August 4, 2010 The Prodigal Son 3

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

Good Salvation Wednesday Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. Early this morning some of you received an email in error. And yes, I had some problems last night and I need you to pray over it for me, maybe indeed it was a good thing it was sent in error. However, it did contain some really personal things and I request that after you read it, delete it and pray for me and the one mentioned in the note. I was very upset because the invocation was pulled for the addenda. I guess I am very tired of seeing prayers through Jesus being replaced with a "moment of silent prayer." Again, you should not have received this, but email is like shooting off one's mouth, you cannot put the words back in, so I have learned a lesson again in life... After the message today I will go in and see how much toothpaste I can put back into the tube.

Salvation Wednesday and the day we pray that we will always go and look for the lost and bring them in to our Lord Jesus to be saved. So if you know someone who is lost today, or maybe today you feel it might be you because you are a Prodigal Son or Daughter, let's get looking for the lost.

The Prodigal Son 3: Luke 15:3 - Then Jesus told them this parable. 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (NIV)

The parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost son tie right together. Both are examples of how our Lord God welcomes us home after we have drifted or after we have messed up on something and have asked for forgiveness and have repented and started over. I promised you that I would tell you about my past and how I was a Prodigal son, and yes, I was a prodigal son more than once. I was the lost sheep who was welcomed home and then ran off again and again you might say. I am so thankful that when I make mistakes our Lord God forgives and we just need to repent.

In today's scripture we can put ourselves in one or two places or both. We can be the lost sheep, or let's call that the Prodigal son or daughter, or we can be the shepherd who leaves the flock to go after that lost sheep. Today, on Salvation Wednesday I would like to have you do this... If today you feel you are the shepherd and you are going looking for the lost sheep, or in our case the prodigal son or daughter, that is good. Let's go and work for the Lord telling the good news to all who we see and see if we can catch some fish as we are indeed being fishers of men as God wants us to be.

However, if you are the one who has slid backwards right now and you really do need to repent because right now you feel like you are the prodigal son or daughter, please let me know so we can support you in prayer. I know I wonder sometimes if I have slipped and maybe this is one day I am questioning myself because of the email I sent out. Maybe it should not have been written at all because I should have worked it out with the one mentioned. This morning I just happened to hear one of those TV preachers who had no idea if anyone was listening to his message. After saying just that, she did not know if anyone was listening she said, that would be ok for I need to hear this message myself. As I have told you before, I think God has me writing a lot of the messages he gives me so I get to hear and read them. Today might just be one of those days.

So today I ask you to let me know if you are the shepherd or the lost sheep. Or maybe you feel like me today and you are on both sides. You want to find that lost sheep, but you also need the prayer support to move into the fields to look for it. Do I have you confused today, more than likely not, for I think at one time or the other we have fallen back, slipped away from the Lord for a tad, or really got lost. Tomorrow we find out what it was like to be raised by good Christian parents and then do a walk about or two. Yes, I am going to spill my guts out to you. Then when someone tells you, well I knew him way back and I could tell you some stories, well you can say... we know that and God gave him a clean plate. For now, lets get looking for the lost... and no better way to start than by asking God to help us.

Dear Father in Heaven, Today as we start, I need to ask that you forgive me, for I did not handle things properly last evening. I did not do justice for You. I messed up, so to speak, help me work it out. Also, Lord, I ask that You go with us today as we on the line seek out the lost and try and get them to You to be saved. We know that regardless of our efforts we cannot save them, so use us, dear Lord, to get them in. Help us to repent of our sins before we walk into battle looking for the lost. Lord, if there are people on the line that are lost, help them come forth today and clean their plate with You. We need Your help, Lord, in all we do. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Now go forth in battle and please along the way, share your blessings for we all have blessings to share. love ya, Pastor Dan.