Redefining Lost Series

Redefining Lostness

MARK 2:16-17 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?" And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, "it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

LUKE 19:10 "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

LOOKING FOR THE LOST The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee’s home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s whispered, "Hello?" Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster, the boss asked, "Is your Daddy home?" "Yes," whispered the small voice. "May I talk with him?" the man asked. To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, "No." Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?" "Yes," came the answer. "May I talk with her?" Again, the small voice whispered, "No." Knowing that it was not likely that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person who should be there watching over the child. "Is there anyone there besides you?" the boss asked the child. "Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman." Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?" "No, he is busy," whispered the child. "Busy doing what?" asked the boss. "Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered answer. Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the ear piece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?" "A hello-copper," answered the whispering voice. "What is going on there?" asked the boss, now alarmed. In an awed whispering voice, the child answered, "The search team just landed the hello-copper!" Alarmed, concerned and more than just a little frustrated, the boss asked, "Why are they there?" Still whispering, the young voice replied (along with a muffled giggle), "They are looking for me!"

Different ways in which we are lost…

The Lost Sheep – The one who wanders away…

The Lost Coin – The one who just doesn’t know…

The Younger Son – The deliberate step

The Older Son – The one who doesn’t know it

The Lost Sheep – The one who wanders away…

A. The lost sheep. READ VERSES 4-7

1. Explain the Shepherds job.

2. The sheep strayed off because it was not thinking or paying attention to what was going on around him.

3. Nibbling away living life, and then he was lost.

4. The sheep represents the person who foolishly wanders from God. The person who really has not given any thought to life and its questions.

B. The Shepherd.

1. God’s concern for the lost one. He left the 99 to find the one.

2. He did not just write off the sheep.

3. He did not beat the sheep when He found it either.

4. The shepherd tenderly carries home the lost sheep.

C. Conclusion

1. Losing a sheep was a serious matter. The Shepherds reputation was at stake. If he lost the sheep, he would have to pay for it. Jesus already paid the price for the lost sheep, God wants us to try to round them up!

2. A sheep was valuable, but ……

The Lost Coin – The one who just doesn’t know…

A. The Lost coin.

1. The coin was lost because it was mishandled. It was misplaced.

2. It was lost because it was badly mishandled

3. The coin’s lost condition caused the coin no discomfort.

4. It could symbolize the lost who are ignorant of their condition.

B. The Woman

1. The coin was worth about one day’s wage. This would be a lot of money for a poor person.

2. The coin could have come from the head band that married women wore. It consisted of ten coins. It could never be taken away from them. It would have been a disgrace for her to loose a coin from it. It was like a wedding ring.

3. The represents the efforts that God went to so that man could be reconciled to Himself.

4. God has done all that He can for man. We are to look for the lost.

5. It was bad to lose a sheep, it was worse to lose money, but it would even be worse to lose a son.

The Younger Son – The deliberate step