The Values of Jesus' Church
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? .....In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! (Luke 15:4, 7 NLT) I wonder what some churches value more than people who don't know the Father... Because it's pretty clear from Luke 15, the Father's heart beats for lost people. Jesus has just dined with a Pharisee in Luke 14. He is no doubt fed up with religious pretension and show. He is going to be as emphatic as possible so that those who may not yet know where His values lie will be absolutely certain. Three parables, all with equally stunning statements of the Father's love for lost sons and daughters. The problem is. We rarely see this value in some churches and in many Christians...