Transcription
We did have a wonderful time in Oceanside, California. I really appreciate all of those on the impact team and the sound team that went and labored, and it was a tremendous time. Such a unique venue. You saw on the video the lady that was crying and laughing, the one that bent down. She got healed. But this is right on the beach. And she said, it wasn't like she saw advertising. She said, "I was walking past and I heard it and I came down and she got saved and she got healed." Such an incredible venue to be able to preach the gospel. So, I'm grateful for all that God did and I appreciate your labor. I know many of you are tired. I have good news. I will preach for under three hours and then you can go and take a nap.
Okay, we have um uh I have a new story I was going to read you, but Devin Ri actually found a video of it. I want you to watch this. This is a missing person on camera in downtown Fort Worth. Surveillance video shows this man run up to the nativity scene in Sundance Square around 2:00 Saturday morning, zeroing in on baby Jesus. He quickly scoops up the doll and hops away the stairs. Well, you know, it happened. That was kind of a shock to us. We weren't really expecting somebody to take baby Jesus. According to police, the suspect wasn't alone. A different camera captured this man wearing a blue shirt and hoodie with baby Jesus in his arms. This 5-year-old's face says it all. Yeah, it was just heartbreaking and kind of shocking that somebody would do that around the Christmas season. Thanks to a vigilant community along with police on Wednesday afternoon, Fox 4 captured a Christmas miracle. Baby Jesus returned to Sundance Square. Director Zack Murphy. All right. I'm glad they got him back. We can all enjoy Jesus now. Did you see baby Jesus? Yeah. Now, forward police say it's still an open investigation and both of these suspects could actually face theft charges. But first, investigators have to figure out the dollar amount for baby Jesus. That is great.
So the point of me showing that, pay attention, Jesus was missing and they knew it's not okay to go on without Jesus. And I love that they're trying to work out what is Jesus worth. And so that is what I'm going to preach about. I'm going to preach in a scripture where it tells a time where Jesus went missing. And I'm going to preach about Jesus lost and found. Luke 2 starting at verse 41. His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother did not know it, but supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, sought him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they didn't find him, they returned to Jerusalem seeking him. Now so it was after three days they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. So when they saw him they were amazed. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought you anxiously." And he said to them, "Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my father's business?" Jesus lost and found. Let's begin.
I want to talk about the thought of being surprised by loss. In the text, Joseph and Mary were surprised that Jesus wasn't with them. Jesus was missing. Think about who Jesus Christ is. God in the flesh. He is the King of Kings. How can God be missing from your life? Verse 43, he lingered behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother didn't know it. Come on. Losing God is not like losing your keys or your sunglasses, right? That you're losing the one who your soul depends upon. We're really talking about losing salvation and being right with God. How can you do that? They made a number of mistakes. And the first mistake is they made the mistake of assuming verse 44 supposing him to have been in the company they went a day's journey. In other words, they're going on, Jesus isn't even with them. They assumed that he was. And that gets many people in trouble. They assume that they're right with God. And that is a mistake. So how can you assume that you have God with you when actually you don't? I think there are a number of reasons. I think there for some there is the error that they make of information because they know things about the Bible. They know the words to Christian songs because they know how the church or the fellowship operates. They think I am right with God. Lisa and I moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, 1997, and people were raised to go to church. There would be drug dealers. They would talk about being sanctified and redeemed. They use the right words, but they were absolutely far from God.
There's a second error that they make and that is that location makes means you have God. Verse 41, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. Joseph and Mary had been to the temple because that's where you go if you have a relationship with God. That's good. But the problem is today Jesus was missing even though they were in the right place. Do you know that there are people who come on Sunday or they come occasionally to the right place in church. But you being in church doesn't mean that you have Jesus. How many of you know that? I walked into my garage this morning to come to church and I did not become a car. Not even once. I was there. That's where cars go. But I was in the place for cars. But that didn't mean I became a car. And some of you, you come to church and that does not mean that you are a Christian.
Third mistake, the era of past experience. Joseph and Mary had experienced incredible things in the past. Think about their life. Angels appeared to them. I've never had an angel appear. Wise men brought them gifts from afar. They were warned in a dream supernaturally and that saved their lives. That is wonderful. But the issue is what about today? You can tell about did I ever tell you when I was so on fire for Jesus or I did I ever tell you when I experienced I felt the presence but what about today? Today Jesus was missing from their lives and then there's the error of involvement. Do you know that it's possible you can be very helpful in church? You can be involved in ministry, helping other people, and yet not be a Christian. John 3:1, Nicodemus, he was a ruler of the Jews. This man was a spiritual ruler involved in leading people uh uh in some way to God. And yet Jesus said, "You are not born again." Because you're helpful doesn't mean you're a Christian. My wife and I pioneered our first church in Lawist, Tasmania in Australia. Had a man that came for five months. He was the most helpful person in the whole church. He helped me set up. He helped me take it down. He helped me on outreach with equipment, many different ways. But for five months, he absolutely was not born again. Even though he was very helpful. Just because you're in ministry in church, that doesn't necessarily mean that you are born again. I'm amazed. I've been pastoring now for almost 40 years, and from time to time, I've had people, they are involved in children's church, drama, band, song service, whatever. And they come to the realization, I'm not saved, but but but you helped. But that doesn't mean that you are born again.
So our story is actually a warning. It's a cautionary tale. It's possible that you can be surprised that Jesus is missing in your life. And our text says they had no idea. Verse 44 in the amplified version says, "But supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and then they sought him among their relatives and acquaintances." Do you know what? That's a scary thought. You could be blinded. They're traveling on. I got Jesus. Of course, I got Jesus. And a day later, it's like, we don't have Jesus with us at all. Matthew 7:23, I'll declare to them then, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. And Matthew 25:41, he will say to those on the left hand, "Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Listen to me. You know what that scripture means? On the day of judgment, there are going to be people shocked that they're not going to heaven, they're actually going to hell. And they never knew it. Like Joseph and Mary, they assumed, they reasoned wrongly, but they did not even know. They were far from God. Judges 16:20, she said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson." He awoke from sleep and said, "I'll go out as before, like other times, and shake myself free." But he didn't know that the Lord had departed from him.
So the answer is I'm saying those words not so that at any moment you I thought I was saved but maybe I'm not saved. Maybe I'm going to hell. Well, you know what the Bible says the answer is to have an honest heart examination. And I can't do that for you. You have to do it for yourself. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourself then. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless you are qualified?" That word examine is a word. It's from assaying of metals. If you have a metal you think that it is gold or whatever it is, but it is when you put it under heat or you put certain chemicals then you realize fool's gold is the right color and shiny. But put some heat or chemicals on it, you discover it's not gold at all. That scripture that I just said tells us sometimes that's what you have to do to your heart. I think that I have God, but let's examine some evidence. Joseph and Mary assumed that Jesus was with them without checking. The problem is they're traveling on. No one checked. The evidence Jesus is either with you or he's not. So the question is, what is the evidence that you have Jesus in your heart and in your life? And the Bible says the main work of salvation, there must be a conversion moment. John 3:3 says you must be born again. Is there anyone here that you are sort of born? Yeah, I was kind of born. No, absolutely not. On my birth certificate, it says 9964 at 11:11 a.m. I was born. The birth certificate does not say, "As summer gave way to autumn, Greg gradually became." Listen, you are or you aren't. Now, you don't have to know the exact moment in time. I don't even know the exact day. I know that I was born again in November of 1978 during the Thanksgiving break. I don't know the exact day, but I can tell you the moment. I know when Jesus came in. So Jesus says there has to be a definite point in time. And this is the problem. There are people who have been raised with the Bible. They've been raised coming to church, but they've never been born again. And he says that is evidence. You have to there be like I'm not really sure when it. You better find out. You better make sure that's between you and God.
The second evidence is there must be evidence of change. If you are born again, something should change. We call this our testimony. 2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away and behold all things become new. This is what happens in some way. We are all different. We all have different manifestations of sin. But if you are born again, something must change. Something of the old will pass away. Now there is power over sin. So my question to you is if you have Jesus in your life, if you have been born again, what changed? For some that will be drugs or alcohol. For me, I can tell you after I was born again, I stopped smoking dope. I stopped drinking booze. Probably 18 months or so after I was born again, I was driving and a drunk deliberately rammed my car and sent me into oncoming traffic. And when the car stopped on the median, I had two thoughts. The first is, "Thank you, Jesus. I'm alive." And the second, I said, "I didn't swear." That is real progress. Cuz before I had a foul mouth, that was instinct. But when you're born again, something changes for you. It might be totally different than me, but there needs to be some evidence.
Third Mark is the evidence of hunger. Birth produces hunger. Babies, if they're healthy, want to eat. 1 Peter 2:2 and 3, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. If indeed you've tasted that the Lord is gracious, you know what? If you have no desire for the things of God, you don't want to go to church, you don't want to read your Bible, you don't want to pray, do you know what? You're not saved. That's what that scripture says. Because if you are born again, there must be some level of hunger for the things of God. And our story warns us about the danger of distance. Verse 44. Supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and then they started looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances. So, an entire day went by. Now, you might go some time without reading your Bible, but you shouldn't go a whole day without knowing where your kids are, right? Distance. Can I ask you a question this morning? How long has it been since you honestly have had a connection with Jesus? I talk to people sometimes, there's either trouble in their life or they want to argue with you and my question often is, when's the last time you read your Bible? It's always a bad sign when they got to think about some months ago, I think. Okay, that's not good. That's not how hunger works, right? How long has it been since you genuinely? There are people that haven't been to an altar in months, years. There are people who have not felt the presence of God for a long, long time. Jesus is missing.
Let's talk second about the family mistake. Joseph and Mary, they made a second mistake. The first was assuming. The second, they assumed where did they look? With the family because if Jesus is with the family, that's the same as him being with me. Verse 44, supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey and sought him among their relatives and acquaintances. Here's a great mistake of people who are not right with God, they assume, my family has Jesus, so I have Jesus. Do you know you can have every single member of your entire family, they all have a relationship with Jesus Christ and you be on your way to hell? Judges 2:10, another generation arose that did not know the Lord. Nehemiah 13:23 and 24, there were Jews that married women, enemy women, and half of the children spoke the language of their enemies and could not speak the language of Judah, but they spoke one or the other. They had at least one right parent, but they had no connection. Couldn't even speak the language of God's people. Listen, there's a powerful statement. I didn't make it up, but it goes like this. God has no grandchildren. He only has children. If you're not a child of God, yeah. My parents are saved. God doesn't have any grandchildren. Either you are a child of God or you are not right with God. John 1:12 and 13. To all who received him, he who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Not grandchildren. Children. Children born not of natural descent or human decision but born of God. I was raised, I was privileged. My father was the pastor of this church. I was raised by godly parents, but I want to tell you I absolutely was not right with God because God has no grandchildren. If your family has Jesus, that doesn't mean you do. If your friends have Jesus, that doesn't mean that you do. They sought him. Verse 44, among their relatives and acquaintances. Listen, salvation must be personal. You either have Jesus in your heart and your life or you don't. Revelations 21:27 says, "Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will get in." Listen, on the day of judgment, God's not going to be looking for your family name. He's going to be looking for you. I fly like all the time. One of the things I have to do every time I go on a flight is I have to show them my ticket and I have to show them ID, passport, driver's license, whatever it is. They only let the person with the reservation on the ticket on the plane. You cannot show up and say, "My cousin has a ticket. My parents have a ticket." You have to have your own ticket to be right with God. And that's called being born again.
Final thought, let's talk about finding Jesus. Jesus lost, but our text says Jesus can be found. Finding Jesus, there's a promise. Jesus can be found. If you are not born again, you can find Jesus today. If you had Jesus in the past, but one way or another, he has been lost in relationship to you, you can find him again. Romans 10:13, for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's true. If you've never been saved, if you call on Jesus this morning, you can be saved. If you had Jesus and you lost him, you can call on him. You can be saved. James 4:8, draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Do you know what? If you've lost the presence of God, you can find him again. Don't keep on going in the journey without Jesus because he can be found. How do you do that? To find Jesus, you have to recognize that he's missing. You don't look for something unless you know it's missing. Luke 15:17, when he came to himself, he said, "How many of my father's hired servants? They have bread enough and despair, and I am dying from hunger." For some, you have to recognize it. Like the prodigal son. Some of you, you recognize it through trouble. You have trouble in your life. But if you're honest, part of the reason why you're having so much trouble right now is because you have lost Jesus. God is not a part of your life. You've moved away from him. That trouble is opening your eyes. Hopefully, like the prodigal, I need to get back to my father. For some, it's by examining the evidence. As I said, I've never been born again. Or maybe it's you recognize your loss. Jeremiah 31:3, the Lord appeared and said, "Yes, I've loved you with an everlasting love and with loving kindness I have drawn you." Maybe you recognize by memories. Revelations 2:5 says, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen. Repent and do the first works." There are people that God pulls on your heart. Some of you, you at one time had a powerful relationship with God, but that's not true today. Now, Jesus is far from you. You're going through the motions. Some of you, sadly, I pray for you as a pastor. I see people, they're moving, moving, moving, moving closer to be out the door. If something doesn't change, you're not going to live for God anymore. And God may pull upon you and say, "Remember what it felt like to be in love with Jesus? Remember when you used to love to come to church? You can get that back."
Ted and Cecilia Naymith, they went for a hike in the woods in Northumberland, which is in Canada. They were confident because they knew the woods, or so they thought. But at age 76 and age 70, they went off for a pleasant day's hiking. But by the end of the day, they came to the realization, we are lost. It took five days for them to be finally found by rescuers. You have to recognize that you're lost and something's missing. Our text says a second thing. If you want to find Jesus, you have to go where you lost him. Verse 45, when they didn't find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. And so it was after three days, they found him in the temple. You, if you lost Jesus, you're not going to find him at the palace bar. You're not going to find him watching Netflix. The Bible says they went to the temple. Why? You know what's at the temple? The altar. How long has it been since you've been to the altar? For some people, what was the issue that caused you to lose Jesus? Was it your bitterness? You got bitter at somebody, got mad at God. It's at the altar where you fix that. Was it your lust? It's at the altar. Your greed. It's at the altar where you fix that. You're going to fix it by repenting. Second Kings 6:6, the man of God said, "Where did the axe head fall into the water?" And he showed him the place. He cut a stick, threw it in there, and God did a miracle, and the iron floated.
Verse 48 of our verse. When they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said, "Son, why have you done to this done this to us? Your father and I have sought you anxiously." The third thing that has to happen if you want to find Jesus, you have to surrender to his will. Verse 48, here's Jesus' response. Son, why have you done this to us? We've sought you anxiously. And the reason why she's talking about this in the Jewish culture, Jesus was now 12 years old. This was a very important trip you made with a family. He was supposed to spend time walking with his father, learning from him because at age 13, the Jews said, "That's when you become a man." And so you weren't there on this very important trip. And Jesus responded, "My father's business takes priority. It's more important." Verse 49. Why you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my father's business? Listen, being born again, I said, is a definite point in time when you pray. But I want to be honest with you. If you're going to pray and ask God to forgive you, but keep living the way you feel like, you're not born again. Because part of that prayer is I am going to be about my father's business. I'm going to do what God wants in my life. That is true conversion. When I was born again, it wasn't just, yeah, I got caught, so I'll pray. I was saying to God, not only am I going to change, I want to leave my old sin. I'm going to live for you. Acts 9:6, he said, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" You know, for some people coming to church, it's a social club. I'm lonely, so I come. Well, I'm glad. But that's not salvation. You have to surrender. Jesus says, "The will of God takes priority over family and culture." Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." You have to surrender if you want to find Jesus.
And then we see finally the results. What happens when you find Jesus? Luke 2:52, Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with God. Amen. You know what that tells us? If you find Jesus, the first thing that's going to happen, other people will know it. That is powerful. Other people said, "Look, he's growing." That is how it works. Do you know that often it is other people that notice that kids that are growing? They're growing day by day. They don't realize it, but they come to church and us adults, we fuss like, "Wow, you're taller than your mom." Because we see it. Do you know that if you say, "Of course I'm a Christian," but nobody else around you thinks so. Guess what? You're not born again. Because if you are genuinely born again, even though it is personal and internal, other people know it. Acts 4:13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated, untrained men, they were amazed and they realized they had been with Jesus. You know, one of my unhappy tasks as a pastor, I have to deal with people when they choose to live in sin and they're not repenting about it. And so, I do not enjoy this part of pastoring. Sometimes I got to play, I got to put on a detective hat and got to quiz them. No, no, I didn't. Even though the video, you know, that's very irritating. And some people when they sin, they get a funky attitude. I'm trying to help them, but my grandma used to have a saying. She said, "My hand itches. I want to come here. You and your funky little sinful attitude." And sometimes I would say, "Look, this isn't working for you. It's not working for us. You need to leave the church for a time and put them out." And then I've even had them call, "Can I come back? I'm lonely. I miss you're still my hand itches through the phone." But I've had people that even though they were sinful and irritating and one day I pick up the phone or I meet with them and I can tell something's different. That's true of salvation. Other people know it. And thank God for that. It says secondly, if you have Jesus, there is growth spiritually. And thirdly, you impact other people. John 4:39, "Many Samaritans from the village, they believed in Jesus because the woman said, 'He told me everything I ever did.'"
I close with this story. In 2013, a group of friends, they were boating on Lake Michigan when they realized that one of the members of the party, a 25-year-old woman named Lauren was missing. They had been swimming. And in the excitement, they didn't realize that she wasn't back on the boat. They got panicked. They searched the water, alerted the Coast Guard. After an hour of searching in the choppy waves, a fishing boat spotted Lauren clinging to a buoy about a mile away. She'd been swept by the current, but managed to hold on to this buoy until they were able to get her. They reunited. They were grateful Lauren was lost, but now she's found. And the reason why I tell that story is there are people, you are lost and you've lost Jesus. But I'm telling you, Jesus can be found. Let's bow our heads, close our eyes all across this place. Thank God. Thank you for listening attentively. And now I bring you to the decision which is the whole point of the sermon. I'm not just talking to fill time. There are people here that you are missing Jesus. You are not born again. Some of you have never been born again in your life. And if you'd be honest about that, I'm not asking are your parents born again. I'm not asking do you know the words to the songs. Are you born again? Are you right with God? And what is the evidence? If you say yes, was there a point in time when that happened? What changed? Do you have a hunger for Jesus? And so I bring you now to a decision. If you are not right with God, and you know that, I'm asking, would you like to be born again this morning? How do you do that? You pray. As a young teenager living absolutely in rebellion and sin, but one night at a concert, I bowed my knee and said, "God, I want to leave my sin. I don't want to live like this anymore. Come into my heart. Forgive me." How many of you want to do that this morning while our heads are bowed? Lift up your hand. Say, "I want to get right with God." Thank you, sir. God bless you, man. I appreciate you being honest. Others, you need Jesus. Lift your hand right now. Others, if you haven't lifted your hand, lift it right now at the back. God bless you. Thank you, ma'am. Others, you want to be born again. You want God to save you. Thank you. On the side, I appreciate your honesty. Others, people are being honest with God. Some of you are backslidden. You were saved, but like this sermon said, you've lost Jesus along the way. You're back in sin, but God hasn't given up on you. How many backsliders? I want to come back this morning. I want to get right with God. Lift up your hand. I want to pray. I know that I need Jesus. Here's my hand. God bless these people that are being honest. Anybody else? This is so important. You have to decide this before God this morning. Anybody else? Lift up your hand right now. I am not saved or I was saved and I turned back away from God. Come home this morning. Anybody else? Quickly, I want to give you an opportunity. Today is the day of salvation. At the back, thank you. God bless you. I appreciate your honesty. Thank God. I want every one of you if you lifted your hand. Did you mean that? Just nod your head. Yes. Yes. Yes. At the back. Yes. Over here. Yes. God bless you. Thank you. And back there. Come here. Come out of your seat right now. Come here. We're going to pray for you. I'm going to ask God to save you. Thank God for every one of these being honest. God bless you, man. Just kneel down right here. Thank you for your honesty. God bless you. Thank God for these. You lifted your hand over there. You come. Don't be shy. God bless you, ma'am. Thank you for your honesty. She's going to come with you. I appreciate every one of you being honest. Kneel down. There you go. God bless you. Want to give people time and a chance. God bless you. Thank you. She's going to pray with her. I want you all to stand up. If there's somebody near you, if you're not sure if they're right with God, why don't you gently invite them? Give them courage. Help them to make a decision to live for Jesus. Be born again. Let's open the altars. If God dealt with you, then come to the altar. Settle this with God. God, I want you in my life. I want to do your will. I want your presence to be alive in my heart. I don't want to feel dead inside. Let God touch you this morning because he can be found. Go ahead and sing. Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now now I'm found. Was now I see amazing grace. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost. I was lost. But now I'm found. I was blind, but now I see. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. God, Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Amen. I want to pray for those that are at the altar. I'm going to ask God to touch you right now. God, there are people here. They've lost the sense of the presence of God. Touch them again, God. They're at the altar. They're drawing near to you. Your promise is if we draw near to you, you would draw near to us. God, make yourself alive and real. Oh God, I pray you'd help them. God, if they're repenting, help them to deal with issues that are hurting them. But God, I'm asking, give them a love for your word. Renew and revive their hunger. Lord God, we thank you. You are faithful to meet with us and I'm grateful for salvation in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's praise the Lord together. God, we thank you. Oh God, thank you Jesus.