Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Lost and Found, Part 10 of 78

TEXT: "So He spoke this parable to them, saying, 'What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses 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, 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' " (Luke 15:3-7).

IDEA: God experiences joy at the restoration of lost people.

PURPOSE: To inspire listeners to understand how God delights when lost women and men are brought back to Him.

Do you ever think of God as having emotions? Do you think He has feelings?

What emotions do people usually attribute to God?

Listen to a story Jesus told, recorded in Luke 15:3-7. Listen for the dominant emotion in the parable:
So He spoke this parable to them, saying, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses 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, 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.”

I. What is the predominant emotion in this parable?

When in the story is that emotion felt?

There is joy when the sheep is found. Why? (This occurs at the exact center of the parable [Kenneth Bailey])

Think of what lies ahead for the shepherd. The text specifically says that the shepherd “lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” He had to pick up that fifty or sixty pound burden and carry it back to his village.

There is joy in the burden of restoration. Why? That tells us something about Jesus’ ministry and the emotion that He brought to it when He was with “the lost.” He gladly took up this burden.

There is joy when the shepherd gets the sheep back to the village. (This occurs at the climax of the parable.) When does that happen in the ministry of Jesus?

II. The dynamic theme of this parable is the invitation to share in the joy of bringing sinners home to God. 

It is a costly venture, but finding and restoring a lost sheep makes it worth while.

Have you ever thought about what makes God happy?

How can we fill God with joy?