The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Order of Service - Remembrance Day Service!

Welcome

Hymn - The Lord's my Shepherd (1189) - Stuart Townend

Remembrance Day: 10:45

in Past 4000 years, only 300 years have not had a major conflict.

525,600 minutes in a year, we give 2 minutes in remembrance

First World War - 1914 - 1918 (11:11am 11/11/1918) :- 30 million died

Germany, Austria-Hungary & Ottoman (Turkish) Empire/Caliphate (14th Century)

Israel, Trans-Jordon (Palestinian), Lebanon & Syria formed

League of nations setup - 58 counties signed it covenant of membership - yet 11 years later...

Second World War - 1939 -1945 :- Approx 53 million died (15m military & 38m civilians) - upto 80m including disease/famine

Italy, Germany & Japan - 9.3m

Soviet Union Losses - 22-27m

China - 3.8m military, 8.2m civilian (10m disease/famine)

Commonwealth Soldiers Losses

UK: 383,600 military, & 67,100 civilians

India: 87,000 military (2-3m civilians by disease/famine)

Canada: 44,090

Australia: 39,654

New Zealand: 11,900

South Africa: 11,900

Airmen, Troops & Support

Caribbean (over half Jamaican) - 10,000 in army & 6,000 in airforce (460 pilots)

In Freedom

Victory in Europe Day - 8th May 1945 (80 years)

Victory over Japan Day - 15th August 1945 (80 years)

The Exhortation is recited: 10:58:15

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

The Last Post is sounded - 10:58:30

2 mins silence

Hymn -

Psalm Reading

Psalm 88:10–12 “Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?”

Prayer

Teen Talk

Hymn -

Notices

Prayer Meeting - 7:30pm (Online)

Friday 7pm

Sunday Morning 11am & 6pm

Tithes & Offerings - £

Main Prayer

Birthdays

Prayer Items

Hymn -

Sermon Search

Reading

Matthew 18:10–14 ESV

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Luke 15 ESV

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. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Sermon

Temptations to Sin

better to lose a limb, or eye

salt & fire

saltiness

Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

How you live matters

Salvation is not just conversion, but also reaching the end

Matthew 18:10 ESV

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

‘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.”’

They despised sinners and the back slidden

DO NOT despise one of these

God Loves and cares for them

Parable of the Lost Sheep

Luke 15:3–7 ESV

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.

100 Sheep

1 goes stray (approx £40-50)

Shephard will secure the 99, and search out the 1

He will search high and low

When he finds it he will celebrate, and will tell everyone

“there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”

figure of speech

like a teacher saying “I am more pleased with students who study diligently than with those who have all the answers”

means “I am pleased with students who study diligently, but not with those who refuse to study because they think, they know it all”

1 conversion - 99 self-righteous

1 back slider - 99 believers

Parable of the Lost Coin

Luke 15:8–10 ESV

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

10 silver coins

1 is lost (daily wage, approx £40-50) - may also have sentimental value (marriage dowry, worn as jewelry)

She lights a lamp and sweeps the house seeking the coin

lamp - gospel

broom - the law of God

When she finds it she celebrates, and will tell everyone

“there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Summary

do not hate them

do not regard them with indifference

welcome them when they come to you

seek after them

Parable of the Lost Sons (Prodigal Son)

Luke 15:11–13 ESV

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

Younger son wants freedom, and his inheritance early

destruction of the relationship - rejection

removal from loving care of the family (both ways)

Father divides the inheritance between his sons (normally 2/3rds to older son)

Younger son takes up all that is his and leaves for a far country

He squanders everything in reckless living

Luke 15:14–19 ESV

And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’

He ran out of money

Severe famine arose

He began to be in desperate need

He works for a farmer looking after pigs, and resorts to eating the pods the pigs were given to eat

Eventually realises that even the lowest of his fathers servants are given enough bread to eat

Younger son Planned Statement: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

Luke 15:20–24 ESV

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

He returns home to ask to become the lowest of the servants

Father sees him and rushes out to greet him

Younger son says: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. “

He never got to say “Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

Father commanded a servant to get the best robe, a formal/signet ring, and shoes

He has the a fattened calf to be killed to provide the meal

Gathers everyone and celebrates

“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found”

Luke 15:25–32 ESV

“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Older brother approaches from working in the field and hears and asks about the celebration

Outwardly obedience and inwardly self-righteous

Immediately he is angry, and refuses to go inside

Fathers comes out to him to plead with him

Brother complains: ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

Father replies: “‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Hymn -

Closing Prayer

Doxology