COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
29 SEPTEMBER 2024 pm – DAVID BURKE
MATTHEW 18 VERSES 1 – 14
We have all heard the expression “human
life is cheap”. It is used at a time of
war or conflict when countless lives are needlessly lost. It is a phrase used of abortion – multitudes of
precious lives slaughtered in the womb.
In the eyes of many people in the eyes of our government, human life is
cheap, little value is placed on the lives of individuals. That could never be said of God. This parable teaches us of the worth of an
individual soul to the Lord. In verse 10
Christ is telling us how much we are to value and respect those who come to him
in childlike faith – not only the tiniest and meekest child but any individual
no matter their age. Believe in
childlike faith. They are not much in
the eyes of the world but highly regarded and precious by the Lord. What does this mean to you tonight?
You are uniquely precious to the Lord.
Look at how many times he used the word “one”. See the emphasis he puts on this word in verses
10, 12 and 14. Jesus emphasises here in
this parable the one, the single individual.
The impression we get here – every individual who trusts Christ is one
inestimable value to him. He sees them
as uniquely precious. The gospel is a
unique message. You are not one in the crowd
as far as God is concerned. The
government considers the mass of people and is rarely interested in the
individual. God is concerned about
you. You are not just one in the
crowd. You are unique to him. You are personally accountable to him. He is personally interested in your
situation.
You are also a lost soul.
The gospel is good news because there is some bad news. This bad news concerns you as an
individual. What is the bad news? That you are a lost soul. Look what Christ says in verse 11 – “to save
that which was lost.” That is the word
Christ uses – lost. Christ tells us
himself plain and clear as individuals we have gone astray and are lost. Jesus uses a familiar scene to his
listeners. They were used to seeing
shepherds on the mountains with their sheep.
It is always the nature of sheep to wander and go astray. Farmers will put up sheep wire around their fields
– why – because sheep will seek to push their way through the smallest of holes
to wander off and go astray. That is an
illustration of us as individuals. We
keep wandering away from God. Isaiah 53
verse 6. Nothing could describe our
condition as human beings better. As
sheep wandering off, going astray. Think
of a sheep gathering all into the fold, guarding them, protecting them. That is how man was in the beginning. There was a bond, a unity with the great
shepherd, the creator. A wonderful relationship
of love an affection. The shepherd would
often lift the lamb into his arms and carry it.
Such was the love and affection between both the shepherd and the
sheep. That is how it was for Adam. A wonderful close relationship with his
creator enjoyed in the Garden. That bond
has now been broken. We have wandered
from God. It happened in the garden when
man rebelled against God. That is when
man started to wander from God. Ever
since then man has been wandering ever so far from God. We are all following our own paths, our own pleasures. What ever is pleasing to us. We are like sheep on the mountain, wandering
away from the protection of the shepherd.
Exposed to the dangers of the wild animals. We have turned everyone to our own way. Following the path we have chosen. You might say “I haven’t wandered away. I attend church, I try to keep the 10
commandments.” Have we perfectly kept
the law of God? The 10 commandments
shows us God’s perfect standard. If you
believe in God and believe that is sufficient, have you kept everyone of God’s
commandments? Have you obeyed them
perfectly? Have you not had jealous
thoughts, shown anger, had a critical attitude toward other people? Do you really love the Lord with all your
soul, heart and mind? That is how the 10
Commandments are summed up by Jesus himself.
Can you honestly say you have and to this moment you love and are loving
the Lord with all that is in you and your neighbour as yourself? We have to say we have failed in one way or
another. On the surface we can say we
have not wandered from God but look down into the depth of your heart and see
all the desires you have from day to day.
You will realise you have wandered from God in many things. “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body.” James 3 verse 2. We have all wandered away from God. We have no shepherd to guide us, to defend us
or protect us. We are all lonely
wanderers pursuing our own interests, gratifying our own sinful desires. We are unprotected to all kinds of
dangers. We don’t know the blessing of
God. We have no shelter from God’s wrath
still to come. How terrible. There is a coming storm, the storm of God’s
wrath which is going to break our hearts.
Some day. If you don’t flee to
Christ you have no shelter from that storm.
How terrifying. There will be no
shelter from the coming storm of God’s wrath.
It will be hell for ever. Look at
the selfish schemes and plans of people.
See a true description of mankind here in this passage – sheep wandering
from God. They do their own way out on
the mountain, exposed to all kinds of dangers.
Christ is emphasising here that you are lost as an individual. Not merely lost with a crowd. Some people think that is a good thing. They are not the only one. They take safety in that idea. Some even say that of hell. That they will not be the only one
there. Their friends, family and
neighbours will be there too. It can’t
be that bad. You are lost as an
individual. You may be with the crowd
but you are lost as an individual. When
it comes to death it will not matter how many friends you have gathered around
you. On your deathbed you will die
alone. If you died without Christ you
will find yourself in hell. A place of
utter darkness. It will not matter if
millions of others are in that place – you will be alone in that darkness as if
you are the only one there. You will face
that wrath alone. You are lost as if you
are the only one.
Christ came to seek and to save you – verse 11. Christ tells us why he came into this
world. Not to merely set a good example
of how to live. Many will say that he
set a good example of how to live – by loving and forgiving others. Think of the lost sheep out on the mountain –
lost and alone. What good would an example
be to the lost sheep? Wandering further
and further away, no desire to come back to the fold? A superficial view of man’s need and man’s
problem. The nature of a sheep is that
it wants to go astray. The human heart
is so deprived by sin it doesn’t want to come to the fold of God. It wants to keep on wandering. Christ came into the world to save that which
is lost. Our greatest need is to be
sought and to be found. To be put on the
shoulders of the good shepherd and carried back to the fold. He did not give up until he found us. He brought us back to the fold. You may be nobody in the eyes of the world
but let me assure you, you are precious to the Son of God. He was willing to leave heaven to go into the
wild mountains of this world to seek you, to find you, to save you. How did he do it? By climbing Calvary’s hill, by hanging on an
old rugged cross. He sought us, he found
us and he saved us. He lifted me up and
brought me back to the fold of God. He
saves us by giving his life as a ransom for us.
He shed his blood for us. John 10
verse 11 “I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the
sheep.” When you and I were wandering
out there on the mountains Christ crossed those deep waters, went through
Calvary, laid down his life to seek us, to find us. He lifted us, he placed us on his shoulders and
brought us back to the security of the fold.
Christ came to seek and to save us and he did so by dying for our lost
souls.
The Lord doesn’t want you to perish – verses 12 and 13. Think of what Christ is saying here. A good shepherd would be so committed to the
care of his sheep, he is willing to leave the remaining 90 and 9 and go after
the one sheep that was lost. To the
darkest of places where the sheep has wandered away to. To search for it and find it. He didn’t shrug
his shoulders. He was the good
shepherd. He would go after the one
sheep until he found it. That is the
heart of the good shepherd. Christ the
good shepherd cares for you as an individual.
He does not want you to perish.
You may be perishing tonight, wandering far from him. He doesn’t want you to perish, to be left alone
to perish in the darkness for ever.
Verse 14. “The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2
Peter 3 verse 9 “I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live;
turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?”
Ezekiel 33 verse 11 That is the heart of
the good shepherd toward you. He does
not want you to perish. He has no
pleasure in the death of even one sheep.
If you should die without Christ and find yourself in the eternal
blackness of hell that would bring no pleasure to the heart of God. There is only one thing that prevents you
from being rescued and brought back to the fold of God – the stubborn refusal
to allow the good shepherd to save you.
Turn to him, allow the good shepherd to seek for you, to lift you up, to
bring you to his fold. Will you trust
him as your Lord and Saviour tonight?
There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold–
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care,
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.
2 "Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?"
But the Shepherd made answer: "This of mine
Has wandered away from me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep."
3 But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed thro'
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry–
So sick and helpless and ready to die;
So sick and helpless and ready to die.
4 "Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way
That mark out the mountain’s track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back."
"Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?"
"They are pierced tonight by many a thorn,
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn."
5 And all through the mountains, thunder-riven,
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of heaven,
"Rejoice! I have found my sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne,
"Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own,
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!"
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