Rest For Your Souls: The Lost Sheep
I remember getting lost at the grocery store as a little girl.
As my mother shopped, I became distracted by something on the shelves (probably candy!). When my mother moved on to look at more items, I kept examining the sweets and walked in the opposite direction. Suddenly, I realized we were no longer together. I panicked and ran between the aisles searching for her.
After maybe two minutes (which felt like an eternity to a four year old), my mother appeared at the end of an aisle and said, “There you are, Lydia!”
I was not truly lost. In a small store other shoppers could easily help me in my distress. Also, my mother did not neglectfully leave me, she simply stepped around the corner to grab something. I was the one who wandered away. It was not a dangerous situation, but as a child I still felt afraid. Where was my mother? How could I find her? Would she ever find me!?
Feeling lost is distressing and disorienting, affecting both children and adults. For example, when our GPS stops working while trying to find a new address or we get off the train in an unknown part of the city.
Sometimes we feel unsettled, panicked, and even lost as we look at all there is to do. The rush of modern society combined with the isolation of living in a country that is not our home culture (the reality of many of us living in Berlin) can leave us feeling extra lost.
In Matthew 18, Jesus told a parable (or short teaching story) about a lost sheep.
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:12-14, NLT).
This parable teaches us something important about ourselves and about God.
First, it shows that people (the sheep in this story) can become lost.
Sometimes we feel lost because of a situation outside of our control. Other times our lostness is a result of poor decisions we make. We invest our time, resources, energy or affections in possessions, endeavors or unhealthy relationships that lead us away from what should matter most to us.
When we get caught up in these things, we “wander” away relationally and spiritually from the God who created us to have a loving and safe relationship with him. We are like a lost sheep.
Second, it reveals the character of God. The owner of the sheep noticed that one went missing. He cared so much that he left the flock in a safe place, and actively went in search of his lost sheep.
In the same way, God knows when we wander away from him but he still deeply cares for us. He doesn’t leave us lost. He knows where to find us and he intentionally and lovingly seeks us. Then, he cherishes us and rejoices over us when we reunite ourselves with him.
The creator of the universe is the God who seeks and finds us.
This fall our theme at Community Church is Rest for Your Souls.
Even if you feel hopelessly lost and realize your wandering drove you farther away from God than you ever intended, take comfort. Take rest. God knows you, loves you, and is actively seeking you. Will you acknowledge this in your heart this week?
If you admit you are lost and trust the loving character of God, best seen on display in his son Jesus, then you can experience being found. You will be brought into the shepherd’s family who will care for you and welcome you home.
This is why we started Community Church. We want to be an international worshiping community, full of women and men who once felt lost, but now know they are found in Jesus.
Join us next Tuesday night as we explore more teachings and encounters with Jesus at our next Explore the Bible event.