Pastor Joedy (woo!): Seek, Part 2 / Seeking The Lost
The body of Christ is the Ekklesia, the chosen ones, the ones who have been called out. The body of Christ realizes that without us, God will not, and without Christ, we cannot. God loves us so much that He wants to involve us in His plan for redeeming humanity ad reality.
Falling in love with God results in feeling His heart beat, and in our feeling His heart we would have a heart for the lost… Just as the Lord sought you when you were lost, so we have the heart to seek the lost. As we seek the Lord, do not be surprised if we find yourself desiring to seek the lost.
If the love of God is our greatest potential, the kingdom of God is our greatest blessing // and both the kingdom and the love of God are seen in Jesus Christ //… therefore, seeking the kingdom of God is seeking the greatest blessing.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”Luke 19:10
‘For’ implies purpose. And it is because of God’s great love for the world (John 3:16), and there is no other reason. And take note that the word for love is ‘agape’, the unconditional and overwhelming sort of love (that probably ought to be the only definition of love).
Christ references to Himself in this Scripture as the ‘Son of Man’, to emphasize His being born of Adam (Man) as we were. Mankind has ALL its roots in Adam. He refers to Himself as the Son of Man to share: God delegated the responsibility of dominion of earth to man… and Jesus, as the Son of Man, came to restore this dominion that was lost to us. Furthermore, the good news, the Gospel says that when Adam failed in this dominion, it’s Jesus Christ who succeeded! Christ came as a Man, born as the Son of Man for this purpose.
// We who were once lost, were those who lost their dominion. As Adam was, so were we. // Just as Jacob ran and ran and ran, only to encounter and even wrestle with God face to face… So Pastor Joedy mentions that we and our children would be sought by Christ and encountered by Him face to face! As Jacob did not let the angel go until he was blessed, so Christ will not let us go… Because He HIMSELF is our blessing!
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.Romans 5:18-21
It’s the saving grace of Christ that brings us to a righteous and holy life… but even if we do make our mistakes, the same saving grace, as proven by the blood of Christ, has been made far greater, engulfing sin and death and enduring, now and forever.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.Romans 14:17
The mission of Jesus is seen in His baptism. It was John who proclaimed as He approached – Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”Matthew 3:13-17
Christ was sent by the Father to fulfill all righteousness. Later on, in the same Gospel, Christ was noted to famously say, that we seek His Kingdom AND His righteousness – the righteousness HE fulfilled!
But again – how did Jesus fulfill this righteousness?
- Jesus perfectly obeyed the Law. Only Jesus was able to fulfill the Law in ALL its perfection.
- Jesus also paid the requirements of the Law. He paid the price, and He opened the door to the Kingdom.
- ‘The Son of Man came’ – He was the One who came, instead of speaking from the heavens or sending angels – implying a personal touch.
- For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.John 3:17
- ‘To save the lost’ ; “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?”Luke 15:4
- The Heart of Jesus: I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.John 10:14-16
// we cannot change people… but it is the goodness of God, the kindness of God that leads to repentance, and true change. //
Luke 15 shares 3 parables, which also gives a picture of why people get lost. The Parable of the Lost Sheep shows how we lost our way because of (1) curiosity. The Parable of the Lost Coin shows we lose our way because of our (2) carelessness.Finally, the Parable of the Lost (Prodigal) Son shows that we lose our way, because of our (3) choice.
Now take note, we aren’t talking about these things for us to condemn each other. No, it’s for us to know that Heaven rejoices when we are saved, in spite of our curiosity, our carelessness, and our choices! That’s the difference we make as preachers grounded in grace – We emphasize the reconciliation, because it truly is the only thing that matters!
There’s still more items!
- To save – Oh, the beauty of the blood!
So much to see in God’s great heart, through the words of Christ: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Let’s not give up on anyone! Let’s keep coming back to the heart of Christ, and take in that righteousness to seek.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”Matthew 13:44
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