Lost & Found

Introduction

Some of Jesus’ most helpful, engaging, and memorable teachings were in the form of stories

Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings

Luke 15 contains three different parables, but all have a very closely related meaning — rejoicing for the salvation of those who are lost.

The Spiritual Reality of Being Lost

A relationship is broken - Luke 15:12, 24, 32

The son was dead to the father; the father was dead to the son - Luke 15:12, 24, 32

Something of value is lost - Luke 15:8-10

Story of my high school class ring being found in Midland, TX by a complete stranger.

The flock has lost one of their own - Luke 15:3-7

In all of these scenarios, the lost item was worth receiving back!

The shepherd went to look for the sheep

The woman looked everywhere for the coin

The father received the son back and restored him to the family

Any soul who comes back to the Lord is worth celebrating and rejoicing - Luke 15:7, 10

Finding the Lost

The father: finding the lost requires grace

The prodigal had disrespected his father, treated him as if he were dead, and left home with no appreciation for his upbringing - Luke 15:11-13

As the son begins to express his remorse and come home, the father saw his son when he was still a long ways off. Apparently he was expecting this day to come at some point - Luke 15:20

The father could have come with a lecture and a sermon filled with “I told you so;” instead, he shows compassion for his son - Luke 15:20

The father gave his son what he did not deserve. That is called ‘grace.’ He restores the son’s place in the family with the rob, the fatted calf, and celebration of all the household - Luke 15:22-24

The son was right. He did not deserve to be called a son after the way he treated his father - Luke 15:21

But this story isn’t about what the son deserves. It’s about the son receiving what he did not deserve through the kind treatment from his father.

Finding the lost means we need to show people the grace of God!

We have all sinned and deserve to receive the wages of sin, which is death - Romans 3:23; 6:23

Yet, God in His compassion and love for us extends to us forgiveness of those sins. He gives us what we do not deserve - Romans 5:6-11

We were helpless, sinners, and enemies of God

But God loved us, allowed His Son to die for us...

And now we have been saved from God’s wrath and we have reconciled (restored in our relationship) to God!

Everyone needs to hear the story of God’s grace. When people are lost and have turned to worldly behavior (drugs, drinking, fornication, immodest dress), they need to hear the message of grace and forgiveness.

The youngest son: being found takes repentance and personal responsibility

Hopefully, the people who are lost want to be found. In the parable, the son hits a breaking point and realizes how bad life has become - Luke 15:13-20

Assuming a Jewish background, this young man is now wanting to eat what pigs eat. Pigs were unclean and if they were unclean, then their food was as filthy as it comes.

Also, he hired himself out as a servant — to an apparent Gentile — since the owner had no problem with pigs.

This is as humiliating of a picture for a Jew as you could imagine

This hits the son like a ton of bricks. He wakes up and comes to his senses. He’s miserable and he now knows it. Everyone else has known it from the start, but now he sees himself clearly. He wants to be found - Luke 15:17

He makes a plan. He is remorseful - Luke 15:18-19

Then he acts on that plan - Luke 15:20

This son shows us that when we sin and when we are lost, we have to own up to our sin, take personal responsibility, quit making excuses, and we have to repent.

Repent or perish - Luke 13:3, 5

Repentance is a personal, individual change in your mind. Others might be able to persuade you and influence you and encourage you to change your mind, but ultimately it will be your personal responsibility to change your mind and your life - Ephesians 4:22-25

The oldest son: finding the lost takes humility and self-awareness

The oldest son should have been glad that his brother was back among the family, but he wasn’t - Luke 15:25-32

He was not ready to see that it was better for his brother to be back with the family than it was for the brother to be away and dying. The oldest brother was interested in only himself - Luke 15:29-30

“This son of yours...” = he doesn’t acknowledge that this is his brother

The most important lesson of all in this parable is what we learn from the older brother: many of us will not be able to save others and help them find the way back to God because we ourselves are lost and we don’t even know it!

The Pharisees are the older brother - Luke 15:1-2

People can sometimes get uncomfortable when we try to reach the lost — those who have complicated marriage/divorce issues to work through, or a history of drug and alcohol abuse, or those who have tattoos and have run with the wrong crowd.

If we get uncomfortable about sharing the gospel with those people, then we need to first examine our own hearts.

Remember how everyone needs the grace of God? That doesn’t mean you yourself did not need the grace of God. IF we want to truly share the grace of God with others, we have to constantly remember that we share it because we have experienced the grace of God ourselves! - cf. 1 Timothy 1:12-16

Conclusion

Of the hard sayings and teachings of Jesus our Savior, this might be the most important. Learning to show grace and live with the grace of God in our lives, turning away from worldliness and sin and living for the Lord — that is hard.

While it may be hard, it is life altering and will benefit you for eternity!

The Father extends His mercy and grace to you — are you ready to receive it?