Lost Treasure (And The Search Of God) Series

Lost Treasure (And The Search Of God)

Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke)

Brad Bailey – November 3, 2019

Series #45 / Luke 15:1-10

INTRO

There are two very different types of adjustments that exit. Some are adjustments within the same framework. Daylight savings is one of those. We have to adjust our bodies to the time that morning and evening come…but they are still morning and evening. But there is any very different type of adjustment…one which changes everything. It’s commonly referred to as a paradigm shift. At one time the entire human experience presumed that the world was flat… it made sense because of our limited perspective. Things appear flat. Even more significant was assuming that the sun revolved around the earth. It’s a change in how we see everything. Again… we had to understand that we had a limited perspective that did not see the true and larger reality.

And today as we continue in our extended focus on Encountering Jesus through the Gospel of Luke….we come to a point at which our human nature… our religious nature… cannot grasp what God is doing. Human nature must be enlightened by God’s nature.

What we encounter is the religious leaders bringing their nature …and Jesus explaining what is actually at hand by telling three stories.

The third is long and we will engage that more richly next week… but I will include a summary and a verse from it today…because it really allows us to hear the whole of this exchange by hearing what all three stories share in common.

This we hear as we pick up in the start of what is designated as the 15th chapter of this Gospel.

The Gospel is the living account of Jesus. The life of Jesus was not over… he said the life be brought had just begin. These whom he first called… would now carry forth this work and he would be working through them.

In this sense…what was… is. What he did and said…he does and says.

Luke 15:1-10 (NIV) ?1  Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 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. Does he not 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. Does she not 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."

Now Jesus follows with a third story… more extensive… about a lost son… commonly known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. We will unpack that next week…but I wanted to surmise that story today so that we can really hear the potency that lies in the common points that Jesus is bringing forth.

(Summarize the parable of the prodigal son…). When the son returns… Jesus describes the Father saying….

Luke 15:23-24 (NIV) ?23  Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

Pray: As we come to this moment in which you challenged what people could understand…we open ourselves to you challenging what we understand.

This encounter begins with a moment of conflict. We are told…

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

What’s happening here?

This group of religious leaders find Jesus with these lives gathered around him… tax collectors … hated because they were collecting taxes for the oppressive Roman empire… and free to overcharge the people to keep the money for themselves. And many others who could be referred to as “sinners” …which commonly referred to the prostitutes and thieves. The point is, those who had most clearly failed morally came to Jesus and he welcomed them.