Lost And Found #3 Series

Segment 3

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Daniel Boone explored the great wilderness of Tennessee and Kentucky. It was Boone who marked the Wilderness Road that brought settlers into the new land. He often wandered over vast areas of forest, living off the land and dodging arrows.

Once he was asked if he had ever been lost. He replied, “No.” He said that he had never been lost, but he did admit that he was “a mite confused once for about three or four days though!”

Perhaps it matters little that Boone’s pride would not allow him to admit that he’d ever been lost, in need of guidance.

But it does matter a lot if our pride keeps us from admitting that we are lost without Christ.

One of the things that I recently learned in Wyoming’s hunter safety course, is that if you are in the wilderness and find that you are lost, the first thing to do, is STOP! Stop and admit that you are lost! If you don’t do that, you very well may find your self walking deeper and deeper into the woods!

We are going to finish our series by seeing what happens when the lost are found!

Won’t you join with me once again as we look at God’s word?

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Lk 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable:

Lk 15:4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

Lk 15:5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

Lk 15:6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

Lk 15:7 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

The Parable of the Lost Coin

Lk 15:8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

Lk 15:9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’

Lk 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

May the Lord bless the reading of His word,

n In both of these parables, we see that There was a celebration when the lost was found!

o The lost was valuable

o The loss warranted an all out search!

o And we see that finally there was a celebration then finally the lost was lost no more!

§ Have you ever been there? Something dear to you was lost, and then at last you found it?

· A Sense of relief that begins to set in.

· You draw an easy breath, and exhale with a sigh

· Another one

· Then joy begins to fill your mind and soul.

· And finally it is time to celebrate!

o When the lost was found, it was time to celebrate personally and corporately!

§ You see good news is for sharing!

§ I found it, I found it, I found it!

· You see the Word to express what you are feeling at a moment like this, comes from the Greek! Eureka! Eureka!

o It comes from the exclamation attributed to Archimedes when he discovered a method for determining the purity of gold

o I think of the Gold minors of Californian who labored and toiled under the sun.

§ 1st day… nothing

§ 2nd day nothing

§ 3rd week

§ 7th month

§ then one day, they catch a glimps of something sniney out of the corner of their eye….

§ Upon closer examination! Eureka!

§ when the struck it rich shouted Eureka!

· Eureka! I have found it! It is used to express triumph when you make a discovery

· Good news is for sharing,

· (Tell the story of the lady that burst out of the hospital room shouting He’s gonna make it, he’s gonna make it! )

· Good news is for sharing, the Gospel is good news! Share it every chance that you get!

o When the lost is found there is a Personal Rejoicing!

§ There is a personal rejoicing that takes place when (the lost) are found (an person who does not know Jesus, is said to be lost!)

· I was lost, my heart was empty, and I needed a savior! I remember the how I felt in the days that followed my own conversion.