Lost Pursuit

Sermon Idea

Jesus seeks the lost, saves the lost, and shouts for the found.

Introduction

Max

Misty and I lost our dear old dog, Max, a couple of years ago. It was terrible. He was very sick and we had to put him down. We stood by with our hands on him while the vet put Max to sleep. It was horrible. Then we took him home, I dug a deep hole in our flowerbed, and buried him. It was one of the most difficult days of my life. I lost a friend. He was one of our kids! We had him for 17 years. He was Blake’s growing up. Now he was gone.

Well, after several months Misty saw a German Shephard at the OKC Animal Shelter, so I went to inquire about him. That dog wasn’t available, but there were so many that were! Blake had met me up there and we found a few dogs that we liked.

On a Sunday after church I took Misty to see some of them. They had this room where you could get to know the dogs. We met several, but none quite fit. Then we came to an older, brown lab. He was so sweet. The other dogs would go crazy, jumping and running all over the place, but this dog was a gentleman. So sweet and nice. We could not figure out why he was there. Who would give up or lose such a sweet dog?

We went back home and, on Monday, I went back after work and adopted our Zeus.

We found the perfect dog for us.

He had been in and out of the OKC shelter multiple times. We found out his last owner moved and could not have a dog so returned him…returned him? That was crazy! We could not believe what we just heard. How could someone do that?

We told Zeus, you are in your forever home!

Please turn in your Bible to Luke 19:10

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Let us pray…

Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Who is the “Son of Man”?

Jesus is referred to as the Son of Man 88 times in the New Testament. In the old Testament, Daniel prophesies about the Son of Man in Dan 7:13-14. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Jesus is the God-Man.

Jesus was fully man

When Jesus was born on earth he became fully man. He became thirsty and hungry. He became tired. He had an earthly father, mother, brothers, and sisters. He grew up as a carpenter’s son. His hometown was Nazareth and he was Jewish. When he was flogged and beaten, it hurt. He felt every blow. He suffered an agonizing, horrifying death.

Jesus is fully God

Jesus is also fully God. Jesus is the second person in the Holy trinity, “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” He has lived and will live for all eternity…he is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. He sits at the right hand of the father in heaven.

There is power in the very name of Jesus.

In Jesus name, the lame walk, the blind see, and the dead are raised.

In Jesus name, water is turned into new wine.

Even the wind and the waves obey Jesus’ name.

In Jesus’ name…

…the drug addict is clean,

…the drunk becomes sober,

…the tax collector becomes a disciple,

…the fisherman becomes a fisher of men,

…the terrorist becomes a peacemaker,

…the murderer becomes a life giver,

…the hatful become kind,

…the depressed become joyous,

…the bad become good,

…the dark become light givers, and

…the dead become alive!

All people are born lost in sin

The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short…” Rom 3:23

Problem is, most people don’t realize that they are lost and are in need of a savior. Yet, there is a void inside of everyone. They know something is missing and try to fill that void with all sorts of things. For some it is the love of money, for others it is the love of sex and pornography, for others it is drugs or alcohol, for others it is…fill in the blank.

Everyone is lost and in need of a savior.

Now turn to Luke 15:1-7.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.