After The Gate

God’s Relentless Pursuit

Intro:

A Lion and that lion is in hot pursuit of that Gazelle

Intro:

Have you ever lost something?

When you realize that you lost something or something is missing what is your typical response?

I know for me a couple things run through my mind.

I ask, okay where did I last see it?

I then go to that spot thinking it will be some miracle be there.

9/10 it is.

but what about that one time it is not?

You being to be frantic, you start to sweat a little, because it is your wallet you think the worst immediately someone stole all my money, they want my money— my 5.81 in my account they all want it.

You look high and low, you look in rooms you have never set foot in but it doesn’t hurt to look right!

Then when you try to bring someone else in to help you and they give their advice:

“Well where is the last place you saw it?”

Ghee I didn’t even think to look there… oh wait yea I did that was an hour ago— do think I have been searching for nothing, so you can give your all-knowing powerful questions— Dang-it Karen!

Of then they say:

“Well its gotta be somewhere.”

NO DUH!

But I do not know about you but I get a little crazy when I lose something, when it is something of high value to me, I go even more crazy.

Can you imagine if you lost your phone, crazy concept because that would involve you actually setting your phone somewhere else besides your hand!

You tear apart any room to find that phone!

I have been working out at the downtown Y— My buddy Andrew Wingo and I go at 5 am!

So this one day, we got done a little early with our workout so we hopped on the bikes to finish the day.

I have a pair of air-pods and I love these things.

I put them in to listen to some jams as I was running.

We left and i dropped Andrew off and as I was getting out of the car, I didn’t have my air-pods.

I checked the car, under the seats, in my pockets again.... nothing,

I then remember where i last had them on the bike at the YMCA

I jumped back into my prius, I unplugged it first and then did the flintstone yell…yabadaboo back to the Y

Now on the ride back, I was a little more careless driving to my destination, well when the light turns yellow, I tend to slow down, i found myself speeding up and I did not run any red lights, but I was close.

Did I come to a complete stop at the stop sign… nope.

Did I turn right on right a little faster and not care how close a car to hitting me… nope

My goal was to get to my air-pods

I park my car, and I run inside and make my way towards the bicycle I was just on and there they were, untouched right were I left them.

I was so pumped to find them!

I celebrated because something I though I lost was no longer lost but found!

I have told this story a couple of times to my wife, Andrew and a few others, and there is no significance to this story.

I found my lost headphone— and i found them again— could they be replaced sure, but I found them— replaceable but I found them!

Did you know that God loves lost things.

There is a passage in the scriptures that tells about lost things.

Luke who is the author of this text we are looking at recounts the story that Jesus gave to some people he was interacting with.

Luke 15:1-

Luke 15:1

Luke 15:1–7 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.” 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? 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.

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.”

Stop right there!

Lets set this up here, Jesus and his followers, they were together and they were hanging out with SINNNERS!

The nerve of Jesus, to hang out with people who were sinners and tax collectors.

Tax collectors were viewed as the skid-mark on the underpants of society at this point.

The religious leaders of the day were called Pharisees and you see they did not hang out with sinners because they thought they were better then them.

And they were mad that Jesus was hanging out with them so Jesus is going to answer his haters...

Luke 15:3–7 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? 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.

Luke 15:

Sheep are interesting animals.

Sheep tend to stay together pretty well.

As long as they are all together.

They can be lead pretty easily and they know the sound of their shepherds voice.

Now the focus of Jesus is not the sheep though— it is actually the shepherd, the one who is responsible for the sheep.

Jesus poses this question saying— look if you had 100 sheep and one went missing would you leave the 99 in the open country— believing they would all stay together because that is what sheep do, do you leave them and go after that one sheep?

I mean that sheep is replaceable, its just a sheep.

Maybe that one kept giving you problems and it was time to cut your losses.

Now understand the role of a shepherd— his flock is who is in charge of all these sheep.

Now would you want to develop a habit of letting lost things go...

you have 100 sheep, one is lost you now have 99...

you have 99 sheep, one is lost you now have 98...

You have 98 sheep, one is lost you now have 97.... you get the idea

You would probably be considered a crapped shepherd.

But that is not what most shepherds would do, at least not the good ones.

The good shepherd leaves his 99 not in a terrible place but in the open country, and they go after that lost sheep.

They do not go after that lost sheep to shun it afterwards or tell it is a bad sheep— but look at how they respond.

A good shepherd who goes after his sheep throws the sheep over their shoulders and they rejoice!

THEY HAVE JOY WHEN THEY FIND THE LOST SHEEP!

THEY TELL EVERYONE!

We have a room of sheep here.

We have sheep who are part of that 99, who have made a decision to follow after Christ and they are working out there faith, but you see they are part of the 99, you were lost and you know what it was like to be lost but you have been found.

And we have people in this room who are lost and they are separated from the good shepherd and that good shepherd is God, who comes after them— who seeks them out, he leaves the 99 who are righteous for the one that is lost.

You see God is so crazy in love with you that he is willing to chase you down, to climb up mountains and go through valleys to find you.

And when he does find you… He isn’t mad that you ran away, he isn’t upset because you were misled by things of this world, he isn’t hard and cold, he isn’t distant....

No he wraps you up, he hugs you and carries you back home rejoicing.

FULL OF JOY BECAUSE WHAT WAS LOST IS NOW FOUND!

If you are having trouble working through where you find yourself have you ever made a decision to follow Jesus?

Maybe you are wondering why would you want too.

You see we have a good shepherd who is God.

And as God created the whole world, he made man and woman and everything was perfect and good.

But this things happened, you see the man and woman thought they were better off not listening to God.

They doubted His words and they did not choose to follow after God.

In that moment, they sinned, and it was the first time sin entered the world, and ever since humanity has been plagued with sin.

BUT the story did not end there if it had we would have been chasing perfection which you can probably attest is impossible!

We needed a rescuer because left to our own thoughts and desire, we will pick sin, because sin is fun- its enjoyable- it is feeding into that desire, that selfish desire that our flesh goes against what God wants— and we end up being lost sheep.

When sinned came into the world we ended up being separated from God.

And this was not part of the plan, but God had a plan that would redeem all people forever.

It did not come in the form of a mighty warrior or 4 star general.

It came in the form of a baby, who would grow into a man and that man’s name was Jesus.

He was fully human and fully God, Jesus left His seat of glory to be nothing.

To offer up his body his blood so that we have a chance to be made right with God.

So that we have a chance to be found, by a God who never gives up on us, who comes after us, who loves.

We don’t deserve this kind of love but Christ lived a perfect life and died a death that we deserved, but he paid it all in full as he died on the cross.

SO THAT WHEN WE ARE LOST— WHEN WE ARE FAR FROM THE SHEPHERD— HE COMES AFTER US.

LEFT ON OUR OWN WE WOULD NEVER COME TO GOD—IT IS BY HIS WORK YOU ARE HERE TONIGHT— IT IS BY HIS PLAN THAT YOU HEAR THIS MESSAGE TONIGHT AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO BELIEVE IN JESUS AND BE SAVED!

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING IF THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE TONIGHT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING HEAVEN WILL REJOICE, WE WILL REJOICE BECAUSE SOMEONE WHO WAS LOST HAS BEEN FOUND!

The 99 do not need to repent they have they are all where you were and the shepherd went and found them when they were lost.

Are you seeking? Are you lost?

God is coming after you and He will purse you relentlessly.

How we rejoice when we found our air-pods how much more will we rejoice when a lost soul goes from darkness to light.

Will you bow you heads:

As the team comes back up, if you want to accept this free gift from God, this gift of salvation, and you want to be part of God’s family tonight will you just look up at me—

Alright for everyone else I just want you to keep praying right now:

If you looked at me:

I want you to repeat after me:

God I have been an enemy of yours for too long

My sins are many and I know that I could never account for all of them and you know I could never pay them back.

I’m sorry for trying to do this life on my own.

Lord I believe in your Son, I believe that Jesus came and he died for my sins and three days later he rose again.

Lord I believe in your Son, I believe that Jesus came and he died for my sins and three days later he rose again.

That he is up in heaven speaking right now on my behalf, Lord forgive me.

While I know I am still going to mess up; Lord help me to be a reflection of your son.

This is the hard part—

Now listen if you prayed that prayer I want you to get up and head to the back there are some leaders who would love to pray with you and help you with this decision that you made tonight.

AS they walk out— the band is going to play a couple more songs to close us out:

If you are feeling a tug at any point over the next couple of songs— That is God working on you do not ignore that!

Lean into— If you want someone to pray for you the front of the stage is open, the back of the room is full of leaders who would love to pray for you.

I would encourage you to not leave this place tonight without known where you will spend eternity.

This decision to follow God or not is all about your soul.

Worship Team will you lead us.