Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: The Life of Christ
Hope: To draw closer to our Lord and Savior through a close study of his life here on earth.
Now as you and I know there are “lost and found departments” in many different places.
Whether in schools (mom used to bring home all sorts of stuff after the end of the year), or government buildings, and even department stores.
The God whom you and I are here to worship this morning also has a “lost and found department.”
We find it discussed in Luke 15, where we read four lost and one found.
It’s here we find three parables, “the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son.”
Every single one of us has been in one or more of these three groups before.
This morning we are going to be examining who is being represented and the lessons we can gain from them.
We find represented in each of these three parables…
The Lost
How Can We Become Lost?
In each of these parables we find different ways in which people can find themselves lost and separated from their God.
Some are lost like the sheep.
Through their lack of paying attention they have “wondered away” from the safety and security of their shepherd.
Some are lost like the coin.
Through their lack of “self-control” they allow others to place a stumbling block in front of them and they trip over it as they fall away from God.
Some are like the prodigal son.
Through their stubbornness and rebellion they are determined to lose themselves.
Some are like the elder brother.
Through their bad attitude they “don’t do what is right” and drift away from God.
We can learn a lot from these four lost souls.
The Lost Sheep.
Again these are those that wonder away through either a lack of paying attention.
So many Christians have been led away by Satan and his ministers because they simply have not studied God’s word enough to know what is righteous and unrighteous.
The reality is when we seek not to mature in our faith, which is based on studying God’s word (Romans 10:17), we can easily find what little faith we had, i.e., our trust in God through his word taken from us.
The only way to guard against “wandering away” is to immerse ourselves in the word.
The Lost Coin.
These are those again, who fall away due to tripping over the stumbling block placed before them.
Don’t get me wrong we all will give an account of our good and evil and won’t be able to “blame others” for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14).
However, the scriptures are clear one can be fall away due to others putting the stumbling block in front of them.
The only way to guard against such is to keep one’s zeal for God and to not let others bring us down.
The Prodigal Son.
These are those that know the truth and reject it for some “hope” at a more exciting life on this earth.
The Elder Brother.
Again, our attitude plays a major part on our faithfulness as the scriptures are clear we cannot have a “poor attitude” and be faithful to our God.
The elder brother was angry and spiteful at his God for rejoicing at his brother’s return but this we must not have this attitude.
This elder brother was “self-righteous” saying he had never done anything wrong” which is completely false and the wrong attitude, considering our obvious lack of self-control.
This elder brother was “selfish” or a “lover of self” saying “I have never left you and you never did anything like this for me” yet his father had blessed him so much.
Summary
A child of God drifting away, falling away, running away or any other form of separation from God is the most horrible thing that could ever happen.
We must be diligent to never find ourselves in this situation.
These parables aren’t just about the lost however, they are about the…
Lost Seekers
God Is Seeking The Lost.
There is no doubt that God is the one seeking in each of these three parables.
He is the shepherd searching for his sheep.
He is the woman tearing the house apart looking for the coin.
He is the father watching everyday for a gimps of his son’s return.
In these we find two realities about God and the lost.
With the sheep, coin, and elder son we find God can still reach them though they are lost.
The reality is when we sin and are not wayward God seek to discipline us in hopes of us showing up so he can rescue us.
With the prodigal son we find the son had gone so far away that God could not reach him, but rather had to wait for him to return.
When this happens “God gives them up” in hopes that they “wise up.”
Summary
How wonderfully powerful is it to know that God loves us so much, even when we are sinners.
We know this because of the rejoicing in each and every one of these parables.
There is no greater rejoicing in heaven then when someone lost is found.
Conclusion
God’s Lost & Found Department is impressive to say the least.
Think of all the millions of people that, over the centuries, that had been lost and then found again by God.
In one way or another everyone here can relate to being lost and needing to be found.
Because we know what it is like to be lost and then found let us do our part and help those lost right now to be found.
If they are not God’s children show them God’s saving message.
If they are God’s children show remind them of God’s love for them and desire for their return.
Invitation
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