U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
CP Walker Multicultural Gospel Service
Taegu, South Korea
BIG IDEA: Every believer needs to know that there is great JOY in the HEART of God when someone who was LOST is FOUND.
REFERENCES: Luke 15:1-7 (Parable of The Lost Sheep); Luke 15:8-10 (Parable of the Lost Coin): These two are called Twin Stories; Matthew 17:24 (a “double drachma” is mentioned as the annual head tax paid into the temple treasury by every male); Mark 12:41 (Widow’s Mite); 2Kings 4:1-7 (The Widow’s Oil); Matthew 3:12 MSG (God making a clean sweep of their lives); Luke 3:17 MSG (God making a clean sweep of their lives); Genesis 29:1-30 (MSG) – The first wedding feast involved Jacob working 7 years for Rachael, but was given Leah instead. He therefore agreed to work 7 more years in order to get Rachael too;
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Luke 15: 8-10
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Luke 15:8-10
III. READ THE TEXT: Luke 15:8 (Either 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 finds it?)
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to affirm to others that the COIN was LOST, at HOME, where you don’t expect to FIND LOST THINGS.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “Sweep The House”
INTRODUCTION:
God is Love; and the HEART of GOD and His love for humanity is never more self- evident than it is in the account of the FIRST MARRIAGE.
For who can ever forget the story of the First Marriage in the Garden of Eden, between Adam and Eve and the symbolism therein?
What man doesn’t get chills down his spines when he sees (in his sanctified imagination) God carrying Eve to Adam in Genesis 2:18-25?
Or What Woman doesn’t get weak in her knees when she thinks of the idea of God, himself, having a NEED to BE SO PERSONALLY involved in her WEDDING, and WHO SHE MARRIES, that HE personally GIVES HER TO HER HUSBAND? Wow!
********************TAKE 5 BEATS**********************
MOVE 1: My brothers and sisters, throughout scriptures – the heart and love of God is often exemplified through the illustrations of “marriage,” the “wedding ceremony,” and the “wedding parties”.
a. Jesus first miracle, of turning water into wine, was conducted at a Wedding Party in Cana of Galilee in John 2:9-12.
b. And who can ever forget the Wedding Party, in Matthews 25:1-13, where we first learn of the 5 Wise Virgins and the 5 Foolish Virgins?
c. Scholars that have studied Jewish Marriages tells us that the Parable of the Maidens, at the Wedding in Matthew 25:1-13, was dear to the early church.
d. In their expectations of the Second Coming of Jesus, … the bridegroom, so it seems was delayed.
e. Therefore, they found great comfort in this particular parable.
f. Not to mention, the fact that everybody loves a wedding.
g. In fact, Jesus, himself, said in effect that the joy of a wedding (in Matthew 24-25) is the proper sign of the kingdom of God.
*******************TAKE 5 BEATS*******************
MOVE 2: Now, although many (in our society) still value the institution of Marriage; most would agree that overall, it appears that our society has little appreciation for the marriage institution.
a. This is largely seen in the statistical data that more than half of American Marriages end in divorce.
b. This wasn’t the case during the First Century.
c. Though they weren’t without their problem - marriages (during the First Century) were arranged.
d. And, unlike today, the entire community embraced the Wedding Ceremony.
e. The bride, the groom and the guests were excused from certain religious duties and responsibilities because of a wedding ceremony.
f. Even the Scribes were excused from studying scriptures in order to participate in a Jewish Wedding.
g. This was primarily because a Wedding was a more important duty and privilege (Matthew 22:1-14).
h. Everyone was excited about a wedding. The neighbor’s daughters, like all girls in the First Century, were eager to be present at a wedding.
*****************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 3: One of the highpoints of the wedding came when the bridegroom took the bride from her father’s house to her new home, ….
a. usually in a litter, and everyone in attendance followed them there with music playing in the background, and plenty of cheers and laughter.
b. Weddings and Marriage Ceremonies were embrace by the entire community.
c. The story of the 10 virgins (or neighbor daughters) – 5 of which were wise and 5 were foolish - spoke volumes to the early Christians.
d. Because they understood the importance of NOT MISSING the WEDDING FEAST; and the importance of being PREPARED and in attendance at the entire event.
e. The highest point of the wedding, in the First Century, came during the final exchange of the DOWRY & The Kessef (or the ten pieces of silver) during the wedding feast …
f. … which exemplified the love of the bride and groom being set into motion.
g. The dowry was the GIFT of money, goods, or estate that the woman contributed to the wedding, to be paid by the father from the household account;
h. While the SILVER COINS called “KESSEF” WERE GIVEN TO THE BRIDE AS A TOKEN OF GROOM’S LOVE.
*****************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 4: Similar to today’s wedding band, it was customary for a married Jewish woman to wear 10 Silver Coins Woven into an elaborate piece of jewelry over the veil as a headpiece or headdress.
a. This was worn as an expression OF THE GROOM’S LOVE and commitment to his NEW BRIDE.
b. Because silver coins were considered valuable gifts,…
c. Which is especially TRUE for the lady, in our text this afternoon, who lost one in the parable of the lost coin.
d. For you see the 10 Silver Coins were tokens of love which belonged to her, and no one could take ONE OF THE SILVER COINS from her, not even to pay a debt.
e. But, then (in our text today) no one had to take one. The woman MANAGED TO somehow LOSE A VALUABLE COIN… IN THE HOUSE.
f. From the look of things, the WOMAN ISN’T even sure what has happened.
g. All she knows is that when she went to sleep last night – all of her valuables were present and accounted for.
i. All 10 Coins were together – looking outwardly as good as ever
*****************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 5: Her children who regularly attend Christian Education, Bible Studies, and Joy Night Services were seemly saved and sanctified and filled with the precious Holy Ghost.
a. Her husband who was in the church Choir (i.e., and serving in the deacon ministry) looked good on the outside.
b. But, today, this morning (this afternoon) someone is LOST.
c. And she’s not having it.
d. In the eagerness of her Search, She’s turning the HOUSE UPSIDE DOWN.
e. For the scriptures says, … “Either 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 finds it?- Luke 15:8
f. Likewise, the First thing This WOMAN does, before she ransack her home is light a candle.
g. For you see in the FIRST CENTURY homes, a lamp was necessary in order to do a SEARCH.
h. The homes were POORLY provided with windows.
************************TAKE 5 BEATS*****************
MOVE 6: And WE ALL KNOW how difficult it is to find something in the DARK.
a. So, there’s a need to LIGHT THE CANDLE OF SCRIPTURE IN OUR HOMES.
b. For God’s Word should be our Christian Standard in our home and on our jobs. Whatever God says, GOES.
c. If God says that Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
d. THEN WINE IS A MOCKER, STRONG DRINK IS RAGING AND WHOSOEVER IS DECEIVED THEREBY IS NOT WISE.
e. If God’s Word says in ( Ps 34:19 ) Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
f. Then BELIEVERS WILL HAVE MANY AFFLICTIONS, BUT THE LORD WILL DELIVER US OUT OF THEM ALL..
g. If God’s Word says, Weeping May endure for a night; but joy cometh in the morning … then why aren’t WE expecting JOY?
***************TAKE 5 BEATS ***********************
MOVE 7: likewise, if God’s word says parents shouldn’t provoke their children to ANGER – parents shouldn’t provoke their children to anger.
a. Instead, we should intentionally spend time illuminating God’s Word in our home through prayer, devotion and Godly counseling and living.
b. Secondly, This WOMAN SWEPT HER HOUSE.
c. She wasn’t trying to FIRST find the lost in her neighbor’s house; she was sweeping her own house.
d. For you see in First Century, unlike our homes of today, the floor of the homes were ground/earth. They didn’t have the fancy tile and carpet that we have today.
e. Therefore, in order to have something soft under feet, it was customary to SPREAD STRAW.
f. If a coin fell in it; it would be rather difficult to find WITHOUT SWEEPING.
***********************TAKE 5 BEATS***************
MOVE 8: So, the Woman in our Text took a broom and swept up all the straw in HER HOUSE.
a. Which made it possible to find “THE LOST COIN”.
b. Likewise, my brothers and sisters, we need to SWEEP-UP THE STRAW in our homes that is preventing US FROM SEEING WHERE OUR LOSS LOVE ONES ARE ;
c. AND WE NEED TO SWEEP-UP THE STRAW THAT IS PREVENTING OUR LOSS LOVE ONES FROM SEEING US AS WE ARE.
d. We need to live TRANSPARENT LIVES IN OUR HOMES.
e. We need to SWEEP-THE-HOUSE.
f. For it’s time to get rid of the CHRISTIAN FORSADE … AND HYPOCRITICAL LIVING OF BEING ALL OF THAT AND A BAG-OF-CHIPS.
g. When in reality … if we could … just for a moment forget about who the Army says we are … and what our military rank depicts us as being … and just go to GOD … like the sinners we are … and ask for help … I believe the lost in our homes would respond to GOD TOO.
h. Finally, the WOMAN in our text today LOOKED IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY UNTIL SHE FOUND WHAT WAS LOST.
i. In other words, she didn’t just look for THE LOST COIN in her free time.
********************TAKE 5 BEATS*************
CELEBRATIONS: SHE SWEPT THE HOUSE.
She went above AND BEYOND …
She made up in her mind … that she wasn’t going to sleep as usual.
She was going to be sure that if IT WAS IN THE HOUSE …
IT WAS FOUND. AND WHEN SHE WAS SURE THAT SHE HAD SWEPT THE HOUSE – UP AND DOWN- SHE FOUND WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR.
AND SHE SHOUTED FOR JOY AND TOLD ALL THE WOMEN AT THE WELL …
O THAT THEY MIGHT REJOICE WITH HER.
