Lost Sheep

Lets turn to a passage of scripture in Luke 15:1-2. We are going to talk about the parable of the lost sheep one of my favorite parables that Jesus tells.

Now, when I was young, my sister and I woke up one morning and went out front to play. I dont know why my parents thought it was a good idea, but they allowed it. I then had a grand plan, i found a random key to something and told Paige my sister that it was a key to the donut store and we loved the donut shop! So, with our combined 8 years of life experience, we decided to walk to the donut shop, without telling anyone.

My mom was inside, and when she popped her head out to check on us she realized we were gone. “Caleb, Paige..” went to, “CALEB, PAIGE!” And they went out searching for us! Right before we got to the main highway where the donut shop was, my dad found us, and brought us back home.

God finds value, when others see no value.

You see the the Pharisees saw that Jesus was sitting and hanging out with sinners. Pharisees saw no value because they were unclean people. But Jesus saw them and loved them so much that he would eat with them and do life with them.

Luke 15:1–2 (ESV)

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

The Pharisees saw that the people that Jesus was hanging out with were far gone. They thought that there was no hope for those sinners, its so disgusting that He was hanging with them.

Where others see no value, God finds value.

Luke 15:3–4 ESV

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

He compares us as a flock of a hundred sheep. One leaves, strays away from the flock, its just one sheep, he has plenty more. 99 more sheep theres nothing so special about that one sheep. Thats probably what the pharisees thought about the sinners. “There are plenty of righteous people you can be hanging out with Jesus, they are not worth your time, focus on our little holy huddle of believers who are ‘faithful’ to the Lord.”

God finds value, when others see no value.

What will He do when...

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

In reality, we are the lost sheep so many times. In my life I can relate to these statements: What will Jesus do… when he finds out about my porn addiction. What will Jesus do… when he finds out about what I do on a friday night at the party. What will he do… when he finds out about what lies and gossips that have been in my mouth. What will he do when… (fill in the blank with your sin).

He will never take us back. We will never be allowed back in church, or better yet I will never get to spend eternity with him because of all of the things I did. He wont want me anymore.

**You see we wander on our own way, thinking we know what is good for us. Sex feels good, drugs feel good, alcohol makes me feel good, putting other people down makes me feel good! But thats not the answer. And because we have fallen short of the glory of God, that separates us from Him for eternity.

He rejoices

Luke 15:5–7 ESV

And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

He finds us and doesn’t give us a lecture and tells us to clean it up and get back to him. The sheep did not send smoke signals or “baaa” to help the owner find it. No. He finds us in the midst of our sins, the midst of wandering off doing our own thing, smoking, drinking, lusting after whatever! He finds us and picks us up and tells us, “I have found you! Let’s go back home.”

Let’s get real we have all fallen short. But the good news is that God never gets tired of bringing us home.

God never gets tired of bringing us home.

Whatever you have done, it is not something that is unforgivable and God gets tired of it.

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing can separate us from the love of our God. And with this truth we are called to share it! Spread it like a wild fire.

Cody can you come up. Give self reflection.

I want you to look at your walk with the Lord.

Maybe you can say, “Caleb, I’ve been doing amazing. My prayer life is on fire, I haven’t missed a quiet time in weeks or months.” Awesome I want to encourage you to stay strong! I want you to think about a person who you know needs to hear this message of hope. They are battling an addiction, not feeling loved, family is falling apart. God has put you in their life so you can be that light of hope and you can share with them the love that is found only in God.

Maybe your walk is looks like you have been wandering. You have been feeding into that temptation a little more lately. You used to feel really convicted or guilty when you looked at that website or gossiped about that girl or guy, but now its just a bad habit. And you are thinking that God isn’t going to want me anymore. Just like what my parents or friends or coaches say about me, I am no good for anybody! That is not true. You are loved so much that the God of the universe would drop everything to search for you. You have a purpose and a plan has been set out for you by the one who created and molded you in your mothers womb. He will take you just as you are, and He will clean you. We don’t deserve it, but he gives it to us anyways, FREELY.

Now there is some in here that you are the person that is lost. I want to tell you that God is actively pursuing you and He will gladly pick you up and bring you home! You see, we all have sinned and missed the mark, and that sin separates us from a holy God. But He made a way to Him, through Jesus death and resurrection. He wants to have a relationship with us, thats why we were created so we can enjoy His creation with him and spread His glory. If that is you, and you realize, “Yes I have been living in my sin,” don’t leave tonight without accepting Jesus into your heart and securing your place in heaven. Talk to one our leaders or me tonight!