What Does It Mean to Be Lost?
Rex Yancey
Luke 15
I heard about a drunk who stumbled his way into a phone booth and dialed the operator. He said, "Operator, would you trace this call and tell me where I am." That man was LOST! The truth of the matter is a great part of the population of the world today is lost and they don't even know it.
Jesus Christ gave this parable to distinguish the difference between the attitude of God and the attitude of Pharisees concerning sinners. The Pharisees were lost and they did not know it. It reminds me of a person who tried to impress me once by saying, "I found God in that church!" He might have impressed me more if he had said, "I found Christ in that church!" And, it would not have hurt had his lifestyle backed up his testimony. The Pharisees did not care that the Gentiles were lost. It didn't mean a thing to them.
When Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees they"Amened" everything he said until he got to the part about the elder brother. The truth hit too close to home at that point of the story. The elder brother was lost and he hadn't even left home. That was the zinger of the entire parable.
Let me ask you this morning, "What does it mean to be lost? I would like to offer a few suggestions.
1.IT MEANS YOU HAVE GONE ASTRAY.
"All we like sheep have gone astray." I heard about a lady who tried to exchange some snakeskin shoes. She was arguing with the salesman about a flaw being in the snakeskins. The salesman said, "Look lady, I ain't perfect, you ain't perfect, and no snake is perfect!" "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The Pharisees would never acknoweldge that one of their own went astray.
Carlyle said, "The greatest sin of all is to recognize no sin." John said in 2nd John "He that says he has no sin is a liar and the truth is not in him."
According to this parable there are four ways one can go astray.
1.Wandering
Sheep are dumb animals. There ...
Rex Yancey
Luke 15
I heard about a drunk who stumbled his way into a phone booth and dialed the operator. He said, "Operator, would you trace this call and tell me where I am." That man was LOST! The truth of the matter is a great part of the population of the world today is lost and they don't even know it.
Jesus Christ gave this parable to distinguish the difference between the attitude of God and the attitude of Pharisees concerning sinners. The Pharisees were lost and they did not know it. It reminds me of a person who tried to impress me once by saying, "I found God in that church!" He might have impressed me more if he had said, "I found Christ in that church!" And, it would not have hurt had his lifestyle backed up his testimony. The Pharisees did not care that the Gentiles were lost. It didn't mean a thing to them.
When Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees they"Amened" everything he said until he got to the part about the elder brother. The truth hit too close to home at that point of the story. The elder brother was lost and he hadn't even left home. That was the zinger of the entire parable.
Let me ask you this morning, "What does it mean to be lost? I would like to offer a few suggestions.
1.IT MEANS YOU HAVE GONE ASTRAY.
"All we like sheep have gone astray." I heard about a lady who tried to exchange some snakeskin shoes. She was arguing with the salesman about a flaw being in the snakeskins. The salesman said, "Look lady, I ain't perfect, you ain't perfect, and no snake is perfect!" "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The Pharisees would never acknoweldge that one of their own went astray.
Carlyle said, "The greatest sin of all is to recognize no sin." John said in 2nd John "He that says he has no sin is a liar and the truth is not in him."
According to this parable there are four ways one can go astray.
1.Wandering
Sheep are dumb animals. There ...
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