“Amnesia Al.” That’s all the officials in Denver knew to call him. They
found him on the street, living as a homeless man, with no clue as to who
he was or where he came from. The police figured that there must be
someone out there that would recognize him. So they put him on national
television with a police detective who explained Amnesia Al’s predicament,
and his heartfelt plea still rings in my ears: “I feel totally lost. If
only someone could just tell me who I am and who I belong to.” Thankfully,
someone did. His fiancée in another state recognized him and she answered
the questions.
“I feel totally lost. If only someone could tell me who I am and who I
belong to.” As you hear those words, maybe you can say, “I know that
feeling.” A lot of people do. All the years of living and loving and
looking may have left you still wondering who you really are, who you
really belong to, and why you’re really here. The “Amnesia Al” is all too
descriptive of how so many people feel… “lost.”
But that man didn’t stay lost, and you don’t have to either. His hope was
a person who knew who he was and came to his rescue. And that is your
hope, too, because the one person who knows everything about you, who
knows everything about why you’re here, is the person who created you in
the first place. And He’s come looking for you this very day.
In Jesus’ own words, recorded in Luke 19:10, our word for today from the
Word of God, “The Son of Man (that’s Jesus) came to seek and save those
who are lost” (NLT). Why? Because He’s the One you’re supposed to belong
to! It’s His love you were made for. It’s only His love that can fill the
hole in your heart.
But like that lost homeless man, we’re not able to get to the One we’re
supposed to belong to. Our only hope is if He comes looking for us, and He
did, all the way from being worshipped by angels to being nailed to a
cross. In the words of the Bible, “He personally carried our sins in His
body on the cross… by His wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep
who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd” (1 Peter
2:24-25 – NLT). See every one of us has “wandered away,” the Bible says,
from the only One who can make sense of our life. Those “sins” that Jesus
carried to the cross with Him are the thousands of times you and I have
thought, or said or done things our way instead of God’s way. In the
process, we have repeatedly violated the laws of Almighty God. And sin is
punishable by death. It can only be forgiven by that death penalty being
paid. But Jesus stepped in and absorbed all that punishment, all the hell
of my sin and your sin. That’s what it took to save you – His blood – His
life.
And today, that stirring you feel in your heart – that’s Jesus looking for
you. But He won’t force you to go with Him. You choose between life your
way and life His way. Between a futile, lifetime search or having the hole
in your heart finally filled. Ultimately, it’s choosing between heaven and
hell, especially right now and here.
Now, if you’re tired of searching, if you’re ready to find, if you want to
belong to the One who loves you more than anyone has ever loved you, tell
Him that. You can reach out to Him right where you are. Tell Him, “Jesus,
You’re who I’ve been looking for all this time. Today, I surrender my life
to You because You died for me; because You really are my only hope.”
It’s an absolute great time of the year to do just that with Thanksgiving
and the Christmas season knocking at our life’s door. Open it! Dare to
make this time not only the best time of the year, but now, the best time
of your life. Re-discover what it’s like to be FOUND again. And FIND out
now!
See you in church,
Chuck
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