18 Lost and Found
The Kingdom Is Near • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsBig Idea: The Father loves His sons, and especially celebrates the lost son’s return.
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week – True disciples forgive humbly and freely. – pursuing the wandering, Parable of the Lost Sheep.
Last week – True disciples forgive humbly and freely. – pursuing the wandering, Parable of the Lost Sheep.
The lost and wandering are important to the King. In the context of humility, temptation and sin, forgiveness and restoration. Restoring the lost and wandering.
3 weeks ago – . True disciples follow humbly and wholly. Both are focused on humility and completely yielding to Jesus.
3 weeks ago – . True disciples follow humbly and wholly. Both are focused on humility and completely yielding to Jesus.
follows directly after that story about the cost of following Jesus. The crowds were following and listening.
Most of Jesus’ parables are answers to questions or responses to complaints.
Read
Now the Pharisees and scribes are complaining about the company that Jesus keeps.
We saw this several times before – the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. I came to seek and save the lost.
Pharisees reject and avoid. Jesus Welcomes and eats. Participation.
Remember this accusation… Jesus will address it in one of the parables.
The Lost Sheep
The Lost Sheep
The Lost Sheep
Why does Jesus welcome sinners and eat with them?
The lost are important and need rescued.
Read and summarize
Leave 99. The shepherd, like in the parable of the Good Shepherd, loves the sheep, knows them, calls them by name, they listen and follow.
Each one is important. He leaves the others in relative safety to search.
v.4 “Until he finds it”
Response at finding the lost sheep – rejoicing.
v.7 “In the same way…” joy in heaven. One repents, 99 righteous don’t need to repent (or don’t feel they need to…)
“more joy” does not mean joy and no joy. It means joy and more joy.
The Lost Coin
The Lost Coin
Why does Jesus welcome sinners and eat with them?
The lost are valuable and need recovered.
Read and summarize
Coin = Greek drachma = one day’s wage.
Lost 1, still 9 there.
v.8 “until she finds it”
response at finding lost coin – rejoicing.
v.10 “in the same way” – joy in presence of God’s angels = heaven
The Lost Son
The Lost Son
Why does Jesus welcome sinners and eat with them?
The lost are loved and need restored.
Read and summarize
Younger son requested his inheritance. Father gave it. Son foolishly wasted it. Out of money, famine, working for pig farmer. Hit bottom. Broken.
Broken not just because of situation, but realizes his sin.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
Luke 15:17 “came to his senses”
“came to his senses” realizes his condition
What does it take for you to come to your senses?
v.18 “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.”
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Luke “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.”
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.”
Key to forgiveness and healing - realization, confession, repentance
Against you – you alone – I have sinned and done this evil in your sight.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
Against you – you alone – I have sinned and done this evil in your sight.
Against you – you alone – I have sinned and done this evil in your sight.
No longer worthy to be called your son.
So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Ready to confess, repented – got up and went to his father.
Ready to confess, repented – got up and went to his father.
But he did not understand sonship. Tried to work for father.
Father’s response: filled with compassion. Ran. Hugged and kissed him.
Son tried his prepared confession. Father stopped him at confession, no other terms of surrender or punishment.
Father gave robe, ring, sandals = position, authority, sonship not servant.
v.23 celebrate with a feast
v.24 dead and now alive, lost and now found.
We most often identify with the younger son. Lost. Wandering. Going our own way. Coming to the end of ourselves. Turning back. The Father receives us and celebrates. We are restored.
Parallel with other two parables:
Something of value lost
What wasn’t lost is safe, loved, and left to find lost
Lost sheep, coin, son are found = one sinner who repents
Joy, sharing good news at finding the lost. Celebration.
“In the same way…” Joy in Heaven, God and angels.
Jesus answered the complaint of the Pharisees and scribes – welcomes sinners, and eats with them.
Jesus answered the complaint of the Pharisees and scribes – welcomes sinners, and eats with them.
The Lost are important and need rescued
The Lost are valuable and need recovered
The Lost are loved and need restored
They are lost, they need the Good Shepherd. Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. The sick need a doctor, not those who are well.
The story isn’t over. The answer isn’t complete…
The Other Lost Son
The Other Lost Son
The underlying complaint and unasked question:
Why does Jesus welcome sinners and eat with them
– but not with us???
Doesn’t He love me?
Remember the older son?
Read
Older brother comes in from the field and finds a party that he wasn’t invited to.
Servant fills him in. Little brother is back, dad threw a party for him.
Servant fills him in. Little brother is back, dad threw a party for him.
v.28 Older son’s response – ANGER, refused to go to the party.
Father came out to him. Pleaded.
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
luke 15:29-30Slaving, never disobeyed, distances himself from his brother (this son of yours) lived like hell.
Luke 15:29-30
Slaving, never disobeyed, distances himself from his brother (this son of yours) lived like hell.
Slaving, never disobeyed, distances himself from his brother (this son of yours) lived like hell.
31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
v.31 Father’s response – Son, always with me, all I have is yours. Relationship. Sonship.
v.31 Father’s response – Son, always with me, all I have is yours. Relationship. Sonship.
= you want a party, go for it. Don’t have to earn. Freely given. Draw close. Enjoy.
luke 15:32
32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
v.32 We HAD to celebrate. This brother of yours… dead and alive, lost and found.
v.32 We HAD to celebrate. This brother of yours… dead and alive, lost and found.
Conclusion
Conclusion
There is joy over the lost being found. What isn't lost is still loved, but the joy comes in the steady recognizing every day is a celebration with the Father. It is in our attitude toward the Father. He loves us. We bring Him joy. Do we also celebrate in Him?
Big Idea: The Father loves His sons, and especially celebrates the lost son’s return.
Big Idea: The Father loves His sons, and especially celebrates the lost son’s return.
The Father loves His sons, and especially celebrates the lost son’s return.
What About You?
What About You?
The story doesn’t resolve. It ends with the father loving the older son and rejoicing at the return of the younger son.
Did the younger son continue to live a life devoted to the father?
Did the older son ever get it and accept his own sonship and devote himself to the father?
The result is really left up to the listener. You identify with one of these sons. Finish the story…