Lost And Found Series

"Lost and Found"

Luke 15:1-10

A sermon for 10/30/22 – All Saint’s Sunday

Pastor John Bright

Harmony & Swansonville UMC

Luke 15 1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 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.

8 “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? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Pause right there. Those words I just read; they were “Breathed by God”! God wants you to hear His Word right now! So, what is your response? Do you want to transformed by that Word or do you want to be informed about the words? You must choose.

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One of the realities of having smarty-pants phones in our pockets is the possibility it will sound off at any moment with the dreaded Amber Alert – when the police have gotten involved and there is a possible abduction. That will probably never happen to anyone of the parents here, but all of us have had that sudden realization – at the grocery store, in a mall, or in a park – “I don’t know where to find my child.” It creates terror in your minds as you have that feeling of your stomach dropping. You yell the child’s name and rush forward to where you saw him or her last. Then you see your child and joy comes rushing over you.

If you have ever experienced that, then you have some idea of God’s desire to seek you out. His love is so great for you that He seeks after you. Your part in this is to be found.

Today we begin the parables of Luke 15 – parables about lost things: 1 sheep, 1 coin, and 2 sons (that’s next week). While I’m covering these parables in Luke, I rely on the work of Dr. Harry Wendt. (The Parables of Jesus, 1997) The sheep and coin parables are what is known as a double parable where the message of the second reinforces the message of the first. So why would Jesus tell these parables?

Set-up for the parables

The religious folks are complaining – that’s us. They are complaining because Jesus is welcoming tax collectors (code for sinners) and eats with them. This is language of hospitality. It’s not like Jesus saw them at Hardee’s and they decided to eat a biscuit together. Back then, a noble person could feed many who where lower on the social ladder, but he would NEVER eat with them. The noble person would receive his guests and eat with them.

It’s in this brief complaint - “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” that we see how Jesus went about His work. He did not hold to all their cultural or religious rules. He saw the lowest as worthy of great honor.

A question – When God looks at you this morning, do you think He sees you like that, with the eyes of Jesus? Hold onto that answer – you are going to need it at the end of sermon when I open up the altar for folks to come and pray.

Two Introductions

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one.

What’s wrong with these introductions? Did you hear the slap in the face for those listening that would be sure to cause offense? Probably not.

In verse 4 Jesus is saying to these important religious people – “Suppose you are a shepherd.” The men (yes they were all men) are complaining about sinners who could fall into two categories:

• Those who don’t keep the law the way we do

• Those with certain jobs – like tax collectors and shepherds