16th Sunday after Pentecost ~ September 16, 2007

Continuing in our “Renewal” theme we come to the heart of Scripture and to God’s heart, His mission. God’s mission, summed up in Luke 15 with these two parables is seeking and saving the lost. God’s joy is when the lost are found. In this encounter with the Pharisees Jesus uses two parables to challenge them with what the kingdom of God is all about. I would like to explore what these parables tell us about God and His mission in the world and what it tells to us about our participation in God’s mission.

The parable of the shepherd who seeks after the one lost sheep and the woman who seeks after her one lost coin tell us many things about God’s heart. Three things I pick up from these parables is the urgency of the mission, the preciousness of those God seeks and the joy God expresses over the lost being found.

The urgency is seen in these parables through the immediate actions of the characters. Immediately the shepherd leaves the flock to find the lost sheep. Immediately the woman starts searching her home for her lost coin. As a picture into God’s heart this shows us that God considers it of top priority to seek after the lost. God comes to us and redeems us who are lost in our sin. And this isn’t second on His list but of the utmost importance. Our very eternity hinges on God seeking us out. We who were lost are found because of God’s top priority of seeking us.

The second thing we see about God is how He views humanity. In the parables you get a sense that the shepherd and the woman saw what was lost as being very precious. Why would they seek after it if it wasn’t? In God’s heart He sees each of us a precious in His sight. God would have sent Jesus to suffer and die if it was only you who repented! Thanks be to God it is more than one person who is found but God sees each of us as precious in His sight. Wow, that is good news knowing that God loves you and thinks of you as precious.

And third, God rejoices in His mission. Jesus’ “explanation” to the parable states that there is great rejoicing in the lost being found, in the sinner who repents. God throws a heavenly party over each person who was lost and is found. God doesn’t see His mission as a duty to be fulfilled but a joyous task of seeking the lost and restoring what has been broken. He rejoices that you are now found, that each person who is lost is now found!

And now God invites us to be a part of His mission of seeking after the lost. Each one of you is here today because God worked through someone to bring His message of salvation to you. Maybe it was through parent who brought you to the waters of baptism and raised you in a Christian home. Maybe it was later in life through friends, family, neighbors who felt it important to share Christ love with you. Whatever the situation God used others to seek after you and bring you into His Body the Church. Now it is your turn!

We need to see the mission as urgent and of top priority. Too often we wait for the perfect opportunity or the perfect timing and we let chances slip by for us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The mission is urgent. It needs to happen now, in the present, as we go about our daily lives. It is to be of top priority for us to always find a way to share the joy we have in Christ. The lost are in a terrible situation when it comes to eternity. Why not urgently share the message of Christ that will bring freedom and “foundness” to those who are lost. The time is now to be a part of God’s mission.

We need to see everyone as precious and deserving our sharing the greatest news of all time that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. This is where Jesus was challenging the Pharisees when they didn’t like Him hanging out with “sinners.” God sees everyone a precious and so should we. We should not pick and choose who we share Jesus with. We shouldn’t hold back when anyone is ready to hear about God’s love. Remember, when it seems tough to share the Gospel with someone that God loves them even more than you ever could and it is His love you are sharing with them.

Third, we need to take joy in the mission. We should throw a party each time we share the love of God with another person and see the lost being found in Christ. Evangelism is not to be viewed as only an obligation we have to do, but a task we can take delight in. Don’t you think it is wonderful to see a person’s life turn around when they are found in Christ? Take joy in the mission of seeking and saving the lost in Jesus’ name.

Take the time to seek opportunities to share the Gospel and work on your skills to proclaim Jesus and the joy we have in Him. This weekend we had an “Equipping to Share Workshop” which had wonderful ideas and suggestions for telling others about Jesus. Now I have to say I am a little disappointed in you – most of you were not there. I am disappointed in myself to that I didn’t convey more clearly and urgently that this would be a great workshop. But what is most important is that we take time to build our skills in sharing the Gospel. All is not lost; there is another conference in November put on by our District called “Conversations of Grace” (www.conversationsofgrace.org). This will be a great opportunity to learn more about sharing our faith. You missed out on a free workshop but now you have another opportunity, at a cost, to build you skills and gain new ideas to share your faith – to be renewed in the joy of God’s mission.

Let me share with you a recent example of being open to opportunities to share God’s love. As many of you know last week I found myself in the hospital needing to have my appendix taken out. Before the surgery I went through test to find out what was going on in my body. I had a CAT scan done and spent a few moments with the technician. Now you have to know that I don’t usually share, unless asked, that I am a pastor because people tend to judge our conversation differently when they know I am a pastor. But I was asked by the technician what I did for a living and I said I was a pastor. He then went in to sharing with me what church was like for him and that he was now getting involved in his church and the excitement he had about it. All I said was “I am a pastor.” That is all it took for an opportunity for someone to share and I hope he was renewed in his commitment to his Lord and church. It is that easy as long as we are open to the opportunities God sends us. The mission is urgent and or top priority for all of us as we reach out, care for and build people who need Christ and are precious in His sight (and ours). And we can rejoice in the fact that Jesus has taken we who were lost and now are found. It is a joyous ministry, and the mission of the church as it is of God. Amen