LOOKING FOR THE LOST IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES
Text: Luke 15:3-10
Intro: There was a song some time ago entitled "looking for love in all the wrong places" People do need love, but are often looking in the wrong place for it. The bible says "God is Love" we know the most loving one in all creation is the Lord. The unsaved are looking in the wrong place for REAL love. It is our mission to help them find the Love of God.
And just as the unsaved are looking for love in all the wrong places, sometimes we Christians are looking for the unsaved in all the wrong places.
For example, you might expect the lost to come to church and be saved. If so, you maybe looking in the wrong place.
It so happens, that I was saved in Church, but I didn’t come to hear the Gospel. I came for a chicken dinner at a men’s fellowship.
Maybe you expect the lost to listen to the preacher on the radio, or the television - again this is probably the wrong place.
When I was lost and I was tuning the radio as soon as I recognized the station to be broadcasting the gospel, I tuned it to another station.
So where should we look? First ask Where did Jesus look?
I/ WHERE JESUS LOOKED
1st JESUS HAD TO LEAVE HOME TO FIND THE LOST
Jesus left His home in heaven, looking for the lost! Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Why did He come? Not to bring Comfort, or Happiness, or contentment, or wealth, or power. But "To seek & to save what was lost" Evangelism was His purpose in coming!
LESSON: Some times WE have to leave the comfort of our Church and our Home to find the lost!
2nd JESUS ALSO LEFT ESTABLISHED RELIGION
He drove the money changers from the temple, then He went to Samaria and spoke with a woman at the well, He healed an impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, He fed 5,000 hungry people and so on.
Basically, Jesus taught us we should leave the ninety and nine to bring in the one lost sheep.
LESSON: We should be praying to the Lord to help us focus our energies on harvesting rather than simply preserving the already existing fruit.
Speaking of the harvest Jesus said in: Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Jesus was saying we need laborers to look for the lost. The lost have to know that you care and are willing to put yourself out to seek them. But the question comes; who exactly are we looking for?
In His high priestly prayer Jesus gave us this insight:
John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
We are treasure hunting! We are looking for those that belong to God.
LESSON: Keep pointing people to Jesus and those that belong to God will listen.
3rd JESUS LOOKED AROUND HIM
Do you remember when Jesus called Zacchaeus down from the tree? Did you notice that Jesus befriended Zacchaeus before He taught him the way to eternal life. Why?
Jesus knew that most people, do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care!
LESSON: Friendship costs you something, but develops trust in what you say.
FINALLY, JESUS LOOKED AT THE WORLD
Jesus sent out workers into God’s harvest fields!
In (Matt. 9:38) Jesus said, "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest fields."
In Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus says: John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
II/ WHERE THEN, SHOULD WE LOOK.
A. NORMALLY, NOT IN CHURCH.
Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
It took me a long time to learn that I was looking in the wrong places!
My first short term mission in 1999 to the Ukraine, with 30 people from America, in 10 days, 5,000 were saved. In 2002 in 5 days in Moldova, I personally prayed with 45 adult people who received Christ as Lord and Savior. This year 30 Americans & 68 local workers in Malawi, Africa saw 13,945 people pray to receive Christ.
The Lord said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9:12,13)
We need to go where the unsaved are. It cost me over $3,000 for my trip to the Ukraine, but there were 5,000 souls saved. Since then those 5,000 may have lead 5,000 more to Christ. Tell the I.C. story of the man who went to Africa and returned 2 years later.
B. WE SHOULD START BY LOOKING AROUND US
We must start were we are at. Jesus, plainly commanded every Christian to win souls and teach them.
Christian people are always wondering what the Will of God is for their lives?
Well there it is, win souls and teach them to win other souls!
Question: What keeps us from "being fruitful"?
Matt 13:22 "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful."
C. NEXT, WE SHOULD LOOK IN THE WORLD
In Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
It is obvious that these 11 disciples could not reach the whole world, they were just to begin the work and then teach every Christian to go do the same. They were to do this in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
III/ FINALLY, HOW ARE WE TO LOOK
FIRST, WE ARE TO WORK
We are commanded to bring forth an INCREASE
In Matt 25, verse 26 Jesus says "’You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed
Why did the Lord call this servant "wicked and lazy"?
Every man that has received the gospel and all the blessings of salvation and has NOT passed them on, is a servant who has robbed his master of His proper increase.
We owe our fellow man to pass on the message of Salvation.
The Lord said, (Matt. 25:28,29) "Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance." Ask the Lord to help you learn from wise spiritual investors and follow their examples.
SECOND, WE ARE TO PRAY
We are commanded to PRAY
Jesus said, "Ask the Lord to send forth more workers in His harvest fields." (Matt. 9:36) Spiritual productivity is not possible without devoted prayer.
On a mission trip in 2000, In Southern Spain @ Prego De Cordoba (Tell the Story @ the town of Fernan-Nunez)
THIRD, WE ARE TO FOLLOW JESUS
We are commanded to FOLLOW JESUS
Mark 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
The best way to learn to be a soul winner is to follow Jesus or someone who is following Jesus. Jesus said if you come after Him, He will make you fishers of men!
INVITATION:
If you are here today and are not a Christian, you may wonder why we Christians are so interested in having you join us on our pilgrim journey.
We believe in eternal life, that we have a home that is many times better than this world.
We also believe this life is a test, to see what each of us will do about Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
We want you to pass the test, receive Christ as your Savior and receive all the blessings we now enjoy, and will enjoy in the life to come. NOW LISTEN CAREFULLY!
There are two things God wants you to know: First you are a sinner, and second God loves you anyway.
Take paper & Write down Romans 3:23 & Romans 5:8 (Quote vs) These verses tell us that even though we are sinners, God still loves us. But God needs to deal with the sin problem in our life:
Next write down, Romans 6:23 (Quote vs)
The first part of this verse tells us that if we keep on sinning we will experience death. Now the death spoken of here is Spiritual death. Physical death is a separation from our family and friends. Spiritual death is a separation from God forever.
But the Verse also tells us that God is not willing that we should perish, so He offers the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord.
There are two things about a gift:
First you can not earn it, because if you work for it, then it will not be a gift.
Second, a gift has to be received. If you do not receive the gift it will never be yours.
Suppose you have the winning lottery ticket, would you just keep it and look at it? Or would you claim and receive your prize? Today God offers eternal life, but How do you claim it and receive eternal life?
Write down: Romans 10:9-10 & Romans 10:13
Notice Three things:
1. Believe in your heart that Jesus died for you and that God raised Him from the dead. (Do You?)
2. And second, Call upon the name of the Lord (Will You?)
3. Third confess Jesus as your Lord with your mouth.
If you are here this morning and the Holy Spirit has helped you to believe in your heart that Jesus died for you and rose again, you can receive Him by praying with me, and calling upon Jesus asking Him to forgive you your sin, and to come into your life and become your Personal Savior and Lord.
Then, you can confess Him by coming forward today, and later by being baptized and afterwards by telling others you are a Christian. LET’S PRAY
