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>>John Bradshaw: This is It
Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
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Mary Sawyer lived in
Sterling, Massachusetts,
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in Worcester
County, Massachusetts,
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about 12 miles from Worcester.
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She attended the Red
Stone School in Sudbury,
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a little
distance from her house.
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Like many children,
Mary enjoyed animals.
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She had pets of her own.
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Now, one day something
unusual and unexpected happened.
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One of her pets
actually followed her to school.
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As you can imagine,
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the other children at that
little school were delighted,
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none more so than a
young man named John
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Ralston, who was
visiting the school that day.
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John was so
tickled by what he saw
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that he wrote a little poem
about it, and it went like this.
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He wrote, “Mary
had a little lamb,
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its fleece was white as snow.
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And everywhere that Mary
went, the lamb was sure to go.
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It followed her
to school one day.
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That was against the rules.
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It made the
children laugh and play,
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to see a lamb at school.
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That lamb is probably the most
famous ovine in all of history.
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And there are
other famous sheep.
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Dolly the sheep was the
first mammal ever to be cloned.
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Scientists in
Scotland cloned her in 1996.
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At the time it was
a massive news story.
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Now, for all of that, you
sort of have to feel for sheep.
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They're
immensely useful animals,
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but they're,
well, they're sheep.
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Can't ride them.
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In terms of dollars and cents,
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they're not
really worth that much.
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Not like other farm
animals, like cows or,
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or alpacas or ostriches.
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Sheep are vulnerable.
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Vulnerable to predators.
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Now, they're as
sweet as anything.
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I had a pet lamb
when I was a child.
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Terrific at keeping the
grass down in our big backyard,
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even if they could
be a little bit messy.
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Now, our lamb, my lamb,
Sweet Corn was his name,
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disappeared one day.
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Now, Dad said Sweet
Corn was getting too big.
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So we needed to get rid of him.
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Dad said he
gave him to a farmer.
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I figured out what Dad meant
a few weeks later when I noticed
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that our freezer was
suddenly full of mutton.
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But go to the Bible,
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and that's when sheep
really come into focus.
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Isaiah equated
sheep with God's people.
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He wrote in Isaiah 53,
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“All we like
sheep have gone astray.”
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Jesus referred to
himself as the Good Shepherd.
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Ministers of the gospel
are referred to as shepherds.
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The word pastor, like
a local church pastor,
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means shepherd.
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The Bible refers to
the church as a flock.
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Abraham and his
family were keepers of sheep.
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A ram caught by
its horns in a thicket
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was offered as a
sacrifice when Isaac was spared.
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Lambs were offered as
the Passover sacrifice.
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Lambs were offered as sacrifices
throughout the Old Testament,
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and they prefigured Jesus,
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whom John the
Baptist referred to as
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“the Lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world.”
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The Book of
Revelation refers to Jesus as
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“the lamb slain from the
foundation of the world.”
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Now, Jesus shared a
significant story about sheep,
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a parable, actually.
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It's found in Luke 15, and
it's the first of three parables
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that deal with a similar
subject or, you might say,
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the same subject but from
slightly different angles.
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Now, here's the
parable of the lost sheep.
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You find it in Luke chapter 15,
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and we'll pick it
up starting in verse 1:
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"Then all the tax
collectors and sinners
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drew near to Him to hear Him.
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And the Pharisees and
scribes complained, saying,
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'This Man receives
sinners and eats with them.'
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So He spoke this
parable to them, saying:
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'What man of you,
having a hundred sheep,
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if he loses one of them,
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does not leave the
ninety-nine in the wilderness,
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and go after the one that
is lost until he finds it?
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And when he has found it,
he lays it on his shoulders,
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rejoicing.
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And when he comes home,
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he calls together his friends
and neighbors, saying to them,
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"Rejoice with me, for I have
found my sheep which was lost!"
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I say to you that likewise
there will be more joy in heaven
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over one sinner who
repents than over ninety-nine
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just persons who
need no repentance."
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Now, notice the context.
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Jesus is speaking with
the publicans and sinners,
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the bad crowd, the undesirables.
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You know, it's worth noting that
Jesus spent time with sinners,
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with those on the fringes,
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even beyond the
fringes of religious society.
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A lot of people who claim
to be followers of God today
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don't model this
aspect of Jesus' behavior.
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If the church is
to reach the lost,
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then the people in
the church, by definition,
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would need to
interact with lost people.
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Now, Jesus wasn't
hanging out with the lost
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so He could
participate in their sins.
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He did what He did in
order to reach the unsaved
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with the gospel.
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If you're a follower
of Jesus, a believer,
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give this some thought.
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If the orbit of your life
doesn't bring you into contact
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with people who
don't know Jesus,
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you might want to do
something about that.
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And then, if
you're not a believer,
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if you're not a church member,
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if you're not walking with God,
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I want you to notice
what this points out.
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This story shows you that
God is, is interested in you.
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It shows you that no matter
what's going on in your life,
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you are of value to God.
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Jesus could have gone to
the publicans and sinners
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and excoriated them,
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criticized them,
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condemned them.
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He could have just
kept away from them.
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But He didn't, because that's
not what Jesus is all about.
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Jesus lifts up people.
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If you're
willing to be lifted up,
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if you sense a need
for God in your life,
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then you can know
that the same Jesus
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who hung out with
the outsiders back then,
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who encouraged people back then,
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well, that's what
Jesus still does today.
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Now, verse 2 could keep us busy
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for the rest of
our time together.
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Here's what the Bible says:
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"And the Pharisees and
scribes complained, saying,
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'This man receives
sinners and eats with them.'"
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Yes, yes, He does.
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Guilty as charged.
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Now, again, this isn't
Jesus saying it's okay.
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This isn't Jesus
saying that sin's just fine.
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This is Jesus
showing that God cares
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and that God wants to
receive sinners and save them.
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So Jesus has been criticized
by a bunch of self-righteous
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hypocrites who
don't feel a need to help
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their fellow human beings come
to know the blessings of God,
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a group of people
who couldn't be bothered
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lifting a finger to help
somebody find a better way.
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Pious, religious snobs so
caught up in their own selves
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that they can't see the
worth of a fellow human being.
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So, He tells them a story.
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Well, as a parable,
it's more than a story.
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It's a story with a point.
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Not exactly an allegory, but a
story designed to teach lessons.
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So, verse 3:
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"So he spoke this
parable to them, saying:
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'What man of you,
having a hundred sheep,
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if he loses one of them,
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does not leave the
ninety-nine in the wilderness,
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and go after the one which
is lost until he finds it?'"
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Jesus asked a
rhetorical question.
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He said,
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"Which one of you wouldn't
go and find a lost animal?"
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Well, the answer is obvious.
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They all would.
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None of them
would be so heartless
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as to leave the animal
in the wilderness someplace,
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vulnerable to attack,
exposed to the elements.
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None of those men
listening would have done so.
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But a human being
outside the fold of God,
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a person made in the image of
God but outside the will of God?
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They couldn't care
less about that person.
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Jesus was hoping to help
them understand His mission.
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He was there to save the lost.
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And He hoped that
He could help them
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to see their own true mission.
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God has raised up the church for
the purpose of reaching the lost
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with the love of Jesus.
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And yet we both know it's
true: there are many churches,
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many, that do
nothing to reach the lost.
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They don't allocate resources;
they don't work a plan;
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they're not losing any sleep
over the fact that every day
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there are people dying
without ever having known Jesus.
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If churches like that closed,
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nobody would
know the difference.
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In fact, it's hard to
imagine why they remain open.
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Church isn't a social club; a
church is a missionary center.
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We don't go to be entertained
or merely to see our friends.
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We go so we can
worship God, know God,
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and those who know God
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will love God and
love those whom God loves.
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God loves the lost.
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So what's the sheep doing
out there in the wilderness
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and not with the other sheep
in the sheep in the sheepfold?
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And what does this
tell us about Jesus?
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And here's a
question: He has 99;
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what's one sheep?
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They're not even worth much.
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He could've easily replaced it,
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or get by without it,
without even noticing.
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In a sense, it's not even
practical to go after the sheep.
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There's a really good chance
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this whole sheep-hunting
expedition is going to cost
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the farmer a whole lot
more than a sheep is worth.
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So why?
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More in just a moment.
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¤[Music]¤
00:10:37.20\00:10:44.37
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To receive "The King of Beasts,"
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>>John: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:11:15.17\00:11:17.81
It was terrible.
00:11:17.84\00:11:19.61
You could
imagine her heartbreak.
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Thankfully, there
were people nearby
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who were willing to provide
reassurance and confidence
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in what could have
been a nerve-wracking time.
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Little Bo Peep
had lost her sheep.
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She doesn't know
where to find them.
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Leave them alone,
and they'll come home,
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wagging their tails behind them.
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A nursery rhyme.
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Now, these days,
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losing a sheep can be a
serious issue, for the sheep.
00:11:45.57\00:11:49.74
When Jesus told this story,
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sheep then didn't produce
wool in the same quantity
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as they do today.
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If a sheep today
wanders on its own for too long,
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it can produce an
unsafe amount of wool.
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Shrek was a Merino who
spent six years on his own
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in central Otago in New Zealand
00:12:04.69\00:12:06.19
before being caught and sheared.
00:12:06.22\00:12:08.42
While a typical Merino
fleece weighs around 10 pounds,
00:12:08.46\00:12:12.36
Shrek's fleece
weighed in at 60 pounds!
00:12:12.39\00:12:15.36
Jesus spoke about a lost sheep
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whose situation
was even more dire.
00:12:18.20\00:12:20.87
This lost sheep
didn't just come home
00:12:20.90\00:12:23.44
like Little Bo
Peep's lost sheep.
00:12:23.47\00:12:25.44
And Jesus teaches us in
the parable of the lost sheep
00:12:25.47\00:12:27.91
that lost sheep
must not be left alone
00:12:27.94\00:12:30.48
in the hope that they'll
just somehow wander home.
00:12:30.51\00:12:33.21
Jesus teaches us that lost sheep
00:12:33.25\00:12:34.88
must be pursued and
aided back to the sheepfold.
00:12:34.92\00:12:40.16
This is Ezekiel 34, verse 12,
00:12:40.19\00:12:42.06
speaking of the way
God pursues lost sheep:
00:12:42.09\00:12:45.66
"As a shepherd seeketh
out his flock in the day
00:12:45.69\00:12:47.96
that he is among his
sheep that are scattered;
00:12:48.00\00:12:50.17
so will I seek out my
sheep, and will deliver them out
00:12:50.20\00:12:53.30
of all places where
they've been scattered
00:12:53.34\00:12:55.34
in the cloudy and dark day."
00:12:55.37\00:12:56.94
If you read the book of Ezekiel,
00:12:56.97\00:12:58.87
you know that God was dealing
with some profoundly wicked,
00:12:58.91\00:13:02.84
rebellious people.
00:13:02.88\00:13:04.31
And yet what does
God say that He'll do?
00:13:04.35\00:13:07.05
He'll go out
looking for His sheep
00:13:07.08\00:13:08.85
in an effort to bring them home.
00:13:08.88\00:13:12.05
In the parable,
00:13:12.09\00:13:13.05
the shepherd goes out
to search for one sheep.
00:13:13.09\00:13:16.02
He goes out to search.
00:13:16.06\00:13:17.76
He has 99, and He
goes looking for just one.
00:13:17.79\00:13:21.10
Do you know if there'd
only been one lost soul,
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.70
Jesus would have died
on the cross for that one?
00:13:23.73\00:13:26.84
Think about that.
00:13:26.87\00:13:29.14
If you were the only
person who had ever sinned,
00:13:29.17\00:13:32.14
God would have
emptied heaven for you.
00:13:32.17\00:13:34.14
He would have set in motion
the plan of salvation for you.
00:13:34.18\00:13:39.91
A lost sheep
cannot find its way back.
00:13:39.95\00:13:43.15
It would be forever lost if
someone didn't go and find it.
00:13:43.18\00:13:46.35
That's how it is with sinners.
00:13:46.39\00:13:47.79
Sinners don't find
their way back to God.
00:13:47.82\00:13:51.96
Everyone who comes
to God or returns to God
00:13:51.99\00:13:54.63
does so because God
seeks that lost one.
00:13:54.66\00:13:57.93
God goes after that one.
00:13:57.97\00:14:00.94
And keep in mind, a
sheep isn't easy to find.
00:14:00.97\00:14:03.74
They don't bark
loudly like a dog.
00:14:03.77\00:14:05.64
They're not big and
easy to see like a cow.
00:14:05.67\00:14:07.51
Out on the hillsides of Israel,
00:14:07.54\00:14:09.51
where there weren't
fences to keep the sheep
00:14:09.54\00:14:10.98
penned like
large farms have today,
00:14:11.01\00:14:13.78
that sheep could
easily have been anywhere.
00:14:13.82\00:14:17.59
Finding that lost
sheep took some effort,
00:14:17.62\00:14:20.49
because to a
compassionate farmer,
00:14:20.52\00:14:23.36
that sheep was important,
00:14:23.39\00:14:25.13
valuable.
00:14:25.16\00:14:26.59
And what does the shepherd
do when he finds the lost sheep?
00:14:26.63\00:14:30.60
He didn't beat it.
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.13
Didn't yell at
it, didn't berate it.
00:14:32.17\00:14:34.17
He didn't tell that poor sheep
how much trouble it had been.
00:14:34.20\00:14:38.51
But what commonly
happens when people fall,
00:14:38.54\00:14:40.31
fall into sin?
00:14:40.34\00:14:42.18
Now, I understand
that there is such a thing
00:14:42.21\00:14:43.61
as church discipline.
00:14:43.65\00:14:44.55
I understand that.
00:14:44.58\00:14:45.38
I understand
churches have standards,
00:14:45.41\00:14:46.88
and they should have standards.
00:14:46.92\00:14:48.08
I understand that parents
need to teach their children.
00:14:48.12\00:14:50.65
I understand accountability.
00:14:50.69\00:14:53.09
But it seems the
shepherd in this story
00:14:53.12\00:14:56.16
didn't get into condemnation.
00:14:56.19\00:14:58.69
You don't have to go far to
hear stories of young people
00:14:58.73\00:15:00.66
who make mistakes,
00:15:00.70\00:15:02.00
who are then
pushed away from God
00:15:02.03\00:15:03.50
and pushed away from
the church, by the church.
00:15:03.53\00:15:06.53
It's easy to love others when
they're doing everything right.
00:15:06.57\00:15:09.54
But when somebody
fails, sins, falls,
00:15:09.57\00:15:12.97
gets away from God,
00:15:13.01\00:15:15.08
how do you treat
that person then?
00:15:15.11\00:15:16.81
Because that's when
someone will see the real you.
00:15:16.85\00:15:20.25
You give them the wrong message,
00:15:20.28\00:15:21.62
they get the
wrong picture of God.
00:15:21.65\00:15:24.72
What message about
the character of God
00:15:24.75\00:15:27.39
do we send when
we deal with people
00:15:27.42\00:15:29.42
who don't measure up to what
we think are God's standards?
00:15:29.46\00:15:33.60
Now, for the
purpose of this parable,
00:15:33.63\00:15:34.93
we're dealing with
people who really have sinned,
00:15:34.93\00:15:36.80
not simply failed to measure up.
00:15:36.83\00:15:39.53
What does the church
do with or about the lost?
00:15:39.57\00:15:44.37
Look what the shepherd does.
00:15:44.41\00:15:46.21
Luke 15, verses 5 and 6:
00:15:46.24\00:15:48.68
"And when he has found it,
00:15:48.71\00:15:50.61
he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing.
00:15:50.65\00:15:53.55
And when he comes home,
he calls together his friends
00:15:53.58\00:15:55.62
and neighbors, saying to them,
00:15:55.65\00:15:57.35
'Rejoice with me, for I have
found my sheep which was lost!'"
00:15:57.39\00:16:03.46
Keep this in mind:
00:16:03.49\00:16:04.86
this is God being portrayed.
00:16:04.89\00:16:07.66
He doesn't yell at the sheep,
doesn't try to lead it home.
00:16:07.66\00:16:11.90
He picks up the sheep
and puts it on His shoulders.
00:16:11.93\00:16:14.77
He holds it
close; He keeps it safe.
00:16:14.80\00:16:17.21
There's a bond there.
00:16:17.24\00:16:19.31
There is a caring
there, a love there.
00:16:19.34\00:16:22.71
He isn't angry.
00:16:22.74\00:16:24.48
He's simply thrilled that
he's got his lost sheep back.
00:16:24.51\00:16:28.12
And look what Jesus
says in Luke 15, verse 7:
00:16:28.15\00:16:30.99
"I say to you that likewise
there will be more joy in heaven
00:16:31.02\00:16:34.16
over one sinner who
repents than over ninety-nine
00:16:34.19\00:16:37.29
just persons who
need no repentance."
00:16:37.33\00:16:39.69
Notice what this says about God.
00:16:39.73\00:16:41.23
God celebrates
when a sinner repents,
00:16:41.26\00:16:44.23
when a lost sheep is found
and brought back to the flock.
00:16:44.27\00:16:47.50
The rabbis back in Jesus' time,
00:16:47.54\00:16:49.14
they had a belief that
there was rejoicing in heaven
00:16:49.17\00:16:52.57
when one who has sinned
against God is destroyed.
00:16:52.61\00:16:56.31
Notice what Jesus is doing?
00:16:56.34\00:16:58.08
He's not only telling us the
facts of how this process works;
00:16:58.11\00:17:02.32
he also wants us to
see the character of God,
00:17:02.35\00:17:04.95
the God who says,
00:17:04.99\00:17:05.99
"I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked."
00:17:06.02\00:17:08.49
That's Ezekiel 33:11.
00:17:08.52\00:17:09.76
Second Peter 3, verse 9, says,
00:17:09.79\00:17:11.76
"The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise,
00:17:11.79\00:17:13.73
as some count slackness,
00:17:13.76\00:17:14.73
but is longsuffering toward us,
00:17:14.76\00:17:17.20
not willing that any
should perish but that all
00:17:17.23\00:17:20.67
should come to repentance."
00:17:20.70\00:17:22.20
Jesus said in
Matthew 9 and verse 13
00:17:22.24\00:17:24.01
that His mission was to
call sinners to repentance.
00:17:24.04\00:17:27.28
That's what God's
about: reaching the lost,
00:17:27.31\00:17:29.81
finding the
lost, seeking the lost,
00:17:29.84\00:17:31.68
and bringing them home.
00:17:31.71\00:17:34.32
And rejoicing.
00:17:34.35\00:17:36.08
In the parable
of the lost sheep,
00:17:36.12\00:17:37.35
we see that salvation doesn't
come through us seeking God,
00:17:37.39\00:17:41.89
but through God
seeking after us.
00:17:41.92\00:17:44.29
We do not repent so
that God can love us.
00:17:44.33\00:17:48.00
But God reveals His love
to us so that we can repent.
00:17:48.03\00:17:52.77
Now, question for you.
00:17:52.80\00:17:54.07
Have you ever
lost money, real money,
00:17:54.10\00:17:57.21
at a time when
it really mattered?
00:17:57.24\00:17:59.77
I have.
00:17:59.81\00:18:01.61
More than I care to remember,
00:18:01.64\00:18:02.81
at just about the
worst possible time.
00:18:02.84\00:18:06.28
I'll tell you
more in just a moment.
00:18:06.31\00:18:07.68
¤[Music]¤
00:18:07.72\00:18:15.09
¤[Theme music]¤
00:18:15.42\00:18:17.19
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:18:17.23\00:18:19.63
"It is Written,
00:18:19.66\00:18:20.70
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:18:20.73\00:18:22.53
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:18:22.56\00:18:26.67
"Every Word" is a one-minute,
Bible -based daily devotional
00:18:26.70\00:18:29.90
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:18:29.94\00:18:31.57
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:18:31.61\00:18:34.71
Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:18:34.74\00:18:37.45
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:18:37.48\00:18:39.95
itiswritten.com.
00:18:39.98\00:18:42.32
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:18:42.35\00:18:44.45
Watch "Every Word."
You'll be glad you did.
00:18:44.49\00:18:50.29
¤[Music - crowd
watching eclipse]¤
00:18:50.66\00:19:00.74
¤[Music - crowd
watching eclipse]¤
00:19:00.74\00:19:20.82
>>John: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:19:57.69\00:20:00.00
In Luke 15, Jesus
shares three similar stories:
00:20:00.03\00:20:04.27
the lost young man,
00:20:04.30\00:20:05.30
the prodigal son;
00:20:05.33\00:20:06.67
the lost sheep;
00:20:06.70\00:20:08.40
and then a story about
a woman who lost money.
00:20:08.44\00:20:11.54
Have you ever lost
something valuable,
00:20:11.57\00:20:13.64
money, for example?
00:20:13.68\00:20:15.31
Imagine being the man in Boston
00:20:15.34\00:20:16.78
who left $187,000
dollars in a taxi.
00:20:16.81\00:20:21.55
Happened in 2016.
00:20:21.58\00:20:23.25
The Boston Globe
reported that a homeless man
00:20:23.28\00:20:25.09
had just cashed his inheritance
and left a bag of money
00:20:25.12\00:20:28.96
in the back of a cab.
00:20:28.99\00:20:30.46
Fortunately, or providentially,
the cabbie was an honest man,
00:20:30.49\00:20:34.30
took the money
straight to the police,
00:20:34.30\00:20:36.26
and the man got his money back.
00:20:36.30\00:20:37.77
Can you imagine
how happy he was?
00:20:37.80\00:20:42.87
Didn't work out that way for me.
00:20:42.90\00:20:45.87
I was on my honeymoon,
with a lot of cash in my wallet,
00:20:45.91\00:20:50.75
and somewhere along the way,
00:20:50.78\00:20:54.05
I lost the wallet with
all the honeymoon cash in it.
00:20:54.08\00:21:00.36
Oh, she wasn't impressed,
00:21:00.39\00:21:01.59
but thank the Lord she was
so sweet about it, my new wife.
00:21:01.62\00:21:06.03
We prayed we'd get
it back and...we didn't.
00:21:06.06\00:21:09.80
Not good.
00:21:09.83\00:21:12.83
If I had got it back,
you think I'd be celebrating?
00:21:12.87\00:21:15.37
You know I'd be celebrating.
00:21:15.40\00:21:16.60
I wouldn't have been the
only one who was celebrating.
00:21:16.64\00:21:19.51
It's good to find
something valuable,
00:21:19.54\00:21:21.81
something that you've lost.
00:21:21.84\00:21:24.55
What if that
something was a someone?
00:21:24.58\00:21:27.65
And my wife and I, we've
never lost one of our children,
00:21:27.68\00:21:29.58
I mean, you know,
00:21:29.62\00:21:30.72
what sometimes happens in
a supermarket or wherever.
00:21:30.75\00:21:33.22
You lose something precious,
00:21:33.25\00:21:35.12
something as
precious as a child,
00:21:35.16\00:21:37.66
nothing else matters.
00:21:37.69\00:21:39.33
You want to get
that precious thing back.
00:21:39.36\00:21:41.70
So imagine how God feels.
00:21:41.73\00:21:43.10
In the beginning He
created a perfect world
00:21:43.13\00:21:44.90
with the intention
that the people He created
00:21:44.93\00:21:46.80
would live forever.
00:21:46.84\00:21:47.74
He designed Adam
and Eve; He made them,
00:21:47.77\00:21:50.24
and He wanted them
and their descendents
00:21:50.27\00:21:52.34
to exist with Him for
as long as time lasted.
00:21:52.37\00:21:56.08
But sin came, and sin
separates people from God.
00:21:56.11\00:21:59.15
Sin causes selfishness,
00:21:59.18\00:22:01.15
the opposite of what God is
trying to achieve in our hearts.
00:22:01.18\00:22:04.32
Imagine if you could see this
world from God's perspective.
00:22:04.35\00:22:07.39
Billions and billions
of people in the world,
00:22:07.42\00:22:09.96
the vast majority of them don't
even profess to be close to God.
00:22:09.99\00:22:15.73
But sometimes lost people
00:22:15.76\00:22:17.20
are where you don't
expect to find them.
00:22:17.23\00:22:19.90
If I asked you where all
the lost people could be found,
00:22:19.93\00:22:21.77
you might say, oh, in the bars,
00:22:21.80\00:22:23.87
in the clubs,
00:22:23.91\00:22:24.51
the casinos and so forth.
00:22:24.54\00:22:25.54
And while, yeah,
00:22:25.57\00:22:26.57
there's undoubtedly
some accuracy to that idea,
00:22:26.61\00:22:30.75
lost people can be where
you would least expect them.
00:22:30.78\00:22:34.45
So let's look at
Luke 15, verses 8-10:
00:22:34.48\00:22:38.12
"Or what woman,
having ten silver coins,
00:22:38.15\00:22:41.22
if she loses one coin,
00:22:41.26\00:22:43.26
does not light a
lamp, sweep the house,
00:22:43.29\00:22:45.09
and search
carefully until she finds it?
00:22:45.13\00:22:47.56
And when she has found it,
00:22:47.60\00:22:48.70
she calls her friends and
neighbors together, saying,
00:22:48.73\00:22:51.03
'Rejoice with me,
00:22:51.07\00:22:51.90
for I have found
the piece which I lost!'
00:22:51.93\00:22:54.44
Likewise, I say to you,
00:22:54.47\00:22:55.50
there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God
00:22:55.54\00:22:58.07
over one sinner who repents."
00:22:58.11\00:23:01.68
Again,
something, someone, is lost.
00:23:01.71\00:23:04.18
It's ultimately
found and God rejoices.
00:23:04.21\00:23:06.48
The angels rejoice.
00:23:06.51\00:23:07.75
But the wrinkle in
this story is that the coin
00:23:07.78\00:23:10.72
in this case is
lost inside the house.
00:23:10.75\00:23:13.69
It hasn't wandered off.
00:23:13.72\00:23:15.92
It didn't leave home.
00:23:15.96\00:23:17.46
It's still right
there, and yet it's lost.
00:23:17.49\00:23:21.83
I wonder if you'd agree that
there are a lot of lost coins
00:23:21.86\00:23:24.70
in the house, literally.
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.27
I'm not referring
to coins you find when
00:23:26.30\00:23:27.90
you take up the
cushions of the sofa.
00:23:27.94\00:23:30.34
At home, even
in Christian homes,
00:23:30.37\00:23:32.94
there are lost people.
00:23:32.97\00:23:34.38
They interact with
people in the family;
00:23:34.41\00:23:35.74
they are there
but they are lost.
00:23:35.78\00:23:38.95
What are you doing for people
who are lost and in your house?
00:23:38.98\00:23:43.79
Notice that Jesus said
this woman searched carefully.
00:23:43.82\00:23:47.32
And you want to be careful
00:23:47.36\00:23:48.49
while you're
searching for family members.
00:23:48.52\00:23:50.46
What do you do when
your kids wander off?
00:23:50.49\00:23:53.53
You have to be careful.
00:23:53.56\00:23:55.20
You come on
strong, you criticize,
00:23:55.23\00:23:57.23
you condemn,
you've lost them forever.
00:23:57.27\00:24:00.90
It's important to be careful.
00:24:00.94\00:24:03.84
There are people in God's house,
00:24:03.87\00:24:05.17
in church, who are lost.
00:24:05.21\00:24:06.94
And you can't always tell,
00:24:06.98\00:24:09.01
because they know what
to say at the right time.
00:24:09.04\00:24:10.58
They know how to act.
00:24:10.61\00:24:11.98
What do you do?
00:24:12.01\00:24:13.18
Well, you do something.
00:24:13.21\00:24:14.92
We think of
missionaries as being people
00:24:14.95\00:24:16.55
who go to faraway countries,
and while that's true,
00:24:16.58\00:24:20.26
it could be that God is
wanting you to be a missionary
00:24:20.29\00:24:22.59
to people a whole
lot closer to home.
00:24:22.62\00:24:24.43
I'll tell you about
one man I know personally.
00:24:24.46\00:24:27.10
When he left high
school, he left the church.
00:24:27.13\00:24:29.66
Never looked back.
00:24:29.70\00:24:31.43
His mother was
gracious and tender and kind,
00:24:31.47\00:24:33.64
and she prayed for him.
00:24:33.67\00:24:36.00
For years.
00:24:36.04\00:24:37.54
In fact, she
prayed for his conversion
00:24:37.57\00:24:40.54
until she was 99 years old.
00:24:40.58\00:24:44.05
And when she was 99,
00:24:44.08\00:24:47.22
her son came back
to faith in Christ.
00:24:47.25\00:24:51.09
Her prayers were answered,
not long before she died.
00:24:51.12\00:24:55.92
She took the
lamp, got the broom,
00:24:55.96\00:24:58.06
and swept, and swept, and swept,
00:24:58.09\00:25:02.03
and eventually she
found her precious lost coin.
00:25:02.06\00:25:05.53
God rejoices when one of
His lost children is found.
00:25:05.57\00:25:09.67
In two short parables in a row
00:25:09.70\00:25:11.11
we read that there is joy in
heaven when the lost is found.
00:25:11.14\00:25:14.61
Who's going
after the lost sheep?
00:25:14.64\00:25:16.14
Who's going after
the lost coin or coins?
00:25:16.18\00:25:19.45
Who's going after the
one who's wandered away,
00:25:19.48\00:25:21.32
the one who is lost in
the home, or in the church?
00:25:21.35\00:25:25.72
The encouraging thing
is that the lost sheep
00:25:25.75\00:25:28.76
was found and brought home.
00:25:28.79\00:25:30.93
The lost coin,
likewise, was found.
00:25:30.96\00:25:34.83
People who love God will search
for those who are far from God,
00:25:34.86\00:25:39.23
and by the grace of God,
00:25:39.27\00:25:41.27
will find them
and bring them home.
00:25:41.30\00:25:44.21
And if you're far from God,
00:25:44.24\00:25:46.27
you know that God
is that good shepherd
00:25:46.31\00:25:49.54
who goes in search of the
lost and brings them home,
00:25:49.58\00:25:53.38
carries them home.
00:25:53.42\00:25:55.38
You know that
God loves the lost.
00:25:55.42\00:25:57.79
He does not look on
you with condemnation
00:25:57.82\00:25:59.75
or with harsh judgment if
you're outside the will of God.
00:25:59.79\00:26:03.29
God knows that sheep wander off.
00:26:03.32\00:26:04.63
He knows that
coins fall to the floor.
00:26:04.66\00:26:08.26
He's interested in finding them
00:26:08.30\00:26:10.67
and getting them to
be where they need to be.
00:26:10.70\00:26:13.60
It might be that God
is talking to you today,
00:26:13.64\00:26:16.54
that God is
looking for you today,
00:26:16.57\00:26:19.37
that God's
wanting to bring you back.
00:26:19.41\00:26:21.61
Will you let
Him do that for you?
00:26:21.64\00:26:24.31
Are you willing
to let God carry you,
00:26:24.35\00:26:27.22
find you, bring you home?
00:26:27.25\00:26:28.95
I hope you are.
00:26:28.98\00:26:30.89
You'll cause
rejoicing in heaven,
00:26:30.92\00:26:33.59
rejoicing in God's heart,
00:26:33.62\00:26:36.36
by allowing God to reach
you and bring you back to Him.
00:26:36.39\00:26:40.60
Sheep didn't clean
itself up; neither did the coin.
00:26:40.63\00:26:43.20
God does that.
00:26:43.23\00:26:44.00
You let God do that for you.
00:26:44.03\00:26:46.37
Notice in the beginning
of this passage in Luke 15,
00:26:46.40\00:26:48.50
the scribes and Pharisees
complained and they said,
00:26:48.54\00:26:51.17
"This man receives
sinners, and He eats with them."
00:26:51.21\00:26:54.41
Yes, He does.
00:26:54.44\00:26:55.64
That's precisely what God does.
00:26:55.68\00:26:58.85
He receives sinners.
00:26:58.88\00:27:01.42
And if you'll let Him do
so, He'll receive you right now.
00:27:01.45\00:27:06.35
¤[Music]¤
00:27:06.39\00:27:13.40
>>John: I'd love for you
to receive today's free offer.
00:27:14.00\00:27:16.20
Join me on location as I
walk with lions in Africa,
00:27:16.23\00:27:20.94
"The King of Beasts,"
00:27:20.97\00:27:22.90
in which we'll discuss the
greatest battle ever fought.
00:27:22.94\00:27:25.74
To receive "The King of Beasts,"
00:27:25.77\00:27:27.31
just call 800-253-3000,
00:27:27.34\00:27:29.94
or visit us
online, iiwoffer.com.
00:27:29.98\00:27:34.25
"The King of
Beasts," today's free offer.
00:27:34.28\00:27:36.92
Receive it by
calling 800-253-3000,
00:27:36.95\00:27:40.09
or visit it
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:27:40.12\00:27:43.86
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:27:44.36\00:27:46.66
is a faith-based ministry,
00:27:46.70\00:27:48.90
and it's your support
that makes it possible for us
00:27:48.93\00:27:51.27
to share God's good
news with the entire world.
00:27:51.30\00:27:55.10
Your
tax-deductible gift can be sent
00:27:55.14\00:27:56.84
to the address on your screen,
00:27:56.87\00:27:58.67
or through our
website, itiswritten.com.
00:27:58.71\00:28:02.84
Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
00:28:02.88\00:28:05.35
Our toll-free
number is 800-253-3000.
00:28:05.38\00:28:08.75
800-253-3000.
00:28:08.78\00:28:11.05
Our web address
is itiswritten.com.
00:28:11.09\00:28:14.09
>>John: Let's pray
together now, shall we?
00:28:14.69\00:28:15.92
Our Father in heaven,
00:28:15.96\00:28:17.56
thank you that
you're such a good shepherd
00:28:17.59\00:28:20.06
you'd go off in
search of the lost sheep,
00:28:20.10\00:28:22.63
that you'd take
the light and the broom
00:28:22.66\00:28:24.23
and you sweep
and search the house
00:28:24.27\00:28:25.63
until you find the lost coin.
00:28:25.67\00:28:26.94
I pray that you'd put
in the hearts of those
00:28:26.97\00:28:30.47
who are your
followers to be just like that.
00:28:30.51\00:28:33.91
To go outside of themselves,
00:28:33.94\00:28:35.21
to go to some
trouble if need be,
00:28:35.24\00:28:36.64
to reach the
lost, to seek the lost,
00:28:36.68\00:28:39.48
to gently carry
them, to bring them home,
00:28:39.51\00:28:41.48
to find them and bring
them to the foot of the cross.
00:28:41.52\00:28:45.32
Dear Lord, I pray right now for
that one who is that lost sheep
00:28:45.35\00:28:49.69
or that lost coin.
00:28:49.72\00:28:50.73
Friend, is that you?
00:28:50.76\00:28:52.53
If so, it's time for you to say,
00:28:52.56\00:28:54.73
"Lord, take my heart,
bring me home, carry me back;
00:28:54.76\00:28:58.03
I can't make it myself.
00:28:58.07\00:28:59.20
I need your help."
00:28:59.23\00:29:01.04
And if that's your desire,
00:29:01.07\00:29:02.14
know that God accepts you;
00:29:02.17\00:29:04.27
He's found you;
00:29:04.31\00:29:05.74
He takes your heart;
00:29:05.77\00:29:07.18
you are a found
sheep, not a lost sheep.
00:29:07.21\00:29:10.75
You are God's
possession, God's purchase.
00:29:10.78\00:29:14.52
Know now that
you are God's child.
00:29:14.55\00:29:18.32
Lord, we thank you for
your goodness and your grace,
00:29:18.35\00:29:21.92
and we pray in Jesus' name,
00:29:21.96\00:29:24.43
Amen.
00:29:24.46\00:29:26.43
>>John: Thank you
so much for joining me.
00:29:26.46\00:29:27.66
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:29:27.73\00:29:29.40
Until then, remember:
00:29:29.43\00:29:30.93
"It is written:
00:29:30.97\00:29:32.57
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:29:32.60\00:29:34.40
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:29:34.44\00:29:37.71
¤[Theme music]¤
00:29:37.74\00:29:52.75