You Are Of Great Value

THERE HAS BEEN ONE PARTICULAR STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MY MINISTRY, IT WOULD BE THIS, WICH SAYS: “JUST THINK, YOU’RE NOT HERE BY CHANCE, BUT BY GOD’S CHOOSING. HIS HAND FORMED YOU AND MADE YOU THE PERSON YOU ARE. HE COMPARES YOU TO NO ONE ELSE; YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND. YOU LACK NOTHING THAT HIS GRACE CAN’T GIVE YOU. HE HAS ALLOWED YOU TO BE HERE AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY TO FULFILL HIS SPECIAL PURPOSE FOR THIS GENERATION.”

THE TRUTH CANNOT BE OVER-STATED OR EMPHASIZED ENOUGH: GOD CREATED YOU! GOD HAS PLACED EXTREME VALUE ON YOUR LIFE! YOU ARE OF GREAT CONCERN TO HIM AND YOUR ETERNAL DESTINY IS AN IMMEASURABLE PRIORITY FOR HIM.

GOD IS PATIENT AND ACTIVELY WORKING IN PURSUIT OF SEEKING, FINDING, AND RESTORING. 2 PETER 3:9, “THE LORD IS NOT SLOW IN KEEPING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME UNDERSTAND SLOWNESS. HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE.”

GOD PURSUES EVEN IF WE FLEE. GOD IS STEADFAST EVEN WHEN WE WAIVER. GOD OFFERS PARDON WHEN WE FEEL WE’VE RUN OUT OF CHANCES. WHEN OTHERS GIVE UP AND WRITE US OFF, GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE WORKS TO FORGIVE, RESTORE, AND RENEW.

THE TWO PARABLES IN OUR SCRIPTURE TODAY PAINT A VIVID PICTURE OF GOD WHO COMPASSIONATELY SEARCHES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LOST, DISCONNECTED, AND SINFUL. GOD DOES NOT GIVE UP, LET UP OR STOP THIS PROCESS. WE ARE JUST TOO VALUABLE.

IN THE FIRST PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP, THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR: WHEN SOMEONE PLACES A HIGH VALUE ON SOMETHING, AND THEN LOSES IT, THEY WILL EXHAUST ALL EFFORTS TO FIND IT. WHEN IT IS FOUND THERE IS GREAT REJOICING IN FINDING IT.

JESUS IS SAYING THIS PARABLE IS ABOUT THE LOVE OF GOD AND HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEEKING THE LOST SINNER. THE WHOLE POINT IS TO PROVE TO US HOW PLEASING IT IS TO GOD TO RECEIVE SUCH SINNERS BACK INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

THERE CAN NEVER BE ANYTHING TOO REPULSIVE, IMMORAL, UNETHICAL, OR SACRELIGIOUS THAT WOULD MAKE GOD GIVE UP ALL HOPE OF FORGIVING, RESTORING, AND REDEEMING YOU! SIMPLY PUT: YOU CAN NEVER BE BAD ENOUGH FOR THE ONE WHO IS GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE ALL BAD THINGS GOOD AGAIN!

JESUS THEN CONTINUES WITH A SIMILAR PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN. IT WAS CUSTOMARY IN THOSE DAYS THAT PALESTINIAN WOMEN WOULD RECEIVE TEN SILVER COINS AS A WEDDING GIFT.

EACH COIN, WORTH ABOUT ONE DAYS WAGES, WERE HELD IN SENTIMENTAL VALUE AS A WEDDING RING WOULD BE TODAY. SO, TO LOSE A COIN, OR TO LOSE YOUR WEDDING RING, COULD CAUSE GREAT DISTRESS AND WOULD BE EXTREMELY UPSETTING. THE WOMAN BASICALLY LOST ONE-TENTH OF HER LIFE SAVINGS NO WONDER SHE TURNED HER HOUSE UPSIDE-DOWN TO FIND IT!

SHE WENT OVERBOARD INTO LOOKING FOR IT BY LIGHTING A LAMP IN ORDER TO SEE INTO THE DARKEST PARTS OF THE HOME AND USED A BROOM TO SWEEP OUT THE PLACES SHE COULDN’T REACH IN HOPES TO FIND THAT ONE LOST COIN.

THIS IS THE IMAGERY OF GOD THAT ALL OF US ARE PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. HE SPARES NOTHING TO SEEK AFTER THOSE WHO ARE LOST IN THE DARKEST OF PLACES AND THOSE WHO MAY SEEM UNREACHABLE, UNWINABLE, OR UNCHANGEABLE.

THERE IS NO SIN TOO DARK AND TWISTED OR PLACE TO FAR GONE FOR GOD TO BRING IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST TO SWEEP AWAY SUCH SINFULNESS WITH THE REDEEMING BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.

THERE IS NO PERSON TOO DIRTY, BROKEN, MISERABLE, RICH, POOR, CLOTHED OR NAKED THAT GOD CANNOT FIND AND RESTORE. REGARDLESS OF WHAT LABLE SOCIETY PLACES UPON THE WORTH OF A HUMAN BEING IT STILL DOESN’T CHANGE GOD’S VALUE PLACED AND SEALED UPON THEM WITH HIS OWN CREATIVE HAND.

THE SYMBOLISM OF THE COIN IS TO EMPHASIZE THE GREAT WORTH EACH OF US HAS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. IF WE ARE LOST AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS BROKEN, THEN GOD IS IN PERIL OF LOSING A GREAT FORTUNE. GOD REFUSES TO ACCEPT YOUR LOSS TO SIN AND WILL WORK TIRELESSLY TO RECOUP SUCH A LOSS.

IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT ALL OF US CAN PUT OURSELVES INTO THE STORY TO BECOME BOTH THE SHEEP AND THE COIN. SOME OF US KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE LOST AND OUT OF PLACE. WE KNOW THE STING OF GUILT FOR CHOOSING OR OWN WAY. WE ALL KNOW THE SHAME FROM CHOOSING THE MOMENTARY PLEASURE OF SIN OVER OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

WE CAN FEAR NO MORE! GOD WANTS A RELATIONSHIP WITH US AND IS WORKING TO BRING US CLOSER TO HIM IN A PERSONAL, INTIMATE, LOVING RELATIONSHIP REGARDLESS OF OUR PAST AND ANY FORM OF REBELLION AND SIN.

WHATEVER SIN NEEDS CONFESSING AND WHATEVER SITUATION WE HAVE REBELLIOUSLY CREATED, GOD WORKS TO REDEEM US FROM WHATEVER SEPARATES US FROM HIM! GOD WILL LOVINGLY AND GRACIOUSLY ACT AND RESPOND TO YOUR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES IF YOU WILL CONFESS AND REPENT.