“The Lord and the Lost”
Luke 15:1-7
Scripture Reading
Luke 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What 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?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
ILL - I’ve heard about a little six-year old boy who restlessly struggled to listen to a rather lengthy sermon. After the service, the little boy asked the question that sooner or later most "church kids" ask. "Dad" he said, "what does the preacher do the rest of the week?" The dad replied, "Son, he’s a very busy man. He takes care of church business, visits the sick, studies the Bible. . . and he has to take time to rest up. You see, preaching in public is not an easy job." The little boy thought about that and said, "Well, listening ain’t so easy either!"
Our lesson today is about one thing issue. I’m going to seek to answer the question, “How did Jesus respond to the lost and how should we?”
I. The attraction of the Savior
Luke 15 is one of the most winsome passages in the scriptures for it is the story of God’s love for lost sinners as told by our Lord in three parables. Millions have been drawn to this trilogy of tales about lost things; sheep, coins and most important, lost men. It starts with the appeal that the Lord had for the down and outers, the least, the last and the lost. This is a story of how outcasts can become overcomers. What was it that attracted these people to Jesus?
a. Sinners were attracted to His character – He was righteous w/o religious pride. ILL – Pharisee in the temple who thanked God that he was not as other men are.
b. Sinners were attracted by His compassion – He loved unconditionally w/o compromise.
c. Sinners were attracted by His comments – He spake with kindness and was non-judgmental. ILL – Women caught in the act of adultery
Mark 12:37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
Luke 8:40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
Luke 4:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
John 7:46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
Ill - At the scene of every accident there are three groups of people, each with a different response toward those involved in the accident. The first group is the bystanders and onlookers. They are curious and watch to see what happens but have little active involvement. The second group is the police officers whose response was to investigate the cause of the accident, assign blame, and give out appropriate warnings and punishments. The third group is the paramedics. They are the people usually most welcomed by those involved in the accident. They could care less whose fault the accident was and they did not engage in lecturing about bad driving habits. Their response was to help those who were hurt. They bandage wounds, free trapped people, and give words of encouragement. Three groups - one is uninvolved, one is assigning blame and assessing punishment, and one is helping the hurting. Which group are you in?
II. The attitude of the scoffers
Contrast what we have just shared with this second group.
a. They were indifferent – I believe the attitude that characterizes the church world today where the lost are concerned is the world indifference.
b. They were indignant -
In Gill’s translation of the phrase “this man receiveth sinners” The Persic version reads, "publicans and sinners", as in the preceding verse: the word "man" is not in the original text, it is only "this"; which is to be understood not by way of eminence, as this great person, this prophet, this master in Israel; but by way of diminution and reproach, this fellow; as it is sometimes supplied: the word "man" be very rightly inserted, for they took him to be a mere man;
c. They were ignorant
Luke 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Matthew 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
III. The actions of the shepherd
a. It revealed the shepherds values – He left the 99 to find the one.
b. It revealed the shepherds virtues – The shepherd is persistent. He would not quit until the sheep was found.
c. It revealed the shepherds victory – What brings you joy my friend? How do you measure success? Is it the number of toys you have or the next deal? The shepherd rejoiced when he found his lost sheep but also notice that the friends of the shepherd also rejoiced and Jesus said there is rejoicing in heaven as well.
Ill: Following an exhilarating performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall, celebrated classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma went home, slept, and awoke the next day exhausted and rushed. He called for a cab to take him to a hotel on the other side of Manhattan and placed his cello—hand-crafted in Vienna in 1733 and valued at $2.5 million—in the trunk of the taxi. When he reached his destination, he paid the driver, but forgot to take his cello.
After the cab had disappeared, Ma realized what he had done. He began a desperate search for the missing instrument. Fortunately he had the receipt with the cabby’s ID number. After searching all day the taxi was located in a garage in Queens with the priceless cello still in the trunk. Ma’s smile could not be contained as he spoke to reporters.
Citation: Greg Asimakoupoulos, writer and speaker, based on story in Chicago Tribune (10-17-99)
Here’s the point, Yo Yo Ma did not quit but persisted because what was lost was too valuable to give up on. The spiritually lost are too valuable for us to quit trying to reach even though our efforts do not pay off quickly.
In Conclusion, it’s obvious that the lost responded far differently to Jesus than the religious establishment of the day. The church must commit itself to the virtues and values that attracted people to Him.
