THE ETERNAL PUNISMENT OF THE UNSAVED IN HELL IS NOT BIBLICAL.

Popular myth:

Hell is a Biblical doctrine that is in the Bible from the beginning to the end.

 

 

"This is not true! Two thirds of the Bible (the Old Testament) does not mention Hell at all. (“Sheol,” the Old Testament word that is sometimes translated as Hell, only means “grave” by definition, and it is where everyone in the Old Testament went when they died--good or evil, Jew or Gentile).  The other translation is a "pit". Thus the Old Testament does not contain the modern Christian concept of Hell!

"If Hell is real, why did God tell the Jews that burning their children alive in the fire to the false god Molech, (in the valley of Gehenna) was so detestable to Him? God said that such a thing “never even entered His mind” (Jer. 32:35).

"How could God say such a thing to Israel, if He has plans to burn alive a good majority of His own creation in a spiritual and eternal Gehenna of His own making?

"FACT: The King James Bible erroneously translates the word “Sheol” as Hell a total of 31 times in the Old Testament, thus setting a foundation for that doctrine in the New Testament as well as the majority of Bible translations to follow the KJV.

"Even so, most new translations have completely eliminated Hell from the Old Testament, as honest and better scholarship has demanded. The Jewish version of the Old Testament (the Tanakh) has no concept of Hell in it.

"The importance of this fact cannot be over-emphasized. If a doctrine does not appear as seed form in the books of the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, it cannot fairly be taught as a major biblical doctrine, if indeed it can be taught as biblical at all!"  (http://www.tentmaker.org/ifhellisreal.htm)

 

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Let Mankind Boast Of Their Glories.

In Jeremiah 9:1-26, the prophet, began his lamentation because he saw the inevitable catastrophe coming to his country and people. God pronounced judgment over Jerusalem, and when God says something, He does it.

What they would face wasn't something that was going to happen by accident or by chance, was going to be designed by God.  It was not just one of those terrible and inexplicable things that happen from time to time.

What they would face was going to be the direct judgment of God. And it was this realization that was causing Jeremiah such sorrow. They were bring this catastrophe on themselves.  It was not God being vindictive, it was them bringing this on themselves.

The cross should be a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that sin has brought to the heart of God our Creator.  But, like in the time of Jeremiah, people continue to ignore this fact.

When there comes the calamities that are sure to result from our separation from God, it is said that God and “His soul [is] grieved for the misery we bring on ourselves.' 'In all [our] affliction [God is] afflicted”.  (Judges 10:16, Jeremiah 63:9)

Read Jeremiah 9:1-26, tIt is about the prophet's sorrowful lament. Focus especially on Jeremiah 9:23-24. Why are those words so relevant even to us today?

Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

• People gain success and riches, but if they do not know God it is ultimately fruitless when it comes to death and eternity. All the riches in this world are worthless it you do not have a relationship with God.
• Wisdom, might, and riches all have their place, but to rely on these things, especially amid catastrophe, or when death looms, is fruitless, meaningless, and empty.
• People are told what really matters, and that is to know and to understand the loving kindness, the justice, and the righteousness of God.
• There is nothing else.  Nothing can give us hope and comfort when everything earthly fails us.

What does the Cross tell us about the loving kindness, the justice, and the righteousness of God?

• God gave us His everything in order to save us.  He gave his Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly sacrificed His life for us in order that we may be saved.  All we need to do is repent and believe.

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The Truth in Biblical Symbols.

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Read Genesis 4:3-7. What do their two different sacrifices symbolize?

The sacrifices symbolize the difference between attempting to work one's way to heaven represented by Cain’s offering and the realization that salvation is by grace alone, made available to us only through the merits of a blood sacrifice which is the symbolism of Abel’s offering.  Abel’s offering pointed toward eventual salvation through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

There was a difference in the offerings they brought: Abel’s was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’s.  “…the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect…” (Genesis 4:4-5).   

Cain’s offering was only a sacrifice of acknowledgment that God was the creator.  But, Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, for his sins.  Blood was shed. Abel was admitting to God that he was a sinner and he was looking to God for salvation.

Abel offered in faith, and Cain did not.  Abel, in faith to God’s word, offered with an eye to do God’s will, but Cain did not submit to God’s will.  Abel’s offering was an act of faith in response to the knowledge that they both would have received from God in regards to sacrificial offerings and what God required of them. 

If it was supposed to be an offering of atonement for their sins, which the scripture leads the reader to believe, require the spilling of Blood. Abel was obedient to what God had instructed them to do in order to atone for the original sin of Adam and Eve and Cain was not. This is made evident by God respecting Abel and Abel’s offering and rejecting Cain and his offering.  

The scripture indicates that they knew what they were supposed to offer, instruction they would have received from God.  Abel was obeying God where Cain was continuing to do what his parents originally did.  

The Old Testament, continually points toward the Great Sacrifice that was to come, that of Jesus’ sacrificial giving of His own life on our behalf to absolve us from our sin.  Leviticus 17:11 is the Old Testament’s central statement about the significance of blood in the sacrificial system instituted by God. God, speaking to Moses, declares: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”  (Leviticus 17:11).

The Potter's Clay! What Christian truths are symbolized?

What crucial truths are taught from these verses and the symbolism found there? (See Gen. 2:7.)

Jer. 18:1-10 
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.  Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.  Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;  If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

We are like the clay in the potter’s hand, even though we are “marred”, God can make us perfect if we have faith in Him.

Isa. 29:16
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?  Or, shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

They had no just views of truth. They deemed mere formality to be all that was required. They attempted to conceal their plans even from God; and everything in the opinions and practice of the nation had become perverted and erroneous.

Their perverseness was as if God should be respected as much as we are, that is, as if God was no more qualified to do anything than we are.

Isaiah is showing the right that God has to do with his creatures what he thinks is right.  We have no right to complain because, like the potter He is our Creator. It is absurd for us to complain to God as if He has no intelligence, and no right to make us as He does. It would be absurd for the piece of pottery to complain of the potter as if he had no skill as it is equally absurd for us to complain to God as if He did not have any wisdom.

Isa. 45:9
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Potsherd means broken piece of pottery, representing fallen man.   The scripture is saying that we should let the people who are broken, struggle, with the others that are similarly broken here on earth, we are not to fight and argue with them.  We are supposed to go to God for understanding, but when God does give us an answer we are not to question the answer.

Isa. 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Their condition then had been produced by God as clay is molded by the potter, and they would be returned and restored entirely by Him – We have no power to restore ourselves than the clay had to the power to reshape itself. We are totally in his hand and at his disposal the being that transforms us.  Go has the power to mold us as the potter has the power to mold the clay.

We have been formed by God, and we are dependent on God to make us what He wants us to be. This whole verse is an acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God. It expresses the feeling which all have when under conviction of sin; and when we are sensible that we are exposed to the divine displeasure for our transgressions. It is then we feel that if we are to be saved, and it is by the mere sovereignty of God.

Rom. 9:18-21

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

We can rest assured that, despite the reality of human free will and free choices, and the often calamitous results of abusing that free will, in the end, we can hope in the absolute sovereignty of our loving and self-sacrificing God, whose love is revealed on the cross. Evil won't triumph; God and His love will. What a hope we have!

Whatever other truths are found in the image of the potter and the clay, it does teach us the ultimate sovereignty of God. That is, however hopeless the situation might seem to be, the symbolism of the potter and the clay shows us that ultimately, despite the wrong or even willfully wrong decisions that people make, the Lord is in control of the world, regardless of appearances now.

A SONG OF GOD’S MAJESTY AND LOVE

It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures, including mankind.  Unfortunately it is the transgression of God’ law that brought death and suffering into the world.  The good news is that the world, though fallen is not just sorrow and misery.  Nature provides messages of hope and comfort.  We find flowers on thistles and roses on thorns.  God's love among a fallen man is all around us.  All we need to do is open our eyes and our hearts.  We are placed in a position through our connection with Christ to be worthy of the name, "sons of God".

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wondrous works.
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,
And Your saints shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.

(Psalm 145, New King James Version)

IS HELL A FALSE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE? THE BIBLE SCRIPTURES INDICATE THAT IT IS.

Hell Is A False Doctrine Invented By The Early Christian Church?

 

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The concept of hell is well known in the religious as well as the secular world. People in all walks of life use it to color their emotions, to criticize as well as to condemn others. Phrases from, "What the hell is that?", to "Get the hell out of here", to "Go to Hell!", are commonly used.

I have heard phrases about hell more often in the secular world than I have in the Christian community. It seems that preachers and religious teachers tend to shy away from the subject. When they do talk about it, it seems it is more to scare the daylights out of you so you'll be a better Christian.  I think they shy away from the subject because they cannot fully explain the concept of Hell in this doctrine and reconcile it with other scriptures found in the bible

The New Encyclopedia Britannica in Vol. 5, page 814, states ". . . hell is the final dwelling of the damned . . .".  This may be ok as a definition for non Christians, but the question is what does the Bible actually teach on the subject of hell?  The Bible does teach that a pit of fire will created for Satan and his fallen angels. This pit of fire was interpreted as Gehenna, in Greek and then interpreted to Hell in the English version of the Bible.

Who will this particular “hell” be created for?  It will be created for Satan and his false prophets.  Satan rebelled against God and when he did he took a third of God's angels with him. Because of this rebellion, God has sentenced them to eternal punishment. God created Satan and the angels as immortal beings. Since they are immortal and cannot die, technically they could survive the fire and be tormented through eternity.

Human beings on the other hand are not immortal.. We can and do die. When we die we no longer have a conscious state. We are unaware of our surroundings because we no longer exist in any form. Our spirit does go back to God, but it has no consciousness. It is not a being, spiritual or otherwise.  Our spirit can't hear, see, taste, smell, or touch on its own.

The spirit cannot think, it has no brain! When our physical body is destroyed, we simply do not exist in any state. After death we are no longer aware of the passage of time. We totally and completely cease to exist. Logically then, how can you possibly explain a mortal human being tossed into a fire and some how survive the fire in some state in order to be tortured for eternity?

The majority of Christians today believe that if you are wicked, if you do not believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and that God is the Creator of the universe, then you will be sent to hell where you will be tortured with pain and torment forever. The God of the Bible who, ". . . so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . .". (John 3:16), would not be so unjust and unmerciful.
 
The Bible clearly teaches that God loves and is not unfeeling or uncaring. How could anyone imagine that God would want to see and feel the suffering of his own creation, His children, much less see it forever and ever. It doesn't make sense.  Would any parent want to see their children tortured?  

You might argue that if God says this is the punishment of the fallen angels and Satan, why not us. The simple answer would be that we were created in His own image in His own likeness to be His children. The angels were not.

Any true Christian would have to admit that they would never want to see their own children suffer agony and torment no matter how wicked they were. If we would not do this to our children, why would God do it to His?
 
We do not inflict that type of suffering and torture on the wicked and evil people in our society. When we convict murderers and sentence them, we do not make them suffer some type of torture. In fact we have clear laws in our society about torturing anybody for any type of crime. When we do sentence them to death, we do it in the most humane way possible. We go out of our way to ensure they do not suffer.

If we do not torture the wicked in our society, how can a Christian possibly believe that God would do it? This is not even logical. How could any Christian believe that his God would inflict this type of punishment on millions and millions of people who have died since the beginning of man. This idea does not make sense when you study who the God of the Bible is.

The traditional Christian view of hell as a place where the fires are burning, the devil is waiting, and people are screaming and crying out in agony is not Biblical, and it is cruel to teach it.  It is doctrines like this that totalitarian governments use to control their people.  It is this type of doctrine that the early Roman Christian Church used in order to control the newly converted pagans.

It is doctrines such as this that fuel agnostics and atheism.  The picture of Hell where fires are burning and people are screaming in agony has been taught by the Christian church for centuries.  It was not taught during the Apostolic period nor was it ever taught by Jesus Christ.  There is not one scripture with words uttered by Jesus Christ that even hints that this would happen to the wicked in the world.  If this doctrine were true it would have been peppered through out the bible, especially in the gospels, but it is not.

This is such an important doctrine to the Christian church yet you will not find one instance in the Bible where this is supported.   Jesus would not have been evasive in trying to warn people about what would happen if they did not turn to Him and follow his ways.  He would have made it very clear.  The only way you can get this doctrine is if you take passages out of context and then combine it with pagan religious beliefs.

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Prophets Discipling The Nations.

PRAYER:

Lord we thank You for letting us know Your plans in advance, which helps us to share our light with all people. May You be lifted up, may all men be drawn unto You.  You have blessed us to be a blessing, help us to share Your truth with all. Help us to present you to everyone in such a way that you are lifted up before all nations.  Father, thank You for the diversity You have created. Please help us have a love that breaks all barriers that could get in the way of serving our fellow brother or sister in need. Thank You for coming to save all people.  Lord thank You for our Great commission. Help us to go into all the world like You commanded.

In Jesus’ name amen.

The Prophets Foretold

(Isaiah 60:3; Micah 4:1-2)  The prophets foretold of a message that welcomed all people! In the Scriptures the prophets foretold of a time when the Gentiles would be drawn to the light of Israel.

(Isaiah 56:6-8).  In this context the house of God is supposed to be a house of prayer for all people

(Jonah 3:7-10; 4:1)  The attitude of Jonah toward Nineveh can characterize those who want to horde the blessing of God.  Jonah wanted to keep exclusivity with the message of salvation and he reluctantly delivered it.

WHAT DO THESE VERSES TEACH ABOUT UNIVERSAL OUTREACH, AND ABOUT HOW LIMITED SOME IN ISRAEL WERE IN UNDERSTANDING IT?

The attitude of Jonah toward Nineveh were characterized by the Israelites in Jesus' day as people who wanted to horde the blessing of God for themselves.

God has called us to be the light of the world. God wants us to draw all people to Him and He has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others. The blessings of God are for the purpose of sharing the message of salvation with others. We must let others know about the mercy and the grace of God and shine our lights to the entire world.

God is a gracious God and He is looking to reunite the nations and bring together all who were scattered. We must be mindful that we do not adopt the mindset of Jonah. God has called us to be the light of the world.

Woe Unto Thee

God has also given His people advantages, and they will also have to give an account for what they did with those advantages.

(Matthew 11:20-24)  Jesus describes places where He worked miracles and why He expected more from the people. Jesus performed many miracles in these towns, yet they were unresponsive to the miracles He performed. Jesus says that if the Gentiles had the same advantages they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.  Jesus was expecting more from the Jews because He gave them more advantages.

(Luke 4:25-30)  This passage lets us know that not everyone was healed who could have been, as the healings were strategic. God has a reason and a purpose for why He chooses to bless one and not another.

(Luke 17:11-19)  Jesus heals ten leprous men but only the Samaritan came back and thanked God for the healing. The miracles should have brought all ten back to glorify God, but only one came back and gave thanks. God chooses to bless people in order to expand His kingdom and reach all people.

(John 10:16)  You may be tempted to think that you are the only person that God wants to save, but there are other sheep He has who are not of this fold.

What crucial message comes from these texts? 

God wants to reach all people with the message of the gospel. God has other sheep that will respond to His voice when He calls.

How can we take what is written here and apply it to ourselves, in our own time and context?
We must be careful that we do not take the blessing of God for granted.

What principle is revealed here that we have to be very careful about?

We are blessed in order that we may be a blessing to others, not to sit on our pedestal of righteousness and look down on those who do not know what we know.


We Would See Jesus

How is the universlity of the gospel message reveled in these verses?

(John 12:20-32)  There were some Greeks who approached Philip and said we would see Jesus. This indicates that the message of the gospel appealed to all people.  Anyone who wanted to know the truth was drawn to Jesus.

What was the cost? 

He explained to them that discipleship would require a sacrifice.
How do we understand the meaning of this?
Jesus explained to the crowd what His death was going to accomplish, but they did not quite get it.


Breaking Down Barriers

What Ellen G. White writes in "The Desire Of Ages" brings the point of this lesson home.  It reads - "A certain Samaritan, in his journey, came where the sufferer was, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. He did not question whether the stranger was a Jew or a Gentile....He did not consider that he himself might be in danger of violence by tarrying in the place. It was enough that there was before him a human being in need and suffering....Thus the question, "Who is my neighbor?" is forever answered. Christ has shown that our neighbor does not mean merely one of the church or faith to which we belong. It has no reference to race, color, or class distinction. Our neighbor is every person who needs our help. Our neighbor is every soul who is wounded and bruised by the adversary. Our neighbor is everyone who is the property of God."  (Ellen G. White, The Desire of ages, p 503)

In what way do these verses show why regional, ethnic, and other barriers should have no place among Christians as they seek to make disciples among all nations?

God is LORD of all peoples, tribes, nations, and tongues. He is God of the universe. God created one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve out of which this earth has been populated. Therefore, every person on this planet is our brother and sister in Christ.
 John 7:35 and John 8:48

Jesus’ ministry in this world transcended race, ethnicity, gender and culture.  The Israelites did not like the fact that Jesus did not follow their cultural and traditional norms. They scornfully talked about Jesus teaching the Greeks.

It gives us a sense of this resentment that they had towards Jesus’ ministry and “mingling” with the banned crowds. They scornfully talked about Jesus teaching the Greeks. They went as far as dishonoring Jesus in the way they called Him a Samaritan and having a demon! The Jewish took Levitical laws to an extreme and considered interactions with Gentiles and the Samaritans to cause one to be defiled and unclean.

Luke 10:27 - So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’[a] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost not just the Jews.  Jesus modeled ministry that transcends race, ethnicity, gender, and cultures.


THE GREAT COMMISSION

(Romans 15:12)  "And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust."

(Acts 1:7-8) "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

(John11:52-53)  "And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.  Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

(Mathew 28:19-20)  "Jesus’ desire for His church here is that we should make disciples of all nations.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

What's the esential message here, and how does this message fit in so well with the three angels' messages of Revelation 14?

We are to go to all people of all nations and through daily self sacrifice and self denying of common everyday wants and pleasures proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today more than anytime in the history of man kind anybody, who has the education, political,social and religious status, similar to the characteristics of the apostles, can reach just about everyone on the planet.  If you understand the three angels' message in Revelation 14, it is being proclaimed by these angels through the Christian Church today through the direction of Jesus Christ.

The self denying effort and self sacrificing effort starts at home.  How many people do you know who call themselves Christian do not even take one day out of seven and set aside even a few hours to attend a worship service with like minded people, in honor of God much, less do it on Saturday, the Sabbath, as commanded by God in the fourth commandment found in the scriptures.  How many people do take the effort to worship on the Sabbath, but do sacrifice even a couple of minutes on a daily basis to proclaim the gospel.

When Jesus said things, He said them dramatically to make a point.  Jesus was also a practical Man.  When He said to take up your cross and follow Me, He understood that people have families and responsibilities that they needed to attend to in this life.   The self denying effort and self sacrificing efforts He was referring to is to take time out of your daily life and set it aside for the sole purpose of proclaiming His gospel message. 

These efforts include adhering to all of God's commandments, of which Jesus said, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18).  How many people are willing to sacrifice even this much?

THE BASIC TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST.

 

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“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’ ” (Luke 19:10, NKJV).

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is a story of God seeking after lost humanity.

Luke illustrates this truth by using three important parables found in the 15^th chapter of Luke:

1. The lost sheep (Luke 15:4–7),
2. The lost coin (vss. 8–10),
3. The lost son (vss. 11–32).

The mission of Jesus is a result of God’s love and grace. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20, NKJV), and through this grace we find ourselves saved.

Let’s look at the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.

The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin (Luke 15:3–10) are the first two in a series of three. The third is the “lost son” or the “prodigal son.” Just as in other cases, Jesus taught these parables in a set of three to emphasize a point.

In these three parables, what was the Pharisees problem with what Jesus was doing?

1. The Pharisees did not complain that Jesus was teaching sinners.
2. The Pharisees thought themselves to be righteous teachers of the law and all others to be wicked.
3. They could not condemn His preaching to “sinners,”
4. They did think it was inconsistent with the dignity of someone so knowledgeable in the Scriptures to “eat with them”, in other words to associate with them.

What is the presupposition behind the statement of the Pharisees, “this man welcomes sinners,”.

• The presupposition is that because of their class status and the knowledge, they were too good to be hanging out with people they thought were beneath them, sinners.

What is the significance of the opening statement in Luke chapter 15?

1. To understand the significance we must consider that the Jewish culture is a shame/honor-driven society that used shame/honor in a way that developed a sort of caste system.
2. Everything that was done in the Jewish culture either brought shame or honor.
3. The primary motivation for what and how things were done was based on seeking honor for oneself and avoiding shame.
4. This was the central and all-consuming preoccupation of all Jewish interaction.

What is the significance of this attitude that they had?

1. The Pharisees thought that if Jesus was actually who He said He was, He would not be associating with these people. 
2. They thought that this verified their claim that Jesus was not the Messiah.
3. Jesus saw this and used these three parables to explain who He was and what His mission on earth was.  Jesus identified Himself as the owner of the lost and was actively engaged in trying to find them.

In the parable of the Lost Sheep what does Jesus do to His listeners?

Jesus invites His listeners to place themselves into the story and does this by asking,

• “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep.”  
  • Why does Jesus use sheep? 
    • Two fold,  it was common knowledge in those days of the value of one sheep in relation to the flock value of the flock as a whole.
    • It would be well known who the owner of that sheep would be.
• In doing this Jesus is appealing to their intuitive reasoning and life experiences as a Jewish people. 
• He was removing Rabbinical, religious reasoning and placing the question in the realm of the common everyday person.

What did the Pharisees refuse to see?

• As the story completes, the Pharisees in their pride refuse to see themselves as the shameful “sinners,” that what Jesus was talking about.  Instead eagerly take the honoring label of being the “righteous” people.
• What did this do?
  • By the implication of their own pride, they place themselves in the position of being the less significant than not only the group of ninety-nine, but also the lost one.

What is Jesus’s response to this attitude in regards to what our mission should be as followers of Jesus Christ.

• He responds that “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”.
• Jesus is pointing out that no matter how lost or damaged a person may be, Jesus holds their salvation in higher regard then that of people who claim salvation and feel they are better than the unsaved.

In these three parables, what was Jesus doing to the attitudes of His listeners?

• Jesus was turning His listeners’ understanding of things upside down.
• The Pharisees saw themselves as being the beloved of God and the “sinners” as refuse.
• Jesus uses the Pharisees’ prejudices against them, while encouraging the sinners with one clear message.

What was that message?

• That message is this:
  • God has a tender, personal concern for all human beings.
  • God has a joyous love for individuals who are lost (in sin) and are found (repent).
  • Jesus makes it clear that the Pharisees, who thought they were close to God, were actually distant and those sinners and tax collectors were the ones God was seeking after.

What conclusion can we draw from this?

• In Luke chapter 18 verse 14 Jesus says, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Lost Son.

What we need to do is to identify things that are in common in these three parables.  By doing this we can gain more context to help us understand the significance of the main elements in this story.

There is a progression of value in the three parables.

What are they?

• In the first parable, one sheep is lost in a flock of 100 sheep.
• In the next parable, one silver coin in ten silver coins is lost.
• In the third parable, one Son out of two is lost.

The power of these parables to reach the audience comes from the shame/honor aspect of the Jewish culture.

What are these aspects?

• To lose a sheep as a shepherd would be a very shameful thing for the one tending the flock
• A coin from a piece of bridal jewelry lost in her own house would be even more shameful since it represented that she was betrothed.
• The lost son, was the worst shame of all for any family in the Jewish culture.

What is the significance of this progression?

It is the progression from seeking after only 1 of 100 sheep, then 1 of 10 coins, then 1 of 2 sons.

• This shows the scope of God’s personal concern for all individuals.

Jesus was trying to show a personal familial relationship for all people in society by relating these three parables.   This relationship was that:

• Men and young boys would have related best to the shepherd and the lost sheep.
• All women would be able to related to the losing a bridal coin.
• Everybody present would understand the relationship of a father and son.

Can someone outline the characters in the Parable of the Lost Son?

• The forgiving father is a picture of God. In telling the story, Jesus identifies Himself with God in His loving attitude to the lost.
• The younger son symbolizes the lost, the tax collectors and sinners of that day.
• The elder brother represents the self-righteous the Pharisees and teachers of the law of that day.

What is the major theme of this parable?

• It is not the conversion of the sinner, but rather the restoration of a believer into fellowship with the Father.
• In the first two parables, the owner went out to look for what was lost.  
  • In this story the father waits and watches eagerly for his son's return.
• We see a progression through the three parables from the relationship of one in a hundred, to one in ten, to one in one.

What does this demonstrate?

• God’s love for each individual and His personal attentiveness towards all humanity.

What important message should we take from this story?

• The graciousness of the father overshadows the sinfulness of the son, It is the memory of the father’s, Gods, goodness that brings the prodigal son, the sinner, to repentance.

In these parables there is a lesson for everyone.  What is this lesson?

• It does not matter how far away from the throne of God you are, how debased you are or what your motives are.   Jesus describes how His Father will accept you.
• “…But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

But, for everyone, it requires somethings.  What are they?

• Recognition of fallen state - “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” (Luke 15:18).
• Confession of our sins - “…I am no longer worthy to be called your son…”.

There is a second message represented by the second son, what is it?

• Even though you claim Jesus Christ as your savior, you still can be “lost”.
• Like the elder son, many make their home in the Christian Church, yet their heart is in a “distant land” because
  • They are angry, constantly complaining instead of looking for solutions to problems.
  • They have an air of self-righteousness because they refuse to recognize that all human beings, no matter where they are in their life, have the same value in the eyes of God.

The line in a song goes, “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”  This verse as part of that great hymn “Amazing Grace.”

What is the significance of this statement to all of us as Christians today?

• Being lost is the tragedy of all humanity, not just the downtrodden or poor.
• Because “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). Being found is a privilege that is equally universal.
• But what do we as Christians need to do?
• We need to grasp this concept in faith and cling to it as we in embrace of the the love of our heavenly Father.

Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “ ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ ” (Luke 18:41).

The question I have is, “What would you ask Jesus to do for you today?”