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.
5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, {the place of strength} rejoicing. 6And 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."
7I 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. -- Everyone needs to repent.
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The shepherd in this parable is the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ. We are the sheep in His flock and He doesn't lose His.
Jesus sees what's ahead of lost sinners and goes to seek and to save, while the Pharisees care little about lost sinners.
>Luke. 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
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I suppose in real life if we were shepherds and had 100 sheep and one of them got lost, we'd probably just count it as a lose and go on about looking after the other 99.
But Jesus our Great Shepherd cares for the welfare of all His flock He would not be satisfied with just ninety-nine sheep. When one sheep become lost, He went out and looked for it until He found it. When He found it, He put it on His shoulders, the place of strength.
The shepherd didn't mind the extra burden for having to hunt for the sheep because he rejoiced.
The friends and neighbors were summoned because of the shepherd's great joy and because they may have aided in the search.
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Our Great Shepherd carries us on His shoulders, when He starts out with one hundred sheep, He will come through with one hundred sheep--not ninety-nine.
> John 6: 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
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This is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ out looking for those that are yet lost.
> 1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
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*** I have heard it said that often when the shepherds in Israel had a sheep that continued to wonder away from the fold he might break its leg in order to protect it from the wolves that are crouched near by, although I don't know that for sure.
Sheep have no understanding how dangerous it is wondering around in places it has no business being, their ignorant to these things.
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I've read that sheep have no sense of direction, no real sense of the dangers that await them, they may wonder off a cliff, that's why the shepherds staff had a crook on the end, to pull the sheep back from the dangerous cliff, a single sheep is easy prey among the hunger wolves or other predators, some predators hunt in packs, they'll pick out one individual among a herd and run it until it collapses, they'll run past others in hot pursuit of the target they've chosen, sooner or later it will get tired and then they'll attack it.
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When a saved person strays off into the cesspools of the world, the lures of the world will many times bring him down, and the Great Shepherd will take him home early, the Heavenly Father will not allow one of His to bring reproach on the name of Jesus.
>Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
"and live" is not on the end of this verse to take up space, these two words," and live" could have been left off and the verse would have still made sense. The grave yards are filled with Christians whose life was cut short by him or her refusing to repent and come back too God.
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A sheep under the watchful eye of the shepherd is much safer, also sheep are not like cattle, they can not be driven, and they must be led.
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>PS. 23: 1-3 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
The Lords pastures are always green, there's always good nourishing food there, we may not all be rich in the material things of the world but we shall not want, God will always supply our needs, many times when we're not even aware of what He has done.
„« Philippians 4: 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Perhaps not all our wants, but all our needs.
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> John 6: 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
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„« And then the parable of the lost coin:
Maybe Jesus had the women in mind that was listening to Him in this parable. The parable of the lost coin emphasizes our dead condition and the Holy Spirit's mission, should the woman represents the Church, then the parable portrays the Holy Spirit's present mission of working through the Church with the lamp of God's Word to search out those who are lost.
We'll notice that the coin was lost in the dark and dust of the 1st century home, we also were lost and dead in this dark world until God found us and brought us into His marvelous light.
> 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
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8Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
~ The coin was probably part of the row of coins which formed a headpiece, signifying her married state.
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9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Notice it's not the angels that are rejoicing, they have never been lost, these that are rejoicing are people that are in heaven along with the Father.
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The coin was lost at home. There are people that live among good Christian families, and even attend church, and yet their lost and on their way too hell.
~ The sheep through ignorance didn't know it was lost, but this coin could picture those with no knowledge of being lost. We need to search for those who are lost to bring them to Christ.
