about sheep, but They're D-U-M-B. They ain't that smart. I like to think I'm smarter than the sheep, but maybe I'm not. Where they see food far away, away from the 99, they go to it. Me too. You're trying to fill a void. You're trying to gain a title. You're trying to feed yourself something that this world is telling you that you need. …
… calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance. That's why here at the First Baptist Church of Glenard, every time somebody comes to say yes to Jesus, we ought to get enthusiastically glad, proud. We ought to clap our hands. We ought to shout and praise the Lord over one sinner that gives their heart right to God. Amen. We ought to get it. We should be excited. That's somebody's mother, somebody's father, somebody's son, somebody's daughter, somebody's friend, somebody's spouse, somebody's child. We ought to be excited that God reached down and pulled them out of darkness and said, I want to save this person. And they responded to it. You know, I know people get excited about God healing people and God opening up blinded eyes. And all of those are great miracles, but here's the real miracle when somebody gets their eyes open to who Jesus is and want to follow him. That's the real miracle when a person's heart gets changed. …
… in the same way, this is so powerful. He says, I tell you that in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. And when they heard the word repent, they understood this meant reconnect, reconnect. Back in the family, back in sync. Jesus says, I'm telling you, there is more rejoicing in heaven over that one sinner. Oh, you mean the sheep was a sinner in the 99 right? Which means they're thinking, wait, wait, wait, hey, don't go too fast. So are you telling us that God views unrighteous people as something valuable that got separated from its owner? Jesus is like, exactly. Well, that's not really how we view unrighteous people. Jesus is like, and that's why I came. This is what he would say to me. He would say, hey, before we move on, is that how you view people not as right as you? as something valuable that maybe got disconnected from the owner? …
… Rejoice with me, for I've found my lost sheep. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. This is the word of God for you, the people of God. Thanks be to God. This past Tuesday, when I exited the M1 bus right in front of the church, a voice called out to me, Pastor, it's been a long time. I looked up and saw a slender man sitting right out in the front steps there. He was holding a cardboard sign. He was asking for money. I studied his face. He looked vaguely familiar. And as I gazed his way, looking a bit perplexed, the man remarked, you don't remember me, do you? And then, thankfully, something about his voice made sense in my brain, and I blurted out, C? Is that you, C? C used to be a regular out on our steps, but I've not seen him in about eight years. …
… Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Jesus describes himself as a good shepherd. And Matthew notes that he looked on the multitudes that were following him, the people in the community who were not engaged, probably in the synagogue or anything else. He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. I was reminded both in our worry for Mabel and our intense dog hunt for her, and then the joy that we felt when we finally found her, that this is the heart of God for us. So I want to ask you this question. Have you ever felt lost? Have you ever felt like you wandered away? And you've heard this before, but if you feel far from God, which of you moved? Was it you or was it God? And I tell you, God never runs away from you, but we often slowly wander away from God. …
If you go back to verse 7, the last verse in the story about the sheep, I tell you that in the same way as there was joy in finding the sheep from verse 6, I tell you in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. If you're in the category of those who think they're righteous, you bring no joy to heaven. Ninety-nine self-righteous people who don't repent give no joy to God or the angels or the redeemed in His presence. But the recovery of a sinner makes heaven ring with joy. The next story, verses 8 to 10, is about a woman who lost a very valuable coin, and when And she found it. In verse 9, she called all her neighbors and said, Rejoice with me. And in the same way, verse 10, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. …
… Jesus said, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons who need no repentance. When Jesus here is speaking of the sheep, he's teaching us that the chief characteristic of the sheep is weakness. Weakness. A sheep is weak and that illustrates a man without God. Now it's not MUCH OF A COMPLIMENT TO BE CALLED A SHEEP. HA, HA. WE HAVE SORT OF A OVERBLOWN IDEA OF SHEEP. BUT LET ME TELL YOU THREE THINGS ABOUT SHEEP. NUMBER ONE, A SHEEP IS STUPID. THAT'S RIGHT. A SHEEP IS STUPID. A SHEEP IS DUMB. THAT'S THE REASON THE BIBLE SAYS IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 53, ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY. IF YOU'VE GONE TO THE CIRCUMST, KISS, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN A TRAINED ELEPHANT, TRAINED LIONS AND TIGERS, DOGS AND HORSES, BUT YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A TRAINED SHEEP. THINK ABOUT IT. DO YOU EVER SEE A SHEEP DOING TRICKS? HA, HA, AND YOU NEVER WILL. SHEEP ARE DUMB. AND THE BIBLE SAYS, ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY. A SHEEP IS SO EASILY HE'S EASILY LOST. …