Pursuit of the Lost

One of the points Mark shared in his sermon on Sunday was how when we have such a great gift, we should want to share it with people and not hold this information to yourself.

Freddie’s at the beach.

When you are close to people who go to some of the same areas you do or they have a lot of the same interests you do, do you not share information with them to either guide them or help them?

When we have accepted the greatest gift ever given to man, why do we have such a hard time sharing this gift with others? What are the hang ups we have? What is our problem?

Many people believe the job of evangelism is the responsibility of evangelists and pastors. The truth is we are all charged with winning the lost. We are all supposed to be sharing the Gospel story. It is too far great a task for it to be relegated to a certain group of people. As Christians, we all need to be sharing Gospel with the people around us.

Tonight we will be mainly looking at two different groups of scripture. We are going to start in Luke 15

Luke 15:1–10 ESV

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 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.’ 7 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. 8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep & the Lost Coin

In the beginning of this passage, the pharisees are complaining that Jesus was spending time with the sinners and tax collectors. They felt they were better than these people, so they wouldn’t spend time with them. They were so busy looking at how “good” they were that they couldn’t see the lostness of the people around them. They were so caught up in the ritual of the church and their position, they couldn’t see their own lostness.

In these two parables, Jesus was trying to show the pharisees they were the ones who should be responsible for going out among the lost and trying to show them the love God had to the lost. However, once again, the pharisees themselves were lost. While we as Christians at one point were the lost sheep who was found, we need to remember the joy, the celebration that goes on in heaven when a lost person is found. When a sinner, condemned to hell, accepts the gift of eternal life.

Do you feel responsible for other people who don’t know Christ?

We should. We are responsible for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world. Once again, the responsibility is not up to a select group of people. It is up to all of us who profess to be followers of Christ.

A couple years ago, we went through a series of sermons which emphasized having “Your One.” This person was some one who wasn’t a Christian who you prayed for and focused on. If the person was local, you looked for opportunities you would have to share Christ with them or at least have a Gospel conversation with them. If the person was located somewhere that this wasn’t possible, you prayed for them and that someone around them would be able to have the same conversations with them.

We still need to have this as an ongoing mission. We don’t need to let this thing die after we saw the results from our One. We need to continue this mission.

Luke 15:11–32 ESV

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

As we have read these verses and this story over and over again, we should never get tired of hearing the story of how a son, who had everything, left the father and safety of his home to go out into the world with all he had promised to him as an heir. After squandering all that had been given to him, he was eating the slop of the pigs, an unclean animal in the sight of the Jewish faith. He decided to go back to his father and offer himself as a laborer instead of being his son.

When he returned to his father, his father forgave him and restored him to the status he had before he left.

The older brother was upset since he had never left the father and had a very rough time with his father’s decision. He couldn’t celebrate in the return of his brother. He was too self-righteous to see what this meant to his family.

I think this should teach us that salvation is open to anyone. We don’t need to be in the seat of the judge, we should be in the seat of the family who welcomes another member. We also need to do this when we someone who has fallen in their Christian walk. We shouldn’t be the ones judging them for the sin they have committed. We should be part of the family who is thrilled they have come back and become part of the crowd who is in the party welcoming them back.

If we aren’t careful, we can look at others in their sin and forget that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This isn’t something that happens once and we are done. This is something that more than likely happens on a daily basis. It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ and God’s forgiveness that we have been provided the opportunity to be part of God’s family. When we find ourselves becoming self-righteous, all we need to do is take a good, hard, honest look in the mirror and remember where we came from, where we are, and how we are going to get where we want to be one of these days. It is only though the grace and forgiveness of our Father.

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Great Commission

As believers, we are to go. Go is an action word. There is very little left to interpretation in the two letter word. For being so small, it carries a lot. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples. Before you can disciple someone, they have to have accepted the gift of salvation God has offered them through the blood shed by Jesus on the cross.

We share our testimony as individuals. We witness to people as individuals. We, as the church, can make disciples out of the new believers as well as older believers. We are all still growing in the faith. Some are on baby food, while others are eating food that is more substantial.

We also need to make sure we are open to all. We weren’t called to witness to those who are just like us. We are called to go to the nations. What does the word nations mean to you? To me it means everyone. Everyone means everyone.

We also have the promise that Jesus will be with us, through the presence of the Holy Spirit to the end of the age. He will never leave us nor forsake us. What a huge promise and gift we have in the last half of the last verse of Matthew.

What about evangelism frightens you?

What about evangelism enlivens you?

If you don’t think you know any “lost people” what should you do?

How can we encourage one another to make our lives about seeking the lost and sharing the gospel with them?