THE SEEKING SHEPHERD

LUKE 15:1-7

  I. Setting (15:1-3)

      A. Sinners

•          Unlawful (Mk. 2:15-16; Lk. 3:12, 5:30, 7:29-34, 18:13)

Mt. 11:19 [ESV]. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."

Mt. 21:31-32 [ESV]. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.

 32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

•          Immoral (Lk. 5:8, 7:39; Heb. 7:26)

Mt. 9:13 [ESV]. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Lk. 18:13 [ESV]. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

Lk. 19:7 [ESV]. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."

Rom. 5:8 [ESV]. but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Tim. 1:15 [HCSB]. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"--and I am the worst of them.

          1. Coming (Gen. 45:4; Mt. 15:8)

Jas. 4:8a [ESV]. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

          2. Hearing (Jn. 6:63)

Jn. 7:46 [ESV]. The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!"

      The compassion of Jesus for sinners attracted the lost. God invites sinners to come find grace at His table (2 Sam. 9:13).

      Evangelist J. Wilbur Chapman wrote,

“Jesus! what a friend for sinners! Jesus lover of my soul;

Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole.”

“Sing it o’er and over again;
Christ receiveth sinful men;
Make the message clear and plain:
Christ receiveth sinful men.

Christ receiveth sinful men,
Even me with all my sin;
Purged from every spot and stain,
Heaven with Him I enter in.” (Erdmann Neumeister)

      B. Self-righteous

•          Moral (Lk. 5:30)

Lk. 7:39 [ESV]. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner."

Lk. 18:11 [GNB]. The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, 'I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there.

•          Legal (Mk. 2:16, 7:5, 8:31; Jn. 8:3)

Mt. 23:13 [HCSB]. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don't go in, and you don't allow those entering to go in.

Mk. 1:22 [ESV]. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

          1. Complaining (1 Cor. 10:10)

Lk. 5:30 [ESV]. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

Lk. 19:7 [ESV]. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."

          2. Judging

      The Pharisees and scribes did not place themselves in the same category as sinners. The attitude of the Pharisees and scribes repelled the lost from the house of God.

      C. Savior

          1. Receiving

          2. Welcoming (Acts 11:3; Gal. 2:12)

      The attitude toward the unsaved indicates the closeness with the Lord.

 II. Story (15:4-6)

      Jesus told three parables to illustrate “what sinners are like,” “what the Savior is like,” and “what the self-righteous are like.”

      The Savior is like a seeking shepherd.

•          Moses (Ex. 3:1)

•          David (1 Sam. 16:11)

•          Amos (Amos 7:15)

      A. Lost

          1. Sheep (Ps. 119:176; Jer. 50:6)

Is. 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.

Mt. 9:36 [HCSB]. When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd.

1 Pet. 2:25 [HCSB]. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

•          Scattered (Mk. 14:27)

□          Wander (Ezek. 34:6)

□          Want (Ps. 23:2)

□          Waters (Ps. 23:2)

□          Wounds (Ezek. 34:4; Ps. 23:5)

•          Attacked

□          Bear (1 Sam. 17:34-36)

□          Lion (Amos 3:12)

□          Wolf (Jn. 10:12; Acts 20:29)

          2. Soul (Lk. 13:3; Jn. 3:16; 2 Cor. 4:3)

Mt. 18:14 [ESV]. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Lk. 9:25 [MKJV]. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses himself, or is cast away?

Lk. 19:10 [ESV]. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

2 Pet. 3:9 [HCSB]. The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

      The Greek term for lost is the root for the name Apollyon (Rev. 9:11)– the destroyer of souls.

      B. Left (Mt. 22:9, 28:19)

Acts 8:26 [ESV]. Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place.

      The real worth of one soul can be measured by what a person will leave behind to reclaim it (one out of one hundred). Souls are so valuable that Jesus said, “Go.”

      J. Oswald Sanders explained, “A man will harder to recover diamonds than gravel. Why? Because they are of so much greater value.” Sanders asked, “But how can we compute the value of a soul?”

•          By its nature and origin.

•          By its powers and capacities.

•          By the duration of its existence.

•          By the cost of its redemption.

•          By the struggle required for its possession.

      Fighter pilot Scott O’Grady survived six days in enemy territory after the Serbs downed the F-16. O’Grady told reporters that only God kept him from being seen. The rescue in weapons and equipment cost $6 billion. The U.S. launched 40 warplanes to bring back one pilot.

      Evangelist D. L. Moody said, “I believe that if an angel were to wing his way from earth up to Heaven, and were to say that there was one poor, ragged boy, without father of mother, with no one to care for him and teach him the way of life; and if God were to ask who among them were willing to come down to this earth and live here for fifty years and lead that one to Jesus Christ, every angel in Heaven would volunteer to go. Even Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Almighty, would say, ‘Let me leave my high and lofty position, and let me have the luxury of leading one soul to Jesus Christ.’ There is no greater honor than to be the instrument in God’s hands of leading one person out of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious light of Heaven.”

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
Hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three",

But, No, From the room far back a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
All battered with bourbon and gin,
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin.
A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
But the Master comes,

And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought

By the Touch of the Master's Hand. (Myra Brooks Welch)

      C. Look (1 Sam. 17:34-35)

Amos 3:12 [ESV]. Thus says the LORD: "As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.

Jn. 1:41 [GW]. Andrew at once found his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means "Christ").

          1. Suffering of the Shepherd (Ezek. 34:11-12; dangerous cliffs)

      David Smith wrote, “Jesus here declares that the sinner’s misery moves compassion in the heart of God.”

      J. H. Jowett declared, “The gospel of a broken heart begins with the ministry of bleeding hearts.” He stated, “As soon as we cease to bleed, we cease to bless.”

      L. R. Scarborough said, “The heart that yearns and burns to see men come to Christ will know no idleness in the kingdom.” He stated, “The weepers win; the weepless won’t. A burdened heart is an unfailing condition of successful evangelism.”

      Ira Sankey, soloist for Moody, traveled with the evangelist to Scotland in 1874. At the conclusion of a gospel meeting focused on the “Shepherd Work of Christ,” Moody called upon Sankey for an appropriate solo. He went to the Victorian organ and put impromptu music and voice to a poem by Elizabeth Clephane. Sankey found the poem just that day which she had written in hope of the salvation of her lost brother.

“There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold.

But one was out on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold.

Away on the mountains wild and bare,

Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

‘Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; are they not enough for Thee?’

But the Shepherd made answer: ‘This of Mine has wandered away from Me,

And although the road be rough and steep,

I go to the desert to find My sheep.’

But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed;

Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through ere He found His sheep that was lost,

Out in the desert He heard its cry--

Sick and helpless, and ready to die.

‘Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way that mark out the mountain’s track?’

‘They were shed for one who had gone astray ere the Shepherd could bring him back.’

‘Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?’

‘They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.’

But all through the mountains, thunder-riv’n, and up from the rocky steep.

There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,

   ‘Rejoice! I have found my sheep!’

And the angels echoed around the throne,

‘Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own.’”

          2. Safety of the sheep (Jn. 10:11-13)

      A soul-winner will be burdened until a soul is found. A soul-winner goes with a perpetual burden to lift up lost souls.

      Two girls with Down’s Syndrome became lost in the Bronx during an outing to the zoo. Police searched for the lost with helicopter, dogs, and emergency officers until they found the girls.

      D. Laid (Lk. 23:26)

Ps. 23:4-5 [MKJV]. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 5. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Is. 40:11 [ESV]. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Jn. 10:11 [ESV]. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

      Francis H. Rowley wrote the words,

“I was lost, but Jesus found me, Found the sheep that went astray,

Threw His loving arms around me, Drew me back into His way.”

      E. Laughter

      The joy of winning an eternal soul is unmatched. The kingdom of God is joy in the Holy Spirit.

          1. Joyful heart in the soul-winner (Lk. 10:20, 19:6; Jn. 4:36)

Ps. 126:5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Acts 8:39 [GNB]. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The official did not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy.

          2. Joyful home of the saved (Phil. 2:18)

              a. Family (Lk. 19:9)

Mk. 5:19 [ESV]. And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."

              b. Friends (Acts 10:24)

Jn. 15:15 [ESV]. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

              c. Joyful heaven with the Savior (Ps. 16:11)

Mt. 25:21 [ESV]. His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'

      C. H. Spurgeon said, “Even if I were utterly selfish, and had no care for anything but my own happiness, I would choose, if I might, under God, to be a soul-winner, for never did I know perfect, overflowing, unutterable happiness of the purest and most ennobling order, till I first heard of one who had sought and found a Savior through my means. I recollect the thrill of joy which went through me! No young child, no warrior was so exultant over a hard-won victory.”

III. Summary (15:7)

      A. God’s nature

Acts 8:8 [ESV]. So there was much joy in that city.

1 Th. 2:19-20 [HCSB]. For who is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?

 20. For you are our glory and joy!

      B. Man’s nature

          1. Repentant

Lk. 5:32 [ESV]. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Acts 3:19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

          2. Unrepentant

Rom. 3:10 [ESV]. as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;

1 Pet. 4:18 [GNB]. As the scripture says, "It is difficult for good people to be saved; what, then, will become of godless sinners?"