According To Luke: The Lost Sheep

According To Luke: The Lost Sheep

Opening Illustration:

The film Amazing Grace chronicles William Wilberforce as he endeavors to end the British transatlantic slave trade in the nineteenth century.

Wilberforce has made an earlier visit to his old pastor and friend John Newton. That’s right, the same John Newton that penned Amazing Grace.  Newton himself was a former captain of a slave ship prior to his conversion to Christ and Wilberforce was hopeful that Newton would give an account of his slave-ship days. Newton, however, refused to do so, because the experience and the "20,000 ghosts" haunted him too greatly.

Now, near success in ending the slave trade, Wilberforce visits Newton and discovers that he has recorded his account. His eyesight now gone, Newton says to Wilberforce, "You must use it. Names, records, ship records, ports, people—everything I remember is in here. Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I'm a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior."

Point:

Isn’t it great that Jesus is a friend to sinners. He is the partner to the parasite. He is the triumph for the tragic. Jesus can take our mess and turn it into a message. There is perhaps no greater example of Christ’s love for the sinner that can be found in Luke 15. We have three parables about lostness. Three parables about sin. In each case, great sacrifice is made to bring that which was lost back into the fold. We have the lost sheep. We see the lost coin and then the lost son. What we discover from the text is that Jesus loves sinners. He loves me and He loves me and He has given His very life to transform us from lost to found. Jesus Christ is a friend to sinners. 

Jesus Christ Is A Friend To Sinners!

Background and Context:

Sinners came to hear Jesus. The religious crowd came to criticize Jesus. The reason for this parable seems to be Jesus’ response to His critics: “This man receives sinners, and eats with them. Thank God, Jesus is a friend of sinners. In this parable, we learn of the value of one loss sheep to the shepherd. We see the response of the shepherd in finding his sheep. So let’s read together from Luke 15:1-7 from the English Standard Version. 

Luke 15:1-7 ESV

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

3 Lessons We Learn From The Shepherd

I. Response Of The Shepherd vs. 4

Luke 15:4 ESV

4 “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?

Point:

We learn a lot about the shepherd from verse 4. First we learn that the shepherd has compassion on the sheep. Let’s look at this sheep for just a second. This sheep was surrounded by other sheep who were doing what they needed to do to survive. Sheep gather together to protect themselves from predators. The weakest sheep go in the middle of the group while the stronger sheep gather to the outside. Jesus here is talking not just about any sheep. He is talking about the weakest sheep in the bunch. The one that would have been at the center of the group. This is the sheep that has left the heard, left the protection of the other sheep, and struck out on its on. There is no reason given for why this sheep did what it did. It just made the choice and now that sheep is in danger. So, what is the response of the shepherd? Is it anger? Is it frustration? No. The shepherd shows a tremendous amount of compassion. 

A. The Compassion For The Sheep

Point:

The shepherd leaves the 99 strong sheep to search for the one lost sheep. 

Illustration:

This past Thursday I was cleaning up the house. I was trying my best to rid my home of all Coronavirus. While I was cleaning, my middle son Jack came upstairs. He was crying. He told me that he was fishing at the pond at the front of the neighborhood. He had leaned on the pump that supplies water to the pond and the piping had come loose and was now spraying water like a fire hydrant. It was a total accident. A mistake. He didn’t mean to but he was afraid. He was afraid of his Father’s wrath and judgement. He was afraid of punishment. 

Friends, that’s the way many of us come to God. We have made bad choices. We have made mistakes. Some of those mistakes carry serious consequences. We fear coming to God with all the damage that we have caused because we are certain that God is going to punish us. 

As Jack stood there crying, my heart went out to him. We got in my truck and went to the front of the neighborhood. Of course the boys that he had been fishing with were no where to be found. Typical right? We got the water turned off. The pipe had just slipped off and our neighbor told me that it was no big deal to fix. 

We got back in the truck and I asked Jack if he wanted to go home and get his fishing rod and give it another try. He just looked at me with tears in his eyes and said “yes Daddy, thank you.” He said that he just knew that he was going to be in big trouble. I told him that it was a mistake, an error, and that we have all done things like that. 

Aren’t you glad that God has that sort of compassion on sinners. He loves us even when we have departed from the way, even when we have left the protection of the herd. 

John 10:15 ESV

 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Mark 6:34 ESV

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

B. Commitment In The Search

Point:

Let’s go back to the Scripture. 

Luke 15:4 ESV

4 “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?

Do you know what the most important piece of this Scripture is? Do you? It comes at the very end. Until He finds it. This means that the shepherd is committed to the search. He will not stop until He is successful. It means that he will not stop. He will not sleep. He will not take a break. It means that he will not get tired. It means that there is no obstacle to big, no mountain to high, no barrier to thick. The shepherd will not stop until he finds the object of his affection. 

Point:

So I have learned a lot about my kids since being quarantined with them over the past few days. The other day, Angela asked Jay to find something in his room. Honestly, I don’t remember what it was that she was asking for but he marched upstairs in a huff not wanting to do what his mother asked. He was up there for a few minutes and then he came downstairs. Do you think that he found what his mother was asking for. Of course not. He claimed that he looked. He even said that he looked really hard. Still, no dice. Nothing. Angela pulled the Mom move and went upstairs. It took her a minute. She had to move some stuff around. Eventually she found it and showed it to him. She commented on the fact that he didn’t really look for it. He did not give it his best. He just gave up. 

Well I’m glad that the good shepherd is not like that. He does not stop and will not quit until he finds that sheep. Jesus is totally committed to finding us, loving us and saving us. 

Luke 19:10 ESV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

3 Lessons We Learn From The Shepherd

I. Response Of The Shepherd vs. 4

II. Rescued By The Shepherd vs. 5

Luke 15:5 ESV

And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Illustration:

I heard a pretty amazing sermon illustration the other day. It was the story of John Claypool. Claypool was attending a church service in 1995. The pastor of that church preached a powerful evangelical message and Claypool responded. In truth, God had been working on Mr. Claypool for a number of years but he never made the commitment to follow Christ. That all changed that day. He stepped forward, took the pastor by the hand, and prayed to receive Christ. 

After receiving Christ, John Claypool confessed to the pastor that he had done something nearly 20 years earlier. It had haunted him that entire time but he felt that in order for him to grow in Christ that it was time to confess it, and tell the authorities. You see, some 20 years earlier, Claypool was high on marijuana and drunk. In that state, he became curious what it would be like to kill someone. So he went to his next door neighbors house and knocked on the door. They let him and he killed them in cold blood. The police never suspected him and the case went cold. Until that day in that church. 

Something that happened in Claypool. The shepherd finally caught up with the sinner. The sheep finally responded. 

Nick O’Hara, supervisor for the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said this about the stunning turn of events. “Thanks to the Almighty for giving John Claypool the guidance and resolve to do what was right and come forward, ending the years of doubt, uncertainty and frustration.”

Claypool was guilty of murder. He would spend the next 10 years of his life behind bars. In prison, Claypool would lead hundreds of prisoners to Christ. 

Claypool’s confession did not right the wrong or heal the wounds, but it does show you just how far Christ will go to transform a life, to save the sheep. 

Point:

Do you feel that you are to far gone? Do you feel that Jesus will never find you, that he will never rescue you? If you do, I know what that feels like. I have been there before. My advice to you is to confess the sin to a friend, a trusted brother or sister who can help you. Come to Christ, confess, and let the shepherd bring you healing. Trust me, Claypool living in jail with a peaceful conscience was better than living in the world with a convicted heart. 

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

3 Lessons We Learn From The Shepherd

I. Response Of The Shepherd vs. 4

II. Rescued By The Shepherd vs. 5

III. Rejoicing Of The Shepherd vs. 6-7

6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Point:

So, the shepherd discovers the sheep. Throws the poor weak sheep over his shoulders and brings him home. By the way, that is the point of the next three parables. Coming home. There is nothing better than coming home. Can you remember coming home from college for the first time. You have not seen your parents, your siblings in several months. When you return home, everyone is excited for you. 

Point:

Notice that there is great joy upon finding the Lost Sheep. There is great joy in the home. Just like soldier coming home from war. Have you seen those viral video clips of soldiers coming home and surprising their children. They walk in the room, come from behind, and the child rejoices. What was gone is now back home. There is great rejoicing. 

Then there is great rejoicing in heaven. There is tremendous joy in heaven when one sinner comes home. Angels dance, God sings, heaven erupts in thunderous applause when a sinner is saved. 

Closing Illustration:

Have you heard the story of Shrek, the merino sheep that had evaded capture and shearing for 6 years? When he was finally discovered in his high mountain cave of New Zealand by musterer Ann Scanlan, he was almost unrecognizable as a sheep. The first thing his rescuer did was pin back his wool so he could see to walk.

There was such an interest in Shrek’s return that the owner kept him in a pen for weeks so reporters and television stations could broadcast the amazing return of the lost sheep. And then, on live television, world champion shearer Peter Casserly shaved off 6 years of matted wool. As the shearer worked, he laid Shrek on his side with a foot of wool as his bed.

How much is Shrek’s story like our story, for "we all like sheep have gone astray." But Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross removes all of our sin and guilt that makes us unrecognizable as children of God.

This is what we remember that the Good Shepherd "bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls."

I Peter 2:24 NLT

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

Are You Lost, Jesus Wants To Bring You Home!