Well, this has been a wonderful Sunday for us, hasn't it? We thank God for all the tremendous talent and the program that's been presented by these young people. You know, one time there was a shepherd. He had 100 sheep. And he used to count them once in a while because he wanted to be sure he had them all, and so he'd count them, one, two, three, four, and then he'd get 97, 98, 99, uh-oh, So he'd go back. Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine. Uh-oh. Something wrong. One sheep wasn't there. I wonder where that sheep was. You know it's lost. We must have left it back there on the trail somewhere. So the shepherd huddled his little sheep in his fold there and put his dog at the door. And out he went to find that lost sheep. You know, it's a terrible thing to be lost. Jesus tells a story about that in Luke chapter 15. He says there was a little sheep that was lost, wandered away, wasn't where the other sheep were. It was all lost out in the hill or the valley somewhere. And so the shepherd went after it. Jesus said the shepherd had a hundred sheep and he went after that one sheep until he found it. Who does that sheep represent? Some boy or girl tell me. The shepherd. Who's the shepherd in that little story? Huh? Jesus, right? Jesus, that shepherd. And you're that sheep, and I'm that sheep. The Lord Jesus Christ came all the way down from heaven to search for us. And he came down here on earth, and you know, men didn't appreciate Jesus. They didn't like him at all. They got so mad at him because he told them that they were bad and they needed to be saved and they needed to repent of their sins. And what did he do? Well, he told them so straight and so hard that they needed to be saved that these men said, we're going to kill Jesus. The Bible tells us that in the process of Jesus coming to find us and seek us, that rough, wicked men laid their hands upon him and they nailed his body to a cross. and out a big gate they went, and they put this cross up on a hill, and Jesus hung on that cross, and the nails were tearing at his hands and hurting him very badly, and at his feet, and they took a spear and they punched it into his side, and blood came out, and the heat was bearing down upon him, and he was hanging upon that awful cross. Why did he hang there? Well, the Bible tells us that Jesus hung on that cross to save us from our sin, just like that shepherd went out. Down through the valley and across the river he went. After a while he thought he heard a bleed over here, and finally he found that little sheep. Well, the Lord Jesus did the same thing. All the way down from heaven he came, from that marvelous place that he had dwelt in all eternity. Down here he came, and on a cross he died for you and me. The reason he had to die there was because we were bad, and God was going to have to judge us, and we were going to have to die, and so Jesus said, I'll die for you. I'll take your place. I'll take your punishment. You know, there's not too many people who'll do that, are there? I'll bet your brother and sister won't usually take your punishment for you if you've got some wax coming. Your brother or sister, they usually won't do that, will they? But Jesus did it for us. He said, I'm willing to die for Johnny and Susie and Mary, and I'm willing to go to the cross so they won't have to die and so they won't have to be lost forever. And that's exactly what he did. And on that cross, God put your sin on Jesus. Here's you. That left hand's you, and here's the right hand is Jesus. And this black bound Bible reminds us of our sins, black as they are. Over here, your sin's on you. Johnny, Susie, Mary, James, or whatever your name is. But the Bible says that God laid your sin on Jesus and he paid the penalty and he took your place. And if you believe that, you can be saved and go to heaven. Well, the shepherd came all the way from heaven down to this earth to die upon a cross to take our sin so we could be saved and go to heaven. Did you know what happened when he found that little sheep? The little sheep was down in a bramble bush and he got his big, long stick out the shepherds carried and he got him around the body with it and he pulled him out. And what do you suppose he did to him? He said, you naughty sheep, shame on you. Now you better follow me all the way home. Now if you stumble along the way, it's gonna be your fault. Now come on, we're gonna walk home and we got a long ways to go. You suppose that's what he did to that little sheep? You know what he did? He reached down and he took that little sheep And he put him around his shoulder. He just got that little sheep and he put that little sheep right around his shoulder like that. Two legs over here, two legs over here. He just had him there, he couldn't get loose. And he said, now you come on, I'm gonna take you all the way home. And so he carried that sheep all the way home on his shoulders. You know, that's what the Lord Jesus does with us. He doesn't ask us to just accept him as our Savior, and then we gotta struggle along, try to be a Christian, do the best we can, maybe we'll make it to heaven. No, sir, he just puts us right there, and he grabs ahold of us, and he carries us, the Bible says, all the way home. Sometimes people, children, and adults say, well, you know, I don't... know whether I can hold out faithful. I don't know if I can be a Christian, because maybe I can't live a Christian life. Well, listen, when Jesus gets a hold of you, he carries you all the way home, and he keeps you. And all the way through the swollen rivers, and through the dark night, the shepherd carried that sheep, and the Bible says finally he came home. He came home with that sheep. Now, home to a sheep, of course, is a foal where all the other sheep are. Now, imagine when he put that sheep down, all the other sheep nuzzled up to him, and he said, Hi, pal, where have you been? We're sure glad you got back here safely. They were so glad to see that sheep that had been lost. You know where our home is? Our home's not on this earth. Our home's in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ. And because he died for us, and because he bore our sins, and because he carries us and keeps us, someday we're going to live in heaven with Jesus. Isn't that wonderful? I'm looking forward to heaven. Aren't you? We're going to see some more, hear some more music like we've heard this morning. And best of all, we're going to see the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us on the cross of Calvary. You know what kind of a place heaven is? Well, in heaven we're going to hear beautiful music, like I said. There's not going to be any death or pain. You're never going to have an owie in heaven. You're never going to need a band-aid. Mothers will be glad for that. You're not going to have any kind of sickness. You're never going to have a tummy ache. It's going to be a perfect place. There's not going to be any bad people there. There's not going to be any criminals, no war. Nobody's going to be bothering other people. There's not going to be any drinking and cursing and things that mess up our lives down here, but that's going to be a perfect place. And the Lord Jesus Christ is taking everyone to that place who will receive him as their personal Savior. Everyone who will receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Somebody says, how do I receive Christ as my personal Savior? You young people and children may especially ask that. Well, I illustrate it this way sometimes, you know, oftentimes somebody comes to your door at home, do they not? Or they ring the bell if it's working, and you go to the door, and you say, well, hi, Terry, or hi, John, or Mrs. Smith, or whatever, come on in. And they come into your house. Now, the Bible says that Jesus is standing at the door of your heart, and he knocks that way, adults, children, young people. He knocks through the preaching of his word, through the witness of friends, through the prayers of loved ones, through circumstances of life. In many ways, the Lord Jesus knocks upon the heart's door of people. Do you know what we need to do? The Bible says if we open the door, he will come in. He'll come into our heart. He'll come into our life, and he will save us from our sins, put us on his shoulders, and carry us all the way home to heaven. It's one of the most wonderful stories that ever could be told. It's the good news that some of the children spoke about here today, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died, He rose again, and He will save us from our sins if we will trust Him as our Savior. This is the time when we offer the opportunity to people to do that, to open their hearts to the Lord Jesus, to trust Him as their personal Savior, to receive Him, to follow Him. One of the groups, I believe it was the juniors, were singing to us this morning about obedience, following our shepherd. One of the things that we need to do after we've trusted Christ is to follow him, to be baptized if we are old enough to do that, to be members of the church, to take our stand for God. These are things that the Lord wants us to do as Christians. Oh, it's a wonderful thing to know that there was a shepherd who cared for us that much. He gave himself for our sins and that he'll carry us all the way home. I hope you'll receive him in your heart today if you have never done so. Let us bow together for prayer. Shall we, every head bowed, every eye closed, as we talk to God? You know, today in this service there perhaps are children and young people and adults. who have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This is Children's Day, and I am especially thinking of children, but it's not confined to them. There may be some children in this auditorium this morning who've never let Jesus come into your heart. You've never let him put you on his shoulders and carry you all the way. You do not know him as your personal Savior this morning. Well, you know, Jesus wants to save children. Many of us were saved when we were children. God loves you as a child, and he gave his Son for you, and he wants to save you from your sins. Maybe that some of you also need to follow him more closely. You're a Christian, but you've not been doing what you ought to do for the Lord. Maybe you've not been following him like you should. And this morning, God is speaking to you about coming and trusting Him as your Savior. Maybe there are adults in this auditorium who need Christ as Savior, and you would like to receive Him this morning. Maybe you'd like to confess Him openly, having already received Him. Maybe you would like to come for baptism or membership in this church. However, God may be leading. In just a moment, we're going to be singing that brand old hymn, Just As I Am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me. And that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come. I'm going to be here at the front, especially for children who might wish to receive Christ as Savior. You've never trusted Jesus. God has been speaking to you. Will you come from where you are this morning? And we're going to have one of your teachers or someone who knows the Bible help you and show you and pray with you so that you might know that Jesus is your Savior this morning. We don't want you just to come because your friend comes, or because you think you ought to do what they're doing. But if you and your heart need Christ, and you want Him as your Savior, we invite you to come. And adults, we issue the invitation to you as well, as the Lord may speak and lead. Shall we all stand together very carefully and prayerfully? Will you pray please, every head bowed, every eye closed? We can sing without the hymnals, this great hymn, I'm sure, just as I am without one plea. As we're singing it, if God is speaking to you, you're a child, you're a young person, you're an adult, Won't you come this morning and say, I want Christ as my personal Savior. I want to follow Him and obey Him. Will you do it? Sing it out on that stanza of that hymn. If the Lord is speaking to you, won't you come right now and say, I want Jesus as my Savior this morning. Sing it out. Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bid'st me come to thee.