SINGING: 174 – 41:1,2 – 73:2,3,4,6 – 426:7,8 – 396:1,3,4
READING: Deut. 5: 1-20; Luke 15: 1 - 10
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND BY THE
BELIEVER
By the late Rev A Verhagen
Text: Luke 15: 8 – 10
1. The sinner, as being lost
2. The sinner, as being sought
3. The sinner, as being found
Firstly:
o From the parable of the lost piece of silver we learn how
all religion without God and outside of the work of the
Holy Spirit comes short in life and at death.
o The lost piece of silver is the image of the lost sinner.
o When we carefully read this parable, then we must
surely exclaim: “O wonder of God’s eternal love to
sinners.”
o All this labour performed upon us shall constitute a
judgment in the judgment, in the day of days.
Secondly:
o But does a sinner, in his deep state of misery, have
even that much value?
o The Lord begins to seek. The Holy Spirit kindles His light.
o The clothing which the boy wore when he came was
carefully saved.
o Blessed is he who, by the ministration of God’s Spirit,
becomes concerned because of his sins.
o The Lord Himself, at His time, will kindle the light of
the Holy Spirit.
o It is not their work, but their joy finds its origin in this,
that they were privileged to experience that God seeks
those that are lost.
Thirdly:
o So also with the lost sinner when he is found by the
Holy Spirit. Now he shall not be silent.
o Such seeking is joined with much prayer, much strife
and distress.
o It cannot be otherwise, Jesus Christ comes to discover
us to ourselves.
Application:
o By nature we all have lost God and His communion.
o Then undoubtedly the cry will be, “If I only had! If I
only had!”
o He shows us the way and comes to us with the words, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”
o Paul’s ardent prayer for salvation, “Lord, what wilt
Thou have me to do?”
o To walk in this communion is the only thing which has
value for our eternal well-being.