ARE YOU THAT ONE
THE ONE LOST SHEEP
Luke 15:1-7
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:10-14)
In Matthew 18, we can read the words of Jesus as to how God feels for those who have a need for Him. The parable is given of a shepherd searching for his lost sheep (vv. 12-14) yes, one had gone astray and He would not be content until it was found. If you are lost, God will continue searching until He finds you, that is the seeking nature of God. We read in verse 14 that —“your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish”— then we need to take into consideration what Peter says in (2 Peter 3:9),“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Friends, this is why Jesus came, to seek and to save the lost.He will seek with the heart of the Father. He said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).cSo, if you have a loved one that is lost, don't stop praying pray for them, you are right they do need Jesus, all we are doing in joining with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the great work of seach and rescue all who will come.
Let me tell you the story of "BLACKY" I prsonally heard this story as a young person and after hearing it, it has always atuck in my mind. It may not be exactly as the person I heard it from told it, but it iss what I remember.
Blacky was a little sheep, that was a part of a flock of 100 sheep. All white sheep, but his name was "Blacky" why do you think His name was Blacky. Well, it was because he was a Baaaaaaaad sheep. His heart and his soul was black with sin, he wanted and had the desire to disobey his master, the Sheperd.
This story is about him and the Master Shepherd of that flock, He was a good shepherd and cared very well for His sheep. Every day, He would take them out on the mountain to graze, watching over them all day long. He would grass them on the lower portion of the mountian in the morning and then in the afternoon Hewould take them for a drink at the stream, in the cool calm waters, where He had dammed up the water to make it easier for His flock to get the drink they needed every day. Then once they had rested by the streanm for a periond, He would move them on up the path to the platue on the side of the mountian, where they would graze fro the rest of the day. Before taking them back down the mountian to the Sheep Fold, where He fixed up any wounds and checked each one over and counted them, before closing them in the fold, and then He slept at the gate of the sheep fold.
While at the stream resting, the sheep would lay around in the sun, and the sheperd would sit and play His harp and sinf=g songs and the sheep would sleep and rest, the little lambs would play, butting heads and drinking milk from their mothers, over all it could be called the good life. But for Blacky it was /boring.
This happened every day, up to the platue and back down to the fold, day in and day out all summer long. Now Blackie, was young and full of energy and he wanted some excitement in Hhis life. He thought is routine life going up and down day in and day out was just plain boring. This one morning as they were all following the Good Shepherd, and had left the lower pastures and were heading up to the stream, and the cool clear waters. The shepherd in the lead and the sheep strung out along the path, following as they always did. But Blacky began to look at all of the long grass down in some of the valleys, and he began to think, I wonder why the Sheperd does not take us down to eat in that luscious long green grass down there. "what blacky didnt know is that the shorter grass was better for sheep and the good shepherd knew that and there for wanted the very best for His sheep". But in his thinking, Blackie, thought the Sheperd was keeping him from the good life and enjoying the good things out there waiting for them. (kind of like us, we think often, that Jesus is trying to keep us from having a good time, and that all of the good stuff, is outside of the guidelines He has set for us.
Blackie began to desire that long lush grass down in the valleys and he began looking for a way to get there and find out what it was like. So this afternoon as they were following the Sheperd up the mountian, Blacky was looking for a good plan, to carry out what he wanted to do. That day, they past a rock, a big rock, one that he could very easly hide behind as they were passing by. So that day, he said to himself, "tomorrow when we pass by, I'm going to do it, I'm going to run away, and go see what I am missing.
Well, the next day, at the stream, he played with the other Lambs and drank a good lot of tasty milk from his mother, got a nice full tummy, so that when he went on his adventure, he would not be hungry. Then as they left for the trip up the mountian that day, all he could think about was his escape, how was he going to get away without the Sheperd noticing. Alnog the way. Blackie, walked slower than usual and slowly ended up at the very back of the flock, with the Sheperd in the lead, Blakoe thought He would never even notice. Andjust as they were passing by that big rock, Blacky slipped in behind the rock and hide. He was rembling a bit, because he was afriad that he may get caught by the Sheperd and may get in toruble. He waited and lissened to the rest of the flocks hooves clicking on the mountian rocks, and then all went quiet, he thought he had made his escape. But then.............
He heard the Sheperds voice, "You little racsal you, what are you doing behind here, and with that He gave him a little wack across the behind and told him to get up with the rest of the sheep. Blacky was pretty upset that he had got caught, so in his mind he said, I'll make it tomorrow. So he had to wait for another boring day with all the other same old sheep, no adventure today. The same old thing would happen today again.
The next morning, he thought about it very carefully, as to getting a long ways behind, before venturing off on his own, so the next day, he lingered away beck behind so the Sheperd would disappear around a corner and then when they got to the big rock, he could hid and not be seen by the Sheperd. All the other sheep were away ahead, and as he slowly approached the big rock, he looked to see if hecould see the Sheperd and He was no= whereto be seen. So Blaky quickly slipped behind the rock. He stood very still, he listened, and finally the ckicking of the hooves went quiet and still he waited, nothing, maybe I have made it this time, he thought to himself.. After few more minutes, he knew he was now on his own and could do whatever he wanted to do, no
sheperd to tell him what to do. There was a path, heading down to the tall luscious green grass, he wend down that path a bucking and a kicking up his heels, he was finnally free, as he hit the bottem, he went head over heels rolling into the grass, it was so much fun, he butted the tall grass and went jumping and playing through the grass, and before he knew it he cam out the other side, he was on a hillside, once again looking down int owhat appeared to be grass taller, thicker and more lush than whet he had just come through. Wow, he saud, look at that, that is better still, let me go and see.This happened two or three times more and all of a sudden, Blacky began to wonder where he was, and that it must be getting late, he should think about reurning to the flock before the master missed him. As Blacky was thinking, he began to wonder what way he should go to return, where were the others. He come to the quick relization he was lost, and he began to wander arounfd looking for his own tracks to find his way home.. As he wandered, he realize it was starting to get cold, as the darkness was coming and the clouds were setting in over the mountains, and now he was tarting t oget cold, and he went up and down for some time and each hill he went over, there was always another. Yes, he decide he was lost, and he continued trying to find his way back, he began calling out for the Sheperd, BAAA,BAAA,BAAA,. As he was moving up another steep slope, it started to snow, the wind and snow and rain begain to freeze in his wool, and ice cycles brgan to hang down in his eyes and he couldnt see very well. Then all of a sudden, he walked over the edge of a cliff and began to fall, down, down, down he fell, he thought, I am finished, what have I done? Lets leave blscky there for now, and go back and see how the Sheperd is doing with the rest of Blackys flock. The Sheperd had made hos way to the platue and had grazed the sheep all day, had watered them on the way down and was now at the sheep fold and each one waiting their turn to enter. As each one came they were counted and thier wounds from the day treated and then they went in. The sheperd had just said to himself, 90,91,92, 93, 94, 95,96,97,98,99, 99,99. ones missing, I wonder who is missing? Now the Shepherd could have said, oh well, its just one, Ill be alright.. But He didn't because He cared for all of His sheep. He said to Humslef, I be that little Blacky is the one missing, I better lock everyone up here and then go and seek and see if I can find him. So he did jst that. The Sheperd went to His home got on his warm winter coat and he big long sheperds staff, and he then left ot go and seek to finf=d the one sheep that was lost. First off He went to the big rock, he remembered that it was the place he had found Blacky a couple days ago. Once reaching the spot it did not tale long to find Blackys tracks and so he began following them. It began to get colder and colder, and the sheperd wrapped His coat around himseelf to stay warm. but continued His search. Lets return to see how Blacky is doing.. Oh yeah, he was falling down, down, down the side of the mountain. it really wasnt that far, but to Blacky it felt like he had fallen a long ways, but then all of a sudden something came out from the side of the mountain and grabbed Blacky and all of a sudden he stopped in mido air, and there he hung over the edge of the cliff, with 300 feet below him. He started to franticly call for the master, BAAAA,BAAAA,BAAAA. The master now climbing the mountain, every once in a while he would stop to listen, and seemed like ebv=ery time he heard nothing, but he continues calling Blacky, Blacky, Blacky, but then nothing only the wind blowing through the trees. Ne continuedup the mountian and continued to call and to listen, and then all of a sudden....... He thoufght He heard something, BAAA,BAAA,BAAA.. Could it be, could it be Blacky, as he listen and followed he figured out the sound was coming from somewhere beyond the side of the cliff, could it be Blacky had fallen down this cliff. As hr listen and looked over the edge he could see, down aways over the cliff, he could see a black figure hanging caught in a bush, hurt but alive and moving ever so slightly. Findig a ledge alittle ways down, He wasable to climb down and move along the ledge over to where blcky was hanging by his wool. With great care the Sheperd, untangled the wool from the thicket, brier bush, and in a lttle while he had Blacky free from the bush, He opened up his coat and tucked Blacky safely indaie and pulled the belt securly around the coat so Black could not fall out, buttoned it all way to the top and then began His climb back out of the cliff along the legde. Once out and on solid ground abain, they began the trip back home to the sheep fold. The snow was falling hard and fast now, and it was getting deeper and deeper, and harder for the sheperd to keep going. He was very tires, but almost home, he said to himself I must carry on. A klomiter from home, the sheperd tripped and fell int othe snow, and there he laid. The next morning the neighbour notice the sheperd had not come to the fold as ussual, and that the sheep in the fold were alone. The ydecided to go and look for him, and a little ways away, they seen a lump in the snow, and as they brushed the snow away, there they found the sheperd, who has died dring the night of exasshton as he was on his way home, as they rolled him over they seen something move inside the coat, as they unbuttoned the coat, there was Blacky safe and sound inside. The sheperds love had saved Blacky, but the hseperd had given up His life in His seeking to save Him. This story is a story of what Jesus did for you and for me, He came to earth to give his life and to pay for your sin and for mine and to give us eternal life instead of eternasl death and separation from God Matthew 18, Luke 15, tells of the love of Jesus for His SHEEp, you and me. He laid down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11) He will seek you, because He laid down His life on the cross for you, to take your place so you could live eternally.
sheperd to tell him what to do. There was a path, heading down to the tall luscious green grass, he wend down that path a bucking and a kicking up his heels, he was finnally free, as he hit the bottem, he went head over heels rolling into the grass, it was so much fun, he butted the tall grass and went jumping and playing through the grass, and before he knew it he cam out the other side, he was on a hillside, once again looking down int owhat appeared to be grass taller, thicker and more lush than whet he had just come through. Wow, he saud, look at that, that is better still, let me go and see.This happened two or three times more and all of a sudden, Blacky began to wonder where he was, and that it must be getting late, he should think about reurning to the flock before the master missed him. As Blacky was thinking, he began to wonder what way he should go to return, where were the others. He come to the quick relization he was lost, and he began to wander arounfd looking for his own tracks to find his way home.. As he wandered, he realize it was starting to get cold, as the darkness was coming and the clouds were setting in over the mountains, and now he was tarting t oget cold, and he went up and down for some time and each hill he went over, there was always another. Yes, he decide he was lost, and he continued trying to find his way back, he began calling out for the Sheperd, BAAA,BAAA,BAAA,. As he was moving up another steep slope, it started to snow, the wind and snow and rain begain to freeze in his wool, and ice cycles brgan to hang down in his eyes and he couldnt see very well. Then all of a sudden, he walked over the edge of a cliff and began to fall, down, down, down he fell, he thought, I am finished, what have I done? Lets leave blscky there for now, and go back and see how the Sheperd is doing with the rest of Blackys flock. The Sheperd had made hos way to the platue and had grazed the sheep all day, had watered them on the way down and was now at the sheep fold and each one waiting their turn to enter. As each one came they were counted and thier wounds from the day treated and then they went in. The sheperd had just said to himself, 90,91,92, 93, 94, 95,96,97,98,99, 99,99. ones missing, I wonder who is missing? Now the Shepherd could have said, oh well, its just one, Ill be alright.. But He didn't because He cared for all of His sheep. He said to Humslef, I be that little Blacky is the one missing, I better lock everyone up here and then go and seek and see if I can find him. So he did jst that. The Sheperd went to His home got on his warm winter coat and he big long sheperds staff, and he then left ot go and seek to finf=d the one sheep that was lost. First off He went to the big rock, he remembered that it was the place he had found Blacky a couple days ago. Once reaching the spot it did not tale long to find Blackys tracks and so he began following them. It began to get colder and colder, and the sheperd wrapped His coat around himseelf to stay warm. but continued His search. Lets return to see how Blacky is doing.. Oh yeah, he was falling down, down, down the side of the mountain. it really wasnt that far, but to Blacky it felt like he had fallen a long ways, but then all of a sudden something came out from the side of the mountain and grabbed Blacky and all of a sudden he stopped in mido air, and there he hung over the edge of the cliff, with 300 feet below him. He started to franticly call for the master, BAAAA,BAAAA,BAAAA. The master now climbing the mountain, every once in a while he would stop to listen, and seemed like ebv=ery time he heard nothing, but he continues calling Blacky, Blacky, Blacky, but then nothing only the wind blowing through the trees. Ne continuedup the mountian and continued to call and to listen, and then all of a sudden....... He thoufght He heard something, BAAA,BAAA,BAAA.. Could it be, could it be Blacky, as he listen and followed he figured out the sound was coming from somewhere beyond the side of the cliff, could it be Blacky had fallen down this cliff. As hr listen and looked over the edge he could see, down aways over the cliff, he could see a black figure hanging caught in a bush, hurt but alive and moving ever so slightly. Findig a ledge alittle ways down, He wasable to climb down and move along the ledge over to where blcky was hanging by his wool. With great care the Sheperd, untangled the wool from the thicket, brier bush, and in a lttle while he had Blacky free from the bush, He opened up his coat and tucked Blacky safely indaie and pulled the belt securly around the coat so Black could not fall out, buttoned it all way to the top and then began His climb back out of the cliff along the legde. Once out and on solid ground abain, they began the trip back home to the sheep fold. The snow was falling hard and fast now, and it was getting deeper and deeper, and harder for the sheperd to keep going. He was very tires, but almost home, he said to himself I must carry on. A klomiter from home, the sheperd tripped and fell int othe snow, and there he laid. The next morning the neighbour notice the sheperd had not come to the fold as ussual, and that the sheep in the fold were alone. The ydecided to go and look for him, and a little ways away, they seen a lump in the snow, and as they brushed the snow away, there they found the sheperd, who has died dring the night of exasshton as he was on his way home, as they rolled him over they seen something move inside the coat, as they unbuttoned the coat, there was Blacky safe and sound inside. The sheperds love had saved Blacky, but the hseperd had given up His life in His seeking to save Him. This story is a story of what Jesus did for you and for me, He came to earth to give his life and to pay for your sin and for mine and to give us eternal life instead of eternasl death and separation from God Matthew 18, Luke 15, tells of the love of Jesus for His SHEEp, you and me. He laid down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11) He will seek you, because He laid down His life on the cross for you, to take your place so you could live eternally.
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