Seeking The Lost

“Seeking The Lost”

Luke 19:1-10

David P. Nolte

Have you ever lost something you cherished? Have you looked high and low to find it again? Did you ever find it? If you do, you will notice that it is always in the last olace you look!`

When I was about 7 years old, I had a turtle that went missing. You know, one of those little ones with painted shells? I was saddened by the loss – and was even sadder when I found the remains under my bed and could tell by teeth marks that the cat had killed it. Stupid cat!

Then I lost my Super Glow In The Dark Spy ring. It had a pen, a magnifying glass a secret compartment and lots of “cool!” I was sad to lose it and joyful to find it again!

I read in the news that Luna, a 1-year-old German shepherd-husky mix, fell off a fishing boat and was lost in the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego.

She went missing on February. 10. Her owner, fisherman Vick Haworth, said Luna was a strong swimmer and he knew she would head toward land. But the nearest shoreline was San Clemente Island, home to a U.S. naval facility and about 2 miles from where the dog fell into the water.

Haworth stayed in the area for days to look for her, and then he considered her lost at sea and presumed dead. Crushed, Haworth posted on Facebook, "RIP Luna, you will be greatly missed."

Worse than the loss of any material thing or (and PETA `won’t like this) even worse than the loss of a beloved pet is the loss of a human soul.

Unrepentant, unregenerate, unsaved mankind is lost. The Bible is not the account of man’s search for God – it is the record of God’s search for man; rebellious man; sinful man; helpless man; lost man!

Luke records this example: “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. ‘For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” Luke 19:1-10 (NASB).

Why would He do that? And, what are some reasons we, His disciples, might seek the lost?

Jesus told the parables of the lost coin and the woman’s diligent search for it; He told of the shepherd who left 99 sheep to seek the one that was lost. He told about the lost prodigal.

The sermon today is a series of questions about seeking the lost.

I. WHY SHOULD WE SEEK THE LOST?

A. Ask yourself:

1. “Why would the woman look so diligently for a lost coin; of a shepherd seek for one lost sheep; or the father yearn for the return of the prodigal son?”

2. “Why would Haworth search for Luna?”

3. “Why did Jesus come to seek and save the lost?”

B. The answer, my friend, is not blowing in the wind – it is simply:

1. The lost is in peril if not found.

2. The seeker values the lost and desires its recovery.

C. Think of it this way:

1. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NASB) . I.e., God simply desires that the lost not perish!

2. “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." Ezekiel 18:32 (NASB).

D. So, what ought to motivate us to also seek the lost?

1. The compulsion from around us. The condition of th e world is due to its godlessness – man has basically invited God to “butt out” of politics, schools, public venues, the pledge of allegiance, coinage and our personal lives. He has allowed us to suffer the results of His “butting out!” Solomon wrote, “Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." Proverbs 1:29-33 (NASB).