You Need To Get Lost In Order To Be Found

Recently I was visiting my in-laws when their next door neighbor came over for coffee while his children played with mine in the backyard.  After lunch we sat around the table, talking about this, that, and the other thing.

After an hour or so I decided to transition the conversation into the spiritual realm once the present topic of discussion ended.

During lunch I learned that the man was in the medical profession and that he was once offered a job as a medical nurse at a local prison.  I told him that I’m a Religious Volunteer at a local jail and that I like to ask the prisoners a particular question about religion.  Everyone has an opinion on the subject of this question and the answers I receive are always—without exception—fascinating.

I asked him, “What do you think happens to someone immediately after they die?”

He was not offended by the question in the least bit, confessing that he’d considered the issue many times before, seeing as He is in the medical field.  He said he believed in a real heaven and hell, that he was raised in a church-attending home, but that he had not been to church in years.  He then added that he hoped he was going “north” and not “south.”

I asked him what he thought the standard was for entrance into heaven?  After some silent consideration, he said it had to have something to do with the Ten Commandments.  I agreed, in that it had “something” to do with God’s holy Law.

We had a blessed conversation thereafter.  My father-in-law and I were then able to explain to him the biblical gospel of God’s grace through repentant faith alone.  When the conversation was finally over, we were all still friends, but from that moment forward he now knew what the Bible truly does teach about what happens immediately after someone dies.

In retrospect, I’m pretty sure that the conversation would not have been as fruitful had I chose, instead, to start the conversation with, “Hey, you sinful pagan scoundrel, did you know that you’re going to burn in hell when you die?”

There’s much to be said for a bit of tact.

What Can Be Learned From This?

Just because the biblical gospel confronts people about their sin doesn’t mean that we need to be rude.  We should be able to deliver the glorious gospel with love…but also in holy truth.

The gospel is offensive all by itself.  We don’t need to add our rudeness to it.  But the offensiveness that the gospel produces is a godly offense, pointing out the reality of sin and the need to turn away from it.

So be true to the gospel and don’t be rude.

Last night I had the privilege of teaching the counsel time for AWANA at the church where I serve as Senior Pastor (see our new website I created just yesterday: FaithBaptistStrathmore.com).

I taught them Jesus’ parable about the 100 sheep from Luke 15.

In that parable, one sheep goes missing, the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep in the open country, goes to find that lost sheep, finds it, returns to his home with joy…and doesn’t go back to get the other 99 sheep.  He leaves those unrepentant sheep out in the wilderness.

At the end of that parable, our Lord said, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).  In other words, heaven rejoices over one person who hears about their sin, turns from that sin to God by faith in Jesus Christ, and is saved.  What a glorious truth to proclaim!

But the 99 sheep?  No repentance–no salvation–no joy in heaven.  What a shame.

Oh yeah…why did Jesus give this parable in the first place?  Because the Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus was hanging around people who, in their opinion, were unworthy of even coming into contact with.

What pride, what selfishness, what self-righteousness, what filthy sin, what a reason for all of us to repent.  The Pharisees and scribes are the 99 sheep the shepherd (Jesus) left in the open country.  The tax collectors and sinners were the one lost sheep who abandoned the flock of self-righteousness, repented of it, and were carried all the way home on the shoulders of the joyful shepherd.

What an awesome God we serve.  What a marvelous Savior.  Go, and tell someone you know all about Him and His mighty deeds.

[stextbox id=”custom” caption=”Luke 15:1-7 (The Lost Sheep)”]“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”  So He spoke this parable to them, saying:  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which 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 neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”[/stextbox]