AHA Revisited

AHA Revisited

Series: The Gospel Truth

Text: Luke 15

Introduction: (What?)

I preached a sermon recently entitled “AHA”. I borrowed the title from a book by the same name by Pastor Kyle Idelman. The word AHA is actually an acrostic; A=Awakening; H=Honesty; and A=Action. The reality is that apart from an AHA moment none of us would be saved. You must have an AWAKENING to your lostness before you can be saved. You must HONESTLY admit that you are a sinner, and then you must ACT by surrendering your life to Christ. In Luke 15 we find three AHA stories that can help a church, as well as an individual, get “on track” with God’s plan for reaching a lost world with the gospel. We will spend most of our time on the third, and most well-known story.

Examination: (Why?

1. Oh No! I’ve lost something valuable!

Luke 15:1–6 “All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?

Luke 15:8–9 ““Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

In both of these stories something of value has been lost, and the one who lost them leaves no stone unturned until they have successfully found what was lost. The intensity of the search enables them to be laser focused on finding them to the degree that they almost overlook what has not been lost. When Adam and Eve misused their free will and violated a direct command from God, they were lost so far as the kingdom of heaven is concerned. Not only that, everyone who was born from that time on, was born lost. The entire rest of the Bible outlines the intense search for those who are lost. We see God searching for those He has chosen as His own who are still exerting their free will and choosing to go their own way. The intensity of His search caused Him to come in human form (John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” in order to continue the search in a more intimate way. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.””

If God went to such an extreme to find those of us who were lost, then what should be our primary purpose as a church? I fear that we have become too focused on programs and plans that do not promote reaching the lost that we have left the example and mandate of Jesus behind the door. Matthew 28:19–20 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

2. Celebrate! I’ve found what I lost!

Back to the parable of the lost sheep…once he is found the shepherd is overjoyed.

Luke 15:6–7 “and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.”

Luke 15: 9-10 “When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.””

When the lost sheep and the lost coin are found, the seeker/finder celebrates and throws a party for his friends and neighbors so they can join in the celebration. Jesus said that in the same way the entire heavenly host will throw a celebration party every time a lost one is found.

Unfortunately we have become somewhat blase when someone surrenders to Jesus. We might say “Amen!” or we might go up and welcome them into the church, but we don’t rejoice. We can’t wait to get out to our cars and head home or to the restaurant. It grieves me that I have lost the joy of one coming to Christ. I have to ask, “Could it be that I don’t rejoice because I have not been ‘seeking the one who was lost’?”

How far are you willing to go and how much effort are you willing to expend to assure that your lost relatives and friends are found for the kingdom of God? (pause…wait for that to sink in)

3. Find yourself in the story

Luke 15:11–31 “He also said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him ans was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him: put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead ans is alive again; he was lost and is found! So they began to celebrate.”

If you have had a prodigal child or grandchild, you can empathize with this father. You never get over their departure from God. You never stop praying for their salvation. You look for them all day every day.

We worked with a pastor in Alabama whose son was a prodigal. Instead of hiding that fact, this pastor prayed almost every Sunday service for Charlie to return. He had been doing this long before I came on staff, and he continued while I was there. We joined with him in prayer. And then one day…Charlie came home…and we all celebrated. The day that Charlie came to speak at our church I was asked to sing a song about the prodigal returning. I had to sing through tears of joy.

Let me end today by suggesting how your should pray for your prodigal son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father, or whomever God has put on your heart.

Pray that they will have an “AHA” moment. Ask God to Awaken them to their lost, hopeless condition; Ask God to bring them to complete Honesty regarding their lostness and the realization that there is only one remedy; and then ask God to move them to Action and cause them to repent of their sin and surrender to Him completely.

Don’t just pray this prayer once. Pray it continuously. Don’t just leave everything up to God, He may want to use you to bring about the “AHA” moment in the life of your prodigal.

Application: (How will you apply this message in your life?)

You may be a prodigal. You are wasting your resources on things that grieve not only your family, but also God. If so, know that you are not in this service today by coincidence. You are here to have an “AHA” moment and to surrender completely to Christ.

You may have a prodigal in your family or circle of acquaintances. If so, commit to seeking them as intensely as the woman with the lost coin and the shepherd with the lost sheep. Signify your commitment by coming up to the front and standing here so we can pray with you.