Live To Seek The Lost!
Text: Matthew 18:11-14
“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” nkj
Jesus tells this parable to get the people to see that just as we will pour deep energy and love into caring even for our animals, our Heavenly Father will pour that much and even more of His heart into redeeming a lost soul.
This parable is all about us, our families, our co-workers and our neighbours.
Jesus simply wants us to understand that it is not the will of our Heavenly Father that even one should perish. 2 Peter 3:9 echoes the words of Jesus by telling us that His will is that all would come to repentance.
Knowing the will of the Father sets the stage for the entire life of Christ and the purpose of His ministry and that of His followers.
The Purpose Of The Life Of Christ
“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” From day 1 of His ministry, He has been about redemption.
Here is what it says in Matthew 4:23, “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” av
His message was simple: “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” [Matthew 4:17]
The kingdom Gospel is one of repentance and redemption.
Redemption: God Himself is paying the price to buy us out of our sins.
Repentance: “Neither do I condemn thee go and sin no more”
He looks for the simple confession and a change of heart. In Luke 23:41-42, the thief on the cross expresses it in a very simple way: “…for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong…Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
What are the elements that are important for us to remember from this man’s prayer?
WE are guilty. He is holy yet condemned.
LORD – Jesus is and must be master, the one in charge
“When you come into your kingdom” – You will die, but rise again and BE the King.
Remember me – I want to be yours.
Jesus responds to this kind of prayer with the promise of Salvation. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” This was His purpose in coming.
Because His Love is so deep and judgement so final,
He Spares No Expense
If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
So think about it for a minute. He has 100, but one is missing. He leaves the 99 and goes up into the mountains to search. Not just to take a look, but to actually search. Think of a search party for a missing child – that is what he is doing for this lost sheep. That’s some serious energy and devotion. He loves his sheep.
Jesus tells this parable to get the people to see that just as we will pour deep energy and love into caring even for our animals, our Heavenly Father will pour that much and even more of His heart into redeeming a lost soul. He isn’t just hired to take care of the sheep, but they are HIS. He cares about each human being because He personally knit each one of us together inside our mothers. He loves us so deeply and wants us to be with Him so much that He not only seeks us but He took the first step by going to the cross of Calvary and paying the price for our sin with His own precious blood.
Because He knows we cannot come to Him on our own, He reveals the truth to us and then draws us to Jesus. Matthew 16:16-17, “Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” nkj
John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” nkj
He has made every effort that HE can make and paid such a heavy price, for you, for me, for our family member, for our neighbour because He wants us in His family. When there is even one who responds positively to His invitation…
God Rejoices When A Sinner Repents
“if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.”
It says that God rejoices. He wants people to turn to Him and reject sin so they can spend eternity in His presence. That makes the Father Happy. Not just our heavenly Father rejoices, but in Luke 15:10, Jesus tells us, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Just like with us. When one of us has a plan that works out and there is success, everybody is happy for them are rejoices. God’s plan is to save sinners from an eternity in hell. When His plan successfully brings one person to salvation, He is pleased.
So what was His plan? The Father inspired holy men of God to write down who God is and His plan for mankind. Jesus came and demonstrated the Father’s love for us and further explained that HE was the plan and lived it out to His own death on the cross and His resurrection. The Father then reveals this truth to us and draws us to Jesus by His Holy Spirit, giving us an invitation to be adopted into His family.
When someone says “YES” to His invitation, He can’t help but be joyful.
So what about us? How can we LIVE what Jesus is telling us about the Father in this passage?
Because this parable is about us, our families, our co-workers and our neighbours, If we have sinned, this speaks to us – run to the Father. He is already searching for a way to bring us back into right relationship with Him.
Jesus wants us to understand that it is not the will of our Heavenly Father that even one should perish. How do we feel about it?
If The Purpose Jesus was, and IS, to save the lost, should it not be ours also? What efforts are we making to reach out to our family, friends, co-workers and neighbours? Are we making any?
When ANYONE makes a decision to follow Christ or to return to Him, we should be rejoicing along side of God and the Angels in Heaven.
It’s time for us to LIVE Seeking the Lost.
Blessings,
Pastor Brent.
He is Risen!
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Church family and friends
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