Beyond Sunday
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the Podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week, with your Hosts Pastors' Lee and Jim.
It's Time to Inspire, Uplift, and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now!
Beyond Sunday
Lost and Found: The Shepherd's Relentless Pursuit
The Shepherd's relentless pursuit of a single lost sheep reveals a profound truth about God's heart for the wanderer. Pastors Lee Day and Jim Archambault unpack this powerful parable from Matthew 18:12-14, challenging listeners to reconsider what it means to be sought after by God.
Have you ever felt too far gone for redemption? Jesus paints a vivid picture of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine safely grazing sheep to search tirelessly for just one that has strayed. This isn't merely a story about livestock management—it's a revelation of divine priority. The shepherd's determination mirrors God's unwavering commitment to each person who has wandered away.
What strikes deepest about this parable is the celebration that follows restoration. "He rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray." Heaven throws a bigger party for one returning wanderer than for those who never left. This doesn't diminish the faithful but highlights the extraordinary value God places on restoration. As Pastor Jim notes, "When one soul is saved, it is an absolute reason to celebrate."
The conversation turns personal as both pastors reflect on their own salvation experiences and the transformative moment of encountering Christ. They challenge listeners to remember we were all once "the one" who needed pursuing, and now we're called to extend that same radical pursuit to others. "How many times have I missed the one?" Pastor Lee wonders, prompting us all to consider those we encounter daily who might be one conversation away from finding their way back to God.
Whether you feel like the lost sheep or you're being challenged to leave your comfort zone to seek someone who's wandered, this episode will rekindle your appreciation for God's relentless love. Subscribe now and join the conversation about what it truly means to seek and save the lost.
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week with your hosts, pastors Lee and Jim. It's time to inspire, uplift and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now.
Speaker 2:Hey, what's going on? Everybody, this is Pastor Lee Day, and I am alongside Pastor Jim Archambault and we pastor together. The Church Christ Family Outreach in Amelia, virginia, would love to have you come along and fellowship with us and receive the Word of God. So, before we get going into this brand new episode, just want to throw something out there with an up-and-coming idea that we've got. We would love for any listener that has already listened and they want to call into the show and share how a particular episode has impacted your life. Maybe it was a story that we shared. Maybe it was a word that God gave us to give to you some Bible verses. Just how did that particular episode impact your life? We would love to hear about it. So what? We're going to you some Bible verses. Just how did that particular episode impact your life? We would love to hear about it.
Speaker 2:So what we're going to do? We're going to open up the phone lines. We're going to allow you to call in and be a part of the show, and we are looking forward to that. If you would like to do that, if you would like to call in and share just a quick testimony on one of these Beyond Sunday episodes, how it has impacted your life. We want you to let us know in advance so we can reach out to you and set everything up. So if you want to be a part, all you got to do is email us at pastorlee at cfochurchorg. Again, that's pastorlee at cfochurchorg, and we will be getting in contact with you once we receive your email. All right, so today we're going to get going in Matthew, chapter 18, verses 12 through 14. If you got your Bibles, go ahead and turn there. Pastor Jim, how you feeling today?
Speaker 1:brother, I'm feeling great Excited to get into this Word Matthew 18, 12, and 13. It's just one of those parables that grabs you by the heart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. So here we go. What do you think if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go in search of the one that went away? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you he rejoices over it more than over 99 that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Speaker 2:Pastor Jim, I'd like to begin by sharing some hope with our listeners today, brother, that no matter how far they may have run from God, no matter how low they may be finding themselves right now, how far they may have run from God, no matter how low they may be finding themselves right now, god always wants us to leave our life of sin and begin a fresh new walk with him right now. So it's not too late, my friends, for you to turn to Jesus right now, if you've not already done so. How blessed we are. How blessed we are that Jesus Christ accepts us and forgives us, just where we are right now in life. Amen.
Speaker 1:Amen. I love how he says what do you think? That's how he starts off. He says what do you think about this? And I love that because in the Word, anytime I read it, I want to know, kind of, what I think about it, because it allows me to chew it and digest it. So I should be reading and thinking about it and he's sort of pushing us into that direction here.
Speaker 1:But Jesus begins telling us about a shepherd, and it's not just any shepherd, he's talking about the good shepherd, and he's talking about the kind that doesn't give up on one lost sheep. And here's what's super powerful about it. It's not just about shepherds, it's about God's heart, his heart for the lost. It shows this relentless pursuit of us you, me and any of our listeners here for his creation, no matter how far we've wandered, like you were just saying, it doesn't matter how far we've gone, he's there for us. So he says in verse 12, what do you think If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that went astray? Now, when you look at that phrase go in search of the one.
Speaker 1:What stands out is the intentionality of that. The shepherd's not saying that he wants you to just wait for the sheep to come back. He's saying that he's going after it. And that speaks to God's proactive love for us. His pursuit of us isn't passive, it's very, very active and it sounds like in this text it's relentless. I mean, if you really think about it, the fact that Jesus tells us this story in the first place is the reminder that we're never too far gone for God to come after us. And maybe you're listening here today and you felt distant from God. This verse is telling you that he's not waiting for you to take the first step. He's already pursuing you. God's love has no limit.
Speaker 2:Amen, brother. See, that's the thing about sheep, right, they stray. You just mentioned it. The Scripture talks about it. They wander off, especially when not cared for, right. So, jesus Christ, he is our Shepherd. Capital S, he is our Shepherd.
Speaker 2:When we read the Word of God, when we do what it says, it's His Word, it's His Holy Spirit living and working on the inside of us that ultimately keeps us where we need to be. We've got to be obedient to what the shepherd is telling us to do. We've got to follow the direction from the shepherd. It keeps us that direction from the shepherd. It keeps us from going back to our foolish ways. And the truth is is that we've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, so we've all lived in those foolish ways, right? So we do not want to be Christians who continue to stray and go backwards.
Speaker 2:When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, this relationship should become personal. It's not just a head knowledge, right? This walk should be personal. We are supposed to follow him as sheep are supposed to follow the shepherd. And in the parable, the shepherd leaving the 99 to go after the one doesn't mean that the 99 are not as important as the one, but it does show just how important the one is to God. So we cannot ever let the enemy make any of us feel as though we have no worth. Don't ever let the enemy convince you that no one cares about you, because the truth is Jesus Christ does. God wants every single one of his people living in victory through the good shepherd, his son.
Speaker 1:Jesus Christ, amen. And that's why we see him hanging out with the sinners In Luke's account. In the Gospel of Luke, in chapter 15, we're going to hear the exact same story, and the thing about Luke's version is it adds a little bit more context, and what you see is Jesus is going to be responding to the Pharisees who are complaining, who are grumbling, who have a problem with the fact that Jesus is hanging out with sinners. So if we look at what Jesus says in Luke 15, 4, he says what man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? Amen, and you'll notice the difference here.
Speaker 1:Matthew focuses on the why. Behind Jesus' or the shepherd's actions, jesus is asking what do you think he's prompting us to understand the heart of God? But in Luke, jesus gives us this image of a shepherd who's searching until he finds it. It's not just about going out to look, it's about staying the course, it's about not giving up and it's about being willing to go the distance. God's commitment to finding us, it really doesn't have an expiration date.
Speaker 1:So here's the first application that I want to point out for us today, in our own lives. We should ask this question are we willing to go after the one? Because we live in a world where it's easy to focus on the 99 that are safe, right, the ones that show up on Sunday, the ones that are already walking it out with God. But this passage challenges us to ask am I willing to leave the 99 and go after the one who's lost? It's not about numbers, but it is about individuals. It's about seeing value in the one. It's about seeing the worth in the person who might have wandered away or maybe hasn't even been reached yet. I'll tell you this when you go after the one, that's where you're going to see transformation. That's where you see hearts restored. And here's something that I want to leave you with Every single person is worth the pursuit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the shepherd found the lost sheep. You know you bring up this topic about the pursuit. In order to find it, you're right, he had to go out in pursuit of it. How many of you people listening know that God has pursued you and maybe he's currently in the process of pursuing you? But the truth is, if you're taking notes, you can write this down God pursues his people.
Speaker 2:Some of you listening today could testify that had it not been for God pursuing you in a particular moment, that moment would have overtaken you. But because God was there, reaching out to you, calling out to you, his pursuit of you kept you away from foolishness. So if you're taking notes, you could write that down God pursues me. It's the pursuit, it's the pursuit. God pursuing me is what keeps me out of the foolishness as he draws me into his righteousness.
Speaker 2:When it's decision time, when I've got to make a choice, either I'm going to go forwards or backwards. Either I'm going to mess up or I'm not. Either I'm going to go forwards or backwards. Either I'm going to mess up or I'm not. Either I'm going to stay in light or I'm going to slip in dark. God is pursuing us, friends, to make the right decision to make the right choices.
Speaker 2:So notice what else the shepherd did when he found the lost sheep. He didn't just stay with it there, he didn't just like camp out, right there, in that moment he finds the lost sheep and he took it back home to safety. He put it up on his shoulders, he took it home to safety. So he's taking it with him, he takes it back home where it belongs. So maybe you're listening today and you needed to hear that point that Jesus Christ wants to take you back home and all of your sinful actions and all of your running away and all of your folly and all of your misbehaviors. Yet Jesus has been pursuing you this entire time and maybe you knew it, maybe you've known it the entire time that you have just felt his presence, no matter how far or how hard or how fast you run. You know that he's been there with you the whole time and maybe today is the day that you finally just not just know that, but you surrender to that and you let Jesus Christ take you back home.
Speaker 1:Amen. Verse 13 gets super powerful. Right, jesus starts to talk about what the shepherd does when he finds the lost sheep, like you just said. But he says in verse 13, he rejoices. In fact, he rejoices over the one that was found, more than the 99 who didn't even go astray. Now what's Jesus really saying there? Is he minimizing the value of the 99? Absolutely not. No, he's not. But he's making a point about God's heart. Yeah, god rejoices when one person is brought back, and I think the key word here is rejoice. It's not just a celebration, it's this deep, heartfelt rejoicing, this celebration of restoration. We've got to think about that in our own lives. Right, how often do we celebrate someone who comes back to the faith? And when someone was lost and now they're found, do we celebrate that? Are we excited about it? Because heaven is Oftentimes when, at the end of church, you know we give the salvation message and anybody who would receive salvation in that moment. It's said constantly because we want to remind churches of the angels rejoicing over all who would be saved.
Speaker 1:There's a celebration in heaven. But what I want to do is I want to get back to Luke 15 just for a moment, because in verse 7, it says this just so I tell you there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. More joy, that's what Jesus is telling us and that is the heart of God. It's not that the 99 don't matter, because Jesus is showing us that His priorities or God's priorities aren't lying. He's showing us that God's eyes are always on the lost. And when one soul is saved, it is an absolute reason to celebrate.
Speaker 1:And here's one more takeaway I want to share with the listeners today to celebrate and here's one more takeaway I want to share with the listeners today we should celebrate every soul that comes to Christ. Our joy should overflow at the restoration of just even one. So when you see someone turn their life around, when someone comes back to God, don't just nod and move on. That is an opportunity that we should be taking as Christians, to rejoice and fellowship with that believer, because that's what the Father does. And if we're called to be like the Father, then count me in.
Speaker 2:I'm rejoicing over everyone that would be saved, and when we rejoice with God, our hearts are beginning to align with His yeah you know, not every Sunday, but almost every Sunday, pastor, jim people are getting saved at church, at CFO, and the Spirit of God is moving and people are coming forward. People are receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and one thing that I love is seeing the people that are dedicated. They're devoted to walking up to these people that just gave their life to Jesus and they're hugging them Amen. They're congratulating them. They say, hey, my name is, what's your name? They're showing them the love of Jesus right there in the moment, right there in the room. And that's our job is to get around these people right there and welcome them into the family of God. And really it should be everyone's responsibility into the room to come do that.
Speaker 2:We don't have a particular group that's assigned to do that. These people just come do it, and that's what I love about it. It's natural, it's real. It's not that they've been told to do it, it's not that they've been asked to do it. They just want to go congratulate people that have just been pulled out of the gutter. Right, they've just been snatched off of Satan's team and now they are team Jesus.
Speaker 2:Amen, they are in the family of God. They just got up inside of a brand new bloodline, the bloodline of Christ, where we've got opportunities, where generational curses are broken, you know. So I love it when we see people come to Jesus and the body, as you just mentioned, gathers around them and congratulates them, because I think one of the worst things Christians could do is forget what it felt like when we got saved, forget what it felt like when we were redeemed. And I don't know, do you remember the time when you got saved? What it felt like, you know just like? Was it a relief? Was it victory? Was it just thankfulness? You know, what was it that you experienced in that moment or moments after when you got?
Speaker 1:saved. So for me and it's interesting that you asked me that question, because I was literally having a conversation with someone about this a couple of weeks ago, talking about new life and for me it was this idea that there existed something else. So when I was very young I say very young, I was 13 when I got saved and up until the point I was 13 years old I knew one thing I knew a life without Christ. I didn't know anything about church outside of Catholicism, and so one thing, if you're listening and you know about Catholicism is it's a lot less about relationship in the Catholic Church, as it is about the religion and the traditions and the things of that nature, and we don't have time on this podcast to get into all of that and try to dissect that, so I won't do it. But what I will tell you is going up in church was routine In the Catholic Church. It was a routine and it was just something that we did. We got there and we did the same things. They said the same prayers, we did the same. It was just very religious.
Speaker 1:And so when I thought of Christianity, I thought Catholicism.
Speaker 1:It wasn't until I met Jesus that I realized there was something new, there was something different. That's powerful, and while all of the hope that we not just myself, everybody is born into a hope of something better, greater and beyond what they already know, that's what happens when you're born and you have your knowledge base of what you've experienced and you're growing and you're growing and you're growing where the hope is that you're going to continue to grow. Well, for me, when I got saved, it was this new life that was just set before me and I wanted to experience all of it. And I didn't know how to experience all of it in one day, so I just started reading the Word, and it was reading the Word where I started to learn what Christianity was and how this relationship with the King gave me an opportunity to fall under grace every single day, to sanctify myself from the things of what I thought I knew was good for me, which I realized is not. You know what I mean. So it was this idea of do life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so good, man, because you just like this lost sheep and you kind of spoke on it earlier in this episode. You were the one. It's all about the one. The message of the one cannot be forgotten in the lives of the church, in the lives of Christians. We cannot forget about the one, that one who walks through the door this Sunday or this Thursday, who may look a little different than everybody else, that one that may have a reputation that goes before them, and maybe they earn that reputation, but can I just say it doesn't matter. What matters is that Jesus Christ is willing to go after that one, and the fact that they're there may be just proof that Jesus is pursuing them.
Speaker 2:So we've got to remember, as Christians, the message of the one. We should never be too busy, we should never be too tired, we should never be too uncomfortable in life that we forget about anyone. You know, we should never feel too high or too mighty or too religious that we don't stop to help one another. So remember, we used to be that one, I used to be that one, you used to be that one. Every person listening that is saved in Christ and walking with the Lord. You used to be that one too. Thank God, almighty hallelujah, that someone took the time to look at the one and share Jesus. Thank God that someone let us know that Jesus was in pursuit of us. So our prayer should be that God would open our eyes as Christians and pierce our hearts every time we are in the presence of the one, the one who needs to feel the love of Jesus.
Speaker 2:Because you never know exactly what they're dealing with. You never know exactly what they're going through, what they're fighting in life in that particular moment. You may have never known what they just walked away from, what they're walking out of. You may never know how lonely they really feel. So how far are you willing to go to get that one into the flock of God? How far was Jesus willing to go? He left the 99. He left the comfort of the flock. He's willing to go as far as it takes. So the answer is this We've got to do whatever God calls us to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know that there's another perspective in this that I'll touch on and I hadn't planned on doing it, but I think it's important because you speak about the flock and being safe, and the flock is safe and the flock is protected and we do want to go after the unsaved.
Speaker 1:But it's also important, as we speak, to how our circle matters and how it is important that we know the shepherd's voice and the shepherd knows us. As we look to our left and right in the congregation, we got to be sure that we see who we see on a regular basis and when we don't see them, we understand okay, that means they're not within the safety of the flock and we need to go get them because the safety is in the 99 and the numbers and the circles matter. And, like you lift me up, I lift you up. We do it in the name of the Lord, but we strengthen one another. If I don't show up to church for four days or four weeks, somebody should probably start calling me because I'm more vulnerable being the one away from the flock than if I was in church every single week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a great point. So, whether you go to CFO or not, maybe you go to another church. Can we just encourage you off of what Pastor Jim just said, because that is a fantastic point. Most people they sit in the same section. Most people do, right. I would rather people get up and kind of move around every week and get to know different people within the family, but the truth is most people sit in their section, right where they're comfortable being. So I want to charge you guys.
Speaker 2:Begin to look around those within your section. Begin to get to know people at your church that sit near you, that sit around you. Begin to get to know people that when you're walking to your row, to get to your seat, begin to make conversation and welcome people and greet people. Begin to make going to your chair more than just about going to your chair right Like. Begin to greet people not just in passing but look them in the eyes, you know, and if it takes a moment to just sit there and actually have a small conversation before church starts, then so be it. But get to know folks so that when they're not there you can reach out, and when you're not there they can reach out. That's a're not there. They can reach out. That's a whole piece of accountability within the family of God.
Speaker 1:Yeah you know, god is the shepherd and he's going to go through great lengths to seek and save the lost, like that's what he wants to do. He has a heart for it and, as His followers, we're called to do the same thing. We're called to pursue the one. We're called to celebrate restoration and never underestimate the value of a single soul. God's love knows no boundaries, so, whether it's the 99 who are safe or the one that has wandered, he's all about restoration and, as his people were invited into that mission field. So we need to be his agents of his grace. Right, we need to be ambassadors of Christ by being agents of his grace, bringing back the lost and rejoicing over their return.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, like Lord, teach us to look for the one. When we go to the grocery store, I want to find the one. When we go to school, help us to for the one. When we go to the grocery store, I want to find the one. When we go to school, help us to find the one. When we go to work, help us to find the one. When we're out in the community, help us to find the one. Whether we're working or just having a good time, whether we're at the gas pumps, help us to see the one. Going to the bank, wherever it be, the restaurant, help us to see the one. I wonder how many times I've missed the one. How many times have I had a waiter or a waitress? That was the one. They were the one that was in need, but I was so interested in who I was with at the time, fellowshipping across the table, what I was looking at on my menu, hungry, ready to please my physical hunger and desire, just not seeing what really matters. How many times have I missed the one, bro?
Speaker 1:I just thought of an amazing t-shirt. Give it to me. Are you the one?
Speaker 2:That's good bro.
Speaker 1:And then when they come up and say, what does that mean? Oh, did we just open a can of worms to talk about the 99 for the one? Yeah, the one for. About the 99 for the one? Yeah, yeah, the one. For what Are you the one? Yeah, listen, I hope that today has resonated with you, you know. I hope that you take a moment to think about the ones in your life and ask God how he might be calling you to go after them.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, father. God, we thank you so much. We thank you for every person that is listening to this, but most importantly, father, we thank you for Jesus, the only begotten Son, and because you defeated death, lord, you live. And because you live, we live. And I pray that our eyes would be open to see the one that sometimes stands right before us and we can miss it. May our ears be open to hear the cry and the pleas for help from the one. May our spirit be in step and in tune with the Holy Spirit of God living inside of us, so that, as he unctions us and prompts us to go, spend time interacting with the one who needs Jesus, we would be willing to do that, and we ask all this in the mighty name and the blood of Jesus, and I'm just excited to hear testimony from people that were willing to surrender to the hand and the work of God and go have impact on the one. God bless you all in the mighty name of Jesus, amen, amen.
