What if I’ve messed up and feel lost in life?

6 July 2025. Trinity 3.
Pete Myers explains Luke 15:1-10.

What if I’ve messed up and feel lost in life?

What if I’ve messed up and feel lost in life?

What if I’ve messed up and feel lost in life?

Everyone fails! Everyone sometimes feels lost! In Luke Jesus has been telling people about God’s kindness.

Great unless you think you’re better than other people.

Exactly the kind of person Jesus meets next, 15:1:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.

People around Jesus are not good people:
people who feel lost—”Where am I going in life?”
people who feel ashamed—”I can’t get over my past!”

Tax collectors: liars, cheats, trapped with no future

It’s sinners: straight up evil people! Rapists, murderers, drug addicts.

Jesus is encouraging that!

How do you feel about that?

If Jesus came to Manchester: Who WOULD show up? Who SHOULD show up?

What if I’ve messed up and feel lost in life? (v. 1)

1) God gives a future to lost people outside the church (vv. 2-7)
2) God gives a future to lost people inside the church (vv. 8-10)

God gives a future to lost people outside the church

1) God gives a future to lost people outside the church

Pharisees and scribes—not happy, v. 2:

And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus is nice to the WRONG people.

Who do you think are the WRONG people? v. 3:

So he told them this parable:

v. 4:

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

See people who seem lost? — wander away from a good path. People who feel like they don’t deserve to be found.

Here’s how Jesus feels about them, vv. 5-7:

And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

1) God gives a future to lost people outside the church

Jesus is so happy to find bad people.

Who do you think is too bad for God to forgive them?

Say sorry for looking down on others.

God gives a future to lost people inside the church

2) God gives a future to lost people inside the church

vv. 8-10:

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?

Coin doesn’t wander off.

It’s lost inside.

Do you feel lost?
Don’t know where your life is going?

How does Jesus feel:

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus has a future for you: New Creation

Jesus has a future for you NOW:

1) Vocations. Ephesians 2:10:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

School. Work. Helping others. Loving family.

2) Priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9:

But you are… a royal priesthood… that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

God is so happy to find lost people:
—lost wandering off outside
—lost while inside the church

He’s happy and he has a purpose for you.
—Live your life with him.
—Tell others about his love.