From the Feb. 27 sermon, "The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin," preached out of Luke 15:1–10: God’s heart is filled with joy when lost people are found. When we repent (confession, contrition, and change), God rejoices. Jesus says we’re like sheep. We tend to wander and stray. If a sheep strays away from the flock and the shepherd, it is in grave danger. Jesus is the good shepherd who came down looking for his lost sheep. Every lost sheep needs a good shepherd and a good flock. We are also like the lost coin that God is searching for and devoted to finding. We can’t find God any more than the coin finds the woman. God never gives up his search for his people. He searches until he finds them.

In the story, who represents God? The woman does. The Bible says God is not male or female, he’s made us male and female in his image and likeness, but here God bestows some particular dignity on the women. He shows us in this story that he includes women in his instruction for our example. Luke’s gospel includes more women than any other gospel. The women that Luke includes tend to be some very godly, wonderful, sweet, helpful women, as well as some women who are tormented and suffering, whom Jesus heals and delivers. And the truth is, in Luke’s gospel, the women aren’t really the problem. It tends to be the religious men who are the real problem. We see that the women tend to gravitate toward Jesus and the religious people tend to fight with him. And here we see Jesus using a woman as an example to encourage all women. And he says that God here is like this woman and that we therefore are like what? The lost coin that God is searching for, that God is committed to, that God is devoted to finding. Every time you take out change, currency, I want you to remember, "I’m like a lost coin." Every time you drop a coin and go to pick it up, remember Jesus’ words. God treats you like you treat that coin. As you pick it up, remember, that’s how God saves you. That’s how God saves me. That’s how God saves us.

Religion has no good news to offer. … Religion would come up to a lost sheep and say, "You’re dirty and you’re stinky and you’re lost. You’re a little beat up and bleeding." And the sheep would say, "Yeah, I know." … That’s not good news. That doesn’t help a sheep at all. "Baa, I got nothing, right? I don’t know where the shepherd is. I can’t clean myself. I don’t know if you noticed this, I have hooves. Additionally, along the way, it’s dangerous. I’m not very tough. I don’t know where the shepherd is. I’m lost, I can’t find the flock. Plus, I’m bleeding." How many of you, that’s how life feels? And religion just comes along and says, "You blew it, good luck, fix it." Jesus comes along and says, "I’m here. I’ll pick you up and carry you home." That’s good news. That’s really good news. That’s really good news. Do you know Jesus? He’s the best. There’s nobody like him. There’s nobody like Jesus. He’s a good shepherd.