The Father’s Heart for the Lost
At the end of Matthew’s gospel, there is a passage known as The Great Commission. Jesus instructs his disciples to go to all nations and make them his followers. They are to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to follow everything Jesus has taught them. He assures them that he will always be with them, even until the end of the world. (Mt 28:19-20)
Before this, Jesus had already sent out the Twelve, giving them the power to drive out demons and cure diseases. He instructed them to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal the sick. (Lk 9:12)
Later on, Jesus also commissioned seventy-two others, sending them ahead of him to every town and place he was about to visit. He told them that the harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few, and to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers. Jesus warned them that they were going out like lambs among wolves and not to take anything with them or greet anyone on the road. (Lk 10:1-3)
The keyword in each of these instructions is in the command to “go”.
A key series
The “Father Heart of God for the Lost” series has been crucial for Jubilee Church. It emphasizes the importance of taking the gospel beyond the church and into the community. As believers, we should be actively “going” and spreading the word of God to those who have not yet heard it.
The series began with Overcoming Barriers to See Jesus. Rob posed the question how do we provide safe places for people to overcome moral, financial and physical obstacles to seeing Jesus? Do we put up the barriers? If so, what are they and how do we break them down? In the passage from Luke 19:1-9 we see how Jesus reached out to Zaccheus despite the critics surrounding him.
The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin
In the next talk, Sinful Friends, Rob asks whether we can accept the challenge from Jesus that to be a friend of God means to be a friend of sinners.
The stories Jesus shares about the lost sheep and the lost coin are aimed at the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. But are we just as judgemental as them? As with the previous talk, do we put up barriers that prevent people from seeing what Jesus has done in us?
The Lost Son Luke 15:11-32
Too frequently the parable of The Lost or Prodigal Son has been seen as almost a children’s story useful for telling in Sunday School. Plus, it’s a story that many of us have heard over and over and we have become comfortable with it. As we unpacked the deeper meaning of this story it has been challenging and thought-provoking.
We Are All Prodigals
In this talk Rob describes how Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son to give religious people a vivid picture of the Father’s heart for the lost. It’s a challenge for us too.
The Homecoming
Despite the son’s questionable motives, the father’s response is instant and extravagant. Are we as forgiving or are we judgemental? Do we have questionable attitudes towards the lost?
One of the key points from this part of the story is how the Father broke through cultural norms to go to meet his son. The challenge from this is whether we stay within the comfortable confines of the church or do we break through our comfort zone. Do we stay put or GO to the people in need of knowing the love of Jesus?
Lost at Home
The final talk in this series looked at the older son. He had a hidden lostness and misunderstood the celebration. How do we react when the Father celebrates over those who have come home?
Throughout the series, there have been challenging questions. It is worth listening to the talks several times. We need to ask ourselves the questions and understand our place in all of this.
The great thing is that we don’t have to do this on our own. Just as Jesus sent out the 12 and the 72 in pairs, we can be supported by others in the church. We’re not sent out on solo missions. It’s a team effort.
Mike wrote this poem imagining the response of the prodigal son to his homecoming.
Re-valuation