Lessons from a lost dog: The state of the lost

Some people may not like the term “Lost” when referring to non-Christians.

It seems so archaic and offensive.

It is implying there is something wrong with them, that they need to be found.

But this is how Jesus referred to them, because it is indeed their state. There is something wrong, they need to be found.

See, my puppy didn’t realize she was lost either.

She thought she had found freedom!

She had escaped from those who put her captive on the plane.

But the reality was, she was in a foreign city in a foreign place and she had no resource for food or love or comfort.

She had ran away looking for protection, not realizing those she was running away from- were trying to help her, protect her and reunite her with the ones she loved.

If she had gone with them, she would find what she needed and what she wanted.

If she would come to her senses and realized she needed help, she could have found it.

The non-believing world is like that. They don’t realize they are lost. They think they are safe. They think they found freedom. And they run away from those trying to help them.

They need to be found. They need to be helped. Even if they are rejecting it right now and opposed to it now.

We may not see it either. We may think they look free. They seem happy. But it is not the happiness they truly long for.

My dog was happy to be out of that plane. Happy to be free. But her happiness was not complete, but she was really looking for us.

We need to help people find Jesus. Even if they are running away from us, and running away from Him at the moment.

We may need to help them realize they are lost and need a Savior.

But when they do find Christ, they will find true freedom

It is not just non-Christians who are lost sometimes. We all get lost from time to time. We lose sight of what is important. Or we get lost in our own little world. We get lost in our ambitions, lost in our pride, lost in our pleasures, lost in our self.

In the parable of the prodigal son, there are 2 sons. The father goes out to find both. To run out to his younger son, one who smelled of pig, one who rejcted him- certainly would be scandalous. But to leave his own party to search out the older son would have been scandalous as well.

Both were lost.

One was lost in his pursuit of pleasure and wealth.

The other was lost in his self-righteousness and his effort

Neither was enjoying the father.

Both needed to be found.

How are you lost?

In what way is your heart lost?

Are you looking for pleasure outside of God?

Are you looking to yourself or your performance for your sense of worth

Have you lost focus on Christ?

We all need Jesus. We all need a Savior

Christ goes to the extreme length in giving up His life, so lost may be found. He found His joy in the Father. He found joy in the work on the Cross that would allow many to be saved and God glorified

Lessons from a Lost dog: Seeking the Lost v Finding the Lost

After a night of waiting and a lot of pleading, Soo was finally able to convince them to let me go out in a little van around the lot to call out for the dog.

They assured me people were looking for the dog, so we didn’t need to go. But we wanted to find our dog and felt we were best equipped to find her.

We went thru security and we got into this van, I opened the windows and screamed out for puppy as we went around the perimiter of the airport.

It was hard to tell if she would be able to hear me, and hard to look from a distance and while traveling.

One thing I noticed however was the lack of people looking for the dog. It didn’t look as if anyone was looking for the dog. There were a number of people outside, but none looking around for a dog.

When we finished the search, I mentioned this to them.

“How many people are looking for the dog.”

“Oh, so many people.”

“It doesn’t look like there is anyone looking for the dog.”

“No, everyone is looking for the dog.”

“There are people looking around for her, calling her name?”

“Oh no, but everyone knows there is a small black dog lost.”

What use does this do?

I got angry and animated.

And I tried to express that knowing a dog is lost does nothing to help find the lost dog.

Of course if someone sees a dog on an airport runway they will notify someone.

The thing is, if she was that easy to spot, we would have had already.

She must be hiding.

And if she is hiding, she won’t be found simply by accident. Someone needs to go look for her.

Perhaps you will eventually stumble upon her or she will come out- but we could find her much more quickly if someone was looking.

In fact, she might be right next to you, but if you’re not looking for her, you can’t find her.

It reminded me of the lost around us.

We may expect them to come to Church.

We may expect them to make the first move.

If they want to find God, they can.

We put up posters around campus, a billboard in front of our church, and we expect people to come.

No.

They need to be searched out.

Jesus didn’t come simply to find lost. He came to SEEK and to SAVE the lost.

We need to seek them. We need to go out of our way to find them and bring them into the fold.

The Shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one to bring it back in the flock.

The woman searches diligently to find the lost coin.

We need to do likewise.

If we would do so for 1 sheep, for 1 coin, for a missing dog that we could easily replace. If we would take time looking for a remote control, throwing all the couch cusions everywhere. IF we would get down on all-four to find a contact or a missing road from settlers of catan – can’t we put forth some effort to seek out the lost?

How do we do this?

It is more than a flier or an invitation.

At the very least it is a conversation- but even that is just the bare minimum.

We need to go where they are, we need to enter into their world. We need to first be involved in their activities.

We need to be able to talk about things they enjoy.

We need to think thru ways we can serve them… maybe buying something for them or making them a meal or inviting them over for a meal or party or something.

We need to show love.

We need to take the initiative.

It’s not just about finding the lost, but going out to seek and save the lost.

How can you go and seek out for the lost?

Are you willing to leave your comfortable spot and search for the lost?

Are you willing to put some effort into finding the lost?

Are you willing to leave your own little world in order to enter into the world of people around you?

[puppy post #1] [puppy post #2]

The Thing about the Nations

What do you do when asked to share about God’s heart for the Nations?

Why talk about the Nations when there is so much here that can be done?

I looked at the Bible, and there were several places I could look. In fact it is everywhere.

I decided to look at Psalm 96

Read it and allow yourself to feel. What emotions arise? What sticks out to you?

Anything compared & contrasted?

 ¹Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
   sing to the LORD, all the earth!
²Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
   tell of his salvation from day to day.
³Declare his glory among the nations,
   his marvelous works among all the peoples!
⁴For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
   he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
   but the LORD made the heavens.
⁶Splendor and majesty are before him;
   strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

 ⁷Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
⁸Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   bring an offering, and come into his courts!
⁹Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

 ¹⁰Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!
   Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
   he will judge the peoples with equity."

 ¹¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
   let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

 ¹²let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
 ¹³before the LORD, for he comes,
   for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
   and the peoples in his faithfulness.

What emotions are evoked? What feelings arise?

 People used words like exhilleration, passion, joy, excitement, fear, awe, right.

It just feels right.

And as it goes it just seems to build- become more and more consuming.

Yeah? Do you feel it?

This is a song of worship. The Psalmist is rejoicing in God. He is enthralled with the greatness of God. And he wants to express it, and get others to join in.

I compare it to when you see an amazing hit at a football game, and you exclaim “Woah! What a hit! Did you see that? You gotta see it. Wait for the replay… oh here it is… bam! Wow!”

You know, if something is amazing we want to tell others about it. We tell people to go watch movies or read a book. IF something is really cool , we may post it on facebook. This is what we do.

This is what the Psalmist is doing. He is worshipping God. And he wants others to see the greatness of God.

Someone took my illustration further. He said “If I convince people to go to Lucas Oil field to watch a game, I don’t just want them to enter the stadium, I want them to root for the Colts”

He compares the greatness of God to the worthlessness if idols.

He desires and craves that God be worshipped. He is disgusted by the worthless things being exalted.

He worships God, b/c God is great & greatly to be praised.

It is right. God is worthy.

If someone compliments me for cooking a great meal, but in fact my wife made it- well, I may take credit, but it wouldn’t feel right. I’d want to give credit to my wife.

Giving glory to God is right- because He is worthy of it.

And the reality is: in the nations, God is not receiving the glory He deserves. HE is not getting what He truly deserves anywhere.

He is God of all. And He is so great, He deserves praise from all.

Acts 17:16 Paul is grieved by the idol worship. Greived! He wants the name of Christ to be exalted.

In Muslim Nations, they say they honor God. But they insult the name of Christ. They call him a Prophet and say they honor Him better than Christians. But they insult Him by calling Him less than God.

He is great and greatly to be praised!

John Piper said it this way:

“Missions exist because worship doesn’t”

What do you think of that?

The whole quote:

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man… Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God… But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching… Missions begins and ends in worship.” – p.17

Missions is an act of worship.

We’re declaring what God does in the nations.

We’re not all called to go. We’re all called to be part of it.

If your worship doesn’t extend to the Nations, your worship is too small.

Here’s the thing:

God is working in the Nations.

People are coming to Christ all over the world.

This has always been part of His plan. From the time when the people were dispersed at Babel, He has had a plan to redeem.

We see it in His call to Abraham- thru him He will bless all nations.

We see it in Abraham’s new name: Father of Nations.

We see it throughout the Old Testament

We see it in the Great Commission: Go therefore into ALL nations…

Always there

Not only that, but it will happen

Revelation 7 shows us, there will be people from every tribe, tounge and nation.

Mattew 24:19. The message will be preached to the ends of the earth and then the end will come.

It’s going to happen.

And being there: well, it’s a priviledge, a blessing!

God is working and we get to be a part of it!

He is changing people, and what do we do? We watch as God amazes us.

And worship is a beautiful thing.

Worship in another language is a beautiful thing.

Worship in another culture is a beautiful thing.

We’re not all called to go. Some of us are blessed to go.

We can worship God in the Nations by going. By leaving our comfortable lives to serve the Lord. by leaving friends to follow God.

We can worship by praying for His glory in the Nations. By praying for Missionaries. By praying for the lost in different countries.

David Gap says Missionaries just go and reap the labor of those who prayed before them. Prayer is powerful & important- yea even essential.

We also are part of this work by encouraging those who are there, by supporting them.

And we worship thru giving. Giving are offerings of money toward God’s work in the world.

Still only 5-10% of all Christian workers go to the 90% most unreached people. So more people could go.

³Declare his glory among the nations,
   his marvelous works among all the peoples!
⁴For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
   he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
   but the LORD made the heavens.
⁸Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   bring an offering, and come into his courts!
⁹Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

 ¹⁰Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!

The Lord is worthy of glory in the Nations.

We ask why go to the Nations when there is so much here to be done. We miss it. We so limit how glorious and great God is.

We have lost focus of God’s glory and scope.

He is worthy of worship- everywhere.

If your vision, your purpose, your goals, your worship – doesn’t extend to the world- it’s too small.