God does not run away from the runaways.

Introduction.

Our Father in heaven is on a massive rescue mission to save unbelievers.

Our fathers heart in heaven beats and bleeds for lost people because he loves them and he does not want any to perish or drift away, our father in heaven is enlisting us into His rescue mission where we rescue those that are drifting and those that have backslidden or even those who have wonder of.

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Our Father in heaven does not run away from runaways, instead he seeks and saved them in and through us.

Luke 19:10 (NIV)

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Are we on the side of our Father where we have caught His heart for the lost. If not Maybe we should.

I have a conviction in my heart that God is calling us to friendship evangelism ,

What is that ,

We are each bringing a friend to Jesus and we each teach that person to follow Jesus.

There are 2 types of evangelism that our Father in heaven wants us to focus on.

Come and see evangelism.( Work together in our Dream teams)

Go and tell evangelism.

We are going to see this work out worked in one of the most powerful parables,

please Turn with me to

Luke 15:1–7 (NIV)

1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around 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 neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

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

POINT 1 GOD DOES NOT RUN AWAY FROM THE RUNAWAYS.

Luke 15:4 (NIV)

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?

Genesis 3:8–10 (NIV)

8Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

God our Father is in the saving business, Jesus came to seek and save the Lost, the Holy Spirit mission is to point people to Jesus.

We are called to be a new creation that is a witness in our sphere of influence.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Here is a profound revelation that will change our life, if we can embrace this and under it.

If God is doing something we do it with Him.

Jesus said I only do what I see my Father doing.

God what are you doing?

God what is my response to what you are doing?

In this case God does not run away from the runaways, God is seeking out lost people.

We should be God's hands ,feet and voice.

Maybe some child of God has drifted from your small group, or life or even church.

Your job as a believer would be to pray for them non-stop,call them and bring them back.

Or maybe God highlights a person He wants us to reach out to then we should reach out to them.

Application:

We need the Anointing of God upon us to do this..

POINT 2 I CAN MAKE NEWS IN HEAVEN WHEN I REACH A LOST SOUL FOR JESUS

Luke 15:5–7 (NIV)

5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

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

Family, many people live for worldly recognition , they have a desire to count.

Which i don't think it is a issue, however we always need to check our motives, or when someone is in the news paper we tell our friends he look so and so is in the news paper, or some people get a very excited and they cut it out and frame the article and keep it and say look i have arrived or i have some greatness or stature.

I think it is wonderful.

However there is another world, the Kingdom of God, we called to advance that kingdom, then there is a heavenly host of angels, there is the Father, there is Jesus.

Hebrews 12 (NIV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4

Family we could outrole the newspaper in heaven, we could make heaven rejoice, the angels rejoice, the Father rejoice if we start to lead people to Jesus, we bring back the lost sons and daughters of God .

We could be walking every day , every step making heaven rejoice .

Would we settle this as a way of life, by faith apart of our living like what we do as human beings as new creations is evangelized .

It is who we are and that is what we do, done.

Application.

Can we agree that this is what we do , as a part of our lifestyle because God does it we work with Him.

We have people on our Monday-Friday that God wants us to pray for .

POINT 3 HOW DO I START TO PARTNER WITH GOD TO REACH MY LOST FRIENDS.

Luke 15:4 (NIV)

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?

Ask God who He wants you to pray for.

Seek the Help, guidance, and comfort of the Holy Spirit to help you.

Accept the personal responsibility to reach a lost person.

Build a personal relationship with a lost person.

Share your personal story of how you met Jesus .

Give a personal invitation to join you at church.