Beyond the Dock, Part 3
Series: Beyond the Dock
Sermon: When Love Comes Looking
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
In today's sermon, Pastor Tom spoke about the driving force of passion and how having the right kind of passion can lead us to make a true impact, just like Jesus did. He drew a powerful parallel between Michael Jordan's love for basketball and Jesus' love for humanity. Just as Jordan defied restrictions to play the game he loved, Jesus reached out without restrictions to each and every person, regardless of their status in society. Pastor Tom reminded us of our calling to share God’s love with everyone, emphasizing that evangelism should be heartfelt and personal, not just an obligation. Through the parables of the Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son, he highlighted the different ways people stray from God's path and the Almighty’s relentless pursuit to welcome them back. Our mission is to seek out the lost and show them genuine care and the everlasting love of Jesus. At its core, the message encourages us to experience God's passionate love and then express it actively to others, galvanizing us to be the shepherds who guide the lost back to His light. Join us in living out this love with dedication and urgency!
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
The Power of Passion with Purpose
Passion is often celebrated in modern culture, whether it’s for careers, hobbies, sports, or relationships. But true passion becomes transformative when it's tied to a higher, eternal purpose. The kind of passion that makes a lasting difference is rooted in love—a love that compels action. Scripture reminds us that it’s good to be zealous, provided the purpose is good. This purpose-driven passion is exactly what fuels a life that seeks the good of others, especially when it comes to sharing hope and faith.
Why People Were Drawn to Jesus
There’s something striking about the way people responded to Jesus. Unlike the religious leaders of the time who repelled outsiders, Jesus drew in those who were considered the least desirable by society—tax collectors, sinners, even prostitutes. He wasn’t trying to win them over with clever arguments. He simply loved them. He welcomed them. And He did it with patience, not pressure. That posture of compassion and presence is what made His message irresistible. Love that lingers has the power to transform.
Love That Knows No Limits
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, yet it's easy to miss the weight of a single word: “so.” God so loved the world. His love isn’t casual—it’s extravagant, wide enough to include every person regardless of their background, deep enough to reach the most broken, and high enough to inspire awe. This is a love that isn't theoretical but deeply experiential. It’s not something to just understand; it’s something to feel and live out.
The Parables of the Lost
In Luke 15, three powerful stories illustrate the urgency and intensity of God’s love for the lost: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Each one represents a different way people drift from God. Some, like sheep, wander unintentionally. Others, like the coin, don’t even realize they’re lost. And some, like the prodigal son, walk away knowingly. The heart of the message is the same—each one is valuable, and heaven rejoices when even one is found.
Different Kinds of Lostness
Not everyone is lost in the same way. Sheep drift gradually, unaware of the danger until it's too late. Coins are lifeless, without the ability to recognize their need. Sons choose rebellion, needing to come to their senses before they return. Understanding these differences helps in responding with wisdom and grace. Some require pursuit, others need patience. All need love.
The Cost of Love and the Power of Sacrifice
Love always comes with a cost. Searching for the sheep meant effort and discomfort. Lighting a lamp to find the coin meant using precious oil. The father of the prodigal son waited every day in hopeful expectation. True love doesn’t count the cost—it acts. Sacrificial love changes lives. Whether it's giving time, energy, or resources, it's this kind of love that draws people home.
Urgency Matters
There is an urgency to the message. The shepherd didn’t wait. The woman didn’t delay. The father looked every day. In the same way, time is short. People are in pain. The world is confused and hurting. And God’s people are called not to stand by, but to step in—to reach, to rescue, to rejoice when even one person finds their way home.
Joy in the Rescue
Heaven doesn’t just observe when someone turns to God—it celebrates. The imagery is clear: rejoicing, music, dancing, excitement. Lost things being found brings deep joy, not only to those who are restored but to God Himself. Evangelism isn’t about obligation—it’s about sharing in the joy of transformation.
Taking the Next Step
It’s not enough to feel love; it must lead to action. Whether it’s inviting someone to a faith gathering, serving in a ministry, or simply showing kindness to a neighbor, every act of love becomes a spark of light. One light might be small, but together they shine brightly. And that collective glow has the power to lead people out of darkness.
The Call to Rescue
A moving story from 2017 illustrates this beautifully—a human chain formed by strangers rescued a drowning family caught in a rip current. They didn’t wait for professional help. They acted. That’s the kind of urgent compassion needed in spiritual matters. There are people drowning in confusion, fear, and hopelessness. The call is to link arms and go after them—not someday, but now.
Love That Compels and Transforms
Real love doesn’t stay still. It moves. It seeks. It saves. The call is clear: be part of the rescue. Live with passion, feel the pain of the lost, and let urgency fuel your action. The world needs people who don’t just know the message but live it with everything they have. Every person is worth the effort. Every soul is worth the search. And every rescue is worth the celebration.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
1. Reflect on Passion
What are you passionate about in your life? How does that passion influence your actions and decisions?
How can that same zeal be applied to your relationship with God and sharing the Gospel?
2. Understanding Evangelism
What are some ways we can make evangelism more heartfelt and personal in our daily interactions?
Discuss how the parables of the Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son highlight different forms of being lost. How do these resonate in today's context?
3. Experience and Share God’s Love
Share a time when you deeply felt God’s love. How did it impact your life?
How can you create opportunities to express God’s love to others around you?
4. Addressing Barriers
What are some common barriers that prevent you from reaching out or sharing your faith?
How can the group support each other in overcoming these barriers?
5. Pray Together
Close in prayer, asking God for the passion and courage to reach out with love, as well as for the people in your lives who may be lost or seeking.
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Understanding the Historical Context of Luke 15
Background and Setting: The parables in Luke 15, namely the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son, are set in the context of first-century Palestine, where a shepherd’s life, household management, and familial inheritance were integral parts of everyday life.
Cultural Context:
Shepherds and Sheep: Shepherding was a common occupation in ancient Israel, and sheep were valuable both for their wool and meat. Shepherds were responsible for each sheep in the flock, and losing even one could mean a significant economic loss.
Women and Coins: In this era, women often managed household finances, and the lost coin likely represented a portion of a woman’s dowry or savings, emphasizing its significance.
Family and Inheritance: The story of the Prodigal Son highlights inheritance customs, wherein sons were entitled to a share of the family estate. The son’s demand and subsequent squandering of his inheritance would have been seen as shameful in their tightly-knit communal society.
Religious and Social Dynamics:
Pharisees vs. Jesus: The religious leaders, like the Pharisees, were often at odds with Jesus for His radical inclusion. Tax collectors and sinners associating with Jesus demonstrated His counter-cultural approach, favoring compassion over exclusion.
Understanding the socio-economic and religious milieu of these parables helps us grasp Jesus's radical message of inclusive love and redemption for all.
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Kids Lesson: "Lost and Found – God’s Big Love"
Introduction
Say:
Have you ever lost something really important to you? Maybe a toy, your favorite stuffed animal, or even your shoes when you were in a hurry? How did you feel when it was lost? And how did you feel when you finally found it? Today, we’re going to talk about how much God loves people—and how excited He gets when someone who is lost comes back to Him!Scripture
Luke 15:1–7 – The Parable of the Lost Sheep
(Read from a kid-friendly Bible or paraphrase.)Say:
Jesus told this story about a shepherd who had 100 sheep but one wandered off. Even though he still had 99, the shepherd left them to go and find the one that was lost. And when he found it, he threw a party because he was so happy! That’s how God feels when someone who doesn’t know Him comes back to Him.Craft: “My Lost Sheep” Sheep Finder Jar
Supplies Needed:
Empty clear plastic jar or water bottle
Cotton balls (to represent sheep)
One small sheep cutout (or small toy) with a face drawn on it
Paper and markers for decorating
Instructions:
Fill the jar with cotton balls, leaving just a bit of room at the top.
Hide the paper sheep inside the jar among the cotton balls.
Seal the jar and decorate the outside with a label that says, "Jesus Loves the Lost!"
Let kids shake and twist the jar to try and find the lost sheep.
Say:
Just like we had to look through the cotton to find our sheep, God searches for every lost person. He never gives up!Game: “Sheep Tag”
How to Play:
Choose one child to be the Shepherd.
Choose one child to be the Lost Sheep (they go hide).
The rest of the kids are “in the flock” and make sheep noises to give the shepherd clues.
The Shepherd has to find the Lost Sheep before time runs out (use a 2-minute timer).
Say:
That was fun, right? But it also helps us remember that God never stops looking for people who are lost. He always wants them to come back to Him!Discussion Questions
What happened in the story of the lost sheep?
Why do you think the shepherd left the 99 to find the 1?
How does God feel about people who are lost?
Can you think of someone you can invite to church to help them learn about Jesus?
What can we do to show God's love to others?
Wrap-Up & Prayer
Say:
We’re all important to God. It doesn’t matter who you are—God loves you. And He wants us to love others, too. Sometimes people don’t know that God loves them, but we can help them learn by being kind, inviting them to church, or telling them what Jesus has done for us.Let’s pray and ask God to help us show His love to people who need Him.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for loving us so much. Thank You that You come looking for us when we feel lost. Help us to see others the way You do. Help us to be kind, patient, and bold in sharing Your love. In Jesus' name, amen! -
There's a word that I found in the scripture. It's interesting. It says this in Galatians. It's good to be zealous or passionate, provided the purpose is good. And so I looked up the word passion and zeal, and it's defined as an extreme affection or love or devotion towards something or towards someone.
And so it's interesting all of the different things that people are passionate about. I find people passionate about their career, people passionate about exercise, people passionate about their pets, and especially people are passionate about sports. Who here is passionate about fishing? Let me see your hand. Fisherman.
You should probably love this series since we've got a doc just for you. All right, we came up with these poles and this net and everything to make it more alive. How many of you? Golf is your sport? Okay, a couple of you.
Couple of you. My particular sport of passion is basketball. Go, Florida Gators. Go, Florida Gators. Boo.
Come on, man. That's a Seminole fan right there. I'm sure of it. No doubt about it. There was one man who epitomized passion when it came to basketball, and his name was Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan was a unique player because back in the 80s, they started writing contracts where the players were not allowed to play basketball unless the coaches were around. How many knew this? And the reason they did it is because players were out there playing pickup games with a bunch of strangers, and they'd fall down and sprain their ankle or tear an ACL or an mcl, and they'd be gone for the season. And so these coaches and these general managers started crafting these contracts where they couldn't play well. Michael Jordan said he'd have none of that.
He actually said that you have to put a clause in my contract that says I can play at any time, anywhere, with anybody. And it was called the love of the game clause. It reminds me of Jesus. Love for humanity. The scripture says that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost Jesus.
Says in Mark, chapter 16, verse 15, go everywhere in the world and tell the good news to everyone. Say, everyone. So there's a little girl who told her, mom, mom, I think Jesus moved out of My heart. And the mother was a little alarmed, and she's like, what do you mean Jesus moved out of your heart? And she said, yeah, yeah, I think he moved to my throat because I just want tell everybody about him.
Isn't that awesome? I mean, that's our calling. That should be our passion. It should be our joy. And so today I want you to look at Luke chapter 15.
And we're gonna be going through a couple of these parables that are found. The parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. You know the last one? The lost son. All right, Luke, chapter 15, verse 1 and 2.
This is how it begins. Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes complained, saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them. Would you bow your heads just for a moment? Heavenly Father, I come to you in the precious name of Jesus Christ.
And I'm asking, Father God, that you would do something in our hearts and our minds right in this moment. I pray that you would speak. I pray that you'd be clear. I pray, Father God, that this would not be the same old message about evangelism that we've heard a hundred times before, but that today something new will be revealed to our hearts. I pray that today, Father God, that it won't be an intellectual exercise, but that we will literally feel the heart of God in this moment.
I pray that we'd feel your passion for people. I pray that we'd feel your pain for the lost. And I pray, Father God, that we would sense the urgency of the hour and that we'd be quick to do what it is that you're asking us to do today. I pray this in Jesus holy and precious name. And together everybody says amen.
You know, a lot of people call these the introductory verses, but I found there's a lot more power and impact in these verses than most people give them credit for. And it's the first couple of verses, and it's leading into the words in red, but it says, then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near. I think that's really important. They're not drawing near to the Pharisees. They're not drawing near to the scribes.
They're not even drawing near to the disciples. They're drawing near to Jesus. There seems to be something different about Jesus where the scribes, the religious people, repel people. Jesus seems to be attractional in nature. He has a love, a genuine care and concern for Humanity.
What I see is what Jesus sees. He sees people, while the Pharisees see problems. Jesus sees people in need, while the Pharisees see problems that need to be avoided. And this passionate attitude makes Jesus different, and it causes people to want to be close to him. The scripture tells us that the crowd's filled with tax collectors, and not just a few, but all of them.
There are also sinners. Now associated with this group is often called the prostitutes. So you get the three lower classes of society in that day. Prostitutes, sinners. That just includes everybody who's not living up to what the Jews, the Pharisees, thought they should live up to.
And then the tax collectors are probably the lowest of the low. They were actually ethnic Jews working on behalf of the Roman government. So they were seen as traitors. They were seen as bad as somebody could get. And not only were they collecting taxes for Rome, but they were probably extorting a little extra for themselves on the side.
And in the midst of this, Jesus receives them. The Bible says this word means he welcomes them. He encourages them into his presence, into a meal of some kind. He's literally willing to spend time and sit down with them for an intimate, cozy, relaxing meal. He's not rushing.
Listen, listen. He's not rushing. Repentance. Did you hear me? Sometimes after an evangelism message or an evangelism series, we go, okay, I gotta get somebody saved.
And so we run on out there and we say, let me tell you about Jesus. Here's the Romans, road to salvation. They don't care about the Romans, road to salvation. Here's the four spiritual laws. They don't care about the spiritual laws.
Do you want know what they want to know? They want to know if you care about them as human beings. They want to know if you love them, if you're really interested in them as a person. Or are they just a number? This sets Jesus apart.
He loves them. He genuinely cares for them. He's patient, relational, and deeply, deeply personal. And if it takes time, it takes time. If love needs to linger, let love linger.
In the name of Jesus Christ, who can say Amen. Here's an interesting verse that we're probably all familiar with, and it's John 3:16. Can we say this together? For God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should perish but not have. Wow, we know that one, don't we?
But do we know what it means? Have you ever really looked at the words? I mean, it doesn't say God loved the world, it says. He so loved the world. That word so is there on purpose.
It's to emphasize, it's to exclaim, it's to grow. It's to help you see the extravagance of God's love. Paul declares it this way in Ephesians, chapter three, when he's praying for the Ephesian Church. He says this. I pray that you'll have the power to grasp God's love, its width, its length, its height itself and its depth, together with all believers.
And I ask that you'll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge. Are you hearing this? Paul is saying that he wants you to know something that literally is impossible to know. But he's trying to let you know that it's not an intellectual head knowledge kind of thing. It is an experiential thing.
Have you ever been head over heels in love? Let me see your hands. Head over heels, I mean, I can't wait to see her.
That's that woman right there. Right over there. She is amazing. Sometimes I'm like, it's 5:00 in the afternoon and she's working down at the school district. At the intermediate school or the.
What's it called? Intermediate. Yeah, I got it right. Wildwood Intermediate. And I'm waiting for her telephone call.
Because what she does is she calls me and she says, would you like a polar pop today?
Listen, I could care less about the polar pop. It's her coming into the office. It's seeing her. If you've experienced that, God loves you even more. God loves you even bigger.
God loves you even deeper. How deep is God's love? The Bee Gees said it this way. How deep is your love? How deep is your love?
I really need to know. Cause we're living in a world of fools.
Wow. I didn't even know I could do that. All right, you shouldn't have clapped or you're going to get more. All right. How high is God's love?
Psalm 103. 11. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. How wide is God's love? The width of God's love makes room for the sinner, the wanderer, the faker, the fearful, the doubter, the cynic, the fraudster.
Who can say amen? That includes all of us. Everyone is loved. That's what it says. For God so loved the world.
Every man, every woman, every child, every human being. It doesn't matter. The color, it doesn't matter. The Money, it doesn't matter the position. God loves everyone.
And the scripture says he will love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. And he wants you to spend forever with him. That you should not perish, but have everlasting life. Everlasting love is yours. Do you feel it?
Do you sense it? This is an experiential message. Today we need to feel God's love. We need to know that love is not passive, but it's active. Love cannot sit idly by and watch people go to hell who can say amen.
We gotta do something about it. We must get involved. And that's what happens in these parables. So he spoke this parable to them. Jesus knew what he was doing, though.
He's not just gonna give one parable, he's not gonna give two parables. He's gonna give three parables. We don't have time to go over all of them, but we'll start with this one right here. What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it. He never gives up.
He never quits. He keeps looking and looking and looking. Love is compelled to go. It's compelled to seek, it's compelled to find. Second Peter, chapter three, verse nine.
The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all say all, all should come to repentance. And that's why he gives three different parables, because nobody is in the same circumstance. Each of these parables paints a picture of someone different, someone who is lost for different reasons, different circumstances. They're not all in the exact same place. Now, love doesn't gloss over sin, okay?
But it recognizes that it might need to act differently in different circumstances. Some people are like the sheep. The sheep slowly drifts away from the shepherd. Do you know anything about sheep? Anybody have any sheep?
Anybody? No, no, no sheep herders. I know you got some cows. Who's got cows? Oh, here's one cow.
And you're not a cow, sir. I'm just, you know, a cow here. Anybody else? Cow in the back. So we've got a few cows.
Probably some over here. I see ya. Some goats, some horses. I'm sure some horses over here. Good, good, good.
But not many sheep. When I read stuff like this, sometimes I can't really relate. I don't get what it's like to be a shepherd out in the hills and herding these sheep in and herding these sheep out sometimes I don't understand. So. So I need other people to help me.
And I've read in other places where I find that sheep, you know, they graze on that grass, and they don't look up very often, nor do they have the greatest vision in the world. And so they can literally graze themself out of the shepherd's presence. And they just slowly, moment by moment, end up in the wrong place. They might look up and go, I'm lost, but nothing I can do about it. And they just go back to eating away.
The problem is there are wolves out there. The problem is there are big cats out there. And if a sheep happens to fall over and its coat's a little heavy, it will not get back up. It is unable to. It cannot get itself righted.
And it needs the shepherd to rescue it. Hebrews chapter two, verse one says this. We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard so that we do not drift away. And if people have drifted away, it's our job to be the under shepherd and go get them. In Jesus name, who can say amen?
Let's go reach out. Let's make some phone calls. Let's message them on Facebook, Instagram. Let's get ahold of them. Let's find out what's going on in their lives.
The coin is a lot different than the sheep because the coin is an inanimate object. It has no understanding of life whatsoever. And yet a lot of human beings are the same way. They don't even know that the scripture calls them dead. They don't understand that they're living in darkness.
And when the light does show up in their lives, they squint, it hurts their eyes. It's like, oh, there's light. I don't like that stuff. And their initial reaction is oftentimes negative. But interestingly enough, the warmth of that light is still attractive.
There's something about them that draws them a little bit closer. And these two parables are so different from the Son in that the Son just willfully chooses to leave the Father. And you notice the difference in the first two parables, the shepherd and the woman, they after the sheep, they go after the coin. In the third parable, the Father just waits. Now, I know what the Father's doing.
I know the Father's praying. Who can say amen? I know the Father is hoping. I know the Father is expectant and living by faith. Cause he's looking for that boy every single day.
But there are some people that we can't Even go after. Because they already know. And they have to what? They have to come to their senses. The scripture says, Luke chapter 19, verse 10 again.
For the Son of Man came not just to seek, but to seek and to save the lost. Both of these things are a part of his purpose. Both of these things are a part of his mission in life. And I know that one of the reasons Jesus wants to save is because he loves you so much. But he also likes to have a good time.
And the scripture tells us about the celebration that is supposed to take place when a shape or a coin is found. 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 which was lost. I say to you that likewise there will be more, say joy.
In the next parable, it says, there's more joy in the presence of the angels. When I read those scriptures together, I'm thinking, wait a minute, it's not the angels that are celebrating so much. The angels don't understand lostness. The angels up there, they've always been on God's side. There's an experiential thing that they're missing.
You and I have been lost. We've experienced the pain of being lost. We know the excitement of being found. And God the Father and God the Son have a celebration every time someone is found who can say Amen, God himself gets excited. The Old Testament says, God dances over us.
So when people say, pastor, you jig a little too much up there. I'm like, have you seen what my God does? Have you seen the celebration he goes through? I mean, who? For the joy set before him, he endured the cross scorning his shame.
He didn't care about what he had to go through because he knew you were going to be saved. Who can say Amen? So we feel God's passion, or I hope at least he number two. But do you feel God's pain? And I think he tells you these three parables because he knows you're gonna relate with one of the three, at least you've either lost a pet or you've lost some money, or you've lost a son or a daughter somewhere along the line.
And when you lose anything, it's painful. But the more you love something, the deeper the pain that is experienced. The lost sheep reminds me of when I've lost a dog in the past. I remember I was 10, 11, 12 years old, something like that and my dog Bandit got away. We didn't know how at first.
And then we found. He dug away underneath the fence and he ran away. And me and my two younger sisters, we were going through the neighborhood. Bandit, where are you? We'd knock on doors, hey, have you guys seen our dog?
Well, what is he? Well, he's a little terrier, Chihuahua mix. He's got a little black mask on. That's why we call him Band. Oh, yeah.
He went running that way as fast as he could. And we're on the search. We're looking for him. We found him, and let me tell you, we celebrated. We were excited.
We were just overjoyed with what it is that had happened because we loved that dog so much. I heard another story about a lost dog this week. Valerie is the dog's name. We've got a picture of Valerie up here, a little miniature dachshund. And Valerie was one year old when the young couple took Valerie to Kangaroo island right off the coast of Australia.
And she ran away, and they looked for as long as they could. And then they had to get back to work, and they couldn't find the dog. So they chalked it up to misery. They thought they'd lost the dog for good. And the island has.
Has poisonous reptiles and snakes. And so they thought the dog was doomed for sure. Well, just last week, which is 16 months later, after they lost their dog, someone took a picture of Valerie. Valerie's still alive. And the young couple is making plans to go and hopefully find the dog and get the dog.
And there's a bunch of people who live on the island, something like 5,000. And they're working to try and capture the dog, too, and bringing the dog back to their owner. And can you imagine the celebration? Everybody is working together to save this dog now. Now, here's the thing.
The parable's talking about sheep. Remember, they're not as ingenious, they're not as resourceful as dogs are. Dogs can escape reptiles, dogs can run away. Dogs can bark. Sheep do nothing.
B.A.
that's about it. So the likelihood of lost sheep being successful out in the world goes down to almost nothing. So the pain that we feel of worry, the pain of sadness can overwhelm us, especially if our pet ever dies. I went through this, I'm telling you, I've had two dogs since I've been an adult. It's great that your parents have dogs and not kids, you know what I'm saying?
Because as a kid, we played with the dog. They fed the dog, they watered the dog, they walked the dog and they had to take the dog to the vet when it was time to go see Jesus. All right. The kids didn't experience any of that as an adult. I remember taking my bashon frise.
I know, foofy dog for a man, right? She made me get him anyway.
And I took my dog to the vet because he had cancer and he just couldn't take it any longer. And I remember when they gave him the shot and the life went out of his eyes.
I mean, I wasn't even really that into this dog. And yet Robin was on a missions trip to Mexico and I got a satellite phone to call her and tell her what had happened. I'm on the phone crying like a baby. She's thinking one of the kids had had an accident. I'm like, it's Webster.
And she's like the dog. But when you see life snuffed out right before you, it's painful. It's not what you want to go through ever. And then magnify that by what the scripture says. For the wages of sin is death.
How can we not care about the lost? How can we not do everything we can? I believe it's impossible to follow Jesus Christ and not care that people are going to hell. Who can say amen? We have to care.
The lost coin reminds me of losing money. I've lost my wallet. I've lost money in the stock market. How many are in 401ks right now? Yeah, okay, so you all are about 10% poorer today than you were just a month ago.
But listen, I'm not making light of it. I get frustrated by that. I get a little fearful in my heart. It's like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm supposed to be setting aside money for retirement and now it's not going to be there.
And God wants you to feel that. He wants you to feel the uncertainty of that. He wants you to sense what lost people might not even know. But we need to know. We need to find them in Jesus name.
In the final story, Jesus talks about losing a child when we were young parents. I think I was 28. Yeah, I was 28, so Robin was 25. We had a three year old boy. We went to the mall one day and yes, we were shopping for Robin and we were doing, I think it was a dress or a shirt or something.
And you know how a lot, a lot of the women's stores, they have those circular hanging racks and so we're searching for something right there, when all of a sudden I go, robin, where's Thomas? And she goes, well, I thought you had Thomas. And I go, no, I thought you had Thomas. And in that moment, again, it's not just a little worry, it's not a little concern. It's panic.
I start panicking. What in the world is going on? Where did he go? I run out into the big hallway and I look both directions to see if he's out there and he's not there. I'm wondering, did someone grab him?
Because, you know, I was living in the big bad state of California back then and people are kidnapping children and stealing them. And I'm like, does this happen every single day? I'm a new parent and fear is besetting my soul and I'm concerned and I'm about to get to the manager when all of a sudden I hear this. He.
All of a sudden I went from fearful to angry because I realized my little 3 year old was playing hide and go seek. I just didn't know that I was part of the game. And we found him in one of those cells, circular things. I moved the clothes away and there he was, as cute as a button. I wanted to spank him, but I grabbed him, hugged him and kissed him.
And I was so filled with joy that my worst thoughts had not come true. That he was safe and sound in Jesus name. That's what God wants us to feel. He wants us to feel the, the value, the irreplaceability of every one of his sons and daughters. And with that, we need to feel his urgency.
There is no time to delay. We can't wait for better conditions. The sheep, they're vulnerable and you need to go now. That's what the shepherd did. He didn't wait.
He just decided, I'm going to take off. I. I'm gonna go, I'm gonna do whatever is necessary. I'm gonna leave the 99. The 99 are safe as long as they're together.
I'm gonna go get the one, say one. Did you know the US has the third most lost people in the world?
For some reason, I never thought that. China's number one, India's number two. We're number three. The third most people going to hell. The world in our quote, Christian nation.
What has happened? What is going on in our very midst? Well, Americans are being ravaged by spiritual wolves, academic wolves, media wolves, political wolves, business wolves are all conspiring with the devil to steal, kill and destroy. Depression is up, suicide is up. Confusion is up, anger's up.
All the negative statistics are going up and the positives are going down. Something needs to be done. The scripture says that you and I need to go and listen. Listen. We've been encouraging you to give invites, but listen to what the Bible says.
In Luke 14:23, then the Master said to the servant, go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled. God has a plan that this sanctuary will be filled every Sunday at least twice over. Who can say Amen? That's God's plan. We can do what we want to do.
We can keep doing things the same way we've been doing them, and we won't have two filled services. One guy at a conference told me that if you're not having six church services a weekend, you're not doing what God wants you to do. How could we do six services a weekend? It would require you to get involved in ministry. It would require every single person to start compelling people.
This word is not a gentle invitation. This is a very strong and faithful, forceful word that means to literally bring in by force if necessary. Now, I don't believe Jesus wants you to wrestle people to the ground, but he wants you to work a lot harder than you've been working. Who can say amen? God wants us to work at this?
The second parable tells us the time is late and you need to light a lamp or what woman having 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin does not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. A light needs to be lit. And I know all the reasons why. We don't. We're embarrassed.
We feel awkward. Like the video. We think. We're not a Bible scholar. We can't answer all the questions.
But there is a simple song that I learned when I was a kid, and you probably know it also. And it goes like this. This little light of mine gonna let it shine this little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Hide it under a bushel. No, I'm gonna let it shine Hide it under a bushel I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine don't let Satan. Don't say blow.
Okay? I don't want to hear the word. I want to hear the sound. Go. Okay, we're going to do it one more time.
Don't let Satan it out. I'm going to let. I changed keys, didn't I? Don't let Satan it out I'm going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine Let it shine Let it shine. Whoever wrote that song acknowledged that it was a little light.
All we need is a little light. Because if your little light joins with my little light and my little light joins with your little light, it becomes a much brighter light. Who can say amen? It gets bigger. It gets brighter.
But what am I specifically talking about? In order for her to light that lamp, she had to sacrifice something. It cost oil, and oil was really expensive. So I think we need to the light of sacrifice. It cost the shepherd his time and his energy to go and get the lost sheep.
I mean, the sheep was probably at least £100. It could have been more. He laid that lamb on his shoulders and walked it all the way back. Listen, listen. Inviting people to church is good, but bringing is better.
Inviting says, I'll meet you there. Bringing says, I'm coming over and picking you up. In the scriptures, 75% of those who were in receipt of a miracle, they received a miracle from Jesus. 75%. Jesus either found them or someone brought them to Jesus.
Most people need help getting to Jesus Christ. What are you willing to sacrifice? Are you willing to sacrifice your comfort, your convenience? Maybe you should go to 8 o'clock service on Easter Sunday. I know you have to get up two hours earlier, but listen, I'm just telling you what we need as a church.
We need more room in the 10 o'clock service. And to make that possible, I need some people who typically come at 10 o'clock. I need them to come to the 8 o'clock service and I need them to serve in the 10 o'clock service. We don't have enough people to be a part of the teams, the guest services teams here on Sunday for Easter. We need dozens more service scores.
More. Are you willing to come early and park in the back and let other people take the upfront parking spots? Are you willing to give up your preferences for what you really want on Easter and make this Easter about somebody else? Do you think Jesus wanted to go to the cross? He didn't want to be brutalized, beaten, killed.
He did it for you. He did it for somebody else. I'm here to tell you that I recently saw a reward poster that someone had put up for $3,500 for a dog. I think God is putting reward posters up all over. And what do you think those rewards are gonna be like?
I think they're gonna be amazing. God wants you working towards. Towards what's? On his heart. And that's people.
We need to serve. We need to get a broom. That's what the scripture says. We need to get a broom and start sweeping. We need to sweep away our own fears.
We need to participate in the 21 days of Easter that we have out there. Has anyone seen the floor invitations that we have out in the lobby? Anybody? Okay, so, yeah, people who work here. Okay, two people, hair.
I see it. Did you guys know that in front of both doors as you go out there is a floor invitation? It actually has two feet on it, and you're supposed to put your feet in those two footprints and you're supposed to take a picture of that invitation and send it to your friends, your relatives, and anyone else you can send it to and let them know that we have church on Easter and you'd love for them to spend it with you. We need to sweep away the obstacles that people put up for not coming to church. You know what?
They are, right. I've got nothing to wear. You tell them I'll look ugly. If you look ugly, just tell them to come as you are. That's what most people do nowadays.
People don't wear suits and ties anymore. Sorry.
People don't do that anymore. If they say they don't know anybody, say, you'll sit with them. If it's too big, you'll pick them up and sit with them. That God will strike me dead. This is my favorite one.
If I go into a church, God will strike me dead, and you can say, well, he didn't strike me dead. And let me tell you my story. And all of the excuses and. And obstacles that people have, you can sweep away. Sweep away the distractions.
Everyone needs to chip in together, and we can help people get saved. In 2017, there was a family right here in Florida that they went off the coast a little too far, and they didn't know that there were riptide warnings.
Yeah, they got caught and they started screaming for help. Mom, dad, kids, the whole family was out there. And they could not get back to shore. Everyone on the shore recognized what was happening. Panic started, ensuing.
People were yelling for the lifeguards. And one woman said, we can't wait for the lifeguards. Let's make a human chain right now. You guys might remember this story, 2017, right here in your state. They started making a human chain.
One person was the base on shore and another person and another person. And over 80 people went all the way out to the riptide, and one by one, they first took the kids, then the mom and then the dad, and they saved the entire family. They didn't wait for the lifeguard. You can't wait for the power. Pastor.
The time is now. We need to get involved. That's the kind of urgency that God wants from us. He doesn't call us to watch the waves. He doesn't call us to stay on the dock.
He asked us to link arms, dive in and save people. In Jesus name, who can say amen? Would you stand with me, please?
If we don't feel the urgency, we're not going to do anything. Passion's needed, pain is needed. But urgency is the fuel that gets us going. Please remember that today probably 3,000 people are going to die not knowing Jesus Christ. We could be the lifeguards.
We could be the ones who make a difference in their lives. Are you willing to join the search party? Prayer partners, would you come forward right now? We want to make sure that you know that prayer is available after the service. And we've had some pretty cool things happening.
People are being healed in Jesus name. Did you know that? Alaska, last week when we were declaring dead things coming alive, I got a text Sunday afternoon saying, it happened in my life. A dead thing came alive in Jesus name. Who can say amen to that?
And guess it's not the pastor who has to pray every time. We've got some beautiful prayer partners up here who are ready to join hands with you and join faith with you. So let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank. Thank you for this word.
Thank you for helping us to remember the joy of evangelism. Sometimes it seems like a job. Sometimes it seems too intimidating. But when we remember that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is alive inside of us, that means there is nothing that we can do. There are no impossibilities.
As a matter of fact, we should understand that the Holy Spirit is probably speaking every single day, nudging us to make a difference, to offer an invitation to do something on your behalf and on behalf of the lost. So energize us, excite us and impress. Empower us to be your ambassadors. Today we pray in Jesus holy and precious name, and together, everybody says amen.
