Day 15 Reading Through the Gospel Of Luke. Luke 15-
“Lost And Found.”
Some stores have a “Lost And Found” Department, where people have lost something or left something behind in the store, and going to this department can ask if anyone has “Found” what they have “Lost?” This world is “Lost and Found.” All Humanity is spiritually “Lost” without God, hope in this world, blinded by their sin, shackled to it, and it would take God Himself to show each one their lostness and He sent His Son, the LORD Jesus that in seeking them some may be “Found!”
Consider with me some Chapter OUTLINE and Thoughts from Luke 15 as we consider “LOST AND FOUND…”
1.- Sinners gather to hear Jesus speak – ( v1).
2.- Pharisees Appalled Jesus would welcome and eat with sinners?-(v2).
Jesus gives three parables
A.- Lost Sheep- Found!-(v3-7)
B.- Lost Coin – Found!-(v8-10)
C.- Lost Son- (11-31). The”Prodical” son went off and squandered his inheritance but came to his senses and repented. How do we know? He acknowledged his sin and turned back towards the Father. Repentance is the acknowledgment of sin and turning from it to God! Some people falsely believe that if they acknowledge their sin that is enough they have “believed” in Jesus to “forgive” them but continue habitually in their sin, This is a false repentance, It is no repentance. Some like those in 2 Cor 7:10 are sorry when they get caught in sin but not sorry they have sinned against God and therefore have not repented. “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
GOD COMMANDS ALL PEOPLE TO REPENT;
“God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.” -{Acts 17:30-31}
The testimony of the Thessalonian church,”… for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,”-{1 Thessalonians 1:9}.
A SECOND PRODIGAL;
But in the story of the prodigal son, there is a second “prodigal” son who was in the father’s house but didn’t have the heart of the father. His was a self-righteousness and indeed he was lost in the father’s house as are some today in The Father’s house- the church. In “the Father’s house” but without the heart of the Father- for the “Lost.” He was “lost” and didn’t know it! It reminds me of the story of the little girl at church. Her relatives had been frantically looking for her, and found her sitting in the front row at the church service listening to the Word, and upon being “found” by them she said, “I didn’t know I was lost!”
All People are spiritually lost, in spiritual darkness, groping in the darkness of unbelief, shackled to their sin, dying in their sin and the wonderful news is Just as in the three parables Jesus teaches He has come to Look for and Find those who are lost. “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,”-{Luke 4:18}. Those who are spiritually blind to their sin, to God, to His Word, will, and ways, who are powerless to please God, blinded by their own egos, society’s value system, spiritually dark. “But God…”
ARE YOU PART OF THE “LOST” OR “FOUND?”
Today you too can turn to God as you are and place your faith in His Son as your sin-bearing sacrifice that satisfied the Justice of God and receive Mercy, forgiveness and like the prodigal son receive a warm welcome from the Father! Lost but today… “Found” “In Christ, your righteousness!
And what Joy for those who are found by Him! “ Lost and Found.” People are “lost” without God! But thankfully Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”-{Luke 19:10}
In the words of John Newton’s famous Hymn, Amazing Grace. “I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.”
TELL YOUR STORY.
Today by His Grace we can testify we too can tell our story of “Lost and Found” to others and the great saving work the LORD Jesus went to find us. The first thing is realizing you are “lost” and without God and crying out to Him, turning to God in repentance from sin and self-rule submitting to Him, and placing ourselves into the keeping of the LORD Jesus Christ! You can use the phrase “Lost and Found” to tell your story. What life was like when you were “Lost” and How Jesus “Found” you!
Hope this will encourage you, How wonderful we have a SAVIOR WHO SEEKS TO SAVE THE LOST.
“LOST AND FOUND”
God bless,
Aidan,