Church Requel
We study the parable of the woman who lost one coin and searched diligently for it. God invites us to join His search party for even one lost loved one. We consider 10 motivating reasons we should join in the party.
Luke 15:8-10 NIV
Consider:
While sheep was lost due to its own foolishness, coin was lost because of foolishness of another. We don’t look to cast blame upon the LOST.
One coin represents 10% of family savings. Not content with 9/10.
Jewish girls would receive HEADBAND OF 10 COINS - like a wedding ring today. There is value beyond the appearance!
No Comme ci, comme ça attitude of woman. She... a) lights a lamp,
b) sweeps the house, and c) seeks diligently.
Ten Motivators To Join The Search Party:
#1 - If I want to be like Jesus, ____ life mission must include ____ life mission.
Jesus prayed to the Father: “In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” John 17:18 MSG
One of the most incredible things about Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is that we learn that we have the same life mission as Jesus. If we want to be more like Jesus, then we also LIKE JESUS will want to join the search!
#2 - Jesus __________ me to continue His mission.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
4 More Great Commissions of Jesus:
“You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone,everywhere.” Mark 16:15 (LB)
“With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.” Luke 24:47 (NLT)
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21 (NIV)
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of theearth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV)
We cannot honestly read the New Testament and NOT have the understanding of seeking the LOST, both corporately and individually
#3 - Sharing the Good News is my ______________ .
“Telling the Good News is my duty - something I must do. And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News.” 1 Cor. 9:16 NCV
Each one of us, as a Christ follower, is cleared to tell the good news of Jesus in our lives. We don’t have to keep it to ourselves. We don’t have to seek permission.
#4 - Sharing the Good News is a ______________ .
“And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him… This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors.” 2 Corinthians 5:18b LB
No one likes to be the one to deliver bad news. Everyone likes to deliver good news! The fact that Jesus calls us “friend,” that God refers to himself as our “Abba - Pappa - Daddy” and refers to us as his children, the fact that the Holy Spirit Himself lives with us and teaches us daily IS GOOD NEWS.
And of all the possible ways God could have given to deliver this good news he chose to allow us - to give us the privilege of sharing the good news.
“I am proud of the Good News, because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16 (NCV)
#5 - I’m _______________ for what Jesus has done for me.
“Remember that in the past you were without Christ… You had no hope, and you did not know God.” Ephesians 2:12 NCV
A man who has hope is thankful. And gracious. Shares good news.
“For I have a great sense of obligation to people in our culture and to people in other cultures…” Romans 1:14 (NLT)
Can you conceive of someone knowing that all is not lost, that there is hope, and then keeping that hope to himself? Isn’t the hero in the movies the one who say “hang in there... Help is coming!”
“For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all…” 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NIV)
Easy to get confused here. NOT our love compels us... but Christ’s love. Do we open ourselves to Christ’s love, not just for ourselves but for those around us? What better way to say “thank you” to Jesus?
#6 - Because people are ______________ without Christ.
“Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through him." Acts 4:12 NCV
It’s politically correct to be tolerant of other people’s different views. So to say Jesus is the only one or the only power can be twisted to seem intolerant. It’s not intolerant. It is merciful.
"Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved. But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them.” Romans 10:13-14 (NCV)
There is an order here. Do you see it? Tell... hear... believe... ask.
#7 - Because God wants ______________ saved.
It’s easy to get lost in the theological debate between God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. Some would say that if God wanted all men to be saved, then because of His sovereignty they all would be saved. While completely affirming God’s sovereignty, the Bible also tells us...
“God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4 NIV
“God does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people
to change their hearts and lives.” 2 Peter 2:9
The message of Luke 15 is that God desires to save all men. He wants all people to change their hearts and lives. His favorite number when it comes to the LOST is one! We dare not make judgments of who is or who will be saved. That’s God’s role. Our target audience is everyone we meet!
#8 - God’s ____________ for history hinges around us completing our mission.
“The Good News about God's kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 NCV
"They asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ Jesus replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. BUT you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”Acts 1:6-8 (NIV)
We don’t know why God chooses to do what He does, or the way He chooses to do it. But when it comes to the question of the end times, Jesus told us that the “when” is NOT our business, but the “what” is our business. And the what... is to be witnesses. Notices he didn’t say experts, or theologians, or Bible experts. Witnesses. Telling what we know. Sharing our personal experience. Everyone can do that!
#9 - I will ______________ when I see people in Heaven.
“I tell you there is much joy in heaven when one sinner changes his heart.” Luke 15:7a ICB
Imagine the joy you will have when someone comes up to you in heaven and tells you that you played a role in them being there. You invited. You witnessed. You lived a Christian life before them. We’ll all give glory to Jesus for what he did... but we will share in the joy!
#10 - I will ______________ when I see people in Heaven.
“And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I have lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:9-10 NIV
Do you see the significance of this in the story? When the woman finds her lost coin, she calls together her friends and neighbors and they celebrate. They rejoice! Verse 10 is the payoff! “Just so...” Heaven is going to be just like this! He’s talking about the party!
Before the angels... What does this mean? Could it be that the angels are having a party? Possible. But why “before?” It could mean that the party will be made up of humans and the angels are looking on, wondering, pondering the incredible grace of God that would make such provision for even one sinner who repents.
Conclusion: This is what we want Church Requel to be like. Consider our church as a SEARCH PARTY. On the one hand we do what we do to search and seek other men and women. We go out of our way to light the world with the good news of Christ.
That’s why we want to hand out these Easter Invitations.