The Seeker, the Lost and the Indifferent

Luke 15:1-

Luke 15:1–7 NASB95

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “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 which was lost!’ “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15 NASB95

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “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 which was lost!’ “I tell you that in the same way, 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, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” And He said, “A man had two sons. “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’ “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. “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 became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ”

Luke 15:8–10 NASB95

“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:8-

Luke 15:11–32 NASB95

And He said, “A man had two sons. “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’ “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. “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 became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ”

Pray

Background:

This event in Jesus life is so packed with spiritual concepts, I could preach on it for a month or more and have a different subject each week. However, I am going to try to catch the essence of it in this one sermon. This event takes place very near the end of Jesus time. He is drawing very near Jerusalem at this point. Last week we see that Jesus had a crowd following Him. It appears they came for “the show” if you will. Jesus turned and told them what would be expected of them if they followed. I am sure the crowd thinned out some at that point.

This week we see another gathering, but the intentions of these appears different. They are no so much watching “the show,” but they are intently listening to Jesus teachings. Once again, the Pharisees and teachers of the law take offense and complain to Jesus. Their actions continue to show that even though they are the religious leaders of Israel, they have no real personal knowledge of God. If they did, they would know that God’s heart was with all His people, not just the ones who “act righteous.” Knowing they do not understand this and with the intent of helping them to understand, Jesus shares...

I. Three Parables of Search and Rescue

These parables by name are “The Lost Sheep,” “The Lost Coin,” and “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” Jesus told one right after another with no other discussion in between. At the end of the final story, we find no ending discussion. This events just ends with the final story.

We are not going to look at these stories separately today, but as a cohesive whole. To begin with, we will start with...

A. The Seeker

In each story, the seeker has lost something they value. Each one represents God in some form or other. Each reveals characteristics of God helping us to better understand Him. The first is...

I. Three Parables of Search and Rescueias lost something they value. Each one represents God in and shows us His love and concern for the lost, while sharing some insight to God’s character. The first is...

A. The Seeker

1. The Shepherd

1. The Shepherd

We know from , that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who is destined to lay down His life for us His sheep. In giving us this word picture, He is showing us characteristics of Himself.

The shepherd provides protection for his sheep. He uses his rod to guide and steer them. He rescues them when they need it. He takes the place of danger to protect them while they sleep. He uses his rod as a means to inspect them for harmful insects or diseases. The shepherd is also feels affection for his sheep naming them and knowing each by name.

When one wanders off, he doesn’t say, “no matter, I have plenty left.” No instead, he relaxes in the wellbeing of those that are safe and sets out to find the one in danger to return it to a place of love and safety.

Next we have...

2. The Woman

The woman as lost a coin. She only has ten, each representing a full days wages (.18). She is not willing to wait until morning when she has the advantage of daylight. No, instead she lights her lamp, turning it as bright as she possibly can. She works diligently sweeping and searching, not giving up until she finds it. She is so relieved in finding it, she cannot contain herself. She calls her friends and neighbors to share in her joy at finding it. Some say the woman represents the Holy Spirit represented by the lamp light. This feels like a stretch to me, but it is possible there are aspects here that describe the Holy Spirit in ways that are beyond my ken. The truth is correct in that all aspects of the Trinity play a part in our journey to salvation.

Finally, we have...

3. The Father

He is heart broken over his son’s lack of respect and choice to leave, however, he does not force him to stay. He releases the son to take his chosen path. However, the father does not give up on the son. His eye is ever on the horizon waiting for the day when his son will awaken to the truth and come home.

The are three more characteristics of God we learn from these seekers. The first is...

a. The Value of the lost

In each of these parables we see a digression of value. The first is one in one hundred. The second is one in ten. The third is one in two. What this tells us is that none is less of value than the next. Each person has value in God’s eyes. It does not matter the reason they are lost, all that matters is they need to come home to love and safety.

The second thing we see is...

b. The Attitude of the Seeker

Each seeker is passionate about finding the lost item or person. They are determined, diligent, and hyper-aware of their loss. This tells us that God is passionate about us!! His focus is wholly on bringing us back to Him. Which brings us to the final point...

c. The Response to the Recovery

God rejoices when the lost are found. In fact, He is so excited that He does not celebrate alone. He calls those around Him to join in. Look at the two verses that say this, as there is a slight difference in them.

Luke 15:7 NASB95

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:10 NASB95

“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:

We see that there is much joy in heaven in verse 7, but in verse 10 we see “join in the presence of the angels.” Who is in the midst of the angels. God! God is rejoicing in the midst of His angels. He is like the woman who calls her friends and neighbors as she is so excited she cannot keep it to herself!

The lost object grabs and holds our attention, but the purpose of these stories is to help us to understand God and God’s love for people. Not just righteous people, but all people. Jesus is showing the Pharisees God’s true passion for all mankind.

So the seeker is the key, but there are things we can learn from the next focal point of our parables. That is...

B. The Lost

In each story, there is something lost. This parable helps to reveal that we are lost for different reasons. Look with me first at the...

1. Sheep - Careless wanderer demonstrates the sinner in his stupidity.

Sheep get lost because they wander. They are not very smart animals. In fact, I have always enjoyed having some fun with this part of the story. For fun, under the guise of sheep, let us look at some characteristics that cause us to wander.

The Wanderer - Sheep often wander off accidentally. They do not pay attention to things around them, but instead wander from one good piece of grass to another without paying attention to where it is leading them. Before long, they lose sight of the heard and they do not know where they are.

The Disobedient - He knows where he is not suppose to go, but the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. So he searches to find a hole in the fence where he can get through. Then he goes looking for that special place. When he is ready to come back, he cannot find the whole he left through. He realizes he is lost.

The Pouter - The pouter thinks everybody is against her. She decides she doesn’t need anyone and she can go it alone. Unfortunately, there is not protection for her when the big bad wolf finds her.

The Rebel - They do not want to do anything someone else tells them to do. They think they know it all. They are determined to be their own boss. So they run off just because they were told not to. But being a smart alack won’t save them from the wolf either.

This may seem funny to us in this context, however, in real life it is not so funny as people struggle with the consequences of their choices.

The truth is there are many people that are lost out of pure ignorance of their need. They wander through life, just making their way the best they can, totally unaware that there is a God who loves them and can give purpose and meaning to their lives.

Next we have the lost...

2. Coin - The mishandled demonstrates the sinner as all-unconscious of his lostness

Unlike the sheep, those represented by the coin are those lost due to mishandling by others. I am not saying God has mishandled anyone, however, many people are lost due to the sinful acts of others. Children and persons who have been abused fall into this category. I am afraid to know the percentage of people that are brought up in homes that expose them to things that hurt them physically and psychologically, and even spiritually as it is harder to understand the spiritual under such circumstances. They are often just focused on surviving one day at a time.

Then we have the...

3. Son - The rebel demonstrates one who knowingly & willingly are estranged from God

The son is the rebellious one that willingly walks away estranging himself from God.

There is a lot of debate on whether Jesus is talking about unbelievers in these stories or believers who are not following in the faith. I personally believe there is enough here to demonstrate that it is anyone following the path of sin instead of following God. I know there are differences in beliefs regarding whether Christians can backslide or not. No matter what we feel on this subject, I believe we all agree that if someone is not following God and living a life changed by God, that salvation is needed. We are not saved by works, but works do follow salvation and there are a lot of people who profess to be Christian, but their lives do not demonstrate it.

God seeks the lost whether they ever knew Him or not!

And that brings us nicely to our last group of people. They are...

C. The Indifferent

The Pharisees are the indifferent. They are represented by the eldest brother in the story.

1. The eldest brother reflects the Pharisaical attitude toward the lost

Interesting that Jesus did not bring this point up until the very last story and that it is on this note that He ends His story. It is open-ended as if calling for a choice to be made. I believe that was exactly the intent. The Pharisees have a choice to make. To carry on as they always have proclaiming faith to a God they really do not know. Or do they take a chance by stepping out and seeking to know who God really is?

In the story of the prodigal son, the older son was faithful, but not for the right reasons. He was in it not for the relationship, but for the things he felt he could profit. For this reason, instead of enjoying his job, he resented it. It was something he felt inflicted upon him in order for him to deserve the reward he would receive.

That is the Pharisees. They want the rewards (not so much the relationship) and they are willing to follow the most mundane rules in order to achieve what they feel will be their just deserts for their sacrifices. No wonder they were a humorless and disagreeable lot. No wonder they resented that Jesus appears to be giving away for free, what they feel they have sacrificed so long for.

However, there were those who heard and listened. Nicodemus for one. Somehow, Jesus message was resonating with him and he sought Jesus out by night, where he could question without ridicule from his friends. There was Joseph of Arimathea whose burial chamber became Jesus’. Along the way, some took the challenge and made life changes.

Conclusion:

So what does this all mean for us? The first is simple, if you have not yet received Jesus as your saviour, do not delay. He loves you and is seeking you. Come into the fold where you will be loved, guarded, guided and rejoiced over.

If you already know the Lord, well it tells us something further.

In Jesus declared...

Luke 19:10 NASB95

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

We know that Christ is our example in all things. His final instruction to us was to...

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

“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 observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:

So in two words, our job is evangelism and discipleship.

Evangelism is the work we do to find the lost and lead them to the Master Shepherd. There are a lot of methods that like to instruct in how to do that. They may be helpful for some, but leave a lot of people feeling inadequate. The truth is a lot simpler than that.

1. Life Style Evangelism

That means living a holy life of devotion before God in all things you do. God calls us to be Him before all people in all we do and say. In other words, be yourself in the spirit of God before all people. This is making good personal choices; exercising self-control when you are having tough times. People are watching what you do and say at all times.

2. Relational Evangelism

Interacting in their lives. As we talk with them and associate with them, we will have opportunities to share what God has done in our life. When they are having difficult times we can offer to pray with them and share how God has helped us through similar times offering them a chance to pray for God to do the same for them.

3. Invitational Evangelism

Invite them to Sunday worship, Sunday school, Bible Study, Arms of Love, etc… Now I listed this first as it works best if preceded by 1 & 2. But it does work! Do not hesitate to invite. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

As I prepare to close today, allow me to share with you some new ways we are considering doing the above in our church this next year. The Board and I sat and talked long and hard about our church vision for the future. At the heart of the discussion was our Compassionate Ministries. We have always said that the heartbeat of this church is compassion. Unfortunately, the way we have done compassion in the past has been with physical labor. The downside to that is that people with health issues cannot usually help and those who were doing the bulk of the labor are getting older.

So we are looking at doing our Compassionate Ministry in a completely new way. We have not worked out the bulk of it yet, but we know a little of what we want it to be. We are looking at it as being more of a mentor ship program. This mentor ship will happen at two levels.

Evangelism - we hope to reach out into our community and instead of giving one time aid here or there, we will select people that we walk alongside of to help give more concentrated aid. These people will have to prove they are working to make changes in their life. We will support them however we can (mentally, physically, and sometimes financially), when we see efforts being made on their part to change their lives for the better. One of the conditions will be they need to be attending regularly our services. We will offer a life mentor that will stay connected and encourage them and as a body we will mentor them in areas of need like budgeting, learning life skills (cooking, canning, sewing), learning job skills (computers, changing oil, etc…).

The next level will be...

Discipleship - We will partner people with long-time faith with people with shorter-time faith. They will be prayer partners and teh older will mentor the younger in the faith.

There should be a skill a way that everyone can participate in these since they consist of our time, skills, and strengths, rather than physical labor.

Finally, I will add this. We are here today as we are considering selling our properties and buying this property. Right behind and to the left of us (and in front of us), are lots of people for whom we can live out our faith in front of in lifestyle evangelism. As we serve together, attend services together and who knows what else, we have a lot more eyes on us here than we do on Birch. I hope within a short time of being in this place we can start by having a block party to get to know our neighbors.

Next, we know there are many physical and spiritual needs represented around this building. Arms of Love could find a whole new venue to serve at the apartments behind and to the right of this building. This would be the relational evangelism. Perhaps we will find folks in these apartments that will benefit from our Compassionate ministry mentor-ship. Many have the need, if we can find those with the desire.

Through our Arms of Love ministry and Compassionate ministry, we should find plenty of opportunities to practice invitational evangelism. I truly believe this neighborhood, though not far from where we currently are, opens us a whole new load of opportunities for ministry.

Let me close with this final thought from ESV.

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.