The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-01-23
CHRIST'S CONCERN
FOR THE LOST

LESSON TEXT-Luke 15:1-10.
GOLDEN TEET-The Son of man is come
to seek and to save that which was lost
Luke 1910.
Lost. What fear and disquietude
grips our hearts when we hear that
world A little boy strays away into
the forest, and the whole country
side gives up its work to go and seek
him. An airship fails to reach its
destination, and hundreds of ships
go to seek after it, while an entire
nation waits in suspense. A ship
is lost at sea, and the whole world
grieves.
But listen! 1t is only when APP
piled to the spiritual life that the
word 'lost" finds its real depth of
meaning. To be without God in
the world (Eph. 2:12) and without
hope-that is to really be lost. Yet
parents who would not rest a mo-
ment while their child was physical
ly lost go on without concern over
his spiritual condition.
Our Lord had no such unconcern.
He was deeply moved over the lost
condition of men; He came ''to seek
and to save that which was lost. "
The two parallels of our lesson teach
us three truths.
/. Lost and Lamented wv. IA, 81.
The publicans and sinners recog-
nized their need Of a Saviour and
He, knowing their lost condition, re-
ceived them, much to the disgust OF
the Pharisees and scribes who felt
no need to be saved. They have
their descendants in our churches
today.
The good shepherd cannot rest
while one Of the sheep is lost.
Though there were ninety and nine
that safely lay in the shelter of the
fold, he sought the lost one. His
grief-stricken heart compelled him
to go out into the night to find him.
One wonders how we who profess
to follow Christ, the Good Shepherd,
can be so complacent about the lost.
What if we do have the ninety and
nine in church-where is the lost
one? Even if we do have a large
Sunday School class-where are the
boys and girls who are lost? Do
our hearts grieve over them? If so,
we will go and seek them. We who
would quickly join the woman in
seeking for her coin-will we join
TIE Saviour in seeking the lost?
II. Sought by Sacrifice wv. 4, 81.
The woman laid aside her usual
duties and the pleasures of life to
seek her coin. The shepherd left
the warmth, the comfort, and the
rest which he had earned to go out
into the wilderness to seek his
sheep.
"But none of the ransomed ever
knew
How deep were the waters
crossed;
Nor how dark was the night that
the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was
lost"
Soul-Winning calls for sacrifice.
If the love of Christ constrains us,
we will do it gladly, but if the self
seeking, comfort-loving spirit of this
age controls our lives, we will al
ways find some excuse (not a rea-
son, but an eXcuse).
III. Restored With Rejoicing wv.
ST, 8, 1O).
The lost coin back in the owners
hand brought joy to her and her
neighbors. The shepherd calls in
friends and neighbors to rejoice over
the restored sheep. How intensely
human that is, and how altogether
appropriate.
The great truth, however, is found
in verses 7 and 10, where we learn
that the repentance of one sinner
sets even the bells of heaven ringing
as the angels of God rejoice.
How long is it, my Christian
friend, since you caused such joy
by permitting yourself to be used of
God in winning a soul? Yes, 1 know
that it is God who seeks, but He
uses human beings as His messen-
gers, as His seekers. That is our
first business after we ourselves
have been saved.
Our lesson will not be complete
unless we consider the rest of the
chapter-the parable of the prodigal
son. In its main points it is like
the other two parallels, but there
is this vital difference-the shepherd
sought his sheep, the woman
searched for her coin-the father
did not seek the son; the son sought
the father.
Some prodigal, far from the house
of his heavenly Father, may read
these lines and say, Il wish some
one would seek me out and bring
me to God" But, my friend, you
need not wait for anyone. Do as
the prodigal did" arise and co. to
God. He is waiting for you; His
love has never faltered; He wants
you to come now. Make His heart
rejoice, and set the choirs of heaven
singing, by coming to Him by
faith-just now.
Ac Va Co DroooL