I'm At The Lost & Found!

I’m At The Lost & Found! Luke 15:1-2

Luke 15:1–2 NKJV

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

May God Bless The Reading Hearing & Understanding of his Precious Word!

Prayer

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

Today, we’re going to talk about something very important to our faith: our purpose as a church and the thing we must do as a ministry! We are in a never-ending search for the lost. In a world where many people wander around aimlessly looking for a purpose and a place in this crazy world! Were people are looking for answers to questions - we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, actively looking for those who have gone astray and bringing them back into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior. This directive to look for the lost is all over the Bible! , This is our purpose as Christ Followers! This is our directive as the church!

Every person has a value that cannot be measured. Every person is worth reaching out to, No matter what they've done in the past, No matter what mistakes they've made, or No matter what's going on in their lives right now. God has carefully put each person together. Each person deserves a chance to receive salvation. Our Job is to constantly look for the lost! God gave all of us - I mean every one of us value when he created us from the start and that no one is out of His reach. But we get lost! We make decision based on the knowledge that we have at that moment! Sometimes those decisions take us down paths - that God never intended for us! Our mission, our goal and our directive is to find and direct the lost to Jesus ! When You and I do that individually and collectively, we show how much God values each person. This gives people hope and starts change. That's what we need today!

This is what Jesus told us to do! Jesus, who is the perfect example of love and compassion, told us to go into all the world and make disciples of people from every country

Matthew 28:19 NLT

19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

This purpose goes way beyond the walls of our church buildings. It forces us to get out of our comfort zones, go into the dark, and reach out to people who may have gotten off the right road. As believers, we are called to follow the example of Jesus and never give up on the lost . Our Job is to show His love and offer His invitation to all who are tired and need rest.

Lean in - Young people may not get this, but if you have been around for a minute you know Time Flies - Time goes through our hands like a quick breath. Every second that goes by brings us closer to the end of everything. Now, hear me - think about lives that are at stake, when we don't focus on the lost. There is a weight of eternity. UCF doesn’t exist for us to entertain ourselves - we exist to go out individually and collectively and introduce people to Jesus! The lost souls we meet carry the weight of their eternal destinies, and we must have a relentless pursuit that may be the very thing that leads them from darkness to light, from brokenness to wholeness, and from despair to endless hope. To an eternal place with God through his Son Jesus!

Luke 15:1 NKJV

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.

In this verse, we see that tax collectors and other bad people are drawn to Jesus. Even though they had a bad name and standing in society, they were drawn to Jesus. Today, this verse tells us that the message of the gospel is a message of love and acceptance for everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done in the past. It pushes us, it challenges us to show love and acceptance to people who look different from us, who think different from us who have different lifestyles than us and who might be called outcasts in our society.

People are hungry for love and acceptance. When you look at the text you see these folks were not coming out of curiosity, or to observe, or to seek physical blessings; they were coming out of a spiritual need, out of the need to receive His message of salvation! Luke 15:2

Luke 15:2 NLT

2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

Hear me now! The religious leaders of that time were critical of Jesus for associating with sinners. Key Word - is RELIGIOUS

The were complaining and grumbling about who Jesus was associating himself with! Lean in again - When we act like this it reflects a mindset of self-righteousness and exclusion. Be careful, you may find yourself inadvertently adopting a similar mindset, Which means, you start looking down on others looking through your religious glasses, in your religious, suits or religious dresses, underneath your religious church hats, sitting in your religious pews at your religious building and excluding them based on their past mistakes or differences.

The text reminds us to stop and break free from the chains of judgment and extend the same grace and acceptance that Jesus demonstrated to the tax collectors and sinners

Jesus was not of the world, but He was out in the world trying to reach men and women - boys and girls for God. It is this that is often overlooked by religious people!

We are not suppose to be doing worldly things and carrying on worldly conversation the bible tells us that in

Ephesians 4:29 NLT

29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

So religious people hid behind

2 Corinthians 6:17–18 NLT

17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

The Lost don’t need you to be the same thing they already have - they are looking for something different! Thats why Jesus tells don’t act like unbelievers, be the difference! Don’t do the things they are doing - give them something different

Jesus tell us in

Mark 16:15 M:BCL

15 Then he said, “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all.

Our Job is to go not sit back and wait on sinners to come to you or your church building! Go out to wherever people are lost

If the whole gospel was preached today with power and authority, how many people would come to hear... the good news that there is freedom from sin and death? there is freedom from the lies that the world tells you that keep you depressed and full of anxiety, there is freedom from the guilt of past mistakes, freedom from the pressure of not living up to someone elses expectations, freedom from the negative words that have been said to you out of someone elses brokenness, freedom from the disappointments of promises that were broken, freedom from the manipulative behavior of insecure people and those with selfish agendas, and the list goes on and on - Say Freedom

Every Chain is broken, The good news breaks the shackles that keep us from the experiencing true love! Mary Mary said take these shackles off my feet so I can dance!

Luke 15:2 M:BCL

2 The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.”

So Jesus Answered these folks - these religious leaders using parables:

Luke 15:3–7 NLT

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

This parable tells me about the value God places on each and every one of his children. This story tells me how committed God is to each of us and that his commitment to you and his commitment to me is unwavering! He will do everything he can to find and save the lost. Then it goes even deeper - and we can’t see it with our physical eyes, but he says their is a joy that fills heaven when one sinner repents and turns back to God.

There are 3 things i want you to see

1. Know what you're worth. Each one of us is important to God. God's love for you never changes, no matter how lost or unimportant you feel. Accept your value as a child of God, and never forget how much your life can affect other people.

2. Look for the lost. God's heart beats for people who are far from Him. Like the shepherd, we are called to constantly look for the lost. Reach out to people who are emotionally lost and show them how much God loves them. Guide them back into the the loving arms of Jesus.

3. Rejoice in redemption. It's a reason to celebrate when a lost person turns around and comes back to God. Let's celebrate with heaven every person who finds their way back to God and is saved. Those who have found their way should be encouraged and helped, and they should be reminded of the happy party that awaits them for eternity

Then Jesus used this story:

Luke 15:8–10 NLT

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

The Story of the Coin That Got Lost

So In this story, Jesus tells about a woman who looks hard for a lost coin - she is looking for her money and she is happy when she finds it. Now hear me - The coin was valuable not only because it was worth money, but also because it was important to the woman. Key Word - IMPORTANT! So what is this parable saying - Jesus is telling us how important each person is to God and how much He wants to fix and make each life whole again. His desire is to restore and bring wholeness to every life.

Three things I want you to take away from this parable

1. Pursue restoration: Just as the woman in the parable searched tirelessly for the lost coin, we are called to pursue restoration in our relationships. Seek reconciliation with those who have been lost or disconnected, showing them the same determination and love that God extends to us. 2. Value every life: Each person is precious to God, and their worth extends beyond their external circumstances or past mistakes. Let us create a culture that values and honors every individual, regardless of their background, race, or social standing. 3. Celebrate finding what was lost: When we witness someone finding their way to God or experiencing restoration, let us celebrate with them. Share in their joy and uplift them, reminding them of the love and grace that surrounds them.

Today, people are longing for acceptance: The fact that tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus reveals their deep desire for acceptance and forgiveness. Despite their reputation, they were attracted to Jesus' teachings because they found hope in His words. Here me, people in our world today, even those who may seem distant from God, are often searching for acceptance, purpose, and love. We are called to extend the same compassion and openness that Jesus displayed, creating an environment where people feel safe to approach and encounter Him. Because there is what i call a transformative power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ : The fact that sinners were drawn to Jesus reveals the transformative power of His message. His words touched their hearts and offered them a way out of their brokenness and sin. Today, this verse reminds me that the bible has the power to transform lives. We have to share His message with others people, and trust that His words will resonate with those who are seeking truth and restoration.

God Bless You and God keep you is my prayer