God's Lost & Found

"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?" (Luke 15:4-10)

Have you ever lost something important, maybe not of significant monetary value but nonetheless very important to you? When you did, you probably could not think of anything else except finding it, almost obsessively doing everything you could to search for it. Is the same thing true when God loses someone?

We often refer to people who do not know Jesus as being "lost." In what sense are they lost? They are lost from God, and they have wandered away from Him. In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd knew that he must find the lost sheep to save him from certain death. In the parable of the lost coin, the woman had to find the coin because of its value to her.

Many sermons have been preached on Luke 15 because it is so rich in essential truths for us. But let's look at one critical point today—the initiative of the shepherd and the woman. They put aside everything else to find what was lost, and it was their single focus and passion. The point is: that is God's single focus and passion.

William Barclay said, "The one absolutely new thing that Jesus taught men about God is that God actually sought and searched for man." Malcolm Tolbert said, "The life of Jesus is God's quest for His lost sheep." Luke says later in Luke 19:10: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." God wants every person on earth to be saved! We must respond to God and accept salvation through His Son, but we need to remember that God desperately wants to "find" us.

How does God usually seek people today? It is through us. We are God's hands and feet —His Ambassadors—to seek the lost. Leaving the 99 means leaving our comfort, security, and selfish desires to join God on a mission to bring the lost home.

Do we share God's passion for finding the lost and bringing them home? Are we willing to set aside other things to do that?

LET US PRAY - Lord, give us strength and passion for leaving our comfort zones to join You on a mission to seek the lost. Give us a burning desire to see every person come to know You as their Saviour. In Jesus' name. Amen.