Lost Things – Luke 15

Introduction. (Luke 19:1-10) In this text Jesus has contact with one who was despised by the world of his day. He is criticized for it and yet He is not deterred, because He claims that his purpose in coming was to save that which was lost.
     In Luke chapter 15 He illustrates this purpose in three parables that all address this theme. This morning for a few moment I’d like for us to consider these three parables in order to see what they teach us about what it means to be “lost,” and what these parables teach us about mankind’s relationship to God.

I. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7).

  1. God as the shepherd • Man as the sheep (vs. 4; John 10:14; God provides - Psalm 23:1-3; Man follows - John 10:27).
  2. To be lost is to be removed from contact with the shepherd. (I Peter 3:12; Matthew 7:21-23).

II. The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10).

  1. God as owner • Man as a treasured posssession (vs. 8; Matthew 6:25,26; )
  2. To be lost is to no longer belong to an owner. (II John 9; Ephesians 2:11-13; Romans 9:25,26)

III. The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-24).

  1. God as father • Man as a beloved child (Hebrews 12:9 - “Father of Spirits;” Acts 17:28,29; Psalm 103:13).
  2. To be lost...
    1. ...is to abandon the moral direction a father (vs. 13, 30; Ephesians 2:1-3).
    2. ...means one doesn’t think right (vs. 17; Ephesians 4:19; Titus 1:15).
    3. ...means (ultimately) to be cut off from the joys of life (vss. 14-16; II Thessalonians 1:8,9).

Conclusion. This chapter and these parables are not just about what is means to be lost. Nor does it just illustrate human-divine relationships. They are (ultimately) about the joy of being found.

  1. The Lost Sheep (vss. 5, 6).
  2. The Lost Coin (vss. 9,10).
  3. The Lost Son (vss. 20-24).
     This is not really describing joy on the part of the one who was lost. Rather, it is joy on the part of the shepherd, owner, father (i.e. God). Note: in each case he had more - sheep, coins, children: but even so He wanted all to be found (I Timothy 2:4 God - “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”) Will you bring joy to God through your coming to Christ?
 
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