We are surrounded by many who are lost….
The college student who after a night of partying and living for the moment finds her life altered forever with an unintended pregnancy, a judgmental family, and lost dreams…
The successful professional who decides to drive after drinking and kills a child in another vehicle, forever changing his future and filling him with guilt…
The 75 year old who loses their spouse to a long battle with cancer and now finds life to have lost its meaning….
We are surrounded by many who are lost….In fact, at various times in life; we all have been the lost sheep. When you are lost, it is nearly impossible o find yourself – you need someone who will help find you. Whether we were aware of it or not, in those times, God has always sought us out. The stories above are very dramatic examples of people who have felt lost, but we all have experienced some time or situation when we felt lost. When we experienced these times of being lost, how did we experience being found? Did someone help us to find our way again?
Jesus tells a story about a shepherd, which may help us to understand his priorities a little better…There once, was a shepherd who had 100 sheep in his care. One evening, this shepherd noticed one sheep was missing. Leaving the 99 behind, he abandoned all caution to go out and seek the one sheep that was lost. Upon finding the lost sheep, he celebrated greatly that he had found the one that was lost.
As we read Jesus’ teachings, it is clear that he sees God as the one who anxiously seeks out those who are lost. Notice that the sheep did not repent and find its way home – the shepherd went out to find it, risking everything to find the one that was lost. Once the sheep was found, the shepherd did not berate or judge the sheep – the shepherd simply celebrated the fact that the sheep was found and returned to the fold.
What does this tell us? The role of those who follow Jesus should be to help seek out those who are lost – those whom the world may view as unworthy of God’s love and mercy, those who struggle with sin and bad choices, those who wrestle with addictions, those who are lost in worlds of grief or loss, those who have lost jobs or hope. There are many in our world who are lost – in fact, all of us are lost at various moments of our lives. If the church is to follows Jesus, we need to be people who make it their job to seek out the ones who are lost.
How do churches take on this mindset after years of worrying about the 99? It begins with filling our hearts with the compassion of Jesus. Too often, the only messages that people associate with churches are messages of hatred, judgment, and retribution. Look at the headlines this week and you will read about a church that will commemorate the 9/11 Terror attacks by burning a copy of the Quran. What will this act of hatred show those who are lost and looking for spiritual guidance? Will people see this act and associate it with a church that will point them to a God who loves them and all of creation? How can the church regain a love for those who are lost and a desire to find them and lead them home? How can we offer the lost acts of grace and compassion that overwhelm the media and put Jesus’ love in front of the eyes of the world. Wouldn’t it be great if on 9/11 every Christian would make a demonstration of Jesus’ love? If we did this, then the world would really see the way that God calls the Christian to act, and even more, acts of terror and hatred would then truly lose! Nothing in all of creation can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How can we be a church that boldly lives the mission of Jesus – to seek and save the lost as we Worship God, Follow Jesus, and Share God’s word? May we listen with our hearts to the call and direction of the Spirit…
