Luke 15:1-32
It’s Shouting Time
\\#Luke 15:1-2\\ Jesus had been teaching, and some were receiving the
Word very well. These were those that were not apart of the regular
religion—either because they did not like its message or perhaps
because their sinful lifestyle had put them outside of the reach of
the religious. Sin—no matter how wicked—should not put a person
outside of the reach of our church for it will certainly never put
anyone outside of the reach of our Lord. Regardless, these lost
sinners were responding to Jesus.
\\#2\\ says the religious were murmuring—complaining and grumbling,
about Jesus ministering to these outcasts. Now, there are many ways
that Jesus could have handled that, but what He chose to do was to
teach some parables and in these parables, among other truths, Jesus
teaches us how we should respond to sinners when they come to the
truth.
There are actually three parables in this chapter. All three of them
could be taught on their own. They each contain truth. However, I
think there are some things we can see by looking at all three of
them together.
Let’s see what thoughts they have for us.
I. From these parable, we see how far a person can fall.
A. Most look at these parables as winning the unsaved.
1. That will work; however, we don’t have to limit these
parables to the lost.
2. In the third parable, the parable of the wayward son, we
are never told that the son is lost.
3. In fact, even though both the sheep and the coin are
described as lost, all of these parables could also be
describing wayward Christians.
B. How so?
1. In all of these parables (sheep, coin, son) there is only
one master and father.
2. In all of these parables, the lost is the same.
a. There is no described difference in them.
b. One is merely where it was expected to be while the
other is not.
c. That description could apply to the both the lost and
the wayward.
C. Either way, it is amazing how far one can fall!
1. It is amazing how from God a person—either saved or lost,
can get.
a. A sheep can wander a long way.
b. A coin can roll a long way.
c. A son can sink a long way.
2. How far can a coin roll? Isn’t it amazing how difficult
intangible objects can be?
a. Empty wooded lot next to the parsonage. Branches fall
and rocks rise to the surface. I just throw most of
them over in the empty lot. There are a few trees
near the boundary which I want to miss. Most of the
time, if I want to miss the tree, I’ll it dead
center and it will bounce back. If I was aiming for
the tree, I’d miss it.
b. Because I work with computers, I am often gathering up
power cables and extension cords. There are not very
long—usually 6 feet. I am amazed at how many times
I have to get loops and knots out of them. If I
wanted to put a loop in it, it would never happen.
c. If you want a coin to roll, it probably never would,
but if you drop it by accident, you might be amazed
at how far it will roll.
3. How far can a sheep wonder?
a. Angel has eight or nine and the young ones can easily
get under the fence. They wander all over the yard,
but since their parents are close and the surrounding
fields were unplanted, they seemed to stay near.
b. Still, they walked all over their property.
4. How far can a person sink? far country, riotous living,
spend all he had, slopping, eating, and sleeping with the
hogs. The same of it is that hogs he was eating with
were better company than the ones he had been drinking
with.
D. Considering the background for these parables, I believe that
Jesus was directing these words to those who had murmured.
1. If so, the lost in the parables refer to the sinners that
the Pharisees were complaining about.
2. Sitting before Jesus were the coins that had rolled, the
sheep that had wondered, and the children who had sank.
3. The religious of Jesus day called Him "the friend of
sinners!" They meant that as an insult but it was a
praise.
4. Friend, our church has an open door policy. As long as
they are not causing trouble, every one is welcomed!
a. We are in the south, but blacks are welcome here.
b. We are in the Bible belt, but atheists, Muslims,
Hindus, and every other religion are welcome here.
c. We are going to preach the Word but gays,
transgenders, and whatever else they may invent are
welcome here.
d. Cons and parolees are welcome here.
e. We may lock a few more doors and be a bit more
careful, but how shall they believe except they hear
and how shall they hear without a preacher?
E. Christian, I remind you that you can fall a long way down too.
1 God has given to every Christian three boundaries to keep
you safe.
a. The Word of God
b. The church
c. Your own personal convictions
2. Let these three things help fence you in safety.
II. Look at how hard God works to recover the lost.
A. The Bible leaves it to our imagination to figure how hard
the shepherd looked for his sheep. How many hills did he
have to climb? How many thorn bushes did he have to
go through? How many caves did he have to search?
1. The bad thing about searching for a living thing is that
if there is no trail, you might spend hours—even days—
looking in the wrong direction.
2. But this shepherd kept looking.
B. The Bible gives more clarification concerning the lost coin.
1. There were only so many pieces of furniture in a home in
those days so there were only so many places you could
put a coin in or on or that it call fall under.
2. But this woman got a candle and swept the house looking
for the coin.
C. But the one who perhaps worked the hardest was the father who
could do nothing but wait.
1. A thing or an animal can be brought back home again, but
a wise parent understands a child has to want to come
home.
2. This father had a MOST difficult time for he felt he had
to give his son the money that would feed his sinful
lifestyle.
a. Parents, these are decisions that you alone have to
decide if your children should walk this path, but
be careful about financing your children’s sin.
b. I can imagine that it is hard to have funds and to
withhold them, but most wayward children are like
this prodigal. They don’t take time to stop and
think until they run out of money.
c. Because of the son’s direct request, this father felt
he must give his son the wealth that fueled his sin,
but doing so made it all the more difficult as he
waited so long for the son to return.
D. All of these are pictures of what our Lord does to reclaim us.
1. He puts the light on those in the darkest corners.
2. He carries the lost whose legs carried him far into sin
but is now too weary and broken to return.
3. He waits on those who have more sin they want to get into.
III. Look at the rejoicing.
A. This is the main point. Every parable speaks of rejoicing!
1. \\#6\\ REJOICE WITH ME
2. \\#9\\ REJOICE WITH ME
3. \\#23\\ LET US EAT AND BE MERRY.
B. What is the correct response whenever anyone accepts Christ?
1. WE SHOULD REJOICE!
2. That is not deep, but it is a truth sometimes forgotten!
3. We do not do wrong for the opportunity to witness and see
a soul saved, but we do rejoice whenever we get to tell
someone about Jesus and even more when they accept Him!
C. Let’s figure the path of this REJOICING.
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is
joy in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner that repenteth.
1. It will always start with God.
a. You cannot get a jump on God for He knows what is
going to happen before it does!
b. In the parables, God is the Woman who searched, the
Shepherd who found, and the Father who waited. In
all of the parables, God rejoiced!
2. \\#10\\ There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels.
a. The angels may or may not, but those four beasts
\\#Rev 4:6\\ will start shouting, "Holy, holy, holy."
b. When they do, the four and twenty elders are going to
bow, pitch their crowns, and start singing, "Thou are
worthy!"
c. When that happens, any saints standing in the light
of the rainbow are going to start shouting and
rejoicing!
3. Sometime during all of that, the repenting sinner should
catch a little wave of glory!
4. If we have any kind of spirit at all, we will join in
with them!
D. The pickings look good this week.
1. This morning an 89 year old man, Truman McVey got saved.
2. He might be the oldest man to get saved inside the walls
of this church in 30 years. The oldest was Brady
Sherrill, Kathy’s grandfather, who was saved right over
here during a revival with James Rushing some 25 to 28
years ago.
3. If you want to have you a little bit of glory this week,
drop by during the closing assemblies and if you really
want to get something to shout about, be a counselor that
gets to tell them one last time about Jesus and pray with
them!
IV. \\#25-32\\ Look at God’s Perspective
A. Remember what started this series of parables? Some were
murmuring that sinners were coming to Jesus.
B. Have you ever thought that this last parable went too long?
1. Shouldn’t it have ended when the prodigal returned home?
2. This last part is to help those who stay at home instead
of wonder into the fields of sin.
3. It is another reason why I say these parables COULD be
speaking of the wayward not just the lost.
a. 99 good sheep had to be left while one bad sheep was
found.
b. One son felt neglected because of the joy his father
had over the prodigal that returned.
C. Two more thoughts:
1. When we hear testimonies of the sinners saved, we need to
rejoice in those who did NOT become drug addicts, drunks,
cult followers, and party animals just as much as those
who did.
a. It takes no more grace to save the wicked sinner than
it does the moral sinner.
b. Romans 10:12 …for the same Lord over all is rich
unto all that call upon him.
2. While it may seem that God and His church are working
harder to reclaim the lost and wayward, God has enough
love for us all!
a. \\#4\\ It was only because the Shepherd knew the 99
would stay where they belonged that he left them to
seek the lost sheep.
b. \\#31\\ While they returning son may have the party,
the faithful son has the possessions.
Luke 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art
ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
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