Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Over the years, our family has raised a lot of chickens, both for eggs and for meat. There have been numerous occasions that some of them rose up in rebellion, and somehow managed to escape out of the safety of their pen. I would watch them as they ventured out into the woods behind our house, oblivious to the many dangers lurking out in the forest. For many years, Andrew and the other children would have to go and try to catch them in the woods. This all changed when my wife and family repetitively petitioned me for a dog. I had been raised with dogs, and was very tired of having them, but like children constantly pulling on a mothers skirt trying to obtain something from the store, I gave into their requests and bought a black lab. I had never shelled out money for one, but he turned out to be worth it, because he has a special gift that I had never seen in a dog before. Whenever a chicken gets out of the pen, Jack will go out in the woods and find it. His presence invokes so much fear in the bird that it freezes in its tracks. He then grabs it gently by the neck in his mouth, making sure not to hurt it, and brings it all the way back home for us to put back into the pen.
This reminds me of the Christian life.
Out of all of the chickens who were dwelling in the safety and security of their pen, some of them would occasionally escape, thinking that they would somehow find freedom outside of the confines of their wall of protection. The truth is, that it was more dangerous for them to be outside of the pen then within. When those few hens would venture out into the world and get lost, they would be found and safely returned by my dog Jack.
Matthew 18:12-13 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
When we are missing a couple of chickens, we are not overly concerned with those that are faithfully abiding in the pen, because they are safe and sound at home. The ones that we focus our attention on, are those that have gotten lost in the woods. When Jack finds them and brings them back home, all of us are very happy, because they were spared from getting killed by a coyote, a wolf or some other animal. People in the church who have undergone a conversion, and are believing in scriptural truth, don’t need as much attention as those who have gotten lost out in the world. The ones that need to be found and located are those who have separated from the safety and security of Christ and the church. Each of us are like sheep who have wandered away from the flock, and become lost in the world for a season, but now it’s time to come back home.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Jesus was preaching to the world, people who above and beyond all others, were the most needful of the truth, so that they could come to a place of repentance. Jesus was preaching to publicans and sinners, but we must remember that it was they, who were receiving and hearing His Word.
Matthew 9:10-12 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
It’s very interesting that the religious leaders of Jesus day called other people’s sinners, yet they wouldn’t take a look inside of their own hearts to accept the fact that there were sinners too. As people began to follow the teachings of John the Baptist, guess who showed up? It was the religious leaders, many of which were more interested in fame and being noticed by the world, rather than self examination and repentance.
Matthew 3:1-10 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
The world may have called them publicans and harlots, or evil and wicked people, but the truth is, it was they who were turning away from the lives they had lived in the past, to do the will of God. I am certain that in the kingdom of heaven, you are going to see many people who the world deemed as wicked, who actually turned their lives completely around. I also believe that you will find many people who appeared very religious while here upon the earth, even professing to be Christian, but they refused to repent and believe the truth of God’s word. Because of this they will be cast away from God’s presence.
Luke 15:1-10 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Many people are involved out in the world saving lives, but a true minister of God is trying to save people by trying to get them to convert and inherit eternal life. If you can get them to convert and believe the truth, they truly shall be saved eternally.
James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Like the prodigal son, all of us are sinners who have gone astray, who have wandered off and got caught up out in the world at one time or the other, but the responsibility of a preacher is to reach out to the lost, and make the attempt to bring God’s sheep back home where they belong. I’m reminded of that when I think about….
…… My Dog Jack
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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