You're Invited
The Storyteller • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsGod pursues us when we are lost, and rejoices when we are found!
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Bible Project Video: Parables of Jesus [5:32]
New Series: The Storyteller
Jesus told stories all the time to help those around understand complicated matters
Parables:
Parables are like a movie you have to watch a couple time to get the full story.
The Prestige is a movie about an illusionist that was trying to pull off the ultimate trick in teleporting himself across the stage. I had to watch this movie multiple times and even ask others that had watched it if I understood what was happening.
Parables are the same, each time you read them you might pick up something different that you didn’t before.
Similar to me needing to ask others for their take on The Prestige, you wont be able to understand parables without the help of the Holy Spirit!
Why Does Jesus Use Parables?
Parable: stories, especially those of Jesus, told to provide a vision for life, especially life in God’s kingdom.
Jesus tells us in why he chooses parables as a method of teaching:
Jesus uses Parables to speak about spiritual matters
He uses physical situations and objects to related them to spiritual matters
if you just take the physical aspects of a parable you are missing the full picture - this was the issue with the religious people in Jesus’ day. They believed they had it figured out, but really they were missing the entire spiritual aspect of the Kingdom of God!
tells us that we cannot understand the depths of God without the Holy Spirit revealing them to us.
Facts about Parables:
3 Categories of Parables: Teaching, Gospel, Judgment & Future
32 Parables in total
Famous Parables: Parable of the Sower, The Good Samaritan, The Prodigal Son
Tonight’s Message: You’re Invited
Pray
1. Lost & Found
1. Lost & Found
We will be looking at 2 parables out of the Gospel themed parables tonight. Specifically these 2 parables deal with the love of God.
Luke 15:1-
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “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? 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 his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 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.
The Physical Item
The Physical Item
The Sheep - Facts about Sheep
Weren’t made to carry burdens
Aren’t able to defend themselves
Can’t find their own way
Content with whatever satisfies
a sheep would stop and drink from a muddy puddle even though there is fresh, clear springs ahead - as long as it satisfies it will take it
Need a shepherd
Jesus uses Sheep to point out our need for a Shepherd in our lives.
The Spiritual Lesson
The Spiritual Lesson
The Shepherd left the 99 safe sheep to pursue the 1 lost sheep!
At face value: this is crazy!
Who Cares: let’s be honest…who cares about the 1 lost sheep when you have 99 sheep that stayed - I mean that one sheep can easily be replaced, right?
Dumb Sheep: that one sheep has to be dumb anyways - and it will probably wander off again anyways, right?
Identify the “Lost”
Identify the “Lost”
2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
The following parables were spoken to the Pharisees and scribes who complained.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day divided humanity into two classes: the unclean and the righteous.
They decided to live, as much as possible, in complete separation from the unclean. Some rabbis of Jesus day took this idea so seriously that they refused to teach the unclean God’s word (Morris).
Religion responds to the lost with rejection
Do we reject those that “dont look the right part” “dont say the right things” “wear the right clothes”
The “Lost” Can’t Find Their Way Back
The “Lost” Can’t Find Their Way Back
A lost sheep will keep bleating for their flock all while running in the wrong direction.
A sheep’s defense mechanism is to run - and not in any particular direction
The Point: the lost need help to find their way back - someone has to pursue them!
If Religion responds with rejection…God responds with pursuit!
Rejoicing When The Lost Are Found
Rejoicing When The Lost Are Found
7 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.
God Pursues
God Finds
God Celebrates
Rejoice: sugchairō, soong-khah´ee-ro; to sympathize in gladness, congratulate:—rejoice in (with).
Celebrate with confetti poppers!
2. Lost & Found Again!
2. Lost & Found Again!
Lost Coin Story Images
8 “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? 9 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.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
10 Coins: Count out ten coins but be missing one. Have students help search the room for the missing one.
The Physical Item
The Physical Item
10 Coins - most likely these were 10 silver coins that were apart of a woman’s headband signifying her marriage.
Losing one would’ve been a huge deal!
The Spiritual Lesson
The Spiritual Lesson
Every ONE is important and matters to God
Even when you don’t realize it, or feel it, God is chasing after you and values you!
Out of Sight, Not Possession
Out of Sight, Not Possession
When I had lost the coin, although it was out of sight, it was not out of my possession - it was and is still my coin.
The same is true for every child of God that is not living for Him - they may be gone, but they are still children of God.
3. Finding & Rejoicing
3. Finding & Rejoicing
Finding
Finding
In both of these parables, one thing is lost amongst many others. Each time, the owner cares so much for the one missing, that they throw all their effort and resources into finding that lost item.
In the same way...
…our heart for the lost should be the same.
family members
friends
co-workers
aquaintenances
neighbors
There is no shortage of people in this world that are “lost”
Rejoicing
Rejoicing
Jesus points out that when the one is returned - there is a huge party!
many of the religious people of Jesus’ day believed differently and even had a saying: “There will be joy in heaven over one sinner who is obliterated before God.” Christians today must be careful that they do not give the same impression, especially in their often-appropriate zeal to speak out against culturally popular sins.
Kanye West Picture
Celebrate with confetti poppers
Share the Gospel
Share the Gospel
G - God created us to be with Him
O - Our sins separate us from God
S - Sins cannot be removed by good deeds
P - Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again
G - God created us to be with HimO - Our sins separate us from GodS - Sins cannot be removed by good deedsP - Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose againE - Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal lifeL - Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever
E - Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life
L - Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever