Lost And Found

Introduction

I’m going to begin by saying, you sound fantastic in this evening. I have left singing much longer than I preached. And I love singing. It’d be alright with me if we just sang the rest of the week and I just didn’t do anything. That was that was fantastic. Sean, thank you for those song selections. That was great. I grew up child in the 80s, so if you remember the church back then, you remember the red bug scared selections we used to have.

And you remember the structure book. You remember when they said turn to the back cover, we all got real excited. Because we knew it didn’t matter which one it was going to be good. One of those was our God is alive. How powerful that is. Great song. Thank you for letting me be here. And as I said earlier, you can turn to Luke 15, we’re gonna be the rest of the week. It’s real simple. And somebody asked me one time how many servants I had out of this, and I think total about eight or nine. And one guy in one place said he knew a preacher who had 20. I haven’t gone that far yet, but I haven’t stopped. This is a great chapter.

We’ll be most of the time on specifically the third story, Luke 15, but we’re gonna look at the entire chapter together in our time this morning in the roughly 30 minutes we have left. Somebody asked me, by the way, are they had me over that sick and so I was okay? I did not get this size on the picture about what I eat. and I’m not this big because I’m on a diet. So I would just tell you if you started up to feed me, I only have one food allergy that I know of, and that’s Brussels sprouts. I will not be able to breathe, but it will lock my face into a condition that’s just not pretty when I eat those. So beyond that, we’re good.

As we begin in Luke chapter 15, the scribes and the Pharisees who were always upset with Jesus and trying to drive him and test him in some way. They come again with another round of criticism. And it wasn’t a new one, by the way. If you look in the book of Luke, back in Luke chapter 5, they said the same thing in verses 30 and 31. The Pharisees described trembled to his disciples, saying, Why do you meet and drink with tax collectors and sinners? And this is where Jesus asked them this way. He said, Those who are well have no need of a position for those who are sick. Now, after Luke 15, he goes to Zacchaeus’ house, chapter 19. And in that chapter, they grumble again at the Pharisees.

He’s been the sinner.

That will understand what is being taught and what is being said here. It is all motivated in Luke chapter 15 by this question, starting in verses 1 and 2. Where the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus, and in verse 2 it says, the Pharisees and scribes reveled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats within.

This man receives sinners and eats within. Jesus does it. He goes on to those three stories. And in those three stories, he’s really getting, by the way, to the point he wants to teach the Pharisees, which is really the end of the third story, if you’ve not figured it out. But really, all three of these stories are pointing towards how God views sinners and how we view sinners. How the Pharisees view sinners. We’re going to look at all that this week. But this morning, what I want us to do is I just want to think about sinners for a moment. Or people who are lost. We mourn and we look around at the lost and we wonder about it, and we are worried about it or anxious about it rightfully so.

And in this chapter, what I see are some reasons why people are lost, and I want us to understand why people are lost. And I don’t know you, by the way, very well. I know Tony. I just met. I’m going to take for long telling a long time, but I’ve just met Shiri last night. And she is truly his better half. I do have to say that. And I know of some of you. I’m acquainted with the Banning family, known me for a long time, but never really met this far. Except I didn’t meet you in Bible. So I remember that. And I know of the Olympics and my wife, who’s older than me, went to school with him. I like to say that, especially when you don’t care.

1. Some Are Lost Through Their Own Negligence

But I say that to say this. We’re going to talk about sinners, and sometimes something may be stand close to home, and I don’t know you. So if this is you, I don’t know. So just listen and accept the truth as it is, and if they have some needed, respond. Don’t take it comfortable. And I also say that secondly to say, I make things up sometimes for stories. And if it happens to be your name, I’m not talking about you unless your name’s common. And outside of that, just don’t take any of these to that. Why are people lost? Four reasons. First reason why some people are lost. There we go. Some are lost through their own negligence. That really is the first story. He begins with the story starting in verse 4 that we often call the parable of the lost sheep.

Start reading me really in verse 3. So he tells them a parable. He tells them a parable. What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he’s lost one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one who’s lost until he finds it. And when he’s found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing, and when he comes home, he called together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so like there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. The sheep in this story wanders off on its own. The shepherd didn’t send it off.

Nobody forced it to go off on its own.

Now, I don’t know if you know about sheep. And I don’t know a lot about it other than what I’ve read. I have read that sheep are not particularly smart people. Well, they’re not people. They’re not smart animals. And so they but they could be wandering off for a full variety of things. Maybe they see food, and they think the grass is greener over there. And they wander off. Or maybe they see another animal, and so they want to go and meet with the other animal. I have a dog person, I’m not a cat first, there’s two dogs. And one of the, we bought the second dog because the younger dog, the older dog, the smaller dog. Max is snorking and snouster and George Sarrier middle.

Max wandered off every time we let him out. Because it was time to go see people and the dog. Well, now we got the giant snoodle, which is a giant, like it said, eating. Max never wanders off. But a lot of times Max will wander off because there’s another animal next door, and he wants to go see the labrador if they go in to hell. Well, sheep are like that. They could see the animal across the pasture and then wander on. Or maybe the sheep kind of is slow and wanders off on its own and gets behind, and through his own negligence and not keeping up with the block, it gets separated. Whatever the case is, the sheep here in this story is separated through the block because it was negligent and its responsibility to stay with the block.

Well, I’ve got to tell you, and I think that’s true of Christians.

Sometimes we leave the truth or we never come to the truth because we’re negligent. Hebrews 2, verses 1 through 3. Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we heard, lest we drift away from it. Since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, every transgression of disobedience received restribution, how should we escape if we neglect a great salvation? There’s a word neglect, by the way. It’s declared first by the Lord and testified by those who heard. But I really want you to see is what he says there in verse 4. Pay attention less what? Be drift away.

That’s their negligence to their own needs to stay with the rock. It reminds me of the passage in Luke chapter 8 in verses 5 through 8. The parable of the soils, where it says, there the sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell among the pine. It was trample in the foot, and birds of the empowered it. Some fell on the rock in verse 6, and it grew up and withered away because it had no moisture. Verse 7, some stuff fell among the thorns, screwed up and with it and choked it. And some fell in the gift soil and grew and give it a hundredfold. Jesus said, There’s the end who had an ear, the hear, let him hear. Now, verse 14, I want you to notice what he says about that third soil.

He said that those who are fellowing the thorns, those are who hear, for when they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and the rich fruit does not mature. This is somebody who’s heard the word. It’s taken root to some degree, it’s done some good in their life. They make some kind of change, and they believed and obeyed God initially, but they get so involved with other things that over time they begin to get choked out, and they that through their really their own negligence at times to avoid some of those things, they fall away.

2. Those Who Are Lost in the Negligence of Others

We just took things. Oh, how about, well, I know we need to get back in church, but work’s busy right now, and the kids have this going on and practice and sports, and well, Sunday’s really the only day we have to stay with our family. All those excuses, by the way, are signs of sheep that are wandering off because of their own negligence. Because all those excuseful proceedings, I know I need to be there, but I just got to let things in the cover. I tell you, if that’s you’re being lured and entire into other things besides worshiping God’s people who serve God and be Christians. You will be lost because of your own negligence. You’ll be the one that wants your word. But I tell you, there’s another group here, and that’s those who are lost in the negligence of others.

And that’s our second story. Start reading there in verse 8. It says, or what woman having 10 silver points that she loses one point, 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 and neighbors saying, Rejoice with me. I have found the coin that I had lost. Just like they there is before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Living lose itself.

Someone misplaced it. Put it in the wrong place. I don’t know how your house works. And if your significant other is here, and your children, you may not be able to be honest about that, but my heart, so I can. I sometimes think I’m the only person who keeps up with anything. We have actually found my wife’s keys in the freezer.

And by the way, that is hereditary.

I never friend a couple of a couple of years ago, I said, he was at the time, I think, in eighth grade, time for football practice. He comes running at the car, we got like 10 minutes in books like that. He felt like, damn, I can’t find my mouth peace anywhere. And I said, Well, son, where is he? He said, I don’t know. I said, Well, it didn’t walk away. Where did you put it? I promise you, no joke. He said, Jillian must have taken it. What does your nine-year-old sister want with your mouth teeth? We all know you don’t brush your teeth. So I had to drop them off and practice. He goes up Walmart, I go right down to Walmart, pick up the mouth and back right back and see practice.

Next day he comes in and goes, I’ve got a mountain. Where was it? He was in my pocket of my show. Why did your nine-year-old sister put your mouthpiece back in your shorts?

The reality is he lost his mouthpiece. It was lost why? Because of negligence. But I want you to notice something. That often sometimes we lose something. We don’t want to take any accountability for it. It was my sister, and somebody else saw it. It’s never my fault. Well, the woman lost the course. But she took responsibility enough to find it. I think that should be quite happening. I tell you, I think there’s a lot of people that are lost because Christians aren’t doing their job. Because we’re negligent towards people.

It’s not my job. You know, you know what my good friends that are Christians aren’t Christians? It may be that I’ve asked him and they said no. But if I’ve never asked him, they’re not Christians because I’m negligent. I’ve not done anything. Well that wasn’t the church.

We have to speak the truth.

We have to speak it in a way that will help people. I’m reminded of what we said there at Jesus 45.

Speaking the truth in love. We are to grow up in every way in the healing head of Christ.

And help each other remain faithful and speak the truth and love so that every part of Jones. We owe each other back. We owe each other.

Imagine for a moment that a new couple. And I’ll just call them Logan and Stephen Cup. They have to wait for the same baby about three months old and Logan expected to return. They don’t have lady.

He says, we left her at home. We told her where the formula was at, where the diapers were at. We told her to take care of herself. You’d be a little concerned about that.

You know that’s what churches do all the time if they come from. We teach them the truth. We baptize them. We make sure they have a Bible. We tell them where the food is. You come to the building every Sunday morning at 9 o’clock and Wednesday night at 7 o’clock, they’ll get fed. And that’s all we do. And then a year later, when they’re not faithful, we wonder why. But they what? New converts, especially if they’re putting from the world, have lived a life of sin, have been lost. You teach them the truth, and then you totally abandon them to themselves. They’re lost and largely because of your negligence. There’s a lot of aftercare that comes with saving souls in other words.

Part of loving each other, by the way, is making sure that we help each other out. Part of that is teaching and being responsible to each other. Galatians 6 verses 1 and 2 says it this way. If anyone’s taught to transgression, use her spiritual restore such a one. in just spirit of gentleness, keep watching yourself as you also bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ. It’s interesting that we’re told our job is to bear each other’s burdens and to restore people and to love one another. If we do that, we do that really, I’ll tell you, no one would ever be lost because of negligence on our part. They might be lost on their own neighborhoods. But not because of our own.

3. Some People Are Lost Because They Choose to Be

Have you ever looked at somebody who’s left the Lord? Just refused to come back and thought, I could have done more. So, we changed it. Now, you’re probably thinking the whole time, but people are lost because they choose to be lost. And to a degree, that’s largely true. In fact, the third story, that’s really the central focal point of the key figure. We call it the parable of the prodigal son. We didn’t see easy died as they call it the parable of the lost son. In fact, I don’t know why they didn’t do that. It makes such a better sermon, doesn’t it? When you go to the parable of the lost eat, parable and lost one, the parable of the lost son. Some King James Virgin got to put prodigal in there, you know.

I mean, that’s that’s funny how that happens. But some people are lost because they choose to be. And in this story, looking starting in verse 11, you got this idea of here is this son. And if we just begin there, it says, There is a man who has two sons, and the younger of them said to the father, give me the share of property, seven to me. He divided his property between them. Not me claimed the younger son, gathered all that he had, took a journey into a far country. There he slaughtered his property and reckless living. When he spent everything, so you’re famous or rose in that country, either gave me a need, so he went and hired himself out of one of the citizens of the country and sent into the still to feed pigs, and as long as you fed with the paws that the pigs ate, no one gave them any for them.

This son decides, you know what it’s kind of really. I’m tired of that. I’m tired of his rules and tired of his restrictions, and then I’m tired of all the work that I have to do. He owes me an inheritance, so I’m gonna see you give me my inheritance early, and I will leave it home. I’m out of here. He goes out and he wastes the law. He finds himself eating or wanting to use the foods. And we’re gonna get more to that particular son tonight at 5 o’clock. Someone died too deeply. But I want to say this. He chose to leave. And not only did he choose to leave, but he chose to waste his inheritance. And he chose to be separated from his father.

And he chose to put himself in a situation where he wasn’t prepared for the famine and he had to be saved. He was in that situation because of his own choice. Nothing we say about him can change that fact, by the way. But thankfully, starting in verse 17, we see that he chooses to come home. Instead of there starting in verse 17, when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father’s hired servants had more than enough bread that I perish you with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven before you, and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. And he rose and came to his father.

But while he was still all the way off, his father saw him and ran to him and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I’ve sinned against heaven before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. He chose to come home.

I have to tell you that as much as I would like to blame other people for the bad choices in my life, I made dear. And I made a lot of bad choices, where I, just to be honest with you, was foolish in my judgment. And there have been times in my life that I know that resulted in me being separated from God. I chose to be lost in those sins. Now, what is sad is when the one who chose to be glossed chooses to remain separated from God and reduces to repentance. This young man didn’t do that. He returned. I tell you a great story of this story that will get to on Monday night about the father is how the father had sent his son.

Back in verse 20, he arose and came to his father, but while he was still alone and went off, his father saw him and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against head before you I am no longer worthy to be called his son. But his father said to him, his servants, bring quickly the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, his shoes on his feet, and bring the fat captain till it let us eat and celebrate. For my son was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found. And they began to celebrate. Look, here’s the truth about the story of the lost son. If you chose to be lost, you can always choose to be found.

Come home. God will take you back. That’s a promise in that story. There’s a promise that when you come to God, he accepts you. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done, by the way. It does not matter what you’ve done. And you’re here this morning. If you’re separated from God, you need to make the right choice to come home, and God will take you back.

4. Lost Because of Their Own Attitude

That’s because there’s some people that are lost because of that. That’s the last part of the third story. Look at verse 25. Now his older son is in the field. And if he came and drew near the house, he heard music and dancing, and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to them, Your brother has done, and your father has killed the fat and cat because he perceived a backstage of sound. But he was angry. And he refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, saying.

Verse 27. Excuse me. Father came out in verse. He answered his father. Look at these many years I’ve served you. Yet I never disobeyed your command, and you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate my friends. But when this son of yours came, you devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fat and came for you. He said, Son, you’re always with me. All that is mine is yours, and his feelings celebrate. Your brother was dead, was alive, he was lost, and he is found. The older brother is never declared to be lost. But you have to understand that the whole point of this story was for the Pharisees to realize they were not. And there’s probably not one of us in this room who would defeat the Pharisees of attitude that they gave in the chapter 2.

The son, the older brother has to work from.

I’ve never done anything wrong, Dad. I’ve never disobeyed your command. You’ve never done anything for me. When this son of yours comes.

See, the Pharisees were like that, brother, so consumed in their own self-righteousness. They couldn’t see.

They’re lost because of their own attitude. They don’t have a heart on God.

For those of us who aren’t lost, that is what you’re saying is how we treat other people. How we view other people as a reflection of our relationship with God.

How we view the sinner, we view our brothers and our sisters. We view the laws and the found is a reflection of our relationship with God. There are some passages that help us understand that. Matthew 6, 14 to 15, there’s a lot of those passages that say the same thing as this. It’s just going up there. If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly father will forgive you.

I’ve had people look at me sometimes. Christian people say you just don’t understand what they did. And the answer is it doesn’t matter.

Because if you can’t find a way to forgive somebody who did be unforgivable, God won’t forgive you. Because whether you realize it or not, because of our sins, what we have done as the creator of our life is we have spat in his face in rebellion and done unforgivable. And God still forgives us anyway. So much so that he said his son to die for us. We’re supposed to show that same kind of love and forgiveness to other people. Speaking of love, how about 1 John 41? If someone says I love God and hates his brother, he’s a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he cannot see, cannot love God and be seen. This commandment hath in him who ever loved God must also love his brother.

Look, we can’t claim to be Christians as this treatment. Don’t work that way. What that means is you’re practicing some form of religion, but you have no relationship with God. And there is a difference between those who are righteous and walk with God and those who are just having a full of God.

I’m just saying whether you realize or not, that’s not the judgment scene of Matthew 25. Well, Matthew 25 talks about us, I was sick and in prison and you didn’t visit me. I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, you gave me up to drink. I was naked and you clothed me not. And whether you realize or not, what Matthew 25 says is, you know what? You claim to be my child, but you didn’t show the love of God to other people while you’re on earth. So I never did that. How you treat other people is a reflection of the relationship with God. And the Pharisees’ downfall was they couldn’t see souls, they only saw sinners. They looked over there at Jesus with those tax collectors and the prostitutes that came to him, and they said, Who are those people?

Where did they come from?

That was not a confidence to them. It was a commentary on their arrogance.

I’m afraid sometimes maybe we’re just too much like religious.

That’s what I mean.

What I mean by that is the Pharisees consistently failed to see that the sinners needed to be saved. The purpose of God’s mission is not just to name things room.

Conclusion

I’m not making a commentary about human this, and so if that’s not you, it doesn’t appear to be so place that barely hasn’t really sinned. But it’s a warning for us. We’ll never be in that kind of person. Because you realize you need to realize that we can be lost because we don’t have the right attitude towards other people. I don’t know where you’re at this morning. I don’t know if you’re lost or you’re found, but I know those are the only two options you have. You are either lost, meaning you’re separated from God, or you are found.

By the way, those are the only two options. And if you stand back and go, Well, I don’t know for sure that I would go to heaven. Why not? In your lost then. You’re lost in the heart.

And just like in that story where the Father is looking for the Son to return, this morning, we have a captive audience with our Father, who is looking even here this morning on us, waiting for you if you’re lost to make the decision to come home.

Are you a child of God? Have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you believe Jesus? Based on the belief, have you liked something motivated, didn’t repent, put away sin, put it for yourself, live for God, and confess your faith in Jesus Christ and the Son of God and be baptized for earth. Rising up in the likeness of His resurrection as a new creature, walk with God. You’ve not done it once you left this glory. Maybe you’ve done that, but you’re lost again through your own negligence. Maybe the negligence of others, even if that’s the case, it’s still up to you to choose to be common. Even for some reason publicly refused something in your mind. I know that you’ve meeted with you this morning and pray on your behalf and God will forgive you because he waited for you to come home.

If you were lost, make the choice to come home.