9/11/16

Today’s reading from Luke has an obvious message, “Go out and find the lost. Go out and “Rescue the Perishing” as the song we just sang reports. For Jesus, in the setting of Israel amidst the Jewish people, the parable of the lost sheep was very fitting. There were a lot of shepherds and the parable would have been well understood.

The second parable is probably more relatable to everyone since it has to do with money. Certainly we can all relate to that especially if we have lost some money like the woman in Jesus second parable.

Regardless of how closely we can relate to either of the parables the message is still very clear. Seek the lost. Whether it is a sheep, a coin, or a person. Now both of these parables express a story of someone searching for something. That is just the first of three points I want you to realize about the story. The second is how both stories start and the third is how both stories end.

So: first: How the stories start, second: the fact that someone is looking for something, and third: how the story ends – OR – the result.

So let’s start in the middle with number two: Someone is searching for something. The key to understanding these two parables is to first realize that something is missing. But a better word to use here is the word Jesus himself used – LOST. You see the word LOST as used in the context of these two parables, in the Greek languages, implies more than just meaning missing. Rather – it implies perishing OR destroyed. So again, in order to search for those who are lost, perishing, or being destroyed, we must first realize that they are in fact LOST.

How did Jesus define who the lost were? Well He was sitting with sinners and eating with them. These sinners were far from living God’s will. So it is today. Those who do not accepted Jesus as Savior are the LOST, are perishing, are being destroyed.

 

So when we sing the song, “Rescue the Perishing” we are truly singing the message Jesus was expressing in these two parables AND expressing the same sense of urgency.  The lost are perishing or being destroyed. So Jesus tells the parables about the lost in order for us to appreciate how important this issue really is.

But all of the above was the center or the second point of His parable. Listen to the first point.

WHAT MAN OF YOU, HAVING A HUNDRED SHEEP: IF HE LOSE ONE OF THEM: DOTH NOT LEAVE THE NINETY AND NINE IN THE WILDERNESS AND GO AFTER THAT WHICH IS LOST, UNTIL HE FIND IT.

Think about that if you will. Jesus is asking, “Which of you would not go out and find the LOST and SHARE with them what you have found.”

The entire point here is, do we want to share with others what we have found in Jesus. Those who are lost. Do you understand that? We find comfort in Christ. We find assurance in Christ. We find a renewed relationship with God when we are ‘In Christ”. We find true salvation and eternal hope in Christ. If we have all of these wonderful gifts in Christ, why wouldn’t we want to share them with others? Why wouldn’t we want others to have what we have found in Christ? Why wouldn’t we want everyone to have eternal salvation?  So we go out and share what we have found and seek the one who is lost that we might persuade them to join us in what we have found.

In Jesus parables He explained how overjoyed the shepherd was when he found the lost sheep. How the women called her friends to rejoice with her because she had found the lost coin. But let’s look at the story from another angle. This comes to us through another parable that Jesus taught. We didn’t read this one this morning but it is the parable of The Prodigal Son. In this case we see life on the other side. The side of one who was lost. It was a life of freedom and pleasure. But in time found to be less than a desirable lifestyle. It was discovered that it was an empty life and one which left a lot to be desired. There must be something better.

For the young son who took his inheritance and left the family to live the life he thought he would enjoy, he had memories of what he had at home. He remembered. For many others out in the world who live apart from a life in Christ, they also desire something better. They seek something better but don’t know where to look or what to look for. Sometimes God Himself will speak to them, sometimes God may speak to them through us. If we neglect God’s call to reach out to someone who is perishing they just might in fact perish.

All of this is what Jesus is trying to explain to us in these parables. Some people are lost and seek help. But do you know what. Too often we become pious in our own lives and smugly shun those who are in need. We develop an attitude that says, “They made their bed now let them lie in it.” That is what the older son did in the story of the Prodigal Son. He could not accept the fact that his father welcomed his younger brother back with open arms.

“It isn’t fair”, he thought. “I’ve been good and deserve what I have. Why should he have a party and be welcomed back with open arms.” But this is not the lesson Jesus was trying to teach us. In both parables he taught that people rejoiced when the lost where found and brought back home. So we have a situation where we should look to those who are lost, not with contempt but a desire to seek to help them find the comfort we have found in our Lord. Speak to them, encourage them, persuade them to accept what we have found. If they do, we will be joyous over their conversion.

Does all of this sound a little dramatic? Maybe it does but this was so important to Jesus that He left us with these parables which explain the seriousness of winning back those who have been lost. Lost – perishing to eternal damnation.

Listen now to point three. The result.Sometimes we get too involved in this life on earth that we forget the other side. That is the heavenly side. We may find comfort in having our salvation assured in Christ. But we are not aware of what is happening in heaven as we carry on life on earth. The scriptures do not give us much detail about the activities going on daily up in heaven but Jesus has given us a clue.

As Jesus spoke the words of the parables He finished each parable with a statement of the significance of fulfilling the words of the parable. Concerning finding the lost sheep Jesus said, “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.”

And likewise for the women who found the lost coin Jesus said, “ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”     The angels in heaven realize how important this repentance is because it deals with eternity. Eternal life. Forever. They realize the alternative is to be lost. To perish. Isn’t it worth the effort to witness and to be urgent about this matter of salvation.

The last verse of the song “Rescue the Perishing” sums up this message.

RESCUE THE PERISHING, DUTY DEMANDS IT; STRENGTH FOR THY LABOR THE LORD WILL PROVIDE; BACK TO THE NARROW WAY PATIENTLY WIN THEM; TELL THE POOR WANDERER A SAVIOR HAS DIED.

Can we be Christian Soldiers as our closing hymn describes?