The Lord Of The Lost And Found Series

BE THE CHURCH (part 6)

The Church of the Firstborn (part 2)

“The Lord of the Lost and Found”

SERIES TEXT – Hebrews 12:22-23 - 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written F46 in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

INTRO – In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asked the question “Whom do men say that I am?” The answer Jesus received then is reflective of the answer He would receive now. The world doesn’t have a clue as to whom Jesus is. We can only know whom Jesus is the way Peter knew. Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God by revelation from the Father. We can’t know whom Jesus is without a revelation from the Father. Our heavenly Father reveals to us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The term “Son of God” carries the connotation “God in the flesh”. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh which means He was fully God and fully man. There is a bifurcation of the Fully God/Fully man ministry of Jesus Christ: the Great Exchange ministry and the Firstborn ministry. The great exchange ministry is “His loss is my gain.” He came down so I could go up. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Cor 8:9). He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isa 53:5). It’s the great exchange: my sin for His salvation, my weakness for His strength, my lack for His abundance. His loss is my gain is the great exchange. The second half of the ministry of Jesus Christ is the ministry of the Firstborn. The ministry of the Firstborn is “He did it so I can do it” or “He won so I win”. When Jesus Christ ascended into heaven as the disciples watched Him go up into a cloud of glory, an angel asked “Why are you standing here gazing up into the sky? This same Jesus is going to come back down the same way He went up.” Not only that, but the same way He went up we are going up! 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 says 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent F10 them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. The same way He went up we are going up! He did it so I can do it! He won so I win! I’m a part of the church of the Firstborn. Romans 8:29 says God foreknew you and predestinated you to be conformed to the image of his Son. He won so you win! He did it so I can do it! He laid His life down and picked it up again. He recovered from His loss so I can recover from mine. Everything He lost in the crucifixion, He regained in the resurrection. He’s the Lord of the Lost and Found!

SERMON TEXT - Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which WAS lost.

1. There is a mystery that needs to be revealed.

Jesus Christ came to seek and save that which WAS lost. When you came to church, you came to the lost and found. If you’ve lost your peace, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He knows where it is! If you lost your joy, Jesus will restore unto you the joy of your salvation. He knows where it is! If you’ve lost time and wasted time, Jesus Christ is able to redeem the time. He knows where it is. The Son of man is come to seek and save that which WAS lost. Anything you’ve lost really isn’t lost because Jesus came to seek and save it. He knows where it is. So it really isn’t lost, it’s hidden. It isn’t destroyed, it’s just buried. It’s buried like buried treasure, it’s appreciating in value. It’s buried like a seed, it’s growing, it’s maturing, it’s multiplying. God’s going to give you double for your trouble. He’s going to give you another income. He’s going to give you another degree. He’s going to give you another ministry. The Son of man is come to seek and save that which WAS lost. It’s not lost; it’s just in storage because right now you don’t have room enough to receive it.