Lost in Sin and Found by God

Lost and Found

The Third Sunday after Trinity – 7/6/2025

Luke 15:1-10

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer – St. John’s Lutheran Church of Oakes, ND

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our reading from the fifteenth chapter of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke with special emphasis on verses one and two which read as follows:

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Introduction

Before us stands a simple yet profound truth: God desires the salvation of every sinner. Our Lord Jesus says that He came to seek and to save the lost. And that includes you and me. Left to ourselves, we are indeed lost in sin, sorrow, suffering, and death. We are misled by the foolishness of this world and trapped in the limits of our own broken lives. No one enjoys being lost, and yet it is our natural condition apart from Christ.

Being lost is more than a passing feeling. While we could spend much time describing the loneliness and confusion that often accompany this condition, it is enough to say that “lostness” takes many forms. Some are outward, others inward. But at its root, it is a spiritual matter: the result of sin and blindness to God.

The Lost

The kind of lostness Jesus speaks of in today’s Gospel is not simply psychological. It is spiritual. It is a matter of sin and separation from God. And make no mistake: sin and blindness often go hand in hand. Those who are lost often think they are found. Or they look for solutions in all the wrong places.

When we suffer the effects of sin, be it guilt, despair, strained relationships, addiction, shame, or servile fear, we are tempted to treat the symptoms rather than the disease. For example, a glutton might try to manage his problem by staying out of the junk food aisle or joining a gym. That is wise as far as it goes. But if all we ever do is minimize the effects of sin, we will never get at the root.

The root is deeper. We are not just sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners born into a fallen condition, unable to save ourselves. And because we cannot fix ourselves, we resort to downplaying sin, excusing it, or pretending that it is not a big deal. Worse, we look for solutions by our own effort. We chase after self-righteousness rather than resting in Christ’s righteousness. We trust in our morality, our religious knowledge, or whatever else makes us feel superior to others.

And then, perhaps worst of all, we grumble when grace is shown to someone else. Like the Pharisees, we become suspicious of God’s mercy when it goes to the “wrong” kind of people. We act as though forgiveness is something we deserve but others do not. These are not small problems. But neither are they reasons for despair because Christ has already brought about the solution. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus has defeated sin, death, and the devil. And this victory is yours by grace, through faith.

But let us be honest about a deeper problem that lurks especially among those of us who have grown up in the Church: entitlement. We can grumble when people come to church who do not look, act, or talk like we think they should. Worse, we assume the Church will always be here for us. But God has not promised that any one congregation will remain until the Last Day. Every church is one bad year of apathy away from closing.

And it is apathy, not hatred, that destroys congregations. The Third Commandment is clear: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” That means gladly hearing and learning God’s Word. If we neglect that, there will be no point in keeping this, or any, congregation open. The Church is not a social club or a community tradition. It is the embassy and outpost of the Kingdom of God. It is here, in this place, that the Lord promises to deliver His gifts of life and salvation.

Martin Luther once said that the Word of God is like a passing rain cloud.[2] It waters where it falls, but if we take it for granted, it may move on and bless another place instead.

The Found

But thanks be to God: the Lord is not apathetic. He is zealous for the salvation of sinners. He delights in bringing the lost to faith, forgiveness, and everlasting life. This is the deepest expression of His holy will: not that the sinner would die, but that the sinner would live. And that includes you.

You matter to God. Not just in some vague, sentimental way, but personally. God’s love for you is not merely an emotion. It is a reality grounded in history, expressed in blood, and sealed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus received sinners. That is why He welcomed the tax collectors, the outcasts, the unclean, and the despised. He did not just eat with them, He forgave them. He restored them. He gave them the Kingdom.

This is also why heaven itself rejoices when even one sinner repents. When the lost are found, when the dead are raised, when grace is received there is joy in the courts of heaven, because God’s will is being done. And this is why the Church exists: to echo that divine joy, and to bring sinners into the presence of God. Not by our own power or persuasion, but through the work of Christ in Word and Sacrament. Through the means of preaching, baptism, and the Supper, God gathers the lost to Himself.

Conclusion

We live in a world where it is very easy to get lost and even easier to be forgotten. But fear not. No matter how far you have wandered, no matter how deep the sin, no matter how entitled or apathetic you have been, Christ desires you. Christ seeks you out. Christ offers you His salvation.This is your Lord’s greatest desire: to seek and to save the lost, even including you.

In the Holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] Luke 15:1-2 English Standard Version

[2] Luther’s Works American Edition volume 45 page 352.