INVESTIGATING THE CLAIMS OF JESUS--PART V

SERMON TITLE: RECONNECTING WITH LOST THINGS

SERMON THEME: MOVING FROM LOST TO FOUND

SERMON TEXT: LUKE 15:11-14; 21-24; 28-32

INTRODUCTION: IT TURNS OUT THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE SELF-RIGHTEOUS

ARE RARELY SELF-AWARE.

LUKE 1:1-4

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled^[a] among us, ² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. ³ With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

HOW DO WE KNOW AND WHY DO WE FOLLOW THIS FIRST CENTRURY RABBI?

LUKE 15:-1-2

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. ² He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.

· ONE GROUP WAS SO BAD THEY DID NOT THINK GOD WOULD NEVER ACCEPT THEM. THE OTHER GROUP WAS SO GOOD THEY THOUGHT GOD HAD ALREADY ACCEPTED THEM. BOTH GROUPS WERE WRONG.

· ARE YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS OR ARE YOU UN-RIGHTEOUS?

THREE VALUABLE THINGS THAT GO MISSING

I) A LOST SHEEP AND A LOST COIN.

LUKE 15:3-7

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

· GOD VIEWS UN-RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE AS SOMEONE WHO GOT SEPARATED FROM HIM.

LUKE 15: 8-10

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

· JESUS PUSHES ON THE DIGNITY OF EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING, ESPECIALLY WOMEN.

II) A LOST SON

A) THE FATHER LOVES YOU EVEN WHEN YOU REBEL

LUKE 15: 11-16

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

· THERE IS NO LIMIT TO HOW FAR GOD WILL LET YOU GO, BUT THERE IS ALSO NO LIMIT TO HOW LONG GOD WILL WAIT FOR YOU TO RETURN.

B) THE FATHER ACCEPTS YOU WHEN YOU RETURN

LUKE 15:17-24

¹⁷ “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! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 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. ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

· THIS STORY IS NOT ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR, IT IS ABOUT A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP BEING RESTORED.

JOHN 3:16

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

· YOUR FATHER DOES NOT SEE BAD AND GOOD PEOPLE, YOUR FATHER SEES LOST PEOPLE AND FOUND BY GOD PEOPLE.

C) THE FATHER PURSUES YOU WHEN YOU REJECT HIM.

LUKE 15:25-32

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with 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!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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.’”

· WHEN YOUR RIGHTNESS BECOMES AN EXCUSE TO DISMISS THOSE YOU CONSIDER LESS RIGHT, YOU THEN ARE NOT AS RIGHT AS YOU THINK YOU ARE.

I JOHN 1:5-6

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

· IF YOUR VERSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH EMPOWERS YOU TO SIZE PEOPLE UP AND WRITE THEM OFF, THEN YOU HAVE THE WRONG VERSION OF FAITH.

CONCLUSION: SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS DOES NOT LOOK GOOD ON ANYBODY, ESPECIALLY CHRISTIANS.

MATTHEW 7:18-20

¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.