Stop For The One

Luke 15:1-7

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering round to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.’

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.

Thank you very much for the Reading Sumbo.

We are taking a break from The RED ALERT Series that we have been looking at over the last three weeks to hear what the Lord is saying to each of us as we approach the Easter Season.

A few years ago, I made it part of my morning routine to go to Epsom racecourse and walk around the racecourse several times to exercise about three or four days a week. On one of these occasions I dropped my keys on the green. I didn't realise I dropped it until I got home. When I went back to look for the keys which included the house key and the car keys I can find it anywhere just take a look at the picture on the screen to see the scope of the Race Cource.

I prayed that the Lord will help me find it I prayed earnestly. and I also prayed 35 wasn't a find it then because it started raining that the Lord will lead somebody else to find it and come and bring it to me.

Before leaving for the house I passed by the groundsman's hut, he wasn't there but I was able to leave a message with my telephone number and address that he should he find it could he please return it to me.

the side door open so I was able to get home. but as far as the school run or anything else was concerned I was pretty stuck.

so I just continued to pray in thecourse of whatever I was doing and then about two hours later there was a knock on the door. it was the groundsman from the racecourse. he said Mrs Kirk are these your keys.

my heart leapt for joy because I knew that complication that will come through the day without having those keys. but I was also very thankful to the Lord because he had answered my prayer.

so I asked the groundsman how did you find it and he said I can't believe it myself, as I was driving down across the field, in the rain I could see something glisten. he continued so I stopped to see what it was and I realised it was a key so I picked it up and when I got to the Hut I was informed that you had lost your keys so I said I come and cheque with you and that was the story for the day.

I was pleased I was thankful I was elated and these were just a set of keys. ultimately another one could have been cut. it would have been costly but I would have had to call somebody to to let me into the car but I found it and I was pleased I was jolly pleased.

so if that is the elation and joy that I can have over losing a set of keys then imagine what would happened in the heart of the shepherd the Jesus uses in this parable.

the shepherding the parable that we just heard read had taken his sheep out for the day. at the end of the day having ruined several fields to get them fat having nurtured and looked off to them protected them throughout the day, he gets home only to find out that one is missing. and so he leaves the 99 quite possibly in the care of other shepherds because in those days shepherds didn't drive travel alone and then he goes out in search of the one his lost sheep.

Searches and he searches and he searches until he finds his sheep. and as we had once he found the sheep he was elated he was elated he was excited he was happy he was pleased.

When he finds the sheep , he rejoices and then carries the exhausted sheep back to the flock, irrespective of how heavy it maybe.

This might seem insignificant to us, but for the Shepherd, the ninety are not neglected but left the be protected and nurtured, while he goes after His priority, the lost Sheep. Vs 7

This might seem insignificant to us, but for the Shepherd, the ninety are not neglected but left the be protected and nurtured, while he goes after His priority. Why?

But to be lost also means being out of service. A lost sheep is of no value to the shepherd, a lost coin has no value to the owner, and a lost sinner cannot experience the enriching fulfillment God has for him in Jesus Christ.

And so it is with the an even greater sense of earnestness and passion with which the Shepherd sets out for the lost sheep that the Lord reached out to us through others and calls us to go out and find the One.

It is with the same earnestness and passion with which the Shepherd sets out for the lost sheep that the Lord reached out to us through others and calls us to go out and find the One.

In Ezekiel 34 :11 The Lord asays, he gathers his children by hand as in the day of the Israelites and then he places them in versus.

And when that lost one is found, Christ says:

Luke 15:7- 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.

We can’t lose what we don’t have, indicating that the our father desire to restore the children who were lost to Him.

We were created by God but a diviation from His plan and purpose for us came through sin. So he earnestly seeks to bring us back to Him.

How many of us as parent will forget about a child of ours who cuts of contact with the family? Won’t we do whatever is in our power to be reconciled with that child? So God sent Christ into the World to search of the lost.

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

We have all sinned, Christ redeemed us and send us out to share the gospel that we have received. Isaiah 53:6.

those of us who are here this morning who have already given our life to Christ, it is only by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Whose Authority and Mandate

So Christ commission's *** who have already been saved under God’s call and mandate to reach the last. explain

Matt 28:18-20…..

With A Message

John 20:21-23 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.””

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

With Christ Attitude.. Mark 16:15-18 “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.””

Rewards:

John 4:36

Rewarded according to our labour – 1 Corinthians 3:8

Outreach with a divine mandate will always uncover the apple of God’s eye that you’ve been sent to reach. (example of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947.

How – Obeying the Mandate

Soul winning guarantees healthy living – Jn. 15:1-2/ Pro. 13:17/ 2Cor. 5:20

Steps to Effective Soul Winning

§ Don’t condemn your target but show him/ her the love of God – Rom. 5:12

§ Emphasize eternal life as the free gift of God to mankind – Rom. 6:23

We are to engage in evangelism in faith and believe that our mandate is from God.

v The word we believe is what we are empowered to become – Jn 1:12

Ø It is our faith that provokes the hand of God to perform – Luk. 1:37-38/45 Soul winning glorifies God and bestows honour on us in return – Jn. 15:8/ Pro. 14:28/ 1Sam. 2:30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

v But prophetic word must be mixed with faith in our hearts before it can be performed – Heb. 4:2