213 - The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance 1#
213 - The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance 1
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
The topic of sharing is: The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance Lecture 1
Luke 15:1-2,
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! It is Your love that leads us back to You, to worship and praise You in the temple. We come before You, seeking help and provision. We need Your assistance; You will personally supply each of our needs. You are our provider. At this moment, we look solely to You, not considering how serious my problems are, but only looking to my Lord. You have the power to help me and renew me. Holy Spirit, guide me personally in this moment. Bless the following time. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
Starting today, I will share a series of sermons: The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance! It is a series on repentance, based on the content of Luke 15. Today’s sharing is from Luke 15:1-2. In the Gospel of Luke, three parables are told: the first is the lost sheep, where one sheep is lost and the shepherd goes to find it; the second is the parable of the lost coin, where a coin is missing; the third is the parable of the prodigal son. Everyone is familiar with these three stories, and through these parables, I will share about repentance, how the Father's love leads us to repentance. In the three parables of Luke, most people focus on the wrong aspects; I say most people, while a few focus correctly.
In the past, what you heard was that one sheep was lost, and the shepherd left the ninety-nine to search for that one. Many times, this scripture is discussed in terms of repentance: how to repent? You need to repent, you need to turn back to God's house. But have you ever thought about the fact that this sheep is already lost in the wilderness; can it return home? Who brings it back? It is the shepherd who personally finds it and leads it home.
The shepherd found the sheep and said, "You lead the way and take me home." Can the sheep return home by itself? No! Always remember, this is true repentance. In the first parable, the focus is not on the lost sheep, but on the shepherd.
In the second story, the coin is lost; can the coin return by itself? No, so the second focus is also not on the coin. How to repent? The focus is still on the woman who is searching, Hallelujah!
Similarly, in the third parable, most people talk about the prodigal son suffering greatly, and one day he finally realizes he has wronged his father, so he wants to go home. Is that really the case?
The three stories talk about one thing: repentance. The true repentance of this prodigal son occurs after he understands his father's love. We need to help everyone re-understand this chapter of scripture and recognize how repentance truly happens. Most people focus on the younger son’s repentance: how does the younger son turn back? They say: "Do you know the suffering you have caused? Is it allowed by God?" This leads many to resent God, thinking that once they disobey, their outcome will be similar to that of the younger son. That is not the case; the focus is not on the prodigal son. The title "The Prodigal Son's Story" or "The Prodigal Son's Repentance" is incorrect; it emphasizes the Father's love! The Father's acceptance! The Father's tolerance! Amen!
The three stories talk about the same thing: the matter of repentance. There is a background; Jesus begins by talking about two types of people: the tax collectors and sinners are one type, and the Pharisees and scribes are another. Jesus is addressing these two types of people with the following stories. It is undeniable that all people fall into these two categories: tax collectors and sinners, Pharisees and scribes. There is a slight difference between these two groups. Jesus is actually telling us that people in the world are currently walking along these two different paths: the first path is the route away from God, where the lost sheep runs away by itself, not driven away by the shepherd; it has deviated from God's direction and is far from God. The other path is the route of trying to find blessings through one's own efforts, seeking God's acceptance and blessings.
The first group, the tax collectors and sinners, are clearly those who have deviated from God's will; they know they have sinned. The second group appears to be compliant but is actually more deviated, relying on their own efforts to seek God's blessings. To use professional terms, they live under the law, always trying to please God through their own efforts and performance to gain God's blessings. This is the nature of the Pharisees and scribes.
When reading Luke 15, it is essential to pay attention to the historical context in which it was written. This is very important. Before the story begins, it mentions that two groups of people came to listen to the preaching: tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus to hear Him preach. The tax collectors and sinners correspond to the lost sheep or the lost coin, and they can also be linked to the younger son. Do you understand? This is the first type; they neither follow the moral laws of the Bible nor adhere to the moral standards in the eyes of others. People see them as bad individuals; they do not follow the so-called moral rules of the Jews, nor do they abide by the rules, like prostitutes and soldiers, who are looked down upon by others. They are largely illiterate and do not understand the laws and rituals; they have all gone far away. Remember, the younger son packed his things and went far away, to a place far from his father.
We were once like this group of people. Adam was initially with the Father, but later he went far away, running to places he should not have gone. This is the problem. They have distanced themselves from their original family traditions, noble social etiquette, and abandoned the life of grace and blessings. This group of people, like the younger son, left home to live a life of indulgence. This is the first group.
The second group is the Pharisees and scribes, represented by the elder son. They are a very special group of people. On the surface, they strictly adhere to religious rules and moral standards, more pious than anyone else, and they study the Bible carefully, worshiping God according to the rules and often praying. However, this group has a more serious problem, which is buried deep within their hearts. After we finish this story, we will know that the elder son, when talking to his father, looks down on everyone and complains about everyone. Amen! Because his problem is in his heart; the younger son merely expresses it outwardly, while the elder son does not express it. That is the only difference; everything else is the same.
Remember, both groups of people need to repent, proving that all people in the world need to come before Jesus. Some people's sins are obvious, like the younger son, while others are compliant but have even bigger issues, like the currently popular term "Gao Yuliang," the standard elder son, who appears to be a moral model, yet has more serious problems inside than others. There are only two types of people in the world: one is the younger son, who expresses it; the other is the elder son, who does not express it. If you were to make friends, which type would you choose? That's right, the younger son. The elder son appears gentle and polite, but is ruthless when it comes to others, not even sparing his own students.
The younger son is open and expressive, with emotions written all over his face; dissatisfaction is just dissatisfaction. It is easier to get along with such people; they have no ulterior motives. In reality, both types of people need the Father's love. The parables of Jesus primarily target the second group, the Pharisees and scribes. Jesus, wanting to respond to their attitudes, told the following parables, using two sons as metaphors to examine the soul of the elder son, hoping for their change. The story of the prodigal son ends without a conclusion; it does not say whether the elder son changed or not. So do you think the elder son changed or not? The younger son is easy to change; the first group, the tax collectors and sinners, is easy to change; the second group is harder to say.
Which type of person is easier to serve? The first type says, "Pastor, my home is a mess..." They express it. The second type says, "I'm fine, no problems." They clearly have problems but claim there are none. Such people are harder to serve. Jesus began this story with the second type of people.
In the Gospel of Luke, the difference in the reactions of these people to Jesus is expressed very clearly and systematically. In the first verse, there is a word "drawing near." The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to Jesus to hear Him preach. The Bible does not record when the Pharisees drew near to Jesus. This is the elder son. The younger son knows he has problems; those with problems draw near to Jesus, getting close to Him to hear Him preach. Bring your problems; you are willing to get close to Jesus. On the contrary, those who say they have no problems may not receive anything. It is that simple. "Drawing near" is a present continuous tense. In Jesus' ministry, people like the younger son heard Jesus' words, and Jesus' preaching had a lasting attraction for them.
Have you ever thought about why Jesus' words attract tax collectors and sinners? Don't the elder sons need it? What exactly is Jesus preaching? What He speaks is attractive and helpful to this group of people, and it is related to the content of His preaching. People do not come to see Jesus as a thirty-year-old who looks over fifty, making them feel uncomfortable... It is not like that, right? They are not comparing who is worse off.
Many people, after believing in the Lord, compare themselves to see who is worse off. God disciplines me in various cruel ways, and they will even give a testimony saying, "I thank God. Before I believed, I was rebellious. I fell from a building and broke my leg, and that’s when I believed in Jesus..." Someone else might say, "I fell into a well and then believed in Jesus..." If it is all like this, why believe in Jesus? We are not here to compare misfortunes; this group of people is not looking at Jesus, thinking, "Why do you look so old?" Seeing you like this makes me feel balanced.
They come to hear Jesus preach, proving that what attracts them is the message Jesus speaks. Hallelujah! I expect you to come, and what attracts you is not what the pastor wears or what hairstyle he has, but what kind of words can supply you; then you will be blessed. What is Jesus preaching? Can you guess what Jesus is preaching? It is the Gospel.
Jesus is the beginning of the Gospel; the Son of God, Jesus, is the beginning of the Gospel. The content Jesus speaks must be the Gospel; this is certain! What is the Gospel? The Greek word for Gospel means good news! What is good news for sinners? God no longer condemns you; what is good news for the sick? You can be healed here with me; what is good news for the weak? I am strong; what is good news for someone about to die? Jesus says, "I am the life." This proves that the words Jesus speaks are exactly what this group of people needs for their sins.
These marginalized people in society, the wounded, the poor, the blind, all receive comfort because it is good news for them. Be sure that what you tell others is definitely the Gospel; do not turn it into bad news. If someone is not dead yet, and you say, "You are doomed," that is bad news; "Don't worry, God has more severe ways to discipline you," that is not good news. Why can Jesus' preaching attract people? It is not for any other reason; it is because the content is different. If we preach the words of Jesus Christ to others, everyone will be willing to believe in Jesus.
Let’s look at what Jesus is preaching. Luke 4:18-19,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
This is the content of Jesus' preaching. The Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus, anointing Him, and He preached the Gospel to the poor. Who are the poor? The poor are not necessarily those without money. The poor, in another sense, are those who are spiritually poor. Matthew 5 speaks of the Beatitudes, where it says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Is a humble person someone who is spiritually poor? When does a person become humble? When they recognize their inadequacies and deficiencies, they become humble. When they see someone better than them and ask, "Can you help me?" they are humble and open because they see their lack. Such people will see God, Hallelujah! This is the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim good news to the poor. When they have needs and need help, this group of people is willing to come and listen. For the sick, if you tell them, "I have found the best doctor in the world, who specializes in treating your illness," they will listen intently. Is that attractive? For someone about to die, if you say, "I see a lot of gold bars; let’s go make money together," that has no appeal to them. Money is useless to them; what they want is to live. If a person knows that the first thing is to have life, they will definitely come to find Jesus. We need to see such people and give them the Gospel. Amen!
He has sent me to proclaim, what does proclaim mean? It means to declare. In practical terms, it means to declare that the captives are set free. Amen! At this moment, it is not about preaching; many people turn this into preaching. You can rest assured that as long as you believe in Jesus, your illness will be healed; as long as you believe in Jesus, your problems will be solved... Don’t do that; you need to declare!
In the name of Jesus Christ, solve this problem! Hallelujah! Declare that the captives are set free. This person is bound; you need to declare in the name of Jesus Christ to unbind him. This is what we need to do. The blind receive sight; what are the blind? There are two types of blind people: the first type is truly blind, and the second type is "seeing blind," who have their eyes wide open but are blind. The second type is the most frightening. We have been talking about two types of people; the truly blind will seek the light more than anyone else, while those who can see but do not want to seek the light are the ones who are truly blind.
Today, speaking of the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus came to make the blind see. Why do the Pharisees and scribes not want to approach Jesus? There is a reason. When Jesus healed a man who was born blind, the Pharisees and scribes began to discuss Jesus in various ways.
John 9:39-41:
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”
You have all read this passage. Many people say that Jesus comes with ill intent. We have read in other places that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world through Him. But why does Jesus say, "I came for judgment"? Most people think of judgment as punishment. In fact, a judge also rewards; a judge does not only determine guilt but also has the concept of acquittal. Many times, judgment is about sorting things out. Do not forget that there is also acquittal and grace. Hallelujah! We are under grace because Jesus has been judged. Amen!
Jesus said, "I came for judgment." He indeed came for judgment; He accepted the judgment that we should have received. When He came into the world, He did two things: He made the blind see; He was judged, and His grace could come upon those who truly cannot see, allowing them to see. The reward came, and grace came.
Those who can see here do not refer to those who can see normally but to those who think they can see but are actually blind. It is not that Jesus does not let them see; it is that they do not want to see. Jesus, who is clearly God, stands before them, yet they do not recognize Him and do not want to believe in Him or accept Him. This is true blindness. This is why Jesus said, "I fear they will turn back, and I will heal them, so that they hear but do not understand, and see but do not perceive." When will they turn back? I will heal them. What does this mean?
It is the same as this passage. Many people say that Jesus does not let them hear; they hear but do not understand, and they see but do not perceive. How can they believe you? It is not that God does not let them hear; it is that they themselves block their ears and do not want to listen. Once they remove the veil and the blockage from their ears, God says, "I will heal them!" The Pharisees are such people, making the blind see and making those who can see become blind. Their implication is, "Are we blind?" The Pharisees actually have a clear understanding of sin. Many people do not believe in Jesus, but their understanding of sin is still clear. Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt." What does this mean? If you were truly blind, you would expect the light. Who is the light? Jesus is the light.
At that time, their sins could be forgiven. He came for judgment, but now that you say, "We can see," it shows they do not want Jesus. "We can see; we are in the light; we are living well." If you preach the Gospel to someone and say, "Believe in Jesus, and you can go to heaven," they might respond, "Why would I want to go to heaven? I am living well here."
You say, "Jesus will give you abundant blessings." They say, "No, I have enough." What will you do then?
"Jesus is life; you need to be responsible for your life."
"What responsibility? I am doing fine."
When you encounter such people, you are at a loss. I was once like that; people preached the Gospel to me for two years, and they had no way with me. They said, "Young man, you need to cherish life." I replied, "Just live well today; if I die tomorrow, so be it. Who can control tomorrow?" They knew I was using words from the Bible. What they feared was that we can see, so your guilt remains. In fact, they merely think they can see. This is the Pharisees and scribes.
Jesus uses these parables to tell you not to live like this anymore, and this phenomenon still exists. Like the elder son, religious people living within moral boundaries still exist. They see many people who can see and are set free, yet they begin to feel uncomfortable. As mentioned earlier, Jesus' work is to make the blind see and to set the oppressed free. Amen! Whether you are bound by alcohol, cigarettes, or possessed by demons, Jesus Christ has come to set you free.
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. When Jesus came, how many years is a year of favor? Every year is a year of favor. From the time of Jesus onward, every year is a year of favor. In the past, under the Old Testament, every fifty years was a year of favor. Why did the Israelites particularly look forward to the year of favor? Because it represents forgiveness and freedom, as well as restoration! In the past, no matter how much debt you owed, when the year of favor came, all debts were forgiven, and everything was reset to zero. Isn’t that good news?
There is also freedom. In the past, because you could not repay your debts, you became someone else's slave. From the day of the year of favor, you are set free. Hallelujah! The last aspect is restoration. What is restoration? In the past, you had nothing; you sold your land and possessions because you owed too much debt. But on the day of the year of favor, not only are you released and set free, but everything that belonged to you is returned to you. Hallelujah! So everyone looks forward to the year of favor!
Many people do not understand this principle and do not realize what Jesus has accomplished for them. They still talk about what year 5777 is; it is a year of favor! We must expect great things this year; it is a different year, a year of favor. I tell you, brothers and sisters, under grace, every year is a year of favor. When Jesus comes, He wants to proclaim one thing: it is the year of the Lord's favor. From the time of Jesus onward, every year is a year of forgiveness, every year is a year of freedom, and every year is a year of restoration.
You say, "If I believe in Jesus this year, I will receive release, freedom, and restoration. Next year, that person believes in Jesus, and it will be the same." If it were the year of favor under the Old Testament, we would have to wait fifty years for one opportunity. Now, at any time, you can have it because every year is a year of favor. When you understand this grace, the Father's love is so great that you will be willing to turn back to Jesus. The meaning of repentance is very simple: to change your thoughts and intentions. You must first understand how much the Father loves you to be able to turn back. What Jesus has done is truly wonderful, yet it leaves some people dissatisfied. Why are some people blind?
2 Corinthians 4:4 states, "In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
This is the reason the Pharisees or self-righteous people cannot accept Jesus: because the god of this world, what is it? It may be an idol, it may be yourself, or it may be something inherent in people. These unbelievers, are the Pharisees not unbelievers? They are unbelievers. The reason they do not believe is that they are blinded by the god of this world, so they cannot see Jesus or Christ. We need to understand not to be like the elder son. If you believe in Jesus but still live centered on yourself, you may not see God's grace.
Luke 15:2: "And the Pharisees and scribes grumbled, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them.'"
Earlier, it was particularly mentioned that Jesus preached the Gospel to the poor; He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovering sight to the blind, setting at liberty those who are oppressed, and proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor. Such a beautiful ministry, the Pharisees did not see at all. What they saw was that Jesus actually received sinners, which proves that the scribes and Pharisees also came to hear the preaching. However, they did not draw near to Jesus; in fact, they were nitpicking. If someone comes to listen to the sermon with a nitpicking heart, they will find faults. If they can find faults with Jesus, how much more with me?
Such people will gain nothing. Once they start nitpicking, they will become extremely angry. The more attractive Jesus' preaching is, the angrier they become; the more Jesus is accepted by people, the more they fear. Because they come not to receive God's love, but to see if they can find something to accuse Jesus of. They do not sincerely seek; they cannot find faults in Jesus' preaching, so they can only find faults in His actions. In the end, they finally found something. Do they think Jesus is the Savior? They grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners." Receiving sinners is a very serious matter in the Middle East. When a person receives another person and eats with them, it represents complete acceptance; the two become one!
When you see two people sitting at the same table eating, it is no longer an ordinary relationship. A few days ago, I talked about the story of Zacchaeus. Why was Zacchaeus so excited? Because Jesus ate with him, he said, "I will give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone, I will repay them fourfold." Why did Zacchaeus have such a strong reaction? Because he knew something significant had happened: Jesus ate with him. Who's status was elevated? Zacchaeus' status was elevated. So when Jesus said, "Salvation has come to this house," he is also a son of Abraham. Although Jesus used a dual-language term, "I am also a son of Abraham," how did Zacchaeus think? "You are, I am!" Amen! "How you are, I am!" Jesus welcomes you to eat with Him. In Revelation, it says, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."
Sitting together represents, "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is still yours." God does not want your things; what belongs to Jesus is yours, and what is yours is still yours. Do you understand? Such a Lord is willing to eat with you and accept you. But when the Pharisees saw that this man named Jesus dared to receive sinners, do you know what that means? It means, "Jesus, I think you are a good person, and what you say is good. You should be a person of high quality. Why do you associate with these lowly people? Why do you sit with these sinners? You are lowering your status."
Many people are like this; they feel superior and do not want to eat with a group of people. They do not want to associate with them because they feel that being with them lowers their status. But have you ever thought that being with those people raises their status? Their lives can change because of this. Amen!
A few days ago, I saw a story on WeChat about an incident that happened in a five-star hotel in Melbourne. A company had booked a high-standard banquet and invited about a hundred people to attend. However, that day, the company had an emergency, and the banquet was canceled. The manager contacted the hotel to negotiate a refund, but the hotel replied that they could not refund it because the company had booked the banquet in advance, and the hotel had turned away all other business for that time slot. Since the company’s people could not attend, they invited a hundred orphans to the hotel for the banquet. These orphans had never been to a five-star hotel before. This was grace, a heavenly blessing! After receiving the invitation, these hundred people put on their best clothes and went to the banquet clean and tidy. If they had not received this invitation, would they have changed their behavior?
The children curiously asked, "Will there be hamburgers inside...?" The answer was, "Eat whatever you want." After the company explained the situation to the hotel, the hotel replied, "As long as you come to our hotel, regardless of your identity, you are our esteemed guest." The children received treatment equivalent to that of state guests. The hotel owner also sent some gifts to the children, and some of the children said, "I swear I want to be a chef because the food here is so delicious." Many people set new life goals because of this experience; their lives changed completely.
Do not say, "If I eat with this group of trash, I will become trash." Have you ever thought that you might change this group of people? Some of these children completely changed their lives because of this meal; they no longer felt that life had no purpose or meaning. They set new goals for themselves. Hallelujah!
Jesus is just that kind of person. He knows we lived in filth and sin in the past, so Jesus says, "I come to eat with you; I supply you for free." Many people have changed because they ate with Jesus. Hallelujah! We are also changed by Jesus. Brothers and sisters, if you feel this way, treat the people around you like this. Do not think that your status is high, that you are a boss or someone of high status; put those titles aside and eat with these people. In the process of eating, they are more likely to accept you. You are elevating others. Jesus is just like this. When we eat with Jesus, it is not that Jesus' status becomes low; it is our status that is elevated. You also become a prince or princess.
But the Pharisees do not want to see this beautiful work of Jesus. They grumbled, saying, "This man dares to receive sinners and eat with them." Because of such things, the Pharisees never do; they disdain to eat with them. These people are not worthy of salvation; they should die. If that is the case, none of us can be saved because we were all filthy people. But Jesus is willing to save us. We should not be like the Pharisees and scribes. Why are these marginalized people in the world attracted to Jesus' teachings?
Jesus does not just shout slogans. Many people preach as if it were success education, saying, "You will definitely succeed; you will definitely become a millionaire." Below, there is a chorus of "Amens." Shouting such slogans is useless. To the sick, they say, "You will definitely be healed." Shouting back and forth is still the same. We are not doing this. Brothers and sisters, we just give people Jesus, making them realize they are loved, and they will repent. So Jesus does not just speak these words that people love to hear. Always remember: grace is not about speaking what you love to hear; grace is about speaking only of Jesus and what He has done for you on the cross. He acts because Jesus speaks of the Father's love, speaks of the Father's acceptance, speaks of the Father's forgiveness, freedom, and restoration. That is why these people are attracted; they see hope, hope for restoration, freedom, release, and respect. How can that not be attractive?
Why are tax collectors willing to draw near to Jesus? Because they are looked down upon by others, but Jesus is willing to be with them. Hallelujah! Jesus speaks of the Father's love and acceptance of the world. We need to tell the world about the Father's love and acceptance. Today, the Pharisees have reappeared. When we lift up the grace of Jesus Christ, it indeed attracts many people. However, religious people begin to spy on us, feeling that we are lowering God's standards. How can we treat sinners like this?
They feel that sinners should be made to confess their sins, to live in sin every day, to know they are the worst of sinners, to feel "You are unworthy, you should die, you owe God." They should feel they are unworthy, that they are sinners, that they are despicable, that they should die... Then everyone will be silent, and the church will be peaceful, right?
No! What we need to tell is: Jesus has forgiven your sins; He is willing to accept you; He is willing to give you freedom and restoration, to empower you again. Religious people say: "You are a heretic..." It was like this in the past, and it is still like this now. They feel that sinners should feel filthy and that more laws should be told to them to make them feel despicable. They should keep their distance from these sinners. This is how religious people teach, fearing contamination.
1 Timothy 5:22: "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure."
Many pastors use this verse to say, "Do not lay hands on people casually; it is not a joke. If he has sinned, that sin will come upon you. If he is a sick person, your illness will come upon you." When we hear this, do we not feel scared? It becomes a special privilege for pastors. Pastors do not lay hands either; they are afraid. Teaching like this every day, can they not be afraid? So they say, "You pray by yourself." He is already weak to this extent. "Pastor, I feel terrible now; please pray for me." "I cannot; if I lay hands on you, what if your illness comes upon me?" I was taught like this, so I never laid hands on anyone to pray.
Later, after I understood the truth while pastoring, I realized this is a lie; this is incorrect teaching. Under the Old Testament, this situation could indeed occur. For example, if there is a leper and you touch that person, the leprosy could infect you. In other words, in the Old Testament, sin indeed has a contagious nature. But under grace, Jesus touched the leper, and the leprosy disappeared. This is the power of Jesus.
Do you know what happened on the cross? When all the sins of the world were laid upon Jesus, so many sins, Jesus still absorbed them; the sins disappeared. Amen! A person who is completely covered in leprosy, when Jesus touches him, the leprosy disappears, and Jesus is still there. When He was on the cross, it was the same; He bore your sins, and He is still there. Today, you represent Jesus living in this world. When you pray for others, diseases will disappear, and you will still be there, living healthily. So do not be deceived by these erroneous teachings.
The laying on of hands refers to the ordination, for example, when the church needs an elder to manage the church's work. When I ordain an elder, I must be particularly cautious about the character and spiritual life of the other person. If it is a person who is irresponsible, the whole church will be led astray, and I will be involved in his matters and his sins. This refers to this matter; it is about ordination, handing over the sheep to him for management. We must be cautious and not lay hands casually. Amen! But it does not mean that if a believer is sick, they cannot lay hands. Misinterpretation can harm people. Jesus speaks of God's love. He uses three parables to illustrate our God’s unconditional acceptance of the lost sheep, the unconditional search for the lost coin, and the unconditional acceptance of the returning younger son. It is this acceptance that generates a heart of repentance.
Romans 2:4 tells us that it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. No matter what they have done in the past, God always has mercy on them, welcoming them home. This is called the Gospel. Many people do not want to return to church because they feel too filthy, embarrassed to see others, embarrassed to tell brothers and sisters about this. But the more problems you have, the more you should return to church. God can accept you. Thank and praise the Lord! Should we not accept this person?
No matter what wrong things this person has done in the past, if they return, we should accept them. God has accepted them; we should accept them too. Some say, "You cannot say that; if you say that, it is a disgrace to God's love!" Is that so? If you say that, you are lowering the standard of the Gospel, making it a cheap Gospel. Is the Gospel cheap? Does accepting sinners make the Gospel cheap? No, it precisely indicates that God's grace can accept and embrace everyone. Hallelujah!
Many legalists set the threshold of the Gospel very high, making it unattainable. Many people talk about healing, about being filled with the Holy Spirit, about receiving God's blessings, and the threshold is so high. You must do so many things to receive this, making people feel it is impossible to attain. Some even say, "If we keep saying that God has accepted us, people will sin casually." This is a hypothesis. God never lets us live in hypotheticals.
In the Bible, God's words are yes and amen; they are not yes if and no if. God does not say, "If this happens, you will have this result." God says, "If you do this, you will have this result." Amen! God does not say "if" or "suppose." God does not do that. He directly tells you what the result is. But when we are certain about God's things, we start to hypothesize: "If we say God's love like this, if we tell the world they are already saved, they will..." Is this a hypothesis? In fact, God already knows the outcome, but we are hypothesizing. We do not live in hypotheticals; we believe in God's words.
When people understand the Father's love, will they continue to sin? In the first parable, when the lost sheep has been in the wilderness for a long time, it may be anxious to return home but is afraid because there are wolves in the wilderness and it does not know how to return. It cannot see anything. Finally, it sees its owner coming, who picks it up and carries it on His shoulders, joyfully returning home. Do you think the next time this sheep will say, "Yesterday felt so good; being loved felt so good. I want to run away from home again today"? Will it be like that? No!
But they hypothesize that if it is like this, it will run away again. Is this hypothesis valid? No. Let’s ask another parable: the younger son went out, and his later life was terrible. He wanted to eat what the pigs ate but could not. When he returned, his father accepted him, hugged him, and put a ring, shoes, and robe on him. Will the younger son say, "Great! Starting tomorrow, I want to run away from home again"? Are you sure he will not? Many people say, "You cannot say that; unconditional acceptance will lead him to sin and run away again." This hypothesis does not exist at all. Hallelujah!
When a person understands the Father's love, God's love leads people to repentance. When you truly understand what Christ has done for you and how He loves you, you will have a wonderful testimony. This is why many people who understand the Father's love have their families restored, bad habits changed, debts cleared, and diseases healed. The reason is here. I will give you an example from life. In the past, there was a person who had cancer. Others prayed for him, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, your cancer is healed." This person was healed. Would this person say, "Father's love is so good; give me cancer again so I can experience it again"? Would that person deliberately sin? This hypothesis does not exist at all. Do not hypothesize about what God has already determined.
We hate sin. Sin is evil and brings destruction. We absolutely do not condone sin. The purpose is the same as that of legalists; the only difference is how to overcome sin. Many people say we need to preach more law, but we need to preach more of God's love. Hallelujah! A person becomes very lonely, lost, or even reclusive because they lack love. Such people behave strangely or find it difficult to get along with others. In reality, it is due to a lack of God's love. You do not want to condemn or strike them down; you want to give them more love, and they will be restored. This is our method. We are different from legalism. We do not want people to sin; we want to preach more of the Father's love. When you understand what Christ has done for you and how He loves you, everything will change. You will remain in God's grace, and you will overcome sin through Jesus. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for leading us to understand Your love. The tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him preach because they had needs. In You, they saw what they needed. Lord, we come seeking You; You will personally supply us. Father, thank You for giving me Jesus, allowing me to eat with Him, turning my identity around, and blessing me. I am willing to receive more of Your love, living in Your love. Your only begotten Son was sent to die on the cross for my sins. I am willing to turn back to You in all things. Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful provision. In the name of Jesus Christ, I bless you. As the new week begins, carrying the Father's love, you will love yourself and love those around you. You are a different person, bearing the mark of Christ, living with God's victory and power. The Father loves you! In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!