Juwita Sowito & __________ have told you stories through stories and songs about Mt

Kinabalu. These are stories of legends, stories from experiences and stories after the
earthquake that affected the mountain, climbers trekking the mountain and the people
living in the surrounding area. Stories spoken in words and songs help us to learn from
people who otherwise have no way of sharing these living stories.
Pray : I want to praise God for Juwita Sowito & __________ for this amazing project. I
seek Gods to open opportunities to listen to more stories wherever they travel to. May
they also have the sensitivity to bring people to them and as they talk with people,
stories begin to be told. Also give them grace to be creative in retelling these living
stories. Amen
Jesus too told stories. People like to listen to stories. Jesus told stories about the things,
animals or situations people see or familiar with daily. The people who heard these
stories understood the stories and the message Jesus was teaching.
Lost Things, Lost People
Have you ever lost something really important?
Ill never forget the time I got lost in Taman Negara. I went along on a path near the
campsite after dinner. There is a hut where you can sit and if you are lucky see some
wild animals. There were no animals that night. As I was returning, I got lost. I did not
even have a torchlight. I walked slowly and after about 30-40 minutes, I saw a pair of
shining eyes looking at me. I stopped tiger, wild boar, dont know. I prayed God help
me. Then I heard a soft meow. That pair of eyes was a cat and that cat lead me back to
the campsite.
We all know the pain of losing something that matters to us whether it is a person, or
an object, or even just computer work that is lost when a computer crashes. Our
stomach feels funny and we begin to feel a bit panicky as we realize that we have really
LOST something!
Jesus told 3 stories about losing things.

Luke 15:1-24 (NIV)

The First...
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesnt he 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. Luke 15:4-I

I can imagine Jesus paused for a moment - looked at the people in the eyes, and
continued with a second story...
Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesnt she light a lamp,
sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she
calls her friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my
lost coin. 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner who repents.
Jesus pauses. Perhaps Jesus wondered if the people were still with him - and he tells
the most fantastic story yet...
There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his Dad: Please give me
my half of the property now so I can start enjoying it! So the father did just that, dividing
his property among his two sons.
Not long after that, the younger son took off for a distant place, where he wasted his
inheritance on wild living. After hed spent everything, a famine hit the country and he
found himself in a desperate situation: penniless, hungry, and alone.
He managed to find work tending to a herd of pigs, and he was so hungry he longed to
eat some of the food he was giving to them! About this time he remembered how well
his fathers servants lived back home. Whoa if I lived there again Id be doing better
than I am now. Why dont I just go home and beg for him to take me in as one of his
servants? So he got up and made the journey home again.
As he was finally walking up the road approaching his Fathers home, his father saw
him and was filled with compassion and love for him. So against all social customs he
RAN out to meet his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
In the midst of this embrace, the son tried to get out his rehearsed speech: Father
Ive sinned against God and against you. Im not worthy to be considered your son
But the father cut him off. Calling to his servants, who were watching the scene in
amazement, he said: Quick get the best clothes weve got and put it on him. Bring
him some new sandals. Put a beautiful gold ring on his finger. Then kill the fattened calf
and lets have a feast! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again he was lost
and is found!
And so the party began.
All 3 stories tell the same message. Jesus was saying lost people matter to God.
We know this because of the 3 common elements of these stories:
1st. In each story, something of great value was missing.

-the sheep was a significant part of the livlihood of the shepherd.

-the lost coin - 1 tenth of the womans wealth! Vital to the old womans survival
-and it goes without saying that the lost son was of great value to his father.
When people are separated from God by sin, God feels the loss, and his love still says
Even though you are far away from me, you still matter to Me! You really do!
2nd common thing in Jesus 3 stories...
The thing that was missing cause someone to search.
-When the shepherd discovered hed lost a sheep, he didnt just say, Oh well, I hope
they find their way back. He took action - he left his other sheep unattended for a time
so he could go out and search for that sheep.
-When the woman discovered shed lost 10% of her savings, she didnt even wait until
the morning to try to find it - the Bible says she lit a lamp immediately and searched
carefully till she found it
-The father whose son left of his own choice - he allowed him to go, but you can just
about imagine him standing at the gate looking out, day after day, just waiting for this
naughty son to appear. And when he does he appear - whats the fathers response? He
carries up his robe and, runs to meet his son.
The point is, when you really value something and it is lost - you just naturally want to
search for it.
Jesus is teaching us that God values people so much that he searches for those who
are lost and separated from Him. In fact, Jesus own life can be said in one sentence:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10
This is why Jesus came! To reach out to lost people and love them and provide the way
for them to be saved! As Gods representative on earth he did exactly what the
shepherd, the woman, and the father in these stories did: he valued lost people enough
to go where they were and find them!
The third common thing in the 3 stories is this.
When lost thing was found there was rejoicing!
-The shepherd found the sheep and threw a party!
-The woman saw her coin and threw another party!
-The son came home and the father threw the biggest party of all.
As Jesus told it, he tells that around the throne of heaven, the angels of God rejoice they party - when one person who has been lost is found!

When I surrendered my life to the leadership of Jesus Christ, the scene in heaven
erupted! a Banner was hung there with MY NAME on it. And my name was added to the
invitation list for the greatest party ever to be held - the wedding feast of the Lamb of
God.
But this celebration was not just for me. Its been repeated time and again for you, and
you, and you. And if you havent come to God to make Him the leader of your life, you
need to know Hes got the banner waiting. The angelic choir is standing by. And his
greatest desire is for you to understand how much God values you.
These stories of Jesus teach us that lost people matter to God. He values people so
much that he pursues us.
CONCLUSION:
Whats the point of these stories?
1. Know that God wants a relationship with you.
If you have wandered from him, all he is waiting is for you to make the first move back
toward him and then a party is waiting!
2. If you are a Christian, you are to re-present God in this world.
This means to seek out lost people, to love them, to pray for them, to demonstrate the
heart of God toward them so that they might be truly found!
For me this is a constant challenge but I dare not forget that I am a believer today
because someone shared with me the love of God, and because God valued me so
much he sought after me. I dont want to be equated with those religious types Jesus
addressed with these stories, and my prayer is that you dont want to be either! May we
follow Jesus example in seeking and saving the lost as His ambassadors this week.