Ever been lost? Last week - skiing in Colorado with some guys from churches in Chicago and Indiana. Some of you will remember Tony Schartz - a man who has had great impact on my life and the ministry of this church . . . great to be together . . . Anyway, I had not skied on those mountains before . . . and it snowed over a foot while we were there . . . made finding your way down a little tough . . . I have a simple rule . . . point ski's down the hill . . . stay on top of the snow and usually all is well . . .
Well - we were tree skiing (aspens) beautiful - I got a little ahead of the guys and like I said - I'd never been there before . . . but I thought I'll keep going down and on top of the snow and it's all good . . . Anyway - the trail through the trees kinds disappeared with all the new snow - soon I was breaking trail . . . Awesome - but soon after that I realized how quiet it was and how very alone I was . . . but kept going - confident - but somewhat aware that I didn't exactly know where I was . . . after a couple minutes I stopped - decided I'd wait for the other guys - silence - falling snow - silence - nothing. Within just a few seconds . . . got the strangest feeling . . . got all sweaty and kinds panicky . . . strange feeling - but I knew that it was because I had had it before . . . I was lost . . . .
Then I thought I wasn't - then I knew I was (new plan) and after a bit of going sideways not down anymore and a little walking . . . in very deep snow - I realized I was just a little out of bounds and completely in the opposite corner of the hill as I thought I was . . Moral of the story . . . "Being lost is easier if you actually know you're lost" . . . (repeat) "Then you have a chance of being found" . . . .
Trouble is . . . not everybody realizes how lost they actually are at times . . .
Jesus - 3 stories - Luke 15 . . . about being lost . . .
I. Searching
There is one very big theological truth Jesus was trying to get across to the religious people of his day by telling these stories . . . Searching is a high priority for God . . .
Whenever I hear that story about the sheep only one thought comes into my mind and it's a troublesome thought . . . That shepherd had 100 sheep, and one of those sheep wandered off and got lost . . . so he up and leaves 99 healthy - well - behaved - good natured nice looking - very white - fat and fluffy - stay at home sheep - he leaves them (99 of them) to fend for themselves and he goes to find the one that's lost . . . Now . . . if you think about it - it's kinda ludicrous . . . I mean, that one sheep might have fallen and broken a leg - maybe that sheep was already useless and all messed up by now . . . or . . . maybe that one sheep might be so lost that it will never be found . . .
In fact, that one sheep might even be dead, or worse yet . . . that one sheep might not want to be found and might continue to run further and further away from the shepherd . . .
Yet - even with all that against the effort, the shepherd leaves the 99 found sheep and goes searching for the one that's lost . . . Why? Because that's the shepherds job . . . See - he knew that this one sheep was in danger . . . and he knew exactly which sheep it was - that shepherd knew that sheep's family history and color and frame (floppy ear) . . . he valued that one sheep greatly . . . In fact the shepherd valued the sheep more than the sheep valued itself . . . I bet that shepherd even knew that one lost sheep's name . . . Lucky O'Rielly (Now the Bible doesn't say that - but isn't that a good name for a wandering rough and tough rebellious sheep - Lucky O'Rielly.
See to the shepherd - that sheep (Lucky) was very valuable and worth diligently searching for . . . worth the time - worth the energy it took to find him . . . . . .
The same urgent searching runs through each of the stories . . . The woman who lost a valuable coin . . . again searched well into the night . . . and made searching her highest priority . . . and the father of the lost son spend hours every day searching an empty road in hopes of his lost son's return . . .
See folks - In each story - Jesus point was the same . . . .Searching becomes a high priority when something of value is lost . . .that's the principle . . .
Now here's the spin. Here's the take home.
Folks - God is the one who created people . . . (me and you) - and because He created us He knows how valuable we are . . . We matter to God . . . in fact, we are more loved by God . . .
He knows your name - your heart - your past - your future. He alone knows your true worth . . . because he created you
Folks (that's what Jesus was getting at) That is why God expends so much time and energy searching for people that's why searching is such a high priority for God . . . (it is you know (a high priority). . . searching for spiritually seeking people is what God does . . . ) He searches . . . even when we wander farther and farther away from him He searches . . . even when we intentionally run when we hear his voice He searches. . . even when we are in grave danger and are in the process of wrecking our lives - and still don't want to be found . . . God continues to search . . . Why? Well . . .
Because people matter to God . . . You and I matter to him greatly . . . we are highly valued by the God of the universe . . . Our creator . . . . And searching becomes a very high priority when something of value is lost . . . .
Now - catch this - take the stories a bit further . . . (to another level) notice that God also searches uniquely for each of us (this is a big deal . . . ) . . . and again because He created us . . . He alone knows the best way for each of us to be found . . . . . . He knows the best way for us to hear his voice calling to us . . .
Now - there are a couple ways we see God search - 1st He searches aggressively and tirelessly.
That shepherd goes out and intentionally searches for the one lost sheep . . . and the woman searches actively and directly for the lost coin . . . because (key line) they both knew that the sheep and the coin would not, and could not return by themselves
So intentional searching was a necessity . . . (if they were ever gonna be found)
But in the 3rd story (lost son) the searching is more about waiting and watching. (Rather than intentional and active).
In this story the father watches the road and waits to see if his son will return.
See . . . the father knows that he will welcome his son when he returns - he's already decided that . . . but he also knows that his son is strong-willed and . . . the father knows the son must decide on his own to be found . . . He knows that searching aggressively for his son will only push him farther away . . . So he just waits patiently and watches with hope - for his son to be found . . .
People - do you know that's what God does? That's His job . . . for some of us He waits patiently and for others of us He searches aggressively . . . For those of us in grave danger - or for those of us who have wondered so far from Him that we can't possibly find our way back . . . on our own . . . For us, He searches actively - aggressively and intentionally to help us see the light - to help us be found . . .
And for some of you today that describes you - and where you're at . . . you're in an urgent spot - you need to be found - quickly . . . and you know what?
That's my story - Not many years ago. I was on a fast track running hard and fast away from God . . . and in grave danger . . . but I was to stupid and arrogant to realize it . . . and through the course of 2 or 3 events, a bar room brawl where I clearly woke up realizing I came in 2nd place . . . then a brush with death in a truck accident . . . and a couple of relationship deals that caused great hurt . . . Through those things God showed me where I was headed, until I saw the light . . . and thank God He did . . . because I know I wouldn't be alive today if He had waited . . . (instead of searching for me aggressively)
And some of you - will understand, that urgent search from God - because that's your story too . . . or maybe you resonate with that story because you're lost right now spiritually, and you know it . . . and your heart it pounding right now because you know you need to be found . . . it's urgent . . . people . . . don't run from God again today - run towards him . . .
For others of you, your story is different - maybe God's search for you has been less urgent . . . or maybe for some He's still waiting - He's not pushing you - He's simply waiting patiently for you to come back . . . His eyes are watching and His arms are open - every minute of the day - just waiting for you to come home . . . Amazing Grace.
Now - I've been thinking for a couple weeks about this message . . . and while I was away - I was picturing all you folks learning the truth about God today . . . and this stuff was just burning inside of me . . . and I know I was supposed to give you a chance to respond . . . so I'm gonna do that - then I'll finish the message . . .
People - everybody gets lost at certain points in life - and everybody gets to a point when they know they're lost and they need to be found . . .
So now - I don't know who you are today and I don't know you're story . . . I don't know if you feeling lost - or even if you would know if you were . . . What I do know is that God is waiting . . and He's searching for you to come to Him - Whether it's with a problem you've been dealing with or maybe 3 or 4 or 15 problems . . .and you feel lost for answers. Or maybe it's a health challenge and you're scared and feeling sick about the future . . . or maybe you've got something that's been holding you back from God - and you need to let it go - like fear - or an addiction or maybe apathy - or maybe you've just never been found spiritually and you know God is searching for you but you've never turned His direction . . . people if that's you . . . then - today - right now. You have an opportunity to be found.
Here's what I think.
I think no matter what your facing or who you are . . . . . . it's better to have God with you directing your life than to be alone - and it's better to be connected spiritually than disconnected . . .
II. Risk and Effort
Let me take 5 more minutes and take these stories 1 more level - away from just individual application to a whole church application . . .
Risk and effort are part of searching.
In the New International Version of the Bible, it says that the shepherd left the 99 sheep in "open country" That word - "open country" used here - means wilderness - A lonely place . . . Now - if you think this through - the logic of the shepherd seems a little bit crazy . . . To leave his sheep alone (in the wilderness) . . . to risk the 99 - in order to find the one . . . ? But folks we gotta remember who God is . . . God isn't safe and He isn't always rational . . . See . . . He's not in the number crunching business guy (uh-lets see . . .keep the 99 safe and go back and get the 1 - zero risk -but still gain).
No - God's love is so intense for the lost - that He says . . . I will bet everything on the lost one - it's a complete sell out in order to save the one . . . for God . . . searching means risking everything . . .
Or how about the woman who has lost her coin. I love the way it reads . . . , "Suppose a woman has ten valuable coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it?"
That woman is gonna tear apart the house . . . and she's gonna work tirelessly into the night until the lost is found . . .
So what's the message to our church as a whole? Well, let me be very straight. Church . . . lost people matter to God and He loves them deeply. And there are thousands and thousands and thousands of people in this city who don't know Jesus . . . and they're lost and some of them don't even know it . . . but that's not the issue. Whether people are lost or not isn't the issue - they're lost. Don't question that.
But hear this, God has called the church to help them be found. And He's called us to do whatever it takes to find them . . . to search tirelessly - to risk greatly - to expend great energy for even just one lost son or daughter to find their way home to God.
See folks, that's what this church is about. If you get to the heart of Lakeview Church, we're about lost people. We're about leaving the 99 and finding the one. We're about not being satisfied with nine coins . . . we want the tenth one to be found. We're about watching and waiting with open arms for sons and daughters to come back into relationship with their Heavenly Father.
That's what Lakeview Church is about. And you know what? We may not have told you that. Some of you are new here, and you may not have heard about Chapter 5 in the life and history of this church . . . where we gave away doing church just for us (the few found ones) and we opened up the doors and said, "Lakeview Church will never again just be about us - those who have found Jesus. We're the 99 - but what Lakeview will be about is the one who is lost . . ."
Let me tell you about Chapter 5 . . . in 1989, when we made a decision that has affected most of your lives. We were about 300 people then and we decided to radically change our church service to help seeking people be found by God.
Drama came in . . . drums and guitars came in . . . and we started turning it up. The organ got shelved and we spoke right into people's everyday lives with the truth of God's Word. And guess what? God used that greatly, church became effective spiritually and many hundreds of us responded to faith in Jesus Christ.
But I need to let you in on something. Those 300 people who allowed that change to take place in 1989 sacrificed greatly to see our faith lights go on. See . . . they didn't like this new music - it wasn't geared for them and the messages they wanted on Sunday morning, really needed to be at a deeper level . . . but they put themselves at risk - they refused to be safe - they refused to just be the 99 . . . and they stepped out to search for lost people (and in we came).
And people, we must continue to follow in their footsteps . . . We're not about being a safe 99. We're not about being safe and comfortable and nice little church. We're about the one . . . we're doing whatever it takes to find lost people. We're about risking our comfort - our preferences - to see people come into the Kingdom of God.
And folks - I guess I just needed to remind us of that before we take to many steps forward into Chapter 6 . . .
See this door? I asked our drama team to leave this door on stage for me - because I wanted to leave you with a picture of Lakeview Church, today . . . People . . . this church is all about leaving a door open - it's all about leaving a light on for people who want to be found by God . . .
In fact - Lakeview Church is about swinging that front door wide open . . . for seeking people . . . that's the picture I want you to have as we move into the future together . . . An open door . . . a church with a light on . . . a community of 99 that is all about enfolding the one . . . at any cost . . . and I have prayed for weeks that God would burn these stories and that picture into your hearts . . . that this is what we are to be about . . . that's who God has called us to be.
A church with an open door - for every seeking person to come in and be found. Got it? - Okay.
Stand . . . |
