Luke 15:1-1015 Now the tax collectors and

sinners were all gathering around to

hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This

man…

…welcomes sinners and eats with

them.” 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. 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins

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.”

Theof Heaven

JOY

Luke 15:1-10

One of our Lord’s distinctive truths is that God threw a wider net than the people of the

day believed!

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He

gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in

Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Two Classes of People

The Religious Class

Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, etc.

Two Classes of People

The ‘People of the Land’

Am ha’aretz

“When a man is one of the People

of the Land, entrust no money

to him, take no testimony from

him, trust him with no secret, do not…

…appoint him guardian of an orphan, do not make him the custodian of

charitable funds, do not

accompany…

…him on a journey.” (from The Pharisaic Regulations)

“We will understand these

parables more fully if we

remember that the strict religious

people said, not ‘There is joy in

heaven over one…

“…sinner who repents,’ but, ‘There is joy in

heaven over one sinner who is

obliterated before God.’” William

Barclay

Something Lost

Two Great Images

All are separated from the One that

Loves them!

Something Lost

Two Great Images

A Lost Sheep

A Lost Coin

Something Lost

Two Great Images

A Lost Sheep

The Flock was often a Communal

Flock

TheFlockWasoften

a Communal Flock

Something Lost

Two Great Images

A Lost Coin

Ten coins made up the Bridal Veil

Ten coins made up the Bridal Veil

Something Sought

The Shepherd and the Women Initiated the

Search

We do not Find God; God finds us!

Something Sought

“And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a

son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save

that which was lost.” Luke 19:9-10

Something Found

The End Result is Celebration!

Something Found

“When they heard these things they

became silent; and they glorified God,

saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance

to life.”Acts 11:18

So….Will you let

God find you!

Will you letGod find you!

Will you Surrender?

Will You Yield?Will You Repent?

Theof Heaven

JOY

Luke 15:1-10