One at a Time - Zoom Lens, Part 2

Do you find yourself paralyzed today by the canceled culture the negativity the noise and you find yourself wondering how can I share my faith. How can I love those outside of Christ. When the moment the topic comes up everything explodes today. You can learn how Jesus did it and how we can do it as well. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram the mission of these daily programs is to motivate Christians to really live like Christian as most of you know chips are regular Bible teacher for this international discipleship ministry for the series please turn the mic over to a close friend, Kyle, and I guess before I was the lead pastor at Southeast Christian church author, speaker in just a minute to pick up where he left off last time in a series one at a time before he does let me in courage.

You try using our message notes while you listen.

They contain Kyle's outline the scriptural references and much more to download them just go to the broadcasts tab LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse Fill in that. Here's Kyle with part two of his message zoom lens. Jesus had a way of zooming in on the very people the religious community cropped out verse two says the Pharisees and teachers of the loss of the these are the religious leaders muttered complaints whispered in critical tones amongst themselves. This man Jesus. He welcomes sinners and eats with them, unite us like they meant this as a criticism, but this is why Jesus came to seek and save that will which was lost. Jesus is not the healthy who need a doctor as the sack I Jesus have that kind of vision for people. I think it's because he zoomed in and he he saw them as a son and daughter right like he doesn't just see a tax collector.

He sees the sun. He doesn't just see a prostitute he sees a daughter and this is how God sees you that there are billions of people in the world, but he he sees you as his son as his daughter St. Augustine says he loves each of us as if there were only one of us. That's how he loves you.

The religious leaders didn't understand this is and how they saw people so Jesus wants them to better understand his perspective and how he sees people on our unleased magazine as one of our long-time ministry partners. His name is loyal Thurman and loyal started a ministry I think a couple of decades ago where he reaches people who are part of the underground subculture so atheists, agnostics, neopagans, witches, Satanists and and in the article. I love what he said is that we go to groups who don't like Christians specific events of a target, God opens doors for us to be good friends with these people. We live life with them. They are far from church and far from God, but he put a love in our hearts for them.

They are our friends and some people think they are unreachable. That is not true. Nothing is lost if God says it's not lost. He always goes after the one and that's the point of this parable that Jesus is going to tell. He wants these religious leaders once religious people to have his eyes for one at a time. Verse three Jesus told them a story of a man has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost. What will he do they probably knew the answer this question. I don't really know a guy.

Not sure if you have 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost. What you do.

Part of me done on the rest.

The story says don't worry about it right means you have 100 if you lose one another want to come along like ones easy to replace. And honestly, if you got 101 goes missing would even notice it anda a large herd or flock. Guess not register with lot. The flock heard flock large group of sea places the magic and was a large group if he was like 20 to 30 feet to me. Large group of sheep.

Anything over one will climb I got a lot to get to see you got a lot of sleep.

From my perspective, butit was 20 to 30 feet would be a lot of sleep.

Jesus specifically takes a number here that would be what you know, whatever, three, four times the amount of sheep that would be considered large and I think one of the points that he is making is yet hundreds now if everyone knows this about three times as four times as much.

This person with a large flock do you do you really care about that one. Jesus is of course you do, doesn't he leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it of course you do and and Jesus is helping these religious people understand that he sees each each sheep as his own.

So for long time. I would have taught or perhaps interpreted this parable lost meaning someone who wasn't a Christian, someone who was outside of the church but but really what you have here is someone who was a part of the flock a part of the community but but wanders off and Jesus says that one's mine. I may go after that one, and for some of you that's what is happening right now. You have wandered off and maybe this isn't the first time and he brought you back, and he brought you back and now he's bringing you back again and he comes after he comes after the one because you are his. He's not given up on you. He keeps coming after you still keep coming after you.

That's what he does. He's the good Shepherd near his belong to him. He sees you as his own, and if you're if you're driving down the freeway is true for all of us. You pass on the side road cars that have been left there for different reasons. Maybe some errata gas. Maybe there is an accident maybe the car broke down on the side of the road, but it happens a lot in there they ran off the road because there is little snowy and icy out and they don't know how to drive on that and so we we've all we all pass cars like that, so much so that we we don't really notice if I said to you. Hey on your way into church. Did you see the car off of the 265 debugging. I don't remember seeing in that element you don't doesn't jump out to you because there's always cars off the side of the road, but this week I noticed this white SUV. I noticed on my way to work I noticed it on my way home from work like each day; there's a car there's a car payment and I slowed down each time to look at it little bit more closely.

You know why because my ass my car my car on the side of the road going to tote is been a busy few days, but they've been busy busy: other people out in a way I see it, because it belongs to me. For the less I know little while I been driving this car that's pushing a couple hundred thousand miles. My wife got hello you can drive that I like and tell the wheels come off and then that happens we'll came off.

I didn't know that was the thing that's the thing. They just came off and now I see it see on the way home. Why because it belongs to me when it belongs to you. You notice it because it's yours if some responsibility for it both to take care of it and end the Bible would teach us that this is how Jesus sees each one of the flock. He belongs to me. She belongs to me, this is my son, this is my daughter. He zooms and that's how he sees us. And so our prayer is Jesus. Give me your eyes how me to see people the way that you see people how me to have eyes for the one verse five says separate goes off.

He searches for the one we find he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home he doesn't curse it out beat it with his staff until he gets back to the flock picks it up, rescues it goes back home and he called his friends and neighbors together and says rejoice with me. I found my lost sheep.

I found this 199 to really celebrate because he went out and found the one yet that we are that's what working to celebrate. I tell you that the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over verse one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. This is the heart.

This is the heart of Jesus. And this is the heart of his church and as a church we will always emphasize reaching those who are lost reaching those who don't know Jesus reaching those who need to be rescued by the gospel by his grace as a church to I want us to go after the people who were part of the flock and have wandered off and were not sure what happened to them when they come back they don't come back to shame and guilt. They come back to celebration the come back to love and acceptance and an open arms embrace to Jesus loves people with a zoom lens, he sees them there someone in your life right now who needs to be seen by you.

I don't know who this.

I don't know if you know who it is.

Maybe you know right away or maybe this is a prayer God who is the one person you want me to see who's the one person who you want to make sure doesn't go unseen. There's a lot of power when someone knows I've been seeing, but who you are who he's made you to be the path that you're on that circle of influence is that you have. He wants you to see the one he wants them to be seen by you because you you represent him with your follower of Christ. I have a friend, his pastor and he was tell me that there were four people in in his church that quite common during like the social distancing time of the pandemic like they just got out of the habit. They never came back and they kept looking for them kept waiting for them to come back didn't come back as we just decided he was going to tax them every week until I came back to summa text.

The Sahagun theaters this weekend. Miss you and I pray Florida everything going okay in a few weeks. All four of them were back. Why is there something really powerful about being seen by being cared for is especially true if the person is going through some kind of a difficult time. The challenging time just being noticed will underestimate this.

Don't underestimate how God will use you if you just if you send a text and check up on someone.

If you take somebody couple coffee in the word of encouragement have a buddy in the church is a pharmacist, but he'll send me a a prayer recorded prayer text prayer records it voice text it to me and maybe once a month, but they come at strategic times I listen to it on drive and I feel seen by hand I feel seen by God when I feel seen by him. You know what I mean.

And God wants to do this through you for someone at a time people in your life.

I don't know what that would look like.

I don't know who that is.

But I want to think about that guy who who do you want me to see who needs to be seen by you again and again the Gospels we read that Jesus saw Tessa common language and when he saw people he would see.

Often times the need that they have.

So in John five. He Bible says Jesus saw a crippled man in John six Jesus saw people who were hungry. Matthew nine verse 36 Jesus saw the crowds, and had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus saw and he saw them and he saw a need that they had verse three says that there is a search involved doesn't always happen immediately, like sometimes you only see because you keep looking and speaks of this sheep who has wandered off.

I was reading this week that she plunder off for a few reasons. Once they blindly graze how this was interesting like they don't intentionally wander off for some act of rebellion or they say I've had enough of this flock I'm out like they they just have a little bit and little bit of grass a little and a look over here and there, some grass, and before long their appetite has caused them to wander away and they have followed their appetite and they look up and realize I'm alone and I am in trouble. This is where some of you are. You didn't mean to. It wasn't your plan. It just happens.

You chased a certain appetite and you've wondered and wondered and wondered and now you look up and you're by yourself and you're not sure how to get back and you're in trouble. The other kind of sheep the way the sheep achieve a wonder is by following blindly following like one sheep wanders off while grazing but then another sleep blindly follows another sheep in another state. I was reading about the story and Turkey in 2005 are some shepherds took a break went over and had breakfast and they had this flock of 1500 feet and one of them wandered off and grazed and went right off the edge of a cliff and then another one and then another one another with all 1500 of them went off the edge of this cliff only good to the good news is this true sound like the good news is only like 500 of them died because eventually provided a nice pillow effect, but I know right googling thing they do is one after another after another and this is how some of us have found ourselves lost in different times we just followed one and then before we knew it we were in trouble. Maybe you have wandered away because of an appetite. Maybe you were just following someone else that happens, Jesus sees you. He's come for you. He wants to put you on his shoulders and bring you back your welcome here.

You're wanted here. We will celebrate when you come home.

I I know that whenever you teach a parable. This is true with really any story, there's this natural tendency, and perhaps subconscious is say whom I am the story bottom is sent to think of ourselves as the shepherd on the rescuer know you're not your ear. The sheep hear the lost sheep.

You're either the lost sheep who has been found or you are the lost sheep that he is searching for. I talked to a young lady. Maybe mid 20s and she said I haven't been to church for a long time. I some really glad to hear said I have been searching for God a long time to keep searching. Okay I said can I tell you something. I understand what you mean when you say you're searching for God, but you need to understand that God is not lost because not lost. Maybe what you need to do instead of searching is to stop hiding because he searching for you. This is Genesis chapter 3. Sin enters the world. Adam and Eve's first response is to hide from God.

God searches for them. God is searching for you. Some of you think you've been searching for God, but really what you've been doing is looking in certain places for certain kind of got what you need to do is just come out from hiding so that you can be found by him. If you're ready to do that he is ready to put you on the shoulders and if you need a flock of bringing here will surround you will be in this together, loved and cared for by the shepherd as we close today's program. I want to pray right now for those of you that hear my voice, and as Kyle wrapped up this message and said you're the sheep he's coming for you, but down deep you feel like you fall into far you've drifted away from the Lord you've done some things you're ashamed of. It's been a long time since you been in church, you can't remember the last time you read the Bible and you just feel unworthy. Here's what I want to pray.

Almighty and ever living God right now in this moment as you speak to the hearts of those that feel shame and distant like they don't measure up, and they've substituted all kind of things to numb the pain. Lord, whether it's drugs or sex or dizziness or work kind you see through it all, would you help them to grass that you're the good Shepherd that you love them that you're pursuing them. Lord I pray that they would open their heart open their mind and recognize the moment. This moment that they would turn to you. You will rush to create them to cleanse to forgive and help them get back on track. Lord Jesus, I pray that in your name and your authority. Amen. Great reminder chips.

Thanks. Well, if you're looking for some additional help in recommitting your life to Jesus and developing a deeper relationship with them.

We have a great resource for you. It's chip series true spirituality becoming a Romans 12 Christian through his teaching, you'll discover a clear blueprint to become a genuine follower of Christ, and besides the broadcast.

Let me encourage you to order the book, or even get the small group resources, there's a lot of ways to experience the foundational truths found in Romans chapter 12 to learn more about all the series resources for true spirituality go to special offers@livingontheedge.org or on the chipping remap trip still with me and studio here in chip. You know there's a belief circulating in Christian circles nowadays that the practice of making disciples revolve around us send our abilities could you take just a minute and dispel that belief and give us a more accurate picture of how we can engage those who are lost.

Well Dave I think the really is sort of this idea that you have to be a super Christian.

I think discipleship actually has really been sorta warped into it's all these other Christians that I meet and how many studies that I do and how many Bible studies and in my theology and don't get me wrong, those things are really really important. But two things happen one is that you never quite learned enough, you sorta get filled with all this information but we don't have any real relationships with unbelievers and the Pharisees basically got that one down. And what Jesus showed them and is showing us to Kyle's book when the time is it discipleship certainly is about study and meeting in a group. I mean, we believe that with all of our hard but it's really about Christ living in us, moment by moment and allowing him to do what he wants to do as the spirit guides us as we connect with people that are far from God people that we don't have anything in common with people that look different talk different there a different color.

There different political party. And there not from our side of town and Jesus constantly was intersecting with those people taking an interest in them one at a time building a relationship. Pulling down stereotypes and then what we would find is they came to know him and they came to grow in him, and I look back and I have to tell you I'm so glad someone did that for me and what Kyle's book has done for me.

It is reminded me you don't have to have it all together. It's just one relationship at a time. It's one meal is one conversation it's one meeting is one small invitation to go to coffee go to breakfast have lunch play golf with someone far from God and then just be yourself and watch what God does fix trip will to order your copy of one of the time by Kyle Adelman go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003. Our prayer is that this tool will help you find simple ways to share the profound hope we have in Jesus with those who so desperately need to hear it again to get your hands on this book from Kyle visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA to 333-6003 Listeners tap special offers was we close.

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Text the word donate to 741 41 or visit LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap donate will join us next time as our guest teacher Kyle Adelman continues his series, one at a time. Until then, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening. This addition of living on the