The Story of The Lost Sheep

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? – Luke 15:4

The Story of The Lost Coin

What woman having ten coins of silver, if she lose one, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she finds it? – Luke 15:8

The Story of The Lost Son

And he (the son) arose, and came to his his father, but when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. – Luke 15:20

The Heart of The Father

Jesus is saying, don’t you know that the heart of The Father is not to laugh at us or to mock us. But the heart of The Father is to leave the ninety-nine saved and go after the one that is lost until He finds him, so that he can be brought back in to safety, back in security, back in the fold, into fellowship.

Sheep have no defense mechanism. So, when Jesus is telling us we are the sheep, and He is the shepherd, this is telling us how much we need Him.

Parable of The Lost

As we look at the Gospel of Luke, chapter fifteen, we see this chapter is one of the most remarkable. When you get down to it, it is one parable with several parts. Three stories folded into one parable.

And the hero of the story is the shepherd; the father.

“Then drew near unto Him all the publicans (Those were the tax collectors) and sinners for to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This man” receives sinners and eats with them. Luke 15:1-2

Jesus is sharing with them and thus with us here today, the real heart of our Heavenly Father. If you really want to know what our Heavenly Father is like, one of the most remarkable scenes is this chapter.

Seeking The Lost

The Father…Our Heavenly Father, welcomes the lost one with compassion and reassurance. We must ensure that we avoid becoming self-righteous and judgmental of those that are lost because we too were lost at one time in our lives.
We must prevent the insistence of obedience to rituals, to submission to rules, and compliance with imposed legalistic burdens as a basis for earning God’s favor. We must be like Christ in responding to others with God’s love and grace.

We are to present the gospel, to remember to seek the lost, and lead them to Christ.

Luke 15:3-7
So He (Jesus) spoke this parable unto them (the Pharisees) saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it (the lost sheep), he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you, that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons, who need no repentance.

Heaven Rejoices

So, if you want to know what heaven rejoices over… Heaven does not rejoice over us being a country club and sitting around talking and drinking. Heaven rejoices over one lost sheep that was found and put on the father’s shoulders.

Scripture Likens Us to Sheep

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way. – Isaiah 53:6

I hope you’re glad to know that you and I are characterized as sheep…The dumbest animal around because they have no sense about them. They are not the smartest, they are not the brightest bulb in the pack, and they stink. The truth is we sinners stink too.

Sheep are known to wander, and they are not known for their intelligence. They are at the compassion of the shepherd. And we are like sheep. Sheep are prone to wander, they have no sense of direction. They’re like a lot of people I know.

Some suggest that we should forget other people in the world that don’t seek Jesus…Jesus says No, I have a different idea. Let’s go find them, let’s pursue them.

Matthew 9:36 – “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

Our gifts come from God, and not everyone has the same gifts, but we must use our gifts to God’s service. Our role is to be faithful and to seek the lost, and by telling them of the gospel and leading them to Christ.

He sent them out two by two…Mark 6:7