From Losing Yourself to Finding the Lost

- Pastor Tyler Villines

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV)

We all desire to be known! But sometimes, we are so desperate to be known that we are willing to sacrifice being real. Have you ever acted like a completely different person so that you could get in with a particular group? Maybe as a student, it was to get in with a crowd you thought was cool, so you acted like them and started drinking and partying when you knew that just wasn’t you. Maybe you are a businessman who loves your wife, but you have begun disrespecting her because the higher-ups disrespect their wives. Whatever it is, you start to look like who you want to be around but lose who you are. It’s scary how we are willing to throw away being authentic if it means we will be known.

When we do this, people will know who you are pretending to be, fall in love with the mask you wear, and never really meet you. Now, suddenly, you are surrounded by people yet still unknown. How do we grow in the community and be known while saving ourselves? Ready for the Christian answer for everything…? Be Like Jesus… STAY WITH ME!

Let me show you how He modeled it perfectly and how we can implement it daily: In Luke 19:1-10, Jesus meets a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus, who was small in stature, climbs a tree to see Jesus over the crowds. When Jesus spots Him, He says, “Zacchaeus, come down, for I am going to your house today…”

Jesus did not desire to be seen; He SAW the UNSEEN.

What if we decided to do this together? Rather than waiting up in a tree for someone to see us, we decided to visit the ones desperate to be seen. When we do this, we can stand and be who we are, following Christ and seeking the unseen. We have been found in Christ; now we get to help find.

Make a Difference:

Today, take inventory of the people you seek out and those you avoid. Ask God how you can reach out to those you tend to avoid and ask Him for help to reach them.

As You Read:

Remember that Jesus is reaching the end of His earthly ministry, and He is trying to communicate His final words and orders to the disciples. That applies to Peter and John as much as it applies to you. What is the Master trying to say to you?