The Lost Sheep
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About this ebook
This is a commentary on the Parable of the Lost Sheep as told by Jesus in Luke 15:3-7. In reality it is a revelation of God's heart for those who have struggled in their faith, fallen into sin or who have found themselves out of fellowship with His people.
The parable is not so much about a lost sheep as it is about a shepherd and what He does to find that sheep and restore it to the fold. In this Shepherd, we find a powerful example of what God expects of us as His people as we rub shoulders with the lost sheep of our day.
F. Wayne Mac Leod
F. Wayne Mac Leod was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada and received his education at Ontario Bible College, University of Waterloo and Ontario Theological Seminary. He was ordained at Hespeler Baptist Church, Cambridge, Ontario in 1991. He and his wife, Diane served as missionaries with the Africa Evangelical Fellowship (now merged with SIM) on the islands of Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean from 1985-1993 where he was involved in church development and leadership training. He is presently involved in a writing ministry and is a member of Action International Ministries.
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The Lost Sheep - F. Wayne Mac Leod
THE LOST SHEEP
A Study of Jesus’ Parable in Luke 15:3-7
F. Wayne Mac Leod
LIGHT TO MY PATH BOOK DISTRIBUTION
Smashwords Edition
www.ltmp.ca
Copyright © 2009 by F. Wayne Mac Leod
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licences for personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thanks for respecting the hard work of this author.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise specified, are taken from the New International Version of the Bible (Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used with permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers, All rights reserved.)
Special thanks to the proofreaders without whom this book would be much harder to read:
Diane Mac Leod, Lillian Mac Neil
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 - The Shepherd's Responsibility
Chapter 2 - A Lost Sheep
Chapter 3 - Leaving the Ninety-Nine
Chapter 4 - Going After the Lost Sheep
Chapter 5 - And When He Finds It
Chapter 6 - Rejoice With Me
Chapter 7 - Rejoicing in Heaven
Light To My Path Book Distribution
Preface
This is a study of Luke 15:3-7. While this passage is often used for evangelistic purposes, my purpose is to show how it applies to the believer.
The parable has become known as the Parable of the Lost Sheep. The word lost
is a theological term often used in our day. As a theological term, it refers to an unbeliever who has never received the salvation of the Lord Jesus. We say that a person is lost if they have never come to Christ. I am not using the word lost
in this sense.
I have met many believers who have wandered from the love and commitment they once knew. For some, life has been cruel and their faith has suffered as a result. For others, the church has been unkind and they find themselves wandering outside its fellowship. Others have fallen into the temptations of the world and their commitment to Christ has diminished. These believers have lost their way. They have wandered from the path God has for them. They are lost sheep.
As a good shepherd Jesus knew his sheep would suffer in this world. There are many enemies for the sheep. Their faith would be severely tested. Some of Christ’s sheep would be scattered. Others would be wounded and bruised and left by the roadside of life.
This is a parable about restoring the sheep that have lost their way and wandered from the joy and fellowship God desires for them. It presents a challenge to us to take seriously the care of our hurting and wounded brothers and sisters in the faith. In the day Jesus taught this parable, the Pharisees and religious leaders were neglecting the people under their care. The sheep were not being taught. They had no one to care for them. They wandered from the truth and fell into the ways of the world while their spiritual shepherds stood idly by.
In many ways the parable is about what it means to be a faithful shepherd of God’s sheep. It reveals the heart of the Lord Jesus for his precious ones who have lost their way. It is a call to all who will listen to its teaching to hear God’s heart for those whose fellowship and joy in Christ has been hindered. The ministry of restoring sheep to fellowship is not an easy one. It