Heavenly Father,
You have called me as a pastor to this church,
but I am a pastor unworthy of the name of shepherd.
You, however, you are the good shepherd.
There is not a sheep among your flock that you do not know intimately.
All the strengths, all the weaknesses, all the failings, all the hurts.
And my desire this morning is that you reveal your love to your people
as their shepherd, as their father.
So please, minister to us with Your Word.
Remind us of how earnestly You sought us to save us.
And teach us how earnestly we should seek to save the lost, as Your witness says.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Luke 15, verses 1 to 10.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him.
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled,
saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.
So He told them this parable.
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?
And when he has found it,
he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home,
he calls together his friends and his neighbors,
saying to them,
Rejoice with me,
for I have found my sheep that was lost.
Just so, I tell you,
there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons
who need no repentance.
Or what woman,
having ten silver coins,
which she loses one coin,
does not light a lamp and sweep the house
and seek diligently until she finds it?
And when she has found it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors,
saying,
Rejoice with me,
for I have found the coin that I have lost.
Just so, I tell you,
there is joy before the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
For many of us,
it's more comfortable and cozy
to hang out with other Christians.
We have shared beliefs and values
so we understand each other,
you feel at home.
Hanging out with non-Christians,
on the other hand,
for some people,
can be more difficult.
We have to explain our beliefs and values,
which are often at odds with theirs.
We can't partake in everything that they say and do,
since they often do and say things
that contradict the teachings of Scripture.
So it can make us feel out of place,
unaccepted even.
But we must not let the comfort
of being with each other
draw us away from befriending those
who do not share our beliefs and values.
And this passage reminds us
that God is on a search and rescue mission,
and that the love of God compels us
to prioritize Christ's mission
of seeking and saving the lost.
We'll take a closer look at this passage
by first examining the portraits
of the major characters in this passage.
First, the portrait of the Pharisees and the scribes.
Second, the portrait of the tax collectors and sinners.
And third, the portrait of God,
as seen in the two parables
of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
First, let's look at the Pharisees and the scribes.
We find in verse 2
that the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling.
They were grumbling about the fact
that tax collectors and sinners
were drawing near to Jesus,
and that Jesus, instead of turning them away
like they usually do,
and like they expected Him to,
He was receiving these sinners and tax collectors
and eating with them.
And because the tax collectors and sinners,
I mean tax collectors,
because Pharisees and the scribes
often play literary foil to Jesus in the Gospels,
they make Jesus look good
because they're self-righteous and prideful.
And because we are aware of that,
it's easy for us to criticize
the Pharisees and the scribes right away.
But for a moment,
let's try to instead imagine ourselves
in the shoes of the Pharisees.
Because after all,
the parables are directed to them.
It's intended to teach them,
the grumbling Pharisees and the scribes.
The name Pharisee comes from the Hebrew word
meaning to set apart,
much like how we as Christians
describe ourselves
as people who are set apart for God,
set apart for His purposes and priorities.
The Pharisees were also the reformers of their day
who sought to purify the religion
and the society of their time.
In much the same way,
we view ourselves as people
who are heirs of the Protestant reformers.
And the scribes,
who are often alongside,
who are seen often alongside the Pharisees,
they're the Jewish legal scholars,
experts of Scripture.
And they kind of lend their academic credence
to the Pharisees' religious agenda.
So in some way,
Pharisees are like the pastors
and lay leaders of churches,
and the scribes are like the seminary professors
of our day.
Are you guys hearing about echo?
Is there a way to turn that mic off?
No.
And the Pharisees, however,
in spite of the fact that they were
these religious authorities,
they lost sight of God's desire
to seek and save the lost.
They were so focused on being set apart
from the world
that they were so focused on being holy,
they kind of separated themselves
from sinners.
And in doing so,
they so distanced themselves
from the very heart of God's mission
to seek and save the lost
that they lost the ability
to rejoice altogether
when lost people returned to Him.
And the example of the Pharisees
is a sobering one.
He teaches us
that it is possible
to miss God's will
while busily doing
what we perceive to be God's work.
It's possible for us,
even as Christians,
to lose sight of God's priority
of seeking and saving the lost.
But Luke tells us
in chapter 19, verse 10,
the Son of Man,
that's Jesus,
He came to seek
and to save the lost.
That is His mission.
That's why Jesus came.
And that mission continues
through us,
His people,
the church.
The Center for the Study
of Global Christianity,
which is a research center
based in
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary,
they claim that
one out of five
non-Christians
in North America,
not the predominantly
Muslim North Africa,
North America,
it says,
one out of five
non-Christians
in North America
do not personally
know any Christian.
That's 20%
of people who live
here in North America.
13.5 million people.
That's a tragedy.
Do we have
non-Christian friends
who know
that we are
followers of Christ?
have we shared
the good news
of Jesus Christ
with those who do not
know Him,
know Jesus?
We may have been
trying hard
to live good
Christian lives.
We may have been
trying hard
to love our families
and serve them.
We may have even
been working hard
to serve and love
our church family.
But if we are
doing all of those
things
and losing sight
of God's priority
of seeking and saving
the lost,
then we are not
being faithful.
Some people might
object at this point,
Sean,
that's your job.
You're the full-time
pastor.
We have other jobs
during the week.
Of course,
I need to share
the gospel
with my non-Christian
friends and neighbors
as well.
But as another pastor,
Mark Dever,
puts it,
pastoral ministry
is actually
behind the lines
and equipping
gospel laborers.
And actually,
you're the ones
that are on the
front lines
where the church
meets the world.
I'm privileged
in that I get
to spend time
with dozens of you
every week
and to get to
encourage you
and exhort you
like this
to share the
good news of
Jesus Christ
with everybody.
But a cost
that comes with that
is that I need
to work really
hard,
extra hard
to intentionally
create opportunities
for me to spend
time with
non-Christians
and to share
the gospel
with them.
So there's a price
that pastors pay
in their evangelistic
opportunities.
Some of you
might still object
at this point
saying,
well,
but I'm not
gifted in evangelism.
that's for people
who have the gift
of evangelism.
Yes,
there are some
people who have
the gift of evangelism
just as there are
some people who are
particularly gifted
musically,
like the people we
see on the stage
on Sunday morning.
But do only
the musically
gifted people
sing
during worship?
Of course not.
God wants
all of us
to sing
even if we're
tone deaf,
even if we have
no sense of rhythm.
In the same way,
God wants all of us
to share the good
news of Jesus Christ
whether we have
the gift of evangelism
or not.
That's a command
for all Christians.
And those who
have the gift
are not intended to,
they're not supposed
to do it all
by themselves,
rather they are
to use their gift
to help
and to equip
the rest of the
body of Christ,
the church,
to do evangelism.
So what are some
common interests
that you have
with your non-Christian
friends that you
can explore together?
What are some
contexts in your life
where you can
interact with them,
get to know them
better,
love and serve them
and share the gospel,
the good news of Jesus
with them?
If we lose sight
of Christ's mission,
we become like
the Pharisees
and the scribes.
That's the profile
of the Pharisees
and the scribes.
Profile.
Now let's see
the profile
of the tax collectors
and sinners.
The second point.
Verse 1 says,
Now the tax collectors
and sinners
were all drawing near
to hear Jesus.
As we have seen
throughout the gospel
of Luke,
Jesus,
wherever he went,
drew sinners around him.
They congregated to him.
In fact,
he was so popular
among sinners
and tax collectors,
Luke uses a hyperbole
to express it.
He says,
They were all drawing near
to hear Jesus.
It's almost as if
all the tax collectors
and sinners
all over Judea
have come
to see Jesus.
It's almost as if
they're all coming to him.
That's how popular
he is among them
because they sense
that he understands
their need.
Because they sense
in him
not rejection
but a welcome,
an invitation
to follow him.
Tax collectors
and sinners
together represent
kind of the moral
reprobates,
the miscreants
of society.
If you haven't been
with us throughout
our series
in the Gospel of the Lord,
you might be wondering
what in the world
is wrong with
being a tax collector.
The IRS employees
in our country
have respectable professions.
They're not bad people.
But the tax collectors
in Jesus' day
were another story.
They were people
who had paid
the Roman Empire
money
in order to lease
the right
to exact taxes.
And these tax collectors
had total control
over how much money
they charged,
how much money
they taxed.
So of course,
they would charge
a handsome amount
on top of the money
that they already paid
the Roman Empire
so that they could make
a handsome salary.
So they were,
because of this,
considered extortionists.
They were thieves.
And the Jews,
for that reason,
excommunicated tax collectors
from their synagogues.
And not only that,
if you are a Jewish
tax collector,
you are seen not only
as a thief
and an extortionist,
but also a traitor
because you are taxing,
stealing money
from your own people
and using that
to enrich
the very people
who were oppressing them
and suppressing them.
So they,
the occupiers,
the Romans,
the enemies,
so they were the traitors.
So the Jews,
for that reason,
despised tax collectors
and the Jewish synagogues,
they even refused
to accept offerings
from tax collectors
to the synagogue.
Not only do we not
want you here,
you're excommunicated,
we will not even
take your offering.
We don't want
your dirty money.
Tax collector
is not a flattering description.
The word sinner
also is not
a flattering description.
We have in a way
sanitized the word sinner
because we call ourselves
frequently,
we're a sinner,
we're a sinner
and when we talk about
sinners that God saves,
we often think of people
who maybe have committed
sins that are more or less
socially acceptable.
But in order to understand
the passage rightly,
when you see the word sinner,
you need to imagine
the people who do things
that are viscerally
repulsive to you.
What are some things
you can think of
that are viscerally
repulsive to you?
Oh my goodness,
I can't believe
this person would do that.
And depending on
kind of your
kind of spectrum,
where you fall
on the spectrum of views,
maybe political affiliation
or experiences,
the kind of sins
that cause that kind of
reaction
might be different.
For some of you,
maybe you should think of
the white supremacists
that seem to
delegitimize your identity
and experience.
For some of you,
you have to think of
the chauvinistic man
that abuses his wife.
Or a militant feminist
that lobbies
for free abortion
up to birth.
or a homeless
heroin addict.
Or a man
on the sex offender registry
for having possessed
child pornography.
What are the things,
sins that you can imagine
that cause this
visceral repulsion?
Sinners.
That's the kind of people
you should be thinking about.
These people are
categorized sinners.
They're social outcasts
unacceptable
to the people
in this story.
That's the kind of people
that are in view.
But Jesus,
instead of shunning
these tax collectors
and sinners,
lets them draw near to him.
Not only that,
he welcomes them.
He receives them.
And not only that,
he doesn't stop
at teaching them.
It says he eats
with them.
He shares the table
with them.
He goes into
their homes.
If we categorize
different levels
of human friendships,
we might start
from kind of
stranger to
stranger to acquaintance,
an acquaintance
to kind of
a casual friend,
maybe a casual friend
to a close friend
or an intimate friend.
And unless you are
an exceptionally
open
and hospitable person,
you probably
don't have
anyone below
the level
of casual friend
into your home.
Because to have
someone into your home
kind of signals
acceptance.
It signals
friendship,
fellowship.
And that's
what Jesus
is doing
with these sinners
and tax collectors.
And the Pharisees
and the scribes
have such
a kind of revulsion.
They're repelled
by what Jesus
is doing.
And they express
their distaste
for Jesus'
practice
in the way
they refer to Him.
Look at how
they refer to Him.
They call Him
this man.
Literally in the Greek
it's that one
or this one.
They don't call
Jesus the teacher,
which would be
the respectful thing
to say.
And they do
in other contexts.
They don't even
address Jesus
by His name.
Jesus
receives sinners.
They say
this one
receives
sinners
and eats
with them.
But remember
that their response
is actually
quite reasonable
if we remember
what kind of people
these tax collectors
and sinners are.
Do we,
like Jesus,
draw,
receive,
eat with
sinners
such as these?
That doesn't mean
we condone
their behavior.
Jesus never did that.
He never
dropped the bar.
But He always
told people
you can come
as you are.
You just can't
stay there.
You come,
then repent
and believe
and follow me.
That's the profile
of the tax collectors
and sinners.
And finally
we see a picture
of God
in the two stories
that Jesus
tells us.
And with this
background in mind
of the tax collectors
and the sinners
and the Pharisees
and the scribes
we can better
appreciate
these two parables
we're looking at
of the lost sheep
and the lost coin.
Let me reread
the parable
of the lost sheep
so it's fresh
in your mind
as I'm talking
about it
from verses
3 to 7.
Please follow along
with me.
It says,
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?
And when he comes home
he calls together
his friends
and his neighbors
saying to them
Rejoice with me
for I have found
my sheep
that was lost
just so I tell you
there will be more
joy in heaven
over one sinner
who repents
than over ninety-nine
righteous persons
who need
no repentance.
The first parable
is about a shepherd
who owns
one hundred sheep.
It's most likely
in his
the day in the life
of a shepherd
it's probably
in the evening
because it's in the evening
when you're putting
the sheep back
into the fold
that's when you count
to make sure
you have not lost
any of them.
And so the shepherd
is counting
he's already had
a full day
of taking
leading these sheep
from a patch of grass
to another
giving them food
guiding them
getting the ones
that go astray
bringing them back
and after all this
he's looking forward
to a night's rest
he begins to count
the sheep
that's with him
ninety-seven
ninety-eight
ninety-nine
and this time
his heart
sinks
as he realizes
that he's missing
a sheep
that he cares for
so he scans
the horizon
he leaves
the ninety-nine
it says
behind
in the open
country
exposed
to the elements
unattended
vulnerable
he goes out
in search
for
the lost
sheep
he moves
briskly
he jumps
over rocky crags
and he scours
every corner
that
of the pasture
and as the night
deepens
he becomes
more frantic
the thought
of the helpless
sheep
bleeding
by a precipice
or being attacked
by a wild animal
quickens his pace
and he goes
it says
in verse four
until he finds
the sheep
it's not a casual
attitude
okay well I guess
if I find him
I find him
if I don't
I don't
it's not
I'll just look for him
for an hour
if I find him
great
then I'll come back
he says
he will look
for the sheep
until he finds
the sheep
with persistence
and determination
now of course
some of the skeptics
among us
and that's
I include myself
and I will ask
did the shepherd
really leave
the ninety-nine sheep
the helpless creatures
by themselves
he must have found
the helping hand
right
have some assistance
to watch them
perhaps
but I think
to ask that question
is to miss
the point of the parable
the very point
of the parable
is that he leaves
the ninety-nine
to go after
the one
lost sheep
this is not
a picture
of a calm
collected
methodical rescue
it's a picture
of an urgent
and desperate
search
it's a picture
of God's
consuming love
the desperate
predicament
of this one
lost sheep
takes precedence
in that time
because this one
is lost
while the ninety-nine
are not lost
it's like
he loves
that lost
sheep
as if
it were
the only
sheep
there
to love
and that
actually
speaks volumes
about how
he loves
the ninety-nine
as well
doesn't it
because imagine
if he lost
that one
sheep
and he said
to himself
oh just one
sheep
I still got
ninety-nine
more
how would
the ninety-nine
sheep feel
about that
well I guess
I'm not that
valuable after
his leaving
the ninety-nine
going after
the one
lost sheep
actually
conveys
the value
the surpassing
value
and importance
of all the
other sheep
that's in fold
he goes
after the
lost one
because
he loves
the sheep
he loves
it like
the only
sheep
he has
to love
the second
parable
makes
a similar
point
it says
in verses
eight to
ten
or what
woman
having
ten
silver
coins
if she
loses
one
coin
does not
light a
lamp
and sweep
the house
and seek
diligently
until
she
finds
it
and when
she has
found it
she calls
together
her friends
and neighbors
saying
rejoice
with me
for I
found the
coin
that I
had
lost
just
so
I
tell
you
there
is
joy
before
the
angels
of
God
over
one
sinner
who
repents
in the
ancient world
in this
culture
most of the
homes were
made of
mud bricks
or stone
bricks
so there
would be
it's mostly
windowless
houses
so there's
really no
natural
light
so they
would have
to use
light
artificial
light
or fire
candle
and
if
they
because
the
ground
also
is made
of
mud
bricks
and stone
there
would be
a lot
of
these
crevices
and a lot
of debris
and dust
and dirt
and coins
would often
get lost
get stuck
in those
crevices
and actually
because of
that
it's a
boon to
archaeologists
because a lot
of archaeologists
can find
these coins
that have
been stuck
in the
crevices
for generations
and they
can date
the period
and learn
about history
and so on
and so
this is kind
of what's
happening
she loses
one
coin
and
the word
here
of the ten
silver coins
she loses
one
it's like
it's a
drachma
it's like
the denarius
which is
its amount
its value
is about
the day's
worth
wage
the regular
laborers
a day's
worth
and she
loses it
and she
has nine
other ones
but she
doesn't say
well
okay well
I'll cut
my losses
and forget
about it
no she
begins
to clean
the entire
house
to find
that one
lost
coin
she lights
the light
she sweeps
the ground
hoping that
that'll make
it a little
more visible
maybe that
she'll hear
the coin
clink
move
she
and again
like the
sheep
it says
that she
searches
for it
until
she
finds it
she seeks
diligently
until
she
finds it
this
is a
picture
of God
God's
love
for those
who are
lost
and notice
how the
initiative
is with
God
himself
the coin
does not
come rolling
to him
come find
me
the sheep
are not
finding
their way
on their
own
they're
not
cats
the
shepherd
must
go
unless
he
goes
they do
not
come
back
they are
lost
so the
shepherd
goes
so the
woman
looks
and this
is God's
heart
in our
salvation
when we
are lost
apart from
him
that's
how God
searches
for us
diligently
until
he
finds
us
he
doesn't
say
I'll
try a
couple
times
try a
couple
times
see if
he'll
respond
see if
she'll
repent
no
until
he
finds
every
last
one
that
belongs
to
him
he
searches
diligently
until
he
finds
it
and
this
image
of
God
as
a
shepherd
has
a
long
history
throughout
the
Bible
and
one
of
the
most
remarkable
one
is
found
in
Ezekiel
34
and
here
God
condemns
the
shepherds
of Israel
the leaders
of Israel
saying
this
thus says
the Lord
God
ah
shepherds
of Israel
who have
been
feeding
yourselves
should
not
shepherds
feed
the
sheep
you
eat
the
fat
you
clothe
yourselves
with
the
wool
you
slaughter
the
fat
ones
but
you
do
not
feed
the
sheep
the
weak
you
have
not
strengthened
the
sick
you
have
not
healed
the
injured
you
have
not
bound
up
the
strayed
you
have
not
brought
back
the
lost
you
have
not
sought
and
with
harshness
you
have
ruled
them
so
they
were
scattered
because
there
was
no
shepherd
and
they
became
food
for
all
the
wild
beasts
my
sheep
were
scattered
but
then
this
is
his
condemnation
of
the
leaders
of
Israel
but
then
after
that
God
promises
this
in
a
prophecy
through
Ezekiel
behold
I
myself
will
search
for
my
sheep
and
will
seek
them
out
I
will
feed
them
on
the
mountains
of
Israel
by
the
ravines
and
in
all
the
inhabited
places
of
the
country
I
will
feed
them
with
good
pasture
and
on
the
mountain
heights
of
Israel
shall
be
their
grazing
land
there
they
shall
lie
down
in
good
grazing
land
and
on
rich
pasture
they
shall
feed
on
the
mountains
of
Israel
I
myself
will
be
the
shepherd
of
my
sheep
and
I
myself
will
make
them
lie
down
declares
the
Lord
God
I
will
seek
the
lost
and
I
will
bring
back
the
strayed
and
I
will
bind
up
the
injured
and
I
will
strengthen
the
weak
and
the
fat
and
the
strong
I
will
destroy
I
will
feed
them
in
justice
God
had
promised
that
he
will
himself
do
what
all
of
his
appointed
leaders
failed
to
do
all
the
prophets
all
the
kings
all
the
priests
that
were
supposed
to
leave
God's
people
and
show
them
the
love
of
God
have
failed
him
have
disappointed
him
they
have
hurt
the
sheep
they
have
misled
them
they
had
not
bound
up
to
hurting
they
had
not
fed
the
hungry
but
God
says
I
myself
will
do
it
and
he
does
that
through
Jesus
the
son
of
God
that's
why
when
Jesus
comes
he
describes
himself
in
John
chapter
10
he
says
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
Jesus
is
the
one
who
has
come
he
lives
a
life
of
perfect
obedience
to
the
father
he
always
speaks
the
words
of
God
so
that
we
are
never
misled
by
his
teaching
he
obeys
his
father
unto
death
on
the
cross
so
that
he
can
pay
for
the
sins
that
we
have
committed
observe
the
wrath
of
God
receive
the
penalty
for
sin
and
so
that
after
he
is
raised
from
the
dead
we
can
be
called
sons
of
God
children
of
God
that's
what
we
call
the
good
news
of
Jesus
Christ
he
is
the
good
shepherd
that
came
to
rescue
us
we
were
the
ones
who
were
lost
and
destitute
yet
he
brought
us
and
he
restored
us
to
the
fold
of
God
isn't
that
an
amazing
love
how
did
Jesus
love
sinners
this
way
why
is
it
so
hard
for
us
to
love
sinners
in
this
way
Jesus
gives
us
the
answer
in
verse
four
because
he
actually
does
not
think
that
this
is
difficult
look
at
verse
four
with
me
it
says
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
same
idea
is
in
verse
eight
or
what
woman
having
ten
silver
coins
if
she
loses
one
coin
does
not
light
a
lamp
and
sweep
the
house
and seek
diligently
until
she
finds
it
the
idea
is
this
is
not
uncommon
if
you
were
a
shepherd
and
you
had
hundred
sheep
and
you
lost
one
you
would
go
look
for
it
that's
what
Jesus
is
telling
these
Pharisees
and
the
scribes
this
is
not
out
of
the
ordinary
that's
what
you
do
for
what
is
yours
but
you
are
not
treating
my
people
as
your
own
Jesus
is
saying
I
go
because
they
belong
to
God
I
go
because
they
are
my
sheep
and
I
am
their
shepherd
that's
why
I
go
I
look
for
the
lost
coin
because
it
is
mine
it's
not
some
stranger
dropping
a
coin
it's
mine
they
belong
to
me
that's
God's
heart
and
this
totally
transforms
our
understanding
of
evangelism
often
people
say
well
if
you
believe
in
the
doctrine
of
election
that
God
chooses
from
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
those
whom
he
will
save
that
people
will
not
evangelize
that
people
will
not
seek
after
the
lost
sheep
that
exactly
the
opposite
is
true
when
we
realize
that
the
people
who
are
lost
apart
from
God
they're
not
some
strangers
or
some
to
persuade
and
cajole
into
coming
to
faith
then
of
course
we're
going
to
be
less
interested
but
when
we
recognize
that
they
are
actually
our
brothers
and
sisters
they're
actually
our
comrades
in
the
kingdom
of
God
but
kept
illegitimately
imprisoned
by
our
enemy
our
brothers
and
sisters
who
do
not
realize
that
they
have
a
gracious
heavenly
father
but
are
living
as
orphans
out
in
the
world
when
you
recognize
that
you
go
and
you
share
you
go
with
God's
heart
for
the
lost
that's
the
heart
of
the
father
of
course
we
don't
know
who
belongs
to
God
it's
presumptuous
to
think
that
we
can
tell
whether
someone's
chosen
by
God
or
not
so
we
go
to
all
and
we
share
the
good
news
knowing
that
there
are
some
among
them
who
will
recognize
the
shepherd's
voice
and
come
I
think
it was
maybe
two
years
ago
there
was
a
7.8
magnitude
earthquake
in
Nepal
it
was
a
devastating
earthquake
killed
more than
9,000
people
I
think
it
injured
more
than
23,000
and
after
the
earthquake
this is a true story
that I read in the news
at the time
a man named
Sham Krishna
wall
he was a bus driver
he rushed home to find that his house
had crumbled
and that his 10 year old daughter
Sonia
and his 5 month old son
5 month old son
Sonis
were buried under the wreckage
and his
his face
pale
and numb
from the shock
he began to
scrabble
frantically
through the rubble
searching for his children
and the neighbors
came to help
but he and his wife
Razmila
began to grow
despondent
they could not
hear any sound
fortunately
after
two hours
of non-stop
digging
they were blessed
to find their
10 year old daughter
Sonia alive
but their 5 month old
baby was still missing
all around them
they could hear
their forlorn neighbors
just despairing
and clutching their hearts
wailing for their lost
loved ones
and the Nepalese soldiers
arrived around 6pm
to help them dig
through the rubble
and when
the baby Sonis
did not turn up
after 3 hours of digging
with all the help
from the soldiers
they gave up hope
and left
telling
Sham Krishna
there's no way
an infant
could survive this
he's in all likelihood
dead
and you really need
to come to grips
with this reality
I'm sorry
we're going
later
he keeps
the father however
didn't budge
and he kept digging
one stone
at a time
and later
a well-meaning neighbor
told him
and this was in the news
as well
it's destiny
I guess it's what they believe
some Nepalese believe
it's destiny
there's nothing you can do
you're just going to
make things worse
give it up
but he kept digging
and the sun went down
came up again
the father kept digging
12 hours
16 hours
then in this
22nd hour
of digging
he pulled back
a boulder
and heard
faint cries
of a baby
almost as if
the baby knew
that the father
was searching for him
on the other side
calling for help
and the father's eyes
widened
well with tears
in joy
he dug
with new vigor
and now everyone
rallied around the father
because they had heard
the sound
and even the soldiers
came back
because they knew
that it was not
a futile task
and they were
they dug
they dug together
and they eventually
got baby Sonis out
unscathed
out of the rubble
his face
was coated with dust
but he was otherwise
unharmed
why
was that father
so persistent
because it's
his child
that's how
he loves
every single
one
of his children
that's how
he relentlessly
pursued you
and brought
repentance
and faith
in Jesus Christ
and that's
how he is
now
relentlessly
seeking
and saving
the lost
and it's our
privilege
to be a part
of that
so
if you would
close your eyes
for a moment
to reflect
on that truth
think about
what are the things
the priorities
and purposes
that
you're so
fixated on
in your life
that you
lose sight
of this
priority
of seeking
and saving
the lost
think about that
my prayer
for you
this morning
is that God
would disturb
your priorities
to make this
a priority
in your life
that consumes
you as it
consumes
our heavenly
father
our lord
Jesus Christ
the good shepherd
you