Text: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (John 6:39).
Has anyone here ever lost anything? For example, have you lost a key, an address, some money, your wallet, your credit card, or anything else? I would say that most people have lost something at some point in their life. When we lose an item of some sort, we are not happy.
I don’t like to say I lost something, but I prefer to say that I misplaced it. If I say I lost an item, it sounds as though I am irresponsible and am not trustworthy. It is easy to blame someone else for our faults.
When a person loses or misplaces something, it is not uncommon to say that it was taken or picked up by another person. At times it is difficult for us to accept accountability.
I was in a restaurant one day when a guest accused the server of taking his sunglasses. He was not sitting too far from me and I did not see any sunglasses on the table. The guest notified management of the issue, an incident report was filled out, and the corporate office was notified. He lost or misplaced his sunglasses, but the blame was cast upon another individual. My guess is that when he got to his car his sunglasses appeared. I don’t know this for sure.
The point is we all lose things. Children lose things quite often. Children have lost library books, articles of clothing, money, toys, and other articles. Adults have lost cell phones, umbrellas, wallets, car keys, laptops, glasses, and a host of other items. We are all guilty.
Schools, workplaces, restaurants, airports, bus stations, and other establishments have a lost and found department. It is true that sometimes articles will be found by an individual, but will not be turned into the lost and found department.
The other day we were going into CVS and decided to return a cart to the store and in the process noticed that someone had bought a nice birthday card and left it in the bag in the cart. It was not ours, so we took it in and gave it to the cashier. Cards cost money, and I believe that at some point the person who bought the card will be looking for it.
I heard a lost and found story that occurred one Sunday morning at one church. The minister had announced the hymn to be sung just before the message was to be given. As the choir began to sing the hymn, the minister couldn’t seem to find his written sermon.
He searched around the pulpit thinking it might have fallen to the floor. When he realized this had not happened, he motioned to the choir director to keep singing while he went to his office to see if he left it there on his desk. He did not find it on his desk.
He came back into the church and went to talk to his wife who was sitting in the front pew. He poured out his heart to her, but unfortunately she was of no help. She sent a young fellow into the men’s restroom to see if her husband might have let it there. It was not in the restroom.
While this was going on, the choir kept singing. The hymn came to a close, so the minister whispered to the choir director to sing another hymn. By this time the minister was quite frustrated and it was obvious to the congregation.
As the choir was finishing the second hymn, something came over the minister. There was a feeling of peace upon his face, his frustration had disappeared and joy and happiness showed forth in the form of a sweet smile stretching from one ear to another.
What had happened? The sermon that was lost had been found. Where was it and who found it? It was in the minister’s inside coat pocket and he found it when in desperation he reached his hand into his pocket.
The choir finished the hymn, the director realized the issue had been solved and motioned for the choir to be seated. The minister walked to the pulpit, tall and straight, smile on his face, joy in his heart, spirit in his step and the message in his hand. The minister in the pulpit and the angels in heaven were rejoicing over that which was lost but was found.
When we find something we have lost, there in joy in our heart. We are back to normal. Everything looks bright. Life is good. God has blessed us and we thank Him.
The three parables I read to you this morning concern something lost and found. The Pharisees and scribes were complaining about Jesus. They were saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). The sinners were the tax collectors, cheaters, outcasts and any others not living according to Pharisee standards.
The first parable talks about sheep; the second talks about coins, and the third talks about two sons. Jesus talks about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. The tax collectors and the sinners are representative of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. The Pharisees and the scribes are representatives of the 99 sheep, the 9 coins, and the older son.
As we know, sheep are not very intelligent animals. The shepherd knows this and it is his job to lead them in the right direction. The sheep do not know when they are lost. They do not know how important they are to the shepherd. They do not know that when they wander away from the fold and out of view of the shepherd that danger in imminent. The sheep don’t realize they have no means of self-defense.
The shepherd loves each one of his sheep and does not want anything to happen to any of them. The parable talks about 99 other sheep, but that is not what is important. The shepherd could have hundreds of sheep or he could have 2 sheep, but the fact is each one is important to the shepherd and losing one would be devastating to him.
Think for just a moment about our own immediate family. Each child in a family is a valuable asset to the parents. Parents who have multiple children love each and every one of them just as much as a family who has one child. Parents are protective of their children and want the best for them. Their love is expressed to each of the children.
When a child in the family makes the wrong choice and wanders away from the family, the parents have deep concern. Part of the family is missing just as when one sheep wanders from the fold.
Many a parent has suffered heartache because a child has chosen to move away from the family, live a different life, become independent, do their own thing, be their own boss, break family ties, but not realizing they are lost.
A sheep that wanders away from the fold does not know it is lost. People who wander away from the love of their family and away from the love of Almighty God often times do not know they are lost. God did not make people dumb animals like the sheep, but made them superior to every other creature.
Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).
We have heard of older people wandering away not knowing where they are going. Perhaps they intend to go to a certain place, but for some reason the mind becomes confused and they are lost.
Alzheimer’s is a condition affecting the brain causing confusion, memory loss and mood swings. These people do not realize they are lost.
Sometimes children at an amusement park or in a mall will somehow stray away from their parents. The child may stop to look at something or the parent may get sidetracked momentarily and let go of their child and the child wanders in another direction.
Soon the parent realizes the child is absent and panic set in. The child doesn’t know they are lost because they know where they are. Listen to this story.
A mother attended a service in a large and crowded auditorium accompanied by her little daughter Mary. In some manner Mary became separated from her mother.
The mother sent a notice to the platform which was read: “If there is a little girl named Mary Moore, in then audience, who is lost, will she please raise her hand so that her mother can find her.”
No little girl lifted her hand, so Mary’s mother had the police searching the city for her child. Not finding her, the mother came back and stood at the door of the auditorium as the people filed out. Among the last of them came Mary.
Her mother seized her in her arms crying, “Where were you, Mary?” “On the front seat,” replied the little one. “Didn’t you hear the notice read, ‘If there is a little girl named Mary Moore in the audience who is lost, will she please raise her hand so that her mother can find her?”
“Yes,” said Mary, “I heard it read.” “Why didn’t you raise your hand then?” asked her mother. “Why, mother, it couldn’t have meant me,” said Mary, “for I wasn’t lost. I knew where I was.”
-------------------Wonderful Word
No one likes to lose anything or anyone. Families are bound together by love. I’m sure you have heard or might even have said to someone through jest “Why don’t you get lost.” In reality, the person doesn’t really want the other person to get lost, but used the phrase in a kidding manner.
When we find something we have lost we are happy. When an amber alert is generated and the child is found, there is rejoicing among the loved ones and those people closely associated with the child.
A silver alert is generated when an elderly or senior person is missing. When the person is found safe and sound, peace and happiness comes upon family and friends.
Our second story or parable is about a woman who had ten silver coins and loses one of them. Did she look for the coin or did she think that as long as she had nine more it was okay? She looked high and low for the coin. Would you have looked for the coin?
What if you had ten one thousand dollar bills and lost one of them, would you look for the one you lost or would you be satisfied with the other nine you still have? I am sure you would look for the one you lost.
Would you just do a surface search or would you look under and in every possible place? Would you retrace every step taken since the bill was lost? I would and I believe you would do the same.
The woman, who lost the silver coin turned up the light, swept the floor like it had never been swept before, moved the furniture, shook the rugs, and looked in every nook and cranny. Scripture ask this question: “Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8)
The Palestinian woman who marries received ten silver coins as a wedding gift just as a woman this day received a wedding ring. Think for just a moment: Would a married woman want to lose her wedding ring? I don’t thinks so. The wedding ring becomes a part of that person. It is important and it is valuable to the woman.
If a married woman this day was to lose her wedding ring, she would definitely search the house very thoroughly in an effort to locate the lost ring. When the ring is found, the woman would be very happy, tell her friends about it, and all would rejoice.
Our third story is about a father who has two sons. These two sons would receive their father’s estate upon his death. It is interesting to note that the younger son would receive one-third while the older son would receive two-thirds.
This division is in accordance to the words written in Deuteronomy 21 15-17 which says, “If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.”
In other words, the older son gets a double portion of the estate. The estate is not divided evenly as one might think. In addition, the estate is not usually divided until the death of the father.
This father loved both of his sons just as a Christian father does today. Out of love, a father will at times bend to the desires of his children. The father may not understand the son’s way of thinking or maybe the son has his mind so made up that talking does not seem to the solution.
The father will give in to the son knowing that somewhere, sometime, or somehow the son will experience a real life’s lesson. Experience is sometimes a difficult way to learn, but at times it is the only way to learn a lesson.
In this parable, the younger son took his share and left home. Did the father feel any less love for him? No! The father probably wished his son well as he left home.
The son thought he had all the answers and could handle whatever came his way. He had the freedom to do as he pleased, but soon found that his friends left him after his money supply was depleted.
This sort of thing goes on today. Young people do not always listen to the words coming from their parents. Their friends seem to influence them more than do their parents. It is not that parents are not good parents and want the best for their children, but there are some children who think like the young son in the story and want to be on their own.
The father in the story loved his son just as earthly fathers today love their sons. Each might not agree with what the son’s want to do, but each is willing to give to let them step out into the real world and learn through experience.
The father waited for the return of his son with great anticipation. He never gave up hoping and praying the son would return. When the son realized he could not make it on his own, he was willing to return home and beg his father for forgiveness. He was ready to apologize for his error and he was ready to be considered just a helping hand instead of a son.
The son said, “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired man;” (Luke 15:19, 19)
The father had different ideas. When the father saw him on the horizon, he was joyful, happy and full of compassion. As the son got near, “….he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him….the father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’”. (Luke 15:20-24)
The father was happy the son returned. The son didn’t realize he was lost, but the father knew he was. The father never gave up loving his son. He waited every day for his return. His arms were wide open in anticipation of the day he would embrace his son.
Conclusion:
Sheep get lost because they take their eyes off the shepherd. Various worldly items are lost through carelessness or forgetfulness. God’s children are lost when they wander from the Great Shepherd.
An individual is lost when the ways of the world appear to be better than the ways of the Father and the wide road is more appealing than the straight and narrow road. A person is lost when God is left out of their life and they live according to the dictates of the world. One living in sin is living in darkness and is lost because they refuse to see the Light.
God loves each and every one of His children and He does not want any to be lost. He seeks each one and rejoices when they come to Him. He does not want them to be lost sheep or people without hope.
God wants each of His children to spend eternity with Him in His kingdom. He sent His Son into the world to seek and to save those who are lost.
Jesus said, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (John 6:39).
Amen.
