![]() There are special circumstances about repentance and conversion which produce joy over a restored wanderer.” Impacting Our Hearts (10 minutes) It has recovered, its life is spared, and do you wonder that for the time being it gives more joy to the household than all the healthy ones? There is more expressed delight about it a great deal than over all those who have not been ill at all…. You understand how that is: there are seven children in a family, and six of them are well but one dear child is taken seriously ill, and is brought near to the gates of death. “Suppose you and me who have long ago repented – who have, in a certain sense, now no need of repentance, because we are justified men and women – we do not give so much joy to the heart of God, for the time being, as a sinner does when he first returns to God…. Here’s the great Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon’s take on this verse: Or he may be alluding to Christians who’ve already come to Jesus in repentance and faith. So Jesus may be alluding here to those who think they don’t need to repent – like the Pharisees. What should we make of the fact that Jesus says there are ninety-nine righteous people ‘who do not need to repent’ (verse 7)?Įlsewhere, the Bible teaches that none of us are righteous (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:10-12). Based on the context, which do you think is correct? (You might like to consult Isaiah 53:6). Verse 7 speaks of “righteous people who do not need to repent.” This could be understood to refer to those who keep the law perfectly and don’t need to repent, to those who have already repented, or to those who are so religious they don’t realize they need to repent.If your group comprises only Christians, you might like to ask this optional question: If this story is true, what might God be seeking to teach you?.How do you think Jesus hoped the “tax collectors and sinners” listening in would respond?.How do you think Jesus hoped the Pharisees listening in to his parable would respond?.To what extent do you think of God in this way? Verse 7 gives us a glimpse into the priorities of heaven.What makes Jesus a different kind of shepherd to the Pharisees?.Why do you think the shepherd wasn’t content having 99 sheep safe?.In the parable, would you have gone after the one lost sheep? Why or why not?.Why do you think the Pharisees found it so offensive that Jesus was welcoming tax collectors and sinners (verses 1-2)?.Suggested questions to help your discussion If you’re using Zoom, make sure you have optimized your screen share for video. If you’re not gathered in person, the leader should project the video for the group through sharing their screen. Tell a story about an experience of being lost, as a child or an adult.Īsk for a volunteer to read Luke 15:1-7 to the group, praying a short prayer that – however much they’ve come to know Jesus, they’d get to know him better as a result of your time together.Allow anyone new to introduce themselves. Catch up on how things have been since the last time your Impact Group met.
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