Finding Jesus
Jer 29:13
We are in a brand new year! 2017
What a great year to know the one who holds tomorrow, and to know that he holds your hand?
How are you entering 2017?
Joyfully, positively?
Or are you bogged down by the cares of life, wondering what is going to happen next?
many put their hope in people
some put their hope in things
others pin their hopes on some event that they planned
Most of those are false hopes - because all those things can change or even cease to be.
Our hope must primarily be in God, because
He doesn't change, He doesn't disappear.
My future and your future is in God.
Will you trust Him?
Have you ever lost something and spent time looking for it?
ever lost bin bag of old used wrapping paper from Christmas?
Did you even know it was missing?
How much time did you spend looking for that rubbish?
£5 note . . .
keys . . .
Passport……
wedding ring . . .
The more valuable to you the item is, more you seek it, and spend extra time and energy doing so.
if it's a fiver….
if it’s credit card - can be replaced
if it’s wedding ring……. but even then, you could replace it
“Seek and you shall find” it says in Scripture.
- usually the value (to you) of the item, determines how much time and effort you give to searching for it, right?
Has this happened to you? . . .
Leading up to Christmas . . .nativity scene decoration . . .
Mary, Shepherds, Joseph, few animals, angel, and . . . . . the smallest figure (Jesus) can’t be found!
There is no point having a nativity scene if no Jesus! - so you hunt around for him . . . if you can’t find him, you may as well throw out the whole thing, right?
Some of us may have lost Jesus . . . . I don’t mean a clay figure in a scene; I mean some of us have lost the real Jesus in our lives.
you’ve had him for some years, and he was always on display . . . you had him last year, but…… [empty hands] . . gone!
where did he go?
Do you remember putting him away?
Do you remember where you saw Him last? No?
At some point you realised he wasn’t around.
You lost him.
Someone wrote:
Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and His Word?
What peaceful hours I then enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void,
The world can never fill. (Meyer, p. 10)
Have you lost Jesus Christ in your life?
Are you going to look for him?
If so how much will you look for him?
like you look for a bag of old wrapping paper?
like £5
like a credit card?
like a wedding ring?
Jer 29:13 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”
Josiah was a young king
In the eighteenth year of his rule, Josiah announced his plan to have the Holy Temple renovated.
In the course of the repairs, the High Priest found a scroll which turned out to be the scroll of the Torah Moses had written.
It was taken to king Josiah, who commanded it to be read from it.
The passage that was read happened to be the Admonition of the fifth book of Moses (Deuteronomy), which contained the warnings of heavy punishment for the Jewish people if they failed to follow in God's ways.
When Josiah heard the content of this terrible prophecy, he realized what the future had in store for his people who, during the reign of his father and grandfather, had sunk to the lowest level of immorality and idolatry.
The people of God had LOST God!
He rent his clothes and, after consulting a prophetess, Josiah was determined to get the people to find God again!
He ordered that the Word of the Lord be read throughout the kingdom in order that the people might be moved to a wholehearted return to God.
Josiah realised the seriousness of losing sight of God
have you lost sight of Him?
how valuable to you is Jesus Christ?
oh there are plenty of distractions . .
Family
the pressing issues
How many of you have started looking for something, and got distracted by finding something else –
“Oh, thats where that went..”
and you start looking at that and …… forget what you started looking for.
It’s so easy to get distracted from seeking the Lord Jesus.
This year, let’s take this verse from Jeremiah and take it seriously!
Seek the Lord!!
How do you seek the Lord again
FIRST: Remove as many barriers/distractions as possible
People . . .
Time . . .
Media . . .
Sin - is there some recurring sin in your life that you know has made you take your eyes off the Lord - so you lost Him
it’s got to go!!!! Now!!!
If you’ve lost the Lord Jesus, you’ve lost the most precious thing - you have to do ALL you can to seek Him out.
so - remove the barriers and then . . .
SECOND: SEEK OUT JESUS CHRIST AGAIN.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Look for Him!
Study His story in the gospels –
use bible reading notes, books, come Sunday or Thursday nights.
Open your heart to him in prayer and seek him . . .
be determined this year to seek the Lord in your life.
Don’t stop searching . . .
until you find the living, glorious Lord Christ again - restored to the place He should be - your heart.
