You Matter to God
Easter Sunday 2014, Luke 15:1-32
Introduction
- This morning, we are going to push pause on our study in Revelation
-- The purpose of this message is to celebrate Easter, and really challenge us
- Often we like the same old stories, often we like to tune out familiarity
-- We often come to church to hear what we like, and miss the main thing
-- The main thing is that people need Jesus, and that’s why we are here
-- Today I’d like to challenge you to hang with me as we examine this
- Have you ever felt alone? Ever felt like you had no hope? Feeling it now?
-- If this describes you, then this message is for you this morning
- Today we celebrate the revelation of what Christ has done for us
-- The shame of the cross, the punishment we deserved, the sacrifice of sin
-- The scourging, the suffering, the death, and finally – the resurrection
-- IMP: What we stand on today is the HOPE of LIFE we must live for
- Today’s message involves three separate parables from Jesus
-- Jesus taught in parables (stories) as a way of giving real life explanations
-- It’s no different than using a colorful story to make a point
-- All three were taught with ONE common thing to learn
- Let’s examine these three parables and see what God says to us today
- Read Luke 15:1-7
Ω Point 1 – The Lost Sheep
What we see first is the crowd is already starting their nonsense (v2)
-- It’s like watching four year olds in a sandbox when the cliques form
-- Jesus is here, but look who He hangs out with … “Ewwww!”
- IMP: Jesus doesn’t reply to them (but you know He heard it)
-- (diff sermon) This says a lot about how we should respond to naysayers
- Speaking of sheep, he immediately identifies with the crowd on onlookers
-- Sheep meant you had something; had goods that you could sell at market
-- “You guys own livestock … and you value your merchandise, right?”
-- It represented livelihood, and the crowd instantly registered with that
- (v4) Even if you lost just ONE sheep, you would go after it … right?
-- This is their challenge … wouldn’t you chase after the sheep you lost?
-- Would you not carry it all the way home like a prize or a trophy?
-- Absolutely! And then, something awesome happens … (v6)
- Let’s call the Jones’s and the Smith’s over and let’s celebrate!
-- I had something lost, but now it’s found and woohoo … it’s party time!
- IMP: This is not Jesus saying it’s time to get drunk and party BTW
-- He is saying, “I’ve found what was mine … it was lost and it’s GOOD!”
-- Call the neighbors up, get them over here and let’s have us a party!
- APP: Jesus causes them to identify with the importance of being found
Ω Point 2 – The Lost Coin
- So, maybe you guys aren’t buying this sheep analogy, ok, try this …
- Read Luke 15:8-10
- Ten silver coins (drachma … each worth about a day’s wage)
-- If you lost a day’s worth of wages, you’d be scouring the house too!
-- Wouldn’t you light a lamp and start hunting for the money you lost?
- A day’s wage might mean you don’t eat for a few days
-- It might mean you cannot pay your debt/taxes that you owe
-- It might mean that someone will deal with you unfairly b/c of it
- If the bank took from you a day’s worth of pay, wouldn’t you be there?
-- Wouldn’t you be showing them how frustrated you are?
- But notice (v9) when she finds it, there is a CELEBRATION in the house!
-- She is so excited that even at night (lit a lamp) she wants to party
-- She brings some friends over and celebrate that she found her money
-- Of course, she’s not giving it away, but wants to celebrate her joy
- It’s no difference than what we do today: lost it, find it, celebrate it
- Get personal here: Don’t you celebrate finding something you lost?
-- Don’t you rejoice when something you had is now yours again?
-- We rejoice in the simple fact that we aren’t crazy and knew we had it!
- But, why would Jesus talk about this example of lost and found?
-- Because He’s talking to the lowly, to the poor, to the “have-nots”
-- To them a day’s wages is a LOT of money, and they know it! (So do we!)
- APP: Jesus causes them to identify with the importance of being found
Ω Point 3 – The Lost Son
- Let’s read on here and look at what is probably a very famous parable
- Read Luke 15:11-32
- This son represents every person who thinks their way is better
-- This son is the one who knows best, and he’ll tell you about it
-- His ungrateful attitude represents us in more ways than we’d admit
- v12 … GIVE ME WHAT IS MINE
-- Driven by greed, lust, and desire, he wants to get out and live (finally)
-- He’s not wishing his dad would die … just for his dad to pay up
-- His attitude is not looking at what he has, but what he wants
-- “The things of this world are better, and I need to have them now!”
- So he sets out, lives out his depravity, and the question is: then what?
-- What does he have at the end of his immature squandering of inheritance?
-- Even what the pigs have to eat is BETTER than what I have here
- APP: The world won’t satisfy you, but you can try to have it your way
- v17 … WHEN HE CAME TO HIS SENSES
-- I love this!! When he realized what a dumb idiot he had been …
-- When he realized that he had NOTHING left at the bottom of his barrel
-- THEN he makes an astonishing discovery: “I cannot do this anymore!”
-- APP: Maybe a few more people would save lots of heartache here …
- v18 … I will go back, I will apologize, and I’ll have the best apology ever
-- Good: He has learned that he cannot do this and he needs his father
-- Bad: Even in this he is trying to soften the blow of rebuke he’s earned
-- APP: v19 … he is rehearsing his story, hoping dad will buy it
- Wow (pause) look at this response from the man he couldn’t wait to leave
-- Read Luke 15:20
- In v21 he realizes that he has sinned against Heaven (David knew this too)
-- Turn to Psalm 51, read v1-12
- “My sins daddy are against Heaven, and you, and I must repent!”
-- APP: This is where we have to see ourselves today; needing repentance
-- No one has it all figured out, but we see this son GOT IT right … finally
- Dad’s response though to this son, is so perfect we could chew on it all day
-- Read Luke 15:22-24
-- My son was gone – but now he’s found – Hallelujah let’s celebrate!
- Now, if that is not enough, Jesus goes right for the heart of man (pride)
-- Read Luke 15:26-30
-- In other words: “But daaaaaad … what about me? Where is miiiiine???”
- Wow, so much to unpack here but let’s just be direct about this
-- The older brother is a jerk, and yes, he really needs an attitude adjustment
-- But, isn’t this us? Doesn’t this represent how we feel sometimes?
- Cards on the table: Don’t we get annoyed when someone else prospers?
-- It’s called the sin of pride, and we are all guilty of it at least once …
- But, even though the older brother is being a complete jerk
-- Look how the father answers this bad attitude (v31)
-- “Get over yourself, your brother is home safe … now let’s celebrate!”
- Why? Because your brother, my son, has been found alive and well!
-- You have always had me, and I love you, but my other son is NOW home!
- APP: Jesus causes them to identify with the importance of being found
TRANS: Why would we examine these three parables on Easter Sunday?
Ω Big Ideas
- This is EXACTLY what Jesus did for His father’s creation!
-- What was once lost, has now been found, and it’s time to rejoice!
- IMP APP: Did you notice what Jesus slipped in earlier in this passage?
-- Look back at Luke 15:7, “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.”
- When one – JUST ONE – comes home there is rejoicing in Heaven!
-- When lives are changed and the Savior is accepted, there is rejoicing!
-- When sinners repent and turn to the Christ, there is a party to be had!
-- APP: When something lost is found … God celebrates the recovery!
- IMP APP: Why would we examine these three stories?
-- Because … YOU MATTER TO GOD!
-- You were the one He died for!
-- You were the reason His Son came to be crucified
-- You were the motivation that moved the Father to send His Son
-- When Jesus said “te-teles-tai (Greek for “it is finished”) – He did it all!
- Challenge: What more do YOU need God to do for you?
-- Are you found … or are you still lost and trying to be your own god?
- Pray
-- Salvation
-- Repentance
-- Forgiveness
-- Restoration
Ω Lord’s Supper
If you are His, I’d like to invite you to come and celebrate what He’s done!
