Luke 15: The Parables of the Lost
Luke 15:1-24
15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
We are by nature, fallen. We need redemption - these passages all deal with the finding of things that were lost
Holistically, these parables are all parables about the “one”
One lost sheep or coin is the reason for a search
One Found sheep or coin is the reason for rejoicing
One distant son is the reason for waiting and watching
Is the parable of the lost sheep about a sheep or about a shepherd?
Is the parable of the lost coin about a coin or about a woman?
Is the parable of the lost son about a son or a father?
It’s about both! It’s about redemption (bringing together):
One sheep and one shepherd
One coin and one woman
One son and one father
As it relates to Hub City Church - ONE - is important!
We do what we do so that:
One more can hear
One more can know Jesus
One more can experience His life-changing power
We have worship so that ONE person can experience what it means to be in His presence
Sundays are moments when we celebrate together, but consist of a series of moments that you can have a ONE-ON-ONE experience with the Holy Spirit
So, let's talk about some truth that we see from these passages:
3 Kingdom-truths we see from these passages:
I. Priorities of the kingdom - the parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep
1 sheep is important!
1 is not MORE important than the 99 but JUST as important
We see the heart of the shepherd here
He is not content to let one wander off, just because he has more sheep
We want this same heart for people - that we would stop what we are doing to make sure that nobody wanders off and gets lost
John 10:14–15 (NKJV): I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
II. Persistence of the kingdom - the woman and the lost coin
She turns the whole house upside down
The picture is:
There is no length that God won't go to to find you
In my own life, God moved mountains to make sure I didn't stay lost
In this parable, the woman didn't assume the coin would eventually "Turn-up"
There’s this sense of : “I’m not satisfied until I find it”
This is a picture of Christ - he left the holiness of heaven to live among us so that we could have salvation!
Romans 5:8 (NKJV): 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
III. Patience of the kingdom - a father and a lost son
The father waits day after day after day for his son - hoping he would return
God is a God who gives us the option to serve Him
He gives us such good gifts, even when we are making bad choices
Then he gives us GRACE in our lives
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
The son took his inheritance, and made bad decision after bad decision
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY - the father watched and waited for his return
In this parable parable, the son assumes, That he’ll never be restored to being a “real son” again.
He just goes home as a last resort
Once the son came home -
The Father:
Restored relationship - with his embrace
Restored authority - with the ring
Restored identity - with a robe and sandals
