God's Heart for the Lost

Luke 15:1–32 ESV

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 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.’ 7 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. 8 “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? 9 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.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 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. 13 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. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “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! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 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. 21 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.’ 22 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. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 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.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 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. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Introduction: One day a little girl returned home from church and was asked by her mother what the preacher had said. She replied, “He talked about Edith,” her little sister. “What do you mean?” asked the mother. “He said, ‘He receiveth sinners, and Edith with them too.’“ There’s truth there. “He receiveth sinners, and Darrel Davis with them too! -- Source unknown

Today, we are going to look at three of the most memorable and iconic parables that Jesus ever shared. The Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. I want us to look at them from a slightly different perspective than we normally do. You see a parable is a story that is about putting something beside something else. It is similar to the figure of speech we call a simile.

In these three parables, Jesus is essentially saying God is like this...

These three stories illustrate what the heart of God for lost people looks like. We are going to see 3 glimpses into the heart of God for lost people this morning.

GOD VALUES THE LOST

In these three parables, we get a glimpse into just how much value God places on lost people. Lost is not necessarily a bad word as some might think. If something you have of value gets lost, you are going to go find it. So people apart from Christ are lost in that sense. That they are important to God and therefore, he is searching for them in a spiritual sense.

Sheep were notorious for getting lost. They wander off in a heartbeat. And many times they would wander off bleating for the flock the whole time but heading the exact opposite direction. The shepherd left the other sheep behind and diligently searched for the one that went astray.

Illus.: July 5, 2022, police in Old Town Maine received a call that a sheep wandered off from a local farm. Sergeant Bailey and Deputy Chief Miller responded and were able to corral the sheep and direct him into the back seat of our police cruiser. DC Miller lives on a farm and has extensive experience handling farm animals. After a walk around the area, they were able to locate the owner and returned the sheep to it’s farm.

In the parable of the lost coin, the woman searched methodically for the coin that went missing. She lit a lamp and swept every possible bit of floor space to try to find the coin. Some believe that this coin was a part of a string of 10 coins that a woman wore to show that she was married…equivalent to losing her wedding ring.

Illus. Years ago when my son was a toddler, my wedding ring disappeared. We were living in a furnished missionary house south of Garner at the time. We looked everywhere we could think of but could not find it. We never gave up. There was a table near the front door that we never paid much attention to. One day, my wife happened to open the small drawer of the table and there it was. My son had apparently stashed it there unknown to us.

Finally, we have the parable of the Prodigal son where we see the father graciously allowing his son to receive his portion of the inheritance early risking the possibility that the son would leave home and waste everything he had. The father loved his son even to the point of allowing his rebellion and respecting his will. However, the father continued to wait for the son to return because he never stopped loving him.

2 Peter 3:8–9 CSB

8 Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

God values the lost so much that he is in no rush to bring judgment on this world, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. That doesn’t mean that all people will be saved. It does mean that plenty off opportunity has been given for the lost to be saved.

And if you really want to understand how much God values the Lost, look to the cross! Look at the lengths he went to in order to provide salvation.

The church should always value what God values.

GOD SEEKS THE LOST

This fact may seem a bit counter-intuitive to us - that God seeks the lost. We like to think that we are the ones seeking God but we don’t seek God apart from Him drawing us.

Romans 3:10–11 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

John 6:44 ESV

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Some interpret this verse to say that it means God drags sinners to himself. But, to draw here means to entice or to persuade. It is not by force but by his Goodness, mercy, and grace.

Romans 2:4 ESV

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Here we see the shepherd who does the unthinkable, he leaves the ninety-nine other sheep behind to go find the one that was lost. The reason, according to Warren Weirsbe that the Shepherd went to find the lost sheep is that he was responsible for each sheep under his care and unless he could prove that it was killed by a predator, he would have had to pay for the loss personally. Plus, he would have gained a reputation for being careless shepherd. The other sheep were safe among the flock but the straying sheep was in danger of perishing.

In the case of the woman, she didn’t want to suffer the embarrassment of having lost such an important coin. She lit her lamp and went to work trying to find it.

In both of these cases we see a picture of God actively seeking the lost. He is like the shepherd and the woman expending all effort to locate these out of place things.

If God seeks the Lost, shouldn’t His church also seek the lost? ...

God is the one who goes out of his way to find a Samaritan woman sitting by a well to offer her living water.

God is the one who finds a man clinging to the branches of a sycamore fig tree and invites Himself to dinner in order to declare that this repentant sinner is also Son of Abraham.

God is the one who crossed a stormy sea in order to set a man with a legion of demons free from his captivity.

Illus. “Could a mariner sit idle if he heard the drowning cry? Could a doctor sit in comfort and just let his patients die? Could a fireman sit idle, let men burn and give no hand? Can you sit at ease in Zion with the world around you damned? - Leonard Ravenhill

We also see a picture of God actively waiting for the lost to turn to him. The father had to be watching for the return of his son since he saw him from from a far off and ran to meet him. It does not say that the father was sitting at the dinner table when he heard a knock on the door. In my mind, I can see him standing the the gate every day waiting for his son.

GOD RESCUES AND RESTORES THE LOST

The sheep was lost because if it’s foolishness. The shepherd didn’t write it off as a business loss. He went to rescue it from danger and certain death. He put it on his shoulder and returned to to the flock.

The church should never write off ANY lost people. The church should go looking for them!

The coin was lost due to the carelessness of another. But this woman stopped everything she was doing and focused on finding it. She then returned to to her wedding band.

How many souls have been lost to eternity due to the carelessness of the church. We know they will go to hell without Jesus but we say “they know where we are.”

The son was rescued when he remembered the goodness of his father. The father didn’t blast the son for running away, he restored him to his rightful place in his household.

Church, we should always proclaim the goodness and greatness of God to a lost world.

Psalm 34:2–3 CSB

2 I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. 3 Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together.

Illus. I’m reminded of the Hymn written by Fanny Cosby. Rescue the perishing: “Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying, Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.”

Illus. Carey Nieuwhof Wrote: The challenge is that unchurched people aren’t exactly flocking to most churches, and many Christians seem stumped as to why that is. There are many reasons, but a surprising number center around one thing: Christians who treat the church as if it’s their private club. The gravitational pull of human nature is toward self, not towards others, and churches behave the same way. You will focus almost exclusively on your needs and wants unless you decide not to.

GOD REJOICES WHEN THE LOST ARE FOUND

Finally, there is great rejoicing in heaven over the repentance of one sinner.

Zephaniah 3:17 CSB

17 The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.”

Probably the most beautiful picture of that is the scene where the father throws a big party for the returning son. And the reason is given in Luke 15:24

Luke 15:24 ESV

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

But we know that not everyone was happy. The older brother was incredulous. He heard the noise of the party while he was out in the field. He refused to come celebrate.

Luke 15:29–30 ESV

29 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. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

Jesus told these three parables because he knew that there were people in his audience that were just like this older son. In fact, they murmured against him and complained.

Luke 15:1–2 ESV

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

David Guzik commented on this passage: “The religious people of Jesus’ day believed differently and even had a saying: “There will be joy in heaven over one sinner who is obliterated before God.” In our zeal to speak out against the sin of our culture, do we give the same impression?”

Well…do we?

This older son didn’t understand the grace of God and neither did the Pharisees.

Illus. “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!” ― Charles Spurgeon

God doesn’t turn away repentant sinners and neither should we.