We are One Loved

One Person is Important to God

One Person is So Important

There is something so important about one person.

One person can be vitally important.

Have you heard of the Ghost of Kiav Story?

this one plane was the air defense agaisnt russia for the first 12 days of the inital attack they suffered. there is this idea that one man shot down all those planes and it really boosted the morale of Ukraine

There is something important about that story, that if one man can be that great, can I too?

We love stories like that, where someone goes from zero to hero becuase it tells us that we too can do something like that. We can go from our normal human status to being something better then we are now.

See how important one person is?

We idolize the super heros, where we look up to those origin stories.

We see how valuble one person is.

However the same goes for God’s perspective of you, that even if you don’t have super powers, or do not have a superman story he still cares about you.

We talked about how God loves all of us and that is 100% true, however he also loves you, specifically you, so much that he tells these stories called parables about how deeply he cares for you.

So lets dive into these stories and take a look at how deeply he loves one person, that one person being you.

Luke 15:3–7 (NIV)

Then Jesus told them this parable:

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Jesus states that he is the good shepherd that would leave the herd to attend and find the one sheep who wanders off.

This is a strange idea becuase he has a flock of 99 other sheep and should simple take the loss on the one and contiune, but he states that he is the one who would chase after the sheep who had gone astray.

Jesus loves his sheep, and his sheep being us. So much that he would leave the multiudes of ones that are following already to find the one who has wandered away.

What is so special about this sheep that he would joyfully put the sheep over his shoulders and go home to celebrate its recovery? Is this sheep like the goose who lays golden eggs? well no, this sheep is apart of the flock, Jesus loves all of us, the whole group that he would go off for just one person, he does not change his idea of love that he would sudden only love 99 sheep instead of the one, but rather that he would take it upon himself because of his love of all his children, that he would go searching after one single sheep.

See if we are wandering away, Jesus wants to carry us home joyfully over his shoulders and parade us that we are found.

Even if you have no special abilities, even if you are the same white sheep as everyone else, Jesus still loves you so much that he would leave everyone to find you.

But lets keep reading as we jump over a parable that I want to encourage you to read later about a women and a coin, that shows the same examples that these other parables show us.

Leaving the rest for the one

Let me read to you this story on the Parable son, and as I read this to you I want you to close your eyes and I want you to imagine yourself in the story.

Luke 15:11–32 NIV

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “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. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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.’ ”

When we read this story we cannot help but to place ourself in the story, that we are either the younger brother who goes and asking for the inheritance only to squander it and come back.

Or we are the older brother who figured that he too deserved a party for this obedience all along.

First the younger sibling,

If you feel like to took the inheritance and you feel like your feeding the pigs and its the dumps, the Father wants you to come home, that when you do there will be a celebration.

It is not the idea that there is sorrow for the crazy life that was lived before but rather that it’s a celebration that you decided that that Fathers house is where you want to reside.

However it’s never the fathers choice to drag you back home. In the story the youngest sibling has to decide that it is time, when the youngest decides that fathers home is probably better then where he is now, and that even the lowest points of the fathers house would be better is when the story changed.

If you feel like the youngest sibling, then there is a choice that stands infront of you.

Does the pigs den look better then the Fathers house?

However it looks just know that God the Father is waiting, with fatten calf in hand, to celebrate your return. He is waiting to celebrate the momment when you arrive back at his home.

Older Sibling

If you feel like the older sibling you have to know that the father still loves you, and deeply cares for you. There is no competition, remember this morning, God loves all of use and he loves each of you individually.

We have to celebrate others coming to Christ as we were celebrated when we came to Christ.

Do not let your jealously stop what is already true about you, that you remain with the Father, through times where leaving could be easy, where anywhere else look tempting. Through the trying, through the hardships.

Let me tell you this if you feel like the older sibling,

Good job, keep going, do not give up.

Paul the Apostle says, to run the good race, keep your endurance, it’s worth it.

You are deeply loved by God just as those coming back to the faith, but let us celebrate them today.

How do we respond to his love

We need to know now how to respond to Gods parables.

If you feel like you have wandered away from God, you have had that wild life like the young sibling or just got lost like the sheep.

I want you to know there is a way back,

That Jesus is so anxiously looking for you and wants to see you be reunited with him and his people.

As he anxiously is looking for you, you may have sensed him near, that he is calling out to you.

All you have to do is to respond to his love, and you will be welcome into the fathers house with celebration and a feast.

If you want to accept that Jesus gives forgiveness of all the wrong things in your life, and still offers eternal life with him, then all you have to do is to accept him as your Lord.

Put him first, before the idols, before the things of this world. That Jesus would be your first love. If you are ready to do that I want you to connect with me or one of the leaders and we would love to lead you through a prayer on how to have a relationship with Jesus, and even more so we want to celebrate after with you, that you are wanting to enter into the Fathers house again.

I do not have a fatten calf, but I will still celebrate with you if you choose that it’s time to enter into a relationship with God.

How do you fit into the parable of the prodigal son or the parable of the lost sheep?

What is the importance of Jesus leaving the 99 other sheep?

How does God show his love in these parables?

Is God’s love reckless?

What is important about the celebration that happens in the parables?

How do you need to respond to the parables tonight?