Sermon Central
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Baa Baa Black Sheep Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Psychologists refer to the trait of not wanting someone to be part of their "flock" the "Black Sheep Effect". Jesus could have told His parable using a black sheep (because the sinners He worked with were that), but He didn’t. Were there reasons why He di
There are many churches out there that go out of their way to get what they regard as being the “Good Sheep”. They go after the Doctors and the Lawyers, and Politicians. And it’s ok to go after these folks, because they’re usually as lost as anyone else. But God forbid that any church value those people over the prostitute and the drug dealer who repents. God forbid we, or any other congregation should ever choose the wealthy over the welfare recipient.
Jesus came to save the lost.
Jesus came to rescue those the rest of society had rejected.
Because Jesus primary objective was not to build an impressive church, but to rebuild unimpressive people.
One person said it this way:
God loves us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.
John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
And that gift of love was not a cheap display of affection.
In giving us His Son – Jesus – God paid a high and terrible price.
Isaiah 53:6 declared
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him (His only begotten Son) the iniquity of us all.”
In order to seek us and bring us back to Himself, Jesus went to the cross
He suffered insults, pain and a long lingering death.
He allowed His body to die and be buried.
He did that for you.
He did that for me.
Because – in the eyes of Jesus – there is no one who is worthless
It could be that you’re one of those lost souls today.
Maybe you’re already a Christian, and you’ve wandered off from your Shepherd. Perhaps you’ve done a good job of masking your lostness, maybe you’ve fooled everyone around you and made them believe you have it “all together” – but you know better. And so does God.
Even now He’s seeking you.
Even now, He’s pleading for you to repent and follow Him.
But you have to decide.
You have to decide to quit making excuses for yourself.
You have to decide to choose to leave the life you’ve lived and follow Him.
AND you have to decide that you are worth receiving the blessings God wants to give to you.
INVITATION
Luke 15:7 I tell you… there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
