If you all would turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18. If you need to sit, you are welcome to sit. One of the new things we've been trying is to develop a better habit of us standing in the reading of God's word. In the book of Ezra, when they read the word of God, they read it collectively and corporately while they were standing. It's just as a sign of our reverence with God's word. But we are at Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18, if you don't have a Bible, we do have Bibles on the resource table, you can follow along with us, but we are at Matthew chapter 18, and for our time this morning, we are gonna read verses 10 through 14. And if somebody could get the lights, please, that would be awesome, because I'm getting older, and my eyes are just not as good. So we are at Matthew 18, verses 10 to 14. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Let's pray. Father, as we consider this parable, which just highlights your pursuing nature and your love and devotion and compassion and care for wayward sheep, we pray, God, that you would give us wisdom and understanding that you might write your very word upon our hearts so that we would not sin against you. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. You may be seated. All right, by a show of hands, in the last month, Have you lost anything? Raise your hand. Come on, everybody raise your hand. I could ask the next question, who has lied in the last month? And then everybody, because we lose stuff, don't we? It's not uncommon to misplace stuff in our house. I've misplaced my wallet, I've misplaced car keys, documents, school uniforms, sportswear, headphones, the list goes on and on. And not only do I lose stuff, I'm OCD. So once it is lost, I'm not letting it go. I spent three hours on a Christmas morning looking for Iron Man's head. because we lost the lego of iron man's head and like it bothered me that much we were on vacation a few years back and one of the nintendo switches got lost and i was so obsessed about this i was more obsessed than the kid who lost it And I started thinking and I was like, it was charging on the microwave, which is by a trash can. It fell in the trash. So I went dumpster diving. I found it in the dumpster, in the trash. But like, I took so much time and energy and effort and it was gross to go get it. But I think when we lose something or we lose someone, depending on the value will depend on how much effort we seek to find that which is lost. What we're going to see is the follower who strays away from the Lord has infinite value and worth in the eyes of God. And the Lord will not sit by idly while the lost remain in harm's way, but will passionately seek after the sheep and will greatly rejoice when they have been found and are back in the fold. So that's what we're going to consider today, the lost and found with God. If you're taking notes, we're going to begin by spending time looking at the lost sheep. And I think there's gonna be application of the lost sheep in the general sense that we often use that term as a lost person, as somebody that does not know Jesus Christ. So there's application and that meaning is not completely missing from this parable, but we're gonna see, I think Jesus in general in this specific parable is not talking necessarily about a person who is lost, who's never been in the fold, but he's talking about a sheep that has went astray and the shepherd goes and rescues and brings that sheep back in. So we're going to see the lost sheep. And then secondly, we're going to look at the loving shepherd. We're going to see how much effort and time and love, and he puts himself even in harm's way for the sake of rescuing his sheep. All right, so let's begin as we see the lost sheep. Now, if you remember last week in our time in Matthew, we saw that life is not about us. Life is not about your greatness. Life is not about your gratification. We're called to be like a child. Specifically, we're supposed to be dependent like children, but also in that culture, children are viewed lowly. And what Jesus is telling them, you need to not have such an exalted view of self. There needs to be an attitude of humility. That is the life of a believer. And what we're going to see as we continue on, he's using the same language with children. And when he's talking to children, once again, he's not talking about little kids. He's literally talking about believers that they need to not take sin lightly and go astray, that it matters to God. Well, as we see the lost sheep, first thing I want us to take note of the sheep is the sheep has worth. The sheep has worth. The sheep has worth. Listen to what he says. See that you do not despise one of these little ones. Do not despise one of these little ones. And I think what he's addressing is you and I, we have a tendency to devalue our fellow believers. He's commanding them to not do something because we have a problem of doing it. We have that mentality that we're better than others. Remember even last week, what was the argument? Who is the greatest? And if you're arguing you're the greatest, you're telling other people they're not great. Do you understand? And he's telling them that they have a problem here, that they've been devaluing one another. I never had T-Mobile before, but I remember back in the day, T-Mobile had their five favorites. And I guess if you had T-Mobile, it was free as far as calling between or texting between the people that were part of your five. So who would be in your five probably? Your people that you talk to the most. So like husbands, probably your wife, and maybe some of your kids, and you had to crack that code. What if you had the five least favorites on your T-Mobile plan? Who are those people in your life? I mean, who are those people like, they're in my life, I don't want them to be in my life, I'm stuck with them, but I'm definitely not putting them in my fab. Are any of them believers? Because I think that's the tendency of our heart. Romans 14.10, Paul warns them. Why do you pass judgment on your brothers? Or why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God." And Paul is warning them to not despise, to not devalue our fellow believer. And I think we have a habit of doing that. Believers are in need. And how often do we not help those in need? Fellow believers, because we're concerned about our own well-being and we want to keep what we have. How often do we gossip and slander about fellow believers? We talk behind their back. It happens in the context of the church. Almost 20 years here at Covenant, it happens, even in a healthier church. We envy other believers and what they have. Well, it's not fair that they have this. They have that. A single person's jealous of the person who's married. The married person's jealous of the family that has kids and they're unable to have kids. What about financial stuff? Well, they got a bigger house, they got a nicer car, they're able to go on vacations that we can't. And we get jealous. We judge them for their actions. We judge other believers for their beliefs. We do that. We look down the street at other churches that maybe aren't as theologically sound as we believe we are, and immediately we're negative and critical. Even though they might be a church that loves Jesus. And yeah, maybe they are off on some of the theology. But like, is it our job? Is it our responsibility to tear down and critique? And that's what we do. We despise people. And Jesus is saying this should not be the case. These are people that I died for. These are people that are precious in my sight. These are my children. And you're backbiting and tearing down. Are you currently despising any believers? You justify this act of disobedience. So we see not only the devaluing, listen to what he goes on and says. For I tell you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. He's telling them to do the opposite. Don't devalue them. Do value them, esteem them. He's not talking about little children, he's literally talking about believers, those that are in him, that we need to look at other people. I want you to do right now, I want you to look around the room. Awkward, like maybe even stare at a person. Seriously, look, I wanna see heads moving. Everybody in this room has infinite value and worth in God's eyes. Not only is that true, you need to believe that. I mean, think about your own house. Does everything in your house have the same value? That roll of paper towels, does that have the same value as your 70-inch screen television? No, it doesn't. Maybe not just that. Like I would argue some of this stuff is like priceless. Photo albums? can not be as easily replaced as an insurance claim on an electronic. Like everything's not even. What we need to understand on the value system of God, believers, his family is precious in his eyes. John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son. The shepherd searches for the lost. The father is involved in not losing his sheep. and it's initiated by God, remember this. 1 John 4.10, in this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. So much so that here's the deal, the reference of angels, angels are focused on believers by God's ordained will for their lives. Like we, it's wild to think the angelic realm, we're like the reality TV show that they have to turn in. They love watching and being a part of what God is doing in our lives. We have value and worth in their eyes because God has given us value and worth in his eyes. He's commissioned them to promote and care for his people. I would argue this passage is not necessarily teaching that we all have a guardian angel. I don't think anywhere in the Bible has a clear theological teaching on that. But the point is, angels are involved in the overall what's going on behind the scenes with God. And that's why in Luke 15, 10, so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. That these angels who are in the presence of God the Father are involved, entertained, focused, concerned for you and I. And if we're important in the eyes of God, if we're important in the eyes of the angels, friends, people should be important in your eyes. That's what he's communicating here. Don't devalue, don't despise other believers. Do you see the value and worth in your fellow Christian? Because I think we have such a bad habit of we're so self-entitled, so self-absorbed, we all think we are kind of like God's gift to God. Like God's lucky that I'm part of the church. Those people are lucky that I'm part of the church. But I'm not lucky that they're, it's kind of like I'm stuck with them. That's such a warped, such a twisted view that you and I have towards our fellow Christian. I know personally, I struggle with this. I'm judgy, I'm critical, I'm negative, and that shouldn't be the case, and Jesus is calling it out right here. Are you self-righteous in your treatment of others? So we see not only the sheep has worth, notice what he goes on and says, the sheep has lost its way. He goes on in verse 12. He says, what do you think if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray? Does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go in search of that one? Like I said, the immediate context, every time in the Bible when it talks about sheep, sheep tend to be believers. That's why he separates the sheep from the goats. So he's talking about a believer that it appears has went astray. So even though I think what we are saying here has relevance and application to a lost person who comes to know Christ for the very first time, it's still gonna be relevant to what we're saying. I think the emphasis here is that. Also, if you're gonna notice next week, so initially, Andy and I, we sat down, kinda plotted out what we're gonna do this week, and next week's sermon was gonna be one sermon. And as we started working, as I started kinda going through it, I realized it's gonna probably be better to separate them. But next week, guess what, it's a fun, it's kind of a hallmark joy week, we get to talk about church discipline. So, spoiler alert, it's gonna be a good time. Next week, we're talking about church discipline. And I think it's because of the context of lostness, of somebody going astray, somebody who is going off into sin, that's a believer in God's intervening, God pursuing. But what we see here is the astray are in the dark. That there is a sin component here that's blinding the lost sheep. Just prior to the parable in Luke, so Luke tells the same parable. Listen to what Luke 15, one to two says. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them. So what Jesus is doing with this parable there, and I think it's relevant here, is he's emphasizing that the sheep are synonymous with sinners. That the sheep are synonymous with people who need saving. The sheep are in that condition. And their vision has been impaired. And when your vision is impaired, can you see well? No. If you ever had your eye drops done, it can sometimes, or if you get something in your eye, I shared a story once, I won't belabor it, I was a prank with my roommate when I was at this Campus Crusader Christ Summer Project. I poured soap in his eyes, and in God's providence, his eyes were wide open, looking up when I poured the soap. Three days, he couldn't see well. I thought I blinded him. Parents were not happy at me. He can see now this day he's been healed, but the point is he could not see. And that, unfortunately, friends, is what happens with sin in the life of a believer. Notice there's no word on this lost sheep calling for help. The lost sheep isn't sending out an SOS. The lost sheep isn't saying, please save me, please rescue me, shepherd. No, he is lost and he doesn't even know that he's lost. It's not like your cartoon movies where we see this cartoon character gets lost and the rest of the movie is this journey of him going through all these different ways to try to be reunited with its owner. That's not the case. That's not what's going on. The sheep is lost and it doesn't see its lostness. That's why Mark 2.17, Jesus has said, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Well, can you testify to times in even your life where sin blinded you? Can you testify to those times where God was gracious and patient with you when you were astray, when you were heading down a path of destruction? a season of being in the dark. But not only are they in a stray, they're in danger. You understand, being away from the shepherd, being away from the fold is dire straits we're talking. It's a precarious position. One of my best friends is going on a mission trip to Africa this next summer, this upcoming summer. And one of the country he's going is on a travel advisory. And the travel advisory from the U.S. government is don't go there under any circumstance, and he is going to be going there. Travel advisory for you going astray, don't go there. I can't stress that enough. Because once you head down that path, it is often very hard to get off the path. It's very difficult to come back. Luke 18.11. because it's a path of self-righteousness. Luke 18, 11, the Pharisee standing by himself prayed, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, even the tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get, but the tax collector standing far off would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but beat his breast saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And I think the grave danger when you go astray is you don't see it. You're self-righteous. You think you're fine. You don't have the spirit of humility. You don't have the spirit of pleading, oh, God, have mercy on me. You don't see the need for the saving. You don't see the need for the saving. Self-sufficiency is breaking you. I remember one time I was a building manager at the University of Toledo's rec center. and I had to do periodic rounds and walk through the building, and I went into the weight room, and I had a kid with a bench press, the barbell on his chest, and he was feet and everything, and I go over to help this kid so we don't have a lawsuit, and he tells me, don't touch it, I've got it. And I'm like, this is funny. This is pre-cell phones, because at the very least, I wanted some liability. I wanted a video. Can you say that again, please? with your name, so he kept shaking back and forth, and he did not have clamps on the barbell, so the weight slid off. Huge commotion, it was embarrassing. If I was him, I would have left and never came back to the Y, but there he was, and I think the unfortunate reality, friends, when you're astray, you're that delusional. I don't need help. I don't need it, I'm good. You don't have that spirit of Isaiah, Isaiah 6, 5. Woe is me for I am lost. I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips where I've seen the King, the Lord of hosts. And that's really the beauty of the gospel even in this lost sheep. And that's why I think it is relevant to the lost sheep for the very first time who comes to faith in Christ and the lost sheep that has gone astray and has been brought back into the fold. It's relevant with both. So I think maybe Jesus is communicating that for both. It's not just one or the other since the parables appear twice. But Jesus embraces sinners. That should shock us. that Jesus puts up, not tolerates our sin, but embraces sinner. He seeks sick people. Or are you in danger today? Are you relying on your own righteousness? Are you currently astray? Because we've seen the sheep has worth, the sheep has lost its way, and then lastly, we see the sheep is brought back into the fold. Listen to what he says in verse 13. If he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that never went astray. He's not saying that the 99 aren't as valuable as the one. That's not what he's communicating. But there is a celebration in the one that has been found. And we need to note, he doesn't ignore sin. We know big picture, Jesus has dealt with sin through the cross. This is ultimately how the lost are found and in the fold, but specifically with a stray sheep, he doesn't turn a blind eye to sin. Because we could think that Jesus, the shepherd finds the sheep, the sheep comes back in the fold, and then immediately, guess what the sheep does? Takes off, goes astray again, and I watched it this week, this woman, this poor lady, had a young child, and this child darted darted down the hall, she ran, caught the child, grabbed the child, and it was funny. The moment she took her hands off the child, gone, out the door. I was starting to freak out because I went outside, and there's cars, but it was just, and I think we could mistakenly hear this parable that it's just about getting them back in the fold. And he's going to keep going astray, but if Jesus can keep bringing it back in the fold, that's enough. And that's not what he's saying. He's not implying that the sheep is going to keep running off. Romans 6-1 says, what shall we then say? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means, how can we who die to sin still live in it? Part of why he's rejoicing in the sheep has learned its lesson. It's back in the fold. He's not ignoring the strangeness of the sheep. Well, do you turn a blind eye to sin in your life? And others, does sin matter in God's eyes? Everybody nod your head, yes, it does. It mattered so much that one, Jesus had to die in your place, but two, that he is working in your growth and sanctification. So sin, not that you'll achieve perfection here on this earth, but that there would be gospel growth in your life. but he does imply change. Listen to what Luke 15, the same parable says. Luke 15, seven, just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance. So that's really the big picture and that's why I think the emphasis is more on the person who went astray and not necessarily the lost person who has never come to no faith is the emphasis in both sides that the parable that there is a repentance that there's a change that takes place. I mean, imagine you go get your hair cut and you're there and you feel them touching your hair and moving your hair and doing stuff and then you get done and you look on the ground and there is no hair. Like it's magic. Then you look in the mirror and your hair looks identical to what it looked like when you sat down in that chair in the first place. Did you have a haircut? No, you just got scammed. There was no change that took place. And what Jesus is communicating here is when somebody goes astray and is brought back into the fold, there is a noticeable change. There is repentance that takes place. That's why there's, look at verse 10, there's joy in heaven over one sinner who does what? Who repents. Jesus embraces sinners, but it's also combined with a life-altering change that takes place. Matthew 3, eight, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. James 2, 18, you have faith, I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. And this is not works-based righteousness, friends, but repentance is a necessary component of those that trust in Christ. That that is God's expectation. So when somebody goes astray, we need to be praying and hoping that God will bring them back into the fold and that there would be a change and that they would get back on the right path. It's grace-led, but it needs to happen. 2 Corinthians 5.17, if anyone is a new Christ here, a new creation, The old is gone, the new has come. And think of even in the Luke passage, he's talking to tax collectors and sinners, the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, and they are being rejoiced over because they are brought into the fold and they changed. Well, is your life characterized by repentance? I mean, can you, we're not going to do that, but if I was to ask you, could you give me one example of repentance in your life in the last month. Because if you can't give that kind of a response, you need to start doing some soul searching. You need to do some heart examination, because to be honest with you, repentance is something that we do how often? How often in a week do you think we need to repent? Every day. Today you're gonna need to repent. Probably before you get home, you're gonna need to repent. Repent, repent, repent. That is not because that's keeping you in heaven. That's not because you're going to not be a believer if you're not repenting in this very moment. But part of our relationship with Christ is expectation that we're constantly repenting. All right, so that's the lost sheep. It's got great value and worth. It's lost its way. It's brought back in the fold. Let's now consider the great shepherd who rescued the sheep. First of all, he pursues the lost sheep. He says, what do you think if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray? Does he not leave the 99 on the mountain and go in search of them that went astray? Notice the effort. It's like a common knowledge that you wouldn't just shrug off the one sheep and say, that is what it is. No, the shepherd would go out of his way to find the sheep that is lost. How much more important is the person, when we're talking about eternity, in their soul. And notice the effort and work on the part of the finder. I feel like it happens at least once a summer in my neighborhood. A neighbor loses a pet, and you'll see people will post pictures on the like the lights around our neighborhood. Here's a number. There's usually rewards offer. It'll be on social media. You'll even see the immediate losing of the pet. They'll drive through our neighborhood, walk through our neighborhood. They might even come and say, hey, have you seen a pet? And things like that. That is for an animal. Shepherd looking for an animal. How much more important? There's a person's soul. That's the heart of mission. Luke 19.10 says, For the Son of Man came to seek and save the loss. Came to seek the loss. There's actually a verse, if you notice in the numbers here in our passage, verse 11, it skips to, it appears in Luke, doesn't appear here. It says that he came to seek the loss. I think a scribe added it. That's why we're not even making much mention of it. It doesn't question the validity of your word of God, but it's the principle of man. He seeks lost people. He looks everywhere. The lost coin parable, which comes right after this in the sheep. A lady loses a coin and she goes through the house and sweeps to find the coin. Luke 15, eight, or what woman having 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until he finds it. How much effort does the Lord exert seeking the stray? Think of your own initial believing in Christ. Did he pursue you? I think we have a revisionist history. We think somehow, even if you were seeking spiritual stuff in your lostness, we need to understand that was you seeking the benefits, that you seeking something. And if you were seeking anything, God was propelling you. God was leading you. God is the one. It wasn't you in and of yourself seeking. He was the pursuer. I even referenced it a few, at least a couple months ago, I referenced that one song. You don't love the title, Reckless Love, because I don't think anything Jesus does is ever reckless, but the pursuing, the active, exerting nature of Christ for the sinner is very real, even when we're wayward. But it's not just the effort. Notice the endless effort. He doesn't just look for a little bit and then give up. I mean, I asked everybody here, how many of y'all lost something in the last month, and most of you were honest and said yes. How often do you give up quickly, raise your hand. Nobody? Maybe it's just my family. You know, like, you lose something, and then you ask the person, hey, did you lose that? Yeah. Did you look for it? Yeah. How long? Like two minutes. I sat on the couch and I perused the room, I did not see it, therefore it is lost. That's not Jesus with the wayward person. There's a seeking, it's not a laissez-faire, it's effort, he continues on. Luke 15.4, does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost one that is lost, guess what? Until he finds it. Luke 15, eight, or what woman having 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligence, guess what? Until she finds it, he goes out of his way. At some point, we give up when we lose something. Not going to find it, maybe we'll buy another. That's not how Jesus is. Hebrews 12 to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Why are you amazed with the patience and pursuit of Christ? You seek the lost, you see how he seeks the wayward, you give up easily. Because not only does he pursue the lost, he takes great pleasure in the lost sheep that is now found. And if he finds it truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that never went astray. Do you see that? That he celebrates the lost sheep that is now found. I'll admit it, I'm a little embarrassed of what I did a couple weeks ago. It was during the Ohio State game. versus Texas, so that was the semifinal game. Yeah, semifinal. Well, Ohio State figured out a way to make the game closer than I felt it should have been kept. And they got down, Texas got down to the goal line, one yard line, and were unable on the last play that they had the ball. Quinn Ewers, who used to be at Ohio State very briefly, went back and a pass. And Jack Sawyer came out of nowhere, became a legend now in Ohio State lore, and hit him, sacked him, stripped the ball, ball bounced down, picked up, grabbed it, ran the length of the football field, pretty much sealed the deal in the game. I don't know if I've ever celebrated a sports moment in my life more. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to preach because I strained my voice so loud. My wife came running down that something was wrong because I was yelling and screaming and fist pumping and my boys are beside me and it's like we just won 20 million dollars. I got nothing from Ohio State. I didn't get a thank you card. I'm not going to get a ring. I didn't even get a complimentary shirt with the national championship. I got so excited. And I think we can relate with excitement. Now that was trivial and I am really embarrassed. I'm like, where did that come from? Like I was that into it. But I mean, think about more important things like finding out you're having a child or the baby is born. I mean, I know Dallas is, Dallas and Brooke gonna be real excited in like four or five weeks. I'm just kidding. She's like, she's like four or five minutes. No, but like we celebrate things like that. God celebrates the salvation and the prodigal coming back with a joy. So happy. Luke's version, when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors and say to them, rejoice with me for I have found joy, find my sheep that was lost. So I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance. And he's not implying that there's 99 people that don't need to repent. He's just emphasizing the person that repents. Same with the coin one. Rejoice, I found the coin that I lost. So I tell you, there's joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. There is rejoicing when the sinner repents. There's rejoicing in the conversion. Well, do you celebrate God's work in the life of sinners? When you find out that somebody who was lost is now found, does that give you joy? Because I think it's really easy that this world has mixed up our priorities. That my throat was strained because Jack Sawyer strip-sacked a guy and scored a touchdown. But I can sometimes not even be moved emotionally when I find out a person who was not a believer is a believer. When I find out that somebody that I know had been gone wayward returns to the fold. That is the stuff that should excite us. That is the stuff that should bring joy in our lives. Not only is there this celebration, it's a consistent celebration. I mean, that's the amazing thing. The millions and millions of people who have become believers over the history of redemption, every time the angels are doing what? celebrating every time. It doesn't get old. There was a movie, it came out, it's called When the Game Stands Tall. De La Salle High School won 151 football games in a row over 12 years. I don't know how you coach through that kind of success. How you get kids up, high school athletes up every week knowing that we're gonna win. I mean, we're talking about three classes of kids from freshman through senior year, never lost a football game. Well, you know what's even more remarkable is we're talking millions upon millions upon millions of people who have come to faith or have returned to the fold and every time God is celebratory. Because God sees the infinite value and worth. He sees the eternal implications of that, and there's joy. Zephaniah 317, the Lord your God is in your midst. He's a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you by his love. He will exalt over you with loud singing. Isn't it amazing to think that in heaven, at some point in history, the angels and God have celebrated you? Not just us corporately and collectively, but you individually. that there was a party in heaven because of you, not because of what you have done, but because what God had done in your life, and it never gets old with God. So why does it get so old for us? Why do we get bored? Has the wayward repenting lost its luster? I think it's because we've allowed the world to become what we have pleasure in. That's a whole nother sermon, but there should be a joy. So we not only see the pursuit of the lost, the pleasure in the found. Lastly, he promises the protection of the lost sheep. Verse 14, so it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Notice the caring. I would argue this is electing language. This is Ephesians 1.4, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will. He cares so much he will not turn a blind eye, one more wayward, he will not turn a blind eye to his children that are lost. Collateral damage. is a term often used with regards to military conquests. And what it means is we go in and we have a strike at a place with military. Ideally, we don't kill a bunch of civilians, but sometimes, in a very warped way, they kind of expect it'll happen a little bit in order to carry out what's best, the big picture. So it's collateral damage. At no point does God look at people who are wayward as collateral damage. I mean, it'd be easy if you had a callous, lazy shepherd to look at like, hey, yeah, I lost one, but guess what? I still got 99. Then you lose another one, I got 98. Like, no, that's not what a good shepherd, the good shepherd is passionate. Isaiah 49, 16, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands. Your walls are continually before you. Well, does God care for you? Do you matter to God? It's not just the caring that he's highlighting. Notice the certainty. It says that not one of these little ones will perish. that He will never fumble us. Think of that. He will never drop us. He will never lose us. We all drop stuff. Usually every other week somebody drops their coffee in here. And you watch them because they go scrambling, all of a sudden they bring a huge, here's the cue, if you see somebody carrying a bunch of paper towels, they spilt their drink. It happens all the time, that's what we do. Well, God never spills you, he never drops you. John 6, 39, this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. John 10, 28, I give them a life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. John 17, 12, while I was with them, I kept them in your name which you have given me. I have guarded them and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction that the scriptures might be fulfilled. And what we see in that is Jesus promising that I protect, I purpose, I begin a good work, I carry it on to completion. I am committed, I don't give up. Even when they're weak and sickly and frail, I will get them to the finish line. None of them will perish. So that's where our confidence lies, even when somebody goes wayward, that I believe God in his timing, God in his purpose, God in his ways will bring that person back into the fold. Well, does this truth give you confidence? Maybe you have a family member who has went wayward. Maybe you have a friend, maybe you have somebody, are you praying that God would intervene, that he would bring them back? Can you testify, even in your own life, when you went away, is there hope for the wayward? I think one of the more stress-producing things as a dad is when, on a couple instances, I'm cautious how I say this. I lost a child. I lost our kid. One, we were at the zoo, and one kid walked ahead, and it's just chaos at the zoo. I used to judge people that wore the leashes on their kids, and then I'm like, there you go. And it was only maybe 30 seconds, but 30 seconds of mass panic. Another particular instant, we were going somewhere, and everybody's starting to head out to the vehicle in our garage, and we're missing a kid. And I'm like, and I'm really good at counting to six, like amazing, because I've done, I've counted to six probably over 10,000 times in my lifetime because of my kids. And we're like, and I go outside, I run around the house, I run through the house, I do the whole thing. And our house was not that big. My house now is not that big, but that house was definitely not that big. Went in the backyard, went down the roads looking, and I'm just yelling and screaming. And as I'm walking through the garage, I see my child sitting in the van. He heard we were going, he's like, are we going yet? And they were there, but that moment in both times, I was frantic, I was screaming, I was gonna do anything, and by God's grace, it wasn't serious, because unfortunately, there are people who have really lost children, and people who have been kidnapped, and human trafficking, and it's horrible to even think about that, but in those moments, you're so consumed at finding the lost child. Well, imagine that times infinity. Imagine that with steroids. And that is God's passion for loss. The wayward and the unbeliever. He will pursue. He moves heaven and earth to be. We sang it. Jesus, what a friend for sinners, lover of my soul. Friends may fail me, foes assail me. He, my Savior, makes me whole. Hallelujah, what a Savior. Hallelujah, what a friend. And I love this. Saving, helping, keeping, loving. He is with me to the end. Praise God that we have a shepherd like that. Praise God that we have a shepherd who is passionate about his sheep. I think a couple points of application. One, we need to rejoice. We need to celebrate God's pursuit over ourselves. Like we need to be in awe of Jesus and what he has done in saving yourself. But we also need to celebrate and find joy, not in all the trivial things of this world, but find joy in the fact that God is saving sinners. We had our annual meeting today, and one of the things that we did share, and I hope and pray that 2025 is a year where we see more and more conversions amongst us. I'm grateful for y'all who have been at churches elsewhere, and you're here at Covenant. We call it transfer growth. I'm grateful that we get an opportunity to shepherd and care for you, but man, it would be really awesome that a lot of the growth that happens in this year is waywards, or lost people coming to know Jesus Christ, and that we could celebrate along with the angels that now they're found, and now they're walking with Jesus. Secondly, I think we need to repent over our indifference towards the lost, over being too busy, not caring, being unlovable. That should not be the case. And then lastly, we need to reach out. Empowered by God's spirit, we need to seek the lost. One of the reasons we do membership is it helps us to know who's in the church, but also when people start going astray, it gives us a responsibility as a church, as shepherds to pursue you. And we're not talking about being the attendance police. Did you know you have missed three times in the life? No, we call and check because there's a pattern when you withdraw from God's people. Not always the case, but often it's something going on with the heart, and we care. Listen to what Paul said, and we'll close. 2 Timothy 2.10, I endure everything for the sake of the elect that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Are you doing everything for the elect, for God's people? Are you pursuing the lost? Are you seeking after those who have went astray? Because that is our calling as followers of Christ. Let's pray. Father, we come before you right now And we, one, just celebrate and rejoice. Hallelujah, what a Savior, that you have saved and helped and kept and loved us to the end. So we rejoice in that. We rejoice in what you're doing, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of others. And God, we just pray that you would stir our affections, that you would change what inspires and motivates and excites us, that we would be a people that just find great joy, not in sports, not in possessions, not in so many trivial matters, but that we would find just a celebration in what you are doing in the hearts of men and women. in children. And God, we pray not only that we would celebrate it, but because you have commissioned us that we would be a part of doing what you're doing, that we would be people who pursue the lost, that pursue the wayward, that we would be people who revolve their lives and their time and energy and resource on being a part of the advancement of your kingdom. God, we are praying for big, remarkable things to happen amongst us in 2025. But we pray for that not so that we would feel good about ourselves, not that we could pat ourselves on the back, but that you would get great glory in this new year. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen. Let's stand as we respond with worship.