Kevin DeYoung on Luke Fifteen

DeYoung outlines his sermon on Luke 15 in the following way:

1. DeYoung wants to give us 1 key point to understanding the text.
2. DeYoung wants to give us 2 things we should note about God from these stories.
3. DeYoung wants to give us 3 things we need to do.

One. To properly understand the stories of Luke 15, we must remember what provokes them: criticism about Jesus hanging around sinners. All the stories that follow address this tension.
Two. We see a minor theme and major theme developed in these stories, each disclosing something about the heart of God.

• Minor Theme: God seeks out sinners.
• Major Theme: God rejoices when sinners are found.

Three. From these reflections, we can make three applications.

• Let us be mindful of the need for relationships and repentance. Jesus fellowshipped with sinners and called sinners to repentance. We should do the same.
• Let us seek out and find all kinds of lost people. The story of the prodigal son is really a story of two sons. We should be mindful of both kinds of estrangement.
• Let us in our churches be marked by the experience and expectation of joy. All of these stories suggest the act and anticipation of ministry is joy.

May these applications mark us!

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of posts summarizing The Gospel Coalition Conference 2013 plenary sessions. I hope my shorthand will prove helpful to you.