THE PRODIGAL SON: FROM RUIN TO REDEMPTION (3 OF 4)
by Tim Badal
Scripture: Luke 15:1-32
This content is part of a series.
The Prodigal Son: From Ruin to Redemption (3 of 4)
Series: Lost! Parables of a God Who Pursues
Tim Badal
Luke 15
Open God's Word to Luke 15. I want you to see that these are not my words, but they come straight from God's Word. We've been in a four-week series we've called ''Lost.''
Luke 15 is a great chapter; in fact it's been described as ''the gospel within the Gospel.'' In this chapter, Jesus shared three stories about lost things being found. This theme can show us how God wants to find those who are lost in a world of sin. He searches for us until He finds us and brings us back into a right and vibrant relationship with Him.
Jesus was speaking to a mixed crowd of people. We read in Luke 15:1 that there were sinners and tax collectors in the group. These were the ''deplorables'' of Jesus' day. They knew they were sinful, and so did everyone else. Their sin was visible on the outside. But He was also speaking to another group that included the scribes and Pharisees. I like to call them the religious ''muckety-mucks.'' They knew they were better than the deplorables, but in reality their sin just wasn't external. They were arrogant and self-righteous in their hearts.
In Jesus' stories both groups were being addressed, and both groups were lost. In the first story, we read about a lost sheep who had wandered away. The good shepherd searched far and wide until he was able to find it and bring it back to the fold.
In the second story, we read about a woman who lost a silver coin. We might think that wasn't that big of a deal. We lose our nickels, dimes and quarters all the time, but we don't turn our houses upside down to find them. As we saw, this coin identified her not only as a married woman but as a pure woman. It was as though she lost her wedding ring.
One of the lost things, the sheep, was far away. The other, the coin, was in the house. The sheep wandered on its own; the coin had nothing to do with being lost. So whether we are cl ...
Series: Lost! Parables of a God Who Pursues
Tim Badal
Luke 15
Open God's Word to Luke 15. I want you to see that these are not my words, but they come straight from God's Word. We've been in a four-week series we've called ''Lost.''
Luke 15 is a great chapter; in fact it's been described as ''the gospel within the Gospel.'' In this chapter, Jesus shared three stories about lost things being found. This theme can show us how God wants to find those who are lost in a world of sin. He searches for us until He finds us and brings us back into a right and vibrant relationship with Him.
Jesus was speaking to a mixed crowd of people. We read in Luke 15:1 that there were sinners and tax collectors in the group. These were the ''deplorables'' of Jesus' day. They knew they were sinful, and so did everyone else. Their sin was visible on the outside. But He was also speaking to another group that included the scribes and Pharisees. I like to call them the religious ''muckety-mucks.'' They knew they were better than the deplorables, but in reality their sin just wasn't external. They were arrogant and self-righteous in their hearts.
In Jesus' stories both groups were being addressed, and both groups were lost. In the first story, we read about a lost sheep who had wandered away. The good shepherd searched far and wide until he was able to find it and bring it back to the fold.
In the second story, we read about a woman who lost a silver coin. We might think that wasn't that big of a deal. We lose our nickels, dimes and quarters all the time, but we don't turn our houses upside down to find them. As we saw, this coin identified her not only as a married woman but as a pure woman. It was as though she lost her wedding ring.
One of the lost things, the sheep, was far away. The other, the coin, was in the house. The sheep wandered on its own; the coin had nothing to do with being lost. So whether we are cl ...
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