Where’s the Love?
Learning to love & lead the lost | Luke 15
Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
(Luke 15:1-2)
February is always associated with love because of Valentine’s Day. On February 14, your loved one expects to see signs of your love for them. If you forget that day, you’ll definitely be in hot water with your loved one and could hear the question, “Where’s the love?”
In Luke 15, Jesus is asking the same question to the religious people of His day. Those who were supposed to know God the best seemed to show His love the least. While “sinners” and outcasts, like the tax collectors, were constantly coming to Jesus because of His heart for them, the only attitude the religious people felt for them was condemnation. And so with the three parables of the chapter, Jesus basically confronts the Pharisees and teachers with one question: “Where’s the love?”
For each of the last three Sundays of February, we will be studying these “Where’s the love?” parables one by one. The parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and prodigal son are really Jesus’ challenge to each of His followers to develop a heart of love and leadership for those lost in sin. As we walk through these parables, God will be challenging each of us with practical steps to live out His love for the lost every day. Here is a brief outline of how we will be ‘“March”ing towards the Harvest’ this February.
Feb 9 Luke 15:8-10 / The Lost Coin Seeing The Value Of The Lost
Feb 16 Luke 15:11-32 / The Prodigal Son Seeing The Lost As Family
Feb 23 Luke 15:3-7 / The Lost Sheep Seeing The Lost As Needing To Be Led
Each week you will be given a different gift to encourage your love and leadership for the lost as we prepare to invite them to be part of “Every Day Begins With Jesus” in March (see the next page for more).
So as we finish January with a resolve to face the promise land together, may we not just talk about loving the lost and praying for the harvest. May God, and everyone around us, see in our actions and priorities the true evidence of a heart of love and leadership for the lost.
Where’s the love? Hopefully in us.
Pastor Shawn