Lost Sheep
Father, today was a good day. Today was a full day. But to say the least, I am exhausted! May my mind focus on You and Your word for me. Amen.
Luke 15:1-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
I have to smile. While working on last Wednesday’s post (Excuses), I remembered preaching on the passage from Luke 14:15-24 and went back through my sermon archives to search for it. I ended up sharing that particular sermon from almost 11 years ago, after a bit of tweaking, again today!
As I read through the passage for today’s blog, I realized that it was an additional passage from today’s sermon! I think Someone is trying to get my attention!
Here is the story from my sermon. It is a true story from the life of Pastor Ryan Johnson. (More of Ryan’s story can be found in yesterday’s sermon post, Welcome to the Misfit Kingdom.)
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I had just dropped off my wife and kids in Salina, Kansas at my mother–in-law’s and was heading north out of town when I saw him. His name was Charlie.
Charlie was sitting in the ditch with large army bags. A cold misty rain was drenching him and his bags. He wore his Vietnam jacket proudly and it laid over is 400-pound body like a tarp.
I pulled over and asked if I could help. He said if I would load his bags (and man did he mean bags) on the car and drive them to the gas station that was a hundred yards away he would appreciate it.
I did. He limped along following behind my car.
After a few fruitless hours of trying to talk him into going to a rescue mission, I prayed with him and left.
I continued home and that’s when Jesus started in and I said, “Jesus I can’t take him home…He could kill me…But Jesus he really stinks…Jesus there is no way I am letting him stay the night…Now Lord I prayed with him, I helped him.”
Echoing Matthew 25, I felt Him say to me, “I said when you welcomed me – not if you prayed with me.”
So, I made a U-turn and as I pulled up next to Charlie at the gas station, I said, “Charlie get in!” And Charlie said, “Gitty up!”
For the next hour and a half, I rode with this 400-pound man in my small car. I had to crack the window to be able to breathe through the stench. I heard the story of how a once-proud veteran became a misfit. It was the common dilemma of needing medicine to get a job and a job to get the medicine.
We got to my place. I laid a sheet on the couch and I washed his clothes and belongings.
The next morning, I took him to the police station as a part of the ministerial alliance agreement to get him a free motel room and a hot meal.
Later that day I received a call from the Hospital’s Social worker. She said that Charlie was admitted and would speak to no one but me.
I walked into his room and said, “Charlie what do you need?” He said, “I don’t want anything. I just wanted you to know, they told me that my heart is bad and I’m dying. They want to ship me to Wichita. But I can never hitch a ride out of Wichita, so I want to stay here to die. Last night was the first home I have stayed in in over 20 years. Because of that I felt welcomed. And I know Jesus is asking me to get my real heart right. I just want you to know Preacher, I want you to help me accept the Lord.”
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Here are a few lines from my study Bible*.
God’s love for the individual is so great that he seeks out each one and rejoices when he or she is found. Jesus associated with sinners because he wanted to bring the lost sheep – people considered beyond hope – the Good News of God’s Kingdom. Before you were a believer, God sought you; and he is still seeking those who are yet lost.
How is Jesus speaking to you?
Sept 13th, 2020, Sun, 7:19 pm
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Keep Your Saltiness!
Trying something a little different today, Father. Later nights are much more difficult, so here I am. Speak, for Your servant is listening.
Luke 14:28-35 (<<click here to read the passage)
As I have gotten older, I realize that many people have an obsession with salt. I rarely salt anything. The only thing that comes to mind is buttered corn-on-the-cob (on which I also enjoy pepper, thanks to my father-in-law!) But then, of course, it is not normally prepared with salt ahead of time.
Karen uses salt when she cooks but not in great abundance. It’s interesting to see how many people salt their food without even tasting it. I read somewhere that J.C. Penny would eat with potential employees and if they did that, he wouldn’t hire them. I guess he didn’t want people who would just assume things were a certain way!
The sodium and chloride ions found in salt help us maintain our health. It’s essential for nerve and muscle function and is involved in the regulation of fluids in the body. So, it is important to us physically and it has been used to preserve meat and flavor foods for centuries.
Many don’t like to think about it this way but being in a relationship with Jesus is an all or nothing deal. Jesus says in verse 33, So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
And as He has given us examples, we must enter into that relationship knowing what’s ahead. If we are going to do this, it has to be done right – again it’s all or nothing.
So, if we choose to accept our responsibilities, we most certainly have a purpose. As it says at the beginning of Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth.”
We, as followers of Jesus, are to impact the health and “flavoring” of the world. It’s a pretty bitter and otherwise bland place to live…but we can change that! Where the problem occurs is when we water down our message of hope and salvation. A small amount of salt in the water makes the water salty but a bunch of water with a pinch of salt doesn’t accomplish a whole lot!
If we lose our saltiness, we are good for nothing!
Lord Jesus, help us to keep our saltiness – for even on a chemical level, salt can’t be broken down! It is only when we water it down, do we lose our effectiveness. Enable us to give it our all, enable us to count the cost, and to not hold back! Amen!
Sept 10th, 2020, Thurs, 12:35 pm
Tough Love
Definitely a full-plate-kind of day, Father, and the day is quickly coming to a close. Pull me close that I may hear what you would have for my heart tonight. Amen.
Luke 14:25-27 (<<click here to read the passage)
For as long as I can remember, I have loved reading the Gospels. Of course, those are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that speak of Jesus’ life and teachings. I find them inspirational and uplifting as I read of how Jesus lead His life, how He responded to those in need, how He responded to those who opposed Him, and how He taught and loved those closest to Him. It’s real. It shows us the authenticity.
But recently, it seems to be a great challenge. Maybe it’s just where I am in Luke’s Gospel but it’s hard! Jesus loves us more than we could ever begin to comprehend but love is not always gentle and kind. It is not always dishing out gushy sweetness. Many times, for love to be effective it must be a tough love.
There’s a bit of controversy with that phrase “tough love” but quite often if we just tiptoe around certain things we accomplish absolutely nothing! There are times when we must speak the truth in love. If someone is on the verge of falling off a cliff, kind and gentle just won’t cut it! Loud and stern and maybe even a grabbing of an arm to stop a deadly plunge is needed!
Recently, that’s where I feel I am with Jesus’ life and teachings. I realize I don’t move quickly through Scripture (I started over 5 years ago with Ephesians, worked my way through all the epistles, touched on the book of Revelation a bit and jumped back to the Gospels and am now just a little over half-way through Luke!), but for a while now, feel like I am in tough love mode!
I have to remind myself often that this is Jesus talking! He loves us but the point is He loves right where we are, but He also loves us enough to not let us stay where we are!
By this time, a large crowd was following
Him now. We have no idea how many were there for free entertainment and food (bread and fish anyone?) – but His time was soon coming to a close so He makes it very plain to all,
“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” v26 NLT
Wow! That’s our text from the New Living Translation but the note on verse 26 from the Amplified Bible says that the word “hate” is an exaggerated figure of speech indicating a lesser degree of love, not actual hostility or aversion toward one’s earthly family.
But still! Those are some pretty strong words! Jesus lays it out! If you don’t live like this, you cannot be my disciple!
And if that wasn’t loud and stern enough, He goes on to say, “And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” v27 NLT
Folks, this is not a game! It is a life or death reality! The crowds following Him knew the reality of what carrying your own cross meant – probably even more clearly than we do! They were witness to its reality much more than most probably cared to recall!
If we are going to follow Jesus, our love for Him must outweigh everything – and everyone else. It is not an easy thing to process but it is a necessity. We cannot follow Jesus on the surface. His love runs deep and if we are to follow, our love must run deep, as well. It may be tough but it’s no doubt, that it is love!
Sept 9th, 2020, Wed, 8:32 pm
Excuses
Father, over and over in my mind I keep thinking of Your sustaining hand upon my shoulder. I have asked for it and You have surely given it to me. Over three weeks ago, I set some goals and You, being the faithful Father that You are, have lifted me up to remain faithful myself. All praise to You!
Luke 14:15-24 (<<click here to read the passage)
Have you ever had lame excuses for not doing something you said you would do? Maybe it was an invite to a gathering of friends. You could have been sort of “meh” (as my son likes to say) to the offer initially and may have feigned interest in a feeble attempt to be polite. But as the date gets closer and closer you are wanting less and less to be apart of it. Eventually, you come up with some hollow excuse as to why you won’t be attending.
In this passage from Luke, in the middle of all that’s been going on, someone at the table said, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet [to eat bread] in the Kingdom of God!” v15
Wasn’t that a nice “religious” thing to say, amongst all of his little “religious” friends? And if you’ve not caught it before, Jesus really wasn’t into all the “religious” stuff. I was into the real deal – authentic living out of our faith in what God was doing in and through us. I don’t see Him smiling as He replied with this story:
“A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ vs.16-20
According to my Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation,
The custom was to send two invitations to a party: the first to announce the event and the second to tell the guests that everything was ready. The guests in Jesus’ story insulted the host by making excuses when he issued the second invitation. In Israel’s history, God’s first invitation came from Moses and the prophets; the second came from his Son. The religious leaders accepted the first invitation. They believed that God had called them to be his people, but they insulted God by refusing to accept his Son. Thus, the master in the story sent his servant into the streets to invite the needy to his banquet, so God sent his Son to a whole world of needy people to tell them that God’s Kingdom had arrived and was ready for them.
We can get pretty “religious”, as well. We have all been abundantly blessed by God in incalculable ways. But when we are invited to take part in God’s Kingdom, how often do we come up with lame, hollow excuses.
Jesus: I need you to be here for this person.
Me: Oh, I’m sorry, today’s just not good for me. I’ve just got so much on my plate…maybe I can catch up with them later
Jesus: Could you please help out this family in financial need?
Me: Uh, this is a really bad time. I’m needing to trade in my car. It’s really starting to nickel and dime me to death. I’m sure someone else will help.
Sometimes we hear and ignore what He has to say. Sometimes our time is just so consumed by the life we have made that we don’t hear Jesus at all.
Wouldn’t it be a shame to miss out on something so spectacular from God because we settled with something so plain and mundane? What we need is a spiritual ear cleaning and one of those heart transplants we spoke of a few days ago. Let’s not miss out!
Sept 8th, 2020, Tues, 7:15 pm
Could Not Repay
Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
….Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
….And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:7-8 NLT
Luke 14:12-14 (<<click here to read the passage)
A few years back, Karen and I were able to pull off a nice gesture. We loved being able to do it and occasionally I will look for another opportunity, but to date, nothing has presented itself. I don’t recall sharing the incident with anyone and, honestly, I have been hesitant to do so. But it fits well with today’s passage and I want to make it clear that I am not patting myself on the back but want the act to inspire us all – myself included.
We stopped to grab a bite of lunch at a large Amish style restaurant in Berlin, Ohio. We were enjoying our meal when an older lady was seated near us. No one joined her for her meal. It was just her. We decided to foot the bill for her meal. No big deal. No big output of cash. No one knew but our server. We had no idea if she was in financial difficulties, but we felt lead to reach out and let her know that she was not alone but that someone cared.
It wasn’t anything flashy. In reality, it was very simple. But we hope that we had an impact on her.
In today’s passage, Jesus had been invited to eat at the home of a Pharisee. At one point His host and said
“When you put on a luncheon or a banquet, don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” v12-14
I would think that many of us make donations to organizations that help people out in many ways. We may drop money in the Salvation Army kettle during Christmas season, we may support a needy child through Compassion International, we might even make a generous donation to bring God’s word to those without it in their native tongue through Wycliffe Associates. Those are all immensely worthwhile acts and thousands of people benefit from our gestures of kindness.
Many wonderful organizations provide daily meals for the homeless and down and out and they surely deserve our support. But have we ever acted upon Jesus’ suggestion? To my knowledge, I haven’t. And in today’s culture, we might find the task even more daunting. Long gone are the days of picking up hitchhikers and inviting total strangers into our homes to share a meal.
I’m not sure how we would go about it but it would sure be good to reach out and impact someone who could not repay us.
Lord Jesus, the whole idea is a little scary in our day – though in reality it probably wasn’t that much different when You set out the challenge. Help Your suggestion linger in our hearts and minds, in the midst of our lives may we act on it, loving others as we love ourselves. Not for our glory but for Yours alone. Amen.
Sept 7th, 2020, Mon, 6:55 pm