Luke 15:1-10

Let me give you a bit of a warning. I'm a little tired this morning, so I thought I would get a cup of tea.

You know, tea's supposed to kind of help wake you up, kind of like coffee.

Sounds right. Do I look like a tea drinker, though, first of all. I'm not really educated on tea much, but I picked up something because it said, you know, I've been drinking it.

It's been tasting good. But guess what? It's the kind of tea that makes you tired instead of, wait, cozy chamomile.

Deceived by the cozy part, I thought, man, I want to feel cozy. So I drank that.

So if I take a dive in the middle of this, like, that's what's going on. So just coffee from now on for me.

Anyway, Luke 15. We've been working our way through some of the parables of Jesus.

We took a break from going through the book of Daniel. And today we're going to embark and look at two different parables.

From Luke 15. There are three altogether. But as you're aware, the third one is lengthy and deserves a lot more attention than just one Sunday morning.

But just a background. Luke's gospel, the primary audience was non-Jews.

It was for mainly focused toward Gentiles. Luke was a physician. Luke was a historian.

And he wrote this gospel as a historical account of the life of Jesus.

And later on wrote Acts. But in his mind is a Gentile audience.

Those who, by a lot of people, were seen as outsiders of the covenant.

And to kind of show God's love and God's grace towards all people.

And so throughout the book of Luke, there's been a few times, even before where we are now,

where it says that Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem.

So he's kind of making his last journey toward the city of Jerusalem where he will die on the cross.

And so heavy stuff on his mind, obviously.

So we will just begin reading in chapter 15, verse 1.

It says,

Now the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to him.

And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying,

This man receives sinners and eats with them.

So he told them a parable.

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 all 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 the ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

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, her 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.

Let's join me in a word of prayer.

Lord, we lift up this time together.

I pray that we would worship through our listening, through our hearing,

and then later by our obeying, by your grace.

What we hear from your word today,

just work in and through me to communicate the meaning and the application

in a way that would be pleasing to you.

Yeah, in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

So, just a little bit of the background, the introduction.

This is not an unfamiliar passage for a lot of you.

But first, just kind of notice that Jesus is hanging around some unruly company.

In ancient Palestine, tax collectors were representatives of the Roman authorities.

They were seen as outcasts.

They were seen as traitors to the nation.

They often used their authority to extort and take more money than they should from their own people,

not just to pay their own, but also to kind of layer their own pockets.

It was so bad that even most Jews didn't hang out with tax collectors,

not just the religious elite, but they were just seen as scumbags of society,

just traitors.

That's how they were viewed.

And Jesus has already kind of taken an aim at that

because he has called a tax collector to be among his disciples already.

So, he's kind of developing that stigma.

Then it says that he was around sinners

and all associated along with tax collectors.

At least in the way it's being used here,

it's just kind of implying to anyone who didn't follow or abide by the Mosaic law,

people that didn't really take that kind of life very seriously.

And so they were associated as outsiders in a lot of ways.

The Pharisees would have regarded the sinners as anyone who doesn't care about the law as they interpret it.

And it seemed to reflect a commonly understood meaning

that people were guilty of public sin,

but also just disinterested, disengaged from religious life as the Pharisees would have it.

And so it was culturally unacceptable for Jesus to keep with such company.

He receives and welcomes sinners.

If you read just in the last verse of chapter 14,

Jesus says,

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

So, he knows people are listening in,

particularly the religious elite.

And so he welcomes sinners who have ears to hear.

His concern is for the outsider, the outcast of society.

So that's the unruly company,

but also you notice there's the religious leaders who are there,

the scribes and the Pharisees in verse 2.

And they're looking on at this with great disgust.

Pharisees means separated ones.

So if you want to think about it that way,

they really saw themselves as extra holy.

They were the most influential of three major Jewish sects

and a highly influential group.

And they were known for their meticulous observance of the law,

but they also had added on a lot of extra laws,

extra biblical laws,

laws in order to attain righteousness before God and God's favor.

They also believed that if they were righteous enough,

they could possibly obtain resurrection from the dead.

And so, a very religious, strict group looking on.

And the scribes are obviously those who copied the scripture,

copied the law,

and passed it on.

So both honorable professions in the eyes of culture.

It says they watched this spectacle of Jesus being with tax collectors and sinners.

It says they grumbled.

They murmured.

They indignantly complained among themselves.

They don't like what they see.

Jesus is not abiding by their rules,

not behaving in their mind as a rabbi ought to behave.

So what are they muttering about?

Highly agitated because he receives sinners and eats with them.

So not just that he came in contact with them,

but he actually was eating with them.

So it's not just like they're just grabbing a meal together real quick.

It's like sharing a meal at that time

meant sort of a way of expressing covenant friendship with someone.

And he's there with them.

He's associating with them.

Extended friendship.

And they saw these people as ritually unclean.

And their thinking was,

we are high up here.

They are way down here.

We can't mix with them or else they will pollute us.

They will corrupt us.

In this society,

such people were known as people of the land.

That's what they were referred to.

So the people of dirt,

kind of at the bottom of society.

Peasants,

unknown to God

and unknown to his ways.

So there was even a rabbinical teaching.

So again,

this is extra biblical,

not written in the law of Moses.

But to the Pharisees,

this is what it said.

Let not a man associate with the wicked,

not even to bring him closer to the law.

And how bad is that?

So Jesus is doing the opposite.

He could cleanse the leper rather than being made unclean by the leper.

And so when he's around sinners,

they don't affect him.

He affects them.

So he is not defiled by them.

So Jesus knows that this is what they're thinking.

He hears them muttering among themselves.

And just like our Lord took a time to tell a parable,

parable,

simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

And the intended receivers are the religious leaders.

Other people are listening,

of course,

but he's making a point to them particularly.

And he tells a parable.

Let me just think about his genius as a teacher.

Men love sheep.

Women,

coins.

Fathers love sons.

That's like what he's thinking.

And so a real simple outline.

And then we'll get into some more application.

But number one,

something lost.

Number two will be something is found.

And number three,

the rejoicing that results.

So something lost.

So the first parable,

he tells about a sheep that is lost from a flock,

one out of 99.

And,

you know,

pastors are quick to start making jokes about sheep at this point,

to get people to laugh.

But then you realize,

that's me.

So maybe we shouldn't joke about that so much.

But yeah,

sheep are not intelligent.

They are prey animals.

They are defenseless.

They are dependent on the shepherd to lead them,

feed them,

protect them.

I don't know.

Most of you probably really haven't been around sheep,

but I have quite a bit with all my trips to Ireland and Scotland.

And like,

they don't camouflage well.

They don't hide well.

They are ridiculous.

I've had friends that own some,

you know,

flocks,

and I've gone out to help them find some ones that were just not in the main group.

And I found one of them like,

just on his back,

like a turtle.

I couldn't,

and just,

you know,

filthy.

Found another one with his head stuck through a fence and his horns were just not,

so you had to pull him and then twist him and then shove his head through.

Just,

just ridiculous animals.

But,

they are prey animals.

They don't hide well,

but they were still a good source of not just food,

but commerce,

trade,

financial gain for,

people who owned a good herd.

And shepherds,

so they didn't call this man a shepherd,

but it's implied.

So,

if he was hired by a master,

every sheep had to be accounted for.

And if he lost one,

it would come out of his pay,

more than likely.

But if it was his own sheep,

you might be thinking like,

you know,

how lazy and spoiled we are today.

You might just think,

I've got 99,

like,

who cares about the one?

Well,

if you think that way for too long,

you're not going to have a flock for too long,

because that happens.

All the time.

You're going to have a small flock

very,

very soon.

So,

you have to go after them,

because

you hold the attitude for too long,

they'll be killed,

they'll be eaten,

they'll freeze to death,

they'll starve,

on and on.

So,

he

leaves,

right?

He cares for that one lost sheep.

He leaves in 99,

in the open country,

and goes after the one that's lost.

And,

it's depicting kind of like a long and rigorous search over a wide area,

combing the surrounding fields and hillsides to find the lost sheep.

So,

that's this broad search,

kind of exhausting too.

So,

then,

you get to the parable of the woman who lost the coins.

And,

it's this idea of losing almost a 10 days wage for a laborer,

something that is,

might be referred to as her dowry coin,

something that she might take with her when she gets married,

into her new marriage.

And,

it's just very shameful and careless to lose them.

So,

the image here,

not of like a woman who's fixated about money,

it's just more of like,

this is something precious and important to her that she wishes to hold on to,

to take into,

possibly,

again,

sort of like a marriage setting.

And,

it would just be shameful to lose something like that.

And so,

the search isn't so much far and wide,

but as we,

as we read,

right,

she,

diligently,

looks for it.

And so,

her search is more thorough and diligent.

She turns on a light to look,

or turns on a lamp,

excuse me.

You don't turn on a lamp,

do you?

You light a lamp.

But,

it's a diligent and thorough search.

And,

I know,

again,

this would be a point where you just make a lot of jokes about things you've lost,

but don't have time to do that.

But,

I've lost keys,

lost wallet,

kind of do it,

do it frequently.

Sometimes,

like,

I think my wallet just grows legs and walks away,

and I don't know where it is at all.

I have a map that says,

keys,

phone,

wallet,

right,

walking out of my door to help me remember.

So,

yeah,

we lose a lot of things,

but it can make you feel embarrassed,

shameful,

and even panic with fear a little bit,

if it's something very serious that you need.

So,

something is lost.

Secondly,

something is found.

So,

the man's searching paid off,

as we read,

and when he has found it,

he lays,

right,

the sheep on his shoulders,

in verse 5,

rejoicing.

A picture of a loving,

caring shepherd.

The sheep is too weak to return on its own,

so he throws it over his shoulders.

He's probably injured,

dehydrated,

scared,

and he takes it back to save pasture,

to be with the rest of the flock,

and he's rejoicing.

He isn't like,

you know,

cussing,

as he's like taking the sheep back,

but he's like happy that he found this lost sheep.

And so,

for the woman,

it's the same thing.

When she finds the coin,

she is very happy.

She is overflowing with joy.

Her money is intact,

and she's not going to be embarrassed,

or ashamed anymore.

And so,

that leads to the third point,

just the rejoicing that results.

When the man brings the sheep back,

he shares the joy with his friends and his neighbors.

And you see that in verse 6.

When he comes home,

he calls together his friends and his neighbors,

saying to them,

rejoice with me,

for I have found the sheep that was lost.

And so,

this is a picture of true joy.

Christ-centered joy is meant,

designed to spill over onto other people.

It's not meant to be hoarded.

I mean,

think about some of the most joyful things

that have happened in your life.

Most of you,

unless you're very odd,

like you like to let people know

about the joy that you are undergoing,

especially the ones that are closest to you.

So,

that joy shared is a way to fulfilling it,

right?

You have to.

And with the coins,

it says,

when she had found it,

she called together her friends,

her neighbors,

saying,

rejoice with me,

for I have found the coin that I had lost.

Her joy,

likewise,

has to be,

has to,

you know,

overflow to other people

to be made full.

Those are the closest to them.

So,

that's a simple outline.

Some of it was lost,

some of it was found.

And then there's rejoicing that takes place.

So,

the application of this,

here's a few things for us.

But one is,

Jesus is trying to get his audience to understand

that God cares for sinners,

unlike the religious leaders that were around him.

He says that God Almighty cares deeply about the lost sinners.

Jesus is telling,

you know,

about the attitude of our Heavenly Father

towards those who repent.

So,

as you're aware,

repent means to turn away from sin,

turn to God.

It means,

really,

a changing of one's mind

toward sin.

So,

not that just you hate doing something,

but now,

I mean,

excuse me,

like you don't hate just the consequences

of your actions,

but you hate what you do.

Like you hated the sin that you committed.

And,

that change of mind

leads to a change in action.

And so,

as we turn to God in faith,

to save us.

So,

these are images of God's joy

and the restoration of a sinner

through repentance.

And this is just very different in their mind,

like God does not act this way.

But,

Psalm 103,

as a father,

shows compassion,

compassion,

to his children.

So,

the Lord shows compassion

to those who fear him.

For he knows our frame.

He remembers that we are by dust.

He takes pity on us.

He knows that we are weak.

So,

he has compassion for us.

In Matthew 9,

very similar situation.

But,

Matthew 9,

Matthew 9:11

verse 11,

the Pharisees saw what Jesus was doing.

And they say,

why does your teacher

eat with tax collectors

and sinners?

When he heard it,

he said,

those who are well

have no need

of a physician.

But those who are sick,

go and learn

what this means.

I desire mercy

and not sacrifice.

For I came not to call

righteous,

the righteous,

but sinners.

And so,

he quotes from

Hosea 6.

He's like,

yeah,

well,

go read your scripture,

basically.

Go read your Bible

and read this,

where God says,

I desire mercy

and not sacrifice.

That was the heart

of the gospel,

but that threatened

their way of thinking

and sacrifice,

kind of,

all the different things

that you do

to observe the law,

the religious law.

And God's steadfast love

is what God cares about.

He wants to show that

to sinners.

And he's saying

that, like,

your attitude

is different than God's.

God desires

and seeks sinners.

That kind of leads

to this other thing,

right?

If you notice

in the story,

what Jesus is trying

to tell them is

God is the one

who initiates.

He is the one

who seeks.

He is the one

who finds.

It's not,

it's not,

it's not that God

is just kind of

hanging out

and we have to work

our way toward Him

to reach a level

of favor with Him.

He actually comes out

and gets us.

That's awesome news.

God hunts us down.

And you won't find

anybody in the Bible

that was just kind of,

you know,

not found by God.

God found them.

And He pursued them.

It's not within

the nature of fallen man

to desire God.

We don't seek after God.

That's Romans 3,

right?

There are none righteous,

no, not one.

No one understands

and no one seeks

for God.

We all have turned aside

and together

have become worthless,

right?

And that idea

of Isaiah

connecting to

the sheep.

We all,

like sheep,

have gone astray,

each to

his own way.

So,

God is the one

who takes the initiative

and He pursues

the lost center.

He is viewed

in Scripture

as a shepherd,

right?

So,

Ezekiel 34,

Ezekiel 34:15

verse 15,

this is God talking,

I myself

will be the shepherd

of my sheep

and I myself

will make them

lie down,

declares the Lord God.

I will seek

the lost

and I will bring

back the stray

and I will bind

up the injured

and I will strengthen

the weak.

That's God's

attitude

towards

lost

sinners.

And one of my

favorite passages

in the New Testament,

Romans 5,

is to explain

the gospel.

It said,

God,

while we were

still helpless,

while we were

weak,

nothing we could

do on our own.

It says,

God demonstrated

His great love

towards us

by sending

Christ.

So,

that's our condition,

but God

sought us

and so that's

the image of Him

in these parables.

But also,

the joy of heaven

is contrasted

with like the grumbling

of the Pharisees.

He's telling them

like there is

serious,

holy,

pure joy

that erupts

in heaven

when a sinner

comes to

saving faith.

And He says

that.

I'm telling you,

there will be

more joy in heaven

over one sinner

who repents

than other

99

righteous persons

who need

no repentance.

About that last part,

that doesn't mean

there actually are

people who don't

need to repent.

It just means

that they're not

aware of their

need to repent.

It doesn't mean

that they're sinless,

but rather,

they've wrongly

deceived themselves

into thinking

that they are

righteous,

thus not feeling

the need

for repentance.

While you're in Luke,

go to Luke 5

really quickly.

Let's rewind.

Luke 5,

Luke 5:30

verse 30.

So,

this isn't the first

time this has

kind of happened.

Luke 5,

Luke 5:30

verse 30.

It says,

the Pharisees

and their scribes

grumbled at

his disciples

saying,

why do you eat

and drink

with tax collectors

and sinners?

And Jesus

answered them,

those who are well

have no need

of a physician,

but those who are sick.

I have not come

to call the righteous,

but sinners

to repentance.

And so,

listen to this.

you cannot hear

Jesus

unless you know

that you need him.

If God is stirring

in your heart

and your soul

and making you aware

of your sin

and the weight of it

and the guilt of it,

and he is making you aware

that you are sick

and that you need him,

the great physician.

So,

if you're aware

you're sick,

aware of your sin,

you're aware

of your need

for deliverance,

right?

So,

he's saying

there is great joy

in heaven

that takes place.

Great celebration.

And so,

some closing thoughts

on this.

We all need

a very clear warning.

Beware of being

like the Pharisees

and the scribes

who do not rejoice

over finding

what is lost,

who consider themselves

holier,

better,

cleaner,

set apart,

and so that we are

quick to look upon others

and say,

not that guy,

not that girl.

And you can,

the attitude of like,

hey,

if you can clean up,

you can get yourself together,

you can come to our thing.

But,

you don't look like us,

so beat it.

And,

that is not the approach

that Jesus exercised.

And there are many

in the church

who are like that.

One of my mom's

best friends

was very much like that.

And a part of her testimony now

is she actually,

she shares,

like,

I was the older brother.

I was the one who thought

I was better

than everybody else.

And,

until God made me realize

that my righteousness

was filthy before him.

And so,

beware of thinking

in that way

and that people

are going to be excluded

from God's kingdom

just because they don't

act and look like you.

Here's one that is sad,

but you got to say it today.

Beware of wrongly

motivated evangelism.

Some of you are thinking like,

hmm,

tax collectors and sinners,

that's kind of the crowd

I like to hang out with.

So,

I'll just kind of covertly

go in under the name of

I'm going to like do ministry

in there.

But,

deep down,

you actually are

just worshiping the idols

of social acceptance,

of partying,

and you just want to blend in.

And,

it's really not about Jesus.

It's about you.

And,

it's about you

worshiping your idols.

So,

beware of like,

hiding under that guise.

Like,

yeah,

that's my crowd.

I'd rather spend time with anyway.

I'll just say

I'm just doing some evangelism

while I'm there.

But,

deep down,

I'm really just pursuing

sin.

So,

don't see that as an excuse

to go and be in those places

necessarily.

Beware of that.

Ask yourself,

why are you there?

To influence others for Christ

and to look like you're

doing something there

or just secretly

worshiping your idols?

Who is influencing who?

Why are you there?

And,

two more thoughts,

we're done.

God is seeking you.

No matter where you are,

if you're aware of your sin,

aware of who you are,

and aware of what you deserve,

know that God stands ready

with open arms

to receive you.

Does that like,

do your heart good

to know that God is welcoming,

that His arms are open,

that He's not,

you know,

snarling down at you

and despising you?

But He is ready

to display His lavish love

upon repentant sinners.

1 Timothy 1,

1 Timothy 1:15

verse 15,

Paul says this,

has a hope of enticing

or showing people

the great mercy of God.

He says,

this is a trustworthy saying,

deserving of full acceptance.

Christ Jesus came into the world

to save sinners,

of whom I am the foremost.

But I receive mercy

for this reason,

that in me,

as the foremost,

Jesus Christ might display

His perfect patience

as example to those

who are to believe in Him

for eternal life,

to the King of ages,

immortal,

invisible,

the only God,

the honor and glory

forever and ever.

So,

God is seeking you.

And for many of us,

we have been found.

We don't need to forget

where we were

before we were found.

And,

if you wish to partake

in the joy in heaven,

like what believer

doesn't want to do that?

Do you wish to partake

of the joy of heaven?

Then you must seek

lost sinners.

There's no other way around it.

This is a big deal

in heaven.

So,

if God has sought us,

we must be willing

and desirous to seek others

that are outside

the fold of God

and to bring them in.

And,

again,

they don't always look like us,

talk like us,

have their stuff together,

and that's all right.

One of the guys

in my earlier Christian life

that the Lord

humbly used me

and a couple others

to bring him to faith,

his name was Joe.

And Joe was like

a heavy metal dude.

He was like,

he had like long hair,

big stout guy,

and he played the drums

and where the hair,

you know,

going,

like that's,

that was him.

And he was like into,

you know,

Pearl Jam,

Smashing Pumpkins,

like those old

90s rock groups.

And he was

mind blown

that Christ

would care for him.

Mind blown.

And he was,

he looked very different,

obviously,

than a lot of people

that we were hanging out with

in that church setting.

But I just love

to see the old ladies

at our church

would just come up

and just give this guy a hug

and just say,

we love you.

We're glad

that you're here.

But Joe

cannot believe

that God cared for him.

It was just like,

he just kind of got stuck

on that one point.

God cares for me

and the Lord

saved him.

And so,

go and seek the lost.

It's the most

beautiful mysteries

of scripture

that a holy God

would have the desire

to draw near

to individuals

like you

and me

and to not

despise them.

So,

let's pray together.