WHY ARE WE HERE?
Luke 15:1-7
• A chaplain accompanied a volunteer militia led by Benjamin Franklin back in 1756. To defend the Pennsylvania colony against Indian attacks, Franklin led his recruits in the building of a fort in the Blue Mountain region. Once established inside the wall, the chaplain — “a zealous Presbyterian,” as Franklin called him in his autobiography — complained that few of the men were showing up for his worship services.
Franklin, ever the practical man, solved that problem by putting the chaplain in charge of the daily ration of rum. Franklin told the preacher, “It is, perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but if you were only to distribute it out after prayer service, you would have them all about you.”
The chaplain accepted that duty, and Franklin reports that thereafter, “never were prayers more generally and more punctually attended.”
That solved the attendance problem, but we might question exactly why those militia volunteers were there.
Why are you here?
That is a deep question with which people have wrestled from the beginning of time: What is my purpose, my goal, my ambition to be.
True enough. There is a the philosophical way to look at that question where the emphasis is upon the word, “Why?”
But there is a practical approach that gives attention to the word “Here?”
Why are you “here”
• A simple answer is: Because you are not somewhere else
In today’s parable, Jesus tells a story about a sheep, but not just a sheep…a flock of sheep.
And the passionate work of the shepherd is to get all the sheep together in the same place.
1 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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. Luke 15:1-7 NIV
The Lord is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of his pasture.
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3 NIV
Preachers sometimes talk to the people who are not here.
Rather than tell the people who are not here what they are missing, let’s take the approach of affirming to you who are here why being in the flock is so important.
Why are you here, in community with other followers of Jesus.
Why does the Good Shepherd want us with the flock, not apart from it
WE ARE HERE BECAUSE THE LORD CAME AFTER US
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Luke 15:4 NIV
Sheep are not pets, but do you do when your cat or dog or hamster is lost? You go off looking?
At one time, we were the lost sheep, vulnerable and unable to help ourselves.
The Lord came after us.
Recognize that this was a “mixed” crowd.
Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-2 NIV
In other words, they were deeply religious persons, who took their faith seriously.
They were in the flock. But they didn’t understand that no one is in the flock without the love of the shepherd.
Perhaps significantly, the parable isn’t concerned with how the sheep came to be lost.
Did it wander off unintentionally or was it taken by thieves or frighten and bolted?
It is not mentioned because it is not important. What is important is that the shepherd’s singular concern was to find his sheep before it suffered harm.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 NIV
For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them Ezekiel 34:11 NIV
In the parable, the shepherd can be viewed as a stand-in for Jesus. And what does he do when the sheep wanders off? He hunts it down and brings it back to the flock.
• We have never locked eyes with someone that did not matter to God. Bill Hybels
There is a natural gathering of similar folks.
Same hobbies, root for the same team, love music or certain kinds of music, support groups made of folks with similar struggles.
Part of our gathering is because we can sing the same song together.
I once was lost, but now I’m found
WE ARE HERE BECAUSE IT IS BETTER FOR US
The word “lost” is the same word that is translated “perish” in John 3:16.
It means “to be lost, ruined, or destroyed”
This little sheep is in great danger! It is headed for ruin. It is headed for destruction.
While finding the sheep was of some benefit to the shepherd, it was of even more benefit to the sheep,
We have all seen sheep before...they aren’t exactly the kings of the jungle.
They are easy prey for predators because they can’t protect themselves, they are slow, and they are easy to catch. On their own, they are in danger.
We are like them in that there is safety in numbers. There is strength in numbers.
Luke tells us it was Jesus’ custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day (Luke 4:16),
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day Luke 4:16 NIV
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Acts 17:1-2 NIV
A lot of traveling I have done has been with groups. The common instruction is: Do not get separated from the group. In a given moment, it may not be easy nor may it be my desire to stay with the group. But it is the safest and best for us.
The activity with the greatest benefits is rarely the easiest and/or most convenient.
• Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland. —Loreen, age 9.
It’s better to remember that we all benefit from participation in church life.
A faith community provides instruction, support, feedback, structure and accountability.
Worshiping, working, cooperating is an important way of putting the events of our lives in helpful perspective.
I recently read the quote of a skeptical unbeliever that stopped me in my tracks…
The church is a parasite. It owns the best property, doesn’t pay any taxes, and doesn’t help anybody.
We know better. That is why we are here because this is a nourishing station.
We know that when an predator attacks a group of animals, they try to isolate one away from the group.
WE ARE HERE BECAUSE IT PLEASES GOD
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.’ Luke 15:5-6 NIV
A main reason for being here is because it is where God wants us to be, it brings Him joy.
Joy in finding…
We are that way. You have thousands of things in your life right now that are not lost. You could go get them within a minute of when you started. But when there is something you cannot find… car keys, remote control, cell phone… and you look and hunt and THERE IT IS! You rejoice!
But there is no greater source of joy than being found in the care of the Great Shepherd.
• During summer vacation time, one church sign displayed this message: “Sure, you can worship God with a fishing pole in your hand, but when was the last time a trout told you, ‘Your sins are forgiven’?”
God rejoices when we are in His flock with others.
Rejoicing is the theme of all 3 parables in this chapter.
Lost sheep is returned, a lost coin is found, and a lost son comes home.
Do you know that nesting feeling of having all your children under the same roof?
Do you know the peace that all your children or grandchildren have a faith relationship with Jesus?
Today, YOU have the ability to bring joy to God
Today, YOU have brought joy to God.
• A few weeks ago I was chaplain of the week at Skyridge Medical Center. I stepped in to introduce myself to a lady who had been admitted the day before. A gentleman sat in the chair nearest the door and said nothing. The lady under the covers had her back turned to me and never looked at me. But after introducing myself she in no uncertain words told me she did not have any respect for any church. She apparently had a bad church experience and had told God it would be just her and Him. I was as courteous as could be, mildly trying to defend the bride of Christ. I left sad. Not because she was a sheep without a shepherd…but a sheep without a flock.
You may be here this morning like a sheep without a flock, a church family.
You may be one who has nibbled away a bit at a time.
You may be content going one-on-one with God, but God is not rejoicing because you are more vulnerable and not thriving as you only can in a group.
You might be here this morning without an awesome relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the only One who can give you real purpose and direction in life.
Jesus is the only one who loves you so much He left Heaven’s perfection to come to this sinful earth to rescue sinners like you and me!
