More Left than Lost

I heard a message the other day (actually I listened to it several times) that was so thought provoking. The message was called "More Left than Lost". I am not trying to steal a sermon, but I had to share a couple of the thoughts in this message.

1. The wages of sin is death. Not will be death, sometime in the future death, but is death. There are things when we sin, when we walk away from God, leave the church, etc. that we lose. Somethings I feel we can never get back. But when we make our way back to God, somethings that feel dead, feel like we have lost forever are just waiting for something to resurrect them. Jesus said I am the resurrection. Martha thought He was talking about the resurrection to come. But He was there that day to resurrect something they thought they had lost forever. Jesus is looking for an opportunity to resurrect some things in peoples life. They may be dead, but we all know what the answer to that is!!

2. The title of the message comes from this thought. The prodigal son had to come to himself. He had spent everything. Lost his money, his family, his reputation, his friends, the list goes on. But he had to come to himself and realize, that in everything I lost, there is still more at home that has always been there. There is grace and mercy there. There is sustenance. There is a father that I know will still love me. In all that I lost, there is still more left than lost.

3. Home has to stay home. The father could have went out and defended his son in the world. Justified, tried to protect, made excuses for. But the father said, when he needs a place to come home to, when all has run out, he won't have to wonder where I am. He won't have to wonder if home is still what it used to be. I am going to be watching for him. Waiting for him. We have to keep home home.
What about those that leave because of TV, jewelry, moral sin, etc? What about when they come home? They are looking for the home that they left. The home that they dreamed about. But they come home and TV is now ok. Jewelry is on everybody. Immoral spirit is all over the church. No, no, no. We have to keep home home. We have to keep it like it always has been.

Jeremiah 6:16 "Ask for the old paths"

Much thanks to Pastor Tim Copeland of Buford, GA for this message.