KNOWING CHRIST AS THE SEEKER AND SAVIOUR OF THE LOST
A Sermon By Wayne Camp
TEXT: Lu. 19:10
INTRO: God sent his Son into the world to do a number of things. First and foremost he was to glorify the Father in the saving of his people from their sins. Thus, it seems to me, the Bible sets forth the saving work of Christ as the primary reason for his being made in the likeness of sinful flesh and dying on the cruel cross of Golgotha.
I will have more to say on this in a moment. The text is clear on the matter, however. Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.There are three things I want to call to your attention from this verse as we consider the subject, Knowing Christ as the Seeker and Saviour of the Lost.
First, we will consider the gracious mission of Christ. Second, we will look at the tragic state and condition of those whom Christ came to save. Finally, we will give some attention to the double difficulty of Christ's gracious mission.
I. THE GRACIOUS MISSION
A. The Son of man is come.
1. The prophets must write of the one who was to come.
2. During his ministry Christ could speak in the present tense and say "The Son of man is come."
3. We can look upon it and speak of it as an accomplished fact.
a. He has come into this world and performed every work necessary to the salvation of his people. John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
b. We can rejoice in the fact of his finished work and rejoice in those marvelous words, "It is finished."
B. The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
1. This was yet future when Jesus spoke these words.
2. We can rejoice in the accomplished work; he has given his life a ransom for many and those ransomed must surely be set free. 1 Timothy 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
C. The saints of old looked for redemption in Israel. Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
1. We can rejoice in the finished redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ. Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
2. God has made him redemption unto us. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
3. We are not looking for redemption, we have redemption through his blood. Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
4. Our redemption is an eternal redemption that has already been obtained for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
D. The law showed men their imperfection and demanded perfection, thus pointing them to the need of a substitute who could perfect them.
1. We do not need to look forward to one who shall perfect us.
2. We can rejoice in the one who graciously came into this world and by one sacrifice has perfected us. Hebrews 10:10-14 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
E. The graciousness of Christ's mission is further seen in this text in his reference to himself as the Son of Man, a title that speaks of his gracious identification with his people. Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
II. THE TRAGIC STATE AND CONDITION OF THOSE WHOM CHRIST CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE
A. A look at the word translated lost will give us an idea of the tragic state of those whom Christ came to seek and to save. The word lost is a dreadful word.
1. The Greek word is apollumi.
a. In the Active Voice this word means "to destroy, to destroy utterly, kill, to lose utterly".
b. In the Middle Voice in the Greek it means "to perish, perished, are perishing".
c. The word also means "to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, to give over to eternal misery, to be lost, ruined, destroyed".
2. The ninth chapter of Revelation shows the sounding of the fifth angel in the sounding of the trumpets. It paints an awful picture of destruction. Revelation 9:1-11 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 A