Drawing from Luke 15 and its three parables, this sermon explores the nature of celebration as rooted in the character and joy of God. The preacher establishes that the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son are not primarily about what is lost, but about the one who does the searching — the shepherd, the woman, and the father — all of whom represent God. To be lost is to be outside the household, protection, and authority of the owner; to be found is to be restored to that place. The Father’s response to restoration is one of excessive, overflowing joy that spills out into celebration with others. Jesus tells these parables in response to the Pharisees’ complaint about his eating with sinners, reframing the question: these are not merely sinners, they are lost — even dead — and the Father’s passion to restore them explains and justifies Christ’s actions. The sermon further examines the older son as a warning against self-focus in the midst of the Father’s celebration, and closes with a call to join in the joy of God as a practice of relationship, anticipating the ultimate wedding feast described in Revelation.
Luke 15, John 3:1-2, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Nehemiah 8:9-12, Revelation 19:6-9