Love the Lost

The Shepherd's Heart: Seeking the Lost

Bible Passage: Luke 15:4–7

Luke 15:4–7 ESV

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:4–7 RVR95BTO

«¿Qué hombre de vosotros, si tiene cien ovejas y se le pierde una de ellas, no deja las noventa y nueve en el desierto y va tras la que se perdió, hasta encontrarla? Cuando la encuentra, la pone sobre sus hombros gozoso, y al llegar a casa reúne a sus amigos y vecinos, y les dice: “Gozaos conmigo, porque he encontrado mi oveja que se había perdido”. Os digo que así habrá más gozo en el cielo por un pecador que se arrepiente, que por noventa y nueve justos que no necesitan de arrepentimiento.

Summary: In this parable, Jesus illustrates the profound love of God for the lost, comparing it to a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one that is lost, highlighting the value of each individual to God.

Application: This sermon can help Christians recognize their own responsibility to seek out and love those who are lost in their community and bring them to the knowledge and love of Christ.

Big Idea: God's relentless love compels us to seek the lost and rejoice in their return to Him.

1. Pursuing the Valuable - Persiguiendo lo valioso

Luke 15:4 ESV

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

Luke 15:4 RVR95BTO

«¿Qué hombre de vosotros, si tiene cien ovejas y se le pierde una de ellas, no deja las noventa y nueve en el desierto y va tras la que se perdió, hasta encontrarla?

God in this verse questions us to get us to understand value.

We as humans value so many things in life

Family, our jobs, things,

Anything that if it were lost we would go crazy to try and find it.

There’s difference between how we value things as well.

We might not go crazy in looking for a penny, or maybe a quarter that we lost but maybe we will go out of our way to look for a $20 or $100 bill that you know you lost because it has more value.

Earrings vs Wedding band

What my wife values, sometimes I don’t value.

What my kids value, most likely I don’t value the same way.

I think its awesome how my son taken a love for cars.

He knows all of his cars. He plays with each. He’ll even play with broken cars

But he has a great love for cars.

I think it’s hilarious that when he loses one of his cars he goes crazy looking for it.

He’ll even go as far as to stop whatever he’s doing, leave the cars behind to looks for the one

Someone say “the one”

He will leave the 200 hundred other cars to search for “the one”

He rejoices when he finds it.

To him, he understands the value of those cars. And it means a lot.

I don’t value those cars as much as he does. As a matter of fact, he’s not here to hear these words but I have to throw out some of the older cars to make room for new ones. (that’s another preaching we won’t get into right now)

So we understand clearly the value system in our lives.

So Jesus is not teaching them in verse 4 what it means to value but he’s teaching them that you need to value the right things.

Jesus is speaking to them in the language they could understand. They knew the value of 1 sheep going missing so he’s speaking to them in relatable terms so that they understood how Jesus values “the one”

The one that gets lost.

The one that wanted didn’t fully understand what they were getting themselves into when they went into that relationship, or didn’t think that drugs, alcohol, women, men, witchcraft would lead them to be lost.

Maybe they thought the crystals would truly lead them in the right path.

Maybe they thought that the evil eye would truly protect them, and they are lost.

Maybe they thought they would find happiness and comfort when they laid with many men or women.

They are lost.

And Jesus is trying to teach the Pharisees the the scribes that the tax collectors and sinners who were drawing near to Jesus were sheep who were lost but they had value.

I was looking for something under the sofa the other days and anyone who is a parent knows that when you look under the sofa you don’t know what you’re going to find.

You might find food, toys, the remote, your lost airpod, etc.

Well as I lift the sofa my son screams with excitement cause he had found “the one”

This car was full dust, it was together with filth, things that don’t belong because it was in the wrong place.

That car if it had a mind I’m sure would not have wanted to be there but it was played with and thrown away.

Knowing Joshy that car was used and abused and in a moment of fun the car got lost.

Don’t miss out on the revelation.

In a moment of weakness you fell, you left, you ran far away.

But let me tell you. You might be in the wrong place but where you are in life doesn’t remove your value.

God says you’re not too broken, you are not too lost, you are not too dirty, you are not too far gone that my love won’t reach you.

God put value in you and no one, not even you, can take it away.

Are you a satanist. God loves you and wants a relationship with you

Are you a liar? God loves you and wants a relationship with you

Are you an adulterer at heart? God loves you and wants a relationship with you.

Are you addicted? God loves you and wants a relationship with you.

Are you transgender? God loves you and wants a relationship with you.

God’s love is not confined to the majority or the most “holy” or the already-saved, but extends to each individual, no matter how far they have wandered.

Where you are does not change your value.

And we the church should see the value in them that in the same way the Jesus’ blood was shed on the cross for us, he shed His blood for them as well.

We, the church, can not put a value system on people where some matter more than others.

God shows us what to do when we find the lost.

2. Carrying the Cherished - Aguantando lo Atesorado

Luke 15:5 ESV

5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Luke 15:5 RVR95BTO

Cuando la encuentra, la pone sobre sus hombros gozoso,

Two things happen here.

One, he lays it on his shoulder.

I think this is beautiful because it talks about care.

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 RVR95BTO

Pero Dios muestra su amor para con nosotros, en que siendo aún pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros.

He lifts us up on his shoulders

Are we lifting up those we find?

Sometimes is not finding the lost, but it’s what we do when we find them.

There are a ton of people around us in our jobs, in our school, in our hair salons, when we do our toes, when we walk around.

Sometimes it’s not if we find the lost which is often the case, but what do we do when we find them.

Jesus gives us a great example here.

We are to care for it.

When I was in evangelism class in institute we were reading a book in which the author illustrated a vision in which she saw many people heading toward a cliff and nobody stopping them from falling over. They just wandered lost until they fell over.

She screamed and tried to stop them and managed to save some people from falling over the cliff.

She begged the question. Why didn’t anyone stop them?

We live in a world where people are following other people even to their own death and they don’t even see it. And there’s a church that has been too silent.

We need to care that there are people about plunge into eternal separation from God.

We need to love the souls that are lost.

We need to warn them that their lifestyle and decision is going to lead them right to hell.

There are so many lost sheep that are disoriented, confused, or maybe they believe they are going the right way.

Maybe they were got distracted, maybe they were curious and wanted to find out was in our neighbors field.

Come one, a lot of times we look at other people, like if the temptation to look where I eyes shouldn’t go, don’t come to our lives.

I’m not saying we all fall for the temptations I just saying that the temptations do come to all in one way or another.

For some it used to be a temptation and you resisted the enemy and he’s long gone in that area but don’t let your guard down cause the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy.

But what’s beautiful is that the verse doesn’t indicate that the sheep was hurt.

So why did Jesus says “he lays it on his shoulders”?

In the shepherding world of Jesus’ day, it was common for shepherds to hoist a lost or young sheep onto their shoulders, especially if:

The sheep had wandered far and might be exhausted.

You know how many sheep are tired an exhausted of being lost?

How many have been in this situation where you’ve been lost and are tired and just need Jesus to come and rescue them?

The terrain was steep or dangerous

The shepherd wanted to keep the sheep close so it wouldn’t stray again.

In the same way when we encounter lost sheep we need to care and lift them up. Love on them.

Jesus emphasizes the personal responsibility Christians have to connect with and carry those in need of spiritual guidance or support, leading them back to God’s fold.

And there is joy in doing so.

3. Rejoicing Over Redemption - Regocijándose por la Redención

Luke 15:6–7 ESV

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:6–7 RVR95BTO

y al llegar a casa reúne a sus amigos y vecinos, y les dice: “Gozaos conmigo, porque he encontrado mi oveja que se había perdido”. Os digo que así habrá más gozo en el cielo por un pecador que se arrepiente, que por noventa y nueve justos que no necesitan de arrepentimiento.

Everyone here can relate to have recieved a blessing so big they wanted to testify and tell the world about!

Whether it be a car, apartment or house you’ve been praying for and God gave it to you.

A new job.

And you couldn’t wait to tell the whole world.

The reason we started the sermon with “Pursuing the Valuable” was because the reason we are able to be joyful about the redemption is because we saw the value, in the sheep being found.

If you don’t love the lost then them being found won’t be of excitement.

Let me tell you if you don’t love the lost you won’t value them having salvation.

You can only rejoice if you love.

God lays out what brings more joy in heaven

There will be MORE joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous person who need no repentance.

There is joy when one less person is saved from eternal damnation.

There’s a heavenly celebration that occurs when a sinner repents.

Jesus underscores the collective joy of angels, showing the profound impact one person's repentance has in Heaven.

4. Conclusion

There are many people that are lost in this world.

Many looking for someone to rescue them.

Many not knowing that they are about go over that cliff.

They are just following the next trend

They are lost.

Do you love them enough to warn them of their pending doom and destruction?

No matter how far they have strayed away do you love them enough to find them, pick them up over your shoulders and carry them back home.

God is calling all of us to love, seek and return those who are lost.

If you find yourself that you have wandered far away from Jesus or never had a relationship with him this is your call to repentance and to come home.