When You've Lost Your Way
WHEN YOU'VE LOST YOUR WAY
TEXT Luke 15:1‑7
INTRODUCTION:
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
When Christians used to speak of someone being "lost", most everyone understood what that meant.‑‑That is not true anymore as people actually make fun of the terminology these days and avoid using the word.‑‑For that reason, I want to answer the question about what it means to be lost by pointing out three ways it affects us.
I. THE RECOGNITION THAT YOU ARE LOST
A. The sheep was lost because of self. A sheep loses itself in one of five ways.
1. The sheep is attracted by something out “in the wilderness,” away from the flock of the Shepherd.
a) What the sheep sees is more attractive and appealing. It tempts and seduces him, and he lusts after it
b) “The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes,” 1 John 2:16).
2. The sheep is aimless, not paying attention to what is going on. It aimlessly wanders off, and while it is getting lost, the sheep does not know it is losing its way. The sheep is already lost when it discovers it is lost.
3. The sheep refuses to heed the warnings of the shepherd and the example of the other sheep (“the pride of life,” 1 John 2:16).
4. The sheep is not attached enough to the shepherd or to the other sheep. There is not the bond or union there should be. Therefore, he stays off by himself, eating and resting and working alone until eventually he wanders off without anyone knowing it, including himself (Hebrews 10:25).
5. The sheep does not trust the shepherd. It does not think the shepherd will take care and see that there is satisfying food. It goes astray in search of greener pasture and more satisfying food (see note—_ Matthew 18:14
2. The sheep is aimless, not paying attention to what is going on.
a) It aimlessly wanders off, and while it is getting lost, the sheep does not know it is losing its way.
b) The sheep is already lost when it discovers it is lost.
3. The sheep refuses to heed the warnings of the shepherd and the example of the other sheep
a) “the pride of life,” 1 John 2:16).
4. The sheep is not attached enough to the shepherd or to the other sheep. There is not the bond or union there should be. Therefore, he stays off by himself, eating and resting and working alone until eventually he wanders off without anyone knowing it, including himself (Hebrews 10:25).
5. The sheep does not trust the shepherd. It does not think the shepherd will take care and see that there is satisfying food. It goes astray in search of greener pasture and more satisfying food (see note—_
. Matthew 18:14 for the help of others needed by the shepherd to care for the sheep).
4. The sheep is not attached enough to the shepherd or to the other sheep.
a) There is not the bond or union there should be.
b) Therefore, he stays off by himself, eating and resting and working alone until eventually he wanders off without anyone knowing it, including himself
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
5. The sheep does not trust the shepherd.
a) It does not think the shepherd will take care and see that there is satisfying food.
b) It goes astray in search of greener pasture and more satisfying food
B. We lost God
1. We lost the Knowledge of God
Romans 1:21-23 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
a) When we went astray from the Lord, we lost our knowledge of who He is.
b) We lost knowledge of His holiness, purity, justice, righteousness, goodness, wisdom, faithfulness, truthfulness
c) All these things were lost on us since we had no frame of reference for being able to know them apart from the One who makes them known.
2. The Life of God
a) While we retained life in our physical bodies, we lost the life of the spirit
b) We knew nothing of the dynamic of life from the Lord Himself abiding in
3. The Image of God
a) Although we were created in His image, we lost the ability to reflect that image due to the marring presence of sin and its disfiguring, scarring and staining effect on our hearts.
4. Peace with God
a) Rather than enjoy the peaceful relationship with our Creator He intended, by going astray we actually declared ourselves to be His enemies.
Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
5. Love for God
a) There is no love for God in the hearts of those who have drifted away from Him.
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
b) How much more so must that be for those who have wandered away from the Lord without ever knowing what it is to love Him as they ought?
C. God lost us
1. We need to make sure that this is clear to everyone:
a) God never loses the knowledge of where we are nor of what our condition is.
b) When we went astray as lost sheep, several things which were in place in the relationship between Adam and the Lord before the fall into sin were lost.
2. He lost our affections.
3. He lost vessels for His glory.
4. He lost our service and praise.
5. He lost our submission and obedience.
6. God's loss was temporary since He plans to redeem His own!
D. We lost ourselves
1. We do not even know what we've done in losing God.
2. We do not even know the capacity for evil in our hearts
3. We do not even comprehend that we have made ourselves enemies of God and earned His condemnation.
4. We do not even know where we are going that is important enough to forsake God's way.
5. We do not even know how to return to Him if we would
II. THE COMFORT THAT YOU ARE PURSUED
A. One of the most devastating things that can happen in your life is to discover that you have wandered from the Lord and that you finally recognize that you are lost
1. Just like the lost sheep in the parable.
2. Until you realize you are lost, you will never understand the comfort of hearing that good news that Jesus will never rest until you are found.
3. He is pursuing you so that He might find you and bring you home
4. No other course of action, no other plan, will do!
B. Be knows where you are
1. You may awaken some day to this truth, if you haven't yet, and wonder, "How did I ever get so far from the Lord? How can I hope to get back from where I am?"
2. Take great comfort in knowing that He is the one who has awakened that realization in you and knows where you are to pursue you until He brings you home.
C. He knows how to reach you
1. All the arguments presented to you will not convince you, all the logic will not persuade you, all the pleading will not move you, to admit that you are lost and that Jesus, is the only way to get home to the Lord.
2. Through the ministry of the Spirit, He can reach you when no one else can, through means no one else has available.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
D. He knows how to carry you
1. No one but Jesus Christ can bring you back home.
2. There are all kinds of passages in the scriptures which confirm this but what you and I need to understand boils down to just a couple of things:
a) He had the wisdom to come where you are
b) He had the passion to take on your condemnation
c) He had the power to overcome your enemy
d) He had the love to take you on His shoulders
III. THE JOY THAT YOU ARE FOUND
A. Confidence that he will get you home
1. There was great rejoicing for the Shepherd when He brought the lost sheep home and the Lord Jesus delights with all of His heart to bring you home as well.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
B. Celebration that he has brought you home
1. The friends and neighbors of the shepherd rejoiced with Him that the lost sheep was found and returned.
2. Jesus tells us that there is greater joy in heaven when the lost sheep is found than over the ninety‑nine who did not think they needed to be found.
3. He longs to celebrate our return when we who were lost have been found.
CONCLUSION: Have you wandered from the fold. Are you beginning to stray? If so, why not come back now. Christ is coming for you. Will you follow Him