WEBVTT 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.699 Hey everyone, this is Josh from Encounter Church 00:00:12.699 --> 00:00:15.279 Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.000 podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:20.820 you can have an encounter with Jesus that'll 00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:24.379 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:34.649 message from our preaching team. Or maybe it's 00:00:34.649 --> 00:00:36.890 simply Woolworths have rearranged their shelves. 00:00:38.850 --> 00:00:41.090 Fortunately, we now have Google Maps that can 00:00:41.090 --> 00:00:43.450 help us when we're lost. But what if we're in 00:00:43.450 --> 00:00:45.810 a situation where Google Maps may not be the 00:00:45.810 --> 00:00:49.030 solution? A few years ago, I was at the public 00:00:49.030 --> 00:00:51.289 library with my parents, and I was looking in 00:00:51.289 --> 00:00:53.429 a separate section, and they hadn't told me that 00:00:53.429 --> 00:00:56.070 they were both going to the toilet. I started 00:00:56.070 --> 00:00:57.969 looking for them, and I must have had a worried 00:00:57.969 --> 00:01:00.530 look on my face because I had at least two staff 00:01:00.530 --> 00:01:02.609 members come up to me and ask if I was okay. 00:01:03.360 --> 00:01:05.439 Shortly after, my parents came back from the 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:08.959 toilets and all was good. In that moment, even 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:11.079 though I was an adult and had a phone on me, 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:15.819 I felt lost. In that same situation, although 00:01:15.819 --> 00:01:18.379 I felt lost, I was also on a mission to find 00:01:18.379 --> 00:01:21.040 my parents. They had no idea I'd been looking 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:23.180 for them and had staff members approaching me 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:26.019 in their absence. While feeling like a lost sheep, 00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:29.500 I was also seeing them out, like a shepherd looking 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:32.930 for his lost sheep. My parents had no idea that 00:01:32.930 --> 00:01:34.430 their short trips to the toilet would involve 00:01:34.430 --> 00:01:36.629 their daughter pursuing them. When I told them 00:01:36.629 --> 00:01:38.650 I'd been searching for them and apparently looked 00:01:38.650 --> 00:01:41.409 worried, I think in that moment they felt valued 00:01:41.409 --> 00:01:44.409 and wanted because someone was in pursuit of 00:01:44.409 --> 00:01:50.510 them. As human beings, we feel valued when someone 00:01:50.510 --> 00:01:53.409 is in pursuit of us if we are being perceived 00:01:53.409 --> 00:01:56.209 in a positive way. For example, you might be 00:01:56.209 --> 00:01:58.409 a headhunter for a job or you might have started 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:00.650 coming to church because someone invited you. 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:04.000 You might be surprised to hear what the statistics 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.420 are for missing people in Australia. In 2024, 00:02:07.620 --> 00:02:09.719 it was reported by the Australian Federal Police 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:13.259 that it's estimated 50 ,000 people go missing 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:17.000 in Australia every year, or in other words, 150 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:21.479 people each day. Fortunately, over 99 % of people 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:25.740 are located, but unfortunately, 1 % or 500 people 00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:29.300 are not located. Approximately two thirds of 00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:31.599 missing persons reported at under the age of 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:35.099 18. Surprisingly, one third of missing persons 00:02:35.099 --> 00:02:40.000 go missing more than once. Jesus was constantly 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.960 in pursuit of those who were lost. He would associate 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:46.139 himself with the sick, the poor, the tax collectors, 00:02:46.860 --> 00:02:49.580 and sinners, and also cry to supporters if they 00:02:49.580 --> 00:02:58.669 existed in that time period. The religious leaders 00:02:58.669 --> 00:03:01.669 of the day frankly disagreed with what Jesus 00:03:01.669 --> 00:03:05.069 was doing, what he was saying and who he associated 00:03:05.069 --> 00:03:08.969 himself with. Despite this adversity, Jesus still 00:03:08.969 --> 00:03:11.530 valued and prioritized pursuing these people. 00:03:12.050 --> 00:03:14.050 Just like the one third of missing persons who 00:03:14.050 --> 00:03:16.610 go missing all at once, Jesus will pursue us 00:03:16.610 --> 00:03:19.430 each time we stray away from him and become lost 00:03:19.430 --> 00:03:25.919 again. When Jesus gives the parable the lost 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:28.099 sheep it becomes more significant when we go 00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:30.639 to the previous chapter in Luke chapter 14 verse 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:34.719 1. One Saturday Jesus went to eat dinner in the 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.139 home of a leader of the Pharisees and the people 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:40.139 were watching him closely. He wasn't reaching 00:03:40.139 --> 00:03:42.879 out on the street he was actually in the house 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:45.919 of the Pharisee. Then tax collectors and sinners 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:48.180 turned up to hear what Jesus had to say which 00:03:48.180 --> 00:03:50.699 would not have impressed the Pharisees and teachers 00:03:50.699 --> 00:03:54.819 of religious law. In the eyes of the Pharisees, 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:57.199 these people who flocked to seek Jesus were seen 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.599 as undesirable. Tax collectors were not highly 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.319 regarded as they helped Herod or the hated Romans, 00:04:03.639 --> 00:04:05.860 sometimes both, in addition to becoming rich 00:04:05.860 --> 00:04:08.780 at the expense of others. Even one of Jesus' 00:04:09.060 --> 00:04:11.199 disciples, Matthew, had been a tax collector. 00:04:11.780 --> 00:04:14.400 So if you know anyone who works at ATO, there's 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:22.449 still hope yet. In verse 2, it says that the 00:04:22.449 --> 00:04:24.889 Pharisees and teachers of religious law complained 00:04:24.889 --> 00:04:28.009 to Jesus about the tax collectors and notorious 00:04:28.009 --> 00:04:30.790 citizens rocking out to hear him. To top it all 00:04:30.790 --> 00:04:32.769 off, they were eating in a Pharisee's house. 00:04:33.230 --> 00:04:35.089 Religious leaders eating in the undesirableness 00:04:35.089 --> 00:04:38.050 was a big no -no because they were not only associated 00:04:38.050 --> 00:04:40.689 with him, they had welcomed and recognized him 00:04:40.689 --> 00:04:43.290 through this act. The undesirableness didn't 00:04:43.290 --> 00:04:45.769 turn up just for the free food. Verse 1 says 00:04:45.769 --> 00:04:49.170 they came to listen to Jesus teach. They were 00:04:49.170 --> 00:04:51.389 there because they valued what Jesus had to say 00:04:51.389 --> 00:04:54.189 about God. They were in pursuit of his knowledge 00:04:54.189 --> 00:04:57.410 and what he had to say. He couldn't help them 00:04:57.410 --> 00:04:59.910 if he didn't meet them and live among them. He 00:04:59.910 --> 00:05:01.930 used this parable and the two parables following 00:05:01.930 --> 00:05:04.310 after to address this complaint the Pharisees 00:05:04.310 --> 00:05:08.370 had. In the parable of sheep, Jesus paints a 00:05:08.370 --> 00:05:10.589 picture of a shepherd leading nine to nine sheep 00:05:10.589 --> 00:05:13.189 in the wilderness when one sheep goes missing. 00:05:13.730 --> 00:05:16.449 The shepherd demonstrates his love and perseverance 00:05:16.449 --> 00:05:19.430 for this one sheep. constantly searching high 00:05:19.430 --> 00:05:23.689 and low until he finds it. When he finds the 00:05:23.689 --> 00:05:25.730 sheep he brings it back home on his shoulders 00:05:25.730 --> 00:05:29.089 rejoicing. He calls together his friends and 00:05:29.089 --> 00:05:30.709 neighbours to rejoice with him that his love 00:05:30.709 --> 00:05:33.449 sheep has now been brought back home. Imagine 00:05:33.449 --> 00:05:35.529 how heavy a sheep would be on your shoulders 00:05:35.529 --> 00:05:41.170 in carrying it back home. The love sheep represents 00:05:41.170 --> 00:05:43.370 a sinner who has repented and being brought back 00:05:43.370 --> 00:05:46.290 into a relationship with God. The sheep or sinner 00:05:46.290 --> 00:05:49.629 is carried home with the shepherd or Jesus rejoicing 00:05:49.629 --> 00:05:52.790 over the joyful occasion. As someone returning 00:05:52.790 --> 00:05:55.410 home to God is worthy of celebration, the shepherd 00:05:55.410 --> 00:05:57.709 throws a party and invites his friends and neighbours, 00:05:57.870 --> 00:06:00.910 which could be us, to celebrate with him in his 00:06:00.910 --> 00:06:04.689 joy. The 99 sheep you didn't go missing represent 00:06:04.689 --> 00:06:07.610 people who haven't straight away. God loves and 00:06:07.610 --> 00:06:10.410 values all of us equally. However, when there 00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:12.709 is a moment where one person who was lost is 00:06:12.709 --> 00:06:15.399 now right with God, That person brings God more 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:17.279 joy in that moment because they were once lost 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:19.660 to sin, but they'll now be found in their forgiveness 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:23.639 by God. There is joy for those who are safe in 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:26.319 the arms of God, represented by the 99 sheep, 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:29.319 but even more joy for the one who was lost who 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:31.660 came back to God through repentance, represented 00:06:31.660 --> 00:06:34.660 by the lost sheep. How good to know that there 00:06:34.660 --> 00:06:37.899 is joy in heaven each time we repent and return 00:06:37.899 --> 00:06:43.339 to God. Just as the shepherd went searching for 00:06:43.339 --> 00:06:46.040 his love sheep, God actively seeks out sinners 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.579 and brings them home. He doesn't just welcome 00:06:48.579 --> 00:06:52.980 sinners, he seeks sinners. We have been given 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:56.079 the gift of pursuit by God. He is actively pursuing 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:02.399 us so that we realise that it will not. His pursuit 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:04.480 of us is not just for our initial salvation, 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:07.220 but in living out our salvation and being formed 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:10.420 as disciples of Jesus in God's image. The only 00:07:10.420 --> 00:07:12.040 difference between the missing sheep and the 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:14.759 rest of the sheep was that it was lost. The sheep 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:17.480 didn't have to earn God's love or Jesus' respect. 00:07:17.899 --> 00:07:20.639 Instead, Jesus loved looking for the sheep and 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.279 celebrated finding it. The shepherd in the parallel 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:26.800 didn't just find the sheep. He searched relentlessly 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.759 for it and carried it back home. This reflects 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.519 God's love from heaven. He loves us and wants 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:35.379 us to have a relationship with him as a beloved 00:07:35.379 --> 00:07:38.889 child of God. He loves and values you and me 00:07:38.889 --> 00:07:43.610 equally, and he wants to see us every day. If 00:07:43.610 --> 00:07:45.930 you do not yet know him, I encourage you to open 00:07:45.930 --> 00:07:48.750 up your heart to a God who loves you so much 00:07:48.750 --> 00:07:50.689 that he will listen to you until you are no longer 00:07:50.689 --> 00:07:59.009 lost, but have been found. Colonel Sanders, the 00:07:59.009 --> 00:08:02.290 founder of KFC, a peer -attendant church and 00:08:02.290 --> 00:08:04.879 tied regularly. However, he was not yet in a 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:07.600 personal relationship with Jesus. He started 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.620 KFC at the age of 66 years old, but it was not 00:08:10.620 --> 00:08:14.160 until he was 77 years old that he finally accepted 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:17.279 Jesus, describing it as the greatest experience 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:21.759 he'd had in his 89 years of life. He had realised 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:23.839 that his good works would not get him into heaven, 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:27.600 only accepting Jesus would. Colonel Sander laid 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:29.959 the reason why God allowed his business to prosper, 00:08:30.439 --> 00:08:32.740 was to use his wealth for the benefit of others. 00:08:33.019 --> 00:08:35.139 as he knew that his wealth would be of no use 00:08:35.139 --> 00:08:39.700 to him after he died. God pursued Colonel Sanders 00:08:39.700 --> 00:08:42.299 for a long time, seven to seven years in fact, 00:08:42.860 --> 00:08:45.399 for him to no longer be a lost sheep and be found 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:48.659 by Jesus. Also, how encouraging to know that 00:08:48.659 --> 00:08:51.460 for someone who could easily say creating wealthy 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:53.940 business was their greatest experience, he was 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:56.480 able to say that accepting Jesus was his greatest 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:03.279 experience. Jesus explains that we should rejoice 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:06.460 when someone repents. Jesus has declared through 00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:09.120 this parable that heaven has a great party every 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:11.340 time that someone who was lost has come to know 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:14.399 God and followed him. If there is joy in heaven 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:17.179 for the occasion, we should also have joy that 00:09:17.179 --> 00:09:19.399 our fellow brother or sister has come back to 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:22.840 relationship with Jesus. At Encounter, we have 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:25.519 a bustling culture where we each have someone 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:28.039 in mind to pray for who doesn't yet know Jesus. 00:09:28.809 --> 00:09:32.070 If you don't yet have someone in mind, your Henley 00:09:32.070 --> 00:09:37.210 Homework, our favourite segment, is to leave 00:09:37.210 --> 00:09:40.889 a plus one and start praying for them. We don't 00:09:40.889 --> 00:09:43.169 expect you to carry them to church on your shoulders, 00:09:43.330 --> 00:09:48.529 however that would be very impressive. But pray, 00:09:48.649 --> 00:09:50.990 intercede for them, start conversations with 00:09:50.990 --> 00:09:54.019 them, invite them to church events. How good 00:09:54.019 --> 00:09:56.320 would it be if you could one day throw a celebration 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:01.720 party for them for coming to know Jesus? Jesus 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:04.039 associated himself with those that the religious 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:07.379 leaders would not. Through Jesus making our relationship 00:10:07.379 --> 00:10:09.480 with God right again following his death and 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:12.440 resurrection, God is in pursuit of all of us, 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:14.779 just like I was in pursuit of my parents at the 00:10:14.779 --> 00:10:18.159 library. It doesn't matter if we are clean or 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:37.200 unclean, rich or poor. Thanks so much for tuning 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.220 into this week's message. If you've felt challenged 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:42.860 or need prayer, we'd love to hear from you on 00:10:42.860 --> 00:10:46.340 Instagram at encounterhenley. Or if you're interested 00:10:46.340 --> 00:10:48.919 in how you can support this ministry, please 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:53.059 go to our website encounteradelaide .com .au 00:10:53.059 --> 00:10:55.940 Thanks again for listening. God bless you.