Search for Lost Sinners Luke 15:1-10
We all have lost something during some point in our lives. We’ve misplaced keys. We’ve forgot our watches and wallets. We may even have lost a pet dog or cat once. What did we do when we noticed that these things were missing? Did we search for them? Often it depends on the need or the urgency at the time. If it’s something we need, we start searching right away.
What about people that are lost? What do we do when a person turns up missing? What if our son, daughter, husband or wife mysteriously disappeared? Would we search for them? Of course we would. Our family is near and dear to our hearts and minds. They are not something that can be replaced. They are important parts of our lives. We would spend as much time and money as necessary to find our loved ones and return them to their homes.
We’ve seen posters in Wall-Mart stores, Post Offices and on the windows of restaurants explaining that a child and loved one is lost and needs to be found. We’ve made it a part of our culture by bringing the news of missing persons to the front of our television programs. We’ve determined that searching for people is so important, that we’ve forced our government agencies to set up police forces, fire departments and even special search and rescue teams to find, protect and save lives. Today, we even have a system known as the Amber Alert to assist with finding kids. People are important to us and we dedicate our money, time and talents to search for those who are lost.
We should search for the Lost
Last week, a plane flying during a storm, crashed in the mountains of Montana with five people aboard. When the plane crash, it started a fire in the tree line near where it rested. Due to the location of the crash, the fire, and the fact that the plane landed upside-down, the local Sheriff called off a search and declared all five dead. However, the following day two survivors were found. They had walked the 2 ½ miles from the crash site to civilization. A third person who also survived the crash, had died the previous night. Had he been found fast enough, perhaps he also would have survived.
When someone is lost, there is no time to hesitate. We must respond immediately to ensure that that person can be saved.
This is no different from our own spiritual battles on earth. We do not know when judgment day will be upon us. But, how often do we fail to talk to those around us and explain the love of Christ to those we deal with every day? How many times do we see things that are contrary to God’s will and yet we do nothing and we say nothing? How many times do we fail to search for those who we believe are lost? Do we know everyone around us has been found and saved? Often, we too call off the search before the lost have even been looked for.
In Matthew 15:24 Jesus says that he “was sent only to the lost sheep.” He was not here for those who were already saved, but for those who were lost. But, who did Jesus focus his attention on? Did he spend all His time in the temples to convert the Jews? No, He spent His time talking to tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves and other people considered to be the bottom of society. He spoke to those who lacked moral and ethical values. He spoke to sinners and those who had lost their way. In Luke 19 Jesus talked to Zacchaeus, a tax collector, and rejoiced when Zachaeus found the way. Jesus spend most of his life searching for the lost and rejoicing when He found them.
But, Jesus searched for those considered faithful as well. In the Epistle lesson of First Timothy, Paul talks about the grace that God bestowed on him. Saul was the great oppressor of the Christians and very active in the Temples. He was considered by many to be doing the will of God. He spoke out against the followers of Jesus. He hunted them and murdered them. But, God used Saul and molded him into the great missionary, Paul. Saul was lost, but Paul was found. We rely heavily on Paul for guidance and direction today. God took a sinner such as Saul and turned him into the great tool of missionary work, Paul.
Searching for the Lost today
But, our society today is not all that much different from those of previous ages. Paul contended with idol worship in nearly every city, corruption of government and politics and of the persecution of the masses. Our society is complacent. They have discovered the love of money and placed it as the highest level of achievement. Business rules have replaced the ten commandments and the rule of law has replaced justice for the victims of crimes. We have lost love for our fellow man and replaced it with the attitude “what’s in it for me”
Paul was able to preach the gospel in a world that was allowed to kill those in unacceptable religions. We have the rule of law limiting our religious freedom. We have a lot of lost souls to search for, yet we often choose to look the other way. We abandon the search before even starting.
The problem lies with our own lack of desire to start the search. Sometimes it’s a lack of confidence in our speaking ability. Sometimes it’s a fear of embarrassment. Rarely, is it a lack of opportunity. We have chosen not to act and failed to place our trust in God. In essence, we’ve condemned the lost before they’ve been given a chance at survival. Just as in Acts 10, the Holy Spirit will fall on those who hear the Word. It is through the Sprit that all are saved and come to the glory of the Lord. Our own actions will be led by the Holy Spirit if we allow Him the opportunity to speak through us.
There are souls in this world who do not know that they are lost. They have not found Christ in the world and do not know the love of God. Worse yet, they do not know the love of men either. They’ve learned that this is a dog-eat-dog world and that only through their effort can they hope for a constructive life. They lack the understanding of a caring and loving God. These people are lost and aren’t even aware of it. But, who are these lost people?
Christ made it clear in the book of Revelation that many would be condemned; many who thought they were good people. They failed to feed the hungry. They failed to give clothing and shelter to those who were in need. They failed to reach out to people who needed a helping hand. There are some who consider themselves to be good people who will be among the condemned. There will be those who have caring hearts, who give to charity and donate their time to help those in need who will be among those damned. Outward appearances do not necessarily mean they have heard of the love of Christ. Outward actions do not necessarily mean a pure heart. We must talk to those around us to ensure they understand that Christ died for their sins. Once we find someone who has not heard of Christ, it is our duty to bring this message to them. We must ensure that those who have not accepted the message of Christ, have been given the opportunity to hear it.
We have a motto that we have used here in church before. “Bringing the Lost to the Cross.” It’s a wonderful motto with great intentions. But, how often have we brought the lost to the cross? Is it something that we really take to heart? It’s something we should do more often, but don’t always act on.
Just as the shepperd chooses to leave 99 sheep behind and search out for that one sheep in the wilderness, it is up to us to do the same. The 99 left behind will congregate and form their own bond. They will be safe for a time while the lost is searched for. In the same way, we are all missionaries who must leave this building, this church, and enter the mission field of the real world. It is up to us to actively engage in the search for the lost and find those who truly need our help. Then, it’s up to us to allow the Holy Spirit to do his work instead of avoiding the Gospel message.
Rejoice for those found
But, how do we respond when someone lost is saved? When a little child is found after being lost in the wilderness, television stations around the country let us know the outcome of the event. We bask in the joy of a family reunited. Yet, we don’t look at evangelism in the same manner. When someone dedicates their life to Christ we should grab the moment and thank God for the joy of a new member to our Christian family. It is the joy of that found child that heaven experiences when a lost soul becomes a Christian.
But, there is more to rejoice in than just the new converts. We have the joy of knowing that our own sins are forgiven and our place is guaranteed in heaven. All we have to do is repent. It is the love of Christ who sacrificed so much for us with no thought of himself that is the Gospel message. We have reason to bask in the glory and mercy of God and the joy that it brings. Just as the shepherd of a lost sheep celebrates when he reunites his flock, so too, we should look for opportunities to reunite the lost to God’s kingdom.
Conclusion
God has given us a mission to preach the Gospel to the lost. It is our duty to seek out those unfamiliar with the message and give them the opportunity to become saved. Through the Gospel and baptism, salvation will be assured. Jesus did exactly this during his short life on earth. It is our duty to fall in his footsteps. It is our job to be like Paul and preach to the lost.
When we achieve the goal of a newly saved soul, the angels will rejoice in heaven. Why? Because they too will experience the joy of reward when judgment day finally comes. God will grant us the strength to do this. It is only up to us to follow his command.
