"When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

That statement was opening shot of the document that started the Reformation of the Christian Church back in 1517--the Ninety Five Theses--number one of ninety five challenges to debate about the use of indulgences. With a couple hammer blows on the church door, right before everyone started arriving in Wittenberg for the All Saints Day celebration, he woke up the Roman Church. He may have been a young Martin Luther at the time, and therefore did a lot of growing in his understanding, but this was one understanding that did not change. It could not mature any further, because it was already dead-on. The entire Christian life is to be one of repentance.

Now, beginning a sermon like this might seem appropriate around Oct 31, the day Luther had nailed the Ninety Five Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg. Actually, we just passed another landmark day--the formal return of the truth to the Christian church, the way the Lord had intended the Church to be when He had taught the disciples. This happened with the presentation of a statement in the city of Augsburg on June 25, 1530. So, last Thursday, 479 years ago, the truth in all its purity was officially returned to the Church. It shouldn't surprise you that this statement called, The Augsburg Confession also highlights the idea that the entire Christian life is to be one of repentance.

Repentance. Yes, that is the message of Jesus' parable. But what is it saying to us? By now, we realize the sermon is not just information. It's not just a lesson to teach us. This is not--like I had once thought--and as I have found out from other pastors, I was hardly alone--a glorified Bible Study.

Now, although Bible study is vitally important, the sermon is for a completely different purpose. It is to open us up to the blessings God has to pour into us. Our Psalm today is Ps 25, and although we used the selected verses that are part of the Introit for today, a couple other verses in that Psalm tell us what God is doing for us. V. 4, "Make me to know your ways, O Lord." V. 5 "Lead me in your truth and teach me" v. 9 "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way." He wants to transform us into what we should be, His way, humble and hungry, and these two parables are the means God has chosen to use today.

The Lord is speaking to you in this reading. Jesus is speaking to you just as much now, as he was when those tax collectors and other sinners were drawing near to hear Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes were getting bent out of shape about Jesus associating with them. He spoke that parable so we could hear it today. He spoke that parable then so He could speak it today.

And the question is what is it saying to us, good, church-going, law-abiding citizens today? Why do we need to hear it today? How is it going to change us?

If there's one thing people of our age won't tolerate, it's wasting their time. I promise you, this will not be a waste of your time. It is exactly what we need to hear. We need to hear it because we are good, church-going, law-abiding citizens. Because we are this, sadly, we are likely to feel self-confident in our good standing before God. We're not sinners. We're not criminals. We're not evil.

There are evil people in this world, people who exploit other people for their own purposes in this world. The passing of Michael Jackson calls to mind some of his perversions and what he did to young children. Dr. George Tiller, with his practice of abortions and even late term abortions when the child is going to feel more pain--he is evil. Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , president of Iran. These are sinners. Not us. Ninety nine sheep were safe. Nine coins were comfortably sitting in the widow's pouch. This is the majority of people. "Most people are good," so goes popular thinking. "I'm one of them. I'm one of those 99 sheep, one of those 9 coins, those who are safe." Yes, it is true. We are part of the 99, the nine coins that are safe. But they aren't safe.

At the same time, each one of us loves to see himself as the one who is lost. We love to imagine the shepherd looking all over, exerting great effort to find us. We love to picture ourselves being hoisted on His shoulders and gently carried home. It's a general message about how much He cares about us, and it makes us feel warm and loved to think about it.

The thing is, we are right on both counts. We are the 99 and the 9 who seem to be safe. At the same time, each one of us is also the one who was lost and is to be found. Each one of us is the lost one precisely because we think we are the 99 or the 9.

If you were to break this parable down and figure out who is who in it, it wouldn't take much to figure out the Pharisees and the scribes, are the 99 sheep who are safe, and the nine coins that aren't lost. Therefore, the lost coin and the lost sheep are referring to the sinners and tax collectors.

For whose benefit does Jesus tell these two parables? Who does He want to hear it that day and say, "This is me?" He's trying to reach the ones who are still lost, but it's not the other tax collectors and sinners, it's the ones who think they are safe, the Pharisees and the tax collectors, the good, church-going, law-abiding citizens. They are lost because they don't know repentance. They don't understand what Luther meant when he said our entire life is to be one of repentance. And most Christians today, not only don't understand it, they want to avoid even thinking about it.

You may remember the little math formula I give as a simple way to understand what is repentance. Contrition plus faith. It's the title of the sermon. To be contrite is to humbly acknowledge you are a sinner. Faith says, "My only hope is in God's mercy." Repentance is not just sorrow over sin; it's not just tears flowing, but rather to humbly admit I'm a sinner. This is not, "I know I'm a sinner, but..." That is not contrition. That's the opening line of self-justification. Contrition is to say, "I am a sinner. I think about what I want first. I have to stop myself so I don't do that--if I even bother." Or "I have trained myself to think of other people first, but I had to train myself to do that. What I am is most apparent from what I was like when I was an infant. 'Me, first.'"

The Pharisees lacked contrition, and far too often, so do all of us. So, consider this: If we lack contrition, then what is left of faith? Faith says, "My only hope is in God's mercy." But what need is there of mercy, if we really don't think we need it? Do we beg for it, if we think it's not necessary? If we aren't contrite, then what is faith? We can say, "I believe in Jesus," but so can the devils. Faith is not, "Believing in Jesus"--the way we usually think of it--but rather humbly saying, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Am I repeating myself? You better believe it. Have I said this before? I sure hope so. Is this kind of harsh? I'm afraid it is, but then so was Jesus because he was struggling so hard to get the Pharisees to see what they were missing.

Now, if we aren't contrite, if we aren't living a life of repentance, look at what we are missing. "And when He has found it, He lays it on His shoulders, rejoicing. And when He comes home, He calls together His friends and His neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." And from the other parable, "When she had found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost."

Here is joy. Christian joy is not found in acting like we are succeeding in life, getting progressively better as Christians, ignoring the reality of sin in our lives. Christian joy is found in being found. It's knowing there is a celebration going on because of you. The angels in heaven and all the saints rejoice when you repent, and not just once, but regularly, daily, continually. They rejoice because you will have come to see the Lamb's victory won on the cross, which they are already celebrating, is your victory. You are getting it. You are tapping into the power of grace. They are shouting your name, parading you around, slapping each other on the back because you got it. You know you are loved. The Triune God not only takes up residence in you, because He has already done it in your baptism, but now you know it!

So, look at your life. Do you see your sin? Do you see the people you hurt? Do you see your selfishness? Your tendency to excuse your sin? The elaborate justifications you make for your sin? If so, then you see your need for mercy. You see the value of being chosen as a child of God in your baptism, and to hear you are forgiven. You see why the Lord wants you to celebrate His Supper frequently. You see why He gives you His Word so you can meditate on it regularly, drawing from its refreshing wells as much as possible.

When you see this, you move out of the company of the 99 sheep who thought they were safe, the nine coins who thought being in a bag was better than being held in a hand, and become the one who is found. You are the one who is hoisted up on the Good Shepherd's shoulders, on His back where He had once hoisted a cross. You are the cause of heaven rejoicing. Can you hear it? They are shouting your name and celebrating. This is Christian joy.

Do you remember the formula for repentance? It's really easy, as long as you remember the first word, "contrition." Contrition plus faith. Humble acknowledgement of our sinfulness and faith which cries out for God's mercy, knowing it is in Christ. I want you to say it with me: Contrition plus faith. Contrition plus faith.

Did you realize that formula defines another Christian concept? Joy. As I had said before, "You don't find joy ignoring our struggles in life against our sinfulness. You don't find lasting joy, by trying to get pumped up with pep talks and inspiring music. You find joy in the same formula as repentance, Contrition plus faith. When you are humbled by seeing your sin and helplessness, and then you see Jesus has done it all for you, then you will know joy and the heavens will erupt with celebration.

AMEN