I HAVE A FAVORITE PICTURE FRAME IN MY OFFICE THAT DISPLAYS THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: “JUST THINK, YOU’RE NOT HERE BY CHANCE, BUT BY GOD’S CHOOSING. HIS HAND FORMED YOU AND MADE YOU THE PERSON YOU ARE. HE COMPARES YOU TO NO ONE ELSE, YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND. YOU LACK NOTHING THAT HIS GRACE CAN’T GIVE YOU. HE HAS ALLOWED YOU TO BE HERE AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY TO FULFILL HIS SPECIAL PURPOSE FOR THIS GENERATION.”
THE TRUTH CANNOT BE OVER-STATED OR EMPHASIZED ENOUGH: GOD CREATED YOU! GOD HAS PLACED EXTREME VALUE TO YOUR LIFE! YOU ARE OF GREAT CONCERN TO HIM AND YOUR ETERNAL DESTINY IS AN IMMEASURABLE PRIORITY FOR HIM.
WE MUST DISPEL ALL LIES THAT ATTEMPT TO MAKE US BELIEVE OTHERWISE. NOTHING IN ALL OF CREATION CAN DIMINISH YOUR VALUE OR STANDING IN THE SIGHT OF OUR LOVING FATHER.
ROMANS 8:38-39, CLEARLY STATES, “I AM CONVINCED THAT NOTHING CAN EVER SEPARATE US FROM GOD’S LOVE. NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE, NEITHER ANGELS NOR DEMONS, NEITHER OUR FEARS FOR TODAY NOR OUR WORRIES ABOUT TOMORROW—NOT EVEN THE POWERS OF HELL CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD’S LOVE. NO POWER IN THE SKY ABOVE OR IN THE EARTH BELOW—INDEED, NOTHING IN ALL CREATION WILL EVER BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS REVEALED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
WE NEED TO HEAR SUCH A MESSAGE THAT GOD SEEKS AFTER US TO RESTORE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THAT IS BROKEN AND SEPARATED BY OUR SINS. FROM THE MOMENT SIN ENTERED INTO THIS WORLD, GOD IMMEDIATELY COMES FORTH TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF HEALING, FORGIVING, AND RESTORING. THE MOST BLESSED WORDS OF GENESIS 3:8-9, “THEN THE MAN AND HIS WIFE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE LORD GOD AS HE WAS WALKING IN THE GARDEN …AND THEY HID FROM THE LORD GOD AMONG THE TREES OF THE GARDEN. BUT THE LORD GOD CALLED TO THE MAN, "WHERE ARE YOU?"
ANYONE WHO IS LOST AND TO ANYONE WHO STRAYS AND FALLS AWAY, GOD IS PATIENT AND ACTIVELY WORKING IN PURSUIT OF SEEKING, FINDING, AND RESTORING. 2 PETER 3:9, “THE LORD IS NOT SLOW IN KEEPING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME UNDERSTAND SLOWNESS. HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE.”
GOD PURSUES EVEN IF WE FLEE. GOD IS STEADFAST EVEN WHEN WE WAIVER. GOD OFFERS PARDON WHEN WE FEEL WE’VE RUN OUT OF CHANCES. WHEN OTHERS HAVE WRITTEN US OFF, GOD REFUSES TO GIVE UP ON US.
THE TWO PARABLES IN OUR SCRIPTURE TODAY PAINTS A VIVID PICTURE OF GOD WHO COMPASSIONATELY SEARCHES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LOST, DISCONNECTED, AND SINFUL. GOD DOES NOT GIVE UP, LET UP OR STOP THIS PROCESS. WE ARE JUST TOO VALUABLE.
IN THE FIRST PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP, JESUS CONDEMNS THE PHARISEE’ CRITICAL DISGUST TOWARDS THOSE WHO THEY REFER TO AS “PUBLICANS AND SINNERS” FOR THEY WOULD NOT ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH THEM. THEY KEPT THEIR DISTANCE.
THE MESSAGE IS PLAIN AND SIMPLE: GOD, AS A LOVING SHEPHERD, WILL SEARCH UNTIL HE FINDS AND ONCE HE FINDS, WILL PERSONALLY PICK UP AND CARRY THE LOST SHEEP BACK HOME AND GATHERS OTHERS TO REJOICE.
THE FACT THAT THE SHEPHERD WOULD SINGLE OUT ONE LONE SHEEP IN ORDER TO FIND IT IS THE IMAGRY OF GOD THAT WE NEED AS PROOF THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS DEAR TO HIM. THE WHOLE POINT OF JESUS SEEKING OUT AND RECEIVING THE LOST AND SINFUL IS TO SHOW HOW PLEASING IT IS TO GOD TO RECEIVE SUCH SINNERS BACK INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM.
THERE CAN NEVER BE ANYTHING TOO REPULSIVE, IMMORAL, UNETHICAL, DOGMATIC OR SACRELIGIOUS, THAT WOULD MAKE GOD GIVE UP ALL HOPE OF FORGIVING, RESTORING, AND REDEEMING YOU! SIMPLY PUT: YOU CAN NEVER BE BAD ENOUGH FOR THE ONE WHO IS GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE ALL BAD THINGS GOOD AGAIN!
PLEASE NOTE THE IMAGRY OF HOW THE SHEPHERD BRINGS THE LOST SHEEP BACK HOME! THE SHEPHERD CARRIES THE SHEEP GENTLY ACROSS HIS SHOULDERS TO INDICATE WHAT A JOY IT IS FOR GOD TO FORGIVE US. IT GIVES HIM PLEASURE TO WIN US BACK!
THIS DISPLAY OF EXTRAORDINARY LOVE FROM GOD IS TO SHOW US THE LEVEL OF PASSIONATE CARE HE HAS TO ENSURE US THAT OUR RETURN WILL BE GENTLE, MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS.
JESUS THEN CONTINUES WITH A SIMILAR PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN. IT WAS CUSTOMARY IN THOSE DAYS THAT PALESTINIAN WOMEN WOULD RECEIVE TEN SILVER COINS AS A WEDDING GIFT.
EACH COIN, WORTH ABOUT ONE DAYS WAGES, WERE HELD IN SENTIMENTAL VALUE AS A WEDDING RING WOULD BE TODAY. SO, TO LOSE A COIN, OR TO LOSE YOUR WEDDING RING, COULD CAUSE GREAT DISTRESS AND WOULD BE EXTREMELY UPSETTING. THE WOMAN BASICALLY LOST ONE-TENTH OF HER LIFE SAVINGS NO WONDER SHE SEARCHED SO DILIGENTLY TO FIND IT!
SHE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO LOOKING FOR IT BY LIGHTING A LAMP IN ORDER TO SEE INTO THE DARKEST PARTS OF THE HOME AND USED A BROOM TO SWEEP OUT THE PLACES SHE COULDN’T REACH IN HOPES TO FIND THAT ONE LOST COIN.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE IMAGERY OF GOD THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL IS PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. HE ACTIVELY SEEKS THOSE WHO ARE LOST IN THE DARKEST OF PLACES AND THOSE WHO MAY SEEM UNREACHABLE, UNWINABLE, OR UNCHANGEABLE.
THERE IS NO SIN TOO DARK AND TWISTED OR PLACE TO FAR GONE FOR GOD TO BRING IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST TO SWEEP AWAY SUCH SINFULNESS WITH THE REDEEMING BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
THERE IS NO PERSON TOO DIRTY, BROKEN, MISERABLE, RICH, POOR, CLOTHED OR NAKED THAT GOD CANNOT FIND AND RESTORE. REGARDLESS OF WHAT LABLE SOCIETY PLACES UPON THE WORTH OF A HUMAN BEING IT STILL DOESN’T CHANGE GOD’S VALUE PLACED AND SEALED UPON THEM WITH HIS OWN CREATIVE HAND.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE COIN IS TO EMPHASIZE THE GREAT WORTH EACH OF US HAS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. IF WE ARE LOST THEN GOD IS IN PERIL OF LOSING A GREAT FORTUNE. GOD REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE LOSS OF ONE SINGLE COIN AND WILL SEARCH TIRELESSLY TO RECOUP SUCH A LOSS.
IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT ALL OF US CAN PUT OURSELVES INTO THE STORY TO BECOME BOTH THE SHEEP AND THE COIN. WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE LOST AND OUT OF PLACE. WE KNOW THE STING OF GUILT FOR CHOOSING OR OWN WAY. WE ALL KNOW THE SHAME FROM CHOOSING THE MOMENTARY PLEASURE OF SIN OVER OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
WE ALL DEAL WITH SOMETHING IN OUR LIVES THAT MAKES US WRESTLE WITH THE FEAR OF LOSING OUR FAITH, OUR SALVATION, AND OUR FAVOR WITH GOD.
WE ALWAYS SEEM TO QUESTION THINGS WE DO AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE SAY AS IF THEY COULD SOMEHOW JEOPARDIZE OUR STANDING AND RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
WE CAN FEAR NO MORE! GOD WANTS A RELATIONSHIP WITH US AND IS WORKING TO BRING US CLOSER TO HIM IN A PERSONAL, INTIMATE, LOVING RELATIONSHIP. WHATEVER SIN HE NEEDS TO FORGIVE, WHATEVER TURMOIL HE MUST UNWIND AND WHATEVER DAMAGE HE NEEDS TO REPAIR TO REDEEM US FROM THE MESSES AND MISTAKES WE CAN GET OURSELVES INTO, GOD WILL LOVINGLY AND GRACIOUSLY ACT AND RESPOND TO YOUR SPECIFIC NEED.
I LEAVE YOU WITH THE WORDS OF LUKE 19:10, “FOR THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THOSE WHO ARE LOST.”ARE YOU A LOST SHEEP IN NEED OF COMING HOME? ARE YOU A LOST COIN THAT NEEDS TO BE FOUND?
WHATEVER MESS WE FIND OURSELVES IN AND WHATEVER SPIRITUAL SITUATION WE FACE, WE CAN KNOW TODAY THAT THE VALUE OF OUR LIFE IS SO GREAT THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WORKING IN OUR LIVES AND SITUATION TO NOT ONLY BRING US BACK TO HIM, BUT TO KEEP US GROWING IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM! NOW, THAT IS SOMETHING WORTH CELEBRATING!
