Luke 15

Luke 15 I. These teachings of Christ encourage us to seek mercy when we go astray. A. We all have the tendency to get lost. PSA 119:10, 176. B. All three of these stories deal with something lost being found. C. All three of these stories show how ready God is to restore us. D. God delights in showing mercy to penitent sinners. MIC 7:18; EZE 33:11; 2PE 3:9. II. The murmuring of the Pharisees and scribes occasioned the parable of the lost sheep. vs.3-7. A. This narrative also occurs in MAT 18:11-14. B. Connect this with PSA 23:1-3. C. The Lord cares for His sheep individually as well as collectively. D. The finding of the sheep is a picture of the sinner who repents. 1. The sheep was found because he was sought. 2. The sheep returned by being carried on the shoulders of the shepherd. 3. A sinner repents because the Lord seeks him and enables him to repent. LUK 19:10; 2TI 2:25-26; JER 31:18-20; PHIL 2:13. 4. "There is joy in heaven over ONE sinner that repenteth." III. Jesus also spoke the parable of the lost coin. vs.8-10. A. This may also be classed as a parable because it begins with the word "either" and a comparison is made with the word "likewise." B. The woman was concerned over the single coin that was lost. Again, the Lord cares for us individually as well as collectively. C. The coin was found because it was sought. D. A dark, dirty house is a likely place where something may be lost. E. Those who murmured against Jesus for receiving sinners were strangers to the joy of heaven. IV. Jesus also told the story of the prodigal son though this narrative is not called a parable. vs.11-32. A. This kind of event has occurred many times. B. How many sons have lived it up at Dad’s expense? C. At the time he requested his portion of the goods, the prodigal son did not indicate to his father what he planned to do with them. D. The prodigal son got FAR away from his father. E. Riotous living is wasteful living and a sure road to poverty. PRO 23:20-21. F. By wasting his substance the son showed himself to be a fool. PRO 21:20. G. "He would fain (gladly, willingly, with pleasure) have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat." He went down LOW! H. When the money was gone, there were no friends. PRO 19:4, 7. I. His affliction spurred him to repent. PSA 119:67. J. "He came to himself." 1. A wayward son is beside himself. 2. Madness is in the heart of those bent on sin. ECC 9:3. K. He began to consider his ways. HAG 1:5-6; EZE 18:27-28. L. His offence was against HEAVEN! PSA 51:4. M. If an earthly father would be so merciful, how much more will the heavenly Father be merciful! MAT 7:11; PSA 103:8-13. N. The father expressed his willingness to restore his son before his son even confessed his sin. ISA 55:7. Luke 15 Page 1 of 2 O. The father ran: here are feet of mercy. P. The father fell on his neck: here are arms of mercy. Q. The father kissed him: here are lips of mercy. R. There was no word of upbraiding from the father. EZE 18:21-22. S. The son still made confession. God's mercy is all the more reason for us to be ashamed of our sins. EZE 16:62-63. T. As far as the father and his house was concerned, this son had been dead and lost. U. The father initiated the joy among the servants. V. The elder brother was like the Pharisees. MAT 23:13. 1. He was angry over his father's mercy. 2. He was like Jonah. JON 4. 3. He would not go in. ISA 65:5. 4. He accused the younger son of devouring his living with harlots, which Scripture did not say he did. W. The father took pains to reason with his elder son. Thus did God reason with Jonah and thus does he reason with us. X. All the father had was the elder brother's. 1. Why should he begrudge what was done for the younger? 2. We must never begrudge God's abundant grace to others. 3. Those who walk in the light and warmth of the sun have all the benefit they can have of it, and yet not the less because others walk in it, too. 4. It is meet to rejoice more over things that have been recovered than over what was never lost.