Lost Sheep

Have you ever been lost but you didn’t know it or at least you were not concerned about it?

A few years ago me and some friends went to downtown Chicago at night and we took the train but when we got there we didn’t really know the way around the city or anything but we decided to explore.

and I feel like I tell stories of me getting lost pretty frequently

So we get off the train and we just wondered around trying figuring out what there was to do.

and I don’t know how we managed to do this walking but we saw a ton of the city.

and really most of the time we had no idea where we were but we were having a good time.

and now looking back we were in some great areas and some really rough areas but we had no idea at the time.

and really the only thing we knew was that we had to be back to the train-station around 12:30 to catch the last train out of the city.

and it got to around 12 O'clock and all of the sudden it hit us that we should probably start to figure out where we are and where the train station is.

So we went to plug it into our phones and it wasn’t working

So all of the sudden it hit us that if we don’t find the train-station in time then we are spending the night outside in Chicago in the winter.

So what

so we just started running trying to find where the train station is.

and like I said we diden’t know if we were in a bad area or not

there were the chicago natives judging us going these kids…

and we were freaking out wondering if we were camping in chicago tonight.

But long story short we made it to the train station and got home so we diden’t have to stay the night in Chicago

But you know as I was thinking about that story I was thinking how being lost is really a terrible feeling

I get lost a lot which is probably something you all have started to catch on to.

But being lost isn’t fun

because if not I will be in trouble.

It can be scary

And y

sometimes people will judge you

s

But when you are lost

and somtimes you ask yourself am I ever going to be able to find my way out of this situation.

and really in our lives in general we can find ourselves in a place where we just feel lost

not physically lost, but where we go in life I am lost.

Because in life when you are lost it can feel like there is little hope

But today we are going to be looking into a passage that talks about us being loss, and not just being loss but finding our way back home.

So turn with me to and we are finishing our series imperfect together

where really we have been looking at just a few stories of people who have messed up in the Bible (even though there are a lot of stories like that)

But whats amazing is God uses these people and redeems them even when they look completely lost.

So turn with me to because it says:

Luke 15:1–7 NIV

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “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? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I 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.

So Jesus tells this story and he says there is this man and he has 100 sheep (which for this time was a pretty good amount of sheep to have)

and the text says the man looses one of his sheep

and its easy to just skim over that but the shepherd did not just loose the sheep

because most likely the sheep wondered away.

because sheep are known to not be the smartest animals.

because what happens is they keep there heads facing down at the grass and eat it and then move to the next patch of grass and eat that and it is really easy for a sheep to wonder away

and on

because they are not the brightest animal

And don’t take this offensively but we are not too different from sheep.

Because we run away and get lost.

Because every single one of us is created in God’s image which is awesome.

Think about that, you were created in God’s image.

But the issue is that sin enters all of our lives and sin separates us from God

and what happens is we keep making wrong turns an

and since God really guides our life if we are seperated from Him then we are lost.

Its like if you do not have a signal on your phone and cannot pull up the GPS on it if you are like me you end up lost.

and if you are really like me because you do not know where you are you keep making wrong turns until you are really far away and even more lost.

but really thats what happens to us in our walk with God is we become lost and we keep making wrong turns and making wrong decisions because we are separated by God

And what happens is we end up like this one sheep in the story where we are lost and we might not even notice.

But look at the story because you think the Shepard in this story would go well its just one sheep out of 100 and really its not one of my brightest sheep either, I will just stay here and watch the 99

But it doesn’t say that, it says he leaves the 99 and finds the one and its easy for us to get well what happens to the 99, but that isn’t the focus of the story, the focus is the one

because in the middle of us being loss because of our sin God is searching for us and he is searching for us urgently.

Think about it this way because if you have ever lost a child , I bet you are running around trying to find that child and I bet you don’t stop until you fin them and no they are okay.

If you have eve

and thats how God views you.

He doesn’t just view you as a number and say I will get to him later, but He goes you are created in My own image and I am not going to rest until I find you.

and this really reflects the love we should have towards people

and this is hard because you think at a certain point

and you think He would just give up at a certain point and go I have chased this person for years and they just keep running

but when we run, God pursues and really he is right there waiting for us to turn around and come to Him.

I was a swim coach in high school and I would actually coach kids who were ages 3-18

and I remember whenever I would coach the 3 and 4 year olds I would have to get in the water with them since they could not swim very far and they would do something that was really cute but also a little annoying occasionally

because there would be 4 of them and they would all push off the wall and they were so determined to swim on there own but at some point swimming across the pool they would get tired (it wouldn’t take to long)

And I would be there right by them and noticing they are starting to sink a little

and I would pull them up and they would hold on to me and then they would look at me and go I can do this

and they would push off of me and swim a few feet, get tired again and thenI would pull them out of the water again.

and this got a little hectic with 4 kids and they all would keep doing this over and over again.

and it was cute but Its hard making sure every kid isn’t sinking.

But you know thats how God pursues us because He doesn’t just say this person keeps running away I am done with this, but He says as long as this person keeps running I am going to keep pursuing!

and look what happens once we realize that we need to stop running

I used to be a swim coach in High school and I coached kids 3-18 but whenever I would coach the 3 and 4 year olds

Because in my opinion the best part of this passage is in verse 5 because it says that this Shepard find the sheep.

it was really cute but would sometimes get a little frustrating because they could barely swim, so I would get in the water with them

and it says that he kicks the sheep for running away right?

NO!

and they would all jump into the water and swim

it says he joyfully puts the sheep on his shoulders and carries him home.

Because you think he would be mad at this sheep because it ran away and coulden’t find its way back on its own

Because really the sheep

it says he joyfully puts the sheep on his shoulders and carries him home.

the sheep is probably injured or hurt from a preaditor

Because the sheep doesn’t know how to get home,

and its coat is probably tangled and a complete mess.

I mean if I was this Shepard I would be really upset at this sheep .

But it says the Shepard actually rejoices and He picks up this sheep like its the only one He has and he lifts it up and places it on His shoulders.

and it doesn’t say this but if that sheep was hurt or dirty the shepherd probably started cleaning and bandaging that sheep.

and he doesn’t stop there because it say’s this Shepard throws a party and invites his friends and neighbors over to celebrate this one sheep that ran away coming back home.

You know

You know it really is so easy for us to feel like a lost sheep because we make our own decions and what happens is we allow sin which separates us to make us feel completely isolated from God

We sfeel injured

we feel lost

Scared

We feel dirty

But in the middle of that mess God is pursuing us

God is pursuing you

In the middle of us running and in the middle of us choosing sin or wrong decions God is pursuing and He is patiently waiting for us to turn to Him.

And do you want to know just how bad God is doing this?

He sent His son to die for you in really a painful way so that the wall of sin that seperates us from God could be torn and His presence can dwell in you.

But we have to say God I wan’t to turn away from this life where I am lost and scared and I want to turn to you.

God is patiently waiting for you to make that choice.

and I don’t know where you are but maybe you are looking at your life and you are going I have ran away, maybe today could be the day you say God I am making that turn and living out your will.

Because God is right there. He is waiting for you to call out to Him and say: God help!!!

And we are going to end today by singing a song that really declares our freedom from sin in Christ and the depth of God’s love

and today if you would like to make that commitment for the first time or maybe you need to make that recommitment, I want to invite you to during this last song to fill out the blue card in front of you on the pew and just mark that you would like to place your trust in Christ.

Because I believe that God want’s us to have mile stones,

In fact in the Old Testament there were times where God would move and what they would do is they would make a monument

So when there kids saw it they would let them know that is how God moved there

and then that would impact how they would live in the future.

and this is a great way for us to say God today is the day I placed my trust in you.

and really this is a great way for us to say God today is the day I place my trust in you or recommit myself to you and this is going to change how I live in the future.

And you can just leave that blue card on the pew and i’ll collect it later or hand it to me whatever you feel comfortable with

But this could be the day where you say God I am coming home.

Will you pray with me?