Are you willing to leave the comfort of the 99 to find the one who is in need? Are you ready to rejoice when the impossible becomes a reality?

Scripture: Luke 15

We often don't think much about the vows we make to our church. We may surrender our life to Christ, and we may join a church, but rarely do we put those vows on the same level as our marriage or even our work. But these vows go beyond our membership. They're the very beginning of our Christian journey.

If we don't take these vows seriously or don't believe them, we could pack it up and enjoy Sunday Funday. When we are baptized or confirm our faith, we are making a vow that above anything else in the world, Jesus is the Lord and His resurrection is true. It's because of that that we commit to a changed life. We're supposed to be in this world, we can't change that, but we can change who we are in this world. When we go to work, play, and return to our marriages and relationships, we do that because of who Jesus is in us. 

In this Luke 15, we deal with three parables: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and finally, a lost son. Everyone has something that is lost and needs to be found in Christ. It might be our own hearts and souls. It may be a child or a spouse that we're praying for. It could also be someone God has angled into our life. What is our responsibility to be that witness? 

If you're a Christian, you've likely heard these parables more times than you can count. But how can we apply these tried-and-true parables to our vows to our salvation and church? 

1) God loves lost things; therefore, we should too. 

Whether we're the shepherd, the woman, or the father, it is clear that lost things have value. Whereas so much in our world, when we lose something, we forget it and move on. As we read these parables, every one of us should stop and think about the people, situations, and relationships that are lost in our lives. We should ask ourselves, "Would Jesus care about this thing or person?" Of course, the answer is yes. 

Jesus tells us in verse 7 that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sheep, one sinner, who returns than the 99 who didn't need to repent. Thus, to learn what it means to find the lost, we must be willing to do what many people would consider an irresponsible expectation to find them.

I like to be on time, and I don't like for things to get in disarray. I am a rules follower. There is not a shepherd on this planet that, if he wants to keep his job, would look for the one over the 99. Does that make sense? Do you know what the odds are of leaving the 99 to look for one? That's crazy talk. The shepherd would be sacrificing 99% for one percent of his flock.

To many, that is just bad math. It is dangerous and irresponsible of the shepherd to do that. But that's not what Jesus is telling us. The one matters just as much as the 99. They are no less valuable than the group, and because of that, we're never to give up on them.

2) Therefore, we must seek without ceasing. 

Jesus tells us to keep searching. You may not find what you've been looking for a long time, so make sure you have arrangements for the 99, but never give up on the one. Remember, shepherds usually were not alone in their journey.

We realize here that to find what is lost, we often also have to be willing to allow some disorder to make it happen. So not only do we step outside the guardrails, but we have to become comfortable with the disorder. Sometimes we have to tear things apart to put them back together.

How many of you have been in situations where you realize that you may have to take it apart first to save what you love? If the woman searching for her coin didn't teach us anything, she taught us that some things are found not in the middle of everything being in order but in the middle of disorder.

3) When we find what is lost, rejoice. 

The other night, my family attended a Memphis Grizzlies basketball game. I love sports, so I was very excited. I had my Grizzlies hat and shirt. I cheered and jumped out of my seat when one of our players made a basket. Then, on the way home, I asked my family. "Why is it so easy for us to celebrate a man putting a ball in a basket, yet we're so restrained about a person who saved us for eternal life?" 

What makes our salvation so reverent that we don't celebrate it openly? Whereas with a silly game, we are so loose and casual that we cheer at the top of our lungs. There's nothing wrong with enjoying sports, and I'm not saying that if you don't cheer wildly about your faith that there's something wrong with you. Instead, I'm encouraging you to imagine what it would look like if we freed ourselves up more to rejoice?

We need to allow ourselves to get excited about the fact that something that seemed impossible, all of a sudden, becomes extraordinary. When the lost son came home, they threw a party. The biggest regret I have in my ministerial life is that I didn't throw enough parties. We need to celebrate the fact we were all once lost but now are found. 

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Does your heartbreak for those in your life that are lost? Are you willing to leave the comfort of the 99 to find the one who is in need? Are you ready to rejoice when the impossible becomes a reality?

When you think about the people in your life, no matter their age, season, or circumstances, they all deserve to be found if they are lost. Not one of us, on our own merits, deserves to be found. God sent His Son Jesus to find us, and He took our place in the midst of the being lost. You were once lost too. Never lose sight of that because what if someone in your life hadn't abandoned the 99 to seek you out? 

Everyone deserves to be found. 

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About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services.