Lost in Space

If you are a Sci-fi fan, you probably remember this cheesy television show that came on the air in the late 60’s: Lost in Space. Even for the most devoted Sci-fi fan, it was a challenge to sit through an episode of that show. The acting was terrible, and the props were even more deplorable. The show was built on the premise of an American family (the Robinsons) who planned to go on a five-year mission to explore a distant planet. Unbeknownst to them, the trip was sabotaged when a scheming Dr. Smith managed to sneak onto the spacecraft and cause the mission to go adrift for three years in outer space. Hence the title—Lost in Space. 

Long before the Robinson’s made their ill-fated trip through the solar system, Jesus spoke of being lost in Luke 15. In verses 3-10 He identifies a lost sheep and a lost coin that desperately needed to be found. In these two short parables, we see something of value. They both become lost and then an intense search and rescue takes place. The joyous part of each parable is the restoration and reunion the sheep has with its shepherd and the coin with the poor lady who lost it. 

Luke records this provocative question in verse 4, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”i  J.W. Shepherd states, “There is no cessation of seeking until the lost is found. Notice that when the shepherd finds the lost sheep he does not drive or even lead it back, but himself carries it, placing it back on his neck on both shoulders in a comfortable position, safely held by both hands.” 

That is why Jesus is referred to as the “Good Shepherd,” not the “Good Cowboy!” Nobody knows the sheep better than the Shepherd Himself. 

One Christian author writes, “Eighty percent of Jesus’s listeners made their livelihood off the land.” From fisherman to farmers to shepherds, they could easily relate to His teachings. Jesus knows we aren’t nearly as smart as we think we are. He knows we tend to go astray, and He knows how vulnerable we are. Sheep have no claws or horns to defend themselves. Without a shepherd who is willing to sacrifice everything for the sheep, they are prone to get lost, drown, hunted, or killed. Psalm 95:7 “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”  Psalm 79:13 says, “So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever.”  

You may be asking yourself, “How can I know if I may be a sheep that is beginning to drift away from the fold and away from the shepherd’s rod and staff?” Tony Evans shared this test to discern when a member of the flock or church family begins to drift away: 

Firstly, they begin to neglect spiritual matters they once took very seriously. Communion, evangelizing, and tithing are easily neglected. 

Secondly, one becomes spiritually insensitive to others’ needs within the church and even those lost souls outside the Kingdom. 

Thirdly, sheep, who intentionally withdraw from others in the fold, either through involvement or attendance, are in danger of isolating themselves from much needed fellowship. 

Watch out for these danger signs. Yet, Jesus stands ready to receive any of His beloved sheep who wander off. John 10:14 says, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own.” Later, in John 10, Jesus continues, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (10:27-28).   

If Jesus is the “Good Shepherd,” then there must be some bad ones out there. Perhaps Jesus is referring to the Pharisees and false teachers who had burdened the children of Israel for so many years with manmade regulations. Perhaps Jesus is referring to modern day Television Evangelist who make a mockery of the Scriptures and turn the pulpit into a launching pad for pragmatic theology, all the while the sheep starve to death spiritually. Jesus says to the lost souls wondering aimlessly for truth and genuine love, “They will hear my voice” (John 10:16). J.W. Shepherd states, “The sinner is so precious in God’s sight that no effort is too great to reclaim him.” 

Maybe you know of someone who has wandered away from the flock, one who is about to nose-dive right back into the fallen world in which they had once escaped—go out there and rescue them today! In James 5:19-20, the evangelist states, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” Wandering from the truth simply means wandering into a lifestyle of deceit. Let’s start praying and searching out those who have missed worship services over the last few weeks. A call and email and card encouraging them to come home can mean so much. 

Tony Evans describes God’s church this way, “A community of believers who’ll convince you that you can make it, then stand beside you while you try.” 

In Luke 15, when the woman who lost the valuable coin found it, the Scriptures state, she called up her neighbors saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost.” Jesus then taught us the application: “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Since as the church we are His hands and feet, let’s search for those who might be Lost in Space. 

~RH

(Endnotes)
All Scripture references are from the NKJV.
James C. Book serves on the board of directors for Advance Center for Ministry Training and is a former minister with Kissimmee Christian Church, Kissimmee, FL.