The Lost Coin / Sheep

Luke 15:3-10

Last week we heard a sermon about Joy. And I would continue this theme of joy.

1. What brings you joy?

2. If there was way, something you could do, to increase your joy here on earth and exponentially increase your joy in heaven, would you do it?

We’re going to talk about that today. As you may know already, I’m teaching through the parables of Jesus, so I thought, are there any parables about joy, and there are, there are 3 of them actually.

We are going to kind of reverse the roles here today. We think of joy, and we tend to think of what brings us joy. Our joy.

What do we find joy in this Christmas? I like what Steve mentioned last Sunday, someone said it’s not my birthday. It’s all about Jesus, and Him coming to earth to save us. Paul puts it plainly in 1 Timothy 1:15: “It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”

And we find great joy in that. But like I said we are going to flip the script for a moment. Because we always talk about God’s attributes, you can probably name a lot of them, His love, his mercy, his grace. But one attribute we seldom talk about is God’s joy. What brings God joy? Where there are several things that bring God joy, Himself, the Trinity, Creating, Ruling, bringing forth righteousness and justice, expressing His love and attributes to His creation, but the 3 parables I mentioned, we are going to look at two of them today, all talking about God’s joy and something that brings Him great joy. In fact, Luke devotes a whole chapter to this attribute of God. His joy.

Turn with me to Luke 15

We are going to look at the parable of the lost sheep and lost coin. The prodigal son ties into both of these and goes into greater detail about God’s joy, but we won’t have time for that one today.

Luke 15:1-10 (Find and Read)

Many Pastors and theologians agree that these three parables are all one big parable with 3 sections. As we see there is no actual break in between them. Jesus continues this thought throughout all 3 points.

So, let me explain the first 2 parts of this parable, then we will get into the practical applications of them. Look at what sparks this massive parable. Jesus really wants to hammer this one out. Look at verse 1.

We see the tax collectors and sinners again coming to Jesus to listen to Him. Remember, these people are the lowest of the low. The Greek word for sinners means sinful, depraved, and detestable. So, Jesus hung out with the most detestable people of that day.

Verse 2: The Pharisees and scribes, the leaders of that day were grumbling about it. That Greek word for grumbling means to murmur greatly, or loudly. They were walking through the crowds complaining loudly so all could hear them, that Jesus receives detestable nasty people and eats with them. Eating with someone back in that day and culture was a very intimate thing that people only did for people who were close to them or to show someone great hospitality.

And the Pharisees walked through the crowds loudly saying eww, see this can’t be the Messiah. Because in their minds, they made up a false messiah that wouldn’t do that. Their made-up Christ would come to them and commend them on their superb self-righteousness.

So, Jesus hears this, which says how loud they were complaining right? And it initiates this huge parable with 3 parts. And Jesus says, you know what, I’m going to tell you about what brings God joy.

Now a shepherd was usually in charge of many people’s sheep. They would take turns in watching their collective sheep. You might only personally have 10 sheep in this herd, but you are watching all 100. And you were in charge of them, making sure one didn’t wander off, get stolen, or get killed by an animal. And good shepherds risked a lot to save these sheep. It’s why Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd, I lay my life down for my sheep.

And it was common sense, Jesus said what man among you does not do this… if one sheep is lost, you go find it. But when does the joy come in? When he finds the lost sheep. He is so joyful that he puts a 100-pound sheep on his shoulders and carries it back. That’s what the average sheep weighs on the low end, I had to look it up. Then he gathers his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him!

Then Jesus says in the same way, that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. There is more joy in heaven, representing God and all of heaven. If God is joyful, heaven is joyful, if heaven is joyful, God is joyful. God finds great joy in one sinner who repents and there is a celebration in all of heaven.

But maybe you don’t have sheep and that one doesn’t strike you as much. Let’s look at the woman who lost a coin or in some translations you might see drachma instead of coin. Jesus does use drachma here, which was a Greek silver coin and was about a day’s wage.

And He says a woman has ten drachmas or coins. So only ten days’ wages, enough to survive the next ten days, if she doesn’t obtain more. And she loses one. That’s big, that’s serious in her case.

Jesus says again, rhetorically, what woman or what person doesn’t do this? She lights a lamp because stone houses back in that day usually did not have windows so even in broad daylight, it was dark in the house. But lighting a lamp isn’t easy, I’ve talked about that before, you had to rub sticks together and do it the old-fashioned way. And she sweeps the house, which does mean to clean or sweep the floor in this case and she carefully or better translated diligently searches for it.

They had stone floors, but they were large smooth stones with cracks in between filled with a clay-type substance, it would get dirty in those cracks, so imagine under nothing but candlelight, going inch by inch sweeping these little cracks trying to find a small coin. Tedious work. Diligent work. And when she finds it, again call the neighbors, call my friends, let’s rejoice! Rejoice with me for I am joyful.

Verse 10: Jesus says again, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Notice just one. Praise God that He cares about one lost individual.

So, we have the lost sheep and the lost coin, both representing who? Lost souls.

These are unsaved people who are lost spiritually. But these are special unsaved people. What makes them so special? Well, their name is written in the Book of Life. This one lost sinner is a part of the elect. Individuals that God has chosen to save. Now we can’t go down the rabbit hole of the doctrine of election today.

But just know only those who truly repent and are saved are a part of God’s elected individuals. Those God has chosen to save. And when one chosen person, an elected person repents and comes to God and is saved, there is more joy in heaven over that than anything else.

That’s the whole reason Jesus stepped off his throne, came down, lived a perfect life, fulfilled the law, died, and then resurrected to save sinners.

1 Timothy 1:15: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”

- A lot of people want to put a saved Christian as the lost sheep and lost coin, but that doesn’t work. It says sinners who need repentance. Christians are dead to sin, so we are no longer classified as sinners. And the prodigal son goes into greater detail of why these are not saved people, but we aren’t talking about that one so just trust me for now.

Let me ask you another question as you turn with me to Hebrews 12:2. How was Jesus able to endure the cross? How was he able to endure all the pain, torture, and suffering? Well, the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 12:2

Hebrews 12:2 (Find and Read)

Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy of saving you. As Jesus was going to the cross, there was an end result that he kept his eyes fixed on so that he was able to endure it and that was saving us. It brings God joy to save sinners.

Paul echoes this in 2 Timothy 2:10 Remember Paul was stoned, beaten, flogged, thrown in to be attacked by animals, and thrown in jail. He says, “For this reason, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

What Christ finds joy in, we should find joy in also. Living our lives for the sake of the elect, so they may be saved and join us in heaven.

Another question: How are people saved? By the gospel, correct? Romans 1:16: “The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” How does God get the gospel to his elect who are lost? Through us, not just me, not just the pastors, but by all of us. Everyone who is a Christian is called to go give the gospel to all creation.

Romans 10:14-15a: How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent?

Paul is saying under the direction of the Holy Spirit, how will lost people, the elect, be saved if we don’t send Christians to go and give the gospel?

Please turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. Some might still think they can be a Christian and do no ministry service or minimal ministry service. I want to prove to you by God’s word that we are all called to service, not just service but full-time service.

Read 2 Cor. 5:17-20 emphasizing US and We

All the old is gone. Our old way of thinking, our old way of living. The new has come. Our new way of thinking and our new way of living. And if you are truly a child of God, saved by the blood of Jesus, then you are a full-time minister of reconciliation and an ambassador for Christ. That is irrefutable.

This means we all have the same mission as Paul and the apostles: to endure hardship so we can be givers of the gospel. What does that mean? What does that practically look like?

And as we go live our earthly lives day to day, whatever we are doing, we are first and foremost to be preachers of the gospel, first and foremost ambassadors of Christ, first and foremost, ministers of reconciliation.

1 Cor. 10:31 Whatever we do, do it all for the glory of God.

How many of us, I’m guilty too, hurry to the grocery store, run the cart around, get what we need, avoid everyone, and then hurry home to put it all away? We need to not get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, we need to pray that God slows us down a little and keep our heads grounded on eternal perspectives. When we die, Christ isn’t going to care about how we stocked our pantry at home, He is going to care deeply if or if we did not, try to find His lost sheep along the way.

How hard are we to try? What should be our effort in doing so? Well, maybe, if someone talks to me about it. If I happen to. Is that what the woman did with the coin? Well, I'll walk around my house hoping I step on it and it plops into my pocket. No, we need to search for them diligently. Carefully, slowing down our lives so we don’t miss one.

What did Jesus tell the Apostles after He ascended? Stay put where you are at and ill bring lost people to you. No, He said Go! Go and make disciples, go and preach the gospel to all creation!

We go back to the parable in Luke 15. Jesus commands all of us to spread the gospel and then reminds us that He will be with us as we do that. The Great Commission. Matthew 28

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

So, we are the catalyst to finding the lost souls and delivering the gospel to them. Remember Jesus saying, but what person doesn’t do this? This should be natural. As we live our lives, we are going out there and finding lost sheep. Lost souls. Finding the elect that are right now lost and delivering the good news. But why doesn’t it come naturally to us is the question.

You have to examine your own heart. How much are you in the word? How much time do you spend in prayer, in communion with the God who saved you and loves you, who wants to give you all these things? Boldness to proclaim the gospel. Wisdom, knowledge, discernment. He wants to give them to us. But a lot of times, we are distracted by the world, by the hustle of life. And folks, if any one of us is there, the enemy is winning. If he can’t destroy us as Christians, he can and will distract us, taking away as much heavenly rewards and joy that he can. If we are caught up in the world, it takes our affection of Christ away and starts putting that into the world.

I’m not saying we don’t love Christ, but we don’t love him as we should. How do we know? Because we see so many Christians, I’ve done it as well, including Christians out there, what we love is what we put all our heart, soul, mind, and strength towards. All our time, energy, and money towards. In fact, show me what you put all your time, money, and energy towards, and I’ll show you what you love the most. It’s a battle, we need to fight that urge to be of the world. We need to strive every day to love Christ more. We need to not put him on the back burner. I’ll get to Jesus later, I'll get to the kingdom work later, no, we are living our new lives constantly in kingdom work, at all times.

Who are the 99 righteous people in the parable who need no repentance? Well, many scholars have differing opinions on this, some say those are the Pharisees, but they are definitely not righteous and definitely need repentance. Jesus could have been talking about the Pharisees according to the Pharisee's minds. Some have suggested that Jesus the Shephard left the righteous angels in heaven who don’t need repentance to come and save sinners here on the earth. Whatever it may be, I think it's safe to apply that the 99 things are less important than the one that is lost. There could be 99 things in our lives that don’t bring God joy, and we need to go out and find the one thing that does bring God joy. A child of God that needs to come home.

Like the woman lighting a lamp and searching every nook and cranny, diligently looking for her lost coin, how diligent are we at searching for lost souls? It can be hard work. You will run into a lot of goats. Jesus says at the end he will separate the sheep from goats, the saved and the unsaved, the elect and non-elect if you will. You go through goat after goat, atheist after atheist, self-righteous after self-righteous, sweeping away at those dark little cracks, searching high and low in every field and pasture for that one lost sheep. Because Jesus says, many are on the path of destruction. Only a few are on the path that leads to life.

Then one day, you find one. A person you gave the gospel to. They repented and came and gave their life to Jesus. Oh, how joyful that is. I even gave you a real-world scenario at the harvest dinner. We started giving the gospel over the internet and were just spreading the seed. The comments are horrible, I’ve been called a heretic, and a blasphemer, and people are calling for me to repent of my false teaching. Name after name, cussing at me. Then one day, an old friend messaged me, I saw your videos, how do I get saved? I told him and he gave his life to Christ. Olivia and I cried tears of joy. I could hardly keep it back telling you all at the harvest dinner.

One person at least confirmed, came to Christ and was saved and it was all worth it. I wanted to rejoice with all of you. I found one. I didn’t save him, God saved him. But God used me as a tool to find him. And it brought so much joy, and it brought all of heaven joy. Btw you will all possibly get to meet him and hear his testimony because he wants to come up here from South Carolina to get baptized.

The point is what brings God joy, should be what brings us joy. And it does. And yes, it’s hard work, and it’s scary, but what comes out at the end when you find a lost soul, it’s all worth it, there is rejoicing not only here on earth amongst other children of God, but God and all the angels are rejoicing in heaven as well. Just as this parable says.

This is why these are such favorite parables amongst Christians because what else can you do that causes all of heaven to up in an uproar of cheering and joy? Again, they aren’t celebrating over you, but for the child who came home. But you get to have alongside that, participation in that joy. Immense joy. Yes, you get rewards in heaven for your spiritual service, you do. But to come alongside heaven and rejoice in a person being saved is just something else. Speaking of heavenly rewards, heavenly joy.

Another question as you turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (Find and Read)

The question is, what will our source of joy, the source of our happiness, our rejoicing be once we either die or are raptured? What will the source of our joy be once in the presence of Christ Jesus?

The easy answer would be Jesus Christ, right? But that is surprisingly the incorrect answer. All the Pastors and Theologians agree on this.

Read this verse with me, 1 Thess. 2:19,20

Who is the “you” Paul is talking about? The Thessalonians, whom he brought the gospel to, whom God used him to save, and whom Paul ministered to. He says these Christians are the source of his joy, the object of hope, and the crown of boasting, when He meets Jesus in heaven.

This crown of boasting, otherwise known as the crown of exaltation, means the immense expression of joyful feelings or boasting in a righteous sense.

There are 5 crowns mentioned in Scripture. They are not literal crowns according to MacArthur, but the crown of life for instance is just the gift of eternal life. The Lord will crown us with life, righteousness, glory, perfection, and joy. But according to Paul, the joy we receive will be from the people that we were used to reach.”

Paul hoped to see them in heaven. And if he did, it would be the source of his joy, and his crown of joy.

MacArthur states: “A great part of heaven’s bliss for the redeemed (you and me) will be the joyful presence of those whom they had been used to reach.”

On the other hand,

2 Timothy 2:5 Paul says: “If anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

Now, we don’t know what this is going to look like exactly, but we do know there are levels or tiers of eternal rewards and eternal bliss or joy. We will all receive some joy for what we have done for the kingdom here on earth, but it’s the capacity to receive joy will be different. Remember it’s not the results that matter. God gives us different opportunities. It’s whether or not we acted upon those opportunities. Some may have a capacity like an Olympic-sized swimming pool to receive joy, while others may only have a bathtub-size capacity, and that’s for all eternity. You can increase it here, right now, but not up there. It’s what we do down here that matters.

And you might be thinking, well I’ll take the bathtub if that means I don’t have to give the gospel. But friends, please know this fact as well.

Romans 14:12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

When raptured or we die, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for the things we did on this earth. It breaks my heart that many of us will have to stand before our Lord and Savior who bought us with his blood, died a horrible death in our place, and poured so much grace and mercy upon us while keeping us alive on this planet to save souls, and we will have to shamefully give an account of why we did not do it. Of how we took the earthly pleasures God gracefully gave us and put all focus and love and energy towards those things instead. Instead of doing the very things he called us all to do.

Remember the parable of the talents? We will have to give an account of why we didn’t use God’s talents or the opportunities He gave us.

We will have to give the reason why to Jesus Christ face to face. I say that hopefully as a great motivator. It is for me as well. Studying this, I thought man, I’m convicted. It stirred my own heart. I got to get out there more. Like Paul, I want to run the race to win, to win souls!

A quick analogy to help all this sink in. What would all of us do if a small child walked through these doors right now, barely any clothes, no parents, and freezing ribs are showing he’s so starved of food? His lips are chapped because he’s so thirsty. What would we do? I am going to assume hopefully most of us if not all of us would jump into action immediately, right? Am I right on that?

I would say most of you would start forming groups, you guys go get some water, you 3, go get him some food, you folks, go drive and get him the size clothes he needs and get him a winter jacket and gloves. Crank up the heat in the fellowship hall and get him by the heaters. Am I right?

Now let’s flip it. How would you feel if most of the church was like Naa, not my problem. I have got stuff to do today. Or just walk right past him like he’s not there, trying to avoid him.

And yet so many Christians today, I’ve done it too shamefully, brush by people, strangers some who are starving for righteousness, thirsting for eternal life, some who are God’s children begging for a changed life, and we treat them like they are not even there. We have people around us thirsting for living water. The worst part is we have it with us at all times ready to give out, but we withhold it.

This doesn’t mean sparking up a 20-minute gospel presentation to every single person you pass in the grocery store. But you can say hi, give them a tract and say have a nice day and smile at them. Start there. Pray for zeal, pray for a desire to seek and save the lost. God promises He will give us anything we ask if it’s in accordance with His will. Like I said, He wants to give us boldness and wisdom to give the gospel, it’s according to His will, and He’s ready to give it to you. Just ask. Pray for it, it will happen.

It would make me so happy if every Sunday we walked out in that foyer and saw the tract box empty and we had to refill it, every Sunday. That would be so awesome! Because that’s what it’s all about, coming here, receiving the word, worshipping God, fellowshipping, then going out to do His kingdom work. We always forget about the last part. Don’t leave God’s powerful gospel message in the box, take it with you and give it to someone.

Because for eternity’s sake, that’s what is really going to matter.

2 Timothy 2:3-4 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

A few truths here: if you are a saved believer alive on this earth right now, you are a soldier of Christ currently in active duty. 24/7. To please our Lord and Savior, we must not entangle ourselves, be devoted to, and cherish the affairs of everyday life. Romans 12:2

I challenge us all at the end of each day, look back and ask yourself, did I live today for my glory or for God’s glory?

I’ve heard nearly hundreds of sermons, many, many Pastors, famous theologians, and gifted evangelists all say the exact same thing.

When it comes to evangelism among many spiritual disciplines in today’s modern American church, it is nearly nonexistent and there needs to be another revival. An awakening from our slumber. Jesus even said, the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few.

Brothers and sisters of wildwood chapel, we can start right here right now. Maybe not a revival or awakening. But we can all be a part of the immense joy that we can all have by giving the gospel to someone, the joy we can experience here on earth and in eternity. Don’t miss out on it. We cannot get so absorbed in our earthly daily lives and fleshly passions that we forget we are on a mission field, a search and rescue team, we search, we give the lifeline of the gospel and God rescues. Best team you could ever be on. Don’t miss out on that eternal joy that you could have.

Like the shepherd who found his sheep, like the woman who found her coin, let’s all go find those lost souls in our communities, let’s bring them home. And then let’s all celebrate together, and let’s all be filled with earthly and eternal joy.

And btw, if anyone desires for this church to grow. To see knew faces, new Christians. We can’t just be a church body in here on Sunday mornings. We need to be a church body out there. It’s not one or two people doing it. It’s a whole team effort. Just image the impact we could have on the kingdom of our Lord if every one of us went out and gave the gospel to just one person every day over the next year. That’s 37K people that we as a church could reach. How many of those are the elect? Let’s find out, shall we? Jesus says to go, so let’s go.

One last quote from Charles Spurgeon:

“Save some, Oh Christians! By all means, save some. From yonder flames and outer darkness, and the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, seek to save some! Let this, as in the case of the apostle, be your great, ruling object in life, that by all means, you might save some.”

Father in heaven,

With your grace and love, I have brought forth some great and deep truths of your word. You have given us as your children, by your grace, through your word many wonderful motivators to reach the lost with your precious gospel. Lord, I pray that I would not forget these truths, that all of us would not forget these truths, but that your word would work in our hearts and our minds to convict us, to conform us, to encourage us to go and reach the lost. We know the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. I ask that you rise up workers here today to fulfill your great commission.