Find lost people and save them

4.3.07

Last week I shared about how we can get eternal life, how we get into the kingdom of God, this week I want to share what our purpose as Christians is as we represent Jesus.

Luke 19: Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” NIV

Luke 19: 10 The Son of Man came to find lost people… NCV

Our commission is to seek and save the lost too.

• I have a simple question, “Is it hard to find lost people”?
• No? I would say yes!
• Why would we have to seek them then?
• If they were easy to find then they would be everywhere.
• Wait a minute before you get confused. I want to challenge our thinking for a minute.
• Do we equate being a sinner with being lost?
• Ro 3:10-18 we are all sinners under the law.

Grace is a gift for sinners when they “admit they are lost (repent)”

Any direction but the right direction is the wrong direction

How would you define lost? Not in the biblical sense just the meaning of lost.

1. Unable to find one's way: a lost child.
2.  
1. No longer in the possession, care, or control of someone or something: a lost pen.
1. I am lost because I am out of control.
2. No longer in existence; vanished or spent: lost youth.
1. I have lost my innocence.
3. No longer known or practiced: a lost art.
1. There has to be another way to live but I have lost it.
4. Beyond reach, communication, or influence:
1. I reach out but cannot touch, I speak but have no answer, I want God’s influence in my life but don’t know how.

Of course there are people that don’t want to be found, that are hiding from the day of decision. I have even heard people say “I want to live my life first and then sometime toward the end of my life, when I have experienced everything that I want to, and then I will consider religion”

Psalm 14: 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. NIV

Why don’t men like to ask someone for directions? Why would they rather be lost than admit they are lost and get help? PRIDE, is the original sin.

The lost know they are lost and they want to be found, I think this is why this story is in the Bible about Zacchaeus.

What is the right direction? Are we sure we know?

Ulli said she heard this preaching and the preacher used the example that if you knew the twin towers in New York were going to fall and you could talk to the people before it happened what would you tell them. (Besides don’t go to work that day) Would you tell them that God was interested in you having more money or having a good life? Many when they understood the urgency of the matter said “No I would share that they need to get saved and meet God” (Patient dieing of cancer, a soldier going to Iraq…?)

The Gospel:

John 14: 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. NIV

John 3:16-21 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

When the Spirit brings a prepared Christian and a seeking, lost sinner together, there will be a harvest.

Part 2

Next week 11.3.07

Review last week

WHY ARE THE LOST HARD TO SEE?

• One simple reason might be is we don’t know the right way either. (from last week)

• Do we let their wealth blind us?
• Zacchaeus was a rich man...
• Could we be sharing something with people something that is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Many believe that the gospel is sharing with people that God has a plan for a better life for them i.e. wealth, happiness, easy etc…
• If this is the case then we automatically think it is hard to share with the wealthy, because they already have it.
• We are not offering people a better whatever they have now, we are offering them Jesus!

• Do we let their sins blind us?
• And a tax collector =  corrupt and thief
• “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.
• A thief, a pimp, a prostitute, homosexual, a Mormon, a catholic…
• Peter’s vision Acts 10:9-16

Acts 10: 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. NIV

• The Prodigal son, good Samaritan, Jesus touched dead people, he talked to Gentiles, he ate with tax collectors, he forgave adulteresses, he came close to bleeding women,
• The Apostle Paul had this mindset to overcome.
• The saying of the Pharisees „I thank God I am not a Gentile, slave or a woman“ But he wrote „There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

• Do we let our egos blind us? (Jesus looked up) (we look down on people)
• “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
• He Knew his name
• Personal Savior who knows and loves us. * Was not hesitant to know and be with him (now)
• If you will…I will…
• Honored him by coming to his house and eating with him.

• Do we let our conditional love blind us?
• 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. (the Father of faith)

Galatians 3: 6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. NIV

Revelation 3: 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. NIV

• If anyone hears my voice and opens the door
• What if you were visiting South America and you were walking through a village and you saw an old man sitting there looking sad. You are touched and you go and talk with him. You can tell he was from European background and you begin to ask him questions. He says his name is Andre and has lived here many years. He is moved by your interest and concern and shares more with you about his hard life in Brazil. You are led to share your faith and the Love of God with him and he begins to cry uncontrollably.  After he calms a bit you ask him if he would like to receive Jesus Christ and God’s forgiveness, he answers “yes” and prays such a heart felt prayer with you. Afterwards he looks so peaceful and you prepare to leave encouraging him to get into a local church and grow. He says “Oh I cannot do that” He continues “I will not be received there”. You ask “why”? Because of who I am. You assure him that the Christians will love him. Then he says “you don’t understand if they find out about my past they will not receive me” Once again you assure him this is not so. Finally he says with a careful deliberate tone “but my real name is Adolf Hitler”…

• Do we let inopportunity blind us? (now is not a good time)
•  “Today salvation has come to this house… * Today is the day of salvation…I know I am lost but can you come back later and tell me how to get home? That person doesn’t want to be found! Keep seeking.
• Keep dropping seed, people need to know, but don’t cast pearls to swine…

Matthew 7: 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 for everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! NIV

Let’s find the asker, the seeker, the knocker, and bring them to Jesus.

• Have you made the decision to know Christ?
• Then today salvation has come to your house!
• If you have been lost and you want to come home then today is your day!