This coming Sunday, we will be focusing on God's heart for the lost, and His compassion for all people. The main scripture will be Luke chapter 15, which includes the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. I would suggest that everyone read the chapter sometime this week, to help prepare for a focused worship time on Sunday morning.
My question for our church family to think about and discuss is this: who are the lost? And what do you think about the idea that there may be degrees of "lostness"? I have often struggled with the related concept of degrees of sin… you know the way that we humans like to add a convenient layer of relativity to the concept of sin. One illustration would be the different ways we might think of a liar versus a murderer, or a jealous person versus a lesbian.
What are your thoughts? This is a great place to share!
On behalf of the Worship Team,
Jena Akers
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2 comments:
Here is a START (just to get us GOING...)
Since the cross, humanity has been divided into 2 groups: "the lost" and "the saved". A person cannot be IN BOTH or IN NEITHER. I am either IN ONE or the OTHER. I am either IN CHRIST or I am NOT.
"The lost" is anyone who is not currently in a SAVED relationship with Jesus. HE knows those who are HIS. All people have sinned and are either IN their sin or they are IN Jesus Christ, having been SAVED from their sin by Jesus' blood (life-giving sacrifice).
Romans Chapter 10 verse 1Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be SAVED. 2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
"The lost" are those who do not have a righteousness IN Christ because they do not KNOW Christ... they do not yet believe in the One God sent to save us all.
Romans 3:21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Those who have faith in Jesus are justified and are no longer "lost". They are "saved" by God's grace! It is by grace I have been saved, through faith — something I could NOT have done on my own. My salvation is "the gift" of God!!! (from Ephesians 2)
Curtis
I would go one step further and say that even BEFORE the cross people were in the same two camps, whether they recognized it or not. God's Old Testament law, and the words of the prophets, pointed the way to the cross (and God's mercy). King David has always amazed me with his ability to see God's heart through the old law. From Psalm 4: "Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer... The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him... Don’t sin by letting anger control you... Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord... In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."
Even under the law, David knew that it was only God's mercy that saved him, that sin wasn't about breaking the rules, but about deeper issues in the heart, and that his "righteousness" came about through God's transformative power!
Sorry if that was a bit of a side track, but like I said, it's always amazed me!
Eric
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