Thursday: Lost and Found
Through teaching and personal example, Jesus taught His disciples to associate with sinners, even notorious ones such as prostitutes and tax collectors. How else would they disciple the whole world? His teaching often focused on these sinners. His characterization of them as lost
demonstrates how merciful Christ was. He might have characterized them as rebellious
(they certainly were) or depraved.
Instead, He chooses lost.
Image © Providence Collection from GoodSalt.com
Lost doesn’t carry the same negative connotations that are contained in those other words. Rather than castigating fallen souls, we should follow Christ’s example. Lost is a generous description, because the responsibility is placed upon the finders. Disparaging remarks drive lost people away. Neutral language conveys acceptance and the possibility for relationship. We therefore must be careful not only about the language we speak, but even about the words we think, because our thoughts will greatly impact our attitudes toward others.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus encourages believers to become finders. He wants us to love and to reach out to the lost, regardless of the kind of people they are or the kind of lives they live.
This is the service that God has chosen-
-Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 210, 211.to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke, . . . and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh.
Isa. 58:6-7. When you see yourselves as sinners saved only by the love of your heavenly Father, you will have tender pity for others who are suffering in sin. You will no longer meet misery and repentance with jealousy and censure. When the ice of selfishness is melted from your hearts, you will be in sympathy with God, and will share His joy in the saving of the lost.
Study Luke 15. What essential message comes through in all these parables? What should this message say to us about the way in which God views the lost and what our responsibility to them is?
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It's for every one to search for those who are lost, by a humble and sympathy heart, because we have also been given the salvation only by Christ's love.
God values the lost and the ones who have lost the track more than anything else.They are precious vessels redeemed by the Lamb laid slain.
Once we were lost in sin and Jesus found us, likewise we should go and find others who are lost in sin. Many who are sinners do not know that they are lost like the sheep and the coin. Let us help them to find Jesus. God bless.
I want God to mold me to be as Christ was, loving, forgiving etc. thank you for such inspiring words, my prayer is that we all surrender to Jesus Himself so he can do marvllous work through us!
We as Christians should look at our lost brothers and sisters through the eyes of Jesus.So as believers we must become finders,reaching out in love to the lost regardless of what kind of people they are or what kind of life they live. We are all of God's children and He wants to save as many of us as he can. We should all take every opportunity to witness in these last days,wherever we are.
the way that Jesus refers to sinners as being lost removes the distance that we often create as believers to those who may not believe. By using"lost", to describe unbelievers places the believer in a place of responsibility and stewardship over their souls and obligates us to find unbelievers
As the people of God, we ourselves may be lost and do not know it. Have you noticed you were doing something for years and felt comfortable doing it thinking you were doing the right thing. But after years the Holy Spirit reveals it to you, then you asked yourself why did He not showed me months or years before. Now we were thinking we would have corrected our ways. But no, when we were lost we did not know. That's why the sheep and the goat will go together until the day of harvest. The goat is not the ones outside the church but inside of the church. We are told the greatest mission field is our homes. We must labor for each soul and encourage one another, also our church members and our world, i.e. where we associate (work, gym, supermarket etc).
Every time we read God's word a new light comes to our heart, even if it's the same verse we've read so many times...
Reading Luke 15 again today, I realized this fact; the sheep and the son did get lost, but the coin didn't get lost for itself. It did anything wrong, it didn't move away from the place where it was left. It was the woman who lost it, misplaced it or forgot where she had kept her coin.
While the young son and the sheep ran away from home, the coin was lost inside the house. Is it possible that we as a church need to be findingf the lost coins inside with the same committment as finding the lost sheeps outside?f