Luke 15: 1- 10 ~ The Lost

Luke 15: 1- 10 THE LOST 10-27-12

In Luke 15: the Lord gives three parables; three stories to do with things that become lost.

In this chapter Jesus illustrates His love and concern for sinful men and women. The Pharisees and scribes murmured because Jesus showed such love and kindness to sinners, there's always people around that will make light of those that want to tell others about Jesus, trying to win them too the Lord.

The scribes and Pharisees were like all sinners, they needed to hear and apply these parables.

In each story something is lost: (1) a sheep; (2) a shekel; and (3rdly) a son. In each case, the lost object is found and brings much rejoicing.

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Before we get into these verses allow me to quickly share my lost experience with you, it's not a pleasant feeling when you realize you're lost.

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I remember a time when I first started deer hunting many years ago that I became lost in the woods and it was quickly getting dark, at that time I knew very little about deer hunting, I hadn't carried a light with me or a compass either, now I never go without either one, but earlier that morning I went into the woods down in McCormick county and stay there all day, and as the sun was almost gone I realized it was time to head back to the truck, so I started walking and I came upon a tall loblolly pine and noticed way up in the tree that someone had built a stand some time or another, so I continued to walk and it was getting darker by the minute, after I'd walked for a few minutes pretty fast, I found my self back at the same loblolly pine, yonder is the stand, by then my mind was not on looking for deer, I and was looking for my way out, I was walking in circles and it's easy to do, when I would look up it was lighter, but looking around in the woods it was dark, the limbs shaded out the light.

So I decided the best thing to do was sit down against the tree and wait until day light, because I was LOST, there was no use walking, and I could hardly see any way, about the time I sit down the people I was down there with began to blow the truck horn and so I took off toward the sound, I learned a lesson that day, never go into the woods without a light or a compass.

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I've said all that to say this, this world is filled with people that are lost and it's becoming dark in some of these dear folks lives, they need some one too sound the horn for them before it's too late, most don't realize their lost, they've been busy wondering around in the world, they desperately need the LIGHT, the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and I that are safe at the truck so to speak must help them out of the wilderness of sin, the devils crowd certainly can not.

I was prepared to wait out the night there in the woods; I didn't have any other choice, I would have probably sooner or later made it out, but the vast number of lost sinner will not as fortunate. Most don't know that their lost, spiritually speaking.

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In these three parables we'll see that the sheep is innocently lost, the coin carelessly lost, but the son willfully lost.

* Notice, The percentage of the lost grows in each case from one out of a hundred, to one out of ten, to one out of two.

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The Lord gave these parables to show that everyone is lost and needs to be found. Some knew they were lost, like the tax collectors and sinners. But others didn't know they were lost, such as the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees.

The parable of the lost sheep emphasizes our wayward way and the Savior's love.

„« listen as I read;

Luke 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

~~ I'm glad that Jesus receives sinners, or all of us would be forever lost.

3And he spake this parable unto them, saying, "4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

The 99 sheep who supposedly didn't need too repent represent the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees. They are left out in the wilderness; only the lost and found sheep is brought to the Shepherd's home.