The One goes after the one

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on December 1st 2024 by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

What is God's purpose for us in this place? 

Luke 15 - lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. 

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."” - Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Every society has a social order. In Jesus' time, at the very bottom of the barrel, were lepers, then there were shepherds, tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners were next. The Pharisees and scribes set themselves apart from them.  They looked down on Jesus because he related to them and ate with them.

Even in today’s society, these distinctions still exist. Jesus addresses this situation in this passage. 

“"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” - Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."” - Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Luke 15 is about 3 parables that Jesus teaches. They all have the same theme - something lost, something found, great rejoicing. He repeats it in 3 parables to hammer in the point. 

The parable is the use of an illustration using everyday life. He is taking a story to communicate a deeper moral truth and a spiritual lesson. 

Jesus was showing how important and precious lost people are. These parables are similar but not identical. 

Sheep are not the sharpest animals. They are always afraid of predators. 3 types of sinners are lost. 

1. The lost sheep: They are lost, know they’re lost and can’t help themselves. They need a good shepherd. God is interested in lost people. There are 100s of people in this mall who are lost without Jesus. What is it that gives the Father in heaven great joy? A sinner repenting. the angels rejoice with him! People go from crisis to calm. Lost sheep are those who are lost and just a friend to come along and give them hope. Jesus can come into their lives and change them. That’s why we pursue them. 

2. The lost coin: this is the kind of person who is lost and doesn’t know that he is lost. Our job is to seek people like this and bring the light of Jesus into their life. When the coin is found, again there is rejoicing. 

3. The lost son: “And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬.

This guy came to his senses. The lost sheep couldn’t help himself. The lost coin didn’t know that he was lost. But the prodigal son takes steps to come back to the father. There are people in our lives who have made bad decisions and find themselves with the pigs. You cannot stop them from leaving. The shepherd went looking for the coin and the woman went looking for the coin. But the father didn’t go looking, he stayed waiting. We need to be like the father, looking out for them to take steps to return. 

God's heart : God rejoices over sinners repenting. Sadly the Pharisees and scribes who had the word of God did not rejoice in the sinners repenting. Do we have the heart of the father or the heart of the Pharisees? Do we seek out the lost or stay away from them to keep ourselves clean? 

Let’s examine our hearts. Do you identify with any one of these lost people? Your response is to come to Jesus. For the rest of us, our job is to take the love of God to the lost ones. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.