Lost and found!
Segment #1
Please take a moment to place your vote. If you have an idea for an improvement, I am very teachable. My e-Mail is pastorbrian@greenrivernazarene.com
Opening remarks
I heard about a little six-year-old boy who restlessly struggled to listen to a rather lengthy sermon. After the service, the little boy asked the question that sooner or later most church kids ask. Dad he said what does the preacher do the rest of the week? The dad replied, “Son, he’s a very busy man! He takes care of church business, visits the sick, studies the bible, … and he has to take time to rest up. You see, preaching in public is not an easy job!” the little boy thought about that for a moment and said, “Well, listening isn’t so easy either!”
Isn’t that true? Out of the mouths of babes… sometimes those kids just tell it like it is!
Let’s see if we can overcome that for the next few moments as we explore God’s word together.
This will be the first of 3 messages entitled Lost and Found
God’s word reads as follows the Parable of the Lost Sheep
Lk 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
Lk 15:4 “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? Lk 15:5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders Lk 15:6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Lk 15:7 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
Also found in Luke 15, is the parable of the lost Coin
The Parable of the Lost Coin
Lk 15:8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
Lk 15:9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
Lk 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
n There are several common threads to these two parables, this morning I would like for us to notice that Something Valuable was lost!
o The sheep was valuable!
§ Young sheep were valuable for sacrifice!
· Clear back in Genesis 22:7 we see Isaac asking his father Abraham “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
o The sacrifice had to be totally Given! The lamb was killed, the fire consumed the burnt offering. It was the giving of something valuable to God.
o You see, if it is not valuable to you, it is not a true sacrifice!
§ 2Sa 24:24 In Second Samuel, King David affirms this when he said to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
§ Many times we are guilty of giving God our leftovers! We are to give to Him the very best that we have to offer! We are to give to him that which is valuable!
§ Young sheep were also valuable for food
· They were a constant food supply
o They were found where ever the Shepherd was. One of these could feed a couple of families if necessary!
· No refrigeration required!
o Isn’t that great! That is the wonderful thing about a living sacrifice, is that there is no refrigeration required. No more frozen chosen here!
· They even transport themselves
o I think of how many times I have traveled to the grocery store, and packed the food around the store in a kart. Then loaded up in the car, transported it home, and then from the trunk to the cup boards. I packed it in!
o Not so with sheep! As the shepherd moved, so the sheep moved with him.
§ Jesus who is the The Good shepherd tells us that Jn 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
§ Sheep were valuable for clothing
· The wool of a sheep, still remains to this day one of the warmest things that we can wear!
· Our society has made cotton the most popular fabric, but the funny thing is that when cotton gets wet, it looses it’s heat retaining ability
o Just ask any hunter why they wear wool out in the cold woods. It is because the sheep’s wool, helps to keep you warm even when it is wet!
· sleeping blankets, saddle blankets, hats, mittens, and yes, even socks!
§ And finally The sheep were valuable to the Shepherd!
· He cares about them! They matter to him; he is concerned for their safety and well-being!
· Jn 10:2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
· Jesus says in John 10. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
Not only was the sheep a valuable thing, in these two stories, but the coin was valuable as well!
o The coin was valuable!
§ Valuable for to buy food!
§ Valuable to pay the rent!
§ Valuable to pay the light bill
§ Valuable to provide heat
§ Valuable to provide clothing for her household.
§ Gas in the car, insurance, influence,
§ Did you know that there is a connection between your money and your heart!
· We have seen that our money is a valuable thing! and it is, however it would be good for us to understand that the Bible tells us that Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
· As valuable as money is, there is something that is more valuable than that!
o You can gain all that there is, and still loose out in the end!
§ What profit a man to gain the whole world and yet loose his own soul?
o Friend, God wants you to know that You are more valuable than all of those things
o The psalmist asks the question, “t is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Ps 8:5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor. s 8:6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: s 8:7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, Ps 8:8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas
you are more valuable than all of those things!
§ More valuable than a birds of the air
· Mt 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
· You are more valuable than many, many birds!
§ More valuable than an earthly sheep! (in a Spiritual sense, we are His sheep!, Jesus told the Apostle Peter to “Feed my lambs, and to Take care of my sheep!”
§
· Jesus says in John 10 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (you are valuable!)
· Mt 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd
· Mt 12:11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? Mt 12:12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! You are valuable!
§ More valuable than a coin
· More valuable than all the treasure in the entire world.
o What profit a man to gain the whole world and yet loose his own soul?
§ You are a creation of God, and therefore valuable! Maybe you have seen the bumper sticker, or heard it said, “I know I’m somebody because God don’t make no junk!” That’s exactly right! We see evidence of that all the way back to genesis 1:31 where it says that, Ge 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
· Ps 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Ps 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Ps 139:15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Ps 139:16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Closing remark…. You see God made you! You are valuable; don’t let anyone or anything lead you otherwise! God tells us in John 3:16 that he loved the world (That’s you!) so much that He gave his one and only son that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life!
You may feel worthless, or down, or that you don’t matter, but the Lord is deeply concerned about you!
You are Valuable! So much so that the Good Shepherd gave his very life for you … “Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for His friend.”
The Lord Jesus Christ has given his life for you so that you would not have to be lost ever again but instead would be found! … Found in Him!
(I’m Brian Byers with 1st church of the Nazarene in Green River, you can find us on the web at greenrivernazarene.com… you can listen to audio versions of several of these sermons on the web
our worship services begins at 11am, I look forward to seeing you soon May The Lord Bless you and keep you! Amen)
