Its been quite a while since I last blogged. I only have three specific bible stories/topics to write about this week, so I guess I have been taking my time getting started. I hope that you all have remained in the word over the past few days and that you are still striving to live a transformed life.
How did you like service last Wednesday night? What did you think of the two sisters who performed the song they wrote? It was amazing wasn't it? If you weren't there you really missed out! I really enjoyed the message that Pastor Erik presented. It actually made me cry and made me think about the opportunities I have had to share the living water and yet squandered. When Pastor Erik started spilling water onto the stage it reminded me of all those people I know that are lost and need Christ. It made me realize that I have the living water that they are yearning for and yet I have not been brave enough to share it with them. Every time I do not share the water it is like I am spilling it on the ground, wasting it, never to be useful or able to be collected again. I'm sure you can think of people in your life that do not know Christ. Have you missed opportunities to share Christ with them like I have? This week we are going to study what the bible says about how we should share our faith. Today we are going to focus on parables that Jesus taught. Before we can learn how to share our faith, we must first learn the importance that Jesus put on the task.
Please open your bibles to Luke 15:1-10. Please take a moment to read the verses carefully on your own. Remember that if you do not have a bible you can use the internet and find a free online bible.
Finished reading? Great! Lets begin the dig!
Luke 15:1-3
The beginning of this chapter is very important because it gives us the reason that Jesus began telling this parable. Jesus was drawing a crowd who were listening to him teach. Verse 1 tells us that the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Jesus teach too. The Pharisees and scribes began to complain. You see, the Pharisees and scribes were the "holy" people in Jesus' day. They would not have allowed the sinners and tax collectors into their circles. They said to each other, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." I imagine that this sentence was probably said with disgust. In my own imagination I can see them saying, "How disgusting! How can this Man claim to come in the name of God and then be around such unholy people! Gross!" As soon as Jesus hears this he has a parable ready for them to hear. Jesus wants these Pharisees and scribes to learn something important. He wants you to learn it too. Lets see what it is!
Luke 15:4-6
Ok. So here is the parable. Jesus says to the crowd that if anyone had a hundred sheep and lost one they would leave the ninety-nine behind to find the one that was missing. Since I don't own sheep and never have it isn't exactly something that I can relate to. How about you? Do you own sheep? I think when Jesus was speaking to this audience he knew that a lot of those people did own sheep and other livestock. They would understand this story and it would speak to them personally. I am going to have to substitute the sheep for something that I can relate to in my life. I'm going to think about my children instead. I do not have 100 children, but I do have three. If one of my children were missing, I would go out searching for the missing one. It doesn't mean that I love the other two any less, but I am definately going to put my whole heart and soul into looking for the lost one. When I find that lost child I am going to call all my friends together and we will have a huge celebration. I loved the two that were safe at home the entire time. They mean the world to me and if they were the lost ones I would do anything to find them as well. However, when one of them is lost I know that they are out in the darkness alone. I know that harm can come to them at any moment. I know that they need to be in the safety of their own home where they have parents to look out for them. In the moments that the one child is lost, I can not rest or think about anything but their safety. The love I have for them drives me in my search. I will not let them perish. I will not let them remain lost. When I find the missing child I rejoice because they were once lost and in danger, and now they are safe and sound.
Luke 15:7
A lost soul is the same as a lost child or a lost sheep. They are out in the wilderness, in danger of death at any moment. This verse says that heaven rejoices more over that one sinner that has repented than the ninety-nine that are righteous. Does this mean that God loves that sinner more than you if you aren't lost? No, of course not! Its just like having a lost child. God adores the children that he already has in his house, the ones that are already saved, the ones who have trusted in His free gift of salvation. But God is even more concerned for those that are wandering in the wilderness, in danger of certain death, just as you would be if you had a lost child. All of heaven rejoices when the lost child or sheep returns home, because they are no longer in danger of death. They are safe in the family of God, they will live forever. Do you see how important the lost are to God? Jesus told the story of the lost sheep to tell the Pharisees that He cared for the lost sinners that came to listen to him just as much as any other person that would be welcome in the presence of the Pharisees. Jesus wanted them to be found!
Luke 15:8-10
Just in case the Pharisees did not understand the meaning of the first story, Jesus tells another one just like it! Only this time He doesn't use the example of sheep, but of a lost coin. I know that we can all relate to the story this time! Jesus says that any woman who has ten silver coins but loses one will light a lamp and sweep the floor until she finds it. Is that true of you? Have you ever dropped money before? Did you get on your hands and knees to search for the quarter that you dropped under your bed or dresser? I know I have done that before. Its funny because even if I have twenty dollars in front of me, I will still search the floor if I drop a quarter. I will look everywhere for it, and I will be very happy when I find it. Those that do not know Christ as their personal savior are just like a lost coin. They matter to God. God may have thousands, millions, billions, trillions of other souls that will be in heaven with him, but he will still search out for that one that is lost. God still cares about each lost soul out there. Again Jesus says in the last verse that heaven rejoices over a sinner that repents.
We need to have the same heart for people that God does. God cares about each individual person. He does not look at numbers. God will never say, "I have a billion people going to heaven already, that is enough!" Just like we would never say, "What my youngest child is missing? That's ok, I have two more at home that are safe." Of course we would never say that! And likewise, God would never be satisfied until all have come to repentence, until everyone is in the safety of His house. We need to have the same view of people. Each person that does not believe that Christ died on the cross for their sins, that does not accept the free gift of salvation, is lost. These people are out in the wilderness and death is certainly coming for them. In order to make evangelism a part of our relationship with God we need to seek out the lost with Him. Invite people to church with you. Share the love of Christ with those around you. Remember that you have the living water that so many people are thirsting for. Don't squander it. Don't pour it out onto the carpet when so many people need it. Don't get your fill and forget about others. Don't be selfish with God. Share Him. People need the Lord. That reminds me of the song, "People Need the Lord." I'm going to include it here. Take a listen and then take a moment to pray to God about using you to find the lost. Pray that He will give you the courage and the opportunity to share the living water.
Until tomorrow...God Bless!
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