SERMON (05-Jun): “THE ALWAYS GOD - THE GOD WHO PURSUES YOU”

Scripture:

Luke 15

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Big Idea:

God pursues the lost.

Introduction:

- Years ago, there was a game named Clue! (Show slide)

- Anyone remember that game? It’s been so long since I played it

- But, the thing that I remember the most is having to pay attention, ask the right questions, follow the right leads, take notes and risks, and be aggressive

- There was a mystery behind the game, a great whodunit of murder mysteries…was it Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum or Colonel Mustard

- What was the object he or she used…rope, dagger, lead pipe or the revolver?

- There was no giving up as everyone wanted to chase down—a pursuit of sorts—who killed who and in what room

- It was an idea that epitomized the pursuit in the passage we have before us today

- Here’s the simple point…God pursues the lost

- I mentioned in my last message that God is interested in ALL of YOU, the totality of you—

- Not merely adjusting the circumstances that we find ourselves in

- In sending His Son Jesus to the earth, He was establishing a clear message…

- He loves you and me more than we could ever imagine

- Jesus came to pursue, chase down, seek out and search for those that are lost and in deep need of Him

- Now, you may think that you don’t fit that category of being in deep need of Him

- But let me assure you that apart from Him we don’t stand a chance of making heaven our home

- Jesus is our key and shows us in many ways the great lengths that God went to show His pursuit of us—the lost

- In Luke 15, we have three of the most widely known parables that show us the extent of God’s love

- Now, some of us may not look at “lost” in the same way but about five times in this chapter

- Twice with the lost sheep (v.6) twice with the lost coin (v.8, 10) and once with the prodigal son (v.24)

- Just about all of us have lost something of value—sentimental value perhaps

- One news article said “the average American spends 2.5 days each year looking for lost items and ‘collectively costs U.S. households $2.7 billion dollars a year in replacement costs.’”

- How many of us have lost a wallet, eyeglasses, or, for most guys, the remote control?

- It’s pretty regular in my house

- Throw in for new parents—the pacifier, the wipes, even the diaper bag—we as a whole are not immune to losing things

- Nothing can be as hopeless or as frustrating as losing something important to you or being lost and not knowing how to get where you need to be

- Thank God for Google Maps or Waze or however you choose to navigate!

- More specifically, Jesus looks at the lost as those who are not in a relationship with Him

- I’m hoping that none of us wants to be seen in that way

- Looking at the original language (Greek); “lost” is seen in a deeper way

- It’s along the lines of a “state of being ruined”

- Think “utterly destroyed or totally decimated”

- One verse that is along those same lines is John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish(same word – lost…to be wasted away) but have eternal life.”

- In Jesus’ eyes, being lost and not knowing Him are one and the same

- Throughout the Scriptures, not knowing Him is much like being hostile to God (Rom 8:7), in a domain of darkness (Col 1:13) or being separated from Him & having no hope (Eph 2:12)

- But, being pursued by God is not just a grand idea; it’s bible truth

- Whether you’re perishing, wasting your life, threatened and decimated by the enemy or just straight lost

- He is in pursuit of a relationship with you

- Jesus takes time to mention it to the “leaders” of His time and redefining what they think they might understand about God

- That may happen for each of us…what we may think we know about God to what Jesus actually says

Transition: So our focus here begins in the opening verses:

Message:

- Luke 15:1-3

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3Then Jesus told them this parable:

- Imagine that the “outcasts” of society meaning tax collectors and sinners were so comfortable with coming to Jesus

- Not only did He preach love; He demonstrated or love just emanated from Him regularly

- It wasn’t condemnation or judgment and yet He didn’t comprise and spoke the truth

- He was most concerned about their souls

- Here’s a question I’ll throw out there, “How comfortable are those that are lost around me?”

- If we’re not careful, we’ll get on our high horse and think that we are better than others

-Another chaplain that I correspond with pretty regularly adds, this quote to the emails he sends (ADD SLIDE),

"Be kind, for each person you meet is fighting a great battle." - Rev. John Watson

- Whether they know God or don’t, we never know what each person is dealing with at the moment or on a daily basis

- That’s truly something that we should consider frequently as we grow and live

- In Jesus’ day and time and ours as well, they didn’t and we don’t look at God as wanting or actually chasing after us

- In some religious circles, it was as if God would be belittling Himself to come down to our level

-In fact, one commentator (William Barclay) writes,

“No Pharisee had ever dreamed of a God like that. A great Jewish scholar has admitted that this is the one absolutely new thing which Jesus taught about God – that he actually searched for us. A Jew might have agreed that those who came crawling home to God in self-abasement and prayed for pity might find it; but he would never have conceived of a God who went out to search for sinners.”

- Going back to the first parable of the lost sheep:

Luke 15:4-7 – “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.”

- In God’s eyes, 99 out of 100 just won’t do

- That’s good because that last one was or could be one of us

- Isaiah the prophet wrote (Isa 53:6),

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way…”

- Jesus, the Great Shepherd, counts each of us as valuable enough to search and pursue after

- Despite how others may feel about us or we may feel about ourselves,

- God and Jesus attach the utmost value to every single one of us

Transition: Let’s continue with the next parable…

Luke 15:8-10 – “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.”

- Sometimes we can overlook this passage and miss out on it

- This one coin would be the equivalent of one day’s wages for any of us

- We’ve heard of the saying “living paycheck to paycheck” and it might have been the same for this woman

- She is willing to light a lamp, sweep the house and check every crevice for this coin

- Once she finds it, she’s elated and celebrates

- God is no different when He finds us in the midst of any situation

- Hopefully, you’re sensing the trend

- God’s pursuit of humankind is what He is all about

- Just when Satan thought He had God figured out in the Garden of Eden and deceived Eve and enticed Adam

- God had a plan with His Son to win us

Transition: That trend and mindset continues with the third parable of the lost son or the prodigal

- Most of us are familiar with the story

- In modern day lingo, some would say the son had a sense of entitlement

- But, in biblical times, the youngest son is saying to his father, “You don’t exist to me;” “I’d rather have the money than you”

- Yet and still, the father loves his son…some would say beyond sense and measure

- But, when you consider the extent of a father’s love, a parent’s love for his or her child(ren)

- I’m not surprised

- The father allows the son the opportunity to experience freedom—freedom to choose and wander—

- But he’ll soon see the extent of the father’s love

- The passage goes on to say that he “squandered his inheritance with wild living”

- It got so bad for him that he found himself right beside the pigs (SLIDE)

- The people of Jesus’ day, most notably the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other religious leaders probably thought, “It serves him right”

- Still, in our day and time, how many of us have blown it?

- One, two, ten or 12 times

- We can’t afford to think that just because God rescued us…that others don’t need the same grace we received

- How soon we can forget

- Look at the Luke 15:16-24,

Luke 15:16-24 – “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 (totally undignified in that day for a man to run like this, but this Father doesn’t care!) 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.”

- I always love to picture this in my mind

- A father who loves his son…time passes

- No phone call, text, email, DM and the father begins to worry; possibly questioning his decision to give his son the inheritance

- But, he leans on his love for the son more than pure logic

- Many of us know this complicated truth…sometimes love defies logic

- The son, at his lowest, thinking about how far he has fallen

- Charles Spurgeon wrote this (SLIDE),

“See the contrast. There is the son, scarcely daring to think of embracing his father, yet his father has scarcely seen him before he has fallen on his neck. The condescension of God towards penitent sinners is very great. He seems to stoop from His throne of glory to fall upon the neck of a repentant sinner. God on the neck of a sinner! What a wonderful picture!”

- The father (God) not only running toward the wayward and lost son (meaning us)…

- He embraces him…He embraces us

- If God did it before, He can do it again

- Over and over again, throughout this passage and this message

- I believe that God is making it known that He pursues the lost

- Through three different parables, He’s alluding to that idea hoping that we catch on

- But to go a step further; He’s looking for the lost, yes

- But He’s looking specifically for the one that is lost

- The one lost sheep, the one lost coin, the one lost son

- He’s not disregarding the others but He is looking for that one who is troubled, distraught, lost

- Never disregard the “value of one”

- He goes after the “one [sheep] who is lost, until He finds it”

- The woman “loses one coin…sweep[s] the house and seek[s] diligently until she finds it” and rejoices once she finds it

- Heaven rejoices when the “one sinner repents”

- Jesus seeks the lost—those outside of a relationship with Him

- They and we are of great value to him

- He doesn’t do it to feel good about Himself because He is secure in Himself in that sense

- But, He does it because that was His mission here on earth,

Luke 19:10 – “ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

- Think about it for a minute…He left the confines of heaven to search and rescue humankind from eternal damnation to be honest

- That is what the gospel is all about

- God required man to live a perfect life

- He required a sinless sacrifice

- And Jesus fit the requirements to a “T”

- The best part for the one that is lost and those of us who aren’t is He didn’t wait for us to clean up to die for us

Romans 5:8 – “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

- So regardless of how you feel about yourself or what the enemy may say about you

- Know that God thinks and says differently

- Look at these statistics (SLIDE):

Over the last two decades, suicide is up 33% and the 2nd leading cause of death between those 10 to 34 years of age

- Yet, when you consider what God says, it far outweighs the lies the enemy pushes…

- That your life is meaningless or hopeless

- God says otherwise,

Psalm 139:16-18a – “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand…”

Transition: I can’t say it too many times…God is in love with you whether you truly believe it or not

Closing:

- So, if you’re here this morning and not in a relationship with Jesus…

- That means you may know where you are physically but spiritually lost

- God has pursued you to the point today that He is giving you the offer of a lifetime…

- A chance to surrender…your own way, doing your own thing, and running away from Him

- So, that you can surrender your life to His love

- What if His pursuit of you is an indication of His love for you?

- Really…to keep running from Him is to keep hurting yourself

- When we place our faith and trust in Jesus, God no longer sees us and our sin, but instead sees His Son

- What happens once you allow yourself to be found by God?

- All of heaven rejoices…and those who were once lost should rejoice right alongside them

- Let’s pray

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive me for all of my sins known and unknown, I renounce them all. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I receive you now as Lord and Savior of my life. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for me and arose and sits at the right hand of God praying for me, interceding for me. Lord Jesus, I give you everything. I thank you for saving me, delivering me and setting me free, in Jesus’ name!