The Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin
The shepherd has to sort out the sheep from the goats. God is going to sort out his people from those who are not his people. His people are like sheep and will get eternal life. Will you be one of God’s sheep?
There are a lot of stories about shepherds and sheep in the bible. God is the good shepherd and looks after his sheep. Sheep follow their shepherd just like God wants us to follow him.
Story Time!
Have you ever lost anything? Have your parents ever lost anything? I lost my plate from the orthodontist and my dad looked everywhere for it. We were all super excited when he found it.
What do you think?
I’ll give you a few seconds to discuss together, but if you want longer you might want to push pause.
What would you do/how would you feel, if you lost:
Your phone/tablet/iPad?
Your school jumper?
Your sibling at a fun park?
Did you say you would stress out? Would you panic and drop everything and run around looking for it? Even your school jumper? I know I feel like my kids could not care less about losing their school jumper!
But what about your sibling? What if your parents lost you?
How do you think God would feel if one of his people were lost?
ANOTHER QUESTION:
How do you feel when you find something special you had lost?
What did the father do when the lost son returned in the parable we chatted about a few weeks ago? He threw a party and celebrated!
Bible Passage: Luke 15:1-10
“Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, “This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this story:
If any of you has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won’t you leave the ninety-nine in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulderand carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep.”
Jesus said, “In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over ninety-nine good people who don’t need to.”
Jesus told the people another story:
What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won’t she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds itThen she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found the coin I lost.”
Jesus said, “In the same way God’s angels are happy when even one person turns to him.”
We can learn 2 huge things about God from these parables.
God loves his people a lot and will do anything to make sure they are safe with him and not lost.
Sinners are the “sheep” that God is looking for. What does this mean? God is looking for people who are aware that they are sinners, not people who think that they are perfect.
Mark 2:16-17 “Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.”
Question Time!
Which one do you think you are - a sheep in God’s flock, a lost sheep or a goat? If you’re not sure, chat together about what each of them mean.
What do you think God and the angels were doing when you first prayed sorry for your sins?
“There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
I know when I turned to Christ, before I can even remember, that the angels had a huge party in heaven for me and they would have done that for you too if you have turned to Christ.
