Get Ready- To Find the Lost
09/16/07
1 Tim. 1:12-17, Luke 15:1-10
Pentecost 16
Dear friends in Christ,
Last week I introduced our general fall theme for September and October- Get Ready! Fall is the season to get ready, as we’ve already been reminded with our cool temperatures that winter is not very far away. It’s also a good time to reflect on what it means to get ready spiritually, always being ready to live with and for the Lord.
This morning’s lessons are about God’s love and grace that seeks out and finds the lost. They are also a call to mission, which direct us to be God’s witnesses, that the lost may be found. One way to get and live ready spiritually, is to be involved with this mission, rejoicing as people come to faith and a relationship with God.
The gospel lesson begins this morning by saying that tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. The religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees and the scribes, were offended by this. They sincerely believed they were to be a holy people, set apart from those who did not follow God’s law. But Jesus came to bring a new understanding, one of love, mercy, acceptance, and grace. The people, sensing their own sinfulness and need for God, were responding to this message of love and coming to hear him.
Jesus went on to tell three parables. The first is about a sheep that is lost, and how the shepherd leaves the flock to find the lost one and bring it home. The second is about a woman who loses a coin, and turns her house upside down until she finds it. And the third, which we did not read but which immediately follows, is about a son who requests his portion of his inheritance early from his father. You know the story. He squanders it all away on sinful living. He loses everything. He finally admits his sin, returns home, and is welcomed back by his father.
We are all called to be involved in the mission that seeks and welcomes back the lost. But let me suggest, before we can do that, we first need to be touched by God’s grace ourselves. That’s part of the reason we come to church each week. The church does many things for people and offers many ways to be involved. But at its core, the church is a place we come to be touched by the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. For you see, the tax collectors and sinners; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son; even the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees, are really not somebody else. They first of all represent each one of us who sins and falls short of the glory of God. At church we are invited to come to hear the good news that even though we make mistakes, we make errors in judgment, we don’t do what we know we should, God still loves us. Jesus died on the cross to forgive us. To be sure we are to strive against sin. But we come to this place to experience forgiveness and the love of God when even our best efforts fall short.
In a small cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, England, stands a granite tombstone w/ this inscription: “John Newton, clerk [pastor], once an infidel & Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord & Savior JC, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy.” You may not remember his name, but all of us know the song he wrote as a testimony of his life: “Amazing Grace.” There are many wonderful new Christian songs and hymns, but Amazing Grace continues to endure and touch hearts through the simplicity of its words and the universal understanding of every person’s need for God’s grace. “I once was lost, but now am found.” That’s grace. That’s the starting point for our witness.
There was a woman whose husband and only son died in a car accident. One night in her grief, she had a dream. An angel came and said, “If you could have your son back for 10 minutes, which 10 minutes would you choose? Would it be as a little baby, so you could hold him in your arms again? Would it be as a toddler, learning to walk? Would it be when he first started off to school for the first time, or first entered junior high? What ten minutes would it be?
In her dream the mother thought a few minutes and said she would choose none of those times. She would choose that time when, as a little boy, in a moment of anger, he doubled his fists at her and cried, “I hate you, I hate you!” But then, she said, in a little while, his anger was over, and he came to her and said, “Mommy, I’m sorry I was so mean. I won’t do that ever again. I love you with all my heart.” “Let me have him back then,” said the mother. “I never loved him more than when I lost him in his anger, but he came back to me.” That’s how God feels about us.
Scripture is full of examples of persons whose lives were lost, changed by the grace of God, and who then become great witnesses. In 1 Timothy Paul gives his witness. He recalls how, in his former life, he spoke against Jesus and those who believed in him. But then, the light of Christ got through to him. He became a changed man. Paul speaks in verse 14 with great passion of this overflowing grace in his life.
An artist once submitted a painting of Niagara Falls to an exhibition but didn’t give it a title. The gallery came up with their own title, “More to Follow.” That’s a great title for a painting of Niagara Falls and a great picture of God’s grace. Niagara Falls has been spilling over billions of gallons of water per year for thousands of years. And yet the water never runs out. The falls continue to flow. There is always “More to Follow,” for those open to receive it. So it is with grace. It never runs out. There’s always, “More to Follow.”
Martin Luther wrote: “Just as the sun is not darkened by the whole world enjoying its light, and could, indeed light up ten worlds; just as 100,000 candle lights might be lit from one candle light & not detract from the one; just as a learned man is able to make a thousand others learned, and the more he gives, the more he has—so is Christ, our Lord, an infinite source of all grace, so that if the whole world would draw enough grace and truth from it to make the world all angels, yet it would not lose a drop; the fountain always runs over, full of grace.”
We’ve all disappointed God in some way by what we’ve said, thought or done. We’ve all been lost. But God is always looking for us, calling us back, and welcoming us home. That’s the starting point for any witness, that God has first found us.
In the lesson, the shepherd seeks the one lost sheep. In many ways he was a fool, risking the safety of the 99 to find the one lost. But his passion was for the lost one, and so he goes to find it. The woman could have collected her 9 remaining coins and placed them in a more secure place, so that others would not be lost. But her passion was for the lost one, and so she looks until it is found.
The message is about God’s love and passion for the lost. It’s also about our mission, as God’s witnesses, in the world. Even as Jesus reached out to the lost, the tax collectors and sinners, so also we reach out and invite. That’s why the church exists, to share the amazing grace of God with others. The church is not a closed club with private memberships. It is a public place, open for visitors and new members. It is our responsibility to be witnesses and to invite, even as Jesus did.
There was a well dressed, quiet young man who took a commuter train to work into New York City. He was well known by the regular riders. About twice a week, as the train pulled out of the station, he would go to the front of the car in which he was riding and walk down the aisle, speaking to each seatload of passengers as he went. “Excuse me,” he would say, “But if any of your friends or family are blind or threatened with blindness, tell them to consult Dr. Thompson. For he was the one who restored my sight.” That man had some good news about overcoming blindness. He shared it with others. We also have some good news about overcoming darkness. We have some good news about God’s presence in our lives. We have good news about eternal life with God. We who have been touched by God’s grace, now share that grace with others.
I want you to know how much I appreciate it when I hear of someone visiting our church as a result of an invitation from a family member or friend. That’s a neat thing. That’s saying,” I found something helpful and hopeful in my church. Why don’t you come and see. I think you’ll find it as well.” This witness begins right in your own family, as you bring your children to Sunday school and worship. Maybe it extends to a new neighbor, or someone you meet at a community education class. Maybe there’s someone at work, or a family you’ve met through school. Go ahead and invite them. Maybe they’ve been feeling lost, and this could be the way they feel found by God, and others, once again. It’s a win-win. Good for them, and good for you, as you are living your faith with this kind of witness.
And then one last point. Let’s not overlook the joy in these parables when the lost are found. The shepherd calls together his neighbors and friends and tells them to rejoice with him. The woman who found her lost coin does the same thing. And of course, the father of the prodigal son threw him a party when he returned. Based on these parables, the Sunday service should be a celebration. For we who were once lost, have been found.
The church has not always given the impression that it is a joyful place of celebration. The church has not always been a place of enthusiasm. Billy Graham tells the story about a fire which broke out in a small town church. When the volunteer firemen came, the minister recognized one of the men. “Hello there, Jim. I haven’t seen you in church for a long time,” he chided. “Well,” answered the sweating man with the house, “there hasn’t been a fire in church for a long time.”
I hope that we can make our church one that’s on fire, not afraid to celebrate and rejoice in what God has done for us. Now there are different ways to celebrate. We have different comfort zones in the ways we worship and rejoice. And, of course, we all come to church with different feelings and needs. You may not feel particularly like celebrating, if there is great pain in your life. But let’s remember, we have good news. We have reason to celebrate. The lost have been found in Jesus Christ. That is worthy of a party every Sunday.
Today are thoughts are on finding the lost. It starts with us, for we all are in need of God’s grace daily. It flows out in our witness, sharing and inviting others. It leads to great joy, as more and more enter into a relationship with God, that begins now and lasts forever. May God bless our witness this week, as we share God’s amazing grace. Amen
Pentecost 16
Dear friends in Christ,
Last week I introduced our general fall theme for September and October- Get Ready! Fall is the season to get ready, as we’ve already been reminded with our cool temperatures that winter is not very far away. It’s also a good time to reflect on what it means to get ready spiritually, always being ready to live with and for the Lord.
This morning’s lessons are about God’s love and grace that seeks out and finds the lost. They are also a call to mission, which direct us to be God’s witnesses, that the lost may be found. One way to get and live ready spiritually, is to be involved with this mission, rejoicing as people come to faith and a relationship with God.
The gospel lesson begins this morning by saying that tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. The religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees and the scribes, were offended by this. They sincerely believed they were to be a holy people, set apart from those who did not follow God’s law. But Jesus came to bring a new understanding, one of love, mercy, acceptance, and grace. The people, sensing their own sinfulness and need for God, were responding to this message of love and coming to hear him.
Jesus went on to tell three parables. The first is about a sheep that is lost, and how the shepherd leaves the flock to find the lost one and bring it home. The second is about a woman who loses a coin, and turns her house upside down until she finds it. And the third, which we did not read but which immediately follows, is about a son who requests his portion of his inheritance early from his father. You know the story. He squanders it all away on sinful living. He loses everything. He finally admits his sin, returns home, and is welcomed back by his father.
We are all called to be involved in the mission that seeks and welcomes back the lost. But let me suggest, before we can do that, we first need to be touched by God’s grace ourselves. That’s part of the reason we come to church each week. The church does many things for people and offers many ways to be involved. But at its core, the church is a place we come to be touched by the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. For you see, the tax collectors and sinners; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son; even the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees, are really not somebody else. They first of all represent each one of us who sins and falls short of the glory of God. At church we are invited to come to hear the good news that even though we make mistakes, we make errors in judgment, we don’t do what we know we should, God still loves us. Jesus died on the cross to forgive us. To be sure we are to strive against sin. But we come to this place to experience forgiveness and the love of God when even our best efforts fall short.
In a small cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, England, stands a granite tombstone w/ this inscription: “John Newton, clerk [pastor], once an infidel & Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord & Savior JC, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy.” You may not remember his name, but all of us know the song he wrote as a testimony of his life: “Amazing Grace.” There are many wonderful new Christian songs and hymns, but Amazing Grace continues to endure and touch hearts through the simplicity of its words and the universal understanding of every person’s need for God’s grace. “I once was lost, but now am found.” That’s grace. That’s the starting point for our witness.
There was a woman whose husband and only son died in a car accident. One night in her grief, she had a dream. An angel came and said, “If you could have your son back for 10 minutes, which 10 minutes would you choose? Would it be as a little baby, so you could hold him in your arms again? Would it be as a toddler, learning to walk? Would it be when he first started off to school for the first time, or first entered junior high? What ten minutes would it be?
In her dream the mother thought a few minutes and said she would choose none of those times. She would choose that time when, as a little boy, in a moment of anger, he doubled his fists at her and cried, “I hate you, I hate you!” But then, she said, in a little while, his anger was over, and he came to her and said, “Mommy, I’m sorry I was so mean. I won’t do that ever again. I love you with all my heart.” “Let me have him back then,” said the mother. “I never loved him more than when I lost him in his anger, but he came back to me.” That’s how God feels about us.
Scripture is full of examples of persons whose lives were lost, changed by the grace of God, and who then become great witnesses. In 1 Timothy Paul gives his witness. He recalls how, in his former life, he spoke against Jesus and those who believed in him. But then, the light of Christ got through to him. He became a changed man. Paul speaks in verse 14 with great passion of this overflowing grace in his life.
An artist once submitted a painting of Niagara Falls to an exhibition but didn’t give it a title. The gallery came up with their own title, “More to Follow.” That’s a great title for a painting of Niagara Falls and a great picture of God’s grace. Niagara Falls has been spilling over billions of gallons of water per year for thousands of years. And yet the water never runs out. The falls continue to flow. There is always “More to Follow,” for those open to receive it. So it is with grace. It never runs out. There’s always, “More to Follow.”
Martin Luther wrote: “Just as the sun is not darkened by the whole world enjoying its light, and could, indeed light up ten worlds; just as 100,000 candle lights might be lit from one candle light & not detract from the one; just as a learned man is able to make a thousand others learned, and the more he gives, the more he has—so is Christ, our Lord, an infinite source of all grace, so that if the whole world would draw enough grace and truth from it to make the world all angels, yet it would not lose a drop; the fountain always runs over, full of grace.”
We’ve all disappointed God in some way by what we’ve said, thought or done. We’ve all been lost. But God is always looking for us, calling us back, and welcoming us home. That’s the starting point for any witness, that God has first found us.
In the lesson, the shepherd seeks the one lost sheep. In many ways he was a fool, risking the safety of the 99 to find the one lost. But his passion was for the lost one, and so he goes to find it. The woman could have collected her 9 remaining coins and placed them in a more secure place, so that others would not be lost. But her passion was for the lost one, and so she looks until it is found.
The message is about God’s love and passion for the lost. It’s also about our mission, as God’s witnesses, in the world. Even as Jesus reached out to the lost, the tax collectors and sinners, so also we reach out and invite. That’s why the church exists, to share the amazing grace of God with others. The church is not a closed club with private memberships. It is a public place, open for visitors and new members. It is our responsibility to be witnesses and to invite, even as Jesus did.
There was a well dressed, quiet young man who took a commuter train to work into New York City. He was well known by the regular riders. About twice a week, as the train pulled out of the station, he would go to the front of the car in which he was riding and walk down the aisle, speaking to each seatload of passengers as he went. “Excuse me,” he would say, “But if any of your friends or family are blind or threatened with blindness, tell them to consult Dr. Thompson. For he was the one who restored my sight.” That man had some good news about overcoming blindness. He shared it with others. We also have some good news about overcoming darkness. We have some good news about God’s presence in our lives. We have good news about eternal life with God. We who have been touched by God’s grace, now share that grace with others.
I want you to know how much I appreciate it when I hear of someone visiting our church as a result of an invitation from a family member or friend. That’s a neat thing. That’s saying,” I found something helpful and hopeful in my church. Why don’t you come and see. I think you’ll find it as well.” This witness begins right in your own family, as you bring your children to Sunday school and worship. Maybe it extends to a new neighbor, or someone you meet at a community education class. Maybe there’s someone at work, or a family you’ve met through school. Go ahead and invite them. Maybe they’ve been feeling lost, and this could be the way they feel found by God, and others, once again. It’s a win-win. Good for them, and good for you, as you are living your faith with this kind of witness.
And then one last point. Let’s not overlook the joy in these parables when the lost are found. The shepherd calls together his neighbors and friends and tells them to rejoice with him. The woman who found her lost coin does the same thing. And of course, the father of the prodigal son threw him a party when he returned. Based on these parables, the Sunday service should be a celebration. For we who were once lost, have been found.
The church has not always given the impression that it is a joyful place of celebration. The church has not always been a place of enthusiasm. Billy Graham tells the story about a fire which broke out in a small town church. When the volunteer firemen came, the minister recognized one of the men. “Hello there, Jim. I haven’t seen you in church for a long time,” he chided. “Well,” answered the sweating man with the house, “there hasn’t been a fire in church for a long time.”
I hope that we can make our church one that’s on fire, not afraid to celebrate and rejoice in what God has done for us. Now there are different ways to celebrate. We have different comfort zones in the ways we worship and rejoice. And, of course, we all come to church with different feelings and needs. You may not feel particularly like celebrating, if there is great pain in your life. But let’s remember, we have good news. We have reason to celebrate. The lost have been found in Jesus Christ. That is worthy of a party every Sunday.
Today are thoughts are on finding the lost. It starts with us, for we all are in need of God’s grace daily. It flows out in our witness, sharing and inviting others. It leads to great joy, as more and more enter into a relationship with God, that begins now and lasts forever. May God bless our witness this week, as we share God’s amazing grace. Amen