The following pen and paper exercise is pretty revealing. On a piece of paper, draw a ladder with ten rungs. To the left of the top rung write “God,” and to the left of the bottom rung write “People.” The ladder represents everyone’s effort to move toward God. Consider where you fall on the ladder. Before you position yourself, place an “X” on the fifth rung and write the names of Billy Graham and Mother Teresa beside it. They would place their names lower, but this is fair. On the third rung write an “X” and place my name beside it. I’m generally between two and three. Now, where would you place an “X” for your life? Mark it and write your name beside it.

One last note on your ladder: To the left of the bottom rung write “2 billion,” and to the right of that same rung write “6 billion.” There are over 6 billion people in the world, and in loose general terms, only 2 billion profess to be Christian. The 2 billion would say they have taken their first step on the bottom rung toward knowing God. The other two-thirds of the world would say, “What ladder?” Jesus would describe these two-thirds as “lost.”

To be fair, no one plans to get lost. It just happens. In 2000, the U. S. Postal Service moved over 208 billion pieces of mail. That is nearly 668 million pieces a day.¹ I heard somewhere that the postal service loses up to 16,000 pieces of mail a day. It is not a quota they strive for, but in the midst of all they do it happens. Some pieces get lost. You have probably experienced something similar during a vacation. Among all the highway changes and left and right turns, you make one wrong turn and get lost. You did not wake up that morning and tell the family, “Let’s see how lost we can get today.” It just happened.

Becoming spiritually lost is never planned, expected or wanted, but still it happens. In Luke 15, Jesus explains how it happens to many of us by telling the story of two brothers. Listen to Jesus’ story, the story He tells may be yours.

Lost Away from the Father

In verses 11-20a, Jesus first tells the story of how the youngest brother became lost.

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.”

Not only does this story tell how the youngest became lost, it also reveals that, at first, he had no idea he was lost.

How can anyone be lost and not know it?
You might be asking yourself, “How can anyone be lost and not know it?” Let me offer the following suggestions.

You can get lost DRIVING WITHOUT A MAP OR DESTINATION. I pastored two retired couples who vacationed together. They set no agenda and had no plans. They simply agreed on a direction and said, “Let’s see where the car takes us today.” God has a map and destination for your life. The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11,

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God plans to bless you and provide a future destination for you. His map is the Bible. When you live your life never looking at God’s map, you get lost.

Another way to get lost is by NIBBLING FROM TUFT TO TUFT. Two ranchers were frustrated over losing cattle. One asked, “How do they keep getting lost?” The other replied, “Watch them eat. They nibble on a tuft of grass. When finished, they raise their eyes high enough to find the next tuft and eat it. They nibble from tuft to tuft, and if they come to a hole in the fence and see a tuft on the other side, they’ll walk through. Now they’re in another field and are lost and don’t know it.” Like cattle, we nibble from tuft to tuft, moving from event to event. We nibble at making friends, getting an education, securing a job, raising a family, and staying healthy. If you never look up from your crowded calendar or “to do” list, you will never realize you are lost.

Furthermore, you get lost by PURSUING MISGUIDED DREAMS. This happened to the youngest brother. He pocketed his inheritance and went to a distant land to fulfill his dreams. Some might think he would have been fine if not for the famine. Actually, he was lost when his pockets were full, lost with people who were fun, lost while his dreams were being fulfilled. He was lost and did not know it because he was lost outside his father’s will.

What to do when you are lost!
Living without a map, nibbling from tuft to tuft, or pursuing misguided dreams can cause you to become lost and not know it. Yet, there are three ways to realize you are lost.

First, LOOK AT THE LANDMARKS! It is a neck-twisting experience to drive by a familiar landmark and say, “That was my turn. I should be there.” Here are some landmarks promised by God which we expect out of life. Jesus promises “fulfillment.” He said, “I have come that they (you) might have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b) Jesus promises “peace” saying, “…my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) He also promises “joy” saying, “…my joy may be in you that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) Finally, the Bible promises “security” when it says, “I write these things to you…so that you may know you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13)

Yet, this is what happens. If you live life without a map, you’ll drive by these landmarks and wonder, “How can I get there?” If you live life from deadline to deadline, nibbling from event to event, you’ll never look up to see what you are missing. If you are following your dreams, you may experience some fulfillment, peace and joy. However, it is nothing more than a mirage which soon disappears, leaving you lost once again. Landmarks let you know you are lost.

Second, OBEY THE ROAD SIGNS! Whereas landmarks let you know you are lost, road signs tell you what you need to do. You need to turn around. In John 16:8, Jesus promises the following road signs when you are lost. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgment. Each of these acts as a “U-turn” sign. Feeling guilty because you have not committed your life to Jesus Christ is a “U-turn” sign from God. When you realize that to get into heaven you must be as righteous as Jesus and you’re not, that is a “U-turn” sign from God. When the thought of these signs makes you nervous or fearful, God is telling you to come to a crossroad and turn around.

Third, USE THE CROSSROADS! Landmarks show you that you are lost. Road signs tell you that you need to turn around. But it is only when you use the crossroads that you actually go home instead of go on. The youngest son came to a crossroad in his life. He had become financially, socially, emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. Yet, he came to a crossroad. He could go on finding emptiness from his dreams, or he could go home and find everything he ever needed in the arms of his waiting father. He chose to go home.
To see if you are at a crossroad in your life, stop and ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you spiritually lost?

• Do you have any clue where you are going and how you will get there?

• Do you have a spiritual map, and, if so, do you trust it?

• Do you feel the things you truly want out of life are always on the service road and you can’t get to them?

• Has God been placing “U-turn” signs in your life, telling you to turn around?

If you can answer “yes” to any or all of these, then you are at a crossroad today. You are lost, away from God. You have a choice to go on or to go home. If you go on, you will only get more of the same. If you go home and turn your life over to God, you will find Him waiting with open arms. You will receive total forgiveness and complete acceptance from Him. There will be a celebration in heaven and one right here. But you must chose to turn around, turn your life over to Him, and go home.

Lost at Home with the Father

There are an estimated 4 billion people in the world today who do not profess to be Christians. They are lost, away from God, and need to go home. But a surprising number of the 2 billion who claim to be Christians are lost as well. They are lost at home with the Father. Billy Graham believes we would be surprised at the number of lost within our churches. This is the problem of the other brother in Luke 15:25-32. Look at his reaction when his brother comes home.

25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

You might wonder, “How can someone be lost in their own home?” I walked into my own home after playing an away game in high school. It was early morning and the lights were out. I did not want to wake the family, so I walked in the dark, believing I could find my way to my room. What I could not see was that Mom had left the door to the linen closet open. It creased my forehead and knocked me to my knees. I crawled the rest of the way to bed. Many of you are lost in God’s house, and what I am about to share will knock you to your knees.

How to Be Lost in the Father’s House
Though it seems impossible, you may be lost in the Father’s house and not know it. The following explains how.

You may be BLINDED BY DUTY. The oldest son said, “I didn’t wander off. I’ve stayed and done all you’ve asked.” You may not think you are lost because of all the work you do at church. You may be a teacher, director, committee member or deacon. Because your name is engraved somewhere on the church does not mean you are not lost in the church. Jesus said in Matthew 7:22-23 that on judgment day,

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!’”

You may CONFUSE CLOSENESS WITH LIKENESS. Though the oldest son stayed at home, he was not like his father. His father could forgive, but he could not. Many confuse attendance with acceptance. You think because you are at church you will be accepted by God in heaven. I walked into the restroom of a familiar hospital to wash my hands. Rinsing my hands, I thought the room looked different. Suddenly I realized I was in the women’s restroom and before I could dry my hands, a woman stepped in, and there was a scream. It was mine. I yelled, “Oh, I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I can’t believe I did this.”
Corrie ten Boom said that a mouse in a cookie jar doesn’t make it a cookie. My being in the women’s restroom did not make me a woman. Likewise, just because you have been in church does not make you a Christian. Jesus’ standard for acceptance is not attendance, but perfection. He said in Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

You may even mistake AFFILIATION WITH ASSOCIATION. Though the oldest son was at home, that did not make him part of the family. When they celebrated the return of his brother, he would not join them. You may think because you have been with Christians and acted like a Christian, you are a Christian. In 1957, Professor Lorenz conducted studies on “imprinting” – the powerful attachment between newborns and their mother. Professor Lorenz waddled, honked and flapped his arms and got newborn ducklings to love him like their mother. Those who saw this strange parade might have pointed at Professor Lorenz and said, “What a strange professor.” But I doubt anyone pointed at him and said, “What a strange-looking duck.”

Many of you have been imprinted by your parents. You followed them to church and knew when to sit and stand, what to do and say. You may have been baptized simply because that is what Christians do. Though you waddle and honk like a Christian, when you parade past Jesus to get into heaven, you’ll stand out like Professor Lorenz. Matthew 25:32 says that Jesus will separate Christians from non-Christians as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. Therefore, you need to know today if you are lost in God’s house but don’t know it.

How to Know if you are Lost in the Father’s House
1 John 5:13 says it was written that “you may know you have eternal life.” Therefore, 1 John asserts that you can ask yourself the following six questions to know if you are lost in God’s house.

1 John 2:29; 3:7-10 asks,
DO YOU DO THE RIGHT ACTS?

This not only refers to your actions in church, but also to what you do outside church. 1 John says you must strive at all times for your righteousness to be like Jesus’.

1 John 3:2-3 asks,
DO YOU ACT THE RIGHT WAY?

You may perform all the right acts, but if you do not do them in the character of Christ, you are lost.

1 John 3:4-6 asks,
DO YOU PROTECT CHRONIC SIN?

Do you say regarding continual sins, “This is the way I am; I’ll never change”? Probably, then, you have never placed your life in God’s hands, for He will always want to make changes.

1 John 3:14-18; 4:7-12, 19-21 asks,
DO YOU LOVE ALL THE BRETHREN?

The oldest brother refused to love his own brother. You may get angry with another. Family members get angry. But loving families forgive, while unloving families disassociate. You cannot be a member of God’s family and disassociate with others within the family.

1 John 3:21-22, 24; 5:2-4 asks,
DO YOU OBEY ALL GOD’S WORD?

If you say, “I’m a Christian” but refuse to be baptized, then you need to either obey God’s Word or get saved. If you are a Christian, you will not select and chose the parts of the Bible you will obey. You will obey all God’s Word.

1 John 3:18-20 asks,
WHAT DOES YOUR HEART SAY?

Listen to what God’s Word says,

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Now what is God saying to your heart? What does your heart say? Are you lost away from God, or are you saved with a secure and fulfilling relationship with God?

A Helpful Prayer

You started this study with a pen and paper exercise. I would like to end with another activity. It has been an effective tool over the years helping people determine if they are lost. It is a prayer. In just a moment, I am going to ask you to pray, “God, tell me if I am saved or if I am lost.” Many have prayed this prayer in my office. After praying this prayer, some realized they were lost while others reaffirmed their salvation. As we prayed this prayer, we trusted 1 John 3:19-20. We believed God knows everything. He is greater than our hearts, and that He can use our hearts to confirm or convict us. If you want to know if you are lost, then bow your head and pray this prayer,

God, you know everything.
You know if I am lost or saved.
Speak to my heart and let me know.

Let me ask you, “What is God saying to your heart?” Stop and check the landmarks. Do you have the fulfillment, peace, joy and security that come with a life with God? If so, thank Him. If not, ask Him.

Think again, “What is God saying to my heart?” Pause and consider the signs of guilt. It’s the burden of knowing that you have not done what you know to be right and surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. It’s the weight of realizing no matter how good you are you will never be good enough. The only one good enough to enter heaven on His own merits was Jesus Christ. It is the pressure of knowing Jesus has the final say as to who enters heaven, and you have not squared your life with Him. Have you seen these signs in your life?

No matter if you have never attended church before or have attended all your life, it is important to ask yourself once more, “What is God saying to my heart?” You are right now at a critical crossroad. Don’t do what you may have done before. Instead of turning your life around and going home to God, you went on. This time, don’t go on your way. Go home God’s way. Your way means more of the same old life without God. God’s way means a brand new life with God. You can either live outside His grace or inside His embrace. It all depends on your decision to go home, or go on.