Restored Glory, the Found Coin — Erlo Stegen

Let's pray. We ask you, Heavenly Father, take this service into your hands. Speak to us through your holy word. In your grace, Lord Jesus. Amen. We read in today's text from Luke 15 from verse 8 to 10.

Jesus Seeks the Lost and the Sinners

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 have found the coin that I had lost, the coin that I had lost.

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, the coin that I had lost. This is a very important matter. For it reveals to us our Lord Jesus who seeks us, we sinners, we who are lost, we who are dying.

It also shows to us the extent that Jesus goes to in seeking us sinners. In English one could say that the publicans and sinners, they came to him to hear him preach. Now the publicans were the tax collectors.

They were the ones who collected taxes working for the Roman government. However, the Jews despised the publicans because they were working for their enemies, the Romans, taking money from them. And the sinners were classified as those who did not keep the Mosaic law.

They were looked down upon by the Pharisees and the Sadducees and others. So these categories, these two types, the publicans and the sinners were excluded. But amazingly Jesus sought out these very people, these tax collectors collecting money for Rome and the sinners.

And Jesus clearly said, I have come to save sinners. And when these people then gathered around Jesus to listen to him, the religious establishment was offended. For Jesus loved these sinners, teaching them the way to the Lord, way to God.

And so the religious establishment decided Jesus cannot be a righteous man if he associates with such wicked people, receiving them, allowing access to himself. It means in Greek. But the religious world regarded these people as outcasts.

They were shunned. But Jesus enticed them, drew them to come to him. For Jesus had come for these sinners, the lost, the hurting, the defiled. He offered them his hand to take them out of the miry clay.

And Jesus loved them from his heart. In the same chapter there are four illustrations, four stories showing the love of God the Father and the love of Jesus for these people to save them. We don't have time to look at all four parables.

Instead we just look at one of them, this woman who had lost one silver coin. Just one. But she didn't say, well, what is one coin anyway? It doesn't really matter. But this single coin was of great value to her.

She searched and searched for this one single coin of silver. Many homes in that era did not have windows and they were very dark inside. And that's why they were often dirty inside because you couldn't really see properly.

And Jesus uses this very illustration as he did with the prodigal son parable. When Jesus then gave this illustration, he was showing how this one single coin out of ten, it proves to us the importance that a person has in the eyes of God, the value.

Showing that each single person is precious to God. No matter how defiled he or she might be. No matter how wicked. But to God you are of great value. So this morning, I want to expound upon this wonderful parable, this precious parable.

The Lost Coin and the Glory of Marriage

This single coin was of great value to this woman. And I'd like to dwell upon this point and ask the question, why was this single coin of such value to her? And that when she noticed it had gone missing, that she spent so much energy looking for it.

She lit a lamp. And she swept on the floor. Moving around furniture, the bed, the cupboard, the sideboard, moving it around, seeking this coin. My question is, why was this single coin of such value to the woman?

Yes. That time. I'm reminded of a time when I was a child. And my My older brother can testify to the fact that at that time, many women would tie coins to their head, some in their ear. With a string.

And with a string, they would then decorate themselves on their foreheads with a string of coins. And those who were richer could afford to put many more coins on their heads. Now, this particular woman had just ten.

Indicating that she was poor. And it was the custom of the era that you would string these coins to show that you were married. Today, the custom is rather to have a wedding ring. But at that time, they would use a headband of coins on their heads.

It indicated, I am married, I'm unavailable. Today, the ring would symbolize the same. Other men would look and would see the ring. She is clearly stating, I am married already. I can't woo her. I cannot marry her.

For she is already married. And also, also indicated to all the men, she was unavailable. She is already married. And with her ten coins, she was telling everybody, I am already married. I have a husband.

If you did not have that, you were up for sale, you were available. But a missing coin, was flying. Symbolized that she was cheap. She was an adulterer. And anybody who saw her would reckon that she must be an adulterer.

These coins were also symbolic of the glory of a bride. And thus, losing even one, would indicate that she has been unfaithful. And that the glory that she had has been damaged, lost. No longer complete in her marriage.

So anyone seeing her, would be able to understand that something has gone wrong. That is why the single coin of silver, was of great value to her. And thus, it was that losing her silver coin, would cause her great distress.

She would not rest, she would not sleep, until she had swept and cleaned and moved all the furniture seeking that coin. Lest she be seen as one who has lost something in her marriage, and perhaps even divorced.

Having lost her glory. And if that person no longer had that coin, the missing coin, they were then considered useless. And it was of utmost importance that that coin should be retrieved. It was a coin like that would be an essential for the life of a married woman.

And so, it is in our language of today, if you don't see that ring on her finger, then anybody can say, well, alright, I can flirt with her then. It shows us the great importance to us believers, of not losing the glory of God.

Created in God's Image

We are created in His image. His glory must be seen in us, otherwise we are just cheap. And it shows us that we must be living in sin, in disobedience to God. Instead of God's glory being evident, it's just your own ego, your own glory that's there.

We are made in His image, every single person. How sad, when instead of Jesus being shown through His glory upon us, it is the glory of the devil. When God created us, He created us in His own image. Do you hear that?

That we might live a life of fellowship with Him. Like Adam and Eve, they had intimate fellowship with God all the time, but when they sinned, then their ring was gone. And when they had lost that coin, they were declared to be lost, to be sinners.

Showing that they no longer had fellowship with God, the Lord was no longer with them. That person who has lost that beautiful life, that attractiveness, when you sin, you lose that glory. When Adam and Eve had sinned, then they sensed that they were naked.

Before that, they were clothed with the glory of God. They weren't aware of any nakedness, only through their sin they were. When Adam and Eve had sinned, they were declared to be lost. Though they once had fellowship with God, they lost through their sin that intimacy, and now it was just their sin and their nakedness.

When this woman had lost her coin, she realized what she would be before all people and God. She lost her perfection, lost the radiance of her relationship and the presence of God in her. If we are saved, we meet with Jesus Christ, born again, by the grace of God, we receive his Holy Spirit, and the glory of God is revealed on our foreheads, evident to anyone, as they see the beauty of heaven upon that person, the glory of God being manifested in that person.

I remember at Mapumulu, when the first witch got converted, she came and said, I am bound by the chains of Satan, of ancestral spirits, and she mentioned the names of different spirits, saying, I am bound by these things, how can I be free?

Now you know what the face of an old witch looks like, there is certainly no glory of God evident, instead the wickedness of Satan is evident. When she repented, was prayed for, demons left her, and the glory of God was so evident, she looked like a saint who had walked in the presence of God for many years.

That woman sensed for herself, she was convicted that she did not have that which was meant to be hers. No one needed to come and say, look sister, there is something wrong with you, she was so convicted, she knew for herself, she had a profound sense of loss, and she sought after that for which she was created, seeking that which is so precious, so valuable, to be in the image of God who created her.

If you look at people's faces, look at their faces in prison, look at how people do not have any sense of the glory of God on their faces or their foreheads. If you look at people's faces, look at their faces in prison, look at how people do not have any sense of the glory of God on their faces or their foreheads.

And that woman, when she lost her coin, she immediately made every effort to search for it, to move furniture, to look in the corners of darkness, so that she would return to that place of glory in the Lord.

She was not lazy saying, well, I'll see about it some other time, but with great zeal she looked for it. Seeking for it with all her heart till she found it. I've lost my coin, it's in the darkness, in the dust.

The Imprint of Jesus and Cleansing from Sin

A lost coin is of no value, you cannot buy anything with it, it is worthless. And so people lose their value, and just look at what they then become. You don't need to be told by a person, I'm a Christian, you should be able to see it and that it's evidenced.

You might be clever, intelligent, a great important position, but spiritually blind, lost in the darkness, with none of the wisdom of heaven, and you seek and you seek because you are parted from the Lord, you've lost Him.

A person who has lost their heavenly ring, they've lost something which has a heavenly engraving upon it. Like a coin has an engraving, a picture upon it. Now this coin has the engraving of Jesus. And if you look at a person who has it, you can see the imprint of Jesus upon him, if not, you see the imprint of Satan.

Or that it's lost its engraving, that it's no longer clear. That's what people are like who are not saved, who haven't met with Jesus in truth. For if we are saved, we receive the imprint of God upon us anew.

If sin comes in, evil, darkness, that person's face, that person's life no longer shines. Even if you sit here every Sunday, but Jesus not being evident, His glory not being evident, then you are a lost person, you belong to hell.

If the imprint, the engraving of Satan is upon you, you need the one who can come and pull you out of the mire, the dirt of sin. This terrible mire of sin. To clean you, wash you, sanctify you. You need a brush.

You need a proper brush. You need to be washed so clean with a scrubbing brush, with your heels being filed so that all of that would be taken away. That all this filth should end. That once again, God's glory, His imprint would be evident.

How amazing that Jesus can do that. He can change a person so much so that the old is no longer evident, all is new now. And if Jesus has not been able to work through you, when He washes you, He can work through you immediately.

If Jesus though has not done that work in you, you're sitting in church constantly, you are still lost. You find lost people everywhere, on the way, driving, in school, in church, they're lost. Even singing in a choir, but still lost.

If you've lost the ring, or that one silver coin, you are lost. Even if you're in a good place. Even if you're right here at Kwasi Zimbabwe, and you're a full time worker here, if you've lost that ring, you are actually a tool of the devil.

What helped this woman? Diligently seeking this coin till she found it. And it was polished all over. Or the light was shed everywhere to find it. Even under the bed. Now I've said that this is also an illustration of God, of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Seeks, Redeems, and Restores

The way that He seeks us, us people. Bringing salvation to us. God sent His Son to pay our redemption price. He calls us to Himself today to wash us, to clean us, to make us His, and that His imprint would be upon us.

The parable also illustrates, like this woman who had the coin at one time but lost it, how sad when a person had the coin but then loses it. But God's plan is that everyone who belongs to Him, who is in a marriage relationship with Him, with the wedding ring on Him, should be evident at all times.

Do you see now why this woman, the moment she realised that she had lost the coin, lost all sleep, all laziness. Now she was zealous to do everything in her power to find the coin. With all her strength she sought it.

She was willing to do anything to be restored. Back to where she was before she went astray. So my friends, we live among people. We live among people. We live among people. Are you one who does not care whether you have that ring, the coin, whether the glory of the Lord is upon you and that it is evident that you are married to Him written on your forehead.

You are precious to Jesus. He came into this world to seek you. He died for you. Experiencing hell to deliver you out of it. Do you see Jesus' great love? How your life is of great value to Him. He can save you, He will wash you, change you and work through you.

If you come to Him in faith, not in hypocrisy and doubt but in faith. Well, when she found it. When this woman found that coin she called all her friends and neighbours together. And said, come let's have a great party.

I found the coin that was lost. The presence of God again. And I rejoiced with her. It was a great day for that woman. Not just here on earth. For it says that all heaven rejoices when they see the joy of the Lord who has...

Who has found you. Who has saved you. One who was lost but now is found. Who has found you. Who has saved you. Who has saved you. When the prodigal son returned to the father, the father so rejoiced he said, Let the fattened calf be slaughtered.

Let us have a party. Let us rejoice. The whole household rejoiced with him as the whole of heaven rejoices over one sinner. For if you are found the glory of God is revealed. Hell mourns while heaven rejoices.

And now you become an instrument in the hands of God. One through whom he can work. Our master in heaven. You are a useful tool to him now. Before you were worth nothing. How many years are you saved?

How many people have you won? Of no use. Hands that were defiled, defiled because of sin. But through God's grace, changed, transformed, and the glory of heaven is revealed in you. Through the salvation of a single sinner, no matter how despised that person was by others, the whole of heaven rejoices.

Nothing glorifies God more than a soul being saved. No matter how small, insignificant, dirty, out of hell, there is great rejoicing and God is glorified. I am closing now. Final word. God cares for you, even if not a single person cares for you in this world, but you are precious to God.

Invitation to Salvation and Restoration

Even if you tell yourself, Even if you tell yourself, I'm worthless, I am nothing, and Satan has poured his dung upon me, but God is able to change all that and reveal his glory through you. God reveals to you his grace, his love, till you are like Jesus.

If you are like this lost coin, filthy, of no value to anyone who are lost, I invite you now, come to the Lord Jesus, he wants to save you. You can come to him even now. For he came to seek that which was lost, to save.

I invite you now, come to the Lord Jesus, he wants to save you. Don't waste any more time in coming to him, allowing him to cleanse you, to wash you, to fill you with his own presence, that there might be joy in heaven.

This day, let the glory of the Lord be revealed through you, let his name be glorified by you. Let us bow our heads. Lord Jesus, we thank you so much for your word, revealing to us the mysteries of heaven.

We ask you that your word would not be in vain, but do its work in every person today. That there might be joy in heaven. That you, Lord Jesus, would rejoice, that you would see that it was not in vain that you died and suffered and was crucified.

Amen.