Tuesday, September 7, 2010
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"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 who 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'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Homeless in Your Heart."
"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 word "Amnesia Al" used 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 to 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 come 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.
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." If you're ready for Jesus, then I want to invite you to visit our website today. You'll find a brief, non-religious explanation there of how to make sure you have begun your own relationship with Jesus Christ. The website is yoursforlife.net.
You've been lost long enough. It's time to finally be home where you belong.