A Lost Sheep

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Children—G. Carey
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Well, it is a happy thing to be able to gather here this morning. I trust all of our hearts and thoughts this morning are directed toward the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners. Maybe we should start with a verse that for those who have their Bibles, young and old, might like to look to, uh, Luke chapter 15.
Luke 15.
Now what the children are looking at up here on the.
On the table is a little sheep.
It's a precious looking little thing here. Has a little tag on it too and.
We're going to need to, uh, keep an eye on that little sheep there, OK? Because what, uh, we have before us this morning to talk about and the most simple terms is a lost sheep. Could it be that there is a lost sheep here in the room?
There could be a younger one, it could be a child, it might be someone older someone, a lost sheep would be someone who doesn't know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. So it is our, uh, burden and desire this morning that you might come to know the love of the Lord Jesus as we would rehearse it afresh, and that anyone might be saved that hasn't come through the door of salvation. So let's read these few verses in Luke 15 about a lost sheep.
OK, now you, uh, children that live here in, uh, uh, Denver area have probably, uh, seen some sheep around a little more readily than those of us that live in the city. Umm, I'm going to contrast the children here from Denver and those over here from Los Angeles. And. But we have seen Brock, have you ever seen a sheep somewhere, maybe even just at the zoo, huh? Yeah, somewhere. OK, so let's read about a sheep here. And again, it's a lost sheep.
And we would that if anyone here doesn't know the Lord Jesus and they're a lost sheep, that they might realize His great love this morning, come through that door of salvation. OK, so we'll read a few verses here. Luke 15.
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners, for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man, that is Jesus receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
OK, so who do we have here? We have a number of different people here. We have some Pharisees and scribes. And there were some people that when the Lord Jesus was here on this earth, he, they did not like the Lord Jesus. They felt that he was taking something that they didn't feel was his to take. And so the other group here is these publicans and sinners. And you know, they were the ones that maybe had a need and they were going to draw an eye.
This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them, and he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you having an 100 sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the 90 and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost?
Until he finds it.
You know, I'm reminded immediately of the story of.
A man by the name of Mr. Darby, and you know he was called.
To the bedside of a shepherd boy who was dying.
A shepherd boy who was dying. He was a boy who had known much of sheep. He grew up on his father's sheep farm there in Ireland. And he was dying. And when Mr. Darby came into see him, he'd been called to give him something of Christ. And he came in and this boy was laying there on the bed and there was just hardly any life left in him and.
Mr. Darby thought, oh, he prayed to the Lord. He said, how can I ever reach this poor boy who has probably never heard anything of the name of the Lord Jesus, and here he's about to die.
How could I ever reach him? Remember, we're talking about a lost sheep. And here was this boy. He was a shepherd boy, but he was a lost sheep himself. He didn't know the Lord Jesus so.
Mr. Darby, he turned to this boy and he said, boy, how is it that you got to be this sick?
00:05:03
He said, well, my father and I were tending our sheep and one night when we brought the mall back into the fold, that's a place where they where they sleep for the night, they brought them all back in. And his father looks up at him, at the boy and he says there's one sheep missing.
I need you to go out after that sheep.
The father told this boy who is now laying there dying.
And so he did. He went out after that sheep. Now this is the boy lying there dead, telling this story to the man who's wondering how he could ever save this boy, how he could ever lead him to salvation.
And this boy goes on to tell him I went out after the sheep and you know, he says I found it, it was a lost sheep. And we're talking about 1 lost sheep. We got this little sheep here and.
He went out this boy, and you know what he said he did with that sheep?
He put it up on his shoulders.
And you can imagine Mr. Darby there was wondering how he's going to tell him the way of salvation. And he's immediately thinking of this story that we've begun to read. And so the boy says, I carried him back. And he says, you know, from that night forward, I've never gotten better. I was S so sick from having been out in the weather and exposed that night that I've never, uh, recovered and had been about a year. There he was lying dead.
Well, Mr. Darby had the privilege to open up to read from him from this very story, so we'll continue to read a little bit more here. Let's see. We left off perhaps verse five. It was. And when he found it, that is the sheep, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one Sinner that repenteth more than over 90, and nine just persons that need no repentance, or wouldn't have him. So here was a lost sheep.
And that's a picture it would be of anyone here this morning who doesn't know the Lord Jesus. You know, sometimes we think we know a little bit about various people. I've met various ones here even this weekend, and we've enjoyed happy fellowship together. And, uh, you kids might have noticed over here that we had some, uh, names up here. Brock, did you recognize anything up here?
Do you recognize anything? What do you see?
You see your name, you wanna go up and come up and get it.
OK, now what Brock didn't realize. Here, go ahead and pick the one that's yours. Good.
What Brock didn't realize was that he was singled out. You can go ahead and sit down. He was singled out and you know, that's just what the shepherd has for a lost sheep. He has an individual care in this picture that we've had here, he left all those others. And in that case, they weren't very interested, but he had a care for each one. And as you children grow up in in families, umm.
What we'd like to impress before you this morning is do you realize how special, how single you are? Like 1 sheep? I trust that there isn't anyone here that's lost, but like one that the Lord would be going out after you have a special care for.
Do you realize you're special to the heart of God this morning? So special that He was, uh, not willing that any should perish, and he sent his Son the Lord Jesus into this world to die on Calvary's cross.
So as we look at the sheep, perhaps the, uh, older ones, and you, uh, could turn over to the book of Nehemiah to continue this thought.
Lost sheep in Nehemiah chapter four. We have a little scene here and I suppose in regards to the lost sheep.
Our burden, particularly this morning, is that perhaps the young children here don't see themselves before God. There's two aspects, you know, we read in first John that God is light and God is love. And those are two aspects as he looks for a lost sheep that he has in mind for us. The one is that his love is absolute. His arms are open to accept anyone who doesn't know the Lord Jesus as Savior.
00:10:08
However, He's also light, and in Him is no darkness at all. And so he can't have a Sinner in his presence. But the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. And that's the wonder of the gospel. But we mentioned about families and the fact, as we have here in particular, a couple of families and different settings. You know, in fact, that's Nehemiah 4 and verse 19. You know, this is a great work going out on the wall there at Jerusalem.
And what we're going to read about in verse 13 is the families that were sat out along the wall. We'll just use that to illustrate this morning.
We think of, we mentioned we got some children here from the Denver area and you know, do you know how many miles it is from from Denver to Los Angeles, Kevin?
I had to check so I don't feel bad if you don't know.
What do you think about 1000 miles? You know it's 1000 miles, but over there and you think about that. That was verse 19. If we didn't say the work is great and large. We are separated upon the wall one far from another. And so it is that God has placed various families in various places and but our burden comes in the 13th verse. Therefore, set eye in the lower places behind the wall and on the higher places. I even set the people after their families.
With their swords, their Spears and their bows. You know, I picture that scene of those families that have been set out there for that great work that was to be done. And Nehemiah had carefully set them. And some of them were near their own, uh, places. And we even read of some who had a man who had some daughters and they were out there, read of them specifically. And there was these families. But I just wonder.
Was there a lost sheep?
Where was the, was there an individual reality? I just applied that at least to us here this morning and then so we would say to each of the children in particular here this morning.
When we have that God is light and God is love, do you realize how great His love is for you individually?
You know, if we were to take under here Speaking of families and this.
You see that one sheet there in the room? I have something else here.
We have a whole bunch more sheep, you know, I think we got a few more in here.
Three more sheep.
Now you remember there was one sheep and there was a lost sheep.
But does anybody?
Does anybody know where that lost sheep is now?
That's our particular, uh, burden this morning.
Is that moving among all these others? Perhaps you think of these families out on the wall there and just as we, uh, enjoy our family settings from day-to-day, could it be that there would be one who doesn't know the Lord Jesus as Savior, but most of all just hasn't, hasn't come to enjoy that love, you know?
We read this the love of Christ that constraineth us.
We know that among brethren, those of our friends and brethren that we enjoy. You know we have passed from death unto life, because you love the brethren.
But you know, there's a love that God has that is so great that He was willing to send his only begotten Son into this world.
You know, we just heard last night, our brother gave the expression, he said. I just can't wrap myself around that thought. So that's of a consideration that God would be willing to give his only begotten Son.
And so one lost sheep. We trust that each one of you knows the Lord Jesus as Savior.
And we'd like to encourage you this morning that as you move along and in your families and in a setting like this where we have a lot of sheep, we just trust that there wouldn't be a lost one. We trust that each would be saved. You might think of a family over here and one over here like this, and we trust that there wouldn't be a lost sheep in that number.
00:15:14
Let's look over in, uh, Luke's gospel.
Make that Mark's Gospel, chapter 10.
Mark's Gospel, chapter 10.
Now, before we read something there, I'd like to break because I know sometimes we get a little bit anxious. I know some of you have, uh, worked hard to, uh, memorize a memory verse. And I would like to ask you if anyone would like to, uh, to, uh, say that right now. We'll take, we'll break here for a moment to do that. Umm, the verse that was on the Sunday school paper, uh, was Psalm 119.
Is that right? What was it, 100 and 7:19?
Psalm 100 and 7:19.
You know the Lord Jesus looking down and he be happy to hear you say your verse.
You know, the angels are looking on and we perhaps, uh, already quoted some scriptures here this morning. I suppose that every single one that we have quoted so far, or nearly so, was memorized by a Sunday school verse because when we get a little bit older, we just, uh, don't seem to have that capacity anymore. So I'd like to encourage your children before the Lord this morning. I will read that, uh, Psalm 107.
19.
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. Psalm 100 and 7:19.
Eliani, would you like to go first?
Should we have Kevin go first?
Would you be willing, Kevin? OK.
In the current civil war in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses.
From 1:07 nineteenth. Wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you.
Great. Thank you.
It has a lot of information.
On 1785. Very good, huh?
Great, thank you. And again, you know the Lord Jesus looking down here, think of this Lord's Day morning.
And he's so happy to hear those verses said. It's pleasing to him. So we had turned over to UMM Mark chapter 10.
We'll read just a little bit more here about.
In verse 14.
How about some children? And about the possibility of a lost sheep?
You know, let's suppose for a moment that I could find a lost sheep out there and maybe he's still out there and that's how he's seen before the eye of God. You know, that lost sheep might blend right into the family just fine like this. But he's out here and he sees him. God sees him. But you know, while God is a, a God of righteousness and you can't have any sin in his presence, he's a God of love.
And his eye is right there on that lost sheet. Think about that. And that would be like anyone here in the room who doesn't know the Lord Jesus as Savior. So let's read a little bit about the Lord Jesus here on this, uh, earth, about some little children. So Mark 10/13 And they brought young children to him that he should touch them. And his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
And when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God.
00:20:04
The Lord Jesus, when he was here on earth, He came all the way, that distance from heaven's highest height to come down and to draw children right unto Him. You think of that?
It's a wonderful thought, he says, Suffer the little children, He says, to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God, His great heart of love for a lost sheep. He wasn't willing that any should perish.
But this morning the question is, have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior? You know, sometimes we get a little bit worried about if we really know the Savior and we think back on some event maybe where we prayed at one point and that's that's fine and that's good. But if you ever wondering if you're really saved, it sometimes happens. We start to doubt.
Just turn your thoughts from yourself. Look right to Jesus.
And realize what you are in the good of right now. And you know in Acts we read of repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Rock. You know what it means to repent.
Anyone else, Kevin?
And go the other way. Good. That's a little bit of a quiz from the gospel last night, isn't it?
Turn around, have a change of mind. And you know, I like to think of that in terms of taking sides with God, against ourselves, to take sides with him. That's what any lost sheep can do is turn to the shepherd. He's the Good Shepherd that giveth his life for the sheep.
You know.
This uh.
It would have been a week ago today. It was the Lord's Day evening and we were in the living room and it was getting dark.
And this is back where we live, and we live at about 2000 feet, and up behind us goes a mountain up to 5000 feet.
And as I looked out the window, we could see flames coming over the top.
Working their way in, they were coming from every direction right over the top. They were coming from the east and from the West as well. And these flames and, you know, they reminded me of God's judgment. And you know, the greater the more that I saw them, the more we became impressed by them. It's amazing how quickly your thoughts turn to fear if we're, if we're real with ourselves. But you know, these flames were coming over.
And we were waiting for a call. Here's the point. We were waiting for a call because we were concerned that we might need to be evacuated. Do you know what it means to be evacuated, Eliana? That means when they call and they can make one phone call and it calls a whole bunch of people block by block, and there's a great care. We might add that in our illustration. They have a care that everyone would be able to flee. Can we add the scripture? Flee from the wrath to come. That's the word of the gospel.
And the good news of salvation, of God's love.
And so as we were there by the window and we waited for that call, and every time the phone would ring, it seemed to ring a lot. We wondered if it was going to be that call. Everybody would turn and look to the person that answered it. Was it the call that we were going to need to be evacuated? But you know, what was so interesting to me was that the phone rang and it was a certain brother and he was from.
He was from Denver and, you know, he was concerned about a much greater distress. He had a much greater exercise about some kind of, uh, of a problem, some kind of a, something that might be of a, of a concern. And you know what that was. He had a concern that there might be a, a children's meeting here this morning. And that phone call came and, you know, all I could think of was here I was looking at it what seemed like the most.
Dramatic thing, but my thoughts were turned over to the gospel.
And how wonderful it is that God is love, but also that God is light, and that God is seeking that one little lost sheep. He has a heart for any lost soul. Here this is.
00:25:13
You know.
Each one of you here got up and got dressed this morning, and there's been quite a bit going on, hasn't there? Brock? Have you found that there's been quite a bit going on the last couple of days here? Yeah. And we got up and we got dressed and we were headed out. And, you know, there are certain things that we see on the outward appearance and certain things that we know about each other. Umm, Eliana, how old are you?
Eight. OK, Kevin, did you know that? OK, Eliana, how many how many fingers do you have on your left hand?
5 Kevin, did you know that?
OK, yeah, that's, that's good. Umm, Now Eliana, how many, uh, hairs do you have on your head?
Don't know? How about you, Kevin?
No, but you know, there's one this morning that knows how many hairs are on your head. And you know that's the kind of care. He's the creator and sustainer of all things. The Lord Jesus Christ has a tremendous care for each little one in each family. As we talked about in Nehemiah out along the wall, He has a care for each and everyone that might be a lost sheep and.
His care is so great that He sent the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to be the Savior of sinners.
Now, with that thought, let's turn over. We'll read a couple more scriptures, and we'll sing a few more songs, perhaps in closing.
But we want to be very clear. Turn with me to Philippians 2.
We want to be very clear as to this one, the Lord Jesus.
And so we'll use Philippians 2 as a.
A little bit of a backdrop for this.
This one, who knew and knows everything about us, has a great care for us. We'll read this little outline and make a few comments to fill in some of the.
Story of the Lord Jesus Christ let's read philippians 2 and verse five we read of.
Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery.
To be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation.
Made himself of no reputation.
You know, there is one that we read of, I'm just going to refer to it. In Romans chapter 5, we've been talking about 1 lost sheep and you know there's a great answer to that one. Lost sheep.
And that comes in Romans chapter 5 and verse 18 it says.
Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation.
Rock. Do you know who that one was?
Give you a little clue, Let's back up in verse 14. Who's the one man by which sin came into this world?
Emma, do you know?
Adam good therefore, as by the offence of one, Remember you have one lost sheep, as it were, Adam, and that fallen creation, and we say 1 lost sheep. There therefore has been the offense of one. Judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
So if there's one who's a lost sheep?
For that one who is a lost sheep, there is a savior, There is a Good Shepherd this morning and we can read that and we can take a hold of that in a world that we travel through full of lost sheep, and we can.
Take and know him as Savior. Let's keep reading In Philippians 2 made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The Lord Jesus who was willing to go and to die even that death of the cross, He was hung up there on Calvary's cross by man's cruel, wicked hands. And you know our brother was speaking last night about those thorns, and I thought that I would bring this.
00:30:23
This morning.
Can you see some little thorns in there? Yeah, you see the little thorns in there?
Right along there.
There's little barns in there. Those are little ones.
You know the Lord Jesus there, when He had that crown of thorns platted upon His head, and it was upon His head He was answering to what had come right out of the fall, right out of the garden. One of those six curses that came upon man that the Lord Jesus answered at the cross, was regarding those thorns, the thorns and thistles that would spring up. And then we have as it were the answer to that in that crown of thorns He was there despised of men.
We read of him. He was acquainted with grief. You know how many of you have had a friend here this weekend?
Maybe someone that you could play with and they might have been a little bit older, a little bit younger. You've enjoyed some, uh, happy times together. An acquaintance. Well, here's a man who was acquainted with grief. That was what his life was here on this earth. We read that in Isaiah. He had nowhere to lay his head. And so when he was taken out and hung up there for us, that we, if we would believe in him. And we think of him in those three hours of darkness.
Where, you know, there was a number of utterances that he made on the cross.
But you know the most distinct one, perhaps the most distinct thing is that he said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do before the three hours of darkness. And at the end of the three hours of darkness, he said, Father, into thy hands do I commend my spirit. But what was it in the middle that he said?
That's good. That's one of them. And what I'm thinking of in particular is my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He goes from referring to as Father to God in those three hours. That's the very depths that he went to for you and I, that we might live at the hand of a righteous God. And then Father again, He says in that, in that next prayer. But you know, that soldier came along and pierced his side.
After he'd committed his spirit, he came along and pierced his side, and forthwith flowed there out blood and water.
And that's what can save the soul. That's what can cover those sins this morning. And he was buried, taken down from that cross by loving hands, put in a borrowed tomb, and he arose the third day, the evidence that God was satisfied.
Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow with things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth.
That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Well, that finished work was wonderful, and I'd like to give you perhaps three more examples out of that fire that was up against the back of our home.
While waiting for that call to be evacuated, we received different instructions, received a different message.
And it was quite an encouragement. It was this that they were going to come along at the base of that hill where that fire was burning down toward us, and they were gonna light backfires.
There, we're going to light backfires. You know that reminds me of the verse the Father sent the Son.
To be the savior of the world, there was going to be something that was going to intercede on our behalf. And they came in and there was a cost. It was dangerous work, but they let those backfires and they burned up while the fire burned down. You know, that reminded me of the work of Calvary's cross. One being standing in the way for us that we might because we were all once lost sheep like this.
And being brought nigh.
But you know, there is another thing that is very dangerous this morning and that is indifferent.
To this word, maybe heard it so many times. Maybe there's a young person here who's heard the word so many times to be indifferent. You know, when those fires were burning, we, we were there for about a week just before we left. And, you know, if things got to be pretty routine, do you know what indifference means? It means you just become, well, just kind of lazy about it. And you're, you hardly even notice what the danger is anymore and, you know, come home from, from work and uh, yeah, the **** out the window. The fire's burning.
00:35:28
It was very slow moving fire for a number of days.
And we'd sit down to dinner and, you know, and there's a verse that says all read that all things continue.
Where's the promise of his coming of all things that continue? Manager says, oh, everything's continuing on and, uh, there's no need to be concerned. But you know, there was a great need. That fire was still burning. So there's the danger of indifference this morning.
You know, one more thing we heard a little story about in, uh, some people that have decided they've been told to evacuate and, you know, as it were, they were lost sheep in need.
Of the Savior and you know what those people did? They didn't evacuate. And you know what they counted on? They counted on a a little hot tub in their house at their house and they were gonna get under the water there. And you know what those people got very seriously injured. I understand. And they had to be rescued. So we might think of that as umm, thinking of the verse. Neither is there salvation in any other or there is none other name. There's no other way this hot tub could never save them.
They thought they'd get under the water and get away from the fire. But neither is there salvation in any other. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. And you know, the last thing that was so impressive to me was, yeah, regarding that fire was one day coming home from work and you come over a little pass and looked up at the mountain to see how things were doing. You know, those backfires had been lit. And just as our Savior, his love has been shown out to us.
And those backfires had been lit.
And came over the top and looked up at the mountain. Much of the smoke had cleared.
Every bit of that brush was gone off that hill.
And we couldn't help but rejoice in our hearts to think and.
And in those three hours of darkness, when the Lord Jesus was on Calvary's cross, the wrath of a righteous God was consumed. There was nothing left.
Judgment was complete there upon the Lord Jesus for any who would believe here this morning. Any lost sheep can come to the Savior this morning. That's the good news of the salvation of salvation. And we looked at that hill and even a day later you still see a little smoke here and a little smoke here just from our little local area. And you, do we not have continual reminders? We see sin in the world. We see evidence, and we enjoy from day-to-day, week by week, we enjoy.
But that work is finished and, you know, we can go home and look at that hill and we'll see that it's barren. Everything was consumed just as the wrath of a righteous.
Well, let's close with a couple of verses and then we'll sing a song.
In John 10.
Read these verses really without comment. John 10.
And.
Verse 27 I trust each one here knows the Lord Jesus as Savior, and we can enjoy these wonderful verses. Verse 27 through 30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all.
And no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand.
Let's sing in closing #43.
#43 And here we have a door of salvation that anyone can come through. Any lost sheep could come right through that door of salvation. So let's sing. Brock, do you know number? Do you know one door song? You know that? Maybe know some hand motions to that? Eliana, do you know that song? Yeah, one door and only one. OK, so let's sing #43.
00:40:00
One door and only one. Yes, I.