PARABLES OF JESUS - THE LOST SHEEP

THE LOST SHEEP

Today we begin week 6 of 25 of the parables of Jesus. Week 1 was the wise and foolish builders. Week 2 was the foolish rich man desiring to build bigger barns. Week 3 was comparing the faithful and unfaithful servant while the master is away. Week 4 we talked about the Sower and the Seed – we are all the Sower – the Seed is the Word of God and the soil is the heart of the person hearing it. And week 5 we talked about the Wheat and the Tares except this time God is the sower and this parable speaks of sifting, separating the Christian (wheat) from the lost/unsaved (tares).

This week we look at one of the most icon parables, as it is one of the most painted and drawn of the parables – the parable of the Lost Sheep, so as we begin Let Us Pray!

THE LOST SHEEP

Luke 15:1–7 – Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 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.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

I. The Complaint to Christ—vv. 1–2

If we are not careful – we can become pharisaical – Why are they here? We all know what they did … We all know their life choice ….

A. Curiosity—v. 1. All types of people came to hear Jesus teach. Many were curious, others had special needs. Christ came to seek and save the lost

Matthew 18:11/Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

He came not to condemn, but to convert.

John 3:17-18 – For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

B. Complaint—v. 2. Self-righteous scribes and Pharisees complained that Jesus ate with sinners.

Eating with them was worse than allowing to be there to be taught, worse than meeting with them,

Eating shows an implied welcome, recognition, even intimacy or relationship (think of you who have had over for dinner in your home or who has invited you over to their house for dinner)

This man – they refused to call Him this teacher, or even by name – shows extreme content – Jesus was threatening their power and their control.

Jesus did not let their heartlessness or harshness divert Him from His mission – He came to cleanse sin from all, everyone.

1. God loves all people—John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Even the sinners and the lost – that is who He came to save – we need to be the same way – love those who sin and are away from God without giving permission or excusing their sin –

Jesus never said – “Go and continue in sin,” instead He always said, “Go and sin no more”

John 8:11 – She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

2. Jesus died for all people—2 Peter 3:9 – But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

1 Timothy 2:4 – who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Titus 2:11 – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

3. God forgives all sin—1 John 1:7-9 –But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

II. The Comparison by Christ—vv. 3–6

A. Parable—vv. 3–4. Rhetorical Question – a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer. Jesus utilizes them a lot – “Who, having one hundred sheep and losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine to seek the one lost sheep?”

John 3:17 – For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Ezekiel 34:16 – I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

B. Protection—v. 5. See the compassion of Jesus – And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Matthew 9:36 – When he saw the crowds, he had compassionfor them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

His compassion goes back to Ezekiel 34:16 and John 3:17

This is a joyful experience –

One of the most painted verses in Scripture

C. Pleasure through saving—v. 6. The shepherd rejoices when the lost sheep is found.

Notice – the sheep is still on his shoulder – its not trying to get down

Notice – the shepherd – is he grumbling about a dumb animal, shouldn’t have gone wandering off, never listens – NO – shepherd rejoices

The Joy of the Lord overshadows everything – and He is wanting to share it – he calls his friends and his neighbors!

III. The Conversion to Christ—v. 7

Jesus ties it all up here – He puts the ribbon and the bow on the package – There is rejoicing in heaven when a person accepts Christ. We as Christians also rejoice.

A. God’s pardon.

The new birth changes man’s life. He is talking with Nicodemus and then

John 3:5-8 – Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

He is a new person in Christ—

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

So when this happens like in Luke 15:7 – Jesus says again

Luke 15:10 – Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

B. God’s plan.

Christ is the way to heaven—

John 14:6 – Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

There is no other way—

Acts 4:11-12 – This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

And this goes back to verse 2 – Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

John 11:48 – Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

John 12:19 – So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

The Pharisees were losing control and power – we must also be willing to let go of control and power and allow God’s Plan to prevail not our own

C. God’s provision.

Isaiah foretold of Christ’s suffering for all of our sins —

Isaiah 53:5–6 – But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

God provided the way and that is why Jesus came – before dying and rising again to come bring in the lost – Matthew 9:12-13 –But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The shepherd of this parable is more concerned with the one lost sheep than the ninety-nine that were safe. This speaks of evangelism—reaching and winning the lost to Christ, perhaps the most needed activity in the church today. Too many Christians have little concern for the unreached and unsaved. And the closer we draw near to God, the more we will develop and have compassion for the lost. We will be more faithful in witnessing and seeking to win the lost to Christ.

Let us close in Prayer!