Welcome to this new episode of the Gospel for the Nations podcast. This podcast has been brought to you by Pastor Kareem. Our desire is to open the Word of God with you and to speak in a way that is clear, simple, and full of grace. Wherever you are listening from, we pray that the Holy Spirit will touch your heart through his word, strengthen your faith, and draw you closer to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01Today we continue our study of the parables of Jesus, Luke chapter 15, as I've mentioned. So this chapter is divided into three distinct parts, a kind of a threefold. Yet they are all united by the same message that God gives us to Jesus Christ, which is the greatness of his grace and his deep desire to seek those whom the Father has given to him, to Jesus. Those who have been sought and found and saved, having been chosen by the Father before the foundation of the world. So last week we looked together at the parable of the lost sheep, the sheep that belongs to the Good Shepherd of Israel, as well as those who belong to Him, His redeemed people, and who have received the grace of God, and that comes to eternal life with the Father. But this week we will look at a different parable. This parable is found only in this gospel, the Gospel of Luke, that is similar in its message, but different in a way that is presented. This time it's no longer a man who loses an animal that is precious to him, a sheep for which he is responsible, a sheep that he must feed, cheer, and care for throughout his life, before going to search for it and find it again. Instead, it is a woman who loses one of her ten silver coins, a drachma, of a great value among the ten that she is possessing. She searches for it carefully until she finds it. And then she shares her joy with those around her, both friends and neighbors, showing the extent of her daily responsibility and the joy she experiences in recovering what had been lost. What is interesting to notice is that this time the Lord Jesus Christ uses the example of a woman rather than a man. And he places the scene inside a house, a confined and intimate place, a whole home, instead of an open and spacious seating for the sheep. This may lead us to think that the Lord is drawing our attention to his own house, the place that belongs to him. Not that we are silver coins, not at all, but this picture reminds us that we are of a great value in his sight. So this parable also shows us the place of a godly and faithful woman in God's plan, faithfully carrying out the responsibilities that the Lord has entrusted her and reflecting his grace to those whom he places in her path. So let us now look together at this beautiful parable and discover how the Lord desires to teach us through the depth of his word. Amen. Verse 8 to 10. Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I found the coin that I had lost. Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Amen. So let us now take this passage verse by verse in order to better understand what the Lord Jesus is teaching us here. Or, what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it. The word or here means in a simple manner, or if you'd like another explanation, here is another illustration. This or is very important because it's connecting to the other parable. But this time Jesus uses an example that would certainly speak more directly to women who are listening, but also to men who could easily imagine their own wives in such a situation, responsible for managing the household and probably also a portion of the family's savings. So Jesus desire to reach every heart, man and woman. He does not by using simple illustration drawn from everyday life, he does, yes, taking examples, leaving examples, he does not teach only through extraordinary or supernatural events, but through ordinary situations that were easy for men and women of this day to understand, and that are still just as understandable for us today. This is the beauty of a parable, it is simple to understand through the work of the Holy Spirit. So the coin used in this parable is called a drachma. It was a silver coin that was widely known to the Greek world in the days of Jesus. It was worth approximately one day of wages. Today that will be roughly equivalent to 800 baht, something like that. Losing even a single drachma was therefore a significant loss, especially for a modest household. However, in this parable, the value of the coin probably did not lie on its monetary worth. So many commentators and scholars believe that the ten drachmas may have formed part of ornaments worn by a married woman, perhaps as a headpiece or a necklace that she had received on the day of her marriage. If that was the case, losing one of those coins represented not only a financial loss, but also very sentimental and a symbolic one. Whatever the case may be, whether it was simply a silver coin or part of a precious piece of jewelry, this drachma was a great value of this woman. This is why she searches for it so carefully. As in the previous parable, this loss is very real when we look at it from a human perspective. To us, something is lost simply because we can no longer see it. We cannot see it, so we say it is lost. But God never loses the knowledge of those who belong to Him. What is lost in our eyes is never lost in God's eyes. The fact that only one coin is lost out of ten also reminds us that the parable of the lost sheep, but this time the proportion is different. The proportion is even greater, it is one out of ten. It is interesting to notice that Jesus progressively brings his listeners closer to what is lost. First, there is the lost sheep, one out of one hundred in the wilderness. Then there is this lost coin, one out of ten in the house. And finally, in the last part of this chapter, there is one son lost out of two in the family. So next week we will see this parable of the lost son, of the prodigal son. With each parable, our Lord Jesus draws us closer to the father's heart from wilderness to the house and family. When we read that the woman lights a lamp to search for the lost coin, I do not want to impose my interpretation to the text, but there is a thought that comes to my mind. The Lord Himself tells us that the lamp is not hidden under a basket but placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house, right? The parable of the lamp. Could he be reminding us that it is by the light of his word that illuminates this house and brings to himself those who the Father has entrusted to him? I love the word of God because it continually gives us light. Every time we read it, it reveals a little more of the wisdom and the greatness of God, the depth of his love, and the beauty of his saving work toward those who belong to him. But there is something else that we should notice. The woman does not simply light the lamp, she also sweeps the house. Sweeping was part of the faithful's daily responsibility, removing the dust and the dirt that continually accumulated in her home, taking care of her home, of the household. So, in a similar way, the Lord continually works in our hearts through his word and by the Holy Spirit. He first brings sinners to repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and then he continues to sanctify his children day by day, stirring up the dust of pride, bitterness, and worldliness that so easily defile our hearts, removing whatever hinders our relationship with Him and conforming us to the likeness of Christ. So God does not sweep our hearts to punish us. Never He sweeps them to expose what is hidden and draw us to Himself. Isn't it beautiful? Let's continue. And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. So when Jesus tells us that the woman finds the lost coin, we can sense a note of certainty. She does not give up her search. She continues looking until she finds what she had lost. I have a question for you. Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever searched for something that you had lost? While deep down, convinced that sooner or later you will find it. You search something, but you know for sure that you will find it again. It happened to me many times. I know where it is. I'm sure it's in the house. You keep searching with determination because you know it is there somewhere. You not give up, you keep looking until you find it. I am sure it's there. That is exactly this attitude of this woman. She knows her house, she knows every corner and every room. Nothing is unfamiliar to her, and nothing is hidden from her eyes. So, in the same way, our Lord knows every part of the earth, every soul, and every creature that lives upon it. Nothing escapes his omniscience. Amen. The prophet Isaiah declares, Thus said the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What is the house that you will build for me? And what is the place of my rest? Isaiah 66:1. Everything belonged to the Creator. Then we are given this beautiful picture of a woman filled with joy, calling her friends and neighbors to come and share in her celebration with joy, gladness, and love. So we should have the same attitude of this woman. Whatever her soul is saved and becomes our brother or sister in Christ, it should always be a reason for joy, love, and thanksgiving in the household of God. It is also interesting to notice that the woman says, the coin that had lost. So if we analyze this sentence, she does not try to hide what happened. If we go really deeply, she said it was lost. I made a mistake. She openly speaks about both the loss she experienced and the joy she now has. In the same way, whether we go through seasons of weakness or seasons of rejoicing, it is important that we share these things with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Right? So these friends and neighbors also remind us of those with whom we share the same spiritual household, the local church, whatever you are. It is there that the Lord gathers us together to bear one another's burdens, to share both joys and trials, to grow together in maturity, in love, in the knowledge of God through the scriptures, so that we may reflect the joy of his kingdom to the world around us. So this woman's testimony before those around her also reveals something about her character. Her friends and neighbors come to rejoice with her, which suggests that she is a woman of integrity, welcoming, open to others, and sincere in her relationships. Her home was undoubtedly a place of worship, fellowship, sharing, hospitality, where joy could be experienced together. For hospitality also reflects the very heart of God. Throughout the scripture, God called us to open our homes, to welcome others, and to live in genuine fellowship with one another. So in the epistle of Hebrews, it says, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13, verse 2. Our homes should be places where the love of Christ is made visible, where brothers and sisters are welcomed with joy, and where God's blessings are shared for his glory alone. So now let's turn to the last verse. Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. So, when Jesus says, So I tell you, you notice that Jesus continues to speak directly to the Pharisees and the scribes, those who were present where he was teaching them. In this second parable about the grace of God revealed through the salvation in Jesus, repentance is once again the central theme. Because he's ending also the parable of the lost sheep in the same manner. Repentance. It is a call to change our way, a sincere and genuine turning of the hearts back to God. He turns us away from the desire to do what pleases ourselves and leads us to seek what pleases God. Asking him to enlighten us by the Spirit of God and to guide us according to his will. This is how we please God. Only a regenerated heart that has experienced the grace of God can truly understand this reality. Like the sinner in this verse, who recognizes that he was empty within. That nothing could satisfy his soul, and that his only hope was to reconcile to God. So Jesus does not simply say that the angels rejoice. He says there is joy before the angels of God. The angels, therefore, are the witnesses of this heavenly glory, this heavenly joy. So the angels of God are spiritual beings created by God to serve Him and to accomplish His will. Although they do not have physical bodies like human beings, God sometimes allows them to appear in human form in order to carry out the mission he entrusts to them. So the word angel comes from the Greek word angelos, which means messenger. Throughout the scriptures, angels appears as God's heavenly messengers. But the word angelos is also used of a human messenger. In the book of Revelation, for example, the Lord Jesus said to the Apostle John regarding the seven churches in the book of Revelation. Beforehand, he says, Write this to the angel of the church in Ephesians. So many commentators and scholars understand that this angel to refer to the messenger of the church, that is its pastor or spiritual leader, given by Christ to his church as a gift, and entrusted with faithfully proclaiming the word of God. Throughout the scriptures, angels also appear as protectors, worshipers, and servants who faithfully carry out God's commands, including when they are sent to execute his judgment upon the earth at the glorious return of Jesus Christ. They display his power, his wisdom, and his providence by always accomplishing his will for his glory. The Apostle Peter also reminds us: it was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you in the things that have now been announced to you. Those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things into which angels long to look. So even the apostles acknowledged the fact that angels were messengers of God. So the angels therefore look with admiration upon the work of salvation. Because it is accomplished by God, not by them. They are not the authors of salvation, but the witnesses of the sovereign grace. So it shows us also the repented sinner. Yes, heaven rejoices whenever a single sinner repents. Yes, it is a fact. But we too should rejoice that the Lord give us the privilege of proclaiming the gospel and of going to the lost, the lost drachmas of the household of God. Are we rejoicing to spread the gospel? So, what an honor it is to be the instruments of God used to call the sinner for what? For repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns. Amen. To conclude this message today, returning to the picture of the woman whom our Lord Jesus uses as an example. It is important to understand that the drachma symbolizes the preciousness of those who our heavenly father desires to find. So very often, when we look back over the course of our lives, we realize that God was already at work, he was there. Yet we neither understood it nor had the ability to see it, or simply because his time for our salvation had not come yet. So, just as I asked you last week, if you remember, ask you the same question today, but in a different way. What is there in your life today that is keeping you from returning to the Father's house? What is holding you? I am talking to unbeliever as believers. What is holding you? What has great value in your eyes? A greater value than your own soul. What has a greater value than your own soul? And the last one is what is still keeping you from coming to Jesus or coming back. If you hear his word today, know that God is calling you. Allow yourself to be loved by the one who created you and who loved you first by sending his only and begotten Son to die on the cross. He, the righteous one, died in the place of the unrighteous, in order to reconcile to God all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. So you have immeasurable value in the sight of God. Even today, he is calling you, do not resist his voice. So believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of your sins and come to him while there is still time. Thus the prophet Isaiah gives us this solemn invitation, which the Apostle Paul also repeats in the Epistles of Romans. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Amen. So what can we learn and apply from this passage? The lost coin symbolizes God's love for his own. Yes, he loves us. The lost coin symbolizes God's sovereignty purpose. He is the one who decides and decrees. He is the one who attracts you to Jesus by his divine grace. And the lost coin symbolizes God's saving grace. It's an unmerited favor. We cannot earn salvation. And the lost coin symbolizes God's faithful care, God's providence. Because he loves us so much. And he will continue to work through us for our sanctification. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Almighty and Sovereign God, we want to thank you for your holy word, for your grace, which enables us to know you and to worship you in spirit and in truth in this place, Lord. We thank you because you are merciful and compassionate. We ask you to deepen our conviction that we are precious in your sight, and that you seek your lost coins. Call them to your Son, Jesus Christ, and grant them with joy, true joy, true rest, true peace, and most of it eternal life. All for your glory, O Lord, for your holy name. We surrender everything into your hands, trusting you completely and choosing to walk by faith. Keep us in a narrow path and continue to sanctify us, transform us into the likeness of Christ. Through your power, O Lord. We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the good shepherd of our souls, the head of this church. We all pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for listening today. If the Lord used this message to bless you, feel free to share it so others can also be encouraged and strengthened for the coming days. Keep seeking Him, keep reading His Word, and keep trusting His grace every single day.