Lost and Found

The Gospel in the Gospels  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  49:06
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Introduction

The Gospel in the Gospels
We looked at how Jesus presented the Gospel to people in His ministry
We have looked at how Jesus presented the Gospel in His stories
Today is the last story we will look at.
I’m hoping you will see that Jesus’ ministry is immersed in the Gospel. Everything He spoke or did had something to do with the Gospel.
I also hope you have caught a passion for the Gospel.
Next we will look at some of Jesus’ teachings where He spoke about the Gospel.
In this series, we began by looking at the Gospel largely from the unsaved perspective
We must respond with faith and trust in Jesus
We must recognize our sin and our need for a savior
We must trust Jesus and submit to His Lordship or Kingship, depending on the metaphor Jesus is using at the time
However, last week, we began a transition to looking at the Gospel from God’s perspective
In the story of the workers in the field, it was less about what the workers did to approach God.
It was a story about God’s grace to the undeserving.
Today, we will look at God’s heart in the Gospel.
This is a powerful look at the Gospel. In fact, in my opinion, I believe it is the most powerful look at the Gospel that we see in one of Jesus’ parables.
Read Luke 15
Luke 15 NIV
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Pray

Main Point

Set the stage for the parable
Luke 15:1–2 NIV
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Let’s take a look at the Gospel as we have seen it.
Who needs a savior? Sinners.
Jesus is going to those who know they need Him.
Jesus will always respond to a repentant heart, regardless of their sin.
Jesus is hanging around with sinners, because He is the Savior
But there are those who don’t see their need for a savior. They are the pharisees in this story.
They look at Jesus as if the sin of the sinners were a contagious disease.
It might rub off of them and onto Jesus making him sinful, just by being in their presence.
I imagine them looking in the window of someone’s house and shaking their heads in criticism of Jesus.
He wouldn’t join the religious attitude or system. His heart was to save the lost.
Jesus’ heart beat for the Gospel, that is why He came.
Jesus knew these guys were looking in the window in criticism. The guys around the table knew they were being judged by the guys outside.
Luke 15:3 NIV
Then Jesus told them this parable:
Jesus tells a story. A powerful story about the Gospel. God’s heart in the Gospel.
He wanted the Pharisees to see that their hearts were not in line with God’s heart.
He wanted the sinners to understand how God saw them.
Luke 15:4–7 NIV
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Jesus tells this story. Now, as we look at this story, I want to keep a few things in perspective.
This is a parable. It is designed to highlight a specific truth. If we stretch it beyond its intent, we will find all sorts of ideas this story does not intend to go.
This story tells of a shepherd who has 100 sheep.
One of them wanders off. and he notices.
He leaves the 99 sheep and goes after the one that is lost.
When he finds it, He joyfully puts it on his shoulders and brings it back
Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and throws a party because he found his lost sheep.
Now if you are looking at this story from a purely physical perspective, you might think this is a bit excessive to throw a party
But Jesus is not telling a story about a real shepherd.
He is making a parallel to something else
Is this a story written from the sheep’s perspective or the shepherd’s perspective?
This is written from the shepherds perspective
Jesus then interprets the simple story.
Just like the shepherd in this story, There is celebration and rejoicing over one sinner who repents.
This parable shows a very simple truth regarding the Gospel
Jesus is representative of the Shepherd and the lost (sinners) are representative of the wandering sheep
We see the Gospel
…over one sinner who repents
Gospel- Recognizing our sin and placing our faith in a savior.
A result of that faith is walking a path laid out by Jesus.
A different path is repentance.
We see the Gospel received in this metaphor. It isn’t avoided, but that is not the part of the story Jesus wants us to see.
What does Jesus want us to see?
How does He view the lost?
He loves them.
His heart breaks for them.
When the lost are saved, Jesus doesn’t punish, He celebrates!
The love and joy of Jesus and all of Heaven are on display!
Let’s look at the next parable. It is very similar.
Luke 15:8–10 NIV
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
We can go through and discuss what the silver coins were, and all of these things. Those are not the point of the story.
And if you found something you had misplaced in your home, you wouldn’t likely throw a party.
But again, that isn’t the point of this story.
The point of this story is the heart of the master when what is lost is found.
Again, we see that when a sinner repents (Gospel), there is celebration in Heaven.
We see the heart of God and how He views the lost.
This parable isn’t about how the lost became lost. It is about the reality that there are lost, and God’s heart burns for their salvation.
We look at these two parables and they shed light on the point of the third parable.
Jesus won’t tell one story, then tell an almost identical story, then make a 90 degree turn and make a completely separate point.
No, he tells the same story again, but with more detail.
Luke 15:11–13 NIV
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
Jesus puts this story in personal terms
A father has two sons.
The younger son comes to him and says, “I want my inheritance now.”
Now if your kid came up to you and said, “It says in the will that you are going to leave me with your fancy car and fishing boat and a load of money. I want them now.
How would you respond? “No! those are mine. They only become yours after I die.”
It would be an outrageous request. It is out of bounds. It is this highest level of rebellion.
But the Father grants his wish and he goes off on his own and stupidly blows all of the money.
Luke 15:14–16 NIV
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
After he ran out of money, everyone else also ran out of money.
The Pharisees had to be thinking, “You get what you deserve.”
He went out to a guy in that country and asked for a job feeding pigs.
He was so hungry, that he wanted to eat what the pigs were eating, but he couldn’t even eat that.
To the Pharisees, Jesus is painting a graphic and vivid picture of the most decrepit lost person.
He turned his back on his father and dishonored him
He wasted his fathers money on prostitutes and wild living
He sat in the mud with the lowest of unclean animals.
He was so bad that he wished he had it as good as the lowest of unclean animals.
Luke 15:17–19 NIV
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
If you are this person, you know you are desperate.
In desperation, he had tried to make his life better, but ended up in a pig pen.
He was completely helpless
He had made himself worthless
He has become desperate
In this position, he had to think through every option on the table.
There is only one option that he hadn’t pursued. It would be the last option in his mind.
Go back to dad.
It is at this point that I want to take a sidestep from the story and bring some teaching into this parable.
In the story of the shepherd we saw this verse:
Luke 15:7 NIV
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Then in the story of the woman with the coins, we see this verse:
Luke 15:10 NIV
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Repentance is the part of the sinner.
Now repentance is often communicated simply as turning and walking in another direction.
This story paints a brilliant picture of repentance that we need to understand.
Before taking the steps of the act of repentance, this son developed the heart of repentance.
Luke 15:18 (NIV)
I will set out and go back to my father
The Heart of Repentance:
Determine to return to the Father
There was no one else he could turn to.
He knew the nature of His father, but he also knew the gravity of his sin.
He knew that his only hope was to go to the Father.
Luke 15:18 NIV
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
The Heart of Repentance:
Determine to return to the Father
Acknowledge your sin
He did not make excuses for his sin. He did not hide his sin.
He owned his sin.
I have sinned against you and against Heaven.
When we think of repentance, it isn’t simply doing different things. It is recognizing that the path I was on was wrong. And it was the path I had chosen for myself. I am the owner of my sin.
Beyond acknowledgement, he showed genuine regret
2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
I don’t believe you can understand grace unless you have regret for your sin.
Luke 15:18–19 (NIV)
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son;
The Heart of Repentance:
Determine to return to the Father
Acknowledge your sin
Admit your helplessness
There was a direct connection between this man’s sin and his position before his father.
He had given up all rights to be a son. He had disowned and dishonored his father.
There was no relationship, no obligation for this man to be acknowledged as a son again.
He was undeserving and in desperate need of grace.
Luke 15:18–19 NIV
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
The Heart of Repentance:
Determine to return to the Father
Acknowledge your sin
Admit your helplessness
Submit to the Father’s Lordship
Do you see the posture of surrender the son feels in his heart?
I am not worthy to be your son. I will become your servant. I will do what you say, and be who you want me to be.
Do you see how his heart was changed before any physical act had been done?
Jesus is communicating a picture of the Gospel!
The lost that were sitting around the table with him were living out a repentant heart!
When the heart becomes repentance, repentant acts are sure to follow.
Luke 15:20 NIV
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
His repentant heart turned to action.
He didn’t just say, “The only person that could help is my dad, but I’m going to sit here in the mud with my pigs and do nothing.”
He put the action of repentance to his heart of repentance.
He got up, left the pigs and went to his father.
In this, we see the first snapshot of the elements of true repentance.
But we go back to the point of this story.
What is the point of this story? How the Father views the lost.
His father saw him while he was a long way off and was filled with COMPASSION for him.
His father had endured tremendous pain and hurt at the hands of his son.
But the hurt the father had endured was small compared to the love he had for his son.
The father’s heart was for his son.
His son was lost. That was bigger than any pain, any loss of material goods.
The broken relationship with his son was the consuming issue of his heart.
When his son returned, his father ran to him, hugged him and kissed him.
Luke 15:21 NIV
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
At this point, the son could have seen that his father was welcoming him back and he could have tried to take advantage of his father, but he didn’t.
He didn’t because he had a repentant heart.
He follows through on the repentance and humble approach he knew he must do.
He did not deserve anything.
Luke 15:22–24 NIV
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Much like the story of the shepherd and the lady with the coins, a celebration ensued.
The heart of God celebrated when his grace restored a lost son!
We see God’s grace
We see God’s heart
We see God’s love
The son was:
Forgiven
Accepted
Restored
Luke 15:25–28 NIV
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
The older brother who hasn’t shown up in this story yet now plays his part
He hears the celebration. He smells the roasting beef. He sees the party!
He asks, “What is going on?”
One of the servants say, “Your brother came home and your dad is throwing a party!”
The older brother became angry.
His anger is of concern to the father. I would like to highlight why.
Jesus adds this part to the story to fill in the snapshot of what was happening right in front of him.
Here you have these lost people who have been separated from God for a variety of horrible sins.
They are clearly represented by the son who wandered away.
Jesus is clearly the father in this story, overjoyed by their repentance and desire to be restored.
But the Pharisees had not yet entered the story.
Now, Jesus tells the part of the Pharisees in his story.
Luke 15:29–30 NIV
But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
The brother says, “I have done all of the work for you. I have never dishonored you.” But this son of yours who turned his back on all of us returns and you just let him off the hook!”
Luke 15:31–32 NIV
“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
Here is how the father responds to the son.
I don’t care about the stuff. I don’t care about the hurt. I care about your brother.
Remember, this is a story about the heart of the father.
The heart of the father is laser focused on redemption.
The heart of the brother is not focused on redemption. It is self-focused.
The Father doesn’t criticize the work the older brother has done. His heart is broken because his older son does not share the heart he has for the son who was lost.
In a roundabout way, Jesus was telling the Pharisees, I wish you had a heart of COMPASSION for these lost people. They are repentant, but you remain judgmental.
In a way, it is similar to the story we shared last week.
There were workers in the field. Some were 12 hour workers and some were 1 hour workers.
However because of God’s grace, both received the same wage
Similarly, the older son and the younger son had very different track records of service to the father.
But both were given status of sonship.
The point we made last week remains this week.
Inequity does not equal injustice.
God is generous and gives grace.
He desires the lost to be saved.
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