Focus on Them
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There is only one passage in all of Scripture where three illustrations are used to teach only one point. The passage is Luke 15 and the point that is being made is that God places great value on individual people. In Luke15:1-2 Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders of His day with the fact that He was associating with and investing time in the lives of the lest valued people in the Jewish community. Jesus valued the lives and souls of the prostitutes and sinners of His day. In the verses that followed He tells three illustrations to make the point that He and His Father value just one person who is lost.
There is only one passage in all of Scripture where three illustrations are used to teach one point.
He begins with the story of the lost sheep and the importance that the shepherd put on looking for the one lost sheep even while leaving the 99 sheep without oversight. He then tells the story of a woman who loses one coin and searches the whole house until she finds it. Then finally, He illustrates His point in a moving story of the love a father has for his lost and wayward son. God cares for each of us so much that He is like the earthly father who's heart is broken and who's spirit is revived when His son returns and seeks to make things right. That's how much God cares for even one lost person.
God's value for individual people can be seen in other ways as well. Genesis 1:26 teaches us that value is found in the fact that all of us are made in the image and likeness of God. Romans 5:8 reveals the fact that God chose to give His Son's life to save us. Obviously, Jesus' life is valuable and God was willing to sacrifice it for our salvation. John 14:1-3 tells of a Savior who is going to prepare a place for us and that He is valuing us so much that He is bring us to where He resides. God wants to be with us...We Are Valued!
When it comes to sharing our faith with lost people our Heaven Father wants us to get over our fears and focus on the eternal value of each living soul. That fact can inspire us to share more boldly and to open our hearts and arms to the lost for the glory of God.
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