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Scripture: Luke 4:16-22
I. Announcing the gospel to the poor:
А. Men are born poor. This poverty does not refer to the lack of possessions but to the lack of God’s presence, the lack of God’s blessing, the lack of life and peace, and the lack of eternal life. So in the Lord’s eyes, men are absolutely poor, without anything.
B. The first item of the Lord’s gracious words tells us that the gospel’s good tidings are to be preached to the poor. The Lord’s gospel causes us to have God and all the blessings of God, to have life and peace, and to enjoy eternal life.
II. Release to the captives:
А. Men are born captives. Men’s forefathers were captured by Satan. Being born of the captured forefathers, men are captives by birth, having no freedom. Many things do not depend upon man himself, because upon man and within man there is another power controlling and reigning over him. For instance, a man may not like to have the habits of fornication and gambling, but he cannot control them.
B. The Lord’s gracious words tell us that we, the captives, can be released. The Lord Jesus is the Son of God; He has been manifested to destroy the works of the devil. On the cross He has already destroyed the devil who has the power of death. So today He can dispel the power of the devil from men and release men from the power of the devil. For example, if a person was captured by a bandit, you would need someone with a greater power to conquer the bandit in order to release the captured one.
III. Recovering of sight to the blind:
А. Man is born blind, not knowing God, not knowing the origin of the universe, not knowing the meaning of human life, not knowing the destiny of man, and not knowing the snares of the devil. All these items of “not knowing” prove that man is born blind.
B. The Lord’s gracious words tell us that the blind recover their sight. This is because the Lord is light. He is the One who can shine upon the eyes of man’s heart. This enables man to know God and know the origin of the universe, to have a full understanding of the meaning of human life and the destiny of man. Thus, man is also able to recognize the snares and deceit of Satan, the devil.
IV. Release to the oppressed:
А. Men are born oppressed. Men are not only captives in Satan’s hands but also are oppressed. Men’s oppressions include the oppression that comes from physical burdens, such as the burdens of family, business, education, and sickness. Men’s oppressions also include psychological oppressions that come from dissatisfaction of the heart, restlessness, unhappiness, uneasiness, and bondage. All of these are psychological burdens. Some people may have no physical burdens. They may have abundance in their living and have good physical health, and their business, profession or education may all be very smooth. But they still have psychological burdens. Then there may be some who have no physical or psychological burdens but instead feel guilty in their consciences and are afraid of death, hell, and God’s judgment. They are afraid of God examining their living. These are burdens of the conscience. Thus, no one is free from oppression.
B. The Lord’s gracious words tell us that the oppressed may be set free. The Lord can free us from our physical burdens. He can heal our sickness and bear the burden of all our weaknesses and sufferings. So He says, “Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). The Lord can satisfy our psychological need and rid us of all psychological oppression. Much more, Christ can bear the burden of the punishment for sin and the burden of the conscience so that men no longer need to be oppressed in the conscience. Many who were afraid of the punishment for sin and were afraid of hell had peace in their conscience as soon as they received the Lord.
IV. The acceptable year of the Lord:
А. Since the day man sinned, the whole life of the entire human race has been miserable and disastrous, having no peace, no joy, no freedom, and no light. Man’s condition is described by the four points previously mentioned: poor, in captivity, blind, and oppressed.
B. The Lord’s gracious words tell us that now is the acceptable year. Since the coming of the Lord, a new era has started in human history. When Adam fell, human history entered the age of misery. When Christ came, an age of joy began in human history.
C. This happy and blissful age is the acceptable year of the Lord. Adam’s sin caused God to forsake man and to condemn man. But when Christ came, His redemption caused God not only to forgive man but also, on the positive side, to accept man. Acceptance includes reconciliation between man and God, resolving the problem that formerly existed between man and God, and God being pleased with man.
D. Conclusion:
The Lord’s gracious words give us six items: (1) the gospel’s good tidings, (2) release, (3) sight, (4) liberty, (5) the acceptable year, and (6) God’s acceptance.
VI. How to receive the Lord’s gracious words:
А. Confess our condition according to the Lord’s word. This is to confess that we are poor, in captivity, blind, oppressed, and miserable.
B. Believe the words of the Lord. Believe the gospel, and what the gospel will bring to us: release, sight, liberty, the acceptable year, and God’s acceptance. To believe is to receive according to the Lord’s words. Repeat the words in Luke 4:18-19. Believe whatever the Lord says.
This message may be presented in six meetings. Each item is good enough for a single message.
Scripture: Luke 5:1-11
I. Jesus came:
А. Jesus came to the lake of Gennesaret. A lake is a little sea. Gennesaret is called a sea in other verses. So Jesus came to the sea, which is a place of sin. Peter did not have a problem of sin on big issues but on small issues. If he went to dances or to the movies, he was not that enthusiastic about dances or movies. Going to movies in a big city is like a sea; in a small town, a lake. A real enthusiast is a sea; a casual participant is a lake. Gambling on a large scale is a sea; gambling on a small scale is a lake.
B. People pressed on Jesus. When Jesus came to the lake, which is the place of sin, people pressed on Him to hear the word of God. Although they did not really want to hear the word of God, they came just out of curiosity, to watch.
II. Receiving Jesus:
The fact that the people were pressing on Jesus out of curiosity means that they stopped fishing temporarily. That the fishermen quit fishing means that the sinners quit their sins temporarily. They did not go to the movies, gamble, or dance. As they paused, the Lord Jesus got on their ship. Some people, right when they are striving with ambition in their lives, suddenly hear the preaching of Jesus, and they put off their strife — at the time a student is on vacation, or working people are off on sick leave, they hear the gospel of Jesus. Just by this one hearing, Jesus gets into them. They have Jesus in their lives. Oh, friends, when your ship comes to a stop, when you leave the college, when you leave the store, when you leave the ballroom, you hear the word of the Lord Jesus. When your heart quiets down, it makes sense to you to believe in the Lord. This is you receiving Jesus into your ship.
III. Seeing miracles:
А. Although Peter received Jesus into his ship, he did not know who Jesus was. He was just letting Jesus use his ship. Only after Jesus performed a miracle on his ship, with the multitude of fish, did Peter realize that Jesus was not only a Nazarene but also the Lord of the universe.
B. Many people did not know who the Lord was at the time they received Him. They thought that Jesus was One with high morality, an example for men to follow. They did not know that Jesus was the Creator of the heavens and the earth. One day after they had received Jesus into their lives, they received a revelation from the Lord. Then they knew that Jesus was the Lord of the heavens and the earth. One may have failed in business. At the time he had no way out, but the Lord performed a miracle. In this way that one really got to know the Lord. Another may have been sick and may have learned who Jesus was through being healed.
Many people still think Jesus is only a great man, although they have received Jesus and have been baptized. Still they do not know who Jesus really is; they will only learn that He is the Lord after He performs a miracle in their home or in their career. Some Christians do not know the Lord for their whole life. When they were about to die, they see a miracle, and then they are really saved.
IV. Knowing one’s self:
А. Once a man knows the Lord, he gets to know himself. When Peter saw that the Lord was the Creator, he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord” (Luke 5:8).
B. Once a man knows that Christ is the Lord and God, he realizes that he is a sinner. If I say that you have sinned, you would deny it. But when you meet Jesus Christ, there will be the feeling of sin in your conscience. Even if you confess your sin, you may not really see that you are a sinner. Only when you meet Jesus do you really see your sin.
V. The Lord’s salvation:
А. As soon as Peter confessed that he was a sinner, the Lord said, “From now on you will be catching men alive” (v. 10). Peter’s living changed as well as his life. Peter changed his job from catching fish to catching men. His livelihood changed because his life had changed. His whole life had changed.
B. Once we know the Lord and confess our sins, our sins are forgiven, and we receive the Lord’s life. Our whole life is changed. This change of life is salvation.
VI. The result of being saved:
А. Forsaking the past: once Peter was saved, he forsook the lake, the ship, and the net. He forsook the life of self and sin.
B. Following Jesus: just as Peter forsook all to follow Jesus, we should also forsake all to follow Jesus.
Scripture: Luke 7:36-50
I. Receiving Jesus:
А. This is a story about a Pharisee named Simon, who invited Jesus to have dinner at his house.
B. Today there are also many who, like Simon, have heard of the fame of Jesus and want to study about Jesus. They even want to have some contact with Christianity. Do not treat Simon’s invitation as a sincere one or one coming out of believing; he only cared to investigate a little.
II. Knowing Jesus:
А. Although the Pharisee invited Jesus, he really did not know who Jesus was. He had no idea that Jesus was the Lord. He even questioned whether Jesus was a prophet, saying, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know...” (Luke 7:39).
B. Today there are many who study Christianity, but they still do not know who Jesus is. Some even consider Jesus inferior to Confucius or some other great philosophers.
C. While the Pharisee was trying to figure out in his heart who Jesus was, Jesus perceived the intent of that Pharisee. The Pharisee was talking to himself in his heart, but Jesus knew. This proves that Jesus is an extraordinary One. The Lord is not only a prophet but One who knows the intent of man. The fact that Jesus knew the intent of the Pharisee proves that Jesus is God who knows the heart of man.
D. The answer of the Lord was intended to show the Pharisee that the Lord Jesus was not only a prophet but also his Lord, and He was even the One to whom he was indebted, the One whom he had offended. There is a twofold meaning in the way that the Lord Jesus showed him that He was the Lord: (1) the Lord Jesus is God, and (2) the Lord Jesus is the One to whom he is indebted. The Pharisee considered Jesus only a good rabbi, but what the Lord Jesus did showed him that the One speaking to him was the very Lord who knew the hearts of men and who was the One to whom all men are indebted.
III. Knowing himself:
А. The Pharisee knew only the sinful woman. He did not know the Lord Jesus, and he did not know himself. Many have studied about the Lord Jesus but never knew who Jesus is. In due time the Lord Jesus let them know that He is God and that He is the One to whom they are indebted. Today many know only the sins that others have committed, but they do not know themselves, much less the Lord Jesus whom they have offended. Many false Christians fit into this category.
B. The words of the Lord Jesus helped the Pharisee to know himself. While the Pharisee was doubting in his heart about the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus said right away, “Simon,...a certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty” (vv. 40-41). The Lord showed him that although he may not have sinned and owed as much as that woman did, nevertheless at least he owed fifty. The woman was like a robber on a large scale, and he was like a thief on a small scale, the difference being the difference between fifty and five hundred. Not one can say that he does not owe anything. There may be some difference in the size of the debt, large or small, much or little, but all are debtors. The Lord showed him that he owed at least fifty. Furthermore, the Lord showed him that he was unable to pay back even that fifty. However large or small a sin he had committed, he still remained a debtor.
IV. Knowing grace:
А. The Lord said that both their debts, the five hundred denarii or the fifty, were equally forgiven.
B. The forgiveness of the Lord is neither casual nor careless, because the Lord is not only gracious but also righteous. The Lord’s grace caused Him to forgive, and the Lord’s righteousness caused Him to die in our stead. The Lord’s forgiveness must be based upon His righteousness. True, the Lord’s forgiveness is due to His grace, but it is also based upon His righteousness.
V. The result of forgiveness:
А. The Lord forgave men so that men would love Him. The Lord said the reason the sinful woman washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them was that she received more of the Lord’s grace. The reason the Pharisee, who invited the Lord Jesus for dinner, did not wash His feet — showing that he neglected the Lord — was that he received less grace of the Lord. One to whom much is forgiven loves much, and one to whom little is forgiven loves little.
B. It is not that love produces grace and forgiveness but that forgiveness produces love. Love is the result of forgiveness. The reason that woman loved the Lord more was that she had received more grace and forgiveness.
VI. The assurance of forgiveness:
А. There is a difference between the fact of forgiveness and the assurance of forgiveness. Some received the fact of forgiveness but not the assurance. That woman had received the fact of forgiveness long before the Lord spoke, but she did not have the assurance. Therefore, she did not know whether her sins had been forgiven or not.
B. The assurance of forgiveness is found in the words of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Your sins are forgiven” (v. 48). Many have believed in the Lord Jesus and were really saved, but they did not have the assurance because they did not lay hold of the words of the Lord as their assurance of salvation.
VII. After receiving forgiveness:
Go in peace. After being saved, you should walk the way of peace and live the life of peace. You should refrain from doing anything that makes you feel uneasy toward God or toward men. Do only what you feel at peace in doing.
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
I. How the law evaluated eternal life:
А. One day a lawyer came to ask Jesus, “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). This means that someone who stood on the position of the law and represented the law was considering the price of eternal life.
B. The Lord Jesus asked him, “What is written in the law?” (v. 26).
C. Based on the law, he said that in order to receive eternal life he must pay the price of twofold love. Love toward God includes four wholes, and love toward men contains only one as. The four “wholes” and one “as” should be emphasized when preaching the gospel. We know that men can neither love with whole nor love as. These four wholes and one as defeat everyone. If you are in a store shopping and see that the prices are too high, you will be scared away because you cannot pay the price. All you can do is window shop. The law evaluates eternal life with these four wholes and the one as. You must pay the price with your whole spirit, soul, and body. To love with your whole heart (the spirit), your whole soul, your whole mind (the soul), and your whole strength (the body) means to love to the uttermost. In addition to these, you must love others as yourself. If you can pay such a high price, then you can inherit eternal life.
D. The Lord replied, “Do this, and you shall have life” (v. 28). It was as if the Lord were saying, “Do not think the Christians do not care for their behavior; rather, they are the ones who care for their behavior the most. But the question is: Can you do it?”
E. Did the Lord mean for man to do it himself? If He did, He would be asking man to build a heavenly ladder to go to the heavens by himself, which is definitely an impossible task. Although the Lord said, “Do this,” it was not that He intended man to do it, for He knew that man could never do it. Therefore, this is not a matter of paying the price but a matter of evaluation. The logic here is very deep. After reading this portion of the Bible, some would kneel down before the Lord and ask the Lord to give them the strength so that they could measure up to the four wholes and one as. They have misunderstood the words of the Lord, because the Lord meant for them to understand that the higher the price, the less man is able to pay. For example, in the figure $1,000,000 there are six zeros. If you have six or even sixteen zeros with the number one in front, how can you pay the price? So this is not a matter of paying the price but a matter of evaluation.
II. The condition of man:
А. The lawyer found out the evaluation of eternal life, and the Lord also confirmed that his evaluation was correct. But he wanted to justify himself. All those who try to justify themselves from the standpoint of the law are self-righteous. Therefore, he asked, “Who is my neighbor?” (v. 29). The law says that I should love God; on that point I am clear. But in order to love my neighbor as myself, I need to know who then is this neighbor. So the Lord gave an answer.
B. The Lord’s answer shows him that what he needs is not a neighbor for him to love but a neighbor to love him. The lawyer did not know himself, thinking that he had the strength to love his neighbor, but the Lord showed him that he was only a desolate sinner, needing a neighbor to love him.
C. Therefore, the Lord told him a story: “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (v. 30). This man was one who left the ground of peace, the dwelling place of God, Jerusalem, and was going down. Anyone who tries to keep the law by his own good behavior is going down. Jericho is a cursed place, so he fell among robbers. The robbers here speak of the law and those who stressed the law. Strictly speaking, the law itself is not the robber. This one who was going from Jerusalem down to Jericho depicts the lawyer. The lawyer beat others with the law, and he stripped them of their clothing, which is to strip them of their good behavior. Before the law, man’s good behavior is but filthy clothing and is unable to cover the body. To beat a man until he is half dead is to sentence him to death. Although he (the law and the lawyer) does not send you to Jericho (hell) now, he has already sentenced you and is waiting for you to perish eternally.
D. Can such a one, already beaten until he is half dead, love others and pay the price for eternal life? The Lord Jesus meant to let him see that the evaluation of eternal life is so high and the condition of man so low that it is impossible to obtain eternal life by the law.
III. The uselessness of religion:
А. Now there came a priest, a religionist. The priest was also on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho. Even the religionists, pastors, and so-called priests are departing from God and going downhill.
B. The priest was walking on the same road and having the same problem as that man, so he passed by and went on his way. If the priest is helpless in his own situation, how can he help others? So religion and the religionists cannot give man eternal life.
C. There are two classes of people in religion:
1. The priests were those ministering to God.
2. The Levites were serving people, such as those involved in humanitarian efforts. The Levites were walking on the same road with the others. Do not think that serving humanity is going upward; actually, it is also going downhill. The Levites are also useless to that man who had been beaten.
VV. The deliverance of Christ:
А. The Samaritan is the Lord Jesus. He came to the place where the wounded man was. In Greek, the word journeying indicates that the direction He walked was different from that of the previous three. The direction of this Samaritan was different from that of the previous three; He was coming from the opposite side. Toward the end of John 8, the Jews considered Jesus as a Samaritan. The Lord Jesus was the despised Nazarene. Today He is coming to the place where you are.
B. The Lord Jesus was moved with compassion.
C. The Lord Jesus poured oil and wine upon his wounds. The oil speaks of the Holy Spirit, and the wine speaks of life and blood. The Lord Jesus was moved with compassion, and as the Holy Spirit, He came to touch, enlighten, and comfort him. Then He poured wine upon the wounds. Wine is made of grape juice, which is the blood of the grape and its life. So here the wine signifies the Lord’s blood and His life. The oil is to moisten or to anoint, and the wine is to give healing and strength.
D. He set the wounded man on His own beast. Here the beast symbolizes the way the Lord Jesus worked on the earth. To mount His beast is to behave in the way the Lord Jesus worked, that is, to serve God like the humble Nazarene.
E. Then the Lord brought him to an inn. Here the inn speaks of the church. The church is an inn on the earth for men to receive the supply.
F. The Lord took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper for taking care of the wounded man. Here the denarii signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the responsible ones in the church so that they may use the gift to take care of the saved ones.
G. Besides the denarii, there were the extra expenses. Such extra expenses speak of the care out of love, for which there will be compensation when the Lord comes back. The denarii are the gift, and for the care out of this gift there will be no reward when the Lord returns. Only the care out of love will be rewarded at the coming of the Lord. These seven items are the elements of the Lord’s salvation.
V. Conclusion:
А. The lawyer asked the Lord, “Who is my neighbor?” (v. 29). The Lord replied that he needed a neighbor to love him instead. The lawyer thought that he had the strength to love others, but the Lord seemed to be saying, “You are just a pitiful person. You need someone to love you.”
B. “Go, and you do likewise” (v. 37). The Lord’s real intention was not that he would go and do it likewise. Instead, the Lord wanted him to realize that by doing it, he was not the Samaritan but the wounded man. It is impossible to obtain eternal life by our own behavior. Do it, and you will realize that you cannot make it; you need someone else to have mercy on you. Only the everlasting Lord is our neighbor. We need Him to love us.
scripture: luke 11:29-32
I. The evilness of this generation:
А. The Lord Jesus said that this is an evil generation.
B. Illustrate how evil this generation is. Give concrete examples of the evil in the homes, in the schools, in the offices, and in the midst of the crowds of people.
II. Christ as the salvation to the present generation:
А. The Lord said that there is a sign with Jonah, that is, that Jonah was in the belly of a great fish three days and three nights.
When Jonah came out of the belly of the fish, he became the salvation to the Ninevites. This Jonah typifies the resurrected Christ. Christ, like Jonah, entered into death and stayed in the depth of the earth three days and three nights; therefore, like Jonah, Christ is the salvation to the present evil generation. Christ was resurrected because He had died. His death is to bear the sins of the world; His resurrection is to impart life to man. Just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so is Christ a sign to this present generation. This sign is a sign of the taking away of the sins of men and the imparting of life to them. It is a sign of God’s salvation.
B. Here Christ also mentioned the queen of the south coming to Solomon to learn from him. Solomon typifies Christ. Solomon spoke to the queen of the south concerning the ultimate issue of life. Today Christ can tell us much more of the ultimate issue of life. To receive wisdom, you need to come to Christ. To this generation Christ is not only the One who has died and been resurrected, but He is also the Christ who is the sum of all wisdom. On one hand, like Jonah to the Ninevites, Christ is salvation. On the other hand, like Solomon to the queen of the south, He is wisdom. Christ is not only salvation to men but also wisdom for men.
III. Judgment in the future:
А. If today men will not receive Christ as their Lord of resurrection out of the dead nor receive Him as their Lord of wisdom, one day in the future they shall meet the judgment.
B. Before the throne of judgment the Ninevites will testify against them, and so will the queen of the south. The Ninevites will condemn you because you would not receive the salvation of the Christ who was resurrected out of the dead, the sin-forgiving and life-imparting salvation. The queen of the south will condemn you because you would not receive the Lord of wisdom so that you might know the ultimate issues of life.
C. There is no escape from the future judgment. If you refuse to receive Christ today, it will be too late for you to repent in that day. If in this generation you heard about Christ, and you knew that this Christ is the Lord of resurrection out of the dead and that He is the Lord of wisdom, but you would not receive Him — like the Ninevites who received Jonah or like the queen of the south taught by Solomon — you will be judged in the future, and you will receive eternal punishment.
IV. How to deal with Christ:
А. Receive Him like the Ninevites received Jonah, and receive His words like they received the words of Jonah. When a man receives Christ, his sins are forgiven, and he obtains life, for Christ is the Lord of resurrection.
B. Learn from Christ, for He is the Lord of wisdom, who is able to teach you the proper way to live as a man.
Scripture: Luke 12:13-21
I. Man has two possessions:
А. Man has the physical, material things (the body and all the things this physical body needs).
B. Man also has a soul and a spirit, which are real although they are intangible.
C. Prove the existence of the soul and the spirit, and explain the nature of each.
(Refer to Subject 65, “The Value of the Soul.”)
II. Two directions for man’s attention:
А. Man can pay his attention to the physical, material things, or he may pay his attention to the soul and the spirit.
B. Most people pay attention to the material things, the things of the physical life, and very few pay attention to the soul and the spirit. The lower class of people pay attention to the material things; the higher class of people pay attention to the soul and spirit.
III. A foolish man:
А. This passage of the Bible tells about a man who asked the Lord Jesus to divide his inheritance for him. To divide the inheritance is to pay attention to the material things, the possessions of the family.
B. The Lord Jesus let him know right away that He came not that men would pay attention to material things but that men should pay attention to the soul and the spirit, that is, to pay attention to life. The Lord said that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses, in other words, not in material things.
C. The Lord spoke a parable, and in that parable the one who came to Him was a foolish rich man.
D. The Lord said that the rich man was foolish, because he cared only for his physical and material needs. That man had such a plentiful harvest that he did not have enough storage space, so he wanted to tear down his barns to build some bigger ones. He intended to rely on these material provisions so that he might rest, eat, drink, and be merry. No one knew that on that very night God would require his soul. This was his foolishness.
IV. The choice of the wise:
А. Consider how much more important the soul and spirit are than the body.
B. Treasure the spirit and the soul, and despise the body.
C. Receive Christ as your Savior.
Scripture: Luke 13:1-5
I. The sins of human living:
А. Man is born in sins.
B. Man grows up in sins.
C. Man lives in sins (referring to all the normal living).
D. Man wallows in sins (referring to all the abnormal living).
II. The calamity of human living:
А. Sin is the source of disaster. Disaster is the result of sin.
B. Because man is born in sins, grows up and lives in sins, and even wallows in sins, man is apt to fall into calamity.
III. God’s tolerance:
А. According to the condition of man’s sins, calamity should strike man down immediately as punishment from God. But God is so tolerant that such calamity is temporarily suspended.
B. The reason God could suspend calamity and tolerate man is that there is a Savior in this universe, and there is redemption. According to man’s sins, the earth should be turned upside down, and man should perish forever in calamity. But because Christ as man’s Savior has accomplished redemption, God can tolerate man and suspend calamity.
C. God tolerates man so that man could repent.
IV. The warning to repent:
А. Since calamity is a result of sin, each calamity therefore is a warning, with the intent that men may be delivered from sins.
B. Whenever you see calamity strike, whether it hits you or someone else, either a natural disaster or one caused by man, you should understand that it is God’s warning that men should repent.
V. How to repent:
А. Believe that sin has its consequence.
B. Confess your own sins.
C. Receive Christ and His redemption.
Scripture: Luke 14:15-24
I. God’s preparation of salvation:
А. God prepares salvation like a man preparing a feast.
B. God’s salvation feast is prepared by the Lord Jesus, and all things are ready.
C. Provided in God’s salvation are: first, the redemption of the Lord Jesus; second, Christ’s resurrection life. The redeeming blood and the resurrection life are the food at the salvation feast. Every time we come to the Lord’s table, we are coming to God’s salvation feast, and what we eat and drink is the Lord’s blood and the Lord’s life.
II. God’s invitation to salvation:
А. God not only has prepared the feast of salvation through Christ but also has extended the invitation for salvation through the Holy Spirit.
B. The invitation of the Holy Spirit is through those who preach the gospel and the gospel messages. Today you are here listening to the gospel. You have been invited to the gospel feast.
III. Men’s excuses:
А. Men made excuses because of their own riches and their own capability. Give the examples the Lord used: some bought a piece of land, some bought some oxen, and some are getting married. All these excuses illustrate men’s riches and capability. Speak seriously according to these principles. As long as men are rich and capable, they will excuse themselves from the invitation of the gospel.
B. Riches and capability can be related either to material things or to morality. Land, houses, and buying and selling are the material riches; doing good is the moral riches.
IV. The ones who accepted the invitation:
А. All the ones who accepted the invitation were the crippled, the blind, the lame, the poor, and the weak ones.
B. To respond to God’s invitation to salvation, you must become a poor and weak one. Friends, if you think that you are rich and capable, you cannot respond to God’s invitation.
V. God’s compelling:
А. The ones who are naturally poor and the ones who are willing to be poor are few in number. They cannot fill up the seats of salvation. The naturally poor ones are the ones who were poor originally; the ones willing to be poor are the ones who were rich but are willing to become poor.
B. Therefore, God has to compel people to accept His invitation.
C. God’s compelling is to strip men and to wound them. To strip men is to turn their riches to poverty; to wound men is to turn their capability to incapability. Give some examples, such as many who were unwilling to receive God’s salvation until the family was broken, or there was a death of someone close to them, or they were critically ill with pneumonia. Such compelling is the great care and mercy of God for you.
VI. How to respond to the invitation:
А. Be humble and confess that you are poor and incapable.
B. Repent and turn to God.
C. Receive Christ and His redemption.
Scripture: Luke 15:3-7
I. Man is God’s sheep:
А. Man was made by God, so man belongs to God.
B. Man is not only made by God but also fed by God and cared for by Him, like a sheep under the care of a shepherd.
C. God is man’s Shepherd; therefore, God is man’s Master.
II. Man is lost:
А. Man is born lost. On this point you need to prove that it seems that man knows everything, yet he does not know where he came from, where he is going, or to whom he belongs. Who is your master? Everything has an owner. You may be a big man, yet you do not know to whom you belong. If a wife says that her husband is her master, she still would not be able to say to whom she would belong if her husband should die. If you say that your parents are your masters, to whom would you belong if your parents were dead?
B. Man is lost because of sin. Man is born in sins, grows up in sins, and lives in sins; therefore, man is lost.
C. Man is lost because man has lost God. Man is created by God, and he is fed by God. Now because man has lost God, man himself is lost.
III. God comes to seek man:
А. Man does not know that he is lost; neither does he have any desire to seek God. But God comes to seek man.
B. The way God seeks man is by coming Himself as man’s Savior. This is the One incarnated in the flesh, Jesus of Nazareth. So Jesus is not only man’s Savior but also man’s Shepherd.
C. God seeks man through the Lord Jesus. On the cross the Lord Jesus found man and recovered man. Through death and resurrection the Lord Jesus imparts life to man. This is to recover man, because through the resurrection life man is brought back to God.
IV. How to receive God’s seeking:
А. Confess that you are lost and that you have lost God.
B. Repent and turn to God.
C. Receive Christ and His redemption.
D. Leave the place where you are lost.
E. Receive life and come back to God.
Scripture: Luke 15:8-10
I. Men are God’s property:
А. Men are created by God; therefore, naturally, men belong to God.
B. God considers men as His property, as His treasure, just like the woman who considers the ten silver coins as treasure.
II. Men are lost:
А. Men are born lost. To be lost is to be separated from the original owner. If you do not know to whom you belong, that is a proof in itself that you are lost.
B. When you are lost, you fall into the dust. Here the dust represents sins. To fall into the dust is to fall into sins.
C. So the result of being lost is to fall into the filth of sins and to live in a heap of sins.
III. God comes to seek men:
А. The first parable in Luke 15 speaks about God as the Shepherd coming to seek the lost sheep. This second parable speaks about God as the woman seeking the lost coin. The shepherd seeks the lost sheep out in the field, whereas the woman seeks the coin inside the house. The first parable is objective; the second is subjective.
B. The woman seeking the lost coin typifies the Holy Spirit coming into our heart to seek us. Just as the shepherd typifies Christ, so the woman typifies the Holy Spirit. In the first parable the objective seeking is the coming of Christ to the earth nearly two thousand years ago. In the second parable the Holy Spirit comes into our heart, which is the subjective seeking.
C. The steps that the Holy Spirit takes to seek men:
1. The first step is to light the lamp. Because there is darkness, there is the need to light the lamp. The lamp typifies the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. This is related to the fact that within man is darkness. The Holy Spirit comes to enlighten us through the words of the Bible. Friends, the gospel that you are listening to today is the enlightening of the Holy Spirit.
2. The second step is to sweep the house. The house represents man’s heart. The sweeping represents the moving of the Holy Spirit. The heart that has not been swept is not only dark and dirty but also quiet. After the Holy Spirit lights the lamp and sweeps the heart, the heart is tossed about and becomes restless.
3. The third step is to seek carefully. The careful seeking of the Spirit causes you to have a thorough consideration and a keen feeling. As the Holy Spirit enlightens and moves within you, you will begin to consider the past and the future.
4. The fourth step is the finding. The Holy Spirit will seek until you are brought back to God.
IV. How to receive God’s seeking:
А. Confess that you are a lost one.
B. Repent and turn to God.
C. Receive the enlightening and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
